Solution for A/C Condensate Drain Line that doesn't require emptying a bucket of water every day? I have a split A/C system in a room that runs on low 24 hours a day during Summer that unfortunately cannot be connected to any drain or pipe and which therefore requires a bucket outside to be used to collect the condensate from the condensate drain line in the exterior unit that sits on my balcony in my apartment building.

This is quite frustrating as the bucket has to be emptied every single day (once a day), so I'm looking for a better solution.

The bucket is already quite large and gets quite heavy at the end of the day when it's full, so maybe something that makes the water evaporate faster than normal so that I don't have to empty the water so often?

Does such a solution exist or am I condemned to a lifetime of emptying the bucket every night during Summer?

** 14 May 2015 EDIT **

I have not yet been able to solve this issue.

Without going into details, connecting the condensation drain line to any drain of any kind, drain line, drainage hole, ground, pumps, pipes, etc. is NOT an option, so I need an outside-the-box solution.

The A/C Condensate Drain Line seems to empty about 3 Gallons / 12 L per 24 hour period.

Potential solutions:

Humidifier

Are there outdoor-friendly humidifiers that could get rid of 3 Gallons/ 12 L per day?  The tank would not have to hold that much as the drain line would just drip the water constantly into the tank.
CONSIDERATIONS: Would I need to use more than 1 humidifier and serialize them?  Can a humidifier handle being on for 24 hours a day for 4 months straight?  Can a humidifier handle the elements (e.g. could rain affect the circuitry or create any electrical issues)?

Plant/Grass garden

My balcony has 37sqft / 3.4 m2 of area to play with but only 1 hour of direct sunlight (although plenty of indirect sunlight) per day, could I create a garden of plants/grass to absorb the water?
CONSIDERATIONS:  How much garden would I need?  Which plants could meet this criteria?  Could the balcony handle the weight of soil + plants + water?

NEW: Drip Tray + Humidifier Wick

What about something like this plus several of these, could that evaporate 3 Gallons / 12L per day?
CONSIDERATION: Would they get clogged from dirty city air? How many wicks would I need to evaporate all that water?

Any other outside-the-box solutions?

Would any of the solutions listed above work?  If so, what specific details would I need to make it work?  Are there any other solutions?

CLIMATE:

On the hottest Summer months, the average relative humidity is about 72%, with about 9 mean daily sunshine hours, 1-2 inches of monthly rain, and daily mean temperatures of about 76 F / 24 C (with average highs of 84 F / 29 C). Remember, however, that the balcony only receives about 1 hour of direct sunlight, although plenty of hours of indirect sunlight.

As you can see, it gets VERY dirty due to this being in the inner city next to a large avenue where a lot of cars run through creating a lot of direct air pollution, so any solutions that may clog need to take this into account. This is another reason I want to avoid having to open the balcony doors to empty it every night. In case it helps, the model of the outdoor unit is Mitsubishi MXZ-18TV.

While you can't have it drip off the balcony, you can turn it into a fine mist and blow it off. Even a fine sprayer would work fine, but you'll need a float switch to auto-activate it, and a pump.  On the plus side, this will air condition your balcony as well.

Home Depot has a  bucket-top misting fan that looks like it would solve your problem. You would need to hook it up to a battery or adapter.


HVAC: adding a C wire for Nest thermostat Just installed a brand new gas boiler, want to keep using my existing Nest thermostat (they are compatible according to Nest).

Current system only has two wires: Rh and W

Nest is designed to steal current from Rh to charge, but here is my problem: the potential between Rh and W is only 22V, and the Nest requires at least 24V. I get a no power reading on the thermostat.
I know I can add a switching relay, as the furnace instructions state – but here's my idea and I hope somebody can tell me if this would work or not (I don't want to damage anything):
The potential between Rh and ground is about 24V; there is about 1.5V on the W wire. Could I simply run a C wire and connect it to ground (or the the C terminal on the transformer inside the boiler)? Or do I really need to spring for a switching relay.
Attaching the schematic from the manual on connecting thermostat.

I'm not sure if I have solved the problem or not; but I checked the two leads against earth ground with my multimeter and it turned out the wire I thought was Rh was in fact W – the polarity of the wires had been switched when the new boiler was installed.
I switched the wires and now my Nest seems happy, although it still claims low battery. At least I can control the heat now. Will post any updates if the problem comes back.


Hanging a large bowl on a stone backsplash I'm desperately seeking an answer to how I can hang a beautiful decorative shallow bowl between my stovetop and my range hood.  The bowl is about about 15 inches across and 3 or so inches deep.  It is absolutely perfect for the spot, but I can't figure out how to anchor it properly.

I would find a hanger you like along the lines of this one that's deep enough for your bowl:

Then I'd hang it from a screw placed inside or behind your range hood. I'm assuming that it's a sheet metal hood with a hollow underside.

If the bowl is too high, use a decorative chain or rope to connect the top of the hanger with the screw at the desired height.


Is standing water at bottom of dishwasher normal? Is standing water at the bottom of dishwasher normal? Is this to keep up seal pressure?
I want to make sure this is not unsafe.

Standing water in the bottom of the dish washer after a cleaning cycle is complete is NOT normal. After the wash/rinse cycle and the pump out your dishwasher not have water in it.

Standing water could be due to number of problems. I'll list out some of the things to check on.

1) There is a possibility that the filter screen in the bottom of your washer is mostly plugged up and not allowing the water to drain down into the pump. Clean it and try another wash.

2) Many dishwashers are installed with an air gap assembly at the kitchen counter level. These are designed to keep the sink drain from siphoning or draining back down into the dishwasher. Sometimes things from the dishwasher can get up into the air-gap and plug it and thus impeded the drainage of the dishwasher.

3) Your washer could be old and tired from washing countless loads of dishes. The pump unit in the bottom that drains the water out can sometimes fail and need replacement.

4) With some older style dishwashers that have the rotary timer knob it is possible that some electrical contacts in the timer mechanism get burned and make certain parts of the wash cycle not work correctly. This could be causing the drain pump to not be running when it is supposed to. Replacement of the timer would be the fix for this.

Note that dirty food bearing water left standing the bottom of the dishwasher could be a spawning ground for all kinds of nasty and unhealthy things. Can also leave something to be desired about the quality of the wash job it will do on your next load of dishes. So for the health of you and your family it is a good thing you are looking into this problem.


Grass feed rust stains on concrete Applied recently "Scotts® Green MAX™ Lawn Food" to my lawn without knowing that the iron could stain my driveway concrete and ended up with some very ugly rust stains after the rain came down later that day.

Here are my questions:

Can I expect that the stains will wash off over time simply by being exposed to the elements like rain and snow and if so how long could that take?
If not which product would you recommend to remove the stains? So far I tried ZEP Calcium, Lime and Rust Remover found at Home Depot and it did not help a lot.
Since there are already some chips in the concrete that would be nice to fix, would it make sense to get a contractor to coat the concrete with a thin layer which would also cover the rust stains and how much does that cost per 1000 sqft?

CLR is what you're looking for. I had a similar problem as you (I was cutting metal on my driveway and did not sweep up the fines that night...Rusted the next day!) and it worked like a charm. It comes in a grey bottle with a multicoloured label.

Dilute using the measurements on the bottle, and scrub hard with a stiff bristled broom. Rinse well.  This stuff is awesome elsewhere in the house too - in particular to clean up around taps.


How to connect a 3 wire cable to a 2 wire outlet? I have recently had a conservatory built and want to wire an internal light fixture that has a live and neutral and Earth terminals.

I have removed my old security light and I am left with a cable existing of red, blue, Earth, and yellow with a red bit of tape on. My new light has a terminal for live, neutral, and Earth. So what do I do with the yellow cable. Can I just cap it off?

Yes, just cap off the wires you do not need.  Those are for future expansiom, you'll thank him later if you ever do something that needs it.


Have a furnace, compressor ok, can I install a heat pump? Every contractor you talk to says that you cannot replace one without the other. My compressor is a 16 SEER Carrier and it's like 6 years old. I should not have gotten a gas furnace, should have gotten a heat pump system as I have solar. My question is can I just get rid of the gas furnace myself and install a heat pump? talked to 2 or 3 contractors and they all say no you have to replace the compressor at the same time.

If the solar is correctly designed then the call for backup from the furnace should be minimal. Why change to a heat pump? The capital cost is not likely to get paid off...

Why not consider reducing the load: look at the insulation levels and quality of the building ie air leaks etc.


How do I remove a fish smell from my freezer? Yesterday, the electricity was out for a while and I guess some of the fish in my freezer warmed up and juices started flowing out of its bag and into the vent. Now there is a fishy scent creeping up from the back of the fridge. Is this something I can just wait out or should I do something about it? I did clean out the freezer and everything looks immaculate in there now.

After cleaning it well, put a piece of coal in the freezer; this will remove any smells from it within few hours, maybe a day.

I used to put a mid-sized piece of coal inside the refrigerator all the time. This was a piece of advice from my mother and always worked.


Frayed duct vent - can it still be used? I removed an old noisy bathroom fan and the duct attached to it is just frayed. (If that's the word) I've tried cutting these ducts before and I just end up unraveling a bunch more than I should.
That's actually the situation I find myself in.

I really don't want to replace this duct tube, it looks like a pain to go to the
flashing and route a new tube.
So the question is - can I still use this? and if so, how can I make the end of it acceptable for the out of the bathroom vent.
Note the duct and the vent are both 3".

You may not WANT to, but in some decades of dealing with that junk, my approach now when I come cross the junk is to replace it with solid metal pipe and solid metal joints, and be done with it. So that's what I'd strongly suggest doing, like it or not. it's low quality, reduces airflow, and is generally horrid.

As for re-using it, which I recommend against - wrap a strip of duct tape around it past any damage to make a nice straight guideline for cutting, and cut along it. Use a nice sharp set of aircraft snips. Cut, do not tear.

