Freezer periodically thawing out I have a ~18 month old refrigerator (a Whirlpool, french doors, similar to this model).  About two months ago we found that the freezer had largely thawed (as in, all of the food in it was thawed, ice cream melting out of the tub, ice packs not solid), and the refrigerator was over temp by several degrees; at the time the fridge was ~43-44 degrees in the morning at first check (before it was opened at all), eventually it hit more like 47-48.  The back of the freezer (behind the drawers) had significant amounts of visible ice, but the vents didn't seem blocked, though it seems like they must have been if there was a lot of ice along the freezer wall but nothing else frozen...

We called a repairperson, and he came and suggested that the thermistat that controled the defrost cycle was the issue.  After fully defrosting the fridge/freezer (leaving it unplugged for two days), he replaced it, and it worked fine for ~2 months.  I say okay, because the refrigerated section never really was as cold as we wanted; we set it to 34, and that let it get to 38 to 39, which was close (we prefer 37).

About two weeks ago, we found the freezer thawed again with ice on the back and the fridge at 41.  I emptied the freezer but took no other action; after three to four days, the freezer was able to hold temperature again and the refrigerator back to 39.  This held for about two weeks; yesterday it was again thawed and 41 in the refrigerator, though.

Does it sound like there are still defrost cycle issues here (and the main board needs replacing and/or another new thermostat), or is there something else going on here?  Are there any steps I can take before calling for service again?

I will note that I've been a bit concerned about the placement of the fridge in terms of ability to release heat - it's nearly fully enclosed by cabinet on one side, back wall on one side, and a thin cabinet-matching wood board on the third side, plus on top more cabinet-matching trim.  There's a few inches clearance in each direction but that's it.  The repairman didn't have any objections to the setup and thought it was fine, but I'm wondering if we need to figure out some way to get it some more air?  Or is this no longer really a problem with modern refrigerators?  Does this sort of problem match this type of cause?

Could be the defrost timer, the heating element, the defrost thermostat, or a combination of those. My previous fridge did this same thing...Old Kenmore. I replaced the defrost thermostat and the timer and it's been working fine for almost a year.


What materials can be used to prevent polyurethane glue from sticking to unwanter surfaces? I am making some board and batten shutters and am using four 5-inch boards to assemble each shutter (each board is ¾ x 5). Since they are going to be outside the house and exposed to the elements, I've decided that a quality polyurethane glue is probably the best choice for gluing the boards together. I also want the shutters to be reasonably flat, so I've decide to clamp them from all four sides (the flat surfaces and sides). For the flat surfaces I'm planning on using 2 x 3 boards with carriage bolts on the ends. But what I don't want happening is for those boards to get glued to the shutter.I originally thought I could prevent that from happening by using wax paper or aluminum foil, but after reading about the properties of polyurethane glue, which will bond just about anything to anything, I'm not sure those are practical choices. I even thought maybe polyethylene garbage bags might be a viable choice. They would probably still get glued to the shutter but could be sanded off afterward and should prevent the polyurethane glue from penetrating to the wooden clamp.Is this a viable alternative, and does anyone have any better suggestions?

The following is a carry over from a CNC video I saw many moons ago, but have lost the link.

Give the selected adhesive a sacrificial material on which to bond. Your thoughts of using plastic bags aren't far off, but let's add in a layer of adhesive that you can remove.

If you cover the clamping boards with wide painters tape where the glue is going to contact them, you'd be able to remove the tape from the clamping boards leaving the adhesive side exposed and likely mostly shredded.

If it's practical and possible to apply the tape to the shutter boards with the adhesive side pointing at the shutter boards, you may also reduce the amount of cleanup, as the tape will peel off, again possibly in shreds, leaving behind the tape adhesive and the extruded glue from the shutter joins.

You may be able to minimize the extruded glue by taping on one side the shutter boards along the entire length of the join while held together, then bending the taped joint open and applying the glue. When the boards are flattened, it would be easier to wipe off the glue from only one side, then apply more tape to keep that side from bonding to the clamping boards.


Is there any significant difference between 5-56 and WD-40? In Sweden, we mainly use 5-56 for "everything", but in the U.S. WD-40 seems to be the thing.

Both seem to penetrate deeply, dissolve rust and do some slight lubrication.

Just curious to the differences, if any any.

They are competing products that are both advertised to do the same five things (WD-40, CRC 5-56). It's not clear that one is any better than the other.


Storage Bench Possible with 3/4" Plywood/MDF? Is it possible to make the storage bench below using only wood glue, screws, and 3/4-inch plywood or MDF?

The only requirement is that it must support a 80lb kid sitting on it.  4.5" floor clearance is a must.  I don't think it would be strong enough (diagram is to scale).  Any ideas to make it stronger are much appreciated.  I'm in a remote area with limited tools (saw, drill, screws, glue, and 1 trip to home center)

ideas to make it stronger

Resisting vertical forces
Add a rail front and rear, inset from front and rear edges. The rail would be 31" wide x 2" high. Make it taller for greater strength.
Resisting lateral forces
The greatest weakness is lateral collapse by lozenging. Adding metal corner brackets or adding a back panel would prevent that. With an inset back panel you wouldn't need a rear rail.
Minimum would be an unobtrusive triangular wooden brace centrally at each end of the underside of the top, glued with tenons or plenty of dowels.


What could cause a crack in the drywall where the wall meets the ceiling? My wife and I bought our home 3 years ago. It is roughly 50 years old, and had recently been shored prior to our purchasing it. There were a few cracks in drywall here and there, nothing that wasn't easily patched and painted.  Six months ago, we had spray foam insulation installed in our attic, and since that time, I've noticed some cracks starting to appear once again, some in places I'd previously patched, some new. As I was inspecting a re-opened crack, I looked around the rest of the house, and found an interior wall where the seam where the all meets the ceiling has split, almost the whole way across the room. I'm wondering, what could cause that? Could it be related to the weight difference caused by the newly installed insulation in the attic? Could it be some natural settlement following the recent shoring job? We also had a drought for most of October through present, which could also cause some settlement issues.  I have visually inspected the slab, but I don't see where any significant cracks have appeared. Has anyone seen anything like that before, or had a similar experience?

You indicate that you have been in a drought since October.  Combine cooler weather, better insulated roof, and heat being on; the structural framing of the house may have shrunk.
I experience some "seasonal" cracking and shrinkage in my home.  See what it looks like in July/August, if the condition persists, consult a local experienced contractor.


Boiler not responding to external wired switch My boiler has suddenly stopped receiving signals from the external switch. (models listed below).
I'm trying to isolate the faulty component. There is no fault code on the boiler. It seems to be simply waiting for a demand. Water heating is fine and not operated by the switch. I'm able to get emergency heat (by pressing +/- buttons together).
The external unit is a wired, wall-mounted time switch. It appears to be functioning, in so far as it has power and lights up when the switch is supposedly asking the  boiler to fire. (CH ON)
I tried to eliminate a fault in the switch by manually jumping it. I removed it from the wall and connected the live to the "CH ON" terminal. No change. Did I do this correctly? The wiring looks like below. I connected 4 -> L (1 and 2 are not connected)

Further to the switch there are two motorised zone valves operated by remote thermostats. The remotes appear to be paired and working.
I tried to eliminate the valves by manually opening them. This works with the emergency heat boost, but doesn't affect the lack of signal from the switch.
I'm now contemplating whether to restore the control wiring to its factory state which the manual says was a link between two terminals on the PCB. Does this sound like a good idea?
What other things can I try to identify the fault?

Boiler: Valliant EcoTEC plus 937
Timer/Switch: Siemens RWB29
Thermostats: Siemens RDH100RF with RCR100/433 receivers.
Motorised values: Honeywell V4043H1056

I managed to isolate the fault down to the RF receivers. Both on the blink. Receiving ON signal but not opening the switches to their respective valves.
To do this I uninstalled both receivers and manually opened the valves, such that I had a basic setup of just the main time switch and no thermostat. Everything working.
Then I took one of the RF receivers and installed it in place of the time switch, using its remote as my room thermostat and timer. Intermittently the receiver failed to open its switch to the boiler. Giving the unit a whack tended to fix it!
So now I know which part was faulty.


Ethernet Gauge Too Small for Patch Panel I have run into a small issue when upgrading my home network's central hub with a larger switch and a patch panel.
While I was able to patch down most of the cables with no issues, one of the cables was refusing to work consistently. I tested it multiple times, patching and repatching it down, and each time I would get a few pairs to work and a few that failed. I tried it in multiple ports with no luck.
I took a closer look at the wire and realized that the gauge of the colored wires was actually a bit smaller than other wires I had (the other wires came off a spool which I ran myself, this one already existed in the house, both CAT6).
I came on here wondering if anyone had any advice on a method to patch this pesky cable down or whether I would just be better off terminating it with a jack and calling it a day.

If the cable won't terminate securely in the patch panel, it's either the cable or the patch panel that's out of spec.

If you're absolutely certain the cable and patch panel are Cat 6, Cat 6 may be made with either 23 gauge or 24 gauge conductors.  A good Cat 6 patch panel will accommodate either.  In fact even Cat 5 or Cat 3 cable will be made with 24 gauge conductors and will terminate securely in a Cat 6 panel, although it won't perform to Cat 6 levels.  Even quad or some thermostat wire would terminate securely since the gauge is in the working range.

A Cat 5 panel will typically handle Cat 6 made with 24 gauge wire without a problem, but you may ruin the jack punching down 23 gauge conductors.

There's lots of sub-standard cable out there.   A number of big online sellers were selling Chinese manufactured cable with counterfeit UL stamps etc.  Some was even copper coated aluminum or tin rather than plain copper conductors.  Maybe you got some of that.  There's also lots of low quality Cat 6 terminating hardware out there.

I'd try reterminating this cable in a surface mount box and jack from a good quality manufacturer - Leviton, Hubbell, Panduit, Siemon, etc. - try a Cat 6 jack first, then a Cat 5 jack.

If that doesn't work, replace the cable, but I'd test it in your panel before I ran it.


