Why does the ground appear to be connected to the hot in a 240v single-phase circuit? I don't know much about 240 V single phase power so please bear with me! I am confused about the wiring.  Here is the situation.

In my outlet there are 3 wires, black, red and blue.  I used my Fluke multimeter to check the voltages in between these lines.  To my understanding, I should have L1 and L2 which are two signals 180 degrees apart, and a neutral.

I checked around with the multi meter until I found a voltage of 240 V and figured these were the L1 and L2 lines (red and black) and the third one (blue) must be the neutral, since the voltage between the third one and any of the other 2 was only 120.

So using just these two lines, I wired up my device (which is a DIY single phase to 3 phase converter for my milling machine) and it works just fine.  But then I realized that the machine isn't grounded.  For 120 V service, I am used to having a ground wire that I can hook up to the chassis for safety.  So I go into the distribution box that the outlet is connected to and I see bare wire, which I presume is ground.  So just to be sure, I shut off all of the power and did a continuity check between this bare wire and each wire in the outlet and I got continuity with the red wire!  I don't understand this at all since the red and black were my L1 and L2 lines!

Can anyone explain why this is the case?  I am pretty sure I CANNOT use the neutral line as a chassis ground and I want this machine to be grounded.  Any help would be appreciated!

EDIT:  In regards to wire color code.  I am located in central PA.

Red, black and blue are the classic colors for 3-phase power (other than wild-leg).  The color combination does not specify voltage; that's what voltmeters are for.

An important factor is the lack of neutral.  In the U.S. neutrals must be white or gray.  It is illegal to "tape" or "paint" another wire color to be neutral, unless the wire is 4 AWG or larger.  Measure the voltage between each wire and ground/earth.  You should get a significant voltage if the wires are not wrong-colored.

How well do you really know the wiring here?  Are you sure you don't already have 3-phase or maybe someone beat you to it and installed a phase converter somewhere?  Maybe that has since been removed?   No kidding, I have a 240V 3-phase converter at a 120-240 service panel, that panel's transformer is fed from 3-phase service which is literally 20 feet away from it.  The things people do!

Now, the red wire being grounded is just wrong.  However this could occur if the grounding system is not proper, or if the neutral-ground bond has failed.  (And I have one of those in a panel right now.) All it takes is one ground-fault to "lift the ground" to hot potential (or more accurately, lower the hot to grounding potential, lifting the neutral away from ground.)


Rust at Bottom of Support Column I'm just wondering how serious this is and also what are my options for fixing it?

Best solution would be to replace the plates and column. How much work (cost) is that?

If I saw that in my basement I wouldn't worry about it until the column (post) started moving.

But if I did want to get proactive I'd get a jack and a 4x4 set up next to that column and jack it until that post is loose. Then put a new steel plate in there which should last the next 50 years.

And since this is internet advice and might actually be followed, use two posts and two jacks, you know, for safety.

Of course, when jacking things up you are acting against some very static forces and might end up cracking the tiles upstairs.


Would it be better to temporarily lay vinyl on a carpet, carpet underlay or floorboards? I wanted to quickly lay vinyl sheet down.  I will put hardboard subfloor on top of floorboards at a later date however right now I'm happy to loosely lay it over the carpet. As I mess around with the floors I noticed the vinyl looks quite smooth on the carpet underlay.
So I'm wondering now should I temporarily lay the vinyl sheet on the floorboards(which I know are uneven), on the carpet underlay or even on the carpet??
It will just be temporary but is even so is there a reason to prefer one temporary subfloor aesthetically and functionally speaking?
Thanks

Vinyl flooring will fail in short order if laid over something soft like carpet or carpet padding. It's not designed to flex and stretch as it will under foot traffic and furniture, and more concentrated point loads will simply tear it. It'll also wrinkle as it moves and stretches, creating trip hazards.
It must be laid, even temporarily, on a hard surface.


U.S. NEC on adding wires in a finished ceiling I want to add a second outlet to my finished garage ceiling, about 14 feet from the existing box. The DIY info I found has all been about adding wires to finished walls.

The question is how to get past joists in the ceiling. If these were studs, then I would put a pumpkin cut in the wallboard next to the stud and drill a pass-through hole in the stud. I wouldn't expect any significant weakness to be added. But I think the ceiling joist may be different, since these joists appear to be part of a truss and are under tension. (Probably not a lot, but I want to be code compliant when I make holes.) I don't know the dimensions of the joists, but I'm guessing 2x10 or 2x12. The picture below shows construction over a much smaller room, where I had a pinhole leak in the pipe.

If I were to do this so it complies with construction and electrical codes, what codes would I be looking for? Apart from that, what is the recommended method for passing the wire through or around the joist in a finished ceiling?

I guess the first question would be if you have a engineered truss system or ceiling joists; they aren't the same thing (as I've learned).

Is there livable area on top of the garage or an attic/loft?

If they are just ceiling joists you can drill a hole right through the middle of the joists (don't cut out notches). I've done 3/4 inch holes with an auger bit; it would fit two 12/2 wires nicely. Try to keep the holes near the middle.


New home grading in backyard soil stays muddy for days I have a new construction home and the backyard grade needed adjustment late in fall. There is an area that meets in the middle that doesn't really hold static water above, but the ground stays soft and muddy in this area for a few days or more longer than the rest.

It originally had seed laid in the back over the summer and then late in the fall after adjusting the grade.. front was sodded so due to size of yard, and time of year everything was done I only had time to focus on the sod in the front while it took in 90 deg weather with no rain, so backyard went to hell.  I am adding sod this spring, will the sod depth raise this area enough, or the fact of grass actually being there to absorb the moisture help? Or do I need to add some more dirt?

Pic below:

Troubled area circled. Well, the whole thing should be circled but the area with possible drainage issue :)

First might I say..wow that's a big back yard.

If it is a new home I'd get the builder to take a look. If it's heavy clay you, or they, may need to add a drainage trench, filled with rocks, out to the lowest point on the property line (Not the neighbors yard), then covered over with soil and turf..

I would not be too tempted to raise that area though. You want to keep the water AWAY from your house. The soil around the house will also settle with time so the higher it is there now, the better.


What concrete type should I use for a pizza oven base slab? I am building a pizza oven and kitchen area in my garden. I am trying to work out if there is a specific type of concrete I need.
My question is only about the concrete slab (the foundation). The slab will be approx 2m x 2m
My calculation for the weight (that the concrete slab needs to support) are
Dense bricks: 70 * 18.2kg = 1,274kg
Concrete slabs: 13 * 15kg = 195kg
Pizza oven: 1 * 50kg = 50kg
Total: 1,519kg
How do I determine what type of concrete to use? Would general purpose suffice?

The slab loading (pressure over area) is trivial - you have 4 square meters to carry 1600 kilos (rounding up) which is pretty much nothing for any grade of concrete.
The more important function is spreading that load (plus the mass of the slab itself) across the soil, but that's still a very low loading (roughly 4 KPa, plus the slab (at roughly another 1000 kg, so perhaps 7 kPa total),  if I have my SI units straight) while concrete compressive strength is 15 MPa at the low end. Clay soil bearing is about 70 kPa and other soils bear more.
A 100-110mm thick slab is probably plenty thick, and gives the 50mm concrete cover your reinforcing steel should have for corrosion resistance.
What is under the slab and your local climate may add other constraints, such as footings for frost movement resistance (or not.)


Can I use a different type of bolt for awning? I got a light plastic awning from amazon. It only has 3.4 pounds. The size are 30"x40". Now I want to install it over the front door.

The package comes out a set of bolts(The size is marked as M10).

However I heard that this kind of bolt is permanently positioned. In other word, it can't easily removed.
If the awning is damaged or I want to sell the property in the future, I have to uninstall the awning, then it becomes a problem.
So I am wondering is that possible to replace the bolts with other types which can be easily removed?

That type of bolt is made for use in brick or concrete. You would drill a hole just large enough for the sleeve to slide into. When tightening the bolt in place the sleeve crinkles at the end this tightly jamming the sleeve against the edges of the hole.
You can still remove the bolt leaving the sleeve in the hole. Even if you were able to remove the sleeve you would still have the hole left so it should be of little consequence if the sleeve is left behind.


Is wiring laying alongside an attic access opening a code violation or safety concern? I have a new house nearing completion in Manning, South Carolina, with all non-metallic jacket wire.  However, the scuttle holes for two retractable stairs and attic lift had wires blocking access until I pointed it out, so the electrical sub just pulled the wires drum-tight to the edge of the opening.  This means it's always the first thing you step on going up, and likely what someone will snag their foot on for a 15-foot free-fall to the concrete floor on the way down.  This includes the primary service to the house with a pair of jacketed 4-4-4 cables for the 400-amp service under your feet in the first step into the attic.  The entire attic storage space is completely covered with a massive web of 8-3 and 12-2 wire where subs have slid the walkway and storage area OSB under the wires, meaning that the only place to walk or store anything is on top of the wiring.  Because of the size of the larger wires, it becomes a fall hazard if the floor is raised to clear them due to the increased step height of the top step to the attic floor.  I just don't see how this could possibly meet any electrical or fire safety code.  Nothing in the house was immune to this level of incompetency from the ground, up.  Any ideas?

This sounds like an issue from a physical damage standpoint

While the NM cable only needs to be protected by guard strips if it's within 6' of a scuttle hole in your case, as per NEC 320.23(A) (referred to by NEC 334.23):

  (A) Cables Run Across the Top of Floor Joists. Where run
  across the top of floor joists, or within 2.1 m (7 ft) of the floor
  or floor joists across the face of rafters or studding, the cable
  shall be protected by guard strips that are at least as high as the
  cable. Where this space is not accessible by permanent stairs or
  ladders, protection shall only be required within 1.8 m (6 ft) of
  the nearest edge of the scuttle hole or attic entrance.

your attic seems to be intended as a storage space.  As a result of this, the exposed cabling you describe in your OP would be subject to physical damage, which would require protection from physical damage as per NEC 300.4:

  300.4 Protection Against Physical Damage. Where subject to
  physical damage, conductors, raceways, and cables shall be
  protected.

and 334.15(B):

  (B) Protection from Physical Damage. Cable shall be protected from physical damage where necessary by rigid metal
  conduit, intermediate metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing,
  Schedule 80 PVC conduit, Type RTRC marked with the suffix -XW, or other approved means. Where passing through a floor,
  the cable shall be enclosed in rigid metal conduit, intermediate
  metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, Schedule 80 PVC
  conduit, Type RTRC marked with the suffix -XW, or other
  approved means extending at least 150 mm (6 in.) above the
  floor.