If then too short, add a coupling or use some solid vent pipe to make up the difference.


Why does all of my house water stop working when the washer is in use? Why does all of my house water stop working when the washer is in use? Water is running in to the washer when in use but all the water like in the kitchen sink and in the bathroom is not working. Once the washer stop, all the water supply come right back around the house.

Most likely you have what's called a "vacuum breaker" or "anti-siphon" valve in your system somewhere that is intended to prevent water from being pulled back into your pipes when the pressure drops, and the washer feed is dropping the pressure enough to activate it.


Can I add a 20A outlet to my 30A water heater circuit? I bought my wife a smallish Kiln and it requires a 20 amp circuit.

Right next to where we want to use this Kiln is our hot water tank which is on a dedicated 30 amp circuit coming out of the main breaker box.

I want to run a 12 AWG wire out of the disconnect box for the hot water heater down the wall about 3 feet then connect a 20 amp GFCI outlet to plug this Kiln into.

1) Is this ok to do?

2) If yes, should I also install a single 20 amp breaker between the disconnect box and the outlet?

3) If yes to the single 20 amp breaker, is there a specific small single breaker box I can use?

No. Your water heater is on a 30A circuit because that's (presumably--unless it's extraordinarily small) what it requires. There's no overhead in the circuit for additional load, especially one of that size.


Ceiling light wiring problems, please advise I was changing my light fittings as they were old and yellow.
My living room has 2 lights on the ceiling at opposite ends
Controlled by a single on off switch.
The first fitting was normal, red/live black/neutral and earth.
When I took the cover off the second fitting I saw what is in the attached picture.
Because it seemed strange (a red and black with tippex, together) I took a photo so I could put it back the same way.
Trouble is when I pulled the old fixture off and pulled the wires through the white tippex flaked off and now I don't know which red and black to put together.
I thought I could see a tiny bit of tippex on a red and black so I wired it up and switched it on.
It tripped the fuse and killed the lightswitch.
So I removed the fitting and let each wire hang without touching each other, no lights in the flat would switch on that way.
Now I have no lights at all.

Standard UK wiring.

3 x blacks: neutral loop in, neutral loop out, neutral to other light.

3 x reds: live loop in, live loop out, live to switch

back/red: black (with tippex) switched live from switch. red (with tippex) switched live to other light.

Turn off the mains supply.

Using a test meter/continuity tester, the led live to switch and black switched live will be open circuit when the lightswitch is off, and short circuit when the lightswitch is on.

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/House_Wiring_for_Beginners#Loop-in_Wiring


How soon can we stain a freshly-sanded deck after it got drenched in the rain? My family and I are refinishing our deck.  We live in area with wild weather so, even though it called for a week of sun, immediately after finishing sanding our deck (to a very beautiful  underneath) it got drenched from rain.  It took 5 people 3 days of sanding to finish it.  Please, please don't tell me we have to do it again.  I have read many things about wood pores and finish that won't stick.

Is this rain going to affect anything? Or can we let it dry for a day or so and proceed with staining?

Prep is always the most important step. Make sure the wood is dry. It shouldn't make too much of a difference that it rained after you sanded it down as long as it still has pores to absorb the stain.

I always recommend placing a large tarp over the area so that if it does rain, you don't have to worry too much about your work.


Wiring garage ceiling light receptacle to gfci outlet Hi
I’m new to this site and new to the home improvement game so please take it easy if I am repeating others questions. So I’m a first time homebuyer and, currently, renovating my garage. I went to replace the ceiling light receptacle and the outlet that is connected to it but having trouble making sure it’s correct. I replaced the light with the same that was on it before ( I wished I had changed it because I had these outlets) and I changed the outlet to a gfci. After installing both and checking with the tester... this is what came up; the light - open neutral, the outlet - open ground. I’m aware the outlet might say that but don’t know if the lights ok. I’m near chicago if it matters, and the outlet and light look like they are connected to my kitchen outlets and lights. If there’s more info needed let me know, because I really don’t know more info to give right now. Thanks for the help.

Although Harper is partly correct a GFCI receptacle must be readily accessible and code defines this as 6’7” max exhibit 100.1 in the 2020 code this is also the max height for a disconnecting /circuit breaker switch handle as specified in 404.8.A.
The receptacle will need to be moved down or a GFCI circuit breaker installed in the panel to be code compliant.
The problem you currently have is your tester (many on this site refer to them as magic 8 ball testers because you are only sure they are correct when the circuit works other than that it’s a guess).
Have you tried pressing the test and reset buttons on the GFCI many models require this to turn on the first time and some models require it after every power cycle.


Why doesn't my garage door close? I have a genie medallion garage door opener. The door opens with the remote but won't close. The wall unit is not working. Not seeing any lights on the sensor, and I just replaced the sensors. I checked the wiring, which looks good.

Since you've just replaced the sensors, that's where I'd start looking for problems. When you say "I checked the wiring, which looks good.", I'm not sure what that means. While physically examining the wire and connections is a good start, you might have to get out your trusty multimeter and take some readings.

Start by listening to the opener. If you press the button and the motor turns on then off, that means the opener is receiving proper signals from the opener.  If the motor makes no noise, start by checking the opener button and the opener itself.

If it does make noise, start by making sure the door is free in the tracks. Disengage the opener from the door; which is often done by pulling a small plastic handle attached to a rope, and verify that you can manually open and close the door with little resistance.

Check the manufacturers documentation for both the opener and the new sensors, and verify that they are compatible with each other. Also check the openers documentation for error code description and method of display, and troubleshooting steps.  If the sensors on my system detect an object in the way when the door wants to close, the opener flashes the main light 3 times.

Take a closer look at the devices (sensors and opener), and note the voltages, amperage, and resistances involved. Then use your multimeter to verify that the sensors are sending the proper signals to the opener.

If the sensors check out, you'll want to do the same procedure with the opener button.  Make sure the button sends the proper signals for both the up, and down commands.

Once all sensors and switches have been investigated, it's time to look at the opener itself.  Check the control board for visible damage, loose wiring, bad/blown fuses, incorrectly toggled dip switches, or other obvious faults. Use your multimeter to verify all electrons are in their proper locations, and that they flow from one place to another as they should.


Are there code restrictions when adding an access panel in the ceiling below a bathroom? So on the first floor there is a full bathroom without an access panel.  I would like set up the panel, but would hate the look of the access panel on the first floor which is built into the living room.  Can I set up the access panel underneath the bathroom in the basement(ceiling)?   Does that violate any code and if so any ideas on how to minimize the appearance of access panel on a first floor wall?

You can add the access you want in the basement without worries unless your basement is a garage (like a daylight basement). If it is a garage then it would need to meet fire code, but if just an environmental space you could create your access similar to a standard scuttle hole for attic access, but hold it in with a few screws. As far as creating access in the wall of the living room, I have seen some very artistic covers for electrical panels in walls (that do not need tools to open) but could do the same for plumbing access. Think of a picture frame on a hinge that could be opened as a possibility.


Safe to plug a travel adapter into a power strip? I've got a dual voltage (110/220V) lamp that has a European plug and want to plug it into a North American outlet that has a power strip plugged into it. So I will have to use a plug adapter (not voltage converter) to just change the plug from Euro to North American. I know in general this is obviously safe but is it okay that it will be going through a power strip? So it will be:
Grounded North American wall out --> Grounded Power strip ---> Grounded EU to NA Travel Adapter --> UNgrounded Electronic item with EU plug
Is that too many layers of things where it can be a problem safety wise?
Thanks for any help.

Is that too many layers of things where it can be a problem safety wise?

The number of "layers" isn't a huge concern, no. As long as each individual component is rated for the voltage and current that will be present, it should be fine.
That said, you might not want to use this approach as a permanent solution. The travel adapters are useful, but in my experience don't always fit perfectly. They can wobble, loosen, etc. At the very least you might wind up with exposed conductors where you don't want them, and I suppose in the worst-case scenario, over time you might get some electrical arcing.
If this is to be a long-term connection, consider replacing the cord on the lamp. Since the lamp itself is already compatible with dual voltage, replacing the cord shouldn't be a huge task. It depends on the design of the lamp, of course, but many lamps can be relatively easily dismantled to gain access to the cord's connections, allowing replacement.
Alternatively, it may be possible to find a power strip that has outlets compatible with both the North American standard and the European standard you're dealing with. For example, I find myself in Singapore from time to time (in-laws) and have purchased power strips there which have outlets that each can accept either the Type C plug that is sometimes used there (though Type G is more common) or the Type A/B plug that is used in North America.
You might be able to find a similar power strip for your purpose (i.e. one where each outlet is compatible with both plug styles), or one that has some plugs of one type and some of another.
Whether this is possible depends on what type of plug exactly you're dealing with. Your post is not specific about that, so I can't provide anything more exact than that.


Gas oven goes "Thup" every 5 to 30 minutes. What to do? An 8 year old natural gas oven has been making a sound occasionally.  It seems to be every 5 minutes or so when the oven starts and then less frequently.  The sound is not very loud, but loud enough to be clearly heard from across the room.  This has been going on for at least a couple of years (but I just found out about it).  What should I do about this noise?

Update: The first 3 comments give a wide range of opinions, from highly dangerous to that is how the oven works.  I would like to hear from some other people familiar with gas ovens, including owners of such
ovens.

Update 2: One oven manufacturer's website says, "It is possible to hear a whooshing or popping sound from any type of gas burners when the burner ignites on start-up and reignites during use." https://www.subzero-wolf.com/assistance/answers/gas-burner-noise-during-use

This surely is confusing to a non-expert.

RESOLUTION: WEAK IGNITER, NO DANGER.