How to add a drip edge to a steel deck beam over a porch So I have rust and water damage from water rolling down from the curved porch beam into a porch ceiling.  I don't have the same problem with my top-floor porch since that has a roof above it.  The beam has rounded edges so it makes it especially easy for the water to roll around that corner into the ceiling.
My question: is there an easy and cheap way to add some sort of drip edge to this beam that's not too unsightly.   If there is a product made for this, even better since it would be ready-made.  I noticed that there is some automotive stick on drip edge that maybe I can add, but I wonder if there is an even better more appropriate way.  For instance, I've noticed if you put a string on an edge, even that can be enough sometimes to attract the drip flow of water.
Should I instead focus on adding a drip edge to the tile floor above the beam?  If so it would it have to be a significant overhang to protect the entire beam, as any water that still lands on the beam will roll into the ceiling below?  I only want to stop the water from rolling into the ceiling.  I don't mind if the water drips down and puddles below the beam.

Consider a run of magnetic weatherstripping:

Source
You could back it with thin double-stick tape for an even more secure hold. Prep the metal a bit so it's smooth and clean.


Waterproof Bathroom wall I need to waterproof my bathroom wall

The tiles only go half way up and when taking a shower -
There’s usually quite a lot of splash back

I was wondering if I could just put stick back plastic on the surface closest to the shower head ?

If your from the uk it’s the type of stuff you were made to put on your work books

It sounds like you're talking about adhesive-coated flexible plastic that one would laminate with. My guess is that you'd have a tough time keeping it properly stuck to the wall. I'd instead recommend a rigid sheet plastic product, one with some thickness, such as this 1/16" x 4' x 8' plastic panel from Home Depot. Cut it to size, glue it in place, and caulk the edges. Should be much more durable.


Replace section of copper heating-loop w/ pex I need to replace a short (less than 5 feet) of a 3/4" hydronic copper piping loop. Can I substitute 3/4" PEX for the copper?  Is there a flow-volume or any other issue?

Flow shouldn't be an issue. You can check the table here for copper and here for PEX to see how much pressure you'll lose per a given length of pipe. Copper and PEX are very similar.


Should columns supporting a beam be fastened to the floor? I am trying to take down a load bearing wall and have had an engineer draw plans and advise I use a steel beam and columns to support the floor above.
Do I need something to secure the columns to the floor so they do not move or can the rest direct into the concrete floor?
I live in Scotland which tends to have different laws than the rest of the UK.

columns 90 x 6.3 SHS
beam 178 x 102 x 19 UB

The beam will have JJI joists resting on it. I have a 3 floor terraced house and the work is being carried out on the ground floor.

Either the plate with bolt holes as suggested.

Or you could bolt some blocks to the floor on each side of the beam to stop it moving - especially if it does not have a plate already.

But some method of stopping it moving too easily is sensible - "just in case"...


Use a concrete core drill (6") on plaster lath? I'm installing a range hood vent through a double brick wall, so I need to rent a core drill and 6" core bit. Would it be possible/advisable to use the same bit to cut through the plaster and lath (NOT drywall) on the interior wall? I would do it handheld (vs mounted as with the exterior wall) and go really slow.

No, it will bounce and chatter as the wood laths move.

So I would look at stitch drilling around the circle by hand with a small drill and trimming up after. Lath with plaster is difficult to work at the best of times.


Messed up shed concrete pier foundation - wrong spacing. Does my plan to fix this look realistic? Hmm. So here's the situation. I've ordered a 10x16 shed and decided to build concrete piers foundation. Iv'e used shed manufacturer instructions but messed up the piers positioning.
As you can see I've positioned piers 2 feet away from the shed edge as opposed to 1 ft... (facepalm)

So in order to fix this I plan to use sistered 2x8s instead of 6x6 as suggested by the construction plan. Shed floor has five 4x4 runners which I think will help to distribute the weight (see schematic here) and offset the fact that piers are further from the edge.

Do u guys think this will work?

Nvm. talked to couple of construction guys  that told me Ill be fine -> as long as I use sistered and glued together 2x8s. So I'll go with that.


Water in Basement - Help! We live in flood plain area and we have a high water table. For some reason our home has a basement. We have lived there almost 15 years and our basement has flooded 3 times when it rains a lot. There is a hole for a sump pump, but the first time it rained and filled up we had like 2 feet of water for like 3 weeks, despite having 2 sump pumps going continuously. I guess it has to dry out enough outside and the water table has to go down before the water will stay out of the basement. I believe the water comes in through a few cracks in the floor and maybe the hole where the sump pump goes. The walls are cinder block and the ceiling is drywall.
So what can be done to stop the water from coming in? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

I don't know if our home has foundation waterproofing.
In 2005 when it really rained a lot for days on end is when we used 2 sump pumps and I think the reason they couldn't keep up is due to the water table being higher due to all the rain. So I think that even though we were pumping the water out of the basement, water kept coming through the floor because the water table was so high. Again, the times it has flooded, it has been a lot of water over 3 or 4 days so I wouldn't say it was moderate rain. We are at the bottom of a hill and there are 3 homes on the hill and the water comes off the hill onto our property. Even after it quits raining, water continues to come off the hill for a few days. Also, there is a pond across the street from us that they just dug down and hit water and there is a creek near us as well. Thanks for the advice.

The sump pail is there precisely because you can't prevent water from coming in, at least under the slab. It's unclear whether your home has foundation waterproofing installed.

It's also unclear why two sumps couldn't keep up. In all but the worst scenarios, one pump should be adequate, and it should only run every few minutes at most. If you have pumps running constantly due to moderate rainfall, you have bigger concerns. Is the landscaping around your home sloped the wrong way? Does your neighborhood's topography result in heavy flow through your yard? Is your home located in a lake or pond?

I do appreciate that you thought to mention the makeup of your ceiling. That successfully conveyed the scope of your problem. Unfortunately, a sump pump won't help if the water gets that deep.


Understanding the markings on a Fuse Does anyone know what amp fuse is in a Heath/Zenith security motion sensor outdoor light has. The unit has a little fuse which is ceramic type fuse with markings on the silver ends, with ( F2H 250V ) on it. I have looked everywhere but no joy.

Picture from here i.e. top of the list when googling "fuse marking F2H".
It's a 2 amp fast acting fuse with high rupture current rated for 250 volt AC circuits. To find one you also need to measure it's length (often 20 mm). Common sizes: -


How do I wire a 1/2 switched receptacle? I am changing receptacles and one of them is 1/2 switched. I have the red to the brass screw and the whites to the silver ones and it keeps tripping the breaker. I swapped the whites to make sure I hadn't crossed them and same result ( i put them back to how they were -one across from the red and one diagonal from it) I have also changed two others on the same circuit that are not switched. The tabs on the old receptacle were not broken off. where am I going wrong?

At least one of the tabs on the old 1/2 switched outlet (the hot side) must have been snapped off, or it couldn't be 1/2 switched, it would have to be all switched.

You describe only 3 wires (2 whites + one red), but there should be 2 non-white wires: one always-hot wire for the unswitched side of the outlet (should be black), and one switched hot wire (could be red or black) that comes from the switch for the switched side. I'm assuming that it is not a switched neutral circuit (which is uncommon and generally not safe).

Did one of the white wires have black tape or other marking to signify that it's actually a hot? Maybe one of those white wires is actually a hot wire, which, if you're putting them on the same side of the outlet would explain why the breaker keeps tripping since you'd be shorting the white-hot wire to the white-neutral wire. Even if it's not marked as hot, the marking may have fallen off (or it may never have been marked).

One way to test for this is to disconnect all of the wires from the switch and let them hang out of the box, tape or wire-nut the exposed ends of all wires, then turn on the power.

Then, use a non-contact voltage tester to see which wires are hot, flip the switch to identify the switched hot. If you do find that one of the white's is actually a hot wire, mark both ends securely with black tape.

If you do find out that one of the white wires is an unmarked hot,make sure that both of the hots (the switched hot and unswitched hot) are coming from the same breaker, if you have hot wires from 2 separate circuits sharing one neutral, you could have an unsafe condition.


How can I determine if a mirror is tempered glass or not? I have a full wall vanity mirror (70" x 42") in my bathroom wall. I need to drill some holes through it in order to install a vanity light. I realized that if the mirror is made from tempered glass it might shatter completely if I try to drill on it. The mirror probably is construction grade installed originally when the house was built in 1988.

Is there any way to tell if a mirror is made from tempered glass or not, without breaking it, and assuming that there are no "tempered glass" labels anywhere?

First really look for the watermarks.  These are usually ultrafaint in a corner.  They could even be upside down.

Second look for any chips on the edges.  If there are chips it isn't tempered.

Third if you need the hole just drill it.  Use the smallest bit you have to start and work your way to the size you need.  Wear gloves but putting a tiny hole in tempered glass will probably cause a shatter but probably not the whole sheet.   There is probably a 1% chance this is tempered if that as a vanity has no code requirement for that and I don't know of builders willing to pay triple for no reason.


Cause of Voltage Drop I am trying to identify the cause of a voltage drop. When there is a high load, it seems to affect the voltage throughout the house - dropping as low as 170v (from 230v) - clearly this isnt good.

I have a multimeter. Anywhere in the house I take the reading is showing the reduced voltage. If i take it on the consumer unit, it shows the reduced voltage. If i take it on the breaker connected to the meter, it shows the reduced voltage. When I reduce load, the voltage goes back up.

Does this sound like this is something in my house, or it it an upstream issue with the load? Is there any way I can identify where? Ive tried tripping breakers, but obviously that reduces the load from that circuit, thereby bringing the voltage back to normal levels, making it hard to isolate the problem circuit (if it is a specific circuit at all).

You may have a lose connection at the main or in the meter. Check the areas above the branch breakers. Particularly at the main breaker the main bus below the breaker and the lugs at the meter. Look for signs of overheating or burnt insulation. Also if you have an infrared thermometer look for hot spots the drop could be coming from the internal parts of a breaker. Picture attached for an example.

It may not look as bad but it will in time. If you find the location you need to replace that piece of equipment asap.

