Do recessed light fixtures with local switches exist? Our home has original ugly square recessed lighting in the lower level.  There are two lines of lights, each operated by one switch, with 5 lights per switch.  We plan to remodel with new recessed lights. However, we will still only have two switches with lots of lights on each switch. Is there a recessed lighting product the has an individual switch integrated in the unit. Only some of the lights need be on, even if the main switch is on.

To solve the problem of having only one switch per room but need for more lights, I went for a smart lighting system. By now there's plenty of systems available that you can compare and choose from, but based on my own experience, I can recommend Philips Hue system because it's well supported, it has lively user communities that you can easily get help from when you need assistance, they have quite a bit of different kinds of lamps (and now even other smart devices and products from other brands) that can be integrated to the system, and for LEDs (that can notoriously produce ugly dull light), the white light is good enough quality because the bulbs now use a slightly different method to produce it than what you might typically see.
Philips will seem expensive once you start out (I considered for about two years), but once you have it, I've personally felt that it does pay off because it's so flexible and can solve problems such as this.
Currently Philips Hue seems to have a few recessed lights that belong to the "White Ambiance" range, meaning that they are dimmable, and you can adjust their color temperature from a very cold bluish daylight, to white, to warm light that all the way resembles the color temperature of a candle. Your eyes really appreciate that in the late evenings.

Now, how individually?
The Hue App (or third party computer programs) will allow you to adjust single light bulbs individually if you need that kind of precision. But if you actually meant that you want to control this big bunch of lights as several sub-groups instead of all at once, you can use the app to specify which bulbs belong to which group. Then, at the time of writing this, Philips has two physical accessories that you can use just like wall switches: Hue Remote, or Hue Tap. They can be attached to a wall like a switch, or they can go with you like a remote control. I personally find Hue Remote a better product. The official Hue app allows you to program what the remote control does, so you can choose to give commands to all lights or just some of those groups that you created. There's several third party apps that will allow you to program even more actions to a single remote controller than is officially possible. For example, iConnectHue which is for iOS, is one of those. The Hue Remote has four buttons, but with a third party app, you can program extra actions to it so the buttons have more in them if you press it vs. hold it, or press it once vs. press it four times. This of course means that you'd have to remember what you've programmed as the extra actions, but it's one way to avoid having to buy multiple Hue Remotes if you're not up for it.
For the lights to work correctly, you leave the electrical original switch ON at all times, and only use the remotes or the app or other ways to command the lights to go off when you want. The lights will be switched off, but because the electricity in them is still on, they will be ready to receive the next remote command that switches them on again, be it one of them, some of them or all of them.

There are other brands, but I don't have personal experiences to share about their quality. There are people who make Youtube videos or blogs about comparing and reviewing products, but unless you know the person's agenda, it's possible that they're being paid money to endorse products, so you can't get an objective and realistic review. If everything seems too perfect and flawless, it might be a paid endorsement.
If you were to think of adopting a smart light system, do consider the future of the manufacturer of it: If you buy a cheap lamp from a firm that no one's ever heard of and you can't find a manufacturer's website with any signs of support and professionalism in sight, the chances are that it is just a really cheap go at competing at the market of smart lighting, and when you encounter problems or the lamp malfunctions far too soon, you don't have any support, guarantees or community help available. This is not to say that Philips would be the only viable option, there are others, but I'd advise not to go for the cheap anonymous replicas that you'd quite probably end up regretting.


How to cut a door wrapped in sheet metal In my kitchen I have a dumb waiter; the door is 1" thick solid wood wrapped in 1/16" sheet metal. I removed the old door knob (that's the hole in the photo) to make room for a flush pull. I need to cut the sheet metal in the shape of the pull to make it fit, but I'm not sure how to do this. I can't use clippers and I don't own a router; I have a Dremel and power drill only. I could drill holes along the cut out line using the power drill, but there's gotta be a better way.

I think the Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel will be about as good as it gets for this application.

Scoring the line (not too deeply) with a cold chisel should help make a channel for the wheel to follow.

I'd tape up the rest of the surface before you start, so you don't have sparks and dirt marring the finish.


What is an estimated paint to primer ratio on exterior bare wood? I've used 3 gallons of KILZ Premium Primer (2 coats plus touch ups) and will top it with Behr's Premium Plus, Paint & Primer All in One, Exterior Satin Enamel in a Medium Base. Please don't tell me that many coats of primer is not necessary and that the Paint & Primer combo is overkill, because my goal is not to finish the job asap, but to get GREAT coverage that will last as long as possible.  It's worked very well for me in the past, just can't remember the approx. ratio. Thanks.

300-400 sq feet per gallon coverage with kilz primer
250-400 sq feet per gallon coverage with your behr exterior paint.
With such a good primer base I would expect 325-350 sq feet per gallon on each of your 2 finish coats.


Under Deck Ceiling Using Barn Steel Roofing Panels I priced underdeck ceilings at $12/sq ft installed.  That is just way more than I am willing to pay, and I am just not that fussy, so I am going to do my own under deck ceiling using barn steel roofing panels.

I found several people doing this on youtube.  Here is a sample of one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9WUiPOl9co

The existing deck is 12'x36' and I will be sloping the short side.

Right now, my intention is to:

buy 3'x12' 26 gauge roofing panels from a big box store,
Screw progressively thicker strips of wood to the joists (to provide slope),
Screw the roofing panels to the strips of wood,
Use a gutter to catch the water at the lower end.

My questions are:

What is the ideal minimum slope?  I am asking because I don't just want the minimum slope.  I have plenty of headroom, so I can afford a couple of extra inches, but I don't want to slope more then what has a real advantage.
How far apart should the strips of wood be such that the roofing panels will not sag over time?
Do you have any other tips?

The slope or pitch of the under panels can be at any degree that will shed the water. If you consider it as similar to a roof than according to Code: "minimum slope is 1/4 inch vertical in 12 units (2% slope)" and ideally :"1/2 vertical in 12 units (4% slope)". This is for metal roofs that have a sealant between their lapped seams. My only suggestion would be to remember to use the same metal fasteners as the roof and get the type with the neoprene washer below the screw head. Also depending on the roofs profile pick-up similar support backing (i.e. wavy board).


Is a 6" carpet seam okay? The living room in my basement is 12' 6" wide and roughly 25' long. The contractor I've talked to wants to seam on a 6" strip of carpet to make the carpet fit. Is this recommended? Or should I have them roll the carpet out and end up with a 1' piece at the end of the room? I don't feel like either option is a great option, but I don't know enough about carpet to make this decision.

As long as the add on is more than 1.5–2 inches wide, it will make a fine extension.  Much narrower than that and the seaming iron and seaming glue will make a bit of a mess.  Someone very experienced can probably manage it well enough though to make it turn out all right.  The six inch piece will be invisible if professionally done.

If you have any concerns, have a reputable installer or have a written agreement that they will do whatever it takes to get the job done to your satisfaction.


Red wire to green? Old electric wiring circa 1949 to new dimmer I installed a lighting fixture in the hall, running off an older fixture. It worked fine with the existing switches. Then I wanted to replace one of the two old switches (circa 1949) with a dimmer (lamps are dimmable LEDs).

When I took out the old switch, there were three colors of wire from the box: black, white, and red. The dimmer has two black and one green. I connected the dimmer wires to the box wires in the position they had been respectively on the old switch, but was unsure about the red/green connection. I did it, and the dimmer worked. But now when I flip the second old switch - identical to the one I replaced - it trips the breaker, and did so until the breaker wouldn't even power on.

So I removed the dimmer, and everything else on the breaker works fine - except the hall lights, which won't power on (I understand, I think, that there must be a switch connected to each outlet to close the loop in order for the lights to power).

Should I cap the red wire extending from the box, and just wire the green/ground from the new dimmer to the box?

It sounds like you replaced a three way switch with a two way switch and wired a traveler to the ground. Flipping the second switch created a direct short to ground that can result in enough current to damage the breaker, wiring, and other devices on the circuit. Not only can you damage parts of that circuit, you are creating a fire and electrocution risk.

There are plenty of guides on how to properly wire a 3 way switch both here and other places online, and it's typically a DIY project, but if you're making mistakes like not properly identifying a traveler vs a ground and knowing which wires are hot, I'd advise you to hire a professional to properly replace devices like this.


Sheathing layout on 14' wall. Efficient material use I'm sheathing a garage with 14ft walls and with a panel of zip at 80$ I want to make sure I'm making efficient use of materials. On each wall there is a 2' cutoff if two 8' panels are use like ways vertical. How can I incorporate that 2' into the layout so I don't have to buy a ton more sheets. Any code references on minimum sheathing width? Blocking required al all seams?
I do have fire block at 10' and shear block at 8'. Is it code legal to go 8' then a 2' piece and finish with a 4' piece or is the answer stacking 4', 4', 4', 2' the right answer?

Try using the 4x8 panels in a horizonal manner. This means that three horizontal runs gets you up to 12 feet. Then another panel cut down the center to get two 2x8 panels, one of which can finish off the first 14' tall section. The second half of that split panel gets used in the next horizontal stack of panels.
Assembling in this horizontal manner also greatly increases the chance that the remainder that you cut off the last panel stack at the first corner can be used as a starter stack as you go around the corner (with some additional trimming of course).


How to create an fast and easy dimmable lamp? I want to connect this plug to this socket using this dimmer.

I have AWG 16 wire... how would I do this? I have very little experience with electrical work

I assume the 16 AWG is just 2-wire lamp cable with no ground, so I wouldn't use that plug end. Just use a 2-prong connector. Make sure you use an Underwriter's Knot on the plug end.

