How to wire a smart switch - 2 gang switch box? I'm adding a smart switch with dimmer into a 2-gang switch box. I wanted to double check my assumptions based on the currently wired switch - please see attached picture. I'm changing out the old dimmer switch (right side).

1) Ground wires are clear, they are bare copper.

2) Neutral wires are clear - they are the bundled white wires pointing up. The new switch requires a neutral, so I should choose the neutral wire coming out of the right side and then rebundle the remaining 2 neutrals?

3) On the old switch, the red/white wire is nutted together with the black wire. The red/white wire should actually have been unused and capped, as this is not a 3-way switch. The black wire from the switch is then connected to the hot wire?

4) The red wire from the old switch should be the load wire... that is pigtailed with a short black jumper wire into the load screw of the left side switch. Is that possible? Or do I actually have a pigtailed hot wire situation?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I'm going to disregard some of the questions about the existing switch because they aren't relevant except for purposes of learning, and I'm not sure I understand them clearly. You can simply remove that switch because you know the hot comes from the other switch, and the load is the remaining black which presumably leads to the fixture.

You're on the right track except that your assumptions in number 2 are incorrect. You would not remove any of those whites from the bundle. Doing so would probably leave you with an open circuit. You'll need to add a pigtail from that bundle to your switch, which requires a neutral, whereas the original switch did not.


Questions on GE electric 5 coil burner element I have an older GE electric stove: there are 6" & 8" burners.
If you set the heat to max the elements each and every one glow cherry red and you have to watch food to make sure it does not burn.
But below the one or two highest settings the burners not only don't glow; they don't seem to produce much heat. So they produce what I consider accurate heat, but only at the very highest settings.
I think the burners are old; should be replaced.
Is there an acceptable resistance value, that if I were to test the burners with a DM I could determine if they are defective/failing?
Thanks for reading

The burners on stoves are either on or off, there's no "variable" resistance in them. The "variable" part comes from the switch that has a bi-metal switch that varies the amount of time the burner is on. At low temperatures the switch opens fast so the burner doesn't get too hot. When you set the switch for high temperatures, the bi-metal switch stays on longer so the burner get hotter. It works like a thermostat on your AC or heater unit. the fact that the burners get red hot tells you that they are good. The switches are probably bad and are not making proper contact at the lower temp settings. Think of replacing them.


Is it safe to turn off dehumidifier by switching power off I am thinking of plugging my compressor dehumidifier to a smart switch so I can control it when it should turn on/off by controlling the power outlet.

The dehumidifier has an "Auto Restart" feature so that if power cuts off, it will go back to its last operation it was on before the power cut off.

In the manual it does state the following:

  Turning off: Never unplug the power cord without press the "Power" key
  to off first, as this could damage the unit. Never unplug the
  dehumidifier before the fan has stopped blowing. Always unplug the
  unit when not in use or moving location. To disconnect from the power
  supply, grip the plug and pull from the power socket. Never pull by
  the cord.

Not sure whether or not that was added just as a precaution or whether there is an actual cool down cycle of the compressor that it has to do in order not to damage the unit.

Anyone have any idea?

Refrigerant cycle dehumidifiers have some sensitivities, and I would recommend operating in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.

I operated several types of conventional and LGR commercial grade dehumidifiers for many years. I don't know what your machine needs, but there were several reasons why our machines needed to be operated properly.

Since we don't know which type of machine you have, we don't have enough information to tell you why it might be a bad idea to operate it contrary to the manufacturers recommendations. However, there are a few reasons why it may be a bad idea to unplug a unit rather than turn it off properly. There are additional reasons why turning the machine off and on via a smart switch could be a bad idea.

These reasons could include:

The need to dissipate heat before the machine shuts down completely (from the directions you quoted it sounds like your machine has a blower that operates for some period after the "Power" key is pressed)
The need to let the remaining water collect before purging the drip pan (depending on how your machine collects and purges water)
The need for a compressor delay between on-off cycles (many machines handle this automatically)
The need to protect sensitive electronics from voltage spikes


Weird leak through chimney? Im getting a weird leak in my chimney.  It almost looks like a condensation buildup (due to distance from roof/location), but this seems to occur during rains.

Can anyone give some possible explanations on what could be causing the leak shown in the attached pictures?

I’d guess the concrete masonry unit (CMU) that is wet, is also unreinforced...probably unreinforced all the way to the top.

Not all cells in a fireplace need to be reinforced and filled solid with grout. The corner unit is probably reinforced and grouted solid, but this cell is probably empty. If so, rain could enter the cell anywhere and run all the way to the footing. When enough water fills the cells, then it finds a crack and seeps out.

The CMU is porous so the water fills the cell a couple of inches and then “wets” the shell (wall of CMU)...thus the darkness.


what sort of cable should I use to add extra tv outlets So I need to split the cable coming down from the aerial into 3 outlets. What's the best way of doing this?

I was thinking of using a 4-way splitter:

Would this be the best way with minimal signal loss. If worst comes to worst what booster unit do you recommend? ideally I prefer if I don't have to get onto the roof. We don't have the proper kit for it.

Well, if you are going to split it 3-ways, buy a 3-way splitter not a 4-way.  I agree with the comment from Mikes about buying a more expensive model if possible.

I would avoid a booster at all costs - power boosters add noise to the line - so yes you get a higher signal, but its noisier.

As far as minimizing signal loss, here are the top items to keep in mind:

Keep runs as short as possible
Don't splice cables together - always use a single continuous run (where possible)
Buy a high-quality RG6 cable.  Quad Shield (usually you will see RG6-QS on the cable) provides the most shielding and helps reduce interference
Use high-quality compression fittings instead of crimped connectors (Thomas & Betts Snap-n-seal is my product of choice).  Also make sure you install them correctly (end of internal plastic insulator flush with the inside of the fitting, ground braid properly folded back, cable stripped correctly, no nicks in wire, etc.).


Applying contact cement for laminate This is probably elementary to most, but I've never done it.  I'm putting down a 12' sheet of formica on my workbench.

I've watched videos, read instructions, etc... It seems pretty simple, they all say wait until both surfaces are dry to the touch (takes 15-20 minutes).  place your sticks, rope, or whatever.  Start in the middle and work your way out bonding the laminate to the substrate.

Is this is simple as it sounds, it should not stick to your fingers at all (or anything for that matter) before you bring both surfaces together?

It just seems very counter intuitive, but it is contact "cement", not glue, so I'll buy it.  My dad has done this before, and we are in a debate... he tends to stick with what is very intuitive, so he puts the surfaces together while they are still sticky.  It is kind of hard to debate though, because I've only read about it, and he has actually done it. :)

So, can someone elaborate on this simple process... also, is there a window of time in which it can be applied after it is "dry to the touch" before it will no longer be effective?  If you DID wait too long, is there anyway to fix it, or do you just apply more contact cement?

Thanks.

So I'm narcissistically answering my own question... I waited a couple weeks and nobody bit, so, here it is.

The answer is, yes... wait 20 minutes until it is more or less dry to the touch.  It might still have a little "grab" to it, but it should by no means be sticky.  You have up to 2 hours to work with it, but i did mine as soon as I hit 20 minutes.  It will only stick to itself at this point, and this is the benefit of "contact" cement.  Coat both the substrate, and the laminate.  Use wood strips, dowels, or something to separate the two pieces so you can position it.  Start in the middle, and remove boards as you press the two materials together.  Once this stuff bonds, sorry... game over, it is bonded so make sure you move out evenly.  it is like applying an enormous sticker.  I've heard you can reactivate the glue with heat though, like an iron, so maybe that can save you if you make a mistake.  Mineral spirits is also supposed to work.

I bought a roller from lowes designed for laminate.  I think this is a crucial tool in getting the 25 psi required to fully bond the two pieces together.  I found mine right where they sell laminate for counter tops.

I waited a few hours to router mine, and it did router clean.  The cement is fully hardened and cured in 7 days, but you can router it within a few hours (minimum 2, is my recommendation).

Bottom line, follow the instructions on the can.  There are also MANY youtube videos on the process.


Safe wiring of a window AC unit I have a window AC unit rated at 115V 6.8 amps. If I wanted to plug the AC into a wall outlet, how do I determine if the wiring in the wall can safely handle the current. The wall outlet is a 3 prong US outlet and is 120V. However, if it can't be wired to the outlet, what would I need to run wiring 100ft to the connect it to the breaker?

The minimum for any 115V outlet should be 15A.  But you should be able check that by finding the circuit breaker for that circuit at the panel and checking its current rating.
The problem you'll possibly run into is if there are OTHER high-current devices on that same circuit.  If both that and the AC run at the same time you may get a breaker trip.


Diagnosing instant circuit breaker tripping, with nothing connected I had a previous question regarding an AC, but now that I have disconnected the AC and the problem remains, I want to diagnose this problem a bit more.

First step was seeing if this specific breaker trips by itself.  With all other breakers opened on the main panel, this one lone breaker trips.

I then turned off the main power, the breaker closes fine. The moment I flip on the main breaker (with all others opened), this one trips.

With main breaker opened, along with all other breakers opened (off), here are the measurements:

Specific breaker opened:

Live-Neutral:   20,000 Ω
Live-Ground:     4,000 Ω
Neutral-Ground: 20,000 Ω

Specific breaker closed:

Live-Neutral:     400 Ω
Live-Ground:    4,000 Ω
Neutral-Ground: 4,000 Ω

For the sake of learning about electrical problems, what would be the potential problems that can cause this? Or is my diagnosis not enough?  This circuit dedicated to an A/C has been working for about 3 months.  It tripped one time before and I just reset it, not sure what the problem was, but now it has tripped a second time and does not reset.

EDIT1:

  @JACK: "Remove the two wires going to the circuit breaker. Now try to
  reset the breaker....."

I unplugged the live from the breaker to the circuit, doesn't trip.

  @Ilmari Karonen: "where along the circuit you took those measurements?"

I took the measurements at where the AC connects to the junction box, while the circuit is still connected to the breaker.