  Type NMC cable installed in shallow chases or grooves in
  masonry, concrete, or adobe shall be protected in accordance
  with the requirements in 300.4(F) and covered with plaster,
  adobe, or similar finish.


Best way to fix excess stain on hard wood floor? Or just poly it? I stained our hardwood floors one week ago and have let it dry but unfortunately all of it wasn't absorbed.  I didn't notice the excess until a few days after I let it dry, and it's quite noticeable:

The wood is roughly 90 years old.  I sanded it using 20, then 36, then 80 grit and then stained it.  It is not crazy thick wood so it's not able to absorb too much.

My question: Should I just hand sand using 180/200 grit to get the excess stain off and then LIGHTLY re-stain areas that may look lighter than they should? Or should I just poly it?

I just don't think I can afford to re-sand everything again given the wood's thickness, and I'm ok with some areas that don't look perfect given the old is so old.

Thoughts?

Your picture reveals, to my eyes, an unfortunate situation. The areas where the sun is illuminating the finish reveals that you did not sand enough, the original finish remains and that is the cause of the uneven absorption of the stain. If you really want it to look right you will need to start over, this time spending more time with the sandpaper, particularly the initial coarse paper. For even staining you need to remove all of the existing surface treatment. Sorry... it might help if you rent a drum or vibrating floor sander from a reputable tool rental shop.


My shower tile goes past the drywall on an outside corner The bullnose tile along the corner is just about flush with the drywall towards the floor but goes about a 1/2 inch past the drywall going up toward the ceiling.  I'm looking for the best way to fix this.

Say hello to joint compound (aka mud); it covers a multitude of sins. Mud it up until it's even with the tile. Start with hot (dry powder, mix with water, sets) mud.


Can I use a 175 Watt rated dimmer switch with 4 50 Watt low-voltage light bulbs? In my bathroom I have 4 x 50W 12V halogen lights, each one connected to its own dimmable capable transformer.

I've purchased a ceiling-mounted dimmer switch from Amazon, to replace the current on/off switch:

However now I've received the dimmer switch, on the packing it states:

  Min 40 Watt Max 200 Watt - 240V Tungsten Lamp
  Min 20 Watt Max 175 Watt - 12V Low voltage lamp

Now by my calculations, I've got 4 x 50W lights installed which equals 200W - whereas the switch states a max of 175W for low voltage lamps.

Is this an issue? Or does it just mean the lamps won't be as bright as they used to be?

This is a bad idea.

The maximum power rating for low voltage lights is lower than that for normal lights because no transformer is 100% efficient, so some allowance is made for that inefficiency in the specifications.  In your case, those four lights draw 200 W plus whatever overhead the transformers add, so you're drawing more current than the switch is designed to handle. More current through the switch means more waste heat generated by the electronics in the switch, which leads to higher temperatures inside the electrical box, which in turn will shorten the life of the switch1.

To answer your question about the brightness: I'd expect that they'd get less current than they should normally which would make their light both dimmer and redder.  Generally, you have bright lighting in bathrooms, so even if it weren't a problem for the switch, it might not be something you'd want.

1. If you look at the specifications for the switch, you may see de-rating information for using two or more of them in a single electrical box; this de-rating is caused by the waste heat generated by the switch.


Leviton Triplex unavailable/discontinued. Alternatives? It appears that the Leviton Triplex outlets are no longer available and the product is listed as discontinued.   My best guess is that they weren't technically code compliant?

They were a rather brilliant solution for fitting 3 ground NEMA compatible outlets into the space of a normal outlet.

Are there alternative solutions available?

Edit:  The goal is to avoid messing with an outside wall.  I have an existing weatherproof outlet where I need 3 plugs.   Making it bigger is possible (and in my range of skills), but I'd rather avoid doing so.

New box (either add, or replace smaller with larger), pair of duplex, 4 outlets.

Sure, you want not to do that, but it works, and always has worked.

If you can handle it being 15 amp rather than 20 and a large pricetag, Legrand adorne makes what's claimed to be a 1-gang triplex pop-up outlet. Never seen one in person, and I'd wonder about long-term reliability with it having moving parts.


Hanging a mirror on unknow wall type I need to hang a 25Kg mirror on a wall, however I do not know what type of wall it is, I think it is possibly plasterboard or thermalite blocks.

I have been looking at various fixings online, and you get a lot of variation between plasterboard and thermalite wall plugs, and also wall plugs that can be used within different wall types.

Is is best to drill the wall and find the wall type and use those specific wall plug types, or buy the wall plugs that are suitable for any wall type?

In the case of either plaster or Thermalite panels, plastic plug-type anchors should suffice. I'd use those sized for a #12 or #14 screw of adequate length (per the anchor manufacturer's suggestion), and be sure to drill exactly the correct size.

Be sure that you only leave the screw protruding only as far as necessary to allow the hooks to engage. Torsional force is what tears anchors out of walls, so you want to keep the load tight against the wall.


Should my first power saw be a circular or jig saw? I'm just beginning DIY projects, and do not own a power saw.  The projects I plan to begin with will be simple, and I mostly plan to cut wood < 2" thick, PVC, and maybe some thin metal.  I've read a few blogs, and it seems that experts recommend buying a circular saw before moving on to the jig saw (I only want to buy 1 saw for now, < $50).   This seems odd, because you can cut tighter curves with the jig saw, even though the circular cuts faster in a straight line.  Am I missing any big reason for getting the circular saw first?

Awesome feedback.  Because my "simple" DIY tool needs are incredibly simple (e.g. cutting boards to make unfinished shelves, making 2-3 inch holes/arcs in materials, and nothing intricate or high-volume), here's what I've concluded from your advice:

My first power saw should be a circular saw.  I should expect to pay more than $50 for one worth its value.  Somewhere between $70 and $100 will get me started.

To satisfy my one-off needs to cutting tight curves, I'll buy a hand corning saw.

As my expertise expands , and consequently my comfortable budget, I will consider either a reciprocating or jig saw for my second power saw.  This will depend on the coarseness and accuracy of my average required cut.

Jig saws are for delicate work; they cut slow and the blades like to bend and break.

Reciprocating saws are for not delicate work and cut fast, the blades bend if you let the tip of the blade bounce on your work.

Circular saws are for relatively straight cuts, their blades do not break or bend, readily.

Table saws are just better circular saws.

Miter saws are for nice, straight cut-offs.

If I had to pick one to keep, it'd be my real (Milwaukee) Sawzall®. In a $50 price range you can get a crappy jig or reciprocating saw. For chores around the house (random home improvements) get a reciprocating saw. For small wood working projects, you may want a jig. I 'work with my hands' and to me a jig is a specialty tool, seldom necessary and a pain to keep changing blades and they take forever to cut.


Husqvarna 125b Leaf Blower not running correctly It only has a few hours on it and may have been stored for an extended time with fuel mix in it.  It starts quickly but when I give it full throttle it bogs down.  If I pump the throttle lever it seems to run better.  See video for details. https://youtu.be/V9IC5inkru8
Here is the disassembled card

You said:

may have been stored for an extended time with fuel mix in it

These sorts of engines are VERY sensitive to storage with Ethanol-containing fuel in them.  Your carburetor is almost certainly damaged or clogged and needs to be replaced or cleaned and rebuilt.
Do not EVER store such equipment without draining the fuel first and I've found it helpful use use E0 fuel (i.e. 0% Ethanol content) at all times.  You can buy this at most home centers and hardware stores (See "TruFuel" or similar) brands or at gas retailers such as marinas and Farm Bureau Coops that sell E0 gasoline.


Re-plumbing kitchen sink I primarily use the right sink which has a garbage disposal. Maybe this isn't a good idea? Anyway, I notice that when soapy water goes down the right sink drain, sometimes the bubbles go up the left sink drain and start coming out the strainer into the sink bowl. My assumption is that I can improve the sink plumbing to eliminate that problem.
Here's a few pics of the current plumbing:

My question is this: what is the pipe on the left side that appears to have a plug or cap on it? Is it possible for me to unplug it, then plumb the left sink to that pipe, and then plumb the right sink to the right pipe, thus having two waste pipes?

It could possibly be a clean out valve. These valves are often found under sinks which clog easily and/or often (like the kitchen sink), because they provide an easy way for a plumber to access the clog. It is much easier for a plumber to access a clog in a drainpipe that has a clean out valve, because the plumber can access the clog through the valve, which is usually a straighter line to the clog than having to go through the sink drain's p-trap, where drain cleaning equipment might become stuck or at least more difficult to maneuver.
I would not recommend routing a second drain line through the mysterious valve for three reasons:

You would need to ensure that the new left-hand sink drain had a proper p-trap, similar to the one currently under both sinks, as a p-trap helps prevent clogged drains and keeps sewer gasses out of your home. Additionally, many localities require p-traps under sinks or other places where sewage gasses might come up into your home.
If that mystery valve is a clean-out valve, you will be eliminating or at least restricting the point of access to it, and if your plumbing ever gets clogged behind that drain, you (or a plumber) will have a much harder time accessing and unclogging the drain.
Unless you know for sure that that mystery valve is in fact connected to your main drain line and is in good working order (no clogs, leaks, or unsound pipes), you might be allowing water to leak into your wall, which could lead to mold or other structural damage.