That dimmer is only designed to be mounted in a box in the wall, so you wouldn't want to use it for a lamp. They do make lamp dimmers that just plug into the wall on one end, and the lamp on the other. I got one for our baby's room for when he wakes up at night; it works pretty well.

However, without a switch on the lamp, there's no other way to turn it on/off. There are lamp dimmer units that go directly in the lamp instead of plugging in; otherwise, you should use a lamp holder with a switch on it.

The black (hot) wire on the lamp holder connects to the smaller connector on the plug end.

Use wire nuts to connect the lamp cord to the lamp holder. Twist them clockwise (looking at the top of the wire nut, opposite the wires)- to the right.


"3-in-1" kits for maytag refrigerator Would a "3-in-1" kit (SUPCO seems common) help, or should I be budgeting for a replacement refrigerator?

Maytag PTB1953GRW takes several attempts to start the compressor - 10sec buzz; 2min pause; 10sec buzz; 2min pause; ... up to four times until it starts - which it has so far. Condenser coils were not particularly dirty, but I cleaned them anyway to no effect; condenser fan runs fine and can be heard running while the startups are attempted.

Edit:

I did install one of the SUPCO units and the refrigerator seems to start reliably now. Time only will really tell. It may be running short of charge, though - I see corrosion around the brazed joints of the tubing - so I'm setting my pennies aside.

Many thanks for the support and comments.

Sounds like the frig is nearing the end of its usable life.  You can try the hard start kit. A new capacitor may be in order as well.  I these don't help I would start saving.


What extra conduit should I include in a utility trench? I'm putting in a trench with electricity + water + phone from the street to a future house site. The trench will be around 150' long. The electricity and phone will each be in their own conduit, probably 2".

A friend suggested I install an extra 4" conduit in the trench now, for future use. If I wanted 400A electrical one day, it would be easy to pull. Or if the water line fails, I could pull a replacement in this conduit. Or I could pump sewage up to the septic system, if I use a macerator and pull a hose through the conduit. Etc.

My contractor says that 4" conduit is very difficult to work with, since it won't bend as easily as the smaller stuff. (The trench meanders through the woods.)

Would 2" conduit be enough for one of those possible future uses?

Any other advice?

I would want a good separation between the electrical, water, gas, and any other conduits.  I doubt you'd be able to push a water line through the conduits anyway unless they are using plastic pipe for the main, and even then it would be a challenge.  In terms of what you may need in the future, here we have electrical, water/sewer, gas, phone (copper and fios), and cable all running underground, but this will vary by area.  All the low voltage stuff (phone/cable) can be run in the same conduit.

For a real world example, looking at the construction site next to me, the sewer and storm water lines were buried first because they depend on gravity.  Next, they ran a load of conduit right by my home with what appears to be electrical on the bottom.  I believe the water lines are running on the complete opposite side of the road.  The electrical conduit was encased in cement (this is a large site, so I don't think they want to risk anything messing with these lines).  For all of the 4" or larger conduit, they mostly use pre-curved corner joints rather than bending a straight piece.

In addition, there are a few things you may want to use from this site.  Above every conduit, a few feet higher, they run a plastic ribbon indicating what is buried below that gets pulled up by any trenching equipment before the line is hit.  Every 50 yards or so they have access panels where they can splice the lines running through the conduits and make it easier to pull new lines.  And access panels are physically separate for each type of utility running below ground.  These panels are 5 sided boxes (bottom is open) that are buried to have the removable top flush with the ground, and the conduit makes a 90 degree turn up to the box and the next piece of conduit makes a 90 degree turn going back down and continuing to the next panel.  The more curves, the closer you should space these.

Edit: I just noticed that you said 150', for some reason I had it in my head that you were doing 150 yards.  Ignore all my concerns about access panels for only 150'.  But like shirlock says, conduit is for the wiring, not the plumbing and piping, and I don't think I made that clear enough in my answer.  And for only 150', I'll leave it up to you whether you're worried about forgetting where the lines are buried to want to run the indicator tape above the conduit.  It's likely overkill, but the utilities aren't responsible for marking stuff after their demarcation.


Is interior fresh air venting suitable for new furnaces? I have two new Carrier Infinity CNPVP high efficiency direct-vent furnaces in my basement for my 3500 sf house. The air intakes for both units are not plumbed outside but instead are drawing air from right above the unit. Apparently there were issues getting access to an outside wall. My questions are:

Is this venting OK?
Will it hurt my efficiency?
If I do have to vent it outside can I use flexible pipe or can I gang both furnaces into a single input pipe?

Many direct vent heaters use a through the wall concentric pipe system where the cool intake air comes in through the larger outter diameter and the hot exhaust leaves via the smaller inner diameter of the two pipes. This allows there to be a compact and safe transition through the wall so that the hot pipe does not represent a fire hazard to the surrounding wall materials.

You should look closely at your installation to make sure that the exhaust exits are piped and vented in a safe manner without risk of high heat leading to fire danger. As you describe your installation the concentric cooling scheme is not being applied.


Can I safely install outlets in my basement? My house has an unfinished basement, and I want to set up a workbench in one area. Unfortunately, there is only one usable outlet in the whole basement, and it's not conveniently located, so I want to put in others. I have no electrical DIY experience. Can I safely do this as a DIY project, or do I need to bring in an electrician?

There are a number of different factors involved. All of this can be a DIY project, depending on the particular situation. Some of the considerations:

New circuits vs. old circuits

Adding additional receptacles to an existing circuit is generally pretty easy. However, if you actually need more power - e.g., if your workbench will include power tools such as a table saw, drill press, shop vac, etc. then you will want to have additional circuits. New circuits mean new circuit breakers. That involves more work (which can be DIY if you study up first and know when to ask questions) but may involve serious panel issues, particularly if you are running out of space in your circuit breaker panel.

AFCI and/or GFCI

Depending on where you are, any new circuits or additional receptacles (as opposed to straight replacements) on existing circuits will require GFCI and/or AFCI protection, depending on the code in your area and depending on the location in your house. You need to determine what is required so that it can be properly included.

Cable protection

Electrical cables need to be protected from damage. In some areas (e.g., Chicago), all wiring must be in conduit, which provides protection from damage. But in most areas that is not required. There are specific requirements for how/where to run cables to keep them out of harm's way (e.g., above a certain height) or to protect them.

Grounding

Grounding leads to a LOT of confusion. Basically, in the US, typical wiring will have either 3 or 4 wires - hot/neutral/ground for 120V, hot/hot/neutral/ground for 240V. Neutral and ground are connected in the main panel but not elsewhere, and you need to properly handle the ground wire to avoid creating problems.

Permits/Licensing

In most place, a homeowner can work on his own home in a limited capacity without a license. That typically means replacing switches and receptacles. Once you start adding receptacles or circuits or making other significant changes, permit and license issues can be a big deal. Depending on the rules in your area and how you want to handle things, that might mean working together with an electrician where you do some work under his supervision but with the electrician handling the big stuff and supervising.

And there are plenty of other details. To figure out more about the practicality of doing this as a DIY project, we need to know:

How many circuits do you need/want, and how much power do you need on those circuits?
What kind of breaker panel do you have and how much space is available in it?
Where are you?


OK to run wire beneath / along track lighting? I have a standard light fixture that is controlled by a pull-string on the fixture itself. What I'd like to do is replace the fixture with track lighting and install a wall switch to control it. The fixture is powered by knob and tube, so there's no ground wire back to the box.

Starting the track at the power source, what I'd like is for the switch to be on the wall at the other end of the track (about 8 feet away).

My question is, instead of running the wire up in the ceiling (thus having to drill through multiple joists and patch a bunch of drywall holes), can I run the wire either underneath the installed track or alongside it?

I can't decide if this is a brilliant idea, a terrible one, or somewhere in between.

To start I would like to say that I don't believe you should do any expansion to Knob and Tube unless you plan to at least upgrade that circuit to newer methods.

With that out of the way you can run circuits though lighting fixture and track, but only if it meets certain qualifications and that will be approved by the manufacturer.

Second I don't know of any wiring method that would allow you to run wire underneath a track.

If you really don't care much about how it looks I would suggest an exterior wiring method like "wiremold".


What do you call this thick washer-type part? I have been going through many parts that I have recently gotten ahold of. However, I don't know what many are or what they do. I ran into this steel part:

It is 0.565 in tall, with an inner diameter of 0.25 in and an outer diameter of 1.25 in.

I'm not sure if it is a thick spacer, a tall washer, or something entirely different.

Does anyone know exactly what it is or what it is for?


Can AVR or loose speaker wires cause AFCI to trip? I have a newly constructed ADU and the AFCI breaker for the plug my AV system is in keeps tripping.  We've replaced the breaker twice with no change and checked all the internal wiring.  I had a Denon AVR plugged into the wall which sometimes makes a popping sound when it turns on. I removed the unit and now the AFCI never trips. So I see two possible issues: (1) the Denon AVR itself is arcing or (2) one or more speaker wires was loose and arcing.  Is #2 even possible -- would a loose speaker wire cause an AFCI breaker to trip?  I can't find an answer anywhere online.

