No cold water and low hot water Our toilet valve and the pipe behind the bathtub burst. We had those repaired and when we turned the water back on, we have low hot water pressure and no cold water upstairs. We can't find any more leaks. At first, we thought air was in the lines so we waited. Our basement then flooded, so we turned the water off. Every time we turn the water on now, the basement stays dry but we have no cold water upstairs and low hot water pressure. My adult son turned off several water vales when trying to locate the main shut off valve. Could he have shut off incorrectly?

Although I agree with Jimmie fix it that some gate valves break when trying to open, I would be looking for a local valve that is turned off OR when the pipe broke and was repaired scale and possibly pieces of PFTE tape may have plugged the lines at the bath. I find this more often unless the home is pre 50's galvanized then it could be both.+


Submersible water pump I have a 240 volt submersible water well pump. I hook it up directly to 240 to see if it'll run. It should run until I turn off the power, but it doesn't. It runs for around three seconds and then it turns off for 10, runs for 3 seconds turns off  for 10 and so on. What's the problem? I have a 20 amp breaker.

You need to have a submersible pump submersed when testing. Most deep well pumps ALSO need adequate back pressure to limit the current they draw (normally provided by that long pipe up the well to the surface.)

Running dry is bad for all submersible pumps, and "in a bucket" (i.e. with no output restriction when outside of the well, or without adequate head in a well) is bad for most. They expect to be in water (generally near 10C/50F) when operating, and that water serves as lubricant and coolant.

Your on/off cycling is probably caused by the pump's protective circuitry shutting it down due to overheating.


Which router would be more useful for kitchen cabinet work? I will start my biggest project to date in a few months, and now I'm buying and studying the tools needed.

Which router is most useful in cabinet making? A plunge router or a laminate trimmer? Both of them can take 1/4" bits (I can't find larger bits around), and the price diference is not all that great, even though the laminate trimmer has half the power (around 550W for the laminate trimmer and 1100W for the plunge).

What I THINK I will be doing with it:

Cutting rabbets and dados for joinery
Trimming laminate (formica)
Chamfering edges
Smoothing edges

A laminate trimmer is pretty specialized and not a good choice for deeper wood working. A decent lockable plunge router can handle all the tasks you listed. I would invest in a good quality larger router as my first, more versatile tool.


Why would the receptacles in the kitchen not have power after replacing one of them? I replaced a receptacle, and made sure the wires were in the same order they were originally in when I hooked them back up. I turned power back on and there was no power to the receptacle I changed, or to three other receptacles. None of my breakers were tripped. I reset all of the circuit breakers just to make sure, and I still have no power in the affected receptacles.

Can you think of what could be the problem?

My guess is that when you pulled on the wires to get to them, the hot (red or black) wire feeding the circuit came loose.  They should be pig-tied inside the j-box.  Turn off the breaker for that circuit, pull apart the wires and make sure they're all secure.  FWIW, the hot goes to the small side of the outlet and the neutral to the wide side (green or bare goes to the ground prong if the outlet has a ground).


What load panel should I use? About 25 years ago I built a solid log cabin with 200amp service. The load center is on an interior wall (and hard to get at) and there is a 200amp disconnect just below the meter outside (so the load center is really a subpanel).

I am going to add solar power and was initially going to do that through a subpanel as I don't have room on my primary load center. My original plan was to mount a 100amp subpanel outside and tie it to my main load center (i.e. 100amp subpanel off of the 200amp subpanel).

Then I had this epiphany; why not convert my disconnect to a 200amp primary panel then run both my main 200amp load center and the 100amp subpanel off of what was previously a disconnect? Then I though even more, why not just install the the solar breakers in this new, primary panel and forget adding a new subpanel just for the solar. I discussed this in general with the power company inspector who thought that was fine. So I ordered a Homeline 200amp panel and a 200amp Branch Breaker to supply my main load center.

Subsequently, I have talked with an electrician who has suggested a feed-through panel. I think his concern was that if the house was drawing 200amp (unlikely but theoretically possible) and the solar system putting out amps, that would exceed the breaker capacity? I'm just not sure I understand the concern.

I already have the new panel and 200amp Branch Breaker; I know a feed-through panel would be cheaper (and probably a little easier to wire) but I already have my head wrapped around what I have.

Any thoughts/comments?

Thanks!

Talk to your inspector (AHJ), but I suspect you have too much solar for your panel's bussing

Normally, all the current in a panel is sourced from a single point, and thus the panel busbars are protected by a single OCPD (main breaker or upstream feeder breaker), meaning that the panel's busbars cannot be overloaded without eventually tripping the OCPD.  However, when you start adding interconnected power sources, such as solar inverters, to the picture, this assumption stops holding, and it's quite possible to severely overload a panel's busbars without tripping any breakers if you start tacking inverters onto your panel without considering its busbar ampacity ratings.

This is enshrined in the NEC in the requirements in 705.12(B)(2), and more specifically in 705.12(B)(2) point (3), with subpoints (a) and (b) potentially applicable here, as subpoint (c) would effectively limit you to 0A of solar due to the presence of other loads in the panel along with the 200A feeder breaker, and subpoints (d) and (e) do not apply to your equipment at all:

  (3) Busbars. One of the methods that follows shall be used to
  determine the ratings of busbars in panelboards.

  (a) The sum of 125 percent of the power source(s)
  output circuit current and the rating of the overcurrent device
  protecting the busbar shall not exceed the ampacity of the
  busbar.

  Informational Note: This general rule assumes no limitation in
  the number of the loads or sources applied to busbars or their
  locations.

  (b) Where two sources, one a primary power source and
  the other another power source, are located at opposite ends
  of a busbar that contains loads, the sum of 125 percent of the
  power source(s) output circuit current and the rating of the
  overcurrent device protecting the busbar shall not exceed
  120 percent of the ampacity of the busbar. The busbar shall be
  sized for the loads connected in accordance with Article 220. A
  permanent warning label shall be applied to the distribution
  equipment adjacent to the back-fed breaker from the power
  source that displays the following or equivalent wording:

                          WARNING:
                POWER SOURCE OUTPUT CONNECTION —
            DO NOT RELOCATE THIS OVERCURRENT DEVICE.

  The warning sign(s) or label(s) shall comply with 110.21(B).

However, given that you have multiple strings of microinverters and no AC combiner subpanel in your plans, the "Where two sources..." condition in subpoint (b) may not apply to your scenario, leaving you operating under subpoint (a)'s rules, which for your panel (which likely has 225A busbars, as per this Square-D drawing), limit you to a maximum of 20A of actual solar current, or 4.8kW of solar; in other words, with the panel you have and assuming subpoint (b) does not apply, you can put in 14 microinverters' worth of solar, maximum, before you start risking a panel overload.

If your AHJ is willing to consider a consolidated group of breakers, located at the far end of the loadcenter bussing from the main, as a single power source for the purpose of applying subpoint (b), then your situation starts looking rosier.  In this case, you can use the 120% multiplier for busbar ampacity found in that subpoint, leading to a net effective ampacity of 270A.  This means that you have 56A of actual solar current available to you (70A of remaining busbar rating divided by 125%), which gives you enough headroom for your current installation, and permits a maximum of 13.44kW of solar, or enough for the 40 microinverters called for in your four-string ultimate plan.  This likely will require a written Code variance issued by your AHJ inspector, though.

There is an alternative solution, but it requires different hardware

Since you do not wish to have a separate AC combiner subpanel in your system, which is the normal solution employed in multi-string microinverter systems, we will need different hardware to meet that constraint if the AHJ does not permit you to operate under 705.12(B)(2) subpoint (3)(b) with multiple sources aggregated on the far end of the busbar.  In particular, you'll need to return your panel (which wasn't a bad choice for an additional panel, by the way: your thinking of "get plenty of spaces" was precisely what one should do in the circumstance as getting more slots when you already have the chance is far cheaper than installing another panel later), and get a somewhat more unusual piece of hardware in its stead, known as a split bus generator loadcenter.

Unfortunately, Square-D no longer makes an outdoor-rated split bus generator loadcenter, and never made one in Homeline for that matter, which means that the HOM2200 will have to get returned as well if you go down this path.  Siemens makes  a suitable unit, namely the W3042B1200GEN, but it (and its W3042L1225GEN main-lug counterpart) are quite scarce/hard-to-find as Siemens/Murray (prefix L for the Murray part number) parts.  However, the W3042B1200GEN serves as the basis for the Generac 5453 and 5454 split bus loadcenter/transfer switch combinations; while the Generac 5453 (no transfer actuator) is unobtanium, the Generac 5454 (factory fitted transfer actuator) is readily available, and can be used for this, along with a QN2200R feeder breaker and a few Siemens branch breakers, with some work.

In particular, you'd need to:

remove the factory-fitted transfer actuator, voltage sense breaker, and generator breaker,
add filler pieces (Siemens ECQF3s) to fill in the spaces in the cover that were twisted out at the factory,
replace the factory-fitted standby load section feeder breaker (a Q2125) with a Q270, making sure to torque the lugs on the new breaker to the specified tightening torque using a torque screwdriver, and
install and fit the panel, including the Siemens QN2200R feeder breaker in the upper section along with Siemens QP branch breakers for other loads desired, and Siemens Q220 branch breakers in the lower section for the individual microinverter strings.

This lets you apply 705.12(B)(2) subpoint (3)(b) in a straightforward, "as intended" fashion while preserving your desire to not have a separate enclosure for your solar AC combiner.  It does do a fair bit of surgery on the panel, but the Siemens/Generac generator-ready loadcenters were designed and intended for field installation of the transfer hardware, so this isn't such a huge deal, and we are blanking out the spaces designed as reserved for transfer-associated breakers in the loadcenter's wiring diagram as well.  Since the panel in question here uses 225A busbars in its upper section as implied by this Siemens drawing, we can safely reuse the 705.12(B)(2) subpoint (3)(b) analysis we performed above for the existing Homeline panel, and we don't have to worry about overloading the lower section as it can handle 125A, which is far in excess of what the Code permits your solar system to expand to.

