Is it legal to add a jumper wire to a conductor that is too short in a junction box? I live in Sparks, Nevada, and the 2011 National Electrical Code applies to me. My work will be inspected when complete.

I am replacing a switch and have found that someone before me (accidentally?) sliced open the insulation on the hot wire for the switch and neglected to fix it.

The slice only goes down a few inches of the wire, so I am considering cutting this off and just adding a jumper wire to it to extend it the required three inches outside the box (there will be enough wire to add a nut). Is this legal (per NEC 2011)? Specifically I am unsure if this a violation of the amount of wire I have to have coming in to the box.

See picture below, the slice is visible in the hot wire. It only goes as far as you can see in the picture and is intact after that.

Edit: Or should I just wrap it in electrical wire rated for at least 120V? My understanding is this is legal because it is in a junction box.

I think 300.14 is quite clear.  You need at least 6" of free conductor, and the conductors must be long enough to extend 3" out of the box.  If you can't pull more cable into the box, you're going to have to replace it.

As others have mentioned, 314.17(C) requires at least 1/4" of the cable sheath to be in the box.  So the inspector might call you on that as well.


What's the appropriate cable type along exposed rafters? This is a followup to my previous, more general question.

I installed (exposed) 2"x4" studs at strategic locations. These provide a mounting point for metal boxes, and EMT carries the wire up from the crawlspace, through the metal boxes, and up to ceiling height.

Example: (click for full-size)

I want to wire light fixtures in the ceilings. Bending EMT between fixtures' boxes is one option, but because of the unusual shape of the ceiling, I think I'd rather use something flexible. I believe the options are:

NM cable (aka Romex).
AC cable (aka BX).
MC cable.

I think NM is prohibited by code because the rafters are exposed - the cable needs to be protected, right?

Which is the right choice?

Jay, I think you can use NM for this application as long as you do not cross beam. Cross beam refers to bridging between collar ties or floor joists across the bottom of said members, as opposed to drilling mid member and lacing the cable through the holes or following parameter beams and extending inward for each fixture along sides of 2X4's

My first choice would be BX or greenfield plastic coated flex raceway. EMT would be great, but maybe a little impracticable for your application.


Propane tank to air tank conversion I got a new and empty big propane tank from a neighbour (he works at the propane distribution in the city) and I wanted to convert it to an air tank. I know even thought it looks like it, the tanks are never empty so my plan would be taking off the valve and filling it with water in order to remove any gas in the tank left. After that I was thinking about adding rust proof paint inside and rolling it around so it got in every place and let it dry for like a week or something, I read somewhere you shouldn't do this because it would contaminate the air line?! The last problem would be the drain valve, what should I do? I know I am not supposed to weld to the tank so that option is out, I was thinking about drilling and tapping a hole but I read somewhere that the tank is too thin to do that and the last option would be turning it upside down but the problem is that it would contaminate the air line with water. What should I do?

You have the right approach with filling it with water, especially if you can ensure that you've removed all gas bubbles during the filling. If the tank is going to be used by connecting it to a conventional oil-lubricated compressor, you can empty the water and slosh some protective oil inside. There are preservative oils for rust prevention which work. You've not indicated the use of the air, and contamination is certainly a consideration.

With an oil-lubricated compressor, one has an air-dryer and oil-separator device in the outgoing air line, which would eliminate contamination in general.

The drain option is a bit more complex. My conventional shop compressor as a plastic hose in which one end is placed in the tank low point and the other exits the top of the tank through a fitting. After the compressor reaches cut-off pressure, the valve on the hose opens, causing some of the air to pass through the plastic hose, pulling water from the tank.

This particular tank has a conventional drain and I have yet to experience any water within the tank when performing a manual drain, but I also have a Franzinator installed between the compressor head and the tank, removing virtually all the water and oil before it reaches the tank.

You'd want the ability to perform a periodic manual drain with this conversion project.

If your tank is small enough to flip over and use the fill valve opening to drain, that's one option. If you can remove the fill valve opening and drop a suction line into the tank to ensure cleaning, that's another.

My large propane tanks are cylindrical with the long axis parallel to the ground. There would be no single low point unless one end was tipped up slightly. Even a half inch would provide a single collection point.

You could modify the fill valve opening "cork" to take a hose fitting and drop the open end into the low point. Some form of retention for the hose at the low point would be a good idea, of course. On the outside of the fill valve cork, a valve with a hose to direct the water would give you the "pressurized" drain capability described above.

All of the above does not imply safety or lack of safety in the practice of converting a propane tank to air storage. I'm not qualified to make that judgement and have not performed research specific to that discussion.

EDIT: additional information for clarification.

This is a poor image, but saves typing. Consider that the rubber tube is the opening from which the water will drain. The drawing shows the tube in the stopper to be deeper into the bottle, but it should be flush with the plug. The "thermometer" in this drawing should be a hollow tube, extending some distance, just as shown in the image. When turned upside down, the "thermometer" tube will be above any collected water and will provide air to your use, while the other tube will allow water to be ejected when open.

The water ejection port does not need to be a tube, as a hole in the plug/cap will serve, and the outside will have a valve to keep the air in when not draining the water.

The clean air tube will have to be some hollow item. The equivalent of a long hollow bolt that threads into place would work, but I can't picture such an item as being off-the-shelf.

If you have fabrication skills, soldering or welding and have pipe to fit the opening, you should be able to make something that works, while maintaining the integrity of the tank.

I would hope your current valve has a threaded opening of about 20-25 mm when the valve is removed. That should give you enough working room to build an assembly for clean air.

The following images are different views of my interpretation of your drawing. The varying perspectives should provide easier understanding and/or correction.

The green disk represents the existing tank wall. The blue cylinder represents a threaded (?) plug inserted in the valve opening. The blue cylinder does not need to extend higher than the tank wall surface, but is exaggerated here. The red cylinder represents the air exit line and should extend above the tank wall, to prevent water "ingestion" when in use. The white cylinder should be as low as possible on the bottom of the blue cylinder, in order to eject as much water as possible. Of course, there would be valves on both exit cylinders to control air and water flow.

Can you tell me if these views represent correctly your current concept?


How to patch this PVC elbow connection? I bought a home about 3 months back, and recently discovered a slow leak under a wall in my utility room.

I ended up removing that part of the wall to get to it, and the leak is coming from the feed pipe from my well.  This is the pipe that comes in from the outside.

The section in question is basically two elbows, and it leads to a diaphragm pump that ups the pressure inside the house.

Long term, I am going to hire a plumber to repair this.  Short term, I need to get it fixed to stop the leak.

The leak is coming from where the elbow fits into the other pipe (picture below, it's on the left of the elbow).  If you look closely you can see the elbow is a little bit smaller where it's coming out of the pipe.

Whoever did this initially basically just got some hard rubber piping and hose clamps and crammed it all together.  My problem now is, I can't get the elbow to go any further into that black piping (I obviously loosened the hose clamp).  I even tried using a long vise on it, but it wouldn't go any deeper.

Since I have messed with it the leak has gotten noticeably worse, so I had to turn off the well to kill water to the house.

Is there some product or technique I can use to temporarily (say for a few weeks) seal this up?  I really don't want to take all the pipes apart for this. It's already sort of jury-rigged so I'm afraid if I take it all apart I will need to just replace all the piping.

If the solution is something that needs to be reapplied say weekly that would be OK as well, as this is in a corner of the utility room and I plan to leave the wall open until we can get a pro to come in and fix it the right way.

Let me know if any other pics or info are needed.

You can try a fiberglass "pipe repair kit" available at most hardware stores. You soak the fiberglass in water which activates the resin, and then wrap it around the leaking pipes. It will completely encase the pipes and harden, leaving you with a pretty strong temporary fix. I've used this on PVC and copper with good results; I think it would work on rubber tubing but you might want to check the label.

Note that it probably won't be practical to remove the fiberglass later and fix what's underneath, so only try this if you're planning to completely replace that section of pipes/tubing.

Example: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100206252/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


How to cut copper pipes quickly (and cleanly) Are there tools for cutting copper pipes that work faster than manual tube cutters like this one? I have the latter type of cutter, and it works fine, but it takes a fair amount of time and effort to cut a pipe with it. I'm assuming there must be tools that work faster but I'm not sure what I'd have to search for because I don't know what they are called.

I know I could always use a reciprocating saw for a fast cut, but I'm looking for something that would be both fast and cut the pipe cleanly.

A compact miter saw with an appropriate blade would make quick work of things. You'd still have to clean up the cuts to eliminate burrs.

You could also use a circular saw, but you'd want to take care to keep your cuts square.

Most plumbers don't want to lug that stuff around the jobsite, though.  (Even compact cordless circular saws are not something that fits in a tool belt). Once you get skilled with a tubing cutter it's a matter of about 10 seconds, even with 3/4" or larger pipe. You aren't going to reduce that enough with power tools to net much time savings.


LED's emitting high pitched noise I have some LED lights hooked up to a trophy cabinet and for some reason it's emitting a fairly loud high pitched noise, does anyone know what this could be?

It's impossible for an LED*  to emit noise (more than once).

This is a problem with the power supply or driver circuit.

If these are 120V screw-in LEDs, then the built-in driver is the problem and replacing the whole unit is hte only option.

If this is a "plug-n-play" LED conversion of a fluorescent tube, then the old fluorescent ballast is still in play, and that is surely the source of the noise.  It should be replaced with a ballast-bypass aka direct-wire LED, which will remove the ballast from the circuit altogether.

* If you think I mean the consumer products sold at Ikea and Walmart that replace incandescent bulbs, no. I make that clear later in my answer.  I mean LED components. Which is very relevant to trophy cabinets, because they are typically LED "strips" comprised of actual LEDs, and separate power supplies.


