How do I route plumbing vent line around a corner? I am installing a floating vanity and need to move a 1 1/2 vent line behind the wall. I am in a row townhouse.
How do I run the 1 1/2 pipe around the corner? Do I cut a hole in the studs or notch them?
One side has a 2x6 the other side has a 2x4.
The side with the 2x6 is an exterior wall and side with 2x4 is adjoining with another townhouse.
In the picture I included the new routing of the pipe.
Thank you!

Vent lines have to be "vertical" (where vertical is defined as 45 degrees or more, rather than what vertical normally means) until they are "6 inches above the flood rim of the highest fixture on the floor served" so the horizontal routing evidently below the sink level shown is not going to pass inspection, AFAIK.
You would have to run up at (at least) 45 degrees to the appropriate level before you can go horizontal.
The framing there looks like you would have major issues keeping it concealed in the wall. I gather that the "floating" nature of the new vanity prompts the desire to conceal the pipes differently. I'd strongly suggest considering a vanity that does not require structurally difficult rework - or else going straight up the wall cavity and doing the cross connect above the ceiling.


How can I fix the sewer smell in my bathroom? After several hours and no use, the bathroom accumulates some noticeable "sewer gas" smell, with kind of garlic. It is gone after a few minutes when the ventilating fan is turned on.  The bathroom and house are new (circa 1990). There is a normal wood-frame townhouse apartment attached to an old brick house. There is no basement in the apartment.  The floors start from ground level.

I think there could be a tiny air leak from the sewer tubes through poorly applied PVC cement. But I don't know if it is a common and easy to fix defect. I even tried to seal a few small holes in the drywall with paper and glue where the sewer tubes from the sink are going through the wall but it did not help.

What could be the cause of this smell?

The two most common sources I've seen are dried out traps and a failing wax seal under the toilet.  A failing wax seal may also result in water damage appearing from beneath the toilet.  The dried out traps are simple to fix, just run a little water into each drain every few months.

For a, more rare, problem at a PVC joint, you'll need to find the offending joint first.  Look for signs of water damage, or you may get lucky putting some soapy water over each joint and flushing a toilet.

Edit: here's a good description of how to replace the wax seal under the toilet: How do I fix a leaky toilet that only leaks from underneath?


Any special precautions when turning off water to a property? When turning off incoming pressurized fresh water to a property for a few hours during non-freezing conditions, are there any special precautions that need to be taken?
Specifically, is there anything that needs to be done to protect a tank-based water heater?
Also, what about when the water is turned back on?

In addition to what FreeMan stated, if you have an electric water heater you want to turn off the breaker that feeds it. Depending on your plumbing, turning on some hot water faucets to finish some dishes or finish washing up could drain the water heater. If the thermostat for it kicks in and the water level is low, you'll burn up the element in seconds. When you turn your water back on, release any air in the water heater by opening a few faucets. Once your tank in full, turn your power to it back on.
If your tank is gas, it's not so important because your tank don't be damaged like your elements would be but it's still a good idea to shut it off.


Electric Fireplace worth it The wife is bent on getting an Electric heater for the living room.  We opted not to purchase the gas fireplace when we built our home (through Ryan).  She claims these things can cost up to $1000.

She has a guy on craigslist thats trying to get rid of his for < $200.  Says he bought it preparing to install it and they moved to a new home w/ a fireplace before he could.

Will this improve the value of my home?

As others have pointed out, resale value of any particular feature depends on who you are selling to. In my mind seeing an electric fireplace would trigger the following thoughts: "Looks temporary and cheap. What other things did they skimp on? How much would it cost me to deal with these things down the road?". But obviously not everybody is like me -- other people might be thrilled to see this thing -- study your target demographic.

Another important aspect is that making one's wife happy for


Would adding fiber glass insulation between a window and a standart plastic insulation cover help insulate the windows further I have a corner room in our house, in the summer it traps heat and in the Winter (like right now) it lets it all out. In the summer my room is regularly between 3 to 10 Celsius hotter than the rest of the house, and in the Winter it is usually the reverse, hovering around a 5 degree difference. I have three windows, one single one and two that serve to make a large double window. They are those idiotic non sensicle windows that open outwards and have to be hand cranked. All of them are broken, they cannot open, unless forced open (and I mean forced) and I hate having to get a ladder and climbing up two stories to forcefully close them, so they never open, and I have given up on any airflow and just use an air-purifier year round with just makes the room feel colder in the winter. I have currently put up plastic sheets around my Windows, and since the large window is facing the street and everyone can see into my room very well, especially at night, I just covered it with a large sheet (I tore down the stupid blinds that came with the house in a fit of rage over how idiotic and stupid and half broken they were). I can't fix the rest of this house (most studs range from 14" to 17" apart because the guy who built this place was an absolute fool) so I was wondering, since I have a bunch of this left over fiber glass insulation form when I worked on our basement, and I block my windows anyways, would putting it between the plastic which if it comes off, would only be to refresh the tape, and the Window itself, somehow help insulate it further? And even if it does help, is it safe to do in the place I spend probably around 90% of my time in, even with an air filter.

Edit: I live about 30 minutes south of Boston, MA. In the summer it gets fairly hot, average of about 26c (up to 35c, that is around the highest I've personally experienced during a heat wave) and is very humid (upwards of 90%) and in the Winter it gets very cold, below freezing usually and extremely dry.

Insulating the inside of your windows will have at least one direct consequence: the effective R-value of the overall window will be increased.  That is, less heat will radiate through the window.  This will have a warming effect during the heating season (ie, when it's cold outside) and a cooling effect during the cooling season (ie, when it's warm outside).  The magnitude of this effect can only be roughly estimated so you probably won't really know how much of an improvement this is without trying it.

This will result in a secondary consequence.  The window itself (mainly the glass) will be closer to the outside temperature than the inside temperature.

During the heating season, this means it will be cold (how cold depends on your climate, of course; it shouldn't get colder than it is outside).  If you live anywhere but a dry climate, this probably means it will be below the condensation point and water from the house will condense on the glass (then run down to the sill).  Chances are, over a long enough period of time, this will result in water damage to the window and nearby wall.  If it is cold enough where you live, some of this water may freeze which could result in more immediate damage from the expansion-contraction cycle.

Conversely, you will also be constructing a miniature greenhouse.  When the sun shines on the window from the outside, it will heat up the air  space between the inside glass and the insulation.  There's no extra energy coming from the sun in this case but you're concentrating it into a smaller mass (the air in the gap).  If ambient temperatures in your climate are high enough or the window is situated to get a lot of full sun, and depending on the construction materials of the window, temperature in this air space could get high enough to damage the window.  This doesn't seem extremely likely but it might be possible given just the right circumstances.

Now, set thoughts of R-value aside.  A common problem around windows is air sealing.  That is, they make a room cold when it's cold outside not because of heat radiating through them but because of cold air blowing in through holes (or warm air blowing out).  These effects can be just as important as those due to low R-value windows.  Fiberglass insulation will do essentially nothing to improve this situation.  Air blows right through fiberglass.  The plastic sheets you put up over the window may already have dealt with this part of the problem, depending on how well you've managed to seal around the window with those.

If you really don't plan to use the window as a window, your best bet is probably to rip it out and replace it with an insulated wall.  Or perhaps with some higher-quality windows and some drapes that you can be happy with.


3 way switch with 3 black wires i have 2 3 way switches in the kitchen. One has black, black, black and red wires. WTF. don't even know where to start except the red goes on a brass colored screw?

It really matters how wires are grouped into cables or conduits.

One black is supply.  It is always-hot.   It is probably grouped black-white-copper.

Another black is simply passing power through to something else.  You may notice with the switch removed, something else doesn't work.   That's where that black goes.   It is probably grouped black-white-copper.

The remaining black, and the red, are 3-way messengers going to the other 3-way switch.  They work together as a matched set, and they are interchangeable.  Think of them as a matched set.   They will be grouped black-red-white-copper.

Your 3-way switch will have a ground screw.  It will also have 3 other screws, with one an odd color compared to the others.  The two same-color screws are the messengers.

That leaves the "always hot" black wire, and the black wire going to the "something else".  Those need to be joined to each other, and connected to the remaining screw on the switch.


Can I replace tungsten-halogen lamps with an LED version? I've a lamp which uses 12 bulbs of this kind, and I've very little knowledge about this kind of thing, so despite it seems feasible, I don't know what information I should look for, and what kind of LEDs (+adapter?) I should buy to replace the current ones.

The thing is that whilst current lights aren't cheap, they don't last long after opened, and I really mean it, some even are spoilt the day after, whilst they claim to last 2000 to 3000 hours (why does a light bulb stop working btw?)

These types of lights range in voltage from 6V to 120V depending on the fixture.
The voltage & wattage should be stamped on the glass.
These lamps usually create a large amount of heat if you install them with fingers the oil from your skin will severely reduce the bulb life.
If they come in a plastic wrapper cut the end off and install the bulb only touching the plastic, if they come loose use a tissue or paper towel to hold the bulb and install it.
This may extend your bulb life. Also if they can be put on a dimmer just slightly dropping the voltage can double the life for the 120V models.
here is an LED replacement for 120V


Can the sum of the individual breakers greatly exceed the main? I have a 100amp subpanel in my garage that I wired with several high-capacity appliances, such as 50amp welder, 20amp compressor, 20amp AC, 30amp car charger, 30amp car lift, plus 3 15amp circuits for generic 110v outlets.  As long as I am aware that I shouldn't charge my car, run the AC, and weld at the same time, am I okay with this setup?

When it passed inspection my electrician mentioned off-hand that he was a little worried about load calcs, and he was glad it passed.  If the main breaker trips at 100amp, why was he worried?

There's no problem.  The Electrician may have been worried about the inspector failing the work after doing load calculations, but it doesn't sound like he did one.

As long as the installation is proper, there should be no problems.  You might trip the main if you run too much at the same time, but you're already aware of that limitation.


