Wiring Leading to DSL Problems We have had a lot of problems with our DSL dropping.  The ISP has come out and taken a look at the outside wiring, and has claimed that everything looks good.  They have said that the problem is with our internal wiring.

I have no idea where to start and haven't been able to find much information online.  So my questions are:

1 - What are the common wiring problems that would lead to DSL dropping it's connection?
2 - How would I diagnose/fix these common problems?
3 - If I can't fix it myself, who would I call?  Would an electrician typically handle this?

I'm not sure this is within the scope of DIY but DSL issues are almost always a result of interference on the line.  A site like dslreports.com would probably be a good place to start.  Either way, I'll type out a long winded answer because I spent a few years doing DSL troubleshooting for earthlink a while ago and this is an issue near and dear to my heart.

Also, I would find out exactly what the ISP means by "Everything looks good".  They certainly have specific things they are measuring for so you will want to find out what those things are.  My guess is that they just came out while it was working and ran some line tests which usually won't exactly tell you much about when it's failing.  Also, do they see the connection drop from their end when the problem happens?  The phone support techs should be able to answer this (from authentication logs) if you don't already know.

If the connection is fine most of the time but occasionally stops working (as in the sync light on the modem/router goes off), then the techs that come out aren't going to find a problem because when they are there, it was working fine.

Possible sources of interference for DSL are numerous.

Landline phones being unfiltered - All sides of every path the phone lines travel that do NOT lead to the modem need a filter.  This is frequently done either via a single filter in the box on the outside of the house if your modem has a dedicated line from that box with nothing else on it.  If that isn't the case, you need to have a filter on every other device that uses the phone lines.

Wireless landline phones (not cell) - the wireless frequencies by some phones will cause interference with the DSL signal.

Home security systems - these frequently phone home occasionally and are often missed when installing the above filters.

Speakers - if your phone line happens to run along the wall behind a pair of entertainment speakers, you might have problems there.

Microwaves - pretty unusual to have a phone line running near a microwave but it will likely cause problems if it does.

Basically, almost anything inside your house that uses electricity can cause interference for DSL lines which is why they always recommend you get a dedicated line ran from the box to your modem and that the line be as short as possible.  Try paying attention to what else in the house is being used when the internet cuts out (and verify the modem loses sync when it happens).  If the internet cuts out when someone turns on a light in a specific room, or when the TV is turned on, or the AC kicks on, (etc, etc, etc) then you will have a better idea of where to start looking.  If possible, at least temporarily, put the dsl modem as close (measured by length of wire needed to hook it up) to the box on the outside of the house as possible.  Then run networking cable inside the house (this is temporary..run it down the hallway if necessary) to the computer(s).  If you can unhook all the telephones long enough to troubleshoot, that would also help.  Just unhook all the lines out in the box besides the one going to the modem.  If the problem goes away, start plugging phones and other stuff back in until it comes back.  By process of elimination, you should be able to figure out what is causing the issue and maybe even be able to determine how to fix it.

As for who to call to fix it.  I always like to chat up the techs that come out to find out if they seem like they know what they are doing or if they are just following a manual.  If they know what they are doing, I will usually try to get their personal contact info (even just an email address) and work something out with them on the side if a need ever arises.  some will, some wont (they really shouldn't since they are likely not insured themselves and work won't be happy if they find out their techs have been moonlighting with their customers) but generally speaking, most of them can always use the extra cash on the side.  Failing that, I would simply ask around.  Everyone knows someone who has a wiz-kid who understands computer networking and you can probably get the problem fixed for far less than an electrician charging $100+/hr.


Why does my sink disposal come loose from the locking ring? I am having a hard time installing a new insinkerator in a new sink.
I followed all the steps in installation manual and set the flange. When I try to mount the motor to the flange, it basically wont set firmly. The locking ring does engage and rides up the ramps but the unit is loose and falls. It’s almost as if some part is missing.
I’m not even sure how is this supposed to work. The mounting ring diameter is larger than the black plastic neck of the garbage disposal. It slides right out as shown on last photo. So how is it supposed to hold it in place? On the old unit (last photo), the mounting ring is already on the unit and won’t slide out as the neck is thicker. On new unit, the mounting ring slides on and off the neck freely.

This is easier if you have two people but if not, you need to position the disposal in place and then work the locking ring into place making sure all three "ramps" are engaged and turn it clockwise to tighten. The last step is to take the angled allen wrench and put it into one of the round sleeves on the collar and push hard to lock the ring in place. You might have to move the wrench around the ring using all the sleeves to balance the locking force.


Samsung icemaker not producing ice Just purchased a Samsung refrigerator and the icemaker is not producing ice after 24 hours. The water line works perfect but the refrigerator does not produce ice.

Most have a wire bar that sits above the ice tray. As the ice cubes fill the tray, the bar is raised and eventually raises high enough to shut off the icemaker.  The bar must be DOWN for ice to be produced.

Or, there's a control somewhere that needs to be selected.  Probably in the refrigerator (not freezer) compartment.  Knowing the model would help.


Fix 40 kg TV to plasterboard and OSB wall I need to fix a 65 inch TV to a wall that is made of plasterboard on 18 mm OSB. These are fixed on with metal stud/rails at 600 mm intervals.
My worry is the OSB isn't thick enough to hold the TV on its own, and the metal studs offer nothing to fix into of any great note. Any advice would be appreciated.

Assuming that "plasterboard on OSB" means that the studs were first fully covered with OSB, then that was dressed up with plasterboard for a nicer finish, you have a very sturdy wall! I just build a storage shed using 3/4" (~18mm) plywood as the floor. I expect it to hold 100s of kilos at the contact points for each of the shelving units.
If this is how your wall was built, you've got the added advantage of being able to put the TV anywhere you want because with the proper bolts, you don't really even need to worry about hitting a stud, that 18mm OSB should hold your TV without a second thought. Of course, hitting a stud is an added bonus, and will take the proper sheet-metal screws to get a good grip into the steel studs.

If you're referring to OSB on the outside of the building and drywall on the inside, then this advice goes out the window, use sheet-metal screws into the studs as Ecnerwal suggested. In either case, you have nothing to worry about.


Multiple outputs from a single outlet box I want to supply power to a walk-in closet that I just framed.  Well, I split a large room into two sections (the closet is smaller) and want to use the current circuit to supply outlets on the new wall and an overhead LED light.

Will I violate code if I split the circuit in a standard size outlet box and feed the other wall receptacles and the light (switched) as well?  That would mean one wire in and two out obviously.

Is this acceptable?  Should I wire nut everything together with a pigtail feeding that outlet?  presumably I could use a combination of the screws and holes in the back of the outlet but that seems like a real hack.

Thanks.

So, the National Electric Code doesn't say anything about the number of outlets on a breaker, but it does specify the number of wires allowed in a junction box, which seems to be your main question.

Box size

Since you have no drywall, we can assume that you are using "New work" boxes, but you should check their labeled size (in cubic inches - ci) to be sure of what you're working with.  A typical "deep", new-work box is 22ci.  If you are using 12/2 Romex and putting an outlet in the box, the required size is:

6 conductors coming into the box: 6 * 2.25 = 13.5ci
Your outlet counts as 2 conductors: 2 * 2.25 = 4.5ci
The ground wires count as one: 1 * 2.25 = 2.25ci
Required size: 20.25ci

So, you should be fine.  If you're using 14/2 (probably - I went with the worst case for the example), the multiplier is 2ci rather than 2.25ci.

Wiring it together

If you have one pair coming in a box and one going out, using the screws of the outlet isn't a hack, and they even sell nice "backwire" outlets that are made for that.  In the box where you are "splitting off" and you have three pairs, a pigtail to the outlet is probably better than filling all the holes in a backwire outlet.  (Note, the pigtails don't count for the cubic inch calculations)

Also, in your "junction box" all the wires need to be folded nicely and pushed to the back before installing the outlet.  The outlet shouldn't be used to force the wires into the box - you should be able to push the outlet all the way in with no resistance from the bundle in the back.


What to use to finish my desk from IKEA? This may be an easy question, but everything I am finding on the Internet is kind of confusing (I am a computer guy not a carpenter!).  Essentially, I want to know what I could use to finish my tabletop I purchased at IKEA.

For reference, here is the table top I purchased: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50106773/

When I purchased it, I forgot to purchase the wood oil that went with it at the IKEA store.  Here it is for reference: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40186303/

The closest IKEA is far, so I am looking for a replacement of the oil that is recommended by IKEA in my local hardware store.  I love the color of the desk and I am not looking to compromise that, just finish it so I can add some durability to it.

Some recommendations I have found say that I am perfectly fine to use this Linseed oil from Lowes: http://www.lowes.com/pd_206533-34228-CR.BL.M.41_0__?productId=3024054&Ntt=linseed+oil&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dlinseed%2Boil&facetInfo=

Some other recommendations say I could use Tung oil.

The problem is I have no idea what the difference between different wood oils are or if these things are going to compromise the color or not.

So, I have a few questions:

What wood oil can I use on my IKEA table top to improve durability and not the color?
What's the difference between different oils I could use?
I've heard of applying a seal.  What is that?  Is there a difference between applying that and a finish?

After looking at your links, it appears you have purchased an unfinished wood top. It will need some sort of finish. You have a couple of choices, oil or a hard finish.

Oil finishes on raw wood will help keep the surface from staining and make them repel water. Oils can often deepen the color or actually alter the color as it ages. Oils need to be reapplied periodically to maintain protection. Not my first choice if going to be used as a work surface with paper, pencils, pens etc. Oils offer no surface protection from scuffing or denting. Something as simple as writing with a pen on a piece of paper could leave indentations on the surface.

The second choice would be using a hard overcoat like urethane. Urethane is absolutely clear and will help to preserve the original color. Once cured, multiple coats of urethane will give you a very hard surface that will protect the wood and resist scratching.  It can be cleaned with any mild cleanser or even a damp cloth. if you want it to be really slick, you can use regular furniture polish on it.  Trick is to use 3 or 4 thin coats of urethane, sanding with fine 200 to 400 grit sandpaper between coats. If done well, it will be smooth as silk and give you superior color lock and surface protection.  the other nice feature is that if it gets a little trashed over years of use, you can sand and recoat, will look like new.

