Can I convert a roll up garage door to a side-hinged door? Can an old up and over garage door be converted to a traditional hinged swing open door, my door is an up and over but does not give enough clearance for my needs now . in order to save a bit of money i as hoping to be able to convert the door into one that opens outward.

A hinged garage door puts a LOT of stress on the structure - they are heavy with a long lever. Compare to a vertical-lift door (any style) which is basically a straight-down load.

Do you have 6x6 or larger posts on both sides of the door? Are they in good condition and firmly attached to the rest of the structure?

Check the swing area of the proposed door - is it over a good surface? Pavement sloping away from the garage is best, flat gravel or grass are not good, anything higher than the bottom of the door is a deal breaker. Does it snow where you are?

I would suggest replacing the up-and-over with a rolling door. Just so everyone's on the same page, when you say up-and-over I assume the door is one piece, and swings up on 2 pivot points becoming the ceiling over the parking place. A slide-up door is in sections about 50cm high and ends up in the same place as the up-and-over, but it's on tracks and the tracks can be higher up in the garage as needed.

A rolling door can be mounted completely external (indoor is better, but...) to the garage, as high as you need. No space is needed above the parking place. They're not all that cheap, and you can't build one yourself, but they are very easy to install and won't pull your vertical supports out.


Using the existing neutral as a PE grounding conductor on a NEMA 10-30 outlet I was redirected here from the electric engineering exchange with a more specific question out of this earlier post:

https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/340136/is-it-possible-to-run-an-antminer-s9-on-a-250v-nema-10-30

I have a NEMA 10-30 split phase 250V dryer outlet that I want to temporarily utilize to run high power server equipment:

https://shop.bitmain.com/productDetail.htm?pid=00020170920224132179WEIOvhXx06D6

I probed the outlet and got the following voltages:
LINE1 to NEUTRAL: 125V
LINE2 to NEUTRAL: 125V
LINE1 to LINE2: 250V

The power supply requires three wires.

My question is, if I created a custom plug that would adapt the computer power supply type input to a NEMA 10-30, assuming the leakage current on the power supply is <1.5MA, wouldn't the existing neutral wire act as a PE grounding conductor? It was suggested on my other thread that I should switch to a grounding NEMA 6-15 outlet. However, I do not see any physical difference whatsoever between what I currently have and what was recommended, because if I installed the NEMA 6-15 outlet it would require me to use the existing neutral as a grounding conductor, or install a new grounding conductor leaving the current neutral unused.

I understand that in the case of an appliance like my dryer, which uses 125V for the lights and the timer and then dumps the current into the neutral, that this is indeed not up to code because there is a lack of grounding conductor. However in the case of the power supply I am now looking to run, it does not utilize split phase power so as far as I can tell close to zero current would be running through what is considered the neutral, which for all intents and purposes would make it a PE grounding conductor.

Is this merely a question of code/semantics or do I actually need to run ANOTHER wire from the panel to use as a grounding conductor? If I did this, it would simply be connected to nothing on the outlet end, because I need a 3 wire plug. There is nothing else on this branch, only the single 10-30 receptacle on a two pole breaker.

Also, is there any code problem with plugging a 7A computer server into a 30A receptacle? What if I used something like the TrippLite 30A PDU that has multiple outlets, then plug the server into the PDU?

Thank you for any help! Please let me know if I am incorrect in my assumptions.

EDIT: This plug is on a sub panel. Also, with the breaker to the outlet OFF, I am reading around 4V AC from either hot to the neutral. Does this indicate a fault somewhere or is this normal?

We can start with this:

As installed, the grounded conductor for your dryer receptacle is white or gray and cannot be re-identified as an equipment grounding conductor according to the National Electrical Code.

  250.119 Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors. Unless required elsewhere in this Code, equipment grounding conductors shall be permitted to be bare, covered, or insulated. Individually covered or insulated equipment grounding conductors shall have a continuous outer finish that is either green or green with one or more yellow stripes except as permitted in this section. Conductors with insulation or individual covering that is green, green with one or more yellow stripes, or otherwise identified as permitted by this section shall not be used for ungrounded or grounded circuit conductors.

Then there is using something for which it was not intended. The Code does not allow that.

  Article 110.3(B) Installation and Use.  Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling.

The receptacle you have was designed and intended for the third prong to be a grounded conductor not an equipment grounding conductor.

  406.4(C) Methods of Grounding.  The equipment grounding conductor contacts of receptacles and cord connectors shall be grounded by connection to the equipment grounding conductor of the circuit supplying the receptacle or cord connector.

So, if your equipment requires grounding, which it apparently does, you cannot connect a cord connector to the grounded conductor of the circuit supplying the dryer receptacle.

There are other reasons not to do this that I don't have the inclination to list here.

Just run the correct wire and install a proper receptacle for your equipment and sleep soundly.

Good luck!


how to loosen the faucet's tap flange? I want to renew the caulk, surrounding the flange, the one that is adjacent to the wall. Is there a way to loosen the flange, or it comes along with the taps? I'm not sure how to do it, and I'm afraid to break the things.

UPDATE

So I've removed the handle, but then I don't know how to remove the stem. I can actually rotate the flange around, meaning that stem and flange is one "component". Am I supposed to pull out the stem, or rotate? I tried carefully    rotate it clock-unwise, it didn't help, neither did pulling out.

OK, now I unscrewed the large white nut behind the stem, but the stem still doesn't badge, and it doesn't seem I can unscrew it either :

As Tyson suggested, you should start by removing the screw cover

Use a small screw driver to pop off the screw cover (with the Moen
logo).
Next unscrew the reviled screw and attempt to pull off the handle.
If the handle doesn't come off, go to the hardware store and
    purchase a "Faucet Handle/Compression Sleeve Puller"

You should now be able to remove your flange


How can I fix my garage door lock? I have 2 problems with my garage door, first is that both of my remotes don't open the garage door, however the rolling mechanism works just fine once I get inside the garage and manually hit the open / close switch. I believe the lead connections on the wireless receiver / antenna on the logic board might be cracked and should be able to fix that with a soldering iron.

However, now I can't get into the garage because I somehow messed up the lock when I put the key back in. See the 2 images below. First one is the lock pushed in but it isn't all the way in and I can still pull it out, see 2nd pic and that's as far as I can pull it out. The key won't turn fully, it'll only turn a bit either way and I have tried to turn it with the lock in various stages of being pulled out or pushed in but nothing works. So I am stuck and not sure how to fix this. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

Click for larger view

First off I seriously doubt that the lock cylinder pulling out like that is anything even close to its normal operation. In fact it is an indication that the lock itself is seriously broken.

Normal behavior for a cheap lock like that is to have two positions (locked and unlocked) where the key can pull out of its slot in either position. However the lock cylinder stays in place. The two rotational positions for the lock will generally be either a quarter turn or half turn from each other.

Since you have mentioned that the garage door has an electric opener please be aware that 90% or more of people never use their garage doorlocks due to the inconvenience of having to get out of the vehicle in order to open the garage door. This disuse of the lock over years leads to the thing becoming corroded and sometimes fully freezing up. It does not help that these cheap locks are made of cheap pot metal or poorly plated iron that invites the corrosion.

If you need servicable locks then I would suggest that you will likely want to replace these with some better quality retrofit latch/lock assemblies.

To get working garage door remotes you could do what I did. First I threw away all the old garage door remotes that had quit working. Then I went to eBay and purchased a set of remote controlled relays similar to that shown below. The relay board gets mounted inside the garage on the wall near the manual open/close button. The N.O. and COM terminals of the relay get connected in parallel to the manual switch connections. Then a 12VDC wall power adapter is wired into the relay unit to provide power. The adapter plugs into a nearby AC mains outlet. (I found a suitable 12VDC power adapter on the shelf at my local Goodwill outlet for ~2$US). If you have two garage doors the relay unit shown below can support both door openers separately from one remote fob.

A couple of additional things to be aware of:

If you want more than one fob either purchase two relay kits or look around for a seller that bundles two fobs with the kit.
The fob and relay unit need to be paired with the same code. As shipped the seller normally has arranged for the proper pairing but typically sets all units to the same code. These units support many hundreds of codes and you may elect to change the pairing code before installing the unit. The codes are set inside the fob and on the relay board via simple solder blob connections.


How would you vent my basement bathroom fan? I have a basement bathroom basically smack dab in the middle of the basement.  The joists run from front-to-back of house.  So going out either side is not an option.  Going out the front is not an option because I will hit a slab porch.  So my ways out are back or up.

Going up entails going 4 feet doing a 90 up and then out the attic.  Going out the back - there is already duct work in the joist run the fan is on.  It is an unfinished laundry/storage room and would be about 15 feet total.

So I guess my options are go under duct work (sticking below joist a couple inches but still 7 feet up) and out back, do a couple 90s to move to joist over (going under joist temporarily then back up) and out the back, or going 5 feet over then 90 through the main floor then out the attic.

The attic would be a long run - 5 feet, plus 10 feet to get to attic, plus 15 feet to get to soffit.  To the back of the house would be 15-20 feet total.

Also I have thought about buying one of those no vent out machines that slowly releases humidity to laundry area.  The basement/house is dry and could use moisture.  Anything is in play!

Is your furnace in the basement?  Is it forced air?

If so, the main supply run probably goes UNDER the joists... Attach your bath fan run alongside it.


Looking for or adding a ground to an existing NEMA 10-30 socket I have an unused older 3-wire dryer socket (NEMA 10-30R) in my garage, I would like to upgrade this to a NEMA 14-30 socket with an separate ground. I'll be using this for an EVSE unit for electrical vehicle charging.

The previous owner did some newer wiring around the box containing this socket and I suspect he might have either run a ground to the location or installed a ground wire to a water pipe or something.

I have two related questions:

If I shut off the breaker and take off the socket, what am I looking
for that will indicate a ground wire? Would it just be an unused
fourth wire in the box?
If I find only a 3-wire run to this box, is there a safe DIY way to
add a ground myself without running back to the breaker panel?
There's a very new furnace/air-handler and water heater very close,
would either of those have a ground wire I could tie into or should
it be something else?