How much closed cell expanding foam insulation do I need? I am considering insulating my van using closed cell expanding foam cans.

The product I like the look of and reviews is Soudafoam B2 Gun Grade 750ml Can.

Is 50mm all round, good enough to keep me warm in the winter in the UK? Could I get away with less or do I need more?

According to the product's data sheet a 750ml can yields 43l.

I'm getting 0.86 square meters per can at 50mm thickness but I don't do stuff with the metric system often so I suggest you double-check my numbers based on the data sheet and see if we agree.

As to if it will keep you warm or not, that all depends on your heat source.


What side mounting screws for old electrical box I'm trying to mount a ceiling fan on an older electrical box... I need to buy some longer screws so it will fit, does anyone know what the standard size screw would be for the ones in the corner ? Please se image .

Most likely 8-32, possibly 6-32.   Watch out, 8-32 is fine thread.

The -32 is intentional as it assures enough thread engagement.

Make sure you are hanging your fan by more than just a couple #8 screws!


Wiring ceiling light from switch that controls outlet I am trying to add a ceiling light to a switch that currently controls a floor outlet (top plug only).  Coming into the light switch are a ground, a hot and a switched hot.  I have pulled an additional 12/2 wire from the ceiling light into the switch box and was wondering how I could wire it in to control both the outlet as it currently is, as well as the ceiling light.

The wire pulls into the attic are pretty difficult as there is 18" of insulation and plaster, so avoiding another pull to the outlet would be preferable, but I understand you gotta do what you gotta do.

Doesn't sound like this will be possible. What you have now in the switch box is just a switch loop--hot in and hot out. There's no neutral return path, which would be required for your light.

If you were to connect your light to what's there it would probably work, but everything that gets plugged into the outlet thereafter would have its supply voltage reduced by the light bulb(s), and the current drawn by the outlet load would be pulled through the light bulb. The two loads would be in series. You can see how that's a problematic situation.

You'll need to pull a new home run, or you could possibly reconfigure the switched outlet to eliminate that function and provide an actual neutral at the switch. Update your question with information about the outlet box if you'd like help with that.


Why does my vinyl siding make noise when it is windy? Every time the wind starts to blow the siding on my house start to creak. The stronger the wind the louder the sound. It has woken me up on several occasions.

Is there a commonly known explanation for this, and if so if there a way to solve the problem?

Vinyl siding (along with steel) is fastened to your walls with nails that aren't fully set. This allows lateral movement when the siding expands and contracts due to temperature change.

Ideally, the nails are set just snug enough to eliminate in-out movement, which is probably what you're hearing. If they were left out too far, some movement can occur. In fact, since vinyl is very flexible, some movement (slapping) could occur even if the nails are snug. This is one of the drawbacks of the "maintenance free" era.

Unfortunately, there isn't an easy fix. Some underlayment sheeting is embossed or rippled, which can help, as can insulation panels. That's a before-install solution, though. At this point you'd have to loosen each panel on the wall by unclasping the bottom edge, drive the nails a little further, and re-fasten the panels. With the right tool it's not difficult, but it would take a while.

Do make sure that it's actually the siding making noise, however. Check rain gutters and downspouts, window shutters, etc. where applicable.


Turning off oven breaker cuts power to AC, and vice versa. Why? Turning off oven breaker cuts power to AC, and vice versa.  Why?

I misunderstood initially:  You have 2 breakers that both turn off the both devices.  This is consistent with two wires being swapped at the panel.

That is instead of

Stove Red => Stove
Stove Black => Stove
AC Red => AC
AC Black => AC

You may have

Stove Red => Stove
Stove Black => AC
AC Red => AC
AC Black = Stove

Shut down power at the main breaker.
tag the 4 wires in question so you can put them back.  Call them AR, AB, SR, and SB for Air conditioner, Stove, red, black.
Turn the main breaker on
Turn the stove breaker on, the AC off.
Pull the stove from the wall and unplug the stove.
Measure the difference between the neutral and each of the hot wires.  If one is hot, and the other is not, then TPE's hypothesis is supported.

Fixing it.

If the above is the case,

go back to  the panel, turn the main off, remove one wire from the stove's breaker, cap it, turn the power back on.
check the stove.  If the formerly hot wire is no longer hot, then the one you disconnected was the working wire.
back to panel. Power off.  Reconnect working wire, disconnect other wire, cap it, power  on.
back to stove. Now the setup should be exactly the same as when you first did this.  (I can't think of a reason how it could be different, but I tend to make redundant checks.)

If the AC actually plugs in, you can test it the same way, just to verify that the problem is what you think it is.

When you make this set of tests, be sure the stove breaker is back off.  I think it should be that the same leg is the connected one.  That is, if SR was the connected on when you did the stove test with the AC breaker on, then AR will be the connected one with the Stove breaker off.

If this is the case, then swap the two unconnected wires.  If you use the example above, SB and AB swap.

At this point:

Turn stove breaker on, AC breaker off.
Go check stove outlet.  You should now have two hot legs.
Check AC outlet.  You should have two dead legs.
Turn stove breaker off, AC breaker on.
Stove outlet should now be dead
AC outlet should now have two hot lines.
Plug devices in. Turn both on.
Verify that both work.

Note that all of this is based on the hypothesis that two legs of the breakers were reversed.  If, at some point, you get results that are incompatible with this hypotheses, it's time to stop, pour coffee, and rethink the whole process.

Note:  When I have done tests like this, I cap the loose wire if I'm going to turn the power back on.  This is probably paranoid, but I'm clumsy and easily distracted.  I don't really want to brush a hot wire because I got distracted.

As a sanity check (One mistake was made already...) Verify that neither devices has voltage floating around on exposed metal.  (I had a stove once that tried to kill me this way.)

I am NOT a professional Electrician.  This edit was an attempt to come up with a testing process for TPE's comment.


Explosive Backup in Shower/Toilet in Small House & Clear Bubbles in Sink & Toilet of Main House I have small main house and smaller unattached house-like mother-in-law dwelling. Both houses have shower, toilet, sink. Yesterday in main house I noticed clear water bubbles in the sink and simultaneously in toilet that went on for maybe a minute or less. Odd, I thought. Then in other house, later that day, I discovered the drain/sewer had evidently backed up in an explosive way in shower and toilet. A mess. Can anyone tell me what's going on and what I should do? Should I expect more and worse to happen? I'm certain that the two occurrences (clear water bubbles in main house and dirty, explosive mess in smaller, detached house) must be connected. Never happened before in 10+ years we've lived here (Seattle). Really appreciate any help!!! Thanks.

It is very common to see (and/or hear) all manner of bubbling and gurgling when you have a partial or complete main line sewer clog. Call a reputable drain cleaning service. You can safely assume that running a cable down the line from the smaller house will get to the clog, but let the plumber tell you that because they often "guarantee" to clear the clog. Make it a point to be home when they do it, so you can inspect any material they drag up out of there. They may also be able to let you see what is going on using a borescope camera.


Should I put a surge protector on the 110v to my Trane furnace I just had to swap out the fan control module for my Trane furnace.  The service person said it might have failed due to spikes on the 110v line.  There were downed power lines in the area within the past 24 hrs due to a winter storm.  Perhaps there were some associated spikes.  Should I put a surge protector on the 110v line to the furnace?  (Or was the tech just wrong?)

I would recommend a whole house surge suppressor. They can be attached to your existing panel. If you have extra space in the panel and depending on the type of panel, you can get them that plug right into 2 side by side poles. Otherwise they can be attached to a double pole breaker. They come in various types and protection ratings. Of course the greater the protection, the greater the price.

With as much electronic devices and coprocessors that are now in a residence. It doesn't hurt to have a little protection that could save you thousands of dollars. Even if you house is insured, consider the deductible and the hassle of replacing everything after a major surge and damage.

Good luck.


Why does my ceiling lights require some other outlet in the room to be turned on and off again before it works? Picture the scene:  I walk into a room and flick the light switch.  Nothing happens.  I grobble around in the dark to where a baby bottle warmer is plugged into a normal outlet and turn the warmer on.  All of a sudden the lights come on.

Now if I turn off the baby warmer the light remains on.  If I go and turn the light off and then turn it back on again after a couple of seconds, it turns on perfectly fine like a normal light.

If I turn the light off for a little while (something like 15 - 20 minutes) and then turn it on again I am back to the original situation of it not working and me tripping over the various rocking baby things strewn around the place.

Does anyone know why this is the case?

I am assuming that the outlets have been wired into the lighting circuit, which is why there is this relationship, but why does the light start working as normal as long as something else in the room has been turned on and off?

Should I call an exorcist?

This is NOT normal.

If I had to guess, I would agree with Steve; there is a connection somewhere in this circuit that is just barely loose, and is requiring an electrical arc to complete the circuit. The light bulb just isn't enough, but turn on that power-hungry heating element and the circuit is now drawing enough for the arcing to be the "easiest path". Arcing across a gap produces heat which helps to swell the metal parts in the connection, drawing them closer together so this doesn't occur once the circuit has "warmed up".

If I were a betting man, I would put a nickel on your home having aluminum electrical wiring. Aluminum is more susceptible to this expansion and contraction while under load, which is why copper is used in virtually all new construction. Aluminum isn't dangerous, per se, you just need to know what it will do over time and plan for it; terminals should be screwed down very tightly, a little slack should be given in the box and along wire runs, and of course Al-rated switches, outlets and receptacles should be used.

Before calling an electrician there are some things you can try yourself. With the power off at the breaker, open up the switch box and outlets, and clamp down all the wiring terminals on both switch and outlet. If the outlet or switch seems very old, beat-up, worn, rusted, or generally untrustworthy, replace it. If you do have aluminum wire (should be real easy to tell), it will require Al-rated switches and outlets; they can handle the higher heat, the expansion and contraction of aluminum as it heats, and are made of metals that won't react galvanically with aluminum. DO NOT use switches rated for "copper or copper-clad wire only"; the switch or outlet will say exactly that on the back of the switch body, and will have a circle and line drawn through the letters "Al".