A properly functioning audio/video amplifier should not cause AFCI trips
AFCIs work by monitoring the waveform of the AC power signal and looking for a particular type of distortion that is indicative of an electrical arc, and cutting power if that is seen.  This doesn't play well with every device -- some devices, such as brushed motors, have small electric arcs inside as part of their normal usage, and others such as dimmers, consume power in such a weird and inconsistent way that they can fool the detector.
However, none of these concerns apply to typical audio/video systems like you have.  In fact, audio amplifiers have quite a lot of filtering in the power supply section, to make sure that noisy incoming power won't be heard in the speaker output.  This same filtering means that the way audio amplifiers draw power is also very clean, and won't make any unusual noise on the AC line.  The video section of the unit is all digital electronics, and isn't any more likely to trip an AFCI than a regular computer.
Most likely, something is wrong with your AVR unit
The fact that the trip sometimes happens right away, and sometimes happens after a while makes me think it's likely your AVR does indeed have an intermittent fault internally.  My guess would be an insulation breakdown in the transformer somewhere.  Since devices this complex sometimes have several transformer windings for independent power supply rails, such a fault might not even cause the amplifier to stop functioning completely, but it is a real problem that the AFCI might detect.
Double check your grounding
This is a little more esoteric and less likely to be your problem, but for completeness I'll include it as well.  While most electrical equipment uses the ground wire only for safety purposes, audio equipment frequently also uses it for shielding of audio signals.  Often, the shells of all the HDMI and RCA plugs on the back are connected directly to the earth ground coming from the wall plug.  This then gives lots of opportunities for unusual signals to couple to the ground wire.
How does this affect AFCI?  If everything is wired correctly, it doesn't at all -- the AFCI doesn't look at the ground wire.  But if your outlet was wired with a bootleg ground, i.e. where the ground terminal is also connected to the neutral wire, then the AFCI will be able to see that ground noise, and it could interpret it as an arc.


How can I repair a chip in an acrylic shower pan? It's new but since it was layed out first when building the bathroom, workers came in and out being careless around it. Any way to repair, and is it harmful? The shower pan I think is arcylic.

The damage on the shower pan shows a black base material. I'm assuming that is steel. I have repaired enameled steel tubs using epoxy enamel repair. I applied it in layers to get good curing and sanded and polished the top coat. In some cases sanding individual layers was necessary so that the areas within the repair did not build up to high. I also prepped the edges of the chipped area with a grinder to give a good clean oval to the damaged section.


Can an old-cement garage floor be painted in sections? This question is related to our other question about relocation of our hot water heater. The current plan is to put the new water heater in the garage on the cement floor, so our concern is how to prepare the area where the new water heater will reside. So, initially, we may only paint the area under the tank. There's too much stuff in the garage to paint the whole floor all at once.
So this question results from the confluence of two projects. The garage floor as it is, is abysmal, so we want to make it better. It has not been painted. The cement must be several decades old. (The house was built in 1977, but the cement floor was added later. We believe that the area was initially a carport with crushed rock.)
I am having a difficult time thinking of how I could make the question more focused--probably because I don't know anything about painting cement. Web searches mostly return hype from vendors. I sincerely appreciate the help from those who don't mind assisting a confessed novice.

The most important step is cleaning the best 2 part epoxy paint can’t stick to a oily floor.
First it needs to be cleaned 100% I suggest an acid wash using muriatic acid and water, 3% to 10% for badly oil stained floors, the muriatic etches the concrete as it dose it is neutralized with the weaker solution, then a good rinse 2 or 3 times let dry and you are ready for paint.
The quality of the paint is the next most important thing. I use 2 part epoxy paint made specifically for garage floors rustolium has a good product out there I have used several times
Don’t go cheap or use 1 part epoxy paints, a friend followed my cleaning advice
But went with a 1 part epoxy that when car tires sat on it started peeling the paint up (hot tires can cause failure) I rented a shot blaster to clean this off it took 2 full days because he wanted to do it right the 2nd time.
Follow instructions I use a heavy nap roller work from the back wall to the opening.
I would recommend using the color chips or an abrasive powder as you roll the paint scattered on the surface it doesn’t take much but you will thank me if you ever spill antifreeze on your floor (it is slicker than ice with no abrasive) I recleaned my shop and added a thin 2nd coat with abrasive sprinkled it still looked awesome but I poured some antifreeze and water on the new surface and could walk on it, without the abrasive I could not stand.
Once the floor is cured 24-72 hours depending on brand it is ready for abuse and is really easy to clean oil up kitty litter to pick up the bulk then a few squirts of laundry soap or dish soap and the floor looks like new again, I use a 3’ squeegee to push water out.
Depending on how rough or The porosity Of the surface you may need more paint than the can says it will cover, I think the ones that said 300sf / can were glass smooth floors rougher plan for 250 sf if it says 300.
Those are the things I have done many times for myself and others.  hope it helps.


Are smaller door lock keys less secure? Our owners corporation has recently ordered new keys for our apartment building main doors.

We've just received the keys and it's obvious these keys are smaller than the previous keys. The new ones look like regular house keys. The previous ones looked more like what you might find for a commercial door lock.

I'm certainly no expert on these things. However it would seem reasonable to assume that a longer, more complex key ought to be more secure.

I expected that we would be getting keys at least as secure as what we've had in the past.

I'm wondering now if we should go back to the locksmith and tell them these aren't good enough.

Can someone tell me if my concerns are reasonable? Should an apartment building have commercial type keys and locks, or does it actually not make any difference?

update: Having looked into it further, it seems our current keys are security keys, which are apparently more difficult to pick, because they have a much more complicated profile, and (theoretically) cannot be copied by just any regular hardware store key service.

I don't know the specifics of types etc. However the existing keys are all numbered and have stamped on them "Restricted" and "Do not copy". The new keys aren't numbered or restricted at all. They're just regular generic keys.

The length of the key often corresponds to the number of pins in the lock. All else being equal, more pins makes it harder to pick the lock.

However, all else is seldom equal!

There are standards put out by ANSI/BHMA (the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association) which allow residential locksets to be graded on their security, longevity, etc. Grade 1 is the best; Grade 3 is the worst (although it still meets minimum standards). These cover ease-of-picking, but also other aspects such as brute force (such as shearing the pins with a simple screwdriver, or just kicking the lock.)

There are other assorted standards out there. You generally have to buy the standards to read them, but many websites have summarized them. Here is a webpage from doorware.com that talks about the different grades and standards. You could ask your locksmith how yours are rated.

I spent a lot of time selecting locks for my new home. I became convinced that nobody picks locks anymore!  It's become too time consuming, it requires skill, you have to carry incriminating picks. Instead, a thief will generally kick in the door or break a window, get in and out quickly, and be gone before anyone can respond.

I'd recommend keeping the existing locks and putting the saved money towards an alarm system :)


How should I connect my dimmer switch? I'm trying to change my light switch to a Leviton dimmer switch (4).

I checked with a voltage detector pen...

Both bottom two wires connected with my old switch has power when switch is off. Does that mean there are 2 hot wires? How do I connect it with the dimmer?
The upper wire connected with old switch has no power when switch is off but has power when switch is on. So I assume it is the load wire.

I can't find any ground wire connected to old switch, but there is a red wire in the wire box connected with nothing. Should the ground wire to connect with Leviton green wire?

Those two bottom wires are connected internally in the switch, so if one is hot they both would read hot while connected to the switch. One of the wires daisy chains the hot to other outlets. Both of those wires need to be connected with the hot to the dimmer switch. You may need a larger wire connector than one that might have come with the switch. I know this is a DIY advice webpage, but if those two bottom wires are both hot when disconnected from the switch then it isn't a DIY problem.

Back some time ago in the previous century it used to be accepted practice to not ground light switches, those days are gone. Some dimmers require a ground to function properly, try folding out the wires in the box to locate bare wires that should be connected together and to the box. If you cant find a ground wire in the box then the ground might be accomplished by a cable assembly or raceway system that grounds the box. If you can identify that one of those systems are used you will need to find a 10-32 green ground screw to put into threaded hole in the back of the box.

Also it looks a little like the glue on the tape on the red wire may be failing, you might want to replace the tape or put a correctly sized wire connector on that before you tuck it back into the box.


Door makes loud bump upon closure I have one interior door that is solid wood (84"x36"x1-3/4") in a metal stud wall with single layer of gypsum board on each side.  When I close the door, and the door slab hits the door stop it makes a hollow sounding bumping noise.  The other doors in our apartment which was renovated three years ago, do not make this noise.  When closing it, it sounds as though the door is bouncing off the door stop a few times.  To me it makes me wonder how well the assembly was framed, but I am hoping for suggestions on why the noise occurs, and what solutions there are to remedy it.

It's a bit hard to say what is causing the noise without an onsite inspection. Why not just try to muffle it (unless you are concerned about a structural problem).

Consider small bumpers, either vinyl, cork or felt, something like these

These are all self-stick and any of them could be put on the top and/or bottom edge of the strike side of the door frame. The can be cut to fit and may eliminate or at least reduce the banging.


Can I use larger wire for the run to my shed than what's inside the shed? Here is my problem I have a shed that is prewired with one receptacle and two lights that's 12 gauge and I was told that I could use 10 gauge wire coming into the shed in case I wanted to use large power tools coming from the circuit panel my question is is that ok.

The 12 gauge wire in your shed is rated to handle a 20A circuit. This is sufficient for individual handheld power tools but can get overwhelmed if you are running dust collection at the same time or want to install several heavy duty tools (table saw, band saw, lathe).

Running 10 gauge wire means you could support a 30A circuit if you do as @DoxyLover suggested, put in a sub-panel. The 30A circuit would need to run entirely on 10 gauge or better wire. Not patch into the existing 12 gauge wire.

If you don't need 30A now it may still make sense to run 10 gauge wire. Depending on the distance of the run the voltage drop on 12 gauge could be substantial (search on "Voltage Drop Calculator"). Just keep in mind to install no more than a 20A breaker.


Should data ground wires be attached to plumbing? I have ground wires attached to copper plumbing on the house side of the dielectric coupling.  The telephone service box has a ground wire which I found attached to copper plumbing.  The satellite dish also has a ground wire which I found attached in a similar manner.  Shouldn't they be grounded as best as possible to earth?  In other words, shouldn't they be attached to the water service line on the dirt side of the dielectric?