A ground wire in a NM run for a dryer is indeed an unused fourth wire in the box, and it will be bare.  If your garage dryer socket was instead run using AC (BX, in other words) or metal conduit, then the box itself is grounded, and should be pigtailed to to ground the receptacle.  (In the rare case the circuit was run with MC, there will be a green ground wire in the box.)

If you're comfortable using a multimeter, you can turn the circuit off at the panel and measure the resistance to the neutral wire -- the ground will only have a few ohms to the neutral as they are connected at the service entrance.

Adding a ground to a three-wire, 120/240VAC circuit is best handled by running a separate ground wire back to an allowable grounding point as per NEC 250.130(C), using single conductor bare armored ground cable.  In the 2014 NEC, point 4 does allow you to tap the nearest EGC of a suitable size originating from the same enclosure as the recipient branch circuit; but, since a 30A circuit needs a 10AWG copper EGC, you can't use a 15 or 20A circuit's EGC as the donor.

Also, if your appliance can do it, you can install a neutral bonding jumper and change it over to a NEMA 10-30 plug on a 3 wire cord. (Just about all dryers can do this.)


Is this decorative trim or exterior bracing? Shown below is an example of my exterior above my garage. I was wanting to look into painting/stucco/new siding work and wondered if what "bracing" you see as the same color of the house was purely decorative or if it applied to the structure of the house.  To be more specific, these are the boards that run horizontal and vertical which are not white.

Some of the inside panels below/between these 1x6 boards may need to be replaced around the house and I wanted to assess replacement options/methods.

The style of finish with several narrow vertical boards placed on broader surfaces is called board and batten.  The battens are used to hides seams of the broader sections, and in more primitive construction, to fill cracks, block air, and improve insulation.

The battens are not meant to be structural, but when nailed, screwed, or glued into place, add some minor additional rigidity to the structure. The horizontal and angled strips are also primarily decorative, but fill roles similar to the battens.


How can I stop the bass from shaking my house? When I play music through my speakers, they are on top of a shelf directly under the ceiling, and the bass shakes the wood panel wall and ceiling tiles, which causes loud rattling. Is there some simple fix to this, maybe to weigh these things down somehow, that will lower the amount of rattling?

The wood panel walls are very thin, about half an inch (?).

I'd want a very cheap solution.

Sorry if this isn't an appropriate question here... I couldn't find any other forum for this.

Unfortunately, there aren't easy and/or cheap ways to weigh down the paneling or ceiling.

I'm going to suspect that a healthy majority of the rattle is not from the sound vibrations in the air, but from the physical motion/vibration transferring from the woofer through the shelf, to the  floor, wall, and ceiling. Isolating the woofers on something like memory foam or similar to isolate to vibrations may somewhat lessen the transfer.

Unfortunately, all loud sound systems deal with this to some extent. If isolating the woofers is not enough, then reducing the hard surface areas would be the next step. Hanging framed art, tapestries, etc on the walls all helps to dampen the transfer of sound waves to the walls.


How to fix 1/2 inch gap between shower drain pipe and flange? I moved into a new place and when trying to unclog the shower drain, I found that the drain pipe is not touching the flange, there is about 1/2 inch gap. I am now concerned that water has been leaking into the house's foundation.

See photo:

Any thoughts on how to fix? Thanks!

You should, if at all possible, take a look at what is going on below the shower. If there is a crawl space, basement or lower level floor you should look to see if the drain pipe has actually dropped down. I say that because there is a possibility that the original installer fitted the pipe to the drain collar but neglected to apply PVC cement into the joint. As a consequence over time the joint might have come apart and ended up the way you see it today.

If the guess above is the case then this may be a relatively easy fix that would take two people to complete. First you would need to clean all grime, sludge and crap off the drain collar and the drain pipe. In the case of the drain pipe this would have to be done from below. Once clean and dry PVC cement would be applied to the outside of the drain pipe from below and the second person would install it to the inside of the drain collar from above. Then the person below would have to push the drain pipe up into the collar. It may take some up and down action on the pipe to get the PVC cement to spread and work its magic in the joint.


Can I resize a bench I've finally found two identical bench's on an auction site that are almost perfect as I'm looking to create a breakfast nook In my kitchen that im doing up. Unfortunately just measured and one is slightly too long for the area I'm working with..I feel it's possible but wondered if anyone could advise me as to the best possible way to downsize the length of the bench without damaging it structurally

If the benches that you have are indeed the Norden style of benches from IKEA like this:

Then it would be possible to shorten them slightly by cutting an equal amount off of each end if the bench top. Several things to consider when proposing to do this:

Some IKEA products are made of a particle board that is veneered with a nice wood face and edges. If the top boards of this bench are made that way then the shortening would leave ugly raw edges on the ends of the bench.
Cutting wants to be uniform from both ends so the bench remains having a balanced and even look.
Do not shorten so that the top gets closer than say 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the legs.
If the ends of the top are cut it will leave a raw wood edge that would need to be re-finished. Good guess as to what type of finish has been used by the manufacturer.
If you cut only one of the two benches they may no longer look like a "matched set".
The type of saw used to trim the bench top will have a lot to do with how nice the cuts look and whether or not there is any chipping or splintering.


Why does my kitchen faucet have low pressure after the water heater was replaced? I recently replaced my water heater, and since then, the water pressure for my kitchen faucet is really, really, low. None of my other faucets seem to be affected (bathroom, shower, etc.). I can't really tell if my dishwasher is affected, but my refrigerator does not appear to be. The kitchen faucet, dishwasher, and refrigerator all run off the same set of pipes that come into the cabinet below my kitchen sink. The water heater is located a floor down almost directly below the kitchen.

My current theory is some sediment dislodged from the replacement of the water heater has blocked the faucet. Is this possible? Could this be caused by anything else?

9 times out of 10, like Tester mentions, this is going to be the aerator. Unscrew it, run some water without it, and clean it before screwing it back on. There's all kinds of stuff that gets knocks around in the pipes when water is shutoff and things are added or replaced in the plumbing system, and the best place for them to end up is the kitchen sink aerator since it's so easy to fix.


Master bedroom switch must be on in order for spare bedroom lights to turn on I just bought a house, had it inspected and everything but when I get Possesion I find the lights don't turn on in the spare room. I then find they do turn on but the master bedroom must be on at the same time.

Currently there is a black and red wire running to the switch in the MB with two white wires tied together seperately.

The spare room has one white and one black to the switch and that is all

Hopefully this is an easy fix as this is not something you want when you first move into a place..

Thanks a lot

I fully agree that you need an electrician, but I wanted to place a guess on what may have happened, just for fun.

The problem was most likely made in the ceiling box in the MB. Someone obviously tied the switch in the MB to the switch in the spare room; so when you flip both switches on, the current is travelling through two switches then up to the spare room light.

I'm guessing that the culprit is the black wire- it is travelling from the switch in the MB, to the light in the MB, and to the switch in the spare room. And (another guess) there is probably a cable connected to both ceiling boxes... the travelling black goes through the ceiling box in the MB to the ceiling box in the spare room and then down to the spare room switch. Then the white wire from the spare room switch will carry the power up to the light and I'd bet the end of it is wrapped with black electrical tape.

In the ceiling box of the spare room there are (guessing) two white wires connected to the fixture (one is probably wrapped with black electrical tape) and two black wires tied together (separate).

Now back in the MB, the power (the true hot) is connected to the red wire in the ceiling which goes down to the switch. When the MB switch is on, power flows through the switch, up the black wire to the ceiling box where the black wire is tied to both the light fixture and to the switch in the spare room.

And I'm guessing that the solution (in the ceiling box of the MB) is to connect the red wire to the light in the MB; and connect the black wire to the true hot, so that both switches have a hot wire.


Can mindi wood be used outdoors? Does anyone here have experience with mindi wood? For example furniture made from mindi wood? Is it also usable in outdoor scenarios, e.g. for garden furniture? What kind of finish is needed?

I've seen window frames made out of Mindi Wood. Everything I've heard is that it's similar to teak, but not as expensive.


What type of adhesive do I use to bond metal & glass? I need some strong adhesive for a table. The glass panel fell off and I have no idea what type I need. It needs to be clear and very strong.

Pics here:

J-B ClearWeld Quick Setting variety says it cures clear and sticks to metal and glass. I have never used this particular J-B product but I have had good results with other products of their line of epoxy.


Smart Thermostat Keeps Losing Power I just switched my upstairs and downstair thermostats for smart thermostats.  The C wire was not connected so I opened the furnace and connected it.  Both units deliver 27v to the thermostat.  I read where 20-30v is ok.  The upstairs thermostat functions just fine with both A/C and Heat.  The downstairs thermostat is fine with A/C, but when on heat the unit repeatedly blanks out losing power and the clock time.  I swapped the upstairs and downstairs thermostats to see if I had a bad thermostat, but the problem stays with the downstairs unit.

I suspect that when the Bryant gas furnace kicks on that the power must be unstable therefore the thermostat doesn't have sufficient power.  The Heat stays on and runs and the unit will get power again while its running, but the clock gets reset every time.  Therefore its only able to work in hold mode and not with a schedule.

I did verify the cables all have secure connections.

[Update 1]

Voltages measured at the furnace.

28.5v idle

28.1v when it first kicks on

24v blip when the blower kicked on

25v for a bit

14v

I don't know all the stages it goes through (stages is probably not the right word, it's not a multi-stage unit), but something kicks in a few moments after everything is running to drop the voltage.

[Update 2]

Replaced transformer, but no change.

[Update 3]

Discovered that when the voltage drops to 14v and the thermostat goes out, that the control board is also blinking error code 33.  Tested the blower capacitor and it was below the 6% threshold.  Replaced capacitor, but no change.

The symptoms sound to me like the transformer isn't capable of supplying enough power. Check what the VA rating is on the transformer, and compare to the draw required by the furnace and two thermostats (divide VA by volts to get amps).

If it's undersized, you'll have to setup an external transformer.