Regarding the circuit, it should have no other sources of problem, because it goes from the AC junction box straight to the main panel. It is buried inside a concrete wall straight down into the ground, then runs along the ground to the main panel, so very minimal chance for renovation damage. It has been working for about 3 months.

My next test is to connect this circuit to an adjacent breaker and see if it'll trip. It has 3 dedicated breaker to 3 separate AC units, so I have a confirmed functioning breaker right beside it. I'll update the question when that's done. Need to wait for the weekend when I have light and can shut off the power to the apartment.

One possible source of problem is that the wiring to the main panel was not long enough for some of the wires, so the electrician had to extend it a bit. It's a lot of work so I'll want to confirm it is 100% the wiring there before I take them apart and potentially cause other problems.

EDIT 2019-11-04:
Breakers aren't tripping when completely disconnected from the circuit.  I've confirmed that the wiring is a bit messed up.  Somewhere in the extended connection to the panel there is induced current (non-infinite resistance; 200k to 500k Ω).  I'm also getting a hot neutral on another circuit now... so that's kind of messed up.  I highly suspect the extension was done incorrectly, since it is wires twisted together with electrical tap (no wire nut, no pig tails, etc).

I'll have to take my time and properly deal with this... so that'll be a completely separate question.

Here's what you're supposed to have.

Live to neutral: some value of resistance depending on your load.  Don't be surprised if the figure doesn't strictly follow Ohm's Law; many devices have their effective resistance change after they warm up.   If there are no loads on the circuit, hot-neutral should be infinity ohms.

Live to ground/earth: this should always be infinity ohms if the breaker  is switched off.  If it is not, you have a ground fault on either hot or neutral.  If hot-neutral is infinity ohms, then a lesser reading is definitely a ground fault.

Neutral to ground/earth: should be zero ohms if the proper neutral-ground bond is connected, and should be infinity ohms if the hot and neutral wire are lifted off the breaker or neutral bus.

Non-infinite resistance (conductivity) between hot and neutral is normal if any loads are attached.  However, if you disconnect hot/neutral from the panel, there must always be infinity ohms/zero conductance between hot/neutral and ground.   If there is conductance between hot/neutral and ground, then you have a problem that you must fix.


GFCI Circuit neutral sharing I'm running two 120 volt circuits to GFCI's with three wires each (Hot, Neutral, Ground) and then extending the load terminals out to a remote location. I've run four wires through conduit. Is it possible to share the neutral from the two load terminals on the GFCI's so that I can have two hots, one ground and one neutral for the two remote non GFCI outlets?

Two confused adding machines

GFCIs work by measuring the difference in the current through their hot and the current through their neutral -- if it's more than the trip threshold, then the current must be going somewhere it shouldn't, so they trip to cut off that unwanted current flow.

This means that your plan is doomed to failure -- neither GFCI will reset because the current will divide differently between the GFCI-neutrals than it will between the loads.  You'll have to pull a 5th wire into the conduit beyond the GFCIs to serve as a 2nd neutral -- I'd use a grey or striped wire here to distinguish it from the existing neutral so you don't mix them up by accident and wonder why your GFCIs have tripped.

Or, use a breaker form factor

Alternately, you could use regular receptacles and a two-pole GFCI circuit breaker in your panel instead of the regular breaker that's there right now.  This works, but may be a bit more expensive, depending on what you have for a panel and how much extra wire you're saving.


Slant Fin replacement I have a 3 foot length of slant fin baseboard in my bathroom. It was installed in 1979.

It is rusted and I would like to replace it.

Is it possible to replace with slant fin or should I cover it?

The cover is probably nailed into the wall studs, with the nails behind the finned tube.  I've used this procedure in several rooms to replace the entire cover around the finned tube:

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/heating-cooling/21017155/how-to-replace-a-baseboard-heating-cover

First, you need to take the front of the cover off and the brackets holding the finned tube.  Then you'll  need some shims to pry the cover away from the wall, and slide a long saws-all blade between the wall and cover. Cut off the nail heads behind the cover.  The back of the cover will slide out.

New "dummy" covers can be purchased at the home improvement center.  These are just the covers without the finned tube.  Use these parts to replace the cover you removed.  Secure the new cover to the wall with drywall screws at the stud locations.

As an alternate, I've also seen special covers that go over the old rusty covers without the need for cutting or tools.


Should we sand and prime holes in our walls or pay someone to do it? We just had our 1,000-square-foot house insulated with blown-in insulation. Now we have 180 patched-up holes in our interior walls that need be sanded and primed before we repaint. The holes themselves are about two inches in diameter; the plaster goes out anywhere from six inches to a foot.

How difficult and time-consuming would it be to sand and prime the holes ourselves? If I estimate five minutes per hole, I get 15 hours; is that realistic?

We have one estimate for $1200. That seems like a lot for something we could theoretically do ourselves, especially when we have other upcoming projects that will require professional work.

Should we get another estimate, pay the $1200, or do it ourselves?

If the holes are already patched and all your are doing is sanding it down to a smooth finish before you prime, it will be way less than 5 minutes per patch.

Personally I would do it myself but how valuable your time is something only you can answer.  If you get the sand paper made specifically for sanding joint compound (like this it will go really fast.  Obviously doing the whole house will take a while but I think your esitmate of 5 minutes per patch it high.  Though if you pay someone else, would they be doing "wet sanding" to reduce the amount of dust in the rooms (that is something I have not done and I don't know how much harder it would be)?  That may be a consideration unless your rooms are already a mess from the actual insulation procedure.


Integrate ceiling fixture into Hue system I have an antique chandelier that I've wired directly into the ceiling, and I'd like to integrate it into my hue system. Hue makes chandelier bulbs, but I really want to use filament bulbs, which Philips does not make in chandelier bulb size.
The only option I am aware of for controlling non-hue bulbs with the hue system is the smart wall plug, which is designed for a plug-in outlet. I have considered terminating the chandelier cable with a standard wall plug, and then wiring the Hue smart plug into the ceiling via the exposed wires. I have no idea how good or bad an idea this might be. Does this in any way sound like a reasonable approach? Are their other approaches to allow a ceiling fixture to be controlled by the Hue?
Thank you.

and then wiring the Hue smart plug into the ceiling via the exposed
wires.

What?, Exposed wires, NO.
You would have to have an outlet with the Hue smart plug installed and then plug the modified chandelier wire into the Hue smart outlet. That will only turn it off and on, not control brightness, tone and color like with the Hue bulbs.

The only option I am aware of

How about their smart dimmer switch?
They DO have a E12 base candelabra bulb.
You could use an E12 to E26 adapter  and use their filament smart bulbs
Or a White and color E26 base bulb in the E12 to E26 adaptor.
Philips Hue


Installing subfloor and hardwood on top of concrete (2nd story) I bought a condo in a triplex where I have all of the 2nd floor. Most rooms are on hardwood, while the rest is on laminate with a serious height difference of an inch and a half (hardwood being highest). This being a shared structure, beneath it all is a solid layer of maybe 6 inches of concrete.

I'm renovating a room and intend to level it with the rest and set it on hardwood. I've read other questions about hardwood in basements, but would the considerations need to be similar for a 2nd story floor? Would I need something like DRIcore?

And what about sound? What special considerations do I need to take, if any, to ensure I isolate my neighbour below against sound from walking around on hardwood? (I can make that a separate question if this gets too complex to answer).

SUPPLEMENTAL:

The hardwood is already bought. Oak, non-engineered, 3/4" thick.

I'd go with either a layer of cork or polyiso rigid foam.  Then a floating floor on top.  A nearby residential tower actually requires the cork underlay.  The rigid foam will work just as well at lower cost.

The float floor can be two layers of ply staggered and screwed to each other, or a engineered hardwood product.

See also the "Sound Isolation Store" for great technical details.


Do thermostats coordinate with each other in a multi-zone system? Say I set my thermostat to 72 F. (Yes, I'm in the crazy U.S. and use their strange measurement system). I am under the impression that an HVAC system will wait for the temperature to be off by a certain threshold before turning on and then it might even overheat/overcool by a degree or so to prevent short cycling. For example, if it's summer, my AC might kick on at 73/74 and cool to 71.

First question - is that accurate?

Next, I am wanting to know about dual zone. I see two possibilities here:

Two thermostats trigger a cooling cycle or heating cycle when needed. The furnace/AC is turned on to handle the requested zone(s) at the time. This seems very inefficient as Zone 1 might get to temp and shut down while Zone 2 could trigger a cycle again 5 minutes later.
Two thermostats communicate between the furnace/AC and themselves. In my first example, let's say that Zone 1 hits 74 and turns on. Meanwhile Zone 2 is at 72. A 'smart' system might open the dampers in Zone 2 to cool it down to 71 while it's also working to get Zone 1 down to 71. Even though the thermostat at Zone 2 would not have triggered this itself. These dampers would only open for a short time but would prevent Zone 2 from requesting a cooling cycle shortly after Zone 1's cycle turns off.

Which of these is it? Or is it something else?

Last question - does it require special thermostats?

Conventional multi-zone arrangements work independently. They don't know or care about each other. They're tuned individually to achieve the desired outcome. Sure, there's some minor inefficiency, but not usually enough to warrant extra equipment costs and complex control algorithms.

Also, such systems would be difficult for homeowners to manage and adjust on a seasonal basis. Heck, many don't even know to change their filters or how to manage humidity properly. How are they going to work sophisticated thermostatic equipment?


Replacing Crestron switches with standard switches We bought a house that has a Crestron system and it's been unbearable with lights frequently not working, coming on as if by magic, etc. We had a Crestron installer look at the system and $400 later after "reprogramming" we're still having the same problems. I'd like to consider replacing every Crestron switch in the house with standards. There are hot and neutral wires in all the boxes I've opened. How would standard switches be wired in this situation?

