Ideas for bracing a bed's side rail We bought a bunk bed and installed both of them on the floor. Through extensive kid use, the partial-length side rail worked loose -- twice. I suspect that the bunk ladder would have provided more support.  As you might be able to see in the picture, I already tried adding screws, but it wasn't enough.

I found this diy article about a loose side bar, and Ecnerwal's answer, but I don't think the frame of the bed has enough thickness for the bed bolt. At least that's a better idea than my first one, which was a thru-bolt -- there's not enough room on the inside of the bed frame before the mattress.

My latest idea is a metal bracket that would wrap around the vertical post and screw to the frame on either side. I don't have a vise to bend something, though. Are there joist hangers small enough? Would small L brackets be enough?

Updated:
I used carriage bolts at @mazura's suggestion, and fender washers on either side of the wood rail, ending in a basic hex nut. Got all the hardware for $2!

Before:

After:

Bed joist seem to not suit to the job here. Different kind of structure work. Your vertical element here works now as cantilever, while in former role (as a ladder as I suppose) it was supported as a continuous beam, which part was hanging up (if your bed is the upper one) or was to be tied as end of that ladder (if your bed was the lower one). Similar tensions, yes, but distributed differently .

I have two suggestions:

Use your two bolts, but with metal plates.
Your bolts probably worked too much on the wooden element's structure, and became loose through time. Try to put metal plates (regular steel plates that carpenters use with wood structures) between the bolt/nut and wood, use double nut. That would help to distribute the load from the steel bolt to the wood more 'per area' (crudely speaking) and avoid local deformations. A double nut may help prevent the first nut from unscrewing itself.
Your idea with metal bracket is good.
Using a clamp-like metal element wide enough (to make a torque) and steel plates (small ones would do) on the interior side of the bed is a good option. If you can't find that kind of shape, just buy simple perforated steel carpenter plates (as in suggestion no. 1) long enough and bend them to suit your desired shape.

If you can't visualize anything from my text wall (sorry about that), I may try to produce some drawings, but I need time with that. Also, more answers - more choices. I encourage other DIY-ers to post their answers, too.


Two Breaker panels, one transfer switch? I have two breaker "panels", one is a 200 amp panel for everything in the house, and a separate one (with a different meter) that is just for my electric cold water heater, right next to the other panel, with two 15 amp breakers on it (240v). Now obviously I want to have hot water when the power goes out, but I want to know if I can use the same transfer switch on both panels?

I am guessing no, since I am not hooked up to the same neutral and ground in that electric hot water heater breaker panel.

If I can't, does anyone know why someone would put a separate panel JUST for a water heater? We just moved in this summer, the house is only 15 or so years old too, and it looks like it was done at the time of building the house. Also the breaker panels are in the basement along with the water heater.

Your guess is correct. You will not be able to use a single transfer switch in one of the panels to isolate your generator for both panels.

The solution may be to discontinue the use of the water heater specific panel and re-wire the water heater into the main panel. Then the single transfer switch in the main panel would work out nicely.

Keep in mind that there may be reasons why you would not be able to re-wire the water heater or why it was wired to a second panel in the first place:

The main panel may have already been over subscribed for a 200A service and installing a second panel was the overall cheapest solution.
The second panel may have been there to allow separate power usage monitoring for the water heater. This could have been done to share some electrical costs with a roommate that was living with and renting from a previous owner.
The main panel may have already been full of circuit breakers and the second panel was one way to be able to add an electric water heater at one time possibly replacing a natural gas fired heater.
You may not have room in the main panel to add the two pairs of additional dual 240V breakers, one for your water heater and the other for your transfer switch back feed breaker.


Can I run my attic HVAC/Furance without an Air Cleaner/Purifier Filter I have an Aprilaire 1410 air purifier attached to my attic HVAC/furnace.
Does the air purifier serve the same purpose as a typical air filter in a HVAC/furnace or is it simply additional filtering?  Can I run my heat without the purifier filter, temporarily until the proper part gets there?
Or will a typical store bought filter work in place of the Aprilaire accordion style filter?

The Aprilaire 1410 air purifier is a larger, more efficient, longer lasting version of the typical 1 inch filters. I'm not really a fan of these frame-less filters as they can be hard to find locally. You can always get them online and have then in a day or two.
In addition to filtering out fine particles like dust, a filter also protects the HVAC system from larger particles that can damage the fan or condenser coils.  You should not run the system if there are no other filters besides this one.


How can you replicate Sand/Perlite? Just finished patching two rather large but thin cracks that required taping and 8" on either side of joint compound/feathering. It looks rather smooth and would blend in nicely if it weren't for the fact that the wall has a texture to it.

I believe the name is Sand or Perlite? Although it is a very fine texture.

http://imgur.com/qFL2QqS

I know that home depot and the like have additives to paint that will help achieve the desired sand look.

However, I am wondering what has been your experience in matching sand textured wallpaper with the rest, and if using an additive such as the one provided in the link above is better than say: using a paint roller to roll on some joint compound?

Or should I even do it at all? In a small repair behind a doorway with the same texture the paint roller was able to recreate some of the 'sandy' appearance and is rather unnoticeable. I am just concerned as the area in question is highly visible.

That type of texture is created using specialty spray equipment and requires a bit of skill and experience to master.

I would recommend, for your small repair, that you experiment with readily available spray texture "in a can". There are many types available, practice on cardboard until you can reliably spray it to match your texture.


AC Strategy for Energy Efficiency For environmental and cost reasons, I'd like to use my AC unit less. In situations where passive cooling is not practical, I am trying to determine the most efficient way to do this. (I believe the unit is a Trane XR14 heat pump, installed 2009.)

My fiancee and I live in a brick ranch house with a brown roof, about 1,200 sq feet. We live outside Philadelphia, so during the summer it can consistently get above 90. During the day, when we are at work, I close the windows and shades and set the AC high (80 F). I keep it on when we're gone because we have two cats and a dog. I get home around 5:20 PM. At night, it will eventually get below 80 outside. At this point, I am trying to determine which is more efficient: to set the house to the expected night temperature (expecting that the cooler air will be trapped in the house and keep the AC from triggering more frequently during the night after the initial run down to, for example, 77, and taking longer to turn on the next day) or keep it at the current interior temperature (to reduce the time the AC runs at night).

A concrete example: let's say it gets to 77 outside and the house is 80. Would it use less total energy to set the AC to 77 or 80? My goal is to use the least amount of energy possible in order to lower the monthly electric bill.

Lots of people have mentioned comfort vis a vis humidity, but for the purposes of the question, I'm more concerned about cost as I'm pretty heat acclimated and I can just run a small bedside fan if it gets too gross at night.

Setting your AC to a higher temperature will at the very least use no more electricity than setting it to a lower temperature. In most cases, it will use less electricity, and how much less depends on how much higher you set it.

In your situation with the inside temp at 80, if the outside temp is 77 and you set the AC to 77, it will run to cool the house from 80 to 77. At that point, it may or may not run, depending on how fast the inside of your house warms up. Temperature, insulation, wind, and other factors determine how quickly your house loses its conditioned air, and therefore how often the AC needs to run to maintain the set point.

If you instead set the AC to 80, it will only run if the inside temp gets above 80. With an outside temperature of 77, that really can't happen (yes, there can be some heat released from the roof and other structure, but that heat will be there regardless of what you set the AC to).

Note that none of this takes into consideration your comfort. 77 and humid may be much less comfortable than 80 and dry.


High Leg Delta with no Ground I am in an older warehouse space and have three panels in a high leg delta configuration.

Only one of the panels has a ground that comes in through the service opening. The other two do not. All three are separate service runs and do not feed the other.

I have purchased several 30 amp 3 pole breakers and will be using the lugs for phases A & C to get a line voltage of 240v and am a little confused about how I'm supposed to wire an L6-30R with no ground. Am I supposed to use the neutral here?

The metal conduit, in good order, is the ground

This tends to gobsmack people with residential experience when they first see a commercial installation.  I have four buildings with less than 30 feet of green or bare wire in all of them combined.  You'd think it was an obsolete ungrounded installation, but actually the grounding is modern.

Working in conduit is nice... Means never having to think about ground.

It also breaks you of the bad habit of thinking of ground as an afterthought-- e.g. where someone hooks up the conductors, tests and passes, hooks up grounds at the end, and it fails.  He's like "why is my ground defective?"  Which is an upside down view of the problem obviously.


Join multiple independent electrical heaters under one thermostat or one control hub I live in an older house where each room has an electrical baseboard heater connected to its own thermostat. Is there hardware/software to control all them from one place? For example a hub with an app. Ideally I'd like a control mechanism whereby I can set the temperature to drop while no is home and rise back up 30 min before we get back.
I assume the old fashioned alternative is for me to rewire all the heaters but even then I'm not sure the circuit could handle the power draw. What's usually done in such cases?

Since you have an Aube TH108, you will need a line voltage thermostat. They do make smart thermostats and wifi connected thermostats capable of switching line voltage.

If you want something like a Nest or EcoBee, you'll also need something like an Aube RC840T-240 to provide the 24 volts they expect and act on the low voltage signals they provide.


Is it okay to remove metal joints on the subfloor? I’m trying to install SPC LVP with 7.5 mm thicknesses after removing pre-existed laminate and carpet.
I just noticed that there are metal joints on the subfloor which are about 3 feet long and 2 inches wide... any thought on what these are for?
(One in a room and two in the hallway on second floor)
Is it okay to remove it? Or is there any underlayment or any other item to avoid LVP on top of it not bending or making squeking sound?
Thanks!

That is a strap tie and is meant to distribute a load over a distance (usually across boards, joists, studs, etc.)  I see it a lot in attics in Florida (ie hurricane straps) but not on floors.  Placing one on a seam, such as the long strap, really doesn't distribute a load but it could be one of those "contractor" quick fixes (ie, I only have 2 straps when I need 4 and I'll just put it down quick and nobody will ever be the wiser ... until I'm long gone).  The shorter strap actually looks like it may have been cut back as if someone noticed a bulge or tripped on it and decided to "remove it" without realizing it was a strap tie between two sheets of flooring.