GFCI outlet count towards box volume? The question is really in the title. I replaced a standard outlet with an iDevices Smart Outlet (not GFCI, but same concept). The original outlet was in a 4"x 2 something handybox. When I swap it out for an outlet that takes up more physical volume on the inside of the box, do I need to recalculate the volume of the box to ensure there is actually enough room?  The only reason I ask is that I had to really move wires around inside the box to get this much deeper device to actually fit.

do I need to recalculate the volume of the box to ensure there is actually enough room?

Short answer: No

As you found out some devices are larger than others. However, the National Electrical Code doesn't distinguish between them and every yoke mounted device counts as a double volume allowance. See Article 314.

Realistically, I would use a deep device box on every device when doing new work to allow for these kinds of devices.

Good luck.


How can I add a recepticle to this junction box full of push splices? This is a picture of the junction box with all the wires. I've just never seen a junction box with this many wires. I'm brand new at DIYing electrical stuff but I'm fixing my attic up into a bedroom and there's a light in the middle of the ceiling but absolutely no electrical outlets — just the light and then the junction box has the light running out of it.

Good news and bad news.

The good news is, this is very strightforward.  This box is being used solely for distribution.  There are no switches involved here, so you have the good luck that the wire colors happen to match up to wire function.

All these wires aren't just sitting here waiting for you.  They all are already doing a job.  One cable (black/white pair) supplies power and the other ones take power onward to places where it is being used.  If you separate them, those other places will no longer have power.  To add a load here, you'll need to add its black, white and bare wires to each group, and keep the others still together.  That means putting 5 or more wires together.

Stab connectors

The wires are going into jab/stab connectors, which are full. You cant add wires, and they can't be used twice anyway.

To remove each wire, grip the stab connector firmly and pull the wire out firmly while twisting slightly (45-90 degrees).  If the connector has a release tab, that may help.   Start with the longest wires until you get the hang of it; don't twist the wires exscessively as you don't want metal fatigue.  Do not simply cut the wires, because wire length is precious.

The stab connectors are single-use and there is no saving them.  Into the trash they go.  They make "lever operated" connectors that are far more reliable, and they can be reused.  For novices, I recommend connection styles made for re-use.

However, stab junction blocks have one merit, they can take as many as 8 wires.

Box fill

The bad news is the box is getting pretty full.  We calculate box fill based on cubic inches.   This 4x4" deep box has 30.3 cubic inches.   You are working in 12 AWG wires (do not use 14 AWG wires here!), and those take 2.25 (2-1/4) cubic inches per wire.

All grounds count as 1 wire.  All cable clamps count as 1 wire. That accounts for 4.5 cubic inches, leaving 25.8 cubic inches.  That is enough for 11 black and white wires.  You have 8 already, so you can add one more cable here before "cubing out".

You can get yourself more cubic inches by adding a "domed box cover" (4-10 cubic inches)  or a "junction box extender" (21 cubic inches).
Another option is to add a receptacle here.  They make 10.2 cubic inch domed covers with a cutout for a receptacle.  A receptacle or switch costs you 2 wires' worth (4.5 cubic inches), but when added to the box, you have just enough room for 14 wires.  (7 cables).

Further, certain receptacles allow "screw-to-clamp" wire attachments (back wiring under the screws, tighten to clamp). These take 4 wires per side, so you can use this type of receptacle to splice 4 cables into each other also.
if you need more than 4 connections, you can "pigtail", run a short wire  between one splice group and the other.   Pigtails count for 0 cubic inches.


What could cause a tubs drain to gurgle when the toilet is flushed? One day after I used a bacterial enzyme degreaser/ septic treatment to clear slow draining bathtub drains I can hear gurgling in my master bath tub drain when someone flushes the toilet in the other second floor bathroom.  This morning the downstairs toilet was blowing bubbles when flushed.  I have used this product before without this happening.

The gurgling typically happens with a vent pipe blockage. Without a source of air to follow behind the rushing water, a vacuum is created that will result in gurgling. You may be seeing that now if the vent pipe is partially blocked and there isn't enough air to support the faster flow. It may be necessary to snake out the vent pipe from the roof and/or run some water to clear out any debris that has collected inside.

Bubbles in a toilet below the water source (upstairs toilet) may be a sign of a blockage further down the drain. If that's the case, you may need your main drain line snaked and the plumber may need to run a scope down the line to find the location and cause of the blockage. It's possible that the enzyme pushed a clog further down the line, or the slow drains may indicate your septic system has started to backup into the house and needs to be serviced.


What size conductors would I need for a 10 ft. extension cord for a plasma cutter? I would like to have a 10ft extention cord for my 220v plasma cutter. I just put a 3 prong (crow foot) connector on it to match the plug for my Lincoln arc welder and I would like to be able to move it around some. Would 10/3 wire be enough?

When it comes to extensions used for welding and high current draw, I would not factor the cord size based on amp draw alone. Essentially the biggest problem you will face is heat generated within the cord. This is increased if you keep your cord rolled up whilst using it (the electromagnetic effect leading to an induction field). What I am saying is that when I use the welder for long periods of time, my cable gets hot, and as a result the rubber gets soft, any time I bump or kink the cord there is an increased chance of a breakage.


No C wire on furnace I’m trying to connect a C wire to my Nest Thermostat. However, I’m confused on where to connect it on my furnace seeing that there’s no marked slots on my old furnace. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cut the red wire going to the A/C, strip the cut ends, and nut the C wire in with them

As it turns out, since you have central air conditioning, finding your C wire isn't that hard after all.  We start with the yellow Y wire from your thermostat, which is connected to the white wire in the cable going off to your condenser (outdoor unit).  From that, since we know that there must be a complete circuit going from the transformer (R wire), through the thermostat to the yellow Y wire, then through the compressor contactor's coil in the outdoor unit, and back to the transformer in the furnace in order for the air conditioning to work when called for, we can infer that the other wire (the red wire) in the cable to the outdoor unit goes to C; in this case, that's a terminal on your furnace's gas valve, which is corroborated by the air conditioner connections shown on your furnace.

As a result of all that, we can treat that red wire as a C wire; however, I'm not sure if you can have multiple wires to a terminal on that gas valve of yours (beyond what's already being done that is), so we need to cut that red wire in two somewhere in the middle, strip both cut ends, and wirenut the blue wire from the thermostat in with the two cut ends to gain access to C on your furnace.


Term for hinge that allows trapdoor to rise and move aside while remaining near-level What terms describe / can be used to locate a hinge that allows a trapdoor to rise and move aside while remaining near-level?
I have a project where a cantilevered* shelf of 3/4 inch plywood will need to be able to simultaneously rise and move aside while remaining near-level.
The maximum design load for the shelf is 30 pounds + the plywood.
[*] “Cantilevered” in this sense means it is supported on one end by the hinges I’m attempting to describe, and that the hinges either mount to plywood adjacent to the closed (lowered) shelf position like an “—“, or mount to a ~60 degree sloped mount point below the shelf area like the stem of a “T”.
What is the name of this type of hinge so that I can locate and purchase a set?

I’m looking for a hinge type that would put the floating section of the table below off to the side as a “leaf” (where the closed position is the same level as the tabletop) then lift over the existing “tabletop” into roughly the position shown.

Searching for “Folding coffee table hinge” got me to a class of product described as “lift up top table mechanism.”
The difference is:

A “- -“ shape seems to be required unless there is a “ T “ shaped hinge that allows the level-ish-rise path. The only level-ish hinges I’ve found form a “z” shape when fully closed instead.
The form factor I’m looking for would fold flat so that the lift-able portion and stationary mount point are in the same plane.

I have checked with my local home centers. While a few employees recalled having seen or heard of a hinge that moves as needed, they all reported being unaware of anyone carrying such a product and suggested I look online.
Unfortunately, they also could not remember the words to describe one in order to search and order online.
Surely such hinges exist?

Here is a link to the type of hinge you are looking for lift and swing.  You should be able to find one that meets your specs.
and a link to how the type of hinge is used in as a table top.
table top usage


How can I temporarily close an arched interior passageway? I need to close an opening and I am not sure the best way to do it.

The goals are

Low cost
Good sound insulation
Easy to take apart with minimal damage to the existing walls.

It doesn't have to look perfect

edit: my original thought was  to attach drywall panel to each side of the  opening (bout 7 inch apart) and to screw them to the preexisting frame without using additional studs. To remove, unscrew the screws, fill with mud and paint again. what do you think of this solution?

edit: task mostly done. I probably need to paint it or hide it behind a curtain. but is is up and block sounds pretty well. I used the two plywood system of the selected answer without  weather striping.

I have also cut the plywood to smaller pieces for easier handling

I would take two sheets of plywood or similar material, cut slightly larger than the opening, place one on either side, and use a few big bolts & nuts driven through to pull the panels towards each other. The tension from the bolts will hold the contraption in place; some weatherstripping or the like on the edges will create a better seal and protect your walls. You can fill the inside cavity with fiberglass insulation and paint the wood the same color as your walls.


Choosing a Replacement A/C Condenser Fan Motor When my air conditioning comes on, I hear a loud buzzing and notice the condenser fan is barely spinning or not spinning at all.  I used a Fluke 88 to measure capacitance on the start/run capacitor separate from the system, and it measures within a few percent of the label.  I have the full 230v going to the fan terminals, so I assume I have a faulty motor.

My question is how do you choose a replacement motor?  I have a GE 5KCP39JFV504S currently, and I'm assuming I would find an aftermarket replacement by a different manufacturer.  I know I need a 230v 1/4HP 830RPM CW spinning motor, but other than that I don't know how to shop for one that will fit the blades and cover grate properly.

Recheck your contactor in the compressor cabinet and make sure it's functioning properly and making contact. A buzzing can mean a bad contactor.

Your best bet for a replacement motor is to bring it into an AC parts and supply company or an electric motor supply place. They will match the RPM's, shaft size, rotation, frame size, wiring harness,ETC. Bring the motor with you. In many cases they can test the motor for you. Do yourself a favor and don't try to replace it online. They will tell you it will fit, and believe me, it won't.

