Front door won't fully close or sit flush What's the best way to fix an exterior door that won't close all the way? Currently it closes ~99%, but I have to push the door to make it fully shut. The deadbolt won't easily slide in or out, and often catches.

That is - the 'neutral' sitting position of the door is just a bit short of being actually flush. This means to open or close the deadbolt I have to push or pull on the door to make it flush, then move the deadbolt.

On this particular door I installed a set of Door Armor - which seems like obvious culprit. Part of the set goes on the lock side - extra metal brackets that wrap around the latch and deadbolt. This actually seems fine - I had to chisel down a notch in the door so the metal would fit flush and nothing stuck out. But that is done. The other part of the set is metal plates that fit inbetween the hinges. The idea is to spread out the weight of a blow against the door. But the hinges now have a noticible gap from the metal plate being wedged between them.

  middle hinge (link to full size pic) - has the metal plate installed. This forces space between the hinges. Terrible idea? Obvious reason why this door would never sit flush?

  top hinge (link to full size pic) - no metal plate here. The plates on the bottom and middle hinges force the top hinge to have this gap. Is that bad?

Seems like this metal gap is the obvious problem, and I may have to just get rid of it? I want to see if there is anything else I can try, as it would be nice to have the reinforced door.

I replaced all of the original short screws in the door and wall with 3.5" screws. I was hoping that by tightening all of the hinge and door screws it would help to pull the door closer and close flush. The screws are partially threaded screws, so I may try using fully threaded screws and see if that can pull the door closer.

I have tried researching and making several adjustments to fix the door and make it flush, but no luck.

Any suggestions? Or what am I not understanding about how doors hang that would make this not sit flush?

In both pictures it appears that the hinges, on the door side, are not fully mortised. I can't tell from the pictures whether this is because the door edge was not properly mortised for the hinges being used, or because the hinge screws are loose.

The hinges should be completely flush with the door edge and they are not. This is causing the gap between the hinges to be too narrow for the Door Guard Hinge Plate to fit without putting stress on the assembly. Try pulling the door and chiseling the hinge areas on the door edge such that the hinges are flush like they should be, I think that will solve your problem.


Wifi Thermostat C Wire Help Looking to hookup a wifi (smart) thermostat that requires common constant low voltage power.  The hookup of the old thermostat didn't use the blue wire as it was shoved into the wall but I traced it up to the air handler.

Below is the electrical diagram as well as an image of what I've already done.

The blue wire wasn't connected to anything in the air handler.  I used the wire nut that was there already being used for a thick and thin blue.  That is what I did to my other one in the house and it worked.  This one did not.

I've written some notes on my 2nd picture circling the "c" wire that goes to the thermostat, how I plugged it into the wire nut, and then showing a trace of that thick blue wire and where it goes with a zoom of where it goes.  It mounts to the metal with a screw as a ground.  This did not work as the thermostat didn't light up.

I believe that in my 2nd photo the ORANGE arrow is where I am really suppose to tap into (blue coming off of the circuit board).  I don't want to do anything without a little bit more confidence though.

Any help or suggestions is much appreciated.

UPDATE:  I've now updated wires.  I'm only referring to BLUE wires, but I use overlay color to describe.

A - Green
B - Pink
C - Orange
D - Turquoise

The initial picture showing that I connected into the other blue nut was correct.  The unit had a button that had to be pressed in to ensure that the cover was on.  DOH!!!!


Dishwasher malfunctions with blinking lights My Frigidaire dishwasher (model FFBD2411NS) stopped working today in the middle of a cycle, lights blinking (heavy load light, hot water light, heat dry light, sanitize light, and one phase light (wash): lights corresponding to the options I picked). It is an old model, without fancy displays or even a place for error codes.

I tried to restart the machine. It drained residual water and restarted a cycle, only to break down again a few minutes later. Most of the time, I can't even get the machine to restart, as the lights come blinking as soon as I hit the start button. I have tried different option combinations, but nothing seems to work. It seems sheer luck to get the thing to start. If I try again after 10 minutes, I might be lucky enough to get it to run a short while, but eventually it breaks down. It has been running fine for a year. Just yesterday it was working perfectly fine.

What could be the possible issue here? Any possibility this could be fixed without having to change parts?

The wiring diagram document for your model is available here:

http://manuals.frigidaire.com/prodinfo_pdf/Kinston/A03589801A.pdf

There is quite a bit of good information on that sheet that may be worth reading. The wiring diagram shows a number of sensor devices that could be marginal and should be checked. As indicated on that sheet always make sure to disconnect the power before opening or attempting to service the unit. Items to check:

The door switch could be marginal or intermittent. This switch has two pairs of contacts which actually switch the 120VAC power source to large parts of the circuitry. Inspect contacts and check with a multimeter in continuity testing mode.
There is a float switch in the bottom of the dishwasher that will cut power to the water fill valve if the water level rises too high. Check that the related switch opens and closes properly. Gunk can build up in the float mechanism and may need to be cleaned. The float needs to be able to freely move up and down.
There is a high-limit thermostat sensor that will cut power feed to the heater if the temperature gets too high. Check that this is electrically closed and not in some intermittent state of high resistance.
There are thermistors and optional turbidity sensors. You could inspect these and assure that the wiring to these is secure with non-corroded contacts.

I would most likely suspect the door switch as being intermittent or the wiring connections associated with it since it is involved with switching the AC power connections. There is a note on that sheet that indicates that OPTION LED'S flashing can be an indication of a power failure happening. The door switch can get a lot of abuse as the door is open and closed a lot on a dishwasher.


4 way switch circuit troubleshooting I have a hallway light in a 4 way circuit configuration. The problem I have is that when the 4 way is in one position all three switches work correctly. In the other position one of the 3 way switches works, the other does nothing.
I have followed the troubleshooting guides by disconnecting the wires identifying the always hot, connecting it to the black common terminal on the first 3 way, tracing the hot and it's matching pair and connecting it to the 4 way switch. The switch does not have "In" or "out: identified. I have tried connecting to both sets of screws. (I am correct that the pair of screws to be uses are directly opposed (right and left of the switch, not both on the same side).
I then  attached the travelers to the other set f screws on the 4 way switch and identified them and connected them to the brass screws on the second 3 way switch. I then connected the final wire from the lights to the second black screw. Per the instructions everything should work, but the same 3 way does not work. The other 3 way works regardless of the position of the 4 way.
Do I have a bad 3 way? perhaps a bad 4 way? HELP!!

To me it is a single mis wired 3 way switch, @jack was almost correct (all) 4 way switches swap the 2 travelers from 1 side to the other+.
Replacing a switch is allowed if the landlord approves in all the locations I have worked as a licensed electrician.  Some jurisdictions like NY a home owner can’t do basic maintenance so it is best to know.
I would check to see where the hot is coming in on the switch note the connections photograph them or record the connections if you don’t have a meter.
It sounds like a traveler and common at one of the 3 ways is reversed.
The good thing is if you have access to the breaker panel (you should by code) this is easy to figure out trial and error with in 4 tries.
Pick 1 switch power off swaps trailer and common turn power in and test  did not fix power off now the other trailer is moved to common swap and test no better return to original and go to the other 3 way and repeat the same sequence.
There are 2 travelers at each end  one of these is mixed up with a common. If incorrectly connected it doesn't work properly in 1 or 2 of the combinations there is no damage possibility using the same wires on the 3 terminals (don’t touch the ground) all the 4 way dose is flip the traveler pairs.
It can be faster for an electrician to do this test than take measurements and make the change I have done this many times with the exact same issues and had success.


How does a Thermal Release Device (TRD) work? Rheem hot water heaters have a device in the combustion chamber called Thermal Release Device (TRD). It contains a vial filled with liquid that seems to be mounted in a flex metal plate. It is a safety device that is supposed to trip when the temperature inside the combustion chamber goes above safe limit. This could happen due to "Flammable vapor incidence" or for variety of other reasons. There is not much information about this online.
This device tripped off for the gas water heater and the first plumber did not even know anything about it. He thought that it was thermocouple gone bad. Another plumber also thought the same but with GE support he could at least figure out and he knew about it. However, he could not explain how this device worked. I also could not find much online especially exactly how it trips off the burner when it just seem to sit on the base of the heater inside the combustion chamber.
EDIT
American Water Heater technical bulletin - they call is Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant (FVIR)
EDIT
Got some pictures of the device

and instructions

Either expansion/pop or fusible link melt are the two methods used. Fire sprinkler heads also use these devices.

The melting method is usually two pieces of metal joined by a calibrated alloy similar to solder that has a specific temperature where the pieces of metal debond allowing the safety mechanism to trip.

Expansion usually is a capsule filled with a liquid that's calibrated to burst at a set temperature allowing the safety mechanism to trip.

In fire sprinklers, the safety mechanism is allowing the seal to blow and water to flow. In furnaces, fuel flow cut, in this water heater, a damper to cut off air supply.

Here's a link to a safety bulletin (Rheem/Ruud)

Visually, it's pretty self-explanatory in the sequence below. Bulb pops, spring jumps out of the way and pin on spring loaded damper no longer is obstructed from allowing damper plate to seal combustion chamber.


How can I repair the damaged coating in my bathtub? The cat peed in our tub and I poured pure white vinegar in the tub to deodorize. I left about an inch of it in the tub for a couple of days. After I drained it I noticed that the glaze was gone where the vinegar touched the tub!

How do I repair this? I don’t want to install a new tub.

There are DIY coating kits available and there are companies that will come and do it. I'd personally go with the professional job unless cost is a limiting factor. You'll likely get a tougher and better looking result.


Is wrapping Roxul around hot water tank pipe a fire hazard? I have heard Roxul is safe and non-combustible, I need to wrap something around the vertical hot water tank piping leading up to the attic. This pipe can be seen in the basement ceiling and there is space around this pipe I want to use two layers of Roxul material to wrap around.