Sparks from desk lamp? I have a UL-approved lamp that I've had on my desk since about 2004; it's the kind with two metal arms rising from a heavy base that connect to a halogen bulb fixture. The other day I was working at my desk with a piece of sheet metal (don't ask), and it slipped and briefly contacted both arms of the lamp. Sparks shot everywhere and the lights dimmed. I took the thing apart looking for the broken wire, and instead discovered to my surprise that there are no wires; instead the arms themselves function as the conductors. There's a transformer in the base, presumably so the current won't be enough to kill you, but that obviously isn't enough to prevent problems if there's metal nearby. Can this seriously be how the thing is meant to work?

Lamps below the low contact voltage are not uncommon. I have installed many “fancy” systems that the conductors are not insulated and the lamp holders clip on to the wires . Some fixtures have fancy looking loops with the same exposed wiring. I am sure it scared the #%%^ out of you but it is not dangerous. I think it is 15vac and 30vdc


Aprilaire 56 Humidistat not getting power I have an Aprialaire 56 humidistat that is connected to an Aprialaire 560 humidifier. Currently the humidifier is not turning on and after testing the wiring with a multimeter, the wires going in to the humidistat are not getting a current.

This system was installed by the previous homeowner and was tested and working previously to my knowledge.

The humidistat is wired into the furnace control panel in the C and W2 terminals. From my research, W2 is "stage 2" of the furnace heating cycle. My thought is to move the wire from W2 to W1 in order to draw power to the humidistat.

Are there any other remedies to troubleshoot why the humidistat and in return the humidifier are not powering on?

Wired in this way, this should have never worked.  W2 is the terminal that the thermostat uses to activate second stage heat. It is not energized by the furnace, but by the thermostat.

Also, it looks like the humidistat is not wired properly.  The wires from the furnace should be in the R, and C terminals. It looks like they're in the I-, and R instead.

  Figure H from manufacturer's installation instructions.


Why would holes exist behind a baseboard? After ripping out some rubber baseboard, I discovered random holes all over the place. What would be the logical reasoning that these exist (if any)?

Edit: Hopefully I don't get completely flamed for this, but I'm asking because the basement that has this has been flooding recently and I'm wondering if these holes could be some poor attempt to "drain" water from the wall by the previous owner. The holes cover basically the entire room like this. Sorry for the misinformation I wanted to see what users thought without knowing this edited piece first.

higher resolution and closer image of the same baseboard

I know this is an old post but maybe my response can help someone in the future. We had a water leak in our bathroom that saturated a few baseboards. A water mitigation team came out, removed the baseboards and drooled holes exactly like this around the perimeter. They have set up multiple fans and dehumidifiers to dry everything up and will then put a mold treatment down to prevent any mold from forming. I was told new baseboards  can just be put up. So, looks like a past leak and hopefully it was treated properly before putting those boards back up.


Question about drywall screws I am building a workbench where I'm using 2x4s for the frame. I need to join 2x4 in a T configuration. The instructions say to use 3'' drywall screws. I went to Home Depot, and got the Grip Rite #9 x 3'' screws that look like this: https://pasteboard.co/GziIbad.jpg

How do you drive these in? I tried:

Drilling a 1/8'' hole but the drill bit is only about 2'' long
Used an impact driver.

In both cases, only the threaded (about 2'') part of the screw went into the wood. The non-thread part is protruding. Is the rest supposed to be hammered or what? Or maybe I got the wrong screws. Are there 3'' drywall screws that are totally threaded? For example, the 1 5/8'' ones are. Any suggestions are appreciated.

You need to drill three operations.

The 2x4 piece being fastened. It needs a clearance hole drilled all the way through that allows that #9 sized screw to drop in. So the hole diameter needs to be just large enough as the greatest outside diameter of the screw. That may be the threaded part or the non-threaded part could be larger in diameter.
The clearance holes may want to be counter sunk slightly to allow the heads to come flush with the surface of the piece being fastened. You do this with a counter sink bit in your drill. With 3" screws you will need to be careful to not counter sink too far because your total thickness of two 2x4's is 3" and too deep of countersink will allow the screw to come through on the opposite side.
Piece being fastened to. This part will need to have pilot holes drilled. The pilot hole diameter needs to be less than the outer thread diameter on the screw but the same size or a tiny bit larger than the inner diameter of the screw thread. This is important because with fat screws like #9's it would be possible to split the lumber.

Additional hints:

a) Rub the threads of the screw on a bar of soft soap and it will make driving them in much easier.

b) Consider using 2.5" screws instead so you have less chance of them going all the way through.

c) Consider using deck screws instead that have an alternate drive slot instead of the Philips. A square drive has much less chance of stripping out when driving large screws.

d) Drill your clearance holes in the piece to be fastened first. Then clamp that piece to the part that it fastens to. This will allow you to use the clearance holes as a guide as to where the pilot holes have to go in the fastened to piece. Make sure the pilot holes are at least as deep as the  screw will penetrate. For an inexpensive type 2x4 type frame there really is no problem with drilling the pilot holes all the way through. If the pilot drill bit is not long enough you may have to unclamp the pieces to complete drilling the pilot holes.


Pros/Cons combined meter/load center I am renovating a cabin including complete re-siding so I thought I would use this as an opportunity to upgrade the electrical service to 200amp (currently 100amp). Two reasons, 1) might want to add real HVAC in the future, 2) the current service is not up to code and down-right dangerous (as you can tell from the attached picture). In the picture the black box is the location of the interior (now main) panel. The red box is my proposed new meter/panel location/mast.
I was going to do this by putting in a 200amp panel outside and make the interior 100amp panel as a subpanel.
The building is on a steep hill and I need to add a handrail about 36" above the stairs and if I need to keep the meter no more than 6' above "ground" level that gives me approximately 36" for panel and meter if stacked (I need the panel above the handrail so it can open). I'm not excited about having the meter and panel side-by-side (making 4/0 Al bend around corners seems a lot of work) so I've been looking at meter/panel combos such as the Square D SC2040M200C which puts the meter roughly at 5' above "ground" level and gives me 20 spaces. Or the SC3042M200PS which is a little less deep.
I tend to shy away from "combo" things as I feel they eventually limit your flexibility however, I can't imagine 200amps in a load center with 20 spaces/40 circuits wouldn't serve me fully in the future (famous last words?).
Comments on the combo panels and this panel in particular?
Thank you.

Addendum:
I surveyed the area again this weekend and unfortunately there is a huge tree in the way of moving the utility supply any further to the right. As it is, where the service attachment is now, the service drop runs a little less than 5' feet away from the tree. I talked again with the inspector who admitted "it's best not to" have anything over the stairs but felt the meter was OK as there wasn't another good level place for a drop. He agreed to leaving the meter where it is (but lower) and running to a panel in my basement even though the clearance is only 6'3" high from floor to ceiling in the basement. I asked him about an outside disconnect and he said it wasn't required (yet) but a good idea and recommended a "combined meter base disconnect".
This leaves me in a quandary - Leave the meter where it is and put the panel inside (both of which are not 100% compliant) or something else. I could put the drop to the left (as per my updated picture); this should be an acceptable landing but puts the panel in the way of "traffic" and the mast head will be close to 24' above ground (30' maximum I believe). I also don't relish the idea of having to bore through cinder block (or should I exit the panel on the side and run my branch feed through the rim joist like my pciture?). However, this should eliminate concerns about meter location, panel location, and height of my basement).
Any additional suggestions at this point would be greatly appreciated (@ThreePhaseEel et al).

I'm surprised your inspector is willing to sign off on a rather clear Code violation
Putting a breaker panel, meter-breaker, or any sort of overcurrent device over the steps of a stairway, as you are proposing to do, violates NEC 240.24(F):

(F) Not Located over Steps. Overcurrent devices shall not be
located over steps of a stairway.

So, if you want to use a meter-main for this job, you'll need to move the service mast to a place where the clear working area in front of is on flat ground; while around the corner to the right didn't work, placing it where you describe off to the left side would provided the service drop can reach there.  Amazingly enough, though, your utility's service requirements for overhead service do not expressly prohibit mounting metering over stairs, so if the service mast can't be moved, that'd be a good reason to have a separate meter base and main panel instead of a single combination unit.
If you are going to go with a combo unit, don't pick one that limits your options for getting power out of it
If you do go with a combination meter-main, your biggest issue will be finding one that does not limit your breaker options excessively.  For instance, most center-fed/single-column-width meter-loadcenters (such as the SC2040M200C you are proposing) cannot handle a 200A branch breaker due to wire-bending limits. You could go with a unit with a set of 200A feed-through lugs in it instead, such as the GE TSM820CSCU in a ringstyle, single-column-width form factor or the Eaton MB816B200BTSCU in a ringless, over/under form factor, but that comes at the cost of having fewer breaker spaces in the meter-main.  Over-under units with more spaces, such as the (ringless) Milbank U5268-XTL-200, are also available and provide space for a 200A feeder breaker or subfeed lug block in lieu of the feed-through lugs, but that does lead to somewhat more difficult wiring bending-wise.
The side-by-side, full-width meter-loadcenter you proposed, namely the SC3042M200PS, does not suffer so much from these infelicities, but this design is not as common in 200A equipment, especially for feed-through-lug configurations.  However, with 30 full-size breaker spaces, sacrificing four of them to a feeder breaker or subfeed lug block is generally a more acceptable tradeoff given that the outdoor panel doesn't need to do all the work.  Do note that some side-by-side, full-width meter-loadcenters (mostly Siemens units) suffer from severe stab ampacity limits that keep them from being useful in applications such as yours, although the Siemens MC3040B1200SECW is a useful alternative to the Square-D part you suggested.
Note also that with the coming of the 2020 NEC, you will need to provide a firefighter's disconnect on the outside of the structure; while a meter-main is the simplest way to do this, it does not prohibit you from going down the road of a separate meter socket and main panel, either.