You might want to consider replacing the contactor since you'll be shopping for a motor anyway. They're only about $15 bucks


Why do you need to not use cement when laying block paving? When you lay block paving surely you have to lay it with cement rather than just sand as it hold the block down securely.

So why is this?

A properly prepared sand base for the paving blocks provides a level surface, a support for the expected loads on the pavers and a means of allowing rain and other water run-off. The blocks are held in place by gravity and by properly preparing the perimeter of the paving area, which can be landscape timbers, concrete borders or similar.

There are liquids known as landscape binders that can be applied to the sand, but they are primarily used where slopes are involved, preventing wash-away erosion. I'm not certain if applying binder to the sand would remove the ability for rain and water seep-through, but I suspect that it would.

Concrete does not give the same visual appeal and if used as a grouting material increases the labor involved in building a paved area.


Using wood filler on garden furniture I want to repair some weather battered garden table, bench and chair set. It has had some in places, so I will be replacing the severely rotten sections, and scraping out the rot from the partially damaged pieces.

My intention, with the partially damaged sections it to use a wood hardener to firm up the remaining wood, and then fill the gaps with a wood filler.

Once the wood filler has dried, I will be painting the whole set to hide the filled pieces.

I have limited experience in this area, so I would like to know if there are any caveats or gotchas to be aware of.

I've used Miniwax Wood Hardener after removing rotted wood and have been pleased with the results. Also, when I do a repair like you're doing, I use an exterior grade epoxy. What you're considering should be fine. I also attach screws into the wood below the surface to better hold the epoxy in place.


Should I replace a GFI in my kitchen that will not reset? I have three wall plugs fed into a 15A wall GFI. One of the outlets has a refrigerator with a two pronged plug.  When plugging in a toaster oven and countertop grill the circuit tripped and will not reset.

Is it safe to replace the GFI?

Assuming you mean you can't reset the GFI even when nothing is plugged into it: Yes, they can wear out and may need to be replaced. Obviously, turn off the power at the circuit breaker before removing this one and installing the replacement.

If you can reset it with nothing plugged in, then the problem is probably the appliance rather than the GFI. Get it repaired or get a replacement.


Is a sagging floor possibly detrimental? I live in a house built in the early 1900's. The dining room, which is in the center of the house, sags enough to where you could set a marble in the middle and it will always roll to one side.

The main beam running the length of the house in the basement has a support jack installed, but is it dangerous or detrimental to the property to have so much sagging in a particular room?

I had to have a structural engineer take a look at my house before I closed on it.  I have a roughly 1" sag in the middle of left half of my house where a pole was removed.  According to the structural engineer this would not get any worse and is "safe", aside from any annoyance it causes.  Yours may be a different situation, so I'd recommend having someone come out and take a look.  I believe mine ran me about $450.00 for the consultation.  Money well spent to know I won't fall through my floor at night.


Oil Spots on Laundry Our dark colored clothes are coming out of the laundry with wet or oily looking small, round stains. We do not wash oily clothes or rags -- either shop grease or kitchen grease. This does not happen to our light colored loads. You cannot see the stains while they are on wet clothes, so they are set in by the dryer before we can see them. We have a used Maytag Neptunefront-loading washing machine and dryer. This has been happening for the several months we have had it.

We have run several empty loads: some with hot water and bleach, some with hot water and baking soda, with vinegar in the softener dispenser. We use Sun "free&clear" environmentally friendly detergent "safe for HE machines" and cut down to using 1-2 tbs instead of the full recommended amount. Then we added about an equal amount of dish liquid to the detergent and cut the amount we use down to 1 tbs. We have tried large and small amounts of OxiClean in each load. We have always used vinegar instead of fabric softener. Nothing seems to prevent the oily stains showing up when we wash colored clothes in cold water. I'm stumped!

Could it be the oily stains are just not visible on light clothing, or the loads are run at different temperatures, or some other variation in way of explanation for the different results? Otherwise it implies there is something about your dark clothing that is the source, which I find difficult to believe.

I really think the source is the machine itself. We once had a well used machine that started doing the exact same thing. It happened to all clothing. We never really determined the cause. We eventually gave up trying to stop the stains. As soon as we used a different machine, we never had this kind of staining again.

The only thing I can imagine is oil from the machine's mechanicals somehow found its way into the wash water. This could possibly be through a perished seal at the pump, or maybe solenoid valves, or maybe it was an external source, once introduced difficult to get rid of. If we could be sure of the source, a replacement part could solve the problem. But I'm just guessing and am not confident that replacing some parts would solve the problem.

Unless you hear of plausible fix, I would consider replacing the machine straight away. Blindly replacing parts gets expensive, that money could better go towards a replacement machine. Washers are not inexpensive, but neither is clothing. It doesn't take a lot of ruined clothing to start costing more than a replacement machine. Do consider any other plausible fixes first, this is the action of last resort.

I'm sure it seems extreme to suggest a complete replacement based on a brief Internet exchange, but I've been in your position. The thought of how many clothes we ruined still sickens me. I would never suggest this if it hadn't happened to me personally.


Is it safe to oil a lock? I have a very sticky door lock, is it safe to oil it with standard household oil?

Will oil degrade the security of the lock in any way?

If it's safe, how should I apply the oil?

No. You're likley to gum up the works. Graphite is common but not actually recommended. Not knowing the brand of your lock, I went and looked up one of the best-regarded lock makers (Medeco) and they recommend 3 products, two of which are not their house-branded product:

Medeco KeyLube 2.0 Multi-purpose Lubricant PX-KYLUB2-03 (5.25 oz.) Aerosol can with spray tube

Sandstrom Poxylube CP-200 Air Drying Solid Film Lubricant Poxylube CP-200 (4.5 oz.) Aerosol can with spray tube

Synco Super Lube Dri-Film Lubricant
Super Lube Dri-Film (11 oz.) Aerosol can with spray tube

This existing DIY StackExchange question which will probably mean yours is closed as a duplicate has another suggestion LAB Locksmith Lube, (and another diss on graphite) by another respected lock maker, Yale:

What Should I use to Lubricate a Lock?

Looks like the best consensus (there is a lot of conflicting information in that thread alone) is probably a dry-film spray-teflon product, these days.


Does anyone know how to split the 240 V wire components of a dryer from the 120 V? We are living on an island where the electrical grid is already 240V. We shipped a US dryer here and are trying to figure out how to wire it properly (me and local electricians). From my research dryers use 240 V only for the heater and motor. The panel components just use 120 V. They need two live wires to combine and make 240V for the heater and motor.  Dryers here are EXTREMELY expensive, and hard to come by so we are trying to make this work to make the wife happy.

The house we are in is wired so that it has the US 120 V. and the 240 V outlets. They have a big transformer by the breaker box doing the step down from 240 to 120 for all the 120 V outlets in the house.

The current idea is to separate the 240 V. components from the 120 V. components. So have two plugs coming from it. One that connects to the 240 V plug to power the heater and motor. The other plug to come and plug into the 120 V. outlet.

After looking at the wiring inside it looks like one live wire stays up top to power the control panel. While the other life wire along with the ground goes below to connect at a junction on the motor to power that and the heater. I also notice a neutral white wire going from the electrical control panel up top, goes down to the bottom and meets at that same junction. I imagine to give down below the extra 120 V. to become 240V?

So finally the question. Can I just get rid of that neutral wire to separate the two systems and wire them to two separate plugs???

Here is the electrical schematic that was inside the dryer. Not sure how to read it but hopefully it helps.

Oh no! You can't do that hack-a-dack.

That transformer probably has what you need, but you need to draw the 120/240 power in a very particular way.  You cannot just slapdash a 120V plug and call it good.  If you do, there's a 50/50 chance that you'll plug it in and BANG!

The professional installer who installed that transformer, or an electrician of equal skill, will know the correct way to extract 120/240V from that transformer.  Call him and have him install a NEMA 14-30 receptacle with appropriate circuit protection.

Hacking the dryer to have totally separate power systems for heater and motor isn't outside the realm, but it's going to require a fair quantity of additional parts, because the parts you need are not in the dryer and won't be available on a 240V island.  Notably, 2-pole relays where the dryer now uses 1-pole.  The cost and time delay to source those parts, iteratively, is probably going to be prohibitive.


Ceiling leaking from upstairs bathroom ONLY when water supply is turned OFF I have a leak developing in my ceiling that is coming from what I assume to be the upstairs bathroom. This first happened when my pipes needed to be snaked a bit over a year ago where, during that, the water supply to the house was shut off. There is a nice little bubble in the drywall from that first time, but I let it go since it hasn't leaked since and it's in a room I currently am not using.

SO.... when I got home last night the cold water in the upstairs shower would not shut off. I turned off the house's water supply, got a new valve this morning and replaced it... BUT when I came home from the hardware store (water supply has been off all night/ morning) I heard that familiar DRIP DRIP DRIP and ran to the back room where the ceiling was leaking a LOT... So much that it proceeded to go through another level into my basement. There have been no leaks for well over a year and it HAS to be because the main water supply was turned off. It never clicked with me about the first time this happened that it was not a slow leak but maybe a pressurized leak?

Is the best thing to do to remove the drywall around the bubble and see if the culprit is directly above or are there some other things I can/ should be checking? I know that I will need to replace the ceiling either way at some point, but I don't want to bother until the source of the leak is found.

Most suggestions that I have found are for leaks when water supply is on... so I am not certain where to start since this is only a problem when the water to my house is shut totally off.

Thank you!

Maybe someone hit a drain pipe when drilling a wall anchor? That it only happens with the water off is odd, I'd just focus on finding the leak. The water is coming from somewhere.

I'd start by opening up any access panels you have to the upstairs shower. You're looking for blackened wood where the pipe enters the floor in the wall.

You're probably going to have to replace the drywall around the ceiling spot, you might as well open that up too. Try to drain the bubble by poking it in case it still has water in it. find the vertical source of the water that way- though occasionally water travels horizontally.

Follow the water. You make enough holes in the wall and you'll find the source.