Obviously putting urethane finish is a bit more work than an oil finish, but the protection is much better and the maintenance much less. Be careful of linseed oil products as they can stain objects that may come in contact with it over time,(paper, clothing etc.) and can sometimes leave an unpleasant odor for awhile. Tung oil is much better than linseed oil.


What could cause the ground wire on my baseboard heater to burn? On the photo below, you can see that the ground wire as burned.

Description of what i know:

the wire is connected on a 240V line to my baseboard heater
the wire seems to be a AWG 14/2
I don't know about the AMP of the wire. I cannot see it.
the breaker in the panel is a 20A that use 2 slots
The baseboard heater is a little 500W

I've just bought this house so i cannot tell if something wrong happened in the pass. Is it possible to test the wires with a tool to find reasons why it have burned? Maybe some data numbers will help me to find it out. Is it dangerous to put the baseboard heater back on this wire or should i open my wall and change the wire completely?

Burnt wires are usually the result of a loose connection.  When a connection is not solid, wires can heat up. This can be an even bigger problem with high amperage devices (heater, stoves, etc.).  This likely has been an issue for a long time, and finally reached the breaking point.

The problem with overheating wires, is that the issue becomes compounded over time. Through constant heating/cooling cycles, the connection can become looser, the wire can become brittle, and the resistance in the wire can be increased.  The more the resistance of the wire increases, the hotter the wire gets.  Eventually, the wire can get hot enough to burn off the insulation. When it gets to this point you hope the wire breaks causing a short (which will trip the breaker), or at least breaking the circuit so current can no longer flow.  If the wire does not break, you could be in much bigger trouble if the wire gets hot enough to start a fire.

The fact that the ground is burnt, is concerning.  Typically the ground should not be carrying current, and so should not be heating up.  You'll want to check the heater for a ground fault, to figure out why current is flowing in the ground. Check to make sure the bare ground wires behind the thermostat are pushed to the back of the box, to prevent them from touching the bare terminals on the thermostat.

My advice to you, would be to contact a local licensed electrician. It's difficult to accurately diagnose issues like this, through the internet. An electrician will be able to explain the cause to you, and tell you what the options are to remedy this problem.


Should cedar furring strips be used behind cedar siding in a sauna? I'm converting a larger closet into a sauna. Cedar is the most commonly used wood for saunas due to longevity. Something like pine wouldn't last as long from what I've read.
Shouldn't the furring strips also be cedar? I see folks using pine furring strips.
The sauna is going to be 180 degrees+ and the vapor barrier would be UNDER the furring strips, thus the pine furring strips would be exposed to high temps and potentially a little moisture, which I assume would age them faster.
Shouldn't the goal for wood longevity also extend to the furring strips?
If not, why not and how long would pine furring strip last under those conditions?
Wall makeup: From the interior to the exterior:

Cedar T&G
Furring strips, which the cedar attaches to
Aluminum and/or radiant vapor barrier
Insulation

Shouldn't the goal for wood longevity also extend to the furring
strips?

I say Yes.
Rip some furring strips from the T&G and your golden.

If not, why not and how long would pine furring strip last under those
conditions?

Unanswerable,  But negated by my answer to - Shouldn't the goal for wood longevity also extend to the furring
strips?


What are these vents in the foundation mortar for? Throughout the interior side of my 1925 brick foundation are little metal vents embedded in the mortar at irregular intervals.  Neither our home inspector nor our real estate agent knew exactly what they were for.  The vents are about the size of a quarter.

They seem to simply allow moisture in through the wall, despite the waterproof paint on the bricks.  I can't imagine this is the intended purpose.

Has anyone seen these before?  Any idea what these are for?

Update, 30 August 2013: I finally got around to pulling some of these vents out.  Behind them is... nothing.  Just mortar.  No tubing of any kind, just an approximately ping pong ball-sized divot in the mortar.

They appear to be weep hole covers. Weep holes today usually consist of a vertical slot; the result of not putting mortar in a joint. This might have been a retro-fit to address a moisture problem since they are not evenly spaced and are round, which would make sense if holes were drilled in the brick for drainage.

Weep holes are vital to prevent rot of the structural wood framing that's probably on the other side and to minimize moisture inside the brick wall that can freeze and crack the brick in cold climates.

Couldn't find a definitive article with picture but here's more on drainage of brick walls.


Moving my washer and dryer will mean I'll need to move my dryer exhaust vent. How should I go about this? I live in a two-story condo/townhouse.  My dryer is downstairs in the kitchen and I'd like to move it upstairs.  Right now, the exhaust vent runs up through the wall and under the upstairs bedroom floor before it exits through the vent in the back of the house.  Where I want to move it to will require me to move the vent to the front.

What things should I consider for this project?  I have a pretty good idea on everything else like plumbing and whatnot (much easier said than done, I know), but what about the exhaust vent?  How should I run the duct beneath the floor?  In the event that I choose to use the existing exhaust vent in the back, how long can the duct be before it loses effectiveness?  Anything details anyone can give will be appreciated.  I also know I am probably not giving enough info, but I don't know what all to ask, so I can just add on to the question as we go along.

Note: I've cleared this with the association.  All I need to do is tell them exactly how I am going to do it.

You want the shortest distance possible, and for everything except perhaps the dryer connection, you want to use rigid metal tubing rather than the flex tube. The rigid tubing will resist the airflow less and collect less lint. The better airflow from rigid tubing and shortest distance will make the dryer more efficient. If too much lint builds up in the vent, you have a fire hazard in addition to longer drying time.

I'd also suggest having the exhaust somewhere you can reach with a small step ladder to make it easier to clean the vent. So I'd run it down through the floor rather than up through the ceiling, if possible.

Finally, when you install the vent opening in the side of your home, make sure it's weather tight. If it's vinyl siding, you can get a removal tool (it's a flat blade with a hook on the end that pulls two pieces apart). Take off a few pieces where you're working, securely attach the vent, seal around the edges (not sure if Tyvek tape is good enough, they make a rubber adhesive membrane for window openings), install a few pieces of J channel like you have around windows and doors, and cut (measure twice) and reinstall the siding. Vinyl siding screws should remain loose (should be able to slide a fingernail underneath) so that it can expand/contract with heat/cold.


Bath Tub replacement We're in the process of looking at getting a cracked fiberglass tub/shower replaced.  We had one contractor come out that recommended using an acrylic AKERbyMAAX tub.

I'm ok with the acrylic tub, but I've never heard of AKER.  I just want to know if this is a reasonably reputable brand and not something junky.  I'm not looking for a review so much as just some confirmation that there's no reason this brand should be a problem.

Specifically we're looking ACTS-3P in case that helps at all.

To add some additional clarity, we have reasonable budget, and I just want to make sure whatever we do, doesn't need to be re-done in the next decade (or longer).  Our current tub is only 5 years old and is cracked in the floor (its fiberglass).  I don't want something like this to happen again.

Never heard of the brand either. In general, cracked plastic (fiberglass, acrylic, whatever) tubs are a poor installation which ignored the key "secret" (not - it's usually right there in the instructions, being ignored) of bedding the tub in plaster, so that there is no flex on the bottom of it.

On the other hand, if you can get the heavy things moved into place, cast iron is darn near permanent.


Garage door opener seems jammed This is a relatively new opener, we've only lived in this new build house a year and of course the opener is out of warranty. First it kept trying to drive itself when it was already down and wouldn't auto-reverse, instead it just tripped the breaker. Now it hums and won't move in any direction. I've detached the door and it rolls up and down fine. The slider part is so far down the track that you can't reattach the door.

I currently have it open and see no visual issues, no fried components on the logic board, capacitor looks okay, no broken gears, and when it's activated there is 0 movement. What should I try next? I'm off work for a surgery in 2 days, needless to say cash is tight.

Opener is a Chamberlain 8335W.

EDIT:
I phoned Chamberlain today and they were more helpful than I thought! Over the phone they couldn't narrow it down so have sent me replacement parts for almost everything. Now the only thing is should I replace them all at once or try to narrow it down to whatever failed?

From personal experience, I suspect the logic board - but it's a nasty dice roll as the things are about half the cost of a new opener, and a new opener comes with a warranty, while a new logic board does not, and if I recall correctly was not returnable either, so if it does not solve the problem you're out that money. Mine had no visible damage.

In my case I was sure there had been a nearby lighting strike, and the opener did not stop altogether (so that's different from yours), but driving itself into the floor and not autoreversing were things it did after the event. Pay attention to the fact that these behaviors in an opener are things that kill people, particularly children (and pets) when counting the cost.

Then again, if money is tight, consider disconnecting the opener (well, you have already done that) and just operating the door manually until money is less tight. When you do repair or replace the opener, make sure it has a surge suppressor on the outlet.


Can I run THHN wires through an attic without conduit? I have a new workshop and I'm running 6/3 out to it. My run will need to go from my existing panel through the attic, down an external column (with normal housing siding) and then into an underground conduit.

I understand for the conduit portion of the run I should use THHN but do I need to change to romex for the attic part? Seems I should be able to just continue with the THHN, correct? I know THHN is unprotected but its not like its going through normal walls and it will basically  be "inaccessible".

Run it in conduit the whole way.

Attics are susceptible to rodents, especially the cute ones with fluffy tails. They chew on wires. Conduit is not that expensive, and can save a whole world of trouble.

I have seen way too much romex chewed down to the copper to trust romex where rodents could be - which is going to cause me some hassle and expense. But I hate burning buildings, especially if they are mine.


Can I install a single shut off valve to turn off both hot and cold waters in my apartment? I am doing bathroom renovation and need to install main shut-off valves for the apartment. Previous owner just have two shut-off valves sticking out of the wall below tub spout which is ugly. The plumber said he can move them to be under the sink.

As the space is limited under the sink, I am thinking is there a valve that with a single switch and can shut off both hot and cold water? Anyway if I ever want to shut off the water supply to the apartment I would like to do that for both hot and cold water instead of just one of them.