I have only worked on a few of these systems.
Each switch has a hot and neutral.
If you cap the neutral or remove that pigtail then the black(s) can be moved to a simple snap switch.
If you decommission everything I would put the controller and all the switches on E-bay you might just pay for all of your replacements.
The other option is switching to WiFi type switches and a hub.
These are possibly a bit smarter and can be controlled through your smart phone and WiFi.
In either case going with simple snap switches and capping or removing the pig tail or a different smarter type of smart switch and hub(s) setup should not be hard because you have hot and neutral at each location.


Removing concrete lip at garage I am interested in removing a garage concrete slip (31"Wx8'4"Lx1.5"H) to accommodate a storm shelter (4'x8').  The slab is post tension.  The project entails a diamond blade set to cut at a height of 1.25", chipping away at the concrete, grinding to garage floor level.  Do you think this is a good solution?  Can the vibrations affect the post tension cable slab foundation.  The shelter weighs about 2,000 lbs and we have been informed that building up the concrete is not a good option because of bonding the new with the old.

I would challenge not being able to bond a portion of a new pad to old concrete.  I have used latex based bonding liquid to skimcoat to old concrete.  If the floor has been sealed or painted, such that it won't absorb water, might require a surface grinding.

As fully supported pad over a pad, no bonding is even necessary.

Its not clear from your information WHY a interface/overlap area is necessary (presumably IN the garage).

If removing the 'lip' is the easier option, that should be alright, unless some rebar or reinforcing lath is embedded in the lip.


Is it possible to connect this wall light to the existing fixture? I recently discovered a couple of what look like wall light fixtures in my apartment so I went out and bought a wall light hoping the connection would be relatively simple.

The fixture looks like this:

The wall looks like this:

Can I connect the two together easily or should I call on an electrician?

Turn off the power at the wall switch. If there are others in house while you are doing this, tape the switch in the off position or attach a note to it, and inform all others in the house that they are not to flip this switch while you are working on it. Safer yet is to turn off the breaker to this circuit in the consumer unit.

The black coloured connection block looks like it is in the light fixture and, if so, I suggest you use it. Remove the other connector from the brown and blue coloured wires and insert them into the appropriate holes in the black block, and secure them with the screws (firm tight but not so tight you break anything). Insert the earthing wires in the middle hole and secure. Test by turning on the wall switch.


Distribution of lengths of power outages I am looking for a distribution graph of power outages.  I am assuming the graph would show that the lengths are positively skewed.  From this I would be able to determine how long to have my computers run on backup batteries before automatically turning off.

Ask your local regulatory agency. They will probably have that information.

However, the usual practice for anything but critical servers is to decide how long you will need to finish what you were working on, save it, and shut down cleanly.

If you really want to run for many hours, the simplest answer is just to use a laptop machine. They are designed for power efficiency and to run for hours off their internal batteries, and effectively have their own UPS built in.


Pressure Washer shoots black smoke from exhaust and then will not start I have a two year old Troy Bilt pressure washer with a GCV 190 Honda engine. The pressure washer has worked fine for two years (although I have rarely used it).

Recently, I broke out the pressure washer to use for the summer, and I ran into an issue. The washer ran fine for about the first hour of use, but then it shot black smoke from the exhaust and cut off. I could not get the washer to restart.

I removed the spark plug from the washer, and it was charred almost completely black on the end. I bought a replacement spark plug and installed it. The next day when trying to use the washer, it would run but the engine sounded like it was struggling to stay on, and whenever I turned off the sprayer the engine would die. After about an hour, more black smoke came form the exhaust and the pressure washer will not crank again.

Does anyone have an idea of what the issue may be? I've put new gas in the engine and the oil levels look fine.

I think the fuel to air ratio is to high (rich)... the engine needs more air. Look to see if you have a choke on the engine and after letting it warm up for a minute, make sure to switch it to run. If the choke is not the issue, then you (probably) need to change the air filter.

If that doesn't do it, then you may have a problem with the carburator. Don't leave gas in the engine over winter... it causes various problems, including corroding plastic parts- which might lead to gunk in the carburator or worse.


Timer on dryer stopped working The timer on our Maytag dryer seems to have died/stopped working and I would like to replace it myself:

What I mean by "died/stopped working" is that the timer no longer decrements and mechanically moves itself down to "Off". It just stays in whatever place you set it to and so the dryer will continue running until you manually stop it by moving the timer to "Off" or by opening the door. This is obviously a hazard and I'd like to get it fixed!

Any ideas as to how I can take the timer off the dryer, or dismantle it, then figure out what piece is busted and replace it?

If you search the web for "repair manual" plus the model of your drier, you may be able to find a copy of that, or a site which will sell you a PDF if it for a few bucks. That will give instructions on how to disassemble and reassemble the drier. To access the timer, that's usually a matter of pulling the knobs off and loosening some screws on the back so you can remove the faceplate -- but it's a lot more comfortable when you're sure which screws to loosen.

Actually diagnosing it and fixing it is probably best done by unplugging and dismounting the timer from the drier and working with it on a bench, if you're comfortable dealing with house current and figuring out which leads power the timer unit and which ones get switched on and off by it. There are websites which discuss that too. You're lucky that this appears to still be a mechanical timer; if it had electronic controls they generally are pulled and replaced as a unit rather than trying to diagnose them.

If you're lucky, it might just be that the timing motor has failed. If so, that's usually a standardized part and may be attached with screws and thus be replaceable. The hard part would be determining what speed and direction and output gear is needed; the manual may have that info. I'd start by seeing whether the motor turns at all; if not I'd dismount it, apply power to it, and see if it now turns; that will tell you whether the problem is a failure in the motor or the gear train.

The manual may, or may not, tell you enough to test this properly. Sometimes there are interactions where other connections have to be powered or not powered, eg if the drier has a moisture-sensing cycle. (There's usually a straight timed cycle; that will be simplest to check out.)

Basically: If it's already dead, there's no reason not to play Dr. Frankenstein and try to bring it back to life... but ONLY if you're sure you can do so safely. If in doubt, finding the right replacement timer and swapping it in, as @Mazura suggested, is comparatively straightforward and might still save you the labor costs.


Will a widespread 8" offset faucet also replace an existing 12" offset faucet? I have a bathroom faucet (image below) which I think is a widespread 12" (closer to 12 1/4"?) offset, if I am using the terminology correctly.
This faucet leaks profusely around the base of the hot/cold valves when it is used. I want to replace it with something I can get at one of the home repair box stores.
It is not clear to me whether I need to purchase a widespread faucet which has an offset of at least 12" … which frankly I rarely see offered for sale … or whether a widespread 8" offset faucet would also work. What should I be looking for?

Note:
I realize it may be possible to just repair the existing faucet. But why bother? It's from either the 1970s or earlier, corroded in spots, and just generally not worth saving if I have any other reasonably priced alternative.

Update: 04 August 2015
Just adding a bit more detail to expand on Aloysius Defenestrate's answer. It appears that the convention is to always (???) describe widespread facets as "8 inch".  One needs to dig a tad deeper to discover the more detailed installation truth.
Earlier today I looked at 5 different nominally 8" widespread faucets from 3 different manufacturers on the Home Depot website, I found that in the more detailed specification, all of them could apparently be installed in a wider range of offsets. More specifically …

3 of the faucets were 6" To 16" widespread (Delta)
1 of the faucets was 8" To 15" widespread (Pfister)
1 of the faucets was 6" To 12" widespread (Glacier)

To find this information I had to open a Specification PDF document provided on the item's detailed description page on the web site. Something I probably should have obviously realized to do on my own. But thanks for the needed push in the right direction.

I know this isn't really supposed to be a "shop for you" kinda place, but the Moen Banbury 8 specs an 8-16" spread; the Delta Porter is 6-16". I'd suggest you tour your big box store and squint at the packaging to see what range you can cover.


How to swap side by side light switches I have two bathroom switches that are side by side (under the same face plate but separate physical switches). One is the bathroom light and the other is the fan. There are no other switches to the bathroom so I assume both are single pole. Intuitively, the switch closer to the door should be the light but it's not, hence my desire to swap the two.

My main question is, how should I swap these light switches? It seems to me I can just unscrew them and screw them back in opposite positions, no need to detach wires. But are there any safety concerns I should be aware of since the wires may touch/cross or have to stretch to reach the opposite side?

Follow up: I have the same situation in the garage but both switches are 3-way.

If the wires are long enough, just swapping the positions of the switches in the box will work just fine. The wires are all insulated, so there should be no danger if they cross / touch. Turn off the breaker before you do this work.

An alternative method would be to swap the switched-hots of the two switches. If you've got power coming in to your switch box (common nowadays given the requirement for a neutral in the box), this is probably a second black wire connected to the switch, but double check to be sure. On one switch it may be a red wire if the two switches control a light and fan in the same fixture, for instance. Again, turn off the breaker first.

For your 3-way switches, you'd swap the switched-hot and the traveler wires between the two switches.


Can I use two ladders to create a makeshift scaffold? I have a really high stairwell to do walls around (cca 18 ft).  Scaffolding is impractical.  I had rigged a temporary platform that I used to hang drywall and it worked well but I had to remove it because it was anchored into the structural framing and I needed to hang drywall where it was anchored.  So I was thinking to put a 20' ladder at the landing of the stairs or the first stair leaning onto the wall that faces the stairs.  Then I want to take another, shorter ladder (one piece 10') and rest one side on or near the top of the stairs and the other somehow suspend on the big ladder to act as a bridge between the stairs and the big ladder.  From there, most areas will be able to be reached for drywall taping and mudding and later on painting.

My question is, since both ladders are the same width, are there contraptions (hangers) to mount on the big ladder to which I can suspend the small horizontal one?  I googled "ladder accessories" but didn't find anything like.  What is an accessory like that called?  Because I can't just insert the small one into the big one securely.  I was thinking some secure buckle/hook should exist for this type of rigging precisely.

See illustration.