Leveling sloped basement floor We want to finish our (currently unfinished) 800 sqft basement. The current floor is concrete, in good condition, but slopes substantially toward a drain near the middle of the floor. I'd guess the difference between the high and low points is about 2-3 inches.

We are planning on hiring a pro to do this work, but all the companies I've reached out to say they don't do this kind of work. Self-leveling concrete would be very expensive for this volume. Another option would be laying a wood subfloor over sleepers or something, but we want to keep as much of the height in the basement as we can. I've seen some suggestions to use deck mud, but can't find much info.

What's the best option for leveling the floor so we can lay vinyl flooring over it, and what kind of contractor should I be looking for?

Option 1: As cutrightjm mentioned you could use a cheaper cement below the self-leveling cement. This might be the slimmest option, but I personally won't trust multiple thin layers of concrete not to crack and breakup due to their differences in thermal expansion. If you choose this route, do your homework on the expansion properties vs your existing foundation.

Option 2:  If you are willing to add 3-4" of cement to the highest point of your floor, you could just repour right over the top of your existing floor and then refinish it so it's level. This would likely be the easiest job to contract out.

Option 3: The easiest method would be to use a moisture locking floating subfloor such as DRIcore.

Such a subfloor can be shimmed to be level, and DRIcore even sells a leveling kit.

Option 4A: The most inexpensive route would be to attach GC (ground contact) treated strapping to the floor to act as joists and install a plywood subfloor over the top of it. You can shim the joists with composite shims, or cut the joists to slope.  For this you'd likely want your strapping to be at least 3/4 thick at the high point of your floor so you have something to screw into.

Option 4B:  Similarly, if you are worried about moisture problems and want to reduce the floor height, you could use cement board instead of plywood. Cement board could be attached directly or shimmed to your floor at the high points. After it's screwed down you could level out any small imperfections between panels with some  that you could level out any small imperfections with thin-set.


Ventilation intake for small room So I have a storage/utility room. High humidity (Indonesia). Dimensions approx 3.3 x 3m x 3m . It's still under construction, and there are no windows, just a door. Material is AAC (lightweight concrete) 60cmx20cmx10cm blocks to three walls, and red brick (dimensions maybe 20x10x5cm) to west wall.

There will likely be a washing machine in the room, maybe with integrated dryer.

I have an extractor fan (continuous: http://powerdiscount.co.uk/greenwood-cv100-constant-volume-continuously-running-extractor-fan-382-p.asp), which I plan to fit. But somebody pointed out there's no intake!

The room is obviously more-or-less square, and the walls adjoin (moving around clockwise) North: hall-way area, less airflow. East: outside, South: outside (but front of property and I'd prefer to avoid this, West: large open-plan room with very good ventilation to outside.

So it seems like if I extract the air out through the east wall then I need to suck air from the outside. So I need to put some kind of vent opposite on the west wall. What kind of thing should I be fitting?

Something like this? https://www.amazon.co.uk/M141-Marley-anodised-Aluminium-Louvered/dp/B009T5GOW0/

Or this? http://www.bhl.co.uk/rytons-multifix-airbrick-9-inch-x-3-inch-brown.html

How much do I need?

The area adjoining is an office area, so sound from the storage room is not really a big issue.

An alternative to a continuous fan would be a bathroom exhaust fan hooked to a moisture-sensing switch, or a humidity sensing bathroom fan. Both are commercially available and it would save your fan from running 24/7. You can then attach it to flexible ducting and put a dryer vent or roof vent to exhaust the moist air. Better still is a large bathroom fan makes very little noise.


Small seam like line of tiny bubbles patched drywall Can somebody please tell me why this is happening and how to permanently fix it? Thank you!

I think that is mesh drywall joint tape showing through.

To fix it you would want to scuff up the wall area where you can see it, with fine sandpaper. Then apply joint compound, in several successively wider coats, sanding between each coat and also after the final coat. Then repaint.


Max Deck Load PSF for Hot Tub I am looking to place a 7'-10" x 9'-2" hot tub on my deck and am trying to evaluate the load capacity of the deck.
Inspecting underneath the deck it looks like the load will be evenly situated between 4 4x6 posts that are holding up dual 2x12's (There are more in each projection), and the floor is framed with 2x10's 12" on center.
The 4x6's are 8' apart one way and 5' the other.

I realize this isn't scientific and was looking for a rough guesstimate, thanks!

You don’t give all the required information, but I’ll make some assumptions and you tell me where I’m wrong.
I’m going to assume the water is 3’ deep. Water weighs about 62 lbs. per cubic foot so the water in the tub will weigh a total of:
7’-10” x 9’-2” x (62 x 3’ deep) = 13,400#
I did not add weight for equipment because I assume there are cutouts for seats, which would reduce the amount of water (weight).
In addition, I did not add weight for occupants, because that is considered an impact load (load that is not on the structure for 7 days). This weight is calculated differently.
Assuming the hot tub sits across the 2x10’s in the 7’-10”direction, the 2x10’s at 12” on center spanning 7’ can support about 450 lbs. per foot depending on the species and grade of wood. The water and tub weighs about 3’ x 62 = 186 lbs. per foot. Adding 4 people each weighing about 200 lbs. each adds another 12 lbs. per square foot. Therefore, the total weight is:
Water = 186 psf (water 3’ deep) plus
Lumber = 8 psf (deck and joists) plus
People = 12 psf  (4 people in tub) for a
Total = 206 psf (well within a safety factor)
However, in addition to supporting the tub, the double 2x12’s need to support a live load adjacent to the tub too. Therefore, the total load on the double 2x12’s is:
Tub/deck/4 people:  206 x 2.5 = 515 plf plus
Live load adjacent to tub,
which is 40 psf x 7’/2 =   140 plf plus
Lumber (deck, etc.) 8 psf x 7’/2 = 28 plf for a Total on double 2x12’s = 683 plf
If the 2-2x12’ are spanning 5’, then they’ll support about 1,800 lbs. per foot depending on the species and grade of wood. This is also well within a safety factor.
However, the total weight on the 4-4x6’s is about 13,400 lbs. / 4 posts = 3,350 lbs. plus about 1,700 lbs. live load for a total load of 5,050 lbs.
The 2x12’s are bolted to the 4x6’s in a double shear loading pattern. Assuming those are 5/8” bolts, they can only support about 510 lbs. each or about 1,020 lbs. at each 4x6 post.
Summary:
The framing lumber will easily support the required loads, but the connection at the 4x6 posts is grossly inadequate. You’ll need to install a 2x6 vertical under each side of each 4x6 that is under the hot tub. Make sure it bears on the footing and fits tight under each 2x12.


What factors are important when selecting a rotary tool? I'm fairly new to the DIY scene, so to say that my working knowledge of any power tool is minimal is an understatement!

I'm currently embarking on a DIY project that requires cutting acrylic boards, pvc pipes, and various other items. I've been shopping around for rotary tools but I've come across varying types with different rpms/speeds/etc, and I'm seeing a lot of negative reviews about the lack of power in the tool. I'm wondering what's the minimum rpm necessary to cut through 0.4mm acrylic board? What about wood?

Also, I'd like to invest in a rotary tool that is durable without breaking the bank. (Feel free to recommend any other tools, if a rotary tool is wrong for the job)

To cut 0.4mm acrylic board I recommend a utility knife. What you do is draw a line for the cut, rest a straight edge on the line, then "draw" a line down the straight edge with the utility knife while putting only slight pressure down. You repeat this a few times until you have created a groove in the acrylic. Then you can begin pressing the knife down harder, and repeating until you cut through it.

To cut PVC pipe you can buy a cheap tool at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. that is quick and does an excellent job. The Kobalt 1/8-in to 1-1/8-in Copper Tube Cutter is an example.

As for a rotary tool, in my experience they are not very useful. The bits typically break easily, and dull quickly. The go-to tool for odd cuts for me is the Sonicrafter. There are a lot of other oscillating tools too. This tool makes cuts you just cannot make with any other tool.


How to remove narrow metal soffit Our 1954 home has very narrow soffits, with metal over them. The best solution I've come up with for adding soffit vents is 2 inch hockey puck style. I did a few several years ago and stopped. See photo:

I'm now committed to doing all I can this spring/summer. I've searched for full length soffits as narrow as I need but best I've found is 4 inch until I looked at my next door neighbor's house! See photo:

I think I could just buy standard soffits and cut them to do the same. The question is how to remove my current metal soffit and then cut the wood soffit that's attached to the rafter tail.

Do I use a tool to just cut what's there, and if so with what tool? Not sure how I'd slip the new one in though.

Otherwise, do I remove the gutter than then take off the front piece, hoping to expose the nails to pull out?

I can only advise you on what I think you will find.

You already mentioned the best possible way to start correcting the situation, remove the gutter and finished fascia, but you cannot stop there, you will need to remove the top piece of siding that meets the soffit as well. My thought is, the metal soffit is very thin, and the soffit that you neighbor has, is standard soffit material that is available perforated to give the ventilation you need. It is 5/8" thick, so it will not fit in the same space the thinner original soffit does. The nails holding the last piece should visible at the very top, just under the trim strip.

When you remove all this you will have access to the sub fascia to check its condition. The ice forming behind the gutter, is not a good thing, water may be getting behind the metal and rotting the sub fascia, so it is worth a check. On your neighbors picture, the ice appears to be coming over the front edge only, where it should be. Since you should be going with the thicker soffit material. you will need to remove the track at the wall too. The soffit will be a little lower since it will contain the 5/8" soffit, and any damage you create on the siding from its removal can be cut off. After all the soffit is installed new, set a new, or possibly reuse the original "J strip" at the top hide the edge of new soffit at the wall and to capture the top edge of the siding after it is trimmed off to its new dimension. Set in place with new nails like the originals, pilot first. The old hole may have been cut off by the needed trimming, or at least hidden better by the "J strip".