Good Luck


Will a fan motor run in reverse if the receptacles polarity is reversed? Recently installed a range hood and it's not sucking up smoke very well. It's been uninstalled and checked for obstructions and none have been found. The dampers are opening and closing properly. One at the unit the other on the roof top vent. The unit is a four speed fan (450 to 920 cfm). Using a facial tissue I have to move said tissue to within 1" of the range hood to get it to suck up. I'm no electrician but can follow simple instructions after 40 years of handyman work. The only thing left to my mind is that the fan is running in reverse. So once again my question is: If the receptacle I have plugged this unit into is reversed polarity would that cause the fan motor to run in reverse?

Just crappy fan design and misleading ratings (450-920 cfm with no duct at all, and terrible fall off with any normal resistance - or else it's an outright lie.) What is your actual duct arrangement (size, length, number of turns?)

If the fan was running in reverse, the tissue would be blown away, not sucked up from any distance. A/C motors run on current that reverses polarity many times per second, and their direction of operation is not affected by that.

Either return it, or scrap the fan and replace with a quality duct fan designed for range hood service (grease, moisture, heat) - might as well go for quiet as well while you are investing in quality.


Is there a standard for marking wires negative/positive? I'm rewiring some 2"x2" solar panels, I see the place the wires are supposed to be connected, and they're marked with a "+" and a "-" sign.  I look through my bin of wires, and see a bunch that will work for me (two wires joined together so that one is positive and the other negative).

However, some have a black wire and a white one, some are black and yellow, some are yellow and black, red and white, both the same... In the case that they are both the same color, I've marked one wire myself.

Is there a standard for which color should be positive?  For example, you have two wires that are the same color, but one is knotted at the ends.  Is there a standard that says something like "the knotted one is always negative" or "red is positive".

I know that if there is a high risk involved, then I shouldn't make an assumption, but is there a "right" way?

If one of the conductors is intentionally grounded then the National Electrical Code requires that it be colored white or gray. Refer to Article 200 for the grounded conductor and Article 690 for the PV system.

For ungrounded DC conductors supplying circuits operating at more than 60 volts the 2017 National Electrical Code requires red for positive and black for negative or other methods that are described in Article 210.5(C)(2) for branch circuit wires and 215.12(C)(2) for feeders as ThreePhaseEel points out in the comments below.

Good luck!


Is 8/3 stranded wire ok to power a 100amp subpanel? I have an old 220 (8/3 stranded with grnd) line off the main box from a stove that I don't use anymore (we have gas now). I want to use it to install a subpanel in my attic. The subpanel is 100amp, 6 space (12 circuit, main lug, indoor). The old stove line is coming off a 40amp double pole breaker in the main box. The main box is 200 amp. I have an existing 3" PVC tube up to the attic which is 30' away (coaxial, romex). The attic has vaulted ceilings well over 6.5' and is currently temp controlled. I plan to run an additional floor AC unit (900 watt, 8amp) and 3 - 1000watt tank heaters. I want to make any changes to what is above mentioned to make sure I don't burn up. Help!

Ideally, the plan is to have 5 - 15a circuits (3 in use regularly, 1000watt heaters) and 1 - 20a circuit (AC 900watt, 8amp. As needed for backup to main system) at the subpanel. The other 2 circuits not mentioned would be used for small electronics. How many watts is each circuit capable of handling?

Edit -  Would using two smaller amp breakers in place of the 40 amp double pole reduce EVERYTHING in question, and enable me to use romex in the same tube with the rest? I would also switch to 1- 1000watt heater and 3- 300watt MAX. If so, would I not need the panel?

Take that subpanel back

I know the panel is marketed as "12 circuit (6 space)".  This is bold-faced lying. This claim depends on using "double-stuff" breakers (2 breakers in 1 space) which cannot support GFCI or AFCI, required in almost every circuit today. Who cares, though?  I need 6, I have 6. True, that's fine for today.  But look how quickly you came up with this idea.  Tomorrow you could come up with another idea that needs some more spaces.  As R.M.E. discusses, you are electrically undersubscribed (especially if you go 300W for the heaters).  Or you could later upsize the supply wire.

Swapping a panel is a nightmare job, and you pay for the panel twice.  The right time to upsize the panel is when you buy the first one.   I for one like to finish a job such 60% of the spaces are still unused.  So here, a 16 or 18 space panel would be my minimum.   Also, larger panels come with free "starter" breakers - and if a panel is $35 extra but comes with a $40 AFCI breaker, that's a win. Another win is when a panel comes with the mandatory ground bar(s) instead of chiseling you for another $8 for it.

Subpanel requirements

I smell the influence of big-box stores here.  Buy cable staples there.  Complex things like this, go straight to a proper electrical supply house. Their staff gives good advice, most are competitive on price, and they stock a wide variety so they are able to sell you exactly the right thing.

The panel must have a separate neutral and ground bar.  The neutral bar will be tied to ground/chassis, and you'll need to remove that tie.

The panel needs to be at least 40A obviously; larger is fine.  A 200A panel can handle 40A.  Since you're in the same building, main-lug is fine, main breaker is also OK, and the main breaker size doesn't matter. (>=40A obviously).

AFCI/GFCI

Attics are ambiguous so you'll need to have a conversation with your AHJ (that's Authority Having Jurisdiction, or your local electrical inspector) about whether you need AFCI, GFCI or both on these receptacles.  Since I doubt you're gingerly stepping on open joists at peril of putting your foot through the ceiling drywall, I rather expect this attic is at least partially finished.  If it's finished enough to be livable space, then it definitely needs AFCI and that needs to be in the panel (or right next to it in an awkward deadfront configuration) since AFCI's main job is protect the wiring after the panel, and as such, stop house fires.

Given the presence of water and a heater immersed in water, GFCI also seems like a pretty good idea, but that can happen at the receptacle.

Cable

The 8/3 cable (also with ground, meaning 4 wires in total) will suffice for 40A, the breaker you already have there.  If you need to extend the cable, remember you must make splices inside a junction box!  And the junction box cover must remain accessible without tools (pulling an oven out is OK).

Also beware the building codes: Some Codes require that you provision a 40A service to the oven location even if you aren't using it right now.  You are still OK if it is legal for you to remove the subpanel and its extra circuits and doing so won't violate any other building or electrical codes (e.g. location of receptacles).

That "conduit"

You're not using it as conduit.  You're using it as a protective shield to protect the cable from damage. That means you do not need to foll the rules of the "conduit wiring method", but do need to follow the rules of the "non-metallic cable wiring method".

You simply cannot have data cables running with power cable. You also can't have low voltage (thermostat, doorbell) cables run with power cables.  If you are installing raceway and anticipate sending both power and data up it, install 2 raceways at least 4" apart.

Since you're in split-phase 120V/240V power, this is simple: generally you can't have more than 4 circuits running together without having to painfully derate their capacity. Exactly 4 circuits is OK if wire size is #8 or smaller.  For larger wire, you have to get out the sharp pencil and  run the numbers.  (The derate rules actually apply to 2 circuits or more, but that's only an issue for heavy feeder.)

Subscribing your power

First, what you have (4-wire, 40A) is 240V x 40A = 9600 VA of available service.  If you are using 120V, you have two 120V "legs" of 40A each, or 4800 VA per leg. Do everything you can to balance the circuit, overloading 1 leg will cause both legs to trip down at the main panel.  Re-read my answer on "double-stuff" breakers above for how poles are laid out inside panels, for more info on balancing.

A "continuous load" (potentially on for 3 hours or more) must be derated by 125% (i.e. a 1000W load counts as 1250W).  Only you know your setup, but I assume if a 1000W tank heater ran at full power for 3 hours solid, you'd have fish soup.  So I'm not derating those, correct this if I'm wrong.  For a resistive heater, watts = VA.

A/C: 8A x 120V = 960VA x 125% = 1200VA
Heaters: 1000W = 1000VA ..... x3 = 3000VA (on at the same time after a power outage; otherwise intermittent). Now if the heaters are continuous loads, they count as 1250VA each.

So your installed, known loads take 4200VA (derated) out of 9600VA available, leaving 5400VA for your two receptacle circuits.  You're fine.

In fact, I would pencil in 500VA for each receptacle circuit, and then you're at 54% of circuit capacity.  I'm worried you have too few spaces, because this can support more.

By the way, this sort of "oversubscribing" panels - having 95A of breakers in a panel being supplied with 80A - is totally normal at much higher ratios than this.  Use known loads if you know them, but for the loads you can't know, you pretty much count on not every circuit being used to the max at the same time.

If, indeed, you do not need to derate the tank heaters, you may be able to get away with 2 of them (1000VA each, derated) on a 20A circuit (2400VA).  This could save you some money on AFCI/GFCI.  One tank plus the A/C (1200VA, derated) would total 2200VA and would also fit on a 20A circuit.


How can high and low voltage be mixed in a junction box? So I'm aware of the standard rule of thumb, keep high and low voltage away from each other, preferably on opposite sides of a stud. However, while looking at some properties, I'm seeing telephone and cable lines in the same junction box as an electrical outlet. Under what conditions is this permitted by NEC?

High and low voltage conductors in the same junction box must be separated by a barrier. Outdated NEC reference: 800-52(a)(1)c.1.Exception 1.

In the typical dbl. gang box installation, power in one half and phone and data in the other, there needs to be a partition in the box separating the two classes of conductors.


Best way to install light switch inside the bathroom which is currently outside I have a light switch installed outside the bathroom which I would like to install inside the bathroom so I can install a motion sensor light switch.

What is the best way to do this? Should I install a 3-way switch or remove it from outside and move it inside?

If possible I would like to have the fan and light turn on from the same sensor switch but the fan and light are on 2 different circuit breakers.

I doubt your fan and light are on two separate breakers.  It's more likely you meant to say they're on two separate switches.

If they really are on two breakers, they must be controlled by two separate switches, or you might re-wire it to feed one of them from the others switch, which would essentially be moving that load to the other breaker, and may negate the need for one of those breakers.

As for how to do the work?

