Can't remove ice tray from GE french door fridge I have a GE stainless french door fridge model GFSS6KKXSS. I can't get the ice maker tray to come out. It has a small release lever on the side, which I have used before when removing it. It seems to be frozen in there, or stuck on something.

I want to take it out because it was jammed and the auger wouldn't turn. I blew into the ice depensing hole with a hair dryer and got it to turn again. It dispense the ice, but I need to get it out to see if anything is broken. Disclaimer: Not a photo of my actual fridge - stock photo used.

DO NOT use a hair dryer in your fridge.  I've seen it many times where people destroy the fridge because they get the plastic too hot and it will actually melt.

If you have a big cooler, load it up with all of your stuff, turn the fridge off and leave the door open.  This should melt any ice that is stuck there.  If you leave the freezer closed and don't open it, don't worry about taking your stuff out of it. It'll stay cold for quite a while on it's own.


Spacing between solar arrays I'm considering a solar farm in my backyard so I'm doing my initial research. Found this video. Here's a still from that video:

What's the point of that 12' gap between the arrays? Seems like a waste of space, but I'm sure there's a good reason for it, just want to know what it is.

You don’t want one row of panels to place the next row  in shade.
You need to make a balanced choice about panel spacing... too close and you lose useful solar energy... too far and you have too much darn lawn to mow...


How to find a Water Pressure Release Valve My water pressure is only about 25 PSI both inside and outside.  The water district told me they are supplying 115 PSI to the house and advised that my Pressure Release Valve (PRV) is probably broken.  The problem is, I can't find it.  It's supposed to be within 5 feet of my water meter, which is buried outside near the curb, about 20 feet from the house.  The water district can't help me find it.  It doesn't seem to be near the clean-out for my sewer lines.  Any suggestions how to find the valve?

Your pressure relief valve (let's stop using acronyms) is probably located on your water heater, it is actually a temperature/pressure relief valve. Sometimes a "pressure only" relief valve will be located on supply piping also. They are designed to open up and relieve pressure due to an unplanned temporary high pressure event, they both look something like this:

A pressure regulator is different. It is designed to regulate (control) your water utility company pressure before that pressure can damage your plumbing. This is the device you need go find. It should look something like this:

You will notice by a close look at the pictures that these two valves look very different.


How should I re-caulk my butcher block counter top? Last year I had my kitchen re-done. Everything thus far has held up well with the exception of the caulk between the counter top (butcher-block) and the back splash (tile).

What would be the best way to remove the existing caulk? In addition is there a specific caulk I should use for this scenario? The contractor did a thin line however that separated within weeks. When I attempted to put a larger bead in the crack it was spread more then I desired onto the counter top.

Ok Aaron, you will need to remove as much of the old caulk using a sharp putty knife. If you are careful you will not scratch the block or tile, however it can be tricky. Alternately, a rigid plastic scraper or caulk removal tool (cheap at HI stores) can be used to assure no scratching or gouging. The next step is to run a line of 3M delicate surface painter's tape in a very straight line down the counter top and along the back splash exactly where you want the caulk to end. Select a 100% silicone caulking of the color you want. Apply an even bead of caulk to the seam, smooth it with your finger or a plastic tool tapering the edge thinly at the edge of the tape. Work quickly, do not let the caulking start to set up. As soon as you are happy with the bead's smoothness, remove the tape immediately.  Let the caulk set up and cure for 24 hours before exposing it to water.  Good luck.


Why do my under-cabinet lights flash when two sets are plugged into the transformer? I just installed two 24" IKEA OMLOPP lighting bars under my kitchen cupboards.  When I plug either one into the transformer individually they work fine.  When I plug both of the lights into the transformer the lights start flashing off and on.

Per IKEA, the 24" OMLOPP LED bar draws 7.7W of power.  A single 10W transformer will not be enough to provide power to two 24" bars at full brightness, despite the included transformer having slots for multiple bars to be attached.  You will need one of the larger ANSLUTA transformers (seemingly also available in 30W form) or to chain multiple transformers together (also permitted per IKEA).

In fact, it is noted in the reviews that the included 10W transformer, being unable to power two 7.7W bars, will induce a strobing effect if you exceed the rated power.  Presumably, the 10W transformer can provide enough power for multiple smaller bars and is simply the transformer included with all products in that line.


Fixing porcelain sink with crack and rusting drain Is there a way for me to fix this sink that has a crack and a rusting drain without replacing the sink?

The vanity is built around the sink. I don't know if I can get a similar sink and I don't want to touch the custom built vanity.

Look on the market for plastic covering: you'll only have to replace the drain and seal the new plastic 'sink-in-sink' over the existing sink. I find them often for bathtubs but exists also for sinks.


Can I straighten a twisted wooden pergola post? My 4x6 middle post on my pergola has twisted at the top over the years.  It is sturdy and placed in the ground in concrete.  Is there a way to straighten the twisted post?

As noted in the comments, you can't twist it back.

You could probably plane it to square without massively diminishing its strength.

You could clad it in some thinner material, but you'd probably want that for all the posts.


Do I need an exhaust hole near my sink? This is how my sink currently looks like. There's this metal cap thing on the right that has slits. It is hooked up to the dishwasher (a brand new Bosch European style one). I have never seen anything come out of it. What is it called? What does it do?

I am doing a complete kitchen remodel and I am wondering whether the new kitchen needs that exhaust thingy. I've been looking at photos of up-to-date kitchens online and I haven't noticed any of them have this contraption. Does that mean this thingy is some outdated technology that I don't need it for my kitchen remodel?

Yes, you need that - it's plumbing code in most areas. It's an air vent which prevents forming a siphon from the sink into the dishwasher.

The most widely used term seems to be "Air Gap" though you will get better results with "dishwasher air gap"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_gap_(plumbing)

If you remodeled your kitchen to provide a dedicated, vented in the wall, drain for the dishwasher, you would not need it, as the vent in the wall would serve the same purpose.


Does a heavy drop-in fireclay kitchen sink need mounting clips for installation? The sink I bought didn't come with mounting clips. It weighs 75 pounds. Is 100% silicone on the drop in lip enough to secure it in place?

YES Silicone caulk is actually a very strong adhesive once cured. In fact, I would say you will not be able to move the sink even if you deliberately try to. Also, there will be no significant lateral forces during normal use; the weight of the sink + the silicone will be fine.


Electric shower is cold in the morning I have a new 8.5kW mains fed electric shower (Triton T80z) which is cold in the morning but warm in the evening.

It has a low pressure indicator light on it so I know it's not a pressure problem (unless the light is broken...).

Anyone have any ideas on how to remediate this?

EDIT:
Thanks DDS, some great info and options there. In the morning it doesn't heat the water at all so it comes out at mains temperature. I've fiddled with the settings (both elements on, max temp set etc) but with no difference made.. any ideas on why it'd do that?

How cold? (20°C, 30°C)
Remember that in winter mains water is colder (5°C vs summer's 15°C) and at night it gets even colder: 2° On average, and with a 8,5 kW you can rise only 3,5L/min at 35°C delta (which is really low flow).  It means a 37°C shower in morning and 40°C in evening.

I think its a too low power appliance: consider switching to instant-gas that allows by-far better performances. Even going for a 10 or 12 kw electric shower won't improve much your situation. Remember: a flow of 1L/Min (starting at 5°C) requires a power of 2,4 kW. And a good shower (at least in my Italian terms) is 10L/min, although 6L/min is still acceptable.

Another electric option is to install a Point-Of-Use immersion that can give you really better performances (for 2-people shower 40L is enough), at least in winter.


Is drywall replacement necessary where a bulkhead was removed? Is drywall necessary when bulkheads are removed and new cabinets will cover the space made by the removal?  Are there safety issues if the drywall is not replaced?

I would fill in the drywall.  This is minutes of time and maybe $20 - you don't have to mud/tape.  You want all of your cabinets backing to a semi-flat surface and having the top foot or two different might present some install issues.


Connecting a 2x4 and 4x4 post I am looking to build this table.  The design is simple and I like the basic style.  I do not have a Kreg Jig to drill pocket holes to attach the 2x4 rails to the legs.  How else could I secure these without going through the outside of the leg?  Its going to be outside for the summer and moved to a garage in the winter so they need to be as sturdy as possible.

The following is a fairly classic way to do this.

The 2 by 4s get glued and screwed to the table top with a diagonal cross piece at the corners.

The legs then get placed and screwed or bolted to the diagonal so it gets pulled tight.

If you use lag screws, or the like, the legs come off pretty easy for storage.


Moving into ancient apartment, two-prong outlets I just signed a lease on an apartment.  I didn't look carefully at all the outlets, but I noticed that each bedroom has exactly one outlet, and the overhead light fixture in the kitchen works by pulling a chain, i.e. there is no light switch in the wall.  So I think the electrical wiring must be very old-fashioned.

My question (I hope I may ask this here even though I do not want to do any DIY electrical work -- not sure where else to ask): may I safely plug in my laptop?  I suspect it would not be good to use a surge protector.  Should I make sure to unplug it if there's a chance of a thunderstorm?  Should I go to the library every day to charge it?

The electric company required an electrical inspection before I could open an account for the address.  The apartment passed the inspection.  I didn't have the opportunity to speak with the inspector.

Sorry, I forgot to say, I'm in the U.S., specifically New York State.

First yes you can connect a laptop into a two prong outlet. Is it Safe? That's anybody's guess.

My easiest answer without out rewiring the apartment is to purchase a small UPS system for your laptop. KVA size depends on your computer equipment demands. It has no direct electrical connection to the supply side power. In other words it creates it's own power. This keeps you power supply clean and constant and it protects from surges and sages and requires no electrical knowledge.

If you would like to provide a little more protection. You could ground the source side power and bond the case (should be already done within the unit).