How do i reduce and split hvac duct from 8" round into two rooms Hi  i have small minisplit  with 350 cf/m i attached a plenum with 8 inch ridgit round duct attached to it  now i need to run it into a bulkhead  where one register goes into a small room aprox 12x12  and the second one into a master bedroom aprox  20x12 and i cant run one 8 inch and split at the end into each rooms divided by 1 wall because you would hear the noice through . what is the best way to duct? I had it 8 inch into 1 big room and 3 inch into small room  thru the ceiling before but it was too far from the window and i had bad heating

There are split systems and mini split systems these are different creatures.
A split system with an air handler/ plenum in your case is a small split.
A mini split has all the controls in the head unit and are not designed to be in a plenum.
If you have a small split you can divert some of the air flow to another zone but remember there also needs to be a way for the air to return to the handler or that room will pressurize and then have no real flow.
As for voices being to be heard at vents this flaw is in all central heating or air systems the type of ducting or baffles can reduce the sound transmission but this is an art all its own because baffles cause resistance. And without a diagram of the existing plenum it would be hard to guess at the best method.


MBWC using two twin breakers with middle handles tied My question is whether overload protection will work for the two handle tied circuits described below:

Four separate circuits are involved.  These are in a residence, feeding outlets and lights, including some GFCI's.
Two twin 15 amp breakers, with the red and black of a 14/3 wire to the middle two, and the black of two 14/2 wires to the "outside" two.

1 - circuit 1, black wire from a 14/2
2 - circuit 2, black wire from the 14/3
3 - circuit 3, red wire from the same 14/3
4 - circuit 4, black wire from a different 14/2

Circuits 2 and 3 are handle tied with a screw through the holes in the switches.

Circuits 1 and 4 are normal, so these should be ok.
Circuits 2 and 3 are on separate busses, so there is 240V between them, which means the neutral should not become overloaded.  This is ok.
When shutting off 2 and 3 for maintenance, both circuits will be shut off together, avoiding a surprise hot neutral.  This is ok.

My question is whether the overload protection will work correctly in this configuration?

If it will work correctly, I understand that both circuits 2 and 3 will shut off together, which is fine.

I reviewed several similar questions but didn't see this exact situation described.

Thank you for your thoughts.

Chuck

This is almost right

While circuit 2 tripping won't cause the breaker for 3 to trip (nor will it happen the other way around), it won't need to -- since there are only 120V loads present, a fault on circuit 2 will be de-energized by the breaker for circuit 2 tripping, and likewise for circuit 3.  (You'd need a common trip breaker to have both circuits de-energized at once should the breaker trip.)

But, you need a proper handle tie for this

However, a screw does not a handle tie make.  All current production breaker lines have a proper handle tie available for them, although you will likely need to go to an electrical supply house to obtain one, or order the correct one for your breakers online provided you know what make and model breakers you have.

In your case, by the way, your Eaton BD1515s need an Eaton THS1 handle tie.


How do you rough in for surface mount disconects that install after drywall? When you have disconnect boxes (60 amp non-fused disconnect) that surface mount after the drywall is installed for a water heater, an air handler, or similar large appliances that connect to the disconnect panel via whips, what do you do at the electrical rough in stage?

Do you need to have an electrical box installed in the wall behind the disconnect? Do you rough in a mud ring? Or do you just let the Romex stick out where you want it and install the disconnect over the hole in the drywall?

This is electrical rough in for new construction.

I would leave sticking out and fixed rigidly sticking straight out a section of MC,  for the sheet rocker to know that it needs to stick through the rock.  Leave a couple of feet in a tight coil to give you something to work with on trim.  On trim I would take a beefy screw driver, stick it into the hole in the wall and pry the straps loose.  Then once you connect to the disconnect you can shove the slack back into the wall.

Second method, more difficult.  Do the work to get your EMT connector just in the right position sticking through the rock to come.  Put a rigid coupling on it for protection and a short nipple of EMT just so the sheet rocker won't miss it.  Leave a coil of wire hanging there for the trim.  On trim pull off the pipe you don't need and slap on the disconnect.


Should I run conduit to protect an exposed cable and comply with code? Minnesota  code says "exposed" wire (NM 12/2 w ground, or 14/2 w ground), in a basement, what does that mean?
An existing wire had been run on the backside (on the furnace room side) of the main wooden horizontal support beam then down the wooden vertical support beam into a receptacle. I'd like to correct this, I have framed the wall correctly but not sure how to get the wire to a new receptacle between studs.
The furnace ducting on the back side of the beam doesn't allow conduit between it and the beam up into the joist space and I certainly cant drill holes in either beam.
If the ducting prevents anything getting to the wire on the back side of the beam, would I run conduit up as far as I can get it so it would be protected and not "exposed"?

Normally anything below ceiling height requires conduit or a different wiring method. I understand you can not access the wire on the wall but if an inspector can see it they will usually say something. If you could add a trim board to cover that space between the furnace and the wall it will not be exposed and you will be good to go.


Window AC unit LCDI tripping when powered by my solar inverter I have a small 200w solar power system consisting of a Victron 500VA inverter (900w peak) with a 100ah AGM battery.

I just purchased a 5000BTU/4 amp window unit that draws a peak of 430w according to my meter. I thought it would be luxurious to be able to run it for an hour or two during the heat of the day when the battery is full and the panels have nothing better to do.

The AC runs fine from an extension cord plugged into mains, but the millisecond I switch to inverter power, the LCDI at the end of the cord trips...why is that?

Is it because my inverter isn't grounded?

Could I overcome this by removing the LCDI?

Is removing the LCDI a terrible idea? (it will be used just inside of an RV with some ducting+venting)

Is my inverter just not strong enough? Just noticed a max continuous output could be as low as 350w at very high temps...but it doesn't even seem to get a chance to invert before the circuit is broken.

Thanks!

The LDCI or air conditioner microcontroller may be checking for proper grounding.  You should have exactly one neutral-ground bond.  When on shore power, that bond is on the shore-side so the RV should have no bond. When on inverter, that must come from inverter, and be removed when on shore.

Other than that, I suspect the inverter is much too small for the cheap A/C's startup surge, which the Kill-a-Watt is dramatically under-reporting.

Keep in mind a residential grade air conditioner will be quickly destroyed by the vibration of a moving vehicle.

Hacking out the LDCI may not be practicable.  We have seen reports of the LDCI communicating with the onboard controller on the A/C, to the effect that the controller will refuse to start if it is unable to detect the LDCI.  Emulating this may be challenging.

Keep in mind also that lead-acid batteries are a "lie".  Using anywhere near their full claimed amp-hour capacity damages the battery - common wisdom is to only go down to 70-80% SOC in daily use (i.e. Only use 20-30% of the battery's capacity).  Consider your battery to have 20-30AH.

Lithium batteries are also a lie, but a much smaller one :) as 60-70% of the battery's range can be used daily without deterioration or fire.  Only allowing you to use part of the range (and giving you more battery to compensate) is how companies like Tesla and Apple get impressive reliability from their batteries.

Your A/C unit will draw 35 amps or so unassisted by the solar panels.  So not even 1 hour of runtime. Watch your draws and SoC carefully.

Preventing solar gain is a great deal more valuable than running A/C.  White paint, insulation, whole nine yards.

The Kill-a-Watt is not accurately reporting startup current of the A/C.  It is not fast enough, as the peak startup current comes and goes faster than Kill-a-Watt's sampling rate. Cheap A/C units use simple motors (i.e. Not VFD soft-start drives) and startup current will be "locked rotor amperage" which is typically 5-10x running amperage.

So I suspect the inverter is "browning out" and this is tripping the LDCI.

You can fix that with a much larger inverter (with correspondingly-larger idling and conversion losses) or an air conditioner with a VFD on the motor, with soft-start as the least of its features, which will be a more pricey model.  This will do nothing to rectify the vibration problem.

Another option is to go 12/24V A/C packs, but you would probably have to build this out of components intended for marine application, at nosebleed marine prices, but the vibration issue still might getcha.

Lastly, you might try a Thermo King style pack as used for standby power and HVAC on semi's.  They can often work multi-mode, off onboard gen, battery or utility. Search for a rebuildable one in a junkyard.


How to transition laminate flooring to this prefab threshold? I know I should leave a gap around all edges of free-floating laminate flooring, but I'm not sure how to do that in front of this door.  What should I use to cover the gap?

This is an outswing exterior door.  It's one of those prefabs where the door is already hung in the frame and they just screw the whole thing into the opening.  The interior edge of the threshold has a groove in it that looks like I could press in a weather strip or something.  Is there a type of transition molding made for this?

A silver carpet strip should do nicely there.


How can I remove a cable from a junction box? I have a ceiling junction box in my garage that has four armored cables coming into it. I want to remove one of the cables as I'm not using it. I don't have access to the back side of the box, because the ceiling is finished (metal lath and plaster).

I'm thinking I could remove this a few different ways:

twist the wires together, wire nut, and leave in the box
cut the exposed copper, and electrical tape the ends
cut the wires back to the cable clamps

NEC officially says abandoned wire/cable should be removed altogether from the box, and the walls, and if that is not practicable, then utterly destroy it where it is reachable.

Fortunately, they don't say that about conduit, because I have loads of conduit routes I'm not using right now, that I prefer to keep in place for future use.

Even though you don't envision a need right now, fact is, you never really know.

So I recommend exactly what JACK is telling you: remove them from the picture non-destructively so you are able to spare yourself the expense of fishing wire if you ever need them in the future.

One of the numerous opinions on the forum you linked recommended pushing it just outside the junction box, but where it could be reached if you wanted it in the future, and then if needed cover any empty holes with a knockout cover. (about 10 cents).  I would do either that, or what Jack says - just cap it off and don't worry about it.

The only exception is if retaining the cable exceeds the cubic-inch limit of the box; that must be dealt with either by adding a box extension or pushing the cable out of the box.