You need to have a dedicated shut off valve for both hot and cold. You will also have a shut off valve for the entire apartment located at your water meter. This will allow you to cut off all of the water in your apartment.


Soldering or welding stainless steel objects together I'm working on a diy project which requires a tiny L bracket attached to a tinbox. I have tried several adhesive techniques such as super glue and metal epoxy but the smooth surface of the tin box does not permit proper adhesion. I'm thinking of either using welding or soldering to attach these two pieces together. What would you guys suggest for a cost effective yet quality outcome?

Correction: the L bracket is nickel plated steel whereas the tin box is just steel with tin plating.

Tried apply some heat but it caused massive discolouration to the tin box surface (heat stains).

Will soldering/ welding require so much heat as to result in such discolouration?

Thanks

The major trick with soldering stainless steel is using the correct type of flux, which needs to be very aggressive to remove the oxide layer which is what makes stainless steel "stainless."

You will require a flux specifically made for that, and then you will need to carefully clean the flux residue off when you are done soldering. This can be done with ordinary low temperature solders, no particular need to pull out the oxy-acetylene torch. It may also help to wire-brush with the flux in place, so that the brush mechanically abrades the oxide layer and the flux coating keeps it from re-oxidizing.

If that proves to be too weak, silver brazing (commonly misnomered as silver soldering, which is even more confusing in the era of silver-bearing low-temperature lead-free solders) or "normal" bronze brazing is considerably stronger. Bronze will have a color mis-match, which matters to some folks.

95-5 Tin-Antimony is a low-temperature solder that might be a touch stronger than some others, and which works well on stainless IMPE.


Help me find a way to get mold off my bathtub mat How do I get the mold off my bathtub mat? I have used vinager and bleach please help! Any ideas I don't want my kids sitting on mold.

Put it in direct sunlight for a day or two. (Also works great for removing tomato stains from plastic.)


Add a treadmill and refrigerator to the wall outlet in my garage without tripping any circuit breakers? I rent a house in the US and recently have decided I’d like to add a refrigerator and exercise treadmill to my garage. The washer and dryer are already plugged into a receptacle in the garage  so I was hoping that the new additions could plug into a second receptacle.
I don’t want to trip any breakers with all these new appliances, especially if they were all to run at the same time  so I tried to figure out if the washer/dryer are on their own dedicated circuit, as well as which circuit powers the receptacle I’d like to use for the new additions.
I’m green when it comes to this sort of stuff. In my panel box there’s a circuit labeled “washer/dryer”  but flipping it off does not power off anything in the house. I’ve tried the other breakers  and combinations of them  but nothing seems to power off the washer/dryer or the other garage receptacle.
The ONLY thing that works is flipping off the 100amp double pole breaker, which shuts off everything in the house as well.
What’s going on here?
Can I safely assume that adding a treadmill and fridge to the garage won’t create excessive electrical load, since they are seemingly on a 100 amp breaker?
(I feel like I’m missing something here)

As a renter, your "work" can only consist of trying to track down what the actual relationship of circuits to locations is (see if there's another spot that "looks like" it could have had a washer/dryer, for instance) and trying the devices you want to run on the outlets you want to run them on to see if a breaker trips, or not - given that modern refrigerators are usually small loads (mine does 50-60W unless it's defrosting at 200W) your main likely issue with overloading would be don't wash and dry and treadmill at the same time.
We have some previous questions and answers about tracking down circuits. Labelling is often outdated or wrong - just be systematic and make a note of what breaker affects each device location.
Any electrical work on a rental has to be done by a licensed electrician (as others already commented.)


breaker trips when switch is turned OFF I have installed two LED pots in parallel, controlled by SPST switch. The lights are from Amazon (China?), the 14/2 wire and 200a Siemens panel are from Home Depot. The 15a breaker came with the panel.

I wired the lights by pushing the 14/2 wires into the supplied "auto-crimp" connectors.
I wired the switch(es) by adding 6" leads to all four poles. Both grounds were connected to the box and I used a marette to connect the ground from the switch.
Neutral / white was connected with a marette between switch, panel-wire and load-wire.
The panel-hot wire was connected to the bottom pole with a marette, and the load-hot wire was connected to the top pole with a marette.

If I turn the breaker on while the switch is OFF, the breaker immediately trips. If I turn the breaker on while the switch is ON, the lights turn on and everything looks good. As soon as I turn the switch off, the breaker trips. I changed out the switch, and the behaviour is consistent.

I have never seen this sort of behaviour. Where should I start looking?

Wiring a neutral to a switch would be impossible without making it non-functional, unless you used a 3 way switch instead of a standard one. That would also explain the behavior. if there are three screws on the switch, you used the wrong type. The Neutral should not go to the switch, EVER.


What sort of nails should I be using on Sheet Vinyl underlayment? I'm adding some Vinyl down in a shower room and nailed down the underlayment.   But the nails keep popping up a little evey time I add more nails.

I'm concerned these will be felt under the vinyl.

The vinyl does have a felt backing though.

Should I be using a different type of nail?

And now that I've nailed it all down how do I get them out without damaging the floor assuming they need to be changed? I've managed to pull 2 out.

This is the vinyl.  It does have a slight cushioning with the felt backing.   I do think some of the nails didn't go firmly in.   They might have gone between the joins in the tongue and groove.  But I'm not certain.

Unless installing a rigid material such as new plywood, luan, cement board, etc - you generally do not nail it down. When you do, ring shank is the right type of nail. But it has to be a decent quality nail vs. the cheapest bidder, also, the condition of the flooring it is being nailed into is quite important. Just nailing into plywood isn't going to cut it because it is multiple layers of glued sheets, and the glue dries over time and plywood separates. This gives very little for the nails to bite into.

Most underlayments are cut into place and taped down (example: installing underlayment) or glued with flooring glue. Even most nowadays don't use that. Depending on the product you buy, many have self-adhesive backings. While many many products have gotton cheaper in design, thickness, etc. over the years, engineering has been thought out for the full product installation. (sometimes for the worse). Your product should have guidance on the methods to be used.

Once you have divots, dimples, nail heads, or other imperfections in the underlayment which almost always happens, you will need floor leveler. Its a simple cement product you add water to, spread it, dry, clean and sand as/if necessary, then you can add the new flooring. If this is not done, the nails will show through even in many thick flooring products. (Here is a quick googled example on youtube: floor leveling)


What could be causing my washer to make thumping sounds after the spin cycle? I have a Kenmore model 417.94702300 washer/dryer combo.  A couple days ago the washer began making a thumping sound after every spin cycle, whether as part of a wash or just a rinse.  I found this page which seems to describe the symptoms correctly, but I would like to make sure that my brand/model will have the same or a similar set of fix options.

Questions:

Is this Kenmore model susceptible to the above problem as described, or is it something else?
Can I fix this more cheaply than buying a new washer/dryer and/or than hiring someone?

Your washer is configured differently than the Whirlpool mentioned, but all washers are susceptible to drive and suspension issues. One of your suspension springs may be broken, or there could be a problem in the belt drive system.

The front panel should come off fairly easily, though it may be difficult to fully inspect everything without removing the other sides. The machine is still operational without the sides, you should be able to locate the problem by running it through the end of a spin cycle. Just be sure to stay well clear of moving parts.

If you can manage getting the panels off (locating all the screws can be tricky), and identify the problem, you probably can manage replacing the broken part. It is certainly cheaper than hiring someone, and it certainly does not warrant a replacement machine. (Unless you just want an excuse for a new machine)


Can you run a ground wire from stove directly to ground pole in the ground Directly to ground pole outside drove into ground

Depends what you're trying to protect.

If your goal is to protect the oven from ESD (static electricity) damage or lightning-strike damage, or help it receive radio signals, then going out to a ground spike can help you with that.

It won't do a thing for human safety, though.  To protect humans from electric shocks, you can go one of two ways.

GFCI protection

You replace the oven's breaker with a 2-pole GFCI breaker. If there's any place to mark this, you mark the oven's outlet with the words

 GFCI Protected
 No Equipment Ground

And then you wire the oven correctly for a 4-wire connection (i.e. remove the neutral-ground strap on the oven) and don't connect ground.  If it's a receptacle you fit a 4-prong (NEMA 14) receptacle and do not connect ground and apply the above sticker.

Retrofit a ground

You need a #10 ground wire going back to any of these points:

The ground bar of the service panel this oven is powered out of
A junction box of any other circuit with a #10 or larger ground path going back to the panel
non-flexible metal conduit which is continuous all the way back to the panel
the Grounding Electrode System, i.e. the bare ground straps between the service panel and the house's grounding electrode(s) - ground rods, metal water main, or Ufer ground.

This wire can be retrofitted as a solitary wire.  This wire does not need to follow the same route as the other wires.

If you really, really want to, you can replace the whole 3-wire cable with a 4-wire cable, but that is just a harder way to do the above.


Can I use common vegetable oil (e.g. rapeseed/canola) for chain-and-bar lubrication in a chainsaw? I have just acquired a small battery powered chainsaw (Makita DUC245), and would like to use an eco-friendly and skin-friendly chain oil if possible.
Lots of sources suggest the possibility of using vegetable-based oils, and I would like to do so.
I have one doubt though: should I use a chain-and-bar specific product that is based on vegetable oils (probably with additives), or can I use the regular, edible canola oil that is sold in supermarkets?

I appreciate both practical experiences as well as technical references.
Update: I live in subtropical climate that almost never goes below water-freezing temperatures.