FMC run for GFCI receptacle? I have a water heater room 5x8 that needs a GFCI receptacle added to the ceiling for a hot water recirculating pump. The heater is large and obviously hard plumbed in so cannot be moved and rigid conduit can not get around the back of it. Can FMC cable be used to get around it and strapped to the walls? This is San Diego commercial building. Work will be done professionally but I'm looking at the options. I've tried looking at the NEC but get lost.
Thanks

Nec Article 348 allows FMC to be used as a conduit system. However, NEC 348.12 (1) does not permit the use of FMC in wet locations. So assuming you water heater room is not wet during normal operations FMC can be used. However, if you determine that the wiring might cause a shock or burn hazard during non-normal working conditions some AHJ might have a problem with it.

Due to the fact that this is probably a short run and so material cost would not be a real factor, I would suggest you run it in LFNC "carflex" or LFMC "sealtite" and avoid any conflict.


What DIY tests are available for the quality of stainless steel? How can I test a stainless steel product such as a sink to see if it is truly 18g?

The gauge refers to the thickness of the steel, which is but one measurement of the quality of the stainless steel (the other main factor is the grade of stainless steel it's using) see: Steel Grades on Wikipedia.

As for measuring the gauge , you can get a Sheet Metal Gauge online, or from your local hardware store.


Is connecting a 16A plug to 10A sockets for an electric water heater a problem? I had an electric water heater installed in my bathroom this morning. It uses a 16A plug but I only have 10A sockets in the bathroom (the only 16A in the apartment is high on the bedroom wall for an AC unit).

I know the hardware store sells powerstrips that can take 16A plugs, and which have 10A heads. The largest is rated to 4000w.

Would this be a safety hazard?

If yes, can I just replace the socket in the wall or do I need to get the whole damn thing rewired back to the fusebox?

ADDITIONAL INFO

The heater's plug has a built-in fuse, the kind that pop-up and can
be reset, and says 10 mA on it.
The heater offers 3 heating modes: 1000w, 1500w, and 2500w (the first 2 are individual heating elements, I assume)
I have two breakers for the bathroom. One is dedicated to one outlet, the other to the lights and another outlet. Both are rated 230/400V 50Hz 6000w IEC 60898 GB 10963

It depends on the power rating of the water heater.  From an earlier question, I see that you live in China, so your electrical supply is 220 VAC/50 Hz.  That means that the maximum power draw on a 10 A circuit is 2.2 kW (220 V * 10 A).  In general, you should draw less to allow a safety margin, if the water heater uses more than about 2 kW you should get it rewired because you'll be coming close to the maximum rating of that circuit.

Note: I'm not even considering the presence of other appliances on that bathroom circuit (lights, electric razors, electric toothbrush chargers, etc.).

Based on the additional info in the question, if you only use the 1000 W and 1500 W modes on the heater, the existing wiring should be sufficient.  If there's a way to prevent people from using the highest setting (like mounting the whole heater in a box where it can't be changed inadvertently), you should be OK.


Fence posts too shallow on slope I have a slope and my fence installer only dug down into the clay hardpan 1.5 feet for a 6' fence. He put concrete in the hole but I think it's way too shallow. Since the land slopes I am thinking of building the area up with soil around the posts which would add the needed depth but I don't know if I should use concrete around the posts, since it would need to bond to the concrete just poured this week. Any ideas? Make a shorter fence or pull them out and start again?

Only 1.5’ down for a 6’ fence is unacceptable. The first wind will cause the fence to lean...then eventually fail.

Adding soil to the top is pointless. You want the posts in undisturbed soil.

I’d remove it and start again...minimum 30” down.


ceiling joist storage expression I have pre made truss ceiling joist in the garage. The joists are 2x4x21'.

I want to use space above the joists for storage. I want to sister a 2x6x21' or 2x8x21' next to 2x4x21' is this ok?

If it is ok how do I  do this: nails, bolts? Any other recommendations? Or should  I  put the new lumber in between existing joists?

First you need to determine the weight of the items you plan to store. If the trusses were designed under the IBC/IRC or the UBC (and maybe the BOCA and SBCCI) codes, then they should of been designed with a 10 psf live load on the bottom chord. If you keep below this loading you should be okay, but you might want to check out the code requirements for your building. 1/2" plywood will add a 1.5 psf load. A 2x10 at 24" o.c. will add 2 psf (but a 2x4 will add .75 psf) to the ceiling. A 2x12 at 24" o.c. will add 2.5 psf. Subtract the plywood and add-on from the 10 psf to get what load you can add. The safe bet is to consult with a structural engineer familiar with your truss assembly. Could prove to be the lesser alternative to a truss collapse.


How should I attach a chin-up bar to floor joists? I want to mount a chin up bar to engineered I-beam floor joists.  Am I safe to mount it directly up into it with lag bolts?  If the spacing isn't correct and I span some joists with 2x4s, should I run it in between the joists parallel to the bottom of them (with screws going through the 1x2 bottom of the joist)?  Or should I sit the 2x4s on top of the bottom I part and screw through the vertical joist piece?

The max load is around 200 lbs.

Here's a quick diagram based on @bib's response.  On the left is how I believe he is telling me to go, on the right was my plan based on his response.  The bar itself mounts up.  The I is the joist(s), red is 2x4, blue is screws/bolts and green is the chin-up bar...

Photograph of the completed installation:

If you use several lag bolt of sufficient size, you probably would be OK, but that is not a preferred method.

The load will be concentrated on the threads of the lag bold and the wooden fibers holding the threads. Bolts and screws are much stronger when the load pulls perpendicular to the axis of the fastener instead of parallel to it.  This then relies on the shear strength of the fastener. Basically to pull such bolt(s) out, you need enough load to cut the bolt(s) in half, which is much higher than the load needed to rip through the wood holding the threads.

If you use a 2x4 spanning mount, the same rules apply.  Attaching them to the bottom of the joist is again depending on the strength of the thread in wood, not the strength of the bolt itself. Putting them over the bottom plate of the joist and lag bolting them sideways uses the shear strength and is a much stronger setup.

A 2x4 laid flat (with its 3 1/2" side running horizontal) is not its stronger configuration. It is much stronger and less prone to flex if you set it on edge (with its 1 1/2" edge horizontal). But it is hard to drill a decent size bolt hole through the 1 1/2" edge, and it weakens the piece. You probably need to lay it flat.  If the span is wide and if your attachment point are not close to the joist face, consider stacking two pieces on their flat sides.

If you use that approach, you shouldn't just screw lag bolts up into the 2x4s.  Instead, drill through them completely and use a conventional bolt and nut with oversize washers on the tops of the 2x4s.  This spreads the load over a much larger area (several inches instead of fractions of an inch).


How do I add fire protection to a common (shared) wall? I own a condo, built in 1961. I've started remodeling and in tearing out my kitchen I discovered the wall between me and my neighbors is only that: a wall. No fire protection just drywall, regular (old) insulation and drywall. Any simple suggestions besides tearing down all the drywall?

I'll be installing Roxul Safe'n'Sound™ in the interior walls.

Type X drywall, which is typically 5/8" thick (as opposed to 1/2") and contains fiberglass within the gypsum is typically used for fire protection. I believe it increases the burn through time to around 1 hour, and it increases the impact resistance (there's often falling debris in a fire). For further protection, every electrical junction box should be enclosed around the back, top, and bottom with 2x4's and plywood to prevent fires from burning through the box, or a fire that starts in the box from spreading quickly to the other side. Additionally, every penetration in the wall should be sealed with fire rated caulking (it's typically orange in color, and they also have a similar expanding foam of the same color, so it's easy for the building inspector to verify you used the correct product).

The safe and sound insulation is a great addition. The only other thing you could do is to add a 1" air gap and a second wall on your side, which would help with both the spread of fire and sound, but the downside is that you'd lose almost 6" of space in your kitchen.

Realize that no structure will be fire proof, the goal is to slow the spread until the fire department can get there. And the last small fire I saw in a townhouse resulted in half a dozen engines, ladder trucks, etc, because they take the risk of a spreading fire very seriously.


How can I fix drooping vinyl siding? I have vinyl siding on my new home. Starting about a week ago, one segment of siding detached on one end and is drooping. The other side is attached just fine.

I tried snapping it back into place, as it looks like each is just supposed to stay in place by snapping into each other. That lasts for about a few hours, and it starts to sag in the middle and eventually the same end detaches and droops again.

My father in law suggested using a galvanized nail and hammer in the siding, but seems like a brute force bandaid. Is he right? What should I do to fix this?

Even though the panels snap to each other they are nailed to the wall at the top edge of the panel. So it's probably a good idea to nail it back. Just make sure it's a little loose because the panels expand and shrink a lot depending on outside temperature.


How to cut tall baseboard on a miter saw on the flat with an angle greater than 45 degrees? I have some 11" tall baseboard that I've salvaged from my house. I need to cut a number of outside corner miters where the angle of the miter cut is greater than 45 degrees. The corner is approximately 88 degrees. So the miter cut needs to be at 46 degrees.

Since the baseboard is taller than the miter fence, I cannot make the cut with the baseboard vertical.  So the cut needs to be made with baseboard on the flat (on the bed of the miter saw).