Insulating wooden beams / frame from concrete footings I am building a wooden terrace based on frame made of pressure treated lumber (ground contact grade) placed on concrete blocks ("on-grade" footings). Something like this:

What I know is that I should prevent direct contact of wood and concrete (even if lumber is pressure treated) to stop moisture absorption.
What is the best solution for low budget project (also to not overdo it)?
There is a roof over most of the terrace so I hope there won't be much moisture involved but I guess I want to insulate everything same way.
The options I am considering as separation layer and already having materials to are:
1. Bituminous paint layer only:

2. Roofing pap:

Plastic strip: - not always possible as being thick and level of some of the footings do not leave space to raise the point up.

4. Any combination of above?
It looks like any option should do as lumber is ground-contact grade pressure treated and do not even touch the ground but want to add extra caution anyways (seems there is never enough protection against moisture).
Please let me know if I am overdoing it or there are other methods or aspects (like chemical interaction, standing water) I should be aware of?

I don't think the intent should be to separate wood and concrete.  I think that applies to encased wood  such as in footings where concrete retains moisture for some time.  Wood and concrete are used together all the time.
In your case its just wood on a flat surface but it doesn't really do much as it is a flat surface so water will sit there.
The plastic shims would be the best bet i suppose to raise up a bit but it seems you can't use them everywhere and it is a bit overkill.  You can possibly use strips of closed cell rigid?


Should my fan have been installed off center? We recently had a Duralum freestanding patio cover installed. There's electrical running through the structure, and a light/52 inch fan coming down from the ceiling.

The fan was installed 11 inches off center. It's noticeable to me, especially when sitting at the table, and it's frustrating to me. It took me a while to figure out why they installed it where they did, and then I figured it out. The Duralum product's ceiling is made up of 4 foot panels that are snapped together. The center of the structure would be about 6-8 inches off of the seam between two panels, so they installed the fan in the center of one of the panels instead.

If this product requires the fan to be installed in the center of a panel, then in my mind, they should have placed and centered the panel that would be holding the fan, and built out from there. Instead, they placed a panel at one end, then just snapped them together until they reached the other end. The last panel was cut down to size. If they were to fix this, they'd need to disassemble a good portion of the structure since everything is connected together.

I have a few questions:

Is it appropriate to install something like a ceiling fan off center without first speaking with the customer and getting their approval?
Does it seem like it would be required to install the fan in the middle of a panel? Does that give it any more structure/stability?

Do you have it in the contract that the fan in centered?  or a drawing?   You as the homeowner and the payer of the bill have the right to have the job done to your specification.  Get them to come back and put the fan on center.  Would you be alright if the fan was off center in that panel in order to center it in the space?  That way they wouldn't have to pull and re hang the whole ceiling.
Good Luck!


Can I add a booster fan to increase pressure? How can I increase cfm in an area that is 3550 x 4288 x 2800 mm.
There is already a 700 cfm air handling unit working, but this is not sufficient.

What is it that you want? Flow or pressure. CFM is a measure of flow rate in cubic feet per minute. Pressure on the other hand is created by forcing more and more air into a confined volume which implies that the flow rate is decreased!

If it is simply more flow rate that you want through a certain sized volumetric space then use a larger fan on the ducting into the working space. You also may have the option to increase the rotational speed of the fan which will increase flow rate as well.

Another option is to redo the input ducting in a Y arrangement and use two fans, one on each arm of the Y and have the air flow from each merge at the leg of the Y and into your working space.


What's the (current) process for getting Arrow locks fitted by USPS? I'm not sure this question is at all appropriate for DIY.stackexchange, but it seemed the best fit so if it's not appropriate here it's probably not appropriate anywhere. Perhaps this is a question I should just ask the USPS directly, but I wanted to first try to collect some third-party experience with the process.
Brief background
We have a 9-unit apartment building with USPS-approved mailboxes mounted in the secured entry lobby. To deliver mail, a copy of the building front door key has been provided to our regular mail carrier. Problem is, that doesn't help at all if a different USPS employee needs to deliver mail. (Say, dropping off a Priority or Express package, or even just someone else covering our regular guy's route when he's out sick or on vacation.) Without that One Key we've provided to the USPS (really, one specific individual employee), the mail can't get in.
My (possible) plan
I've already ruled out "more keys for the USPS!" as an option for solving this — that way lies madness. Fortunately, there's already an existing (and much better) solution, which I've seen employed at other residential locations: An exterior box, sometimes called a "key keeper", mounted outside the front door and containing the door key on a chain. When fitted with a standard USPS "Arrow lock", any postal carrier can open the box, then use the key stored inside to unlock the door and enter the building.
You can buy the actual boxes from many sources (here's one version from usmailsupply.com), but as one might expect they come without the lock installed.
What's next?
So my question becomes, before I consider ordering one of these: How do you go about getting the actual lock installed? Is it a service provided by the USPS directly? How does one even go about making an install request? Are there fees involved?
While it's easy to find the hardware for sale (sans lock), my not-inconsiderable web skills have failed to find any information whatsoever about the process of getting the box outfitted with a lock. I'd have thought there would be a form and/or documentation somewhere on the USPS site, but all I've come up with is an almost-suspicious lack of any information whatsoever.
I know that USPS policy has been shifting towards centralized delivery in recent years, so that they no longer have to visit individual addresses in order to deliver mail. And perhaps part of that shift is phasing out installs of Arrow locks on individual building entries and mailboxes. But we don't have centralized delivery here, and if the carrier is willing to carry a copy of our building key... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Happened to spot our regular USPS carrier delivering today's mail, and flagged him down to pepper him with the same questions I posted here.
The USPS will install Arrow locks, on request, free of charge. In fact, there doesn't even necessarily have to be an actual request — not an explicit one, anyway. He says that if/when he notices a building on his route has installed a key keeper with no lock, he'll let his manager know, and they'll show up to secure it. (We can, of course, also call and explicitly make that request.)
And since — in our particular situation — he already has the key to put inside the box once it's secured, installing the box itself is literally the only thing we need to do.


Powering and keeping 5050 leds in sync I want to set up two strips of led lights in a room with each having their own power supply. However, the problem arises of keeping them in sync in lighting modes other than static.

Info: 5050 RGB, 4 wires, one 12V 10A power supply, one 12V 6A power supply, already have controller and an amplifier.

Would connecting the strips as shown below work, and will they stay in sync?

OK, so, you'll need exactly one controller, and one or more amplifiers depending on how fancy you want to get.  You don't show any of that on your drawing.

The Controller takes 12VDC power and outputs R,G,B and Common. This can be both the signal driving any number of amplifiers, or the power driving a limited number of LED strips.

The important component is the amplifier.   It inputs two things: a power input of 12V in large amounts; and a signal input consisting of R,G,B and C (common) from a controller.  The signal input is simply the RGBC output of the controller.  The amplifier outputs LED drive output consisting of R, G, B and C (common).  This can feed one or several LED strings, limited by the rating of the power supply and the amplifier.

The minimum configuration

Install the controller just past the power supply on the lower right.  The controller will directly drive the bottom-edge LED string.

At the place you mark "connector", the botton LED strip will be totally severed from the other LED strips.  However, a 4-wire (RGBC) cable will continue onward from the end of this LED strip, and it will go to the amplifier.  These can be very small wires, they carry virtually no current.

The top center power supply will be replaced by a power supply and an amplifier.  The power supply output goes to the amplifier power input.  The signal input comes from the 4-wire cable from the bottom-edge strip.  The amplifier's RGBC output will then drive both LED strips along the top, left and right.


Insulating basement concrete walls - anything missing? Live in Zone 5b, going to shoot for 2" of XPS DOW foam board. Planning on gluing it to the concrete wall with foam board glue and bracing it while it cures.  It will run to either the top edge of concrete or to the I-Joist and then have spray foam behind it to fill the void between P.T. sill plate and the back side of the XPS foam. Taping the vertical seams.  Then going to run 1x4 (since 1x3 isn't available locally) horizontally and use ramset w/ washer or tapcon screws or a mix of both to secure the 1x4 on 24" centers. I don't like how short the ramset nails come in.  Then going to run 1x4's vertically on 16 or 24" centers that screw into the horizontal 1x4's. Then going to run wire, and drywall in those steps.  Considering cutting puzzle pieces of 1.5" XPS to place in the grid I create but that's not for sure.

What am I missing, if anything?

Seems like a lot of work but. Why not just do standard 2x4 walls and insulate with fiberglass? I don't know conventional methods for your area but visualizing your description, it seems your wiring may be susceptible to puncture by screws. Make sure you use nail plates.


How to diagnose an occupancy sensor that always detects motion? I've had a Lutron Maestro MS-OPS2 installed in a closet for 3 years and it has worked flawlessly. Recently it started turning on and staying on. To my knowledge, nothing has changed. I can manually turn the switch off but after about 30 seconds it turns back on again. I have experimented with the different modes in the switch's manual (vacancy mode vs. occupancy mode), different sensitivity settings, etc. and nothing changes. The switch acts like it sees something.
FWIW, the switch is driving an LED strip that draws about 20W.
My question is: how can I tell if the switch has simply gone bad or if something else in my house has changed? I've had no electrical work done recently and I know of no new devices on that circuit or even physically nearby.

My bet: you have turned off Off-While-Occupied
Lutron occupancy sensors have what's called an Off While Occupied mode, as described in Lutron's advanced programming guide.  With this mode enabled, turning the lights off manually with the tapswitch while you are in the controlled space causes the sensor to keep them off as long as it detects occupancy.  However, if you disable this mode, turning the lights off manually with the tapswitch while you are in the controlled space turns the lights off for 30 seconds, but if you are still there once that 30 seconds is up, the occupancy sensor turns the lights back on for you.
So, following the instructions in the advanced programming guide to re-enable the Off-While-Occupied mode should fix your issue.