Could this become a fire hazard somehow by trapping the heat and causing nearby wood to ignite?

No. As you seem to be aware, Roxul is a mineral wool product, and mineral wool is fireproof. You're right that it will "trap the heat" but this is exactly what you want and the result will be less heat transmitted to the surrounding wood, not more. Mineral wool is actually one of the few materials you can safely use for filling these kinds of spaces. Proceed with confidence.


AC Blows air too cold This is in response to Matt S's question a few days back. I feel like most of the answers were a put down and I am experiencing the same problem he is. It is not the temperature of the house or where the system cools it to that is the problem. The actual air that blows out is the coldest in the "normal range", as tested by an A/C company, and its freezing to me. Many places in the house that I sit or stand are under a vent. I have owned several houses and additionally rental properties and have never experienced this before. Like the comments here, the overweight AC guy shrugged and said he doesn't hear people complain the AC is too cold. Well, for me it is to the point where I want to put the house up for sale it is so unbearable. If replacing the unit is the only way to solve it I will do it (it is 10 years old), otherwise if someone has a friendly suggestion that isn't "unrealistic expectations" please help. Thanks!

Air too cold---I would measure the temperature drop across the evaporator coil in the furnace/air handler. If it is more than 20 degrees then moving more across the coil is necessary. Usually this could be done by increasing the blower speed. If you do not know how to do this call a good service tech to help. If the furniture is arranged so the discharge vents blow on you when you are sitting there, then you need to change the way the cold air enters the room or move the furniture. And not to slight Jim but I have never heard of raising the evaporator temperature by adding more refrigerant and overcharging a system has never been a good thing; ( if I am wrong let me apologize in advance). There could be other problems such as the A/C system is too large for the house, not enough supply registers allowing too much air to be discharged from those registers, poor placement of registers, the ducting is too small causing the air velocity to be higher than normal or there is too much air coming from the registers. But first start by measuring the temperature drop across the coil. Hope this helps


How do I install drywall when the door is too close to a concrete wall? I'm looking for suggestions to finish one of the walls in my basement. I've included the pictures of the wall below. As you can see the doors are right up against the wall on both sides. There's absolutely no way I can build any type of framing to hand the drywall on. I was thinking about just plastering over concrete, but this wall is quite uneven, you can see with a naked eye that in the middle the wall curves in. Installing drywall over the concrete directly, probably wouldn't work for the same exact reason.

Unfortunately I can't move the doors, on one side (bottom image) there are stairs right up against the door and I can't move them because of the ceiling clearance. On the other side, the wall is concrete as well, and I don't feel like trying to remove concrete to move the door.

Any suggestions at all?

Looking at your wall photos, can I assume that seeing hinges on both left and right, the doors (2) meet in the middle? first we have to make some assumptions based on the yet unknown. if the walls are always dry, seasoned and pose no moisture or condensation issues, there is a couple of ways you can go ahead and finish he walls with drywall. i would consider putting a 1X6 up to a 1X10 finish pine board in the corners.  This should clear the hinges. You can then install 1X3 strapping on the concrete wall with PL400 adhesive and short ramset nails or concrete screws. You can then decide if you want to install any blue moisture proof rigid insulation between the strappings.  Then install a vapor barrier such as 4mil plastic over the strapping and then install drywall with 1 or 1 1/4 inch screws.  You then can finish your drywall and build a neat trim at the ends onto the finish pine boards.  The other alternative is to build a regular frame wall out of 2X3's or 2X4's and mount to floor and upper joists. This will allow more insulation and still allow doors to open almost fully, depending on the width of the pine trim at the corners.  The wider the trim in the corners, the more fully the doors will open without being restricted by the new wall. If moisture on the walls is possible, you should really consider using Dry-loc or some suitable waterproofing before you even think about closing the concrete in behind a wall.  Mold and mildew with ruin your good looking wall and potentially cause foul odors and a possible health hazard.


Anti Rust Agent On a strict budget I would usually go with CLR and think it's worth every cent at that, but for reasons that are beyond the scope of this question, I am expected to justify every purchase necessary, especially chemicals and everything else a good god fearing carpenter might feel a need for but may raise eyebrows.

I found lemon juice does an OK job, basically I want to get all the rust off all the old screws and bolts in a pile of junk, I'm not exactly planning an Apollo mission here so they will do just as good as new.

Citric acid (dry, found at food stores - I get mine at the "asian market" as I have not spotted it at the normal supermarket) is actually a lot cheaper than lemon juice (or vinegar) (when mixed with water to an equivalent strength, or even quite a bit stronger) and fairly good at removing rust without eating the steel after that (I know antique tool users who mostly use it now, rather than electrolysis, which used to be all the rage.)

Rinse, dry quickly (or they rust again immediately) and coat with oil or wax (to slow re-rusting by displacing moisture.) Rinsing with very hot water will help with the drying step to some extent.


Electrical rough-in Inspection JBox Background:
I live in Minneapolis. I am finishing my basement and in doing so will be adding a sub-panel. I am finishing up the details for the rough-in inspection (pre-panel install).

I was under the impression that everything should be ready for the receptacles, switches, and lights to be added. Meaning, for example, receptacles, and lights in series should be pigtailed but the actual outlets and lights shouldn't be connected.

I have multiple junction boxes as well to split a circuit to multiple lines. Given the above I would assume that I should make all connections. However, my father is adamant that they should be measured to length, cut off and labeled, but left disconnected.

Perhaps my google-fu is just terrible, but I can't find an answer either way.

Should all connections be made in a junction box for the rough-in inspection or should they be left to hang?

The answer ultimately lies with your AHJ (hint: call them), but where I am, everything has to be connected/pigtailed and ready for switches/outlets.


what is water line germ removal procedure I have an old pipe line in my house. I need to clean the water paths inside the pipe. Is Filling chlorine in a dense quantity inside pipes a better way for germs removal ? how can we do that ? from where we get chlorine ? what is the procedure ? can you help.. ?

Common 5.25% hypochlorite "liquid laundry bleach" (unscented) is the chlorine source that is typically used. It not used (and actually not even most effective) at full strength, but rather added to water in the system to achieve a certain concentration for a certain contact period.

Sources appear to vary between suggesting 10, 50 or 200 ppm chlorine concentration for a "shock treatment." Contact time suggestions range from 2-24 hours.

52.5 ppm would be 1 ml (5.25%) bleach per liter of water.

Do not exceed 200 ppm or 24 hours. More is not better beyond those, and there is debate regarding even going that high or for that long.

Flush the system throughly after disinfecting with chlorine bleach - there should be no remaining smell of chlorine.


What are my options for installing a water softener on the opposite side of the house from the main water supply? Background Info
My main water supply on my home is located on the east wall of the home, whereas my garage is located on the west side of the home. There is no water softener loop in the home, and in Arizona most water softeners are put in the garage on newer homes.
I would like to put in a water softener but I'm uncertain that I should re-plumb my water into the garage and back to the east wall into the house.
The way I see it I have two options:

Plumb from the mains on the east wall, under the landscaping and into the east wall of the garage. Then into the softener and out, under the landscaping into the east wall of the house.

Place the water softener behind the east backyard fence (outside), and plumb the east wall main through the fence and into the water softener. Then water softener to the east wall of the house.

My questions are:

What is: more cost effective and/or more logical to do?
What type of pipe should I use under ground, given we are located in Arizona.
Taking Arizona weather into account (Phoenix/Mesa area) if I chose #2 and placed the softener outside, what weather concerns should I know of: freezing, extreme heat, etc.?
Is there a specific type of softener I should look for?
Given Option #1 is the right choice, do I need to worry about line pressure drop going that far of a distance and back? approx 15-20ft each way (total of 30-40ft).

Pictures of the home
This is a crude drawing of option #1.

This is the location of the water main, as you can see its on the east wall in front of the backyard fence.

If it were me, I would definitely put the softener in the garage.  Protecting it from weather, critters, and extreme temperature variation seem reason enough.  But to also have it where you can easily monitor it daily seems reason enough again to locate it in the garage.

But the water meter looks like it is above ground:  Maybe the climate is safe against freezing?  I am under the impression that all of Arizona is desert climate, which means below freezing temperatures are possible overnight most days of the year.

You only need to run one pipe from the water meter to the softener.  From inside the garage, you should be able to connect into the system more directly than going back to the meter.  In fact, would the water heater be in there too?  (I don't see an exhaust for one maybe because there is not enough resolution in the photos.)  If it is, you can put a T fitting onto the cold feed into the water heater and distribute softened water from there.  Cap off the end near the water meter.

As for digging and burying in the front yard or running it under the house, I would expect running under the house is easier and cheaper.  Does it have a crawlspace?


Does MC cable need protection in an exterior wall penetration? Does MC cable need a raceway, e.g. PVC conduit, when passing from a crawlspace through a mudsill and stucco and terminating in a surface-mount exterior receptacle box?
I am going to install several receptacles surface mounted to the exterior stucco wall of my house at the height of the rim joist. I am using MC cable for this circuit, running it through the crawlspace, the rim joist, the stucco wall, into the back of a surface mounted 1-or-2 gang weatherproof outlet box.
I repurposed a picture below to illustrate. Can the orange "hole" through the rim joist/stucco be just a hole or do I have to provide conduit protection. If I use conduit, the conduit becomes the interface to the back of the box, and how/do I need to secure the MC cable sheath to the box as well? What kind of PVC termination does there need to be at the free end of the conduit inside the crawlspace?