Unfortunately, the miter saw can only bevel up to 45 degrees.  How can I make these cuts?

Also, cutting on a table saw is not an option due to the length of the baseboard

Based on what you have said, the only way I can think to do this would be to create a jig that raises the angle of the baseboard to the correct angle. In this case you need to raise it by one degree. However, with a change that small I'm not sure how easy it will be to build the jig.

What I would do is build a jig that raises it more. Depending on the miter saw, you should have some sort of bevel guide. Hopefully this is in degrees, but it may be just some preset notches with the degrees noted. Regardless, I would build a jig that raises it by either at least 5 degrees possibly 10 degrees (either way you will need to support the work piece, but the steeper the angle the more difficult to support. This would mean you would cut at 41 or 36 degrees. Depending on the precision of the equipment you are using, it may be easier to build the jig to either 6 degrees or 11 degrees and cut and set your saw to 35 or 40 degrees as appropriate.


Ok to install NEMA 14-50R in plastic, new-work, single-gang box? I searched on this site and also google and couldn't find anything definitive on this.

My GC installed a single-gang outlet box behind the range for a NEMA 14-50R outlet. Most of the 14-50R outlets require a two gang box, but I found this one by Preferred Industries that says it works with a one-gang:

https://www.wilmar.com/Sku/35-57070/preferred-industries-3-pole-flush-mount-range-receptacle-straight-blade-4-wire-nema-14-50r-black-125250-volts-50-amp-076335241999

Is this ok? I know there is a way to calculate the fill requirements to get minimum cubic inches of an electrical box but am not sure how to do it for this type of outlet.

Here is a matching one-gang wall plate:
https://www.wilmar.com/Sku/94-7470/flush-mount-1-gang-wallplate-white-078477836781-80528-w

Box fill calculations say you need a volume of 5 in³ per AWG 6 conductor that lands in, or is spliced in the box, plus an allowance of 2 wire volumes (5 in³ each) for the receptacle itself.  For a 14-50R receptacle, you will have 4 conductors, plus 2 for the receptacle, means that 30 in³ is required.

A 2g remodel box is only 25 in³, which is not legally large enough, but is exactly what we use for every Tesla charger we install.  It's a bitch to squeeze the wires in and get the receptacle screwed down, so I recommend installing the whole assembly before mounting the box in the wall so you don't break the drywall with the force of the screwdriver pressing against the screw head.

I'm starting to reconsider this practice and may start using a 4"x2-1/8" square box, which is the minimum actually approved for this application...


Why do the outlets in my solar-powered cottage read "open ground"? My 5000W pure-sine inverter has its metal shell grounded via lug to a #6 copper wire that goes to ground about 4 ft. away.  The leads go to a combiner box that is grounded to the same ground.  Besides that, I have an additional ground outside where my breaker box is located in the cottage.  That wire is attacked to the grounding bar of the box.
All outlets, including the two 110v outlets on the inverter read "open ground" with my Klein Receptacle Tester.
The cottage is wired for a 220v, 6500w generator with a NEMA L14-30P plug for the generator, carrying two 110v lines, two neutrals and a ground wire.  The generator is on rubber wheels, yet when I connect the generator to the cottage, the receptacle tester indicates it is wired properly without "open ground" even before I put an additional ground to the fuse box in the cottage.
As a novice, I have no understanding of what is causing this.  Is it the inverter?

You have faithfully built out your grounding system and kept it separate from the neutral system, which is better than a lot of people do.  It sounds like you've done this work to Code.  But what you never did is fit the neutral-ground bond in your main panel.

A house has exactly one neutral-ground bond

And the problem is, your generator already has one of them.

Neutral is not ground. Neutral carries the ordinary return current that the circuit needs.  Ground carries only fault current during problems.

However, neutral is tied to ground in exactly one location.  That's a very big deal.  The point of the N-G bond is to assure that your electrical system isn't floating at thousands of volts compared to actual earth.  Because the insulation in appliances isn't rated for thousands of volts.

But if you have two of them, that is very bad.  The ordinary current flowing on neutral will then "split" at one of the bonds, and some of it will travel over the ground wires to the other bond.  That means safety ground isn't safety ground anymore, it's a working neutral wire.  Certain failures can then cause grounds to be energized at mains voltage - which is the last thing you want.

And the neutral-ground bond (1) is always at a grounding rod point.  You don't tie ground to earth at junction 1 then have a neutral-ground bond at junction 2.

Right now, your neutral-ground bond only happens through the generator.  That means it's not at the same place as the grounding electrode.  That's bad.

Put the neutral-ground bond where it belongs - in the main panel  where the grounding electrode comes in - but then you'll have two of them when you connect the generator, and that won't do.

The cheap, but at least Code, answer is to remove the neutral-ground bonding in the generator, and then put it back when you unhook the generator to use it as a portable generator (where it needs to ground its outlets).
The cheap, non-Code answer is to remove the ground wire from the NEMA 14 inlet where you plug in your generator.


Ceiling fan capacitor acceptable alternative? I need to replace the capacitor on my ceiling fan. It's 5 wire 4.5 microfarad 350 volts 6 microfarad 250 volts 6 microfarad 250 volts. The closest 5 wire replacement I can find is 4.5 microfarad 250 volts, not 350, but the rest is the same, 6 microfarad 250 volts 6 microfarad 250 volts.  Is this replacement acceptable? I have 120 volt supply. Thank you.

The 250v cap will work on a 120v circuit. Many fans used to come with caps rated for 260v and today they have changed to 250. The higher voltage is needed to account for the peak to peak voltage what we measure is RMS or .707 of peak 1.414 of peak to peak.
So the 250v will be fine.


Small Concrete Pad with (cutoff) 1/4" x 6-in vertical steel pipes, What is this? I've been in my home for 10 years and have finally decided to get rid of this mysterious eyesore in my backyard.  It's a roughly 4' x 4' concrete pad, with two 1/4-inch x 6-in steel pipes installed vertically, but cutoff with a torch before we bought it.  The pipes are ~27" apart, extend at least 2-ft below the surface and the concrete is at least 6-in thick at the edge of the pad.  I've chipped away at the edges with a 6-lb sledge and found it's not going to break up easily!  I'd like to satisfy my curiosity and also figure out how I need to upgrade my removal strategy.

So what is this thing?!

Extra details: The house was built in 1995, I live in Michigan, the pad is ~50-ft from house with no other structures nearby.

Was probably a ham radio antenna--the kind with a center pivot and a single pole above (sometimes called tilt-over). I had one like it on a property I owned. I  just flexed a reciprocating saw blade down to the concrete and cut them off flush.

source and more images


How to find a deck sealant that is compatible with some old sealant that I can't find anymore I am cleaning and re-sealing a wood deck. I have an old half-can of sealant that I would like to use up.

I asked the manufacturer how to find the current product, and they told me this is the one:

Olympic Wood protector waterproofing sealant toner 79002 – Honey gold  https://www.olympic.com/products/exterior-stains/olympic-wood-protector-toner

However I am having trouble finding this exact product - Lowes doesn't sell it online anymore, and it's unclear whether they sell it in store.
http://m.lowes.com/pd/Olympic-Wood-Protector-Honey-Gold-Toner-Exterior-Stain-Actual-Net-Contents-128-fl-oz/3468547

If I can't find that exact product, how can I determine if something else is compatible with it? And would it be okay to mix the two sealants in a hand-pumped sprayer and then apply it that way?

According to your link, they sell this strictly at Lowes in Canada. I'm assuming you're not Canadian as you're using the .com instead of the .ca link for Lowes:
https://www.lowes.ca/exterior-stain/olympic-378-l-wood-protector-toner-stain-and-sealant_g1346222.html?searchTerm=Olympic-Wood-Protector-Honey-Gold-Toner-Exterior

In terms of mixing, don't. You'll waste a perfectly good can by mixing an older batch with questionable quality and an impossible to replicate colour (assuming it properly mixes).

Here are the potential situations: throwing away 20$ of stain, or spending your time applying 60$ worth only to find out you have a patchy deck/doesn't adhere to the surface forcing you to clean it all off and buy another 60$ worth followed by applying it. They could blend, but is it worth the risk?

In terms of a hand spray application, if you go with another product/brand check the labeling as some strictly avoid spray application.


Safe materials to come in contact with copper plumbing We live in a duplex and in our basement the copper pipes run parralel along our joists just beneath the first floor above. There is a large header running perpendcular just beneath the joists resulting in a very large exposed area between units along the 10" joists. Unfortunately we have a rodent issue where rats can cross back and forth between the joists from out unit to our neighbor's. I'm in the process of blocking the area off between each joist with lumber to prevent passage between units. In other words, when you reach up and stick your arm through this area from one side your hand is visible on the other side inside our neighbor's basement. But in one area we have about four pipes running along the joists which is making it very difficult to block off.

What materials can come in direct contact with copper pipes that won't result in corrosion and eventual leakage and failure? I was thinking of some type of metal netting that rats can chew through. But I'm concerned the metal in whatever I use might corrode the copper pipe since whatever I use will have to be in contact with the copper pipes to create a barrier for the rats. Great Stuff foam isn't an option as they (rodents) eat right through this. Also, is there a type of caulk that is safe to be in direct contat with copper pipes? Some of the pipes run vertically up between our shared wall. The holes drilled in the wood to allow the pipes to run through are large enough for rodents to fit through and get into our walls. Is there a copper safe caulk I can use to seal off these openings to prevent them from getting in?

Copper is corrosion resistant to most materials found around a home ; EXCEPT ammonia and urine( urea) . Some household cleaners contain ammonia. When moist they cause corrosion of copper. Ammonia and related materials can cause stress corrosion cracking of brasses.That is why brass flex tubes have not been used for decades to connect gas appliances.