That piece at the top that caps your siding now may be a "trim strip" very thin, maybe 3/8" thick at the most. If that is the case, you would do well to add 2 "J strips" or an inside corner specifically made to handle the soffit and siding going into it from both directions. You may be able to do this with one J strip, add it after the siding is on WITHOUT trimming it as mentioned before. Slot the nail hole to allow expansion and contraction. Set the j strip to the rough soffit to hide the top of the siding, set the soffit material and set the fascia and gutter last. There is a small chance the last piece has been "dimpled", and is held in place by locking into the trim piece, Ease out the trim piece edge and it MAY come out. If it is caulked in place, it will be a bear to get out.

You may need to get a taller piece of fascia to accommodate the 5/8" taller face you just created, it may need to be taller any from the symptoms where the ice is. If not the gutter may have not been installed so the front edge is HIGHER than the back, it is not supposed to be. Typically the back is high enough to put the back edge, IF possible under the drip edge so any runoff of the roof is forced into the gutter.

If you want to consider an alternative that you may retrofit easier and may look better too, is this line of continuous soffit vent. This link is for a full box, but you may find a smaller quantity elsewhere. It is made to set in with a thin plywood soffit, but the edges can be cut off which would make it quite flimsy, or you could finish making the bend that would "hem" the edge making it a bit stronger. Razor knife the section at the wall, remove the soffit and gutter, which I think would be a good move to inspect the framing. Pull the nails if any holding it in place at the fascia, work the old soffit so the score mark you made at the wall will flex and the old piece will come down. Take care not to distort the edge you cut, bends here will make trouble trying to get the new piece in. Slip this stuff in under the cut at the wall, between the old soffit and trim strip for the siding and tack it back in place before you reset the fascia.


Is my CL dimmer compatible with my light switch fixture? Bought a Lutron CL dimmer after googling around and seeing how easy it is to install a dimmer, but when I got home and took a look at my light switch I'm not sure its compatible?

The dimmer has 4 wires, but my light switch only has 2.

Here is the dimmer and the instructions:

But my light switch has only two wires which are both black. And one of the wire connects to a thumb screw, but the other one looks like it connects to that drilled in metal piece.

What do you guys think? Do I need an electrician, can I do it myself or is it just not compatible?

She works! I installed it upside down but hey it still works I'm happy. Special thanks to someguy obviously couldn't have done it without you. I was going to take a picture of it wired up but I forgot.

The wires were very thick copper so it was a little tricky to wrap the wires around them. For the green wire I had to completely remove the screw from the fixture, wrap the wire around it and screw it back in.

Thanks again:

This will work, or at least you can connect it.

Right now we will trust that it is the right dimmer for the lamps.

You have all you need, and if you have made it this far, you will be fine.

Adding to the confusion in this project is that the dimmer can be used for either a single pole switch, or a 3 way switch. (Kinda clever for sales, but frustrating where the directions are concerned.

Your switch has 2 wires, one to the light and one to power. 2 wires are the sign of a single pole switch. 3 wires are a sign of a 3 way switch.

The White wires, twisted together and tucked off to the left side in the pictures stay as they are, you will not do anything with them.

The Black wire, that right now goes to the lighting fixture, this is the wire that goes into the metal cable and is not connected to anything else.

This will get twisted together, clockwise ﬁwith the Red/White stripe wire, that came with the blue wire nut on it.

This gives you 2 wires twisted together under a blue wire nut. The Red/White stripe dimmer wire, and the Black wire that goes into the wall.

The other Black wire, the one that currently goes to the power/hot wires, these are the 4 Black wires that are twisted together under the red wire nut.

This will be combined with the Black wire, and the Red wire from the dimmer switch.

Remove the red wire nut from the black wires.

Untwist and remove the Black wire from the switch. This leaves 3 Black wires twisted together. The short piece of Black wire that you removed will not be used. It is now trash.

Twist the Black and Red wires, come from the dimmer together.

Take the wires you just twisted together, from the dimmer with the 3 Black wires, that are already twisted together. This does not have to hold together well, they can sit beside each other.

Take the red wire nut, that you removed earlier, and twist together the 5 wires.  2 from the dimmer and 3 that were already twisted together. The important things, the bare wires all touch, and you can not see any bare wire outside of the wire nut.

You now have 5 wires, 4 Black and 1 Red, connected under the wire nut.

There is 1 wire left not connected.

The green wire on the dimmer is ground. The switch box you are showing has, 'bx' type wire, it is metal and sprials around the copper wires. I am sure someone will kick my ass for saying this but here goes.

Bend the bare end of the green wire into a hook. Loosen up the screw at the top of the box that holds the metal cables in place. The put the ground wire hook around it, clockwise, so the end of the wire will be on your right. And tighten the screw back, keeping all the fiddly bits that were also being held down, as they were.

1 Green wire, connected to the metal box.

You have:

4 White wires, topped with a red wire nut that you have not touched.

A Blue wire nut, with 1 Black and 1 Red/White stripe wire.

A Red wire nut, connecting 4 Black and one Red wire.

A Green wire screwed under a metal clamp, in the metal box.

A short bit of Black wire, that you removed and trashed.

Turn the power on - try your dimmer and please let me know what happens.

Thanks

Great job on the posting, nice pictures, lots of details, makes it easy to answer :)


Is it normal for a siphon in a toilet cistern to tilt to the side when the toilet is flushed? I've noticed some cisterns have siphon units that are not secured at the top. Every time the toilet is flushed, the top of the siphon moves or tilts to one side. For example, in the following youtube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijVUCgAWTF4

Is this part of normal operation, or is there is any merit to securing the siphon in these cases?

That's going to depend on the type of valve and the material it's made of. In your video, the valve moves because of the force to lift the flapper. That's normal. You just have to make sure the valve is tightened to the tank correctly so water doesn't leak out each time you flush and the valve moves. There i no reason to try and design a method to secure it, just install it correctly.


toliet backing up after roter rooter and replaced toliet Toilet started backing up. Called roter rooter. Unclogged but they suggested it was the toilet (old)  Replaced with new toilet however after my husband used toilet it backed up and wouldn't flush

Left as an answer because with the information provided I believe you were taken advantage of ( screwed in common terms)
Wow, I would call the bbb and state exactly what you did here. Sounds like a really scum type of business!!!!!!!! Sorry but old toilets have more water and actually clear the piping better,  to tell the truth you should have a case and find a different plumber and get some of your $ back !!!!!!!!


How to secure barbed 1/8" fitting? What would be a good way to make sure a 1/8" plastic tube doesn't come off a barbed fitting? (It's under pressure from a water tank.)

I was thinking of a clamp with a tightening screw, but they don't seem to come in such small size. Is there a better alternative?

The other answer is a good starting point. However you may want to look at using this style of spring hose clamp. They exert their pressure over a greater area of the hose and depending upon the hose material prevent cracking of the hose material as it ages.


Confused by wires coming from ceiling outlet box Hoping I can get some help here. Trying to figure out the wiring in my outlet box for a ceiling fan install. I have two black wires, two red wires, two white wires, and then a bare wire for ground.

Primarily confused by the two black and two red. I'd like to the fan and lights on independent switches, which seems plausible with this set-up, however confused by the presence of the two red wires.

If it helps, there are capped red and black wires in the two light switch boxes that should power these fans (there are three ceiling outlet boxes total). The fixtures were removed before we moved in, so I have no idea how any previous fans were wired.

Ceiling outlet box. Ignore the green wire (that's from the attached bracket). Seems to have two red, two black, and two white wires, along with bare ground. Can't seem to figure out the need for the red wires, or why there are two of each.

First light box. Features four total switches. The bottom two are used outside, however the top two should be for the ceiling fan I believe. Sorry the pictures aren't the best, but hopefully this may help a little to see where the wires are connected.

Here's the best shot I could get of the top switch from the first light box with the beige backing. Says that it is SPEC GRADE on it, if that helps anyone.

Here is the one switch on the second lightbox. I'd prefer for this switch to operate the lights, or the whole thing, since the lights will be the thing turned on and off the most.

Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you!

I wouldn't tamper with the wiring until you know what has been done already.  It looks like one device (presumably the light) is controlled in 2 locations via a 3-way switch, and the other device by a single.

I would probably start by getting a non-contact voltage detector (or temporary lamps) and see which wires in the ceiling are hot in various combinations of switches being thrown.  Figure out which one is energized by the switch you want to throw the most, and designate that the lamp circuit.  The other is the fan.  You probably won't have to change a thing in the switches.


How to put a sidewalk on a slanted hill? If I had to guess I would say grade along my house is about 30%. I am just wondering if there is another way besides leveling off the part for the walkway.

If you’re working in the “Right-of-Way” you’d better contact the City and verify compliance with their Standards for Construction”.

The notion that the sidewalk needs to comply with ADA is nonsense, if you’re located on a 30 degree slope. First, ADA is for public “use” building sites, and second it’s not required for extreme sloped sites that create a hardship.

However, the City will have many requirements and you’ll need a permit to work in the right-of-way, including how and when you can block off the roadway to perform the work.


Wood on top of .5" tempered glass coffee table I want to put a slab of wood on top of my .5" x 39.5" long x 21.75" wide x 13.75" high tempered glass coffee table. Will it hold it?

According to hunker.com, a piece of 1/4" tempered glass, supported every 12 inches can support 292 pounds per square foot. The same web site suggests that 3/4" tempered glass supported every 12 inches can manage 3268 pounds per square foot. This implies a non-linear increase in strength based on thickness. Being very conservative, one might simply double the 1/4" thickness figure and round it to about 600 pounds per square foot, if supported every 12 inches.

Your table is approximately 6 square feet in area. This implies that one could apply 3600 pounds to the surface of the table if it was supported every 12 inches. It is not.

It's unlikely that your slab of undefined wood of undefined dimensions is going to weigh 3600 pounds.

If your slab of wood is going to match the size of the top, placing the weight uniformly over the table, it will be well enough distributed. Such distribution will also place the forces on the vertical legs of the table.

I think it's safe to say that you could have two hundred pounds of wood on this table and not fear to break it. One should not apply side forces to the table when moving. Remove the slab if you have to slide the table unless otherwise managed. I'd be willing to go as high as four hundred pounds if the table is never going to be moved, but what kind of wood slab is going to weigh four hundred pounds?

These figures are conservative, which means I might be on the safe side by many orders of magnitude.


