Will my pocket door affect my installation of a tub surround? My wife and I have decided to install a tub surround around our tub (best place to put it!). We are planning on removing the tile and the drywall behind the tub and installing one of the surrounds that affixes directly to the studs (rather than a cheap glue-on surround). When we first bought our home, we considered having a complete one-piece insert installed, but the lady that came and took the measurements said we wouldn't be able to, due to the pocket door - I believe it was because the insert had a lip on the edge that would block the door.

My concern is the amount of space we have. We have a somewhat unique arrangement - as you can see in the pictures below, the end wall of the tub shares a wall with a pocket door. The pocket door slides into the wall behind the end of the tub. From the edge of the tile to the corner of the tile is 30 inches.

We also have a hall closet that shares the spout-side of the tub, so our tub is completely inset into an alcove area.

Click to embiggen

I was looking at a surround like the one below, from Lowe's (I can't find the actual surround we were looking at in the store, but this is close):

They all say that that they fit areas 29-32 inches deep, so I think we should be able to remove the tile and drywall and install the surround. I am not entirely sure how deep the area is going to be once we remove everything down to the studs.

My two questions are - do you think we have enough space to install the surround (i.e., will the fact that the tub is in an alcove matter), and will I be able to install a surround with the pocket door "pocketing" right behind the end wall?

Edit: If it matters, I was planning on following the instructions I found here, sans the new tub installation.

Most tub enclosures, like the one pictured, use a 1/12 to 2" nailing flange down each side and along the top. They are also designed to be used with tubs that have an anti siphon lip along the wall parameter of the tub. It sure looks like you have very little extra relief between edge of tub/tile to the actual corner. In order for the surround to fit snugly to the wall, it must be secured using this nailing flange. I think that you may have to build out the edge of that corner, thus reducing the opening size of the pocket door by an inch or two. This would not be very difficult, but would require some extra finishing work and some changes to door trim etc. If this clearance issue is the same on the opposite side of the tub, the same procedure may be necessary. Also, if you find that your tub does not have the anti siphon lip, extra attention will be needed to seal this joint. If and when you get to the point of tearing out the tile wall, be sure to insulate the stud wall and cover it with a good 4 to 6 mil vapor barrier, tuck tape any joints and the sides and top.  This will provide not only water protection, but give you some degree of sound deadening to adjacent rooms. Use only MR (moisture resistant) or paperless drywall to finish off around your new surround.
A completely different approach might be to cover the existing tile with a glue on surround kit. Assuming the tile is secure, after carefully cleaning all soap residues and prepping the surface with a dewaxing agent, (isopropyl alcohol for example) trowel on adhesive and install the kit. There are actually some nice surface mount enclosures out there, usually five piece. the box stores typically only have one or two choices and are pretty cheap looking. Check out a specialty kitchen and bath supplier for a much better selection.


Can I use a shallow box to install a 240v outlet? I need to move a 240v receptacle behind existing drywall that is affixed to the block wall on furring strips.
Can I use a shallow plastic box to install the receptacle?

[Assuming USA/Canada location/rules] So long as your box fill is met, yes.
However, there are multiple reasons to not prefer a plastic box, at least one of which relates to box fill - internal clamps count against box fill, while external clamps as more typically used with steel boxes do not count against box fill.
Another is that if this is a large 240VAC outlet as for a range or dryer, the forces involved in plugging and unplugging those are significant, and your plastic box may break, where a steel one would not.
Box fill is: your plastic box should be marked with a number of cubic inches (usually just XY C.I. where X and Y are numbers) - steel boxes have standard volumes which can be looked up in a table. Each wire that terminates in the box adds to the wire count. The receptacle adds 2 to the wire count. Internal clamps add 1 to the wire count. The size (gauge) of each wire corresponds to a number of cubic inches required for each wire "count" of that size - 2.0 for 14 gauge, 2.25 for 12 gauge, 2.5 for 10 gauge, 3.0 for 8 gauge and 5.0 for 6 gauge. The box needs to be at least as large as all those added up (larger is fine) - if you are "depth-limited" you may require a box that is higher and wider than you anticipate, depending on how many and what size wires you are using (i.e. 6 gauge wires for a 50A range receptacle need a lot of room.)
Unlikely to come into play unless your receptacle is "in-line" with another - up to 4 grounding wires are counted as 1 of the largest size grounding wire. After that they are (as of 2020 code) counted as 1/4 (so one counts as 1, 3 count as 1, but 5 count as 1.25)


Does my home's gas pressure need to be checked? Alright, my main question revolves around not understanding natural gas. Before we shell out a high dollar amount to replace our furnace and pipes and upgrade to Central heating & air, we want to double check that this isn't an issue of something that can be fixed for much cheaper.
We live in an older house, probably built around the 60s.
Here's what I know:

When temperature outside drops below 35 degrees, the house can no longer maintain temperature at 69. The longer the outside temperature stays 35 or below, the lower the inside will drop until it hits the 50s. Once outside temperature goes above 35, the house begins to climb back up to where the thermostat is set. This is a major issue in winter. In KY, there are a couple of months of the year where this means the house will be uncomfortably cold.
-New roof and new insulation have been installed since moving in.
-Two story house, the upstairs is warmer, but we don't really use the upstairs for daily living.
-I can time it for more accurate measures but if a rough estimate helps, the furnace for heating the water that heats the house comes on once every 35-45 minutes and stays on for about 10 minutes. Let me know if an exact time needs to be figured out.

Other signs/issues:

Gas stove top requires that I turn the gas on high for about 8 seconds before switching to the ignition which will light the flame immediately at that point. To my knowledge, what should be required is going straight to flame ignition. If I actually do this, it will click for about 20 seconds before any flame ignites. Making me think there could be an issue with needing more gas. This is true for all 4 burners, and has always been true. The stove was new when we installed it and has always been this way. (The flames are blue, but very small.)

It could have been a coincidence, but while boiling water a few days ago, I turned on the hot water in the sink. It ran for about 3 minutes, probably causing the water heater to kick on. I noticed a couple of minutes later that the burner for the water had actually cut off. The knob still showed it was on, however. So I had to cut it off and reignite to get it to work again. I've never seen this happen, and when I tried to repeat it, it didn't happen.
I wonder if the gas pressure isn't high enough to the house being the reason that I have gas related issues. But if this sounds more like the stove has its own internal issue, and the heating is it's own issue that has to be fixed another way, please let me know your advice.

I would say that your gas pressure / supply in general needs to be checked (that part might even be free from the gas company - call and report your symptoms)
and
that your boiler (despite not actually boiling if doing hot water rather than steam, that's what "a furnace for heating water" is normally called) and hydronic (hot water) heating controls need to be checked and corrected (even if the gas pressure is fine - or even if the gas pressure is low and gets corrected.) That part will almost certainly involve paying for a service call from a qualified heating system person.
Do them in that order, since servicing the boiler will go more smoothly if the gas pressure is correct.


How much sag on a roof is acceptable? I have minor sagging of my roof plywood, 3/8" thick, placed on trusses 24" apart. Is there an amount of sag that is technically okay? I could not find anything on the APA website. I am not worried about cosmetic appearance of the sagging, but wondering what my limits are for structural integrity.

Courtesy of @lsiunsuex in chat: http://www.tecotested.com/techtips/pdf/tt_plywooddesigncapacities

Max Live Load Deflection = span/240,
Max Total Deflection = span/180.

So for a 24 inch span, the deflection should be <  ~1/8 of an inch. (2.1333 sixteenths)


How to remove window wood trim to replace crank operator? ]3[]4
I have a broken casement window crank operator and needs to replace it, got the parts, but can't figure out a way to put it in. There are wood trims on the window which keeps me from reaching the screws for the operator, as shown in the picture. How should these wood trims be removed, so I can reach the screws to replace the operator? Thanks!

Use a thin prybar, carefully.

Look closely at the joints on the bottom trim piece that's in your way, and you'll note that it's not "locked in" to the rest of the frame - because that piece was installed after the crank hardware was. Pry it out of there, replace the hardware, and tack it back in when done.


Can I wire light sockets with 12 gauge wire I have a dedicated 20A breaker with 12 gauge wire running to my shed.  I have been installing outlets where I need that in my next step is to put in some light sockets.

I made them myself out of PVC and a light socket from Home Depot.

The light socket wires are very skinny. Can I connect them to my 12gauge wire that I have going throughout the rest of the shed? Do I have to buy a specific light socket?

As an electrician I always like to see fixtures with a UL Listing, but the wire size on your socket is used since it assumes a certain maximum wattage (amperage) lamp and therefore is allowed by the manufacturer. You can connect it up to a #12 wire on a 20A circuit since that is greater than the intended load of the lamp.

If you're interested that's covered in Article 402 in the NEC.


How to mount something with screwholes such that it is removable I have some hardware that has screwholes but I want to mount it to the wall such that it can be easily removed. Is there some kind of adapter I can purchase such that it can be unclipped easily in the same manner as hardware that has 'keyhole' slots?

If the battery holder has enough room in the holes where the screws go, that you could drill another hole below it, but larger, that the screw head can pass through, then slide down, then yes. I bought one like that just about 2 weeks ago, and the holes were beneath the AA battery slots and centered in the slot. No way to extend the hole to make it moveable. But, you could mount it to a thin board or wooden paint stirrer, yardstick, wood ruler, etc. Then you can drill a small hole in the upper section, with a larger one below and cut a slot between them to slide the screw on to. I am not aware of any adapters, but easy to make your own.

Sample:


how to attach a replacement soft pad on a Model #32039598 CRAFTSMAN Sander how to attach a replacement soft pad on a Model #32039598 CRAFTSMAN Sander. I have the pad just do not see how it attaches,if it needs glued on?

This exploded diagram shows a set of screws holding the pad to the motor mechanism.