Yep. Yesirree.
Not being a fan of dumping petroleum into the woods (mine or otherwise), and considering that my saw is electric* (and therefore operates at slightly slower speeds), I've shifted to using common cooking vegetable oil instead of used motor oil, as I had been. Over a number of outings it has performed well, with no heat buildup, noise, excess fling or other anomalies.
This is a far different scenario than what happens inside an engine, for example, so it's probably not as critical as oil choice is there. One article shows the viscosity of vegetable oil to be comparable to that of conventional multi-grade motor oil, and slightly higher than PAO (synthetic) motor oil. Another study concludes that vegetable oil is a perfectly viable alternative.
Technically speaking, olive oil isn't vegetable oil in the sense that those mentioned in the question are. It's far more aromatic and prone to unpleasant side effects if used in tools. I don't recommend its use in chain saws.
That said, I don't have any empirical evidence to tell you whether it is having a detrimental effect on hardware life in my case. It's entirely possible that I'm subjecting my bar and chain to increased wear, but I haven't noticed any (chain adjustments are more or less typical). Regardless, I consider it worth the environmental and financial benefit.
YMMV.
* Ryobi 40V 14"


wiring 4 gang light switch I bought a Wifi enabled light switch to smarten up my living room but i cant figure out how to wire it.

Here is the back of the original switch:

And here are the wires from the socket:

Finally here is the new wifi-enabled lightswitch:

As you can probably see there are 5 wires, 1 black and 4 red. One of the red wires has some green shrink wrap attached.

Is it possible for me to wire this switch?

You probably cannot use your new switch there because there is no neutral   in an old style "switch loop".
One of those 5 wires is permanent-live and was connected to "com" (common) on the old switches -- it now needs to be connected to "Live in" on the new switch. The other wires need to go to L1 ... L4 on the new switch. Unfortunately, you don't have a real neutral, that would be a 6th wire (plus nowadays a 7th CPC/earth/ground).
It may be that the black is permanent live.
If you have a voltage tester and an onlooker with the emergency services on speed-dial you can temporarily isolate all the wires in separate positions in terminal blocks then turn on the lighting circuit breaker and use the voltage tester to identify permanent live.
Then reconnect old switch and get quotes for running new wiring through the walls

Footnotes.
CPC = Circuit Protective Conductor. What the UK regulations now call what used to be called earth in the UK (which is mostly called ground in the US).
Your new switch is not legal to use in the UK because it is not CE marked.
How a 240V light switch gets FCC approval I don't know, that FCC mark seems suspicious. It probably only refers to electomagnetic emissions testing.
2A per gang seems low to me. Your old switches are 10A rated on a 6A circuit. I'm not sure it is legal in the UK to use a 2A switch on a 6A circuit. If a cheap Chinese LED light bulb fails short passing say 5A, the circuit breaker won't trip and your switch wil be overloaded and there is a significant chance it will catch fire. Using a 2A switch on a 6A circuit does not allow the breaker to properly do its job of saving you and your family from death by toxic smoke inhalation at 3 a.m. as the property burns down under you.
Those exposed clamp-screws on the new switch are unusual. UK switches mostly have all of the live metal parts recessed behind insulating plastic casing (see your top photo). I don't know if those exposed screwheads are legal.
Since my level of concern has been raised, the fact that the label doesn't fit the recess on the case now makes me worry about the general standards of design and workmanship in the factory where that was made. Was it very cheap?
It will probably work but if it burns your house down, your insurance company might have grounds for refusing your claim.
Personally I would take that new switch to Trading Standards.

What should you report to Trading Standards
You should report a company to Trading Standards if, for example:

they sold you unsafe or dangerous items
they sold you fake or counterfeit items

It's the sort of thing
which Big Clive likes.


Is there code compliant way to attach deck joists below a deck beam (or at least lower than flush with the top of the beam)? I am trying to design a roof top deck above a flat roof on a row house.  The deck must bear on the parapet walls (4 layers thick structural brick walls on both sides of the roof), it can not bear on the roof itself.  Because of the distance between my two parapet walls I must use 3 laminated 2x12s for beams on the north and south ends of the deck with 2x8 joists running between the beams.  Because of a variety of zoning restrictions the surface of my deck must be lower than the height at the top of the 12 inch high beams (otherwise the railings would have to be too high for zoning).
Ideally I could hang my joists below my beams.  That would definitely allow my railings to satisfy code and zoning and, if there is a code compliant way to do that for deck joists, solve my problem.  Then my beams would essentially form the bottom part of the railing on those ends (capped by a deckboard or something to prevent rot, with the railings then going up from there).  Alternatively, I might be able to attach my joists to my deck beams so that they are flush with the bottoms of the beams, as opposed to the top (this might or might not allow my railings to satisfy zoning) - but as I read it neither of those possibilities appears to be contemplated by the code?
I realize that another possibility would be to find a way to lower my beams.  In the case of the south beam, this would interfere with the roof's attachment to the parapet walls and would create an unhelpful potential leak.
Thanks!

Joist hangers are used all the time to fix joists to the side face of the beam. I see no particular reason that you wouldn't be able to hang the joists even with the bottom of the beam using standard joist hangers like these:

Picture Source
In fact ceiling joists may very well be hung with similar brackets like these where the ceiling height is set to be at the bottom of the support beams.
Hanging your deck joists totally below the beams seems a bit problematic. My guess would be that even if you could come up with some type strapping to securely hold the joists up against the bottom of the beam that an inspector may very well reject the concept, especially if they figure out that you are playing games to work around your railing height restriction.


Are my plans for adding a 240 volt circuit reasonable? I was hoping I could run this by someone. I've done other basic homeowner electric work like adding 120 breakers and outlets. From reading online, adding a single 240 volt circuit next to my breaker box doesn't seem that more difficult than what I've done before.

Digiboil 65L : 20 amps 3500 watts. Has a nema 6-30h plug. 6-30h outlets are only 30amps though.

22 ft from circuit breaker.

So I went with a 30 amp 2-pole breaker (square D and HOM like my other breakers) and nm-b 10-2 wire. Will use the neutral white wire as the second hot (and label it red).

Does all this sound good? Should the breaker be gfci protected? I don't believe I need a neutral.

The sales info I looked at showed it with a 3 wire plug so it should be ok. Some electronic controlled devices require a neutral and then a 4 wire would be needed but it looks to be straight 240 so your plan should work.  As far as GFCI code specifies 15 & 20 amp circuits so it would not be required but gfci’s around liquid are a good idea.


What is the minimum distance wiring must be behind a tile backsplash? I have a log home and would like to correct the kitchen counter-top receptacles.  I have discovered the following problems that necessitate rewiring the entire kitchen (new cabinets/countertops were installed recently by previous owner).

No GFCI.
Wire splits somewhere inaccessible (probably behind counter -- requiring me to GFCI each receptacle.)
Only one circuit
Not enough boxes to meet the 2ft/4ft rule.
Wire is run through the cabinets -- visible (not behind the cabinets)

I've allocated two circuits and plan to put the fridge and three receptacles on one and the gas range and four on the other.  I will be adding two boxes.  I plan to router a channel for the wires in the solid log wall above the counter tops and then install the backsplash over the wire.  I am curious if hardiboard and tile (between 3/4 to 1 inch total of material) is sufficient protection for the wiring.  Does code require some kind of metal protection or min distance from the surface?  ...in the event someone tries to drill a hole in the backsplash?  I want to make the groove depth as small as possible as one wall is an exterior load-carrying wall.

Your issue is covered in the National Electric Code, for installations in the USA:

  NEC 300.4 Cables and raceways shall be protected from damage. Where installed through bored holes in wood framing members, the holes shall be bored so that the edge of the hole is not less than 1¼ inch from the nearest edge of the wood
  member, or shall be protected by a 1/16 inch steel plate.

So basically you need 1¼ of solid wood material (not counting the wallboard/wall covering) to buffer access to the wire, or a metal plate.

But in your case I'd I recommend using armored cable (formerly known as 'bx').  Or emt (conduit). Then you've got no worries.

Frequent practice is to have the fridge on it's own circuit, and the dishwasher (if you've got one) is required to be on its own.


How to make a switched outlet, half switched, half hot In my garage I have an outlet in the ceiling that is fully controlled by a single switch due to a shop light being plugged into it. I would like to make half of that outlet always hot, so I can power the garage door opener.

You want to break the connecting tabs off the receptacle (bend back and forth with needle nose pliers until metal fatigue causes them to break off), then just wire one plug to always be hot, and feed the other one through a switch:


Can I apply polymeric sand only on a x inches wide stretch where the patio joins the wall? I am in the process of regrading my patio. I had a wet wall problem because the patio was sloped toward the house. I want to make sure that no water gets near the wall again, even with the correct slope applied.
For this I would like to apply polymeric sand on a strip of let's say 3 foot where the patio joins the wall.

Is this a good idea?

So you want to put 3 foot strip in width of polymeric sand over existing pavers? You will be OK with how that would look? I am just not sure how well such a strip will stay together over the long haul.

I sure wouldn't do it, I would bite the bullet and pull up the pavers then regrade the base away from the house and put the pavers back.


Does overspray get on the ceiling when spraying interior wall? I have a freshly painted ceiling in a 1200 sq ft, new construction home.  I have access to a medium-quality airless paint sprayer.  I have some 4' rolls of plastic sheeting that I can tape up on the ceiling to get 4' of the ceiling perimeter masked off (don't have the roll hand gun device but just hand taping it for now).  My two concerns are: 1.) Does the spray leave a heavy overspray that can float to the ceiling? Especially when I start dark colors?  I realize this depends on the method of spraying, but in general I want to know if I am wasting my time with masking and should start rolling right now or if it is worth masking off the perimeter and that the 4' would be sufficient?  I have to mask the ceiling edge anyway with tape, but the 4' plastic takes 4 to 5 times longer to install when I account for unfolding it and taping it 4' back from the walls and when dealing with temporary 200W incandescent ceiling lights.  My windows are already masked off from spraying texture at least.

I have about 4 different colors in the whole house and it's about 1200 square feet for size.  My texture is knockdown and it's not very deep so rolling it should not be a lot of extra work in terms of heavy textures.

You will definitely need to mask off the ceiling, over spray gets everywhere.....


How do I retwist Christmas lights? I have a set of Christmas lights in trying to untangle. One of the issues I'm facing is that, in some places, the wires have come untwisted, which makes them more prone to tangle. Is there any way to fix that? A trick to weaving them back together?
The bit above is actually one of the areas where they aren't as bad, but in a few places, there's a few inches of basically three separate wires.