The house is not cooling What would cause the outside ac motor to run than stop than start up again and continue this random stop and start cycle constantly. The house stopped cooling

A few potential causes.  Fan is not working.  Compressor is frozen.   Compressor is going out.   Line is blocked.   Very low on Freon.


Ceiling beam crack/split. Should I be worried? The house is a recent purchase and I repainted (including the ceiling) before moving in so not sure if this was pre existing.
I just saw this today and concerned it's a structural issue vs the normal wood beam splitting I've read about online. There are subsequent beams that have similar albeit smaller cracks. I tried to color code the images as best I can.
The red is the most concerning, followed by green and blue.

Do I need to call a pro out to inspect or am I overreacting?
Thanks in advance for the help!

IF those were wooden beams (which seems doubtful) the cracks are of no concern. They are in the top part of the beam, thus in compression, not tension. Two of them are more in the joint between ceiling and "beam" than "beam" for that matter.
If they are actually drywall over something (as suggested in a comment, pretty reasonably from the look of them) they are not structural and of no concern.


what kind of pump and attachment to tie my improvised shower to the sink drain? I have set up a low-budget shower in an office bathroom. The below pic shows the rig before hanging the shower curtain.

Right now, I have to pick up the big bucket and dump it into the toilet.

I would like to rig up a small self priming pump, to pump out at least most of the water, preferably tied right into the sink ring trap.

Suggestions?

You could use a "wye tailpiece" from a plumbing shop. These are normally sized for kitchen sink drains (1 1/2" tube) so you may have to adapt it (it can be done with creative use of drain fittings).

Use a submersible fountain pump, they are small and self-priming (please ensure that it is plugged into a GFCI). Just run a hose from the pump discharge to the tailpiece (again, may need creative adapting).


What is the best way to fix bleach stains? A large amount of bleach was spilled on our carpet, and I'm wondering how we can try to restore the color.  The carpet is a light tan color.

Your carpet is now light tan, or used to be light tan?

Either way, the only thing I know of is to try to dye it back, and odds are, you're either going to dye more than you wanted (darkening the edges) or miss the edge ... either way, it's going to miss, and won't be 100% restored.

I'd consider rearranging the furniture (ie, hide it with a couch), or put a throw rug overtop if it's in the middle of the floor.

If it's in an area that's prone to issues, you can always replace just a section of the carpet with some other material -- at my mom's house we put some hardwood down just inside the back door where the cats liked trying to dig their way under a door, rather than replace the whole room.


Installing tile outside I have a cement patio that I would like to install some type of tile (likely a hardwood look tile) over. Is there any special consideration or installation methodology I should use to install it? Do I have to use a special tile? Special mortar?

Depending on the condition of your concrete patio, I would use something like LevelQuik to make sure the concrete surface is nice and level before putting those tiles down. Concrete patios often have slight dips/rises that are hard to see, but most hard tiles are very unforgiving with variances like that.

After leveling you want to put an isolation barrier on top of that. If your concrete expands over time, your floor will "float" on top instead of splitting apart.

If you have a smooth patio (not broomed or roughed up), you might have a hard time getting anything to stick.

You need to make sure you have non-porous tiles, they may be called “frost-free,” “vitreous,” “impervious” or “freeze-thaw stable,” but whatever the label, make sure it’s warranted by the manufacturer to withstand freezing. Again, water is your enemy.

You do need to make sure you get outdoor quality mortar and grouts, and make sure all seals and grout lines are densely packed/caulked. You want that whole floor as water tight as possible.

If you live in a rather cold (freezing) climate, its not recommended to do any kind of ceramic tile, any water that gets under there will just tear it up with ice expansion over the years.


Rigidity (and height) of drywall around outlet hole We are dealing with a subpar contractor who has tried multiple times now to repair a small section of subway tile that they previously cracked. I suspect that their current strategy is going to lead to more of the same (poorly supported tile prone to cracking) and I would like to verify this suspicion before putting my foot down in what I request of them.
In the image    you can see the current strategy. The drywall "bridge" which is in place between the studs has very little height around the J-Box (less than 1/2" on the bottom), meaning it is very non-rigid. Here is a video of my pushing on it (too large to host on this site). You can also see how poorly that drywall bridge lines up depth-wise with the backs of the other tiles which are in place. It's also worth noting that the tops of most of the tiles below the drywall bridge can be wiggled in place noticeably. I suspect that in the future these tiles will be prone to cracking, as well as any tiles which are installed over this shoddy bridge. As well as all of the grout lines involved, if the tiles themselves somehow manage to hold.
Assuming my thoughts above are correct, I presume the best course of action is to request more tiles be removed above/below the outlet to allow a better drywall bridge to be installed, one which has taller strips surrounding the outlet (compared to the flimsy 1/2" currently below it). But how tall is tall enough?
I'm inclined to just ask for a 16" square drywall bridge, which would give a solid 6" above and below the outlet hole. Is this reasonable?

Good to be proactive and catch this before the tile goes up.  Obvious problems I see are that the drywall is poorly cut (can take it out and trace it to re-cut a matching piece without gaps or overcut at almost no cost so easily fixed).  Any of a drywall cutout tool, a Dremel, a keyhole saw, a hacksaw blade or a drill with a side cut bit can cut the piece without so many obvious flaws.  Sloppy cuts like that are no issue on properly backed board, but a repair justifies greater diligence.  If he's being dodgy about fixing such an obvious problem, he may just need an idea of how to do the fix at a reasonable cost.
The rigidity problem won't be fully solved by the above, but it is still very easy to solve.  You have a very significant size workable hole there, so it shouldn't be a problem  to add backing wood verticals to support the drywall.  You probably don't want to remove more tile and trying to screw to the studs inside the wall would be exceeingly awkward, but you can get some 1"x1" pieces of wood, figure out what the longest one you can get through the hole is, cut it and hold it up inside the wall to see if it's long enough to bridge the taller gap with enough overlap to glue to the inside of the drywall above and below.  If it's not long enough, you can put two pieces in the wall and then screw them together with a 4" overlap to make one long piece.  Make sure you drop all the pieces you need in the wall before you start screwing together or gluing in pieces that might block the opening.  Finally, you can cut blocks to fill the space between the backing boards and the back wall and glue, screw and/or wedge those in place.  Consider overkill using heavy duty adhesive like PL400.  By the time you're done the result should be as permanent and rigid as the rest of the wall.  Cost will be quite low compared to cost of re-doing tile an infinite number of times.
Especially if you use high strength adhesive like PL products, prep everything first, clean the inside of the drywall of dust and read the instructions, as some of these products set quite fast.
As far as the depth problem, that should not be a significant issue for an experienced tilesetter or mason unless it is quite significantly proud, but to me it looks inset and since the drywall needs to be re-set anyway it would be easy to shim it flush.
Bashing out more tile, even just enough to install a horizontal backing board would also work, and the 16" tall piece of drywall you're asking about would function too, but it will still have some flex unless you add backing.  You would have to take out 9 tiles including a special cut and really all you want is a normal strength wall and it probably won't break your heart if it has a few extra boards hidden in it.


How can I avoid repainting a wall after removing pictures? I have off-white walls and when I removed some pictures recently, I filled the holes with spackle but there are still some areas that visibly show where the holes were. I don't want to have to repaint. Any ideas?

As @jphi1618 said, if the spackle isn't a color match (and it usually isn't), a bit of local touch-up with paint of the right color can solve the problem.

If you don't have leftover paint stored away, hit the paint store for sample chips and use them to find a match. Once you know what color you need, and have figured out whether the surrounding paint is flat or semigloss, see if the store offers 8-ounce samples; those are cheap enough that you can afford to experiment if you aren't sure of your choice.

Try to match the existing texture, and to "feather"/dry-brush the edges of tge new oaint so it blends into what's already there.

It won't be perfect. But it will probably be good enough that nobody but you ever notices it.


Eaton 3 way dimmer switch Replacing an old 3 way switch with a new dimmer 3 way switch. The old switch had 2 traveler wires connected to it (black and red), the ground wire, and the 'hot' wire. I also noticed 2 neutral wires (both white) that were bundled together and capped. Now, the new dimmer switch has the green screw (for the ground wire), and then 2 screws on each side. According to the instructions, the top left is 'neutral', the bottom left is for a traveler, the top right is for the hot wire, and the bottom right is for another neutral wire. So I'm a bit confused here - I have 2 traveler wires but only one spot on the new switch for one. There are 2 spots for neutral wires, but they are bundled together in the outlet. Thanks
FYI - this is an Eaton WFD30 smart universal dimmer...
Edit: In the pic, the 2 white wires were bundled together and capped (assume they are both neutrals), the black and red are travelers and the other white with the black tape was the 'hot' wire.
Edit 2: Added a pic of the other outlet.  Looks to be wired slightly differently than the one I was installing the dimmer on.  I can out the dimmer on this one, whatever is easier.  This one appears to have 3 white wires bundled together.

The answers are all in the manual
An ordinary 3-way switch uses two travelers. A smart switch doesn't necessarily need two travelers, and this one doesn't. There is an accessory switch available to let you dim at both locations. But assuming you are replacing one 3-way switch with the dimmer and the other one is staying the same, you wire according to Two Location Control Using a 3-Way Switch.

Top Left = Neutral (white, connected to the existing white bundle)
Top Right = Hot (note, this must be true hot, not "switched hot")
Bottom Right = Load, also known as "switched hot".
Bottom Left = Traveler. Yes, just one traveler.

This is almost certainly doable, since you have the sometimes elusive neutral available in the box. But it may get tricky. Specifically, typical configuration is that one of the 3-way switches will connect to two travelers and hot, and the other to two travelers and switched hot. But this smart switch needs to connect to both hot and switched hot, and the ordinary 3-way switch needs to connect to hot.
Note: Major changes to original answer, now that OP posted a second picture.
It looks now like this is either:

Power -> switch 2 -> switch 1 -> fixture

or

Power -> switch 1 -> switch 2 -> fixture

(My original answer had power and fixture both connecting in the switch 1 box.)
Basic answer will still be along the lines of:

Use one traveler as a "signal"
Use the other (former) traveler as a way to get hot (not switched) between the boxes

But the specifics will vary depending on exactly what is going on. In particular, determination of which switch connects to power and which switch connects to the fixture.