I would just leave your kitchen sink plumbing as it currently is, since it appears to be plumbed correctly, and bubbles coming up on the other side of your sink is a common and harmless problem. I often experience that problem myself, and the way I handle it is by simply running water down the drain in the sink where the bubbles are coming up. Usually, that washes the excess suds down the drain, and it is a simple, effective solution.


Leaking crack inside basement wall I have had a leak down into my finished basement. When I cut away the drywall there is an obvious crack that runs to the corner of the basement window. I have sealed outside along the foundation as best as I could and it has slowed the leak, but hasn't stopped it. I would like to try to seal it from the inside before spending the big money on excavating outside. I have two questions...

What is best product to use to seal this crack?
Any suggestions on how to seal behind the metal support? There is only about .5" clearance between the foundation wall and the support.

The leak is coming about right where the crack goes left behind the support in the picture below.

First I would install a french drain outside.  This will keep you from having further foundation damage.  Then I would seal it.  There are many products on the market for this.  I use this product to do my brothers basement.  We did two coats.  It worked well.  But you need to address the issue before sealing the wall.  If not you will regret it in the future.


Confused on this wire config I am trying to install (2) Lutron Caseta Wireless Switches to replace two legacy light switches. This is my first attempt at replacing a light switch. When looking inside, I am a bit confused on the wiring configuration:
-Why are there four white wires that are just joined together? Do they serve a purpose?
-Why is only one switch grounded?
-Why is there a connection from one switch direct to the other (capped with a yellow connector in this image)

The whites in the back of the box are very important.  They are neutral, and you wouldn't have a circuit without them.  Also it's rather fortunate they are there, because a good quality smart switch will require them.

On both switches, you have 2 wires going to a single screw terminal.  This is nothing but a lazy shortcut in wiring.   Those multiple wires could be replaced by a pigtail, in which case the wiring would be easier to understand.   It looks like that hoppy wire is the "always hot" wire, and is commonly** color coded black, which it happens to be.  The solo black wires are switched-hots going up to the lights, and they are commonly** color coded red, and I'd mark them with red tape.  I'dThis will make it even easier to understand.

Most people, even freshmen like yourself, don't need equipment safety ground explained to them.  The only thing you might need to know is when ground has insulation, it is green, or green/yellow stripe.

** that is common practice. The law only specifies colors for ground and neutral (white or gray).  Legally a hot can be any other color.  In this wiring, the switched-hot is black because they are using pre-made cables and don't have a choice for color.  That's what tape is for.


AC Motor Oil Wick Replacement Not sure if this is the correct forum to asking such a question, but I am tearing down an old AC motor that has seen better days. Essentially through to clean each component and replaced any frayed wiring. I cleaned up shaft housing and noticed a piece of cotton hanging out quite a bit (now know its the oil wick to lubricate the shaft) so I tried to pull grab and pull it out, but a little more came out from the recess. I figured I'd better consult someone before I get ahead of myself.

To give an idea of what I'm referring to check the image located quarter ways down the page and note 'e' in Figure 1.
http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/Electric-Motor-Tutorial.ashx

Is it possible to replace this wick?

I havent done one in years , not really hard if the sleeve is not two badly worn, pull the bolts that hold the end bells and slip the end that is falling apart off, examine the sleeve if it is worn you will need to get a shaft measurement and the outside diameter and replace it the ones I remember doing had wool packing but you said this was cotton, .there are 2 types some have an end plate (the easy ones) pull the plate fill with material and put the plate back on, saturate with oil and reassemble the end bell on the shaft and tighten the bolts, the tough  type ,. same start remove the end bell
 Carefully press out the end cap seal so you can re use it
once that is out you can press the sleeve out to the center, use caution this is very poris and may be brittle if it overheated, if in good shape repack the "void" and as you get close to full slip the sleeve back in 50% then continue packing untill no more will fit, it helps to oil the material prior to pressing the sleeve all the way back in because once it is damp it stays in place better once you have the sleve back in replace the end cap seal, saturate with oil , replace end bell and bolts and you should be good to go


Is there a home made solution that will clean drains? Not sure if this counts as "Home Improvement", but it's worth a shot:

I'm currently in an apartment where I'm not supposed to use chemicals to clear drains, like in the sink/tub.

I've cleared out the tub drain before (obviously hair buildup) but for some reason it doesn't seem to take long before it's draining slower than the shower is spraying.

It seems that the funk in the drain in a contributing factor, helping the hair to cling/build up in the drain.

Is there a home made or DIY (or "apartment safe") solution that will help to really clean the drains?

I've heard that plumbers swear by bio-clean.

I guess the idea is that all the anti-bacterial soaps that people use tend to kill the "good" bacteria in the drain lines that naturally digest the crud that gets stuck in there.  This stuff restores those bacteria so they can clean the pipes out naturally.

My experience with it has been pretty good for cleaning out slow drains with lots of buildup on them, but I don't think it'll do much to larger hair-type clogs (although if the pipes are clean, the hair clogs might not form in the first place).


Blocking the light from a window that spans up to the ceiling I wonder how to block the light from a window that spans up to the ceiling. I want the room to be as dark as possible.

Here is the setting:

An additional constraint is that I cannot remove the blind that is adjacent to the window. (I can remove the other one.)

As you can see, there are currently 2 curtains that do a poor job at blocking the light, as they let light comes through the top, the left and right.

If you want a complete solution for the whole window, or want to block the light just at the top, you can tape aluminum foil on the whole window or just at the top of the glass.  I did that once in a room that got so much sun that it was always too hot.  It took the temperature down about 10 degrees.


Should I ground my TV antenna? Should I (electrically) ground my TV antenna?

I've heard both: "you must always ground your antenna" and "you don't need to".

I haven't grounded it (at all) yet.

Under what circumstances is it useful or necessary?

I imagine a TV antenna could theoretically be struck by lightning, but I don't know if that's the only reason to ground.

My home is single storey. All 4 of my neighbours within 50m or so have taller antennas. Some have trees twice that tall. A few houses down, there are double storey homes too. My street is lower than surrounding streets and is in a low lying area (does this remove all chance of lightning strikes to my home?).

Grounding is not required by law (where I live).

In my case, would grounding it simply increase the (unlikely) possibility of a lightning strike?

Yes, you should have a grounding block wired to a ground rod before the antenna wire enters your home. It won't necessarily prevent all damage from a direct lightning strike, but it will help.

NEC in the States (NFPA 70) says that if you don't ground the grounding box to the same ground rod that is connected to your breaker box, you need a #6 wire between the ground rods. Obviously, that doesn't apply in your locale, but it's still a good idea.

YMMV, but I get excellent digital TV reception from an antenna mounted in my attic. Removes all the worries about grounding, wind, etc.


What's a good way to seal a flat concrete roof? My guess is that a long time ago there was a fire in part of our house and what was the top storey was capped and the floor replaced with thick slabs of concrete. This was then sealed over with bitumen and left as a flat roof, with traditional pitched roofs on either side.

Now, however, it seems something is failing and the roof has started to leak. It's always pooled water on the top to half an inch or so, but the last lot of heavy rain caused a stain on the ceiling underneath. That was easily redecorated, and I've made sure the drain to the gutter is properly free flowing now, but I don't want it to start again.

What's a good way to seal this roof so that doesn't happen again? I've used flash-band to patch up a couple of obvious cracks in the bitumen but I'd rather have something more permanent.

If you don't have a problem with water pooling any more, the real answer is probably to have a professional roofer look closely at the roof both on the inside and outside. The problem with a lot of roof leaks is that where the water shows up in the house isn't where it comes in. Water has an annoying tendency to run along internal beams and such, then come into the house far away. You can go over any edges with new tar and hope you catch it but in my experience this approach ends up being like playing whack-a-mole, you patch and wait for it to rain, then patch more and wait more, etc.

So I would say if you can do it yourself, look closely at the underside of the roof as well as the outside. If you don't find anything, a professional roofer is probably in order.


Mineral spirits not drying out of hardwood floor before finishing I just finished sanding and cleaning up the floors in my living room and dining room and the last step I did was to clean the whole floor with mineral spirits before applying the polyurethane.  I realized as I was using the mineral spirits that I accidentally bought the biodegradeable kind that is white in appearance.  It has been about 12 hours and most of the floor has dried out, but there are still patches where the mineral spirits is still leaving the wood looking wet.

Has any one else encountered this?  Can I apply the polyurethane now even though there are some spots where it hasn't completely dried yet?  Is this because it is the white biodegradable kind?

Any insights would be appreciated!

I would never put poly down on a surface that was uneven looking as this may magnify the uneven appearance. You may have saturated this area more than other areas, a fan might dry it out but remember the base of your floor is the starting point if it looks wrong now it will look worse with poly in my experiances, you want an even appearance for the entire floor, excess spirits may dilute the poly or cause it not to cure properly it sounds like you have done a good job with the prep work don't rush and you will have a better looking end product.


Crack in paint seems to be slowly getting longer I have a crack in the paint that seems to be getting larger over the years.  It doesn't seem to be damp.  Could this be something serious or just shoddy installer work?

Unfortunately many of the homes built in the 80s and 90s have features such as vaulted ceilings and floating walls, and they usually employed engineered truss systems. Those trusses move seasonally due to temperature and moisture changes, and builders hadn't yet worked out how to handle that movement.
In later years devices like isolation channel and expansion joints were installed, which allowed for such movement without drywall damage. Your house (and mine) lack these preventative measures, so we get cracks that come and go.
You have a couple choices, if this in fact the problem you face.

Ignore it.
Rub some paintable caulk into the cracks, then paint. Press firmly and don't leave caulk on the surface to create ridges or seam lines. A lightly damp cloth can help. Such caulk shrinks as it dries, so you may have to hit it twice.
Re-tape those areas with fiberglass mesh. Obviously this requires re-texturing and full-wall painting. Stronger setting-type joint compound (like EasySand 90) for the initial tape coat would be a good idea. Pre-mixed mud is easier to finish with.