Of course, if you wish a separate combiner box, nothing stops you from doing that

If you'd rather use a separate AC combiner subpanel for your microinverters, that is of course fine too.  I would use a simple 4/8 space, 100A or 125A, NEMA 3R Homeline loadcenter for this, namely the HOM48L125GRB, with a HOM270 in your new 200A panel for the feeder breaker, HOM220s for the branch breakers for now (to be replaced by HOMT220220s in the ultimate configuration), and 3 6AWG copper conductors in a 1/2" RMC nipple for the feeder back to the main panel, mounting the subpanel on whichever side of the main panel the solar circuits come in on.  The reason to shortchange this panel on slots is because this panel is reserved for PV sources only, and cannot have loads mixed in without severely complicating the busbar ampacity calculations for the main panel.


I'm worried about a fire this is my second question on this problem, i hope it's ok to ask another question because i'm  pretty stressed about a fire in my walls like someone said could happen. In my kitchen we had a outlet that would crackle when i plugged something into the outlet on the other side of the counter. So in other words when i plugged something into outlet A outlet B would make noise. Yesterday outlet A   stopped working and today outlet B is making noise when i plugged in my hot plate.  So  the two outlets must be connected. Here is my question, if all the outlets in the house are connected could may be  say plugging something in the bedroom cause a problem "Fire" in the bad wiring in the kitchen. Now that i'm not using it anymore i don't hear it making anymore noise but right next to it is another outlet that has my icebox plugged in. So is wiring in the house like a chain where if one link is bad the whole chain is effected?

It sounds like your outlets are daisy chained. This is a very common problem and easily repaired. Over 95% of the time when I am called for this exact problem the outlets with backstabs were used, however in the kitchen the circuits should be 20 amp and back stabs will not work with 12 gauge wire so it may be a loose wire nut or broken wire in the box. Turn the circuit breaker off. Pull the noisy outlet you will probably immediately identify the bad spot by finding some melted insulation or soot covered areas from the arcing (that is what is making the noise) I usually replace outlets with spec grade back and side outlets they cost a few more dollars than the 98cent cheap construction grade outlets but are worth the few dollars extra. The clamps are very solid compared to construction grade. Replace the outlet and any damaged wire. This may require pigtailing the whites together and blacks together if the wires are damaged (I prefer pigtailing any way) then put the white wire on the silver screw side and the black on the gold or brass colored screw side bare copper to the green screw attached to the yoke and reinstall the outlet. Now turn the breaker back on and everything should work again.


how to glue the broken plastic pieces that dovetails the faucet valve The faucet handler in my kitchen fell off. I open it found that the plastic piece that dovetails the valve was broken (see the image)

I am not sure if I can find a replacement of such a thing as I don't even know the brand/model of the faucet. To me there are 2 options though:

find a brand of glue that can put the broken two pieces together
Use heat (from a lighter) to melt the plastic so they might slightly "melt" into one piece.

I am leaning toward option#1, since #2 might deform the part. So the question is, can anyone suggest a glue that really works in this situation? Or is there any other options?

I am not sure if this of much help, but I'm attaching two more images of the faucet.

You should look with great care and bright light for some indication of a brand name somewhere on the faucet. Because a replacement part is really the only viable solution (short of replacing the whole faucet.)

1: Plastic glues are almost always not as strong as the original part. IF the plastic is a solvent-weldable plastic and IF you have the correct solvent, you have the possible exception, if you do a good job solvent-welding it.

2: The original part broke, probably in part due to the plastic aging poorly - so if you do successfully glue it, it will probably break again, either in the same spot or a new spot.

Another option, depending how difficult it is to model, would be to have a new part 3D printed. But if you can buy a replacement (which starts with sorting out who made the faucet) that will be considerably less effort (unless you have someone that's dying to work cheap to show off what their 3D printer can do.)


Should I install a second septic tank or add a long run for an outbuilding? We have a barn in which we want to install a flush toilet (for human use).   It is 53' from the home's septic tank.
Would it be better to install a septic tank near the barn to service the toilet and then run plumbing to the home's septic tank?  If so, would we plumb to the drain lines after the home's septic tank or to lines leading to the home's septic tank.
If it matters, the barn is higher than the home's septic tank by approximately 70".  Our frostline is 1'.   We are in the foothills surrounding Tucson AZ and it makes nationwide news when it freezes here.

So much of this depends upon local regulations and soil conditions on your site.
If you decided to do a separate septic tank, you'd also need another drain field (in some parts of the country called a leach field). Seems like a lot of expense for a single toilet.
Next:  Your existing septic system might not be regulated (licensed) for an additional device. In my neck of the woods, septic systems are sized and permitted by the number of bedrooms in the house. I DK how a toilet in a barn would count.
There is also the possibility of a hybrid system, where you install septic tanks near the barn and pump it to the drainfield.
But and as MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY IT on a DIY site, septic design and maintenance is coming under increasing scrutiny everywhere. You could probably do this off the record, and not permitted, but it will catch up to you eventually. Better to do it right the first time.   You'll probably need to call a pro. Sorry!!!!!


How should I attach a desk to a wall on one end? A bit new here and I hope I'm not asking this question again but I couldn't find anything like this.

I'll give some context:

I'm looking to set up new tables in my room in an L orientation with one of the table tops being between 5 to 10cm higher than the other (a somewhat contemporary look). Basically, the way I want to support these tables is that one end of each of the tables (the short end opposite from the corner) will have a cabinet and the other (on the corner end) will be mounted by L brackets.

I'm really looking to have the brackets as low profile as possible so that the table tops have that floating look on one end. There will be no support from the bottom table to the top one.

Has anybody done this type of thing before or are familiar with wall mounting table tops? If so, do you think L brackets will be sufficient? I'm planning to have 4 L brackets on each table top at the corner end. Two on each side at the ends of the table to provide as much support as possible and to minimize the possibility of the L bracket's bending.

Heres something of what I had in mind for how the supports would be:

http://www.houzz.com/photos/556452/Guest-Studio-modern-home-office-new-york

This one is similar except the support of my tables will be a cabinet instead of that panel and the end on the wall will have to be screwed in by some sort of low profile bracket.

If I understand what you're describing, I'd suggest using angle iron rather than L-brackets.  The attachment of the angle iron to the wall has to be strong, you'd want to hit at least two studs, use strong fasteners, washers, etc.  The attachment of the angle iron to the tabletop would depend on what material the tabletop is made of, but you'd want to use enough screws to make it secure.


Hitting studs and not pipes I'm mounting a vanity and mirror in a small half bathroom and there's only 1 stud to hit behind my drywall (1990's build). However, this stud seems to be flanked on either side with pipes. To make matters worse, there is another bathroom right above this one so I must assume both the copper pipes and the drain pipe continues straight up.

So my question: how do I hit this stud perfectly and not the pipes, and secondly how do I place drywall anchors on either side of the stud for additional support without hitting the pipes?

Attached are some photos. The magnets are stuck to drywall screws/nails.

UPDATE: Here's another picture after I've probed into the wall with a metal hanger (those are hard to find these days!) I believe the pin prick my screwdriver is pointing to is the center of the stud as the hole to the left of it just barely graced the left side of wood. But how is that possible with where the drain pipe is below this? I still don't have confidence in what I'm seeing.

One more photo showing this stud's relation to the only other stud that isn't in one of the corners of the room.

If the mirror is not over 50 lbs or more you can use picture hooks that are rated for 75 lbs that go only into the drywall.

Drywall will hold it, it is not like the wall vibrates or anything like that to make them loose. Besides the nails are set at an angle so it keeps hanging, not able to slide out.


How can I trim around an electrical outlet? I had the floor in a sunroom raised up to be level with the floor in the rest of the house. The electrical was already in place, and I didn't think to check how the new floor height would affect the trim. Now I'm left with an outlet that is 1 1/2" into the baseboards:

(Please ignore the almond colored outlet, leaving those in place until everything is painted)

My first thought was to just notch the baseboard like you see in the photo, but I was wondering if there is a better way. What would you do in this situation?

EDIT:
I just cut this out of some scrap I have. Does the angle make it look better or worse?

EDIT #2:
A twitter follower suggested I carry the bevel around like this (ignored the botched bottom piece). I think this might be the winner.

Settled on going through the trouble of carrying the bevel around the outlet. It's not what I would have done if I had the foresight to move and rewire the boxes, but it's the best option with what I have now.

It should look better with a coat or two of paint. ;)
Thanks for the input guys!


Hole in subfloor under stove: Do I fix? If so do I put flooring over it? In preparation for porcelain tile installation in my kitchen I removed the vinyl stick-on squares the previous owner threw down before selling and the 1/4" plywood underneath those.  When I pulled the stove forward to remove the rest of the vinyl and plywood I found this:

The front feet of the stove rested on the existing floor with nothing but subfloor under the stove, well, subfloor and a hole.  The piece of subfloor was inside the hole.  Here's what's in the hole:

My questions:

Why does this hole exist and should I repair it? Now that the weather is turning I feel cold air coming from the hole but could there be a valid reason the subfloor wasn't repaired after work was done?
Should the new flooring (porcelain tile over cement board) extend under the stove?  Currently the edge of the stove sits 1/2" below the countertop.

Now that I've written out my questions it seems the answers are "yes" and "yes".  However I don't know what I don't know and maybe there's a good reason things were left as I found them, as janky as they seem.

Are "yes" and "yes" the correct answers?

I would replace the subfloor by floating some scrap lumber under two edges of the opening and screwing them in place. Then screw down the patch.

I'd then run tile down both sides of the stove opening and halfway back from the front, but leave the patched area uncovered in case you need later access.

This gives you the impression of a completed floor from the front and through any gaps along the sides of the stove.