If the wall is clear and unobstructed on the opposite side of the wall where the current switch is, you may be able to remove the switch and protect the wiring, then very carefully destroy the box piece by piece, around the wiring using a drill and sawzall.

Then cut a hole on the opposite side of the wall lining up with where the original box was, and install an 'old work' box there, threading the wiring into it.

Then patch the hole where the switch used to be.

Reinstall the switch or switches that were in the box, and enjoy.


Cheap solution to unscrew and screw back a refillable lighter valve (to clean a lighter) Here is the valve that need to be unscrewed:

the lighter:

I have seen some expensive solution, and I'm not even sure they would fit since those valve and removal tool might not be standard.

I have tried with 2 small slotted screwdrivers, but without success.

Any idea?

(A low quality gas that contain impurity blocked the valve)

Go to basement, garage sale, or thrift store and pick up an old, regular screwdriver about the right size to fit the slot in the lighter.
Use a file, hacksaw, angle grinder or mototool type device to cut a slot in the screwdriver. Make the slot big enough to fit around the gas nipple.
Unscrew as needed.


Kitchen outlet/receptacle issue On the outlet of my dishwasher/disposal one of the receptacles is open hot. (I tested with a gfci tester). The disposal works in this receptacle. When I plug the disposal into the other receptacle the disposal starts running (without use of wall switch). Why does it start the disposal unit on this receptacle and not the other (open hot)? And why would open hot be used to connect outlet?

Open hot is expected if that outlet is controlled by a switch (while the switch is off), which is typical of garbage disposals.

You say that in one receptacle "the disposal works" and in the other "it starts running", so I will assume "works" means "is controlled by the switch as expected", and that your question is just why this is so.

Here's what this circuit typically looks like:

  Note the white neutral wire is connected (by the "tab") to both top and bottom of the outlet. Also, for simplicity, this diagram doesn't show ground wires, or a neutral wire going to the switch (which is required since NEC 2011).

When the switch is open, there is no hot connected on the top outlet, hence the tester seeing 'open hot'. If you turn the switch on, you should see a normal working circuit (same on both top and bottom).


Why is there an extra plastic container in my toilet tank? I recently bought an older house, and the toilet tank is leaking.  In exploring the issue and googling around for toilet repair, I saw no mention of one of the parts that is in my toilet tank.  Within the tank, there is a smaller plastic container that surrounds the flush valve.  It seems to restrict the amount of water that ends up being used per flush, so perhaps it was added to reduce water consumption?  What is this thing, and how does its presence affect my approach toward replacing the different pieces of the toilet?

I believe that you are correct and that the container was added to reduce the amount of water used per flush. As for whether it will affect your fix - it might. If the tank is leaking then unless it is cracked then there are only two places that it could be leaking from - where the inlet connects to the tank or where the tank connects to the bowl. If it's leaking from the inlet valve then the container would have no effect other than giving you less space to work. If it's leaking form the spud washer (the rubber gasket between the tank and bowl) then you may need to remove it to get to the bolts that hold the tank to the bowl (though it appears that the container has indentations that go around the bolt heads so again it may just come down to the only effect being a more cramped space to work).


What caused a stuck tub drain stopper linkage and how do I fix it? I have a tub and shower combination. It has a plunger stopper assembly which was not holding water and the lever would not function correctly. I removed the assembly, cleaned it with vinegar and replaced it. The assembly including the lever seemed to work OK as I was testing it, but then the plunger became stuck. The linkage is free but I can not raise or turn the plunger.

What caused my problem, and how do I fix it?

My guess is that one of two things happened:

The vinegar refreshed the rubber seals and they have stuck
The bottom of the plunger didn't get hooked on the nub of the linkage that comes through the pipe

If you can get back to where the linkage comes in to the pipe, there should be a threaded collar that holds it in place. Pull that bad boy loose and the rod should pull out of the pipe. If you have enough room there, you can stick a small screwdriver in and try to push the plunger back up. You'll notice that there's probably a loop on the bottom of the plunger assembly. As mentioned in point #2 above, the nub of the linkage should extend through the drain pipe and into that loop. This will allow the linkage to move the plunger up and pull it back down.

If that all fails, you probably need to replace the drain pipe assembly. They're relatively common things to buy at hardware stores, but the replacement process can be challenging. If this makes you nervous beyond your capabilities, I suggest calling a plumber.


6.3 kW 240V Advantium Oven and 4.5kW 140V wall oven hard-wired to 50 amp breaker I am replacing a 15-year old advantium oven and wall oven with updated units.

The existing ovens are hard-wired into a junction box that runs to a single 40 amp breaker.

The new Advantium is 6.3kW at 240V and the oven is 4.5kW at 240V. I have read the installation recommendations/requirements online and a 30 amp dedicated breaker is supposed to be used for the Advantium and 20 amp for the oven. That would require cutting holes in the wall to add wire to run a new breaker.

So, do I really need to do that, or can I use a 50 amp breaker. The wire is 6 gauge. They would be running at the same time (Not every day, but a few times per week)...

This isn't as straightforward as it seems...but it turns out you're OK in the end

The original installer of your oven setup leaned on the NEC provisions for tap conductors in circuits feeding cooking appliances, found at 210.19(A)(3) Exception 1:

  (3) Household Ranges and Cooking Appliances. Branch-circuit conductors supplying household ranges, wall-mounted
  ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, and other household
  cooking appliances shall have an ampacity not less than the
  rating of the branch circuit and not less than the maximum
  load to be served. For ranges of 8.75 kW or more rating, the
  minimum branch-circuit rating shall be 40 amperes.

  Exception No.1: Conductors tapped from a 50-ampere
  branch circuit supplying electric ranges. wall-mounted
  electric ovens, and counter-mounted electric cooking units
  shall have an ampacity of not less than 20 amperes and
  shall be sufficient for the load to be served. These tap conductors include any conductors that are a part of the leads
  supplied with the appliance that are smaller than the
  branch-circuit conductors. The taps shall not be longer
  than necessary for servicing the appliance.

This means that the general outline of your setup, while not recommended by the installation instructions for your new oven, does comply with the NEC.  To figure out whether the new oven is allowed, we then turn to Table 220.55, applying Note 3 to the combination load of two ovens, one 6.3kW and one 4.5kW:

  Over 1.75 kW through 8.75 kW. In lieu of the method provided in Column C, it shall be permissible to add the nameplate ratings of all household
  cooking appliances rated more than 1.75 kW but not more than 8.75 kW and multiply the sum by the demand factors specified in Column A or
  Column B for the given number of appliances. Where the rating of cooking appliances falls under both Column A and Column B, the demand
  factors for each column shall be applied to the appliances for that column, and the results added together.

Given that both appliances fall within Column B, and that the table gives us a 65% demand factor for 2 appliances in that column, this means that while the two appliances sum together to 10.8kW, the Code-computed load on the circuit is actually 7.02kW due to the demand factor. This means that the 40A breaker is sufficient for the circuit, even with the new ovens installed; however, since your wire is 6AWG, you can bump the breaker to 50A safely.


Does using central heating increase water usage? Its most likely a very trivial question but central heating systems aren't something i'm familiar with, I've had a good dig around on the internet and cannot find any reference that states that specifically using central heating consumes water, not considering any other form of water consumption e.g. using the shower.

Only if you have a humidifier installed, and in that case it would be a very small quantity.

To determine whether your system has a humidifier, examine the primary ducts near the furnace unit. Look for a tray or housing with a water line and possibly a power cord.

Here's an example. Notice the unit attached to the intake duct. It has a copper supply line and a PVC drain line.


Thin flat cabinet door pull that mounts on the edge of the door rather than the face I vaguely recall long ago seeing flat plastic or metal door pulls that mount to the edge of the door rather than the front face of the door. The long front protruding edge of the pull is rounded for better grasp.
These are meant for cabinet doors that mount flush to the edge of the cabinet rather than closing on the outside of the cabinet. They lend a sleek modern minimalist look.
Am I crazy or do these exist?
If they exist, where/how might I get some? What are they called?
I searched HomeDepot.com web site, and asked two human staffers, but no luck.

Edge pull
I think you might be referencing what is commonly called an edge pull. There are many manufacturers, each with their own selection of styles and finishes. This one (not an endorsement) is made by a fairly steady cabinet hardware company called Amerock:


What type of adhesive should I use to attach metal to vertical tile? I'd like to attach a magnetic, metal knife rack to a tile splashback in my kitchen. The tile is glazed white and the attachment points on the rack are small (about 0.9 sq in of metal). The rack weighs 2.5lb and with the knives and a margin for error, we're looking at about 5.25lbs total weight.

I've been looking at Loctite, Gorilla Glue, and everything Henkel makes, but I'm having trouble hitting:

Works on metal & glazed tile
Water resistant enough to be behind the sink
Sets up quickly enough for a vertical application
Removable (this is a rental)

I've looked at:

Cyanoacrylate gel adhesives, but I can't tell if they can handle being sprayed with water.
Epoxies, but they aren't removable.
Polyurethane adhesives, but they don't work vertically.

Thoughts?

If I had to install something like that without mechanical fasteners I'd try a product called Lexel. It's silicone based so it's good in wet conditions and sticks to pretty much anything, but it gets harder than traditional silicone so it forms a bond that's scary strong. Having said that, relying solely on an adhesive in an application like this is not recommendable. Ceramic tile is really good at not letting stuff stick to it,  and a falling knife rack is the stuff of my nightmares. A couple hollow wall anchors will buy you a lot of piece of mind.


Does dimming preserve the life of LEDs? I recently installed some decorative LED shelf lighting (specifically these if it makes a difference).  The manufacturer says they will last 50,000 hours, where "last" means maintaining 70% of lumen output. (I realize this might be inaccurate.)

I would like to keep these lights on most of the time.  Question:  If I keep them dimmed, will they last longer?

More specifically:  If I keep them at half-brightness, will they last twice as long?  Or somewhat less than that?  Or no longer at all?

