Hanging a garden hose holder and need information on framing under a window How far apart are the studs underneath a large picture window?  I am testing for studs about 1 1/2 ft up from the base.

Assuming 1) You're in the U.S., and 2) you're in a conventionally-built home, 16" on center. The layout should follow through from the rest of the wall.

You might invest in a basic stud finder. They're pretty good these days.


How to separate wooden shelf support from concrete floor I am going to build some garage shelves. One long edge will be supported by horizontal battons fixed to the wall. The other long edge will have battons supported by vertical wooden legs. The vertical supporting legs will be 2x4s (i.e. approx 50mm x 100mm).

The bottom of the legs will be on a concrete floor and I am concerned about water on the garage floor causing the bottom of the legs to rot. What are the options for preventing water damage to the bottom of the legs? I am thinking of something to put between the concrete floor and bottom of the leg. I am not keen on any kind of painted treatment.

Here are some different approaches:

Support it on the wall instead of the floor.
As there are options to place hangers or other support-like parts possible it's an option for clear-floor solution. It isn't my best advice as you will be restricted with the weigth limit (supports). It's just somtimes you want all the floor clear for easier cleaning or (in your case) being safe from rotting.
Use non-rotting supports.
Why not to use some brick or a concrete block (attached to the floor or not) as a support with tar paper between wood and brick/block. This solution will be a solid one. My favourite as an answer.
Use replaceable/expendable support.
Why not to use some wooden posts that can be replaced in like a year or so (when you could just make some garage refurbishement)? It's an option when you are not sure what to choose or just can't (not want) to go into brick/concrete stuff. Just remember that these parts (supportive expendables) need to be solidly attached to your posts in some way (you can use metal sockets or connectors).
Metal parts socket-like with anti-corrosion layer.
Be it a paint or a zinc-layer, you will for sure find anything like that in stores. Some of these are nornally used by deck builders. You can, of course, paint them yourself as well.


What's the true longevity of exposed fastener metal roofs? I want to replace my roof. Exposed-fastener metal roofs are popular and common where I live, but nobody nearby has owned one long enough to really comment on the longevity. I worry that over time, the metal's thermal expansion and contraction with ambient temperature changes will eventually enlarge the screw holes to the point where a million tiny leaks will appear. That doesn't sound good. It seems that rubber or neoprene washers are used to alleviate this danger but that seems like putting a band-aid on it.

For this reason, I'm looking at metal shingle and standing seam roofs, but both are more expensive. Are my concerns about an exposed-fastener metal roof justified? Or are we talking about a difference in longevity of like 50 compared to 100 years?

I work for a metal roofing company, and this is a big area of concern for a lot of homeowners.

Here's what I can say: based on experience and facts.

8-10 years ago, the fasteners on exposed metal roofing were terrible. They failed CONSISTENTLY. There were very few competing fastener companies and rubber washers cracked and leaked like crazy. And when your next best option is a concealed fasten standing seam at twice the price, metal roofing was unpopular. At the time, metal roofing only represented about 2% of the residential market.

Fastforward to present day. There are several large fastener companies and there is a ton of competition for the best performing screw. Our company uses screws with a neoprene washer (already light years better than traditional rubber) that is independent from the screw head allowing overcorrection during install. They also have a slightly larger and slightly domed metal washer stacked on top which creates an umbrella for the neoprene that guards it against the UV rays that cause cracking. We are seeing screws that at this point can live roughly 50 years if not longer without failed washers. Some companies are now even offering screws with oversized heads and washers with military grade strength that are guaranteed for life, even against backing out! This year, in the Southeast, metal roofing saw a rise in popularity to 14% of the residential market, and the majority of it is an exposed fasten system. 2% to 14% in 8 years and we wouldn't have that kind of growth if the roof systems were failing consistenly.

Of course, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Buy from a reputable company that uses good screws and make sure that your installer is experienced with metal.


Is there a reason to prefer bare wire for Grounding Electrode Conductor? Is there a reason I should use bare copper instead of THWN for a grounding electrode conductor (e.g. bonding water pipes and ground rods; not an equipment grounding conductor)?

I cannot find anywhere that says THWN must be run inside conduit/raceway when used as a grounding electrode conductor. Section 250.62 indicates the conductor can be "solid, stranded, insulated, covered, or bare" and 4 and 6 awg THWN are generally cheaper in my area than bare copper (both solid and stranded), so I'm just wondering if there is some section of code I am missing or a practical reason to prefer a bare conductor since bare wire seems to be in wide use for this purpose where I look.