How do I make our toilet flush less vigorously? Our toilet flushes so vigorously that water splashes out of the top of it. Is there a way I can "tune" the flush so that it doesn't flush so hard?

For adjusting the water level in the fill tank, all of the toilets I've come across are adjustable, there is no need to put something in the tank to offset the volume.

There will be a float of some sort that is attached to a valve.  To have less water fill the tank, you want to adjust the float to sit lower in the tank, thus less water is needed to push the valve closed.

For the two fill mechanisms I'm familiar with:

For the float arm style there is either an adjustment screw or you can bend the arm.
For the newer float on the pipe style, see here. Again, simply the attachment between the float and the top should have an adjustment, move the float lower in the tank so that a lower amount of water pushes the valve closed.


How to repair this cabinet door? We had a small kitchen fire, which licked the cabinet door, creating small bubbles in the stain. I sanded the stain off, purchased a close-enough stain, and did this.

The question is, how to make both parts blend smoother?

You would (unfortunately) have to sand and stain the whole thing.  Stain color is very dependent on a whole bunch of varied factors, and so the final color is always a bit of a guess.  In your case, you could reapply stain to the areas you indicated, since they seem to be lighter in shade.  Reapplying will darken the color and maybe get it "close enough".  Also sand back away from the stained area, but not all the way to bare wood.  Just lighten it in a gradient towards the original stained color.  Then apply your stain in a similar gradient to get it to blend.  That won't perfectly match the color, but it would fade in and hopefully be not-very-noticeable.  Exact matching, however, is near impossible unless you sand the whole thing.


Hot water heater and gas-stove not working at the same time So I have a gas water heater and a gas stove. I was able to cook on my stove this morning at around 8 a.m. and then I took a shower and it was not  hot. I tried to light the pilot on the water heater, it ignited but then went right out.
I tried to light the stove again and I hear no hissing of gas coming through the burners.
So I called out the gas company. He came and checked the hoses inside the house and there coming through the hoses on both appliances. It's your Regulators the it said. The question is why did both Regulators on the gas stove and the gas water heater go out at the exact same time? That's too much of a coincidence for it to be random.  I don't want to go replace all these parts when I   find out that it's not my problem it's the gas company's with having something wrong with the line.

Usually the gas pressure regulator is near where the gas line first enters the house. After the regulator is where the gas line will split off to go to your appliance.
When the gas company person said the regulator was bad they were referring to this common regulator. It's going bad is why it affected both of your appliances.


Can a load on the line side ever trip a GFI? Can a load on the line side of a GFI ever trip that GFI?

Although in theory a device on the line side of the GFCI will not trip the device, it can in practice.

In theory, a GFCI will only trip when it detects the current is not balanced on its load terminals. Unfortunately, the design of a GFCI makes them susceptible to interference. They can pick up electromagnetic signals, and also may also trip with wild swings of line voltage. There was a recent presentation at DEFCON that demonstrated how a (strong) radio transmission can cause the GFCI to trip, and even self-destruct.

I have personally experienced unwanted GFCI tripping from motors in my home: an exhaust fan and a garbage disposal. The GFCI tripped as the motor was turned off. In these instances, they were older motors and the circuit did not carry a safety ground (two-conductor NM cable).


Should I replace whole system or just leaky component? The HVAC guy who screwed me (edit: i do believe he tried to find a leak the first visit, but the second visit he didn't seem to be bothered) on a refrigerant refill (see my other posts) is recommending I switch out the whole AC system because it's 17 years old.

My wallet would rather pay $150 to find the leak, then just replace the leaky component.

Is it a bad idea to replace just the leak?

If you check right away you may be able to find the leak with bubble solution, loosing most of a charge in 1 week is a very big leak and should be easy to spot.
I would not count on getting another fill of the R22 for 500$ that you got last time that was a really good price. If you can identify the leak it may be a simple fix so yes 150 may be worth it but remember you will have 500-1000 to top it up. If you can identify a leak with bubble solution I would get it fixed but if you can not find a leak time for a new system.


Sealing open space behind kitchen counter in rental with shoddy rehab? The kitchen in the rental house I live in has a counter which was installed rather poorly - there is a gap of about an inch between it and the wall, and mice are able to scurry up this to the kitchen counter.  I would like to seal this gap.

We've put out many traps, and tried our best to remove any potential sources of food, but it's an old house and we seem to constantly have mice problems in the winter, so sealing this gap would provide some peace of mind as it's the only access route to the kitchen counter.

One idea would be to use plastic tubing like this, only the gap varies between 1/4" and 3/4" in width, so we'd need to add a layer of sealant or something on top.  The gap is too large to use caulk alone.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

This gap is too large to fill with caulk alone, but you can fill it and then caulk over the top. Using rubber tubing is an OK idea, and should work, but there are other products which are specifically designed for this purpose.

You can use foam backer rod, also known as caulk saver to fill the space behind the counter top. It comes in many different sizes and you should find one that will fit that gap. The benefit of the backer rod is that it can be compressed more easily to fit tight areas. It usually is also a cheaper solution.

To hold the rod in place before caulking you can put a few dabs of caulk on it to keep it from dropping down too far if certain areas of the gap are too big. You should position the backer rod about 3/8" to 1/4" below the lip of the counter so there is enough space to put a good layer of caulk down without having a raised bump there.

I would recommend a silicone caulk that is specifically designed for kitchens and bathrooms. Also, try to find one that matches the color of the counter top as closely as possible. A trick to get a clean line of caulk is to put masking tape on the wall and counter and leave an even gap. Squeeze out a bead of caulk, and then use your finger to smooth it out. Wait about 5 minutes, and then carefully remove the tape. This should leave a clean line, and there shouldn't be any excess caulk.


What are the pros and cons of installing a roof heating cable? Had some roof work done last year after mother nature abused my house by way of an errant tree branch. I had always suspected my roof had poor ventilation, most notably when I wound up with a 200 lb chunk of ice going from roof to ground (about 20 feet or so), so when the roofing contractor repaired the roof I had him install a ridge vent and ventilation system along the back wall (for some reason, my back wall has no soffits).

Anywho to make a long story even longer, it's winter here and I've got some ice dams in the gutters and icicles hanging off the roof. When spring rolls around I'm considering putting up a roof heating wire along (or possibly IN) the gutter and up the first 5-6 feet of roof on both sides of the house. I've heard various pros and cons from friends and family about these heating wires and just wanted to get opinions from the fine folk here as to what they think of this system.

I live in the "snow belt" region of Ohio (for those who live outside of the country, "snow belt" just means we get hit with severe lake effect snow often accumulating to several feet over the course of a day or so). So if you live in a similar area or know someone who does I'd love to hear your point of view.

I'm a contractor in Maine and we certainly have a lot of experience with ice dams. An ice dam can be the quickest way to force water under the roof shingles even on a roof in good shape.

I have had mixed results with heat tapes. When they are used properly, they can be somewhat effective. Most folks expect to see a nice bare zig zag pattern along the edge of the roof with the ice gone around the tape. Not how it works!

If you carefully read all the directions on many of the competing brand heat tapes out there, you will see that they do not claim to remove ice dams. They are designed only to create a small open tunnel under the ice dam to allow water that is trapped above the dam to drain off the roof. This is great in theory but here is where the reality sets in.  If the tape does not extend slightly beyond or below the drip edge of the roof, it won't work. If the top edge of the tape does not extend above the ice dam, they will not work. If the gutters fill with ice and bridge the ice to the roof, they won't work.

Many of the tapes instruct you to only operate them when outdoor temps are 30 degrees and above. I have found that they are ineffective in temps much below 20 degrees. They also caution not to let them run continuously.

Running them in the bottom of a gutter is almost a complete waste of time and money. Since they only are capable of melting a small area around the tape, a gutter full of ice will stay full of ice! If the downspout is blocked with ice, forget it!

What I have also found is that folks get a false sense of security when they have them installed and neglect to remove the snow from the bottom 3 to 6 feet of their roofs, figuring the tape is a substitute for roof shoveling. Obviously, when they are installed, shoveling or using a roof rake gets a little tricky, so as not to rip the tape right off the roof.

I guess you can tell I am not a fan of these heat tapes. One method I have found to be extremely effective with dealing with an ice damn are nylon stockings or pantyhose (cut into two sections) filled with salt, calcium chloride or potassium chloride placed over the dam. They last several days and melt slowly and make a nice wide valley in the ice. I have seen hundreds of gallons of water pour off from behind an ice dam using them. Chopping the ice dam can damage the shingles and can be dangerous, but the filled stockings are fairly quick and easy.

If you have plants below or are concerned about salt staining your roof or  siding etc, I highly recommend Potassium Chloride which will not harm plants, grass etc. You can usually find potassium chloride at your local hardware store.

I can't take credit for discovering this method, but thankfully I learned it from a tip on This Old House many years ago.  I usually make up dozens of them in advance, so I am ready for all the calls from folks who wait too long and call to see if I can come fix the water leaking through their ceilings!


Should dryer vent hose be half embedded in drywall? We are at the tail end of a laundry room renovation that included installing drywall over cement walls. Our contractor swears having half the dryer’s vent opening and hose embedded in drywall is perfectly fine. We disagree. Should we fight for him to enclose the vent and hose in a recessed dryer vent box or trust his craftsmanship?
Thank you!

Update here is his solution

While perhaps functional at present, the current arrangement does not allow for easy maintenance, which will be required after a couple years of filling with lint. It appears that it would be almost impossible to remove and replace the hose to clean it out when it clogs with lint (which WILL happen sooner or later) without cutting into the drywall.  IMO that's sufficient reason to insist your contractor re-route it.


Power cut out while running floor maintainer - breaker blown? I was running a floor maintainer in my home yesterday, and after a few minutes the power to that circuit just stopped. I went and flipped the breaker a couple times, but no changes. I noticed that the circuit I was using was (for whatever reason) ran as a 15amp - I assume this is why it tripped.