Need help disassembling Groehe shower thermostat I have what I think is a Grohe 19624 Shower thermostat like this the one shown here: http://www.guillens.com/index.jsp?path=product&part=392046.

It is leaking and I need to get it apart to replace some o-rings. But, I can't for the life of me figure out how you get the handle off. There is no visible set screw anywhere. Does anyone have any idea how to get the handle off so I can get to the innards?

This is about a 16 year old part that is now discontinued so extensive internet searches have not turned up any installation or maintenance documentation. Also, because it's discontinued, I don't want to take any risk of damaging the part in trying to disassemble it either.

The exploded diagram in the above link implies that the cap would come off the end, but no amount of persuasion indicates that the cap would come off without breaking something.

Here's a picture:

Unscrew the cap and pull off the brass collar that will reveal the plastic grey temp handle.  Then there is a green clip that is split.  Pull the green clip out and the remaining handle components will come off.  I think it’s component number 1.4 in the parts breakdown.
Visit the grohe website for that trim and it’s really obvious and easy to get it apart.
Good luck!


Electrolux washer- motor pulley rotates but drive belt does not move The washer on my Electrolux stacked washer and dryer stopped operating.

The drive belt was broken, so I recently replaced the broken drive belt which fixed the agitation cycle.

However when the cycle gets to the spin cycle, I can see the motor pulley spinning/turning, but the drive belt does not move.  This causes a burning rubber smell (as the motor pulley spins against the non moving rubber belt) and eventually a load whinning noise.

This doesn't appear to be a new problem as the tenant was previously complaining of sporadic rubber burning smells and the same whinning noises in the past, so the it appears the spin cycle was sometimes working and sometimes not in the past.

Would this be indicative of some loose part?

Any suggestions, diagnosis or help on whether this can be a simple DIY and if it should be a service call would be greatly appreciated.

This is probably the bearing of the drum wearing out.

As it ages it gets stiffer, requiring more force to rotate the drum.  The whining noise is as the belt and bearing get hot slipping against each other.

Drum bearings aren't easy to replace, and on some machines, impossible.

Try packing some grease into the bearing, trying not to get any on the belt of course.


GFCI outlet hot when nothing's plugged into it Using a thermal camera (coolest thing in the world, by the way), I discovered that a GFCI outlet in my bathroom is hotter then the surrounding wall when nothing's plugged into it:

It's not boiling hot; just slightly warm to the touch. I never noticed it before I had a thermal camera. This is probably bad, but what does it mean? Should I replace it? Is my house about to burn down?

Update to answer several people's questions:

The GFCI is on an interior wall covered with cementboard.
The wiring is copper.
All other non-GFCI electrical receptacles--including those on exterior walls--are any different from the surrounding wall in terms of temperature. Here's one on an exterior wall:
I don't believe there are any downstream connections.
The heat is emanating from the right side of the unit itself:
The box is quite small; the sides of the GFCI are about 4mm away from the sides of the box. Not a lot of room for it to dissipate heat.

As mentioned in several places, GFCIs use a little bit of power even when nothing is plugged in or energized downstream.

The heat distribution sure looks like it is coming from the GFCI electronics, but it could also be heat seeping from the other side of the wall, especially if that room has higher air pressure than this one—like if the exhaust fan were running in this room and someone took a hot shower in the other room.  Presumably there is another outlet on the other side of the wall close to this one.

You could try turning off this circuit for 15–30 minutes and see if it completely cools.  That would also rule out whether there is anything downstream causing a current to flow through it.

Or you could measure its power consumption and see if it is more than 100 mW or so.  If it is more than 1.0 watts, I'd replace it.


How do I paint the steel crossbeam on a colorbond fence? I have a colorbond fence.

If you don't have colorbond in your area, it's painted steel panelling that can be used for fences or roofs. My fence looks like this:

But what you can't see is the back - there is an unpainted steel crossbeam.

I'm thinking about painting the crossbeam. Is there any particular preparation I should undertake with the steel?

I've heard I should sand it. And I should use a spray rather than brush... Does anyone have experience with this?

As suggested, use sand paper or steel brush to clear any rusty bit
Apply some(not too much) rust  remover / preventer - let it dry naturally (30minutes - 2hours?)
Paint with steel primer (usually grey)
Following the drying time guidelines of the primer apply your top coat of enamel or whatever you want.

Do not flood the steel with rust preventer. Let it dry and wash your hands properly. If the rust remover makes white bulges just remove it with a another tool. Do not touch with your hands to avoid a) acid burn, b) oil residue on steel

We use to do that in South Africa on all gate installations because summers were extremly dry and some winters could be torrential with flash flooding. This method lasts years and years.
(It is a method borrowed from the automotive industry - in its simplistic form)

Good luck


Drilling into foundation form ties I am in the midst of waterproofing the interior side of my basement.  I have many leftover form ties that I've cut off flush with the concrete.  The ties originally looked like this:

My waterproofing sealant (Thoroseal) manual recommends I drill into the ties about 1", and fill the hole with some hydraulic cement before continuing with covering the wall with a sealant.  In the image below, the dotted circle is kind of where I'd like my hole.  You can see the ground down stubs (cut with an angle grinder) from the ties in the middle.

However, I'm not sure how to accomplish this.  I tried purchasing a simple carbide-tipped concrete twist bit, but it jumps around when I try to center it on the ties and I can't get it to drill both the concrete and the metal.
Any tips on how I can successfully drill this hole?

The form ties are steel. So, a masonry ("carbide tipped concrete twist bit") drill is exactly the wrong thing to drill them with - that's what you use to make holes in concrete, which is not what you are trying to do (however absurd it may be to try that - I agree that this is a VERY strange and impractical thing to try doing.) That type of bit utterly stinks at drilling steel, the geometry is very different.
You need to remove the steel, not drill a new hole in the concrete - the steel is already making a hole there, you just need to remove it. So use a bit made for drilling steel, carefully centered, starting with a center-punched divot to keep the drill on track, as @jstola suggests. When you get to the point that you have drilled out almost all of the steel, you may consider switching to a masonry bit if you intend to enlarge the hole beyond the size of the form tie.
Personally, I'd return the product and buy one with less insane directions, as this is a lot of work with little prospect of benefit - it smells like "we know our product doesn't work well, but we'll insist that the problem is that you failed to follow our detailed insane directions so it's not our fault when it does not work." Cutting the ties off flush is the only normal treatment of form ties.


Was concrete commonly used for 2nd floor flooring in multi-family apartment units built in 1950s? I used to live in a 2nd floor unit in an apartment built in 1950. There was a golf sized "sink hole" on the floor and I wonder if I may have been exposed to asbestos.
I remember the floor being a hard surface (not hardwood), it was dark/reddish color, might even be glossy.  I don't remember it being tiled either since tiles usually have seams and I don't recall any seams. It was more of an uniform appearance. I really wonder it it's made out of. Could it be just concrete?
I remember inside the sink hole there is a rough concrete-like texture, but it had the same dark color as the surface. I don't think it's gypcrete since those weren't available in 1950.
It's been a long time but I'm a bit concerned now that I think  of it. On the bright side, we didn't disturb it much though (aside from occasional wet mopping), plus the fact that the damage is on the floor means gravity is on our side (hopefully). We lived there for a year.
Thanks

When asbestos was used in everything from cooking pan trays to attic insulation on ducts I don't remember hearing of it being mixed into concrete walls or floors.
Even if it was used with the concrete the only way to release it and have it become air borne (where it is a hazard through inhalation) would be if the floor was chiseled or ground on. Mopping or other passive forces can't pulverize the concrete to create asbestos particles. It is (if actually added to) forever entombed in the concrete.


What is the easiest way to tear out a bathroom subfloor? We recently did some remodeling, and in the process, managed to hook up the toilet in the bathroom to the hot-water line. The trouble is, we discovered this fact after we had already put down the plywood, cement board, and then floor-leveling compound (The floor is very sturdy, let me tell you!)

What's the easiest way to tear down back to the studs? The initial floor removal was messy and lots of saw-zalling, but since we were going to replace it anyway it wasn't a big deal.

UPDATE WITH BETTER SCHEMATICY PHRASING AND A MAP.

It's a second floor bathroom. All the water lines run through the floor of the room. They actually run in a U, from the corner where the lines come up next to the main drain, along the outer wall, then to the sink where they T-off. From there, it goes to the end of tub/shower wall, where they then go up into the wall where the tub faucet/valve is. Then from there, up into the wall to the showerhead.

The ceiling on the floor below is the ancient lathe/plaster (Although it might just be lathe) with a covering of tin tiles/sheets/sheets that look like tiles.

SECOND UPDATE WITH SOLUTION

After some convincing, we've opened up the toilet-side of the shower wall (It's one whole piece), and put a T-fitting into the shower's cold line. The new line pokes out the side and into the toilet as opposed to from the floor, but at last it's cold water, haha. Thanks for all the help guys and gals and those of an unspecified gender!

As HerrBag suggested, it's much easier to go through the ceiling below than to open up the floor. Cut open the ceiling back to a joist on each side, do your plumbing repairs there, and install some replacement drywall. You'll have to mud the joints, which is a bit of an art to make them disappear. And then prime/paint your patch.

Trying to tear out the floor from above would require removing everything that's on the floor, it's much more costly to replace the flooring, and structurally you don't want a lot of joints in your subfloor.


Why is my A/C condenser fan motor wiring backwards, and how can I fix it? I've just replaced my condenser fan motor on my home A/C unit with this unit: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/GENERAL-ELECTRIC-Condenser-Fan-Motor-2PRA6

The HP, RPM's and amp ratings all match. The old one was CW only and the new was CW/CCW. I switched the jumper to make sure it was spinning clockwise like the old one. I researched how to wire it and got it installed. It fired up right away and sounded good, no vibrations or anything. The problem is air was blowing down and out of the side instead of out of the top. I immediately thought I installed the fan upside down even though I marked it before removing it from the old unit.