Can LED strips serve as the main light of a room? I would like to know if led strips can serve as the main light of a living room (4.5mx3.5m) and if so, what kind of strips and where to put it in the room (along the walls, along the edges of the ceiling,etc).

I have used LED strips for full room indirect lighting.  I mounted them on one inch angle aluminum.

Following is a picture taken in my previous house where the LED lighting replaced fluorescent lighting.  In my present house I had special wood moldings made to hide the aluminum-mounted LED strips.


How to determine storage capacity needed for water runoff tanks? My region gets an average of 12 inches of rain per year, and 24 inches of snow per year. Nearly all of the rain falls in huge monsoons at the end of the summer, so I have to store everything that falls, and can't expect to collect some and use some, then collect more and use it later, I'll be collecting it all at once.

My local laws do permit collection.
I would like to collect as much possible water in a giant basin, but need to calculate the size needed.

Assuming my house is 1000 square feet, and I try to collect from all angles of the roof, how can I estimate how large a collection basin I'll need? Can I expect to also collect from the snow?

Measurements and observations
Precipitation is measured with units of length rather than volume. At first blush that seems odd: why would we measure a quantity of water in inches or millimeters rather than cups, gallons, or liters? The answer is that volume depends on surface area.
When weather observers in your region say that the average rainfall is "12 inches per year" what that means is that if you set out an open-top container of arbitrary size with walls perpendicular to the earth, and if we assume no wind during the rainfall events, then water will accumulate 12 inches deep in that container. In theory it doesn't matter whether the container is an inch or a mile across. Square or round. Man-made container or natural pond or ephemeral pool in the sandstone.
Weather observation standards call for a rain gauge to be placed out in the open, spaced away from any obstruction by at least two times the height of the obstruction.
Wind puts a bit of a wrench in the works, as do obstructions like buildings or trees. If the collection surface isn't horizontal that changes things too. Consider that when rain falls while wind is blowing, one face of a building will get fully wet even though there's a roof overhang (the windward side) while the opposite face of the building will remain entirely dry, as will some amount of ground beyond the building (the leeward side). A rain collection made on the leeward side of an obstruction will take in less than a collection on the windward side. A surface that is tilted to be more normal (perpendicular) to the rainfall vector will collect more rain, while a surface that is tilted to be more parallel to the rainfall vector may collect much less.
Applied to rooftop collection
The simplest way to estimate the storage volume needed is to find the projected surface area of the roof and multiply by the average annual precipitation. By "projected surface area" I mean the amount of ground covered by the roof -- the amount of floor coverings you'd need under the roof, rather than the amount of shingles you'd need to cover the roof.
This simple method overlooks some obvious sources of error. If there is a tree or other building nearby it'll block some rain from reaching the roof surface. If there are winds present while the rain falls, a stronger wind may result in less rain collection. If the roof is pitched rather than flat then losses to wind will increase with roof steepness. Orientation of the building's larger or smaller roof faces with reference to prevailing wind direction will also play a part.
Bottom line
Water not collected because the container is already full is a missed opportunity. Storage containers have cost, as does the time to do careful engineering accounting for wind, roof slopes, and so on. Only you can determine how much cost can be supported today by the possibility of catching or missing some water in the future.
Start with the simple calculation: build a container with cubic foot volume equal to 1000 sq ft * (1 ft of rain + X ft of snow water content).
If containers are costly then start a little smaller than this and add when experience shows that your roof requires it. On the other hand, if excess capacity now is cheap and later expansion of the storage is costly, then oversize it a bit.


How do I replace this bathtub handle that has a plastic piece? I have followed a number of videos, but they all seem to have a copper (?) stem. At this point I'm up to some plastic piece that has no notches (namely around the metal piece) to use a wrench on.

Where do I go from here? I'm thinking that I would pull it out, but don't want to risk it without being sure.

It is leaking, so I'm probably looking to replace more than just the knob.

[EDIT] I went to Lowe's and they cannot help me without knowing the brand. What would be a way to determine the brand? I do not see any labels, here are more pictures:

http://imgur.com/a/DpMZk

If you're not worried about possibly damaging the plastic bit (after all you are looking to remove it), I would get a pair of vice grips onto the square section at the back of the plastic piece.

This will allow you to either rotate the plug (to un-screw it, if it's threaded or to break the bond if it's glued in), or apply horizontal force to pull it out without damaging it too much.


How can I remove or cover thick, crackled paint on drywall? The guest bathroom in the apartment I recently rented has what appears to be a custom paint job that originally I thought was wall paper. The paint is in vertical stripes, with half the stripes consisting of a very thick application of paint that has a crackled appearance I assume is deliberate.
I have approval from the management company to repaint, but this doesn't seem like the type of treatment that I can just prime and cover up. How do I repaint this bathroom?
Because I rent, replacing the drywall isn't a DIY option. I can certainly request this from the owner, but I don't expect to get very far.

The 2nd pic looks like the "crackle" texture is intentional, but the fact that it ends in pics 1 & 3 leads me to believe that this is simply a failing paint job. I'd guess that it would scrape off reasonably easily. The problem is that it may take the paper covering that makes up the outer layer of the drywall with it when it departs. Then you no longer have drywall, you just have chalk (effectively).
Since the landlord has give you permission to do the painting yourself, I'd follow up with written notice that you're going to try to scrape the old, cracked paint off, but are concerned that it could cause damage to the drywall, and request written permission to proceed despite the risk and a commitment to replace the drywall (at no charge to you) if your attempts don't work/end up causing damage.
That way you're covered either way.
I'm somewhat surprised that this was rented out to you like this, especially since you mention "management company". Usually corporate owned places get a repaint of builder's beige between renters if there's any significant damage or modification (like a questionable paint job) by the previous tenant. If it was an individual who owned a house or two that he leased out, I could see that happening.


Right way to add standard receptacle to this GFCI circuit I've read Can I add a standard receptacle on a GFCI circuit and have a similar situation in that I need to add a receptacle to an existing GFCI circuit, but when I pulled the existing GFCI plug from the wall, it looks substantially different than the version described there.

What I have looks like this, with connections on both sides:

I suspect they're chained to a receptacle at the second vanity in this bathroom, but unfortunately it's across the room from where I need the new outlet to be (which is right underneath this one). What's the correct way to make this happen, short of calling in an electrician?

Thanks!

You can use twist-on wire connectors (or other approved connector), to create a "pigtail".

Turn off the power.
Remove the LOAD side wires from the GFCI.
Using a twist-on wire connector, connect the white wire you removed from the GFCI with the white wire feeding your new receptacle and a short bit of the same size wire (6-8"  should do).
Do the same with the black wires.
Attach the bare ground wire from the new cable, with all the other grounds in the box.
Connect the other ends of the short bit of wire to the appropriate screw terminals on the GFCI.
Reinstall the GFCI.
Turn on the power.


New Hose Bibb hard to turn I just installed one of these in my house:

but after a few days it got really hard to turn,
is it broken?

These are easy to take apart and inspect.  First shut the water off (sounds like you already figured out that part).  Put an open end wrench or adjustable straight-sided wrench on the big nut, called a packing nut, and counterclockwise to remove.  Should not be very tight but be careful anyway, do not want to damage the soft brass nut.  Carefully remove nut and the valve stem.  At the bottom of the stem should be a small disc and attached to that disc a round rubber washer with a screw.  This should be smooth and undamaged.  Look down into the faucet and you will see a round flat area machined into the brass, this is the valve seat and will match the rubber washer, this should be smooth and undamaged also.
Look at the stem just under the packing nut.  Probably have a rubber washer, likely somewhat cone shaped.  This is called the packing washer. You can slide this up and down the stem a little bit, should be close fitting, the stem should be perfectly round and smooth, and the packing washer should be round and smooth and should fit nicely into the top of the faucet which should also be round and smooth.
If any of these parts are not fitting together nicely, or any kind of damage, that could be causing your problem.  An internal manufacturing error is cause for getting an exchange.
To reassemble put the stem assembly back into the faucet and hand thread the packing nut so you know the threads are properly aligned.  Use the wrench and tighten just a little, maybe 1/2 turn, does not need much force.  Turn the valve handle to insure it turns, then close it all the way.  Turn on the water supply.  Check the valve function, should turn freely but with a little bit of resistance.  If a bit of water seeps out between the stem and the packing nut then tighten the packing nut a little, maybe 1/8 of a turn.  The packing nut squeezes the rubber packing washer around the valve stem.  The goal is to get the packing nut just tight enough to prevent water from coming through the stem but no tighter -- too tight and there is too much friction to turn the valve.
If still not functioning well, perhaps there is some manufacturing problem not visible to the eye.  May just have to exchange it.
Personally, I just changed 2 old hose valves on a house I bought, and put in stainless steel full flow ball valves.  Gives much better water flow and should last practically forever.


Recommended to have drain hole in PVC weatherproof electrical box? Is it legal (NEC/Canada) to drill a drain hole in the bottom of a PVC weatherproof electrical box, when used in a wet location?
If so, what size is recommended to drain the water out and keep the wasps out (or avoid other issues)?
For the rest of the seal, is it common to silicone the entire seal between cover and box? Or do you typically seal the top and sides, but not the bottom? Is this a matter of code or good practice?
An instruction manual for a motion sensor reads "If not installed on a weatherproof box or if an adaptor plate was used, caulk the wall plate and mounting surface with silicone." I note, based on an answer below, that the silicone recommendation does not apply, and the opposite is recommended, when mounting on a PVC weatherproof box.