All that said, I'm speculating. If you have reason to think you're in a termite area or have larger foundation issues, bring in an expert to look with real eyes.


How can I cut a hole through metal siding to open up a doorway or window? There is an outbuilding on the property I'm buying that appears to be made of cinderblock. at some point in the recent past, it looks like somebody attached a bunch of metal siding to the outside, and in the process they closed off a bunch of doors and windows.
I'd like to turn those back into doors and windows.
Clearly I'll have to remove some of the metal siding to do so. However, I'm unclear on how to do this. For example:

What kind of hand or power tools will I need to use to cut doorway holes and window holes out of the siding?
What processes or specific steps will I undertake to use those tools to cut those holes?
Will I need to take the siding off of the building before cutting it, or can I cut it while it's attached to the building?
Will I approach the cuts from the interior, or the exterior?

If from the interior, what do I do about the windows where there is glass between the interior and the siding?

There appear to be bits of wood stuck between the siding and cinderblock. Do those require special attention? Are they structural? Can they simply be cut through using the same tools and processes as the metal siding?
After I cut a hole through the metal siding, is there anything I need to add around the edges of the hole for aesthetics, for safety (in case the metal is sharp), for water retardation, or for air sealing?

Pictured below: a shot of one of the closed-off doorways from the interior, and a shot of one of the left-open doorways from the exterior.

I'd go with offset aviation snips to cut the sheet metal either start where sheets overlap or drill a half-inch pilot hole  4" from the edge and spiral out from that.
Sheet metal has sharp edges wear work gloves.
A sabre saw would also work but may scratch the surface finish. sawing sheet metal is VERY NOISY.
An angle grinder will make an even worse racket and burn the paint near the edge leading to accelerated rusting.
Straight snips will not work on the sheets while they are in place, but if you remove them they can be cut, but it's tricky, you probably want a helper spreading the cut.


TPI wall fan forced heater wiring question I'm trying to install(replace) a wall fan forced electric heater. There are three wires coming out my wall: black, white and bare copper. However, there are four wires coming out of the heater: two black and one blue connected to the motor and one green connected to the wall box. Out of the four wires coming from the heater, one black and the blue are tied together with a "L1" sign. The heater itself doesn't contain a thermostat. A separate thermostat was previously installed. Voltage used is 240V/208V. Can you help explain how I can connect the wires? Thanks!

Well the fan is going to need 240 volts. If the existing wiring has not been wired for a 240 volt fan then it needs to be changed. This would involve opening the main breaker panel. I would recommend an experienced electrician for this. If it is already set up for 240 then that part is good.

The owner's manual for the fan should explain the wiring but my guess would be since the fan is rated for 240 or 208 then one of the wires labeled L1 (possibly the blue) would not be used for 240. The other black wire should be labeled L2. The two blacks would then be connected to the black and white of the cable, and the green is your ground wire that gets connected to the bare wire of the NM cable.

If this is your first project with electrical work I would recommend getting the assistance of an experienced electrician to guide you.

Good luck!


Shim Tub Surround for Cement Board This has probably been asked a million times. Had a new tub installed today. The tub straps will interfere with my Hardiebacker, which I had planned to run right down to the top of the tub flange.

So I am wondering the best way to handle it. Should I:

Hog-out the back of the Hardiebacker where it will hit the straps, so
that it rests squarely on top of the tub flange.
Add furring strips
to the studs.
Just place the HB on the straps and accept the slight
out-of-plumb condition. This is the situation before, albeit with
drywall

I guess I could sister-in some new studs, but that would entail drilling and re-running the ROMEX. Thanks for any advice.

I've never seen a tub with brackets like that. Usually the lip of the tub gets secured directly to the framing. What brand/model of tub is that? Can you find info online? Many tub manufacturers have installations instructions that indicate how things like backerboard should be applied.

Different sources including this Family Handyman article on Backerboard around tub indicate that you should stop the backerboard 1/4" from the top of the tub lip and the tile should canteliver over it to 1/4" above the tub.

If you look at this installation manual for a Kohler tub it tells you to use 1/4" furring strips to extend the backer board over the lip.

If you can find the manual for your tub I'd go with what they recommend. If you can't, or the brackets aren't part of a normal tub install I'd contact the manufacturer of the backer board to see if it's okay to chisel out some recesses for the brackets. If you want the backer to go over the lip use furing strips and chisel out some space for the brackets. You're still going to have an issue with securing the bottom of the backer to framing since the brackets will prevent the screws from going in. I'm not sure the brackets were supposed to be there to be honest.

Also see this post on using some sort of waterproofing over the backerboard What are the pros and cons of adding a vapor barrier behind shower backer board?


Clicking sound from water heater after flushing toilet? Sorry if this question has already been asked but I have a random question about my water heater to see if this is anything I need to be worried about.  To start off I live in an apartment complex and my water heater is in a locked utility closet.  I have noticed everytime I flush the toilet and make my way to the other end of the house I hear a "clicking" sound coming from the heater as the toilet fills back up with water.  That is the ONLY time I ever hear the sound is right after a flush and it stops right after the water stops filling the tank.  I have a gas heater and the sound is almost like a election lighter on the stove top when you turn on a gas burner.  However I do know the water heater has a pilot light and it is working just fine as I hear it ON (the gas burning sound) every once in a while.  Any ideas what might be causing the clicking sound?

UPDATE 2/28 - I just checked and the water in the tank is cold, both after sitting all day and right after a flush so I dont think it is hot water coming into the tank.  I'm kinda stumped right now but I am off on tuesday and going to make an appointment to see if the maintenance can do anything to fix it?? hopefully they can.

The click-click-click sound is probably coming from the water meter.

Check if it makes the same sound when you run COLD water, in a kitchen sink, for example.

Sometimes a mixing valve is used to put some hot and some cold water into the toilet tank to prevent or limit the tank sweating in the summertime. The mixing valve is adjusted to "temper" the water by adding just enough hot water to raise the temperature of the water in the tank from cold, to I'd say "lukewarm", but not hot. The water is then much closer to room temperature, so it won't "feel" hot, or even particularly warm. If a mixing valve is installed and the water feels hot or even particularly warm, or even on the cold side, the valve needs to be adjusted.

In either case, cold water only, or a mixture of hot and cold, some water meters just "click" as they measure the amount of water flowing through it.


What is this and can dryer work without it? Whirlpool dryer

It came out of dryer along with clothes.

Where does this go? Safe to operate dryer without it ?

It looks like the moisture sensor. It detects damp clothes and keeps the dryer running.  They are normally attached on the back of the drum. I have replaced the control boards in the past that have failed but never had the sensor come out. I know the dryers I have repaired worked on timer but not auto. I would look to see if it snaps in place with spade connections, if the electrical connections are fixed in place it would probably be ok to use but if there are any loose / flopping wires I would get it fixed prior to using it or other electrical problems may be caused.


How can I run a DC fan and ultrasonic fogger on one cord? I want to build a humidifier for our tree frog terrarium by putting a ultrasonic fogger in a container of water and then attaching a computer fan on the lid. I'd like to combine the power for both the fan and the fogger so there is just one plug that goes in the wall.

Any ideas how to combine the fogger and fan so together there is only 1 power cord?

Only moments ago, I was researching these devices, both the fans and the ultrasonic foggers. The foggers are 24vdc and your choice of fans should be based on that figure. I have a number of 24vdc muffin fans, about 50mm diameter which were removed from discarded workstation computers, but that may not help you, other than to indicate that you should be able to find a fan of this voltage. You'll be cutting into either the wiring at the power supply lead or into the wiring at the ultrasonic unit, in order to join them, but other than that, it should be no serious challenge. The power supply for the ultrasonic humidifier should not be rated to be maxing out when using the unit, so there may be enough "suplus power" to run the fan. That's only item about which you should be cautious.

A quick search on eBay shows dozens of low priced 24v computer-type fans and an equally large number of low cost ultrasonic devices.


How to route wire around a box? I am remodeling my bathroom and am bringing in a new 20 amp circuit.

I want the box on the bottom to contain the GFI outlet. The box on the top will house the connection for a hardwired lighted makeup mirror.

My issue is that I want to bypass the top box and bring the wire into the bottom box first and then into the top box. My issue is that I have very limited space. As you can see in the picture, the two boxes barely fit between the studs as it is.

I can't run the wire on the left stud and then bring it up because there will be a pocket door there. On the right stud it's the corner of the wall.

What are my options here?

Should I use a shallow box for the top box and run the wire behind it to the bottom box and then back up?

Can I run the sheathed wire through the top box down to the bottom box and then bring it back up to the top box?

Should I try running the wire down the adjoining wall and running it through the corner then bring it up?

The box must be large enough for the wire fill and device by code since you are installing a 20 amp circuit it should be #12 wire. #12 wire has a volume of 2.25 per conductor and 4.5 for the device so if you use a shallow box and only run the 3 wires into it the box volume would need to be 11.25 sq inch (listed value not measured) if there is enough room to put the wire to the back of the box and still have 1-1/4" to the face of the stud this would be legal. If you run through the box without a splice the volume would need to be 15.75. You only count 1 ground wire in the box. I did not add a clamp volume of 2.25 because these look like non clamp boxes. And the cables will need to be stapled within 8" of the box, 12" with clamps.


What is this strange strike plate and why does it move? My house was originally built so it could be easily adapted for people with disabilities. For example, there is wiring in the house to support the installation of a lift and the landings are wider than usual.
I'm not sure if this is part of the adaptations but the door latches don't close onto regular strike plates. Instead, they close onto these curious moving strike "plates". These strike units comprise a thin metal box which contains a rotating piece of metal that moves up when a door closes on it and then falls back down when the door is closed. The metal box is then affixed to into a recessed metal bracket in the door frame. They have the letters "CBuk" stamped on them which yielded nothing useful on a search.
These close slightly more easily than regular latches but otherwise create redundancy in the latch mechanism. The doors also have concealed spring-loaded door closers built-in.
A couple of these are now not working properly but I'm not sure whether to try to replace them with something more conventional or try and fix them or if there's even a good reason for them being there.