Use a spool to store them
They make a wide variety of wire caddies and spools intended for spooling up extension cords.  My "go to" is about 18" long, flat, and looks like this:
   ------+--------------------------+------
         |                          |
   ------+--------------------------+------
                  \------/

That thing being a handle.  You attach one end (they give a little hook for that and spool up the wires.  That's great for storage and easy unfurling.
However, to re-twist, the spool is especially essential. As you're spooling up the wire, when you hit an untwisted area, stop short of it.  Rotate the whole spool.  That lets you add twist to the wires as needed.


I spend long time in picking lumber. What do you look for when selecting boards? I typically spend very long time in front of the lumber aisles inspecting boards. Many times I end up not getting anything after all because I thought all boards are imperfect.

I see pros spent few minutes next to me in the store or lumber yard, inspecting boards quickly and be gone.

What do you look for to decide whether to take a board or not?
To scope down my question, let's take pressure treated boards as an example. Are cracks bad? Damaged Un-curved edges? Knots?

I'm new to woodworking. Thanks for your help

I literally buy pressure-treated wood sight-unseen.

I live near a chain of lumber yards that offers convenient delivery at a reasonable price.  They offer pressure-treated fence posts with a consistent quality level, which is appropriate for my uses of the lumber.  I can call them up, ask for a number of fence posts cut to a particular length, and arrange for delivery.  The men at the lumber yard choose the posts (presumably from the top of the relevant stack), cut the lumber to length, strap it together, and put it on their truck.  I receive it, verify that it looks okay, store it (with appropriate spacers between boards), and use it as I need it.  I treat the cut ends of pressure-treated wood, either shortly after receipt, or before installation.

What I mean by "looks okay":

straight lines
no visible bow
no visible warpage
knots are not large enough to compromise structural strength
minor "checking" (shallow cracks at ends of posts) is okay
no deep cracks (that would turn the wood grain into a giant splinter)
no bark in the lumber
consistent grain width
grain direction is consistent with the shape of the lumber


What is the standard range hood clearance? What is the proper distance between the top of a kitchen range and the bottom of a basic hood fan?

It is not a specific answer. Different manufactures will tell you in their literature which is the appropriate height for their pieces. However a decent range falls between 26" and 34"


What kind of connector is this, or where can I get it? Does anyone know what kind of connector this is? I have to change the power supply cord on a mini fridge and need the same 2 prong connector that plugs into the circuit board. Its the size of my thumb nail maybe half and inch wide.

You can find that connector at www.mouser.com in their connector search tool. You will need to carefully measure the pin to pin spacing of that connector to be able to locate the correct part. Some connectors are using inch dimensions while others use millimeter dimensions so be prepared to measure and do some conversions if necessary.

Be aware that the type of connector that you have shown is just a nylon housing and the contacts are separately crimped onto the wires in the power cord. The each contact is pressed into its appropriate slot in the nylon housing.

Be aware that to properly terminate the wires with the crimp on terminals it is necessary to have the proper tool. Those crimp contacts offer minimal strain relief as it is and improperly applied contacts could let the wire pull out of the contact and lead to a very dangerous situation. A properly crimped terminal will have two sections, one which crimps around the copper wire and the other that crimps around the wire insulation. The insulation crimp will not work properly if the insulation is too small or large of diameter for the contact. It is also not at all advisable to try to solder the wires to the terminals.


Is it worth it to DIY kitchen cabinets? Has anybody tried to build their own kitchen cabinets ?

I have to replace only about 12 feet of base and top cabinets. They are costing me almost $6000 (installed) for medium grade cabinets. These are not top of the line custom cabinets.

I am fairly handy and have almost all the woodworking tools.

How much will it cost if I choose to build these using decent raw materials ? ( say only a notch or two below top grade ).

Let us ignore the amount of time it will take ( because it really depends upon individual's skill level ).

If time doesn't matter, then go for it. It's fun and you'll take pride in your work. On paper, you'll save money, though I can almost guarantee that the cabinets will opportunity cost you more than just flat out buying them. Nobody can put an actual price on the materials without knowing more details... wood? melamine? doors and drawers outsourced or built by you? face frame or euro? nice hardware or basic stuff?

However, if you want to be practical, find a supplier of RTA (ready to assemble) cabs. Cut out the evil orange middleman. I think you'll find them staggeringly cheap. (Some of them are actually quite horrible, quality-wise, so shop carefully.) Assemble them yourself. Install them yourself. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Apologize to anyone who had to share construction zone space with you. Double the apologies if the project runs longer than expected. (It will, btw.)

I don't know where you are, but $6k sounds cheap to me.


primer not adhering to oil based painted ceiling- help Just primered the kitchen ceiling with 1-2-3 water based primer. The ceiling was previously painted with oil based paint. In preparation, I used TSP rinsed it well, then used liquid sander. Now the primer can be scrath off with finger nail. I need help please. what is the best way remove the primer without having to sand the 25x11 ceiling?

Sounds like either the liquid sander didn't, or the liquid sander is leaving a residue which is interfering with bonding with the new primer.

I have never heard of a "liquid sander", and I would expect the recoating industry would jump all over that if it works. So I suspect it is "snake oil".  But I mostly paint over alkyds (oil paints), maybe it only works on old latex coats; that wouldn't be a surprise, latex is very chemically different from aklyd.  Also, etching an alkyd would require extremely harsh chemicals, and I doubt they'd be allowed to be sold at Home Depot.

Regardless, it should be perfectly obvious that the new primer has to go, as it will be the "weak link" for any coating painted over it, and will cause that coating to fall off too. Do it ASAP while it is still soft.  I would use a scrub brush and water; water makes still-curing latex paint/primer softer.

Sorry you have to go through that, but not too sorry; that's what you risk when you try to take shortcuts.

Adhesion has two parts:

The old surface is roughened, so at the microscopic level there are many jagged grooves and peaks (like a mountain range) so the new coat can physically attach.
The old surface is entirely clean of contaminating material.  An example of contaminating material would be "snake oil".

You don't need to go crazy with sanding.   All you need is a "scuff sand" to remove the gloss and create those jagged edges.  My favorite scuff-sand method is a 3M Scotchbrite sponge with the green abrasive, wetted if necessary. You'll know when the gloss is gone because the surface will look dingy.  I mean honestly, I don't see how rolling out a chemical and the cleanup that follows is any easier.

Also, I realize people like latex products because of less smell and easy cleanup, but since you're dealing in primer, they come in both latex and oil base.  Since you're painting over alkyd/oil, oil-based primers are a perfectly reasonable choice.  Primers like Kilz Original, BIN etc. are designed to have latex laid over them.


How can I repair scratches on door molding? I live in an apartment with my cat.  Through the use of a water bottle, I've gotten him to stop, but he's left quite a few deep scratches and gouges in the molding around some of the internal doors.  I'd rather get this fixed before my lease expires, as I have a feeling the apartment building would charge me quite a bit more than the actual cost of repairs.

What kind of options do I have?  Is it fairly straightforward to replace door molding?

Edit (side note: I'm pretty embarrassed about this, so try to be nice!):

Example 1 (best case scenario):

Example 2 (worst case scenario):

The smaller scratches could easily be filled with wood filler and painted.

The only decent way to fix the worst ones is to replace the trim, IMO. Or you could just paint it as is and hope that noone notices.

The trim seems to be made of MDF.I would also argue that this damage could still fall under normal wear and tear. I would never use mdf for trim in my rental units. It just doesn't last.


Type of Replacement Switch For Auto Dimming Outdoor Security Light I have an existing security light mounted on my garage, with two floodlight bulbs, that comes on at dusk.  The light is generally on in a dimming mode all night, unless the motion detector senses a presence.  This light can be operated from a switch (that has an anti-kid tampering lock on it) located in the house.  I believe the switch is in need of replacement.  What type of switch is used for this... single pole, three way, etc.?

Exactly the switch you already have.

You look at your wiring -- and in doing so you ignore ground wires (which are green typically).  Ground is connected everywhere, but it doesn't participate in the normal wiring, so we don't talk about it.   If you see

If the switch has 2 screws (again ignoring ground screws/wires), it's a plain switch.
If the switch has 2 brass and 1 black screw, it's a common 3-way.
If the switch has 2 brass and 2 black screws, it's a 4-way middle switch.
If the switch doesn't have screws but has pigtails instead, it's a dimmer, smart switch, motion sensor, that kind of thing. Snap us photos of anything distinctive and edit your post to include them.

With 3/4 way switches, which screw is on brass vs. black is very important.  The physical position of the screws is useless and misleading (since every switch puts them in different places!!)  Also, wire color is useless and misleading - the screws they go to are the key.


Should I insulate air conditioner coolant pipes? I recently replaced some rotted insulation on the coolant pipe that runs out of my AC unit and into the evaporator in my house. When cleaning inside the actual AC unit itself I noticed that the coolant pipe running out of what I believe is the condenser (has a insulation blanket over it) is not insulated. Is there any reason not to insulate this coolant pipe? I traced the line and made sure that it is the same pipe that is insulated once it gets outside the AC unit.

The large, cold, low pressure line, carrying the evaporated refrigerant from the house, should be insulated to prevent condensation. The small, warm, high pressure line, carrying condensed refrigerant into the house, should not be insulated. I am not an air conditioning professional. However, en.allexperts.com, www.bobvila.com, and www.familyhandyman.com, all agree with me. See references below.
Explanation: The unit outside the house compresses the refrigerant from the large line. This makes the refrigerant very hot. Then the refrigerant is run through the condenser coils and the fan blows outside air over them to remove the heat and condense the refrigerant back to liquid. The small line now carries the warm liquid refrigerant back into the house. No insulation is needed on this line because it is still warmer than the outside air. If the air cools it some more, that only helps. In the house, the pressurized liquid refrigerant is allowed to rapidly decompress into the evaporator coil. The instant drop in pressure causes an instant drop in temperature, making the evaporator coil very cold. Interior air is blown over this coil, cooling the air and warming the coil and refrigerant. The evaporated refrigerant, which is still rather cold, now flows out of the house in the large pipe. It does not help us for this refrigerant to get warmer after it leaves the evaporator coils. It just makes it harder to compress and cool in the condenser coils. So we want to prevent condensation on this pipe. That is the reason for the insulation.