Here's what doesn't apply to you, but does apply to most consumer LEDs (sold as primary lighting devices, i.e. screw in bulbs, fluorescent replacements etc):

They are significantly overdriven from spec, for instance an LED will be sold as a 10 watt emitter, however the datasheet will spec it for baseline performance at 1050ma at around 3.3 volts - now hold on, that's only 3.6 watts, not 10! As you read on, you discover they achieve the "10 watt" nameplate by driving it at 2800ma at 3.6 volts, which is allowed, but with lower efficiency and higher junction temperatures requiring bigger heatsinks.    Of course that overdrive figures into the LED's life, as the higher junction temperature is one factor in lamp aging.

The other factor is the driver circuit which converts 120/230VAC into the low-voltage, constant-current the LED emitter requires.  For a packaged consumer product, this driver circuit is the weak link in the chain, and is the likely cause of death, especially since there are so many ways for bottom shelf brands (FE, UT, LoA) to cut corners here.

In that light, here's what does apply to your LED strip accent lighting.

Those strips usually run on 12VDC or sometimes 24VDC, but they don't include that complex driver circuit.  They use a simple, bulletproof resistor for current limiting.  Those strips don't have cooling fins, so they don't overdrive the LEDs much.  The resistor is also sized for worst-case 14V (or 28V), which is what a car's alternator is putting out to charge the battery.  At actual 12V they derate considerably - I've seen a 16 foot "24 watt" strip drop to 15 watts actual. These factors combine to make them dimmer than they could be, but conversely, more long-lasting.

Generally, DC LED strip installations have an AC power supply that is a separate item.  It is a failure point, but you can replace it separately.

The other thing is, people really have no idea how long LEDs will actually last.  The numbers they throw down are guesses.  Realistically they will probably last a lot longer than claims made, but the claims are tempered to avoid appearing unrealistic.  My rule of thumb is your installation won't live long enough to see the LED fail - you'll modernize, sell the home or die!

The upshot is, you're already in pretty good shape, and so dimming will help, but not a lot.

I would say the bigger reason to dim it is that lights bright enough to be useful workspace lighting would be annoyingly bright as ambience lights.


What is the proper procedure for replacing rusted toilet anchor bolts? I have a 1.6 gallon American Standard toilet that rocks a little from side to side.  Upon closer examination, it looks like at least 1 (or both) of the anchor bolts are loose (they had corroded material under them and I can turn the bolt (not just the nut) so I'm convinced something is corroded.

I'd like to replace the bolts but I'm concerned that this is going to be opening a proverbial can of worms so I'd like to know what I'm getting myself into.

Specifically, I have two questions:

Where do these bolts attach to at the bottom? To the flange itself? Or directly to the subflooring?
What's the proper way to replace anchor bolts?

The anchor bolts almost surely attach through the toilet flange.  This diagram shows the general layout.  (Click here for more detail.)

That image is part of U.S. Patent 7069603 showing who-knows-what.  Here is what the flange and closet fitting have looked like in new construction for the last 20 years or so:

(photo uploaded by user "molo" and posted here.)

The six small holes are for fastening the flange to the flooring and indirectly to the subfloor.  The two enlongated circular slots are for the heads of the bolts to slip under to fasten down the toilet.  Shown with a new wax ring they should look like this:

 (posted by "adams444" here.)

Replacing these are simple in theory.

Buy a wax ring which are about $3.  Buying two would not be overkill (see details further down for why).  There are also kits with replacement anchor bolts for about that much again.
Give the toilet a few flushes to make the whole experience a little more pleasant.
Turn off the water.
Flush again and hold the handle to get as much water out of the tank as possible.  Use a plunger to get most of the water out of the bowl.
Disconnect the water line from either under the tank or from the valve coupling.
If it is a two piece toilet, is heavy, and you don't have a helper, look inside the tank for a way to detach the tank from the base.  Be prepared for a half gallon of water to splash out by having a bucket, towels, mop, etc. on hand.  Otherwise prepare to lift the toilet as a single unit.
Remove the nuts from the anchor bolts.
Lift toilet mostly straight up.  You may have to rock it side to side or front to back to overcome the wax ring's adhesion while lifting.  To minimize water splashing on the floor, keep it tipped forward (away from the wall) and set it out of the way.
Assess the situation.  Maybe you want to replace the flange, or even install one if the installation is really old.  Most hardware stores sell kits with a flange, bolts, nuts, and wax ring for about $6.  You'll have to make sure the pipe underneath is compatible with the new flange:  if it is recent construction (~1980s and later), some ABS glue will be needed.  If it is older, an ABS to cast iron coupling is needed (and maybe some pipe sawing).
Note that a modern flange is designed to go on top of the flooring which is meant to go all the way under the toilet.
Once the flange is good to go—be sure it is installed in the proper orientation so that the anchor bolts can go in the curved slots and through the toilet—measure how much bolt length is actually needed and break or cut them to length, install them, the wax ring, and set the toilet into position.  To do this smoothly without experience, use two helpers:  two to lift and position the toilet and one eyes on ground positioning the anchor bolts (they tend to tilt) and directing the other two.
Put the anchor nuts on, moderately tighten, and check if the toilet is loose.  If the bolts are still too long, you might be able to hacksaw them with the toilet in position (put nuts on first so they can de-burr the thread at the cut).  Otherwise, if you lift the toilet out again, it is best to install another new wax ring.  (The squished new one makes a great shop item for waxing nails and screws for easier assembly.)
Reassemble and reconnect water line.

With everything ready to go, this is 60–90 minutes work.  If everything goes wrong, it could take half a day.

The biggest danger is that once the toilet is off, you will see sub-floor (and maybe a floor joist) with dry rot and worse.  Then you'll have to choose whether to just fix it up as best you can, or tear the floor up and replace everything that is wrong.

Good luck!


Complex continuous run vs easier single junction boxes I am currently in the process of finishing my basement and I am doing the electrical wiring of all my rooms. The work will be checked by my electrician before he connects everything to the electrical panel.
For all of my electrical outlets and other appliances, I have used a continuous circuits that have no unnecessary junction box. The junctions take place from one outlet to another, etc.
However, for my light and my heating circuits (one of each), I am considering using two single junction boxes at the center of my basement that would have 4 load romex going out to each of the rooms of my basement. That would save me from using a continuous circuit that would require hundreds of feet of cabling passing through weird places (under sheetrock ceiling, around staircases, etc.) instead of going through the middle of the main room that has dropped ceilling for easy access. Also, if I want to add lights in the future, I would be able to just add a cable to this 4x4 junction box.
I know that the use of junction box is frown upon, but since they would be under a drop ceiling (easy access), would you consider that this design is justifiable?
Also, I know having a single light circuit is not ideal, but that would power a few low wattage LED and won't utilize 10% of this 15 amp circuit. Again, having a center junction box could enable the addition of another 15 amp circuit load line, but I highly doubt this would be required.

It seems the heart of your question is topology. "Bus" topology is what you have for your outlets, in which power comes from the distribution panel to one outlet, then to the next, and so on like a chain. "Star" topology is one in which power comes from the distribution panel to a central point and then branches out in multiple directions. It sounds like this is what you're entertaining for the lighting.
Both bus and star are acceptable. Wire sizing, demand calculations, and so on are the same regardless of the topology.
As for the junction box at the heart of the star topology: it needs to be in an accessible place, and it needs to be sized appropriately to contain the wires.
"Accessible" means it can be reached without removing any part of the building. Drop-in ceiling tiles seem to be accepted as "accessible" virtually everywhere, so if you make the junction in a box (don't forget the cover) and put it above a drop-tile ceiling that'll be fine.
Junction box sizing is determined with an exercise called "box fill calculation." It considers the number and gauge of conductors being joined or merely passing through, any devices like switches or outlets also in the box, etc. Boxes are marked with their cubic inch volume; the box fill calculation tells you the minimum number of cubic inches needed.


How do I know which mold agent is best? I've had several mold remediation specialists come to my home each touting their preferred EPA approved mold killing agent including: Cal-brite, Fiberlock Shockwave, Microban BotaniClean. I've looked at the specs and can't tell the difference. Their prices very greatly. How do I know which one to use?

First, read through the EPA site on mold.

If you look carefully, you will not find an EPA recommended product.

Spores can be removed with detergent and water.  Spores can be killed with bleach and other disinfectants (biocides), but the EPA says:

  The use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is
  not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup.

More importantly, is the source of moisture under control?  Have all wet areas been exposed and dried out.

Once the interior framing is dried out to 10 to 12%, (consider buying a non-contact moisture meter and insist the framing be dried out before continuing), you can spray seal your framing with a primer to encapsulate any remaining spores and close the walls.


Why do some multi-zone heating systems have multiple circulators? In a lot of photos I've seen here and elsewhere of hot water home heating systems with multiple zones, each zone has its own circulator.
In my two-zone system there is one circulator, with a zone valve on the feed to each zone and a common return pipe.  It seems to work well.  There is very little bleed between zones, and when both zones call for heat the radiators all get hot.
Is there a benefit to multiple circulators?

Systems engineering tradeoffs.
In general, one pump per zone will cost more, but can (in theory) be matched more perfectly to the zone (but there are only a few typical sizes of pump, so that may not be all that perfect, after all.)
One pump to feed them all will be the right sized pump as some set of zones, and more or less than ideal with other sets open or closed - however, there's a functional range, and if properly designed either method can be operated in safe ranges.
In general, most heating system designers are not too concerned with how much power the pumps use, (they don't pay for it, and it's not generally obvious to the end-user) which can be another downside (for the end-user) of a particularly inappropriate choice of pump(s) for the job. Designers are concerned with not running the pumps into cavitation which can destroy them, and the fluid velocity in the pipes. In some cases more pumps may mean less wasted power, but without working that out the greater initial expense of more pumps tends to be what's controlling.


Can Air Admittance Valve under bathroom sink fix bathtub drain overflow? In my duplex, when Unit B flushing water down the drain, the bathroom sink and bathtub in Unit A would have sewage overflow up.

I researched and I think about using Air Admittance Valve under the sink:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/STUDOR-1-1-2-in-or-2-in-PVC-Mini-Vent-Adapter-20341/202275238

BUT my question is would this solve the problem of overflow in the bathtub? Or just the sink itself? If not, how to fix overflow in tub without tearing into wall?