Good Luck


How can I inspect 6" horizontal ducts to locate a rattle? Something is rattling somewhere in a 6" round metal ceiling HVAC duct network, not near any vents.  Maybe it's a loose damper.  The ducts are now behind finished wallboard and since the airflow to all vents is adequate it's not worth destructive inspection.
I was thinking that a cheap wired robot with camera – probably designed and sold as a toy – could crawl through the ducts to inspect them.  My search for such a product has only turned up 4-figure robots designed for commercial HVAC operations.
Are there any clever and inexpensive tools, robotic or otherwise, for inspecting deep into 6" round rigid ducts?

I can't imagine needing anything more than a cheap borescope and a fish tape. The trick would be attaching the borescope in such a way that it doesn't collect gobs of lint as you work it down the duct.
I'd actually forego the camera to start and just knock a fish tape or light plumbing auger around a bit. Maybe you'll knock the thing into a more favorable position.
You could also work a powerful vacuum down there with hose extensions. Be sure to tape them together well to avoid a worse situation.


What could be causing my A/C not to come on? I had a thermostat get hot and smell, replaced thermostat.  Still not working found fuse on control board blown replaced fuse.  Lights on control board indicate no problems.  Replaced 18/5 cable from control board to thermostat.  Still not working.  Replaced cable from control board to condenser.  Was able to manually start compressor and fan on condensing unit.  But still not turning on.  Did jumper tests from R thermostat lead and fan and R to A/C wire on control board, both caused 3amp fuse to blow on control board.  Replaced 24v transformer was getting high voltage.  Still not working.  I don't know what to try next, I would think a control board but the heat works and the lights say it is operating fine.  This is a Lenox brand system.

If the system run normally when the thermostat is calling for heat, and when the fan control is switched to the ON position. Then the first thing I'd look at, is the contactor in the condensing unit.

WARNING: If you're not comfortable opening the condensing unit, and/or working with electrical devices. PLEASE contact a licensed and insured HVAC technician.

Start by turning off the breakers for both the furnace, and condensing units.
Next pull the serviceman disconnect at the condensing unit, and place the pull out in your pocket, or place a lock (that only you have a key to) on the disconnect switch.
Open up the condensing unit to expose the electrical components.
Locate and discharge any capacitors.
Locate the contactor.

Label and remove the two low voltage wires connected to the contactor coil.
Using a multimeter set to measure resistance, measure the resistance across the coil.

Typically the coil should measure between 9-12 ohms, though this may vary by manufacturer. You may want to contact the condensing unit dealer, or the contactor manufacturer for model specific values.

High resistance

If the value is higher than 12 ohms, it's likely that the coil will not be able to pull the contactor closed. Which means the condensing unit will never turn on.

Infinite resistance

If there's infinite resistance across the coil, the coil is completely broken. Again, this will never pull the contactor closed.

Low resistance

If a low resistance is measured, it's likely there's a short in the coil. This will typically result in burnt out transformers, and/or blown fuses.


bedroom door will not close after hinges werre changed my son kicked his bedroom from the inside and the hinges were bent forward. I changed the hinges and now the door doesn't close there is a 1/4 in between the hinges when you close the door. I just try to do things myself but I wanted to see if anyone has some suggestions thank you Kay South

Make sure the hinge plates are sitting in the recessed hinge seats & are flush to the door jamb & the door edge. Another cause could be that 1 or more hinges are upside down. Make sure the removable pin is on top or the hinges won't close. Also, you may need longer or thicker screws as the screw holes may not be holding tightly any longer.


How to cleanly remove a section of countertop The counter in this kitchen has a section that is narrower than the main section due to having a door next to it.

Although the previous solution has impeccable taste, its just not my style. (see picture).

Is it possible to find purchase a counter top with custom specifications?

Additionally, is it possible to do a clean and professional looking job of cutting into the counter top one might find in a big box store and sealing the open edges created by cutting into it?

The "cut-out" meaning the section of the countertop that must be removed from the uniform countertops sold in big box stores to match the different width on one section of the countertop.

Usually tops like that are built by fitting a base sheet (usually particle board for flatness and smoothness) and edging it with hardwood using miter joints. Then laminate is applied across the entire surface with contact cement. The laminate is then trimmed flush with a router, and a bevel or more detailed edge is routed into the hardwood and laminate simultaneously.

Stain (optional) and several coats of high-quality sealer finish the job. With this technique, virtually any shape is achievable with basic carpentry skills.


Can I use blind rivets in concrete? Somebody told me about using blind rivets (5mm) to attach drywall steel tracks on concrete floor and ceiling. Do that really works?

How good is this compared with bushing and screw?

The thing with using a rivet would be the precision of the drilled hole. Given the right size hole, it would absolutely be strong, (maybe not AS strong) but that hole would need to be drilled to a roundness within about +0.05" of the diameter of the rivet, which I highly doubt you'd be able to accomplish with a hand drill in concrete. Too loose and the rivet doesn't grab. Too tight, the rivet can't even try to grab and will break off before the pin moves.

Screws that are developed to hold in concrete will obviously be better because there's a lot more surface area to grab onto the concrete, and they're more friendly on inconsistent holes due to the depth of the threads.


Why would steps on a staircase not span the full width of the staircase? I was looking at some new houses in this new subdivision in my area.  The model home we looked at looked nice, had carpeting, lighting, etc.

However, we noticed on this model (as well as a 2nd model and a move-in ready unit) that several of the steps on the staircase didn't span the full width of the staircase itself.  The carpet in all 3 cases covered the "holes" but you could feel it with your finger.  It wasn't just 1 step; it was probably 4-5 in the first model, maybe 4-5 steps in the 2nd model, and maybe 3 for the move-in ready unit.

The largest holes I could stick maybe up to the 1st knuckle on my index finger.  A young child might be able to stick 2 fingers in.  Some of the smaller holes I could put my finger tip in; about half way down my finger nail.  And then there were steps where it was "perfect" in my eyes (flush with the wall) and you couldn't stick anything in between, which is what I expected.

Is there a reason for doing this on a staircase or is this a case of bad workmanship?  Is there any structural concerns or the way they make/support steps on a staircase, this is ok?  I didn't take any photos but I can try to if needed to show what I'm seeing.

It is just bad workmanship. The structure under the stairs that support everything is part of the framing package that is inspected by a county official before it is covered by drywall.

I have worked in homes (I am a trim carpenter by choice) after the framing crew which built the stairs in a number of houses that had 1" gaps to the wall. The original intent was to add skirt boards but in the spirit of cheap, the builder decided not to have them installed and left the 1" space for the carpet to cover. It made me cringe at the look of it before carpet, but in the spirit of getting in and out quick, that is what goes on.


Cleaning the stone of a hot-stone grill with a detergent The user manual of my current hot-stone grill (Severin brand) reads that the stone may be cleaned under running water only and that no detergent shall be used. However, this way it can't be trully cleaned. Previously with another hot-stone grill (Rotel brand) I used a common detergent and didn't experience any harm to the stone whatsoever.

Is there any particular (scientific) reason why common dishware detergents shall not be used for cleaning of hot-stone grill stone surfaces? Or is just manufacturer looking for some sort of excuses as precautionary matters?

What kind of stone is it?  I suspect it is granite in which case there really is no concern for washing with dish soap.  (Lawyers probably wrote that, so any warrant claims can be denied... :( )


What size/type wire for a 300ft run from house to shed? 120V only, 100 amp panel in the shed.  Tying in to meter box at the house.  Six 120V outlets/2 small ceiling fans/can lights and a small 120V plug-in heater.
What wire will result in the electrical inspector saying, "No problem"?

Just drop a conduit in there instead, you'll thank yourself later
Instead of rushing to buy wire and getting the wrong thing, then having to dig it up later, why don't you get yourself some fat PVC conduit (such as 1.5" or 2") and lay that in the trench instead, with prefabricated sweeps and expansion fittings at each end? That way, you can pull the wire at your leisure, and don't have to worry about digging things back up if you want to upgrade later.  While you're at it, you can also lay a second conduit, say 1", if you want to to provide a convenient way to run a telecom cable (of any sort: phone, Ethernet, fiber, you name it) out to the shed.


What is the best practice for grounding a shielded cat 7 ethernet cable? I'm in the process of ducting the aforementioned cable through a conduit that I've "trenched" between my house and my office which is in an outbuilding 30m away.

Since buying the cable and starting this project I've learnt about the worries of lightning strikes and ground loops, but I don't fully understand what I should be doing to mitigate these issues.

I'm in the UK (where we have three-prong mains sockets that TEND to have an earth wire connected), and plan to put an rj45 faceplate on each end of the cable. In the house I will connect my router (or maybe a switch if I'm running short of router ethernet ports) and in the office I'll connect a second router (with DHCP off, running just as an access point).

Firstly I don't even know how you ground a cat 7 cable. Do you have to connect all of the shieldings together somehow, or is that what the drain wire does?

Am I right in thinking that I should be earthing one end of the cable, and very definitely NOT the other? How do I go about doing this? And does it make more sense to ground the house end or the outbuilding end?

Any help appreciated... I've spent more time than I care to admit digging a trench and drilling through stone walls, and have spent £200+ on the access point, 40m of cable, various tools, etc etc.

Should I be aborting the ethernet and running fibre instead? If so what does that look like, cost wise, for a 40m run with converters at both end? Is fibre "easy" to set up, just plug and play, or is it a steep learning curve?

Thank you, all help appreciated!

Fibre/fiber is by far the preferred/best solution to the problem when running external to buildings.

It can be inexpensive or expensive, and that does not always correlate to quality. Typically the most afforable "fiber converter" is just a switch with SFP (Small Form Pluggable) [ or XFP slots if you have application for 10Gigabit. ]

The market has moved a great deal - at this point there are very affordable single-mode SFPs out there, and that makes the mutli-mode versions that have less range and need more expensive fiber far less of an attractive option. Likewise, the price premium for "reduced bend radius" singlemode fiber has come way down, as it's become the default single-mode fiber in many applications.