Another thing I noticed is that the flooring appears to be OSB.  Although OSB and even particle board get used on flooring, I personally don't like the results when either of these get wet.  If it's not in a wet area (it appears to be an exterior entrance such as a mud room) and you don't live in a humid area of the country then you'll probably be fine BUT if you spill a lot of liquid on it or it gets damp over time and bulges and buckles then you'll know why (and have to replace that entire section of your floor).  I've seen some people seal OSB and particle board flooring and that might be an option too as well as using marine plywood for wet areas.

As to the fix, I'd leave the straps in place and depending on the flooring you're going to use there are a variety of possible solutions.  Carpeting, a nice thick padding should work okay.  Laminate or hard wood flooring, notch out an area in the padding or wood itself just as deep as the strap is thick.  Vinyl flooring, self leveling compound with a lauan plywood (1/8" thick plywood) to provide a clean smooth surface to attach vinyl or laminate).  Tile, if it's level enough then your mortar/thin set will cover it as long as you're already level.

Here's where I found the straps in your picture (www.dhcsupplies.com/store/p/3804-ST9-Strap-Tie-1-1/4-X-9.html):


hanging 140 lb on wall with metal studs I am finishing my basement and have metal studs on the perimeter (just in case of any moisture penetration.  Planning on hanging an 85", 140 lb flat panel on the wall.

The drywall is not up yet, so I can do basically anything.  Can anyone advise on the best thing to do?  I have read a lot of differing opinions, like inserting 2x4s into the studs and screwing them together and then proceeding the same as with wood studs.  Or else taking plywood and filling the spaces between the studs and then mounting with lag bolts into the plywood.  Is there some overall best practice?

Let me add that it will be on a slim mount right up against the wall, not on an articulated arm or anything.

I have wall mounted a number of very large TVs on metal framing, some even with articulating / extending mounts.  Since they were retrofit, I just ran toggles into the steel studs.  Although with the articulating mounts you could see the wall flex a bit when the mount is extended, it was always secure.

Using toggles in metal studs isn't too difficult, but you do have to locate the studs precisely to drill the holes for the toggles.

Some recommend horizontal blocking between the studs to make these mounts work better, but I would not go that route.  I'd sister wood studs to the metal studs where you want to fasten to the mounting bracket.  You might want to double up the steel studs (make a box) as well while you're at it.  If you double the metal studs up, you can put wood studs either to the left, or to the right, or on both sides of the stud.

If you were installing an articulating mount, you might want to add a stud and / or change the stud spacing to stiffen the wall and spread the load.  In fact if you think you may ever change to an articulating mount, you might want to do that now.

Make sure you can reliably locate those studs after the fact, take measurements, notes, and pictures, and mark the subfloor where the wood studs are.  A stud finder alone won't tell you where the WOOD studs are.


How do I insulate space in loft to create music studio I have 3 DIY created rooms in my large live/work studio/artist loft. They are made with 2x4 and 2x6, framing with drywall walls and plywood ceiling.

The apt has 14' 7" ceilings so we just have enough room for the 6' tall upper level. I'm currently framing in these upper walls. The hope is that I can turn this upper space into a great little music studio with drum kit, amps, keyboards, etc.

How can I best insulate this space so that it's quiter than it is now for my roommates (I have the drums up there already :-) ) and its especially quite for my neighbors. The apt walls are mostly drywall  Side to side between concrete pillars and the floors and ceilings are both concrete.

Also, per the buildings charter (supposedly, at least) I have complete lee way to construct within the space.

Plan is now to buy some large foam and put the amps on blankets per this question

My neighbor keeps complaining about my music. How to soundproof my apartment?

Have a look at my answer on this question regarding acoustic foam. You will be able to cut down sound propagation significantly using it, by coating the walls and ceilings of your rooms with the foam.

If you have the capability, you could make a significant difference by mounting the rooms on rubber bushings.

This may be overkill for your purposes, but it is used for recording studios etc. as it dramatically reduces vibration through the walls and floors being transmitted.


Can I add a 125amp panel to a current 125amp main panel? I currently have an older 125amp QO square D panel with 16 total spaces. I'm trying to update some of the electrical in my house and have some overloaded circuits that I'm now separating and dedicating certain appliances. I don't have a lot of space in my current panel to re-feed some circuits or expand.
Few things to note:
My calculated total load for my home is approximately 63 amps (Assuming I calculated that properly). I have roughly 1600 SQ ft and all gas appliances. Vast  majority of said appliances are less than 10 years old and of higher efficiency. I did base my calculations using the nameplate value on all my main appliances.

I want to add AC this coming spring/summer. Otherwise I don't plan on adding more to the home pending I win the debate to not get a hot tub.
Tandem breakers are not much of an option since it's difficult to find them in the older QO style. Home Depot has them but with a "hook" for the point of attachment and that is not compatible. Furthermore, updating some things to code for GFCI or AFCI requires those to be breakers and not outlets since they would be inaccessible.

Ideally, I would prefer to upgrade the main service panel for one with a main disconnect and significantly more spaces at the very least and running a sub panel to my attached garage for convenience. Upgrading the panel with everything going on right now doesn't seem ideal plus wrestling whether or not to just do a service upgrade at that point and have peace of mind that I will have more than enough room for expansion if needed.

With all that being said. Can I place a 125amp sub panel with my existing 125amp main service panel? Feels weird that the sub panel would be the same amperge rating and having more spaces.
Otherwise, I'm wondering if I can use a 125amp rated panel with 100amp breaker and #3 Cu wire to get the more circuit spaces.
Also, would anyone recommend if I should place the AC circuit on the main or sub panel?

Looking forward to any advice.
Sorry to be long wimded.

***Note: sub panel would be on the same wall as the main panel and very close to one another.
The additon of AC would be on the exterior of that same wall right by the service entrance.

I'm pretty sure you are OK with having a 125 amp sub-panel, even off of a 125 main panel. You don't have to supply the sub-panel at 125 amps, just what you anticipate the load will be there. I have a 200 amp sub-panel in my shop, fed at 125 amps.  You'll of course need the correct size wires and breaker for whatever amperage you choose.  You'll naturally need to treat it as a sub-panel (isolate ground from neutral and provide 4 wire service to the sub).   The Square D QO panels are high quality (IMHO) and shouldn't need replacement like Federal or Zinsco panels.   You may need to free up some space in your main panel to make room for the breaker to the sub-panel by re-routing a couple of circuits. Not sure if your main panel is full or not.   Maybe I've missed something, if so, I'm sure one of the 3 wise men will weigh in!


Can new cable be run from switch to ceiling? I'm installing a new bathroom exhaust fan in a first floor bathroom.  I removed the old fan, and have the new one, but here's the problem...

The cable is coming out of a joist and the wiring is too short.  The wiring in the fan came out of the fan on the joist side.  The new fan has the wiring coming out of the fan on the opposite side.  It's the same side as the wiring, just on the opposite corner further away.

I figure I have two options... call an electrician and have them run a new wire to a new switch, or get into the wall to do it myself.  The room is being painted, so if any drywall repair needs done it's no big deal.  But if I end up going into the drywall myself, who knows what other problems I could run into.

Any suggestions?

If that cable was 6-8 inches longer, it would make it to the housing for the connection, which would be to the far left in the picture.  Or if I could find a fan that had the electrical connection on the joist side instead of opposite the joist.

As @Tyson mentions in the comments there are devices listed for repair of NM cable such as the Tyco device mentioned in this answer.  However it would actually be pretty hard to get that in there, and I believe it's only listed for repair, not for extending.
You can mount a junction box and use that to house a splice to extend the cable.
Inacessible junction boxes are not permitted by code (see below.)  However this box would be accessible by removing the fan.  By most interpretations, that does not count as  **removing part of the building. **
It looks like there is room to mount a handy box out of the way of the fan and the existing cabling.  If not, you may be forced to remove the drywall.

314.29 Boxes, Conduit Bodies, and Handhole Enclosures to Be Accessible.
Boxes, conduit bodies, and handhole
enclosures shall be installed so that the wiring contained
in them can be rendered accessible without removing any part of the building or, in underground circuits, without
excavating sidewalks, paving, earth, or other substance that
is to be used to establish the finished grade


Is "don't mix data and power cables" and "don't loop power cables" still valid nowadays? There are two sayings I keep hearing when talking about wiring e.g. home cinema or computer hardware;

Don't wrap data/network cables and power cables up in the same loop because the power cables will mess up the streams of your data cables
Don't loop power cables because it can produce an induction effect.

I'm interested in whether these two theses are still valid with the current coating and shielding of modern day data/network and power cables.

So, when I wire my home cinema and the power cables lie next to the data cables, will that cause any effect on the quality of video/audio I am likely to perceive?

And is wrapping three or four meters of power cables in a coil actually in any way dangerous, seeing how thick the coating and shielding is on them?

How else should you manage the power cables that are too long to just let them lie around? Maybe a different wrapping/looping technique?

Yes, its still valid.

Power and data cable coatings are insulation - designed to protect from electric shock and to avoid short circuits.  They do not interfere with magnetic fields.

I do not know what kind of shielding you are talking about - I have never seen any modern power or data cables with shielding that blocks magnetic fields.  Magnetic fields are quite pervasive.

In response to your follow up question:

The size and strength of a magnetic field is relative to the amount of current flowing through the wire within.  For very low voltage wires, like network cables, bundling them together generally doesn't create a strong enough field to disturb the other lines in the bundle.

However, if you loop the cables, you end up running the same current through very nearly the same space - over, and over, and over - and this can amplify the magnetic field that's created, enough that it can interfere with other signals.