I'm pretty clueless on electrical work here - what would be my next step to figure out how extensive the problem is?

More worrisome is that it appears that one of the bedroom's circuits is now no longer working as well. I'm not 100% sure it occurred at the same time, but that's my assumption for now. I don't understand why this would happen though, because the two rooms are on opposite ends of the home. I wouldn't think they'd put both on the same circuit?

When you reset the breaker were you sure to first go to the off and than on position?
When a breaker trips it goes into the trip position which is centre on the handle. But to reset it, you need to go to move the handle to the off position and than the opposite way to the ON position. Sometimes people forget to go off first and just try to go from tripped to ON which will not work.


Where is the best place to store cardboard? Having recently moved, a thrifty state of mind, and plenty of room for storage, taking into account mice, mold, and structural breakdown:

Would it be better to storage collapsed moving boxes in the garage attic or the basement?

I live near Indianapolis and the garage is not specially insulated, should climate need to be taken into account.

You'll want to avoid anywhere damp, since moisture is an enemy of cardboard.  So a basement that isn't dry, would be a bad choice.  Mice won't seek out your cardboard, unless there's food in it.  They might chew it and use it for nesting material if they happen across it, but won't make seeking out cardboard a main part of their day.

I've had cardboard in the loft of my garage for over 5 years, with no problems.  I live in NY, so hot summers (80-90F) and cold winters (0-20F). The garage is detached and unconditioned, so it experiences hot humid days in the summer and bitter cold in the winter.

Cardboard is fairly hardy, and will last quite a long time if kept dry.  So anywhere that is out of your way and dry, would be a fine place to store it.


How to determine depth of foundation on existing detached garage I have a house that was built in 1954 in a suburb of Chicago with a detached garage and am considering converting it to a living space.  To determine depth of foundation and whether footers are in place, we need to excavate next to the foundation until we find the footers or bottom of the foundation.

What is the best way to do this?  I have a bid from a foundation repair firm for $650 to dig it out, but that seems expensive.  Any other suggestions?

You only need check one location. As I remember a 32" frost line, so a 3 ft hole with a shovel does not sound like much of a job. I hand dug a pond 3' deep X 11' long X 6' wide , not that big a deal. Worth getting a fiberglas handle shovel if you don't have one. For a small hole like that a "clam shell" post hole digger may be helpful.


What are some ways to wire rear speakers in a home theater system? I have two rear speakers, that I never use, since I don't have a good way (yet) to wire them.
I have a hardwood floor. And the side of the room that is nearest to the TV+Audio source is open. So I don't have a wall to run the cable next to it.

If you're installing in room where you can't drop above or below the room to run your cables, consider putting up crown molding -- it typically leaves a small channel behind it which is ideal for hiding speaker cables.

You can then punch holes in the top of the wall where you need to run vertically, fish the wires through, staple it up into the corner, then install the crown molding to hide everything.

You can also go the low route, and hide them behind your baseboards, but there isn't always a void behind them, so this could get a little messier if you have to trim away drywall (or plaster in older homes) to create a channel you can use.  You also have problems with baseboards if you have to go past any doorways.


5000W heater temperature Garage Heater

My 5000 W heater is wired to a double breaker (220V) 10 GA.black & white wires + grd.) feeding the heater (Dimplex). The heater element will generate only 140 degrees on the heater element surface tested by thermocouple meter lead.

Canadian Tech service says to use a SINGLE wire 220V feed?? The diagram clearly shows L1 & L2 along with ground.

1) is my wiring correct?
2) should I expect more heat from this 5000 W - 220V

Thanks for your advice

The wiring should be:

Black: one side of the double breaker to heater terminal A

White: Other side of the double breaker to heater terminal B (this wire should be tagged black or red. Use a marker or some tape.

Single-wire 220v means there is no 120v in the circuit, like a stove.

There is no fixed temperature for a given power consumption. How hot does the manual say it should get?


Replacing Light fitting (too many cables?) Note: I've searched here and elsewhere on the internet for some time. There are many tutorials and demos but none that seem to cover this.

I am swapping out my exiting lighting with some pendants that I picked up in Ikea.  The issue is that the ikea lights seem to take two cables (Live and Neutral) - see pic. I'm assuming I would connect 2 x Live and 2 x Neutral to this.

Note the three blue cables in existing fixture.

For the new lighting, it looks like this:

What is the correct way to wire such lighting and what should one do with the remaining cables?

You have two incompatible fittings.

The UK ceiling rose is standard - it is normally¹ the place where wiring is connected to and from other nearby lights (including those in other rooms). That is why there are more wires than you might expect.

In fact you have fewer wires than I would expect. Perhaps the light is the last one in a radial lighting circuit - so no onward cable. Perhaps there has also been some other non-standard or unusual wiring arrangement.

In any case you cannot assume that you simply connect together all wires of the same colour. When you replace a light, it is usually necessary to make a careful note of the existing connections and not disturb anything other than the two wires (plus earth where needed) to the light.

UK ceiling roses use the lamp cord to suspend the weight of the light. Strain relief is provided in the ceiling rose.

The Ikea lighting connector is of a type more prevalent in continental Europe. I believe it is designed to hang from a ceiling hook. It can probably support more weight.

You need to either

Adapt the ceiling rose to take your Ikea connector

Replace the ceiling rose with an accessible junction box
Add a ceiling hook supported in a ceiling joist.

or

Remove the Ikea connector

Remove the white plastic part with the connectors labelled L and N from the black wires and discard it.
Connect the two black wires from the light to the outermost connections on the ceiling rose.
The black wire formerly connected to L for live (or "line" in modern terms) goes to the connection where the brown wires are in your picture.
The other black wire formerly connected to N for neutral goes to the blue wires.
However, for the black wires it doesn't actually matter which one goes where, assuming there is no on-off switch in the light itself. Switches always need to be in the live side.

I recommend the latter approach.

See also

Wiring up a ceiling light with earth cable
http://www.ceilingrosewiring.co.uk/ceiling-rose-wiring-new-cable-colours/

Addendum

Typical wiring for UK light circuits

Notes

The brown tape on blue wire indicates switched live (this blue wire is not neutral). Sometimes this tape falls off and gets lost.
Grey cables are "twin and earth" (T&E)
The cable between switch and rose should ideally be "twin brown and earth" with two brown wires. Most electricians just use the ordinary T&E and use tape to mark the blue wire.
Some electricians swap the position in the rose of the brown and blue from the switch. When you see the blue connected to two browns you are expected to understand what the electrician did.
Older homes will have T&E with red and black instead of brown and blue.
Earth wires are bare copper. Green/Yellow striped sleeving must be added inside ceiling rose (or in other junction boxes etc)
Ceiling rose contains all connectors needed.
Last light on a circuit has fewer wires in the rose.

There are many variations on this.

Footnotes

¹ In some UK houses, perhaps mostly in houses built in the early to mid 20th century, wiring junctions were made not in ceiling roses but in separate junction boxes. In some cases, these junctions can occur in the back-boxes for switches. In these cases, the fixed wiring at ceiling roses should be simpler and might consist of only one set of neutral, switched-live and (in more recent installations) earth.

- Hat tip to AndyT for pointing this out.


What insulation should I use in my attached garage? I'm currently tearing out the sheetrock and everything in my attached garage to do general repairs to other things. I quickly found that there wasn't a single bit of insulation (which explains a lot on my heat bills in the winter I'm sure) so I'm going to do that too before I re-drywall everything.
My plan is faced r-19 in the walls (with the face towards the interior) and non-faced r-30 for the ceiling between the floor joists since there's bedrooms above it.
Question is, am I assuming the correct types (R19/R30) for this project, and do I have any airflow concerns (venting) I should address from doing this?
I live in the Midwest US and we can get some pretty cold winters, the garage doors are insulated types and the place is sealed pretty decent. There's another rear entry door and a door into the home, both have decent sealing on them and I just replaced the exterior door last year, it will be used daily once completed so I can't assume any "stail air" or excess moisture would get bottled up in there for too long at a time.
Any insight?

Cellulose insulation would be a great choice if you have living quarters above.  The cellulose insulation is more dense and will help control air movement and drafts.  Cellulose Insulation


Is there any legitimate reason to have a direct vent between utility room and attic? I've been doing some sealing and insulating in my attic, and discovered a purpose built vent directly from the utility room into the attic space.  See most of these photos

The house is in a townhome/condo; it is second floor over the garages, so I don't have a basement.  The utility room (furnace, water heater, laundry) opens directly into the kitchen.  Two registers in the utility room open directly into into the wall space, the top of which space had a vent pipe attached to keep the loose insulation out.

Does this make any sense at all?  If it does have a purpose, is there a better way to accomplish it than a hole in my ceiling?

If the furnace and water heater are gas powered, it would be to provide adequate airflow for their combustion so that you don't get carbon monoxide forming in the utility room.

Here's a link with some information.  An excerpt:

  The heating appliances are fully isolated from the living space with partitions. Figure 1 provides two vents to the outside, one within a foot of the ceiling and one within a foot of the floor. If vertical ducts are used to bring combustion air to the appliance each vent should be sized at one square inch of free vent area per 4000 BTUH of the appliance input rating.

(This is based on a half-remembered long-ago conversation with a service person working on my furnace and heater, which are in the center of my mostly-unfinished basement: I mentioned framing in a utility room around them and he said not to for that reason).


How do I mount a 70" TV to wall when the studs are in the wrong place? I want to mount a 70" tv (68lbs) to a wall, but all the wall mounts I find need to be mounted between studs. The studs above my fireplace are 16" apart, but there's one stud about 2" off center of the center of the fireplace.

If I mount the bracket so that there's a stud on either side, I'll end up with a TV significantly off center... What are my options?

Should I just use a piece of 3/4" plywood and hang it between the existing studs?