Adding ventilation and insulation with limited soffits I’m hoping to add some insulation and ventilation to our attic. It’s a 1954 with a 1991 addition. The second floor is warmer in the summer, the original part much warmer than the addition.

Current situation:
Ventilation-one gable vent. New section has soffit venting. Old section has soffits just under 3 inches wide, with a couple of 2 inch round vents I previously installed. The rest has no venting, some rafter baffles though. There are limited soffits, there are 2 other gable ends.

Insulation-about 7 inches blown in on the ceiling and R13 batts on the kneewalls. The top of the stairs is the hottest, it had no insulation on the slant above the stairs or the backs of the walls that made the stair sides. I put an R30 there a few months ago.
So, I’m thinking I put 2 inch round vents every X inches where there are soffits. Also make sure there are rafter baffles inside the attic at these locations. Possibly add a gable vent on the other end and/or front?

Then buy some more blown in and get the free rental and increase the insulation in the old part significantly. (the new part has plywood down and tons of stuff stored, the old part will never have storage)

General advice appreciated as well as:

How do I decide if/how many gable end vents to add? We’re 5 blocks from a great lake, it can get pretty windy here if that’s an issue. It appears there was previously a second gable end that was sided over.

How close should my round soffit vents be? I would consider doing some long straight vent but I can probably only cut a hole/strip about 2.5 inches wide and can’t find something that would work.

Thank you!

(soffit shown is about half of what the whole old section has. There's an 8 foot section on the back of the house, opposite and a 3 foot section on the opposite end.

It looks like you have a ridge vent on the left already. The ridge caps look a little more "pronounced" than if there was no ridge ventilation. If there is no ridge vent then adding one would help a bunch.

Here is a section of a page from the 2012 IRC code stating the minimum requirements for venting. There are exceptions as well that should be in there too. It states 1 sq. ft. of vent for every 150 sq. ft. of attic. I can be reduced to 300 sq. ft. if you meet the exception. I think I read it right. But confirm it for yourself.

In the case of your one vent that was covered, it may have allowed snow to blow into your attic when there were high winds, then melt and cause drywall or plaster problems later.

If you feel you need to add more ventilation beyond the ridge vents, a continuous soffit vent will fit in that soffit space, it would be really labor intensive, but it would offer the most free air passage. compared to 3" rounds.


house well pumps and softener system inside or outside workshop I'm in the initial phase of laying out my 14x32 workshop and I need advice on whether to put the water treatment system and well pump outside or inside the workshop space. Here's what i currently have framed up for the concrete slab:

I want the electrical panel on the wall between where these well heads are. Here's a 2d model of what I'm building showing the panel between the well heads.

I forsee down the road issues with having the electrical panel behind the water softening equipment. If I want to add a new circuit which I most likely will, probably several iterations of changes. I will need to work around the softener equipment since it will be below and around the electrical panel.
So I'm leaning towards extending the concrete form another 3 feet out from the well heads and installing the softener system (which includes a 15 gallon liquid h2o2 peroxide tank) to outside the rear of the workshop wall on this 3' extension and frame in and roof an enclosure on the exterior. This will give me working room on the inside of the workshop plus free up that area to allow for future unhindered access to the electrical panel.
Here's a bulleted list of reasons for and against having the softener system and pumps inside vs outside this new workshop building.
For adding the 3'

I had planned for a floor drain and a 1" drop in the concrete slab in this section to allow for if there ever was a major leak water would go out the drain instead of out into the workshop. Not having the pumps and softener system within the framing of the main workshop would allow any leaks to be outside.
Extra workshop floor space.
No potential issues with spilling salt or peroxide onto the main workshop floor
Easy access for salt & peroxide delivery person, I plan to keep the workshop main floor locked.
Free up the area under and around the panel load center to allow for future upgrades without having to work around the bulky softener system equipment.
Not having to install the floor drain.
A little extra storage space gained within this 3' enclosed area.

Against adding the 3'

Having the softener system and pumps enclosed and out of the way makes it out of sight out of mind so to speak.
extra cost of concrete for this 3' and the extra cost for framing and roofing this enclosed area
Adding this extra 3' may potentially cover over the telco coax and the electrical feed to my house from the pole.
Brings the space between my neighbor's property line and this slab to about 3.5 feet.

Is there anything I'm missing here that is not obvious? I'm looking for additional comments, a second set of eyes per se. To look over my thinking here and add any details I may be missing that would prevent me from adding this 3' extra to the concrete slab.

You cannot have the electrical panel behind the water softener, unless it's a full 3 feet behind.
Required working space for a panel is a minimum of 30 inches wide, 3 feet in front, and 78(?) inches high. It has to include the panel, it does not need to be centered on it. That space has to be kept clear - it cannot be used for storage or have obstructions (such as equipment) installed in it. It's common to locate the panel so that a hallway or other normally unblocked traffic path is coincident with the working space required.


Changing electric plug fixtures outside plate that was painted over and pulled off - nothing fits I have a house built in 1960. I'm changing some electric plugs. Not the problem exactly. While I was ill some friends painted some of the rooms and painted over the plate rather than taking it off. I'm having problems finding outlets and plates that fit. The ones I find are two small. And a couple of plates were ripped off the wall. Big problem for me. I am a woman without a lot of extra money but if I know where to buy what I need, I'm good to go. And I have fixtures I need to get off the wall that have been painted over. I need a way to get them off without ripping part of the dry wall.

Removing cover plates that have been "stuck" to the drywall by being painted over can be fairly simple. I'd suggest purchasing a simple utility knife from your local hardware store and carefully running that around the edge of the plate where it meets the drywall. This will cut the paint membrane and prevent the painted drywall surface from peeling or tearing when you remove the plate. Once you've done that, just unscrew the plate and remove.

As for replacing the plate, there are oversized replacement wallplates available to conceal larger openings. Just search for "oversized outlet plate" online to see some examples.


How deep can you sand into pine flooring? I hired a guy to refinish hardwood floors. I am not happy with his work so far because he didn't sand into the wood at all. He basically just sanded off the old floor finish and then started applying polyurethane on top. The sanded floor doesn't look that different from before the project started, except now it's a little shinier because of the new polyurethane.

When I asked him why he didn't sand deeper, he claimed that because the flooring is pine (it looks like oak to me, but he says pine -- whatever), sanding into it would create blotches and discoloration. Is that true at all? It's also an old floor (about 100 years), if that matters, but it is in good shape overall -- very few nail heads are showing, and the boards are at least a half-inch thick (I pulled one up to check).

I was under the impression that when you refinish a floor of any type of wood, unless it is really thin, you sand it down to the bare wood. I realize you might not be able to sand deep enough to get out every stain or dent, but I thought that you at least have raw wood before you apply new finish.

Is this guy taking me for a ride, or is it true that you can't sand into pine without having problems?

I don’t buy the “blotchy or discoloration” claim. Sanding doesn’t bring the blotchy problem out. If it wasn’t blotchy before, it won’t all of a sudden develop a blotchy appearance.

Blotchy areas are caused by pockets of sap, chemicals, stacking problems, etc. Here is an article that explains:

https://hardwoodfloorsmag.com/2018/07/31/common-stains-discolorations/

Yes, refinishing wood floors are sanded down through the finish. Often we’ll refinish school gym floors. The finish (and painted lines) are sanded until they’re gone. Then we use a light “pre-stain” to help eliminate any possibility of blotchy finish.

The real sanding depth issue is sanding down so many times that the nail head begins to show. Usually we can sand a gym floor 3-4 times before we need to replace it.

BTW, I doubt that it’s pine. Floors are made from hardwoods.


What type of wire should I run when updating a ceiling fan? I started to change out my ceiling fan and noticed the support brace is actually laying on the drywall and not firmly attached to a beam. I also noticed the new fan has a blue wire where the wiring in the ceiling box doesn't have a red wire. The wiring coming out of the ceiling is also really too short to connect to the new fan easily.

I understand I need to get in the attic (lucky the support brace is in the attic) and fix that box properly so no weight is on the drywall. Since I will be up there I am want to also run a new electrical line and replace the single wall switch making use of the multi switch / light fan.

What type of wire should I run from the wall switch to the celling box to support the new fan's blue wire?

What type of wall switch should I install to control the fan and light independently?

The type of wire you use depends on what kind of circuit you are attaching to.  Go to your electrical box, find the circuit for the current light switch, and read what it is rated for (probably 15 or 20 amps).  If it is 15 then you use 14-3 wire.  If it is 20 then you need 12-3 wire.  The "3" will give you an extra red wire and that will be used to separate your fan and light controls.  If you feel that you will have additional electrical work down the road I suggest buying in the 250 feet spools.  Wire goes quickly and the smaller samples are pretty costly.  You might pay almost half for 25 feet what 250 would cost you.

For the switch you need to simply go to the big box and go in their fan section and they will have a few choices for fan/light combo switches.  Just make sure there are two controls on the switch.  I just installed the one below and it works well.


What's the best way to track buried electrical wire that's not live? We bought a house that has light posts in the yard, scattered across 100 feet or so. I know there is buried wiring (probably no more than 12" deep) that supplies these lights, but this is a crazy old house, few breakers are marked, and there are dead circuits everywhere. I want to know if all the posts are connected (they probably are) and figure out where the wiring connects them. Is there a way (metal detector, signal injector, what?!?) that I can trace this/these circuits and find a way to reconnect them? Thanks!

There are basically two types of wire tracer:

audible frequency transmitter and receiver often used with telephone wires to detect them in floors, walls, etc.  It is expected the receiver can be placed within a few inches of where the traced wire potentially is.
low frequency RF (400–500 kHz) intended for detecting buried wires or inside structures where the receiver detector can be up to a few feet away.
There are some which can do both audio and RF.