With power cables, they run much more current and so create much bigger fields.  Big and strong enough to interfere with the tiny currents going thru the other cables.  Looping them is even stronger and more problematic.


C terminal / Wifi thermostat I'm using a blue wire as a c-wire, however when I went to connect the blue wire at the furnace, it already had a white wire ( not from a thermostat) corrected to the c-terminal. Can / wires be connected to c terminal? If not, what do I do with the white wire?

Thanks

You can connect multiple wires to the same C terminal. The other one is likely going to the outside AC unit.


Water seepage in basement I have water seeping into my basement where the mortar has eroded. Is there some sort of waterproofing I can put on before the new mortar, or is there a type of mortar that is waterproof? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Cement and mortar are not inherently water proof.  Water penetration into the basement is probably not the cause of eroded mortar but instead indicative of a more serious problem stemming from the outside.

A complete fix will involve digging up the area outside the foundation, applying proper water proofing, installing weeping tile (or replacing) and drainage, then replacing the soil.

You will probably find that this is not a DIY job.


Convert timber roof rafters to trusses? We want to open up the floor plan of our house by removing the center wall.
The roof is 4:12 pitch with 3x8 timber rafters 4' on center, a 3x10 timber ridge beam, and 2x8 tongue and groove boards above. On one side of the house, there are 3x8 timber rafter ties 8' on center (every other rafter) that connect to the rafter at the exterior wall plate and span 15' to rest on the center wall.
The other side of the house has 2x8 ceiling joists with hung ceilings that also span 15' and rest on the center wall. There are no 3x8 timber rafter ties on the ceiling joist side of the house. The total span is 30' (15' to the middle of the center wall).
We would like to remove all the hung ceilings and ceiling joists from the one side of the house to expose the timber rafters and tongue and groove cathedral ceiling above, and remove the center wall to open the floor plan.
Question:
Can we make trusses out of the existing timber roof structure by splicing new 15' rafter ties to the existing rafter ties and adding 'W' support timbers mid-span fastened together using typical 5 finger timber truss base fan plates?

No, you can’t change the framing from beams at 4’ on center to trusses 4’ on center, because you’ll overload the exterior wall footings.
Currently, one-half the roof load is supported by the center beam and footings with one- fourth the roof load transferred to the exterior walls and footings. By changing to trusses, you’ll transfer one-half the roof load to the exterior walls and footings.
I’m sure the exterior footings are not designed to accept double their current load.
Why not add beams at 4’ on center to match the one side with beams? This will keep the basic roof system the same. (You should double check the size and span of the ridge beam to insure it’s still acceptable.) You can still remove the center wall, just add posts and footings where needed.


No C Wire Terminal on Furnace I am trying to install a new smart thermostat that requires a C connection. The previous thermostat used a 4 wire connection but there is a blue wire that's unused right behind the current thermostat.  Problem is that I looked in the air handler and there are no terminals like most units, just a bunch of wiring. So trying to see if anyone may know where I have to connect the other end of that blue wire. Here are some pictures:

I am assuming the skinny blue wire at the bottom of the handler is the one routes to the thermostat but is not connected to anything. This blue wire is best visible in picture 1 and bottom of picture 3 (not the thick blue wire that has a white cap in the middle of picture 3).

New pictures

Your best clue is to observe that the 24VAC output transformer is labeled as follows:

The secondary is indicated to be the BRN and RED wires out of the transformer. One of these is the one that provides the power connection to the thermostat and is most likely the RED one that exits from the wiring box and connects to what looks like the skinny RED off to the thermostat.

The BRN (brown) wire from the transformer is what you are going to want to connect to the skinny blue wire to the thermostat. It is a bit hard to see from the pictures that you provided,  but it looks like the BRN wire is connected out of the wiring box as also a BROWN wire that is connected a wire in the smaller control wire cable (which appears to be supporting part of an air conditioner unit).

Carefully check and trace the transformer secondary wires to see if they are as I described above. If so you should be well on your way to getting your smart thermostat operational.


Can I have a washer, electric dryer, oil tank, and oil burner all in the same room? Is it safe to have the washer and an electric dryer in a basement room with an oil tank, oil burner for water baseboards and water heater?

Unless you have a written local amendment disallowing it there is no reason this would be unsafe or prohibited. I have seen and worked on many, many basements that fit this exact description.

My only concern would be keeping the area clear of lint from the dryer.


What drill bit do I need to screw a hex cap screw into a wall stud? The magnetic DeWalt nut driver bits aren't an exact match I am trying to hang a TV mount into the wall studs above a fireplace.  The hex cap screws that came with the mount don't fit snugly into the 7/16" nut driver bit and are too big for the 3/8" bit.  There is no way I can use a manual hex head screwdriver to get these things into the wall.  I need to use my drill.

Did I buy the correct attachment to use my drill to get these screws into the stud?  Or, is it possible the hex cap screws that came with the mount are not "to industry standard measurement."  BTW - I took a ruler to the hex cap and sure enough, it measures 3/8".

Where am I going wrong?

The DeWalt nut drivers (and others also) are very shallow (only meant for driving sheet metal screws (and are magnetic).

As suggested, regular sockets with a rachet handle will cover the hex head and not be pushed-off by the cap head.

You can get a socket adapter for your impact driver and then use your regular sockets:


How can I dispose of large glass mirrors? I recently remodeled my bathrooms and removed the old flat glass mirrors that were hung on the walls. I kept them thinking that I could cut and frame them, but I wound up just purchasing new ones.

These mirrors are large (the largest being 4'x3' and I'm not sure how to dispose of them.

Mirrors are made up of two parts, the glass and then a reflective coating on the back.  Because of this, they are not considered 100% glass and many times the town's recycle pickup (if your have one) for glass will not take them because there will be an additional process to separate the glass from the reflective material backing.

Possible disposal methods:

Throw it out.  We have a recycling/trash center in our town and for a
fee you can dispose of bulk items that the trash guys will not pick
up.  A mirror of that size would be considered a bulk item.
Recycle.  Check your local recycling center, some of them will
recycle mirrors at no cost.
Repurpose.  The mirror could be reused by someone else as is if it is
good shape.  Some advertisement may be necessary in local media, or you can use free advertising as indicated below in the comments by @Steve.
Donate.  A mirror or especially a broken mirror can be reused for
many arts and crafts type projects like a mosiac.  Check with
schools/university or with any local artisans, they might take it off
your hands.

Finally, in thier spare time one could create a funkadelic disco ball from the mirror and then sell it on eBay for a small profit.


Schematic for dual fixtures/wiring Two light fixtures controlled from four different locations using three way and four way switches; the feed is at the first light fixture.

The basic wiring would look something like this.

Since code requires a grounded (neutral) conductor at each switch, you'll have to carry it through all the way to the last switch.  Because of this, the cables between the switches will need an extra conductor.

You'll have to pull 14/3 with ground between the light and the first switch box. Then you'll pull either 14/4 with ground if you can find it, or 14/2/2 with ground between each switch location .

NOTE: If this is a 20 ampere circuit, use 12 AWG conductors instead of 14 AWG.

The first and last switches will be 3-way, while the two in the middle will be 4-way switches.

Adding more lights is as simple as tapping off of the wires that connect to the first light.

NOTE: Grounding conductors are not shown in the diagrams, make sure all devices and enclosures are properly grounded.


sub panel to sub panel wiring OK, I have a main panel 200amp in the house.  Then in my shop out back I have a 200amp sub panel.  I want to install a 100 amp sub panel in the upstairs of the shop for a one bedroom apartment.  I have a 100 amp sub panel. I have 25ft of #2 wire and I have 3 20 amp breakers for lights and outlets and a double pole 30 amp breaker for the electric stove.  one of the 20 amp breakers will be dedicated to a ac/heat unit.  Does all of this sound correct?

First, are you sure that 30A is a sufficiently large breaker for your range circuit? Most electric cooking appliances (freestanding electric ranges, cooktop/oven combinations) require a 40A or a 50A circuit.

The 20A breakers do sound correct for the lighting and receptacle circuits, although you will need more of them, as every dwelling unit must have at least two dedicated 20A small appliance branch circuits and a 20A bathroom receptacle branch circuit; if laundry facilities are present, yet another dedicated 20A branch circuit must be provided for the laundry room outlets.  You will want to use a double-pole breaker for HVAC, though: all but the very smallest HVAC appliances require a 240V circuit, and this includes packaged terminal units, even though they only draw a relatively small amount of current (<20A) compared to a conventional air conditioner.

The overall capacity of the subpanel you have on hand (100A) is more than adequate for an apartment-type dwelling unit; however, you will want to check the number of breaker slots available to you in it -- full-width slots are at a premium these days due to AFCI requirements, which makes depending on tandem breakers to fit all your circuits into your panel quite unwise.

Your #2 wire will be adequate for the feeder conductors provided it is copper and of a 75°C rated or better insulation type (such as ordinary THHN/THWN).  If you are using aluminum wire, I would upsize to 1AWG -- 2AWG aluminum is marginal for 100A service, requring 90°C rated insulation in order to be at all usable in such an application.


Wiring for a ceiling fan. Do I create a switch or can I hard wire directly from a wall outlet? I'm in the process of remodeling my bathroom and will be putting a counter top high electrical outlet in a corner as linen storage. I plan to draw power to this new outlet from an outlet on the opposite side of the wall (bedroom). Here is my question. I am looking to install this 13" ceiling fan in my bathroom sort of tucked in the corner of the room just above the outlet I'll install on the wall.

Can I just wire a Romex directly from the new outlet and run it up into the ceiling? Or do have (or is it preferred) to use a double junction box and create a switch to power this fan. Meaning, the new outlet  will be paired with a on/off switch and my electrical outlet.
The fan is operated from a handheld remote so I don't think adding a switch will create any benefit like turning it on and off. But if it's required by code then, of course, I'll connect it to a switch.

Can’t power bathroom receps from non-bathroom circuits
A recep in a bathroom is only allowed to draw power from 2 kinds of circuits, and this is a very narrow definition:

A.  Circuits which only power bathroom receptacles (in any number of bathrooms)
B.  Circuits which only power recep or hardwired loads in this bathroom

Any circuit that powers anything in a non-bathroom is instantly disqualified.
Your bathroom may already violate this rule, and as such, may be grandfathered.  The rule with grandfathering is you’re not allowed to make the situation worse.  So you can draw off an existing bathroom recep, even if it already violates the rule... but you cannot add a new violation by drawing off a bedroom recep.
As long as you have a controlling means for the fan that you consider reasonable (are you OK with your partner calling an electrician to unwire it if the remote breaks?) then you are all set.  I for one would feel better having some sort of disconnecting means.


Can the gravel used under my pool be used patio stone? We bought our first house recently and have dove head first into renovations and landscaping. One thing that is really bugging us is the state of our back yard. We sold our above-ground pool and destroyed the MASSIVE deck (took up about 60% of the yard) that the previous owners had installed. You can imagine how much sand and dirt is visible...

We are planning to install a much smaller deck and a stone patio next to it. We are trying to keep costs down and are wondering if the gravel used underneath the pool (now gone) is suitable to be used under a stone patio.

I am referring to the technique in this image:

So the 6" of class V gravel would, in our case, be the gravel from underneath the pool.

The gravel under the pool is kind of a mix of gravel and sort-of-clay. It seems to allow water to pool if it rains really heavily. It seems very solid and almost hardened into a weak concrete. I have to whack it quite hard with a spade to get it to break apart. That is one thing that has me doubting this idea.

If anyone has any experience with this i appreciate the guidance!

Thanks!

In my honest opinion if the idea of it turning into a soft concrete is what gave your fear, do not let it. That is the point of having a gravel base and the sand is simply there to easily level the pavers. Save money and recycle. :)

The gravel is used as saving money if you will from not having to pour a slab. Which also allows for a homeowner to do these types of projects. Many times in on jobs where there is concrete we just add sand and pave right over it, if it is uneven. If smooth you can add pavers and fill with sand.


Line and load to same GFCI receptacle When I tested the GFCI in my bathroom it won't reset. The same thing happened in my second bathroom. I took a look at the GFCI in the first bathroom and it looks like both the load and line are attached to the line receptacle. Is this normal? Would this be the reason that the outlet won't reset? I haven't look at the second bathroom yet.

Thanks in advance for your responses!

I won't mention the ground wires, but hook them up also or just leave them connected, there won't be any reason to futz with them.  If disconnecting a ground wire improves something, that reveals a ground fault problem, which should be fixed.

Note how everything is connected, not just wires, but how the wires are grouped in cables.  Generally you have a Romex cable coming in with a black and white, and sometimes also a red.  The red is an alternate "hot".

You will always use hot and neutral as married pairs, except for switch loops.  Think of the hots and neutrals as monogamous married couples that socialize in pairs, i.e. Jim's wife only hangs out with John's wife if Jim hangs with John.  The grounds are like their kids who all play together.

Disconnect all the wires from the GFCI.
Hook up only 2 wires to the GFCI, the hot and neutral from only one source.
Test the GFCI thoroughly.  If it does not work perfectly, repeat 2-3 until it does.   The goal is to find which of these sets is a reliable power source.

For each of the remaining pairs of wires:

If you don't want that pair of wires to be GFCI protected, pigtail them with the wires now going to the GFCI's LINE inputs.  Test the GFCI and the other outlets again.  There's no reason this should make the GFCI fail.
Any pairs of wires you DO want protected by the GFCI, attach them to the LOAD output terminals of the GFCI, one set at a time, and run the GFCI through its paces.  If attaching any wire pairs causes a GFCI trip, that branch has a problem, and you will not be GFCI protecting it until you solve that problem.  (it could be a faulty appliance, that is, after all, what GFCIs detect.)
Once all the wires work, connect them all to the GFCI LOAD terminals, using pigtails unless the GFCI has room to take all the wires on its LOAD terminals.

The key to complex connections to GFCIs is "one step at a time".


RV pad with 125amp sub-panel i built a RV pad for my brother.  I also built a small laundry/storage room next to pad.  I wanted him to pay for his own electricity so I ran 4 wires (2 hots, neutral, ground) from a 200 amp outside main panel (already bonded) to a meter box then to an outside 125 amp sub-panel. Both mounted to outside of storage room. The ground wire runs from 200 to 125. The sub-panel will be used as main disconnect.

Do I install the bonding screw in the sub-panel?

Note: the only other thing the main panel runs is the well and a booster pump. The wires were run underground in non-metallic electrical pipe.

Nope.  Subpanels and bonding screws do not go together.

The only way you would be using the bonding screw is if this meter was a separate service from the electric company, and he was paying the electric company directly.

Who is paid isn't the issue, but rather, it's how the service is delivered to you.  Power companies supply service which is potentially "floating" or subject to transformer leakage (lifting it to thousands of volts), and you cannot count on the power company's neutral being anywhere near ground.  And the power company does not supply ground.  That is why the first point beyond the power company must be grounded.

Remember the NEC rules that let you supply a 120V outlet, a TT30, a NEMA 14-30 and a NEMA 14-50 socket to the same pad, and only need to deliver 50A powe to all that. Idea being different RVs use different ones, but none use more than one at a time.


Allowed distance between service entrance and breaker box What is the distance allowed between where the service wires enter your home and the breaker box?

The NEC simply says as close as practical. Some locations do impose an actual distance number. Most areas have a limit of 5-6 feet into the structure to the main panel/disconnect.

Your local authority/inspector will be the only one who can tell you for sure.


Did I break my door lock by locking it from the inside before exiting? The lock on my front door is broken.

When I leave my house, I lock the door handle from the inside, then close the door and lock the deadbolt with the key. My boyfriend is trying to tell me that closing the door when the handle is locked already is bad for it and will break the mechanism. I've done it this way my entire life and I've never had a problem so I have a hard time believing that this is the problem.

Does anyone have some knowledge on the subject?

Door latches (door handle you're referring to) are made to close while locked, they're a spring-loaded device that does not care that the door knob won't turn or lever actuate as the latch bolt gets pushed back against its spring by the striker plate before dropping into the pocket. It works this way whether the lock is engaged or not. Nothing in the lock mechanism is connected to this portion of the latch.

He might be onto something if he's talking about the deadbolt  but the reason why would be obvious to you. I only mention it because I flipped the deadbolt lever in the dark in one of those bu'duh moments and left a nice permanent dent in the casement molding beside my front door.

I've locked the latch from the inside all my life as well. Took apart my first mortise type lock with the old ward keys somewhere around 10 and managed to get it back together and in working condition. Did the same with the Kwikset dual door set of the day. The latch part hasn't changed much in its operation over the ensuing four decades and the latch was made to spring actuate then as it does now.

Tell him it saves wear and tear on the pin tumblers in the lock and the key for the door latch as they only get used half as much as the deadbolt key.

How old is this lockset? Normal wear and tear kill them.


Heating mystery following replacement windows I have a very mysterious situation that's got me completely baffled. I can't imagine how it's even possible so I'd like some suggestions on what could possibly be going on.

Background

My house is a two-story, wood frame colonial built in 1967. It has a walk up attic that's well insulated. There is a door on the attic stairwell that's kept closed when not in use. The attic has soffit vents and a roof ridge vent. No fans or anything of that nature.

Heat is provided by hot water through baseboard radiators. The furnace is just a few years old and is inspected and cleaned annually. It's a single zone with the thermostat on the first floor.

The Mystery

A couple of years ago we replaced all the windows using double-pane windows with low E-glass and all the usual energy compliance ratings. Being much more energy efficient and tighter sealing than the original windows, we expected at least a slightly warmer house, and that's perhaps true on the first floor, but bizarrely the second floor is now noticeably cooler than the first.

How is this possible? Heat rises and since there's no forced air circulation, I don't think it's possible that heat could be moving downward. We've lived here for 30 years, so there's no question this is a new phenomenon. There are no drafts we can feel, none of the windows leak, and nothing else about the house has changed.

I can't even think of an explanation that fits the laws of physics. Any ideas?

Bonus question: What to do about it?

OK Let me try. Originally you had your single zone heat on. My experience is first floors are usually warmer than second floors. Hot air wants to rise but it can't unless there's some cooler air replacing it. That's where the drafts come in from the older windows on the first and second floor. So heat rises to the second floor in addition to the second floor heating and all is well.

Then you change the windows. No more drafts from outside. Now the hot air on the first floor can't rise like before because there's no air coming in because no drafts. The second floor now has to rely on only the second floor heating which is usually lower then the first floor heating, single zone.

End result, a warmer first floor and a cooler second floor. Try to regulate the first floor heating, close the valves a bit so hotter water get to the radiators on the second floor. Good luck


New Dimmer Switches Work Inconsistently I recently installed 2 new dimmer switches for new construction recessed lights in my living room (LED bulbs). At first these dimmer switches appeared to be working without issue.

However, a few day later I installed a doorbell transformer off of the same circuit that the dimmers are on. Later that day I noticed that the switches weren't turning on my lights anymore. I came back later and tried again and it worked. So then I proceeded to hit each switch a number of times, and noticed that sometimes the lights would turn on, and other times they wouldn't. I could not discern any noticeable pattern, it seemed totally random if they would turn on or not. Also of note, this dimmer has a locator light that turns off when the lights turn on. However, when the switch is flipped and the lights DON'T turn on, the locator light stays on.

I have not yet tried disconnecting the doorbell transformer to see if the switches go back to normal (quite certain this problem didn't exist before the transformer). I am going to try that tonight, but I don't see why that would affect anything.

Has anyone experienced this before? Any ideas on what may be wrong here?

The switch in question is a Legrand Radiant Tru-Universal dimmer switch.

Since the problem started when you added the transformer, that is the first thing to check. Three possibilities:

You somehow wired it into the circuit in a way that it ended up in series with the dimmers/lights. That would be rather unusual, and with incandescent lights you'd probably have no lights at all. But LEDs don't need much power, so you just might end up with a "sometimes works" situation as you described.
Bad connections. If you spliced in hot & neutral for the transformer so that the lighting part of the circuit is on the same wire nut (or other splice) then a bad connection could cause high resistance and strange problems.
An actual interaction between the transformer and the dimmer/LEDs. Unlikely, as a transformer is a pretty simple device.

Disconnect the Transformer
Disconnect the transformer and see what happens to the lights. If that fixes the problem then you need to try:

Make sure the transformer is NOT in series. If you are not sure, post pictures of the wires in the boxes for the transformer and the dimmers.
Reconnect the transformer, checking connections carefully. If you use wire nuts, get a new set of wire nuts and make sure they are the right size for the number & size of wires.

And if all else fails, move the transformer to a different circuit.
If removing the transformer does NOT fix the problem, check/redo all the connections for the dimmers & lights. If that doesn't solve the problem, replace the dimmers with regular switches and see if the problem goes away - that will tell you if the problem is the dimmers or the LEDs.


Installing new Moen valve not working I am remodeling my bathroom and the "tile guy" removed my shower parts. The old Moen valve was still retained.

I put everything back in using new Moen shower kit

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H19B72Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

However, I could not figure out why turning the valve in either way did not turn on the water:

The water did not come in either of the position above.

What did I do wrong? Was there another shut off valve that I am not aware of?

Thanks.

When you turn that style of Moen control, it mixes hot water with cold to adjust the temperature; but first you need to pull out to get the water to flow...


Parallel circuit between switches for bathroom fan outlet wiring While upgrading a fan switch to a timed switch I came across the wiring as pictured below. What purpose does the line daisy chaining these separate light and fan switches serve? Should I remove or what should I reconnect to?

Update: After testing the lines with a multi-meter (w/ multi-meter red node to test line, black nod to neutral) there is only one hot line (the u-shaped wire in the middle of the img.

The parallel connection from the "line" terminal on the timer switch powers the light switch, otherwise there will be no power if removed or if connected to the "load" terminal the power will only be available when the fan switch is turned on. Below is the end result.


Submersible water pump pressure I'm terribly new at this and have no idea what I'm doing so please do bear with me.
I have a submersible pump that I want to use in a small rainwater tank to water my garden either through your standard 12mm hose or a 13 - 15mm irrigation pipes (all working ok with our tap at home).
When I tried it on a sprinkler using a 12mm hose, the pressure is a fraction of what I normally get. This is currently how I have set it up. (which I have a feeling is the problem)
I replaced the connector that points upwards (see original photo from link) and replaced it with a 32mm to 20mm reducer (A) so I can fit my hose (B) which is ~10m long.
Any suggestions/thoughts on what I should be doing whether having a more powerful pump or correctly configuring the connectors and pipes etc?
I would highly appreciate the physics side of it as well so I can apply this knowledge elsewhere.

Those pumps are rated in feet or meters of head pressure. Most submersible pumps similar to what you show are only rated to 15-20’ of head this is the equivalent of 7-10 psi or the maximum pressure it can develop. For that amountc of power it draws it probably has a fair volume.
To get more pressure you usually have to sacrifice volume or add horse power.
You may not need the gallons per minute and reducing this for a pump that could pump 60 feet of head pressure or more will provide the spray you are after. A pump that can only pump 10 gallons per minute at 60’ of head pressure may be similar in power as your existing pump but spray closer to what you are used to.


Is it safe to drill small holes in load-bearing concrete beams for expansion bolts? It seems to be very common to drill small holes in any kind of structural concrete for mounting fixtures without worrying too much about any kind of reduction in strength of the structure, but I prefer to be safe than sorry…

We have a concrete beam (roughly 285mm wide x 540mm high including plaster coat) supporting a roof and part of a mezzanine floor.

I know nothing about the composition of it; it may encase a steel I-beam (the rest of the building structure is steel I-beams) or it may simply be reinforced concrete. The building is circa 1960s so it is not likely to be unreinforced concrete.

I wish to attach a 2 m horizontal length of steel pipe along the beam to attach stage lighting to. The pipe itself will weigh about 9 kg, and I will hang at most about 10 kg of lighting equipment from it.

In order to fix the pipe to the beam I would need to drill eight 6 mm diameter, 20 mm deep holes in the beam (four at either end of the pipe for the mountings). I would put M6 Dynabolt expansion anchors in these holes, which are rated for 3.4 kN (346.7 kgf) shear capacity each, giving a very large safety margin above the expected load.

Is it safe to drill small holes like this into structural concrete and use expansion anchors in them or should I consult an engineer before proceeding?

You can actually punch surprising large holes in the middle of a beam without diminishing its load-bearing capacity.  This is because that capacity is largely a function of only the top and bottom portions of the beam and how far apart they are.

Engineered floor joists are a good example of this:

It would take a structural engineer to tell you exactly how much the load-bearing capacity will be reduced, but I can tell you that this amount will be at least an order of magnitude less than the margin for error in manufacturing the beam.

Don't worry about it.  It's what these things are made for.


Should I connect one cable to each outlet in a two-gang box? I removed a 1-gang box that had two 14-2 cables entering it with all wires connected to a single duplex outlet. Strange I thought. I need to install a 2-gang box with two duplex outlets in it. I had purchased 14-2 Romex prior to today because I thought I would find one sheath of 14-2 behind the 1-gang box. Based on the picture, I am assuming I lucked out and can just wire each cable to one duplex outlet. No need for pigtails. Am I right?

Update: I connected the two 14-2 Romex sheaths and two sets of pigtails (2 x black, 2 x neutral, 2 x ground) together with wire nuts, and then connected the other ends of the pigtails to the outlets. Everything is working perfectly. Thank you for the education and recommendations. Made this project easy.

No. You have an upstream cable (source power) and a downstream cable (which feeds something else--more outlets or lights), and they need to be connected in order to maintain continuity throughout the circuit.

You'll need either pigtails (best practice, but a bit messy), or jumpers connecting the two receptacles (simpler, relies on the outlet hardware more).

Your fundamental misunderstanding was that you'd have two source cables connected to one outlet. That would result in an odd (and potentially dangerous) situation. An exception would be when half of the outlet is switched, and fed from a second cable. The telltale sign would be removed tabs on the sides of the outlet.


Ceiling fan wired for 4 way control? I want to set up fan and light controls in three wall boxes, i.e. one fan/light control on each side of the bed, and one fan/light controller at the entrance to the room.

How can I do this?

This can be done using a multi-way fan/light controller system such as the Lutron Maestro series.

You (or your electrician) will need a MA-LFQM package, which includes the master wall module and the canopy module, and two MA-ALFQ35 accessory controls, as well as normal wiring supplies (two and three conductor cable of the appropriate gauge, wire nuts/connectors, etc).

The controls should be wired as per the diagram in step 12c of the instructions, and the canopy module as instructed.  Note that you can't mix standard three or four way switches with these controls as they use power-line communications between each other and the canopy module to provide speed control and dimming, and you also will no longer be able to use the pull chain controls on the fan.


Will Modifying a Wardrobe Box for Temporary Use/Moving ruin its structural integrity? I have some time between leases that I'll be living in a temporary location and I picked up a wardrobe box (a large box with a cross-bar for hanging clothes).  I'd like to try to store most of my wardrobe in it, including shoes and non-hanging clothing items, for a few weeks and while moving.  There's a lot of space in the bottom of the box underneath the hanging clothes, but as it's pretty deep it's hard to access.  I was thinking about cutting a flap near the base that I would tape shut while moving, but leave untaped during the few weeks I need access to the clothes.  Is this likely to ruin the box's structural integrity?

(Let me know if this is off-topic; I really wasn't sure)

I'm not completely sure this is on topic, but I'll try.  I assume you mean one of these:

If you want to cut a hole in it, you'll want to cut it in the "front" and make sure you don't go all the way across it from left to right.  Alternatively, you can just use a boxcutter or utility knife to make the seam deeper for the front flap, so you can just reach in directly.  I know what you mean about the bottom being inaccessible, we had the same issue.


What could be preventing the heat boiler from circulating water upstairs to the radiator, frozen pipes? I recently bought a Cape Stye house and it is equipped with a Weil McLain Series 1 Boiler. The boiler is up and running fine except it is only heating the first floor; the base board radiators upstairs doesn't get hot, I opened the bleeding valve on each radiator to see if air/water is circulating, and they both bled for awhile with hissing sounds and water gushing out.

The day after I re-opened back the bleeding valves on the radiators upstairs and nothing comes out, as if the boiler isn't pumping water to the radiators upstairs, so thats when I took a pause and decided to get help. Could there be frozen lines upstairs or anything else on the radiator side that's preventing the circulation?

Thanks in advance Guys.

PS. (Both Zones/Floors are connected to a T pipe on the boiler).

Updated with Zones and Circulation pump.

Update 2: Picture of the backfill and automatic/manual feeder?

UPDATE: Sorry for the late reply, It checked out to be frozen pipes. The weather went up to 60 degrees last week, I went to feel the upstairs zone's pipes and it was hotter than normal; I then went upstairs and I could feel the heat coming from the base board heaters as I was walking up. That made me very happy haha. Thank you guys for all the input.

You could have a frozen pipe (actually, it would take two in this case to completely isolate the upstairs bleeders.) You might not. Don't know the layout of your pipes...

Circulation pump does not need to be running for bleeding. System pressure alone should suffice for bleeding. "Hissing" when you bled before sounds like trapped air. When you start to get water mixed in, close the bleeder, wait a few minutes and re-open. You should eventually get just water, no hiss, no bubbles.

I'm going to suspect that you have low pressure in the system, so air is not being forced out the top bleeders by water pressure in the system. You should have a pressure gauge (often on the same face as a temperature gauge) on the boiler - what does that read? Normally it should be 20-30 PSI. You may need to add water.

If you can't sort it out yourself, call for professional help sooner rather than later, as letting the system freeze can result in considerable expense.


When is the "best" time to get a gunite pool installed? Is there a time of the year where pool installers are generally "cheaper", due to lack of business?

I've heard that it's best to purchase decks in the fall, since that is the slow season. Just not sure the same applies to pools.

I see you are from VA. If you're in an area that doesn't get frost into the ground, then it would be safe to install a pool at any time during the year. Just guessing here, but I would imagine that pool companies would be begging for business shortly after the pool closing season, late fall, early winter, or before the ground freezes and snow falls. Definitely that way here in the north country.  Again, really just a guess, got no evidence for ya. Maybe one of our contributors from your area may have some better advise.


wiring switch loop properly There is a switch box. The box has three incoming 14/2 cables. One for the ceiling fixture, one for an unswitched outlet and one bringing the power. The one with power has an energized white wire. I'm assuming this box was wired as a switch loop. How do I connect the wires in this box? Virginia, USA
Thank you!

I have a pending question for you but other than that, this is a very common situation, and is easy to deal with.

Connect all grounds together, including to the box itself
Connect all neutral (white) together
Connect hot (black) from power to hot (black) to outlet, and using a small piece of black wire as a pigtail, connect it to one side of the switch
Connect hot (black) to the light to the other side of the switch

I actually would not describe this as a "switch loop" -- a switch loop can be identified by only one wire coming into the switch box, and the power actually going to the light fixture first. This actually isn't very common anymore, since NEC 2011 404.2(C) added a requirement to have neutral in switch boxes, and the easiest way to do that is to have power come to the switch first.


What is this exterior wood finish? We (our local athletic association) bought a pre-built building, but we had to relocate one of the doors.  We replaced the panel with a matching piece, but we're not sure how to finish it so that it matches the rest of the building.  I guess the manufacturer is no longer reachable (which doesn't give me a great feeling), so we're left to guessing.  Any ideas?  Original is the yellower material on the left side and the thin strip on the top by the green metal roofing. The new panel is on the right (paler color).

I would do the following, assuming you have some scraps from making the panel:

Print out the photo and take it, along with a small scrap, to your local store with outdoor paint stains.  (big box, hardware, or paint store) and see if you can match the color.  If you are lucky, a person there might be able to narrow down the choices based on the type of wood. Purchase a few of the smallest cans that might create the same results.  On some of the scraps stain them with the different stains and let them dry.  Compare them with the original stained piece.  If they are not close enough, repeat the process.

If you still end up with differences, try getting it close and stain the new part of the door.  Then apply a covering type stain over both the old and new.


Mini Split liquid line shaking I just installed a new Mr. Cool system a few weeks ago.  Works great, its quiet and works as expected.

I haven't finished the lineset covers since the routing is a bit wonky so I was able to see the liquid line shaking while I was outside with the dogs.

Anything to be worried about?

Edit: Link to the specific unit
https://www.homedepot.com/p/MRCOOL-Advantage-3rd-Gen-18-000-BTU-1-5-Ton-Ductless-Mini-Split-Air-Conditioner-and-Heat-Pump-230V-60Hz-A-18-HP-230B/308810697

Video https://youtu.be/1pYjNYvFjo8

I just had a training class that mentioned these units a few weeks back (even offered a bounty to get more views). The system comes fully charged you just assemble it and connect the lines. All hvac systems vibrate and this is normal. I hope you reviewed the instructions and the feed back to seal the threads on the line set. I use nylog (nylog blue for the last few years). Movement is somewhat normal especially with the 25’ line set so having the thread sealant is a good idea and will reduce the number 1 cause of failures low refrigerant (this was what the instructor told us).
Yes some vibration is normal the pad you mount the unit helps dampen this,  so I would not worry two much about that.

With dogs (I love dogs and have them) make sure they do not pee on the outside unit. Dog pee is very corrosive and will wipe out the outside coil much faster, I have seen this several times on systems where dog pee ate the fins and eventually caused holes in the tubes.  But as far as some vibrations of the pipes this is normal.


How to find areas where heat/coolness are lost? I live in a 2-story rental townhome (basically an apartment with 2 stories). Our central air/heat system isn't really the best at keeping the upstairs and downstairs the same temperature whether in winter or summer.

I think this is partially because the thermostat is downstairs but also due to a not well insulated upstairs.

Winter is not as big of problem because space heaters are cheap to buy and operate. Summer is harder because portable AC units are more complicated in rental units.

We have tried closing vents downstairs but generally speaking this has not worked well.

Now that it is becoming warmer again I am hoping to find ways to determine where our unit loses its coolness upstairs to target them more directly, but am not sure how to best do this.

Whether for heating or cooling, your goal is to limit the amount of heat going through the building envelope, it's just the direction the heat is moving is reversed. Cooling loads are complicated by radiant heat gain which is not much of an issue for heating loads. Thermal imaging can identify areas of high heat conductance, indicating where more insulation is required.

Other than that, simple inspection can indicate where the heat is getting in (or out). Are there any gaps in windows and doors allowing air to leak in or out? If the windows are singled glazed, that will be the largest single cause of heat gain. How much insulation is in walls and ceilings? What's good for heating is good for cooling. In addition for cooling, how is the sun allowed to radiate heat into the building. Lack of shading devices, window tints, draperies or shades, etc. all contribute to heat gain.


How can I paint a concrete floor? I have an ugly black concrete floor in the laundry and I would like to paint it white over the top.

I have a few questions.

What different steps do you take when you are painting over a color rather than painting over unfinished concrete. And is white over black more difficult.

Is this considered a difficult job, should I hire someone? (I am a novice)

This should be a fairly easy project for you. The first step it to determine, if possible, if the existing paint is an oil or latex based paint. If you have the bucket that the old paint was in, you're in luck. Otherwise, it is hard to tell even though a trained eye may be able to tell. Regardless, using latex will be safe over either oil or latex (oil over latex will wrinkle and peel almost immediately and make a mess).

Since black will be hard to cover with one or two coats of white, I'd use a good blocking primer like Kilz or any good color block. Two quick coats of primer should be a great backer for white over black. Then just roll on your good quality, hard finish floor latex enamel. Probably two coats will do the trick.
Be sure to clean the existing black finish well, and if possible, sand lightly just to rough up the surface a bit. This will help assure a good bond with the primer.  Good luck.


What could cause my tankless water heater to make a knocking sound? I recently replaced my water heater with a tankless unit (Rheem). After installation I noticed that whenever I turned on the hot water; or when my central heating unit would turn on, the tankless unit would make 3-4 loud knocking/popping sounds. I asked the plumber who installed it and he said "no idea" [gee thanks pal].

Today I replaced the gas pressure regulator thinking that might be it. The old one was rated for 100k BTU/hr while the heater needs 180k BUT/hr [you'd think the plumber would have done this]. The new regulator is rated for 200k BTU/hr, but the water heater is still making those sounds!

I don't want to open up the unit because I really would have no idea what I could do. Does it have to do with the water line? If so, why does my central heating unit make the water heater start knocking? Does this sound familiar to anyone?

EDIT: Here is a recording of the water heater after the faucet has been turned on.

I have the same water heater and those knock noises are the flow valve actuators turning on and off...completely normal.


How to insulate drywall from odor? I have a strong odor coming from my "hoarder" neighbor upstairs. It is seeping through a drywall column that houses a metal ventilation shaft (in the corner of my bedroom closet).

I am thinking of opening the drywall column, inserting a plywood shelf, insulating the shelf and the inside of the column and then filling the space above the shelf (between the drywall and the metal shaft) with 20 lb of odor-absorbing charcoal.

Is this a reasonable approach? What would be the best material to insulate the drywall against the odor: foam sealant, waterproof paint or something else?

Does this ventilation duct in your closet have an opening into your room?

The most effective method for reducing this odor would be to first identify any air leaks in the shared wall. Insulation will do very little compared to sealing. Leaks are probably the reason you are able to smell the odor to begin with as odors should really not be able to penetrate solid surfaces. Most common sources of air gaps are around electrical outlets, the baseboard where the wall meets the floor, and ventilation outlets. These air gaps can be sealed easily with silicone caulk.

I need a more detailed description of what exactly is going on with this duct in your closet. Is this purely for exhaust/air circulation, heating, or cooling? How easily can you hear noises coming from your neighbor's domicile? There may be serious issues in your home that may be unrelated to your neighbor's living habits. You may have a dead animal or mold hidden somewhere. I absolutely would not do anything you suggested in your initial question. Please provide more details!


Thermostat wiring on a non programical white and rogers Has anyone ever seen the common wire connected to the red wire??

In the case of a switch leg on a multi wire branch circuit the white should be connected to the red and the white reidentified as a hot wire at both ends. Yes I have seen it and wired them this way in the past.


How can I safely get rid of fire ant mounds in my backyard? I've got around 8-10 fire ant mounds in my backyard, and a puppy that has recently discovered a love for digging in them. We haven't let her out in the backyard unsupervised for the past week since the weather started warming up and the ants are now active.

I tried using Spectracide Fire Ant Killer Mound Destroyer a few days ago. It kind of worked. I followed the directions to the letter, and waited for the ensuing ant apocalypse. As of today when I checked on the ant mounds most of the ants were dead, but there were a few dozen survivors milling around when I poked a stick in half the mounds. The Spectracide claims to kill the entire colony and the queen in 24 hours. :/ Does anyone have a better product to recommend, or another method of killing them? I'd prefer something that's relatively pet-safe, since the ultimate goal is to let our dog roam free in the fenced backyard.

This is somewhat related to How can I get rid of ants in an environmently friendly way?, but I'm not too concerned about environmentally friendly. Just something that won't be hazardous to pets a week or so after it's applied.

I am a huge fan of Amdro.  I find it works most of the time in a day.  Every now and then I get a mound that needs a second application.   I find good results if I don't mess with the mound and I hit them in the morning.

Having a pet I do spread some bait outside of his play area even when there are no mounds.  I have even gone into my neighbors lot and hit their mounds (with permission).  I try to get as large of perimeter as possible.


What is a ring main? What is a ring main and why are they used in the UK but not elsewhere?

A ring main as the name implies, is a wiring ring between a circuit breaker on a consumer unit and the sockets it supplies.

One wire leaves the consumer unit and connects to the first socket, a second cable then leaves this socket and goes to the next, at the last socket in the chain, the last connection goes back to the consumer unit creating a ring. The power load is shared both ways around the ring allowing use of a smaller diameter cable than a radial wiring system. This smaller diameter was one of the principle reasons for its introduction after the war in order to reduce the amount of copper which was in fairly short supply.

Older wiring systems have remained in use until fairly recently, my grandparents house was only rewired in 1987 although many were converted earlier.

The wiring scheme has some criticisms including less apparent fault symptoms and more lengthy testing requirements which aside from the complexity of retroactively adopting a new standard have probably contributed to its limited use outside the UK.

The Wikipedia article contains some more details on the standard, its history and issues but adequate training should be arranged before making any modifications to existing circuits.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_circuit

It's worth noting as well before considering any work that Part P of the Building Regulations may well apply, the IET has a good faq on the subject which is worth reading:

http://www.theiet.org/publishing/wiring-regulations/part-p/


What is the proper way to measure the cut-out for the kitchen range? I want to upgrade my kitchen range. I currently have an old 1987 kenmore drop-in. The manual lists it as a "30 inch drop-in", but when I lift up the cooking surface, the distance from counter top to counter top is about 29.5 inches (give or take a few cm). I spoke with several appliance retailers and I get varying answers. Some say that the cut-out should be slightly less than 30, others say they won't install unless it is 30 or more. Which is it? Also, I want to upgrade to an induction cooktop. The circuit breaker for the stove is rated for 50 amps, but my old stove is only 20 amps so I don't know if they installed the proper gauge of wiring for 50 amps or cut corners and used wire that was rated for 20 amps.

Typically a "drop-in" range will rest on the adjoining counter top surfaces.
That the actual cabinet is narrower, gives you the wiggle room you need to drop in the unit to install it.

If you want to change to a cooktop installation, that is something that is only supported by the counter top, then you'll need to build a cabinet, and provide a counter top with cutout to fill that space.

In any case, as others have suggested, check the exact measurements of any product that you select.  In this age of the internet, most manufacturers have their Installation Guides online, you can pull a copy in spite of the retail staff.


Making an existing concrete step taller I have a step down out the back door of my house and the first step down is way too far, about nine and a half inches.

It's concrete.

What is the best way to make it taller?

You could put tile on them. Or thick stone.  Flagstone looks cool, and comes in variable thickness. Add thinner stone to the risers. You may not want to lose tread depth.  Step it up a notch.


Do I need to upgrade to a 400A panel with solar? I'm getting solar installed with some powerwalls. As it stands I'm going to have my entire house backed up.

However, I plan to add two EV chargers in the future and I don't want these backed up.

The solar contractor told me this:

  Main has to have no other breaker except Gateway supply breaker and main breaker  to comply with 705.12.(D)(2)(3)(c)

After doing my own research, that makes sense to me.

They told me I would have to upgrade to a 400A main panel so I can feed the existing 200A gateway/sub and then a second 200A sub for my EV chargers.

After running some numbers (and just looking at what is here today) I don't think I need anywhere near 400A of power for my property. That's A LOT of power.

It's not a massive 4000sqft mansion with 10 AC units, it's 2000 sqft with a single 5ton AC and a pool and a few gas applicances.

We currently have a main with a 100A breaker and all of our loads work fine.

Even if we do decide to add 2 EV chargers we would be at 180A max, but we wouldn't have everything on while the 2 EV chargers are in use.

In my mind 200A should be just fine, am I missing something?

This was quoted as an additional $2-3k

It may even just be cheaper to just get a second meter installed for just the cars, the SCE site estimates that at $1500.

My question is, do I need to upgrade to 400A service to add my EV chargers?

I'm located in Southern California on SCE.

Link to proposed electrical plans

Short answer is "no"

There are a couple ways of fixing this short of going to 400A busbars in the main panel, which are not exactly the cheapest thing in the world.  Read on for options, although you'll need to discuss both with your AHJ and the latter option (using the secondary disconnect on a suitably equipped meter-main for the EVs) with your utility as well.

One other caveat with most of this is you're best off with 32A EV chargers (vs 40A) to avoid starving the house for power too much -- luckily, 32A@240VAC is a standard circuit size in most of the rest of the world, so you can get EV chargers that size fairly readily.

Easy fix -- downgrade the 200A feeder breaker in the main panel to 125A

Given the rules of NEC 705.12(D)(2)(3)(c) and that the total overcurrent protection for the planned EV chargers won't exceed 100A, the easiest solution to this problem is to downgrade the main panel's feeder breaker to 125A, which brings you back into compliance with the rules.  This does mean that if both the Powerwalls are charging at their full 30A rate, your solar system isn't helping at all, and you're pulling significant load (more than 65A) on the house side, you could trip the feeder breaker.

If you are OK with starving the EV chargers for current somewhat, or your AHJ is willing to apply 240.4(B) rules to this situation, then you can use a 150A feeder breaker, but that limits you to 70A (without 240.4(B)) or 80A (with 240.4(B)) maximum breakering for the EV chargers, taken together.  (If you could put a 75A breaker in, that'd work, but 75A is not a standard breaker size.)

If that's not an acceptable state of affairs...

If the above situation is not serviceable, then there is another option, but it involves replacing your meter socket with a specific meter main (or meter breaker), which may or may not be more costly than the 400A panel.  In particular, the Eaton/Cooper 2M2RP provides a 200A continuous socket with two load taps: one for a 200A maximum main breaker, and a second provision for an auxiliary service disconnect.  However, the lugs on the meter socket are limited to 125% of 200A (their continuous rating), or a 250A maximum, so the disconnects must sum to that (vs. the 225A maximum rating on your proposed main panelboard's busbars).

This means that you can use a maximum of a 175A main breaker in the unit (downbreakering it from the shipped 200A), and the auxiliary disconnect paired with that can be a maximum of 75A as a result; however, 75A isn't a standard breaker rating, so we can use an 80A breaker instead as per 240.4(B) (it's a feeder, we're protecting a set of lugs, and we're below the 800A maximum for the rule).  Given that the 2M2RP takes Siemens breakers (for historical reasons), and that Siemens has replaced the QJ line with the backwards-compatible QR, we need a QR22B175 for the main, and the provision for the secondary main can be left unpopulated for now.  When the EV chargers are installed in this scenario, a Q280 is inserted in that secondary main slot, and then a feeder is run from it to a main lug panel with the EV-charger branch breakers in it.

If your AHJ or utility rejects the application of 240.4(B) here, one can use a QR22B150 for the main and a Q2100 for the secondary, instead -- this does mean that pulling full power from the house while the Powerwalls are charging at full rate and the solar system is outputting nothing puts you in main-breaker-trip land, but that is quite unlikely.  Another option would be to use a QR22B175 for the main and a Q270 for the secondary, but that starves the EV chargers for current ever-so-slightly.


Replacing an Intermatic EJ351 mechanical light switch timer with a wifi Smart Switch KS-602 timer in 1935 house In the entry way of my 1935 home, there is a double switch box. One switch is a basic,two wire light switch controlling the indoor entry light. The other switch is a mechanical Intermatic EJ351 timer switch controlling the porch light. Each switch uses only two wires.
Coming from the conduit attached to the box are three cloth covered wires. They are old and very dirty, but, appear to be in good condition. The colors don't make sense to me. One appears to be red, one green and one black. Using a meter set at 200 VAC, I put the black probe to the junction box (as ground) and tested each wire with the red probe. The black and red wires showed no voltage, but, the green wire has full line voltage. The black wire is connected to the simple light switch, the red wire is connected to the mechanical timer and the green wire is connected to both. My limited knowledge of house wiring thereby suggests that the red and black wires are both neutral and the green is "hot". Not withstanding the colors, I would have thought there would be two hot, one neutral and a ground wire. At least the box appears to be a good ground.
The question is, how do I wire the Smart Switch KS-602 or can I even use it? It requires four wire connections which they label load, line, ground and neutral. I assume ground I can connect to the box, the red to the neutral, the green to line, but, what do I connect to load, another neutral?
Thank you for any help.
Allan

From your description, it sounds like the green wire is live, the black wire is connected to the entry light and the red wire is connected to the patio light. There is no ground or neutral coming to the box. The EJ351 timer switch is specifically advertised as not requiring a neutral connection.
Try turning on either light and then measuring the voltage on the black/red wires. These wires will now "appear" to be hot wires since they will be connected to live through the switch. When the lights are off the wires will "appear" as neutral since there is a (relatively) low-resistance path to neutral through the lights. They are the switched hot wires going to either light.
You cannot use your smart switch without a neutral wire.


What is this noise coming from my gas furnace? Whenever I change my air filters in my furnace, I hear a boom noise. The last time I called DEER and they came out and fixed the problem (I can't remember what the part was called that was needed). It happened again, the booming sound, after I changed the filters. What could be causing this problem and how can I get it fixed and never have it happen again, even after changing the filters?

Assuming no sledgehammers were used, you could be hearing a sheet metal change shape, triggered by temperature.  It will likely be a large flat area of metal somewhere...


Is this washing machine drain hose too long/ installed wrong? Yellow is the current setup

Should the hose be shortened/rerouted? I'm thinking it would have a hard time draining properly, and I believe my washing machine has issues rinsing. Could this be the cause?
I was thinking of changing it to closer match the original drain hose in the diagram.

I would agree the extra loop will create increased resistance and possibly not pump as well.
I would shorten the hose if nothing else to reduce the back pressure on the pump.
I know my washer has a check valve at the exit of the pump so it should not let dirty water flow back but I would think eliminating any flow restrictions and a longer hose is a resistance to flow that if eliminated may solve your rinse issue.


Change dimmer to normal light switch I have changed a dimmer to a normal light switch.
On dimmer there were two red cables: 1 going into L1 and the other into a wavy line with arrow through it.
I have put L1 to L1 on normal switch and wavy line to common on light switch is this correct?

This is fine
Ordinary light switches don't make any distinction between "line" and "load" sides; in fact, in North America, we mark the two "live" terminals on an ordinary wall switch identically (they're both brass screws, vs. the black screw used for the common terminal on a 3-way wall switch).  So, you can connect it either way around, and it'll still work.


Does a brick attic need ventilation? I'm building a house and it has a non-standard roof and attic. The roof has 10x10 meters and there are brick walls on three sides, each 1.8 meters high.

Between the walls I will place a roof and all the water will go on the clear side. The roof has an inclination of 8 degrees.

Do I need to vent the attic and how should I do it?

I have been thinking of placing a few pipes in the brick walls, but I'm not sure how exactly I should do it.

Thanks!

Yes, ventilation is not just for keeping the wood roof joists from dryrot, but it also keeps the attic dry so condensation does not drip on the attic insulation. Wet insulation looses its insulation qualities.

Here in the U.S., the Building Code requires "cross ventilation" and allows less ventilation if half of the ventilation is in the top half of the attic. So, with your sloping roof, make sure there are vents in the half of the attic that is highest so the warm hot air can escape in the summer.


Basement partition wall sole plate - do I need sill plate gasket? I am building a bathroom in my basement. It's not a remodel, it's a fully new room from the concrete floor up to the joists.
The partition walls will not be touching the cinderblock foundation; there will be a 4" gap between the non-load-bearing walls of this room and the house's foundation. I am using PT wood for the sole plates.
My question is: Do I need to put a sill plate gasket underneath the PT wood that serves as sole plates for these non-load-bearing walls?
(I am seeing a lot about sill plate gaskets on Google, but the use for this gasket product seems to be more directed towards what goes on top of cinderblocks that are a part of foundations.)

The primary function of the sill plate gasket is to keep undesirable stuff out, bugs, dust/dirt, outside air, etc., while at the same time keeping desirable stuff in, such as heated or cooled air.
While it can, and often is, used on interior walls in slab construction, it's generally optional there unless your local building codes require it.  You may want to check your local AHJ.


Wooden cabinet - Large crack We acquired two of these cabinets from a friend a few years ago, and one of them has developed a large crack which we noticed while moving a few months ago, and it's grown to the point where most of the side is covered.

I was going to grab a ratchet strap to keep it together in the short term, then look at getting further help on the repair (it's a nice piece of furniture, and we don't really want to get rid of it). Is this likely to cause more damage? would you guys recommend filling the crack, or bracing it somehow (would that cause more damage and weakness)?

It's not really my strong suit, so any help would be appreciated.

EDIT: Added picture.

Bad split but great situation, in being a cabinet & not a bank of drawers. However, I can't see fresh wood, which is quite odd. It's best to do this with the piece laying face-up on the floor.

You need to wood glue that. Open & prop up the split to then squirt, popsicle stick or brush a thin layer of glue on the bottom of the split. Just get as much of the split as you can manage, remove your prop & let gravity close it.

It shouldn't slide around & should align perfectly on its own, but help it if needed. Wipe any glue off that squeezes out with a rung-out paper towel, rag or sponge. Keep the door open & stack as much weight (up to 100-lbs) as you can within the cabinet door zone.

Start stacking with something long & fairly thin to span the cabinet opening, so you can wipe off any additional glue squeeze out on both sides. And, let it sit for 27-hours. You should be good to go from there, but you can also install a small (1/2-inch x 1 1/2-inch) flat drilled piece of metal (at any hardware store) to bridge & brace the old split, just under the drawer so it's not visible.


Is this exposed wire dangerous? I have this wire some of the inner part of which is exposed.  My friend claims that this is highly dangerous, but I don't think that touching it would be lethal, and in the worst case scenario there might be a short circuit, though the plug is grounded (3-prongs).  I don't understand enough to know this myself...

Given the colours (I don't know why the other answerer referred to a red wire, the wire in your picture is clearly brown) I'm going to assume you are somewhere in Europe.

The insulation on the nominally live wire is gone, that means you more likely than not have 230V exposed (if you are in a country that cares about polairty you definately have 230V exposed, if you are in a country that doesn't care about polarity it's 50/50). Touching that is very likely to result in an electric shock, if you are unlucky said shock may be fatal.

There is also earth exposed. With some movement you could end up with a short circuit. Most likely this will blow a fuse/trip a breaker but if you are unlucky it could also start a fire.

I would advise against using insulation tape to repair mains wires except in a dire emergency. It insulates fine but the adhesive can lose stickiness over time. If you do insist on using it make sure you remove the outer sheath, insulate the damaged wires individually and then insulate the bundle.

Best option is to replace the cable, if that is not possible then it may be possible to cut it and insert a suitable joint.


EMT or PVC in Bathroom? OK, so I am wiring my cabin (actually a small house, 16x24), and I have a 6x8 room that will eventually become a bathroom, and a nook that will be a kitchenette. All the wiring in the house is surface mounted EMT conduit & metal boxes (long and goofy story about why this is so and not romex in the walls)

In the bathroom, is there that much of a safety advantage to running PVC conduit? Or is EMT and metal boxes okay? Of course all outlets/switches/boxes are to be grounded. My worry is the steamy shower air settling and condensing to drops on the parts inside the boxes.

Also, after some research, I have interpreted that:

In a single bathroom, outlets/lights/and fan may be on the same breaker and it must be GFCI protected.
In kitchens, the convenience receptacles must be on their own 20A GFCI-protected breaker with 20A outlets, separate from lighting. (not including fridge/oven etc which must be separate)
In kitchens the lighting circuit does not have to be GFCI or CAFI protected.

So (assuming I'm correct in my research above) my plan is:

One CAFI/GFCI 20A circuit to the bathroom with two 20A outlets, a vent fan, and a surface-mount LED light fixture.
One CAFI/GFCI 20A curcuit to the kitchen convenience outlets, in EMT conduit with 20A outlets in metal boxes
One CAFI 15A circuit to the kitchen light fixture (same fixture as bathroom). I know CAFI isn't necessary (right?) but I assume it can't hurt to have the extra safety margin.
One CAFI/GFCI circuit to power the fridge.

EMT is okay for wet areas, in fact it's widely used in outdoor settings. If you're concerned about moisture, you could use compression fittings and metal boxes intended for wet settings. However, they'll likely be more expensive and may not be needed (others may confirm/deny).


How do you properly install backup power delivery? I have a backup power bank made of an inverter and car batteries. It charges when the grid power is on and turns on when the grid power turns off. However, my "electrician" repurposed the grounding wires from a switch to provide the power to select sockets and loads around the house, so that only they turn on — in an effort to converse energy.

I know how terrible an idea this is, but my "electrician" whose trade isn't regulated in my developing country does not. He doesn't understand the difference between AC and DC either, and believes that the grounding wire is redundant.

My question is: What is the right way to deliver backup power?

Should I install the output of the backup to where the mains power input is? If so, the backup is 2 car batteries, how do I protect appliances like my air-conditioner from being under-powered?

It's pretty easy with a simple backup power system like yours, which has a separate battery charger from the inverter.

You have two panels -- a main panel and a sub-panel.

The main panel is on utility power only.  You put circuits in there which only power from the utility (don't ever need to be powered from battery). This includes the battery charger.

The sub-panel is on a transfer switch which can place it on utility power OR battery power, but never both at once. This is necessary for the safety of linemen, but also makes sure you aren't powering up the whole neighborhood, which would flatten your battery fast!

The utility side of the transfer switch is fed from a circuit breaker in the main panel. That protects the wiring to the transfer switch from overload.

The various circuits that you want to be able to power off battery, are installed in this sub-panel.  *Note that you get to choose which circuits are powered by battery, simply by switching their circuit breaker off when you throw the transfer switch to battery mode.

The North American style transfer switch

Now in North America, our service panel designs allow you to have a subpanel with the transfer switch/interlock built right in; this is a Siemens/Murray design that straps 2 circuit breakers together, and then those breakers are back-fed. The interlock includes a bar that won't allow both breakers to be on at once.  The kit costs only US$30 (plus two large breakers $10-40 each).  Very economical.  In your case,  you could actually use exactly that same kit as a simple interlocked transfer switch, just using a very small 4-space subpanel that has just enough room for the interlocked breakers.   Since North America uses 2-pole power, wire it Philippine style, using the 2 poles as hot  and neutral. That way you are switching neutral for maximum safety.

The interlock can then feed onward to your usual DIN rail+RCD type subpanel. Remember you will need an RCD inside that subpanel, otherwise you will have no RCD protection when the device is thrown to "battery".

This only works for simple battery systems with a battery charger separate from the inverter.  (the diodes in both of them prevent backfeeding onto the line). If you get a modern system like a Tesla PowerWall where the battery charger and inverter are integrated and use a single connection, this gets a lot more complicated. I would avoid that if I could.

The better way - straight battery

An inverter itself is a heavy load.  It takes a lot of battery power simply to keep the inverter "spun up", even if it's not driving any loads at all.

Many loads can be run directly off battery voltage without the need for an inverter - lighting, modem, router, a few PC power supplies, some thermostat controls, etc.  It's a good idea to do this as much as possible.   If you can eliminate the inverter altogether, you'll get better use out of your batteries (need a smaller pack or get better runtime out of the pack you have).