Yes, and you'll want a 1/8" hole
This is governed by NEC 314.15:

314.15 Damp or Wet Locations. In damp or wet locations,
boxes, conduit bodies, outlet box hoods, and fittings shall be
placed or equipped so as to prevent moisture from entering or
accumulating within the box, conduit body, or fitting. Boxes,
conduit bodies, outlet box hoods, and fittings installed in wet
locations shall be listed for use in wet locations. Approved
drainage openings not smaller than 3 mm ( ⅛ in.) and not
larger than 6 mm ( ¼ in.) in diameter shall be permitted to be
installed in the field in boxes or conduit bodies listed for use in
damp or wet locations. For installation of listed drain fittings,
larger openings are permitted to be installed in the field in
accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.

I would not seal the rest of the box though; the idea with normal weatherproof electrical enclosures is to provide a rough seal to keep bulk moisture, bugs, and such out, while having enough air movement to prevent any pressure differentials across the seal from driving moisture in through the slightest imperfections.  (The drain hole helps with this as well, although you'll want to keep an eye on it as spiders can be particularly pesky hole-pluggers.)


How can I convert a ventless propane fireplace to natural gas? I just bought a property and it has a passthrough, ventless fireplace that runs on propane.

I've not hooked up propane to the house, and the natural gas company says they'll hook me up for free. However, the fireplace is currently configured to run off of propane.

I tired to call the manufacturer, but they wont talk to me and told me to call a dealership, which I did. They say it's impossible, and I'll have to buy a new log set, and since it's a double sided log set, they start at a price that's way above my budget.

However, all the log sets they sell can come configured as either propane or natural gas, and my research indicates that all I have to do to convert it is to replace the regulator and the orifices with ones designed for natural gas.

Is my research correct, or is the dealer correct?

This log set has been discontinued recently (it's less than six years old), where can I find the parts I need, and which parts do I need?

The short answer is all you need is a new orifice.

The complicated answer is : don't do that.  Ventless systems have been banned in various places, and come with significant hazards not fully mitigated by a carbon monoxide detector.  Read for instance : http://www.energyvanguard.com/blog-building-science-HERS-BPI/bid/48762/Bob-Vila-and-the-Vent-Free-Gas-Fireplace-A-Sorry-State-of-Affairs

A choice quote: "After doing research, we decided we would never put a vent-free (room vented) appliance into our home. Because of this decision, we didn't believe it would be right to sell them to our customers."

I would suggest asking a different question "how can I vent this ventless gas log set?".  You could also calculate the number of heating days : if this is just decoration perhaps it's cheaper to just run it on propane until it dies.


Why does this toilet fill valve leak around the top? I have a pretty new dual-flush toilet whose fill valve suddenly started leaking for no reason. A picture of the toilet is below:

Basically, the toilet flushes normally once the button is pressed. Water flows from the tank into the bowl. However, there is a problem with the fill valve. While water is supposed to refill the tank from the bottom, it instead leaks out through the gaps in the fill valve. (Picture below)

As you can see, water is coming out from the top of the valve and leaking out into the toilet. If I pull the lever up, the leak stops, but once I release the water starts leaking again. For whatever reason the tank never fills and the water keeps leaking forever.

Now, if I turn off the main valve and turn it back on again, the tank fills normally through the bottom. No water leaks through the fill valve. Of coure, the problem repeats if I flush again.

The problem with these new toilets is that there's no information online on how to fix them. Does anyone here know how to stop this leak and make the water go in through the bottom again?

That's a fairly popular fill valve. To open it:

Shutoff the water, you don't want a geyser.
Lift the float to the top position.
While holding up the float, push down on the top cap and twist the cap a quarter turn (I believe counter clockwise).

The cap will then lift off and you can inspect and clean any parts. Before reinstalling the cap, move any small parts to a safe location, get a small cup to place over the top of the valve, and turn on the water supply. This will jet water straight up from the top of the valve and clear out any debris.

Reinstalling the cap is the reverse of the above procedure. Put the parts back, position the cap back on top, lift the float, press down on the cap, and twist.

Note that if cleaning it doesn't work, it's fairly simple to replace this fill valve.


Cons of Not Refinishing Worn Wood Floor? I am moving into a house. The wood floors show signs of wear and tear. The varnish has worn away in places and the bare wood is showing.  But refinishing will cost $3,000 for some 1,100 sq.ft.  That is a lot of money for me right now.  To help me decide what to do, let me ask, what are the downsides of waiting a year or two before refinishing the floors?  (I can cover the floor with some inexpensive carpeting.)

It really depends on how tough you will be on the floors.  Big difference between a man living alone vs. a family of 8 with two dogs.  Note that the areas that are worn are probably the high traffic areas, so you will probably be hitting those the most too.

The issue is that if there isn't any sort of protective layer, the wood will wear substantially quicker.  Meaning if you just leave the floors and you really abuse the already worn layers, they may have to be sanded further down and therefor the rest of the floor has to be sanded further down.

My suggestion is, before you move in put a couple of quick coats of poly down on the floor.  This is about $100-150 and a DIY job.  Since you are planning on having them refinished in a couple of years you can use this as a barometer if you can do it yourself in a few years (it is easier than you think as most wood is very forgiving).


Water level gets lower and lower in toilet The water level in the bowl of our toilet has slowly and steadily gotten lower over the last year or so.  I replaced the flapper last year, could changing anything in the tank affect this? Or would that be looking at the wrong end, and I need to replace the wax seal? Any ideas on what would cause this?

The only possible reason for the water loss, and that if you're not getting any noticeable leakage, is improper venting, as described here.

There is another reason why it seems that improper venting is the cause - you noticed that the water level was getting lower over a year period. It could be that over that year your plumbing venting clogged slowly & steadily.

Also, contrary to what is said in the link above (that in a case of improper venting you need to call a plumber), I think that if you've noticed the change over a long period, this is also reversible (bird nesting or something similar).

If the problem was very low but steady water level, then it could be a problem that require a plumber's work.


Temporary lock for a door Is there a way to lock a door temporarily without making modifications to the door or its frame; or making minimal modifications like screw holes. I don't want to be cutting big circular holes in the door.

The door swings inward and is made of wood.

How about a door knob lock-out device? No holes or screws required:


Bad ceiling fan wiring? I want to update my ceiling fan.  I uninstalled the old fan.  It was controlled by 2 switches.  One controlled the light, the other the fan.  There are only 3 wires coming out of the ceiling.  Black, white, and bare. However, the black wire has white tape on it, the white wire has black tape on it, and the bare ground also has white tape on it.  The black wire with white tape was connected to the fan's white wire.  The white wire with black tape was connected to the fan's black wire.  The bare wire with white tape was connected to the fan's blue wire!  The green ground wire from the fan was connected to the fan bracket.

I have a new fan/light with remote.  I installed it according to the instructions, ignoring the tape, and using the actual wire color and connecting the bare wire to the fan's ground.

Nothing's working - no power.  What to do next?

With some help from a friend, I think we have it sorted out:

OLD WIRING:

NEW WIRING:

I had some help from a friend and I think I have the mess worked out.


Which colored layer is the orignal brass and what is the other colored layer? I restored antique brass door knobs and plates.
This is what the brass looked like before restoration.

This is what the brass looked like after restoration.

The door knobs have a color mix of yellow and copper. The plates have mostly copper color.
Which color is supposed to be the original brass? And what or where is the other colored layer from?

Copper is "red", adding zinc to it makes it brass and the more zinc the more yellow/gold.  However , there is always an exception. Yellow brass is usually 70 Cu; 30 Zn, but a cheaper yellow brass is ( muntz metal ) 60 Cu ;40 Zn and is a little reddish compared to 70;30. For these two alloys the color trend reverses. So it looks like the knobs are 70;30 and the plates are 60;40 ; both are brass.

These consumer items are very unlikely to be bronze ( Cu + tin ) which is more red than brass.

Well over 100 years ago some consumer items were bronze instead of brass. Plumbing materials are a little different as the better properties of bronze make bronze a little more likely to be used for plumbing.

Very long ago I worked at a secondary copper smelter; they melted copper alloys into standard composition ingots. It was important to separate copper scrap into about 10 categories. Experienced people could sort tons of these alloys by color and form,  not counting the pure copper wire and tubing/pipe.


Humidifier and preventing ice formation Is there anything that can be done to mitigate the effects of a floor humidifer on ice formation gumming up various systems in the house?  I have learned that even RO water is not pure enough to prevent our AC system from freezing up (unit close to air intake duct, HEPA filter, etc.) so am switching to distilled water.
But I'm also concerned about how I can mitigate the formation of ice in our refrigerator.  We have already had a repair person come out due to the fridge side not cooling and the ice maker not working, and after about half an hour of taking things apart (it's not a cheap unit!) pulled out a huge chunk of ice from the internal ducts.  At the time I didn't associate the possibility of this ice formation with running a humidifier but now I'm starting to suspect a connection.  However, unlike the AC where the easy fix is to switch to distilled water, the fridge doesn't have a filter that can clog or simply be replaced.  How I can mitigate ice buildup when a humidifier is pumping water into the air 24/7?
Not running the humidifier is not a good option either, as there are allergy sufferers in the house and it struggles to even maintain 40% RH in the summer.