No, there is no reason. It is your choice.

In larger sizes bare wire is normally cheaper. Why pay for insulation when you don't have to.

The Code does not require bare it allows you to choose.

Good luck!


How to address ghost who moves runner (rug) constantly? I have an old 1950s house which is apparently haunted by the original owner who passed away prior to my purchasing it. She likes to move the runner (thin rug) to either side of the hallway several times per day.

I recenter the rug at least 4x per day but I always find it completely pressed against either wall shortly after. I do not notice it moving off center when I walk on it.

Is there anyway to keep it in place? I know a relative who nailed their rug to the floor but I have new carpet and would prefer a less drastic solution.

Center runner
Point video recording device (camera, cell phone, etc.) at runner.
start recording.
review recording.

If cause proves to be supernatural, make lots of money selling the recording, buy a new house, problem solved. Perhaps open up the floor under the moving runner and see what's (or who's) buried there, etc. or sell the house as a real verified haunted house for an extra high price to someone who wants such a thing. Or open a haunted B&B...

Otherwise, double-sided carpet tape or various pointy things (such as mats with points to stick into the carpet and the runner.)


Applying drywall tape - to score or not to score? I've recently been introduced to drywall repair methods that depend on substrates such as tape and metallic mesh. One technique I've seen for the mesh was to score (i.e., make a surface cut with a utility knife) the drywall around the area and rip off a layer of paper and paint, with the goal of making an indention that can be filled flush with joint compound. Makes sense.

Now, for drywall tape alone, I've seen a few videos on YouTube where they don't make a recess on the drywall.  I guess the drywall repair tape is pretty thin. Also, a friend told me that drywall gets most of its structural strength from the paper and that ripping it is not a good idea.

So my question is, if you're just using paper tape to fix a drywall problem, should you create an indention by scoring, or just use the tape alone?

Tape alone; no cutting the paper. Your friend is correct that much of the strength comes from the paper facing.

Check out the videos that have you feathering out the joint with a 10 or 12 inch knife.


My dog chewed the surface of my doors, how should I go about fixing this? My dog was kept in the bathroom and ended up chewing the surfaces of my 2 doors. What's a good way to go about fixing this to make it look at least decent again?

This is the damage:

Hollow panel doors like the one in your picture can be purchased at your local home improvement store for relatively cheap, probably in the range of $30-50.  So the easiest thing to do is not fix them and just replace them.

If you are set on repairing it, you should sand down the damage, fill it with wood putty, sand again, the prime and paint (the entire door). With the texture and shape of the door, it is unlikely you could repair this in a manner that is not noticeable.  Just note that the cost of buying the necessary products to repair it are probably more expensive than just replacing it.


Screwing down toilet flange spacers with metal flange still on After raising the floor and tiling the original waste line and toilet flange is well below the top of the new floor surface. Home depot told me to use some 1/4" souix chief flange extenders / spacers. Stack them up and use silicon in between to seal them. The toilet bolts go on one of the layers and I guess I need to fill the gap that makes with more silicon. The issue I have now is that the original metal flange is still on the waste line. It is my understanding you screw the spacers to the subfloor to secure them but the metal flange is in the way. Not sure of I need to remove it or screw through them. Any advice?

You need a "Set-Rite Flange Extender Kit" This can solve the entire problem. I believe in US they are available in Lowes, Menards and Ace Hardware. In Canada harder to find. Best bet is a larger RONA store or an ACE Hardware if you can still find one.
See this site < https://set-rite.com/frequently-asked-questions/ >


What switch and relay circuitry is required to manage two water well pumps effectively? Here is my dilemma. I have two water wells; consequently, I have two deep well pumps. Presently I have a relay set up to switch wells each time the pressure switch requires water. They are labeled #1 and #2. #1 is the shallower well and will run out of water if demand is high (such as irrigating garden or lawn). This causes the pressure switch to shut off the pumps to keep them from operating dry.
I would like to set up my system to run #2, #2, #2, #2, #2, #1, but have no idea what kind of switching is required.      Any ideas??

This can be solved with four special purpose relays.  Relays are basically electrically operated switches.  Alternating relays are special relays that cycle between two or more loads sequentially when they are electrically activated.