Interesting. I guess the point is that they "close slightly more easily than regular latches", yet they still require pushing down on the ADA-compliant lever handle to open.
I'm not sure in what way they're "not working properly", but I'd suggest taking the latch mechanism piece (the top two screws of the latch) out and taking a look at that part. I'd imagine that the little swinging plate isn't moving as freely as it should. With that part off, you may be able to determine that there's something in there jamming it, or it may just need a shot of dry-silicone or graphite lubricant to free up the movement.
I've use both of those in spray form and they can be a bit messy, so taking it outside to spray the latch means the mess is on the grass or some newspaper/drop cloth instead of all over the interior wall.
It could also be that the screws have either loosened or tightened with some seasonal wood swelling. (OK, fine, loosened, screws really don't tighten themselves.) You may want to ensure that screws are tight on the non-working ones.
You could, of course, replace them with "normal" strike plates, but that would probably require filling in the hole in the frame then mortising for the new strike plate (and would be the subject for a whole new question). I'm presuming none of the current residents need the adaptations. Of course, having these in place may well increase resale value if you're thinking of selling at some point in the future, so that's something to consider.


Garbage Disposal only starts when manually kickstarted Whenever I turn my garbage disposal on, it just makes the humming noise and doesn't spin. I tried using the wrench a couple times on the crank underneath and it moves freely but when I run to run it again it doesn't work. The only way it runs is if I turn it on and then use the wrench to kick start it while it is on. (That's not an ideal method because the wrench flies out once it starts!)  Then it runs normal until I turn it off and if I want to start it again I have to go through the same process. Is it a matter of a clog that I need clean out of it more (I've already tried Drano) or is the motor just burned out and I should replace it?

Sounds like the motor is fine (once you have spun it up), but the motor starting switch/circuit has failed.

In today's market, replacement is probably the way to go.

Several decades back it might have been practical to take it to an electric motor shop and have the broken part only fixed, but in many places you won't even find such a shop any more.


Split bolt connection. Wire direction Should the wires being hooked up in a split bolt connector be running side by side, like in a wire nut connection, or running towards each other, in opposite directions. Or does it matter?

You can have wires entering from one side or both sides.

If I have 4 wires and I can arrange them neatly to come from both sides then I tend to do 2 and 2...

But if 4 on one side is neatest or convenient...


Mystery of misbehaving hose bibs and missing shutoffs My father recently passed away, and I'm working on getting his house ready for sale. For the most part, Dad kept up with preventive maintenance, but obviously things slipped a little in the last year while he was battling cancer.

While I helped him with some of the electrical in the house, I've never lived there, so I'm still in "discovery-mode" about where things are located and how things were constructed for other systems (HVAC, plumbing, etc)

Anyways, now that spring has finally arrived (Central Alberta, Canada), I'm starting to do work in the yard.  There are two external hose bibs at Dad's house -- one on the west side, one on the east.  Water flows from the east bib, but not from the west.  Ok -- working theory, one got shut off for the winter, but he didn't get around to winterizing the other.

The problem is -- I can't seem to find anything resembling a shutoff valve, either at the fixture, or somewhere along the run between the supply manifold and the fixture. The manifold does not appear to have shutoffs on individual lines.  It is just manifold, continuous PEX run, transition to copper fitting as it leaves the house.

Here's a picture of the line running from the house to the hose bib on the east side -- the one that's working.

Naturally, of course, the one on the west side (not working) is almost inaccessible.  (What moron puts a plumbing fixture above the service entrance panel for the electrical service?)  This is the best picture I can manage of it.

Either by what I can see of the fixture, or by feel, I can't identify any obvious shutoff mechanism -- it appears to be the same setup as the hose bib on the east side, just with a ninety on the feed-in from the PEX to the copper.

Now, admittedly, I'm not a plumber, so I might be missing something obvious here.  Do you guys see something in the pictures that I don't?  What should my next troubleshooting steps be?

The hose-bib on the west side of the house is now working. I'm not 100% certain why or how, but it seems likely that @Tyson was on the right track with his obstruction theory.

I went outside this morning with some old coat hanger wire to try probing the bib for obstructions (like the Mud Dauber wasp nest suggested by Tyson).  However, before using the wire, I removed the divider from the bib, checked it for obstructions without finding any, then felt around the inside of the bib with a finger, dislodging some crusty material (a bit like limescale) with an accompanying trickle of water.  When I then turned on the bib, I got normal flow.

The only odd thing is -- I performed exactly these same steps when troubleshooting after the problem first occurred on Friday, but with no effect.

But hey, I'll take it.  Problem solved for now -- without a potentially embarrassing, unneeded service call to a plumber.  I'll give whoever ends up buying Dad's place a heads up in the form of a "things to keep an eye on" list.

Thanks again to everyone.


Underlay for saddle roof? Does side matter? I am renovating my attic. Because the house is about 150y old there is no underlay. I installed an underlay from the inside by stapling an underlay to the bars which hold the roof. The underlay should guarantee that the water can drain to the outside. Now the problem is that I used the printed side facing inside, whereas in most videos I have watched so far the printed side always faces outside. Will the underlay still be waterproof?
I am using this product
Underlay for roof
EDIT: The technical documentation states: (translated)
3-layered, functional layer protected by PP fleece on both sides

If I understand your question correctly, you have attempted to install a roofing underlayment sheet material from the inside/underside of the wood roof membrane in an attempt to prevent rain from getting in the attic.
That type of sheet material is designed to be applied to the exterior side of the wood roof membrane, under whatever final roof treatment (shingle, mineral asphalt sheet, edpm, etc.) is installed. See the picture below, which is from the website for the product in the link you supplied.
What you are trying to do will not work and will likely just redirect any water that does get through to a different undesirable area.


Is this a safe way to extend this wiring? The picture below is just above our cooker extractor hood  underneath the first floor floorboards.
I need to bring through the 140mm diameter ducting from the extractor hood. I need to do this  in the top left of the picture next to the ceiling joist and wall due to the location of the hood.
One of the The diagonal wires in the picture is completely taught and so is right in the way.

The only way I can think of to deal with this is to cut the wires,  wire me end into a junction box fixed in the bottom left of the picture. Connect the other half of the wire into another junction box fixed in the bottom right and run a short length of new wire between the two junction boxes thus describing 2 sides of a square.

I’ve no complex electrical experience but this seems simple and logical to me.

Is there anything I am missing or which I need to take account of?

Thanks!

You did a pretty good job of answering your own question. It will work. Get the right cable to box connectors. You might want to just connect the two junction boxes with some 1/2" conduit and get the appropriate size wire and color from you home store and shove them through the conduit. If all the wire will be copper, use approvd connectors. If the existing cable is aluminum then you'll need the appropriate connectors, like Alumiconn connectors.

Like Alaska Man mentioned above, the junction boxes will have to remain accessible forever.

If it is determined that the locations will not be accessible, then your solution would be to replace the run of cable to locations that are accessible.

Remember to turn off the power before doing any cutting...


can I change the galvanized nipple going into drain to PVC or other type of plastic? Can you switch put a galvanized drain nipple with plastic?
And of so would you use tape instead of pipe dope?
The guy at Lowes said pipe dope but many have said tape. Confused

Pipe dope is guaranteed to fill the gaps in the threads, but like @Hightower said, good quality tape seems right. Remember drains aren't under pressure, so either way is ok if you do a good job.


What happened to my garbage disposal? I have an In-sink-erator model garbage disposal with a black plastic housing. After fixing a jam (a shot glass that fell into it while running, quite destroying itself), I noticed that there was water appearing under the sink. I traced it back to the side of the unit where a small ~3 mm/0.125 in hole has appeared. Additionally, there is some white crud building up around the attachment ring and around this hole. The plastic itself appears to be corroded, as it has a rough texture near where the white crud is.

When a large enough volume of water goes down the drain or the disposal is run with water in it, water comes out of this hole at rapid pace.

I'm set on replacing the unit, but I'd like to know what caused the corrosion to hopefully prevent it in the future. We keep a number of cleaning supplies under the sink – vinegar, liquid bleach, carpet cleaner and deoderizer, powder dishwasher detergent. I thought the powdered cleaners such as Comet and AJAX were what you had to keep away from plastic plumbing, is that accurate?

a shot glass that fell into it while running

It's pretty obvious the glass shattered and chunks were flung against the wall. Note how there's a line where the hole is. Since the bottom of shot glasses is thicker than a normal glass, it probably got enough velocity to puncture the wall (and you're lucky that's all it did)

  I'd like to know what happened here to hopefully prevent it in the future

Don't put shot glasses down the disposal. ;)


How can I move the neutral-ground bond to my house from the pole? Suppose I have a setup like this: I take my power at a pole. The utility wants me to fit circuit protection there for a very long run to my house.

By my read of things, this makes it a main panel and therefore this is the primary grounding point.  And therefore the panel in the house is a subpanel.

Trying to answer this question, I found a NEC section (Article 310.15(B)(7) not to be confused with the table of the same number) which allows feeder in this case to be sized like service lateral, logical since it's doing the same job.

I would really, really like to have the neutral-ground bond at the house instead of the pole.

In my travels through NEC I could swear I saw a section that liberalizes where the N-G bond is in this case... and I thought might even permit omission of that long ground wire.   But I can't find it again.

Can anyone help me find it?