(source: reimanpub.com)
From this site:

"the skinny tube doesn't need insulation"

From another source:

"As you have seen, the large refrigerant line carries cold vapor while air conditioning, and on a humid day it sweats. The main reason we insulate the pipe is to prevent humid air from coming into contact with it." "For the small copper tube you do not need insulation. Just make sure that it does not contact masonry or other metal."

The following site provides good step by step maintenance instructions.


What circuit capacity will I need for a strand of outdoor lights? I'm running a strand of lights around my backyard. There's a total of 33 lights. These will only be used in the summer, and taken down in the fall.
What size plug end (amperage Wise), what size circuit, and will I need to change the normal outlet?

The limit of 33 bulbs in a string is based on each socket being limited to 40W (it will say that somewhere). 33 x 40 = 1320W, divided by the worst case scenario of 110V (nominal is now 120V, but many places still only provide 110V, so they have to cover that). So 1320W / 110V = 12A, which is the limit of what you can put on a 15A circuit breaker (80% load).

I agree that 350ft is a long distance for a load of 12A, but MOST people in the US will have closer to 120V, so if it drops to 110V, that's still covered. The problem may be if you only have 110V at the outlet, the voltage will drop even more. But on incandescent bulbs that just results in less light, not more current.

If you use LED bulbs however, where the equivalent light of 40W incandescent bulbs will only use 4.5W each, the current will go down significantly (less than 2A total) and there will likely be no perceivable voltage drop.


Inserting Glass Pane in Wooden Door I have a hallway door that is 1 3/4" thick.  I'd like to be able to see through the door, what is the best way to go about this?
I see glass panes are available for purchase  Here  but all that  I   find say "for steel or fiberglass doors only".
What should be used for wood doors?

Glass is heavy and many wood doors are not constructed to bear the weight of the glass. You should look into using Plexiglass. It's  third of the weight of glass and most home stores will cut it to size. You'll have to buy the whole sheet.
Try to remove the panel molding off one side of your door and then remove the panel. Get an exact measurement for the Plexiglass, install it and replace the molding.


What is asbestos cement sheet? How do I tell if I have asbestos cement sheet?

How should I remove an asbestos cement sheet?

Call a professional.

I'm not sure there are really any diy ways to handle asbestos.  In most places you need a license, and lots of expensive equipment to remove asbestos.  You might be able to find somebody in your area willing to come out and take a look for free, if you are really lucky and they are really nice (or really hard up for work) they might even test it for free.  The removal will most likely be a bit costly though.


Nest Hello Has Power but Doesn't (Often) Ring Indoor Chime? I recently installed a Nest Hello doorbell and have run into an issue where the interior chime almost never rings. I say almost because exactly once in all my testing did it ring on the interior.

I wired it according to the instructions for my doorbell and have checked the voltage from the transformer (16.4V AC).

Here are some pictures of the wiring:

Initial Wiring Before Installation:

Wiring After Installation:

Location of the Camera Relative to the Chime Box:

The Doorbell Has Enough Power:

What exactly is causing the issue? Why did it ring once but not any more? Is 16.4V too close to the 16V minimum? Changing the settings from physical to electronic doorbell in the app didn't change anything, and adjusting the duration higher didn't do the trick either.

I also moved everything as far away from the chimebox as I could do prevent them from dampening the vibrations (Assuming there were any), but this didn't help.

There was something else that was strange, the voltage measurement for both the AC voltage and Battery voltage were both 0V in the app under "technical info":

The unusual thing is that it most certainly has power from the doorbell AC wires. I can verify this by opening the breaker. When this happens, the Nest Hello shuts off and no longer recognizes me when I approach it's FOV.

The internal battery may be dead, I have no idea and didn't charge it when I got it. I assumed that it charges by the AC current.

How can I make the chimebox ring when someone presses the doorbell?

I had a similar issue. Originally the indoor doorbell chime rang, then it stopped ringing the day after install. I found that the reason was that the white Nest connector wires that I added in the chime we’re getting in the way of the electro mechanical solonoid. They were preventing the movement. Once I moved the wires out of the way it started ringing again.

One other thing- there is a setting called Indoor Chime On/Off. If Off, then the indoor chime won’t ring but the Nest doorbell itself will make a bell sound.


Electrical box - What are all these wires? I want to install a light fixture on a box that's in the ceiling. I opened it up and I saw WAY MORE wires than I expected. I expected just a green, black and yellow wire.

Here are two photos of the wires.

Here's a close up.

Can someone explain what each of these wires do? I see a single green wire, a single blue, 4 green wires twisted together, 4 white wires twisted together, 4 yellow wires twisted together, and a single red wire that I can't pull out of the box. Which one do i use as my ground, live and neutral wire?

Just to give some context, I live in a condo in Toronto, Canada. The condo was completed in 2014. Thanks.

Some condos are multi-use, i.e., both residential/commercial mix, so maybe it's possible the yellow is a high leg, 277V for the common area lighting that is just there for "future development".   Ask the building superintendents.  They are usually filled with many great stories of advice.


Light switch doesn't turn off lights I just recently installed a light switch. It's not a dimmer switch, so there's just an off and on. Now, the lights are constantly on! When I turn the light switch off, they dim slightly, and when I turn the light switch on, they brighten slightly. How might I have messed up installing the light switch that this happens? Could it be the switches fault?

Process I used to install light switch:

Remove old light switch. Wires going into old light switch are: bare copper wire attached to green lead, 2 black wires going into copper leads red wire going into black lead.
Connect new light switch. New setup is: bare copper wire attached to green wire labeled "ground" on switch, 1 black wire attached to black wire labeled "in" on switch, 1 black wire attached to red wire labeled "out" on switch, 1 red wire attached to white wire labeled "neutral" on switch.

STOP!!!!
You have messed things up. Sorry to be blunt. But electricity is dangerous, so this is really a big deal.
Safety First
Turn off the breaker for this circuit. NOW! What you have described might be fairly benign, but you might have caused some parts of your electrical system to be "hot" that should not be.
Assuming you are in the US (if you are not, please say where you are as different countries have different color codes):

Neutral is white or gray and only needed on a switch if it has "smarts" of some sort (timer, dimmer, WiFi controls, etc.)
All other colors (except green/bare == ground, which you have handled correctly) are HOT or SWITCHED HOT.

Your new switch has a neutral connection? That implies it is something more than "just a switch". Not a dimmer (since you said so), but is it a "smart switch"? A timer? Something else special? In any case, the red wire is not neutral and should not be connected to neutral on the switch. If you actually need neutral then you need to find neutral - typically a bundle of white wires stuffed in the back of the box, but sometimes not in the switch box at all because old construction did not require neutral in the box.
Old switch: "2 black wires going into copper leads" - what does that mean? Was it two black wires connected together onto one wire or screw? If so, they likely need to be connected together to the "in" connection on the new switch. If they were two separate connections on the old switch then this is impossible to guess, but a 3 way switch is a possibility.
Pictures
A picture is worth a thousand words. Please upload pictures of the old switch (preferably showing model # if you can), the new switch (again showing model # if you can), and the switch box showing all wires as clearly as you can.


Is it safe/allowed to adapt a shaver socket (BS4573) to a standard BS1363 plug (UK)? Bathrooms in the UK may have a shaver socket that is (to my understanding) limited to supplying 200mA, is protected by an isolation transformer and uses a two pronged plug similiar but not identical to the common Europlug (BS4573).

I just bought a shaver that came with a BS1363 plug, the common 3 rectangular pronged plug in the UK.  Is it safe and allowed to adapt between the two?  According to wikipedia, BS1363-3 allows adapting a BS1363 socket to a BS4573 plug.  That is, it allows plugging in a shaver with a shaver plug into a regular BS1363 socket.  It does not seem to allow going the other way.

I think this is safe to do, the load I want to use consumes on the order of 50-80mA and is doubly insulated (it is a shaver after all).  The only concern one might have is that such an adapter might allow a person to plug in a more problematic load.  Then again, the shaver socket already has provisions for plugging in an american two pronged plug.

No, providing an adapter to allow a standard 3-pin plug to be used on a shaver socket means that someone else may decide to plug in an iron or hair dryer or hair curlers which it is not rated for.

The shaver socket in the UK may be protected by a ELCB (earth leakage circuit breaker) which will also limit the permitted load. But in other countries that may be different, in some countries that shaver socket is just a normal outlet protected at the supply end.


Underground feeder short by 5ft, Main panel to subpanel So I have this aluminum underground feeder that is 110 ft that was supposed to be 115ft. Can you extend this line by splicing or creating a junction box or am I screwed and have to get new wire? The two hots are 4AWG, neutral is 2AWG, and ground is #4.

You can make a splice in an appropriately sized junction box indoors.  Given the large size of the wire, there will be certain minimum box size specs. The box will be long and thin if you do nose-tail connections of the wires.  The electrical supply house should be able to help you with box size.

The type of splice used is called a Polaris. Take care to torque it to spec. Select Polaris connectors just large enough for your wires, so the insulation fits the connector tightly.


How to stop copper pipe corrosion (green copper stain in sinks and tubs) I have couple of questions to the experts. I see copper stains (green/blue) in my sinks and at shower tubs. I had comprehensive water analysis done. Water was sampled from tap after flushing. My water is soft with pH 6.65. I am on well water. Below are the levels of some elements:

Hardness (calc.)->50.5 mg.CalCO3/L
Calcium-> 16.0 mg/L
Magnesium-> 2.56 mg/L
Sodium-> 10.0 mg/mL
Copper-> 0.221 mg/L
pH 6.65

Assuming that stain is coming from copper pipes, I called a company which installs filters.

The company told me that amount of stain is too much for the level of pH. I am not sure what to make of it. Could there be any other reason besides low pH to corrode my copper pipes. My house is 27 years old. I only had it for 3 years. And this house never had filtration system before.