Instead of a horizontal ladder, I'd use scaffold extension plank.  These are designed to work with an extension ladder or with ladder jacks.  Some have clips for ladder rung attachment, I've used a pair of c-clamps (just on the extension plank, to prevent it sliding)
.
OSHA spec on plankings, contains span ratings for wooden planks

Little Giant 8 -13 ft telescoping plank


Replacing a Honeywell Thermostat with a remote thermostat I currently have a heating setup using Cadet wall heaters.  Three of the bedrooms each have a single Cadet heating unit with its own Honeywell dial-style Thermostat.  The living room, dining room, and kitchen each have their own Cadet heating unit and are controlled by one single Honeywell dial-style thermostat located in the living room.  The two bathrooms have a single Cadet heating unit.  While the unit in the kitchen is controlled by the thermostat in the living room, it and the units in the two bathrooms can be manually turned on/off.

It's working just fine, however, I'm curious if I could get and install a programmable thermostat which could control and schedule when the heat turns on/off in each room, separately based on the times that we're in said rooms.  For example, having the temperature controlled in the bedrooms from 9pm to 5am (heaters would be on/off based on the temperature), but off in the living room (because no one is in there); while from 5am to 8am and 3pm to 9pm the temperature is being controlled in the common rooms.

Can I replace the dial-style thermostat with a single thermostat,
which would also have remote thermostats in each of the rooms which
currently have a dial-style thermostat?
Does this type of thing
exist?
If so, am I able to change/upgrade my existing dial-style
thermostats with this type of thing?

Many thermostats make light(er) work

What you want isn't a single central thermostat.  On the contrary, a key principle of proper building control is that parameters in a zone should be controlled by a controller in that zone, reading sensors local to said zone, and driving devices that control nothing besides that zone.

This means that the devices you want to install are individual thermostats, but with networked supervisory capability -- i.e. the ability to set the temperature and scheduling over a local network from a central point.  This sort of use-case is where networked thermostats (there are several out there) excel; however, many of them are designed for more traditional 24VAC control systems used with furnaces and heat-pumps, not the line-voltage system used with electric wall and baseboard heaters like yours.

There are a couple of networkable line-voltage thermostats out there; most notably at the time of this post, Honeywell makes one for their proprietary RedLink wireless automation system (albeit without any type of API integration) and Casa makes the WiFi based Caleo.  In addition, existing low-voltage thermostats such as the Nest can be used with line-voltage systems using a relay transformer combo such as the Honeywell RC840T or equivalent, although the RC840T's transformer may not provide enough power for some networked thermostats (such as the Nest).

Whatever system you go with, though, make sure you secure it from outside network access!


How to describe the size of this garden faucet fixture? I could use some help understanding how to measure and describe the size of a garden faucet.
I need to replace a garden faucet fixture (for the sorry details, see How to repair this leaking garden faucet - update (broken stem)).
I measured the two openings but the measurements do not agree with the stamp on the side.  The stamp says 1/2. The inner diameter of the two openings are 3/4 and 5/8. (See photos.)
What size fixture should I buy to replace the broken one?
(I am not going out to shop due to the pandemic. I seek enough information to order a replacement online.)

Thank you.

That is a bog-standard boiler drain valve. 1/2" Male Pipe Threads (which are larger than 1/2", as 1/2" is the size of the hole in the pipe) on the inlet and Garden Hose Threads on the outlet.

You can also get a "frost free hose bibb" also called a sillcock which has a much longer body so that the actual valve and male pipe thread is inside the building while the hose thread and handle are on the outside of the building, but that would presumably require changing the pipes it's connected to.


Will a French Drain on the outside of a house keep water out of a crawlspace? Right now I have a sump pump and have for years.  I believe that pump has been there at least two decades, works fine.  But, I thought I'd try and fix the water leaking.  If I put a French Drain in the crawlspace, I have no where to drain it except a sump pump.  I already have that.

If I put a French Drain on the outside of the house, next to the house, will that work, or does it have to be in the crawlspace?

I have seen water come in through some of the cinder blocks before, or under them, I do not remember.

How far down do I dig?  To where the cinder block meets the cement footing?

The crawlspace is already low, so the outside will require more digging.  My yard is sloped and the water will use gravity to a County "rain drain."  There are no neighbors, so I don't have to worry about that.  Other than this, keeping gutters cleaned is all I can do.

Cinder blocks are quite porous. To keep a basement or crawl space dry means keeping subterranean water (water table) and surface water off the foundation wall.

Where I live we have a water table at about -24". The only way we can keep basements or crawl spaces dry is to: 1) install a 4"-6" perf pipe about 6"-8" BELOW the basement slab or crawl space, 2) encapsulate the pipe in drainrock (round 3" minus rock without fines), 3) extending the drainrock to within 6" or so of the ground surface so any water trying to "build-up" against the wall, will be drained down to the perp pipe and carried away, and 4) waterproof (coat) the foundation wall to keep surface water from penetrating the wall.

Sometimes we'll wrap the drainrock with filter fabric, depending on the soil. Make sure the perf pipe extends to a drainage swale and we don't connect roof drains into the perf pipe...we extend the roof drains (in a solid pipe) to a drainage swale too. We also add a 1/2" protection board (inert cement board) on top of the wall coating, so when the drainrocks are dumped in, they don't damage the coating.

This system works, unless you are located next to a large hill where the water table "up the mountain" can "push" pressure on the water table under your house. Then, it will cause the water table to rise UNDER the house. To fix this, we run french drains about 10' on center under the house...very expensive.


How can I open my garage door from the outside with a dead opener? This morning I found myself locked out of my garage. My interior wall opener isn't working and neither is the remote. The light on the interior pad is out, suggesting a loss of power. Unfortunately, my fuse box is inside the garage, and I I have no way of entering unless I can disable the opener and manually open the door. How in the world can I do that?

Some models include a lock cylinder on the garagedoor. Typically it is in the top panel. Insert the key (hopefully you have it) and the lock should come out when turned. A length of cord will be attached to the back of the lock. Pulling the cord releases the door from the opener and allows it to be opened manually.


Is it prudent to unclog kitchen sink with boiling water? For months one side of the kitchen sink has been blocked or sluggish, while the other (on the side of the dishwasher) flows freely. After several applications, I am giving up on Draino. It does not help, not even a little.

But simply pouring boiling water unclogs the drain on the stuck side. This works for about a month.

Is it prudent to unclog the kitchen sink by pouring boiling water?

Even though I am careful about disposing of extra fat (butter, solid oils) before rinsing the plates and then putting them in the dishwasher, I fear that some of the fat solidifies and clogs the drain.

This all started right after a house party in which I let ever-so-helpful guests rinse plates and put them in the dishwasher, but maybe it was going to happen regardless.

Editorializing: Even though I use minimal fat during and after cooking, maybe that's an lesson to use even less fat. Perhaps what's happening in the kitchen sink is the same sort of thing that happens in one's arteries.

The motivation for my fear of this being unwise is that I may simply be pushing the fat (if the issue is just fat) further down the drain, and that this will only become a more serious issue down the road. Do you have an experience with this to comment one way or the other?

I'm going to assume you are 100000% correct. But this is an assumption. The only way you are going to know that this is the issue is to hire a plumber, or clear the issue yourself.

This said, your concern of "pushing it further" is real, but realize that millions of people use or eat fatty substances in their home cooking and never have these issues. this leads one to suspect your drain was already nearly clogged for any number of reasons, or someone poured a nice plate of ham (bacon etc) grease in there.

Either way - speculation aside...

Just get a bucket, remove the elbow and look inside and see..... You can just replace the trap at this point. Make sure there are no rough edges for food, hair, etc to catch on. Chances are a toothpick or something is in there and this is building up around it.

Generally, small amounts at any given time will make its way safely to your sewer and you'd never be the wiser. Large amounts, or some other clog may have exacerbated this issue.

Decide if its bad enough to have your main line snaked for extra prevention, but chances are you do not need to do this.


How should the ground wires be connected when changing my dryer's power cord from 3 prong to 4? So we have this really old dryer (MayTag sde305dayw) and I've attempted to do the wiring from a 3 Prong to 4 Prong power cord (moved to a newer home) but when I plugged it in, it didn't turn on.

The confusion I have is there are two Green/Yellow wires connected to the body. There's also a blue wire where I connected the red one to, so hopefully that isn't something that could affect it either. Not sure what else to do at this point, don't want to cause damage to myself. .

The installation instructions show you have wired it properly for a four wire cord. I would check the receptacle to verify it is wired correctly.

Before you do anything if you haven't done it yet download the installation instructions from Maytag. It shows the green wire being connected to the center screw is just a placeholder for a jumper that is connected to the top of the neutral terminal via a spade stake-on. If you connect it to the ground you will be bonding the neutral to the ground as required for a 3-wire NEMA 10 connection.

If after connecting cord correctly I would confirm that the four wire receptacle is being fed by four wires, specifically to confirm a white wire is connected to the L-shaped terminal, green to the opposite terminal, and 240v between the parallel flat blades.

Beyond that your problem sounds like it could be internal to the dryer, way beyond my ability to advise without more pictures.

If you move the jumper and the dryer receptacle is missing a functioning neutral the dryer (if in working order) would illegally operate by running the 120v circuitry on the ground.


More plumbing issues Ok, so we broke down and called a plumber: vent stack had a major block and when that didn't stop the gurgling in our toilet, plumber installed secondary vent under bathroom sink. The gurgling stopped when water is running and we thought issue was resolved. Tonight however, I ran water to do dishes and when I let it out, gurgling. Two of the three times I refilled the sink it made the toilet gurgle when I let water out. What in the heck is the problem now?? Drainline is clean, vent is clean, septic line is clean and tank isn't full. I'm beyond frustrated at this point.

Based upon your description and comments, I am going to guess that the trouble lies with your septic system not draining (or barely draining).

If you are new to septic systems, there is a lot of useful information online about the theory of operation and the different models commonly in use.

Regarding the "pump the tank again in 2 years" advice, that is boilerplate advice from a septic pumping company and it says nothing about the condition of your system, other than the tech servicing it thought it was working.  With a properly functioning conventional system and 2 people living in a 3-4 bedroom home, provided no one flushes a garbage disposal or anything nasty down the drain, the pumping interval can often be extended to 5 years.