I called in an appliance repair person.  The "Thup" sound was just the gas coming on. (I watched the gas igniting and heard the thup at the same time, several times.)  The repair person said the igniter was weak.  It took over 60 seconds for the igniter to ignite the gas when the oven was first turned on. The weak igniter was hot enough to light the gas, but the weakness caused the gas to go off.  When the gas went off, it stayed off for a short time (perhaps 15 sec), after which the gas came on again and ignited. This on-off-on  happened every 30 sec or so when the oven was first turned on.  After the oven was hot, the on-off happened very infrequently.  Probably the oven was operating properly after it was hot, going off when the target temperature was reached and going on when the temp dropped below that target.  The appliance repair person said there was no safety issue but sooner or later the weak igniter would not ignite the gas.  In any case, a new igniter solved the problem.  With the new igniter, the gas lit 30 sec after the oven was turned on and the on-off-on cycling was gone: the gas just stayed lit.

I do not know why a weak igniter would cause the gas to go off after was lit.  I would think that a heat sensor would detect the flame.  The repair person said there was no separate heat sensor.  So, it seems the igniter serves as the heat sensor also.


Data Cable Through Drywall The drywallers forgot to cut a hole for my ethernet cable.  There is a coil of it behind the drywall.  Any ideas how to get it through without cutting a huge hole in the wall???
Thank you!

Cut a 2" x 4" hole.
Pull the wire through.
Install a box eliminator.
Depending on what you are trying to do, either install a blank plate and route the cable around to where it needs to go, or install a plate with an RJ45 jack and cut the cable and attach it to the jack.

The worst result will be a blank plate for no apparent reason - but there are plenty of blank plates in buildings, so that is not a big deal.


Are my trusses capable of carrying the load of insulation and drywall? We are insulating our garage and need to build a ceiling to separate the attic and the main garage area. The span of the bottom chord of our trusses is 22 feet. Will our truss system support the weight of the drywall and insulation?
Here are some pictures of our garage roof, which was built in 1970.

Yes, your trusses will support insulation and gypsum board.
The Building Code requires the bottom chord of trusses and ceiling joists to support a minimum of 10 lbs. per square foot. (See IRC Table R301.5)
Gypsum board weighs about 3 lbs. per square foot and insulation (depending on the thickness and type) weighs between .3 and .5 lbs. per square foot per inch thick.
Your trusses were made by a truss manufacturer certified in your state. This requirement is built into their software for the construction of trusses.


How to make sure wooden bar is stable enough to mount hammock chair? I would like to mount a hammock chair like the one below to the roof of my balcony. Or rather put a rope around a wooden bar (see the next photo) just like I were mounting it on a tree branch. However, I am not sure the wooden bar and its mounting points can stand the weight of me in the hammock (around 80kg). I've tried to do some pull ups and the bar seems stable enough, but I'm not sure if it would stand longer stresses and movements of the hammount chair.

What could I do to make sure?

Mounting of ceiling member to a root rafter:

The horizontal board (rafter tie) and roof boards (rafters) are sized large enough for your purpose. The connection between the two is also adequate.

I don't think it necessary but if you were to want to increase the strength then I would start by adding (2) #8 x 3" screws to the connection from the rafter tie to the roof rafter. For more, I would suggest sharing the load with more rafter ties by placing a 2x4 or 4x4 over the top of (2) rafter ties (if you want to hang the chair between rafter ties) or over (3) rafter ties (to hang directly from a rafter tie as you plan). This can be attached with #8 screws (they are not structural, they just keep the board from moving)


How do I wire a pull cord ceiling switch? I'm replacing the bathroom extractor fan switch with a new one (the pull cord no longer works)

The new switch only has place for 4 wires - Neutral and Live (Supply and Feed) and the earth. I have 7 wires coming from the ceiling. 2 Blue, 2 Red and 2 Yellow (both with a red sleeve) and the earth wire.

Can I put the blue (N) together and the red (L) together? Where should the Yellow (red sleeve) wires go? In neutral or live (feed or supply)

The fan switch is a three pole switch - basically three switches that operate at once.

The switch should have two sets of three terminals, labelled L1, L2, and N, plus earth terminal(s). Connect one red wire to each L1 terminal, one yellow wire (with the red sleeve) to each L2 terminal, one blue wire to each N terminal, and the earth wire(s) to the earth terminal.

The yellow wires with the red sleeve is the switched live from the light switch, which turns the fan on. The red wire provides the permanent live to allow the fan to run on for a period when the light is turned off.


How long can a water heater be without a water supply before it might be damaged? Because of a busted feed pipe my water has been turned off since mid December 2014.  I've had the temperature on my water heater turned down to Low (but not Pilot) since then.  Since I'm still not sure when I can get my water feed line fixed, I'm wondering if there is damage or long before there might be damage to my water heater.  I will probably turn it completely off today, but still would like to know how long it would take before a problem arises with a tank that is either 50 gallons or 76 gallons.

As long as the water heater is completely full of water, indefinitely. The fact that there isn't fresh water flowing through it regularly isn't particularly important (and will likely even extend it's lifespan). If too much air enters the tank however, when the heater fires the lifespan will drop down into minutes or even seconds.


How to determine electrical box size per NEC Here is a quick exercise:

Wires for two circuits are entering a junction box through one conduit.
On the other end, the circuits split into two branches
Two neutrals entering (current count = 2)
Two hots entering (current count = 4)
Two grounds entering (current count = 5)
Wire gauge is 12, so total volume is 5 * 2.25 = 12.25 cu inches

Does this calculation have to include wires that are exiting? I will have two 12/2 Romex. If this figures into calculation, 2x the volume is needed (24.5 cu inches).
Edit 1: I should clarify that this will be a junction box without any devices on it.  On one end, a 1/2 inch LFMC is entering with a plastic connector, and on the other end, two 12/2 Romex wires will exit individually through a snap on connector each.

You count all wires that depart the box
When dealing with box fill, you have to count all the wires that depart the box (NEC 314.16(B)(1) is phrased "Each conductor that originates outside the box and terminates or is spliced within the box..."), no matter which direction they're running in the circuit topology.  Note, however, that while you need two hots and two neutrals running through the LFMC, you only need one grounding wire shared between both circuits. (Think about the case where the conduit's the grounding path.)
Note also that you only need to count 1/4 of your grounds for box fill. (It used to be that you only counted one ground out of the entire grounding bundle in the box, but that changed in 2020 to deal with boxes that had loads and loads of cables entering them.)


How can I remove stuck anti-vandal rings in tap head? Most of the taps in my new house are fitted with so-called "anti-vandal" screws in the tap heads, as shown in the image. These screw into the tap head to tighten them onto the stem.

I can't remove most of them because they are stuck. I suspect they've been overtightened and haven't been removed for years. I'm looking for suggestions as to how I can remove them so I can replace the tap washers. And yes, I know which way they need to be turned to tighten or loosen them ;-)
I've already tried:

Using an anti-vandal tap head spanner (shown below), but the prongs bend/break, as the screws are quite stuck.
Using a hair-dryer to heat up the ring before using the spanner.
Adjusting the rings to tighten, then to loosen. I simply get no movement at all.
Applying WD-40 to the rings. This hasn't worked either, perhaps because of their orientation; I can't immerse them.

I also have a pair of needle-nose pliers, but they're just a bit too big for the notches in the rings to get a good grip.
Any other suggestions?
UPDATES

UNECS's suggestion (below) was certainly a good one, but
unfortunately it didn't work out.
I now have my hands on a small pair of 90° circlip pliers which I'll try later. Hopefully I don't break them (or anything else) in the process!

The anti-vandal tap head spanner:

Circlip pliers:

This finally worked:

Clear any crud out of the threads using vinegar over a few nights (see Wayfaring Stranger's answer, below)
Give the rings a good blast of Loctite Freeze & Release for a few seconds, and let the stuff do it's magic for a few minutes
I used the circlip pliers again, and the rings broke free, although not without a bit of force. I felt like I might still have bent the prongs of a tap head spanner like the one pictured above.

n.b. I'm told that any "freeze spray" like CO2 would also have done the trick instead, which works to contract the ring away from the thread of the tap head. Because the Loctite was expensive, it might be worth trying this instead as a first shot. I believe the same kind of principle is behind heating the parts up, which, when cooled rapidly, also causes the contraction which separates them, but I wasn't prepared to bust out the blowtorch for this one...
Finally, if you're going to do this, be careful you don't spray yourself if you're spraying upwards onto the ring, sheesh!

if you just need to replace the washers can you

turn off the water
open the tap fully
unscrew the cover flange at the bottom of the tap
fit a pair of mutigrips under the flange and undo the spindle from the breach

hence replacing the washers?
Once you have the spindle out you will find it easier to get at the anti-vandle screw and undo it


How to accurately measure CFM with Digital Anemometer and Duct We bought a digital anemometer to check the CFM of various fans we have on hand. My husband designed and 3D Printed this duct that securely mounts fans on to the anemometer for accurate readings, which seems to work great.

The unit we have takes an input of FT² and automatically converts that to CFM, but we don't know how to determine the surface area in FT² of this duct design, given the cone shape, fins and solid center area.

We tried using Pi x R ^ 2 with Radius from the small fan side, and again with Radius from the large anemometer side, but this isn't quite correct. We're using a high end 6 CFM fan as a baseline, and readings are roughly 2.5 CFM off depending on which end we measure the radius of.

Any advice on how to properly find the surface area of this would be great. We tried loading the STL file in CAD software like Fusion 360, but it measure the design, not the channels for airflow.

When I worked in a clean room we had to certify the flow hoods and the flow in the pipes. With pipes  we had to measure multiple locations and average the readings close to the outside ends up being slower flow than 1/3 way to the center. On a square plenums we had to take 9-12 reading depending on size. Prior to doing this many times I would have thought the outside was the fastest but the drag of the sides slows the air down, in the center close to the fan there is very little flow unless squirrel cage blower. So try taking multiple measurements and average the results it may be more accurate.