Thanks!

Most every mount I've seen has several holes through which it can be secured to studs. This is to account for different stud spacing, as well as allow for several lateral positions so that the TV is not off center.

Double check your mount instructions, to ensure it will not accommodate your stud spacing. I'm very suspicious that the mount says it must be mounted between studs, as you want that kind of load directly into at least one stud.

If it won't, then attaching 3/4" plywood to the studs, and the mount to the plywood, is indeed the way to go.


LED bulbs temperature safety I changed my bathroom ceiling fixture from a three light dome which held three 9w 0.1A 2700k 800lm bulbs to an 18w 0.2A 5000k 1800lm flush LED light.

The only problem I'm having is that the new flush mount light seems to get up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit ( working temperature ) so it is warm to the touch.

It has a little notch in the top part of the molding for air flow but I'm curious what the safe temperature is for the insulation on the 14/2 wire.

I previous had two incandescent domed lights in the kitchen that burnt up the wires, the coating flaked off with any movement so I want to try to prevent that from happening again.

NM-B cable is rated for 15A at 60C.

60C is 140F.


Should I shovel snow off my vinyl deck? Will there be damage if I don't shovel the snow off (due to snow thaw/freeze/thaw)? Is it safe to use a metal shovel on vinyl decking? Is it ok to allow the stuff to melt naturally if I don't plan to walk on it?

I would clean it off using a push broom.  There would be little risk of scratching.


How to remove chrome sleeve from copper pipe on vanity? enter image description hereI am getting ready to replace the vanity in our older home. The problem I have is how do I remove the chrome sleeve from the pipe so I can attach fittings to the copper pipe. This looks like a compression fitting. Is the sleeve attached to the fitting or compressed up inside. I would like to use the same pipe just remove the sleeve. How can I remove the sleeve without damaging the copper pipe. The pipe can be cut, there is about 2 ft between the floor and the fawcett. If I cut the pipe with the tube cutter will I be able to remove the sleeve? Anyone have experience with these? The sleeves are new to me. Thanks

Answered by OP in a comment:

  Thanks to all who presented their ideas and theories. I did the job today . It turned out that they were brass /chrome plated pipes not sleeves at all. They were threaded on the bottom and the joint was between the floors out of sight. They just wound out with vice grips. This would be original plumbing installed in the late 1940s and still going strong. My Mrs just wanted it updated. Methods have sure changed our the last 80 years.Thanks all .Job complete. – jer prime Dec 8 '17 at 21:26


Is there a way to deal with mold built up on the washer bellow tub? It looks like people who used to live in the house before us would keep the washer closed for extended periods of time and here's the result.

I suspect it also contributes to odor issues the house sometimes has when not ventilated for a couple of days.

I tried a mold solution (mildew stain removal) from Home Depot, but it didn't help. I also found replacement tub, but it's $100+, so I would like to try find other ways before replacing it. (It probably makes sense to replace the whole thing if it comes to spending $100+.)

I once moved into a place with this problem. The clothes absolutely stank after washing. The gasket/seal (not sure what to call it) was visibly stained with mold, but I could not be sure if the bad smell or the spores or what it was came from the gasket or from some other parts inside the machine. I guess the "outer tub" surrounding the "perforated rotating inner tub" (aka drum, aka basket) is likely to also be stained, when the gasket is.

I did everything I could without disassembling the machine, and nothing helped.

Cleaned all accessible parts with detergents and clorine
Washed several times on 90 degrees, first with lots of detergent, and then with clorine  (I guess washing clorine at this temperature may produce toxic gasses, but this washer was in a tool shed so I took the chance)
Washed with some anti mold agent

Nothing helped. The mold in the gasket got less visible, but was still hard to not notice, but the smell never got better. As far as I remember I could not smell anything from the machine itself, and when I took out my clothes it smelled ok, but then I hung it to dry indoors, and within an hour the whole room stank.

It might be possible to fix it by disassembling it, I would not know about that.


What’s a proper way to wire a dishwasher I am in the process of wiring for a second dishwasher. The first one is hardwired and has a wall switch.
My thought is to put the old work outlets for both dishwashers inside the wall (it’s a wood frame exterior wall) fish the wires from under the floor, and do away with the wall switch for the original dw for consistency. I will attach appliance plugs to both dishwashers. Is this a good plan? Photos of both locations attached. Thanks!

Ok the GFCI would need to be accessible I usually put them in the cabinet between the sink and dishwasher. (My state did not adopt GFCI for dishwasher so if the customer wants them that’s where I locate them). Romex as the connection is not the correct method. A metal clad or flexible conduit to protect the wiring is the code compliant hard wire method. The Romex can get pinched moving the unit so the Romex stops at the old work box then metal clad to the junction box on the dishwasher. Yes almost everyone has a dishwasher wired this way but an inspector will red tag this. I have been called several times to change wiring like this. Since the dishwashers are fixed in place the max load of 50% of the branch circuit rating. Per NEC 210.23.A.2 so normally a dishwasher gets a dedicated circuit.


Replacing light switches-- can all live / all neutral wires be grouped? Is conduit a valid ground? I'm replacing two switches (which control separate lights) in a two-gang box with two smart switches (TP-Link HS200). To make my questions as clear as possible, I've sketched the current state as well as my plan for the smart switches:

Current State:

Future State:

My questions are as follows:

Does the future state look okay? Can I group all live and all neutral wires together per my plan?
I live in Cook County, which requires conduit. Does this mean I can attach the grounds from the smart switches right into the 2-gang box and that's all I need?
The smart switches don't distinguish between a line/load. Will they just figure this out? Or do I need to make sure I use the same one as a line/load for each since they'll be connected?
Any guesses as to what the other orange/load wire is running up to? This room only has two lights, but I don't want to interfere.

Thank you for any advice you can provide-- as I'm sure is apparent, this is my first time with this!

To answer your questions in turn:

Your future state with all the always-hots nutted together and all the neutrals nutted together looks spot-on, yes.
You are correct -- metal conduit is a valid equipment grounding conductor (always has been and pretty much always will be save for some extreme circumstances that don't show up in residential work), so grounding to a metal box works in your case.  Make sure to use a 10-32 machine screw into the matching hole on the box (vs. one of the mounting holes, which won't be tapped properly for this) -- you can get a bag of pre-made-up grounding-screw-pigtails, even.
They're behaving like a normal switch here, so they'll figure this out on their own I reckon.
That other orange wire is simply an always-hot running to some other switch, receptacle, or outlet on the circuit, likely in some other room.


Why were my appliances and air conditioner failing to start for a short period? I had noticed, after taking a long shower last night before heading for work, my power to my condo unit was flickering on one side. I have a hot water tank, an older Fridge, and a 15,300 BTU 120 volt air conditioner all on the same side of my unit, thinking they may be sharing the same line in to my circuit breaker.

In any event, there was some major flickering, it lasted about 5 minutes, where the A/C was not turning on, but trying to turn on, my whole side of my unit, where the A/C is on, that side, my Fridge was turning off and on, I mean clicking very loud, my electric stove was beeping off and on (that was on off), my lights were dimming, and then shutting off and back on, it was if the one side of the house was possessed. I unplugged my A/C because I couldn't power it down normally, and flipped all the circuits off and back on, and in about 10 minutes, the power seemed to be okay. This happened ONLY on one side of the condo, the other side had a steady stream of electric, the lights were all okay.

Do you think I had too much on one side of my unit pulling too heavy a load, or do you think the power company pulled back a bit from a larger load in my neighborhood, or is this something I should be totally concerned about?

Late in the afternoon on a hot day is when the power company has the highest load. Later in the evening the load tapers off.

So, either your air conditioner is malfunctioning and drawing way too much current, or the power company was experiencing a brown out, or a little of both.

If you plug the A/C back in and it works fine then maybe it was the power company.

If you continue to have problems I would suspect the A/C is going bad. The only way to tell is to take ammeter readings on the unit while it is running to see if it is exceeding its rating.

There are other possibilities but if you don't experience any problems without the A/C running I wouldn't pursue them.

Good luck!


Valence Clips for Blinds We have some windows with 20+ year old blinds, and the valence clips have broken on several of them.  The clip mechanism looks a little funky with 3 parts involved: the valence itself (3" across), a 1" valence clip, and the weird plastic insert in the valence that the clip connects to.  See images for back and side views.
My questions are: 1) what are the "weird plastic inserts" actually called, and where can I get replacements, and 2) is there a better way to attach the valences?

They're just called "valence clips", but that likely varies by manufacturer. They're proprietary, so you'll either need to contact the manufacturer or do some trial-and-error with parts from other vendors. Chances are they'll often fit the valence, but they may not fit the blind channel as well.
You could also just use double-stick foam tape, self-adhesive hook-and-loop strips, or anything similar.


Why is no water coming out of my sprinklers despite the diaphragm valve working? My sprinkler system has 4 zones. I have been turning them on at the diaphragm valve (looks like this:

1 zone has never worked. When you turn the valve switch on, you can hear the sounds of running water, but no water ever comes out of the sprinklers. Now, a zone I was using yesterday just started to do the same thing. Do I just need to replace the whole diaphragms?

If you can hear water running, my guess would be nothing is wrong with the solenoid (diaphragm vale), but there's actually a broken pipe in your system somewhere. If there is water moving, it has to be going somewhere.

It sounds like in your case, none of the sprinklers in the zone are coming on at all? If that's the case, it means the leak is between the solenoid and the first sprinkler. If there are some sprinklers coming on, but not all, then the leak is between the farthest one that's on, and the closest one that's off.

Once you've isolated the section, there's no really quick way to find the actual leak. With two zones leaking, they could be related and leaking in the same place, so I'd look right close to the solenoids first. Beyond that, run the water for a while, and there should be a wet patch in the grass eventually. Once you find that, start digging, and then you should be able to repair it.