Thanks.

How much sewage overflow occurs? If it's only a small amount, like a cup or so, then a blocked vent could be the cause.

As water runs down a drain pipe the air ahead of the water must be pushed out. If there's inadequate venting then the pressure build up in the drain can cause water to be expelled from the trap below the sink and tub. It could cause bubbling or splashing in the toilet, too.

To answer the title question "Can Air Admittance Valve under bathroom sink fix bathtub drain overflow?" -- no. An AAV allows air into the drain plumbing but does not let air out. An AAV could resolve a problem where the trap at a fixture is getting the water sucked out of it. As water runs down a drain pipe it creates suction in its wake. If there's inadequate vent or AAV then the suction literally vacuums the water out of traps.


Do I get away with the wrong screws and holes on a deck if the paint will cover both? Before sanding and then painting a deck, I've turned the screws a little inside so they will not rip the sandpaper.

Before I ask my questions, let me just mention that I've found it easier to unscrew a little bit and then screw back in, while digging in by a tiny amount. If I try to directly turn in, too often the screw will snap and be stuck. It's then a hassle to remove the top half, and impossible to remove the bottom half. By turning out first, it becomes possible to gain momentum from an old and tired screw to push it as needed.

Now to my questions. After putting a good two dozen such "golden colored" screws that are labeled "construction screws" (see picture above), I noticed at the big box store that they sell "black colored" screws for outdoor, and "green tinted" screws labeled specifically for decks.

On the screws that snapped, I just pulled off the top part, and inserted another screw nearby, as you see. My questions are:

Do I get away with the golden screws or will these rust so very quickly that I should really replace them? I'm guessing the green ones are the right ones, though I don't see why the ones labeled "outdoor" would be any more prone to rusting than the ones meant specifically for decks.
After painting, I'm guessing that the holes left by the snapped screws will be adequately covered. Is this a reasonable assumption or will the water make its way and I'll too soon end up with rot? The deck is already aged. I'm not sure exactly how old it is. Your guess from the picture below is probably better than mine. The point here is that there is no need to worry about the screws lasting 25 years if this deck will not live another 10.

The deck is covered in the summer so it gets little rain (during storms), but it is uncovered during winter and snow sits on it for weeks at a time.

I think a bigger issue than paint sealing moisture out of the screws is whether or not the screws in question are made of a material compatible with your deck framing.

Pressure treated lumber (which your deck is hopefully constructed with) has a tendency to corrode just about anything you put in it, unless the fasteners are stainless steel, or have a ceramic/heavy galvanized coating. Lumber sold after January of '04 (in the USA at least) is especially corrosive, as lumber mills moved to a different preservative.

If your deck was built with lumber sold in '04 or later, which I'm doubtful yours was, it's especially important that you use screws rated for use in pressure treated lumber.

I'd suggest looking at the box these screws came in, and seeing if they're approved for use in PT material.
If they aren't approved, I'm very doubtful paint is going to make any difference whatsoever.


garage door handle disconnected from lock My garage door is manual at the moment. I’ve had to lock it manually. Today, I realized I can’t lock it from the outside anymore. The handle connected to the lock moves freely and doesn’t move the lock whatsoever. How can I fix this?

I would take it apart and see what is broken. Unfortunately these days it hard to just replace the broken part. Much faster would be to take it apart and walk in the store and get a complete new assembly which is around $50. If u take it with you they can make sure you get the right one.


What is the trade term for the thing that connects the top of a load center panel to 2" EMT conduit? What is the trade name for the "adapter" for the top conduit hole that is covered at the top of this picture that would allow you to connect 2" EMT conduit?
It needs to be rain tight (3R).

(The picture is an Eaton NEMA 3R BRP20B200R)

A Raintight hub, that panel uses a ds200h2.


Should I place my RO filter on straight city water or post-softener water? It's my basic understanding that a water softener removes dissolved calcium and magnesium and replaces it with sodium.  It's not clear to me, however, which is worse for the reverse osmosis filter, hard water or salty water.  The RO system is all plastic, so I'm not worried about corrosion, I'm just curious of the impact on the life of the membrane and the quailty of the water.  It's a 3-stage filter system.

My kitchen cold water is not softened (which is typical).  I guess people prefer the taste of hard water to softened water.  But the rest of the water in the house (except exterior spigots) is softened.  I intend to use the RO-filtered water in the kitchen.  I will install a separate drinking water faucet for the kitchen sink and use RO-treated water for the refrigerator/ice-cube maker.

Both sources are going to carry mineral deposits which may cause scaling. The pre-filters will remove anything that will clog the membrane, reducing maintenance intervals.

Bottom line is if you want to extend the life of your membranes as much as possible, don't add a process to the supply water that's going to increase mineral deposits on the pre-filtered side and slowly obstruct flow over time.


Can central alarm smoke detectors be used instead of 120v smoke detectors in a new residence? Code requires that new residential construction have a smoke alarm in each bedroom and outside of each bedroom, and that the smoke alarms be interconnected. (They all go off at once).

If you plan to install a central alarm system, (the type that combines burglar and fire alarm with a central control panel that is remotely monitored), and you place a siren in each room, would this meet the code requirements?

Or do low voltage alarms always have to be installed in addition to (not instead of) the interconnected 120v alarms?

IRC 2012/NEC 2014

In a single family dwelling, it would be best to use regular smoke alarms. Pick a brand that also sells an interconnect relay, and you can use that to connect it to your security system.

To answer your question, yes you should be able to use low voltage smoke detectors as long as the central control panel has a battery backup and the overall system functions similarly to a normal system. If the smoke detectors don't have a built-in audible notification device, then you'll also need to install one of those in each required location.

Drawing up a building plan to show the Fire Marshal your proposed fire & life safety plans will be an important step. Getting that plan approved will help make sure you don't purchase and install a bunch of equipment that doesn't pass their interpretation of the code.

Usually you would only go through this much extra work if you wanted addressable smoke detectors, but in a single family dwelling that's an extra expense that's not needed in my opinion. That level of system is usually only needed in a commercial or multi-family setting.

In a commercial or multi-family setting, you'll usually want strobes and horns in public areas, horns in each unit, pull stations in the hallways, and the central monitoring station to be able to tell the first responders exactly which zone or location triggered the alarm. In a a single family dwelling, you should be able to easily locate what area needs attention without those features. Regular smoke alarms typically have latching alarm indicators, so it helps you diagnose problems by letting you know which device triggered the alarm.

  R314.2 Smoke detection systems.

  Household fire alarm systems installed
  in accordance with NFPA 72 that include smoke alarms, or a combination
  of smoke detector and audible notification device installed as
  required by this section for smoke alarms, shall be permitted. The
  household fire alarm system shall provide the same level of smoke
  detection and alarm as required by this section for smoke alarms.
  Where a household fire warning system is installed using a combination
  of smoke detector and audible notification device(s), it shall become
  a permanent fixture of the occupancy and owned by the homeowner. The
  system shall be monitored by an approved supervising station and be
  maintained in accordance with NFPA 72.

  R314.4 Power source.

  Smoke alarms shall receive their primary power from the building
  wiring when such wiring is served from a commercial source, and when
  primary power is interrupted, shall receive power from a battery.
  Wiring shall be permanent and without a disconnecting switch other
  than those required for overcurrent protection.


Stacked stone fireplace I have a stacked stone fireplace in my dining room with a gas insert. It has two flat stone pieces that extend out further than the rest of the stones that you would use to sit something on. The two pieces are offset from each other and at different levels. I would like to get rid of these two stones by basically cutting off the part that protrudes out so that the whole fireplace face is flush. I this possible? If so, what is the best way to do it?

Modifying a dry stone wall is a tricky operation. Normally you need two kinds of chisels, a pointing tool and a pitching tool. You can buy them from a masonry supplier like Micon. I would get PKM-19 and SM40-R. Get a mallet too (1031-A).

Grave a deep furrow where you want to break off the stone, set the pitching tool in the furrow, then give it whack. If everything goes well, the stone will split clean off. There is a certain amount of feel that is required. Making sure the furrow is nice and deep will help ensure success.

Why you don't want to use an angle grinder. (In response to comment) The immediate problem with a grinder is that it will make a very unnaturally smooth face that will look nothing like the faces of the other stones, so the ones you cut off will stick out like a sore thumb and look even worse than they do now. The other reason is that cutting rock with an angle grinder, especially indoors, is a bad idea at multiple levels. First of all, if the rock is somewhat hard, like slate, it will take forever. You could have a diamond blade and be standing there cutting for 15 minutes and make it through 1" of stone maybe. Meanwhile you will be surrounded by plumes of dust and toxic fumes as shards of slate go flying in all directions at literally bullet-like speeds.


how to repair Magic Eraser quartz Countertop Damage Used a Mr clean Magic Eraser on a quartz Countertop which caused dullness to the surface. Can I bring back the shine?

Magic eraser is like a fine sand paper, but i think you should be able to polish it back.


What are some cheap ideas to smoothen the surface of a papier mache? I did a papier mache sculpture and I want to smoothen it. The end result of my paper mache has creases in it. I want an end result to be finished like it was done in wood, plastic or any solid smooth surfaces but can with stand with minor stretches or stress.

I tried coating it with plaster of paris and then sanding it to smoothen the surface, my only issue with this approach was, plaster of paris was too brittle and falloff easily from the mache. I don't also want to over-coat the paper mache with plaster of paris as it will be too heavy. I think i only coated it about .5 cm of thickness. Patching compound is another that I have in mind, but i guess the result would be similar to plaster of paris. It would be brittle and chip off easily from the paper.

What are some ideas or solutions you can advice me to do? I need it to be flexible that it blends well with the property of the paper machet. the papier mache is only as thick as .5 cm or less, probably 6-8 layers of paper. It also need to be cheap and readily available.

Thanks!

I've used setting joint compound, it has common set times of 20, 45 and 90 min.  You mix it with water to any consistency you'd like.  The setting mud will let you do 2-3 coats per day.