How to remove stuck locknut from porcelain toilet? I'm working to remove the fill valve from my (quite old) Kohler toilet. Drained the tank, unhooked the water supply, now trying to remove the locknut. Trouble is (and forgive me, I'm not sure if this is common) the locknut is plastic and two pieces that seem to lock together. So when I attempted to unscrew it, the lower half of the locknut came off (as it kind of unhinged from the top part), but the upper half of the plastic locknut which is up against the porcelain just won't budge. What's the trick to getting that last piece off? I've tried using a wrench but I'm afraid of damaging the plastic or the porcelain. Thanks!

If the plastic part you are removing is headed to the scrap/trash/recycle it might be ripe for "crush it with locking pliers" as a brute force removal technique that should still be low-stress for the porcelain.
At some intermediate level, grab it with locking pliers to unscrew since it does not have much for a wrench to grab might apply, but it might just break anyway.
If you are trying to preserve it, but remove it, good luck.


Toilet tank fills after Shutoff valve is off and FluidMaster fill valve also is off Am a newbie homeowner and trying to learn. Apologies if this has already been asked before. I was not sure if my situation is different.

First problem - I have a tank bolt leak from one side of the toilet. So to try to tighten it and hopefully stop the leak, I shut off the water under the toilet with a wrench after some struggle. That led to...

Second problem - After shutoff the FluidMaster fill valve works properly and no water comes out of it after flushing. However the tank slowly fills up with water over the course of 30 mins to an hour.

Is the tank filling due to the shutoff valve not completely shutting off water?

Am I dealing with water coming from bowl to tank??

The shutoff valve looks like a gate valve and my wrench has slightly bent the valve head. Am I better off replacing the shutoff valve with a ball valve?

Thanks!!

Water is not magically flowing up-hill from the bowl to the tank...

It is almost certain that the shut-off valve is not... shutting off.

Consider the design.  My experience is that the type of valve pictured uses a rubber washer as the sealing surface.

In most applications, a tap (sink, tub, garden hose) carries flowing water rarely.  The rubber seal spends most of its life sealing off static water, whose oxygen is quickly depleted.

In a shut-off valve, the reverse is true.  Fresh, oxygenated water is constantly flowing over the washer.  As the surface of the washer deteriorates, the ability to seal against the seat vanishes.

But the shut-off valve isn't used, so the problem remains invisible.

Until the day it's needed, as in your case.

There's no guarantee that the next shut-off upstream won't fail the same way.  I've had to call the City to shut off my water service at the water main, so I could replace the main shut-off, the hot water tank shut-off, and the kitchen hot-water supply shut-off...

And then change the faucet cartridge...


Can I safely deal with an open ground receptacle by replacing it with a GFCI? I have found three receptacles in my home for which a three-light receptacle tester indicates open ground. Can I safely resolve this issue by replacing these receptacles with GFCI receptacles? Would that be up to code?
Given the placement of these three, I suspect that they are in a row on the circuit. If this turns out to be true, can I just use one GFCI receptacle at the box closest to the breaker, and then pass power to the other two on the load side of the GFCI?
In case it matters, this is in Chicagoland, so ground is provided by conduit throughout the home.

Receptacles should pick up enough ground via the mounting screw heads to have a 3-light tester report grounded.  However, if you are pushing somewhat on the receptacle when you test it, you can actually push it off the mounting screw heads enough to break that ground contact.  That's why it's not allowed for receptacles as a grounding method.
The proper method is to either run a ground pigtail to the metal box, or use a receptacle UL-listed as "Self-grounding". That means it has an extra brush to reliably pick up ground from the mounting screw shaft.
If even that does not ground it, then "metal conduit" is a lie, and the branch was installed substandard for Chicago.


Attic more drafty after roof replaced We had our house re-roofed a few weeks ago and I noticed that my attic is more drafty.

I live in the UK and my house was built in the 1960s.  It is a semi-detached bungalow.

I'm not sure what the old underlay was, but it was pretty heavy duty looking.  It was a black rubber / plastic kind of material.

The roofer installed Protect VP400 Roofing Underlay with Redland Double Roman 50 tiles and semi round Redland ridge tiles.  He replaced all the battens.

It's quite stormy here at the moment and I noticed more of a draft in the attic.  More so than before the new roof.  I checked around for light coming through but there was none.  No leaks that I could detect.

Any ideas if this is normal and the result of a more modern roofing system or is there a problem with maybe some loose tiles and the underlay is preventing rain from getting in?

In the 60’s all the roofing I put down we used roofing felt 90 lb per roll. Some people call tar paper it is heavy and black and makes a good barrier. I would be guessing since we don’t know what your original vent system was or is now, but with some homes we did just prior to my knees saying no more roof jobs we had to add vents or a complete ridge vent this may be the reason you feel more drafts in the attic but air movement is needed to extend the life of the roof and the structure. New venting may be the same but you just happen to notice because you just had work done and there is bad weather. I would say if you don’t have leaks don’t worry about it.


100A sub panel from 150A Service at Body shop I'm running 100' away from 150A main Service panel to 100A sub panel, my question is: what wire gage shoul I use? Thanks

First, don't be pennywise about the size of the panel.  You want a lot of spaces.  Spaces go a lot faster than you think, especially with 240V equipment.  I like to finish an installation with more than 50% of the breaker spaces unused.   I mention that because 100A panels are usually quite small.

#1 aluminum will suffice, 100' is just shy of the 115' where you start thinking about a size bump for distance.  But if you're considering that...

One option is to go clear up to 150A, or 3/0 aluminum.  Why would you do that?  It makes the subpanel feed breaker in the main panel unnecessary.  The existing 150A breaker protects the wire and the 150A+ rated subpanel.  So you can just use thru-lugs or a subfeed lug kit  (a breaker that's just lugs).

Generally commercial work requires conduit - if you use metal conduit, that serves as a ground wire, and you don't need one.


How can I avoid cold rooms due to combustion air intake? I have a newer split level house (2006) with unfinished basement. The natural gas furnace is on the lower level in a utility room that is also laundry and bathroom. There's an enormous 8 or 10" pipe that serves as combustion air intake just over the furnace, which goes outdoors through a screened hole.

Now that it's become very cold outside (0°F/-17°C tonight) the intake seems to just be cooling off the entire lower level.

The furnace is not in its own enclosed space; it's open to the unfinished laundry/bath room, and the door to the room has a gap of about 1" to the concrete floor. If I stand just in front of the furnace, which is the same location to do laundry (just the opposite direction), the cold draft is noticeable even when the furnace isn't running.

Do I need to enclose the furnace in its own space to avoid this problem, or something else? I understand its purpose, but it seems to counter efficiency.

Don't forget the combustion air is for all fuel burning appliances, not just the furnace. The water heater and possibly your clothes dryer also need combustion air. Yes, it is counter efficient, but not providing combustion air risks carbon monoxide poisoning. Not good!

One viable alternative would be to adequately heat the space, but that is certainly not efficient. It appears you could easily enclose the water heater and furnace in a utility closet. Be sure to determine the needed clearances and working access for each appliance and ensure they are maintained. AFAIK, the mechanical code often applicable in the US still requires two combustion air openings, one high and one low. You should verify your local requirements to ensure everything is correct. This is not the area to cut corners.

Even with the closet containing the cold air, if you have a gas clothes dryer, it still needs adequate combustion air. You would probably need some vents out of the closet to maintain this, but they can be relatively small, so the enclosure would still largely contain the cold air. Again, check your local requirements to determine the minimum vent area required for a dryer.

You would want to insulate the closet walls, and maybe even consider using an exterior door for access, as it will provide better insulation and weatherstripping to limit infiltration. OTOH, an undercut interior door might be adequate for dryer combustion air provision. You have a little research to do.


How can I mitigate copper naphthenate (copper green) smell indoors? Our contractor treated the edge of some plywood and the bottom of some studs with copper naphthenate. The goal was to treat yummy wood at the concrete interface, which is a good thing since termites love our house.

But the smell!

I can't stand it, especially in the small one stall bathroom.  Various other people who have walked into the space have noticed and commented on the smell... and right now the area is perpetually open and has been for weeks.

And I know the smell lasts forever. Yet here the wood in question will mostly be covered by drywall.  Is there anything can I do to mitigate the copper green smell? Has anyone else been successful in containing such a smell?

The product was:
Cuprolignum Standard Green No. 300, by Rudd Paint & Varnish Company

Copper naphthenate 34.5%
Chloroorthophenylphenol 2.5%
Petroleum Solvent 63%

Slogan "Where there is Cuprolignum there is no rot"

A thick four coats of floor paint that is meant to be impermeable to damp and impervious to floor traffic helped seal in this stuff where someone used it to treat a bathroom stall against rot.

Yes, the stuff just smells horrible. It's essentially copper contaminated moth balls with a little extra phenol for sniffy goodness and not for interior use at all.


Physical switch for LED light strip I installed a Philips Hue RGB light strip in my home (this model). It plugs into a regular wall outlet and I turn it on and off using the Google Home app on my phone.
I would like to have a physical switch in the room which could also toggle the light strip. However I don't want the switch to interfere with Google Home's ability to toggle the lights. In other words, Google Home should be able to turn the lights on even if the switch is off. Is this achievable?

Phillips (and others) makes switches for the Hue screw-in light bulbs, which I believe also work with light strips. See the Phillips website.
I've found it is undesirable to use a physical switch that disconnects power to the Hue light, as the light will revert to default settings when power is restored.


3 Year Old Primer Paint On Walls I purchased a condo 3 years ago, the condo was painted with white primer, and for a number of reasons I never painted the walls.

If I now want to paint the walls, should I apply a new coat of primer before painting, or should the current coat be alright?

I would re-prime.  3 years is a long time, and your expectation is that this paint job will last even longer.  It's possible that it would be fine without, but if it's not, you'll regret the decision.  You could always use a primer + paint combo as long as you're not switching between oil and latex.