Ice in your fridge with a RH of 40 is not because of your humidifier, unless you stand with the door open for long periods of time.
I would expect your defrost timer in the fridge was not is not functioning or a fan was not properly moving the air.
Any moisture you put in the intake of an ac system it should by design take out l. Don’t introduce into the intake , the purer water is the faster it will freeze.
If you want to humidify air the moisture should be introduced after the air is chilled.
dehumidification Is a side effect of air conditioning  this may be why you are struggling to get the Humidity up all the moisture you add is being removed with each pass through the evaporator (cooling coils in the air handler).  Try adding moisture at the vents so the moisture air is pushed around or add a humidification system after the coils then all the vents will vary the humid air.
One thing I almost forgot to add the type of humidification can cause worse allergies if there any impurities in the water I would call good RO water the same as store bought distilled probably 19 meg ohm per centimeter.


How do I troubleshoot noisy power lines for power-line networking? I have some power-line ethernet adaptors that worked great in my previous house.  At my new house, they can't get more than a few KB per second because there's too much noise in the line according to the device statistics.  How can I troubleshoot what's causing the noise, and what tools would I need?

You could start by turning off circuits at the service panel one at a time until the noise level drops.  Once you have it isolated to a particular circuit, turn off or unplug devices until you find what's causing it.  The usual suspects for electrical noise in houses would be motors -- fridges, washers, etc. -- and fluorescent lights generally the 4' or 8' long tubes with magnetic ballasts, less so with CFLs (see Brian's comment below), so you should start with those circuits first.

If you can't isolate the problem that way, and if you can power your networking equipment from batteries (laptops, UPS, etc.) you could turn off the main breaker to the house and see if the problem is inherent to the wiring or environment.


Main panel grounding I have installed a 200 Amp meter upgraded from the old 60 amp and then installed a 200 disconnect with a breaker type switch inside then feeding 200 amp main panel.  My question is do I bond neutral and ground together in the disconnect then run a separate ground to the panel and keep neutrals separate in that panel box and treat it like a sub panel or leave them unbonded in the disconnect and bond them in the panel?

You need a proper transfer switch in order to legally and safely use that generator
Your first order of business here is to throw away the suicide cord (after chopping it into pieces that is) and get a proper inlet box, generator cord, and most importantly, a proper transfer switch for your application, so that you don't get blamed for a fried linesman, or written up for a blatant Code violation for that matter.
In your situation, especially considering that you are going to be going generator shopping, you will also have to deal with the other point many people who put generator setups in get snagged on; namely, neutral/ground bonding.  You see, most portable generators come from the factory with neutral and ground bonded together, so they can be safely and legally used for portable power applications, such as those found on jobsites.  However, the service disconnect sitting on the outside of your house also has a neutral-ground bond inside it, and putting the two bonds in parallel causes current to flow places it's not supposed to go.
As a result, most residential (portable generator) transfer applications require a transfer switch/panel with a switched neutral, so that the generator's bond and the house's bond are kept separate.  Fortunately, there are a few transfer panels out there that can provide a switched neutral alongside the other conveniences one comes to expect from a transfer switch.  Most notable among them would be the Reliance Controls XRK models from their Panel/Link X series, as they can legally take most (GE THQL being the only exception) 1" breakers, and can be ordered through a variety of dealers (including online sellers) for a reasonable price.  If your existing 200A subpanel uses 3/4" breakers (CH or QO), then you may wish to look at other options, though.  Eaton makes a switching-neutral CH transfer panel (the CH10GEN50xxSN parts) that matches existing CH panels, and while Square-D doesn't make a single product that's directly suitable, they do make the requisite parts needed to field-fabricate such a transfer panel from a suitable QO loadcenter.
Once you get that transfer switch in...
Once you get a suitable transfer switch in, we can then move onto grounding and bonding considerations as part of the installation of both your subpanel and the transfer switch, which in all likelihood will be treated as a subpanel of your indoor subpanel (which is fine).  In both cases, you'll be running 4 wires (hot, hot, neutral, ground) from the power source (disconnect to subpanel, subpanel to transfer switch) to the destination, and leaving the bonding means (bonding screw or bonding strap) out when you reach said destination.  Furthermore, you'll also need to run a 4-wire feed from the inlet box over to the transfer switch, just like you were running a feeder to a subpanel as described above.


Is it safe to encapsulate lead shot with epoxy? I hope this is the right SE for this question.  If not please point me in a better direction.  I'm working on a project that requires a counterweight in a tight/organic space.  I'm trying to maximize the weight so I need a dense material -- the denser the better.  A material that's easy to machine would be OK, but ideally something that could conform to the space would be better.

These requirements led me to consider lead shot or lead wool as an option.  My concern is obviously safety.  I'm wondering if it is safe to encapsulate the lead with something like epoxy.

My understanding is that lead poisoning typically arrises from ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact.  I imagine that if I encapsulate the lead in something like epoxy then those three pathways are no longer relevant, but I'm just not sure and would rather avoid taking chances.  Maybe the only risk is during the encapsulation process?  Clearly lead is used in a variety of applications with human contact (e.g. lead vests for x-ray) so there must be someway to properly shield it from the surrounding environment.

You are correct in that lead is pretty inert, especially when encapsulated. I would only worry about proper disposal once you are done with it, and how you plan to shape it (since a drill or saw could cause lead to become airborne, hammering should be safer).

If you are worried about health and safety, perhaps a different metal could be used, though they're generally going to be more expensive than lead. Quickly looking at metal density tables, you may also be able to use tungsten (much heavier than lead).

Also, keep in mind that lead isn't that much heavier than other common metals. Lead is 11.3 g/cm^3 while iron is 7.8 g/cm^3 and nickel is 8.9 g/cm^3.

If you want something very dense, depleted uranium would be an excellent choice (except for the health concerns with respect to breathing or eating it and availability issues due to it being a controlled substance).

Gold is also pretty dense, and quite safe.


Is it "normal" for a vacuum cleaner to trigger an arc fault breaker? We recently had our main electric service panel upgraded (from a 50 year old 100 AMP panel to a 200 AMP panel).

As part of the upgrade, the electrician installed an arc fault breaker on the bedroom circuit (15 amp). I've noticed that when the Vacuum is running and plugged in on that circuit for extended periods of time (say, 5-10 minutes), it triggers the breaker.  This only happens when the vacuum is on and occurs regardless of what else is running on the circuit.  We've tried turning everything else off and it still occurs.

Is this indicative of some major electrical issues?  We have a variety of other electronic devices on the circuit (PCs, Piano Keyboard, TV, etc). This only happens when the vacuum is on.

This didn't happen before when the vacuum was running on that same circuit using a "normal" breaker.

The arc fault breaker detects arcing between wires in appliance cords or house wiring which could cause fires.  Unfortunately, such similar arcing also occurs in electric motors as a part of normal operation.  The Arc Fault breakers are supposed know the difference between the two, but often trip anyway.  In my experience, they trip most often when the vacuum turns on or off.

The vacuum tripping the arc fault breaker, by itself, is not an indication of an electrical issue.


Can I use two 2x4's to replace 4x4 posts in a loft bed? I'm building a loft bed for a queen size bed. I planned to build a platform and support it with 4x4s, but I'm having trouble finding untreated 4x4s. I plan to loft the bed 5' or so. The platform will be made of 2x6's covered in 1/2" plywood.

This shows what I'm planning to do:

Can I use two 2x4s instead of the  4x4's to carry the load?

If so, will nailing/screwing them together in several places be sufficient to hold them together?

I'd like to use 3/8" bolts to join the platform to the posts (for easy disassembly). If so, should I only bolt down the long side of the platform, or try to place bolts on both sides of the corner? If the latter, how should I put a bolt through the narrow side of the joined boards?

2 2x4s are not square, if that matters (3 x 3.5). They will be plenty strong as assembled posts.

Try a traditional lumber yard, they will have untreated pine.  Cedar may also be an option.

Your structure would be better supported if you shortened 1 of the 2 paired 2x4s at each corner and made a jack-king stud arrangement like a door frame and header.  The main tenant of construction is to bear the weight with structural components and only use fasteners to keep the structure in place, not to bear the load (in shear).

You are, in effect, making a small deck.  You should attach the rear 2x8 2x6 to each wall stud.  A 4" #10 decking screw would not be too small .

The front and rear members are, in effect, beams and should be 2x8s.  The joists running perpendicular to the beam should be 2x6 2x4s hung with joist brackets.


Replace the glass plate of a ceramic stove with heating coils: can I use any heat-resistent glass? The glass plate of my ceramic stove cracked (Indesit K6C51), and I'm looking to replace the ceramic glass.

(I know about What are some alternatives for a glass stove top replacement?, but somehow the answers were not quite satisfactory.)

The coils you see get very hot, and it seems like the only thing that the glass does is transfer the heat from the coils to the pan.

I have found an original part of around ~$300, which I think is pretty expensive. I'm not very sentimental about the looks of the stove, as long as I can cook on it. So I'm thinking of putting in a (clear) ceramic glass sheet that I know people use for wood stoves such as Robax or Neoceram, which costs me around ~$150.

My question: will this actually work?

My reasoning is that I could put in any heat resistent glass with low heat conduction coefficient (so not the entire plate heats up), but I would like to be sure before I spend money on it.

I have looked into both borosilicate glass, and glass-ceramics. Both are very heat resistent, but only the latter seems to be used for cooktops. Is that because borosilicate breaks easier?

Borosilicate is commonly used for chemistry and cooking. A common name for borosilicate glass is Pyrex. Borosilicates are acid resistant and have low expansion upon heating. However, borosilicates are not as durable as ceramics.

Technically, the kind of glass used on your oven is probably either Ceran (made by Schott) Li2O-Al2O3-Si2O2 or Pyroceram (made by corning) Li2Si2O5. Ceramic glass is probably the best choice.

So a lithium or lithium-aluminum ceramic is probably what you need, especially because of the resistance to thermal shock which is extremely likely- as food will spill on it. If you doused a woodstove window with water, it would surely crack.