I then took a look at the blade closely and the blade has a concave shape that is turned up. From what I understand that is indeed the direction the concave shape of the blade should point. Additionally, the blade is slightly discolored on the edges, but curiously in the counter-clockwise direction. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the arms that the blades are riveted to and the mounting hub are under the blades when looking down. So, I know it's definitely installed correctly.

Next, I took a look at the wiring on the contactor. When I removed the old motor, I cut the wires and left them connected so I knew exactly where they were when installing the new motor. Then, I noticed something strange on second inspection. Black was on L2 instead of L1 like on every post I found online on how to install this motor. It was this way for sure from before, I did not confuse anything. I waited until just before I installed the new one to remove it from the terminal.

I'm wondering if the initial installer reversed L1 and L2 to get the old motor to spin counter-clockwise. I know that's possible with DC motors, but I don't know if that was common practice. My first instinct was to just switch the directional jumper on the new motor, but if it's currently hooked up backwards, I don't want to leave it that way.

Yes, the concave shape should always curve in the direction of the air flow...

(Click to enlarge.)

Switching the L1 and L2 wires wouldn't change the motor's direction and the colors are a bit arbitrary since this is a 220V circuit.  Verify that it is 220V and that neither wire is the neutral, then mark the white wire with black electrician's tape to signal that it is "hot" too.

It's a common thing to switch the polarity of the start windings relative to the run windings to change an AC motor's direction.  These are usually yellow and orange wires, and the previous installer may have switched these.  If you can't tell that this kind of switch was done, don't worry about it and set the new motor's jumper to get it spinning in the right direction.

But, if you aren't certain or comfortable with the situation, have an electrician look it over.


What can cause 3-way switches to go bad? 3 quit working in about 2 months I've been in a house that was newly built 2 years ago.  In about the last two months, I have had 3 separate 3-way switches quit working (all controlling different fixtures)

The first one would not switch off unless I forced the switch all of the way down.  With the second one, the light got stuck on, no matter what I did with either switch in the circuit.  With the third one, in one position things worked fine, but in the other position, when I switched the other switch, the light would cut off in the middle then back on when the switch was up or down.  The only brand marking I could find on the switches were the letters "ps"

I have replaced all three switches and everything is working as it should now, but I am concerned as to what might be causing these failures.

Could this be that the electrician just got a bad batch of switches or used cheap stuff, or, could there be something wrong with the overall circuit that would cause them to fail?

Thank you for any insights you may be able to offer!

Were all three of those switches installed with poke in wire terminations?

If so then that is likely the root cause of the problem. Move the wires to the screw terminals on the new replacement switches. In the cases where there are more than one wire in the set of poke in holes for a given connection those poke in connections should be replaced with a twist on wire connector to join the wires and an added pigtail that then goes to the switch screw.

Another possibility is that the builder used the absolutely cheapest possible switches. With high usage such cheap switches do not last forever.


Adapting RJ-45 to RJ-11? I'm planning to rewire the networking in my home with Cat5e or Cat6 throughout. The wiring will go to a central patch panel, where my router and main switch will be located.
One issue, though, is that I'm a bit of a collector and I have a few legacy analog telephones (rotary dial) which I intend to keep...and I may add more. They work just fine with my VoIP box. Rather than run two separate sets of wiring, one of which (analog telephone) may not be of much value to a future purchaser, what I'd like to do is to run Cat 5e/6 to RJ-45 jacks throughout...and then use an adapter to connect the RJ-11 telephone plugs to the RJ-45 jacks. The jacks will all be identified and I will use the patch panel to segregate the analog telephone lines from the data lines.
Can anyone recommend a suitable adapter to use? I've tried an online search, but I haven't found anything which stands out yet. I suppose I can roll my own, but a suitable prefab solution would be preferable. Thanks for any suggestions.

They plug right in
If you wire the blue pair (4,5) for phone service (or the blue and green (3,6) pairs for fancy two-line phones.)
No adapter is needed.
I do it at work all the time (my employer's employer's employer uses 24 port Cat5e patch panels as voice patch with a 25 pair cat3 run to them. One pair to each jack and one spare pair. I don't know why they do it that way, but they do. Anyway, an RJ11 or RJ12 plugs right in, no fuss, no muss, connects fine if the pairs are connected - which might be one reason you are not finding an adapter "that stands out." Any such adapter is a scam, unless it's doing something like breaking out 4 single line or two double line RJ11's (RJ14, technically) from one RJ45.


What's this connection in my garage? (UK) Hi folks, wondering if you guys would be able to Tell me what kind of connection this is for?

Thanks very much.

That is the drain point for either the heating system ie radiators as it is the lowest point or it could be the drain for the boiler.

What is on the other side of the wall - that may help, but I would go with the drain for the radiators.


What is the code approved way to cut and patch fire rated drywall hung on the ceiling of a basement? My new house is still under construction, and for code reasons the builder is required to hang fire rated drywall on the ceiling of the basement.

I am sure the situation will arise eventually where I will need access to wire or plumbing runs behind this, and to do this I will need to cut the drywall.

Are there are any restrictions or things to know about according to national US residential building codes regarding the proper repair of fire rated drywall?

EDIT:

In case you were curious, the reason this fire board is code required is because the house wasn't built with typical dimensional lumber for floor joists.  Instead they use these questionable looking Engineered I Joists

Because it is nothing but OSB in the middle, they don't quite as well in the event of a fire as dimensional lumber would.  This is why the fire rated drywall is required.

I'm not aware of anything special for fire rating a joint in drywall, just use the same joint compound and tape you would use on the rest of your walls. Fire rated drywall will cut similar to normal drywall, but it will offer a lot more resistance because of the embedded fiberglass.

When sealing any gaps or cracks, they make special fire rated expanding foam and caulk. They tend to be orange in color. There's also fire rated insulation that can be used for any utility chases/bulkheads that connect to the ceiling.

For junction boxes, we've been required to box our in on common walls (2x4 above and below the junction and a piece of plywood behind everything) to ensure that any shorts in the electrical couldn't travel to another unit, but I doubt this would be a requirement for anyone in a single family home.


GFCI outlet issue: downstream tests wired OK but upstream will not reset I have an issue with a 20A circuit with a GFCI plug.  The GFCI will not reset, no light appears.  I have replaced GFCI, checked line/load to ensure they are correct.  The funny thing is, the plug downstream from the GFCI shows it's wired properly (used 3-prong GFCI tester), but when I plug in the appliance (make-up mirror), the tester shows hot-ground reverse, and the GFCI plug upstream now lights up RED.  GFCI still will not reset, and has no power. This same circuit is tied to other GFCI plugs downstairs, but they are all functioning properly without issue.  I have to think it is just this one GFCI and its downstream partner that is somehow causing this issue.  Thoughts?

Well, this is certainly full of red herrings, isn't it?

Sounds like a disconnected neutral wire somewhere

"Hot Ground Reverse" is how a "magic 8-ball tester" tells you the neutral wire is not connected back to the panel, but a load is plugged in and switched on.

So check each of the outlets in the string to see if they actually work.   The trouble will be either at the last working one, or the first defective one.

The usual culprit is backstab connections.

Here's what's really going on inside those magic 8-ball testers.

The printed legends, however, are notoriously wrong and misleading.  This one has a more useful legend:


How to estimate if an old AC is worth replacing? Have a window AC unit that's from 2001, here are the specs:

Manufacturer: Kenmore
VOLTS: 115
Cooling BTU/HR: 12500
Cooling AMPS: 11.6
Cooling WATTS: 1275
Cooling EER: 9.8

The average electricity rate is 11.04¢/kWh.

As for the hours of use per day, currently varies anywhere from 12 to 24 hours of use per day, so I'm not sure how to deal with that; maybe the easiest way is to just do two estimates, one for 12 hours of use, and another for 24 hours of use.

User Manual is here.

Very possible that I've left out some information, but even with the above information, I still haven't been able to figure out how to even do a rough comparison.

The EER (energy efficiency ratio) is a lovely mashup of units (BTU/h)/Watts (ie, 12500/1275 in the questioned case) that will tell you (part of) what you need to know. The rest is up to how much you run it.

It uses 1.275 KWh/h (1275 watts) and that costs you 14.07 cents/hr at 11.04 cents/KWh

Compare to whatever you think you might replace it with - you'd want a higher EER than 9.8, or you could just look at 12500 BTU models and compare watts directly. Less watts costs you less per hour to run - if they are all cooling by the same amount (12500 BTU/hr) then the lowest watts is the most efficient and should have the highest EER as well.

A low-effort search (ie you might find better) shows a current EER of 11.3 on one similar new unit. If exactly equivalent in BTU/h that would be 1106 watts, or 1.106 KWh/h, or 12.21 cents per hour, or a savings of slightly less than 2 cents per operating hour.

If willing to step away from the window-unit format you may be able to get much better EER in a mini-split type system, but it will likely cost more up front.


Are the plants too close to the building? Are these greens too close to the building or not? I heard different people say differnt things: some recommend 6 inches clearance between greens and the building; but some said it's ok to leave as it is now. Should I worry about these greens? The concern is that plants will hold the water near the building or attract insects, and thus damage the building in the long run

Another question: should I remove leaves on the ground and below the vines?

If your house had wood siding or other siding that allowed the vines to grow under it, then I would say keep it away. Since you have brick veneer, that will not be an issue, It may attach itself to your brick if it is a climbing vine, that would be the biggest issue other than the vent you have in the picture. The vine can grow into and through the screen mesh of the vent.

No need to remove the leaves unless it gets really deep. and it covers the vines.


How to fix a chipped countertop I recently remodeled my kitchen and while putting in the sink I had to remove it and i forgot to remove one clip and it ripped off a small piece of the laminate. So my question is if there is some way to put it back in a way that it should not be vissible? The only products I found was covering it with mixtures of solid colors not the way the countertops look so it will still be very vissible.                    Thanks

As Isherwood said super glue is a great option if you have the whole piece to put back in place. If the piece is lost or doesn't completely fit you may want to consider replacing a segment of the countertop.