On the other hand, if your drain field is mostly plugged then you will begin having trouble about 1 month after it is pumped, since that is roughly the time it takes for the empty tank to fill.  A failed drain field will not necessarily cause water to pond near the surface.  For example, one such failure occurs when more than just clear effluent leaves the tank into the drain field.  After awhile, that condition looks like this:

If the drain field pipes look like this then there will not be visible wetness and the sewage is going to go the only other place it can --back into the house.


can I convert a hanging light to a light with a switch First, I know nothing about electric and will get an electrician to do this.... if it can be done.  So guess I'm wondering if it can even be done.

I bought 6 gorgeous single light fixtures from Habitat for Humanity.  They are on a pole with the electrical stuff/plate on one side and the light on the other side.  38" long, very ornate but newer, not old.  There are two wires coming out of the wire side:  1 is just a silver wire with no coating; the other is coated in clear plastic with two brass colored wires in it. I'm pretty sure these originally were hanging from a ceiling.  However my ceilings are way too tall and I want to place these on the walls in my living room.  The pole swivels up and down from the ornate structure over the plate/electrical so attaching the plate to the wall and moving the pole in the upward position works, it stays in place fine.

There are no individual off/on switches on these so I suppose they were connected in the wall someway where on switch on the wall turned them all on.  I would like to be able to have an off/on switch on each one.  Is that possible?  I do have electrical outlets close to where I want to put each of the 6 lights. Two of the walls where I could put a couple of the lights have light switches.   One wall has 3 light switches that turn off/on: the lanai light, lanai fan, and the third switch don't know what it's for as can't see anything it turns on.  The other wall has 3 switches also: one switch for the entry inside light, one for my front porch light, and the 3rd one for the extended wrap around porch lights.

Images added from links in comments:

Based on reviewing the pictures, yes, a qualified electrician can easily wire these to be controlled by one or more wall switches.  Something like a 3-gang box with 3 duplex switches sounds ideal for this plan.

However, you will have to endure quite a lot of damage to the walls in order to run wiring, and electricians usually don't patch the walls when done.


What are these metal ducts/tubes going into the attic used for? We live in a house that is approx. 1200 sq ft. and was most likely gutted and 'refactored' by the previous owner. In our laundry room, they built a 'closet' around the water heater and our HVAC unit. In this 'closet', there are two metal tubes or ducts that are circular in shape, about 8 inches in diameter, and almost four feet long. You can shine a flashlight up through it and see the wood at the top of the house.

I have a few questions about these:
What could they be (or have been) for?
Would these be causing efficiency problems?
Should they be removed and the holes filled in?

Assuming your water heater is gas, those tubes are likely providing ventilation for the gas burner that heats your water.  If so, they should not be filled in, they were most likely deliberately added when the water heater was boxed in.

If you DO want to close them up, replace the door on your closet with a louvered door that have the louvers permanently open.

As for efficiency - the room for the water heater is closed up - so no, the efficiency loss is minimal.


bath exhaust fan light combo I have a bathroom fan light combo controlled by a rotary timer. Can I get the light in the fan to operate with the switch for the vanity light in the same bathroom? Both switches are side by side.

There is a major consideration that must be investigated before this can be answered in the positive. That is - Is the fan / light combo unit designed to support separate wiring feeds for the light and the fan. Many units do support this whilst some may not.

If your unit does support this then there is a second consideration. If the vanity light and the fan combo are on the same power feed from the main breaker panel then it is possible to entertain the idea that that the two lights can be interconnected to the same switches.

Since the two switches are in the same electrical box this is a good start if the prior considerations are met. The last criteria to look at is if there are already separate power feeds from the switch box to the fan/light combo in the ceiling. If not then it will be necessary to either replace the existing 2_wire+ground cable between the boxes with a 3_wire+ground cable OR to add an additional 2_wire+ground cable.

Once all that is in place the process of merging the two lights to one switch becomes one of pig tailing the correct sets of wires together in the switch box so the single switch can operate both of the lights.


Why does my GFCI circuit breaker trip with any small load, even after replacing the breaker? I have a 20A 240V GFCI breaker in my main breaker box going to a conduit to another breaker box outside.
All worked well last summer. Now, when I put any load (weed-eater, light, etc.) on an outlet connected to the outside breaker box, the indoor breaker immediately trips.

I've tried replacing the indoor breaker with a 30A model (it's 10AWG wire) but it still trips under any load.  I've also replaced the outdoor breakers.

I am confused. If this were a short circuit, the breaker would trip regardless of whether there was a load.

Does anyone have ideas on why this is happening and how I can fix it?

Since it's a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) breaker, it's very likely that you have a ground fault.

GFCIs work by detecting an imbalance in current between the ungrounded (hot), and grounded (neutral) conductors.  This is why you only see the trip when the circuit is under load. If there is 0 current flow, the current is balanced.

I'd start by inspecting the receptacle.  Turn off the breaker, then open up the box where the receptacle is installed.  Look for damage to the receptacle itself, or water/moisture in the box.

For outdoor installations you should always have a weatherproof box, and a cover that is weatherproof even when the receptacle is in use.


How to get stains completely out of carpet? So I have accumulated a disappointing amount of stains in my carpet (some of them even grease stains as I work with food) and I would like to know some sure fire ways to remove them with out ruining the carpet or moving the color around ect

Place carpet in dumpster.

Install new carpet.

Or something other than carpet where you have been prone to dropping food on it - sheet vinyl or some other easily cleaned surface.

A carpet cleaning machine may or may not work on any given stain, thus, this is the only sure-fire way.


How can I add a ground wire to my older Square D panel? This is a Square D 225 amp subpanel, manufactured in 1978. It is located in an old home that predates electricity (originally had knob and tube), and as you can see it has a lot of issues. The grounds and neutrals are connected, the panel is fed by a three wire cable, and most of the circuits are ungrounded, all problems I am eventually going to fix.

However, I would like some advice about what I should do to correct these problems. First of all, can someone familiar with this model identify where the bonding screw is, or if it has been removed? This panel is located at least 50 feet from where the power comes in, and it would be a pain to try to fish a ground cable through the conduit that feeds the panel, and so I was thinking of running a new separate conduit with a ground cable in it.

I also plan to ground the ungrounded circuits by running a single-strand green wire to the fixtures on the circuits.

Is there any problem here with this plan, and are there any other issues with this panel?

Note that while this is a 225 amp panel, it is fed by I think a 2/0 cable, and is one of four subpanels in this house (I haven't checked the others yet, but I suspect they are also wired improperly).

Along with the supply cable there are, I think, 7 cirucits whose breakers are located in the main panel where the power comes in, and pass right though this subpanel in the same conduit as the feeder wires, but I think that their neutrals connect in this subpanel. I would like to change that to where the breakers are in this subpanel. This panel has had these issues for more than 40 years, but an electric water heater was recently connected to it, so that concerns me even more.

No need to add ground wires. There are more serious problems.

In  EMT/IMC/Rigid conduit, the conduit is the ground

This looks exactly like every one of my panels.  No grounds in sight and no ground bar.   And I get the occasional sophomore who goes "How old is this service?" "1960." "Oh noes, there are no ground wires!" "So?" "You need to put ground wires in all these conduits!" "No, you don't."

Presuming the 1978 install date, plastic conduit was not popular at that time.  We know the branch circuits are conduit because you said you plan to add a ground wire.  We know the feeder is conduit because there are other circuits in there.  So I'm gonna bet that most if not all of these are metal conduit, but double check that yourself.

I would speculate you're in Chicago, commercial (e.g. condo or converted space) or somewhere conduit is mandatory.

If it's PVC conduit, then yeah, you need a ground wire.

On to the problems.

1. Grounds on the neutral bar.

I'm guessing this was done by a noob or Romex monkey unfamiliar with wiring methods here, and out of inexperience hucked the green wires onto "the bar, since 99% of what I do is into main panels therefore neutral==ground AFIAC".

Which is wrong, as you observe.  You will need to ground the green wires.  One option is to drill and tap a  #10-32 hole in the service panel back wall, and ground them to that with a pigtail.  Another option is to follow the conduit down to the next junction box.  If the conduit and junction box are all-metal, then one of the holes in the junction box will be tapped #10-32. Stick a little green ground screw in that hole, pigtail off that, and ground there.  That's SOP for me when I make an EMT-Romex transition.  As a result my service panels have no ground wires at all.

Another option is to get a ground bar for that panel.

That noobness is a yellow-flag for other aspects of that work, so I would follow those green wires and carefully inspect all that for compliance with local Codes.

2. Way too many wires in that conduit

There's a rule, 310.15(B)(3)(A), which applies to conduit over 24" long.  It  forces you to derate wires when too many are in a conduit.  For 120/240V split-phase, things factor out to this:

2 or 3 circuits per conduit: No real effects.
4 circuits per conduit:  15-30A circuits unaffected. 2/0 copper limited to 150A.
5-10 circuits per conduit: 15-30A circuits must upsize by -2 numerical sizes. 2/0 copper limited to 100A.

Whatever you've got to do to get down to 4 circuits per conduit, go ahead and do that. Stick with my table above; if you deep-dive into the gory details of 310.15(B)(3)(A) remember neutrals are free in 240V split-phase circuits, and grounds are always free, so every circuit counts as 2 wires.  But "no more than 4" is the rule of the hour.

3. Serving neutrals out of a different panel than hots

Oh heck, no.

Your plan of moving the breakers so the hots and neutral come out of the same panel is just right.

4. Seeing if the N-G bond is pulled

Pretty easy.  Throw as many loads as you can onto circuits in this subpanel.  Then use a DVM to measure voltage between the neutral bar and panel case.  If it's not bonded, you will see a small voltage differential, fraction of a volt.

Now, turn the loads off (right at the breakers is fine).  The voltage differential should get significantly smaller tending to zero.

If it was improperly bonded, the voltage difference would stay very close to zero and not move when you cut loads.