Image Source
Edit: Added Image Source

The outdoor recep does not need to be a "GFCI Receptacle".  It can be a plain recep that is GFCI protected from a GFCI device in the nice dry indoors where it'll last a lot longer.
If able, I would stick another junction box on the interior.  Now, they make conduit nuts, and chances are the outside box (if it's watertight) has a threaded hole.  It takes standard pipe thread, which is used by IMC and Rigid conduit.
So, I would fit a piece of Rigid conduit there. Get it the right length so it screws into the outside box, and pokes through a knockout on the inside box by about 1/2".  Either put the inside box on shims/spacers, or have the pipe cut to the right length and have the hardware store thread it.
On the outside box it screws into the box body.  On the inside box, clamp it down with a conduit nut.
This will NOT be a valid grounding path so you need to run a ground wire.   Use the inside box to switcheroo from non-outdoor wiring method to several THWN wires. (must be green ground, white or gray neutral, and any other color for hot. So just buy a couple feet of by-the-foot THWN.


Why would a sump pump cycle when pumping large amounts of water? In my septic system, I have a sump pump that pumps the liquid into the drainage field. We have a tank alarm in this tank with the pump, but someone (not sure if it was me or someone else) forgot to turn back on the alarm one time. So now that 1000 gallon tank is over flowing. The pump circuit has been blowing for me at the fuse box. It seems to blow the circuit based on getting a bunch of rain. I'll do a separate question for that.

My question is this. I can hear the pump run for a bit (I haven't kept track of the time) then stop. After a while it will start again. Is there a safety or something that would cause the pump to not run until there is no water left? This happens no matter if the float is hooked up or I am just plugged in straight. Or could it be the drainage field is full of water and needs to seep out so there is room for more?

I know the tank isn't empty cause shortly after the pump stops, water starts seeping out of the lid again. (and the alarm light is still on).

When you hear the motor running, do you get a discharge? If not, it's the pump. If so, it's the motor.


How can I prevent a ceiling fan light kit from wobbling? I have a ceiling fan with a single light bulb attachment below the fan.  This light bulb socket is loose and wiggles on the unit.  Sometimes I can get the light bulb inserted in the socket in a certain way and it works okay.  Other times I cannot get the bulb to work at all.  Any I don't want to spend a fortune on just fixing this socket.

You'd have to take the light or light kit apart. Typically they are locked into place on the wire shaft & quite wobbly & loose.

But, if this has gotten looser & looser, then you should be able to tighten a nut or 2 on the wire shaft to get everything back to solid.

Be conscious of the loosening in the future by holding the light socket with 1 hand while swapping out the bulb with your other hand. You can also put a drop of any glue on the threads to keep it tight a good long while.


What would be the ramifications of applying a semi-solid oil based stain on a virgin 4 yr old pressure treated pine deck? We had our deck built of pressure-treated pine in 2009, and left it completely untreated up until a couple weeks ago. This is in south-eastern Minnesota.

So far, I've power-washed (and a week later, sanded with 80grit paper) railings, deck boards, steps, and pretty much every area that may come in purposeful contact with skin.

In the interests of time and effectiveness (aka, being lazy,) I did not wash the outer surfaces of the deck, specifically the railings and balusters (spindles). Only the surfaces that you would see when sitting / standing on the actual deck are brand-spanking clean. The unwashed areas are certainly old and weathered gray in color.

We picked up a few gallons of Cabot semi-solid oil-based stain and other sundry supplies today, and are planning on staining the entire deck tomorrow.

Here's my question: is staining the still-gray surfaces acceptable? I'm not worried as much about how great it will look as how long the stain will last and how decent it appears. I'm confident that the prepared surfaces will look pretty much perfect, and am probably worried that there's going to be too much of a differential between both types.

UPDATE, almost 2months later: We finally finished staining the monster. Getting stain in some of the hidden areas was a bit of a challenge, but in the interests of doing a good job, stuff had to be done. As before, the outer surfaces of spindles haven't been powerwashed, and I hope to post an update a couple of years from now, as far as status and longevity goes. Thanks, all!

You can likely answer your own question with a little experiment. Before committing the whole deck to large amounts of stain application try a small area on 1 or two boards where you've sanded on one side and the weathered grey is still on the other side. If you like the result you will know what to do. If you dislike the look or match then you can proceed to close up the stain can and go back to sanding and scrapping the rest of the deck surfaces. The place where you put the stain sample over the weathered grey can be sanded down to fresh wood right along with the rest of it.


What is the glue stuff you use to seal a glass shower panel to the tub? I've got a frameless shower enclosure (I think that's what it is called) and the transparent glue/seal between the glass and the tub is peeling off.  What is it? I'm guessing some kind of transparent silicone but my search-foo isn't working properly and I can't find it.

(I'm not talking about the hard plastic "sweep" that goes under the movable glass door.  I'm talking about a very thin bead of transparent stuff along the boundary between glass and tub - as shown by the obligatory hand drawn red marks on the image below.)

P.S. If you've got any tips on how to replace this stuff properly I would be happy to read them in your answer!

What you're looking for is clear silicone caulk. you want to peel off the old caulk, scrap the tile with a single edge razor blade to get all the old caulk off, clean with bleach to remove any trace of mildew and let dry. Then apply the caulk and let dry for 24 hours. The caulk can be bought at any home store or hardware. Here's a picture of a popular brand.

It also comes in a tube that doesn't need a caulking gun. Good luck.


What should I consider when replacing an outlet serving two kitchen circuits? I have an outlet underneath my kitchen sink that serves my dishwasher and my garbage disposal. The latter's circuit is toggled by a switch above the countertop. I need to replace the outlet, and was informed by the hardware store that any outlet I purchase can be used to serve the dual circuit setup. The hardware store employees left me uncertain as to their claim. What's more, the hardware store recommended I purchase a GFCI outlet to increase safety. While I understand the benefits of GFCI, I'm even less sure of its ability to be wired the way I require.

Will any outlet suffice for replacing the outlet I have under the sink, serving two different circuits (one of which is toggled by a switch)? If not, what do I need to be aware of going back to the hardware store to get what I need? Are there any other tips that would ease the installation?

A GFCI is a good idea because of the location of the outlet.  However, I don't think that a GFCI that can simultaneously protect two circuits even exists (and I doubt one would fit into a single-gang box if it did exist), so I believe you have a couple of options:

Install GFCI breakers on the dishwasher and disposal circuits, and use a regular outlet under your sink with the tab between the screw terminals broken off.  This may be what you already have; the breakers will have a Test button on them if so.  If the supply for the disposal runs to the switch first then to the outlet, this is the only way that the switch will be covered by the GFCI.  In your place, this is what I would do: safer and less work, albeit a little more expensive.
Use GFCI outlets.  As I said above, you'd need two GFCIs to protect your two circuits, so you would have to install a double-gang box in place of the existing gang-box or add another single gang box then run the wiring for one of the appliances to it instead (in your place, I'd do the latter and use a remodeling box for the new outlet).  However, this means that the switch for the disposal wouldn't be covered by the GFCI, potentially risking an electric shock.


Both reusable and disposable furnace filter? I recently discovered that my furnaces (Rheems) have reusable "permanent" filters, but they also have a disposable filter tray. Are they intended to both be used simultaneously, or are homeowners expected to choose only one?

The disposable filters are in a slide-out tray that's easy to access and are first to take in air. The washable filter (see photo) comes next after the disposable and requires unscrewing and taking the cover off the furnace. It's not an electronic air cleaner unit, just part of the furnace. I didn't actually discover/notice that there was a reusable filter until a year or two after having bought our house. Incidentally, there was a crazy amount of lint caked onto the reusable filter.

So, does using both filters cause unnecessary strain on the motors, or is this an intended design?

Given that more restriction actually lessens the load on a typical furnace blower (no, really, you can prove it with an ammeter - less mass of air moved means less work, and homeowners "opening things up to reduce the load" can actually increase the load to the point they burn out the motor) that's not a concern.

Essentially you have a prefilter (disposable) and what appears to be a washable electrostatic for the fine stuff that makes it past the prefilter. The prefilter keeps the dust bunnies out of the washable. Not sure why they would make the washable harder to access (annoying design philosophy) but yes, use both.


Fencing yard and then cementing Area - What to do first? I live in Midwest in a townhouse. Having problems with new neighbors dogs crapping in yard.  Planning to surround yard with 5ft chainlink fence and also cementing the encased area to use as patio with in-ground drain. There won't be any soil area left.  In which order should these two tasks be done?  Which contractors do i need, masonry or fencing company or both? The downspout is in the ground.  Is there a way to tie a drainage system from cement pad into downspout? Area measures about 5x7ft.

There are local landscaping companies that would do all of this around me.  I would call a couple.   Also with a small area some pavers might look a lot nicer than a concrete slab and might save you a lot of money.

But before you start anything you need to make sure that your townhouse board is OK with any of this.  There might be a specific type of fence that you need to get and bylaws on doing cement work and stuff.


GFCI and other concerns for 1500 foot wiring run I have the following:

My house with 400a service
A pond subpanel 300 feet away from house fed from 100a breaker
A barn 500 feet from pond subpanel currently run by a 12v offgrid solar system that has become unreliable due to shading during winter and long periods of cloudy days other times.  This system draws 5 watts idle, 50 watts with everything on.
A driveway gate system 1000 feet from barn currently fed from separate grid meter, but power company considers this a "commercial" account, and there are $40 in base charges per month (plus $1 of usage charges).  This system draws 30 watts idle, 400 watts with gates actuating.

All of the "feet away" stuff is generally in a straight line starting from the house and ending at the driveway gate.

The $40 base fee from the power company has always burned my britches, and now with the issues I'm having with solar at the barn, I'm thinking it's time to run some power from the house.

Considerations:

I'd like to do this as cheaply and easily as possible, as the main reasons to do it are saving time and money, so the more money and time it takes, the less it makes sense to do...

I like the idea of GFCI protection, mainly for going through the pond.  It would be very difficult to go around the pond, so I'm figuring I'll go through it by laying the cable on the bottom.  There is already wiring through the pond for a fountain and an irrigation pump.  I feel like GCFI is a necessity for this part of the run.  So I figured just install a GFCI breaker at the pond subpanel at the start of the run ... well, I read that even runs as long as 300 feet can cause nuisance GFCI trips due to capacitance, and my run after the pond panel is 1500 feet.  So how do I use a GFCI breaker to protect people from the pond wiring without having nuisance trips?  How do I GFCI in segments?  Is the only way using a transformer at each segment to isolate it from the previous segment?  Or can I untie the grounds at each segment and use separate grounding rods at each segment, or something like that?

I was figuring I'd just run UF 12/2 in 200-500 ft segments, buried 12" deep and GFCI protected.  Rent a little trencher from Home Depot and knock it out in a day.  One segment goes all the way to the barn, and I'll tap the run to the driveway gate in several places to add receptacles along the driveway, if nothing else than to provide a places along the run to test for connection in the case of connection issues. But I'll have issues with the GFCI and length again, won't I?  I've heard about GFCI Class C that is more resilient, but I can't seem to find these breakers for sale, especially that fit in a standard subpanel (seem to be DIN-rail mounted?).

I think I'll have a good bit of voltage drop:
Voltage drop: 19.06
Voltage drop percentage: 15.88%
Voltage at the end: 100.94

I'm just not too concerned about the voltage drop.  Should I be?  I know lighting does fine with a voltage drop.  Other stuff has done well for me also in the past.  I had thought doing the run at 240v do reduce current and step it down with a transformer at the gate, but then I wouldn't be able to tap the run with receptacles, and I'd have to bury 24" per NEC requirement.

What other kind of issues do you see?

There are two huge areas of challenge for this job.  #1 the legal way to transit the pond, and I am 100% sure that laying the pipe atop the pond bottom is not allowed, because pipe is not allowed to "leap" underwater valleys as it will have no support. It will also snag any foot traffic.  #2 the GFCI capacitance problem as you discuss.

You're also talking quite a staggering sum, even with your shortcutting lowball plan. As such, what keeps hitting my brain really hard is "Revisit Solar".   Because the kind of money you'll spend on the wire alone will buy a lot of solar.

The barn system, sounds like it needs to be enlarged or aging batteries replaced.

As for the gate, the need there is not so bad. On one hand, the gate motor - which pulls hard, but only for a few instants.  Because of that, the average draw over 5 days is probably less than a watt, and that's what you have to size the battery and panel for. It would really help if  you could get a 12V or 24V version of that gate.

I gather the other load out there would be post lights. I would go entirely 12/24V LED for this, and abandon the idea of having the lights burn all night, instead make it only seem that way by strategically placing motion sensors so anyone who approaches finds it on.  12/24V motion sensors exist and are in fact cheaper than 120V sensors.  Run 18/3 thermostat cable to them and have them light the light through a relay.

Figure 2 watts average for the gate and 1 watt average for a motion sensor light+sensors, = 3 watts x 10 days reserve = 720 Watt Hours or 60 amp-hours.  Very achievable. Put 100W of solar panel on that, aimed straight vertical so snow doesn't stick to it, and if that deosn't suffice add another panel.


Leaking Steam Radiator Pipe? Just noticed a brown stain on my dinning room ceiling. It's almost directly above a cast iron radiator on the second floor. I know the water in the system gets iron deposits which must be why it's brown. The heating system was running when I noticed the stain and checked the upstairs radiator. The ceiling and radiator were bone dry. I'm guessing the leak is at the union. Any idea on what the least invasive way to figure this out is?

I would guess I need to take the value off then the pipe connected to the elbow. If I'm lucky the problem will be there, right? If the problem is on the other side of the union, what then? Thank you, greatly.

Water can run for some distance inside a ceiling before finding a path to visibility, so the leak might not be where you think it is. Check all the radiators above the first floor for visible leaks or wetness.

The leak could be very small and intermittent, for example dripping only when the system first comes on and warms up, then drying off before you see it on the pipe. Try this -- wrap all suspect pipes with clean paper towels or similar tissue and periodically check for staining.

Another possibility is that the stain isn't from the heating system at all, but is the result of a bog standard domestic spill near the radiator, and some of the liquid found its way through the pipe hole in the floor before it was cleaned up.

Getting rid of the stain is complicated by the fact that the puddle above the ceiling is larger and wetter than the visible stain. You want to make sure it's completely dry before applying stain remover and paint.


Rerouting a plumbing air vent pipe We're taking down a section of the wall between our kitchen and living room and we want to drop the 'bar height' down level with the sink.  Unfortunately, the bulk of the section we're removing has plumbing and electrical in it.  Most of that is not an issue.  However, I'm trying to determine if I can reroute the air vent for the plumbing as below.  The closest I could find on how to do it would be with an 'island loop':

I'm trying to determine if I can reroute the vent as such, rerouting in blue, existing sink level in red line:

As far as I can tell, the relevant bit of the georgia plumbing code is this, but does this mean the top of the loop has to go 6" above the sink?:

In this case, it doesn't look like you need the vent loop at all, and the 6" height requirement is well-covered by the vent stack going clear up to the roof.

If you want to put that loop in, it definitely isn't going to hurt anything. It just doesn't look like you need it.

You could branch off the vent stack above the junction and use a flatter slope to get the pipe over to the point where you take it vertical. The slope you show is steeper than you strictly need it to be.

The important thing with a plumbing vent is that there is an air break downstream from the p-trap to prevent water pressure from siphoning the trap dry, and to prevent sewer gases under pressure from bubbling up through the water in the trap into your living area.

You can just put an up-turned wye coupling in the existing vent stack just above the existing connections, run it through the same path you show in your diagram, and tie back in with a 90° elbow (or a couple of 45° elbows), and cap off that 2" pipe in the wall straight above the connections to the big drain pipe.

Vent loops are for situations like kitchen islands, where there is no air break vent path without using a little ingenuity to create one


How to determine which kind of plastic anchor to use on which kind of wall? I have a holder for a handheld shower head that I would need to install on a bathroom wall. This holder came with two screws and two different kinds of plastic anchors.

The anchors look as shown here:

What I wanted to ask is, how can I determine which anchor type to use on my bathroom wall?

The larger ones (on the right) are for drywall as the outer layer. The smaller ones are for inserting into a ceramic tile layer bonded to either drywall or cement board (or tile on cement board on drywall).


Is this mold? Black? White? Guys I need to find out what this is- it's also on my wooden bed racks

The pictures seem to be showing corrosion of aluminum. The finish on the aluminum, whether that be a clear anodize or other lacquer or enamel coating, has failed in spots and is allowing aluminum oxide to form. As you can guess aluminum oxide is white in color.


Gluing plastic to glass What are some suitable adhesives for gluing plastic (in my case strips of Azek) to glass? Is contact cement good? Should I cement just the plastic or both sides (it would be hard to apply to the glass because of keeping it from spilling outside the perimeter of the plastic)?
Also, are there reliable temporary/removable caulking-like products that are gooey and although holding it together can later be scraped off?

Azek is between the foam and the glass

If both surfaces to be joined are fairly flat than contact cement will bond them together with a strong grip. Use the contact cement that isn't labled as "green" or "environmentally safe". Get the type with high VOC's it is stronger and will hold longer.   If any of the surfaces aren't flat you should use an adhesive that is thick or gel-like. I've had great performance from the adhesive labeled "Goop" or "Shoe-Goop". It is sold in a clear and black tone. It sets-up in 12 hours and full cures in 24 hours. I like that when cured it doesn't become solid or brittle, but still bonds with tremendous force and remains resilient. This is a very good adhesive for plastic to plastic as it will "weld" them together.  Also any type of construction adhesive, urethane caulking or hot glue will hold the pieces together, but not as strong as the first two mentioned.  And to use the contact cement (for the strongest bond) apply it to both surfaces in a light coating. You must than wait for the cement to "tack" or become "dull" in color before joining them together (be focused on their placement. Once joined it is very hard to remove).


Why is there so much price disparity for a house painting job? I have a 70+ year-old house with cedar shake siding that is in pretty bad shape and is in desperate need of a paint job. I know nothing about house painting, so I've gotten a few quotes for the job.

Usually when you need a contractor, there's a ball park range of what you'd generally expect to pay for a particular job, and then you adjust your expectations when you get bids that are higher or lower than your budget.

In this case, however, I've received 3 wildly different quotes for the job. I had a $4500 budget in mind, but the bids range from $3200 by an independent carpenter, to $7500 by a professional painting company.

Why is there such a huge disparity between the quotes I've gotten? All have included power washing, scraping, paint, and materials in their quotes. I want the job done right and for the paint to last 15 years or more.

I'm hesitant to go with the low bid because it's just a guy, but I don't think it's worth literally 2.5 times the cost just for the implicit guarantees that come with dealing with a bona-fide painting company.

How can I know how much something like this is supposed to cost?

I did get a bid for $5000, which is closer to what I had in mind, but he can't start work until the fall.

There are many reasons why a job would cost the contractor more or less, which obviously affects the bid price:

Time spent ensuring an excellent application of the finish
Time spent being careful around plants, yard furnishings, wall features, etc.
Special equipment needs unique to your project
Insurance coverage
Employee salaries
Satisfaction guarantee
Finish warranty

More significant, though, is the level of demand for a particular contractor's work:

Brand awareness and familiarity
Reputation
Marketing prowess

The latter group of factors probably has more impact. A company that has a few dozen or a few hundred employees and is a top contender in the yellow pages will get more calls. Therefore, they can charge more. A little one-man operation may have to scratch harder for jobs, and therefore is willing to undercut the competition.

The inverse can also be true. A small shop with a reputation for excellence can develop an outsized reputation that puts them in demand greater than their ability to fulfill. Now they can name their price and walk away from jobs they don't want. This isn't unique to painters, of course. It's the fundamental law of commerce.

I'd select the lowest bid from a contractor that meets your standards for reputation, personal demeanor, etc. If a guy acts like a goof and slobbers tobacco juice on your driveway, that's a red flag.

Also note that 15 years probably isn't a reasonable expectation for the life of paint over wood. Even the best paint will fade significantly in that time, and the nature of wood means that the bond will be broken down by expansion and contraction, warpage, etc. Five to eight years is probably more appropriate.


Why was a light fixture installed with dry wall anchors? I came home to a light fixture hanging off the wall today. The light was never attached to the electrical box, instead it was installed with drywall anchors to the edge of the drywall against the box. The drywall was covered with caulk and big pieces of it (caulk) came out with the anchors.

My question is why would someone do this? Is there a reason why you would not install the light to the box? I would think the drywall anchors would be more work than just screwing it into the box.

I am with everyone's opinion that we can't explain why someone install something wrong. Other than he did not practice standard installation practices, and that probably means that whomever installed the fixture was not an experienced electrician.

What I can tell you is that all of the necessary parts are there in your pictures. First your box looks ok. You can see a lug attaching to the box at the 1/2" knockout in the back indicating a brace. also you have the mounting plate for the fixture. That's the round thing with all of the slots and holes in it. You will find that one set of those holes and slots will line up with the screws in the ears of the box. Then another sets of holes will line up with your fixture.

What I don't see is the ground coming from the box. I hope whoever installed it didn't just cut it off, because that need to be connected up also.

If an electrician or an electrical contractor you need to contact them and have them make it right and if they don't file a complaint the your AHJ.

Good luck.


Is there something like a jubilee clip (hose clamp) that is extra long? One side of my raised flower bed has come away and I'd like to tie something around it, a bit like a belt, something more secure and weatherproof than rope.

You can open hose clamps completely and chain them together. They're readily available in 6" diameters and perhaps larger.

You could also purchase a ratchet strap for about the same cost. It would let you avoid having screw buckles showing at intervals.

Or you can use about any chain or strap you like along with a turnbuckle.


How can I drill to an exact depth with a hand drill? I'm drilling holes in 4"x4"s in order to put magnets in them. The magnets are 1/8" deep and I'd like to install them to be flush with the surface of the wood. All I have is a Ryobi cordless drill and my bit set.

How can I drill only to a certain depth into the wood? Using a drill press would be great, but I don't have the money or the space to house one at this time.

Homemade Stops
Wrap a bit of tape around the bit, to mark the desired depth.  Then carefully drill your holes, stopping when you've reached the tape.

I've also seen this done with a bit of wire.

WARNING: Wrapping the wire in the wrong direction, can lead to property damage, injury, and death.
Store Bought Stops
Or you could purchase a drill stop.

Which are also available in plastic

Portable Drilling Guide
There are also portable drilling guides available.

I tried one of these and it was total crap, so I wouldn't recommend it.  Your mileage may vary though, so give it a try if you like.


Wiring to Water Heater not getting 240v The wiring to my Water Heater is not getting 240v, and the Water Heater won't work.

I've tested the wires at the Water Heater (touching black to Black, and red to red on my electric meter) and I get 112v.

I then tested the breaker at the box.  It is a two-pole breaker (is that the right name?) 2 120v breakers connected together (30a each).  I touched the red lead from my meter to the connecting screw and the black lead to the ground and got:

Top breaker - 125v
Bottom breaker - 5v

I then touched one less to the to breaker and the other lead to the bottom breaker and got 112v (which is the same in getting at the Water Heater).

Does that mean that the bottom breaker is "no good"?  And it should be replaced?

UPDATE#1

Thank you for your answers/comments, I'll try to give more info.

I have power throughout the house.  I just replaced the water heater (the previous one was old and started leaking).

The water heater breaker is in the 2nd and 3rd slots from the top of the right hand side.  I tested that one as follows.

One lead to the top screw, other lead to the ground screw (125v).
One lead to the bottom screw, other lead to the ground screw (5v)
One lead to the top screw, other lead to the bottom screw (+/- 112v)

UPDATE#2

So I changed the breaker and managed to not electrocute myself, so that's a big plus!

I tested the connections at the breaker and I'm getting the following:

One lead to the top screw, other lead to the ground screw (125v).
One lead to the bottom screw, other lead to the ground screw (125v)
One lead to the top screw, other lead to the bottom screw (250v)

So I'm thinking that everything should be working fine now, BUT it is not.

Now, at the water heater, I'm only getting 85v.  What could be the problem now?

thanks.

UPDATE #3

Harper, I believe that they are the same wires.  I replaced them exactly as they were before, and I wired them at the water heater like the previous one was wired (both wires are red, and I put black electrical tape to the one connected to the common to make sure I did everything like it was done before).

Question: Does this mean I have to change the wires to the water heater?  If so, is there a way to do it without tearing apart the whole house?  I'm beginning to think this is going beyond my capabilities.

With only 5v on the bottom breaker I would turn them off and then pull the breaker and look at the buss terminals. Are they bright and shiny, or possibly melted away?

Inspect the breakers also; if no damage is found with the breaker out of the panel, close it and measure the resistance from where the wires connect to the back of the breaker. This should be very low, close to zero. If the reading is high the breaker may be bad.

As a possible temporary quick fix, cycle the breaker 10+ times on/off. Many times this clears carbon arcing and reseats the hammers, check resistance, if it dropped the breaker will usually work for a while (until you get a replacement).

If the breaker still shows a high or open resistance and no pitting or arcing on the buss bar, replace the breaker.

Make sure to always open or turn off a breaker prior to removing or installing so there is less chance of an arc flash.


Are wooden kitchen counters meant to be shaved (with a planer) to continue looking tidy? After 15 years of use, my 20"x14" cutting board looks tired.

Now that I'm looking to put in fresh kitchen countertops, I'm contemplating using the same kind of wood (do identify the type if you know) for a far larger area, but I know that its upkeep could become a hassle. Normally I'd say that after 20 years I'd be ready for another countertop anyway, and it'd be good if it lasts that much. The trouble is that I would hate it if it already looks tired after 4-5 years.

How do you maintain a wooden kitchen countertop? I have the impression that no amount of cleaning will keep it fresh enough. It may be necessary to shave off (with a planer? with a belt sander?) a thin layer every 3-5 years and oil (with a food safe product) the newly exposed wood. At that rate it would continue looking decent for 25 years, but then, just like a hardwood floor, would have reached the tail end of its lifetime. With this kind of care, would I be asking too much if I use the countertop as a gigantic cutting board?

No no no on the planer.  Unless you can totally remove the top and send it through an industrial planer that can do it all at once, a planer is a terrible idea.  It will just be full of ridges, you will have bad edges, and probably take off too much.

Normally I would hit something like this with 40 grit on an orbital sander - not belt - and then slowly work my way to 300-400 grit.  Oil it a few times over the next two weeks, and you are good to go (have rehabbed many butcher block counters).


Gas furnace motor cycling I have a 1994 Heil gas furnace in a house that I've owned for only a few months. At certain points in the day, unfortunately usually in the middle of the night, the furnace motor starts, runs for about 5 seconds, and then shuts down. Another 5 or so seconds pass, and the cycle repeats. I've let this cycle repeat up to 60 times to see if anything else happens, and as far as I know, it will continue until I do something.

Here's the kicker: the air temp (as per the thermostat) is always above the thermostat set point, e.g., the air is 67F and the thermostat is set to 64F. So thermostat is not asking for heat. As soon as I manually raise the thermostat set point to the air temp, the furnace immediately fires up and runs normally.

I've had two different HVAC companies inspect the furnace. Both of them shrugged and said there wasn't much they could do unless the problem was happening in front of them, which isn't helpful for something that mostly happens after midnight.

I could replace the thermostat, but my understanding of thermostats is that they're either telling the furnace to make heat or not doing that, so it doesn't seem likely to be a problem with the thermostat.

Any ideas? Besides spending $4k on a new furnace, of course.

After more than a month and service visits from multiple technicians from multiple companies, I finally got a technician who solved my problem. He listened to me describe what was happening and said "That's the thermostat. Let me see if I've got an extra one on the truck." 10 minutes later he drove off without charging me and the furnace has worked fine ever since. I feel like an idiot for not just installing a new thermostat in the first place, but at least I don't have to get up three times a night.


Can we capture the hot, humid air from a gas-powered clothes dryer during winter? During winter we run a gas-powered heater and evaporative humidifier to maintain indoor air quality.

Meanwhile, every day (big family!) we run a gas-powered clothes dryer which dumps hot, humid air outside.

Are there any gas-powered dryers that are so efficient that they can be vented indoors (like vent-free fireplaces)?  Or is there a way to split the combustion vent from the dryer vent stream so the former goes outdoors and the latter can be redirected into the central air handler?

Or is the amount of energy spent on the dryer inconsequential compared to what a 98% AFUE central gas heater wastes?

The dryer vent and the combustion vent are one and the same.  If you try to use the dryer vent for heating you will have two issues, first excess moisture and second carbon monoxide.  Gas dryers get their efficiency by directly venting the combustion into the damp clothes which then by the way of evaporation drastically reduces the temp of the heat.  It would be near impossible to modify a dryer to separate the combustion from drying.

Then there is the idea of using a heat exchanger to extract the excess heat.  But I don't recommend it since there really isn't enough excess heat in the line to keep the temp above 100C/212F at the vent exit (below this you risk condensation).  If you get condensation on a cold day, you then risk ice, which then risks blocking the vent, which then risks carbon monoxide poisoning.

Also take a look at the fact there isn't any commercial products to do this.  This speaks to how unfeasible it is to use this waste heat.


Anyone know of a knot to tie two wires together under strain? I'm putting up a wind turbine.  The turbine will be at the top of a 30' 1-1/2" pipe tower.  I have a 30' RV extension cord (10ga/3 conductor) that I'm going to cut the ends off of and use as my down-pipe wiring.  The wind turbine itself has a foot or so of 10ga stranded wire hanging down on the inside of the tube from the bottom of the turbine (three wires).  They say that this wire can support 55# of downtube wiring (total, on the three wires), which is probably right, but I have my doubts that a crimped connector will hold that weight.  The extension cord supposedly weighs 12# at its full 36' length, including the ends I'm going to remove, which are probably a pound of the total.  Full weight of the 30' that will be dangling will be about 10#, but it has to be able to deal with twisting forces a bit too.

So, I know about the underwriter's knot, and how to tie that for three conductors.  But I won't have any kind of stop in the pipe to hold the weight.  The best I can do is tie the two sets of three conductors in a way that the wire is holding the weight, not the connector - like an underwriter's knot does.  But what I'm looking for would be some kind of knot that's like an underwriter's on top of another underwriter's.  Anyone heard of something like that?

The strain relief being referred to in comments:

You'll probably need to visit an electrical supply store in your area to pick one up, I've never seen them in a big box store.


How do I remove a double-ended T3 R7S bulb that isn't spring loaded? A fixture using this type of bulb burned out of me. All of my searching seems to indicate that these are often spring-loaded but I applied significant force to both sides with no give. I feel so ashamed being defeated by a lightbulb.... how to I replace this?

I am able to jiggle the bulb around in the socket so I know it's not corroded into place but I feel that I'm applying far to much force than should be required.

I suppose it's possible that it is spring loaded but that I don't know where to apply the pressure.

It's an extraordinarily stupid design. Neither side is spring loaded. It relies on the flexibility of the metal bracket to separate enough to get the bulb in. Requires very substantial force, to the point that you are convinced you'll break the bulb.


Position of door stop vs lock striker plate When positioning the door stop after installing a lock set striker plate on an interior door (e.g. bathroom, bedroom etc) should I give the door more wiggle room (the striker plate allows the latch to go back and forth about 1/4") or make it more snug? I like the snug idea but would also like to provide some room for possible warping in the future.

If you have a little wiggle room this is good. You can take out wiggle by bending out (into the hole) the tab that goes into the hole. Most that I have seen have a little slot for inserting a flat blade screwdriver to bend the tab out to take up wiggle.

But be careful not to bend it into the hole too far. If you overshoot, the bolt will hang up, and bending it back away from the bolt may require some ingenuity and trial and error.


Can I use a fireplace that is setup for gas to burn wood? So I have a traditional brick and mortar fireplace w/ chimney. It has a gas pipe (black steel) feeding a gas burner with fake logs on it. This is not an insert. I want to use this fireplace as a wood burning fireplace will this be possible?

Burning wood in a gas fireplace constitutes a serious life-safety hazard.

In General

Using a fuel other than that for which a fireplace is designed may ignite a structural fire in the surrounding construction and/or discharge toxic gasses into habitable space.

Discussion

Gas fireplaces are fuel burning appliances. Each fireplace is constructed to handle the heat and other products of combustion produced by specific fuels. Each fireplace is designed to distribute heat and discharge the products of combustion safely both in the moment and continuously over the life of the building.

A gas fireplace operates within well defined parameters and is an engineered system. It is not designed to handle the byproducts of a wood fire, it is not designed to properly draft a wood fire, and is not designed to operate over the range of possible temperatures that a wood fire may produce.

Sure, Anything is Possible...But

If sufficient resources are devoted to conversion, it may be possible to 'replace' the gas fireplace with a wood burning one. However, doing so is likely to entail significant demolition, construction, time and energy.

Creating a safe wood burning fireplace will always require experienced expertise and substantial craftsmanship.


Why isn't my mini fridge staying cold? My mini fridge has full power, but I come home after a couple of days to find that the compressor has shut off and everything has defrosted and the fridge isn't cold anymore.  I can turn the knob and in about 15 minutes it's back to ice cold.  Does anyone know whey this keeps happening? I don't want to just toss it if it's something I can easily correct.

Check that the cooling coils are clean and dust free. vacuum if needed. If the coils are dirty and unable to release heat it may make the compressor over heat. Or if it has a reset switch the power will be cut out before it reaches critical temperature.


Most bang for buck approach to insulating home My home is a bit over 100 years old, wood frame aluminum siding house, that was not very well kept up by the previous (30+ year) owner.  We've lived in it for two years, and are looking to improve the insulation in the home both to reduce heating costs and reduce in-home variation of temperature.

We have three bedrooms on the second floor and living space on the first floor.  Modern windows (2-pane).  We're in the upper midwest, so very cold for 4 months or so.  2 story, single family home.  Brand new very high efficiency furnace with ductwork that goes up the middle of the house to the attic and back down into the bedrooms, and two-zone (each floor separately) controls.

Last winter we rolled one layer of fiberglass insulation in the attic (it prior had blown-in junk that was basically useless), and that seemed to improve things some, but it's still quite cold in much of the house even when the thermostat thinks it's 70.  The walls are definitely cold, so we assume there is little to no insulation between the aluminum siding and the (mostly) plaster walls, and the couple of times we've had to dig into the plaster (for wiring) we haven't seen any evidence of any sort of insulation.

What is the next low-hanging fruit in terms of providing the most bang for the buck?  We've considered foam in the walls, but that seems very expensive for the R-values we would get.  We could just insulate the second floor walls, but we're unsure if the cold first floor would make it too ineffective.  We're also not sure if we could realistically foam the whole floor without doing a huge amount of re-drywalling/re-plastering.  Would it be easier/cheaper to go at it from the siding side instead (and would that work)?

I am from the Midwest and my crew and I have done green work in a number of historical home in the area.  Some of my thoughts on your situation:

Don't ever put stuff in your walls through holes.  I don't care what kind of sales pitch you are given, don't.  My standard reaction would be, "How do you prove your installation, what r-value are you giving me, I will pay you in full once I hirer an independent auditor and they OK your job".  You will never hear from that company again.  There are too many issues for me to discuss but basically you could be putting something dangerous in your home, the chances of them filling the entire cavities are none, and whatever they use will surely get in the way if you ever remodel anything else.
If you have a basement you need to stop airflow coming into it.  Caulk any gaps that are above ground.  Rock wool all of the exterior joist cavities.  Foam board is an option but this isn't generally high reward (you will lose cooling in summer and not much cold is let in below grade).
You have basically two options for your walls.  #1 You remove siding and you just have some housewrap... So you are adding traditional insulation from the outside, rewrap, reside.  Very low materials cost - would be a 2-3 day job for a crew.  #2 You have a little extra under your siding, so getting in is harder.  3-4" XPS, tape, furring strips, reside.  I have insulated the exterior of 5 homes so far.  We stucco'ed after but you could put traditional siding on too.  This is like putting a blanket on your home and is dramatic.  To go with that - future buyers of your home will pay a premium vs. treating drilled insulation as nothing (or a problem).
New windows.  These would be installed before exterior work if doing this in chronological order.  Given that during window install that you take care of any air leaks by the windows.
Make sure there aren't major drafts in attic.  Then you need to bury your attic in blown in cellulose at 2-3 feet deep.

I would start in your basement.  From there it comes down to - how bad is this problem?  If the cold is as noticeable as you say then you really need to get the walls insulated.  I gave you two options that work.  The first is much cheaper but not as effective (and maybe not doable on all houses).  2 & 5 can be done by you for $600-800.  3 is somewhere between 3-20K but is a complete game changer for your home (plus new look).  4 depends on how many windows but you can put decent windows in most homes for 3-4k.


Curtains to direct airflow All the cold air from my AC flows through a stairwell and into the basement. The entrance to the basement is the through a doorless opening on the 1st floor.
I am planning to put up a curtain in that entryway to block the precious cold air from flowing down to the basement. I’m thinking of using a tension rod since I don’t care if there is an opening at the top of the curtain. only the hot air would flow through. However the bottom must be touching the floor and should seal off any cold airflow.
Would this method work? If so, is there a particular kind of curtain available with weighted bottoms or rubber bottom that can stop airflow?
Any insight would help!
Thank you

A curtain will work nearly as well as a door to block air flow. It will not seal (nor will an interior door unless you weather strip it), but it will significantly reduce the flow going downstairs.
A heavy curtain material will do more to resist the flow of air than a light material will. A light curtain will have a higher tendency to just blow, based on how strong the airflow is.
Simply look for a curtain that is made from a heavy material then hang it low enough that the hem lies on the floor. Alternatively, you can buy a curtain designed for a window that's taller than your door and hang it at the top of the door opening while still having the hem sweep the floor.
You'll probably have to be diligent to ensure that the curtain closes neatly behind you each time you go through the opening because the drag on the floor will probably prevent it from just swinging back to a fully closed position.
If you find that even the heavy curtain you purchased is blowing and not sealing well, use a seam ripper (or small, sharp, pointed pair of scissors) to open up the bottom hem (at one vertical end of the curtain, not the entire horizontal seam) and slide a metal or wooden dowel into the bottom hem to weigh it down.


How do I change an overhead light fixture from one bulb to two bulbs? The old overhead light had one bulb, and it's a 1974 house.  I matched black wires to black wires for the two bulbs, and the white wires to the white wires.  The light goes on but does not go off when I flip the light switch down.  Also, the old fixture had its black wire attached to a reddish/pink wire, and the white one was attached to the white.  So, I tried one of the bulbs with black and black first (and black and black with the other).  No go.  Then I tried one bulb with black and red (and black and black on the other).  Still no go.

The first rule of novices replacing fixtures (or anything) is only mess with the wires that go to the old fixture.  Don't touch things that are outside project scope, no matter how interesting they seem.   That is to say, resist the urge to learn electrical by dismantling your house.  Get a DIY book on the subject and read it through.

Safety Ground wires don't need much thinking, because they all go together.

The clump of all-white wires is certainly neutral, and an appropriate place to terminate the white wire(s) from your fixture.   What is always true is that the place the old lamp's white wire went, is correct -- barring previous incompetence of course (and novices are in no position to judge competence).

What remains is the switched-hot wire(s) from the fixture, presuming you want the lamp to be switchable.  If that wire comes from the ceiling box, it is usually a solitary (connected to nothing else, who else would want a wire that is only energized with the lamp on?) This will be the wire that went to the lamp's black wire before.