When retailers make cuts from countertop materials there is often small pieces left over. Ask at your local hardware provider or better yet at the location you purchased your countertops. With a steady hand you can cut a straight line in the least visible area and replace the entire area.


Is it advisable to run electric cable inside a steel pipe? When I had the piping of my house redone, they left most of the old pipe for cold water in the wall. This is a 18mm steel pipe which runs vertically through (almost) three storeys.

Currently, I am redoing the top storey and strongly believe it is a good idea to have electricity, ethernet and TV up there. Laying cables inside the wall is tedious and now I'm looking at this old unused pipe, which could fit a couple of cables easily.

However, I have sort of a bad feeling at the idea of putting a 230V AC power cable inside a (roughly) 5m long straight steel pipe. School was a long time ago, but I still think I would be building a quite formidable electromagnet, wouldn't I?

In this case I think it would be better to ground (add ground to?) the pipe, put only ethernet and TV inside the pipe and have the power cable outside of the pipe.

How correct or incorrect am I with my assessments? Is it at all wise to use a steel pipe to house any sort of cables?

Wires are routinely run in steel conduit, NOT pipe. Old water pipes would be rough and may have standing seams that can cut the insulation. The electrical code in the U.S. would not allow this because the water pipe is not listed for wiring purposes. Used water pipe for a wire way is asking for problems. Added:
  I currently work in a lumber mill. A few months ago the owner bought almost 1k' of used conduit big stuff. We cut off most of the rusty threads and tossed the rusted conduit. To make a tough week+ of pulling 500kcm 3 phase we had a short in the pipe on the first pull then 2 on the second . This was only ~200' after the 2nd pull and close to 600' of 500 being damaged. We now don't use rusty conduit. This has happened in just the last few years with used conduit. Water pipe is much worse.


How do I remove a frameless glued mirror? I have an ugly giant frameless mirror glued to a tiled wall in my bathroom I want to remove.

It's probably been there > 20 years.

How do I get rid of it? I'm thinking of just covering it in tape then throwing a hammer at it and quickly closing the door. Then chiseling the pieces off.

Is there a better way?

Update : I got it off by levering it off with a claw hammer. It popped right off. Only to reveal - ANOTHER MIRROR!

I would...

Use a glass cutter to run scores across the face of the mirror in a roughly plaid pattern. The idea is to give the mirror some encouragement to crack when you start to pull it off. Smaller pieces are good to handle. Do not run the glass cutter along the same score multiple times. One firm score is enough.

Make the scores no farther than 6 to 12 inches apart. Now, tape up the entire mirror. Packing tape would work, as would masking tape. Use enough tape to stop any pieces from falling down and shattering or hurting someone.

Now, use a hammer or pry bar to lever up under one corner of the mirror. As you pry out slowly, tap with a metal object (a small hammer is good, but anything will work, even a heavy screwdriver or the back end of the glasscutter) along the scores you made with the glass cutter. The glass will probably start to crack now along the score line you made. Break away the mirror in small pieces so that you can carry it away easily.

Be very careful of the edges, as they will be sharp. Wear good gloves as well as eye protection. When you are done, sweep up the area carefully, then vacuum. Make sure there are no slivers of glass on the floor.


Bosch Heat Pump + Hydronic Coil? I was hoping to get some advice on the proper setup for this system. I live in Long Island, NY and just moved into a large house with an extremely old oil burner and 3 a/c condensers. I'm about to start an oil to gas conversion ... when I was introduced to this brand new Bosch inverter ducted heat pump, which is amazingly efficient.

https://www.bosch-climate.us/products-bosch-thermotechnology/geothermal-heat-pumps/geothermal-residential-product-offering/air-to-air-heat-pumps/inverter-ducted-split-system.html

I thought to myself ... since I'm putting up solar panels anyway, maybe this would be the best way to go about it. But winters might be cold, so I was thinking of using a tankless Navien combi to run a hydronic coil in the air handler to supplement. But it's hard to find people talking about heat pump + hydronic coils, as it's not very common ... although I'm not sure why not since so many people are putting up solar panels nowadays.

But I was wondering if anyone could provide their thoughts on this setup and what I should be careful of. Yes, I know that natural gas is really cheap right now, but 2 5-ton heat pumps should be able to replace the heating and cooling ... I think.

Or am I completely wrong and should just install a conventional gas boiler to heat my large home? And leave my a/c system as is since it's still working.

Heat pump + hydronics is a fantastic combo, provided you can get an air handler that supports it

While you are correct that the combination of a heat pump with hydronic backup heat is uncommon, it is not bad by any stretch of the imagination -- when an efficient boiler is used, it will beat a forced-air "dual fuel" setup any day of the week when it comes to overall fuel efficiency as the hydronic setup can run the hydronic coil at part load to make up what the heat pump can't provide, something a forced-air furnace can't do, and is far easier on your house's infrastructure (and the electric grid!) than all-electric setups are, especially in cold-climate areas.

However, due to this rarity, not all heat pump manufacturers provide air handlers that have hydronic coils factory fitted in place of the normal electric standby heat.  I am not certain if Bosch provides that option; if not, you will need a skilled HVAC shop's assistance to field-fabricate or field-modify an air handler for your setup.

You probably want a water tank somewhere in your setup though

However, on the hot-water side of the picture, you probably do not want the boiler to try to serve hot water loads directly -- this is inefficient as it forces the boiler to try to balance between competing needs.  Instead, the superior approach is to use an indirect tank hot water heater that runs as a hydronic zone off the boiler, with the water in the tank is heated from the boiler water via an internal heat exchanger.

A high-efficiency boiler and indirect tank is as efficient as a good gas water heater, while providing excellent longevity with the availability of stainless steel or cement-lined tanks (vs the normal glass-lined steel tank) and superior capacity due to the extra heat exchanger area compared to most gas water heater designs.  It also avoids the comfort issues that are possible in tankless setups (such as the "cold water sandwich" problem), and requires less peak capacity from the gas service.


Options to Recess Google Home Within Wall I would love to embed a Google Home Max within my wall as seen in the attached picture.  Looking for some guidance on how to tie it into a power source which is a switch like shown in the picture.  I would like the solution to keep the screen pretty flush with the wall.

Appreciate any advice or products that would work.

Thanks!
Cliff

They make recessed junction boxes specifically for fitting receptacles where a "wall wart" will be plugging into them.

If there is not space to mount one in the recess flush, then you can build the recess deeper in the middle, and side-mount the junction box.


Carrier AC Air Handler Model #FC4DNF060 Filter Access Panel I have a Carrier AC Air Handler Model #FC4DNF060.  The filter access panel is blocked as shown in the photo (at bottom of unit).  Has anyone had a similar situation or advice on how I might be able to access in order to change the filter?  Thank you.

Are you sure there is a filter there? Is there a return-air vent somewhere else in the house/office? The situation you show is common, but typically the filter has been relocated somewhere else in the return-air ductwork system.


How do I install can-less down lights in new construction? Two-part question:

First, are the can-less, low-profile LED downlights (e.g. HALO HLB Lite 4" LED) suitable for new construction, or only for remodels?  I'm getting confused about the Code rules for junction box accessibility/installation.

Second, if these are suitable for new construction, how should they be installed?  Most of the online videos and even the product instructions seem to be geared towards the remodel customer.  But what will my inspector be looking for before I drywall my ceiling?  I know there are joist brackets for some of these products to which one can attach the light's j-box.  Are these necessary?  What Code(s) do I need to be aware of?

My project: this is an unfinished basement remodel in Seattle, USA.  There are no wall or ceiling coverings yet.

It's pretty straightforward.  These lights require a junction box, but they provide it.  The junction box includes the driver for the LEDs.  The spur cable going from the "j-box" to the LED itself is low voltage DC.

You can see the j-box on the right here, and there's a closeup showing the color temperature switch.

The "j-box" and LED head are mates; you can swap LEDs among J-boxes, but cannot just throw the "j-box" in the trash and connect 120VAC straight into the LED cable. Won't work.

You are meant to be able to access this junction box by unmounting it (if your jurisdiction requires mounting it) and pulling the "j-box" down through the LED hole so you can get your hands on the wires.  Weird, but shrug UL approved it that way.


How to utilize empty electrical boxes in drywall Builder left a few blank outlet covers in my garage, opened one of them today trying to see if I can use it for my security camera, saw an empty electrical box behind it. Picture attached below.

It's a new construction so I'm pretty sure no outlet was installed there. Why my builder left those? Whats the use of them?

Thanks!

There should be a conduit back to the main electrical panel. California building code now requires garages to have the boxes and conduit installed to provide 240 V 40 A for electric car charging. (Seeing that you live in CA from your profile)


How can I get a coat hanger out of a drain pipe? I have a horizontal drain pipe running from my kitchen/laundry area, which I had been unclogging with a metal coat hanger.

The end was screw fittings I could remove myself, but the part that the hanger is stuck in seems to be cemented together.

I can pull it out so far, but the hook I fashioned on the end seems to be sticking on one of the joins.

Any suggestions on how I could remove it without taking the pipe off or calling a plumber?

If you just pull on the hanger, it should bend before it breaks or damages the pipe.  If that doesn't end up being the case, then you'll need to call a plumber but it seems likely you'll have to do that anyway.


Paint peeling off layer of joint compound over plaster, am I in over my head? I have no experience working with plaster walls.

In the kitchen of a building I maintain, there are large sections of paint cracking off the walls. When peeled, I see several layers of paint (at least 3) over a thicker layer of what looks like joint compound or spackle over a gray, very pourous, plaster wall. I realized in one particular place in the kitchen (above the sink) that the plaster is coming off the lath and that it is very crumbly at that point.

I had intended to scrape the walls down to plaster and then prime and paint. I thought I may have to repair some plaster cracks. I am starting to think that this is not possible and more major repairs will need to be done. Do you have any insight? Will I need to seek professional help? I could donate a full week of my time to this task but we have new residents arriving in a couple weeks.