5. All those missing grounds

A similar test can be done on branch circuits to see if they are grounded.  Measure the voltage between N and G at a socket. If the circuit is quiescent, you will see the same difference between N and G that's present at the panel.  Then, plug in a big load like a heater and watch it change. You will see the N-G voltage difference increase just a tick.

I would expect them all to pass; metal conduit is pretty good stuff.

6. 225A subpanel on 2/0 copper wire

130 mph tires on my 90 mph car.  Problem?  No. 130 mph is a "never exceed" rating not a mandate.

This subpanel has no main breaker, so "225A" is the bus rating.  You are not allowed to feed this panel from a 300A breaker.  I rather doubt you are.

What matters is the breaker on the other end of those 2/0 wires, which is what protects the wires and the panel.  I rather suspect it's 100-175A depending on how correctly they followed the conduit-derate rules.  I'm not expecting to find a problem here.

7. Multi-wire branch circuits.  Without handle ties

I see 17 hots landing on breakers, but only 9 neutrals.  There appear to be five cases of black-red pairs landing on individual breakers. Now, mind you, "hot" colors cannot be relied on to be meaningful, but I feel most likely these are multi-wire branch circuits (MWBC).

These two hots seem to be individual circuits, but they share a neutral.  That makes them a single circuit.

Modern MWBC rules absolutely require you to put these either on a handle-tied or 2-pole breaker.  So that when you shut off the circuit for maintenance, both hots shut off.  The two hots must be matched ones sharing the same neutral. They probably were grouped adjacent once, but as breakers get moved around, who knows?

Also, the two MWBC hots must be 240V apart, i.e. on opposite poles.  If they measure 0V apart, that means current from each leg will add, and that will overload the neutral.

8. Wires not identified as relating to each other

I see a glob of black, red and white wires heading off into big pipes.  With no evidence to tell you which hot-neutral or hot-hot-neutral group goes together in which circuits.

That's illegal, for so many reasons. Just you wait, when you start putting GFCI breakers in here, you're going to need to know which neutral goes with which hot.

So I'm afraid you're going to have to get a clamp meter and heater, and make a map, and figure out which neutral(s) return current for which hot(s).  Once they're identified, wrap the groups of wires with tape or shrink tubing.   Since the last guy only used black white red, you might as well get multi-colored tape and color each wire of your MWBCs: the blue group, the green group, the yellow group, the brown group, the orange group, etc.

With THHN wire in conduit smaller than #6, the native color defines hot/neutral/ground: putting colored tape on them does not change their function. Blue tape on a white wire = neutral in blue group.

9. Wires too short to reach every breaker in the panel

Oh wait, you don't have that problem. Don't create that problem.


(re)plumbing trap for double basin sink One of the p-traps under my sink was corroded and leaking. When I looked into replacing it, I saw that it was recommended to just have the garbage disposal and non disposal side of the sink come together into one trap. I was thinking I should instal new elbows on the disposal and non-disposal sides, and a t above the p-trap.

Am I better off just buying all new fittings or can I reuse the chrome p-trap? should I replace the chrome fittings with PVC? Is there perhaps a kit I can just buy that will have all these fittings?

Should I cap one half of the y coming out of the wall, or replace it entirely? Should I cap it with a cleaner cap? It seems to be glued into the waste stack and I don't want to do too much.

The correct way is to have the trap directly below the tail piece from the basin that does not have the disposal.

You would cap or eliminate the Y fitting so you just have one outlet.

The disposal will connect straight over to the tail piece into a Tee ( baffled tee ) fitting attached to the tail piece and the tee will go straight down into the trap.

Here is a basic YouTube video.

How do you drain a garbage disposal?


Moisture issue in bathroom We just bought a house with only one bathroom and have found it to have an over abundance of moisture. There is a fan in the ceiling that comes on when you turn on the light and a window in the bathroom as well. I bought a "moisture collector" at Walmart that seems to be helping with the mold issue but the bath towels never completely dry and smell musty after only a few uses. What could be causing the problem?

Exhaust fans installed in older homes that have not been upgraded are often undersized. Check your existing unit to ensure it complies with the following advice from a major exhaust fan manufacturer:

  A good general rule for bathrooms with 8’ ceiling heights is to allow at least 1 cubic foot per minute (CFM) of ventilation for every square foot of room size for bathrooms under 100 square feet.For larger rooms, the recommendation is based on adding 50 CFM for each toilet, bathtub or shower and 100 CFM for jetted tubs.

You can usually find a sticker or placard with model # and rating on the housing, if you remove the fan grill/cover.

If it does not meet the quoted spec consider an upgrade. Also make sure your existing unit is properly ducted to the outside of your home and that the duct is not pinched or blocked.


How do I fix wall paint that was removed with tape? Before painting I sanded all walls and then cleaned. I painted ceiling first then walls. Before painting walls I taped off a ceiling which was completely dry. Painted walls and the following day removed tape. Seeing wall paint was also being removed I used a knife to cut where ceiling and wall meet. It did not matter paint was removed around the whole bathroom.

Taping isn't commonly done in cases like that, but the issue is obviously a poor paint bond. Maybe you had dust on the wall, or maybe the sanding wasn't adequate at the corner.

Anyway, use a high-quality brush and re-edge your walls. A good technique is to hold the brush at a 45 degree angle with respect to the wall, press it in to feather out the bristles, then twitch the brush as you move along horizontally. This allows extremely fine control of paint flow. There are plenty of good videos on YouTube, too.

I also recommend removing tape almost immediately after painting, for two reasons:

Dried paint acts as a film, which obviously has to be torn or cut to prevent damage and ugly edges.
Torn or cut edges are much more harsh than edges that dry after removing the tape. They can shrink and soften as they dry, resulting in a nicer finished appearance.


I have outdoor lights powered by an in-wall timer. Can I add a dimmer to work with both lights and in-wall timer? I installed these lights that come on with an in-wall timer switch. Here are the lights I bought:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-6-in-3000K-New-Construction-or-Remodel-Recessed-Integrated-LED-Kit-6G1BN-LED-30K-90CRI-M6/206767185
I am really loving these lights but they are too bright. They're only 10.3w each but seem much brighter. I'd love to be able to dim them but be able to keep my in-wall timer. The other thing is, the in-wall timer controls a light on the ceiling in the entryway outdoors. Is there a way to install a dimmer that leads only to my newly installed LED recessed lights? If not I can easily connect them to another junction box with a separate in-wall timer and dimmer.
I can't remember the brand name of the in-wall timer. But if that matters I'm willing to change it out to help me keep them working on a timer.
Here is what they look like at nighttime. I feel like I'm lighting up the whole block!

How hard it would be top install will depend on the exact wiring but I don't see why you couldn't wire in a dumb (non-smart) dimmer after the switch on the switched hot wire to the outdoor lights.
This depends on the wiring in the switch box but if the switched side of the timer goes to two wires, one to the indoor light and one to the outside lights, it should be doable. However, if there is only one wire going to all of the lights, you will have to pull new wiring.
Make sure to use a dumb dimmer, just a slide or rotary control, and make sure it's rated for LED loads. You'll need to make room for the dimmer, either combine other switches or add another box or something. Disconnect the wire from the load side of the timer that goes to the outside lights, leaving the indoor lights connected. In its place, connect the line side of the dimmer. Connect the load side of the dimmer to the wiring going to the outdoor lights.
Note: I have no idea if wiring a dimmer after the timer is allowed by code but I don't see any reason it would cause a safety issue.


Does the amount of air noise generated by a portable fan depend on blade design? Forgetting about motor noise, are all household fans such as window fans and table top fans equally noisey?  Is there a type of blade or grating that is quieter than others for the same amount of circulation?

It's more about the blade speed than it is the shape. The blades in common fans are not highly engineered airfoils, so I don't think you'd find one with an especially quiet profile. Though from an engineering perspective, that is possible, I just don't think you can find it in portable household fans. This article describes sources of noise in fans http://www.comairrotron.com/acoustic-noise-causes-rating-systems-and-design-guidelines, and also lists how fans are rated for noise. Perhaps searching on those terms will point you to quieter options.

For a given amount of circulation, choose the largest diameter fan that is acceptable for your purpose, and run it at a lower speed. At lower speeds you should also find any vibration noise minimized, but you can still isolate it from its supports. Such as placing it on a soft rubber mat for a portable fan.


How to make a Tall Retaining Wall Recently, as in September [Final close date was 11/13/2015] this year, I bought a house. This house is on an extreme incline. I would like to level out this incline.

The front first floor of the house sits level with the ground. The property is 120' long and 40' wide. The rear of the property is ~23' below the front of the property. I want to build a wall at the edges while filling the inside until it is level to the front.

I know I have to offset the walls, but what I want to know is with a max of 25' walls slowly turning into level, how much property will I loose. Basically, how much do I offset the walls. I plan to compact the earth as I go along and the project will take place over a few years to help settle the dirt. The final result should be a trapezoid from over head.

In all honesty I considered asking this in Mathematics and Physics since I'm not sure this is reasonably doable. The bricks I'm using are mostly the red ones used to build houses I think 3-5/8" x 2-1/4" x 8". The dirt is fill dirt that I'll be collecting from other sites.

I've done some very basic research, but most of it assumes the wall is a max of six feet.

Edit: I agree with the answers and comments provided. I'm thinking about just  building a large porch instead. My main concern regarding the hill is that once I clear the brush away, the hill would erode. Maybe I could use several small walls to make a sort of giant steps?

Update: I did a survey of the area and found that it is kind of a giant hole. Like some huge machine cut the valley out. The walls on the other side are more sheer than my side. It also looks like there was a wall near the bottom of my side of the hill but it gave out maybe 10 years or more ago. The underbrush isn't exactly retaining soil either. I think even grass would be a step up. I'm going to start cleaning the area up after the next hard frost since mosquitoes are still around the area despite one frost. I need a hardy non-invasive plant that will spread out once planted to hold the soil.

Edit2: (Wish I could add comments) If I could get the city to raise two sewer caps or even let me raise them, I could fill in the valley. I'd need about 20,000 cubic yards of dirt. I can get the dirt [shipping would be expensive], but the city won't even let me fix a side walk out front so, it's a no-go.