Can I safely disconnect this television outlet? I have what appears to be an old tv antenna outlet connection in our bedroom. This outlet has since been replaced (elsewhere in the room) by coaxial cable.

I would like to disconnect this cable and cover with a solid wallplate, however, want to make sure there are no hazards to leaving the wires in place in the box.

This shouldn't be an issue. You could put a wire nut on the bare wires in the box or wrap each of them in electrical tape in case the same wire runs to other outlets or is connected to your coaxial distribution.


Wallpaper removal: Should I use chemicals in addition to a steamer I'm removing wallpaper that has a layer of paint underneath. Currently, I'm using a scoring tool then a steamer to remove the different layers. As you can imagine this is a slow process. Would it be advantageous to use chemicals before I use the steamer?

I never had luck with chemicals... steamer & lots of elbow grease was the only thing that worked for us :-\


Breaker/Junction Box I am currently wiring for a spa. Have dug an 18 in trench. I will run (4) #6 wires to a 60 amp breaker box approx 55ft away from the main panel and then run from that box the additional wiring 25ft to the hookup spot for the spa 8ft x 12ft (which will be hard wired. Have a few questions: One, is 1 inch schedule 80 conduit enough room to run the 4 lines of #6 wires?
And two, what changes to the spa wiring could I make if I wanted to convert that area with a small guest home (tuff shed 10 x 20) in the future? The shed would be a small tiny home with bed, small electric stove, some electric outlets for TV, fan, small AC in a window.
This spa project is in Tucson, Az and want to i stall a Tidal Fit Spa 8ft x 12ft panel says 50/60amps. I talked directly to the guys at the spa and they stated not to step down the ground to #8 (as I wanted to do that). The spas is suppose to have (4) #6 wires. The inspector may not pass it. I have been waiting during this time over 20 days just to get a case number to then request an inspector. (See attached diagram).
The spa wiring I feel good about. The part I was hoping to learn about is how can I convert this wiring later on should I add a small room with lights, a few outs and maybe a hook ups for a small electric range and mini fridge. What I am hearing is I could/should add another smaller sub panel.
I AM NOT an electrician just trying to learn from the pros.

1” conduit has plenty of room for four #6 copper THHN. Although the ground can be #8.
1” conduit also has room for three #4 aluminum XHHW and a #6 aluminum XHHW ground, if you’d like to save some coin.  The lugs are aluminum, do why create a dissimilar metal problem?
Your #6 copper or #4 aluminum may be breakered at 70A, hence my reco for that size of ground.
Having a little kitchen is like being a little pregnant, when it comes to number of circuits required!  You still need two  dedicated circuits for kitchen counter receptacles. The oven needs a dedicated circuit.  Disposal. Dishwasher. Built in microwave. Etc. The bathroom needs a dedicated circuit.  Laundry room etc. We are going through panel spaces very fast!
As such the spa panel will not cut it and you’ll want gosh, at least a 20 space... but getting too few spaces is a serious blunder easily avoided,  so why short yourself... get a 30.


What could cause a 5 year old valves to corrode so quickly Unlike this question, the hot water heater is not a factor as it is happening to joints all over the house.  Further all joints are either copper on copper or brass on copper.

I've taken over managing my inlaw's property and it seems every shutoff valve is corroded and leaking.  The in laws claim the valves were replaced 5 years ago, and that's just what they look like after five years.  I've replaced a few out of necessity, but would like to fix the root problem before changing the rest of the house over.

The area I'm in has pretty hard water due to winter road salting which may be part of the problem. However, I've asked my neighbors, but none of them seem to be having this issue.

What is causing my pipes to corrode so quickly?

This doesn’t look like corrosion, primarily, but like buildup of minerals from small leaks. The valve’s thread may not have been sealed properly (or not been tightened correctly), hard to say under the buildup. The weld seems to be leaking a tiny bit – you could clean it with steel wool and put some talcum on it for easier observation.

JFTR, I agree that this is not normal after five years. I don’t know where in the world you live and if you could still demand a repair after five years, but this looks like sloppy work. That can happen in one or two places, but not all over the house.


Do LED lights require a special dimmer switch? I have 9 canister lights in my kitchen that I've replaced with "replacement LEDs."  The lights are on a 2-way switch, one of which is a dimmer.  Things were good for about 2 years, but now all 9 LEDs (well, 8 out of 9) are fairly dim -- still usable, but very different light output than when they were new.  Perhaps 50% light output.
I'm wondering if this is a result of the dimmer switch.  The dimmer is about 12 years old, so was constructed in the pre-LED era.  I find it more likely that I have trouble with a single component (the dimmer) than that most of the canisters are failing.
Do I need a special dimmer to switch LED lights?

Do LED’s require special dimmers, It depends, with 9 lights there is probably enough of a load to operate properly (especially if they have worked fine for 2 years). If there was no glowing when turned off and flicker when new the lights are probably failing.
All the lights are in parallel so if they are all of a sudden operating at different light levels they may have been cheaply made and the drivers are failing.
It is possible your dimmer is not operating properly but with different light levels at the lights this points to driver failures
If you bypass the switch (power off) wire nut line to load and power on if the fixtures are dim that proves they are failing.
I suggest only purchasing DLC certified lamps and fixtures.
DLC stands for Design Light Consortium, DLC required a 5 year warranty so they might be slightly more expensive but that is better than them failing not long after warranty. Also get your lights and fixtures from reputable dealers like 1000 bulbs. Com or LEDMYPlace.com (I get most of my lights and fixtures for work and home here , no affiliation other than a satisfied customer and the very few failures I have had they promptly replaced.


DIY Tetherball Pole. Screw in or sink it into the ground I am going to make an outdoor tether ball Pole. It has to be removable as its for a small city backyard. I have two choices.

Get a 10 foot 1.5 inch galvanised steel pipe that is threaded and a 2 foot threaded pipe of the same size. I want to sink the 2 foot pole in the ground with concrete and then use a coupling to screw the two threaded ends together. This makes for easy removal and storable.I can then cap the 2 foot pole in the ground for safety when not in use. My fear is this coupling will be too weak for Tetherball.
Drop a 10'x 1.5 inch galvanised steel pole into a larger piece of PVC with some puddy or wedges to keep stiff.I would cement the pvc in the ground 2 feet deep. This seems sturdy but I loose 2 feet of pole. Also there will be wiggle in the base.

Any thoughts? Also would  1 inch galvanised steel pole be tick enough?

1" pipe is too small. I'd go 2 3/8" or 2 1/2" OD galvanized steel pipe (galvanized so it doesn't rust) if you can find it.

I like the idea of the threaded pipe. The only negative that comes to mind is that it could be a tripping hazard or a hazard if somebody falls on it.

But what if you attach the coupler to the short pipe and set it in concrete so that the threads are in the ground (the top of the coupler is level with the concrete). Fill the coupler with something before pouring the concrete so you keep the threads clean. I'd probably pack some kind of heavy grease into the threads, as well, to protect them from corrosion and to make it easier to get the big pipe in and out (that could be really difficult to do if the threads rust together while the pipe is installed).

Then when you remove the pipe for storage you can pack a little more protective grease in there and cover the hole with a mat, or put some kind of stopper in it to protect it, and you have usable outdoor space without a pipe sticking out of the ground.

EDIT: @Tester101 has a good point of caution about the potential for the threads to wear and/or deform over time, especially as the pipe is removed and put back over and over, and probably has plenty of stories to tell about things that fell apart. On the other hand, this sort of thing isn't totally unprecedented. You can certainly use components like the galvanized flange pictured just below and get pretty good structural strength.

There's also the old standby portable concrete-filled-tire tetherball pole which works okay and can be moved. So two things come to mind about that. One is that it's a third option. The other is that if it actually works without falling over or making the game no fun (and I'm pretty sure it does), then the forces transmitted from the swinging tether ball may not be severe enough to damage a threaded connection like we're discussing.

On the other hand, don't underestimate the ability of a dedicated rough-houser to break things. And if the threaded solution did get broken, then you'd have to dig it up and re-do it.

Finally, you definitely can get at least 2" galvanized pipe from one of your local box stores without getting a second mortgage (not that it's cheap): http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-2-in-x-10-ft-Galvanized-Steel-Pipe-568-1200HC/100565809

You might also check local hardware and plumbing supply stores and other sources online to see if you can get the bigger pipe.


Adding a GFCI to an existing circuit. 2 black, 2 white wire problem I'm trying to add a GFCI outlet to an existing circuit and have run into an unexpected obstacle. All of the wiring literature and videos I've come across allude to either 12/2 or 14/2 cable with 1 black, 1 white, and 1 bare ground wire.

The existing receptacle (non-GFCI) that I plan to tap into surprised me when I pulled it out of the box in that it has 2 black and 2 white wires along with the single ground.

Should I splice the existing blacks together along with another piece to make a pigtail and then connect it to one brass screw, do the same with the whites and a silver screw, then connect the new Romex (12/2) going to the GFCI to the OTHER brass & silver screws? If so does it matter which pair of screws?

Additionally, am I right to assume the connections to the GFCI are made on the LINE rather the LOAD side since there will be no other outlets connected to it?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

It depends if you are just trying to connect that particular receptacle as a GFCI or you want to protect the entire circuit.

This would be for individual GFCI's. If you are then make a pigtail for the hot neutral and ground and connect it to the Line side terminals.

And this would be for the entire circuit.
For more drawings go to:
https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com

Good Luck.


What thickness is most suitable for concrete countertops? If you had to choose between 2" and 2.5" thick concrete countertops, which would you opt for and why? Side note: I've heard that if you go bigger than 2" you need to start adding rebar, etc

I'm going to call this an aesthetic choice. But a bit of remesh/rebar wouldn't hurt, especially in a 60" long chunk or around a sink opening.

Personally, I'd find 2-1/2" overly heavy.