What type of insulation should be used to deter subterranean termites? My house's structure is made of wood and there are subterranean termites (non-formosan) in my yard and area. I am planning to excavate and insulate the slab perimeter in the interests of saving on heating, but am worried about creating a termite highway.
I figure XPS is right out, and I'm not sure about termite-treated EPS either. The availability, price per R, and ease of installation are attractive, but since the advertised termite resistance just comes from a chemical treatment, I worry that it will fade or leach out over time.

I've considered foamglas, which would be ideal due to its many desirable qualities, but it's ridiculously expensive compared to the alternatives.
What about rigid mineral wool boards? I see people online claiming it's resistant to termites, but I've been unable to locate any real confirmation or denial of this. My sense is that the mineral wool industry would be advertising this if it were true (as the foamglas industry does). So what's the skinny?

I can verify boron treated EPS degrades over time. Boron is water soluble, so the treatment doesn't last through more than a couple wet seasons.

There's apparently a new insecticidal treatment being sold under the trademark Preventol.  It's unclear how many years this treatment will remain effective. In any case, I think soil treatment should be used whenever EPS is installed below grade to help long-term repel insects.

The foamglas product looks interesting. It's made of silicon instead of polymer. It would still be nice to see a long-term test, though. Until someone buries it for a few years, the claims of the manufacturer can't be verified.


Low water pressure after turning main water back on I turned off the main water valve in my house to replace a toilet since the valve to the toilet wouldn't turn off the water. Problem is, when I turned the main valve back on, I got a really low amount of pressure. It's a gate valve, and I am assuming it is broken.

I am not a professional plumber by any means, but I know my way around enough to do things like replacing a toilet or sink.

With that said, is there any fixes I can do at the moment just to get full water pressure back up? I can replace the valve in a couple of days with a ball valve, I just don't have the means or time to so at the moment.

Any help?

Have you opened all the other water faucets in the home and flushed the toilets? There may be water in the line. The only other idea is that your water heater and water softener unit may be trying to fill up, causing low water pressure. Make sure there are no other water leaks.

I too am not a pro but can figure things out. I had to replace the on/off valve on my toilet not to long ago. I could not afford a new one at the moment. So I turned off the water main, and removed the valve. I soaked it in vinegar over night. (I did this at 10pm to 6 am.) I filled my bathtub with water and used a small bucket of water in the bathroom and filled with water and poured it in the toilet to flush. I then re-wrapped the threaded connection and reassembled the valve. It wasn't perfect but it lasted another couple days. Then I replace with a new one.

You may want to consider putting in an on/off valve under the toilet. I have had to install several in my home as none of the showers had any.


Replacing irregular sink and tap I would like to replace with a rectangular single (or double) sink and new tap. Would the rectangular part be cut out of the top left?
We like something like this, a clean and deep single rectangular sink.
https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/oliveri-ap1491-apollo-sink
What do we do about the space that rotates around to the left?
Any perspective about how to work with what we have would be useful
Photos of space below

Countertops are custom cut for the space and the sink.  The space on the left where you currently have a drain pan will either be cut out (no countertop underneath) or ruined by glue and mismatching discoloration.
You will need a new countertop.  Go to a kitchen design store, which could be a hardware superstore with a kitchen department.   Choose a countertop and a sink.  They'll come measure your kitchen, cut the counter to fit the space and cut the opening for your chosen sink.  They will install it too, if you want.


Removing Sand from blacktop Recently my son's friends played a prank on our house. Specifically they dumped bags of sand on our basketball court in the backyard so that they could pretend to have a beach party. I am not sure how I will remove the sand now though, I was wondering if anyone could help me with this strange problem?

A number of guilty teenagers, a broom or two, a shovel, a wheelbarrow.

Your job is to point out when the job has not been completed to your satisfaction, until it has been. Your job is definitely NOT cleaning up the sand.


What is this bug and should I be concerned? I see these guys crawling around. What are they and are they here to destroy my house and cost me money and waste my time?

It's a woodlouse.

Mostly an outdoor bug, generally beneficial, but may bother some plants.

They are generally not a big deal in houses, although not pretty. Wikipedia comments

  Woodlice can also invade homes en masse in search of moisture and their presence can indicate dampness problems. They are not generally regarded as a serious household pest as they do not spread disease and do not damage sound wood or structures.

(When I was a kid, we called them potato bugs.)


Condensation on just 1 duct in unfinished basement We live in the Northeast (PA) and have a new construction home that we have lived in for a year.  The home is small (1300 sq ft, open concept first floor) with an unfinished basement.  The ceiling of the basement was insulated with this super thick pink insulation w/paper backing (paper is marked R30), paper side up.  We have a heat pump and central ac and keep the thermostat at 68 in winter and 71 in the summer. I keep a dehumidifier running in all seasons except winter. The basement is dry. All rooms on the first and second floor seem to heat and cool evenly.
At the end of July I noticed we kept having wet spots all over the floor along the front wall of our basement. I kept an eye on them for about two weeks, until I notice wetness on a piece of furniture that we have stored down there.  I reached up and touched the insulation and water poured down through it.  I pulled the entire batting of insulation down and see the duct was wet and dripping all the way across. This duct is the supply that goes up into our second floor (through outer walls) in the front 2 bedrooms (floor registers).
We pulled the insulation down that covered every other duct in the basement and all of the others were completely dry. I had the original HVAC installer come and he says his work is perfect and we MUST have a water leak (we have pex and our lines aren't anywhere near this area).  I changed the dehumidifier setting to 40%, bumped the temp up to 72, and changed the filter (which was reasonably dirty but not the worst I have seen). I have kept an eye on it for several weeks now and the condensation is all but gone except for a few drips only on the elbows that bend up and go up through the wall (both sides, although one side is worse than the other).
Any theories, ideas, and suggestions/things to look for are appreciated so we know where to start. Checking the vapor barrier in our living room was the main idea that I was given but i'd like to avoid cutting holes in the walls if I could...  We were also told to wrap the ducts but i'm not sure that's all it needs.  In the next year or two we do want to finish our basement.

If the ducts do not have sealed air spaces at top and bottom when the ducts get cold the air around it becomes cold.  Cold air is denser and heavier so it drops, pulling in fresh humid air from the attic or other airspace. As the air cools with the moisture condensing on the duct and it starts all over again.
Sealing the areas the ductwork goes up the walls at both ends is important and may be the root cause .
Your HVAC guy is a hack no one is perfect but they all say that. You just need to isolate any air flow and this is a common issue with multi story homes. The insulation is usually installed after the ductwork and sheetrock so they may not have sealed the chase but your hvac guy should have known this and told you to make sure the verticals shafts were sealed.


Dropping wire from attic through existing interior drywall wall I need to put an outlet in an existing interior wall. I can get to the top plate of the wall from the attic, and I can connect to the supply for the other outlets in the room from there too.

My question is if it's ok to just drop the wire through the empty space and into the new outlet box. I.e. the wire would just be dangling, and not fastened to the stud.

Can I use regular romex, or do I need armored wire?

Since this cable is going through a concealed space between access points and adding support is impracticable, NEC 334.30(B) applies:

  (B) Unsupported Cables. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall
  be permitted to be unsupported where the cable:

  (1) Is fished between access points through concealed
  spaces in finished buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable.

  (2) Is not more than 1.4 m (4½ ft) from the last point of
  cable support to the point of connection to a luminaire
  or other piece of electrical equipment and the cable and
  point of connection are within an accessible ceiling.

So, go ahead and use NM if you wish.  (The NEC has equivalent wording in 330.30(D) for MC cable and 320.30(D) for AC cable, BTW.)


Why is part of a circuit without power after an applicance short? Eight wall outlets, a portion of the electric "zone" named "family room" failed. The circuit breaker for the family room remained closed and passive. None of the other circuit breakers opened. All of the eight wall outlets were inoperable and had no current in them.

All of this happened immediately after a short circuit in a small appliance in one of the eight wall outlets.

An electrician was called, studied the problem, and decided to connect one of the failed outlets directly to the main source of power thereby restoring the use of the eight wall outlets. Nothing was done to identify any failed components in the circuit of the failed outlets, or to fix or identify the cause of this wall plug outlet failure.

What in your opinion might have been the cause of the failure of eight outlets in a room with many more outlets, all connected to a single circuit breaker that didn't open?

The sad part is your electrician should have figured this out and properly repaired in a very short time line. It may be dangerous to properly repair the circuit now that it has been re fed from another location (and possibly from a different leg) causing a dangerous situation for a future repair, remodel.
The proper way would have been to go to the last working outlet and check the connections then the first non working outlet these 2 locations are where 99% of these type of electrical failures are located when the breaker has not tripped and there are additional working outlets on the same breaker.
Usually I find a loose back stabb. But sometimes a broken wire at a wire nut or screw terminal.  If you do go back and repair this make sure the second feed from the main panel is removed.


What trade handles old wood paneling? Our late-60s ranch came with a 10x20 wall of fabulous wood paneling.  It's not the junk with grooves, but real-deal, full-slab wood paneling (painted).

Unfortunately, it warps a lot with typical changes in humidity.  When we bought the place, the owner's son said something about it being installed wrong in the 60s, so it would 'breathe' and move throughout the year.  One day a year, it's perfect; the rest, you can see it cup or warp out of level.

I suppose I can hire a guy with a nail gun to re-execute it in MDF, but we'd like to figure out what went wrong, and whether it can be fixed.

What trade has the expertise in paneling that can diagnose it?  A cabinetmaker? Is there a kind of trim carpenter that specializes in paneling?

I would typically assign something like this to an interior trim carpenter, but it depends a lot on the quality of their work.  In my experience  I would avoid the painting company that also does trim.  They are fine for baseboard and crown, but for this job I would want the interior trim carpenter that does built in entertainment center cabinets, wainscoting, and things like that.

Again, It depends a lot on the quality of their work.


Hardwood to Laminate floor transition We recently purchased this house and it has hardwood in the entryway but the rest of the room is carpet. We don't want to spend money on hardwood floor and want to put laminate. Do you'll think the transition from hardwood to laminate will look hideous? Or should I remove the hardwood? Has anyone done this before?