Building 23' of retaining walls is not a small task. This is a giant undertaking. So be forewarned. :)

As stormy noted, 4' is typically the height you can go without having to trigger an engineering sign-off. However, some areas may also have a total height requirement as well. Personally, if I was buying a house with 6 levels of 4' retaining walls, I'd want to see an engineers signature before making an offer. That's a lot of land that's being held back.

As for how far you need to step back, the minimum is the height of the wall. So a 4' high wall would need 4' of space between it and the next 4' wall. More would be better.


How to deal with the stress of DIY renovation? I've done a few DIY projects over the years and over time it starts out as fun and exciting and then it detoriates to stressful and not so fun.

Our latest project was to redo our basement.  This involved basically adding a floor to our house.  We are adding a laundry room, bathroom, kids playroom and bonus room.

My typical day during this renovation is work to my normal job until 5-6 at night, then when I get home until 8 do any noisy work, put the kid(s) to bed, and then continue to with less noisy work until 10 or 11 at night.  (I have a 7 year old)

Working by myself was a challenge (I wish I had 4 arms) but I found overall that my family relationships suffered as well a my normal job has less productivity.

I deal with stress pretty well, but my family had a hard time dealing with everything.  Additionally, I found that over time I found that it was me versus the project and nothing went as smooth as planned.

How do you deal with the stress of a major project?  Do you have any tips or suggestions that make things easier on anyone?

Working on a house that you're already living in is a lot more stressful, because you're living in a construction zone.  Here are a few tips:

Select a part of the house to be construction-free. Your family can be comfortable in that space while other parts are in chaos.
Clean up at the end of each day. This will make the construction space less stressful.
Get help, so you can get the job done sooner, which means less stress. Sometimes that means hiring a crew to hang and tape drywall, much faster than I could do it. Sometimes it means hiring a handy acquaintance to work with me.
Break the project down in to smaller pieces, so you can carry a subproject to completion before introducing new chaos. This isn't always doable, because of interdepenencies, but do it when you can.
Keep an eye on the well-being of your family and be ready to adjust your project expectations to care for their needs. Family is more important than house.
Get out of the house. A picnic together can help you reconnect. Send the spouse and kids to grandma's for a week while you get a lot of work done. And so on.


How do I install a single-pole switch w/ pilot light? I am trying to replace a very old one-way switch with a pilot light (light comes on when the switch is on). The original switch was extremely old, and used quick-install terminals ONLY. Even worse, whoever installed it shoved both hots into one port, and both neutrals into another port. None of them were labelled, and there were no colored screws to go by.

The new switch is a Leviton 5618-2w.

I shut off the power, cut the old wires, put on some wire nuts, and have ID'd which romex is the line and which is the load. Two romex cables come into the box, so I have 2 neutrals (white), 2 hots (Black), and 2 grounds (bare copper).

The switch I am trying to install has 3 terminals as shown below, excluding the ground.

Now the issue I'm running into is the wiring diagram doesn't make any sense to me. I have attached it below.

What would make the most sense is that the silver terminal would take both neutrals, and the brass would take the load side hot/black wire. Then the common port (WTF do they call it common in this instance? Common is only used for 3 way switches I thought) would take the hot line cable. I did this, but the pilot light would not shut off, and the light in our attic wouldn't come on, so that is wrong.

When you forego the neutrals by splicing them together and leave the silver terminal disconnected, the light in the attic works, but the pilot light does not work. So, that isn't right either.

I then tried to wire both hots to the same terminal, and both neutrals to the silver terminal (as was done on the original) and when I turned it on it killed the breaker. At this point I am lost, so any advice would really be helpful. I was hoping to get this done before I lose daylight since there's no way to get another light in the room and I don't want to work by maglight :) Sadly Leviton's tech support line is open craptastic hours so calling them isn't possible.

So, after some further fooling, I rewired it again as I did the first time (with a pigtail going from the neutrals to the silver terminal), the hot line in going to the top right black terminal, and the load going to the bottom right brass terminal. I turned on the breaker and again, the pilot light is on 100% of the time, whether the switch is in the on or off position.
So, I then swapped the hot line in, and the hot load out, and turned back on the breaker, and  it now works properly. So, it looks like the directions are SORT OF correct, but Leviton put the line in where the load out should be, and vice versa. Basically what they say should be connected to the black screw should be on brass, and brass should be on black (still a DIYer, I never know the proper names for these things). I hope this helps someone else who buys this same switch.


First time changing switches and outlets (receptacles). Anything special I should know? I am replacing a bunch of switches and receptacles in my house.

While I understand the basics, this is pretty much my first electrical project, and I figure there must be some hidden "gotchas" or surprises that people run in to when doing this.

Any advice on what to watch out for?

Yes, aside from checking with a tester to make sure the circuit is actually off... there are several subtle issues that frequently catch novices.

Don't remove screws all the way - they are captive. After some distance they will start getting stiff. Stop there, don't force them.

There's your tab. This $1 outlet was ruined, by soldering (!) and removing the screws.

Receptacles - Tabs

Most common North American style receptacles 2 sockets and 2 attachment screws.  Between the screws is a "tab" of metal that can be flexed back and forth and snapped off.

Check the tabs.  If your old receptacle has any tab(s) broken off, you must break them off on the new receptacle.

If you break one off by accident, and the receptacle is valuable, that's fixable.

On receptacles, brass screws are for hot and silver wires are for neutral.

Broken tabs and GFCIs, USB or other specialty outlets

Replacing a tab-broken outlet with anything else is a specialty task that calls for more research. Don't just cram the wires on anyway! The answer might be "but you lose functionality if you do".

GFCI receptacles otherwise

Take care to distinguish LINE from LOAD.

If you are replacing a plain outlet with GFCI, leave the warning tape on, and hook up only the LINE terminals (cap off spare wires). Power up the circuit and test the GFCI.  After it works, shut off the breaker and consider adding wires to LOAD if you want to use this GFCI to protect that downstream part of the circuit, which is a cost-saver if you know what you're doing. Otherwise, add those wires to LINE. Most GFCIs support screw-to-clamp for 2 wires per screw.

Switches - 3-way (UK: 2-way)

Anytime you see 3 or more screws (besides ground), watch out.   3-way switches are tricky, because screw position and wire colors are meaningless, and that's usually what novices go for.  Screw colors matter (or labeling).

One screw  will be black, and is called "common".
The two other screws are brass colored, and are "travelers".

I'm a big fan of buying a 5-pack of colored tape, and marking both travelers with yellow tape.  (alternately: blue tape). This makes it a lot easier to tell what's going on in a busy box.  There is no need to distinguish them from each other, so use the same color.  Two same-colored wires in the same cable suggests travelers.

Marking is helpful because the native wire colors of travelers mean nothing. I've seen 3-way circuits in a how-to guide where 3 different pairs of colors were used in the same 3-way loop!

4-way (UK: 3-way)

These switches have 2 brass and 2 black screws.   Two pairs of travelers attach.  One pair of travelers attach to the brass screws.  The other pair of travelers attach to black.  In most cases, it's easy to group them in pairs - any pair of travelers is always in the same cable or conduit.  Just make sure that is so.

For marking, I typically mark all 4 travelers yellow, since you can easily see the grouping by looking at the cables.


How to handle a corner when using an L schluter edge? We're doing a backsplash and want a finished edge in certain places.

The big box hardware store told us about Schluter edges.

We got an L- shaped one so the edge is basically flat. It's also made of metal.

However there will be some corners. If we use 2 pieces to make the corner, the corner will be really sharp. I can't find corner pieces for a rounded transition (or at least a less sharp corner) - CORRECTION...I found pieces for the corners but they are $20 a pop.

Is there a cheaper way to handle this?

A clean miter cut does indeed leave a very sharp corner. Since these are mill-finish, you can very lightly file or sand the resulting edge, just so it's not going to cut skin. You don't want to take so much that it's visually rounded.

If that's not acceptable, the only other idea I have is to bevel the corners of your backsplash slightly using two 22-1/2* angles, leaving a small flat where the original corner was. This does result in a very different look, though... almost a ranch-style effect.

Update: If you were to cut away the entire base flange for a short distance, you could probably bend the remaining face into a round corner. You'd have to experiment a bit to get something that doesn't tear. Aluminum seems soft, but it doesn't handle sharp bends like steel does.


Use Rigid Foam Underneath Sidewalk to Control Water hoping to get some opinions on this.

I recently dug up a wall of my house as I was having water problems. It's been now sealed, backfilled, and I'm debating how to refinish the top layer. It used to be a poured concrete sidewalk, that ranged from 4" to 9" in thickness (They never levelled before pouring). THis sunk and sent water directly into my foundation wall.

My plan is to just put paving stones right now, but I was thinking about the layers immediately under the stones. My plan is to use about 3" of Granular B Gravel, then paversu on top of it. I also have extra 1" XPS insulation from a basement project. Have you ever heard of laying these boards along the sidewalk, sloped so that any water that gets through the pavers and gravel, gets immediately diverted away from the house? The sidewalk will be approximately 3' wide, so if this idea works, it will send water 3' away from the house, keeping my basement even more dry during the spring thaw and during heavy rain.

I'm trying to think of any reason this would be a problem. Only thing I could think of is perhaps if it doesn't drain away fast enough this could lead to pooling water, but that's quite a bit of water to do that.

Thoughts? Warnings? THanks.

I wouldn't go forward with that plan.

Diverting the water three feet away from the foundation won't stop the water from getting to your foundation. You need to put a french drain in and ensure that there is an outlet for the water to go somewhere where it won't damange anything.

You can buy premade french drain material at your local home improvement store of you can building your own with gravel and perforated pipe. It's generally  pretty cheap either way.

Also, ensure that you have proper slope for your french drain or you won't have flow like you need to ensure that the water gets moving.