Yes, but only if you have a single, non-fused switching means at the pole, not a panel

You can do this if and only if the switch at the pole is a single switching means (fault-rated, non-fused disconnect switch), not any sort of panelboard, enclosed breaker, or fused switch.  In this case, the switch at the pole becomes a hot-sequence meter disconnect (as opposed to the service disconnecting means), and is permitted by NEC 230.82(3):

  (3) Meter disconnect switches nominally rated not in excess of 1000V that have a short-circuit current rating equal to or greater than the available short-circuit current, provided that all metal housings and service enclosures are grounded in accordance with Part VII and bonded in accordance with Part V of Article 250.  A meter disconnect switch shall be capable of interrupting the load served.  A meter disconnect shall be legibly field marked on its exterior in a manner suitable for the environment as follows:

                              METER DISCONNECT
                            NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT

This may require consultation with the AHJ and/or utility -- they may require such a disconnect to be installed cold sequence i.e. ahead of the meter instead.  This is normally only seen on socket-metered 480V services where yanking the meter out of its socket under load is a good way to get yourself roasted by arc flash, but nothing in the NEC prohibits a meter disconnect on a 120/240V service.


Thermostat installed, but why also install a separate timer? Our home is 8 years old. We always assumed the thermostat didn't work so we ignored it, but a plumber came to remove air bubbles from our radiant heating pipes and told my wife he thinks the thermostat does actually work.

It true then why did the builder put in a 24hr dial timer for the pump that pushes water through the radiant pipes? How would the thermostat even work in this situation?

Thermostat installed, but why also install a separate timer?

Heating practices and equipment vary from place to place. Your setup looks like it is probably in the US but I can give an answer that relates to UK heating. It may be that the same principles apply.

A typical UK heating system is controlled like this

Timer --> Thermostat --> Zone-valve --> Pump & Boiler (furnace)

If you are a working family, you don't need heat in your home when you are at work elsewhere. You therefore set the timer to provide heat in the mornings and evenings.

During those periods, the timer provides power to the thermostat. If the temperature is low, the thermostat provides power to the zone valve (through a relay). Once the valve is open, it provides power to the pump and boiler.

So the timer determines when the house is heated (i.e. when people are present and active) and the thermostat ensures the boiler and pump do not operate if the temperature is already high enough.

There are additional complications if you live in a climate where air-conditioning is needed to cool the house in summer. But the basic principles outlined above probably apply.


Do can lights have to be wired in order? Ok, so I am just about to start installing recessed lighting in my apartment. I've researched pretty much everything and I am pretty confident in doing the job. HOWEVER, there is just one more thing I need answered, that I couldn't find.

Do the cans/lights have to be wired in order?

For example look at the two diagrams below:

Can I do it like this?

Or must it be done like this?

It will save me a lot of drilling/time if I DON'T have to wire them in order from the switch.

Thanks!!

You can wire them in any sequence.  Do it in whatever way is the most convenient.  The electricity doesn't care, and doesn't know the physical location of the fixtures.

Household wiring is parallel, so there isn't really a sequence.  Each fixture just needs to be fed power by some path from the breaker box.  When you route the wire from fixture to fixture, the power isn't really going through one fixture to get to the next.  Rather the wiring provides a shared electrical path from the breaker, and each fixture taps its own power from it. [1]

[1] Note: This applies to basic wiring, such as standard light fixtures and outlets, as asked about in the question.  There are other situations that are a little more complicated.  For example, in wiring GFCI outlets, sequence is important.  And there are other special cases, such as Sean Boddy mentions in a comment.


Using Different Screw in Drywall Anchors I have custom mounting hardware for a floating shelf I'm looking to install. This hardware came with its own special screws, which are meant to be screwed into wooden studs and support the mounting hardware with their protruding heads, which are designed uniquely for this purpose.

My studs are metal however, not wooden. So I thought to use drywall anchors as the solution.

The only problem is that drywall anchors all seem to come with their own specifically designed screws. But I need to use the special screws that came with my shelf mounting hardware.

Can I use my own screws in drywall anchors? Has anyone done this before? Or, is there another solution entirely you'd recommend me?

Here's what the special shelf mounting screws look like if that's helpful:

No one can tell you for sure since there are many varieties and sizes of drywall anchors.  I suggest you get some anchors which have screws roughly the same diameter as your shelf screws.  Then try them out in some inconspicuous spot on your wall. See if the anchors are holding firmly in the wall. You could even try mounting the shelf and testing it. Ultimately, it also depends on the weight of the items that will go on your shelf.


How to seal hardwood floor in preparation of self-leveling compound? I'm planning to float laminate over my existing floor, but need to level it first. The floor area is very large, so it spans areas of the home that have differing subfloor materials: concrete, hardwood oak, and plywood. My plan is to use self-leveling compound across all the subfloor materials to make them consistent, level and flat. However, in order to pour the compound, I read the wood areas need to be sealed first with a primer.

Home Depot sells "LevelQuik Advanced Acrylic Primer" for sealing OSB or Exterior Grade Plywood, but this product does not work with hardwood flooring like oak; I confirmed this by calling the manufacturer.

At this point, I'm not sure how to seal my oak floor in order to pour self-leveling compound on top of it. Is it possible? I'd like to avoid ripping up the oak floor and replacing it with OSB or Exterior Grade Plywood, so it can then be sealed and leveled.

I used a self leveling compound to level my bathroom floor. It trowels on and was recommended to go over linoleum. Stuck like glue but had to be sanded a little to level properly. I think it would work on hardwood as well. Sorry can’t remember the name but bought it at Lowe’s. I think it was m 50 something in a green can.


After power outages the same type of light bulbs don't work anymore Wind knocked out electricity multiple times today and  my light bulbs were very dim or not working and I replaced with a new same bulb but does not work even though the old one that's dim still works just very dim and my central heater motor blower went out. Is this normal?

This is NOT normal. There are two likely possibilities that I can think of:

Surges and other transient problems
A series of surges and other transient problems related to the power going off/on quickly could "zap" many devices and possibly leave some fixtures. However, light bulbs are a very good indicator because most consumer light bulbs, whether incandescent, compact fluorescent or LED, are self-contained so that switches wiring & fixtures are passive elements. In other words, if you replace a bulb and it still has problems then a surge that zapped the original bulb is not the problem because a new bulb would not be affected.

Lost pole or neutral
In the US, power comes in to most houses with 2 hot wires (called phases or more properly poles) and 1 neutral wire. If all of those wires are disconnected, you have no power. If just one of those wires is disconnected you can end up with all kinds of strange and dangerous problems. A simple test is to use a multimeter to check the voltage between the hot wire in a receptacle and the neutral wire. All receptacles should show the same voltage - nominally 120V, though anywhere from 110 V to 125 V is OK. But if some receptacles show significantly lower (== dim bulbs) and some show significantly higher (== things get "zapped") then you have a big problem. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THE UTILITY COMPANY TO FIX.

Recommendation: Call your local electric utility and tell them that following the high winds and intermittent outages, you now appear to have a partial power outage, specifically that you may have LOST NEUTRAL.
The electric utility should treat this as a serious problem and send someone out to check & fix it. Since the problem followed strong winds, that is another indication that it is a utility problem rather than a problem with the wiring inside your house.
If my hunch is correct, using any electric devices is potentially risky until this is resolved. If you are using your computer and it seems to work OK, that is because many computers are now designed for international operation on anywhere from 90 V to 240 V, so they are able to handle the differences. But that doesn't mean you don't have a serious problem affecting all electric devices in your house.


LED, 2 way switch wiring not working I will give as much information as I can, but my knowledge is limited.

There is a staircase with a 2 way switch.
There are 10 LED lights throughout the stairs. They are using direct current.

The old LEDs were taken out and now I have 10 holes with 2 wires each. I GUESS one wire is positive (+) and the other is negative (-).

When I connect ALL of my new LEDs, each postivie to the positive wire in the wall and each negative to the negative wire in the wall, all of them light up extremely low.

After that, I tried to connect them one by one to see what happens.

To do so, I connected all the wires from the wall with each other (1st hole's 2 wires were connected together, 2nd hole's 2 wires were connected together, etc) and in one hole only, I connected my LED (tried the wires to see where it lit up, knowing this way, the positive and negative). The light that came out was bright and as it should be.

So next, I left everything as is, and connected one more LED to another hole. Once I did that, the light was again extremely low as it was when I connected all of them.

Any ideas of what is happening or what I am doing wrong?

The new LEDs are from an LED strip that was cut, and 2 wires were solder, one on the positive and one on the negative.

I am adding a schematic, have in mind I have nothing to do with electrical engineering. Just trying to make it easier to understand what I am talking about.

simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab

For further details, if you need something I can check that have not said above, please ask me.

Thank you!

New (transformer/adapter)

New LED

Old (transformer/adapter)

Old LED

The original LEDs were driven by a constant-current source and were therefore wired in series.

Your replacement LEDs need to be driven by a constant voltage, and therefore need to be wired in parallel, which is how you bench-tested them.

You're going to have to figure out a way to repurpose the wires inside the wall in order to get the LEDs connected in parallel rather than in series. It may be necessary to pull new wires.

  I found out each hole in the hole has the 2 cables the old LEDs used AND 2 more cables, that were wrapped together. So now I have 4 cables. Each pair, has a positive and a negative. Any idea what I should do?

That's actually good news. It means that you don't need to pull any new wires.

What you likely have is "zip cord" running from hole to hole, wired something like this (original setup):

You just need to reconnect the wires in the holes like this:


How do I bleed a very old radiator and identify whether my system is steam or hot water? All radiators are heating except one, so I'm trying to bleed it. There doesn't seem to be an obvious bleed valve (unless it's that nondescript, frozen, simple bolt on the top front corner of the left end of the radiator). I'm trying to determine whether my system is steam or hot water. I have read/viewed multiple online articles and videos, but this all seems inconclusive to me.
It's a two-pipe setup, with the apparent inlet at the top of the left end (this pipe is warm) and a valve at the bottom of the right end (this valve and pipe are cool). Pipe at top would suggest hot water (right?), but a plumber once told me my system is steam. I take statements like this with a grain of salt, however, since a contractor also once told me my boiler runs on heating oil when I know full well it's natural gas. Furthermore, the internet seems to say that a steam system's radiators will have air vents halfway up on one end of each, yet mine do not; and the valve styles are mixed (some are cylindrical while others are globe-shaped).
Since the radiator characteristics have not definitively answered this question, I also looked at my boiler. Here the apparent lack of a sight-glass and the presence of an expansion tank seem to suggest that it is — or at least was — a hot-water system. But if this truly is HW, then where are my bleed valves? And why did the plumber who once did work on the system tell me it was steam?
I think the boiler was originally oil but was converted to NG, so maybe the radiator system was converted from HW to steam? The house was built in 1920 and the boiler is old as the hills. Any help untangling this mystery is very much appreciated.