The biggest issue will be the height difference from the hardwood to laminate and a moulding to cover the transition.  Depending on the height of the hardwood, you are at least looking at a half inch difference (at minimum) between the wood and laminate.  And the moulding might also be a trip hazard for any older people as they enter/leave your house.

My personal choice would be to remove the section of hardwood to remove the above two issues.


Copper Shutoff Valve Supply Line? I'm in the middle of replacing a faucet in our house's bathroom. I found copper lines coming off of our shutoff valves and am not sure what to do with them. I bought replacement flexible lines (Similar to https://www.homedepot.com/p/Homewerks-Worldwide-Universal-Connector-Kit-x-20-in-Faucet-Supply-Line-Braided-Stainless-Steel-7223-20-38-5/203082359) to replace them, but the copper lines don't seem to want to move. I'm uncertain if they're soldered or not, as they were held in place by nuts before I removed them. I don't want to damage the shutoff valve though. What is the typical procedure for replacing such lines? Are they just held in place by pressure and can be remove by applying force? I noticed that the lines at the top of the sink leak water when a small pressure is applied to them, but they do not come out easily.

Shutoff Valve:

Top of Sink:

Angle stops are cheap. I would just replace the angle stops while you have everything open and be done with it. The angle stops don’t look to be in good shape anyway. Then you can get ones that match the threads in your flexible hoses.


Why does the pilot light go out when the furnace is running? Every time the furnace fires up, it blows out the pilot light. Sometimes it will run a full cycle and blow out when it shuts down, and sometimes it will blow out about a minute into the cycle.

We had a tech at the house yesterday for a different furnace issue, and unfortunately, nobody was home when he came. From what we can tell, he changed some of the copper lines going into the furnace and he did remove the air filters.

When we got home the furnace was running fine, but after a couple of cycles it started acting up. We relight the pilot with no problem, but as I said as soon as it starts running, it blows the pilot out.

Could the lack of air filters be the problem, or do I need to call the tech back to the house?

The pilot light worked fine before a tech came out.

The tech left with your furnace in an incorrect state - namely - he removed the filters.

Furnaces are supposed to have filters.  That alone is enough reason to call him back.

Call him up, say, 'You left w/o replacing the filters and now the pilot lite is going out.  Get back here please, and fix it.'


How to remove and re-insert wires into socket? I'm replacing ballast on a lamp and need to connect wires to 4-pin socket.

I tried to pull the wires gently and it did not work. What is the safe way (in terms not breaking) to do so?

After discussing With jack and looking at the photo again I realized that is a CFL with a separate ballast.  I was thinking disconnect not connection to the lamp in that case I would cut the wires off close to the ballast and splice. I have used wire nuts but with small solid wire and low current this is one place I use lever locks or push in stab splices have never had them fail in a fluorescent fixture and LED’s draw even less. I changed to lever locks as who knows some of these fixtures have been required 3X so far in their life with lever locks the connectors are a bit more but if another rewire is needed they will save time and money..


Tile floor installation on top of hardwood Can I lay the backerboard for a tile floor on top of hardwood floor that is glued to 3/4 inch plywood subflooring?

Yes. Just make sure you use fiberglass mesh on top of the backer and use a good quality polymer modified mortar to install the tiles.

Backerboard subfloors are a cheapout way of avoiding the installation of a proper lath and mortar base (there is simply no comparison). If you choose this route, there is nothing to bind the floor together (which prevents cracking). using a fiberglass mesh interface membrane will help to act as a mechanical binder for the tile floor to be laid.

The use of polymer modified mortars instead of simple cementitious mortars makes a huge difference in how well the wet "stick" of the tiles makes sure there is a high percentage interstitial bond between the tile and the subfloor. This makes sure that once it sets up, the tile has no ability to move in relation to the mesh/backer assembly. This ensures that even if there are minute voids between subfloor and the backer--the footprint of the tile is spread as wide as possible through the backer to the subfloor. The intention of this approach is to remove any chance of decoupling of the tiles.


How big does a driveway need to be? I own a row home in an urban area in which on street parking is a nightmare. We have a small (20' wide x 25' long) backyard that abuts an alley. Both sides are hemmed in by tall fences. I am thinking about converting some/all of it to a driveway/parking pad. Ideally, we would have enough parking for 2 cars (tandem would be okay), but I do not think it is big enough.

How big does a driveway need to be if you are pulling straight in/out of it?

What about if we did some sort of parallel parking spot for a single car?

The size of a standard parking spot depends on where you live. For example, in the US the width will usually be between 8 and 10 feet, and 18 to 20 feet long. But in a European country where the average vehicle is smaller, the average parking spot will also be smaller.

Something to consider when designing your parking area: space outside the "lines". You need to have room to open your door and get out without causing damage to the car or whatever is next to it. Make sure to account for that.

Additionally, you need to think about turning room. If the alley is narrow, you may not be able to turn in to your parking spot if the spot is too narrow, especially with another car in the next spot.


How can I power a three phase AC motor with only 2 phases? I have some AC motors with 6 wires each. I only have 2 out of 3 phases available. I will test these motors any way. I know the motors won't work in their best condition and I risk create a short circuit if I don't make the right choice. Suppose the internal wiring is like this

I'm planning to connect 2 and 5 together, phase A to 1 and 3, phase B to 4 and 6. Will it work?

Three phase motors need to be fed with three phase power. It has to do with the internal configuration, each power leg must be fed power 120 degrees apart so the created magnetic field spins the rotor.

If you're thinking about using 240V split phase to power this motor, the effecive phase angle between each leg and neutral is 180 degrees out of phase. Expect the motor to stall if it will even begin to spin weakly, not create the proper back EMF, draw high current and release smoke.

If you need to run this motor off of split phase, you need to run it from 240V single phase and use a phase converter that electrically produces three phase power output. Your motor will then run perfectly. There are two types of phase converter, Motor Generator and Static (electronic).

Differences between Split Phase 240VAC and 3-phase 240VAC


Toilet flange spacers and closet horn seal This seems like a silly question but there's some toilet flange spacer kits that include rubber gaskets and I'm wondering if the top gasket needs to contact the toilet on the outside of the closet horn. I would think that it needs to as you wouldn't want any sewer gas leaking out.

The kit I have is below. The very limited directions suggest you don't need to use wax. And by wax I'm assuming that meens a wax ring.

My settup only uses one spacer sandwiched between two gaskets and placed on the toilet flange. Currently there is slightly less than 1/4" gap between the top of the gasket and the surface of the toilet.

Adding a second spacer causes the back of the toilet to lift up off the floor slightly.

It seems that a normal wax ring will get compressed too much and will extrude into the drainage pipe causing an obstruction.

How do I rectify this gap?

Different extension kit?
Larger wax ring?
Remove gasket and add wax ring?

Also, if I remove the rubber gaskets and just use the spacer, do I need to use some sort of sealant between the toilet flange and spacer? If so, what should I use?

Silicone sealant?
Wax?
Plumber's putty?

Plumber's trick...A toilet flange can be level with your finished floor or sit directly on top of the finished floor, but never higher. Use a wax seal to make up the difference. They make "jumbo" wax seals for flanges that are flush with the new finished floor. On a flange that sits directly on top of your new finished floor, use one standard height wax seal. Do not use wax seals with the plastic horn. You only use those in certain situations which I am not going into right now. Also, NEVER stack two wax seals, one on top of the other! One will slide off the other and you a waxy mess under your toilet!


What is causing these water "trails" on inside of exterior wall? The bedroom at the back of my house (North facing) has what I would describe as persistent water "trails" on the inside surface. They are faint, but noticeable. The "trails" run from the ceiling, and are basically found on the entire wall.

I do not think the wall is insulated. To my knowledge, it is double-brick, finished with plaster and lath.

I am wondering what could be causing these and how to remedy?

I first thought they were surface stains, but they did not wipe away. I then thought they must be condensation, since the effect seems more pronounced in the winter. But it's only on the one wall (not on other walls of same room, or any other walls in house), so now I am not so sure.

I have seen these "trails" for a couple of years now, and recently noticed they seem more tacky. So I am now thinking the actual cause may be water seeping into the wall behind the paint.

The problem is, I cannot find any source of water into my home that might explain this. On a recent rainy day I checked both the outside of this same wall, and the attic space above - I did not see any obvious evidence of water problems anywhere.

The wall in question

Detail of a section of water "trails" (just left of bookcase in 1st photo)

outside view of the same wall (2nd floor)

view of attic space directly above the wall in question

I wanted to comment on this but don't have enough reputation.

My childhood house had these marks in the basement on interior walls. They looked just like the marks in your picture. They only occurred on walls near my bathroom where people generally took long, hot showers.

I'm not saying this is the cause, but for me they clearly had a correlation with the steam from the shower. The more long and hot showers were taken the more visible the marks seemed to be.

Again, not really intending this as a good answer, but I cannot comment.


Can I connect unused ceiling fan wire with neutral? I have a dual gang light switch box which was previously hooked up to a ceiling fan with light.  The two switches controlled the fan and light separately.  I recently replaced the ceiling fan with just a simple light fixture and capped off the extra hot wire.  Only one switch controls the light and the other switch does nothing.  I'm currently looking to replace the switch that does nothing with an led guide light.  The guide light requires a white neutral wire.  Can I take the wire that is currently capped off at the ceiling and attached it to the white neutral line?  On the dual gang box side, I attach the hot wire to the hot connector on the guide light and take the wire which goes to the ceiling (which will be attached to the white wire) and attached to the neutral connector.  Will this work?

It was common to wire "switch loops" where a black and white wire were run between a switch and a light, and the white (neutral) wire would actually be used as a hot.  When this was done, the white wire would be marked with black tape on both ends to say "this wire is really doing the job of a black wire".  (wire colors are assuming common US conventions).