The company proposed that I install neutralizer to bring pH to 7.0. This part makes sense to me and requires installation of a tank (tank #1). However, they want to install a water softener to remove neutralizer (Calcite) from water to make it soft again (tank #2). To regenerate softener matrix, they need a third tank (tank #3) for backwashing that uses salt for regeneration. Their calculation is that I (two people) would use ~500 pounds of salt per year for regeneration process. I personally think that it is a waste, and not an environmentally friendly method.

Moreover, my google search tells me that there many companies suggesting that if my water pH is above 6.0, I should only need neutralizer, not additional softerner/baskwashing tanks.

I am wondering if anyone has comments on this. Thank you very much.

This may not be much help or have anything to do with your installation, but I was told this by a large water heater tank company 30+ years ago. "Very Soft water heated close to and above 140 degrees F. becomes very aggressive and has very detrimental effects on metals it comes in contact with". I do not know if this is true or not, that is what I was told. The next time you speak with someone in the water field, you could ask their opinion and could this be a part of your problem. Also, water with a PH below 7.0 becomes corrosive. I am not a water expert, this just what I have been told.


Can I "just" concrete over the existing gravel in this carport? Based on this annotated image, can I reasonably pour concrete over the existing gravel in this carport area? If no, would it be enough to add another 1-2 inches of fresh gravel first?

Some details. I'm supposing a depth of 4 inches with wire reinforcement. Also, I would dig down about eight inches in an 18-24 inch wide "lip", with additional gravel and rebar reinforcement, where the concrete slopes down to the asphalt drive. The area to the right leading to the stairs would also be dug and graveled, just not as deep.

I've considered the drainage implications and I'm satisfied with the french drain on the right. However I'm thinking the channel drain is not necessary.. or if installed, should be pitched so the flow goes to the right and NOT the left as I have shown it. (oops)

Should I worry about catching and channeling water between the concrete and the brick surfaces where they meet...particularly on the left side where there is no eave to prevent precipitation from entering the carport?

Two things about an exterior concrete slab.

Proper drainage. Pitch the slab slightly so the water drains away. 1/2" to 1" for 10' of run should be enough since it is covered.
Proper compaction. Make sure the material under the slab is properly compacted. If you believe it needs more sand or gravel for better drainage or to level the area, then that added material has to be compacted before placing the concrete. Sand or road-gravel compacts better than loose stone. Undisturbed gravel with compacted sand for extra drainage or leveling would work great. Top soil makes a poor base since living matter can be compressed, so it is removed and made up with road-gravel or sand. Since you have a base that is not top soil and has been compacted by cars and settled for years you don't have that problem.

You have a well thought out design.

Good luck!


How to unclog cast iron T drain for three sinks I have a common drain for three sinks the clogs 1-2x per year. All three sinks back up at the same time and slowly drain. Total distance between sinks is about 25ft. I suspect that the sinks share a common lateral drain pipe and a T comes off that (hidden in walls) to a visible diagonal drain (several bends) and then down. All interior piping. If I snake down a sink, it just goes across to the other sink.

I have cleared the clog by snaking up the diagonal drain pipe (~5ft from a removable coupling). But as stated in other posts, this is probably only creating a hole in the clog. The suspect T is not visibly accessible. The T is probably ~10ft from the closest sink. There's a roof vent somewhere along the lateral pipe.

I have tried running hot water down sinks on both sides of the drain, but that does not seem to help.

I don't want to damage the cast iron pipes or replace them at this time.

Any suggestions for clearing the bigger clog? Anything safe to pour down the sinks that would dissolve hair, scum, etc? I can poor from both sides with or without water in the pipes (~10ft to the T). It will sit there for a while and slowly drain.

Epilogue: I ended up replacing a one foot section of the drain pipe below the T with a clear piece of PVC pipe. I drilled a hole in the PVC pipe and covered it with a sliding rubber coupling. I can now run a snake up the drain pipe to the T area without removing the drain pipe. I also tried a water jet, but it was difficult to maneuver. I also periodically pour hot water and liquid soap down the sink drain to reduce potential blockages. Not ideal, but manageable.
Thanks for the suggestions!


Rattling noise in Bosch WFK2401UC Compact Washer on spin I have a compact Bosch stackable washer and dryer model #WFK2401UC. When it goes into the spin cycle, mainly when the revolutions are slower, it makes a rattling noise  like there is spare change rattling around in it.
I've had washers that get coins "stuck" in the washer drum fins  but I don't see how this is the case on this one. The fins seal pretty tight.
Some searches indicate that it's the bearings in the drum. I'm almost afraid to ask, What could the problem be?

I found the problem. Indeed it was change in the washer. I removed the lower trim panel, drained the water out (there is a small hose with a cap), then removed the cover for the pump. Out fell a penny. That's right, a single penny made all that noise. The edges of the penny were silver from rolling around in the pump area. What uncovered this process for me was the manual detailing how to clean the pump:
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/19311/Bosch-Wfk-2401.html?page=19#manual
What a relief! Machine works great, no issues or noise now!


Why am I reading less than nominal voltage on my receptacle? My master bathroom receptacle is showing the following voltages: Ground to Phase = 120.9V,  Ground to Neutral = 17.2V, and Phase to Neutral 94.6V. My question is why am I getting only 94.6 volts between Phase and Neutral?

you have dropped a neutral.
the white wire is gone.
also called a loose neutral.
check all receptacles on the circuit.
if its only the one. turn off power and check the wiring is tight.
if its tight replace
if its loose tighten. (you should replace anyways. loose connection could have caused damage)
if its all of them and you notice that lights are a little dim in that area of the house. start at the breaker panel and work your way through he circuit checking for loose connections.
a 3light plug checker may read hot-ground reversed on an open neutral not open neutral.
the good news is that your nice and grounded.


Clothes dryer causing humidity problems in garage - would extraction fan help? We have a double garage with a high ceiling which is also where our laundry is.

We have a problem with humidity in there due to the clothes dryer being in there which is used very regularly.

This is resulting in mould on the ceiling, and my tools going rusty.

We bought a dehumidifier and if that runs all day it extracts a lot of water but still doesn't seem to be able to keep up. Leaving the window open doesn't make any difference and even if I leave the garage door open for half an hour it doesn't help much.

I want to know if I add an extraction fan in the ceiling that draws air into the roof space is that likely to make any difference.

Also, if extraction fans draw the moisture into the roof space will that cause humidity problems in there instead?

You need to vent the dryer to the outside. Blowing moisture from your dryer, or bath vent, into the attic will cause mold and rot in your attic, possibly water damage on your walls and ceilings when it condenses, and may eventually cause roof damage. As a plus, venting the dryer outside can shorten your drying time and save some energy ($$$).


Can I really use construction adhesive to attach hardwood stair treads and risers? I've been considering removing the carpet from my stairs, and installing hardwood flooring instead.  While preparing for this project, I started watching YouTube videos.

A lot of the videos show guys simply sticking the treads and risers down, with only construction adhesive.  Is this a legitimate technique for installing hardwood stairs? Are modern construction adhesives really strong enough to hold the treads in place, without any other fasteners?

Simple answer... NO!!! As someone who's done a lot of hardwood flooring, as well as stairs, adhesives are not enough to hold a stair tread down. Treads should be attached with a combination of adhesive and nails. Nail length being a minimum of twice the thickness of your tread and of 16 gauge or larger.

You can just glue the risers but that's not something I'd personally do either. I'd use adhesive and a few Brad nails ( 18 gauge ) will suffice.

Most construction adhesives dry hard. And over time, simply break their bond to the stringer.


Why are my brand new, daylight led bulbs flickering? I love the (specifically daylight) led light bulbs; however I couldn't afford to purchase them for my entire house, all at once... So, I have been changing each one, as I can (or as the current bulb burns out).
I do not have even one dimmer switch, in my entire house
Until recently, I have never had a problem with any of these new bulbs.
It seems as though all of the bulbs I have used out of the most recent boxes purchased start flickering, a very brief time after "installing" them.
At first, I thought that maybe the box that I most recently purchased just happened to be a "bad batch", or something... However... It isn't just the one box. Or even two boxes, of the same, that could have possibly been part of the same batch from the factory.
It is happening with "flood light" type bulbs, for the can lights, throughout my house; as well as regular bulbs that I have replaced in ceiling fans, etc.
All of the other ones, previously put into my house, are still going strong. But, each and every new bulb I put in, starts to flicker (MAJORLY flicker). Sometimes within the same day of placing it in the socket.
What could be the reason for this?? It is A LOT of money, in light bulbs. Not to mention,  very frustrating.
Thank you, in advance, for any insight you can give me!!

Keep in mind that the LED bulbs made with Edison bases have the electronics in the base.  They produce heat.  Many fixtures out there mount the lamps upside down.  So the heat concentrates in the base and overheats the electronics.  Try one of those brand of bulbs that starts flickering in a table lamp (BEFORE it starts flickering of course) where the bulb is mounted in free air, right side up.  I will bet it won't start flickering.
Electronic parts are manufactured to run at different temperature levels.  Lower temp electronics are cheaper.  While Ed is right about the certification, even certified LED bulbs will run with a far longer lifetime if the bulb has good air circulation and heat dissipation and is oriented so the heat doesn't concentrate around the driver.  My preference would be that LED bulbs were certified in both "right-side-up-only" applications and "universal" applications. as the "right-side-up-only" ones would be cheaper and would allow the discerning consumer to save money.  Unfortunately too many consumers are ignorant and that scheme likely would not work out so well.


Space requirements for first subpanel and wiring preference I would like to install two subpanels and my main panel is full of breakers. Would it be better to feed both subpanels directly from main or have 1st subpanel off main and 2nd subpanel off 1st subpanel?

1st subpanel will hold the breakers that are moved out of main to make room for subpanel breakers and any future electrical expansion. The 2nd subpanel will feed four 20 amp duplex receptacles about 17 feet away. A E-mon Class 1000 meter will be installed on the feed to 2nd subpanel.

Looking at the picture can I put both subpanels side-by-side along the green line using 2005 NEC? The subpanels are 14" wide.