How can I install an exterior electrical box flush in stucco? I want to install an exterior light. I have stucco. I read the article How to Install an Exterior Outlet Box in Stucco, but I am concerned with water getting inside ... Is caulking enough?

It sounds to me like the caulk is meant to prevent water from getting into the wall, not to prevent water from entering the electrical box. To seal the box, you'll want to use a weatherproof cover with a weatherproof gasket.

If the box is in an area protected from the weather, you can use a cover that is weatherproof when nothing is plugged in.

However, if the box is not protected, you'll want to use a cover that is weatherproof even when things are plugged in.

In my opinion, it's a good idea to use an "in-use" cover for all outdoor receptacles


Can I reroute this air duct? I'm quite new to dealing with HVAC duct-work.

We would like to install a suspended ceiling in this room. Since the finished ceiling will be higher than this duct-work, we're going to build drywall bulkheads around them.

In order to reduce the wasted space (and having to build more bulkheads), we were thinking of running the two 7-inch ducts from the end of the main duct. This way we can build a single bulkhead around the main duct and continue it, containing the two smaller ducts, to the exterior wall where they turn apart and run upstairs. Both 7-inch lines lead to registers in the floor immediately above, approximately 10 feet apart, on the same wall.

Are there any good reasons not to do this (such as loss of pressure in one of the lines)? Would it be better to replace those two lines with a larger conduit and branch it when it reaches the wall?

I don't see a problem with that, other than the existing duct doesn't look wide enough to fit both. You'll have to get/build a reducer that goes from something slightly wider (that can support both circular ducts coming out of it) to the existing square duct size. Most metal shops can build this sort of thing for you - I had a couple 45-degree elbows built to re-route some ducts in my basement, it cost me around $50 I think.

 | |   | |
 | |   | |    <--  existing two round ducts (one moved)
 | |   | |
+---------+
|        /
|       /    <-- new reducer
+------+
|      |
|      |     <-- existing square ducts
|      |

The main thing is to keep the number of elbows to a minimum. In fact, in your case it may work better as it looks like you'll reduce the number of elbows by one.

Another option would be to extend the main duct, and split the two round ducts off at the end. Not sure how long those are now, but the box stores carry a few regular square duct sizes you can buy and assemble/install yourself.


Frost build up in freezer I received a Kenmore upright freezer from a family member. As far as I know, it was working fine for several years. That family member moved and no longer has the space for it, so now we have it!

It has been plugged in for a month. The first three weeks seemed fine, but about a day ago, I opened it up to find quite a bit of frost:
Imgur Album of Frost in Freezer

It is one of those freezers that vacuum seals itself when you close it. Yesterday I noticed ice build up around the latch that you engage when you want to lock it. This to me was interrupting the seal so I cleaned that out. I checked it this morning and it seemed to be the same amount of frost...if not more! Do I need to clean the frost out and see if it re-appears? Might there be other problems? I haven't done the dollar bill test yet.

Once frost builds up on the coils it will need to be defrosted. If the door did not seal well just 1 time for a few days frost will build up and has no way to dissipate in an open coil system like you have. I have seen this happen quite a few times on a freezer that was fine but the door was not fully closed or something was stuck across the seal causing a leak.


Plumbing Setup for Basement Laundry I am trying to remove some outdated, and possibly poorly laid out plumbing to create a new setup for a washer/dryer and sink. The current setup has a brass drain line a few feet above the ground and both the sink and washer feed an ejector pump that pushes up to the drain line.  I am thinking about scraping the existing brass up to the T that goes to the pump and then relocating the laundry to the right wall using PVC. I have included a photo of the existing setup plus a really rough drawing of what I was thinking.  I was hoping someone could let me know if I have any major design flaws in my drawing. Thanks in advance for the help and I look forward to both the good and bad feedback!

The drawing looks good to me except that I would let the washer drain into the laundry tub since I do not believe the washer drain can pump it's water up-hill. Also, if that drain box is open on top,  the pump may over power the rest of the drain piping and spill over flooding the basement.


Can I install 1x6 T&G boards over 1/2" drywall on 2x6x14' ceiling joists I have an 8'x14'(outside dimensions) mudroom attached to the back of my house with 2"x6"x14' ceiling joists/rafter ties @16" centers. I have 1"x6" collar ties installed and installed a center support (L-shaped) made up of 2"x4"'s running perpendicular to the ceiling joists which I tied one end to the gable end of the outer (14') wall of the mudroom and the other end to the existing house roof sheathing.  I installed a 2"x4" vertical support in two spots which tie to the ridge board on one end and to the 2"x4" L-shaped support on the other end which is tied to the top of each 2"x6" ceiling joist.  I have installed 1/2"x4'x8' drywall to the ceiling joists and would like to know if it would be safe to now install over the 1/2" drywall 3/4"x6" T&G wood planking.

Yes, that should be fine - not that you needed the drywall, but no point in taking it down since you've put it up. Just account for the thickness of the drywall when choosing the length of fasteners for the T&G boards.


How to patch concrete as invisibly as possibe? I had a plumbing repair done this week that required them to jackhammer a small hole through a concrete porch in front of my house. It is small enough that I’ll probably attempt the patch myself, but I am concerned with taking the best approach to doing this, to avoid the repair being obvious.

How do I repair concrete such that the repair is as discreet as possible?

Coloring powders are available, but be sure to follow the directions exactly if you are targeting a specific shade. These can also be expensive, and tricky to use because because the color appears very different when mixed into wet concrete, compared to the final product. If your porch is bare concrete, I would skip the coloring powders and go right to a good ol' bag of Quikrete.

For prep: Using a concrete saw to cleanup the edges before filling the hole should help the seams appear less obvious. Whenever patching concrete, especially when that concrete is aged and weathered, it is very difficult to match the color. If you use Quikrete, you should be able to get a fairly smooth seem. Just use a trowel to smooth it over and gently "slap" the surface to ensure the aggregate sinks down. It would also be a good idea to prime the edges of the hole, to help ensure a good bond with the new concrete. Since this is outside, make sure the concrete does not freeze, or dry out too quickly.

*Tip - Use dirt or sand underneath the patch to build a 'foundation' for the concrete to rest on while it cures. Fill the area underneath the hole with dirt, then slowly pour a few gallons of water on it to make sure it fully settles before you put concrete on top of it, otherwise it could shift and disturb your new concrete.

Once you get a good idea of what the finished patch will look like in terms of color, you can decide from there if the color match is satisfactory. If you do not like the color of the patch, you can always stain the concrete. There are a lot of good concrete coloring products, like concrete stain and Concrete Etching Stains available. This will add an extra step, but if you were to stain the entire porch, not only would the patch all but disappear, but you would also improve the look and durability of your porch.


Rewiring a sewing machine I have an old sewing machine with a non-polarized plug.  I would like to replace the cord and plug with a grounded, polarized cord and plug.  Can I simply connect the new cord's hot wire to the controller cable and motor and the neutral to the uncontrolled side of the motor and screw the ground wire into the metal case?

Yes your method would be sound. Controlling the hot is normal.


GFI Tripping at same time every day, I have a GFI Outlet in my kitchen.  It trips faithfully, every morning at 6:05 AM.  I have checked every outlet on the same line and nothing attaches to anything on a timer that may trigger it.  When we set clocks back or ahead, it still trips at 6:05.   Electricians haven’t figured it out.  It is a source of amusement now.  Any ideas what would do this ?

Sounds like a problem with the ground. Does it have power? If so its definitely a problem with the ground. How close is your ground rod to bedrock? Since bedrock is non conductive you could be getting an electron feedback, since the power has nowhere to go it just builds on the rod till it is strong enough to arc. #electronproblems #gotstobetheground  #youhitmewithlightning


Deck has moved away from house My deck has begun to separate from house (see pics).  Look for help on how to move it back and secure to house.

In all honesty, you are kind of chasing after a chimera trying to do something like that.

The likelihood is that the footings for the deck are inadequate, so that is why it is shifting. Trying to attach it to the house is not a solution. If the foundation of something is unsound, then that thing is unsound. A lot of people think they can just build decks on mud, then when bad things happen they start trying crazy stuff. Look, if the foundation of your deck is shallow, then that is your problem.

Here is the solution to your problem: build proper footings for your deck.


Electrical outlet right above sink I recently moved into a unit of a 4 plex in Ontario, Canada. This thing scares me:

Is an electrical outlet allowed to be above the sink like that?  Was it ever allowed?  It it something that absolutely must be fixed, or something that is grandfathered in because it's old, and allowed to stay until work is being done on it?  Am I worrying over nothing, or risking my life to wash the dishes?

Some important facts:

It's clearly not a GFCI outlet. Nor are there any other GFCI outlets in the kitchen.  I think this may have been installed before those were required?
It's a split outlet, with 3 wires going back to a double breaker.  This is I believe required in kitchen circuits here.
The breaker is not a GFCI breaker.  The electrical panel is an FPL Stab-lok, the sticker on it says it was inspected in 1987.
I haven't pulled out the outlet to confirm, but I'm pretty sure this outlet feeds the rest of the outlets in the kitchen, so simply disconnecting it and leaving the box dead isn't an (easy) option.

How would one go about fixing this?  I'm just a tenant, so I need to either have the landlord fix it, or get permission to do it myself first.  But in either case, I want to know what should be done.

Some things I've thought of:

Weatherproof cover like outdoor outlets have?  I'm sure that doesn't meet any sort of code, and still isn't safe, but would it be safer?  It's something I can do in 5 minutes without permission until a real fix could be done.
Replace with GFCI outlet.  Do GFCI outlets even exist for split outlets?
Remove the outlet, cover with blank face panel - but it would still be live, and not exactly water proof.  You can't just tile over a live junction box.
Replace the breaker with a GFCI breaker.  I know there are 20amp ones, not sure about 15 amp ones.  I do know they are stupidly expensive, and something I'd have to convince the landlord to do.  I'd be perfectly comfortable doing it myself - but I sure don't want to foot the bill for that breaker.