What you are proposing is doing something similar, but using a black wire as a neutral.  This will work, but according to another question you can't repurpose a black wire as a neutral because code requires a neutral to be a certain color over the entire length of the wire.

So, electrically, it will work, but it seems to be an illegal modification.


Is it okay to shut off the cold water(blue tubing) to the water heater with the main water still on? We have a leak in the bathtub faucet that needs to be addressed, but getting to the main water shutoff is located in a crawl space beneath the adjacent unit.

Is it okay if I shut off the cold water supply to the hot water heater for a few hours, while I repair the tub faucet?

When I turned it off just briefly, it started making an almost pressurizing noise, which had me a little worried. Might have just been the water retreating down the piping, but I wanted to make sure

Yes, but...

Turn off the water heater first. You don't want the elements heating without a full tank. Be sure to fill it completely before turning it back on.
Expect some residual pressure for a bit. Open a few taps low in the house to help.


Can I cut these wires? Apartment build phone/intercom system This system is defunct and no longer in use by my building.

Id like to get rid of the hideous phone on the wall.

Can I cut these? Is there an order in which to cut them?

Phone wiring is mostly low voltage, though old-style electromagnetic ringers can briefly kick it up to 90v when ringing. If you really want to just discard this, I'd just cut off the bared copper ends, fold the wire back on itself once so the ends are against the outer sheathing, give it a quick wrap with electrical tape to hold them there (just once or twice around the ends), and shove it back into the wall.

That may not be the best answer. But it would work, and be fairly easy to undo if you discover you need them after all.


Is the wall load bearing? I was hoping to open up my kitchen to living area and make an island where it the pantry and coat closet is. All I have are these floor plans. Is that wall structural?

Thanks!

I doubt the wall between the living and dining area is structural.

It appears you have a one-story (in that area) living space with roof trusses spanning 26’ from front to back of your house indicating no load don that wall.

Things to consider:

I’d go down in the basement below that wall and see if there is any posts coming down through the wall above, (you have a loft area so it’s not clear if the roof changes in that area),
verify that the ceilings in the living room and dining room match in height and texture (or can be modified adequately),
verify that there isn’t any plywood on the wall. If there is it could indicate that it’s a shear wall. Do you live in a high wind area or seismically active area? (I would suspect the other wall by the bedrooms would be a shear wall, if any.
verify that no heating ducts are in the wall. (If no registers, then I doubt there are any hidden in the wall.) I’d check by looking in the attic and basement.
There are no plumbing fixtures on the wall so I doubt there are any plumbing vents, etc. in the wall.
The dashed line directly below the words “Future Pantry” bothers me. It could indicate an electrical line, but it’s drawn perfectly straight, which usually indicates a wood furring space. If so, make sure no heating ducts are in it and it is not hiding a beam. (Make a small hole and look in over by the Pantry.)

Don’t forget you’ll need to patch the ceiling and floor where the wall is removed, so you’ll have that expense too.


Is mixing shellac from flakes generally considered more cost effective than buy commercial stuff? I know it depends on the market I am buying in and the cost of the various components. I've made a few items from mdf with shellac finish lately and I really like the way it works (clothes storage in a basement) and I want to make more. I figure I have enough projects to warrant two gallons of shellac and at $45 a gallon I want to explore mixing my own. But is diy mixing beneficial more because of the quality and customizability of the product rather than cost savings? Like, if I just want to save money should I just buy the premixed bc there's not really savings?

The flakes have a much longer shelf life than mixed shellac, somewhere on the order of 3 years vs 6 months depending on environmental conditions. That makes the flakes a better value if you can't use an entire can at once. I suspect you won't find much of a price difference. The harvest is really the largest factor in pricing.

You are correct about the customizability. Flakes can be bought in a variety of hues, where as the canned is likely blonde. Being able to precisely control the cut is nice when it comes specialty uses such as refinishing and French polishing. (You know, in case you want to seal away tobacco odors or get a piano-like finish. Or refinish a piano played by a heavy smoker.)


How long to wait before cleaning new tuckpointed brick mortar with muriatic acid? I am about to retuckpoint my exposed brick wall with a custom mortar mix (1x hydraulic lime, 2.5x sand).  Once I am done, I plan to clean the residue and other dirt from the bricks using muriatic acid.

My question is: what is the minimum amount of time I should wait for the mortar to cure before it is safe to apply muriatic acid over it?  Is a couple of days enough?  I have heard that masonry mixes (concrete/mortar) take as long as two weeks to fully cure, I was unsure whether it is safe to bring it in touch with a substance as potent as muriatic acid during that time frame.

I would scrub with water only @10hrs - 48 hrs.

I wouldn't use muriatic/water until 3-4 weeks. Be sure to add acid to water, not water to acid.  An 8:1 (water-acid) mix is a good place to start.

Pre-wet the wall and any plants nearby. Rinse off then neutralize with ammonia or baking soda and water.

Old clothes, rubber gloves, eye protection.  If you use it any more concentrated, organic respirator.


What is high-velocity furnace filter? Product specification for my new Trane XV-80 furnace mentions something about its filter - its recommended type is "High Velocity".

What is that? Is it related to MERV or MPR? If yes, what values of MERV/MPR make a filter "High Velocity" one?

High velocity filters as it applies to Trane/American Standard filters are the black plastic filters that come with the furnace.  They are designed to have very little resistance and can fit in the bottom of the furnace.  The problem is they don"t filter that much.  The common problem that virtually all modern furnaces have is that they make the furnaces so small that they can not fit a proper size filter in the furnace itself.  A 3 ton air conditioner for instance, requires 1200 cubic feet of air per minute to operate properly.  Assuming a relatively good MERV 10 filter, the filter would need to be at least 20" X 30" X 1" or 14" X 25" X 2".  Those are not going to fit in many furnaces.  The installer would have to install an additional filter rack to fit these filters (which I would recommend)if you want proper air flow and good filtration.  In order to have as much air flow in the limited space available the manufacturers specify high velocity filters that don't filter very well but it is better than starving the furnace for air.  A dirty high velocity filter will still flow more air than a brand new high MERV filter.


What kind of store sells wood that isn't pine or MDF? In Australia, there are 2-3 major hardware stores (Bunnings, Masters, Mitre 10), all of which sell pretty much the same Pine wood/MDF/particle board from the same suppliers.

I'd like to work with wood that isn't Pine/MDF/etc but I realized I have no idea where I could buy it from aside from those three places.

Is there a specific type of store that sells wood? A timber store (I don't even know if that's a thing!)? I'm after high quality hardwood and I don't want to buy online as I expect the shipping would be very expensive for large quantities.

I ran across this issue when building custom shelves.  Found that the right search term is "Specialty Wood Suppliers".  Add your area in and you will probably find something near you.


How to remove burn marks on kitchen bench top? My kitchen bench top has these marks (see the picture) after putting a teapot on it for a few seconds.

Any solutions!

Thank you in advance :)

As already stated... sanding is the answer.  Start with a course grit (small number, like 60) sand until the marks are gone.  It's much easier if you can borrow or rent a "random orbit sander", many can be hooked up to a vacuum to control dust.

Sand the entire area... ideally the entire countertop, so you don't create low spots.  Then work your way up (higher number grit) maybe 110, then 240 then 300 or so.  At that point you ought to be able to seal it with some kind of penetrating oil... mineral oil even works fine.  Look for "food safe" finishes at your local store.


Can I add a neutral bus bar to my panel to allow more connections? I have a 200amp, 40 position but only can land 20 neutrals and 20 grounds because there aren't enough screws on the bar. I can't have 2 neutrals under the same screw. I do not have any empty spaces on neutral bus but have several double up neutrals. Can I add another neutral bus?

You CANNOT add a neutral bus. You can add a ground bus.
Neutral is not ground.
The essential difference here is that neutrals handle normal service current 24x7... whereas grounds only handle current during a ground-fault event.  So the neutral bars have thermal considerations ground bars do not, as well as, you don't want current to normally be present on the panel chassis, which is grounded.
So you cannot add additional neutral bars, but they provided enough neutral slots for your needs, so you are all set.
You can either add additional ground bars, or use the existing spaces as effectively as you are allowed to.  See below.
UL would never have approved what you claim.
Are you sure you have a 40-position panel?  If you have a 20-space panel, that does not mean you have 40 positions; some spaces are surely forbidden for tandem/double-stuff breakers if they only gave you 40 neutrals. You must heed those restrictions and not cheat around them.
In order to be approved by UL, a panel designed for n circuits MUST provide n neutral bar screw lugs, and also n / 3 (rounding up) ground screw lugs.  That is because NEC and UL both require each neutral be entirely solo on its screw... but up to 3 grounds can share 1 screw provided the panel labeling allows this, which it usually does.
Typically, on cheapie panels, they provide only neutral bars, and simply provide extra screws (1/3) on the neutral bars for the grounds, on the assumption this is a main panel.  If it's a subpanel, you are expected to purchase accessory ground bars ($4-7).
I do not believe for a New York minute that a 40-circuit panel shipped with 40 neutral screws only and no grounds.
That leaves only 2 possibilities:  The original installer squandered the screws by wiring many grounds solo... and you'll need to triple up the grounds (or otherwise follow label instructions) so that have enough screws to solo the neutrals.
Or, the panel has been illegally double-stuffed (e.g. using non-CTL breakers in a CTL panel) and it has more circuits in it than it can support.  That will need to be corrected, may be time to think about a subpanel.
Read the instructions carefully on accessory ground bars
Some of them do not allow 3 grounds per screw terminal, some only allow 2 or even 1.
However you must "stay within brand" of the ground bars; the panel labeling will specify specific models of ground bar, and they will bolt right up to the sites already drilled and notched for those bars.  Easy peasy.  You could use a 3rd party bar with AHJ approval, but it'd be an awful lot of work to drill and tap custom mounting holes for it. Not worth it for the $1-2 you'd save at most.


wiring a motion light from a switch I have power from an outlet, to a light, then to a switch.  I want to wire my motion light into the switch for constant power.  I have a red/black wire on the switch and a black/white wire on the motion light. what combo do I need for this to work?