EDIT TO ADD: Here are a few close-ups.

More pictures, January 23:

That's hot water. Not a great picture, but there's a circulating pump barely visible, as well as the other factors you have noted.
In your second picture, the bleed valve is the black thing to the right of the water inlet, on the corner. Takes a flathead screwdriver as best I can tell from the picture.

There's also at least one automatic bleeder visible at the boiler.

If you have children, you will want to clean up the peeling white paint, which is very likely to be lead-based.


Scotchlok connectors Just bought a log home built in 1980. Doing some remodeling /updating. Almost all the junction boxes have 3M Scotchlok in them. Sometimes they are referred to as "vampire connectors."

Are these connectors up to code? I'm thinking of taking them all out and using the standard twist wire connectors.

The connectors are sized properly. For example, the kitchen outlets are on a 20 amp circuit with 12 gauge wire. The Scotchlok connector model used is 562. Looking on the connector it says "10-12 GA". Looking online I found the product sheet and it is UL 486C compliant as well (not sure that meets the NEC code for wiring a home).

I'm used to seeing these used in car audio stuff... Not in the home. And they usually end up having problems... Like not making a good connection, or failing altogether.

Thoughts?

I checked the spec on the Scotchlok 562 tap connectors. They are UL listed for solid and stranded wire and rated at 600 volts.  I have seen them used in manufactured housing before, but rarely.  Here is the link to the manufacturers specifications for this product.  http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/EMDCI/Home/Products/ProductCatalog/~/3M-Scotchlok-Electrical-IDC-562-BOX-Double-Run-or-Tap-Flame-Retardant-Yellow-12-AWG-solid-stranded-10-AWG-stranded-100-per-carton-1000-per-case?N=5430181+4294891913&rt=rud


confirming LED driver input and output requirements The LED lights on our kitchen range hood have flickered out and I'm trying to  order replacements, but not from the manufacturer, who unfortunately have none in stock and are waiting for a shipment of parts from overseas. No telling how long that may take at present. The LED lights, when turned on, are very faintly lit and there's a high-pitched whining buzz, like a mosquito near your ear, so I am also going to replace the LED driver.  Under the present circumstances, technicians at the company are not available to answer questions and the customer service rep who is answering the phone and responding to emails knows even less than I do about LEDs.

With the multimeter set to AC (~), and the Range set to no fractional decimal positions, and the display reading 0000, I put the leads on the motherboard's two prongs where the black and white wires from the LED driver attach to it.

The reading is 121.

I switch the multimeter to DC mode (---), and test again, and the reading is 0000.

If I understand correctly, the LED driver should be one with full AC line input and of the "constant current" variety.  But how to determine the output requirements for the driver?

There are two (2) LED lights, each with this spec:

Max power: 1.5W and Input: <= 12V, Frequency: 50-60Hz.

Would a driver with the following specs be sufficient to run those two LED lights?

Input Voltage (VAC) 100 ~ 204VAC
Input Frequency (Hz)    50/60 Hz
Output Voltage (VDC)    4 ~ 12 VDC
Output Current (Constant)   350mA
Output Power (W)    1 ~ 3 W

Using the information you provided, each LED needs 125mA so the two of them would require 250mA. This value is below the rated output of 350mA of the driver you're referring to so it would overload the LEDs and burn them out faster. Look for one that's 250mA constant current.


Window caulk gets a gap in winter I have a front window that has about a 1/32 inch gap in the summer, but about a 1/4 inch gap in the winter. The original caulk completely came loose and allowed condensation from the window to get into the wall. Worried about this, I removed the caulk and re-caulked it this fall when there was only the small gap. The other day I noticed that the caulk had come free on one side already. I had scraped all the old caulk off and cleaned with alcohol before applying the new caulk. I used silicone caulk.

What is the trick for this? I have noticed that wherever a surface that needs to be caulked touched an outside wall that this is common. Any tips?

EDIT: the surfaces involved are the plastic window frame and a plastic window sill. The area needing caulked is similar to what is shown here (the lower right arrow) except the sill-surface is plastic. Or similar to this pic where the water is puddling (this is not my window)

Sometimes pure silicon will not stick well to vinyl.  I suggest you use a siliconized Acrylic caulk that matches color or could be painted if needed. Be sure to force the caulk into the void with your gun, then round it off smoothly. Be sure to fill deeply into the gap between the window unit and jams. If they are recent model vinyl cased windows, there is no reason to consider replacement.


What can I use as a concrete release agent for aluminum forms? If I need to use aluminum sheeting as form for pouring concrete or another cement product, such as mortar/stucco, is there something (chemical) I can coat the sheet metal with so the cement doesn't stick to it?

I know this is late, but I'm pretty sure you could get away with PAM or grease for releasing aluminum from concrete. Commercial release products are an assortment of commonly used items like mineral oil, or silicon lube, or graphite; less common are metal stearates (like zinc stearate in a can). I have played around with zinc stearate. I still have some that I should proably throw away, since I don't really have a serious need for it.


Electrical Question for Receptacles in guest house Wiring a out door shed that has everything that a home does; bathroom kitchen living room and extra bedroom. Pretty much like a guest home you can say. When I run my wire in the bathroom of it. The GFCI Receptacle does it have to be on a separate circuit than the lights in the bathroom ? Does every receptacle in the bathroom have to be GFCI? I am wanting it to be by the book according to code.

There is no requirement for GFCI receptacles anywhere.

GFCI protection is what is required.  That can be in many locations - a breaker, switch, deadfront or indeed a receptacle.  Further, each can protect downline locations so they too are GFCI protected.

Having more than one GFCI per breaker trip circuit indicates someone doesn't understand this concept and perhaps should not be designing wiring schemes.  Unless you have a very unusual situation, but that should only ever come up in retrofits, not new construction.

There are restrictions on bathroom circuits which are beyond the scope of this question. Bathroom lights can be on a receptacle circuit that serves only that bathroom.  The lights do not need to be GFCI protected unless they are in the shower area.

For the convenience of bathroom users, it can be helpful to have 2 or even 3 receptacle circuits (breakers) in a bathroom so someone can plug in both a hair dryer and a curler without tripping the breaker.  Each circuit needs a GFCI protective device.  That could be multiple GFCI receptacles; that is fine.


Running a 50amp 240V line 300 feet to a shed I'm looking to run a 50 amp 240v line to a shed 300 feet from my house. I have been looking around and reading a lot. Based on this website for voltage drop I need 4awg, to have a less than 3% drop

Also I found this wire which I believe I can use.

Would this wire work for direct burial or in underground pvc conduit as well as for proper voltage drop?

EDIT*
So 2 awg aluminum it is cheaper then 4 awg copper as well as having pretty much the same voltage drop. Would this be a better cable option to run in conduit

Also I have never worked with wire this big would there be any problem bringing it into my existing box?

First, forget 3%
That's just the wire size calculators trying to upsell you on wire.  Notice they also default to copper :)
3% isn't that important.  And NEC even says so; it's an informational note that advises 3% is an ideal to design toward if money is no object. What NEC admonishes is try to avoid more than 8% cumulatively on all segments from the meter to the final load, but even that is situational to what the load actually is.
If you want to keep the load a secret, by all means, we'll cheerfully "spend your money" lol.  But it's probably unnecessary.
Even then, the calcs lie.  They make it sound like if your breaker is 50A, you need to calculate for 50A voltage drop.  Heck no! If your breaker is 50A, the maximum current you're even allowed to plan for is 80% of that, or 40A.  Indeed in Canada, where they require "nanny breakers" to keep your voltage drop below 3%, they only require that based on a) actual load or if not known, b) 80%.  Calculating 3% on breaker trip is just throwing away money.
And by the way, there's a pattern where people who a) do that and b) also use copper wire without even thinking about aluminum, also c) buy too small a subpanel, and run out of spaces later.  Thrift in all the wrong places.  Definitely get a huge panel with lots of spaces, and if that means the "main breaker" or busing is much larger than your feed, that doesn't matter.
Cable OR conduit.  Make up your mind :)
If you're going to direct-bury cable, do that. (24" burial depth).  Otherwise if you're going to use conduit, do that.
But in conduit, you use individual wires - not a cable.  Not least, this makes it much easier to pull the wires through, since the individual wires are quite flexible.
It's "legal" to put cable in conduit, but the conduit must be larger for the same current, for a couple reasons: First, most cables are only rated for 60C temperature, so you need larger cable; and second, the cable sheath adds a great deal of bulk - the conduit inside diameter must be 138% of the widest part of the cable.
The two calculations you must do
First, you must determine the absolute minimum wire size, even if the cable were only 1 foot long.  You either

start with your actual load and multiply by 125%, so for instance if you have a 39A hot tub, you must multiply by 125% to get 48.75A, which rounds up to 50A.  Or
you follow the provisioning rules - for instance an RV stand of 20/30/50A requires 50A provisioned.  You don't need to multiply that by 125%.

Armed with that number, you find the minimum cable size that exceeds it in Table 310.15(B)(16).  Noting that most cable puts you in the 60C column, and wires-in-conduit (because of their THHN or XHHW insulation) let you use the 75C column.  (literally they let you go 90C, but, the terminations at both ends are only rated 75C, so you are capped at 75C.
So your 50A load requires either

Most cables: 6 AWG copper (55A @ 60C) or 4 AWG aluminum (55A)
THHN/XHHW wires in conduit (and certain cables): 8 AWG copper (50A @ 75C) or 6 AWG aluminum (ditto).

That is our first number, the absolute minimum size we can use.