This might possibly have been legal in your jurisdiction around the time Franklin tied a string to a kite. As you've figured out, it's not prudent.

I know you said you've ruled out the possibility of a GFCI being upstream, but have you tested with one of the handheld interrupters? Reason I ask is that GFCIs sometimes turn up in the strangest places.

The easiest fix I can think of is to replace it with a GFCI (using one of the hot legs and capping/continuing the other hot within the junction box).

I suspect your landlord is responsible for fixing this, but you'd have to check with your local powers-that-be. You might get points for fixing it yourself and charging the landlord for parts and a bit of labour.


Washer outlet extension after adding wall tile This is the washer hot and cold water before I added tiles

After I installed tiles, the connection was flushed to the tile so I had to add an extension

To me, this is an ugly hack because it makes the whole thing sticking out 5" from the wall (waste of space). The best ideal option would be an outlet box recessed but that was too late!

What are my options:

Leave it as-is and waste 5"
Cut a hole on tile, make a mess and do recessed back. This will require access in the back which is a closet room. I also need a plumber to do this.
Find something else that only makes it sticking out 2-3". Save 2"!
OTHERS?

I hope to hear any additional options.

Thanks.

Just go to your home store or a plumbing supply store for a greater selection, and pick up the right size pipe nipple. They come in many standard sizes and can even be custom made at some store. Good luck.


Installing a shelf in the bathroom I am trying to mount the following shelf in my bathroom:

Backside of shelf:

The current screws I have for the shelf:

Close up:

My question:

Are those the correct screws? Do they fit? Seems really close..
Can I drill without damaging the tiles?

If it is a bad idea I can mount the shelf in the kitchen but I prefer bathroom.

The flathead of the screw needs to fit into the keyhole bracket on the shelf and we can't tell whether it would fit or not without the measurements of the bracket.

Even if you could drill the holes in the grout lines, you would probably nick or crack a tile. I would mount that shelf in the kitchen and get a bathroom shelf constructed of a PVC material and use some heavy duty two-sided tape to secure it to the wall.


Detached Garage additional wiring Hi I have a 1950s house in Indiana that has the original wiring to a detached garage. The garage is about 25-30 feet from the main panel. It currently only has a switch for the light.

I am planning to run a welder, and air compressor at some point so I would like to install a 110v and maybe a 220V  since I am going to run the wiring.

Should I run a subpanel to the garage or can I run two dedicated circuit arms to the garage with a shutoff in the garage?

Any other suggestions are appreciated. Here is a picture of my main panel.

You could do either, as your main panel seems to have capacity for both a double-pole breaker (240V) and a single-pole.

Adding a sub-panel in the garage would give you more flexibility both for adding things to the garage and by taking up less space in the main panel (2 spots vs. 3). So that would be my preference although it might be a little more expensive up front.


Is continuous exhaust from basement level closet a good idea? I have a recurring problem with mold in the closet of a basement level bedroom. After considering various options, I'm currently contemplating installing some sort of a low powered continuous exhaust fan which would keep the air moving out of from the bedroom and closet to the outside. The top of the closet is above ground level, so it could go directly through the wall. There is central air in the house which would allow the bedroom's air to be replenished from other rooms.

Is this a good idea? What could be the pitfalls (other than the obvious heat loss)?

This makes me think that the solution is similar to a radon mitigation system (although admittedly, I know very little about those).

If there is no water source explaining the moisture in the closet, and your basement has a vapor barrier, it is possible that the moisture source is airborne.
The closet may be sufficiently cold and the air in the rest of your house may be sufficiently humid that psychrometrics causes the relative humidity in the closet to be high enough to grow mold.
if the cause is psychrometric...
Installing a continuous fan that exhausts outdoors would help only insofar as the increased airflow is able to maintain a higher closet air temperature than before.  If the makeup air flowing into the closet is warm and dry enough, you might solve the problem.
Perhaps a better solution is to insulate the closet to bring it closer to the temperature in the rest of your home.
You probably should get some wet and dry bulb thermometers and learn how to read a psychrometric chart, then run some basic experiments.  Once you wrap your mind around the psychrometrics at work in your case it should be obvious whether they are the cause, and if so, what you could do about it.


Temperature of water in the shower fluctuates - will a cheap thermostatic tap help? I recently moved to an apartment where temperature of water in the shower fluctuates and we called for a plumber. He either cleaned up or replaced one part (I think it was the mixer - nothing visually changed), saying that it might because of stone buildup in the plumbing.

Unfortunately, the temperature still fluctuates (but maybe a bit less). Basically the problem is that in the middle of showering, the temperature can drop to one that is way too high or too cold (and then after maybe a minute drop back). This can happen about twice within 10 minutes.

I wonder if installing a cheap thermostatic tap would help here? My reasoning is that at the very least, it should help me avoid the temperature going too hot, am I right?

Get the Plumber back. He may have just cleaned, flushed &/or adjusted the Mixer & not replaced it. But, it sounds like you have a Pressure-Balancing valve instead of a Thermostatic valve. So yes, see if the Plumber can replace the current valve with a Thermostatic valve, this would be the long-term permanent solution.

Just an FYI. Not in all but in some apartment buildings, there can be constant water uses to justify your current fluctuations in that short amount of time. Like, refrigerator ice makers, leaking toilets, building humidifiers, specific laundry machine final rises or someone filling a cup. It may be unavoidable or just unlucky timing with your current valve.


Why does my mixer shower run intermittently cold? I have a mixer shower and the water runs intermittently completely cold for approx 10 seconds approx every 2 mins. No other taps in my apartment do this. All my hot water comes from a combi boiler.
Any idea what the problem is and how I would fix it?
From reading on google I understand thermostatic mixers can have these problems, but I don't know how to tell if mine is thermostatic. The brand is Bristan. My model is old - but its something like this

You seem to be describing an anti-scalding device that is malfunctioning. This could either be a thermostatic valve (as you mention) or a pressure balance valve (another type of anti-scald device).
They have been required by code for many years and while I cannot specifically tell if your shower valve has an anti-scald device in it, given that it looks newer it likely has one.
You should see some sort of manufacturer name on the shower valve. Just Google every single word you see on your shower valve. Also try "Google Image Search" and flip through the images until you see something that looks like your valve.
Googling will help you find the specific valve and see if you can replace the internal anti-scald device. These are often accessible from the front so if you're lucky, you will not need to break through the wall.


GFCI No Equipment Ground not testing A GFCI installed near a sink has this sticker on it. From what I gather online, this means the outlet was installed on place of an old 2 wire outlet, and it's safe anyway, and up to code. But it's not shutting off when I press the test button. Is that normal for an ungrounded GFCI? Is it supposed to test with the button even when no equipment is grounded?

When equipment ground is not present, GFCI devices should test properly.

However, if equipment ground is not present, external GFCI testers there or at downline outlets  should not test successfully.  Their built-in 3-lamp tester should only display one yellow light.  If it displays two but doesn't trip the GFCI, that means a bootleg ground, which makes the GFCI's protection worthless.


Help identify (abandoned?) buried line I have a pipe of some kind buried about 6" below grade in my backyard. Photos are provided below. I have no idea what this line might be, and was hoping to solicit ideas. Whatever it is, it appears to be abandoned / unused, judging from the poor condition of the line. I have the local "Dig Safe" utility authorities coming next week to map out known services, but would like to know in case they do not have record of this.

It looks like the line would run between my house and my garage. But I have no plumbing in the garage (6" seems to shallow for water anyways). I have electricity but that cable is aerial, along with phone and cable lines from the back alley to the main house. The gas main is under the road at the front of my house, and so my gas meter / line are obviously there too. Similarly, the water main and water line are at the front of my house.

The garage was rebuilt about 5 years ago (before I owned the place), so I don't know if this pipe might have been used with the old garage and since abandoned.

I live in Toronto, Canada, if that factors in.

It turned out to be abandoned electrical. Photos below (cell phone for scale)

DigSafe came out and confirmed it was not a City service (gas, hydro, transit, water, etc.) They checked out the line and agreed it was strange it was so shallow; definitely not one of theirs. So we excavated a little more and eventually realized it is not a pipe, but a sheathed cable (with the sheathing completely deteriorated). Tested for voltage (there was none).

So I think this must have been how electricity used to get to the garage. As I mentioned, the garage was completely rebuilt a couple of years ago, and they put in a proper aerial connection at that time.

.


Jack and Jill bathroom locks What kind of locks do I get for a jack and jill bathroom so that you can have privacy in the bathroom as well as in both bedrooms?

You already answered it in your question.  You need to look for privacy door locks.  Also be aware that there are privacy locks that allow you to unlock from both sides (think standard bedroom lockset that gives you a small hole or allows you to use a coin to unlock from outside).  If you just have family members any standard privacy lock is fine.  If you have strangers you need to make sure the model doesn't allow the option of unlocking from other side.


Different options to convert brick wall outlet box to junction box with more outlets I have a dedicated 20A circuit that comes into my kitchen area as a duplex outlet:

During the upcoming kitchen remodel this circuit will likely be the best one to provide power to the very nearby fridge plus a couple of outlets.

That means putting in a junction box instead of the outlet box and running a couple of conduits from it, if I understand the code correctly.

It would be very desirable not to do any unnecessary cutting into the brick wall and while I'm not a huge fan of the electric conduit on top of brick wall look, luckily, this it pretty low (about a foot off the floor) so there may be ways to make it less prominent.

Here's the current outlet:

The wires are coming up in BX/flexible armored cable if that matters.  I'd like to avoid the need to increase the brick opening, but I'm not sure if the space is large enough for a junction box of the size I would need and how the wires can come out to then go along the brick (I've seen extension junction boxes but I'm not certain this is the sort of application they are meant for).