Color coding is often not that helpful.  Switched-hot is a type of hot, and all hot wires can be any color not reserved for neutral or ground. Installers get no choice of color since all cables come only black/white or black/white/red.  However by convention it's preferred to use red for that when possible.  So red is a good bet, and since you say the old lamp's wires went there, that all jibes.

Black and white

Your idea of connecting both lamp whites to the white cluster, and one black to supply black and one black to supply red -- the result was one lamp is always-on, and the other is switched.  You may have missed that if you weren't paying close attention. (Light works on a log scale like sound, so half the light is only 3db dimmer.  3db isn't a lot).

In this LED age, it costs so little to run small lights that I have started wiring some lamps to be always-on for safety and put small 3-4 watt LEDs there. ($3-4 a year). In a 2-lamp fixture I'd make one lamp switched and put a very strong LED in it, so you have low/high instead of on/off.

If it also has switched receptacles

Lastly, if you have split bulbs black and red, and it still doesn't switch, there's a fair chance the house also has switched receptacles... and a novice (no names mentioned) replaced the receptacles and wasn't paying attention to the breakaway "tabs" between the two sockets on the hot (brass screw) side.  That would defeat the switch, causing the red wire to be always-on.

The cure is to search all the receptacles in the room, looking for red wires or anything abnormal.  In such a location (there may be several), get some spare receptacles (they are $3) and break the brass-screw-side tab off.  If doing this causes downline receptacles to stop working on both sockets, it was the wrong thing to do; tabs can't be de-broken so swap in a spare receptacle. Needles to say, cut power at the breaker and confirm it's off before opening up a receptacle.


Why am I reading non-standard voltages on my house wiring? I have a quick query regarding household wiring .When I connected the Green wire with red wire , the Fluke multimeter read 177 V ac, green and black wire read 44 V ac . The electric supply that comes in is 220V ac. Can someone please help me understand what does 177 and 44 V ac mean here ?

It sounds like a floating neutral. The primary and secondary of most transformers are isolated, and unless there is some specific reason that it needs to be isolated the installer needs to make this connection. I would consult the wiring diagram, it typically would show that the secondary wiring should be connected to ground and where it should be connected.


House receptacle/s with 120 vac but nothing works in them I was troubleshooting a home circuit that appears to have 4 double receptacles and one light on it.  One of the receptacles works fine as does the light.  The other three show 120 vac hot to neutral and hot to ground.  Neutral to ground shows 0 ohms.  I'm told the three problem receptacles worked for years and then just stopped.  I plugged an answereing machine with an led call count indicator into one of the bad receptacles.  It would not fully light up but it was barely illuminating in a pulsing fashion at I would guess 2 or 3 cycles/second.  I plugged a cell phone charger into it.  It would pulse charging/ not charging at about the same rate.  The multimeter showed a solid 120 vac. I tried an incandescent light, but it would not illuminate.  I did not check the neutral connection at the load center since one receptacle and the light worked fine. I was told there are no GFI's in this circuit despite one receptacle near the kitchen sink (but it is an old house). Any ideas what is causing this?

My guess is that some part of the wiring chain from outlet to outlet is using back stab wiring connections at the outlet. These can develop intermittent faults that will pop in and out of connection depending on how much current is being asked for by the load. In the case of your multimeter it represents almost no load on the circuit and the intermittent connection stays connected and permits the AC voltage to be read. Light loads cause the on/off behavior that you are seeing. A heavier load results in the intermittent opening up until the load is removed.

You will want to inspect the outlets to see if there are indeed back stab wire connections. If so remove them and replace with new quality outlets that use screw terminals or screw clamp connections for the wire.

As always advised when working with electrical fixtures turn off the circuit at the breaker panel (or fuse box if it is really really old). If you are unsure of working with electrical or not at all familiar with it then call in a licensed professional electrician.

Also keep in mind that intermittent electrical connections can be very dangerous and create heat and cause fires so address this problem as soon as possible. Be advised it may be in your best interest to shut off this particular circuit at the panel until it can be properly repaired.


Garbage disposal Power source I just replaced my garbage disposal following the instructions from a youtube video. I followed the instructions which to summarize were:
1. Flip the breaker to off
2. Switch the garbage disposal unit.
3. Turn the breaker on.
4. Test the garbage disposal.

The problem I had was when I turned the garbage disposal on there was a small pop and flash and the garbage disposal unit did not work. I'm assuming this had to do with the way I rewired the garbage disposal. When I rewired the disposal I tighten the ground and rewired black on black and white on white. I got the exact same model as the one I replaced and did the exact same thing as the existing installation. My assumption is the garbage disposal unit is fried although when I switched the power switch to on it made a noise as if it was going to work. Does anyone believe the same? Also, will I have to replace the hardwire. How can I tell if this still works? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

The pop and flash was an arc, which could have been either a short circuit or a bad connection blowing apart.

If it occurred at the connections you made to the disposal, correcting those connections should solve the problem and the unit has almost certainly not been damaged. If it occurred elsewhere, you may have a larger problem.

If you have to ask, I would strongly recommend getting a friend who has more experience to help you correct this.


Rewiring for doorbell, is idea up to code? Behind my doorbell panel, a 24VAC transformer is currently wired into mains (USA) using wire nuts.  I am interested in tapping into mains to power an IoT device that would integrate with the doorbell (similar to this implementation).  I wish to continue allowing the existing transformer to draw from mains while also powering a USB power adapter, all while staying compliant with electrical code.  The resulting implementation would continue to fit within the doorbell enclosure.

Some options I was considering:

Split the existing connections (e.g. using Wago 221-413 connectors) and expose a non-grounded connector for use with a USB power adapter
Replace the direct connection to the transformer with a grounded connector (e.g. this), rewire the transformer to a plug, and drive both that transformer and the USB power supply with a splitter

Though less preferable, I was also considering tapping into the 24VAC output from the transformer to drive 5VDC, or having my device be battery-powered.

Any advice on how I should best proceed would be greatly appreciated.

Wow, now that I see your picture, this thing is a hatchet job.

No, no.  That transformer cannot just be stuffed loose in a plastic (!!) Box.  There is no separation between mains and low voltage.  What a fiasco.

I would extract the doorbell wiring from the box and bring it out to the wall through a hole outside the box.  Now, with only mains wiring in the box, I would install 2 standard receptacles (path of least challenge) with 2-gang cover plate, and fit up a plug-in "wall wart" transformer for the doorbell.  Use another socket for any bog standard USB supply from the local gas station.

It's all about separation

There should be a metal curtain between your mains and low-voltage wiring.  This is where we get into mains wiring methods.  This separation is easy with doorbell transformers; they make transformers that mount on a 1/2" knockout or a  junction box cover plate. The mains wiring is contained; the 24V comes out to open screw terminals.

This concept of "metal curtain" must be respected. The single best way to achieve that is to install a common receptacle and plug a quality USB power supply (Apple iPad is my pick) in the receptacle.

Install any common 1-gang deep "handy-box" steel junction box right next to the doorbell box.  That holds the receptacle.  Assuming the power supply cable going into the doorbell box is full-current-rated, reroute it into the handy-box instead, remembering minimum slack (6" of wires free inside the box).
Connect from the handy-box into the old doorbell box.  I'm a conduit person so I would go into a standard knockout via a steel conduit nipple to the handy-box, and use THHN wire between; this also carries ground to the metal doorbell box.  But you could use a few inches of appropriate Romex (most places sell it by the foot, remember 6" tail on each end).  Or alternately, just install a power cord (with strain relief) on the doorbell box.
Wire it up in the usual, Code-legal way, so both the receptacle and doorbell box get power.

In all things mains, hook up safety ground first always, and never disconnect it, not even for troubleshooting (it's never the problem).

Plug the USB power supply into one socket, and (if needed) the doorbell box's new line cord into the other.


Washing machine has sand and leaves in it after someone did a load There are leaves and sand in the washing machine, I filled it up with water and flushed out most of it and wiped up the rest with a towel, then did a small load of laundry, now there is more in there, but not as much as the first time. What the heck is going on?

Use a shop vacuum to suck out the sand and leaves.


How to ground a switch without a ground screw? I'm rewiring my house, and keeping some circa 1920 light switches, which don't have ground screws.  The switch cases are porcelain, and have a brass yoke.  I originally planned to sandwich a ground pigtail between the yoke and the box, but since the metal box itself is grounded, I figure the yoke will already be grounded to the box via the mounting screw.  Is it necessary to pigtail a ground wire directly to the yoke, or would they just add clutter to the box?

I would not worry about adding a “wire” to the switch either the box grounded those nice bright brass yokes being connected to the metal box will be more than enough grounding (in the US it is code compliant to use this same method with some devices). Your switches look to be in exceptional condition I hope the contacts are also if so they may last another 100 years.


Water falling on top of central AC So I have an AC unit outside my room onto which a whole bunch of water falls from straight from the gutter. Will this ruin the unit? Also, it makes A LOT of noise. What would be the best way to dampen that?

The outdoor units are meant to have water hit them.  Only a flood or major major standing water would hurt the unit - unless the water came down at such a high rate that it bent something.

Go outside and look at your unit.  It will have a "section" or box with the electrical compontnents.  It would basically have to flood to that height to hurt your unit.

Water could have a good impact in that it would cool your unit and clean off dirt and small debris.  I can't really see how this would hurt anything.