I plan for 1st subpanel to have a 100 amp breaker and 2nd panel 80 amp breaker. Current plans do not exceed 40 amps to either.

First, the space you plan is just fine for this use.  Wise to mount a 3/4" sheet of plywood (even better: something nonflammable) to the joists, simply to give them freedom to mount the panels, conduits and attachments as you please, instead of being forced to line it up to joists.

Most panels are 14.5" wide because joists are on 16" centers and 2x4's are 1.5" wide. This does not include the cover, which will overhang too much to put two panels in adjacent joist bays.   I don't like in-joist mounting anyway, as it wastes the dozens of side knockouts and forces you to cram everything in the top or bottom. Ugly.

The subpanels will come with neutral buses.  You will need separate ground buses - think about that when buying panels, some cheapie panels sell you the ground buses separately - costs more in the end, worst of both worlds!  If that main panel is a "CH", that's a fine type, you can reuse your breakers.

First Subpanel

As I mentioned, don't be bashful about making the first subpanel absolutely huge in number of spaces.  42-space is not excessive.  The problem is right now, buying 10 more spaces will cost you maybe $30.  Later, 10 more spaces will cost you a world of labor and finding a location for another panel.  Wildly oversizing the first panel means not ever needing a second.  As a bonus, larger panels come with more "bonus breakers".

Do not worry about the subpanel "amp rating"  It needs to be greater or equal to the breaker it's fed from, but it's totally fine to feed a 200A subpanel from a 100A breaker!

Another trick you can do with "subpanel #1" is groom it to be your future main panel.  In that case you'd buy a subpanel with a main breaker.  It's OK for the subpanel's "main breaker" to be larger than the breaker it's fed from.

Your subpanels do not need their own main breaker -- they are in the same building as the panel they're fed from.

I would run nice, big, fat, 1-1/2" or 2" EMT metal conduit between the main and subpanel #1, probably from the bottom. For two reasons - ease of pulling and room for expansion.  Use "conduit bodies" or prefab bends to round corners.  The metal is the ground which means you only need to pull 3 wires :)

I would install #1 AWG aluminum which is good for 100A.  Given the very short distance, I wouldn't object to the cost of #3 copper, but the lugs you'll be attaching to will be aluminum.  Why create a dissimilar-metal problem when you don't have to?

Second subpanel

I gather this power is for a server cluster or something that will draw most of its load continuously.

You want four 20A@120V circuits.  Most people wire their subpanels as 2-pole 240V/120V.  That would allow you to wire the four circuits evenly on two poles, so it would be 40A @ 240V.

  Wiring the subpanel as 120V only @ 80 amps is not a great plan.  It will create 80A of imbalanced load, which will create high stresses in everything in your electrical system including the power company's feed. Note the thing ThreePhaseEel says about downsizing neutrals - it breaks that. You will need twice as many spaces in your panel, as every other row will be dead.  And your breakers will be more expensive.

Since you see this as a very limited use panel, I'm ok with at least a 12-space panel so you have some breathing room.  As discussed, if you wire it as a 240V panel balanced, a 40A feed will suffice.

This can be wired with #8/3 AWG copper wire, but given the short distance, run #6/3 and you'll be able to bump it to 60A later.  I would just use cable rather than conduit in this case, since you have an intermediate device to attach to.  If running conduit through that makes sense, then sure, do EMT and let it be the ground :) But 3/4" conduit will limit you to #6 wire.

Subpanel #2 off main or subpanel #1?

I'm perfectly OK with feeding subpanel #2 off of subpanel #1.  However, this will add 40 (-80?) amps of demand to subpanel #2 and let's look at breaker prices for a moment.

40A breaker - $9
60A breaker - $9
100A breaker - $45
125A breaker - $85 and 4 spaces
150A breaker - $135 and 4 spaces

Yikes. Feeding off subpanel #1 will raise the cost of its breaker quite a lot, because it has to passthru an extra 40A guaranteed, so its breaker will be $80 more.  (now were you just mentally arguing with me about a 42-space panel being a needless expense? ;-)

I prefer to stay in "cheap breaker land" and feed sub #2 with a $9 breaker and sub #1 with a $9-45 breaker. (do you really need 100A if they are separately fed)?  I would still run the #1Al/#3Cu wire so you are 100A-ready.


What is the best way to insulate cold water copper pipes exposed on a flat roof in California We live in Los Angeles and have a flat roof that our hot and cold water copper pipes run across and are all exposed.  The cold tap water, in the spring, summer, and fall is so hot during the day.  Currently there is only black foam insulation on it.  I am thinking there has to be something that will reflect the heat off of the cold water copper pipes and insulate it too.

I would try white, silver, or foil pipe tape. Even for high quality tape, it is cheap. You can simply wrap it over the existing black foam.


Where to install a water conditioner? I want to install a water conditioner for the purpose of minimizing the sticking of minerals to the faucets and a shower glass. From what I read a catalytic water conditioner will do the job. I will be installing one of these.

I will be installed at a 5 story building. This is a European concrete block building with a flat roof. My apartment is on the 4th story and the water service installation is as follows:

City mains meter at ground level connects to a water tank on the roof of the building. This is a storage water tank and not a pressure tank.
Storage tank is connected to this pump which is also located on the roof of the building.
The pump is connected to the apartment on the 4th story providing adequate pressure.

It seems water flow is an important factor when choosing the water conditioner. I want to measure the water flow but I am getting  different results depending on where I measure. Where in line should I be installing the water conditioner?

At ground level or on the roof of the building before the storage water tank. I`m sure the water flow would fluctuate quite a bit here, also would minerals build up in the storage water tank? thus defeating the purpose? or once the water is conditioned minerals would not build up in the tank? The tank does get a quite a bit of heath from direct sunlight in the hotter months.
After the water storage tank but before the pump.
This option seems to be the most logical to me as the conditioner will possibly extend the life of the water pump and the conditioned water will not be sitting in the tank.
After the water pump installed at the roof of the building.
At this point there will be higher and constant pressure. I am not sure how important that is for the effectivity of the water conditioner.
After the water pump at apartment level on the 4th story. This is also an option, not sure if it makes any difference from option 3, possibly reduced pressure.

Also a follow up question, if installing after the water pump is it safe to use the pump maximum flow for selecting the water conditioner of should water flow be measured anyways?

I think you should reconsider reliance on unproven technology (magnetic water conditioning). There is a "lack of peer-reviewed laboratory data, mechanistic explanations, and documented field studies to support its effectiveness"

and "an internal study in 1996 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory found no difference in preferred crystal structure of scale deposited in magnetic water treatment systems", disproving hypotheses of proponents of the technology.


2 separate lights on two separate switches on one line - issue I have an issue where the far left 12/2 coming from the circuit has been used to power a dimmer switch to a light
Carry power from light to another light
The second light is controlled by another switch at the end of the run.
Issue - if 1st switch is off, the 2nd light will work from its switch. If 1st switch is on, the 2nd light wont work at all from its switch
Based on the diagram is there anyway to fix this issue without current wiring setup?

To have two switches/dimmer controlling two lights independently with the wiring we know you have:

The notation should be clear using your method, but if not, ask away.


Circular / Round Stair Case I'm building this circular staircase in Ontario Canada in a residential home. And am looking for some advice to make sure I'm meeting code. There seem to be lots of parameters when it comes to requirements.

Stringers will be glued and laminated once rough framed.

Do these steps meet code?

I've attached screenshots of my CAD designs. Any help is appreciated.

The code requires certain minimum and maximum dimensions for spiral stairs.

The Code defines the “walk line” as a distance 12” from the narrowest portion of the stair AND the tread must be a minimum of  7 1/2” wide. (See ICC R311.7.9.1)

The riser shall be uniform in height and a maximum of 9 1/2”.

The width of the stair shall be a minimum of 26” wide below the handrails. That is to say, the handrails cannot protrude into the 26”, but you can make the stairs wider and have the handrails protrude into that space. (See ICC R311.7.9)

Also, there shall be a minimum of 6’-6” headroom.

Handrails shall be not less than 30” above the nosing of the tread and not more than 38”. (See ICC R311.7.7.1)


How do safety labels on light fittings work with energy saving bulbs? My lamp says "Max 40W or Energy Saving 8W".

I have a halogen bulb which says "28W = 36W".

Is it safe to use with the lamp?  Why / why not?

(Sorry if the answer is easily available on the web - I did search before posting here!)

The safety concern is about heat, not light.  For the safety label concern, you can put 40 actual watts of whatever you want in there.

But the real world is a bit more complex.  Incandescent and halogen will run hot with little fuss.  CFL's and even more so LED's have electronics that degrade under heat, and LEDs loose efficiency with heat.  This is why both perform quite poorly in can lights and enclosed fixtures.

All that said your 28W halogen in a 40W fixture is just fine.
I'd stick to a 18W or less CFL or LED for operation heat (not safety heat) reasons.


How do I add a level gauge for 100 lb propane tank? I just got this 100lb propane tank, and I also got this two stage regulator. I want to add a gauge so I can check the tank level, I only find gauges that convert POL LP Tank Valve to QCC1 and that's not what I want. I found this gauge with regulators on Amazon, but it has terrible reviews.
Does anyone know a good solution? Please link if possible.
Thank you!

Put it on a scale.
The only thing that a pressure gauge tells you about a propane tank is its temperature, or that it's completely empty. The tank should have a "tare weight" marked on it (the empty weight) and if it weighs 100 lbs more than that, it's full.
Propane is transported as a liquified gas under pressure. So long as there is any liquid in the tank, pressure indicates tank temperature.
Weight will tell you how much has been used.
The traditional solution is TWO tanks, an indicator, and a valve that switches which tank is "primary" (and raises the indicator when it becomes empty) and which tank is "reserve" (which the valve draws from when the primary is empty.) You remove and refill the empty tank, and switch the valve (which causes the indicator to lower) to make the other tank "primary" until it's empty and you repeat.
Much larger fixed tanks typically have an internal float gauge to sense the liquid level, which is not terribly accurate, but generally good enough to tell you to call the truck and get it filled up before you run out. I've never seen one for small tanks.