How can I repair my bathroom cabinet? I've got a Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) sink cabinet that is at least 30, if not 50 years old.  The bottom has gotten wet a few hundred times from a shower that was near it, and it is flaking apart at the bottom where it meets the linoleum.  It's also right by the laundry shoot, so it gets rubbed on a lot.  I'd like to patch it with something water resistant, then paint and sand the whole cabinet smooth.

What should I use for patching it?  Is there something more water resistant than wood putty?   It should be fine if a soaking wet towel gets thrown next to it and sits for 3-4 hours a dozen times.  I will yell at the kids, but I'm sure it's going to happen.

NOTE: I will probably sand off most if not all of the paint, so a thin coat of whatever on the paint or the MDF should be fine.

You probably want an epoxy based filler such as Bondo.  A variety of manufacturers have a version of this.

These products are a little more complicated to use than traditional wood fillers, but they are pretty impervious to moisture once they harden.  You need to mix small batches that can be used in a few minutes. Nitrile/latex gloves are a must.

Once done, better than wood or MDF for durablility.


Why did my cooktop trip the breaker when I cleaned it with too much water? I have a problem with my miele built-in gas cooktop. I was cleaning it with baking soda and stabilized hydrogen peroxide, afterwards, I rinsed it with water. I was using too much water and one of the burners made a pop sound and I can feel mild heat around the burner. And following that,  the electricity in my whole unit was tripped.

I called in an electrician and he switched on the electricity inside the switch board outside my apartment unit and attempted to turn on the stove. Again, a pop and electricity tripped back off. He plugged out the power cord and asked me to call an electrical appliance repair tomorrow.

What happened inside the stove? Have the fuse inside the stove blown? How does it cause the electricity switch to tripped?

The water apparently got inside the stove and caused a short. If there was a fuse inside there that blew, the breaker wouldn't have tripped. The breaker is detecting the excessive current to the appliance and switching off the power before the wiring inside the wall overheats and start a fire.

The best solution, as the electrician indicated, is to have the appliance repaired or replaced. Until then, leave it disconnected since it's a safety hazard. Without opening the appliance and inspecting the connections, it's difficult to say exactly what inside of it has failed.


Should I be concerned about the size of a hole and notch in my joist? We've just had the house re-wired (UK), and were wondering whether a hole and notch the electricians have made will significantly weaken the joist?

It is the end joist in the room.

Joist dimentions are 175mm height, 45mm width/thickness and 3350mm length (assuming it is length of room).

Hole has an 80mm diameter.
Notch is 70mm in height (some wood still together in middle).

What would be our best course of action to ensure nothing happens (if it will)?

Thanks

Fortunately, the abused floor joist still looks straight. If it happens to be sitting on a foundation/basement wall, it shouldn't be an issue. If it is not supported underneath, it would be a good idea to place a post under it. I wouldn't let the same electrician work on the house anymore.


Tips for removing stuck screws from bottom of shower door? My shower door is 7 years old. The door was getting stuck when I tried opening it from the inside and noticed that the sweep was warped. It's held in place by three metal screws (screwed into a metal strip). They seem to be hopelessly stuck.  I've tried cleaning off the hard water build up and have sprayed the screws with WD-40 and let it sit overnight.

I've tried placing a rubber band between the screw & screwdriver and have tried using a hammer and screwdriver to loosen the screws but they refuse to budge and I'm afraid of stripping the screws.  So far I've only used a  manual screw driver but it's hard to apply hard pressure when the shower door is still hanging on the hinges. Does anyone have experience with this sort of issue or can offer some good suggestions?

Thanks

Use a manual impact driver to break the screws free. You hit the back of this tool with a hammer and it creates up to 200 lbs/ft of torque.

Alternatively, you can grind a line through the center of the screw with a Dremel grinding disk and use a slotted screwdriver to loosen it if you strip out the Phillips drive.


What to look at first when when circuit breaker that fridge is on is tripping? I have a house where the circuit breaker has tripped a few time over the last several days.

It flipped one evening, we flipped it back and was ok for a couple days.  We went away for the weekend and sometime over that time it flipped again.  Since we have been back it flipped again.

Other facts:

Fridge is old (10 years)
It is has been hot here (approx 100 deg during the day)

My first thought was it was the breaker\house electrical but then doing a couple quick searches a lot of posts mention the fridge itself.

What should be looked at first, the breaker\house electrical or the refrigerator itself?

If fridge what should be looked at?

The simplest, cheapest, and fastest test would be to swap the wire into the fridge breaker with another one of the same rating.  (Turn off both breakers first.)  This would test if the breaker has "de-rated" itself.  That sometimes happens as they age.  If the swapped arrangement doesn't trip, replace the (original) refrigerator breaker.

The next easiest step is probably to measure the current used by the circuit.  The easiest place to do that is in the breaker box with a clamp on current meter.  This would reveal whether the refrigerator is consuming more power than it is rated for—if you compare the reading with the ratings plate on the fridge.  If it is too high, first make sure someone hasn't violated the prime rule of a fridge circuit:  it should be the only device on the circuit.


I have a broken Rainbird APAS-100 valve, how can I fix it? I have a Rainbird APAS-100 which has stopped consistently opening when powered.

I've isolated the problem to something in the "AVA-1 Actuator & Piston Assembly" - Rainbird part 145235.  However, trying to locate the replacement part (or an entire replacement valve to harvest parts from) has been fruitless; the APAS-100 and APAS-075 have been long-since discontinued and I cannot find any source of parts.

What can I do to get a working valve in place without the headache replacing the entire valve assembly?

Champion Irrigation makes a valve called the PCL-100 which is compatible with the body from the APAS-100 (and a PCL-075 which ought to fit the body of the APAS-075), which are available as of this writing.

The specific part that I got is the PCL-100-C (not sure what the C means and if the B model works in the same way).

The valve fit perfectly onto the APAS-100's body (though the wires from the solenoid were a bit of a tight fit when installing, I had to take some parts off the neighboring valve to get it screwed on).  In initial testing, it seems to function just fine on the APAS-100's body.


How to wire a ceiling light with 2 wires to ceiling with 3 wires? Our ceiling has three wires...one white, one black, and one green.  The new light fixture we bought only has a white and one black wire.  What should I do with the green wire in the ceiling?

The green is the ground wire.  If the work box is metal then the box itself should have a grounding screw and you should connect the green to that.  Otherwise you don't need to do anything with the green wire.


HVAC vents - does wall or ceiling mount matter? I'm going to add some crown moulding to some bedrooms.  I've got HVAC vents mounted near the top of the wall and the moulding will cover part of the vent.

I want to move the vents out of the way.  I can't move them down and am thinking of moving them to the ceilings instead (there's an attic above them so I've got reasonable access).  Is there any reason this is a bad plan?  Do they work just as well in either location?

I think part of this depends on where you live, and whether this is primarily a cooling or a heating issue. I'll assume we are talking the high velocity vents, which are easy enough to move around. (A check of your profile says San Jose, so I also assume this is a cooling issue.)

Wall mounted vents used for cooling will push cool air across the ceiling, mixing with the warmer air up there. The cool air will now gradually settle down, because cool air is denser than warm air. What you won't feel so much is moving air.

Ceiling mounted vents, because they push the air DOWN, not horizontally, will arguably create more drafts in the volume that you actually inhabit. This is something my wife would not want. So if you do put them in the ceiling, place them where you will not feel the drafts.


How can I square up slots cut with a circular saw? I used a drop-saw to create these slots:

Due to the circular blade, it's obviously left a bit of the wood in place, more easily seen here:

My question is how can I clean up these slots? I've considered filing, of course, and I'd be happy to buy a file that fits if that's the best option. But there's a lot of wood there and I think filing would take a long time.

I also thought of chiseling. Again, I don't have a chisel that fits, but am happy to purchase. However, I can't see how it would actually work. Sure, I could chisel the sides of the slot, but then how would I actually knock the bit of wood out? I'd need a tiny chisel to fit the slot - 5mm or less.

Are there other options?

Use a hand saw on either side to take the sides all the way down to full depth, then a chisel to remove what's left between the two saw cuts.


What it is this thing above the ceiling? It is in apartment on 10th floor.
I suppose it may be the ventilation tube, but I can't understand why the ventilation tube has such a thick walls. And why it ends there, instead of going to some grill in the ceiling...

Looks like a plenum return to me, especially since you said there's a ceiling grill into this area. Basically the false ceiling is acting as part of the ductwork. Very common in commercial buildings, less so in residential... but not at all unreasonable.


Wind from kitchen sink drainage pipe We live on a windy coast of North Sea. High wind is a norm here. One of the problems I face with the wind: it comes out from kitchen sink drainage pipe. If it is blowy outside, you can feel a draft coming from the drainage pipe.

I think the problem is because the drainage pipe finishes outside and does not make a sealed connection:

Because the drainage pipe is not sealed, the wind blows up the pipes and comes out from my sink drain. Making the kitchen colder (we have enough vents there already!)

Is there anything can be done to prevent this draft?

I'm thinking cover the drain hole (the one on the picture) with something, but could it not cause more problems?

UPD: Pipes under kitchen sink look like this:

Thin pipe on the first photo on the left is a waste from dishwasher.

You don't have a trap seal, to prevent air from moving through the drain.

Only the dishwasher is draining through the trap, so there's no trap to prevent air from coming up the drain. you'll have to fix the plumbing, so that both the sink and dishwasher use the trap.

Instead, the plumbing should look more like this...

Use a tailpiece like this, off the bottom of the sink.

This allows you to connect the dishwasher to the drain. You can trim the end of the tailpiece, so that it fits into the space you have.

Connect one side of the trap to the end of the new tailpiece, and the other end to the drain pipe.

You'll also have to add a vent to the system. Depending on where you live, air admittance valves (AAV) can be used.

After looking more at the plumbing, you might not need additional fittings (other than for venting).

Remove the sanitary tee connection from the drain.
Connect the dishwasher outlet to the sanitary tee, where it used to connect to the drain.
Connect the end of the trap (where the dishwasher used to connect), to the drain.

Basically, just swap these connections.