Attaching a coupling to a copper pipe I am trying to install a standing bottle-less water filter in my house and the hoses beneath my sink are incompatible with the adapters that come with my filter. My fridge does not have a water dispenser (which is the other recommended way to connect the filter), but there is a pipe that carries water into the fridge. Since it neither has an ice machine nor a water dispenser it is effectively doing nothing.
The manual to the fridge explicitly says connecting water to the fridge does nothing if it doesn't have an ice maker, so I know removing the pipe from the fridge won't cause any issues on a theoretical level.
My hope is to be able to connect the 1/4 inch plastic tubing that comes with the filter to this copper tube. I got a 1/4 inch coupling in order to do this, however nothing I do seems to work. Neither the nut, the inner tube, nor the inner compression thing will go around the copper pipe. If I remove the nut from the coupling and use the compressor and the nut already on the pipe, this connects to the central coupling. This seems ok. The issue is when I connect the inner tube, compressor and nut to the plastic tube and screw that into the inner coupling, water just gushes out the side on the plastic tube.
The guys at Home Depot advised me to scrap the entire copper tube and replace it with a plastic one which at the minimum seems like overkill, but they were adamant that nothing else will work. Below is an image of the plastic tube with the nut and inner tube (I have 2 couplings at this point since once I assembled the side with the plastic tube it was impossible to take off and I got an extra coupling).
For clarity when I say the water gushes out the side, I believe the inner compressor and the nut is where the leaking water is coming from, not around the seams of the nuts. Water does come out of the end of the plastic tube the way I would want, but obviously due to the leaking this is not a workable situation. I don't know if there is some kind of glue or magic tape that I can use around the nut to prevent leaking, but that is the kind of advice I am looking for (or if I am doing something fundamentally wrong guidance in the correct direction would also be appreciated).
Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
.

I am not quite sure just what you are trying to do but from the picture you posted, the fitting on the top is a standard fitting for utilizing 1/4" OD plastic tubing and the bottom fitting is a standard 1/4" OD compression fitting. To use the top fitting with plastic tubing you cut the end of the tubing with a sharp object for a clean cut. Then, you slip the compression nut onto the tubing, then the 1/4" OD compression furrel. Next you push that small brass sleeve into the end of the tubing. Place the now adapted plastic tubing into that compression fitting (union) and tighten the compression nut. That small sleeve gives the plastic tubing strength to allow the compression nut to seal between the plastic and the nut. By the way, do not use the bulk type tubing, only use the tubing sold as ice maker tubing. That other stuff can break and cause water damage as I found out the hard way.


Electrical wiring question for instant water heater I am installing a point of use Chronomite SR-20L/240 HTR 240-Volt 20-Amp SR Series Instant-Flow Low Flow Tankless Water Heater. https://www.amazon.com/Chronomite-SR-20L-240-HTR-Instant-Flow/dp/B001B1KGUQ

I have called the company and they tell me that I need two pole 240v, 20  or 30 amp breaker.  They said that it is wired with two hot and one ground 10 gauge wire.  This is a new install for a bathroom I am building in my garage.  I am having a problems finding romex type wire that has two black (hot) wires or a black and a red (hot) wire and a ground wire. They told me if I used 10/3 wire with a ground to cap the neutral wire. I need about 35 feet of  wire.

My concern is with my inspection and having the proper wiring colors for my hot wires.  If I  get 10/2 with a ground, I  will have a hot,neutral and a ground, but the neutral will be white.  Please advise what the name of the particular wiring I need is called.... that has a black,red and a ground wire.  Thanks!

You are allowed to use a white wire for a hot wire, but you need to mark it with tape at both ends.  The tape can be any color besides white, gray, green or copper, as those denote other things.

If you want to be fancy and use wire natively colored the official colors, use 10/3.   Wire-nut or tape the unused neutral.

If your heater is 16 amps or less actual, 12 AWG wire will suffice unless the wiring is a very long run.   However, you may be disappointed by the hot water output.   I would go for a larger heater that requires 10 AWG.

Just as an aside... marking wires is not allowed in the other direction.  You can't mark a colored wire to be neutral, and you can't mark any wire to be a ground (though you can strip all the insulation off.)


Do I need to do anything after a bathroom flooding? How can I prevent it in future? My house (recent construction) has a single-piece bathtub in the upstairs bathroom - the kind that includes 3 walls surrounding it, I don't know if it's acrylic, glass-fiber, or some other construction.

Last week, an unnamed individual didn't properly close the shower curtain and never noticed while bathing, so the bathroom was flooded and water started dripping from the recessed lighting in the ceiling on the ground floor immediately below. I'd gauge at least a pint of water dripped from the light fixture - which I dutifully mopped up and put a bucket underneath - as well as immediately instructing the guilty individual to refrain from using that shower for a couple of days while I investigated.

(As far as I know the lights were/are fine: there was no electrical shorting or burning-smell afterwards).

I initially thought it was a burst shower or drain pipe, but after running the shower for testing there were no leaks downstairs, and I noticed water marks and warped paint on the baseboards - suggesting the cause was simply someone-not-closing-the-shower-curtain-properly - I also noticed a large gap between the baseboard and the bathtub unit that plenty of water on the floor could easily have escaped through.

As an aside, I'm surprised houses aren't designed for this eventuality by placing a giant drip-pan underneath each bathroom, such that all leaks are captured and can be sent via a pipe directly to the drains (the alternative being the "wet-room" concept, which I'm not a fan of).

Could any kind of lasting damage have been inflicted by this incident? Could the water have done anything to the structure? Are internal structural timbers usually waterproofed - or could this mean that the insides of my house will now rot and/or erode?

And are there any devices or things I could get that would detect if the floor is excessively wet and so alert the current bathroom user?

By way of mitigation, I've recently purchased a shower-curtain "curver" that ensures the curtain curves inward at the edges, rather than outward, so I hope that will help prevent a recurrence in future.

A one-time hit of water won't do anything to structure, it'll dry out in a couple days and be fine. It's only when it gets a little bit wet every day, and never has a chance to dry that you'll get rot.

Expect the staining in drywall to spread a little bit, and make sure it's completely dry before any repainting.

You can get water detection devices that sound an alarm when water is present, but they're more for basement flooding, they're certainly not attractive and not practical to leave in a common area like a bathroom, though they could be placed in the ceiling below.

I would, after disconnecting power, look inside light fixture, and electrical boxes in the path, to check for any signs of remaining water.

Education to the unnamed individual is the best defense, for a one time occurrence it's nothing to worry about.


How to remove Tile levelling clips (T-type) that have partially broken off? After laying my tile, some of the T-levelling clips broke off above the tile.

Unfortunately as a result I have small clip bits poking up above the tile. Any ideas on how to remove them before I grout?

Utility knife worked best, thanks for the suggestions.


Running a standard receptacle on GFCI line I am recently done with my kitchen renovation. I have L shaped kitchen where the smaller portion has refrigerator on it. The refrigerator has been moved from from the corner of the wall to the center, covered by cabinet frame. The refrigerator used to run from an outlet under the countertop line, it was not protected by gfci. Where as above counter lines is protected by gfci, where my refrigerator is connected now in the middle of the wall. As refrigerator has higher loads at times, gfci trips very often.

I am very novice at this but I am wondering if it is possible to jump just this receptacle which is used to connect refrigerator so that it is not protected by the gfci but still maintaining rest of the receptacles over the counter protected by gfci? If yes, how?

Thanks a ton in advance,

Bimal

It may not be higher load levels but a problem with GFCI's and motor loads, my state exemption for GFCI's includes refrigerator and freezers. If the refrigerator is the first outlet in your kitchen small appliance branch circuit a GFCI outlet can be added to the next outlet and be legal with NEC2014 code. I am out of town and do not have my code book but there is an exhibit showing the refrigerator as the 1st outlet and the rest as GFCI protected on 1 of the 2 small appliance circuits required. I like the refrigerator on its own circuit but it is code to put it first or last on one of the 2 required 20a circuits,,, if not first expect to loose a lot of food, In my professional opinion.


Where could the water be coming from found in this hole my dogs dug? My puppies have been digging in our yard mainly one specific area for awhile. The other day I noticed my puppy's feet were wet. I went to the hole and found water had filled in. It is only about a 1 foot deep. I also discovered some pavers have been put in the ground in that area. We live by a lake which is at least 200 ft away and the hole is at least 20 ft above the lake. I am wondering where the water is coming from, it does soak in and go away as long as the dogs don't dig anymore but I am concerned. I almost want to dig to find out where the water is coming from but don't want it to give away and get hurt.I live in Florida. We put in a fence on the other side of the property just last spring and never found any water and dug the post holes around 2.5 ft deep and are closer to the lake than the newly found hole.

My guess is this is just normal groundwater, either a natural spring or a high water table at that spot. (Other possibilities would be a leak, rainwater, or proximity to a septic system field.)

The water table height may be higher or lower depending on the season and amount of rain / snow. The water table may well be higher than the lake surface... they do not need to be the same height. The water table may be very irregular, depending on the underground position of rock, different types of soil, sources of water, etc, so just because there was no water somewhere else on your property doesn't preclude the possibility.

(The presence of water for only a brief time after digging is interesting, and I can't easily explain it. It's possible that by disturbing the soil your dogs were compacting it a bit, forcing water out, much like squeezing a wet sponge. This can be a problem in large-scale soil compaction projects, like preparing a lot for a new foundation. I would be surprised if dogs could have the same effect, but maybe if you have soft soil with a high water content it's possible.)


Must bathroom linoleum be sealed and water tight? I got new linoleum fitted in a bathroom. After only 2 weeks black marks appeared on it. I contacted the fitters who had done the work. They came out and found nothing wrong (in their eyes). I also had my Councillor & Housing Manager out to inspect it and they too said there was nothing wrong.

When I clean my floor the water is lying underneath as it was not sealed around the edges so the water is just seeping through. The company said they don't need to seal it .

My linoleum is completely ruined and when I lifted it up it came as one whole piece. Surly it should have been sealed to make it watertight?

I would say that it absolutely should be sealed well all the way around the bathroom, and so that water cannot get underneath fixtures.

However, even on a floor that had no sealing at all I would not expect this kind of damage simply from mopping and minor spills. Do (did) you actually observe water being wicked out from the edge? Could it be that the toilet or another fixture was leaking and getting under the linoleum?