How should I repair a fence that's leaning due to soft soil? Late during hurricane Harvey I noticed our side street fencing at our double gate had started leaning toward the street.

My husband thinks we should drive a wedge on the outside of the post closest to the gate to push it in toward upright. I am concerned that doing so only causes the hole that the post is in to widen, exacerbating the problem.

My temporary fix would be to drive a metal fence post to the inside and tie it to the post, stabilizing the wood. Then attaching bolts to the gates and affixing another metal fence post to the gates to hold them together, also forcing them inward.

Which would work?

If not either, then what can we do short of replacing the whole thing right now?

The wedge is fine and will stop the post moving which would definitely worsen the hole. As long as the post is solid, the size of the hole doesn't really matter, only that there are no gaps between the post and the surrounding ground. Whether the gap is filled with concrete, stones or a wedge isn't that critical.


How do I troubleshoot a newly installed non-working outlet? I recently spent several frustrating hours trying to figure out why an outlet on a new branch circuit would not power a load even though there was proper polarity at the outlet, my non-contact voltage tester showed a live circuit, and my multi-meter showed 110 volts both in the outlet slots and at the side-wire screws.  I tested all conductors for continuity, remade all connections, tried four other duplex outlets and three other breakers, and even replaced some of the wiring.  Nothing worked.  Finally, I hooked up the hot side to another breaker in a different "slot" in the breaker box.  That powered the load in the outlet, so I then hooked up the hot side of the circuit to the original breaker and put it in that same slot and it worked.  I concluded that something is wrong with the buss bar at the position where the breaker I'd been using was installed.  After finishing the job and putting the cover back on the box, I labeled that slot as not working and indicated that the breaker itself may be OK.  The box and breakers are Cutler Hammer.

I found no visual evidence of a problem with the buss bar.  Is this problem common?  Why would my meter have shown 110 volts at the outlet when the outlet wasn't able to power a load?  I had thought at first that the outlet was haunted but was happy to find that there was a "real" reason for the problem.

Does anyone have a step-by-step checklist of things to try when troubleshooting a non-working outlet (or any other problem for that matter)?  I'm envisioning something that would start with the most likely causes and solutions and work down to the more exotic ones.  Such a checklist sure would have saved me time.

Some breaker panels have blank slots at the end, which could mechanically accept a breaker, but their tabs are not live, if they have tabs at all.  This is done to lower manufacturing costs and reuse one chassis with different bus bar assemblies.

It could also be a piece of tape, clear insulation, or severe corrosion over that spot on the bus bar.  Depending on the resistance, it may let a charge large enough to measure get through, but when an real load is placed on it, the resistance is too high for it to run.


Did my home's builder not properly protect the outside molding from water? Ok so for a few months now I've noticed that the outside moldings of the garage doors and the windows are beginning to look really bad. The wood looks like it's warping and rotting I guess because of water that is getting inside...?

Is this shoddy work on the builder's part? This home is less than 9 years old. Or it this normal for these decorative outdoor molding around windows to decay like that?

I asked my neighbor and he apparently had to pay someone to fix that and he had to replace some of the frame around the garage doors. He said something about the flashing being done improperly.

Here's what I'm talking about:

How do I determine how bad is the damage here, and what's the proper way to fix this?

Yes there should be flashing but that isn't the main issue.

This is the architect's problem.  The top of your molding is flat.  Where do you think water will go on a flat surface?  It will sit on it.  It will then seep into the wood and to the wood underneath it, slowly water logging and rotting all of it.  If someone showed me your new molding I would imagine this in 3-4 years.   You are lucky for it to last that long.

You need to replace the wood.  Then add flashing but more importantly add a triangular piece to the top that slopes out.  If all of the water slopes off of this at the top and you paint it every 5-8 years you will be fine.


How to identify an appliance connector I have a dishwasher that has a corroded connector on the wire harness (part number W10195342) connecting to the motor and diverter valve (part number W10056349). Only the one connector on the harness needs replacing. My guess is that it's a standard connector available from Digi-Key or the like, but with what seems like zillions of connectors to choose from, how do I identify which one?

Is there some kind of connector taxonomy or part identification tree? Some way to determine the name and/or part number of the specific connector?

In general, connectors like that are classified based on the pin thickness and pin spacing.  That might cut your solution set from a million connector models down to a few hundred thousand: useful but hardly solving the issue.

Posting photos of the far side of this connector would help also. Major vendors love to make one off connector designs so nothing else will fit.  In which case you're out of luck, short of finding a used connector harness, or scavenging similar models at a dump. Sometimes you can get lucky and the only difference is a keying pin (like the plastic bumps at the top of your photo).  Then you just cut off the keying feature and run with it.

If it were my washer, I'd probably saw open the failed connector, solder the wires directly to the pins, gently insert bare pins into the valve, and seal it all up with an appropriate clear silicon caulk (clear so I can see if anything goes wrong).


How should I touch up my exterior door's paint after changing hardware? After installing some new locks and handles, I realized that the previous owners didn't have the entire door painted but rather it was only around the hardware. I have the paint color and paint type, but should I have this sprayed professionally or is there another way to get this painted by myself?

It looks like it is not primed as well, so I'm guessing I will need to prime this?

You could buy a sprayer for about $100 or less; I think a painter will charge you at least that much to spray it.

A sprayer such as this one or a wagner type airless sprayer should work Wagners are generally good for one or two uses unless you get a pro unit - ~$290.00 . I have had a couple of the Wagners , managed to get one to last through 4 rooms.

Here is how you can spray it.

Remove the door by removing the Hinge Pins.
Remove your hardware from the door.
Stand your door in a way that you can spray it while holding the
sprayer  horizontally - keeping the nozzle about 12 to 18 inches from
the surface of the door.

Hold the spray nozzle straight towards the door and walk along the door and spray (start from the top and work your way down - in case you create a run - you can fix it (wipe it) and continue) - remember keep the nozzle straight - no flexing of the wrist.

Start spraying before you reach the door and finish spraying when you have passed the door.

Continue this process until the door is completely painted.

Let the door dry.

Reinstall the door hardware and the door. You might need a helper as putting the hinge pins back in and holding the door may be difficult - putting shims under the door to hold it up and in place while installing the pins-  will make it easier to do it alone.

The best ambient temperature fro spray painting like this is around 70 degrees, if it is 90 degrees - move your nozzle a little closer to the door - 12 inches instead of 18 as the paint will tend to dry faster, if it is colder the issue is that of adhesion, your paint may not stick so well.


Where can I find a temperature sensor that tweets? I'd like to hook up temperature sensors in my house to remotely monitor pipes during winter.  Ideally, I'd like the sensors to upload information via wireless, e.g. in the form of a Tweet or an email.

Does anyone have any experience in this or pointers about how to get started?

I am considering using a Raspberry Pi as the control unit, but haven't made any decisions beyond that. Really just seeking any better informed opinions out there.

There are many ways to do what you want.. but none of them seem very easy as networking remains quite a complex thing to use, wired or wireless.

Obviously you want to just plug in the power and forget about it.

Using the Raspberry PI is most probably a very good idea, Its cheaper version (Model A) about £20, it can run Linux, you can use a WiFi dongle with it. You can remote into it using SSH.. so yes it is actually a very good solution.

Not so long ago

Before the Raspberry the popular choice would most likely be Arduino Ethernet board on it. The costs are slightly higher for this though, There is a Library for use with network available making http communication pretty simple. The drawbacks as of today are obvious, much slower processor, no OS like Linux on it, no SSH, no wireless..(available with other shield + wifi module) and the costs start to pile up.

But today

I am still waiting for my Raspberry to finally arrive and then I can experiment with it. But from my understanding it does have GPIO as on the datasheet page 89 and are available on the PCB it self as double row pin headers. I suspect you can use these to read analog values such as voltages so you could easily connect a temperate sensor like LM335Z. I still have not seen any code on how to do that though but this does seem like the best solution now a days.

But having a few points for monitor can start to cost too much

The nice thing about Arduino still today is that you can buy a small chip like from the tinyAVR that is compatible with Arudino libraries to certain degrees. Using these baby MCU which have built in clocks(fairly accurate now a days)(cost about 1-4usd per chip)with a temp sensor and a cheap as chips 433/800mhz transmitter that sends out temp readings every hour or so. These guys can run on a battery back for 8-16 months.
Then using the Raspberry plug in a USB 433/800mhz receiver and just listens to data and the OS level program decides what to do with. Store it in a database somewhere on-line and sends you tweets or text messages via on line gateways in case of emergencies.

This kind of project will require some design time but you could monitor up to 20 places in your home with a total project cost under 100USD ... hmmm. Pretty neat.

Ref:

Online Thermometer

Shrinkify Arduino


How to get broken screw out of wall anchor I am putting up a single shelf on a wall with some antique redwood interior paneling, so my goal is to keep the walls as in best condition as possible with minimal additional drilling done (if any).

I put in all 4 anchors for the mounts loosely tightening the screws until I had everything in place. Then I went to fully tighten the screws - due to the layout I'm doing the tightening by hand. So far when I went to make the screws tight two of the heads broken completely off.

Now I have the main body of the screw about 1/8" into the anchor and am unsure the best way to get it out.

I tried drilling it, but I didn't seem to make much progress.

I've looked up alternative methods, but I'm at a lost as to what the best route would be... primarily due to 2 things: (1) how deep the rest of nail is and (2) my hope to keep the anchors there without drilling in all new ones.

Update:

Picture of anchor used (drywall anchors, so not the best ones for the job here).

Those anchors are meant for drywall and use in wood may make them too rigid to accommodate the screws. It is also essential that the right size screws be used.

In general, anything but modest weight pictures or mirrors call for stud mounting, if possible. If not, toggle bolt connections, especially the newer strap style, are recommended.

I would remove the shelf, and back out those anchors. Restart with either screws in studs or toggles.


Why do people run 12-3 cable to feed completely different circuits? Been updating circuits in my basement and I'm horrified at the previous work that has been done. Improperly routed cables, overloaded junction boxes and, in two separate instances, 12-3 cable feeding completely different circuits but with single-pole breakers.  Aside from the obvious problem with the breakers, I am wondering why anyone would use 12-3 in this way.  Seems to me it's just laziness during cable routing but I'd be interested in hearing if there are legitimate reasons to do so.

To reduce material costs of the job.
To reduce the number of holes bored through framing.
To reduce the number of cables that have to be pulled.


How to block airflow under an interior door over carpet I have an air conditioned bedroom. I'd like to prevent heat from entering thru the door. I got door seals for the sides the top of the door, but I can't figure out a good solution for the bottom of the door.

The door is above carpet, so I'm not sure if a vinyl door bottom intended for an outside-facing door is appropriate.

I also saw some "draft stoppers" that go on the bottom of the door, but they are visually conspicuous and have mixed reviews.

Any suggestions? Please remember that this is an indoor door over a carpeted floor.

The gap is quite big:

Google "bottom mount door sweep" for any number of inconspicuous options. It appears that your gap is roughly 3/4", which should be fairly easy to fill.

Really, though, I'd investigate why an interior door has so much airflow around it. A window a/c unit should have no trouble keeping up in a single bedroom. You should be able to see your breath.


How to space closet supports with even number of 16" spaced studs? I want to put up a closet rod with shelf, my closet is 80" deep. The studs are 16" apart. Looks like this:

I'm not sure how wide the corner studs are, and it will be pretty awkward to try to screw them in there. So I was thinking of just attaching the supports to the inner studs. But since I have an even number of them, I feel I only have these choices:

Put the supports on every stud (1, 2, 3, 4) - looks a little crammed.
Put the supports on stud 1 & 4, and then put a support in-between 2&3 using a drywall anchor. I don't like the drywall anchors for this, but it would look balanced and not as crammed as option #1.
Put supports only on stud 1 & 4 - not sure if that's going to be strong enough, the rod might sag in the middle.

Are all the options viable, and it comes down to the aesthetic I want?

These are the rod supports:

Thanks

In my house the closets have 1x4 screwed on top of the sheetrock, on all 4 sides (minus the door opening of course) to mount the brackets. The shelf and rod bracket is exactly the one you have pictured. Where it is attached they added a short 1x4 vertically (with rounded bottom corners actually) to make a level mounting surface.


Joining 8 wires into one I have the cables from 9 bulbs joined into one using a screw terminal temporarily.
What is the best thing to use to do this in a way that's waterproof and suitable for outdoor use. Whatever i use needs to be small and black, and fit on the back of a branch. I know the bulbs are over rated for the dimmer, i guess you can go over the max rating somewhat without that much of a risk of fire.

and this is the decroded piece of crap i am working on in its entirity...

You should be looking for something like an IP65 weatherproof junction box.

The designs vary from country to country (as do regulations of course) so it's hard to be more specific.

Ideally you want a bus type connector that has separate connection points for each wire. A single screw-terminal probably can't securely hold so many wires.

Example WAGO 8-way push fit connector and 5-way lever-clamp connector (400V 32A max)


Attach stone veneer evenly to irregularly shaped foundation I'm planning to attach stone or stone veneer to the bottom 2–3' of my house.
At the front of my house, the poured concrete foundation is about 3' tall. Halfway from the front (toward the back), the foundation heigh changes to be quite low to the ground (around 4–5") with wood crippling to make up the same height as the concrete foundation in the front. See image .

The blue outline is the concrete foundation
The green is the wood crippling
The area on the other side of the outlined area is all crawlspace

I'm not sure how best to plan the installation to maintain an even depth/distance away from the wall while accommodating the backing needs of the stone.
Initially, I planned to install Hardie board on the back half where there is wood crippling. But, if I do that, the surface wouldn't be consistent (i.e., the thickness of the Hardie board would extend past the surface of the poured concrete).
I haven't decided if I'll use real stone or stone veneer (something like Eldorado or similar). I don't plan to use panels, but I'm not opposed to it. Either way, the backing needs aren't met by the wood crippling. I'd like to find a solution to this before purchasing the material.
What's the best way to approach this?
Edit: I've added several close-up images that show the transition in foundation height, flushness of the crippling, and different angles for clarity.
In the pictures, it shows how the crippling ranges between flush and 1/4" inset from the exterior side of the foundation wall. At the point of transition, it's flush. If I were to add 1/2" hardie board on top of that, the exterior mounting surface would be 1/2" proud. I'm cautious about using anything less thick than 1/2" due to the weight of the stone and general recommendations I've come across in my reading so far.
Also worth noting: It's not uncommon for snow to pile up to 2.5' during winters here. This is also partly why I'm considering the stone & cement board approach.

Answering this for others that may encounter a similar situation.
I spoke with contractors at the local contractor supply store, showing them the same info as I included in the question here.
Their recommendation was to attach the lathe directly to the tall side of the foundation, and make the scratch coat thick enough to make up the difference. Then, on the rear side (where the foundation is stepped down), affix the cement board (on top of any other required things like WRB) and then do a thinner scratch coat on that.
Whether this is perfect, I’m unsure. But, it seems reasonable and I don’t see many viable alternatives.


Can I convert a basement window to a door? We have a poured concrete basement, serving as the foundation of our home, which was built in 2008 in central Minnesota.

The basement has 3 vinyl windows, the sills of which are around 1' above grade.

We're planning our basement finishing process, and I wonder if we can convert one of these windows to a patio door or something similar, so we can walk out of the basement instead of needing to go back upstairs and then out.

There's an 18'x18' deck (with stairs) above the window I'm thinking of replacing, and preventing rain from seeping in wouldn't be a huge problem. There's around 7' of head room under the deck, specially at the end away from the house, while it's around 6' right next to the window.

Essentially, this would (hopefully) become a walk-up basement, with steps leading up to end of the deck.

Is this doable without in any way compromising the structural integrity of the foundation? Without introducing water pooling, etc?

Yes, you can.  However, doing it properly requires solid knowledge of how to transfer structural loads.  The soundest practice here is to hire a structural engineer to draft plans for you to tell you exactly what you need to build to keep your house safe.


How can I get 30 Amps @120V using several 12AWG and/or 14AWG cables? I'm trying to power a 30 Amp x 120 Volt RV plug near the perimeter of a five-acre property (200' from the breaker panel).  I do not want to buy, dig and bury a new 10-gauge UF cable. However, the location is currently served by only 3 UF cables:

12 gauge 12/3 to the RV site.  At this point, the four wires of the 12/3 UF cable are unterminated at both ends (unused) but it is available and already buried from a 100 amp 240-volt subpanel, itself 120’ from the Main Breaker Panel for the property.
12 gauge 12/2, which is currently providing power to a dozen (mostly unused) 20 amp outlets along the property perimeter.  It terminates in the main breaker panel on the property.
14 gauge 14/2, which is planned to power lights along the perimeter, but so far it too is unused.   It terminates in the main breaker panel on the property

Let me describe my "Plan A" so far, and my Plan A-revised".

Plan A: With the 12/3, I want to parallel both the hots (the black and the red wire) to make a single hot.  Then I want to parallel the neutral and ground wires to make a single neutral;  able to carry the 30 amps (circuit 1 at 30 amps).  I’d then connect both grounds from the nearby 12/2 UF cable (circuit 2 at 20 amps) and the 14/2 UF cable (circuit 3 at 15 amps) to provide a common ground for all cables on all three separate circuits.

Plan A-revised: Add a sub-panel at the RV site.  The black wire from the 12/3 feeds into a 20A breaker in the sub-panel on pole A.  The black wire from the 12/2 also feeds into a 20A breaker into the sub-panel, also on pole A.  The neutrals from 12/3 and 12/2 go to the neutral bar in the subpanel, and for good measure, the neutral from the 14/2 also goes to the neutral bar, giving a total of 55A of neutral return. All grounds to the ground bar.  Thus, all the hots are breakered at both ends of their run. Then, a single-pole 30A breaker goes to the TT30 receptacle.

My goal is to understand the best way to provide 30A @ 120V.

Let's go over the ground rules and we'll build up to the solutions.

Code is your friend.  Code can seem annoying when you're trying to do something, especially when you get fixated on one style of solution.  And many Code requirements seem rather silly, especially to someone with an EE background.  And newbies tend to think they can "outsmart" it.  But the more you know Code, the more sense it makes.  This isn't indoctrination, it's understanding the why's.

The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) is the decider.  This is your local city inspector, the one who requires you pull a permit.  If you don't know much about Code, you may not know about the need to pull permits.  This means an electrical inspector will look it over, and this means you better be Code.  Cheating around the permitting process will get you in big trouble later.

Redundant circuits disallowed.  With outdoor work, you cannot have 2 circuits going to the same place unless they are different somehow: voltage, switching, etc.  That means if both circuits from the main panel are 120V, you should put a switch on one of them. Nothing says you ever have to throw the switch.

Mixing disallowed. Each neutral must stay with its partner hot(s).  Grounds can mix, but only with other grounds from the same panel. This is relevant since you have circuits served out of different panels in close proximity.  You can't even mix their grounds.

The RV site needs a grounding system of its own

This is true no matter what you do.  There are several ways to create a grounding system, but the usual method is to drive two 8' copper rods into the earth some distance apart.    This is needed because under some conditions, earth under your feet is not at the same voltage potential as earth 200 feet away.  This eliminates the possibility of being shocked while standing in a puddle holding a grounded thing.

This local earth ground does not replace the equipment safety ground wire brought over with the conductors.  Ground needs to return enough current to assure a breaker trip in the case of a bolted hot-ground fault.  Dirt doesn't conduct well enough to do that.

This is important because some people don't like installing a main service as now you need a grounding system.  Makes no difference, you need it anyway.

Plan A (and revised) is hopeless

There are too many reasons to even discuss.  Some of them sneak up on you because it's unexplored territory. (a bit like aluminum wire seemed like a keen idea until...) For instance, what about overcurrent protection for the neutral wires?  Not an issue for a single neutral, so nobody thinks about it.  You'll just keep running into more and more.  What if the neutral between main and sub breaks? Dissimilar wire lengths. Dissimilar wire gauges.  Eddy current heating. On and on.  Given McCarthy evaluation there is no reason to deeply analyze this hopeless dead-end.

Plan B: Do as every RV owner does, everywhere.

Get a cheater cable with 30TT socket to 5-15 or 5-20 plug, and and be careful with use of RV accessories not to overload the circuit.  Since a cheater is a removable cord and not part of fixed wiring, it's outside the permitting/inspection process. It's not Code, but doesn't seem to cause much trouble.  RVs have lots of other trouble with 22% of all RVers report being shocked, but this won't do that.

Since you mentioned this doesn't work out for you, I assume you really need the full 30A at 120V - 3600 watts or 3600 VA (3.6 KVA).

Now things get fun.

Plan C: Take the red pill: 3.6 KVA

We use any one cable to send 240V @ 15A  (3600VA) from the house.  At the RV site, we use a transformer to turn that into 120V @ 30A. (also 3600VA).   The transformer absolutely needs several properties.

Outdoor rated
240V primary (240-480 is a common type, that's fine).
120V secondary (120-240 is fine if it the label says it can be jumpered parallel; most can).
3.6 KVA or larger (5 KVA is common).

These are commonly seen on eBay or Craigslist for $100.   Of course a new one is likely to be quieter.  Shop around, prices vary a lot.

Since the long haul is 15A, you can use any cable. I'd use the 12/3 simply because it goes to the right place.  In that case, neutral would be unused.

Now we go down the rabbit hole.  Read my answer here, particularly plans 3-4, about how using a transformer makes it a main service.  That's why you need a local grounding system, so you can have the one neutral-ground bond that every main service must have.

The post-transformer side is freakishly simple.  The transformer secondary goes directly to hot and neutral on the TT30.  It doesn't matter which one. However it does matter that the "neutral" side is bonded to your locally derived ground, and the ground pin on the TT30.  This is the one place on this side of the transformer where a neutral-ground bond occurs.  As ThreePhaseEel mentions, this is allowed under 240.21(C)(1).  All of the overcurrent protection is provided by the 15A breaker back at the house (ah, the long walk).

Plan C-2: A panel, and a little more load: 4.8 KVA

Same as plan C, but use a 12AWG circuit, and breaker it for 20A. Since this is 4800VA, you would definitely need a 5K VA transformer. The transformer secondary goes to a main panel as discussed, and neutral and ground are locally derived, and bonded in the panel (the one place).  It has a 30A breaker going to the TT30.  If the RV trips the breaker, it'd be more likely to trip here.

You could also put 1 or 2 more circuits in there to other things, but the combined load could trip the breaker back at the house.

Plan C-D: Get ready

Same as plan C-2, except you use a 10KVA transformer, which definitely has 240x480 on the primary and 120/240 wiring on the secondary. This will allow you to later bump to plan D with only one more transformer.

Plan D: Now you're playing with power

This plan delivers 9.6 KVA over 12/2 cable, allowing you to power a larger RV which takes 240VAC/30A (7200VA).  It uses particularly hazardous voltage, so you'll want professional help for this.

In this plan, you use two 10 KVA transformers: The one I mentioned in plan C-D, and a similar transformer at the house.

The transformer at the house will be back-fed (which is fine). Jumper both transformer primaries for 480V and connect them back to back.  The power will be transmitted over the long wires at 480V and half the amps.  That means you can deliver 240V/40A (9.6 KVA) on 12AWG wire - or if you prefer, you could jumper the transformer to serve 120V/80A.  This would need to go into a "main" panel again with locally derived ground and neutral.

This should scare you a little, but the 480V will only be present in 2 places, and only inside transformer enclosures.

Plan D-2: power any RV

This requires the rarer 120/240V to 600V transformers, at 12 KVA or larger size, and the 20A circuit.  The house side gets breakered 50A.  The RV side is now allowed a full 50A of 120/240v.  You can now install one of those RV multi-stands that supports 240V/50A, 240V/30A, 120/30A and 120/20A (one at a time obviously).

By the way, the absolute limit of insanity here is 21 KVA over the 12/3 cable, by using a 3-phase converter and a transformer that sends the power as 20A/600V 3-phase "delta".  That's enough for 6 of your RVs.


Oven Hood Light Fixture Borked - Help Please Country: Canada

I was replacing my oven hood light fixtures with LED bulbs. One of the LED bulbs swapped in no problem. The other LED bulb was having trouble getting contact and subsequently a current. So I brute forced it a bit and out came the bulb with the thread assembly as well.

Here are some pictures: https://imgur.com/a/zJEsH

As you can see the thread portion (gold) was attached to the socket with two (rivet like) structures. These two structures snapped off and brought the whole thread assembly out of the hood fixture.

I tried putting a couple of different light bulbs into the bare socket to see if the light would work by touching the contact but the bulbs would not work.
Have I totally borked the socket? Is there any way for me to fix it? Is there any way for an electrician to fix this?

The socket itself is probably shot, but you should be able to fix the range hood by replacing the socket.  It looks to be held into the chassis by a couple of retaining clips and should come out pretty easily from the back, although you'll probably have to remove the cover to take it out properly.  It looks like this part is what you would need to fix it (but don't take my word for it -- make sure to do your own research and verify that the replacement part looks the same as the original).  I found this by Googling for "Nutone Allure range hood replacement parts".  If it is indeed the correct part, then it should just plug right in.


How to fix this window on a stud wall? We recently bought two of these windows on a garage sale of a local window provider.  We were so happy to have found two windows of the same size with the right color on sale that we quickly bought them.

Now that our shed is advancing, we are wondering how to fix this window on a stud wall.  It wouldn't be a problem if there was a wood frame or a nail fin.  Sadly, there's nothing like that on it.  We are having a really hard time figuring it out.

Here's some picture of the window.

We are currently thinking of replacing the larger Styrofoam by a custom made wood plank, so we can create our own wood frame.  Although, I don't think we should have to do that... maybe there's something we are not seeing.

These may be "insert" window replacements/upgrades.  An existing window has the jambs and parting bead removed.  Then this unit is inserted and the original stop bead on the outside and inside holds this unit in place.

You can use the same idea.. trim the rough opening out so this window fits snugly.  (Trim it like you would a door, with jambs and trim inside and, as needed, outside).  Add stop bead on both sides of the window to cover the gap and hold it in place.


Can I use dense foam board instead of paver base for laying patio pavers? I was told blue dense styrofoam that they use for housing walls would work the same as the expensive EZ Base. Thoughts?

Who told you that? I'm sure it wasn't a professional! If that was the case, don't you think everyone would use Styrofoam? Sure you can use Styrofoam (polystyrene) but the pavers will be uneven in no time since Styrofoam is fairly soft. Does it get cold where you live? Styrofoam won't get rid of water which will freeze up and heave up your pavers. Plus it will probably void any warranty the pavers might have or installation warranty.

Paver panels (ez base as you call it) are made specifically for pavers. They are made from polypropylene (a dense plastic) which distribute the weight of each Paver and each step you take. They have channels in the surface to help drain the water away.


Can I use 16mm or 10mm DC cable for AC home appliances? I am going to install wiring in my home and I am curious if I can use 16 mm or 2 core DC cable for AC small appliances like fans and TV?

If you do not know what cross-section or gauge of wire is appropriate for installation in a home or business, you should not be installing it, period.

There isn't a single "correct" type of wire to install, instead there are many factors which relate to:

Local laws and building codes
Amount of current drawn by the appliance(s)
Number and type of outlets and total expected load on the circuit
Type of breaker required (arc-fault, GFCI, etc.) (see #1)
Inspection and testing (see #1, again)

You should contact an electrician to add or modify your residential wiring. If you insist on a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach, you should research your local electrical code and look for information on the above points. In order for that effort to be productive, you should first make sure you understand the following fundamentals:

voltage, current, and power
alternating vs direct current, polarity, neutral vs protective Earth/ground
wire cross-section/gauge; current capacity; resistance and voltage drop over distance; temperature derating; etc.
series and parallel circuits
electrical safety, circuit breakers/fuses, proper use of voltmeters (multimeter), etc.

As you can see there's a lot of basics that must be taken into account in order to answer your question:

How many amperes do your appliances draw? Do they require the same voltage? What sort of insulation is required based on fire code and voltage rating? (Your local laws dictate this.)
There's no such thing as a "DC cable."
What does "16mm" mean? If you mean 16 mm² (roughly equivalent to 5 AWG), that's a massive wire diameter for casual residential use, even for major appliances. (Some countries refer to wire diameter as 'cross sectional area', usually in square millimeters (mm²). Others use wire gauge, also known as American Wire Gauge (AWG). The superscript '2' is important.)
I presume you don't mean a wire length of 16mm, as that's impractically short for any appliance purpose.
Most wiring is sold as having a number of conductors, not cores; and for most residential and commercial wiring, three or more conductors are used (e.g. line, neutral, and protective earth/ground). Therefore, two is likely not appropriate... Unless you're talking about a replacement cord for a small appliance or fan, where such devices often have only a two-conductor power cord. This, however, would not be considered "installing wiring in your home". Instead it would be more of an "appliance repair" or a "replacement of power cord." If so, this is a more reasonable DIY project, which your local hardware store can assist with.
I am suspicious you may be meaning a two-conductor 16 gauge (not mm) cable to replace, for example, the power cord on a fan. If so, you should be able to inspect the damaged power cord and replace it with the same (or thicker) gauge. Again, your hardware store can assist. They also will have replacement plugs in case you only need to replace the plug and not the entire cable. If you need to open the appliance/device to attach the new cord, you may encounter other problems. For example, if you are not familiar with soldering or crimp terminals on wires, etc.


Do I ever NEED to remove the angle grinder guard? As the title says. Is it ever NEEDED to be removed? I read somewhere that when sanding or using the flat wire I should remove it, elsewhere I read that wire cup brushes must be used with a guard. Is there any truth to that?

I'm not asking about personal preference, or "better viewing", etc, I asking about a situation where using a guard would be more dangerous or worst than not using it.

After some research on safety and dangers of the angle grinder, I find a aptly quote that sums my thoughts: "If I need to remove the guards of a tool, maybe I'm using the wrong tool for the job".

I have found removing the guard to use a product like this makes sanding welds flush extremely quick and painless.  At this point you are just using an angle grinder as an overpowered sander, so the dangers of using an unshielded grinder are reduced.

The danger of the grinder comes from applying force to the edge of a perpendicular spinning disc, which creates the possibility that some piece of material will be caught and flung back to the operator, which is why the guard should be positioned between you and the tangent of the disc you are working on. If you use a disc like above you are directing the force perpendicular to the spinning disc so the forces are not as great.


Is this drain appropriate for outdoor ground water capture? We're buying a new property and the back yard is half level, half slope.  The level area holds onto water after rain.

Shown from the rear of the yard, my notion is - put a drain in the area that gathers water and run an underground pipe to an expandable set of rain barrels or some other kind of cistern.  This captured ground water will be used for gardening, etc.

My questions:

1) Is a catch basin like this appropriate for the intended use?  If not, what is?

2) What do I need to do to prevent clogs?

3) (more general) is this idea sound?

I would create a French drain at least 1/2 the width of the "swamp" and channel this to your catch basins. I did a similar thing several homes back it was great for water storage but I ended up with close to 1500 gallons before figuring out that the tanks filled with ground water and I needed to extend my drain to a lower area below the tanks. Now the tanks fill then the overflow drains down the slope no standing water or mosquitos. I would use a French drain and cover the top foot with mesh then back fill for your lawn. Note at the lowest point in the drain use rock at the surface or the water running out will erode the dirt at the surface as it runs out but the rock holds the dirt in place and allows the water to flow. If using large tanks make sure you have access holes so any sediment can be removed after about 5 years my first tank had quite a bit after 5 years but the second tank was clean.


How to replace loose 4x4 wood fence post with a steel post The original 4x4 wood fence post for my home's side gate (that holds the catch part of a gate latch) is very loose and wobbles.
The post is surrounded on 3 sides with my concrete walkway, and the 4th side is right next to my house.
I'm pretty sure the home builder company that installed the posts and fence (and built my home) didn't dig deep when they installed all the posts for my fence, nor cemented the base of each post at all (after 15 years at the house, all the wood posts are in fact wobbly and very very loose).
I'm pretty sure I can just yank out the post (hopefully).
I want to replace the wood post with something like the Halco Postmaster steel post.  I was hoping I can get the 8 foot version and somehow get the steel post 2 feet into the ground and then cement it (so that 6 feet of the post stands above the concrete base).
But as you can see from my pictures, the hole is only slightly larger than the 4x4 wood post.
For a proper steel post install, would I need to cut the surrounding concrete walkway to make a 10" or 12" hole, and then dig out a 2 foot deep hole to properly install and cement the steel post?
Or can I still install the Postmaster steel post somehow (e.g., hammering it down with a sledge hammer) down the existing 4x4 hole, but then I can't cement (or pour gravel) down the tight gaps to make it strong and stable, correct?
I read that using something like the Simpson Strong-Tie EZ-base product isn't good/ideal for fences, right?
Something like this:
https://www.strongtie.com/fences_decksandfences/ezproducts_productgroup_wcc/p/e-z-base.e-z-mender.e-z-spike
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

Have you tried tightening the nut on the bolt that holds the post to the saddle anchor?
I had a very similar setup though my saddle had two lag screws.  My post was quite wobbly so I pulled the lag and drilled through the saddle to get a setup like yours.  Once I tightened the saddle to the post it was quite a bit more stable.  My setup has two bolts and nuts.  If tightening the one in your saddle doesn't work then you might want to consider drilling the metal and adding an extra bolt and nut.
Since the legs of the saddle are facing the direction of swing for the gate the force should be put against the saddle.  If you wobble the post does the saddle wobble or is the post wobbling within the saddle?
If the saddle wobbles then I'd chop it off and drill a new hole, epoxy a new saddle in place and put a new post in.  You can get heavier duty saddles or you could even add lengths of plate steel (choose a sufficiently thick piece and bolt it to the saddle to extend the vertical resistance).
Since the saddle wobbles I'd remove it.  I've attached an image of my setup.  This post does not wobble at all in the direction of the saddle legs.  You can drill into the concrete and epoxy threaded bar to secure the saddle to the concrete.  I didn't originally install this saddle but it seems to me it was installed after the concrete pathway so I'd bet my saddle is only secured by wedge anchors and they appear to be doing a fine job 25 years on.


A newer gas hot water heater keeps getting colder. Where is the first place to look? We had a new hot water heater installed 1-2 years ago. It worked great up until about 2 weeks ago, where we all noticed that it no longer was heating to the same temperature. I can continue to crank the heat adjustment up, but that makes me nervous that I'll end up burning my children if it suddenly snaps back. What is the best thing to do to start fixing this?

It ends up it was not directly the hot water heater. We have a leak in a hot water line that goes down into the foundation of our basement which is even worse. I thought I'd come back and update in case someone sees this in the future. Thank you to all who answered.


What should we look for when buying a fixer-upper house? My fiance and I are considering buying a fixer-upper house rather than an apartment when we get married.

Obviously things like location, neighbors etc. are important, but; what should we be looking for in terms of fixing it up ourselves?  Neither of us have much DIY experience.

What are the huge hidden expenses?  Broken water heater?  Bad foundation?  I imagine fixing a bad foundation would take an enormous amount of time, money, and special tools.  Time we have; the others we don't.  Unfortunately, I don't even know how to tell if the foundation is bad.
What things can we simply not do ourselves without having to take a ton of classes?  Who would we call to do those things?  Would we need to get it certified by the city if we want to sell it later (or even just live in it) - would we have to pay for that?
I would be okay with reading books and taking reasonably short classes to save a bit of cash, if possible.
What sort of things can we do with little experience and cash? Ex. tear-up and replace carpets, paint walls, etc.  Of course I know it's going to cost some money, but I don't want to be spending $30k to fix up a house that cost us that much.
What are the Gotchas the realtor might not mention?

Danny, I respect your enthusiasm. I am a certified home inspector and general contractor in Maine. There's some great advice in the answers here, and I won't repeat the obvious.

I will warn you, however, learn realtor language. "Fixer-upper" means a train wreck about to happen! Get a real good inspector that has building experience. DO NOT take a recommendation from your realtor for an inspector. Find a qualified builder/inspector. I have always felt inspectors that often work for realtors do not have the buyer's best interest in mind as problems found nix sales and rrealtors don't like that. I personally only work for buyers, never for realtors.

With all that said, renovations can add up fast.  Roof $5,000-7,000, electrical or plumbing $85/hour, bathroom $6,000,  kitchen $15,000-20,000, electrical service upgrade $2,500, windows $300 each, structural repairs, mold, insects, water damage, septic/sewer...

Unless you learn what to look for and are able to calculate the costs of repair or renovation before you buy, you are headed for stormy waters. The joy of home ownership will quickly turn into an unbearable nightmare.

You mentioned you didn't want to spend $30,000 on a house that you already spent that much on. Where in the world are you going to find a livable house for $30,000? If there is really such a thing, I will buy 10 of them tomorrow and rehab them myself and make a mint, even in this housing market.

I apologize for sounding a bit negative here, but rather be bluntly honest with you considering you admitted you have minimal skills and resources.


Why is there still no hot water after installing new thermostats and elements? I have just replaced both thermostats and elements in my whirlpool hot water heater.  I have checked voltage on both elements.  I have voltage at all 4 points.  I read that it should only be one at a time.  Checked resistance on both elements and got about 13 ohms. All this checked and still no hot water.  What do I do next?

After being sure the water tank is full of water (which would not be the case after replacing an element) and the cutoff valve(s) are on, be sure the power is on.  If you see voltage at the elements, it has got to be heating water.  Unless they were not wired correctly.

If you had just turned it back on, give it 10–20 minutes to detectably heat the water.

A photo of the final wiring arrangement along with make/model information and observed voltages would be very helpful.


How would I go about Tiling this Basement Bathtub wall? We are wanting tile our bathtub wall with a bond pattern 3x6 subway tile. I am having a hard time planning this out as we have an angled wall near the top of the wall, which is around 5.5" in height. How do I go about laying these out to achieve a decent look?

Decent look is verging on "close as decorating advice" but if you have 3x6 tile and a 5-1/2" angle section, you trim the tiles on both sides to get 2 tiles centered on the section - or you find some tile that happens to be the right size and have an "accent" that's different from the rest of the tile job (some deep dark color, or that tumbled stone stuff, or glass tiles...) offsetting the rest of the stark white tile job.

A section of herringbone seems to be a common "all subway tile" accent technique.


Water dripping from outdoor HE furnace vent Newly purchased home (December, northeast U.S.) has a high-efficiency furnace that vents to exterior of the house.  When the furnace is on, the vent drips every few seconds, creating a puddle in the dirt next to the house.  About a quart of water collects over the course of 12 hours.  Had routine furnace service/inspection and technician said the dripping is normal.  I am concerned about water pooling near the house.

Is this condensation due to normal operation or is something wrong?
If it is normal, what action, if any, should be taken to alleviate the water pooling?

Edit: Thank you all for the responses!  This is all very helpful information.

As isherwood notes, burning natural gas creates carbon dioxide and water vapor. Since high-efficiency furnaces try to draw as much heat as possible from the burned gasses, you're going to get water condensation, and that has to be dealt with explicitly.

As isherwood also notes, the combustion vent pipe should be sloped back to the furnace so that any condensate drains back into the furnace, and then into the furnace's condensate drain system (generally a pump into the sanitary sewer system). It sounds like the vent slope is wrong in your case, so that the condensate either accumulates in the pipe or drains outside. If it just drains outside then that seems like an annoyance at most; if it actually accumulates in the pipe then your furnace exhaust could be blocked.

Since you're in the northeast (as am I), with freezing winters, then this could get more interesting; you could get some serious furnace-cicles from your vent pipe, which may even block it in very cold weather.

In summary, none of this seems urgent or dire, but you should keep an eye on the vent outlet to see what the consequences are.

Edit: I checked condensing boiler installation manuals from Lochinvar, Bosch, Weil-McLean, Munchkin, Rinnai, Burnham, and Williamson-Thermoflo, and every manufacturer specified that the exhaust pipe must be pitched a minimum of 1/4 inch per foot back towards the boiler to allow drainage of condensate.


Electric outlet both sides 2x4 interior wall How do you install electric outlets on both sides of a 2"x4" interior wall to meet code?  The back of each box (and wires entering box) is very close (less than 1/2") to the front of the other side of the wall.  Is there code on how to do this?

I'd use 4x4 boxes that are 1-1/2" deep with single gang raised mud rings.  These will give you plenty of room inside.

Feeding through the backs of the boxes with a nipple sounds easy but will turn out to be a pain.  Better to just feed bottom to bottom with a short romex jumper.


Water heater straps too short. Replace straps? Get extension? The water heater is already installed in a narrow cabinet. So there is no easy access behind it without taking it out:

I could get 3 additional inches by making the fold around both brackets a little shorter. But even then I would still be 3 inches short.
Have four questions on how to bring this up to California code:

Can I use some extensions to get to 6 inches?
Are there brackets with a longer foot?
Can I simply use ridiculously long bolt?
Can I just replace the left side strap with a regular galvanized hanger strap to still be up to code?

P.S. The bottom strap is fine. If I would try really hard, then I could maybe reach the upper left bolt as there is slightly more clearance. The bracket looks like this:

If you haven't got access to replace the strap, I'd just replace the bolt with a piece of threaded rod and a couple of washers/nuts.
They won't lie flat to the brackets, but since this is just for stability, they don't need to go tight so this shouldn't matter.
The above is obviously assuming that you can run a straight line between the holes on the two brackets, but it does look like this is possible from the picture.


Why doesn't current return via the grounding conductor when it's connected in the panel? Since the neutral wire and ground wire are connected in the main fuse box then why doesn't some of the returning electricity flow through the ground wire to earth?

Yes and No.

There are two separate systems with "ground wires" in the typical US residential service, the three wire Edison service.

The Grounding Electrode System (GES) consists of ground rods and other grounding electrodes, connected (bonded) by a grounding electrode conductor (GEC) to the neutral at the first means of disconnect.

The Equiment Grounding System (EGS) consists of the equipment ground conductors (EGC's or ground wires) run along with all the feeders and branch circuits in the house.  The EGS is also bonded to the neutral at the main bond, nowhere else.

Under normal circumstances, no current flows on the EGS;  it does not provide a path back to the neutral at the panel to complete the circuit.  Current flows on the EGC when there's a ground fault so that the fault will draw enough current to open the fuse or breaker, clearing the fault.

The GES doesn't carry much current under normal circumstances, but whenever there is current on the neutral, there is some current flowing through the GES, through the ground, through the neutral bond to the ground at the utility pole.

Current doesn't only take the path of least resistance;  it takes all paths, with more flowing on low resistance paths, and less flowing on high resistance paths.

Normally the neutral wire has very very little resistance, and the ground has significant resistance, so although they are parallel paths back to the utility transformer, very little current flows in the ground, almost all flows through the service neutral conductor.


Tried to move my doorbell over a few feet but now it constantly rings like a school fire alarm I bought one of those older looking doorbell replicas. It's brand new but it's designed to look like the older models. It has the long tubes that hang about 3ft from the box. In order to make this work I relocated the doorbell on the wall completely by about 2.5ft. I couldn't keep it where it originally was located since it is over a door (due to the long tubes being in the way).
I bought doorbell wire from H.D. and also used romex to run behind the wall to extend to my new location. I hooked the red to red and the white to white and I hooked up the Romex correctly (black-black and white to white and bare copper to bare copper). I then hooked up the red doorbell to the transformer and did the same with the white. The red and white wires that come from the buzzer connect to the transformer (in my case, I'm using front and trans but not using the rear since I have no back doorbell).
I had the circuit off at the panel. After I finished my connections I turned the power back on and the bells constantly rang. It sounds like a fire alarm in a high school. So I turned off the power, inspected the wiring to make sure there was no crossing of the red and white and couldn't see anything. I then tried switching the red and white from the front and trans on the transformer (basically just reversed them thinking this might have been the issue) and still got the same constant ringing. I then tried to reconnect my old doorbell to see if my new doorbell was defective. After doing that I heard the old doorbell ring just once. So I thought I was right. But then when I walked into the room where the doorbell is located I could hear this loud buzzing sound. I then tried pressing the doorbell button at the front door and it wouldn't work. But the buzzing sound was constant.
I can't see or comprehend what I did wrong. All I basically did was extend the Romex and doorbell (red and white) wiring by about three feet behind the wall. Does anyone have any idea what I did wrong? I am so perplexed by this. I'm guessing it must have to do with the red and white wiring. Because, if I had done something wrong with the Romex wouldn't it have blown the circuit and turned itself to the "OFF" position?

I figured things out and was hoping to delete my question before it got any responses. I knew I did something wrong on my end. What I grossly misremembered were the wire connections before dismantling in the first place. Basically what I did (that was wrong) was wire the two red and white wires from the buzzer on the wall to the transformer; one per terminal. Then I wired a red and white from the doorbell chimes (front and trans) to match the red and white wired I connected to the terminals on the transformer. This was why the constant ringing was happening. It wasn't until I followed this diagram that I got it to work:

I got the above image from this site: Basic diagram of doorbell wiring.
I normally take a photo of whatever it is I'm about to dismantle with my smartphone and then mimic it when I redo it with a new product or after I move it to another location. This time I neglected to do that.


What are the pros and cons of various styles of dormers? What are the pros/cons for choosing a style for dormers? I'm not asking about the aesthetics of one over the other, more a comparison of the construction costs, maintenance costs, and any other reliability concerns.

http://www.google.com/images?q=shed+dormer

http://www.google.com/images?q=gable+dormer

http://www.google.com/images?q=hipped+dormer

http://www.google.com/images?q=eyebrow+dormer

http://www.google.com/images?q=flat+dormer

There are a few considerations to cost, I don't consider reliability to be a major factor in either style of roof. Dormer and shed style roofs have been used for many hundreds of years successfully. The main choice for either of these is aesthetics, and simplicity of assembly.

First, if you have to deal with a large snow load it is cheaper and easier to go with a peaked roof. The size of members required in a shed roof of any size with a significant snow load is prohibitive.

I believe that it is slightly more cost effective to go with a shed style roof. You have less material required to finish the roof due to less surface area. If your span is not too large you can get away with laying boards across your walls and not having to build trusses. In the end this is possibly slightly more difficult to construct properly though, great care has to be taken to ensure the landing points of your load members meets the walls well and it can make for some interesting finish work.


Need a hinge that pushes outwards as the door opens I'm fitting doors to a wardrobe frame I've built. The wardrobe frame is MDF with a 2x1 frame, fitted into a corner of a (wonky) room in our (old) house.

When the wardrobe door is closed I want it to fit flush to the frame, lined up with no overlap either way. However the hinges I have only give maybe a centimetre of 'push out', so the door would have to be smaller than the frame.

What sort of hinge do I need to source that will push the door outwards as it opens, by at least 4.5cm (which is the width of the 2x1 framing timber)? Been googling but it hasn't availed me of much.

Alternatively if anyone has any alternative suggestions, please fire away. I've thought of cutting a slot out of the 2x1 framing, to allow the hinge to attach closer to the edge of the door panel and thus get closer to what I want, but I'd prefer to avoid it looking untidy inside.

Also considering an externally mounted hinge that attaches to the outside edge of the side frame and the front of the door, maybe a wrought iron one to look nice.

PFA a top-down sketch to illustrate my ideal outcome. Door, when open, could frankly end up anywhere, it's the flush-when-closed result that matters most.

Thanks in advance.

I think this is as close as you are going to get, because of the width of your face-frame:


Floor lamp with LED chip not responding to wall switch I recently bought a floor lamp from Target. The lamp is touch activated and lit by what appears to be a "3-way" LED chip. There's no traditional bulb socket that I can see. I've never seen anything like it. Here's a photo:

I've plugged the lamp into an outlet that's wired to a wall switch so that I can turn the lamp on when I enter the room, but the lamp only responds to the wall switch when I turn it off, not when I try to turn it on. The only way to turn the lamp on is to turn the wall switch on and then turn the lamp on separately.

Does anybody know whether I'm possibly screwing something up in the connection between lamp/outlet/switch, or is the lamp itself defective?

It sounds like the when the lamp does not use a hard mechanical brightness switch.  Responding to the brightness control is done in software.  When power connection is severed, it is not able to remember its previous brightness setting, and returns to a default of "off" when power returns.  You can test that by plugging it into a regular outlet, unplugging it while on, and replugging after 5 minutes.

This type of lamp is not suitable for use with a hardwired light switch or smart controller which interrupts power.  Since the product doesn't clearly state that up front, you should have no compunction about returning it.

I just saw a lamp at IKEA with a similar problem.  I did the "unplug" test and it did not relight on replug.   It had a "power brick" with a lightweight DC cable to the lamp.  See also the PC board plainly labeled where white is switch and the two active conductors red/black is Vin+ and GND-, the +-, colors, and "GND as conductor" are all hallmarks of low voltage DC power, along with the wall-wart.  DC isn't bad, safer actually, but it invites more "complicated" lighting controls which may not behave as expected.


Best foam for copper wiring insulation in split-unit A/C? I went to home depot to buy foam insulation for my A/C split unit inverter. It's to cover the copper wire (and other wires) that go from the inside unit (in the room) to the outside unit (in a roof with no shade).

Home Depot has two types of foam: a regular foam for about $2.50 each and a rubber foam for about $6.

What's the difference and which is better?

Thanks.

The neoprene foam is what I use on the line set , it is easier to shape and a small tube of neoprene glue you can make custom sizes quite easily. The foam stuff is cheap but hard to shape.


Do I really have to cut my wood flooring to a 1 inch width? So my flooring in almost done, I have about 99% of it installed.

The only problem is that the gap between the last board and the wall is only 1 1/2 inches. Is my only option really to cut down these nice full pieces of flooring into strips?

Worse so is that it is Uniclic bamboo so that means I can't cut 1 piece into 4 strips but that I have to cut a full piece to get each strip (cut all the tongue sides off to fit into the grove of the piece before it)?!?!

Is there any work around for this? I have the same gap in all 4 rooms, that's going to be about $200 worth of flooring that will be 75% thrown away!

At this point, the answer is yes. You can plan to avoid this kind of thing in the design phase by ripping down the first row, but if you're already 99% done with the install, it's a bit late for that.

One final, if not ideal option is to have a really wide baseboard and add shoe molding to the bottom, which could conceivably cover up that kind of gap, but you'd have to commit to doing this on all the walls or else it will look funny.


Would it make sense to put 2 pinch clamps on every PEX fitting as an insurance against leaks? When installing PEX tubing would there be any benefit in putting 2 pinch clamps over each nipple instead of 1 to prevent leaks? I am not concerned about the cost, as I bought more than 2x the clamps I need as a wholesale lot at a huge discount.

Background:

I will be installing Vitasalus whole house filtration system in my parents house after using the same system in my house for a couple of years. My install has been done by a plumber who used copper rings and initially about every other connection leaked, then all but one stopped. The remaining one leaks ever so slightly as to not warrant a call. This time I am doing work myself and using SS clamps.

I assume you mean two crimp clamp rings one after the other (i.e., side by side) and not one on top of the other. Putting on two clamps might trap water between the two clamps. Mold and bacteria could grow in this space. This volume would not be swept by flow and would probably be anaerobic.

Unless doubling up on the clamps is a described optional 'heavy duty' installation method, this kind of installation would be contrary to the instructions/specifications for the system. It could fail inspection.

If you wanted to do something which would improve the quality of the system, I think a much better approach would be to implement a system where each clamp connection could be inspected with the house finished walls in place. This might be small ports with inconspicuous covers. They could be so small that a borescope might be required.


Would this be an effective method to remove painted popcorn ceiling? Sand off tops of "popcorn bumps" with rotary sander or multi tool (like bosch multi-x).
Spray with vinegar and water.
Use elbow grease and a scraper.

If the popcorn finish is fairly even throughout, and you can afford to lose just a bit of headroom, one method is to skim over it with thin wallboard (3/8 is generally available and 1/4 can be special ordered). This is put up in sheets and screwed to the underlying structure (which needs to be located with a stud finder or the poke-with-an-awl method).  Then taping, mudding (filling the joints), sanding the joints and painting.
Sounds like a big job, but usually less time consuming than taking down the popcorn surface.


what allows some cold water to enter house and some to enter water heater? Informational question:
To supply hot and cold water to a house you:
1. split at the supply for hot and cold lines. Using a tee - you run one line to the house, and the other to the water heater.  My question: what prevents ALL the cold water from going into the water heater? How does a tee allow some to go into the house and some to go to the heater. Is there some other fitting at that conjunction? or
is it simply that the water heater fills up and only so much can go in?
Don't worry. I'm not planning to do any plumbing on my own. I just want to understand!

I know I am going to be a bit long winded at first before making the point - for a reason so hang on.

Well consider the entire system as a closed system nothing is flowing anywhere at all. When these systems are put together there is also no water at all in the lines so when a valve is opened the water is allowed to flow into the lines or not so much because there is air in those lines. So when the home plumbing is newly turned on at a faucet for example the air is forced out of the lines and you can see this happening. With the water heater the same event must occur - you open a hot water faucet and the water can then flow - previously all of that air pressure kept it back to some extent. Now all of that air is forced out of the water heater and the plumbing lines until you have a system that is filled with  water only.

So now the pressure at any given point is kept in the system by the closed faucet. When you open the facet the water will flow (because it is pressurized by the city) , so that water flows at a certain pressure rating (USA about 80PSi is normal for a residential household).

When you open the hot water faucet you have removed the resistance to the flow of water , because of the pressure of the water and the lack of resistance to it's flow via the hot water tank and the house pipes the water can now flow freely through the path of least resistance - your hot water system.

Now all of that said here is another bit that I know you did not ask for but think can add some real value to your question.

Remember I said when the system was new how all of that air was in the lines , well the same thing will happen when a water heater is replaced - Air will be in it. With a new hot water heater the air must be purged from the system (displaced by water) before you turn the hot water heater on or you will burn up your brand new water heater. This is why it is very important to purge the lines of air after replacing a water heater.


Why do I have to hold the handle down to flush the toilet? I have to hold the handle down to flush my toilet completely. I took a look inside and I am wondering if it has something to do with the chain or the flapper. I am noticing that the flapper does not stay up unless the handle is being held down.

Does this make sense? Does it sound like I need a new flapper or could it be something else altogether?

First try shortening the chain, it sounds like the chain is not pulling the flapper past the breaking point (the point where it stays open on its own).

If that doesn't work, you can try replacing the flapper.


4 units 400 amps split from 6 gang meter box I’m in Los Angeles and I have to run new service to my house because I’m building a duplex in the back of my property. Currently I have two units that appear to be running off 30 amps, but I find that hard to believe.  This will all change of course.

So, the main house in front is running on 125 amps, but the code requires me to upgrade everything from the front to the back due to the new buildings.  We’re planning on dropping in 600 amps into a 6 gang box.  200 for the main house and 100 for each of the units in the back with a spare 100 for an additional unit in the future or a shop.  But the distances are varies between 80 and 200 feet from the meter box.

Unit one, 80 feet;
Unit two and three, 160 feet;
Unit 4, 200 feet.

From the main house we have to run underground conduit.  Maybe through the joists in our basement and into the driveway with Rigid steel conduit.

What kind/gauge wire should I use in copper or aluminum?  How large a conduit?

Also, any recommendations for a 6 gang meter box would be great!

I’m trying do do this on a shoestring, but I don’t want to sacrifice on the power and infrastructure in general.

What is the most efficient way to do this?  The reason I ask is because my current electrician hasn’t given me a straight answer for 2 weeks since we got the permit.  Any help would be greatly appreciated

600a is crazy large even if all electric if your current load with 3 is less than 200. if you have gas I would not use anything larger than a 30/40,  300 amp continuous with peaks to 400. This service is much cheaper and would fulfill the code requirements. If all electric I don’t know if I would go over 400 because the cost of the service. I would have each house have there own service drop, this eliminates legal issues you will run into if renting unless you provide power as part of the rent. If you plan on selling later there could also be issues there. 6 gang meters would not be diy and would be off topic. Your service only needs to be as large as the calculated load, multi family dwellings like this you don’t just add 100 for each dwelling you do load calculations per article 220. I would be using aluminum feeder wire, I am surprised you did not require a plan review, I have been out of Ca.  For close to 40 years but thought we had to have reviews back then but that was northern ca (Sonoma, Mendocino and San Francisco county’s). I may be getting mixed up on locations. But you should have the load calculations completed prior to doing anything unless your wallet is large and you don’t care.


Cracks in new house slab foundation, how serious? I am in the process of building a new home in North Carolina. This is slab based foundation house. The slab was poured in mid March when the temperatures were around 40-50 F. Now during the pre-drywall inspection I found that there were a number of cracks in the slab all over. In one area specific area of the slab there are few big cracks. There are also cracks in the garage and the front patio as well. Should I be concerned about these cracks? Is this a sign for any underlying big problem? Please help.

Unfortunately that looks very unusual to me. I think you need a civil
engineering consultant. It will cost something but saying "some guys on the internet said it looked bad " is worth nothing. And maybe the conclusions will be good.


Door lock stuck, will NOT retract Interior laundry room door leading into garage. Keyed door lock will NOT retract no matter what I do. Can't take door off hinges b/c middle hinge is one of those spring loaded kind that doesn't have a pin. Stopped by a locksmith this morning who said for $125 he would come out and  take a Dremel to cut the back side off the cylinder that holds the latch bolt. this would allow him to retract the latch bolt, open the door, then solve the problem that he thinks has something to do with the strike plate. I didn't follow his explanation totally as he spoke fast and didn't want me to just do it myself. But that is what I want to do and save $125. Or bust the lock (without messing up the door) and just install a new lock for $50 or so. Can anyone suggest how I do either? Note: however if I have him out he could fix a problem with another lock I have. :)

I also can't figure out why I can't pull off the other side of the door knob. Anyone tell me what is holding it on?

Pic below.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Some modern inexpensive locks have an Allen screw holding the handle to the shaft. You would think that the Allen screw would be only on one side of the lock, the "inside", but in our locks it is on both sides, but the "inside" is what will give you access to the innards of the lock to release it.  Loosen this Allen screw to release the handle or knob, then pry off the bezel to expose the innards of the lock.

On our Kwitset locks these Allen screws are loosened by turning CCW as you would expect, but the screws themselves are "left-handed". When the screws are turned CCW they screw into the shaft to clear the handle it and release it.