You might need to reinforce the first paper-joint compound layer by using mesh tape.  The tape  will let the mud hold to it and will stiffen the sculpture, so it won't flex and crack off. Resist sanding until no paper or tape shows through.  The self adhesive (of the tape) is not superstrong, so you may need to tack it down with craft glue is areas where it bends.  Once overcoated with mud, it will behave.

It can be overlapped as needed, troweling the mud over it will squeeze through and lock down.


Garage ceiling sheetrock Inside the garage the ceiling sheetrock appears fine no sagging but in the attic, on one of the pieces the sheetrock has dropped for the joist and exposed 2/3's of about 6 nails.  There is no popped nail heads on the sheetrock inside the garage.  Can I just brace the sheetrock and screw the sheetrock to the joist?  Do I need to remove the sheetrock section and attach a new sheet?

If the ceiling is flat without any swails or bulges then it is quite likely that the one joist is out of alignment with the others. It may have bowed up or was never aligned properly in the first place.

If the ceiling sheetrock was in stress being installed onto that particular joist it is entirely possible for the nails or screws to pull through the material from the back without disturbing the surface on the bottom. Usually in the case of popping nails the cause is that the nail pushes out toward the finished surface.

If the ceiling surface is flat, which you can tell by pushing the edge of a long straight board up against the ceiling from below, you would not want to try reattaching the sheet to the same joist. It would be more appropriate to fasten a board against the side of that one joist that projects down to the upper surface of the sheetrock. Then secure the sheetrock by screwing into that new board.

On the other hand if the ceiling has bulges and swails then you will have to re-evaluate and take appropriate steps. This could span the range of possibilities of accepting the way it is to complete removal of all or parts of the ceiling and shimming joists and replacing the sheetrock.


Question about Asbestos Exposure I had the drywall in the kitchen of my condo (built 1980) inspected for asbestos about a year ago. To do this, the tester removed half-dollar-size pieces of the wall for testing. It turns out there wasn't any asbestos in the drywall, so I just left the holes unrepaired as they were near the floor and I never have guests over anyway (lol.) But I realized there might be other asbestos-containing material inside the walls, like insulation, and I was wondering if any of that could have gotten into the air, and if so, how much I would have been exposed to over this past year. Also, there is significant water damage behind the walls I had tested, if that makes any potential asbestos release more likely.

If you were not making dust to breathe from the space behind the wall, approximately zero asbestos exposure, if there's even any there to begin with. 1980 is a bit late for most new installations.
Mold from having wet walls festering might be more of an actual concern, but if it's asbestos you're fixated on, little cause for concern.


How can I eliminate a light circuit? Background: We live in a co-op. Each unit has it's own electrical box to shut off electricity.

We have a corner under-cabinet light that is hardwired into the box I THINK (I'd have to tear up the wall to really be sure). The wires route into the same wall as the box. Not that it tells you anything but the light is literally about 4 inches away from the box.

I want to get rid of the cabinet (to put hanging pot rack instead) altogether so the light will not have a mount.

Should I have an electrical inspector around when I hire an electrician to close it off? How easy is it DIY? I figure splitting the wires and capping them or can it be more complicated than that - would that close the circuit? I guess I'm paranoid to DIY and tucking the wires inside the wall and some electrical fire happening.

I'm at a cusp where I'd rather just put another shelf up just so the light has something to mount to and not deal with this if it's complicated.

You should check the voltage of the light, many times under cabinet lights are low-voltage (eg, 12V) and run by a transformer. If there's only one, I doubt someone would have gone through the effort, but it's possible.

You can't just close wires off inside the wall. You must terminate them properly in a junction box, and that box must be accessible. This means if you don't want the wires to power anything, you need to at least have a blank faceplate.

The junction box needs to be securely mounted, the wire needs to be connected into the box properly (how this is done depends on the box used), and it must be grounded, and the wires capped with wire nuts. If you are considering doing this job yourself, I highly recommend you make sure you 100% understood everything I just said, and also go buy a non-contact voltage detector.

If you hire an electrician to come in, no, you don't need to worry about inspectors - the electrician will do that, if required. Mostly, around here anyways, the inspectors only come and inspect something like 1 in 10 installs done by electricians they know (selected basically at random). Only if they find faults, will they start coming more often, and the reputation of the electrician/company will go down. Likely after a couple problems, the electrician is out of a job. It's in the electricians best interests to always do the job properly.


Leviton GFCIs constantly trip on shaded pole motors Update: I consulted with other electrical engineers. Here is a plausible mechanism. Again refer to the circuit diagram of this GFCI:

Look at the board layout. There is a long trace from where C3 is located to the SCR gate. It is suspected that transient capacitive coupling (within the circuit and not from outside) to the SCR gate is the cause.

Suggestion is to try putting C3 directly at the SCR gate, and a 100 ohm carbon comp resistor in place of the trace. This creates a low pass filter at the gate input and also reduces the capacitive coupling to the gate.

The inductive kick at either turn on or off may be the source of the transient.

The series resistor ln combination with the shunt capacitor to the gate is to reduce transient voltage at the gate.

Comments??

(Original Message)

Does anyone own any Leviton GFCIs (those models without any automatic monitoring self test)? I found out the shaded pole motors from Waterpik can constantly trip on them (50% of the time), but not other brands of GFCI (which I just tried). Someone in the following url has similar experiences with his Leviton GFCI and even a second new Leviton he bought.

https://www.justanswer.com/electrical/2g0be-gfci-outlet-trips-even-when-clear.html

So it may not be problems with the normal working of a GFCI but particular implementation of the Leviton GFCI. Anyone got a clue what is that mechanism that can cause shaded pole motors to trip on the Leviton GFCI?

The youtube video describes the shaded pole motor in the Waterpik in details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmNcRsxSovs

To recap. Even if the plug is 2-prong (without any grounding and it's put on glass surface). The Waterpik motor can trip any Leviton 5mA GFCI (I tested 4 Leviton GFCI outlets) even when isolated and not wet (even if rotor removed). The trips occur either during startup or turning off. Not when it's already on.

In other motor/GFCI combination. What is the reasons why it could trip during startup or turning off. It's not wiring problem. There are many reports of this everywhere. Have you experienced or read about it? What is the mechanism for the constant tripping? (supposed it's not wiring problem which I'm sure it is not in the waterpik motor and Leviton?

You may have heard of new refrigerators tripping on new GFCI. It could if the GFCI is a Leviton brand.. which may not be compatible with refrigerators. I have new refrigerator that also trips every few hours on the Leviton GFCIs. I'm testing it with other GFCI now. Please share your experiences about this too.

Anytime you plug in any appliance and it trips a GFCI the odds are that the appliance is not working properly. The easy test is to find another GFCI in somewhere like the kitchen and plug in your unit and see if it trips the device. I really can't speculate why the waterpik is tripping the device but you might see if any moisture is getting into the electrical area of the device and open it up and try to dry it out. Otherwise I recommend that you just replace it or return it under warranty.

Good luck


How do I deal with a loose lightbulb socket on our ceiling fan? When my wife and I bought our house, there were two ceiling fans with multiple light fixtures (4 inside a plastic enclosure and 4 "exposed" within glass lampshades. On one of the fans, one of the lampshaded fixtures seems to be "loose", moreso with the LED bulb we have in it. It typically won't turn on when we turn on the bulb. Tightening or loosening it often causes it to work for a time, but it will semi-randomly wink out after that, presumable because it moves out of place. Running the fan on it accelerates the process, probably through vibration. It's just the one fixture. We've tried rotating the other bulbs into it, but it's just that location.

Is there something I can do without replacing the entire fan, maybe some sort of putty to increase the grip of the fixture?

NO PUTTY!

You have a loose electrical connection and a loose mechanical connection.

Mechanical

First you need to fix the mechanical attachment mechanism. It may be a loose nut on a threaded pipe holding the individual fixture to the base. It could be some other locking mechanism, such as bolts or screws. In some fixtures, the sockets are held in by pressure fits, which are harder to repair.

In either case, you probably need to take at least the lighting unit off of the fan, and maybe the whole fan down, depending on how it is put together. Before you do anything, turn off the circuit to the fan, not just the wall switch or the remote control switch. Once the wiring is exposed, double check that all wires are not hot by using a non-contact tester.

You need to restore the original attachment method, not just a glue or putty to wedge it in place. Fan vibration will almost certainly cause a makeshift repair to break again.

Electrical

It sounds as if you have a loose wire. You need to make sure that all wires, hot neutral, and ground are all connected (in the US, these are black or red, white, and green or bare). The ground may be established by physical contacts among the metal parts, and restoring the mechanical connection may fix an intermittent ground. Sometimes a wire may be under a wire nut, but not well connected. If there is no obvious disconnected wire, remove and check wire connections under wire nuts.

Replacement

If you cannot make the physical socket stable as originally designed, you need to replace the fixture (or at least that part of it). Underwriters approval (a safety standard) is dependent on the structure as designed. If you cannot restore the mechanical structure, you probably need to replace the entire fan.


What type of glue sticks to tiles? I have some hooks that has a glued surfaced attached to it. They look like this,

Image Courtesy: www.dhgate.com

I bought a lot of them. Like 50-60. I used them almost everywhere. Mostly in kitchen. The problem is my kitchen wall is has tiles on it. Its full tiles. After using 2-1 weeks some of them has fallen off the wall. After that each day 1 or 2 hooks fall. Now I have only 2 hooks left there!

2-3 days ago, I bought Silicone Sealant to attach them again. The shopkeeper told its the strongest glue that sticks to glass or tiles. But some how they dont work on my hooks and tile.

Could you tell me what type of glue should I use to stick them on tiles wall?  I know the original glue comes with hooks sticks very well on wooden platform. But  here my platform is tiles.

Your problem is probably due to impurities/dirt on the tiles - you really need to get them clean.