Each type has its tradeoffs.  The RF system can be difficult because of how the trace signal propagates through conductive conduit or nearby wires (like grounds) so it often seems like the "wire" is everywhere.  The audio detector often seem like the signal disappears and it is only by occasional blind luck that you find the wire.

In the case of a wire buried in a yard, I would think the best way is to dig up the wire.  That way you can easily follow it and get a great feel for how its installation is aging, how well it is staying out of the way, etc.


Sealing OSB subfloor from moisture? Patching small gouges? What are some methods that can be used to seal an OSB subfloor from moisture? And patch small gouges (quarter sized)?

Background:  Small Bathroom remodel.  Tile came up with finger pressure, underneath was Gypsum Concrete (Gyp-Crete or Pyrofill).  It was crumbled, mildewed and in loose chunks two foot around the tub, and a foot around toilet and vanity.  Removed it all to the door threshold to set new tiles.  OSB is in great shape, but there is a tiny bit of mildew on the surface in a few spots and some small gouges where the Gyp-Crete took up a quarter-sized strand.  Will either go with HardieBacker 500 or self-leveling concrete to raise floor up to height to tile.  To remove the mildew, I've done light sanding and sprayed bleach solution and spread it with a rag.  I plan to fill the gouges with epoxy (unless there is a cheaper recommendation. Epoxy is a bit on the pricey side).  I'd like to moisture seal the OSB also since moisture has found it's way down there in the past.

Edit:  Decided to go with Durham's Water Putty.  $2 for 1 lb. of powder that never dries out.  Least expensive option I could find.

Safety Note:  Gypsum Concrete contains silica which can cause silicosis.  If you're going to remove it use a respirator, the type with the rubber face seal and replaceable >= N95 cartridges.  Spray bottle water all over the Gyp-Crete before removing it. Don't cut with a saw or hammer it all out.  Take a painter's tool with a hammer butt or a chisel, and chisel all around the edges of the room, and the pieces will lift out and pry up.  Hammering the Gyp-Crete makes lots of dust, and may make fracture lines a few feet long.  Possibly where you don't want it broken.  When it's all out, spray more water and use a wet rag to clean up the dust/debris.  Sweeping or vacuuming with a shop-vac will put all the dust in the air == bad.

If you really want to stop moisture from getting to the subfloor then a membrane under your tile would be better than sealing the OSB. Better to stop it before it gets there than trying to seal the wood.

Tile and grout are not waterproof and if exposed to water regularly the water will work its way into the sub-flooring.

Good luck!


How do you retrofit attic baffles in attics with very little room? Just wanted to get some best practices or opinions on this.  I have two teenage sons that want to make some money on one of my flips.  The house has literally no insulation - maybe 4 inches at its peaks and not solid throughout.  So I told them they could install baffles, mark electricity and put in insulation.

The current baffles are just 12" of cardboard, flimsily installed but doing their job given the insulation isn't loose fill.  I would like to install something like this baffle.  Given the roof doesn't have a huge slope the areas where you install the baffles are extremely small.

Is there any way to make this process easier?  Any suggestions on install method or a type of baffle that would make retrofitting easier?

Two obvious but invasive ways are to:

Take up the roof sheeting and work the baffles from above the rafters.
Remove the ceiling drywall under the baffle area and install the baffles from below.

With a low sloped roof trying to work within the confines of the attic will be very difficult. If there are protruding roofing nails the tight areas can be dangerous if you bang your head or arms against the nails. And hope that the workers are not claustrophobic.

I have a roof pitch of 5//12 over my garage attic and I can say even at that slope it is very difficult (but still possible) to squirm down into the spaces to work at the outer wall area. With a pitch of 3//12 I think I would be contemplating one of the invasive measures above. If the roof is shot and needs replacing use #1 else go with the ceiling removal as in #2.


Modify T3 Bulb for a T4 Socket I messed up and got G8 T3 LED Bulbs to replace G8 T4 Halogens.  The bulbs work just fine in the sockets except the pins are smaller than the socket was designed for (T4) and don't stay well.  They were in the socket and on for about 24 hours straight working fine until they fell out.  Is it safe to modify these, say cut the larger pins off the T4s and solder them on the T3s or something else to make them fit better?  Just trying to be frugal and not buy more things if it's safe to do so.

It is not safe to operate the bulbs in the wrong sized socket. The loose connection can produce arcing which will cause heating of the connection and could very well lead to fire.

There really is not a practical way to safely replace the pins either. Even though some LED models may appear that it would be possible to solder on different pins I would advise against it. And it is likely that you would either damage the pin attachment points or that obtaining the correct materials ends up costing nearly as much as just getting the proper bulbs.

Safety should not be supplanted by frugality. Get the proper product for the application. Return the product if possible as suggested by Tester101 in the comments. If not returnable then eat up your mistake as a bad investment and learn from it to look more closely at what you select for purchase.


Why does my toilet fill and slowly drain after showers? After a shower the toilet floods and slowly drains during this process the tub gurgles. Could this be the Tom's waxed doughnut or the vent up through the attic/roof? Thank you for your time and expertise!

Gurgling from the tub drain and/or slow draining showing could be from either a partial blockage in the drain line OR a venting issue. However, this should not raise the height of water in the toilet bowl assuming it's at the same floor level. The water level in the tub/shower would have to back up to an equal level for that to happen.
Unless of course you're flushing the toilet during or shortly after a shower.


Options for restoring or otherwise utilizing old chimney My home (in East Texas, built in 1885, two stories, pier and beam) has two chimneys, one of which I would like to reopen. Apart from information gleaned online, I have no experience with chimneys or fireplaces, be they wood or gas; I just know I like the heat and the smell of burning wood.

The chimney is in the center of the house, and is about 40 feet tall, ground to top. It is currently capped at the top, and the fireplace is bricked in (at the damper). I have no idea what the condition of the inside of the flue is like. There are no cracks in the outer bricks, though the mortar is slightly crumbly, at least the portions in the crawlspace and in the attic. The fireplace itself is in great condition; the inner and outer hearths have no cracks or sag, and the fire box looks strong. There is not a clean-out, nor an ash pit.

Assuming the chimney can be used at all, how much effort/material/cost would it take to reopen the chimney and safely restore it for use as a wood-burning fireplace? A weekend DIY job, or a hire-an-expert-and-pay-for-his-retirement job?

If the chimney or fireplace is impossible to restore and/or safely use, would it still be possible to install a natural gas burning inset, and use the chimney as an exhaust vent (including adding a standard metal vent inside)?

I would really suggest that you should hire a local expert to come out to your place to give you advice on the chimney condition, design and safety. I am quite sure that there was good reason to cap off and close up the chimney and fireplace in the past and it is highly unlikely that you will come to an understanding of the reasons without some seasoned advice.

Some things to consider:

There was a time when many chimneys were built by laying in the bricks with damp sand that was mixed with lime and horse hair instead of regular cement bearing mortar. Aging by wind and rain could wash out this material in the upper part above the roof line leaving the bricks with open spaces from inside to outside.
Many old chimneys were built simply as a stack of bricks without any specialized flue liner at all. A good quality modern chimney would have a decent flue liner that was mortared in with a high temperature silica material that does not degrade with heat.
It is an art to design and build a chimney installation that will function well with a fire place. It is really impossible for anyone to evaluate your installation without being there first hand to attest to the the quality and design.

Advice on whether to use some type of natural gas fireplace insert with using the existing chimney as a holder for a vent stack will depend on several factors that cannot be ascertained without direct evaluation. Structural safety of the chimney would be one issue that I can think of. Another would be whether the chimney opening can accept the insertion of a vent stack of sufficient size (diameter). Yet another is the uncertainty of maintaining the joint integrity of the vent stack as it is assembled piece by piece, up to 40 feet total, and lowered down into the chimney from above.


Why will a pipe hold water pressure, but not air pressure? I have a long underground galvanized pipe for my water system.
I was testing the network by compressing it with air at the pressure of 6 bar,and monitored it for 2 hours and the pressure was stable, but in the second day I found it zero.
After that I tested it using water and the pressure remained stable for 3 days.
What is the explanation for this?

Water is approximately 200 times denser than air so the very tiny leaks that can allow air to escape are too small for water.
In industry we do similar testing with less dense gasses like helium to see if it will leak as air is denser so if the helium is leaking below a specific rate we know it won’t leak air.  Check out helium leak testing if interested.


Help me understand this sub panel wiring Im looking to add a circuit to this sub panel box but when I opened it up I noticed that the neutral (black) connection bar is connected to the ground bar, as circled in red in the photo. Is this normal? Also what is the orange wire?

Orange wire looks like Orion NZ Ripple Signal.  Used to manage peak load and related things. Have a look over this link:
Orion Ripple Signal Guide

As far as the grounded neutral I suspect this is a main panel (nz “switchboard”) and not a sub-panel


Will the Honeywell wifi thermostat work Can I get the thermostat with this configuration?

Easy enough

Simply uncoil and strip back the blue wire at the furnace end, then tuck it under the "24V COM" terminal there.  Then you can hook it up to the C terminal on your new thermostat and everything should work!


Should I keep a bathroom door open or closed to keep it from expanding? Should I keep the bathroom door open or shut after a shower to keep it from expanding?  What if the fan is on as well?

Leave the door open to reduce humidity, better yet: knock out the hinge pins, pull the door  and lay the door flat on some sawhorses and give it a good glossy paint job paying special attention to the top and bottom edges.


Dimmer not turning bulb on or off I'm connecting a dimmer.

There are four wires coming from the wall. 2 black (one is HOT). 1 White. and 1 ground.

There are four wires on the dimmer switch I bought. 1 black. 1 red. 1 green (ground). and 1 red (for three way switch).

I've connected the black (hot) wire from the wall to the black wire on the dimmer and the other black wire from the wall to the red wire on the dimmer. However, when I try to push on/on on the switch nothing happens.

I've verified that there is power coming to the wire on the wall (hence I know it is HOT).

What could be the reason?

One red wire on your dimmer should be connected to the supply from
the wall live
The other red should be connected to the load the one that switches
the lamp on off
Black should be connected to your neutral
The Green should be connected to your bare conductors or earth (ground)

As mentioned previously you should have as physically minimal copper exposed as possible realistically none it should all be inside the connector the insulation should go right to the connector itself.

Test to find what you need?

Your earth or ground when tested to neutral should present 0v
When tested from your neutral to your live supply full voltage should be present
When tested from your neutral to your load the wire that goes to the lamp 0v should be present as this is only live once in your particular case has gone through the dimmer

Could you provide if possible a picture showing the model number and one of the front or alternatively if it is simply an open up dimmer case a picture showing the electronics on the inside.
Usually you will have one red power in, one black power return path or neutral, one ground or earth and finally one power out to your load (lamp light)


OHM reading for dryer element? Bad thermal cutoff fuse indication of element overheating? So I've read that I should get about 10-50 ohm reading on my dryer element.  I do get a reading of around 10(jumps around alot) on my element, but this is with the multimeter set to 200(the lowest setting), so the reading is around 2,000 ohms.  The guide I read just said set the meter on the lowest setting, but that could make a big difference depending on what one reader's lowest setting is versus another, so I wondered if "10" is the readout, or if they really mean 10 ohms.

So if I'm getting a reading of around 2,000 ohms (readout of 10 on a 200 scale) on my heating element, does that mean the element is bad?

I have confirmed the thermal cutoff fuse is bad, and shorted it to verify the the dryer works(don't worry, I did this only for a few seconds, I plan to replace it).

What I am wondering, is why did the thermal fuse blow.  Is the heating element going bad, and the higher resistance causing it to overheat?

I don't want to only replace the thermal fuse and have it blow again because I didn't find the cause of the problem.

As others said, you need to tell us more about your readings, meter type.

I'm thinking your reading is probably 10 ohms. 120 volts / 10 ohms = 12 amps, sounds about right. Check the nameplate rating on the dryer, see if its close to that. What is the thermal fuse rating?

Check the wiring, see if the circuit measures a low resistance to the dryer case, indicating a short. If all checks are good, it could be a stressed fuse that went over time. If you have a clamp on ammeter, check the running current against the nameplate rating on the dryer with a new fuse in place. If the thermal fuse is expensive or hard to get, then substitute a temporary fuse of the same rating just to test with before replacing the OEM fuse.


How should stair treads and risers be assembled? When assembling stair treads and risers, is it better to have the tread tucked under the riser or have the riser tucked in between the tread and the stringer riser backing? I am inclined to think the former because that way the tread gets more framing support but the way my current stairs are assembled is the latter, hence my uncertainty.

See picture.

The answers of the tread then riser SEEM to make sense, but consider this: A properly installed tread will not come off before the lip breaks off. Using just regular Elmer's wood glue, I used to make treads by gluing the edges of 2 2x6 planks together and then planing and cutting them down (after being clamped for 24 hrs). After that, if I took a sledge to it the plank would never break at the glue joint, but somewhere else along the natural grain. So the stair tread flipping off is highly unlikely. What IS likely is that the overhang could be chipped or damaged and the tread may need to be replaced. If you go riser over tread then you will essentially lock the stairs together to where you cannot remove a single tread in the middle somewhere without tearing up a lot of the assembled stairs. Additionally, locking any wood assembly together completely isn't always good for expansion and contraction caused by potential seasonal humidity change. This isn't always a factor in certain natural climates and/or exceptionally well controlled climates, but if it can be, it should be considered.


What should I do about a frozen spigot pipe? The picture isnt of my house but its similar. The ice is not in a radius around the main stack of ice also the ice is not around the value but goes to the bottom of the pipe. I can't hear any running water.  As for the interior of the house it is about 70 degrees inside i don't see any water leaking / dripping down the wall.

Is it possible for it to get worse even if it's not cold enough to freeze past the wall?

My neighbor had the same problem last year. See the attached hose. It should have been taken off before the cold weather came. The hose does not let the water drain out and subjects the valve assembly to freezing. In his case when the pipe thawed out he had a flooded basement. Close the shut off valve inside the house now before warm weather comes. Then check the valve assembly for leaks and replace if necessary.


What kind of freestanding lamps can I use for > 6000 lumen up-light? I'm renting an apartment whose living room I need to light up. I currently has one lamp hanging from the ceiling, for a 4.5m x 7.5m room, and that's ridiculously insufficient (even after using an E27 splitter and two 36W CFLs for a total of estimated 4320 lumens).

My landlord is not willing to invest in/commit to ceiling- or wall-mounted lighting fixtures and the drilling and wiring they would require, so we settled on getting several freestanding lamps. Mostly they'll have to be on the floor, with one possibly on top of a sort-of-a closet.

Now, I'm a lots-of-light kind of person; but I don't want it to be in my face; I want to shine the light on the ceiling and the walls and have it reflect. I think I can use about 4 or 5 lamps overall (plus the ceiling lamp), to minimize the, shall we say, aesthetic/spatial damage (i.e. place them at various corners); and I'm thinking something like 30,000 lumens (500W of CFL power draw) should be enough (not "500W equivalent"; remember it's being covered by a shade an reflected off the ceiling). This is just a guesstimate; and I can't say anything in terms of lumens since I have no idea how much is X lumens nor how many lumens my current bulbs produce. Also, I don't mind it being LED lights instead of CFLs as long as I get my wattage.

Thus I need lamps which:

Support >= 6000 lumens (100W draw in CFL)
Either support multiple more-regular-size E27 bulbs (which mostly means a long and wide shade, so I can use an E27 socket splitter), or fit very large CFL bulbs (again, large shade); or some super-powerful LED layout.
Are freestanding (= floor-supported)
Have a fully or almost-fully opaque shade
Are aimed upwards, or better yet can be adjusted to aim mostly upwards but slanting to some direction (as I'll aim them away from the middle of the room).
Are high enough so that with the combination with the shade, I'll never catch a direct glance of their bulbs
(Preferably) have their wiring attached to the base rather than the middle of the lamp (ech, why do they do that?)

I'm having trouble figuring out which kinds lamps would fit my bill - so I can know what I'm looking for. I've been looking at Torcheres, but almost all of them fail to meet criteria 2 and 4 and most don't even meet 6 (unless you use a flat/small bulb). Here's a typical invalid one:

it violates 2, 4, 6, 7.

There are task floor lamps; they often have opaque shades, but the shades are usually too narrow and sometimes not long enough. I'm also not sure how well they'll handle the larger wattage. Here's an example:

this violates 2, 6, 7 and very often 1.

Finally, for the on-the-closet lamp, I thought maybe one of those floor flood lights; these seem to come with the right wattages, but they seem designed for outdoor use, and I wouldn't want them to stand out so much.

So, any suggestions/ideas about the kinds of lamps I should be looking for are very welcome.

You'd need sunglasses, if not welding goggles, to be in a room with 500W of LED lighting.

I like the Torchiere ("floor lamp") solution the best. There are dozens of available styles, colors, and prices.  The ones in my living room have translucent plastic shades and reading lamps (also with translucent shades), handle two 150w bulbs each (plus a 60W bulb for the reading lamp). It's plenty bright with three of these fixtures with 10w (!) dimmable LED lamps installed, and you'd have to be about 6' 5" to see over the top of the shades.

Similar lamp at Amazon

I find that Translucent shades give better coverage and eliminate more shadows than opaque shades (where all the light is coming from the ceiling).


How to attach steel cable to threaded rod I am trying to get an industrial look to a desk unit that has threaded rods (M20) at the corners, using steel cables. I want to get an 'X' using the cables, but not sure how to attach the cable end to steel rod. The picture below is a mock setup of what I'm trying to do.

I'm wondering what I can use in place of the eye hook shown in the image. I've thought about pipe clamps, u-clamps etc, but they wont have an eyelet to thread the cable. The other option then is to drill the eye hook onto the wood itself, but I'm trying to avoid that, and use only the steel rods as originating points for the cable. The entire setup is for an aesthetic value.

Thanks!

Most of the attachment methods I can think of will require making a loop in the cable to go through or around something.  There are crimp-on clamps that are basically a metal tube, but you need a heavy-duty crimping tool.  There are clamping U bolts, that only need a wrench, but they are ugly honking things to leave visible.

This type of clamp is pretty streamlined and doesn't need special tools (it comes in various sizes for the cable):

Since you need a loop, anyway, you could skip a separate cable clamp to pass it through for attachment to the rod.  Just loop the cable around the rod, and use a nut on each side to keep it positioned where you want it.
Actually, you can clamp a steel cable loop together without a hardware clamp.  Make the loop and bind it together by winding a piece of wire around the two a bunch of times.  Then cover the "clamp" with heat shrink tubing, making sure you enclose the cut end of the cable.  It won't be nearly as strong as a hardware clamp, but it will hold well enough for "decorative" purposes.
You mention an approach where you just pass the end of the cable through a hole.  You would still need to deal with the end of the cable to secure it and keep it from unraveling (and protect yourself from stab wounds; the ends are sharp).

If there won't be any stress on the cable, you might be able to use a really large crimp-on loop-type electrical terminal.  Steel cable doesn't compress like copper wire, so you would need a heavy-duty crimper.  The terminal would go on the end of the cable and the threaded rod would go through it.  Again, you could position it on the rod with a nut on each side.
Another approach: this would be similar to the old binding posts used for speaker connections.  If the threaded rod is a much bigger diameter than the cable (on the order of three or four times or more), drill a clearance hole through the rod at the cable locations.  Pre-position nuts above and below the hole.  Pass the cable through the hole and bind the end with something like heat shrink tubing.  Then tighten the nuts against the cable to lock it in place.  You might get away with a nut on just one side, but tightening it against the cable might sheer the cable.


Ok to double plywood under flooring? My house is on pilings, with plywood subflooring nailed to engineered truss joists, and carpet or hardwood on top of that.
I've pulled up the carpet in preparation for installing vinyl plank floors.
I'm now considering putting an additional layer of plywood to help with noise below and to add rigidity and improve flatness that uneven joists have made difficult.
Is it problematic to add a second layer of plywood? Are there gotchas that I should know if I go this route?

Leveling things would be first.
I am a big guy so I like a thick floor it is fine to add but remember you will need to trim molding at doors.
When you lay the new layer make sure to offset the seams, this will make a much better floor. Offsetting is making sure the seams are not on top of each other. If full sheets are used it can be as simple as cutting the first sheet in half.


Extending sink drain rough in. Legal? Correct? My Wife bought a new Vanity (and her husband forgot to look at all the details.. :) ) and the specific dimensions require that the drain / water lines be roughed in around 22 IN. Our current setup is 16 1/2.

My question is could I just put a 90 degree elbow on the current drain, then add an extension pipe to get me to 22 inches in height? (Not sure if this is legal, or would actually work appropriately with a p trap)

I believe the 22 inches would just be a maximum height you could have it in order to achieve the  proper slope for drainage.  It is not uncommon to plumb sinks into drains that are less than 22 inches .  Just use a longer tailpiece or extension from the drain basket down to the trap and then over to the drain.  Your wife's husband can rest asured that it will be all right.


Plywood for Bathroom Subfloor I've ripped out the floor of my bathroom down to the joists. The bathroom is 5 ft x 4 ft. Should I use tongue and groove or can I use standard plywood? Does it matter?

Depending on the direction of the joists, it will only take 1 sheet, the T&G will have no value, unless the floor you pulled up was T&G as well, then it will only help on one edge.

If the T&G was cheaper than square edge, then I would use it. I have seen it cheaper in a big box store, although I could not figure out why it was. It was not on sale....


Flexible palm disc sander: Are there any other names? I came across a hand tool in a This Old House/Nick Offerman video that is some sort of flexible pam disc sander.

How it's used: I think the user can simply velcro on a hook-and-loop sanding pad (which seems quite convenient).

Question:

As mentioned, I am aware that flexible pam disc sander is one way of describing this tool. However, I'm not getting many hits when searching that name online.

Are there any other names for this tool?

I think "round hand sanding pad" or "round sanding block" get you there.

Google 1 | Google 2


Are GFCIs now required in all unfinished portion of a house? I was really surprised that a city inspection did not pass based on regular outlets in an unfinished room in the basement.   They are correctly jacketed and all of that stuff.   They are simply requiring GFCI outlets on everything.     Not many houses I sell have city inspections but was surprised.   Is this new or been for a while or just something city is making up?

GFCI outlets are not required anywhere.
In places GFCI protection is required, plain outlets can be protected by a GFCI device elsewhere (GFCI breaker, GFCI deadfront, or GFCI receptacle).  Doing so is the one and only legitimate purpose of the GFCI's "Load" terminals.  They should be used for nothing else; the "Line" terminals get all other wires, and they take 2 wires per screw.
When a plain outlet is protected by a GFCI elsewhere, it MUST have a label saying:

GFCI protected

and a pile of them come in every GFCI box.
Obviously, nobody ever does that LOL...  and then, they get written up for it.  And very often, this is interpreted as "You need GFCI receptacles there".   Never true.
You need stickers there.  The stickers have to be not lying.
If the sticker is there, and a cheapie GFCI tester trips a GFCI somewhere, that's good enough.
I find the default blue stickers ugly, and I prefer to make my own on a Brother or P-touch labelmaker.  On a white cover plate they look perfectly fine.  I also consider it helpful to add a line stating where the reset is located.


Could I shut off the refrigerator for awhile? I purchased a new refrigerator two days ago and have been running it.  But I need to stop using it for 70 days, and then start it again once I get married. Could this usage pattern cause a breakdown?

So the scenario is:

  turn it on for 2 days --> shut it off for 70 days ---> turn it on and leave it on

Block the door open!

The reason is the cold refrigerator and freezer will tend to collect water inside.

It has to do with relative humidity - air holds water.  Warm air can hold more water... when that warm air gets inside the fridge (when you open the door), it cools and can no longer hold the water that is in it. This causes condensation within the fridge. The condensation occurs anywhere air can get to, which is many places you can't see, like the backsides of all those panels.

When you unplug a fridge, it warms. That water evaporates, humidity goes to 100% inside, and it becomes a mold and mildew factory.  Open it up 3 days later and the entire inside will be horribly splotched with mold - and it will be on the backsides too.  It's impossible to clean it without taking the fridge all apart, and you can't get it all.

We had a genius "watt miser" who went around the lodge unplugging unused fridges.  He did this no less than 3 times and wrecked the interior the fridge in every case.  That's why we have a procedure now.

Now if you can block the door open, air will circulate in and out of the fridge, preventing 100% humidity from happening inside the fridge.  People say you can close it after a few days, it's up to you whether to chance that.  I use something (possibly taped in place) to force it to stay open 1/2" or so.


Why is there still voltage in my wires when the breaker is off? While renovating my mother's family room, I need to remove the light fixtures. So I flipped the breaker. The lights went off. I was about to remove and luckily double checked for voltage. I found it was still live. Went back to the breaker switched it on and all the lights came back on. Does anyone have an idea what's wrong with my breaker or is it just a bum current detector?

What you are seeing is called phantom voltage.
This is a voltage induced from another live circuit that is running parallel to your now dead circuit.
Proof the breaker worked all the lights went out.
Phantom voltage is a voltage and depending on several factors it may be 120v but there is no current potential thus the lights are out.
There is a possibility that this could be part of a multiwire branch circuit
And the neutral is conducting the other circuits power back to the source.
And that’s why multiwire branch circuits require handle ties by modern code.


Can't unscrew metal p-trap nut I am having a major hard time trying to remove this metal P-trap. The nut in the back will not budge no matter how hard I try. I was able to remove the front one relatively easily using some pliers but not the back. Does anyone have any tips on how to remove these metals nuts from old plumbing? Also yes there is water dripping in the back, it's not a leak just a mistake I made haha. Also if I am able to remove this, can I just replace the whole trap with a PVC one? Thank you

Yes, once removed you may use a plastic trap assembly to replace it.

You will need a bigger tool, like a large pipe wrench or large "Channellock" type plier. It won't be easy (upside down headfirst in a cabinet with restricted space) but that's why plumbers are well paid. Try soaking the nut thoroughly with a penetrating oil overnight.

They make offset wrenches for this type of job, but they are expensive. I have never needed one, just a big pipe wrench.


What are these metal tags attached to my poured concrete basement wall? What are these metal pieces attached to my basement poured concrete walls? They are about 2x2 with holes and were pressed into some kind of goop. These walls were poured in 1979. Can I remove them?

Yes you can remove them. They are not a complete unit anymore. There was a wire extending from the center of the square disk, you will still see the nib that held the wire. The purpose of the wire was to push one type of insulation or another over it. The insulation was held in place by another disk that grabbed the wire and it would not allow the insulation to be pulled back off, at least not without some force to pull it through the disks.

Nowadays there are adhesives that will do the holding, and in some places, this type of retaining system is still used. For fiberglass batts or rolls is what would come to mind for using these.


Bathtub faucet leaking My bathtub faucet tends to leak more then normal when i pull the lever to turn on the shower head.
Please refer to photo for detail
As you can see it still leaks more then normal, after I had pulled up the lever for the shower head. It didn't normally do this, it just started to happen and I'm wondering if this is an easy fix or do I need to replace the spicket?

In some cases there may be a gasket or o-ring that may have cracked or fallen out. In other cases replacing the whole spigot may be the only option, unless you can actually get a replacement part for just the diverter assembly that actually fits your particular spigot.

It's often quite difficult to figure out exactly what model you have, which makes searching for parts rather difficult. The ones I have personally fixed, I replaced the whole spigot.


Can I reuse mounting holes into a stud for a shelf? I'm painting and I have to take a big shelf off the wall. The shelf is screwed into the studs because of it's size. The wall is drywall.

Will I be able to use the same holes as before and keep the same strength? Or do I need to fill the holes with something?

Assuming that the screws don't feel loose when you remove them due to inadequate length or pilot holes that are too large, you can reuse the holes. I've done just that a thousand times with everything from knickknack shelves to solid wood doors. The point of concern usually isn't the holes, but the screws. If they were barely adequate before, they'll be risky now.

Since you haven't told us anything about the shelf or the screws, I can't be more specific than that.


Deck stairs pulling apart and railing wobbly My deck stairs which are supported by ledger strips keep pulling away the stringer.  Last year I used a clamp to squeeze them back together but they pulled away again.  The railing also is wobbly.  What would be the best way to fix the stairs so they are more stable?

Thank you

Hard to tell whether you have screws or nails holding everything together right now. It is either nails - which can, relatively easily, come apart, or screws which can come apart but not as easily.

If you have nails then I would reinforce using some long (e.g., 3") screws and you should be set. I would want two screws into the end of each tread. The railing is sometimes a bit trickier, but screws to supplement the existing nails is a good start. If that doesn't take care of all the wobbling of the railing then you may need to replace parts or add some additional supports. Of course, if you find any cracked or rotted pieces, or if anything cracks when you drive in screws, then you need to replace those pieces.

If you already have screws then I'd be a bit more concerned as that may be a sign of the wood rotting (and therefore not holding the screws any more) or that there is just too much movement of the ground causing everything to come apart.


Should I redo my bathroom shower or try to waterproof it? We just had our bathroom redone (including built-in tiled shower). The shower tiles are now leaking through the wall into our living area.

Our contractor suggested to just apply a waterproofing solution to the grout lines (especially floor/wall join where we suspect the leak to be), but I am worried this is only a temporary solution.

So, will a waterproofing solution (such as UFIXX No Leak) work permenantly, or do I need to get the tiles re-installed with the waterproofing re-done?

The bathroom is only about a month old.

Click for larger view

The white marks are where the contractor drilled/dug to investigate.

We noticed the water marks above the skirting, and when we removed it, it was soaking wet and the plaster was soft and you could dig it with your fingernail.

The contractor assures me it is not the pipes, as they are higher off the floor so we would see damage higher up. The damage is the worst at floor level, pretty much opposite where the shower cubicle is (and where water pools during showering, soon drains and leaves just a thin film that will evaporate)

Edit: Questions from comments

  Do you have a basement? What is under the shower?

It's a low-rise apartment (2nd floor) so it's another unit below.

  Is that sheetrock or cement board? Is there any waterproof membrane
  (rubber, plastic or paint-on?) under the tile or board? Have you
  determined which side the water is coming from?

The floor (under the tiles) seems to be concrete, the wall between living and bathroom is solid but I am not sure of the material (he had drill/chisel the holes to investigate, brick or concrete or something similar).
  The water is coming from the bathroom, we have not used the shower in 2 days and the wall has dried up considerably.

  Also: water pooling when you shower = sign of really bad contractor.
  At this point, I'd start over. Gut and rebuild

I maybe was unclear, it doesn't pool for long, drains in 30-60 secs until there is just a thin film of water that will evaporate.

Final Edit: After much investigation (5 different contractors/plumbers) it was determined that there was a leak in the building column next to my bathroom that carries waste water from all the units (5 high, I was number 2). Although the below accepted answer would probably be considered correct for most cases, in this case it was nothing to do with the work done in my bathroom (just happened to occur just afterwards).

Everybody got distracted looking for what was wrong with the new bathroom work, not realising it was an issue with the common pipes in the building column. Perhaps others will learn from this, to think of other possible causes too.

Since the plaster wall (hopefully drywall) has gone soft, I'd open it up. Cut out a section from the floor 2' up (I pick 2' since you can see a lot but still use a half sheet of drywall to repair it, leaving the other half to repair your repair). You don't want to leave drywall that's gotten that wet installed anyway.

For it to get this wet this fast, I can come up with the following guesses:

You've been using your shower as a bathtub, blocking the drain, and getting significant water pressure against the tiles.
The floor is improperly slopped and water is staying against the wall instead of draining.
You have a leaking pipe before the valve. The wall would remain wet or get worse when the shower is unused.
You have a leaking pipe after the valve. If you replace the shower head with a water tight cap and open the valve, you'll notice water without the shower tiles getting wet.
You have a bad seal around some opening in the tile (e.g. the plate that covers the valve) and water is spraying against it. These should be sealed around the top and sides, but open on the bottom to drain out any water that does happen to get behind them.

That said, without a water barrier behind the tiles in a shower, you've got a time bomb. Even if you fix the current problem, the tiles and grout are porous and will slowly leak water into the structure of your home, causing it to rot and mold. They shouldn't leak so fast that you'd see the current problem, but they will leak. A surface water proofing will help, but it won't prevent it.


How can I run Cat5e cable through a completely finished house? My family and I are interested in buying a house that was built in 2002.  This house is two floors on a concrete slab with a finished bonus room upstairs so there is no attic other than above the garage.  I would like each room to have four points and I do have a 1000' roll box of Cat5e shielded cable.

What is the ideal way to run Cat5 for each room and to a com-closet when the ceiling on the first floor is finished and I don't have a crawl space?  Is there a tool that I can use to fish the cable?

This has been discussed many times on this site and maybe even a few times on Server Fault.
Step 1: The plan
Come up with a plan - how many drops per room? Where will you terminate all the wires back to? Are there clear path's from floor to floor via the walls? ie: is there an empty part of the wall on the first floor but not on the 2nd floor? Do interior walls line up from floor to floor? Running wire through exterior walls will be more difficult as they contain insulation.
Step 2: Find the framing
Get a damn good stud finder and a pencil and start marking studs and measuring from exterior walls to make sure you end up strait as you go from floor to floor. Do this in the basement also - find the floor joist for where your drops come through in the basement and mark them.
Step 3: Execute
Assuming all the paths are clear, start cutting / drilling. Use a 6 foot flexible drill bit. Cut a box on the first floor for your first set of drops. Drill down through that into the basement.
Directly above this box, cut an access hole about 6-8 inches from the ceiling big enough to get the drill bit through it - about 4 or 5 inches square (square will be easier to patch later on)
Goto the 2nd floor - cut your next box for your 2nd set of drops. Its easier to fish wire down then up, so I would start on the 1st floor, put the fish tape into the access hole at the ceiling, find it in the box hole on the 2nd floor, attach your 4 lines to it and pull the fish tape down. On the 1st floor, fish the tape up from the box hole to the access hole, connect the lines to the tape and pull down. And again, goto the basement, find the hole, fish the tape up to the box hole on the first floor, attach the lines and pull down.
Now that your in the basement, run the lines to your network closet - leave enough extra wire per drop to make sure everything reaches - rinse repeat.
When your all done, everything punched down, start patching your drywall holes.
You can do this by yourself but would be a lot easier with 2 people
Lots of time and multiple boxes of cable. 1 box of 1000 feet wont help you, you'll be fishing each line individually and if you precut them, you may waste wire; get some small boxes of 250-500 ft and run all 4 lines at 1 time.
Equipment required:

Drill
Flexible drill bit
Utility knife
Fish tape
Electrical tape (to attach network cable to fish tape)
A TON of patience.


How can this mirror be mounted on a wall? I have this lead light mirror, how would I go about wall mounting it?  It presently has no backing of any sort.

For a "floating" appearance you could use construction adhesive (or "mirror adhesive") to mount a board to the back of the mirror (just the central mirrored part), and use some form of hanger or French cleat to attach that to the wall, with the mirror itself out a bit from the wall.

That would lend itself to wrapping that board with flexible light strip or rope lights to "halo" the mirror a bit and emphasize the stained glass edges by lighting behind them.


Mysterious black dots appearing on carpet We purchased our house last August and I don't know how old the carpet is but it's definitely been around for a while.
Earlier this year, these little black dots started showing up in one specific area of the carpet. The area is near the door to our patio so of course it could be from the dog... but they are almost identical in size and color.
We don't wear shoes in the house (if that matters), and it seems like they show up after it has rained. I wipe the dog's paws before she comes in if it's wet out and I haven't seen anything come off on the towel that could be the culprit of the black spots.
We had the carpet cleaned six months ago and the spots came up, but they have started to return in new areas over the last week.
I'm wondering if they are some sort of mold spores that are coming up from the carpet padding? Is that even possible?
Has anyone had any spots like this appear on their carpet? We are going to get the carpet replaced with hardwood soon but I would still like to figure out what is possibly causing this.

Looks like grease. Check the door hinges and latch for dripping from over-lubrication.
Does not look like mold, and mold doesn't usually occur on top of carpet like that anyway.


Installing 'TruStone' veneer, directly on painted drywall? I stumbled onto a deal on TruStone SplitFace veneer (looks like stacked stones, glued together), and was hopeful to install them in the front entrance no higher than 5ft high. The surface is just regular drywall, painted in builder's beige!

I couldn't find any info on TruStone's website for recommended install method. These stones are rather heavy, I worry that the paper wouldn't cut it.

I can't find a definitive answer on "modified thinset only" vs. "wire lath w/scratch is enough" vs. the more pedantic "breather type sheathing membrane, plus wire lath plus scratch then using a Type S or Type N mortar" (e.g., http://www.canadianstone.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Natural-Stone-Installation-Guide_10-19-15_web.pdf)

I'm in Canada if that makes a difference.

Probably not a good idea. As you said, the stones are heavy. If you could guarantee a solid rest on the floor, maybe, but I'd simply cut out the drywall a few inches inside your stone area, replace it with 1/2" cementboard, and call it good. This would be simpler than the wire lath business. I'd float backing at the joint of the cementboard and drywall to firm things up. Half-inch plywood strips would do well.


Why do bathroom sinks have overflow holes whereas kitchen sinks and tubs do not? My understanding is that the purpose of the overflow holes is twofold--

To allow water to flow down you drain faster.
To prevent overflow if the sink is filling faster than it's draining.

If #1 was true, wouldn't you also see the overflow holes on kitchen sinks?

If #2 was true, wouldn't you also see the overflow holes on bathroom tubs?

So--why do I never see overflow holes on tubs or kitchen sinks?

Edit: To clarify, my familiarity is primarily with sinks/tubs in the United States.

I suspect this is simply because kitchen sinks are rarely operated by two-year-olds, and hence do not need training wheels.


How can I find a match for ~100 year old door/window trim? Our house is around 100 years old, and during the course of a bathroom demo, the contractor irreparably broke part of the window trim.

Of course, the big box and local lumber stores are completely useless for finding a match. I imagine the design was common and is probably still available somewhere in bulk. I've also seen an HGTV show where a place used tools that follow the curves of a sample piece to create a match.

The problem is, I don't have a clue where to start my search... any ideas?

Look for a local furniture shop or woodworker and ask if they can make it.


Why does my toilet plumbing make a low fog horn noise when I flush Our toilet makes an annoying, low fog horn type noise every time we flush. The noise goes on the whole time whilst the cistern is filling up, except for the last few seconds. No other usage of water in the bathroom or anywhere else in the house  causes a similar noise. The noise seems to resonate throughout the house.

What could be the cause of this and how might we go about trying to diagnose and fix it?

There is a recording of the noise here, though the droning noise seems quiet in the recording, as it's overwhelmed by the cistern filling noise: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByIxRsvAvipMdlNxMUhtT1dORFFyMTJvYmt5eGxfVVcxdmJj/view?usp=drivesdk

There's a valve.  It's called a "fill valve".  It has a float, and its job is to add water to the tank until the bowl reaches the designated fill level.

It sounds like your sound is happening at exactly the same time the fill valve operates at full speed.

Fill valves are $10.


Cracks appearing on window and door frames (not the wall) all over a newly purchased home I've noticed thin cracks becoming visible on multiple door and window frames where the horizontal and vertical wood of the frames join (on the corners.)
It appears they were just painted over and they are all reappearing. I also noticed 2 of the doors have become harder to open/close in the last few weeks. Moved into the house in the summer and this began in the winter.
Could it be weather related?
We've discovered other evidence of shoddy work by the developers so I'm concerned this may be a sign of something much more serious.

Pretty much just normal shrinkage in winter as things dry out, possibly aggravated by using damp wood or not running A/C in the hot/wet summertime - so if replaced/installed/painted before you moved in in the summer, it would be swelled up, and as you run heat and indoor humidity falls in the winter, the wood shrinks.
Personally I'd suggest waiting through a year or two before fixing it unless it's the top of your spousal unit's issues with life in general or the house in specific - once it's "cycled" a few times it will move less (not none) in the future so a fix will be more likely to stay fixed. But's basically paintable caulk and paint to fix it, nothing major to get excited about.


What causes "old smell" in a clean but older house? Older homes in warmer climates seem to have a somewhat common smell to them, even after cleaning them. Does someone with experience renovating such homes know what tends to be the cause of these odors?

I am not talking about smells from plumbing, the kitchen or even pets, but the smell that you can sometimes find in wooden sheds, back-country cabins or generally homes built in the 60s and 70s. Sometimes it reminds me of rodents, but only faintly.

I am about to do some renovations, and thought that if this is something that can be included, it would be worth it. For example if this was caused by wood or insulation that somehow got wet in the walls, we could clean out that wall cavity as part of a gut renovation...

Normally it's the things you can't see.

Moisture building up behind walls or creeping up through micro-fractures in the foundation will cause mold and mildew to grow fairly quickly.

A fairly cheep way to prevent this is to use a powerful dehumidifier to really dry out offending spaces.

Avoid carpet, as no matter how clean it is, will always harbor bacteria that can cause unpleasant odors.

Old insulation can also be a big source of a constant odor that, while to too offending, is incredibly pervasive.

And finally, mothballs. Some people used to use them as a "catch all" solution to pest problems, and used them so much that the very material of the home absorbed the smell, similar to the way homes that housed prolific tobacco users can smell for years after even with deep cleaning.


If it is not going to actively heated or cooled, is there any value in insulating a garage? In Southern California, during new construction with a finished garage, the cost of adding insulation at this point should be low.

But if the space will not have any active cooling or heating elements (outside of a tankless water heater and, perhaps, a cat), is there any value in insulating it?

Everyone loves going from a cool house in to a hot garage or vice a versa. Would insulating it make any difference? Would it not get as hot in the summer or as cold in the winter?

Seems to me that it would retain whatever temperature it have longer (whether hot or cold) with the insulation than without, and one could "reset" the temperature of the garage by opening the door for a few minutes to the outside (for example, open it in the cool morning in the summer hoping to better maintain that during the day). Just not sure if it would be enough to notice or bother with.

Historically the garage has mostly been closed vs opened several times a day for cars. Whether that will be the case at the new house is up for debate.

Oh, yes

It's a cornerstone of passive solar design.

We spent $2.4M on a large building we intend to never heat.  We insulated it to the nines.  Here's what that does.

Extremes of temperature are moderated by building's thermal mass*, which (with the insulation) helps it resist changes in temperature. This affects

Condensation, which is significantly reduced or eliminated.  This makes life much easier for the contents of the building.

If you don't have enough thermal mass*, you can add some by installing large barrels of water or antifreeze.

* ”thermal mass" is the terminology used in building design, but it's actually a misnomer. Mass/weight does not store heat.  Atoms do.  And atoms vary in mass dramatically from 1 for hydrogen to 207 for lead.  But an atom's heat storage ability is about the same, 20-30 j/mol/degK, most 24-26 j/mol/degK.  Different materials contain different mixes of atoms, so their heat capacity by mass is all over the map.  Water is ideal.


Can i run an AC/DC adapter cable behind a wall? Edit 3: Verdict: It's possible to run the first part behind the wall because it's written "FT1" on the cable. Thanks A LOT to this community!
I want to mount 2 monitors on a wall and hide the cables behind it... but I read online that you cannot run power cords behind walls. The thing is that it has 2 parts: a power cord and a separate power adapter (like in the photo).
I was wondering if it was safe to only run the cable connected to the monitor behind the wall... and then connect the "brick" adapter and the power cord outside the wall?
Thanks for your help!
Edit 1: I'm from Canada. I bought the monitor at Best Buy Canada, but it looks like the cables were made in China.
Edit 2: I'm not sure what is the AC or DC part so I added more photos to answer your comments. Note that the last photo showing the power adapter is not the exact model that I have. I found it on Google but it looks the same. Again, thanks A LOT for your help it's very appreciated! :)

Since your 22v would behind the wall yes this part could be run inside the wall and back out if the wire is listed.
I would get a recessed receptacle and mount the brick behind the monitor , or even a flush monitor and put the brick on the wall behind the monitor.
The only question would be is the wire rated for use inside the wall yes the cable would have to be listed for this, even speaker wire has to be listed to run it inside the walls I have been called several times on new DIY builds where a inspector failed a job because the large clear coated speaker wire was pulled for use in the walls.
There are plastic wire chases that stick to walls(wire mold being 1 brand) These have a snap on cover this would be another choice to consider that would be better than routing the cable in the wall.


Can white bread be used to temporarily plug pipes for repair? I've been digging on the Internet, for a solution to soldering a dribbling pipe.
It seams logical, but I wanted to check if anyone has tried this, and if they had any problems getting the bread out.
Or is it a known urban myth?

Yes, us old-timers have used this trick for decades. My father showed it to me in the 1980s. I did just a few months ago when swapping a water heater. The idea is that you plug the pipe with a gob of bread, do your repair as the bread blocks and absorbs the trickle of water, and later it softens and dissolves, flowing down the pipe.  You want to use just the inner part of plain white bread--no crust, seeds, etc. that can cause clogs elsewhere.
Just take into consideration where the bread muck will end up. If you're upstream of delicate equipment, such as a reverse osmosis system, it may not be a good idea. If you can flush it out fully later, have at it.
I'll add that I consider this a last-resort strategy. It can be difficult to make it work, especially with vertical pipes. Try fully venting the system and using a wet-dry vac first.


How to add tiny 0.5A 120V load to very remote split phase 240v 3 wire well house Given that I don't have neutral, sounds like, even for just running a simple irrigation controller, that I don't want to use the ground wire for my neutral and simply pull 120v off the split phase 240V since a potential short would energize the ground wire.

It seems like running a small transformer is the way to go.  However often recommendations I have found mention adding a sub panel breaker after the transformer, which seems like overkill for my need.  Would adding a 5A fuse to new transformed 120V be fine instead of a whole breaker box?

I'm surprised how much transformers are, and most of them are for transforming single phase Euro 220v to US 110v, anyone have a good source?

As an aside, if this existing ground to the 240V did connect directly to ground at the main panel instead of neutral (haven't looked yet, in the neighbor's panel) then to me it would be ok to just pull L1 and ground off the 240V and skip the transformer right?  These are very large wires running a 20A load to a well pump, might 1000' away, so I think this is the only load on that breaker.

At 0.15A x 120V, this thing is about 18 VA (similar to watts).   That is significantly less than 40 VA.

As it happens, 40VA thermostat transformers are cheap and common as dirt, typically around $13. They make them with both 240V and 120V primaries. Get one of each.

You connect the two 24V secondaries to each other.  The 240V primary goes to the 240V main via a 1 amp fuse.  The 120V primary feeds your controller.   This is double-isolated from 240V, so it won't be terribly dangerous.

If you really want to, you can call it a separately derived service and add a neutral-ground equipotential bond to whichever leg of the 120V you want to call "neutral", but given that it is going straight into another transformer that will also isolate it, that seems like much ado about nothing.

I recommend to snip the plug off the cord and hardwire this thing, to avoid the temptation of someone plugging a circular saw into the outlet.

Wow, that was easy and cheap.


What can I do about cracks in a stone foundation? Considering purchasing a brick farmhouse in mid-Michigan built in 1885. There are large visible cracks in the foundation. Anyone have thoughts on the cause and possible repairs?

You need to get a professional home inspector onsite. He should be capable of telling you whether these are cracks of structural significance or not, and discuss remediation measures (not cost thereof).


Repair holes concrete ceiling (not just masking them) An old apartment, where dry wall was a thing yet. The ceiling is concrete, plastered and painted.
There are many holes, from current and previous owners (different light spots installed in different locations).
There is a concern now about just masking these holes with compound and painting. When another person decides to drill new holes to install new lights (or even a projector), it might be too close to an old hole that was masked with compound, and that could cause it to fall. Drilling right by a compound would not give the same grip, and things would fall.
Maybe I wrote too much, but the question is: if masking with compound and paint is not acceptable enough, what would be the way(s) to repair this ceiling so it is like the original, allowing new holes that would be safe as an original ceiling (without the fear of being too close to a masked hole)?
This should be valid for a wall of the same material (not dry wall, that is, a concrete+plaster+paint). Drilling right be a repaired hole with compound might be unsafe if hanging heavy items like a TV.
I know the odds are low, but it can happen if there are many holes.
Thanks!

Use a resin or hard setting product and make sure the holes are dust free.
Worked well for me, either reusing those holes or having to drill a new hole part through the wall of the repair.


What could cause a wet soil / moisture smell on concrete slab I have a wet soil smell coming from the living room concrete slab.
I had to remove all the tile in the leaving room.
A remediation company came, they removed the drywall and dehumidified the place, without any success. We still smell the same things when it’s cold outside.
There is no trace of water on the concrete whatsoever.
The living room is on the north-east side of the house.
Thanks

It sounds like moisture under the slab.
Have you tapped a pice of plastic down to the slab for 24 hours? Taping a trash bad down then remove it the next day if the bag has water droplets on it or the area is wet under the bag the slab has moisture under it that is weeping up through the concrete. I have good luck sealing these floors in summer when the water table and possibly a spring are not causing the problem, in winter the moisture coming through will prevent the epoxy coatings I have used from sealing. I have fixed several homes with this problem by acid etching the slab and applying 2 part epoxy, it has worked well for me and may solve your problem.


Can I add insulation to exterior home walls without redoing all the drywall? I recently bought a house and Ive found out the insulation is not good enough in the exterior walls.  Is there a way that I can just cut a small hole and maybe blow in insulation into the walls instead of tearing down all the drywall?

Is this a diy project or should I hire someone?

There are companies that will drill 2" holes at two or three places in each stud cavity. You're left to repair the drywall if it's done from the inside. It can also be done from outside, through the wall sheathing, if you're replacing siding. In this case, patches aren't really needed. House wrap covers the holes.

I don't know of anywhere that rents the equipment for that. The insulation medium is often beaded polystyrene, but it could be fiberglass. It's fairly specialized. You'd have to check around your area.


rewiring a furnace for an inside fan I have a Outdoor AC unit that has an A-coil in it, so it pushes all of the air from outside through huge duct work and into the ventilation, which by the time it gets to the last room its extremely weak.

But i also have a fan on my indoor furnace, but it's not hooked up to cooling, The indoor fan only kicks on when the thermostat sends its 24 volts to the fan relay

My question: Can i take the green wire from the furnace that normally goes to the thermostat and run it to the wall thermostat with the AC units green wire, so it gets a boots of air through the vents, or will i have to move the A-Coil into the furnace ?

In your case, the indoor fan should run with the A/C and yes the green wire should power the fan relay, as long as the discharge from the outdoor unit is tied to the return system.  I looks like someone used a self-contained unit, usually installed in a mobile home instead of a unit that utilizes an "A" coil or slope coil mounted above the heating unit.


Whole house fan location I'm looking install a whole house fan but I've run into a few challenges installing it in my house's main attic.

I had a company come out to get a quote and the installer told me that based on the lack of available space in the attic relative to the locations in the hallway ceiling that had enough space for the opening I would either need to re-structure a couple of joists or move a few ducts.

Neither option is a choice I want to go with, however I was thinking in my connected garage I have an attic with enough space it install one. I'd leave the house windows open, the house door to the garage open and the main garage door closed; the fan would suck air through the house into the main garage and then through its attic.

I know this is not the idea location for it but would it accomplish the same thing with the exception of not cooling the attic in the house?  Should I be concerned with pulling air from the house attic at all?

This really isn't a good idea. Whole house fans are designed to pull air from the hottest point in the house (the highest point in the living space), and replace it with cool air pulled in through the windows. Doing this through the garage would be very indirect, would likely leave stagnant hot air in some areas of the house, and would reduce the effectiveness of the fan due to all the passages the air would have to pass through.

In addition, as Ed pointed out, in some areas code won't allow venting a living space into the garage. Even leaving the door to the garage open may not be a good idea; it might let bugs into the house, and (if the fan were turned off) let garage fumes into the house.


What can I do about a saddle valve that won't turn on? First winter my mother is widowed, we can't get the humidifier on. Thought maybe the water to it is turned off. I'm on the phone with her and telling her to turn this saddle valve counter clockwise to turn it on.

It goes less than one turn and gets tough for her to turn. She can then go clockwise at least 2 turns with some ease.

Is counter clockwise correct to open it?

How many turns should be needed?

Should she hear water rushing, like when turning on a 1/2 pipe valve?

Is there harm in turning in clockwise?

Saddle valves are terrible as actual valves. They are a cheap/easy way to tap an existing water line, but that's it. After you use them a few times, you just can't rely on the needle to cleanly seal against the punctured hole of the copper pipe, and to cleanly come back out again.

In your case it also looks like there may be some galvanic corrosion on the valve, which might also be corroding around the needle and blocking flow.

Replace with a better valve

There are many ways to do this of course, but it basically means:

removing the existing saddle valve
cutting out the small piece with the hole in it
putting in a tee
putting in a valve

If you really can't get any water to come out of the compression valve, then this would be the best way to fix it (and probably never have an issue again).

Use a real downstream valve

You can get away with using a saddle valve.. if you never actually use it as a valve.

Basically, use the saddle valve but put a better valve downstream. In your case, you can use a 1/4" or 3/8" (I can't tell from the photo) compression valve on the flexible copper tubing -- assuming you can get water to come out of the saddle valve.


Was this furnace installed properly? I am looking to answer the following:
Was this job done properly, and if not, then how really bad it is? And should I hire this contractor again ?

Product:
Ruud RGTM10ERBJS 100K BTU 95% Downflow/Horizontal Gas Furnace...

I have this furnace installed about five years ago. We only installed furnace, but but the contractor we choose arranged everything for AC to be installed. I trusted the contractor, and liked to have business with him.

We want to install AC now. We only need top add the compressor unit and refrigeration lines. I decided to get several quotes, but I thought I shall most likely hire my previous contractor, if the difference won't be that big.

Now, a few other contractors gave me a much higher quote than I am considering to spend. They also mentioned that ventilation lines are not installed properly to my current unit. And that permit could not pass an inspection like that, and the permit is most likely not finaled.
I checked, the permit seems to be finaled. I also checked instructions, and it clearly says that ventilation pipes should preferably go vertically up 90 degrees, or have one inch increase for every few feet. My vents go a little down to the wall, and then go outside.

I asked my contractor about it, and he said he should have been creative to create it, to avoid bringing vent through my fragile roof with defected shingles, and to pass inspection. Well, the permit shows that he passed it.

I called the city and asked to come back to me intending to ask them why city accepted the work if the instructions for AC clearly state something which was not done.

I understand that everyone trying to compete on the market, and trying to convince me to make business with them. But this defect was mentioned by two unrelated contractors. And, I'd like to have business with someone who I already know. However, if the previous project was done poorly, I do not want to continue on that pass. I have pictures and even videos of my furnace. I can email them if required. I would appreciate an advice from uninterested party on the matter.

Additional pictures and videos at Google Drive Share

Long story short... The guy that installed this thing didn't follow the manufacturer's installation instructions, and did some UGLY plumbing.  I would not allow him back in my home.

Hire a new contractor, and pay them to fix this guys mistakes.


Outlet stopped working, found it is only two wire I recently noticed that a three-prong outlet stopped working. Short version: I checked the wiring and there are only two wires running to the outlet and no visible ground wire. I checked another outlet in the room and it's setup the same. So I'm guessing these are both incorrectly setup?

Longer version is that I tested with a working light plus an outlet tester and tested resetting the breakers. The outlet tester has previously shown these outlets as "correct" as grounded outlets. Is this because the box is grounded? I want to get the outlet fixed, but not sure if I should try replacing the fixture or get someone in to fix the wiring?

Note that if you can't put in a grounded outlet, a gfci outlet is an acceptable alternative for safety. I've done that at several places in my old house. When installing without a ground, there's a sticker that should be applied essentially saying "yes, we know there's no ground, don't panic if the tester tells you so but also don't expect to use anything plugged in here as a ground."


Porch lamp outside house not working, and changing bulb trips the RCD I'm so bad at DIY that I can't even change a light bulb properly.

The porch lamp outside my house isn't work. I tried changing the bulb, but it tripped the RCD. I double checked the fixture (ES, max 60W) and the original bulb (edison screw, 40W), and bought a new bulb (edison screw, 42W). Again, it tripped the RCD.

Given that it's an outside lamp and two bulbs (including a brand new one today) have broken, is it likely to be the fixture? Or is it likely to be a problem with the bulb (is it possible I need a special kind of bulb)?

If the bulb fits in the base, it is the right kind. It could be a problem with the fixture, but it could be anything else along the line as well, a bad switch, bad connection somewhere, faulty insulation, chewed by rodents, etc. RCDs are very sensitive, it doesn't take much current leakage somewhere to set them off.

If a careful visual inspection doesn't reveal anything, about all you can do is take various components out of the system until you find the one that was tripping the RCD. For instance, test the fixture by removing the wiring and connecting the wires to a simple keyless base with a light bulb installed. If the RCD does not trip and the bulb illuminates, then you know the fixture is at fault.

If the RCD still trips, then the fixture is not at fault. Next try taking the switch out of the system by wiring the switch wires together so that you have an unswitched circuit. Test again. If the RCD still trips, identify intervening junctions and connect your test light at each one, starting at the switch and working back towards the distribution panel. You will eventually make a connection that does not trip the RCD. Then you know the bad section is immediately upstream from the successful connection.

I've left out many safety details here in order to outline basic trouble shooting. If you are at all uncomfortable working on building electrics, do not do any of this, find someone that knows what they are doing. Also, if you have an older UK ring system, these confuse most people, you need to find someone familiar with this rather unusual arrangement.