This is student co-op housing that has been run on a dirt cheap budget for 50 years. The house was built in 1907 and we have owned it since the 50s. I know that there was major repairs done to the building in the early 90s (was condemned by the city at one point for reasons I cannot figure out). It does look like the walls have been somewhat repaired before because there seem to be areas that were patched (uneven spots with tool marks painted over).

Thanks!

Don't worry about the cracks but you do have to patch where it's crumbly.

Only worry about the paint that comes off easily, no need to scrape down the whole thing.

Depending on the look you're going for, the whole wall would need a skim coat of plaster.

Condemned, eh? Does the roof leak? Did it? (sad face)

If you are going to contract it out, start making phone calls TODAY. You'd be lucky to find someone who doesn't have at least a 3 week back log during the height of summer.


How do I treat a recently sanded pine staircase? I want to restore our Victorian staircase, going from a drabby flattened 1960s beige carpet, to a fully sanded, restored looking staircase, with painted risers, stained treads and a runner down the middle.

I've gotten as far as sanding the treads, and now I need to decide how to treat them. I've read all sorts about whether to use varnish or oil, polyurethane or wax, but I have not a clue which route to take.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

I have remodeled quite a few Victorians the ones with pine or fur treads were usually stained with a honey or amber colored stain then polyurethane, I used varathane a solvent based poly, I have been told the water based polys are as good but my limited experience with water based was not as good as solvent based.

I use very expensive brushes this is the real trick to a nice finish with poly ($20.00 is normal for a good quality brush)  to make the brush last years you will need a container that you can put some solvent in with the brush and seal it, after cleaning most the poly out, put the brush in solvent at least 3/4 of the bristles covered )
Seal the jar next time you want to use a day week or year later take the brush out, shake out the excess solvent seal the jar up and start applying , when you mix your poly stir never shake (unless you have a vacuum top to pull the air bubbles out).
When done clean the brush add some fresh solvent to the jar and put your brush in. Do this if even just going for a lunch break once the poly drys the brush is toast.

Poly works best with a medium heavy coat and let dry completely, light sanding between coats for awesome wood grain. First I would stain the entire staircase then 1 coat on the entire staircase. Since you want a carpet runner I would then put down 1-2 more coats on each end an inch or 2 inside where the carpet runner will go. This really brings that old growth wood grain out.


Grounding wire for ceiling pendant I am trying to install a metal light pendant with a ground wire, it is replacing a plastic pendant which has no metal box or grounding nut, do I just connect the ground wire to the earth along with the earth of the pendant, thanks

Since there is not a metal box up there, yes, just connect the ground wire from your new light fixture to the ground wire coming in with the feed wires. Use the appropriate wire connector.


Can buried gas pipe conduct flame between two structures? If my detached garage has natural gas connection to the house via a buried black pipe and if the house got caught on fire, can that pipe, say 25' in length, conduct the flame to the garage so that it catches on fire with no other source of ignition?

I was thinking that a buried pipe should not be able to do that because fire requires air, which is not available inside a buried pipe.  Correct me if wrong.

The possibility of the natural gas line transmitting the fire is extremely close to zero.  Yes natural gas requires air, about 20% mixture of gas and air (more air than gas).  Getting that mixture in a closed pipe, along the entire pipe, would near impossible without some pre-mixing first before the fire.

Also if fires could be transmitted via the gas pipe lines, entire cities would be at risk if just one house caught fire.


How do I get my blower motor to turn on with my new hydronic coil heat? My 2nd floor radiant heat developed an irreparable leak, so I installed a hydronic coil on my Spacepak air handler. The thermostat will turn on the water pump, but not the fan. I switched the thermostat to cooling, and the AC works fine, so I know the fan works. Now, how do I get the thermostat to turn on both the water pump and the fan for the heating? My water pump has white connected to W, and red connected to RH. My AC has blue connected to Y, green connected to G, and red connected to RC. Will a jumper from RC to RH turn on the fan for heat? Also, my t-stat is an Aprilaire 8363.

You need the wiring that turns on the pump to also turn on the fan. You may need to add a relay to isolate the fan from the pump due to different voltages or any other problem that could create. You could also use a temperature controller to run the fan which is how commercial installations do it. A controller like the " honeywell  T675A1425" or a " White Rodgers 3F01-111 could be used, They would turn the fan on and off when hot water is present.


Flooding In New Construction Building This weekend, water was observed flowing up, through the floor and through other joints, into the building - making a swimming pool we didn't ask for!

Some Background

We currently have a project constructing a shop/garage in the Texas hill country. The site is above the flood plane and water table. The site is on the side of a hill; the ground is overwhelmingly limestone.

Construction has halted due to unusual and extensive rainfall in the area for the last several weeks.

Please see photos below for details of the water penetration problems.

The question:

What is the appropriate course of action considering:

the building has a poured concrete foundation with monolithic curb 12 inches tall
the below grade walls are 12 inch CMU and filled with concrete
we are in Texas, most people don't have a basement
most local contractors don't have experience working on below grade projects like this one (see above)
we followed the engineers instructions as closely as possible
we would prefer not to remove the back fill and start over

Is it possible to completely seal this building from the inside? If so, what products are most appropriate?

As an aside: There are several problems with this project including the floor (the top of the foundation) being out of level by several inches. During previous rain activity, prior to the roof installation, water was observed pooling in the north west corner. It was believed that this would not be a problem after the building was finished and watertight.

Topography

This is the topography of the area with the site in red.

Site plan

This is the site plan with the building in red.

Longitudinal section

This is the longitudinal section with the below grade portion in red.

Engineering

This is the engineering for the walls, including the french drain and waterproofing.

Floor plan

This is the floor plan with known water penetration areas in red.

Photos

Inside: Over view with known water penetration areas in red.

Saw cut:  Flowing from saw cut; seems to be high flow with visible water movement and pooling ~2 inches deep.

Wall/Floor Joint:
Flowing from wall/floor joint; seems to be high flow (but less then the saw cut) with visible water movement and pooling ~1 inch deep.

Floor Joint: Flowing up between floor and concrete drive outside; seems to be high flow with visible water movement but minimal pooling.

French Drain Working:
This is the french drain flowing at max capacity. The same is visible on the other side of the building.

Water infiltration can come from 1) subsurface water, and 2) surface water.

Subsurface water can come from a rising water table or from hydrostatic water rising up through the soil.

Rising Water Table: You indicate the building is located above the water table. That may be true under normal conditions. When an extreme rain event occurs, the water table will rise. Your subterranean drainage system needs to be designed for these events AND provide a place for the water to drain. That is to say, the drainpipes around the building can collect the water, but it must extend to a location that it can be discharged. (We don’t design systems for “normal” conditions. We design systems for “unusual” conditions, including extra high water table.)

Hydrostatic Water: When you’re located on a hillside, the water table slopes with the contour of the hill. So, when it rains the water table may rise due to hydrostatic water that is uphill pushing the water table “up” at your site.
Surface water will run down the exterior of the walls and be collected by the perimeter drains. (Yours are located below the top of the slab, which is good, but we’ll discuss more later.) in order for this system to work, the drainline needs to extend to a drainage swale or down hill...preferably in a solid line (not perforated line).  I hope you did not hook roof drains into these drains, because if you did, the water will flow backwards and come out under the building causing flooding inside the building.

I see a couple of potential design flaws:

construction joints in the slab
no under slab drainlines
lack of double layer rebar in walls
web stiffeners at end of trusses
perimeter perf pipe not buried properly.

1) and 2) These two items go together. If construction joints are required, then an additional under slab drainline placed directly below the construction joint to carry the subsurface water away when the water table rises. The drainline should be tied into the other perimeter drains and extended to a swale or pumped away. Without the drainline, subsurface water can be hydrostatically pushed up from below and seep into the building through the construction joints.

3) You didn’t include the detailing for the rebar, but the Section indicates a single layer. A double layer is required because of double bending in the wall. (It doesn’t matter if the wall is structurally designed as a retaining wall, supported by the roof, or spanning from pilaster to pilaster...It’s in double bending.)

4) I know it’s under construction so maybe the web stiffeners are not yet installed, which has nothing to do with your question.

5) The perimeter perf pipe should have a 12” envelope around the pipe. It’s shown on the bottom of the trench.

Note: There is a barrier on the wall so water will run down the wall and into the perf pipe. There should also be a “protection board” installed over the moisture barrier to protect it against the backfill so it doesn’t get punctured.


How can I install a Pull-Up Bar on a brick wall? I want to install a pull-up bar on a brick wall but I am not sure at all if it will hold or not. I will try to give you some specifications about the wall and the bar and hopefully you can help me.

-The wall is 40cm (15.7 inches) thick, made by some kind of brick with holes, propably this one and the other side of the wall looks outside. (If you need more detailes on the brick i can look it up.)

-The Bar is a regular wall-mounted pull-up bar like this and the weight of the individual tops at 80kg (170 pounds).

Is it safe to install? What type of screws/bolts should I use?

The issue is that a pull up bar has a live, moving load. If it was just shelves holding a static load there would a vast multitude of ways to mount it.

Every time you do a pull up you'll end up stressing the anchors, the brick, and maybe even the mortar, since this is a person and not a vase that will get damaged when it fails, I'd look for a better solution.


Identifying valve in a flat I would like to know what is this valve for? I'm guessing it may be water, is that right? The valve is located in a flat in the wall.

side question

Shall I move it from time to time so it doesn't get stuck? I was told it may happen.

If the valve handle is any indication for what its' function may be, than there is a very likely chance that it is a shut-off valve for: A. water supply (for flat above?) or B. sprinkler system (not likely).   The valve type is either a "gate" or a "globe". Either of them are designed to control water (liquid or vapor) flow. Additionally both valve's have a poor reputation in that the valve stem can break off from the gate or globe (the section that closes the opening to stop flow). It would be wise to first ascertain what the valve is controlling before it is opened or closed.