Maybe it doesn't really matter and the data equipment just needs a big electron sink to dampen some kind of electrical noise.  But I kind of think it's a safety issue.  In the event of a lightning strike on the dish/telephone line I would think you'd want an uninterrupted conduction path to the earth.

I looked around for an installed ground rod but either this house doesn't have one or it's inaccessible.

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 8 Communications Systems
Article 800 Communications Circuits
IV. Grounding Methods
800.100 Cable and Primary Protector Grounding.
(B) Electrode. The grounding conductor shall be connected in accordance with 800.100(B)(1), (B)(2), or (B)(3).
(1) In Buildings or Structures with an Intersystem Bonding Termination. If the building or structure served has an intersystem bonding termination as required by 250.94, the grounding conductor shall be connected to the intersystem bonding termination.
(2) In Buildings or Structures with Grounding Means. If the building or structure served has no intersystem bonding termination, the grounding conductor shall be connected to the nearest accessible location on the following:
(1) The building or structure grounding electrode system as covered in 250.50
(2) The grounded interior metal water piping system, within 1.5 m (5 ft) from its point of entrance to the building, as covered in 250.52
(3) The power service accessible means external to enclosures as covered in 250.94
(4) The nonflexible metallic power service raceway
(5) The service equipment enclosure
(6) The grounding electrode conductor or the grounding electrode conductor metal enclosure
(7) The grounding conductor or the grounding electrode of a building or structure disconnecting means that is grounded to an electrode as covered in 250.32
(3) In Buildings or Structures Without Intersystem Bonding Termination or Grounding Means. If the building or structure served has no intersystem bonding termination or grounding means, as described in 800.100(B)(2), the grounding conductor shall be connected to either of the following:
(1) To any one of the individual electrodes described in 250.52(A)(1), (A)(2), (A)(3), or (A)(4)
(2) If the building or structure served has no intersystem bonding termination or has no grounding means, as described in 800.100(B)(2) or (B)(3)(1), to any one of the individual electrodes described in 250.52(A)(7), and (A)(8) or to a ground rod or pipe not less than 1.5 m (5 ft) in length and 12.7 mm (1/2 in.) in diameter, driven, where practicable, into permanently damp earth and separated from lightning conductors as covered in 800.53 and at least 1.8 m (6 ft) from electrodes of other systems. Steam or hot water pipes or air terminal conductors (lightning-rod conductors) shall not be employed as electrodes for protectors.

800.100(B)(1)
An Intersystem Bonding Termination can be either a set of terminals securely mounted and electrically connected to the meter enclosure, a bonding bar near the service equipment enclosure, or a bonding bar near the grounding electrode.  These terminals are specifically for bonding and grounding of communications and other "intersystem" circuits.
If this exists, the telephone and dish should be bonded using these terminals.
800.100(B)(2)
If an Intersystem bonding termination does not exist, this section provides a list of acceptable alternatives. Included in the list is the "interior metal water piping system". Which can be used as long as the connection is within 5' (1.5 m) of the point of entrance, and the piping is in direct contact with the earth for 10' (3 m) or more (250.52(A)(1)).
800.100(B)(3)
This section gives even more alternative bonding locations, and again points to 250.52(A)(1) Metal Underground Water Pipe..

tl;dr
Bonding to the water piping system may not be a problem, as long as the termination is within the first 5' of the pipe entering the building and the pipe is in direct contact with the earth for 10'.  However, if the dielectric union is not conductive, there should be an appropriately sized bonding jumper connecting the two sections of pipe.
If you're worried about it, or you're having problems. You could move the bonding terminations to the other side of the dielectric union, use an alternate bonding method, or install an intersystem bonding termination and use that.


Can I leave ports open on push-in type wire connectors? I will eventually have 7 ground wires, and then another 7 neutral wires to connect each. (obviously I'm not connecting ground wire to neutral wires). I plan on installing leviton smart light switches.  I found a black colored push-in connector that has 8 ports at home depot. Is it ok to leave 1 port unused? I can buy one for the ground and 1 for the neutral wires I was thinking.

Yes.  If you choose to use push-in type wire connectors, you can insert 1 to #of_ports wires into them.

As mentioned in the comments... Some folks don't trust these push-in devices, because of the failings of their back-stab brethren. These devices are listed, and allowed for use by the National Electrical Code. But you have to keep in mind, so were the failed back-stab connectors.  So use at your own risk.


Why would my TV image turn black when electrical appliances turn on? I have my computer connected to my TV via HDMI. Every time something electrical happens (fridge turns on, stove sparks, etc), the image on the TV goes black for a second and then comes back on. And before anyone asks, trust me, I checked other options, it is perfectly in sync with the fridge/stove/etc and not some random coincidence

Anyone have any ideas as to what is causing this or how I fix it? Or should I just get a new HDMI cable?

The lights do not flicker or dim when this happens.

Also, if it is on the same circuit, how do I figure that out?

And will connecting the TV to a regular surge protector work, or do I need to put it on a voltage stabilizer?

I agree with DMoore that the flickering is almost certainly caused by a voltage dip when a large appliance turns on. A fridge can easily pull 1000+ watts momentarily as the compressor starts.

If you want to verify the voltage dip you can do so with a multimeter with a "MIN" function. Insert the multimeter probes into the outlet that's giving you trouble, set the multimeter to "voltage (AC)", and enable the "MIN" mode, which will remember the lowest voltage it sees. Then wait for the fridge to turn on. Typical US household voltage should be in the 110 - 120 V range. A voltage dip much below 110V could definitely cause flickering.

If the devices are on the same circuit, the easiest thing to try would be putting them on different circuits. You could also call the electric company to see if they have any thoughts.

If you don't want to do any electrical changes, you could also get a voltage stabilizer to plug your TV / home entertainment system into. It's basically a fancy surge protector that will even out momentary irregularities in the household voltage current. Many battery-backup power supplies ("UPS") also include voltage regulation.

Edit based on question updates:

The same circuit means that the outlets run back to the same circuit breaker in your breaker panel. The easiest way to figure out if they're on the same circuit is to flip off the switch to the refrigerator and see if the TV also goes dead. If your circuits are not labeled, this may take some trial and error.

As for a surge protector: they won't help with under-voltage at all. Surge protectors cut the power when the voltage gets far too high (typically 300 V or more), but don't do anything when the voltage is too low.


Millivolt fireplace turns on by the thermostat but will not shutoff I inherited a freestanding direct vent fireplace and I'm trying to get it to work with a thermostat. It functions fine using the ON/OFF/PILOT switch but will not work with a thermostat. It is a SIT millivolt system and the previous owner had a thermostat hooked up to it, so it was working at one point.
With that said - the fireplace will turn on with the thermostat but it will not shutoff with the thermostat. Could it be a bad thermopile?

When the fire is lit I get a .330mv reading for the thermostat and .220mv for the thermopile.

The issue was the thermopile. I ordered a replacement and after installing it the thermostat control started working.


Can I use #10 wire for a 30A, 240V pump circuit? I stand corrected, 240v not 220v so I hope my question now makes sense.

I have 2 30amp breakers connected together. I believe this gives me 240v. I plan to connect this circuit to a 240v irrigation pump. It looks like the original wire from the main circuit is 12 gauge. The pump will be around 160' from the breaker. can I use 10 gauge wire from the back of the house to the pump or must I use 12 gauge? The distance from the back of the house to the pump is around 100' I would like to mention that the wire will go from the house to a relay box then to the pump. The relay is going to be connected to the irrigation timer and the water pump. We live in Melbourne, FL.

10 gauge is larger than 12 gauge.  If you meant "can I use the smaller one coz it's cheaper", the answer to that is pretty universally no, but you don't need us to tell you that.

The distance might be a factor that might call for going with a larger wire (that would be #8 or #6). But if your pump is recommending the 30A breaker, its draw is certainly somewhat less due to the 125% derating requirement -- its draw is probably 19-23A. (still, too much for #12 wire). You don't need to care about voltage drop at the 30A breaker trip.  You need to worry about it for actual working current of worst-case 23A.  At that particular distance and #10 wire, your voltage drop will certainly be around 3%, which will even make the wire salesman happy.

Wire salesmen want you to be around 3% voltage drop on any wiring run.  But Code doesn't require anything like that, so they're just saying it to push wire.  Code gets concerned when drop gets around 8%. I bet this is a homerun, so all the voltage drop will be in this cable. This drop may be something like 3.17%, and voltage drop calculators online will say "that is over 3% therefore unacceptable" but that's silly.


How to unscrew a broken washing machine filter cap? The plastic cap on my washing machine filter was stuck so I applied a little too much force when unscrewing it and its handle broke. Any idea what tools to use to remove it?

The washing machine is a Whilrpool AWE 4526.

Get a piece of pipe sized to fit into the center part and cut a slot in it with a hacksaw to fit the plastic where the handle was. Then you could use a pair of channel lock pliers to turn the pipe if you need to.

Good luck.


Should I go with a stainless steel or copper based tankless water heater? I live in Southern California, Orange County to be specific, and want to replace my 40 gallon (gas) water heater located in the middle (inside) of the house with a tankless water heater (electric powered - gas driven) to be installed outside of the house. Should I go with a stainless steel condensing exchange unit or go with a copper-based unit? Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Instead of focusing on the materials, you should focus on the significant differences between condensing and non-condensing units.

Condensing units are more efficient but can be more difficult (read: expensive) to install as a retrofit because they generate acidic condensate (water) and you have to be able to get rid of that water. This is a big deal if they are installed inside the home, maybe less of a big deal with an exterior installation. This being said, there are standard solutions for the problem.