Your second number is based on voltage drop.  And this is where we "play" a bit.  Remember a 50A breaker (like an RV) you only have to factor for your actual loads, or 40A at most.   So let's see:
XHHW in conduit, 6 AWG aluminum (no bump):
Let's punch in 8% drop, 300', aluminum... well, it's saying that will give us 7.15% drop at  40A.  How often will our RV actually pull 40A? That's worth investigating.
XHHW in conduit, #4 aluminum:
So let's reduce our allowed voltage drop to 7% which will force it to bump us a wire size. That gives us #4 aluminum:  OK, at 40A, we get 4.57% drop.  That's acceptable in anyone's book.  (who isn't in Canada).

But here's something Canadians can't do: Look back at 310.15(B)(16) for that #4 XHHW aluminum (75C): It says 65A.  We can use a 65A breaker because our country doesn't require "nanny breakers" lol! (since 65A breakers aren't made,  you round up to 70A).

Now if you're going to a 50A receptacle, you must stay at 50A because the receptacle amps must match the breaker amps.  However, if you're doing an RV stand, I suggest using an "RV stand subpanel" which gives you a 14-50 for large RVs, a TT30 for small RVs, and a 120V/20A GFCI for incidental loads.  Since that is a subpanel, you can breaker the XHHW  #4AL feeder to 70A.
XHHW in conduit, #2 aluminum:
Now this calculates straight to 2.93% at 40 amps.  Crack a Molson and have some Tim Hortons donuts, eh... because that's considered "not a gongshow" even in Canada!  Since 40A is 80% of our 50A breaker trip.
In Canada you must nanny-breaker that for 50A.  In the US you can breaker it as high as 90A, it's up to you.


Can you help me find this bulb? I need to replace the light bulb in my ceiling fan but the part\model number is warn off and I can't find it anywhere! I can read "Philips," "Plus," and "G5" but nothing else. Please see the attached photo. Can you tell me what the part\model of this bulb is and where I can find one (preferable online)?

It looks a bit like this - there are a number of options for this type of bulb, the length and wattage can vary.

Probably your best bet would be to take the burnt bulb to a big box home improvement store.  If you have a local lighting specialty shop, they can probably also help.


RUUD Furnace blowing air but not heat I have a RUUD furnace that stopped blowing hot air last night.  I was thinking that it was the high limit switch gone bad BUT the coil ignites and lights but then goes out again after a minute, so since it actually ignites I ruled out that possibility.  If the thermostat setting is on AUTO it just keeps blowing continuously (cold air is coming out).  I have to turn the setting to OFF in order to stop the blowing.  Any other thoughts?

If the blower is continuously blowing, then one of the limit switches is open.  It may not be the high limit, but it's certainly one of them. Without knowing more about the unit (model number, photo of the schematic, etc.), it's difficult to offer much more assistance.


How do I finish my partially finished floor? Ok here's the deal.  I stained and poly'd the floor with 1 coat. I tried a floor buffer to sand after the first poly layer.  Mistake.. the buffer was too strong.  In a couple areas the buffer started to show bare floor in some of the grain. So I rubbed some stain back on top of the affected areas just now.  I then rubbed the stain off with a rag.

My questions:

Before I poly again for the 2nd coat, should I rub mineral spirits over the area to clean the excess stain on wherever it overlapped the first coat of poly?
I'm running a fan on the re-stained area now so it dries quicker. How long should I give it?
If I rub mineral spirits to remove the stain on the poly, will it dilute the part that I want in the wood?

It doesn't seem like mineral spirits could raise the stain back out of the wood grain where it just penetrated again, but this has been such a cursed project so I had to ask.

Or

Should I just leave whatever stain residue is in place on the first poly coat and rely on the 2nd poly coat to cover it?

It is no problem and probably a good idea to use thinner to wipe up the stained poly. I would think the tricky part is going to be the tendency for the grain to get raised (rough) on the bare stained part. I think you will have to buff again but I might put 2 coats of poly down first. Then buff with a fine screen >=120 and put a final coat.

Be sure to turn off the pilot lights and watch out for anything that could flash that vapor.

I'd give the stain overnight to dry or at least til it is dry to the touch otherwise the stain will leak into the poly and muddy up the finish.

I've switched to water-based poly. Its expensive but it dries real fast and it now outperforms oil based. No companies are putting research money into VOC stuff and they suck for the environment.


How much pulling force will this plug withstand in gypsum bricks? I have these plugs that I mounted on a 70 mm (2.5”) thick gypsum brick wall.

The goal is to mount a rail for hanging coats. I have the sizes and I can calculate the required pull-weight, but I don't know how much the plugs can withstand before being pulled out of the wall (the force applied is axial to the plug).

The plugs are 31 mm (1.25”) long, diameter 5 mm (3/16”) (the same of the hole I made). I used a screw 40 mm (1.5”) long with diameter 3,5 mm (1/8” or #6) as recommended by the manufacturer ("3-4 mm").
The hole was well cleaned from the dust before applying the plug.

How much pulling force can these plug withstand? should I use longer plugs and screws? like 50 mm (2”) long, same 5 mm (3/16”) diameter.

The plugs: TOX. In the PDF (page 3 and 4) I see various materials, but I don't know which one is equivalent to gypsum bricks.

The geometry. As you can see, the lower plugs (there are multiple ones) act as the fulcrum of a lever, resulting in a pulling force applied to the upper plugs. This is why I need to know only the force to pull out the plugs, not the force parallel to the wall.

Is it really worth engineering a coat rack as if you're building a bridge?

Do this as an experiment.  Choose a spot that will be behind the coat rack but not where you'll put an anchor.  Install one of the anchors, screw in the screw, and see if you can get it out with a medium pull on a claw hammer.  (Put a scrap of wood between the wall and the hammer so you don't damage the wall.)    If you can pull it out without a lot of force, use a stronger anchor.

My guess - in soft gypsum brick, you'll want something longer.


How much of a shed can be framed using 2x4 lumber? The place I work at has been ordering new machinery and it comes in with 2x4 frames. They are throwing the wood away!  Anyhow, I can get all I want.

So my question is how much of the shed can I do using only 2x4's?  I see most bases of the shed are done with 2x8's or something along that line. I will be building it off the ground with blocks as I cannot afford a concrete slab at the moment.

I would like to build more of a shop than a shed. Maybe 15x20?  But my longest "free" wood is 12 ft. My current shed is a dirt floor. I could live with that if need be.

My current shed is old school. I live in the country, so no certain requirements have to be met. Anyhow, the sheds bones are old utility poles. It's in an awkward spot, so I wanted to build a newer one in a different spot. The walls are tin. No plywood on the walls. Roof is tin as well. I'm just trying to see if the wood I get at work will be enough to cover 90% of the cost. I want 20ft long, so can I build 2 ten ft walls and join them together to make 20ft?  I understand that may not be proper, but it's a shed not a house.

You can frame a whole house with nothing but 2x4, but it's easier to do a shed, as you won't need engineering, probably.

The secret word is truss. You can use them for roof, floor and even wall framing, but few sheds will need trusses for walls. While you certainly could get the whole thing engineered, you can probably just copy a standard truss design and come out strong enough, if you pay attention to things like which side is up. It's a shed, so the world won't end if you get it wrong, but it's not hard to get right enough at the usual scale that's called shed. You can also build up to a certain size/loading (those interact) without making trusses, unless you have an overbearing local jurisdiction. Storing a push mower and some garden tools is different than parking a big riding mower and 15 tool boxes of wrenches...

A table in a farm construction book I happen to have ( Mechanics in Agriculture, by Lloyd Phipps) lists rafter spans for dressed 2x4's in various species ranging from 5 feet 9 inches in the weakest species group (being basswood and cottonwood, unlikely) on 24" centers to 10 feet 11 inches in the strongest species group on 12" centers.

The admittedly engineered and not home-built trusses on my shop span 24 feet on 2 foot centers and are entirely made of 2x4's.


Connect Unistrut/Superstrut to the garage ceiling I'm planning on building storage above my garage door using an 8' x 4' platform from plywood and 2x4s. One 8' side would attach to the garage wall with lag screws. The other 8' side would be attached to the ceiling with threaded rods.

The ceiling is sheetrocked and there is living space above the garage so I don't have access to the trusses. The trusses run perpendicular to the 8'x4'.  The threaded rods will connect into Unistrut or Superstrut that is lag screwed into the ceiling trusses.

I have a couple of questions:

The open part of the Unistrut is facing down of course. Do I put a fender washer inside the Unistrut and lag screw through that? Or do I purchase a large square Unistrut washer, which stays on the outside of the Unistrut bottom and screw through that?
What size lag screw do I use? I figure my trusses are 1.5" thick I think. Plus 1/2" sheetrock and the thickness of the Unistrut. Should I go with 3/8" x 2" lag screws?

Thanks!

I would recommend that you don't use a washer on the outside of the Unistrut bottom that has any chance of wedging the Unistrut open.  The fender washer on the inside is definitely the simplest solution, and it has the advantage of leaving all of the unistrut opening clear for your platform hangers.
The strength of your lag-bolt connection is based on the surface area of the threads.  Therefore the length of the bolt is potentially just as important, if not more so, than the diameter.  Remember, you have 1/2 or 5/8 inches of drywall that isn't giving you any grip, so your 2 inch lag bolt is only holding on by 1-1/2 inch or less.  Your joists will be likely 8 to 10 inches tall.  5/16 x 4 inch lag bolts will give you more holding power than 3/8 x 2.


How to dismantle doorknob (separate baseplate and knob) to screw on door? I live in an older tenement flat and the doors all have doorknobs like below:

I don’t think it can be screwed into position on the door / spindle without removing the backplate, as no screwdriver I own can drive straight with the knob in the way.

I’m sure I’m missing something obvious, but how can I detach these so I can screw the plate / assembly onto the door?

I've used an offset screwdriver for similar cases like this. Even if you did disassemble the doorknob from the plate it would be impossible to re assemble it after screwing in the plate.

Try one of these: