Why would the power only to the upstairs lights go off mysteriously? The house was built in 1890 I came home tried to turn on light upstairs and thought the bulb blew. I replaced bulb but still didn't work. Then I realized that my computer was also off as was every overhead light upstairs except the bathroom. Some outlets also still work. I found the breaker box and switched it off and on again still no luck. I found some 2 glass fuses in the ceiling and wonder if that could be the problem? Would there be another main breaker box I am not finding? Any suggestions would help.

The loss of electrical power described in the question may be symptomatic of potentially serious issues that might result in fire and/or injurious or fatal electri shock. It needs prompt attention from a person competent to analyze and work on residential electrical systems. Hiring a licensed electrician is strongly recommended as a general recommendation.

The interruption of power to a portion of your home was undoubtedly caused by an absence of electricity in the conductors serving that portion of the building. Normally this is caused by a open circuit.

It is easy to talk in theory. However, a house that was built in 1890 was certainly built without electrical service. Such service was added later. Because there are both circuit breakers and fuses in the ceiling, it is highly likely that several renovations/additions to the electrical service have been made since it was installed.

Therefore, the only way to determine the pertinent details is by physically observing the actual installation.


How to fix window that won't stay open/what is this part called? I've got single hung windows that don't stay open.  They are the balance bar type not the weights in the jam kind.  I took one sash off and found the following part  is broken on both sides.

This is what my balance bar looks like, it doesn't seem to have any problems with the string or spring.  I just include it to help people identify what I've got.

One more clue is that on a good window I can see the top of the part that is broken on the window that doesn't stay open.  Here it is.

I'm searching but can't find a good replacement for that piece.  I think a big contributor to my failed search is I don't know what that piece is called.  Does anyone know what that piece is called and better yet where to get them?

This is the modern equivalent of a sash weight.

Yours is either a (window) spring balance or a spiral balance.

But you seem familiar with the terminology, so the real question is: what's that little plastic part called?

It's either a Nylon Sash Cam or a Shoe Set I think.

It might just be easier (and better) to purchase a whole Window Channel Balance Repair Kit and replace all the plastic parts. They're like $5. Then again, an entire balance costs like $10.


Power cable for DVD Player too short I recently wall mounted my TV and put a shelf underneath for my dvd player. Unfortunately the power cable for the dvd player is too short. I've searched and searched for dvd players that have either a long cable or a cable that can be removed so I can buy a longer one.

I know I could buy an extension lead but it would look really ugly?

I cable needs to be 2m long, do currently about a metre short.

Any suggestions ?

Unless the existing cord is removable, you'll have to extend it with a second cord. Yes, the connection between the two will be ugly if it's hanging in the middle of the wall, but you could wrap up the whole first cable behind the player so that the joint between the two is also behind the player. You'll need a longer extension, but if it's important to you then it'll be worth it.


Attach drywall directly to framed soffit without plywood/osb I have a really small soffit that I built for my kitchen to hide some HVAC. Is it ok to attach drywall directly to the 2x4 framed soffit or do I have to cover it in plywood or OSB first?

There is no problem attaching drywall directly to the framing. Drywall is more heat resistant than wood and the temperatures in conventional HVAC are not extreme enough to be an issue.

The only other consideration is whether you want insulation around the ductwork to improve the efficiency of the system. If you do, either fiberglass batts or foam panels could be inserted between the 2x4s before you install the drywall.


What's the easiest way to clean concrete Driveway is in horrible condition and needs cleaning. Afraid I'll damage it using muratic acid but a pressure washer didn't do that great

Hydrogen peroxide is an extremely effective cleaner. Often it is marketed as "sodium percarbonate", "non-chlorine bleach" and "oxygen bleach". You can get it in powder form or liquid form. Either might be just as good, but the higher the hydrogen peroxide concentration, the better of a job it will do.

If you get powder, I recommend sprinkling it onto the concrete, then getting it damp. You can then smooth the wet mixture evenly over the concrete to get even coverage. If you get liquid, just spread evenly. Either way, let it sit for 5 - 15 minutes, then wash away. Repeat as necessary. Once it has stopped foaming, I think the hydrogen peroxide has finished reacting and won't clean any more. So, if there is still dirt left, you'll need to apply another wash of cleaner.

Hydrogen peroxide is relatively safe, but it does kill red blood cells quite quickly. I've watched drops of it on my hand reduce the blood in that area inside my skin to white foam. So, if you get powder, avoid inhaling it, but aside from that, the only off-gassing is pure oxygen.

My parents had a hard time cleaning mildew off our porch and power washing didn't work. However, powdered hydrogen peroxide did work when used as I describe above.


From factory the J-Bolt Gate hinge is too large, the gate will sag -how do I fix it? I have the below two pieces. When #1 is connected to #2 which is set in horizontal position, #1's hole is too large and it goes downward, the result is that the gate will sag

If you just hung the gate on one set of these it would be a problem. Also if you just used one bolt to hold the strap to the gate it would be a problem.

With that said if you build your gate as a rectangular element with proper cross brace so that the gate itself keeps its shape and then mount the straps to the gate with two bolts each you will not see gate sag due to the larger size hole in the strap versus the size of the post on the L-bolt.


What is the use for this different threading near the head of a large screw? I'm inquiring about the strange threading at the base of this screw:

These were used in somewhat heavy-duty outdoor construction. What is the purpose of that corkscrew, and is it safe to replace it with a similarly sized regular woodscrew?

I inquired about it in two stores, and neither could tell me the purpose.

My intuition is that the quarter inch of steeply pitched fluting is designed to ream out the passage in the outer member being joined, or at least ream out the outer 3/4" of 'hole'. Conceivably, this might reduce friction when driving in the screw over the final 3/4" ... or it could be a gimmick.

.

EDIT 2013-05-11:

Here is a related patent http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7832173.pdf that claims in page 7 of the PDF that the purpose is to increase the screw's resistance to lateral displacement by mashing the fibers that will be next to the un-threaded shank.

.

.

And as for the ribs on the underside of the screw head, here is a related patent http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP2546533A1.pdf that claims in paragraph [0005] that the objective is to lower the lower resistance when the screw is being locked into a wood piece for enabling the screw to carry out locking smoothly and quickly. Note that the patent discusses various kinds of ribs, including the ones pictured in the OP.

And here is a patent http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2070851.pdf for preventing screws from backing out, whic is different from nail shanks which may be fluted (and ribbed) to prevent backing out

.

.

And not last and not least, the McCoy:

http://www.screw-products.com/gold.htm

  1) Knurled shoulder reams hole in board being fastened, reducing drag on shank and driving too.

  2) True flat head with 16 cutting nibs self countersinks and prevents
  spinout.

.

.

And last but not least, the Hatfield

http://www.nachi.org/home-inspectors-evaluating-problems-with-fasteners.htm

Apparently they sometimes are called CEE threads:

  The CEE thread is designed to enlarge the hole in the uppermost of two
  pieces being joined so that they’ll be more tightly pulled together.

.

.

grkfasteners.com take on it:

  RSS™ screws which are 3"1/8 and longer have a six threaded CEE thread
  that enlarges the screw hole for the non-threaded portion of the
  fastener, allowing the wood to settle easily and increasing the
  screw’s drawing strength. The CEE thread also reduces the likelihood
  of splitting the wood and the friction on the screw shank which can
  result in lowering the driving torque.

.

.

And to over do it, here is yet another patent, but this time referring to them as 'milling ribs' ...

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20070269287.pdf

.

.

Maxxfast.com has it all in one ....

.

.

Fischer-Screws.com ....

.

.

.

Heco-Topix screws ...

http://www.heco-schrauben.de/en/Screws/HECO-TOPIX

.

.

Conclusion:

I'd imagine the ribs do ream the hole, which does reduce the friction on the unthreaded shank. But the reaming action will require energy, particularly so because the shank-ribs are reaming by virtue of damaging the wood fibres, as opposed to cutting them. The question is, which eats more energy: the reaming or the friction? The benefit would be the net drop (if any) in the required energy. It's actually much worse than that. Assuming a net drop, how much is the savings compared to the total energy needed to drive the screw? 1% ? 2% ? I think the savings, if any, would be miniscule.  The shank-ribs could actually eat up more energy in net, particularly when the unthreaded portion is short, meaning 2" or less.

As for drawing the two pieces together more tightly. Bogus. Actually, counter productive.  The screw draws the two pieces by gripping the outer piece while advancing into the other piece.  It doesn't matter how it grips the outer piece.  The obvious grip is by pressure undeneath the screw head.  But the friction on the unthreaded portion of the shank also grips the outer piece similar to the grip of a nail of a similar diameter.  With shank-ribbed screws, the grip on the outer piece no longer includes the friction on the unthreaded shank.  With the shank-ribs, the grip will be limited to the force of the screw's head, and that, due to the reaming caused by the shank-ribs, will be diminished as well.


Replacing Drywall Railing with Glass Railing I would like to replace dry-wall railing that separates the 2nd floor loft with glass...but it may be a bit more complicated.

Background:

Two stories
Vaulted roof
Ground Level has high vaulted ceiling
Second floor is a loft with flat ceiling
Roof is supported by truss-system which is in the attic of the second floor.
The truss-system is supported by the outside walls and the wall that separates the 2nd floor from the first-floor.
This  wall has 2 large openings or 'windows' (10 foot & 7 foot)...or you can look at this a dry-wall railing.

I would like to replace the drywall railing with glass.  Or in other words, I would like to remove the bottom of the windows.

Today I poked a hole in the drywall railing to see what's going on underneath the drywall.  I see that the top of the trailing is a double header (2-2x6).

I don't think they are load bearing but could these drywall railings be managing part of the load?  Or providing the function of a shear-wall?

The portions of the wall section that you targeted for removal and replacement with glass are clearly not going to be load bearing because there is nothing directly above them but air. There may be a small degree of structural strength in the lateral motion direction that is offered by drywall being screwed to the stub wall studs but it is hard to tell just how much contribution there really is.

In any case you surely do not even want to consider removing a single bit of the full height wall sections.

It may be the best advice to get the paid time of a building engineer for an hour to come in and look at the situation before you make the commitment to start ripping things out.


Run conduit perpendicular to ceiling joists in garage I have a sub panel on a finished wall in my garage. I want to add two 20 amp circuits and run them go outlets on two unfinished walls on the sides of the garage.

Is it okay to run metal conduit across the joists above? Does it have to be run along a board or attached to a joist every so far?

Where the conduit reached the inside of the wall, can I run without conduit inside the walls? I plan to finish the garage walls after.

Sticking to the "running conduit" aspect...

Must be attached/supported within 3 feet of each termination. Must be supported/attached no less than 10 feet apart along run.

Given things that chew wires, I'd strongly suggest sticking to conduit the whole way. But if you want to you can have a juction box and change from wires in conduit to cable in the drywall. You CANNOT run wires that are not cable in drywall, and it's impractical to run cable in conduit. You CAN run conduit in drywall.


Is it OK to use gray PVC electrical conduit for low voltage wiring? I'm having my basement finished, and I am going to run conduit for low voltage (network) wiring in a week or two myself.  I have been planning on using gray PVC electrical conduit like this, since it's available at Home Depot in many sizes with wide-bend fittings, and it seems like it'd be easier to mount and fish wires through a couple bends with it than with the flexible ribbed conduit.  However, when researching the project I came across this video for flexible conduit which states "bright orange components clearly signify a low-voltage installation."  So I have a few questions:

Can I use gray PVC conduit for low-voltage electrical stuff?  I know it's not kosher to use white PVC for high voltage.  Using gray for low voltage seems like it should be OK, since the stuff inside would be less dangerous.

Should I color-code the low voltage conduit, and if so what color should I use?  Orange (that's the color of the low-voltage brackets/mud rings)?  Could I spray paint the gray conduit?

Your method is legit and there’s no need for additional markings. All our phone and Ethernet are in EMT   I paint it blue to distinguish.
You can spray paint it if you really like overspray, but it seems to me like a recipe for a hatchet job unless you use a LOT of paint. Hatchet jobs are a code violation, NEC 110.12.
I would brush/roll it after dragging the PVC through some green Scotchbrite to mar the surface so the paint has something to grab.


What is this type of fixing? (similar to cam/dowel) I know this is similar to cam or dowel type fixings, and I have searched extensively for this part, but does anyone know exactly what type this is? Specifically the silver section, as I have enough of the screws/tighteners left, but I need more of the fixings.

They are not quite the same as generic cam/dowel fixings as they have this cut out for the screw to go in and hold them in place.

Any ideas would be very welcome.

After more reasearch, it appears to be flat pack furniture assembly cam and dowel, more common on newer Ikea furniture. Try calling Ikea or checking online with them about replacement parts or extra parts. Or perhaps contact the manufacturer of the connector.

https://www.engineering.com/AdvancedManufacturing/ArticleID/11459/Better-Connectors-The-Future-of-Flatpack-Furniture.aspx

https://www.glaserbolt.com/torpedo/products


What is the right way to extend a furnace intake pipe under a brick patio? Our gas furnace intake (one of them, there are other intakes inside the house) currently comes out the side of the house but under a brick patio. It seems that the previous owner of the house extended that intake by added pipe underneath the brick patio, and enclosed in plywood from all 4 sides.

It seems that the pipe that was added did not fit properly in the pipe coming out of the wall. (Both appear to be 6" wide male end). Also there is some sagging of the brick patio, probably because part of it has the original concrete steps underneath it, and the rest doesn't.

What is the proper way to do this? Will I be able to find the right size of pipe that will fit with what's coming out of the wall?

Here the intake coming out of the wall under the patio:

Here's the run with the brick removed:

And, here's the final vent:

Please see this photo album for the rest: https://imgur.com/a/0pd42xK

I do not think extending it under the patio is "the right way" to do it.

If rerouting it from the source up through the house is not an option then -

I would put a 90∘ elbow on it and run it up the  exterior wall a bit. Build a chase around it (box it in to keep it from getting crushed or damaged), similar to the one under patio.

The elbows have male and female ends, the male end should go into the existing pipe, but you will not be able to get screws in it so adhesive will have to do. Add another elbow and a screen.

Put a tilted cap on the new chase long enough for rainwater to drain off without getting sucked into the intake (similar to the the one in your photo of the final vent.) You could build a little removable wall shelve/table over it for your patio living space.

Putting it under the patio seems like an expensive way to ensure more expense and problems down the road.


How can I wire two closets from one power source? We have two closets side by side. Ran black/white/green wires from power source to closet 1 light, then closet 1 switch, then to the closet 2 light, then closet 2 switch. Whoops. Obviously now the closet 1 switch now controls closet 2. Closet 2 switch only works when closet 1 switch is on.  Should have had separate black/white power source wires to closet 2.

We live in a very old house where the flex conduit has been snaked around very tightly, and it may be impossible to run any more wires through it. Of course I could rip out all the new drywall, etc., but I would rather not.

Is there a creative way to get around our current faulty configuration?  With minimal additional wires?

Yes, you have connected the two switches in series. Just move the black wire that runs to closet 2 from the switched side of switch 1 to the hot side of switch 1.

It is a violation of the National Electrical Code to switch the neutral.


In what way does varnish protect wood? When researching wood finishes, I often see that varnish is attributed with the ability to "protect" wood.  In what way does varnish protect wood?  From scratching? From fading? From moisture?  From direct contact with water? From something else?

Generally speaking, varnish makes the wood look pretty and shiny and protects it from water although the protection is not perfect.

A much better explanation can be found in the book Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexner.

It has been through several editions so your local public library should have a copy.  He debunks a lot of myths and is pretty scientific while still being practical.

[edit] I feel like I trivialized the question in my first answer.  Here is a bit more on the topic.

Wood has pores in it and so the pores will fill up with dirt, oil from your hands, and schmutz in general.  The finish you put on the wood will protect it from this and make it easier to clean off.  It also protects the wood from water although how much protection it gives depends on the finish.  Varnish does a pretty good job with both of these.

Furthermore, polyurethane varnish often has UV blockers in it to protect the wood from changes in color due to sunlight (or UV from whatever source). No finish does a very good job of protecting from scratches but some finishes are more easily repaired from scratches than others.


Why does one pressure tank on my well only pressurize partly? I have three homes on my well pump. Each home has its own bladder type well tank. One is a 20 gallon, one is a 24 gallon, and one is a 62 gallon. The well pump cut in/cut out is 30/40. I set the air pressure on all three at the recommended 28 psi.
The 20 and 24 gallon tanks fill up normally, but the 62 gallon only fills to about 10 gallons. I lowered the air pressure to 10 psi in the 62 gallon tank and it fills much fuller now, but I'm not sure if it will work like that. Any words of wisdom will be appreciated.

You have an abnormally small differential (20/40 or 30/50 are more typical, for a 20 PSI differential rather than a 10 psi differential) which will impact storage on all tanks.
Referring to a tank chart for a 62 gallon bladder type tank, the 20/40 drawdown is about 22.6 gallons and the 30/50 drawdown is about 19.2 gallons, so 10 gallons of drawdown at 30/40 seems perfectly normal - i.e. nothing was wrong with that figure for that size tank at that pressure differential.
All that you achieve by lowering the precharge to 10PSI is a big slug of water that sits in the tank and does nothing for you, since the tank still starts refilling at 30 PSI. You may also stress the bladder since you are running a bigger slug of water in the bladder at 40 PSI than you would be with a 28 PSI precharge. You'll still only move 10 gallons of that water each pump cycle, but now you'll have (probably 20+ gallons, starting from 10 PSI and goingup 30 PSI is not a standard tank chart figure) that just stays in the tank all the time - so instead of the bladder going from near empty to just over 10 gallons, it will go from (guesstimated) 20+ to 30+ gallons.


what to cover blocked sticky paint on my deck I have sanded my deck down to the primer but the sticky paint is still evident in the cracks and crevasses.  What can I paint over it with so that I can re-paint it?

The paint didn't dry because it's complete junk.  Surprising to say that about Glidden.  Or, alternately, you insisted on painting wood while it was still wet.  Either wet from recent rain, or wet from initial manufacture - either was never dried out in the first place, or was treated.

Paint is only as good as the substrate (surface underneath).  Painting over a compromised surface is a lost cause, and the new paint will simply fail in the same manner as the failed paint.

All that paint has to go.  Good news, it's latex paint which is water-soluble and ridiculously easy to work with (as opposed to, say, aircraft LPU, the way you remove that from a fingernail is grow out the fingernail.)

Get yourself a decent scrub brush, e.g. the kind used to clean tubs. Keep the deck really wet and go to town.  If it's not even drying, it certainly won't survive an onslaught with solvent (that being water) and a stiff brush.    I would not use a wire-brush as that will dig into the wood.

If that doesn't work, or if that's actually oil paint, then you may need to go to a paint stripper.

In the future, don't use janky old paint you find in your garage.  To dispose of dodgy paint, leave the lid off until it all dries out and after a few months, huck it in the trash.  With oil paints (not nearly as likely to go bad), paint something you do not want, then throw it away.  If someone has a construction project nearby and a dumpster full of sheet refuse, go to town.

Walked-on surfaces are difficult.  DO NOT USE garage floor paint or any product called "Epoxy" where the sun's rays will touch it - UV light destroys epoxy unless you follow with an additional topcoat.  Sadly the only topcoat I've found that stands up stronger than epoxy (and protects it) is aircraft LPU.


Help please!!! Screw won't loosen? I have a screw that won't loosen completely it spins to the right and the left but ends up tightening again. I think it has a certain point where it'll just let go and be able to be pulled out but I don't know how to do that. It's not a regular screw that I've ever seen it has a hexagon deep inside but it has space for a regular Phillips screw driver and a flat head.

Is this screw part of a furniture assembly?  What you describe sounded like a cam-lock nut, like can be seen here: http://www.swedishfurnitureparts.com/products/ikea-cam-lock-nut-103433
If that's it, then it won't actually retract, you just align it so the adjacent part can be removed.  There should be a dot or indicator showing you which way it needs to be aligned.


Do all HVAC units have a drain line? I have a rental unit and I can not find a condensation drain line on the home heating unit. The unit is old and my question is do all heating units have a condensation drain?
Thank you

A furnace only has a drain if it's a high efficiency condensing unit, or it contains an A/C evaporator coil.

If it's an older non-high efficiency unit, and there's no integrated air conditioning. Then it probably won't have any type of drain.


Are there wood sealers that are safe for fresh or saltwater marine use? I have a wood dock over a lake.  It is time to clean and seal the dock.  I am planning on pressure washing the dock first, then I am planning to have a clear seal.  Looking at products in Lowe's and Depot I can't determine what is safe to use. I don't want it to look like a BP spill or kill any life forms.

They do make stain specifically for marine use.  Doesn't say specifically that it's environmentally friendly, but the MSDS sheet does say it's water soluble.  The same manufacturer has environmentally friendly stains as well, but I have no idea how well they might work (or exactly what "environmentally friendly" means to them).


Will a ledge of drywall get deformed with time? I'm planning to install new lights in our living room. There's an existing support beam that I'd like to use as base for a drywall ledge where I could install my spots.

A side view of the idea looks like this:

The beam is solid and I don't want to drill in it, some I'm thinking of gluing a border to drywall (alternatives?) using good mounting glue.
Will the drywall keep its flat shape in this configuration or will it get deformed with time?
Should I add supporting L-brackets at some regular interval?
Any other factors that need consideration?

Oh it will sag so bad!
Use piece of MDO or birch plwood with a glued on or iron on edge, if you need to keep the thin edge. If the run is over 8 ft. glue the but joints with a biscuits or spline. 3/4" plywood will work best for this and you can profile the glued on edge in this case to a smaller profile if you want it thinner than 3/4"

If it is a matter of preferring it to be in the beam, but do not want to ruin its integrity, you can box it in with drywall, add a nailer on the ceiling and create a wider box to hold the light beside the beam, but contained in an enclosure. If the beam is structural and esthetic, you may be able to re-wrap the beam in the same wood and finish, just make it wider.


Attaching swing bolts to sistered 2x10’s I have 2x10’s that I will be sandwiching together to make a big stiff beam for an adult swing set.

I’m about to put it together, but then I thought “how do you drill the screws for swings into a sistered beam”? Because the boards are mated together, the screw will want to push those boards apart.

You could use a pair of large clamps close to and flanking the screwhole to prevent the screws from pushing the plies apart. Once the screw is in at full depth the clamp is removed. It might take four clamps--from both edges of the beam.

Also you might want to use wax or other appropriate lubricant on the screws and be careful to avoid making the "pilot" holes too small.

EDIT
If the pilot holes are properly sized (large enough), then there may be no significant separating force and so clamps may not be necessary. If you don't have clamps, try it without them and see what happens. If separation occurs you can always take the screw out and get some clamps.


Are CAT 5 sockets compatible with CAT 7 cable? I am planning to add Ethernet wiring to my house (semi-detached three-storey town house). I will be using this network to connect several (4-6) computers together in a typical (geek) home setting.

I have worked out the topology and most of the components, but there is one I am stuck on: the sockets. The quote I received from the electrician includes Cat 7 cables (probably overkill, but the difference in price to Cat 6 was minimal) and Cat 5 (RJ-45) sockets. I have a fairly good handle on Cat 5 / 6 / 7 cables, but the sockets have me stumped:

What does the Category (Cat) of an Ethernet socket signify?
If I connect Cat 5 sockets to Cat 7 cables, will I be limited to "Cat 5" speeds? Is the difference even likely to be noticeable in a home network?
My electrician claims that Cat 6 or Cat 7 sockets are very rare and almost never used. Is this the case? Some Googling has turned up the GG45 socket, which seems to be a backwards-compatible (with RJ-45) socket for Cat 7 cables - is this what I should be looking for? Or can I replace my Cat 5 sockets with Cat 7 sockets at a later date?

I'm still trying to get my head around this, so I apologise for the somewhat confusing questions, and would be most grateful if anyone can point me onto the correct path!

Cat7 connectors are compatible with Cat5, with enhancements and caveats

Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat7 are physically and electrically compatible. It's when you try to do 10Gb/s or higher signaling on the cable that the Cat5e standard falls over. Even at that, though, Cat5e will do 10Gbps out to 150 feet.

The physical connectors for Cat6 and Cat7 cables are still RJ45 plugs, but they're shielded and the standard calls for much less untwisting at the ends of the cable in the connectors than what is permissible for Cat5e. It's "harder" to do a proper Cat6 or Cat7 termination.

Aside from the wire twist requirements, in order for shielded connectors to work as designed, the grounding conductor in the cable has to be permanently in contact with the metal shield on the plug or jack when it is connected to the cable. You'll also see shielded Cat5e in installations like outdoor radio connections. Properly shielded cables also open up a whole new realm of potential issues like ground loop interference, so all of your equipment needs to be properly grounded, as well.

Performance

Anyhow... if you connect your Cat7 cable to Cat5e jacks, presuming your Cat5e jacks let you jam the thicker Cat7 wires in (which they almost certainly will), you can expect Cat5e performance. Cat5e performance is 1000 Mb/s (Gigabit Ethernet, or about 125 Megabytes per second). Properly terminated Cat5e will handle 10Gbps out to 150 feet, and Cat6 will handle 10Gbps out to 180 feet. Cat6 is often more than a job calls for, and costs twice as much.

Just for reference, if you have a mechanical hard drive in your computer, it's going to struggle to push more than 120 Megabytes per second. Gigabit Ethernet is every bit as fast as your internal hard drive throughput. If you have an SATA SSD, you may see 500 Megabytes per second, which is "faster" than Gigabit Ethernet. With the right switch, you can aggregate ports to create a 2 Gb/s, 3Gb/s, 4Gb/s or faster channel, but any single copy operation will only be able to saturate one of those aggregated links. If you have a PCI express SSD, it may be able to push over a Gigabyte per second, at which point you would need a 10Gbps network to come close to supporting the full throughput of that drive. But in practice, it's rare that you would need that kind of throughput over the network. A RAID built out of PCI express SSD's will support an absurd amount of throughput, at which point you would need to aggregate multiple 10Gbps links to fully support the throughput of the RAID array. But you don't need anything like that unless you're a big datacenter with big SANs and heavy virtualized workloads.

Personally, just to future-proof, I would consider running at least 2 Cat6 or Cat7 cables to every room if I was pulling new cable. But the chances of ever actually needing all that bandwidth are pretty low.

10Gbps Ethernet still costs over $100 per port right now, which is expensive for home use (you could get an 8 port 10Gbps switch for about $850).

It's unlikely that you need bigger bandwidth at your house than what Gigabit Ethernet provides today. On the other hand, I'd check the cost of Cat6 or Cat7 jacks and if you can bear the extra cost, have those installed instead of the Cat5e jacks.

Bear in mind that if your installer doesn't terminate those Cat6 or Cat7 jacks correctly (properly bonding the grounding conductor in the cable to the shielding, wire twist rules, etc.), then they aren't really Cat6/7 jacks, anyway. Your installer might know this, and might not want to go to the extra trouble if terminating those cables in full compliance with the standard.

Future of copper Ethernet

By the way, copper network cable has plenty of life ahead of it, out to 50 Gb/s or 100 Gb/s (well over 10 Gigabytes per second), depending on the standard and the cable. Ethernet over optical fiber follows essentially the same roadmap--same speeds--running out for several years, then jumps to bandwidth like 400Gb/s and higher. Who knows if copper will continue to support those kinds of speeds. But are you really worried about being able to move so much data around your home network that 50Gb/s or 100Gb/s couldn't meet your needs? So you can install fiber if you really want to, but you're going to pay a lot more for every port for a zero or negligible benefit if you go that route.

Having said all that, I actually do strongly agree with the notion of running conduit so that you can pull new cable later. Because who knows what's really coming a few years out? One reasonable way to do this is to run the conduits straight up the wall channel from the wall boxes into the attic. You can pull cable straight up into the attic, then run it through the attic suspended from the roof trusses or even strung across the joists.

But in terms of future-proofing, take a look at the Ethernet Roadmap document from the Ethernet Alliance.


Repairing gaps between bamboo lock and click floor boards There are several boards with gaps. Some of the boards are uneven. We want to pull the boards together to create one larger gap to put a shim into. When installed the boards were glued together. How can we pull the boards together in order to make this repair

You can't. Glued boards are never going to budge.


Can a surge protector prevent nuisance AFCI breaker trips? I have a problem with AFCI breakers tripping in my 2 and a half year old house. The builder's electrician said that the cause is from power surges coming from the electrical company and that I need to get a surge protector put in at the service.
The breakers are Sqaure-D QO120 single pole plug on neutral. When the trip its about 7 or 8 of them the frig, microwave, dryer, some plugs when the laptop is plugged. This usually happens when it's raining or damp out.

The job of AFCI is to protect the house from series or shorting arc faults, which cause fires.

The main reason AFCI breakers are required today is because so many houses are built with backstab connections to switches and receptacles, and those so often fail in a series arc fault mode.

Keep in mind, the builder's electrician is the one who wired the place.  So the last thing he's going to say is "it's tripping because I used backstab connections when wiring your house because I was in a hurry, and one is failing as they often do.  Sure, I'll do a go-back and spend two hours taking apart all your receptacles and moving the wires to the screws, or fitting the $3 receptacle instead of the 60 cent one".

That said, it can also be a failing appliance.  However if you move the appliance to a different AFCI protected circuit, this circuit will stop tripping and that circuit will start.


When re-roofing and doing a tear-off do I have replace the roof deck with plywood? My home was build in 1920 and uses planks for the roof deck. I was planning on just removing the old asphalt shingles and installing new asphalt shingles. Makes sense to me; until a contractor friend told me it was code to install OSB or plywood over the old 8 inch planks. I don't see why this would be necessary if the planks are still in good shape?

Are your 8-inch planks laid tightly together, or is there significant space in between? Old roofs that were originally topped with rigid shingles (wood or tile) were sometimes installed with spaced decking planks, and that kind of decking is not suitable for use under modern asphalt shingles, which are flexible.

However, if the planks are relatively tight together this is not a concern. The planks should be fine as long as they aren't damaged, and you'd only bother replacing damaged sections. Strip old shingles, add new underlayments, add new shingles.


cutting 20 feet asphalt driveway I should cut a stright line on my 20-feet asphalt driveway, and am wondering what would be a easy way of doing it. I was told that a worm drive circular saw could do that with a diamond blade. I don't have a worm drive circular saw but has a normal circular saw from Makita (7 1/2"). Would a normal circular saw be able to cut the asphalt? It is not that thick -- about 1 1/2 ". Or, would just renting a walk-behind concrete saw from HomeDepot be easier? When I check the fee, it is about $50 for 4 hour and $70 for a full day.

If a circular saw can get the job done easily, I don't want to spend over $50 but am concerned with that my circular saw might be damaged.

Thanks,

If you try to do this with a circular saw, your "straight line" will look straight only to Salvatore Dali. A heavy duty street cutter is required.

Of course, what objective there could be in cutting a driveway we can only guess at.


What's wrong with my wiring? I purchased a Hampton Bay remote for our bedroom fan this weekend.  I have it installed and mostly working correctly, but there is one nuisance that still remains.

We have two switches on the wall, one for the light fixture on the fan, and one for the fan itself.  There are 3 AC wires coming from the ceiling.  One went to each of the wires in the fan prior to the remote install.

When I installed the remote, I attempted to wire all 3 blue wires together using one wire nut, when I did this the switch on the wall worked for the light, but the light button on the remote did not work.  If I wire the blue wire from the remote control box to the fan, then the button on the remote works, but the light is then controlled from the switch which used to only control the fan -- it now works as a master switch.

Is there anyway I can wire it such that the switches on the wall each perform their distinct task, and that the button on the remote works?  Or is it simply that when all three were in the nut, that the wire from the control box was not making contact (odd if this is the case as I tried to do that 3 times -- each with the same result).

I've installed a Harbor Breeze fan (Hampton Bay's bargain brand) and I can tell you first and foremost that the remote is designed to be used by a fan previously controlled by one switch. If you have the wiring for seperate light-fan controls, I would recommend finding a wall switch system that has a remote, which will allow you to control the fan both from the wall and with the remote. The Hampton Bay/Harbor Breeze remotes only work while the wall switch is turned on, thus supplying power to the remote receiver unit. There are other options, such as this Hampton Bay wall-mount remote control, which you can use to replace the wall switch (instead "hard-wiring" the fan to the house wiring and controlling it with the two wireless units; remote and wall).

Moving on to the actual problem; if you twisted any of the existing or new wires together, you did it wrong, and you could cause a fire or blow out the remote; turn the fan and light switches off right now and do not turn them back on until you have rectified the problem.

Now, do the following:

Common master switch (one wall switch controls both light and fan)

Pick one switch at the wall to be your "master". When this switch is off, the light and fan will be off and will not respond to the remote.
Look at the wire coming from each switch and going to the ceiling J-box. Most likely, one will be red and one will be black and they'll go into the same main insulating conduit (a 3-conductor electrical wire; the third will be a white "neutral" or "common" and there will be a fourth bare or green ground). If you see two black or two red, the electrician ran two seperate electrical lines to the J-box (unusual but not unheard of), and you'll need to figure out which is which by turning on one switch and using a non-contact voltage tester to determine the live wire at the ceiling. Be extremely careful dealing with uncovered live wires; you can kill yourself very easily.
With the wire coming from your "master" switch identified, and with the circuit breaker OFF, pull the crown off the ceiling fan mount, pull out the remote receiver and disconnect it completely; we're going to start fresh. Place a wire nut and some electrical tape over the bare end of the "hot" wire from the switch that is NOT your master switch.
Look at the remote receiver unit. If it's like the one I installed, one side will have a white neutral, black hot, and green ground wire (the receiver may not have a green wire; that's fine, there will be one or two from the fan that ground the whole unit, receiver and all). The opposite side of the unit will have a black or red wire, a blue wire, and a white wire. The first set of wires I mentioned is the "house side", and should ALL be connected to wires in the J-box. The second side is the "fan side", and should be connected to wires from the fan (except for the fan's ground, which should go directly to the J-box ground along with any others).
Take the black or red wire from your J-box that you identified as coming from your "master" switch, and wire-nut it to the black wire on the "house side" of the receiver. Take the white wire from the J-box (there may be a couple twisted together) and wire-nut it to the white wire on the house side of the remote receiver. Take all the green wires (one will come from the fan, another from the mount, and maybe a third from the receiver) and wire-nut them to the bare copper or green wire from the J-box. (Again, there may be a couple twisted together)
Identify the remaining wires coming from the fan; there should be a red or black one that is the fan's "hot" side, a blue one that is the light's "hot", and a white one which is the common neutral side. These should match the three wires from the "fan side" of the receiver; match blue to blue, white to white, and the remaining fan wire (red or black) to the remaining receiver wire (red or black). Securely wire-nut and tape all these connections, making sure there is no bare metal showing on any insulated wire except green.
Turn on the breaker and the master switch. Being careful to keep any loose wires out of the way, try using the remote to control the fan. All controls should work.
If the remote seems to do some things but not others, check your master switch. If it is a dimmer switch, make sure it is turned all the way up. If you still have a problem, replace that switch with a standard two-way switch. I found when installing my fan that the receiver needs the full 110 volts from the wall, and even if the dimmer is all the way up, the "zero" position on the dimmer's potentiometer can still have some resistance which lowers the voltage and causes unpredictable behavior.
Once everything seems to be working properly (you can control all speeds of the fan, and turn on/off/dim the light from all fan settings), stuff all the wire back in the J-box and replace the crown, being careful not to pinch any wires. You're "done".

I put "done" in quotes because, depending on local building codes, it may not be legal to have a disconnected but live wire in your wall, even though the end is capped and still accessible. The wire you capped off may have to be disconnected at both ends, and if this is the case you should probably also disconnect the switch from the panel (most likely the switch will get power from a parallel connection to another switch in the wall box). You can then remove the switch completely from the switch box, or possibly use it for something else. OR, you can use it to control the light or fan, instead of using the remote for that purpose. You do this by wiring the capped-off end directly to either the red/black wire (fan motor) or the blue wire (light) coming from the fan. I highly recommend AGAINST trying to use both the remote and wall switch to control this part of the fan assembly, so when connecting the capped-off J-box wire, you should cap off the wire from the receiver that you are taking the fan wire from. It should still be fine to leave the neutral connected through the box; virtually all "on-off" manipulations in household electronics are done to the "hot" side.


Why does Residual Current Device (RCD) trip with an electric hot plate? My German residence is supplied with 3 phase.  The "main" distribution panel, wherein the service feed is connected, supplies the "kitchen zone" hereafter zone A.  From the main panel, a 5 conductor 10 mm^2 (3 phase) is connected to a secondary distribution panel.  All 3 phases of this line are fused at 20 A in the main panel.  In the secondary panel, this line is immediately connected to a Hager CDA440D.  AFAIK, this is a Residual Current Device (RCD).  Next are 16 A fuses for multiple zones in the secondary panel.

I recently purchased a basic 1500 W electric hot plate.  Connecting it to any outlet supplied by the secondary panel trips the RCD*.  It does not matter if the hot plate is set to Min or Max, it always immediately trips the RCD.  Whereas zone A, which does not have a RCD, has no problem operating the hot plate under any setting.

Many high wattage devices have been operated from the secondary panel without this issue.  3000 W halogen work lights, 2000+ W drum sanders, etc.  Big home renovation.

*Maybe the fuse too, I can't remember that part.  Definitely the RCD tripping.

My questions:

1) Can this behavior be explained?

2) Are there any errors in this situation to be corrected?

Thank you for the advice :)

P.S. I want to learn how this works.  Please save yourself the time and effort of posting dogmatic replies, i.e. "call an electrician".  In Germany, it is legal for uncertified individuals to perform some electrical maintenance.

Can this behavior be explained?

The hotplate is faulty and leaking more than 30 mA of current to earth (ground). This is dangerous. This is what RCDs and GFCIs are designed to protect you against.

Your RCD is attempting to save your life.

  For currents above 10 milliamps, muscular contractions are so strong that the victim cannot let go of the wire that is shocking him. At values as low as 20 milliamps, breathing becomes labored, finally ceasing completely even at values below 75 milliamps.

Ohio State University

  Are there any errors in this situation to be corrected?

There's an error in the design, construction or operation of your hotplate. There's nothing to suggest your electrical installation is faulty.

You could report the faulty hotplate to your local equivalent of "trading standards". It is illegal to sell goods that don't comply with electrical regulations.

You could return the hotplate to the seller for a refund.


How do I improve heating in back room of house? The back room of my house is quite warm in the summer. The room is on the north side of the house (Alabama, USA), so the outside walls don't get direct sun exposure. The attic insulation is a little on the low side, but comparable to the rest of the house. The HVAC air handler is on the opposite end of the house. There are two air returns, one near the air handler and the other just a few feet from the room in question. The nearby return has a 40 foot run to the air handler. The air handler feeds a trunk line that runs about 35 feet. Near the end of the trunk are two 6 inch flexible ducts that go the remaining distance to the room (25-30 feet).

I have considered a few alternatives to resolving the problem.

1) replace the 6 inch ducts with larger ducts.

2) add another duct line and duct.

3) install a duct fan to boost air flow.

While I'm completely capable of doing the electrical part to code (and safely), I'd prefer either of the other two options. Which of these options is best? Or is there another better option?

I have a couple of long runs too and I used a fan until I upgraded the HVAC unit.  Before you get a booster you need to measure the air flow out of the two vents and compare them to other vents in the house.

How to measure air flow?  Well pick up an Air Flow Meter.   However I have a suggestion before you spend $$$ on this.  Get a large trash bag, configure it to open about the size of your duct opening (take off cover), hold it tight on the duct opening, measure how long it takes to fill... compare several vents.  Note the air should be running when starting this - since how long it takes air to come out factors very little into the cooling equation.  If you are confident with the bag results and they are obvious then skip the pricy tool.  ##Side Note##  (A friend of mine uses one of those garden wind spinning things and measures the rotations over a given time to compare air flow.  You have to have the angles/distance the same from the vent and he has to have his iphone slow wdown the frame rate to count.  But damn that mcgyver-bastard, pretty sure its more accurate than my empty trash bag!  But it does involve slow-motion so my solution is more practical)

I would also take temperature readings inside each duct while on after 5-10 minutes.  How cold is the air you are getting?

If you are getting comparable air flow and temp you can add another duct or bigger.  Really up to you.

If you aren't and I am guessing you aren't then you need to first get rid of the flex lines.  They squash air flow, they are affected by outside temperatures more, and they leak.  Put rigid metal ducts in.  If the ducts are in the attic then you need to insulate the crap out of them.

Then if you still have issues you need to measure air flow and temp again.  If air flow is poor you are looking at a booster.  If it is relatively the same, add another duct.

Then you are talking about adding a return to the room and over-insulating the attic above the room.


How can I attach a handrail to the wall so that it will be easily removable? I need a handrail on the wall of a narrow stairway that can be removed easily to transport furniture up or down the steps. Are there brackets that can be racheted off the wall instead of screws? Or 2 piece ones with flat base profile removing rail and sticking out part? Won't help  if brackets stick out after rail is removed. Don't want to unscrew from wall or wood compromising stability.

I solved the same problem by with t-nuts.  Embed the t-nuts into the stud, or in my case a wooden brace between the studs.  Then attach the bracket to the t-nut with a machine bolt.  I've screwed and unscrewed the bolt repeatedly but because it is metal-to-metal it does not compromise the wood and thus does not wobble.

(I agree this question is different than the one about a removable stair railing because this railing goes into the wall).

I haven't yet figured out how to mount such a wall rail into masonry.  A 2-part or removable bracket, as you ask, seems like a good idea but I haven't found one yet.


Gap between wall flange and cement board I know that it is recommended that a (shower and such) flange rests againts cementboard but that would result in my flange raised above the tile more that I'd like so I decided to tuck the flange into the cementboard so that, in the end, it is more flush with the tile. As a result, I have a small gap  between the flange and the cementboard, about 1/8" on average.

I did all the prep work but will be outsourcing the tile work. My question is, will the tile guy be able to work with this gap as is and still get the tile to go up to the flange (then maybe caulk or grout around) or should I reinforce it with mash tape and fill it with something like thinset or some product that comes in a caulking tube? I do have the luxury of access from the back (which is where my utiliy room is) and could reach to set mesh on that side.

It looks like you might have installed the valve too deep in the wall.

The tile goes behind the silver escutcheon and up to the gray plastic circle that you can see from behind.

Usually the face of the gray circle template is at the same plane as the face of the finished tile. What kind of rough in valve is that? We can look at the instructions and it'll say.

The round hole in your backer board isn't too big, that won't be a problem. The problem looks like you recessed the valve too far into the wall, and now the tile won't slide in between the silver escutcheon and the backer board.


Applying polyurethane to a vertical surface? I have built a set of free standing pantries.  Each is about 3' wide, 2 feet deep and 6' tall made out of a combination of 3/4" maple plywood and maple hardwood. I have them all stained and they look good, but I am concerned about applying the polyurethane on the interior and exterior vertical surfaces. Applying it on flat surfaces is enough of a hassle and wee bit of a chore to do it without creating bubbles. Looking for suggestions as to specifics for applying poly on a vertical surface. I'd rather not lay the things down and run the risk of scratches.

Preventing runs is as easy as following one simple approach: Start heavy, finish light.

What that means is that you immerse your brush to maybe inch of depth, scrape off one side on the can, and apply the remaining product load to the project in a new area adjacent to the previous work. The idea of "starting heavy" is that you apply enough product to thoroughly coat and fill the texture of the surface.

You then brush to distribute that load, working it outward until you achieve a uniform film that's blended with the previous area. This will not run. Finish with long strokes parallel to the grain. Do not work the finish so long that it begins to dry and get tacky.

With a bit of practice you'll be able to apply a uniform, drip-free coat to surfaces at any angle.


Can I use primer for multiple purposes? I want to join some PVC pipes. I've got primer (from a store that only sells paint) and on the back it says it's suitable for PVC. I doesn't say anything about paint or joining. Can I use this kind of primer with PVC cement? The pipes should be airtight and should be able to withstand 3-4 bar.

I highly doubt a paint store sells what you are looking for.  When you join two pieces of PVC, you aren't joining them together, but welding them together.  PVC Cleaner (AKA Primer) cleans all dirt, and oils off the parts and soften them a bit, so they weld together properly and the glue can penetrate the PVC deeper.  The glue then works on a molecular level I think to "melt" the pieces together to make one piece of PVC.  You need to go to a hardware store to get the correct product.  You can get PVC Cleaner/Primer and Glue separate, or you can get a Cleaner/Glue product in one can.


What quality caulks are available in the United States of America? I have heard numerous bad things about DAP® ALEX® Painters Caulk cracking etc.  Looking for suggestions what some better quality caulk is that is preferably paintable without primer and is available in the U.S..

We have several good/better lines of caulking available depending on your given project.

I worked at Lowes in the paint department for over 4 years total. Never had anyone bring back anything other than DAP...strange. We even had a rack specifically for returned products and mis-tint paints, filled with DAP.

Anyway, there are a few good brands that I've personally used that get my pick for this forum:

GE - general purpose, adhesive, and sealant properties GE makes some good caulk. Latex or PolyUrethane
3M - great specialty caulking, had to use this on the bottom of a sea-ray one time, stuff is amazing and is still holding to this day...
Loctite - great sealant and polyurethane caulking for outdoor use, specifically the ones marked 'PL' are the ones I've used.

Hope this helps...


Pressurized Container Automation Not quite home-improvement, however the engineering question lends itself to the expertise of the fine folks in this forum.

I am interested in pressurizing a hopper of tennis balls with a device like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Ml7_A78yo

I would like the device to be limited to 12 PSI, so I am thinking a pressure relief valve for safety and that for simplicity, an electric pump to bring the pressure to 12 PSI and shut off automagically at the target presure.

Is there a simple and inexpensive control mechanism that can cut off the electric pump when it reaches the target pressure.  Ideally one could 'dial in' the target pressure.

The goal is for the non-technical tennis player is able to quickly / easily / SAFELY pressurize and depressurize the container.

There are potential safety concerns using a pressurized vessel for use outside of its design parameters. An air pig can easily be purchased with known ratings and pressure relief built in. Couple an air Pig with a pressure regulator and you'll have yourself a portable pressurized vessel that is safe and dialable. This is an example of an air pigwww.homedepot.com

A regulator
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjr1pjM-4HhAhUMGWkKHb2FARAYABABGgJpcQ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESEeD20JjDAVGqz-qgNA4TwoqW&sig=AOD64_2SRn-l4VT0e71n6VYTSpO7n5oFqQ&ctype=46&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjRpZPM-4HhAhXo1IMKHYNtBjIQzzl6BAgLEAc&adurl=

You won't get much use out of it in between charges due to the volume of the pressure vessel. To get a usable amount of air in the tank you may need to recharge frequently in order to do that you may want to get a portable air pump.

Battery operated air pumphttps://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwi7mov9_IHhAhWXtcAKHd3XCHkYABATGgJpbQ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESEeD2amOzOw3QuE2L556cw1ed&sig=AOD64_2n1jgSPZIA_daVlU_5O156gmhCYA&ctype=46&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjp-IP9_IHhAhWO_YMKHVMCBokQzzl6BAgLEAc&adurl=

Milwaukee also makes an digitally set battery operated air pump but I don't know the range. My friend has it. But I don't know if it goes down to 12psi.

Edit

It does, here's a link. It's available in m12 or m18

milwaukee m12 pumphttps://toolguyd.com/milwaukee-m12-cordless-inflator-review


Is there a freezing-water-resistant metal pipe? I want to install a water outlet on the outside of my house for gardening etc. Outside temperatures here in Latvia fall to -25°C sometimes, so I cannot use a common water pipe; it would burst when the water freezes. Is there a formula to tell how thick the pipe wall must be compared to the water volume inside the pipe, so that the pipe would withstand the force of frozen water expanding. Are there water taps that are strong enough?

Are there other solutions that do not require heating?

A common device used in the US (and required by some building codes) is a water outlet that is long so that turning off the water allows the portion exposed to the elements to dry out.  These are called "Frost-free" or "freeze proof", etc.:

They come in different lengths, and the actual valve is all the way to the right of this picture where the copper meets the brass.  This causes the entire valve to drain so no water is exposed to outside temperatures.  The actual water pipes will be well inside the wall of the home and will generally not be exposed to freezing temperatures.

Here is another diagram to help explain from this answer:


Why are there gaps on the garage door seal of my garage door? I'm looking into thermally insulating the bottom of my Garage door (I live on Long Island NY, so the winters can get a bit cold), and I noticed that there are gaps in the sides of the garage door bottom.
What are these intentional gaps in the bottom of the rubber on the garage door?
Are they there intentionally?
Do they pose a problem for keeping the garage warm during the winter since air can go through them?
How would I get rid of them?
You can see it in the pictures that I shot:

Looks like you need a new garage door seal that's the actual length of your garage door width, not several inches shorter.
I know my "nominal" 10 foot wide door is "actually" 10 feet 2 inches wide, for instance. But if I forgot that and got a "10 foot" seal it might come up short like that.


Adding 2 lights, white wires only? I am adding 2 additional light receptacles in my garage attic.   I thought this was going to be pretty straightforward until I got to the currently working light in the attic (pic attached).   I get white wire to white wire and black wire to black wire but how do I attach 2 new lights (black, white, and ground wires) to this configuration?

There is a single switch next to the attic door. I've attached pics in the link below.

The picture helps a lot.  The second white wire is coming from the switch, and it should have been wrapped with black electrical tape to indicate it was actually playing the role of a black wire.  Determine which white comes from the switch, and that's the "black" wire.

Then the problem is as simple as connecting the new whites to the white wire, and new blacks to the black.

The following picture is what you have except on the light side, they have connected the black wires together and both whites are going to the lamp.

In order to determine which wire goes to the switch, you'll need a voltage tester.  Turn off the breaker to the circuit and the light switch, and carefully remove the wire nut from the black wires in the lamp box.  Be sure the wires are not touching anything, and turn the breaker back on.  Using your voltage meter, touch the twisted black wires with one probe and each white wire going to the lamp.  The white wire that shows 120v is the actual white wire coming from the breaker box.  The other white wire will be the "black" wire coming from the switch.  Turn the breaker back off and twist the wire nut back on.  Be super careful when measuring the voltage with the breaker on.


Finding the temperature sensors in a room It feels very cold in my workplace. They set the temperature to 70F which is below the comfort level, and it is a nuisance to wear a jacket all the time. I am thinking of locating the temperature sensor and sticking a block of ice(regularly replenished from the refrigerator) over it so that it stops blowing cold air into the room(there is no way to close/seal the vents as they are distributed all over the room). Before somebody gets all judgemental, many coworkers have complained of feeling cold - and we must not forget "saving the planet/energy crisis".Is there any practical way to do this? Would a stud locator work? And in your experience do they install these in an accessible location(not on the ceiling)?

The HVAC systems of most buildings are controlled by thermostats. However, in most offices and other public buildings, the thermostats are not accessible to the visitors. They are typically located out of sight, in areas where access is restricted, or they are physically protected in some other way.


How do you troubleshoot a baseboard heater that is not heating up? I have baseboard heat and we are not getting heat on one room.  Can't bleed air from the baseboard itself.  How do I troubleshoot the issue?

Unless there is a valve in the line that's shut off, you probably either have an air blockage (which either means you need to find a bleeder you haven't yet, possibly hidden under the baseboard cover, or you need to cut the pipe and add one) or you have a frozen pipe (surprisingly common with the way some baseboard systems are installed, especially in older houses.)

If you can bleed air from anywhere else in the system, do that for a start.

Other than "looking carefully at the pipes", feeling them to see where the system is and is not hot can be diagnostic, sometimes. If there's a single pump, and a way to shut off other loops while leaving this loop on the system, that MIGHT burp the bubble out to a place you can bleed it from. If there are multiple pumps, check to be sure the pump in this loop is operating, both by sound/feel and by feeling for heat in the pipes to/from the pump.


How do I handle baffles at the corners on a hip roof? What do the energy pros do here in the corner of a hip roof? I don't have enough room to install a baffle. I want to install insulation here, so I'm not sure if I would run into problems with moisture if I were to just block off the air space between roof and wall sheathing

First off let me say that I am not a professional insulation installer. But I can tell you that the idea with baffling is that it is supposed to allow a space for air to flow from the soffit along under the roof sheathing to the open air space above the insulation fill level. From looking at the baffle that that you have installed so far (along area in the red box below) it looks like the baffle goes all the way up to the hip rafter.

I believe that you will need to work out an air channel along the hip rafter in these short stub rafter openings that allows for air flow. Since this may well span across several of the stub rafter openings before it gets above the insulation fill level that channel will have to be able to be lower than the bottom of the stub rafter upper chord so as to allow air flow from the lower level opening to the next higher opening. Such air channel would have to be done along both sides of the hip rafter. Once this channel is provided for it can be extended down to the openings I have shown in the yellow ovals.

You may be able to then reach into these corner openings and put some baffle material but it would need to low enough down that the upper portions of the openings in the yellow ovals are open. Alternatively it may just be easier to hand pack the insulation in those corner spaces and just not allow it to fill over top of these openings.


Can i use decrative tile board in my shower? I am putting in a new tub and i had to take down the inside wall too replace some rotten studs.I am go'ing to put cement board on the wall.So can i put 1/8" tile board over the cement board for the final touch it claims to be water resestant? The brand name of this tile board is Decrative international.

Yes you can.  This is normal for bathtubs.  However note that there are tons of different grades of tile board, ranging from touch it with a watch and it scratched to some commercial grade boards that are pretty resistant.  I have no idea what quality yours is so just note that the coating and material itself (what material and thickness) is way more important than how it looks in some picture on a website.


Re-wet Edge of Stain I'm staining a new shop (using Sikkens Cetol SRD) that's sided in T1-11 with cedar bats.

On the first day my partner got a little carried away and stained all of the walls from ground level up to about six feet.

Yesterday I tried staining up to (and slightly over) the previously stained portion and ended up with some pretty noticeable lap marks.

I'm hoping I can spread them out a bit with paint thinner or mineral spirits. Any advice in that area is also appreciated.

But my question is is there a good way to avoid new lap marks on the rest of the siding now that I no longer have a wet edge to work from? Would it make sense to brush some paint thinner or mineral spirits on the previously stained area before continuing the stain to the end of each section?

Unlike painting you cannot fix this by painting/staining over it seems. The only working solution is to remove stain somewhat uniformly from the overlapping areas using thinner. I'm not sure for how long after staining you can still use thinner. If that stops working, you can try paint/varnish strippers, which may remove some but not all staining because stain sinks into the wood fibers rather than forming a film like paint. Failing all that, you have to sand the wood to remove the marks.


power to outlet until something is plugged in I have a single item on the line.  I have power on that line until I plug something in and then I lose power to that outlet.  I replaced both the circuit breaker and outlet.  Suggestions please.

Assuming the breaker doesn’t trip and there isn’t a GFCI involved, this would generally indicate a poor, high resistance, connection somewhere in the line. Your voltmeter pulls so little current that you see the full voltage but when you connect a real load, the poor connection drops the voltage.

Since you replaced the breaker and outlet, the problem must be elsewhere. Wires generally don’t just fail, unless someone drove a nail through it. So you are looking for a junction box somewhere with splices. At least hopefully, the person who wires it followed code and didn’t just splice it in a wall.


How can I prevent light from coming in around the edges of black out blinds? My experience is that black out blinds always let a little bit of light in round the sides.  What do other people recommend as a solution to this?

I have a bit of a botched solution for this that I use in one of our bedrooms. The curtain has a blackout lining but sits about 8cm away from the wall. Light bounces off the lining, onto the wall and into the room.

I made a strip of black plastic by taping together pieces, the strip is about 5 metres long. I drape the strip over the curtain rail brackets such that the sides hang down and block the gap around the sides of the curtains. This eliminates about 90% of the residual light.

I'll add a photo later, since my description is probably not very good.


How unhealthy is arc welding? I have a few repairs to make  that would necessitate some welding. I could do it differently, for example with pop rivets, but I take this opportunity to learn welding. However I'm a bit concerned about the unhealthy part of the process, in particular breathing carcinogen fumes. Is there a way to mitigate those risks ? I'm talking specifically about: Shielded  metal arc welding, a.k.a stick welding.

Breathing the vapors is not a good thing. Especially with galvanized metal. It is important to have proper ventilation. Many times when working indoors I use a small fan pointed above the work to move the fumes away and not disturb my shielding gas (wire welding & TIG). When stick welding the fan really has little affect. Breathing the "smoke" caused by welding can cause serious lung problems as it is full of vaporized metal. I work with guys my age that have been professional welders for 30+ years and other than galvanized work they never use a fan or respirator. They laugh at me for my little fan. Welding is a great skill to have and can save you thousands (or if like me you might get bigger and bigger units. On my farm I have repaired all kinds of stuff that would have been recycled if I did not know how to weld. I usually grind the paint so there are less bad things to breathe and use a small 4" fan that has a magnetic base.


Relay for electric oil filled heaters - does it have to be so noisy? On a new build, (the conversion of an old stable block into a habitable annexe), our electricians installed three electric oil filled heaters which are controlled by a thermostat, which operates a relay. The noise of the relay switching on and off is very loud, not much different to the nail gun they were using during the build !

The point is, the annexe will often be used for family sleeping over, and the relay noise would wake them repeatedly throughout the night as the radiators kick in periodically.

Are all relays this noisy? And do the rads need a relay to control them?  The builder knew that it needed to be a quiet environment, so I have some grounds to demand a change, but I don't know if I have any options .... I've never seen relays employed like this an I'm not sure of their purpose.

No, not all relays are that noisy.  Indeed, a solid state relay will make no noise whatsoever.  For example, the Honeywell rt850t-240 is an example of a heater control relay that is silent.  You can read about that here:  http://bit.ly/1Caf1np

NOTE: I do not claim that this relay will work for your particular application.  This is just an example.  However, I believe you should be able to find something similar that will be completely silent.

To answer your other question, a relay is required because standard thermostats run on 24V, and the heaters are either 120 or 240 (actually, there are a number of other good reasons why you'd want to use a relay instead of having the thermostat switch the load directly, but that's the easiest to communicate).  The Honeywell relay I linked to above connects to a standard 24V thermostat and will switch a relatively large 240V load.


Nest thermostat gen 2 won’t turn off furnace I’m struggling to find a solution for my furnace.  It’s an older Lennox furnace and runs fine. The problem I’m having is that it keeps burning up my thermostats and once it does it won’t let the termostat kick it off. I’ve tried basic 7 day programmable thermostats and nest 2n gen Smart thermostats. Nest has replaced the circuit board a couple of times for me but they end up burning up after a month or so. I’ll come home from work and my condo is 90 plus degrees because it won’t turn off. The wires I have in my furnace are  as follows Y1, W1, G, RH. I’ve had multiple HVAC companies come out and look at my furnace and they all say it’s a thermostat issue and then they try to sell me a new furnace. Any ideas on what could be going on here? Is my transformer tripping out the circuit boards in the thermostats.

It looks like your nest is wired without the common, so to draw the power it needs, it triggers frequently your heating circuit, doing so, your furnace relay will read a permanent 'call for heat' and won't stop.  So, check if in your wall there is a spare thermostat wire (pick black one if present) and connect it to the 'common' side of feeding transformer, so the nest will be able to get power directly and won't have to trigger frequently the heating circuit just to recharge itself anf finally, your furnace will stay off.

To reduce 'thermostat frying rate' an option (if 24V transformer is bundled with your boiler and you can't replace it easly) is to put a second (external) transformer and connect the stat via relays (you'll need 3 relay for DC with 24V coils) in this case the thermostat will have to operate only on 'auxiliary' relays and worst case is that you'll have to replace often only the inexpensive relays.


What should I use to raise the height of floor tiles in a shower? Initially, the wall tiles were installed too high off the shower floor so if floor tiles were installed, there would be a gap at the bottom of the wall tiles to top of the floor tiles.

I hired a company that installed a second mud pan on top of the existing mud pan in order to thin set the floor tiles to cover the gap below the wall tiles. They had scored the mud pan with a grinder to install the second mud pan on top of the first. Then the porcelain tiles were laid on top of the second mud pan with thin set.

Years later the grout washed out from the shower tiles at one end of the shower,  lifting several tiles up from the shower floor. I elevated the raised shower floor tiles from that section of the shower floor and was able to remove them. Then I scooped up and scraped up the second mud pan off the first mud pan. The first mud pan was completely hard and not disturbed.

Now I need to fix the shower floor so we can use the shower again. I am wondering what product to use to reinstall those shower floor tiles. I need to establish a bed of about 1 to 2 inches to get them at the proper elevation, so they will be level at the height of the 2/3 remaining shower floor.

Thin set could be used as a second step to adhere the tiles, but I can't build up to that thickness using just thin set. What should I be using to raise the mud pan about 1-2 inches?

How can I achieve a strong bond to the first mud pan besides relying on just the scoring that was done with a grinder, which I have now cleaned out?

if you are making up 2" of space, standard premix concrete is fine.  you dont need anything else.  its mass and mechanical locking expansion will hold everything together just fine.  if its 1", you can still do it with premix, bud you need to add polymer modifier and i would put in a sheet of steel rebar mesh (3 x 3)


Is it appropriate to put polyethylene between hardwood and subfloor? My installer put polyethylene between hardwood and subfloor. Is that a problem?

It is a moisture barrier. See
Moisture Barrier and Underlayments: Don’t Leave It Out!  for a little more explanation. However, in your case that appears to have been an unnecessary expense. I doubt it would hurt anything except your wallet.


Plumbing problems - bath and dishwasher In shower, hot water doesn't work (no water at all comes out when handle turned to hot side) yet cold water works well - this is in guest bath.  Hot and cold works at sink in same bath.  Master bath - both works well.  IN kitchen both work, but have started noticing leaks around faucet and sprayer base.  Dishwasher in kitchen has stopped working - sounds like no water coming in dishwasher.  What would cause these issues?  Are they related?

There is usually a shutoff valve somewhere along the line from your hot water heater and usually at the base of each appliance or fixture. I would first make sure the values near the bath and dishwasher are both on. If not try tracking the lines from your hotwater heater to see if any values are shut off.

The values near the bath may look like this:

The values along the line look like this:


Why is blocking never placed "sideways"? If you are blocking for structural strength (not fire protection or nailing surface), wouldn't it be better to put the 2x4s sideways, oriented the way they would be in a built-up header?

Horizontal blocking IS used with 2x lumber on edge for non-structural reasons: grab bar blocking, plumbing fixtures (notably freestanding wall sinks) and kitchen cabinets.

Its usually shifted to the front of the wall, just behind the drywall.  For sinks, 2x6 is usually used, allowing a range of mounting heights, ditto for grab bars in baths and showers.

One time for a steel stud wall in a basement, I used an entire sheet of 3/4 plywood over the studs and under the drywall.  It let me freely mount upper and lower cabinets for a bar area.

In the case of a 2x6 "wet wall" (used for plumbing, especially drains), the blocking can be "let in" in a continuous piece for additional strength, spanning several stud bays.


Open Refreigerator door trips other breakers I have a breaker problem. Opening door(s) on our whirlpool refrigerator randomly (maybe once or twice per month) trips OTHER breakers in the house (usually same one but for an adjacent room) trip. Those breakers have the test button on them. They are not adjacent breakers in the panel.
Thanks for any help you can provide!

They don't have to be adjacent to be a MWBC sharing a neutral, just on different legs and without handle ties. Handle ties were not always required. Fridge's have been known to trip GFCI breakers. Try switching it to a non GFCI. Why is the adjacent room on a GFCI?  If possible try a regular breaker on that room too.


How can I seal the openings for the armrest of this chair nicely? I have recently acquired a Steelcase Leap chair (https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/)
but I do not have the arm rests. I don't want them in the first place because they would get in the way in my small home office.

However I did not expect to see two holes, one on each side. Apparently there is no cover comes with this unit.

The opening on the left hand side

The opening on the left hand side with the soft plastic outer cover of the shaft been removed

I have checked Steelcase website but they don't have this kind of parts.

Is there any good component/material I can purchase from a hardware store so I can use to seal the openings?

You could use scissors to cut an oval plastic shape just bigger than the hole, use an old milk carton or soda bottle. Paint it black and set it on the white socket, than slide the plastic cover down over to hold it.

Or... remove the arm assemblies entirely.


My dryer heating element broke in two: Can I just wrap the ends together? I have a Whirlpool Estate dryer that recently quit drying. I narrowed the problem down to the heating element, then removed the element assembly and found a clean break in the coil at one end. A replacement element is 50 bucks online, which isn't a problem, but I wonder: Can I fix the element myself?

I don't have a lot of tools, but I do have a wrench and some 18 gauge aluminum wire. I thought maybe I could scrape the soot off of the element near the break, then wrap the ends together with the wire. I'm not much of a handyman and I'm certainly not an electrician. But I'd like to fix something for a change, rather than just throwing it away. Can the element be salvaged?

Edit: Thanks for the informative answers, guys. I ordered a replacement from Amazon.

Sorry to be the Nay Sayer here, but trying to repair a 240VAC heating coil element is just plain dangerous. You mentioned using aluminum wire, WRONG! That wire will melt in a heartbeat as soon as you turn it on. The heating element is probably made of tungsten or other hardened heat producing metals and trying to use copper or aluminum is no substitute.

Don't risk burning up other parts of your dryer or even your entire house. Order the correct part or go pick one up at a local appliance repair shop and do the job properly and safely.


Kids cars inside the toilet My kid threw small cars into the toilet and opened the water, we tried to open the clogging with pompa and it didn't help ... how can you fix or call a professional?

A wet dry shop vac pushed into the toilet trap while turned on may grab the cars I have actually done this several times some times they get stuck in the vacuum hose sometimes hanging on at the opening. Try putting the hose in several times until no cars come out, if you come up empty they may be in the pipe below.


What is the minimum flow required for a pressure washer? I would like to buy a Karcher pressure washer and connect it to a spring water
source, not city water.

I didn't measure the throughput yet, but it is less than city water for sure.

I would like to know what is the minimum input flow (liters/h ?) required for
a Karcher to work ?

Same question regarding water pressure: what would be the minimum required ?
Maybe it is not so relevant since the Karcher will pressurized it ;)
Moreover I don't know how to measure water pressure easily.

Any help would be appreciated :) Otherwise I can also try... And see how it
goes !

Most consumer pressure washers require a feed at typical municipal pressure and at a flow rate of more than the washer's output.  Karcher appears to be an exception.

This video claims that their units can draw the water they need from a static source, like a drum or tank of water or a pool, using a siphon hose.  That water isn't under significant pressure (its own weight), but nothing limits the flow in that scenario.  If you feed it from a piped source, that source must be sufficient to feed it as fast as it needs it.

I would verify the requirements for the specific model you're considering.  The specs should tell you the input requirements, or you can check with Karcher customer service for an official answer.


Does the orientation of a swing check valve matter? I am installing a swing check valve on the plumbing of a pond. The purpose is to prevent the water from flowing backwards through the pipes during a power outage. It water were to flow backwards, which I've tested does indeed happen if the pump is unplugged, it would dump dirty water from the filter back into the pond and also potentially overflow the edge of the pond.
I'm wondering if it matters whether the swing check valve is installed horizontally or in a vertical position, if that will have some impact on its function, as perhaps gravity could have some impact on the swinging of the valve.

If it is spring loaded then orientation does not matter but if it is swinging pure then it has to be orientated that its weight causes it to close.


Where would the best place to drill a hole to put an electrical panal to the inside of a 20' sea container? I want to bring teck cord into my sea container (conex or shipping container).
Where would be the best place?

If it is supported in a manner that makes it accessible, through the floor.

Least chance of leaks.
Depending on your particular container's construction details, only
part that might be wood (if you miss the cross members) rather than
steel, so easier to drill.


Insufficient voltage to dryer receptacle; what next? I just moved into a home and I am hooking up a used dryer (which I'm told works).  The dryer spins, but I get no heat.

I bought a multimeter, and it tells me that the receptacle provides insufficient voltage for both the dryer's spin and heat.  The receptacle is a NEMA 10-30.  Referring to the poles as listed in this diagram, I get the full 120V between poles W and Y, but only 45V between poles W and X (and 70V between X and Y).  I think, from these DIY questions (1 2), that I should get 120V between W and X and 240V between X and Y.

I even took the receptacle off the wall, and I get the same readings from the bare wires.

So here's my question: is it time to call an electrician, or are there some other things I can investigate on my own?

a broken wire or loose connection can pass voltage but as the current draw goes up, the voltage goes down. depending on the quality of the break, the voltage at no current draw (such as with a multimeter) could vary from full voltage to almost nothing.

to really figure this out, you'll need to remove the cover of your breaker box. measure the voltage between the neutral bar on the side of the box and the incoming wires from the meter at the top. they should all read 120V or 0V. if not, then the power company needs to investigate.

also measure between the neutral bar and the two screws on the side of the breaker that feeds the dryer outlet. those should read 120V. if not, then the breaker is likely bad.

otherwise, the problem is likely a broken wire or loose connection somewhere between the breaker and the outlet.


Microwave trips the AFCI almost every time it is used Our new microwave trips the AFCI almost every time we   use it. Electrician says it is drawing too much power and we should return it.
Samsung over range Microwave 120 volts 1.5 kw AFGI 20 amp

Your electrician is way wrong a 1.5Kw device only draws 12.5 amp a 20a breaker won’t trip below 2400w for current (usually beyond that for current based on an inverse time ratio).
Microwaves convert the power to RF the wave shaping creates harmonics that the AFCI can not tell what they are.
The AFCI thinks they are arcs and trips.
This tripping gets more common with larger microwaves and heavily loaded lighting circuits with electronic ballasts/drivers, and motor controls like for washing machines.
Electronic circuits have this issue and in some cases changing brands of AFCI device if possible may help.
In my state I the option I have with a dedicated circuit I can omit these devices in cases like these where the device is known to cause nuisance tripping so it would be worth checking your local code amendments.


What is the cloth around my dishwasher and do I need it? I have a slight bug problem in my kitchen, so today I'm doing a big cleanup. I've gotten to my dishwasher and as expected there are a ton of bugs there. I noticed it was wrapped in a large cloth, and that thing was pretty nasty and infested so I've thrown it out.

But that piece doesn't seem to be directly used by my dishwasher. Is it necessary? Do I need to go out and buy a new one before I use my dishwasher again or can I live without it?

It's called an insulation blanket and its main purpose is to muffle the noise made during operation. Since it's usually made of fiberglass, it provides some heat insulation too.

You don't need it, but you'll probably find the extra noise to be annoying. Try the dishwasher without it, and if you can't live with the noise, replace it.


How to change water filter if the only valve is before the boiler? How can I change the water filter if the only valve to close the water supply is before the boiler? If I just close the valve and unscrew the filter the hot water from the boiler will flow back? Is this the standart procedure or is there some way that I can prevent the water from coming out of the boiler?

And also how to properly place the filter back? Im worried about air getting into the boiler.

Personally, I'd just install a ball valve on either side of the filter. With those ball valves in place, replacing the filter would take no more than two simple twists to shut off the water. This SHOULD have been done originally, and it is something not difficult to do. Plumbing is not difficult to do, though I will admit that my first attempt had me fearful. You can learn it quickly enough. If not, then call a plumber. This is a quick fix that will not cost more than an hour of their time under any circumstances.


Going through condensate pumps every 2-3 years I am about to buy my 5th condensate pump in 12 years. HE furnace or 2.5T A/C run 10-11 months out of the year here. Humidifier attached but not in use.

I have a 7.5' rise, 20' horizontal span, then 8' down into my drain from the pump.

Failure modes vary only slightly. For the most part, the pumps will start making noise (varies, but usually a noisy motor type of noise, usually the motor physically heats up until I smell hot electronics), and will eventually stop pumping if not replaced within a month or two. For this reason I keep a spare on hand, and just replace them when they quit entirely. The pumps I've been buying are the standard $60 $133 120V ones from Home Depot. The make/model varies every time I buy one.

To be clear, my question is on why the pumps might be failing so often. The only thing I can think is that the drain line might have become restricted (furnace installers tied it to rigid pipes with zip ties), making the pump work much harder. It looks relatively un-kinked, but the tubing is opaque. The drain line is exposed and easy to get at, so would be easy enough to replace I suppose, but I wanted to ask here first to see if there are other things I should be checking.

I could eliminate the 7.5' rise in theory, but it'd either be a trip hazard, or a 50' run along the outer perimeter of the house.

There is a big range in quality for condensate pumps.
 Condensate is actually hard on pumps and most of them are plastic, plastic seals impeller sometimes even bearing surfaces and case.
The more expensive ones have rubber seals or ceramic and better level switches , many of the plastic ones I have found that are bad were because the shaft seals melted (plastic) I believe that the cause in part is because of contacts sticking or the pump running dry from mold when the pump runs dry melting the seal.

The high end pumps I use in commercial systems cost much more but are metal,  both brass and stainless models with much better seals and capacitive sensors to turn the pump on. The price difference if you are going through them this often the more expensive is worth it because you only mess with it every 15-20 years and the seals are replaceable ~20$ and the sensors can also be replaced ~34$ this with a new set of bearings ~10$ for both and the pump is like new and will last another 15-20 years . so yes it can be the pump.
mold buildup can plug the inlet to the pump and run it dry causing failure quicker. I mentioned it but did not explain. Having some head pressure depending on where the check valve is if it has one can actually extend the life because there is water being pushed (as long the pump specs are not exceeded).


How to connect dishwasher drawer that's installed above counter level In my upcoming kitchen cabinet replacement, I'm getting a single dishwasher drawer to replace a full sized one and I want to install it at height of about 35" (that's its bottom, so the top will be at about 51" from the floor).  It will most likely be hooked up to drain into the garbage disposal which is under the sink right next to it.

All installation instructions and all related questions I could find talk about draining assuming that the dishwasher is next to the sink, which this one is next to the sink, it will be higher than the sink.

What changes would need to be made to the draining set-up for the dishwasher drawer in this scenario?  Given that the bottom of the drawer will be roughly at the same height as the very top edge of the sink, it seems unlikely that any blockage would cause backflow would end up in the dishwasher, so does this mean there's no point to air gaps or looping the drain hose under the counter?

Wow, what an interesting question, and weird setup.

Personally, I agree with you. A clog or backup would have one heck of a treck to go uphill like that. Of course, depending on your locality, there may be a code requirement for the air gap, but I'd be willing to argue the necessity to any inspector that said otherwise.


What's the best way to get grade below foundation wall? We just discovered that the cause of some water staining on the internal sill-plates on top of the basement foundation wall are due to the outside grade sitting ~2 inches above the foundation wall!! See picture below (our house on right).

A waterproofing guy (who does internal drain systems) suggested we build a rock/brick retaining wall, dig down about 1 foot below the foundation wall, put in retaining wall, and fill with rock up to a few inches from the top of the retaining wall.

Sound reasonable? Given the proximity of the neighbors home in the picture (slab on grade), is there any risk of destabilizing their foundation by putting in a small retaining wall (~18 inches high) about 2 feet away from the cement sidewalk in the picture?

i would do what the guy said, but leave out the retaining wall and install drain pipe. Perforated drain pipe will be less costly, install faster, won't aggravate the neighbors, and is a fairly simple DIY job.


Hail hit my roof. Do I need to replace it? We had a hail storm last night. Some of the pebbles were about an inch in diameter, although most were smaller. I went up and took some pictures of part of the roof. Most of the shingles look ok, but some appear to be missing granules and some also have small pieces of the shingle missing.

There's more photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/WRFFCTTuBfHoRo2GA.

Do I need a new roof?

Yes
The granules (they're typically ceramic) act as UV protection and fire retardant. It's normal to lose these over time, but the shingle in your bottom picture looks to be missing as much as half its granules. Additionally, the larger the hail stone, the more likely it damaged the shingles themselves (1" hail stones are serious).
Most homeowners insurance will cover this type of damage, meaning you pay the deductible and get a new roof. The key here is I would not wait long to at least explore a claim on this, lest you be unable to prove it was hail that did the deed. This is one of those lesser known (and hard to notice) ways your roof can be seriously damaged. I would get at least two roofing companies out to examine it and verify the damage.


Trying to find missing switch for outdoor light I'm currently in the process of trying to figure out which switch in my house turns on an outdoor light fixture. Apparently this switch doesn't exist. The bulb is new, known to be working, and of the appropriate wattage. This fixture has never been on since I bought the house (which isn't all that long ago anyway).

The only thing that I can't explain is that there is a blank face plate opposite the wall shared by this light. Inside are 2 capped wires (shown below). I don't have the slightest clue what these were for, if anything. They were like this when I bought the house.

Could these be from an old switch? Is there a safe way to test them without shorting something? It's probably just a red herring to distract me from my search, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask about anyway. It's not very far from the fixture, so I didn't want to discount the possibility.

If these either are definitely not for a switch, or do not control the outside light, are there any tricks/tips I could attempt in terms of finding where my mystery switch is located?

Here is the box of the fixture outside:

Make sure the light bulb is good.

Measure voltage across those 2 wires.  Does it read full line voltage?

Remove all the light bulbs. Does the voltage change?  (It might be "phantom voltage").

If the voltage is there with the bulb in, and gone/diminished to phantom when the bulb is out, then it probably is a switch to the bulb.   The next test is to connect those 2 wires to a receptacle, and plug a lamp into the receptacle. (really works best if the lamp has a switch).  Now put same-size incandescent light bulbs in both lamps.

Does turning the temporary lamp on cause the other one to light up?  If yes, are they both about half brightness?  If so, that settles it; that's a switch to that light.