Non-condensing units are less efficient but you do not have the condensate issue mentioned above.

Both types require a different venting system then your traditional tank heater. Condensing units exhaust cool vent gases and can be vented with cheap PVC pipe. Non-condensing units exhaust hot acidic gas and must be vented with special corrosion-resistant vent piping.

Manufacturers require that their units be installed by qualified persons. I would suggest (I know this is a DIY site, but...) that you consult with a qualified installer, as they would be able to outline the difficulties and cost differences between the two types in your specific circumstances.


Iron toilet flange problem I have a cast iron toilet flange that no longer holds the flange bolts. The area corroded just enough that the bolts will no longer slip into a secure position. The rest of the flange is too secure to knock loose and replace with a closet flange. I bought a hydroseat to secure onto the existing flange, but the problem I’ve run into now is the concrete slab I am trying to secure it to, the area one of the four screws is being screwed into, the concrete has deteriorated. Does anyone have a solution I can follow to secure something to the Existing flange collar that does not include me trying to remove that?

Do you have any friends with a wire welder?  These little welders work well for filling the holes and retapping.

I usually grind the heavy rust then mark well beyond the holes so I can re drill in the same place.
Heat the area around the hole with a torch then using a wire welder Fill the holes with common wire let cool grind flat. Drill and tap then make sure to use brass screws so they don’t have problems.

I have done this probably 2 dozen times with good success 3 or 4 on my own homes one that I know is still good 20 years ago. Several that we still owned for 10 years after and they were fine.

They make kits that you can cut the flange but if there is good metal and you can drop a weld it works better.


What causes repeat trip of thermostat in dryer? My dryer did not produce heat. After some online research, there was a solution that included pressing a small red reset button. I did this and the dryer worked for a while, but then the heat stopped. I repeated the “repair”, but the dryer stopped producing heat again after a while. What would be my next step. I’m not technical, but hoping there could be something that wont need a specialist for repair.

The most probable cause of your dryer over heating is caused by a blockage of air flow in the dryer exhaust venting. This has happened to me and causes the dryer to display a flashing AF (air flow) indicator.

Blockage is generally caused by build up of lint in the venting duct. It can also be due to something closing off the outside end of the vending duct such as snow buildup or or the vent flapper door getting stuck shut.

In my case there is about 22 feet of 4" ducting that unfortunately has to route through seven separate right angle joints as the duct goes up through an inside wall to between floor joints between 1st and 2nd floor before it finally makes it way through the back garage wall to the exterior. Even though the dryer has a good lint screen that is cleaned regularly some lint makes its way out with the warm damp air into the duct. The long duct cools the air and allows a good share of the lint to end up sticking to the inside of the pipe. Eventually over time the duct work needs to be opened up and cleaned....a painful and lengthy job.


What is the permissible distance from weather head to roof edge? I have been told by Southern California Edison (SCE), that my weather head is too far from the edge of my roof to put a new breaker box in place of the old one. what is the permissible distance from weather head to roof edge?

Without actually seeing the installation, I'm simply guessing here. They could be referring to National Electrical Code 230.24(A)ex. no. 3.. Which says that the clearance above a roof can be reduced to 18 in. if the service conductors do not overhang the roof by more than 6 ft., and there's less than 300 volts between conductors, and the service conductors terminate at a through-the-roof raceway.

So basically, if the service conductors have to overhang the roof by more than 6 ft., this exception can no longer be applied. Without this exception, the service conductors must be 8 ft. above the roof.

You'd either have to extend the weather head up, to keep the conductors 8 ft. above the roof. Or move the weather head, so that the conductors do not have to overhang the roof by more than 6 ft..

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection

  Article 230 Services

  II. Overhead Service Conductors

  230.24 Clearances.

  (A) Above Roofs. Conductors shall have a vertical clearance
  of not less than 2.5 m (8 ft) above the roof surface.
  The vertical clearance above the roof level shall be maintained
  for a distance of not less than 900 mm (3 ft) in all
  directions from the edge of the roof.

  Exception No. 3: Where the voltage between conductors
  does not exceed 300, a reduction in clearance above only
  the overhanging portion of the roof to not less than 450 mm
  (18 in.) shall be permitted if (1) not more than 1.8 m (6 ft)
  of overhead service conductors, 1.2 m (4 ft) horizontally,
  pass above the roof overhang, and (2) they are terminated
  at a through-the-roof raceway or approved support.


How can I plane the edges of plywood? I'm working on an 8ft x 12ft climbing wall. I have 3/4 inch ACX plywood attached to a frame. Since the frame isn't perfectly square, the plywood overlaps on the edges (up to about 1cm) so I need to shave it down. What's the best tool for the job?

I was thinking of using a block plane, but I've heard it can tear the edges of the plywood. Would a belt sander be better?

A block plane might work but you're going to have a very tough time taking down 1cm of wood over such a long length. If you do use a plane, go in small increments and make sure you keep your blade as sharp as possible.

A belt sander will work better, provided you use 40 or 60 grit sandpaper. Anything higher (smoother) and it will take you an eternity. My biggest caution with a belt sander is to be careful to work evenly. It's easy to get distracted and create a divot where you've sanded too much.

If the sanding is daunting or you want something with more precision, I would recommend using a handheld router with a flush trim router bit. This will get you a nice clean edge. I would try to get the board trimmed down to less than 1/4" overhang or so first if possible, with a jigsaw or something. Then clamp a long straight piece of wood along the line you want to keep.

If there's enough of an overhang to get enough stability for a circular saw and a guide, that would also work. But it sounds like the overhang is too small for that.


Smoke detectors are on dedicated circuit, how can I add a light to that circuit? The smoke detectors are currently wired to each other (2 wire) on a dedicated circuit. We want to add something that gets used often, so that we'll notice if the circuit has tripped.

We would like this something to be a light that is one a three-way switch. I am guessing this is not possible if the light is closest to the source, because when the light's off the smokes won't get power. But what if the light is at the very end of the circuit? Would this work ok?

If a light on a three-way switch is not possible, can we do a light on a one-way switch, and just ignore the red wire when we go to wire that bit, ie run the red through but don't connect it to anything.
Thx

Adding anything is against code in most jurisdictions.  They want wired smoke detectors to be certain of working.

Edit: 3PhaseEel points out that having smoke detectors on an unswitched branch circuit is allowed.  See his comment below.

Good wired detectors still have a battery and they chirp annoyingly when they are without power.  And will do so for weeks.


Light Dimmer Causes Internet Drop I've bought a standard light dimmer and a dimmable led lamp. Dimming works fine. However, when I dim the lights my ADSL connection drops. The DSL light on my modem turns off and I can't connect back again unless I switch off the light or turn it all the way up. What is causing this? And how can I prevent the connection drop without moving the modem to a different room?

Badly designed (or faulty) light dimmers chop the mains waveform instead of switching on the zero-crossing. That means they put out a massive amount of noise onto the mains. That's probably getting through to your ADSL equipment.


Vanity light installation using an old work box I have a vanity light that weighs 5.6 lbs. The old work box I have is rated for 6 lbs. This seems very close to me. Is there something else I should be using?

It also says (specs on Home Depot web site) not listed for fixture support in ceilings, so it isn't even a question of 5.6 < 6, but rather "not designed for this purpose at all".

I believe the problem is not "plastic" but rather the wimpy little "swing clamps" - by design then can't support much.

The solution is a box that is actually nailed or screwed into supports. There are plenty of options like:

For a fan, you really need to make sure it is securely attached to a support (e.g., stud). For a light, there is a bit more leeway as it is (usually) not as heavy and does not have the constant motion/vibration of a fan.


How can I get rid of the smell of spilled milk from my carpet? I recently had a pierced milk carton spill around 2 pints of milk into the rear footwell of my car.  I have tried various things to get rid of the smell (pet urine remover, Dettol).  It works for a while, but as soon as the carpet dries out again the smell comes back.  Any other ideas for what I can try?

An enzymatic cleaner such as BioKleen Bac-Out should work, if you can apply it thoroughly, let it soak a while, and perhaps do it several times.


GFCI outlet has power and works, but the test button is not working...assuming that means no fault protection The GFCI in one of my bathrooms has power, but when I push the test button it does not work (does not click). The outlet in another bathroom is tied into this GFCI.

Steps taken so far:

Used a digital multimeter with prong in the power and ground...got a reading of 122.4. Understood that this is an indication that there is no ground issue(?)
Used a digital multimeter with prong in the neutral and ground...did not get a reading. Understood that this is an indication that the wires are not out of sequence(?)
Detached the upper wires and used a digital multimeter with prong in the power and ground...got a reading of 122.4.
Removed the socket and placed in another GFCI location and confirmed that here is no issue with the socket, i.e. the test switch worked as designed.

Not sure what to check next. Also, are my understandings about what the results of the tests mean accurate?

Thanks,
Owen

Just get a GFCI tester for $8. It allows you to quickly test outlets to see if they’re properly wired and allow you to test the GFCI itself through the test button.  Inexpensive insurance for the whole house.


If a GFCI tester trips a circuit breaker is there a problem A home inspection claimed a gfci outlet tripped and would not reset when testing with a receptacle tester's test button. When I looked into this, what happens is that this is tripping the circuit breaker. This outlet is on a 20 amp circuit with an Eaton ground fault breaker type CHGF as shown in the attached photo labeled basement bath.

Other outlets for which the tester does not trip the breaker are on 15 amp circuits with an Eaton combination type AFCI, type CHAF breakers.

Is there a problem with this behavior of the circuit breaker being tripped by the tester, or is that normal for this type of circuit breaker?