I used isopropyl alcohol on mine, and scrubbed them hard. As soon as they dried I applied an epoxy and the hooks are probably now attached to the tiles more strongly than the tiles are attached to the wall :-)


How can I tell if two outlets are on different phases? I have a house that had a 240v stove in it, and then was replaced with a gas stove, all before I bought it. There are two regular 120v outlets under it, that are both 120v, and the gas stove is plugged into one for the igniter. No 240v.

I want to put an induction stove in, which requires 240v. The last owner said he thinks the 240v outlet that powered the electric stove was just split into two 120v outlets, and I should be able to make a 240v outlet back out of them. Says it was a long time ago and not that sure.

How can I go about finding out if they are indeed on different phases so I would know a 240v outlet can easily be made there, before I go and buy a induction stove?

I have a basic multimeter if that is helpul.

Thanks

If there are two separate duplex receptacles there now

Set your multimeter to measure AC volts.
Carefully stick one probe in the ungrounded (hot) side of one receptacle (the smaller slot).
Carefully stick the other probe in the ungrounded (hot) side of the other receptacle.

If you measure 240 volts (or there abouts), then the receptacles are on separate legs. If you measure 0 volts, they're on the same leg.

Keep in mind that the breaker and/or conductors that supply the circuit, could have been changed at the same time the receptacle was changed.  So you'll have to make sure the breaker and conductors are sized properly for the appliance you intend to install.

WARNING: If you don't feel comfortable jamming metal objects into an electrical outlet, you might want to contact a local licensed Electrician.


Leveling floors and Installing windows I have a sagging 1930s house and plan to level the floors using I-beams and jacks.  I've read that the process is very slow and I'm also wanting to install windows.  Will it cause any kind of problems to have windows installed before the floor is leveled?  I wasn't sure if it would cause the windows to not open properly, affect their angle, etc.

Level floors first, windows only after. If the window square-ness, level-ness or plumb-ness are affected by the floor leveling, then you'll have window installations that last. The other way could rack the windows into inoperability or at a minimum release any caulking seals.


Checking curtain rod stability? I recently installed a curtain rod into drywall with the default screw anchor provided with rails (top picture). My partner thinks that the rods aren't sufficiently stable and wants me to do the work again with better looking screw anchors (second picture).

How can I convince them that the setup is stable? I already demonstrated by pulling on the rail. Any other ideas?

If you have pulled on them and demonstrated that they are sufficiently solid, it sounds like you have a relationship issue involving physics vs. "alternative facts".

Personally, for anchoring in wallboard, I prefer "zip-its", also known as auger anchors, tornados, and even wall-drillers, based on their part number at a certain manufacturer.

By the way, the plastic sleeve anchors that your partner likes are, I believe, better suited for cinder-block and concrete.  In plaster-board, it's zip-its or toggle-bolts that you really want.


MWF GE smartfilter refrigerator water filter needs to be replaced monthly? (instead of 6 months) We have had an ongoing issue with the MWF water filter needing to be replaced on an almost monthly basis. GE said the issue was with buying the generic brand, so we purchased directly from GE - same exact problem.
Works great for a few weeks then the water slows to a trickle.
Per GE the filter should be replaced every 6 months.
There is no problem with the water line, as it runs fine without the filter in place.
Our water is fine (tested by the city - no issues) and we don't use an excessive amount.
Anyone else run into this problem?
Replacing the filter every month is a huge expense.

Clearly, something is plugging up your filter, as replacing the filter (temporarily) fixes the problem. And, just as clearly, it isn't something unusual about the specific filter.

Almost certainly, the problem is with your water: something in it is plugging up the filter. The obvious culprit would be fine particulates that gum up the pores in the filter far faster than expected.

If you disassemble a failed filter you'll probably find the filter media clogged with a fine, probably brown material. Another test would be to fill a glass of water and let it sit overnight; if there's sediment on the bottom in the morning then bingo: you have particulates in your water.

What do you do? Well, you could buy an external water filter system, e.g. something meant to be mounted under a sink, and have it filter everything going into the fridge. That way you can have a much higher-capacity filter, your in-fridge filter will last much longer, and (as it won't be proprietary) the system as a whole should be much cheaper.


What kind of droppings are these? Can anyone identify the creature whose droppings (I assume they are droppings) are found on top of this gas water heater?

Most likely a mouse or rat, possibly a mouse-rat.


Is it possible to convert a two light circuit into a four light circuit (one switch)? I have two long multi-light fixtures controlled by one switch in my bathroom.  Is it safe/possible to replace/wire for four or five two light bulb fixtures? Is there a limit of wattage or any other consideration?  There are no other lights or switches on the circuit.

The circuit you are talking about is probably rated at 15-Amps.  The electric math looks like this:  15 (amps) x 120 (volts) = 1800-watts.  It is always a good idea to derate your circuit at by 80%.  (This gives you a margin of safety.)  1800 x 80% = 1440-watts. All things being equal you can install this kind of wattage on this circuit.  It doesn't really matter how you do it.


What is the cause of dishwasher vent leak? My dishwasher has a vent in the top of the door which I suppose is opened during the dry cycle to allow steam/moisture to escape. Recently, after running a load of dishes, when I open the door, about 2-3 oz of water leak from the vent and form a puddle on the floor.

What could be causing the leak, and can it be repaired?

This dishwasher has a "quiet" feature which involves a solenoid-operated value (that's too generous a description -- it's more of a flap) which blocks closes off the vent drain to reduce noise during the wash cycle. I removed the door control panel to inspect the valve/vent system. There is no crud clogging the drain, and the solenoid seems to be normally open (to the drain).

(See the part labeled "5" here)

Does the water appear clear/clean, or does it have food bits and/or detergent in it?

My guess is one of two things:

The seal on the flap has degraded and the high-pressure jets are now able to force water in under the flap.
There is some "ledge" in this assembly in which water can collect and puddle, and doesn't dry during the dry cycle (possibly because of the extremely humid air passing by it; there's no capacity in the air to hold any more water).


Air handler unit stops running. Starts when motor touched with metal How is it going? I just moved into a place I bought. It has separate AC units for both floors. We started having an issue with one of the air handler units. One night when turning the air on the outside AC unit turned on but the air handler unit never kicked on. Next day while at work an HVAC tech came out and told my wife he messed with some wires and it kicked on. Well, since then it has stopped twice again. I went into the attic and was messing with the wires but all seemed fine. I happened to touch the top of the motor with a screwdriver and it kicked on. Thought to myself well maybe there was a loose wire and it may have just gotten the signal to turn on. However, tonight while troubleshooting again I took off the cover and again touched the top of the motor with a screwdriver and wouldn't you know, the unit kicked on.

What in the world could be the cause of this? Some sort of ground issue?

I had a similar issue and could have sworn it was mechanical/electrical.  I had a service man come in and he removed the air filter from the handler.  It started right up afterwards (i am unsure if there was a reset switch he had to trip).  He mentioned that my air handler will shut off if there is a great enough pressure difference between the supply and handler sides of the filter.  Never thought of that but worth a try before you spend the monies!


How soon after sealing grout can you use a shower? I used Mapei Grout Maximizer to seal the grout. How long does it need to dry before we can use the shower?

Manufacturer directions should state minimum time after sealing for use.  It is important to “test” sealer by sprinkling a few drops of water on the sealed grout to make sure it is repelling water. If the water is spreading out and being absorbed, you need to apply another coat of sealer and allow to dry at least two hours.

Here are the instructions on the Mapei container:


How to trash the trash can? I never expected to ask my first question about trashing something, but after 4 failed attempts to trash the trash can, I have no choice but ask you.

Here is the problem: I have a trash can, which needs to be trashed. Simple, right? Not so. I've started last week.

First attempt was to tie a trash bag to the trash can (I hoped they will be angry and will take trash can wit them), but they left it.

Second through Fourth attempts were to leave a note inside the trashcan on top of the trash bags asking to take the trash can and put into garbage truck.

I still have that trash can.

My next attempt will be to find a large enough trash bag and put trash can inside, but that would be problematic - finding large enough trash bag.

We have twice  a week garbage pickup from the curb.

So question is how to trash the trash can?

I have trashed many a trashcan.  Simply get axe and have fun for 10 minutes and throw it in a few bags.  Note that whether metal or plastic, the axe ricochets so make sure no one is around you and that you have space.


Can i use a 6amp lutron caseta light switch with a 15amp breaker? I am looking to install several lutron caseta light switches in my home. The problem is the lutron switches are all rated 6amp but the existing switches and breakers in my home are 15amp.

Will be able to use these lutron switches? If not, don't most people have 15amp rated breakers in their homes? How does anyone use lutron caseta in this case?

Thanks!

The switches are rated for the load they can carry ....it has nothing to do with your breaker rating.
On a fifteen amp circuit you could run multiple lights so long as the sum of all the lights currents (when on) does not exceed 15 A.

For example at maximum load, if you had to run a string of 150 W incandescent lights.

You could run 12 of them on your 15 A circuit and not exceed the circuit breaker rating.
However you could only control a maximum of 4 of the lights with each 6 A light switch.

There is lots wrong with the example above since incandescent lights draw a surge current ....but I ignored that for the example ...I hope you understand the objective.

So in your particular case, where you didn't specify the number or types of light fitting you are connecting ....you need to ensure that the total load current on each switch is under 6 A ....and that the sum of your multiple cicuits does not exceed the 15 A circuit rating.


No clue what happening with this dimmer connection Do you know what is happening in this electric box?
A red, white, and blue wire come in, and a red and white go to the receptacle.
The red and white complete a circuit and the blue and white complete a circuit, i.e. i light up a nightlight with these.
The white in is hard wired to the white out.
The blue in is connected to the black input on the dimmer switch.
The red, and this is what is weird, is split off, connecting to the red out, and connecting to the red wire into the dimmer.
Anyone know what's going on here?

Neutral on White, continuing to elsewhere.
Unswitched Hot on Red, continuing to elsewhere.
Switched Hot on Blue, going to whatever fixture the dimmer controls.
Following new information that the receptacle on red/white is controlled by the dimmer:
Switched Hot on Red, going to at least two locations. Presumably one is the receptacle?
Unswitched Hot on Blue, going to the dimmer..