Are there other ways to achieve the same goal with minimal "disturbance" of the brick wall?

This is one of things extension boxes are for

Your usecase is one of several that extension boxes are meant for -- you'll either want to use a standard one-gang metal extension box with THHN in EMT running to surface mounted one gang boxes for the new receptacles, or a surface raceway (sometimes called 'wiremold' after Legrand's brand name for the stuff, not to be confused with a product Legrand calls "cordmate" that is only intended for signal cables) extension box ("starter box") along with matching raceway and surface mount receptacle boxes, with either NM or THHN run in the raceways.

An example of the latter is shown below.


How can I cut wood in a very awkward location? I recently installed a new kitchen sink and faucet. It was one of those with the spot for a dish detergent pump.

After getting everything in, I come to find out there just isn't enough room to fit the bottle for the pump.

What I need to do is cut about 2 inches of wood that is about 1/2 inch thick, however, it's in a very awkward position.

Are there any suggestions on what I could use to cut?

Do you have enough room to use an electric drill with a 2" hole saw?  If not, perhaps a Dremel or similar tool with a routing bit?


Change switched outlet to ceiling fan and unswitched outlet I'm installing a ceiling fan and I currently have an outlet with a switch.  Currently, the outlet box has three cables--circuit coming in, the switch loop and the circuit that continues on.  The outlet is pigtailed to the white wires (all nutted together) and connected to the red wire from the switch loop; the black wires are nutted together as are the grounds.  In the switch box, there is the loop to the outlet as well as another cable that continues on to a different branch of the circuit.  The loop switch is routed through the attic above where the fan will go.

My plan is to delete the red wire of the switch loop from the outlet and directly wire the outlet to the existing circuit (pigtail to black), then run the 3-wire from the outlet box to the fan and wire up the fan just like the outlet was. This will leave a superfluous red wire between the outlet and the fan.

Now my questions:  Have I missed something?  Is is kosher to leave the red wire of the current switch loop not attached to anything?  Must I yank that section of the 3-wire and run 2-wire in its place?

It's been a long time since I've done household wiring so I may have misused some terms.  Let me know if clarification is needed.  Thanks!

You can just cap off each end of the unused red wire; there's no code issue with leaving it in place (see Q1/A1 here). If you later change your mind or want to have the switch also control the outlet/something else, you'll be glad you didn't remove it.

The rest of your plan looks reasonable, though if I understand it correctly -- you're intercepting the run between the outlet and the switch, which runs through the attic, to install your fan? -- the logistics of splicing in the box for your fan might be tricky. Though, since you're already up in the attic, you could pull a new 4-wire between the switch and the ceiling fan box; that'd also give you the option to install a fan with a separately-switched light fixture.


2 PVC Pipes running from unit to basement I have two 2" PVC pipes running from outside (AC unit) to the inside set up (furnace?). I need to cut these pipes and re run them since they are blocking the water heater which I need to take out. I wasnt sure what they did so didnt want to cut them yet. Is there water in them? Do I just turn off the unit first? When replacing do I use just regular PVC pipe and glue or is the some flex pipe solution? Any help would be great. I added some photos.

OK. These  have nothing to do with and no connection to the AC compressor, which makes a lot more sense than the original question with no outside picture.

Flex pipe is probably not an option - if it IS an option it needs to be a type specifically approved by the furnace manufacturer.

While direct vent exhaust is relatively cool, so it can be run in plastic pipe, it is still quite deadly due to the carbon monoxide it contains, and you do not want to be casual about how it's handled, or you and your family won't wake up some day. It happens.

You might well plot out a different route for the pipes that is less inconvenient, but be sure it fits the manufacturer's requirements for the intake/vent system (or have it done, or checked, by your heating contractor.)


Why won't my shower fully heat up? I have a thermostatic shower, but I can only get it to be luke warm. The aquastat is set at 60, boiler at 165. The tap water in wash hand basin beside shower is very warm. I have taken the cover off the thermostat and there seems to be no adjustment. This seems to be the shower I have.

the thermostatic cartridge looks like

i have turned the spindle as far anti clock wise as possible but only turns one full turn is there an other way to adjust it

Shower valves normally have a mechanism for adjusting the maximum water temperature under the handle.  You'll have to consult the shower valve's manual for specifics.  If you don't have the manual, here's a picture of a typical shower valve. The red part of the valve is the temperature safety.  It is located under the shower handle and you rotate it to adjust the temperature.

Update:  This document seems to describe the procedure to adjust the temperature of your shower.  It looks relatively complex, but doable.


Home energy monitor install Is a Neurio energy monitor compatible with a manufactured housing load center?
The load center, image below, doesn't seem to be officially supported however the approach seems sufficient. This kind of detail isn't readily available on the products knowledge base.

The fact that it's a "manufactured housing load center" is irrelevant here -- from an electrical point of view, it's no different than any other load center with the same specifications.  So, simply follow the two phase instructions, although, for safety's sake, I would have the electric utility pull your meter for you for the duration of the panelboard work as residential panelboards don't separately guard the main breaker terminals, and installing the CTs requires working around them.  (It's not like a plastic piece over them'd be expensive...)


Small stud wall to sloping ceiling under stairs We have an under-stairs toilet that we are replacing. The toilet was quite old, so the drain was 20cm from the wall. Apparently newer toilets require the drain to be pretty much flush with the wall, so we need to put a stud wall in place. It's such a small wall (1.3m high by 0.9m wide) that I don't really want to get a carpenter out to do it.

I've read up on stud walls and the advice is to attach it to the joists above. In this case there is just a plaster ceiling and the stairs above. I don't really want to attach it to the stairs (imagine if the nails / screws went through!) and I think the plasterboard ceiling probably isn't sturdy enough.

So, a few questions

What's the best way to attach the top horizontal wooden stud? I'm wondering if no more nails will suffice onto the ceiling plaster if the rest of the frame is well secured.
How many (if any) vertical and horizontal studs/noggins do I need for a small wall like this, considering I need to run some pipes through it and potentially hang the toilet cistern on it. I'm thinking maybe one vertical and one horizontal?
Any other advice?!

As ever, all advice welcomed :)

You need to locate and identify the underlying structure, where and what. Only then can one determine the best attachment method and wall layout. Stairways typically have stringers under them running the length of the stairway run that you can connect to. But there are endless variations on stair construction, so only someone on site can determine this. There are various devices for locating underlying wood structure, their effectiveness varies by local conditions.

Stud framing is typically 40.5 cm spacing on center, so you may need two intermediate studs in addition to the end studs. You need solid blocking flat to the mounting face in order to mount plumbing fixtures. Some hardware needs to be framed into the wall, so you need to identify exactly what hardware is used in order to provide and locate any needed structure.

Unless you can provide all this information, no one can adequately tell what to do in enough detail to ensure proper construction.


how to stop a barn door from twisting a 2x8 header I have two barn doors covering an 18' foot opening. The opening has wooden 4x4 at each end, and one in the middle. There are two spans of 2x8, 9' long as a header at the top of the 4x4s.

After hanging the ~9ft barn doors which weight about 100lbs each, the middle of each 2x8 is starting to bow out in the middle, at the top of the header where the barn door hardware / railing is attached.

It seems the weight of the door on the railing is causing too much torsion on the 2x8 header causing the bowing.

To rectify this I was wondering if anyone had thoughts on the best / cheapest course of action. Some ideas we were considering:

Add a 2x4 bracing on the inside of the header to the next parallel member approximately 3ft away. The logic is this will pull the header inwards to counter the force of the barn door pulling the header outward. The problem is putting a screw through the header to the end of the 2x4. The 3.5inch #10 screws did not grab enough into the 2x4, and simply drilled out a hole. I was hoping there was some metal bracketing we could attach instead between the 2x4 and header, though haven't found a suitable piece yet.
A stronger header. I thought about doubling (or tripling) the 2x8 header boards. this is guess work though, I looked around and could not easily figure out the torsional strength of a 2x8 to figure out what was needed. Over time it seems an uncountered load (e.g. from 1) will eventually warp it.  Perhaps there is a metal beam which could work, though this is pricey and heavy.
reinforce the header with a metal L beam. I was looking into a long strip of 1.5" x 1.5" L beam and screwing it to the top of the beam. However, the bowing is slight, and I'm not sure the L beam is going to remain rigid enough to counter the load.

Other ideas, or thoughts on what we could do?  It's for an old bike shed, so we would like to minimize the costs if possible.

Thanks for your thoughts and insights!

If I understand correctly, your single thickness 2x8 header is sitting on a 4x4 post at each end (addressing each door's header as a single entity, not the entire 18' double-door span).

This means that you've got a 1.5" thick piece of wood (the nominal dimension of a 2x8) resting on a 3.5" thick post.

Normal residential header construction requires that the 2x material be doubled with a 0.5" piece of plywood or OSB sandwiched in between. This will give you a 3.5" thick header (1.5" + 1.5" + 0.5") to sit on your 3.5" wide post. This gives you better bearing on the post and, more importantly, significantly more strength in the header.

You don't indicate if the barn is build with residential-style 16" OC stud walls (unlikely) or is post-and-beam construction (much more likely). If it's post-an-beam, you probably don't need the load-bearing capacity of the doubled header, but, obviously you need it for torsional strength.

Purchase a single 4x8 sheet of 1/2" plywood or OSB
Purchase 2 @ 2x8 x 10'
Rip 3 strips out of the plywood/OSB, each 8' long by 7.5" wide (the nominal width of your 2x8)
Put one full length strip of sheathing against the existing header board, tight to one end of the header
Cut the 3rd strip into the appropriate lengths to cover the rest of the header (approximately 12" - measure to get the exact dimension)

Cut each to the precise length necessary to match each of the existing headers

Push each new 2x8 into the pocket above the door it was measured for
Nail thoroughly

2 rows of 3" 16d nails, spaced 6-8" horizontally should be more than adequate