GFCI tester test + GFCI = tripped GFCI

A CHGF is a GFCI and circuit breaker in the same package, using the same breaker contacts and trip mechanism.  So, when your inspector pushed the test button on his receptacle tester, shunting a bit of current to ground, the GFCI-breaker saw the difference in current between hot and neutral generated by this and tripped, just like it was designed to.

This also means you don't need to connect a GFCI receptacle to that circuit -- it's silly and redundant at that point, and also leads to the coordination problems you're seeing where two GFCIs are tripping in reaction to the exact same ground fault.  Thus, the easiest way to solve this is to replace the GFCI receptacle on that circuit with a regular receptacle with a "GFCI Protected" label on its front and let the GFCI breaker do its job.

(P.S. a more reliable test of a GFCI is to use the "test" button on the unit -- that shunts current from load-side-hot to line-side-neutral, which will also trip the GFCI, but does it independent of any problems with the equipment ground to the outlet.)


Convert Rectangular Electrical Box in Ceiling to Octagon? I need to do the opposite of what is talked about in this post: Can I convert ceiling mounted octagon box to electrical receptacle?

Specifically, there is a rectangular electrical box in my ceiling that I want to hang a light from. There is currently no outlet, switch, or other equipment hooked up to it - it has a solid cover screwed over the top of it. I am fairly certain that it is simply acting as a junction box for two independent sets of lights that are in the ceiling.

Any advice for how to go about this? Do I just cut out the old box and insert an old-work octagon into it? Conversely, is there a simple way to hang a ceiling light from a rectangular box?

Edit: You said "rectangular" and "receptacle" so you probably have one half this size, not a square box...

There is a simple way to hang a light from a square box. You may have to look around a bit, but there is a mud ring/reducer that goes from square to round (and the round has the screw positions/spacing so a light fixture attachment will fit.)

 Image is from Crescent electric supply web site.

I have a couple of these myself. The adapter ring was in stock but not prominently displayed where I bought it, so it took a little hunting. 2-3/4" is the spacing for the inner screws - I think there's also a smaller one (2-23/32") for smaller fixture spacings.


Is this Orbit Sprinkler Timer (Model 57894) compatible with Rainbird Valve(s)? I recently purchased an Orbit Model # 57894, and I'm trying to use it with these Rainbird Valves.

I've got it all setup and connected, however it won't turn on the sprinklers on schedule or on manual mode. Are these valves incompatible with this timer?

Both the Timer and the Valves are designed for 24 VAC operation which is the standard voltage for sprinkler equipment so they should be compatible. You need to check with a voltmeter that the Timer is outputting the proper voltage and that it is present at the valves.


How should I prepare a log home for vinyl siding? I am going to side over a log home.  Some of the logs are deteriorated and the maintenance has not been done for years but for the most part the logs are solid.
I want to fur out the logs with 1 x 4 pine furring strips and attach the CertainTeed CedarBoard insulated siding over the furring strips.  There would be a air gap in-between the furring strips and at the bottom of the wall.

Does anyone have experience with this type of project or can anyone give proper installation over the logs?  The logs are to uneven to sheet over directly so it is going to have to be furred out.

Should I install a vapor barrier over the logs or allow the logs to breath as described above?

Any help greatly appreciated.  Just trying to keep from having to remove the logs if possible.

Your first question is a bit unclear, but I'd consider installing blocking to bring the wall on plane, then OSB or plywood sheathing. You could have a selection of spacer blocks on hand and pull lines to check the needed thickness at each vertical on 24" centers. I'd probably pull horizontal lines top and bottom, then pull between them as you install the blocks.

Installing just furring strips will leave you with a wavy wall unless you also do the varying-thickness blocking. Sheathing would cost roughly the same anyway and give your siding better support.

You should have housewrap (a drain plane) behind the siding. This is not a vapor barrier and will allow the wall to breathe. Almost no one installs poly sheeting, for example, behind siding.


New oven on general plug circuit We had an ageing gas oven replaced with a new electric oven, which we had installed by Currys (A UK electrical retailer who also do installations). I noticed at the weekend that it has been installed on the same circuit as the general downstairs wall plugs and not on the existing oven specific circuit (the gas oven had an electric grill).

So now the only thing on the oven circuit is a single plug socket which is incorporated in the now ineffective oven power on-off switch on the kitchen wall.

Is this normal and/or safe? The oven looks like it only needed a 13 amp circuit, and I assume that the original oven circuit was higher than that. But it seems to me that it would still be best to isolate the oven from the general plug socket circuit, if only to ensure a safe load is never exceeded.

Here is a link to the oven: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/appliances/ovens/realistisk-oven-grey-green-art-80300924/

Is this normal

No, it is normal to have an electric oven on a separate radial circuit with its own MCB in the consumer unit. For example a dedicated 32A "Cooker" circuit.

Ovens are normally hardwired through a dual-pole isolating switch adjacent to the oven.

  and/or safe?

It is safe so long as the installer calculated the loading on the downstairs ring circuit. There are formula to be used which take into account the type of appliances, the number of sockets and the conductor sizes. (see Diversity and Demand below for load calculations with examples)

The REALISTISK Oven has a total rating of 2.7 kW, which is only slightly more than a typical electric kettle. It is also less than 13A on a 230V circuit, so won't be a problem for the actual socket, 13A fused plug and cable. However you obviously can't have all four heating elements on, from cold, at the same time (top, bottom, fan & grill).

  it seems to me that it would still be best to isolate the oven from the general plug socket circuit

I believe that would be normal practise.

Useful links

Radial circuits for socket outlets, cookers, shower and many other items, John Ward. (11:00)
Maximum Diversity and Demand, John Ward. (16:10)


Where should I run the plumbing, under or through the base cabinets? I'm installing a dishwasher that is around the bend from the sink and plumbing. If you measure along the front of the cabinets it is barely 42 inches (3-1/2 feet), so it seems that running the plumbing under the cabinets would be economical. Alternatively, if I go through the cabinets, I'd have to run around the back which measures roughly 120 inches (10 feet).

The more economical route--under the cabinets--would involve cutting through the kick plates (toe plates) on all the cabinets and I just haven't see anybody do that. Going through the cabinets would be as easy as drilling holes at the back where each cabinet meets. That's four holes in total with no cosmetic surgery afterwards.

Are there any other considerations that ought to sway my decision one way or the other?

So far I see these pros/cons:

Under

shorter, no splices required
won't be easily accessible in the future which is probably fine since there won't be any splices
will require cosmetic work to restore the kick plate and lino covering

Through

will require drain hose extension and probably a spliced source hose
will be more accessible in the future
no extra cosmetic work

I'll always vote for accessible plumbing, with or without splices.

If, in the future, something goes wrong (murphy's law!), then (1) you'll see it before it becomes a huge problem and (2) you'll save a fortune not ripping your cabinets apart.

If you have (or can engineer) easily removable toe kicks, then that would meet my standard for accessible.


Are there drawbacks to using solar panels as a roof without asphalt shingles underneath? If you're working with a new construction or a very old roof in need of full replacement, why not forego asphalt shingles altogether when installing solar panels on the roof?  It seems like a waste to stack panels on top of new shingles.

You need a WRB on that roof somewhere
One thing all roofs need is some way to shed water.  Asphalt shingle roofs use the shingles themselves as the primary water-resistive barrier (WRB), often backed up by a secondary barrier (roofing felt).  Other roof technologies, such as metal roofs, have their WRB underneath the roof cladding instead.  However, this depends on the roof cladding being a full-coverage sort of thing, which isn't true for solar panels as panels need air circulation for cooling and wiring space behind them for connections and equipment.
You can get solar roof products that serve as a roof cladding, but they still require a WRB underneath them, and such building-integrated photovoltaic systems require more care in wiring as well due to issues with the potential for wiring damage from roof incidents.  They're also harder to replace than a conventional panel if they do get damaged, say by hail, and pose challenges under the current NEC rapid shutdown rules.


Can I put a metal safe weighing 2000 lbs in a 12x12 room? I have a 12'x12' upstairs bedroom. Can a 2000 lbs safe be placed in that room? The dimensions would be the same size as a queen size bed (60"x80").

Can you supply the math in your answer.

Thank you in advance

Danny

If we assume your room was built to minimum standards from the IBC 2015, for example the live load table #1607.1 from here which lists habitable sleeping areas to support 30 pounds per square foot minimum:

(80" x 60" ) /144" = 33.33333 square feet.
so 30 pounds spread over 33.3333 square feet would be 1,000 pounds.

Depends on how over the minimum the original construction was designed to, but would need to be at least 60 PSF to for a 2,000 pounds load concentrated over a 60"x80" area.

Over a 12' span, you would need to have at least 2x8s installed at 16" on center to support 60 PSF.


How to convert 240 receptacle to 120? I'm converting 240 plug to 120. It's a 3 prong, the left side and right side test 240 and the left side and the bottom test 120 and the right side and the bottom test 120.

So, I took face plate off the right side is barely wire left side is red the bottom is black and there's a white wire not connected to anything.

How should I rewire this to convert it to 240 volts?

So you have a 4 wire feed if the barely wire was the bare copper. First you will need to open the panel and verify the neutral is tied to the neutral buss. Next you will need to install ether a single pole 20 amp breaker or a common trip double pole 20 amp breaker. Now if you used a double pole you will have 2 ea 120v circuits wire the black white and ground to 1 outlet and the same white pig tailed, red and ground to a second outlet both circuits share the ground and neutral the neutral will not be overloaded because they are sperate legs that are 180 out of phase with each other. If you only want 1 circuit a single breaker just cap the red or the black at each end.  I suggested a 20 amp breaker because most of the 240v outlets are 30 amp or larger using #10 wire or larger. If the wiring is larger than #10 you will need to pigtail the larger wire with #10 or #12awg because 120v outlets usually are only listed for #10 awg max. Last depending on the location you may need GFCI protection, multi wire circuits sometimes do have problems with MWBC's. Make sure that the neutral is split, or pig tailed prior to the gfci's or the first outlet will trip every time the second outlet is used you can even break the bridge connector on the outlet hot side of a duplex outlet and have 1 circuit on the top outlet and the other circuit on the bottom outlet, this is how I have wired many kitchens in the past.