If you only have the red/black at the switch you won't have constant power. You also need the neutral or white wire from the outlet. Most of the time the black is the hot and the red is the switched leg. If there are white and ground in the back of the switch box take them and the black to the motion light black to black, white to white and ground to ground. If the red is hot the light won't light so you will need to swap the red and black in the switch box. A non contact voltage tester will light on the hot wire with the switch in the off position.


Why do CFLs stop buzzing when an incandescent light is added to the mix? I have 8 CFLs in a circuit of ceiling cans all connected to the same dimmer switch. They buzz all day until I add an incandescent light to one of the cans.

Why does the buzzing stop with the introduction of an incandescent light?

@mbeckish is correct on making sure these are all dimmable CFLs.

If they are all dimmable, then you've found one of the issues with leading edge cut R and RL dimmers. The rise time is so sharp that it causes issues in the electronics, usually the dimmer is what buzzes.

Adding some resistance (an incandescent bulb) to the circuit will slow the voltage rise.

Trailing edge cut dimmers aren't prone to this noise because the front edge of the sine wave is preserved so there's a normal voltage rise. Change out the dimmer control to one the manufacturer specifies for CFL lamps to totally cure the problem.


50 Amp Outlet Disconnect Requirements My county uses the 2014 NEC with no modifications. I'm wiring my newly built detached garage myself.
I had the rough-in inspection, and everything was ok for it, but the inspector had some concerns about my 50A outlet that might be a problem during the final inspection.
It is a NEMA 14-50 receptacle (non locking) that I installed for EV charging. He said people usually put a disconnect on it for plugging in welders and stuff, but since I'm using it for an EV, I could put a lock on the breaker instead (he said to look for water heater locks).
I understand the disconnect from a safety/convenience factor for things that might immediately draw current when plugged in and arc... but I don't want to mess with installing a disconnect since the circuit breaker is ~20 ft away, unobstructed. The lock makes no sense to me.
I looked through the NEC and couldn't find any code suggesting a disconnect (or breaker lock)... is anyone aware of something like that? Just wanted to check before I question him more about it.

Inspector is drunk.
The cord/socket is the disconnect device
The purpose of a disconnect switch, or a locking device on the breaker, is so that a craft or trade can “lockout/tagout” the equipment while it is being serviced or maintained.
There have been too many cases of Goober knowing where his machine’s breaker is, walking the 2nd floor and noticing his breaker is off, turning it back on, and then shocking the repairman on the 3rd floor who is (unknown to Goober) servicing the machine.      Since Goober is on the 2nd floor and the machine is on the 3rd, Goober does not have line-of-sight to the machine and can’t see the repair cart and worker.  If there was line-of-sight from panel to machine, the disconnect would not be needed.
However, this scenario presumes a hardwired machine.  When the machine is cord-and-plug connected, the service person is expected to simply unplug it.
So there is no earthly reason for a disconnect switch on a plug-in machine.  In fact there’s good reason to cord-and-plug connect a machine specifically to avoid the need for a disconnect.


What is this threaded lamp(?) piece called? I'm fixing a custom pendant, and one of the pieces has been damaged and needs to be replaced. Trouble is, I can't figure out what this piece is called or where to find one similar. It is the silver metal threaded piece in the photo.

It is (almost exactly) the same diameter as an E26 light bulb base—I measure it at 1 3/32" diameter, 27.7mm. However, it has tighter threads than an E26; I measure them at 12-13 threads per inch.
It is 1.6" / 41mm tall.
The upper hole is 3/8" diameter, which is important as it needs to fit over "1/8 iron pipe" (3/8" diameter) and be clamped to it with nuts on either side.

The entire piece slides through a 1.25" (32mm) hole in the glass shade, and then a threaded nut/washer (like the black plastic one in the picture) screws on to support the 3-4 pound glass.

Closest I've found is "THREADED CANDELABRA SOCKET CUP"

I'm finding a couple of similar-looking items called "lamp holder with threaded sleeve", for example:
Lamp holder E27 with threaded sleeve:

E27 BLACK THREADED SKIRT PENDANT STYLE LAMP HOLDER WITH 1/8IPS THREADED CAP:

E27 BLACK PHENOLIC FULLY THREADED SKIRT LAMP HOLDER WITH 1/8IPS THREADED CAP:


Electrician connected LED dimmer to halogen bulbs, worried about safety An electrician replaced a rotary dimmer with another one that is rated for LED GU10 bulbs. The six existing halogen bulbs connected to the dimmer weren't replaced however.
The electrician said that everything seems to work fine, and he said LED GU10 bulbs didn't work because there are currently transformers connected to each light fitting, and they need to be removed.
This is the dimmer he used: https://www.jung.de/en/online-catalogue/367389337/
I don't understand how he got the dimmer to work with halogen bulbs and I am worried that it constitutes a safety risk. The room is a bathroom, so humidity levels tend to get high during use. I am worried about fires or other problems caused by the misuse of the dimmer.
The electrician is suggesting that we remove the transformers currently connected to the halogen bulbs, and then connect LED bulbs in their place, without the need for a transformer between the dimmer and the bulbs. I agree that switching to LED lighting is the ideal course of action but I would like to verify that his understanding is correct before letting him proceed further.
The Jung brand offers a few other types of rotary dimmers: https://www.jung.de/en/online-catalogue/367389336/
Here are some photos of the spec sheet I found with the LED dimmer.

From the link you posted:

The dimmer is rated for up to 210W of halogens with or without transformer. So if you have 6x 20W 12V halogen bulbs, total 120W, it's okay. You should check the power on the bulbs to make sure they're not 50W halogen bulbs, in which case it would exceed the rated power of the dimmer, although 12V 50W are pretty rare.
When your bulbs burn out, you should replace with LEDs. You probably have 12V GU5.3 sockets, there are almost no usable LED bulbs in 12V GU5.3 and they're all super expensive, which means you'll need to get rid of the transformers and replace the GU5.3 sockets with GU10 sockets. I recommend Osram EAN 4058075260115 GU10 bulb, it is cheap, it has excellent color rendition and light quality (much better than halogens) and it is dimmable.


Best way to support carport posts I'm wondering to reinforce the posts in my carport as it seems one good earthquake could throw these off.

Any thoughts on building a form out of wood and pouring concrete around and half-way up the wood post? Would that be sufficient or do I need to go further down/up? Goal is primarily to prevent slipping off in an earthquake[![enter image description here][1]][1]

Concrete does not react well with normal wood, so don't pour up along the post. That's why the little block is on top of the pier you have, its made either of pressure treated wood, or redwood.  If you really want a better pier, pour one a little larger then what you have, and you can include a metal hold down or strap to make sure nothing moves later. (and you still need the little block in between the post and pier,by the way, unless you get a full column base the post sits on instead of the concrete).


Should newly added house steps feature insulation? I’m building steps from my house to the garden, where previously there was decking.
I’ve already poured concrete for the steps base, leaving underneath a layer of MOT sub base which I compacted.
Plan was to use Class B Red engineering brick 2 layers per step and put a concrete paving slab on top, 2 steps total. For filling up the the hollow area I bought Aerated blocks and was going to fill the gaps with more hardcore and concrete - I do not have a concrete mixer, only a drill with an attachment so this made sense and would save me a ton of work.
A friend of mine was visiting and saw this and pointed errors to what I was doing:

He told me I should use some insulation between house and the steps so that moisture doesn’t raise through them inside
He told me that the aerated blocks I wanted to use as a filler are like sponges and will hold water and make the problem with damp even worse, he suggested I use salvaged bricks instead

Removing the concrete base is not an option now, so I want to ask if what he's saying has any merit - should I put some insulation between my construction and the house wall? Or should I insulate the bricks from the concrete base?
And what about the Aerated blocks, should I replace them for something else?
Including rough top-view and front-view sketch of what I'm doing, which was used to help me estimate how many bricks I'd use

If the base for your stairs are not at the same level in ground as your foundation for your house, your stairs could or will be subject to frost heave. For that reason a thin layer (1/2") of insulation between the house and steps will act as a slip sheet so when one moves slightly, one will not affect the other. If there is any concern of wicking it will remedy that as well.
As a mention, all masonry products soak up moisture, some less than others, but all do. Any masonry that is exposed to the weather is supposed to be rated to withstand this exposure and any wood in contact with the masonry, is to be pressure treated, at least in modern times. If it is an older home, it may not have pressure treated material and hopefully other means were used at the time to provide separation between the wood and masonry, whether it be a type of metal or even tar paper...


How should I prepare old subfloor for vinyl plank flooring? This is a floating floor that glues to itself flooring, the allure planks have a underlayment attached.  It will be going over 40 year old wood planks that have had repairs in a  ground level living room. Should I use a floor leveler or underlayment product over all floor 25' x 11', or just patch gaps and holes? Thanks.

How perfect do you want it to be / How much money and time are you willing to spend?

The vinyl allure product is at the cheaper end of vinyl products so my recommendation would be to forget about leveling and just make sure that the floor is not out 1/2" or more over 4'.  So take a 4' straight edge or level and move it along the floor and make sure that any gap under the level is less than 1/2".

The vinyl flooring will conform to the rolling nature of the floor to a better degree than most other flooring types and if you don't mind it being a little bouncy in some places I suspect it isn't worth the effort to do anything more than ensure there are no squeaks, there are no large holes and the floor is within the 1/2" difference over 4'.  The floor really just needs to be flat not level and pretty much the only case where I'd go to effort/money to flood a floor with self level is if that room receives no furniture and no area rugs.  If you already know the areas where furniture will sit you can spend more time on the areas where someone is likely to walk and notice the bounce / dipping of the floor.