The Robax or Neoceram that you allude to, actually appear to be the ceramic glass used on ovens... and they are just attempting to sell them for wood stoves.


Stair Handrail loose, but not due to screws loose I have stair handrails held on by brackets like the one in the image. The bend in the loop piece has a larger diameter than the diameter of the post on the bracket that it loops around. Also the post on the bracket sticks out a bit longer than the loop. These two things lead to a little bit of play back and forth in the directions indicated by the arrows. So the handrail can wobble back and forth about a quarter inch or so.

Looking around online for a solution it seems most everything is just assuming there are screw(s) loose somewhere that need to be tightened.

I've double checked every screw on both the wall bracket side, and the handrail loop side and all of the screws seem to be fastened securely.

Is there a "correct" way to tighten up the loop so that it grabs the bracket post more securely to prevent the handrail from moving at all?

My first inclination is to use some sort of filler, perhaps a little piece of cardboard or something wrapped around the bracket post to make it a little bit bigger so that the loop will fit more snugly to prevent the movement. Are there any reasons why that is a bad plan?

A cardboard or soft aluminium (from a drink can) shim sounds like an excellent solution to the problem.  You want it just thick enough that the screws into the handrail cause the loop to grip tightly when they are done up.


Track Sagging Floor Over Time We recently moved some furniture around in our 100+ year old house, and it's drawn attention to the fact that some of our floors aren't 100% level.  I can't really tell if this is something that's new, or if it's always been a problem but I've never noticed.

Are there tools available for me to track the sagging over a period of time to see if it's getting worse?  I have a level but there's no great way (for me) to track whether the bubble's moved more or less during over a period of time.  My mobile phone as a level app, but I assume that's more for fun that an accurate tool.

Also, if the problem is getting what sort of professional would I want to bring in the assess the problem, and what sort of professional might I need to fix the problem?

Cheap hand laser pointer will do the job. Mount it to a flat piece of wood, or whatever. Duct tape will work fine Put the thing on the floor and lightly mark where you put it. Turn the laser on and mark where the beam intersects the wall.
wait six months and repeat. Is the mark on the wall in a different place? Then you've likely got sagging. It's easiest to figure out what's going on if you mark the wall at several different locations with the laser in one spot; the repeat the same a few times with the mounted laser in different spots.
You needn't worry about your laser mount being level, as long as its the saame each time.

You can buy a laser level at a big box store, but it's a lot more expensive and does exactly the same job as a $1 cat laser yopu can buy at most dollar stores.


Which fitting do I need to run a modern fridge's 1/4" ice maker supply line to an older supply valve with a larger flare outlet? We bought a new fridge for our new home and the supply valve seems to have a 3/8" or 1/2" flare outlet (I'm unsure), while modern fridges appear to use a 1/4". I'm trying to figure out if I can cut one end of the supply line I bought on Amazon linked HERE and use a compression sleeve (unsure on size) and another fitting (also unsure of size - is it really 3/8") to hook it up? I really appreciate the community's help!

You could use a water line tap, easily installed.

That said, check local codes to see if it's allowed. Also note that these piercing taps may be more likely to leak, particularly on older, brittle, pipe.


Did I miss the stud when I drilled into the wall? Short version:

My drill bit didn't have any wood shavings on it. Did I miss the stud?

Long version:

Operating just outside of my DIY comfort zone, I have erected a picture rail on the wall about 50mm from the ceiling.

The picture rail is going to bear a load, so I used my brand new stud finder to find the studs. They were where I expected to find them - both in the corners and spaced 600mm apart between them, so I was feeling good about that.

Very near the ceiling, the stud-finder was triggering constantly, so I figured there was some sort of horizontal beams as well, but I stuck to directly in line with the studs running up the wall.

The AC detector was triggering near light switches, but nowhere near where I was drilling, which was reassuring. I wasn't expecting any pipes in that wall.

When I drilled, the bit went easily through the soft drywall, and then hit something hard, which took a bit more weight to push through. When it got through through that, the bit went all the way in. Odd, I would expect a stud to require a continuous force. Did I hit something thin?

When I examined the drill bit afterwards, I expected to see white plaster dust and some sawdust and wood shavings, but there was only plaster dust.

This was repeated three times.

Whatever was behind the plasterboard accepted the screws. The picture rail is up, and seems to be supporting sufficient weight, but I am left worried that I did this wrong, and want to check before I erect any more picture rails.

It sounds like you may have metal studs. That would explain the difficulty drilling through, followed by the void beyond.


Keeping out street noise While I live on the 7th floor, the noise coming from street level is significant. Small motorcycles with their mufflers taken off race by all day long, constantly, and even at this level they can be ear piercingly loud. While it rarely wakes me up, it sometimes feels like noise pollution is impacting the quality of my sleep.
My bedroom has wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling glass, so there is a rather large surface that needs to be treated. Outside, there is a balcony with a ceiling that will be reflecting sound. Inside, we have a thick curtain that does not seem to be doing much by the way of keeping sound out.
As we rent, replacing for double or triple glazed windows isn’t an option. So I’m wondering how to approach this.
Should I build a wall of wooden frames with insulation ‘wool’ stuck inside? Every morning removing those frames would become a nuisance no doubt, and storing them during monsoon season possibly a hassle.
Should I stick sound insulation foam (the studio kind) to the outside of the windows, praying they come off the window once we move out?
Stick insulation wool up on the balcony ceiling?
Hang a vinyl curtains in front of the windows on the outside?
Ruin our view by putting plants everywhere along the edge of the balcony, so the leaves help in reflecting sound.

Your best answer is to move. <grin>
Replacing the glass with windows designed for this can help, but IMHO they don't do enough to be worth their high price.
You could try exterior mounted bamboo slat sun blinds (they would be easy to raise and lower) But I think they would only drop it by 3-4 dB.
A better and cheaper thing to try would be to glue old carpet to the underside of the balcony above you.  Would look ugly as sin, but 2 foot long strips a foot wide, with 3 inches glued to the upper balcony, and the remainder hanging down would put a big dent on sound reflections.
It should be possible to create a device that has a microphone that you fasten to the outside of the window at the center, and a device inside that picks up the mike signal and vibrates the inner window out of phase.
While this would work for sound that is coming straight on, with the peak arriving at the entire pane essentially simultaneously, coming from below there will be considerable delay between a wave crest reaching the lower and upper part of the window.  (An 8 foot window is about 1/120 of a second corresponding to about 120 Hz (approximating sound at 1000 ft/s) )  To cope with this you would need to have a phase difference between the bottom and top of the window.

It's been/being done.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/11/science/windows-street-noise.html#:~:text=Researchers%20in%20Singapore%20have%20developed,Nanyang%20Technological%20University%20in%20Singapore.
Denoise is selling them now.  But only claims 90% reduction.  That's about 30 dB  https://denoize.com/residents/  Costs are about 500 english pounds per square meter.  Window has to be replaced, not a a retrofit to existing windows.
However a search did not reveal anything as simple as what I described above.


Garage door does not close flush along the top My garage door is sized 6'6" x 9'.  The ceiling is somewhat low, about 7' tall. The door has what I'm told are "sleds" to assist with the top of the door turning quicker so it doesn't hit the ceiling.

The door closes flush to the bottom of the floor. The top, however, is not flush against the frame. There is about a 1-1/2" gap. I removed the sleds and the garage door opener arm so that I could see if those were inhibiting its closing all the way.  With these removed, it will close another 1/2" or so but there is still a gap.

The frame as far as I can tell is square. There is nothing obstructing the edges of the door that would prevent it from closing flush. The hinge for the top panel appears to have at least another few degrees before it's flat, or a 180-degree angle.

Are all doors designed this way? Is this due to my frame being somewhat short? Seems pointless to have an insulated door when cold is just going to seep in through the top.

The screw that holds the lift bar in place may be loose. It should be taut enough to allow the top of the door to hit tight up against the outside weather-stripping when the door closes and hits the floor to prevent drafts. If it is loose and wobbles around, tighten it enough to make it stable and not visibly loose, but not too tight that it becomes too rigid and inflexible.


How to attach a bar in a doorframe For a homemade fitness equipment I need to attach a bar to a door frame without using screws or modifying/damaging the doorframe. The only idea I had was to use a pullup bar which one can clamp into the door frame, something like this

The problem is that the bar has to be heavy duty anchored, say it should be able to hold forces equivalent to min. 120 kg in each direction. I don't want a solution where something is anchored in a closed door!

The project was inspired by this YouTube video and this YouTube video but will be a bit more complicated. I sketched a basic example how it will be used in the second image below (however the device will become more complicated and powerfull, but the problem of anchoring it in the doorframe without closing the door remains the same).

Edit: The solution (once built) should be easy to mount and unmount in just a few minutes.

Edit: The top bar on the second picture is not the (main) problem. There I can use my other pull up bar (Iron Gym) which is more secure and heavy duty but which I can mount only on the top of the doorframe so it doesn't help with the bar on the bottom.

Reline your jamb with another material that you can screw into. The pressure you will subject the door frame to is really needing something screwed into it. To just use pressure has the strong possibility of deforming or worse, cracking your jamb, depends on where the shims are placed behind the jamb, but you cant see them, unless you take it apart, not a good idea, totally counterproductive.

There is more to sketch regarding the assembly how it fits together at the bottom. The idea is, it may be complicated to initially assemble/make, but that time spent now will pay off on how easy it is to assemble and take down.

I see it being 4 pieces, a plywood bottom with pulley mechanism attached, a hinged door head mounted to one of the side jamb liners with the pull up bar and tension bands attached and the ropes to link it all together.