Diagnose interference causing garage door opener remotes not to function How do I diagnose why our garage door remotes periodically stop working?    I suspect that there is some sort of radio interference causing the problem.

This morning I left the house for about an hour.  When I left, the opener worked fine.   When I came back, the opener wouldn't work until it was about 3 feet from the antenna of the opener.   I tested two remotes for this garage door, and two other remotes for two other garage doors.   None of them would work unless inside the garage standing nearly directly beneath the opener.

This seems to happen every week or two.   The interference seems to last for an hour or two.   After that the garage door remotes start functioning normally again.   I haven't been able to identify anything we are running inside the home that might cause it.    I know that CFLs, microwaves, and such can cause interference.  Often this happens when we get home when the house has been empty and pretty much everything in the house is off.

Our garage door openers are "Legacy" models manufactured by "Overhead Door" about 20 years ago.  They use the "Code Dodger" remote control protocol.   I have remote controls that came with the openers as well as universal replacements manufactured by Chamberlain.

Excellent article!
I just had my GDO remote drop from 30+ feet range to where I had to at the garage door - and it took several tries to  cause the door to open.
I had just installed a wireless indoor security camera and that was the culprit - unplugging it removed the issue.  I tried various increases of GDO antenna length but no improvement.  I was in the process of using a window screen on the opposite side of the wall when I found an article about an RFI kit - rather than buy the kit which was a tad pricey, I bought several 5mm ferrite cores that snap onto wires. 5mm based on the diameter of the wires they'd be used - they come in sizes 3mm to 9mm and possibly larger.  I tried the camera power cord and there was no improvement - I then put a core on the manual switch wires where they connected to the GDO - that bought me another 8 feet of remote range.  I then also added ferrite cores on the same wires near the manual switch and I'm out to 25 feet.  The camera must be throwing off harmonics of the 2.4 GHz signal and the manual switch wires were acting as antennas.  I'm still going to place the metal screen on the garage wall opposite the camera location in the house to try to block the RFI more yet.  I hope this helps anyone with a similar situation as these cameras are more and more popular for nurseries, pet surveillance, and home security.


Installing outlet near toilet In the middle of a bathroom remodel and I have the walls gutted.  I'm considering installing an outlet on the far side of the bathroom which will be near a toilet.

There's an existing GFCI outlet near the sink area.  I'd like to run a line from the load of that GFCI to the new outlet.

Do I need to have a second GFCI because it'll be within a couple feet of the toilet?  Or is just being on the load acceptable?

GFCIs are actually designed to do this sort of thing. That's what the LOAD part of your GFCI is for. When anything happens on that side, that would trip it if it were a GFCI, the GFCI triggers. So any outlets on that side of the circuit are considered to be GFCI protected.

I would highly recommend you buy a circuit tester that has a GFCI trip switch

Pressing the button feeds the hot through the ground, which should trip the GFCI.


Is a slightly-deformed clay pipe a concern? We're doing a buying inspection on a house, and the sewer inspector provided a video of the snake camera. Here's a still from where the house line (clay) connects to the city line:

The inspector didn't mention anything about this in the video, but I just want to make sure it's OK the pipe doesn't seem to be completely round at this point?

The rest of the line looked fine -- a couple places with roots starting to poke in, but nothing crazy. Goes from cast iron closer to the house to clay closer to the city.

I suspect that's just an artifact of looking at two round pipes joined. The city sewer is not square, so the house pipe is longer on the bottom and the top than it is in the middle, to fit to the hole in the city line. It's probably also not at a 90 degree angle, so there may be some left/right difference as well.

Probably the most common thing you can quickly look at (from the outside) to get an idea is the joints on a bicycle frame.

It's called a "fishmouth" becasue the prepared end of the pipe looks a bit like one. You are looking at that from inside. Remarkably clean line, by the way.


What wood is our floor made from and will it be good as polished boards? Can anyone tell what wood this is.
It is a photo underneath the house (Southern Australia region).
Will that come up well as a wooden floor?

Meta-answer:  (Not an answer, but pointers to where you can find one)

Find the year of construction.

Find a builder that was active during that era.

Show him your picture.

That said:  It looks like you have damage or rot on one board.  I'm puzzled by the light streak toward the bottom (picture) of many of the boards.
Some softwoods are suitable for flooring.  Larch heartwood works well, as does douglas fir, once it's about 5 years old. Some hardwoods do not work well, either because they are too soft, or don't sand well.
You can check for hardness by getting a sample of wooden flooring from a floor store, and see what height you have to drop a medium size rock on it to produce a dent in the wood.  Now repeat that test with your uncovered floor.  (The actual test is with a spring powered thingy that you snap, and then measure the depth of the ding.)
If the wood is porous you can improve the hardness somewhat with WEST  Wet Epoxy Saturation Technology. This uses a slow cure epoxy that soaks into the pores.  Normally used as a boat construction technique along with thin layers of fiberglass or kevlar.


Red wire with 40 Volts I have a switch that I believe controls the lower socket on a split outlet. There is a red wire from the lower socket that goes into the switch, but it appears to be carrying 40 Volts AC relative to ground, and 50 Volts AC relative to live.
I have previously replaced the other switch in this gang, which is when I noticed that there was something odd. I replaced this switch too, and probably didn't wire it correctly (I didn't know about split outlets back then). The other switch in this gang controls overhead lights. There is a nearby gang of switches: one controls a fan, and I'm not sure what the other controls, but it has a red wire as well, so I suspect it's a different split outlet somewhere else. It's possible I've replaced an outlet somewhere and didn't notice that it was supposed to be split.
I'd appreciate advice on how I could possibly be getting 40 Volts on this red wire (should be either zero or 120, right?), and how it should be wired properly.
The switch is on the left in this photo: the red wire goes straight out of the junction box. The white wire from that switch is live (whoops on the colors).
The socket (prior to replacement, but I wired the new one the same way except I used the screws instead of backstabs) is seen in this photo. I have verified that there is continuity between the red wire in the socket and the red wire in the switch. There's a single neutral for both the upper and lower socket.

I believe this is "phantom voltage", as suggested by @Ed Beal.
Duplicate question: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/110093/43268


How to remove Schlage deadbolt? I want to remove a Schlage deadbolt so I can re-key it.  I don't have the key (previous owner lost it).  The deadbolt has keyholes on both sides.  Here's a view of the inside face:

The outside face is the same except it doesn't have the "rivet heads" on either side of the keyhole.  Here's a pic of the bolt itself:

In your first picture the round disk looking objects on either side of the keyway are screw covers that are driven after the screws are tightened.

A strong sharp object, something like a chisel that you don't mind getting dull would do the trick. The pin that is in the screw head isn't very long so the cover will fall off readily after the cover starts lifting out. After the covers are removed, the screws are removed using a Phillips head screwdriver. The screws under the covers are #1 the screws in the latch are #2.


Running too many appliances needing water on a well system and now no water My wife did 2 dishwasher loads, a washer load on high, and then took a shower....all of this in about a  time frame of 3 hours. Water comes out slow and weak out of the faucets in the basement and first floor and a trickle from the 2nd floor. I checked the welltron at that time and the psi gauge read 0.  Now, 12 hours later, it reads 15psi. Help!!!

It is highly possible to run a well down in level to the point where it is effectively dry. Water is not an endless resource.

As you pump water out of the well casing the level in the casing drops. Depending on the depth of your well, the height of the water table, and the capacity of your well you can pump the casing dry.

Then, water refills the well casing over time and now you have water again. If you are in an area that has experienced low rainfall, overpumping from agriculture or other issues your water level couldn't be extremely low already.

Another issue could be a clogged screen on your pump. Only a well service could help you with this.

Try moderating your water usage and see if that helps.

Good luck!


Does 3/4” pex supply enough water for a house Will 3/4” pex with an inside diameter of .68 inches have enough capacity to supply a 3/4” manifold with 1/2” supply lines to a bathtub, washer and toilet and sink with no pressure drop?
I plan on running 3/4” pex from water meter to the house. Once inside the house the 3/4” will branch off using a 3/4” Tee. The (1) 3/4 supply line will run to a hot water heater then as hot water leaves the heater from a 3/4 supply to a hot water manifold with dedicated 1/2 supply lines to each fixture. The second 3/4” from the tee joint will deliver cold water will also run to a manifold. Every fixture will have its own dedicated 1/2” supply. The outdoor faucets will have dedicated 1/2” supply lines as well.

Not a calculated method, but if that home is yours and you're planning to spend a good few years in it, I would put in the 1" main PEX to water heater and as you go to edge water outlets of the house, convert that 1" to 3/4". The cost of 1" vs 3/4" isn't too drastic and having the extra capacity, especially to the water heater will help with pressure issues. 3/4" post water heater is good, unless you have 8+ hot drops.
If that home is a builder home and used for investment or you're trying to minimize the cost, do the calculation on needed flow and capacity. Most of the time 3/4" is good for smaller homes.
Regarding manifolds, all builders that I've seen do not use main manifolds and just use tee's and split off the main pex. It appears, labor wise, its less work and less cost since the manifold adds a few hundred to the project and creates further runs but you lose the ability to shut off each drop.


Why is one bedroom always colder than the rest of the house? We have a two story home with 3 bedrooms upstairs. Home is 7 years old.  One of the bedrooms is always around 5-6 degrees Fahrenheit colder than the rest of the house (when compared to the thermostat temp).  Currently it is the baby's room and we placed a heater in there to bring up the temp to a comfortable level.  I would really like to find a better solution as when the baby is not in the crib anymore we would not want the heater in the room.

There is one vent in the room (which is also true for the other kid bedroom that does not have this problem).  The difference between the two vents is that the cold room went is running inside the drywall of the exterior wall and the other room vent is in the floor (but still against the exterior wall, just not in the drywall).  The temperature coming out of the went in the cold room feels warm so I know the heat is getting there.

My first thought was to adjust the air flow in the vents going upstairs by closing some of the other vents thorough the house. But I have read that doing this will make your furnace work harder and less efficient since you are altering the origional design/installation.  We are the second owners of the house and I am not sure if the room was originally not  insulated properly, but I would prefer not to have to open up the walls if it is possible.

For a quick and dirty fix, I have had some success with a Register Booster Fan.

This has alleviated most of the problem in my house.  I still plan to install more insulation (and upgrade to a multi-zone system), but this is a lot less work up front.  You can use it as a stop gap until you figure out what permanent fixes you need to make.


Can I tighten unused terminal screws on my outlets? I bought some receptacle extenders in 1/4 and 3/8 to bring outlets more flush to drywall. The outlets have push-in connectors on the back.

Is there any harm in screwing down the terminals screws on the socket sides as well?  There is a flange on the back of the extenders and I thought more clearance is a good thing as the side screws are close, even thought not used.  Thanks!

As far as snuggling the screws down there will be no problem in doing this. I would put the wire under the screw or clamp and a couple of wraps of electrical tape. Back stabs are the #1 failure point in wiring in the US.  I would say failing Back stabs cause over 90% of the wiring failures since you are doing this save yourself some time and use the screw terminals or you may end up like so many others that ask why are 1/2 of outlets in my room not working.


Securely joining 2 4x4 pieces of wood I have two 3-ft 4x4 pieces of wood and I would like to join them securely so that I have one 6-ft 4x4 piece of wood.

What's the best way of doing this?

Thanks.

Slice them up into 1x4s then laminate them with a 1 1/2 foot overlap on alternating pieces.

That will give you a 6 foot 4x4 from two 3 foot 4x4s.

You'll need lots of wood glue, many clamps and either a good table saw or something equivalent.

The only other ways I can think of doing this involve spending more on hardware than a 6 foot 4x4 probably costs.


Can you help me identify the maker of this shower door roller? I've a broken roller on my shower door. I'm looking for replacement parts but I can't identify the maker of the piece so it makes the search a bit harder. I post a picture of the intact piece. Any of you have an idea of the maker ?

Thanks

I finally found the maker of the part with an helpful men in a local plumming shop. For the record, it's made by Fleurco (fleurco.com)

Thanks for your help


Suggestion for bedroom furniture for a small home? I have a very small home ( about 50 m2 ).  Currently in my bedroom I have 2 desks and 3 bookshelves, but there is no space for a bed ( my wife wants to kill me :D ). The bedroom size is about 12 m2 and the public room is about 18 m2.

What can I do for my bed?

You could get some ideas from Resource Furniture designs. I have a feeling they're a little pricey (you've got to request quotes), so you may just be able to look at some concepts they have and make a DIY version.

Specifically, if you're looking to have a desk and a bed in the same room, here's a good option:


Replacing 2 prong with 3 prong outlet Recently I have been replacing my 2 prong outlets with 3 prong. I found out it is dangerous to have an open ground 3 prong. To update this to code I am wondering if it is ok to put a gfci in the most upstream receptacle of the circuit, so the ungrounded 3 prongs will be up to code and safer,
I am also wondering if the ungrounded 3 prongs that are on the gfci circuit need to be tamper resistant?
My county uses the 2014 NEC code.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

As of 2014 the NEC requires tamper resistant outlets. You are correct about how to install a GFCI at the head of a circuit and replace the old receptacles with new three pronged receptacles, But the NEC requires that the receptacles be labeled as “No Equipment Ground” . When you purchase the GFCI's those labels should be in the box with the GFCI's.


Can I install cellulose insulation without a blower machine? I've purchased a few bags of loose fill cellulose insulation from the local hardware store (GreenFiber brand). How will the insulation work if I don't put it through the machine to fluff it and force it through a tube? Will the insulation be compressed a bit so that I won't get the coverage that the bag says, but its R value per inch should be about the same? Can I consider its R-value to be something close to the "dense-pack" R-value?

Having just done this, I'll report: doable, but a huge PITA. In order to get a good "fluff" on it, I ground it through expanded metal mesh (having tried a few other things which did not work as well first) - it's time consuming and dusty, but certainly possible if all you have to do is a bag/block or two. I've done one block, I might do another just to check the quality of a different supplier before placing a large order.

In my case it was a deliberate experiment, and the result of the experiment is that I will rent a blower ($70/day at the local rental place) and blow in (actually, I'll check against the cost of "having it done," as well); also that I won't be buying HD's "cellulose", which had a significant amount of plastic scrap in it (one does get up close and personal with the insulation when hand-grinding it through a sheet of expanded metal mesh.)

Methodology was to pry out a chunk of compressed insulation, place it on the expanded metal (an old patio table, in this case) and use a block (or your hand, but the block is more efficient and does not mind grinding on metal) to work the insulation though the mesh - then shovel/sweep to where it's needed (open attic application, not wall-stuffing.) A better setup could be made by building a box with sides and a mesh bottom to work it through, but it's not enough better to beat just using the right equipment on a larger-scale job. Certainly possible to do, however, if you have the time and patience and a dust mask - when what needs doing is small, and the rental of a machine exceeds the cost of the insulation.


One LED has massive delay before turning on I searched for similar issues, but didn't find one exactly like I am experiencing.  I recently replaced four old light fixtures with LED light fixturess in an existing room.  I used these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PVM5Q29/
In addition, I replaced 2 older dimmer switches with LED compatible ones.
The install was very easy. Everything worked right away.  I'm not sure if the problem happened the next day or if it was good for a couple of day, but now when I turn the lights on first thing in the morning 3 of them light up right away and the 4th does not.  After 30-60 minutes the light comes on and works fine for the whole day.  This is the same every morning.
I assumed the LED fixture was bad so I ordered a single replacement and installed it.  When I installed it it worked right away.  However the next morning it didn't come on again.  So I don't think it is a problem with the light.
If the switch was the issue I don't understand why it would only affect the one light. The other 3 always work right away.
I'm not sure what to try short of talking to an electrician.
UPDATE #1
This morning, I turned on the lights at 8:10 and it is 10:51 and the light still hasn't come on.  Maybe this is getting worse or is completely not working now.  I am going to buy a simple light switch and switch out the dimmer to see if it makes a difference.

So, I have this working now.

I tried a simple switch and it did not help
I swapped the lights and it didn't help

Finally I took down the two back lights and re-did the wiring.  The non-working light was chained from the other light so I took the caps and re-wired everything I could.  Once I put it back together it worked.  So I can only assume that there was a shaky connection for one the connections.  It is strange that it worked after a time after turning it on, but that does seem to be the issue.
Thanks for everyone's help.


2 pipes going into the cold side of my water heater Anyone know why I would have 2 pipes going into the cold side of my hot water heater?!

I had a very similar system on my water heater and the additional pipe was for a heat recovery system from my ac compressor. Mine was installed in the early 80's but with ac compressors being so much more efficient now, the heat recovery system didn't work nearly as well as it did with my old unit. I have removed many additional pipes going into water heaters as they just aren't needed anymore and people didn't want them tied into their ac units for fear of failure. I also removed my additional pipes when I replaced my water heater. You could possibly find out that your's isn't even connected anymore.


Is it safe to use a 50W light in a 35W hood range? One of the halogen lights on my hood fan just stopped working. The existing fan, and the enclosure, mention that it should be a GU10 120V 35W light. I replaced it with a GU10 120V 50W light.

Is this safe?

Probably, but you don't want to.

As comments mention, there are several factors which play into the maximum wattage. You don't know which factor(s) was/were the driving factor(s) in that rating so you have no guarantee.

The consequences of ignoring it could be as benign as a fuse breaking, or as bad as the insulation cooking and releasing toxic chemicals which cause health effects, or just getting it done with and burning down your house.

Buying the right bulb is probably a lot cheaper.


What de-icing products can be used on a patterned concrete walkway / driveway? (Salt causes problems.) I came across the following question here: Is there a safe way to de-ice an unsealed driveway?  The accepted answer mentions rock salt being fine for such a driveway (asphalt), and the other answer mentions sand as an one alternative.

Whereas: What to do for a a patterned concrete walkway (or driveway)?  We've heard from a number of sources that regular de-icing salt / rock salt is not safe and will probably cause the concrete to deteriorate over time.

So, ruling out traditional de-icing salt and sand too (we don't find it very effective), what other products are there to de-ice a concrete walkway?

If possible, please describe the chemicals being used in the products mentioned and not just the brand name. I'm also interested in favoring environmentally-friendly products.  Still, the most important thing is to do the job of melting the ice so the walkway is safe for walking on.

You are right, Salt will eventually harm or "shell" concrete.  I would suggest potassium chloride. This product will de-ice down to apx 15 F and will not harm the concrete or adjoining lawns or other plantings. Potassium chloride comes in a variety of brand names and can be found at most hardware stores.  We use it all the time for roof de-icing because it will not harm roofing,siding and vegetation.