You could cascade one triplex alternating relay with three regular (duplex) alternating relays to achieve what you want - calling pump #1 every sixth call.

The pressure switch that calls the pump would energize the coil of the triplex alternating relay.  Each of the three outputs of the alternating relay would go to a duplex alternating relay.

Each of the three duplex relays has two outputs for a total of six outputs.  You'd wire one of the outputs to start pump #1, the rest all to start pump #2.  This is what would be energized each consecutive call for water from the pressure switch-

First call:
Output 1 of triplex, Output 1 of duplex A

Second call:
Output 2 of triplex, Output 1 of duplex B

Third  call:
Output 3 of triplex, Output 1 of duplex C

Fourth call:
Output 1 of triplex, Output 2 of duplex A

Fifth call:
Output 2 of triplex, Output 2 of duplex B

Sixth  call:
Output 3 of triplex, Output 2 of duplex C

and at that point the cycle repeats.  So if Pump #1 is connected to say Output 2 of Duplex C, and Pump #2 is wired to the rest, Pump #1 will run every sixth call.

See Macromatic ARP and ATP models for an example.  This may be $300.00 or so of relays - a PLC would actually be cheaper.  The relays would be very simple.

Then again if you change your mind and you want pump #1 to run 1/7th of the time, with the PLC that's an easy programming change, with the relays you are S. O. L.

*Original answer...

  I am assuming you have a "flip flop" relay or alternating relay
  currently wired to alternate pump 1 and pump 2.   If there was such a
  thing as a six way alternating relay, that would be perfect for you,
  that might work - you could connect five sets of contacts to pump 1
  and one set to pump 2.  But I don't think such a relay is available.

  The best solution is probably a programmable relay, available from a
  variety of vendors, or a small PLC.  However there is some learning
  curve involved with either of these options.*


Is this 'Ant Killer' effective to kill carpet moth? I've noticed a few moth flying around a carpeted area as well as some possibly larvae. I already have this ant killer powder and wondering if it would be effective for the moth and other insects?

The other product from the same manufacturer is this carpet moth killer but I notice that one has also got permethrin same as the ant killer. So I'm wondering if it's just a marketing scam or are they actually different in the ingredients and effectiveness towards different insects and eggs?

My suggestion is to find a good fogger and fog the van. Sprays and powders typically only work on the ones you can see.

As to the different products, it's important to note that many insect poisons share the same active ingredient, but at different concentrations. Ants are orders of magnitude smaller than moths, so it could be that this powder is more than sufficient to kill ants and eggs, but is ineffective against adult moths.

It's also possible this is just marketing as well. In other words, you market the same product, but label it for the different insects that people want to kill. If I have a moth problem, I'm not necessarily going to buy something labeled for ants.


Skillsaw 5150 - blade won't turn if blade stud tight but blade won't cut if any looser Blade won't turn if blade stud tight as I would normally have it.  Any looser though it won't cut and the blade stops once it makes contact with the wood but the motor is still running.  I assume I should be able to spin the blade by hand when the unit is in-plugged but not the case when I tighten the blade stud with the slide wrench. I can spin it when looser. Any thoughts as to what the issue could be?  Thank-you in advance for any assistance.

Make sure that the spacer behind the blade is intact. If it is not then tightening the blade will cause it to bind/rub on the housing of the saw. Also my saw has spacers on both sides of the blade. You could "google" your saw to see what parts may be missing.


Toilet supply line leaking at toilet connection I turned off the water supply valve to my toilet (a push-pull type with the supply line crimped on) and disconnected the water supply line from the toilet (the other side does not come off apparently as it is crimped on to the valve).

After reattaching the supply line to the toilet and turning the water valve on again I am getting leaking on the line where it meets the toilet that I was not getting before all of this.

The supply line is crimped at the valve, and appears to be white rubber (at least on the outside) with a plastic nut to connect to the toilet.

If I move the supply line a bit when the water is on, the leak moves around and in some cases can spray out a lot, while other times it will just be a small spray or leak.

So far I have just been hand tightening the plastic nut and tightening it a bit at the end with a spanner, but it doesn't appear to be a problem with how tight it is (I could be wrong on that).

What can I do to prevent the leaks when I turn the water back on, aside from replacing the whole valve and supply line (which is not an option)?

Here is the actual supply line in use:

Here is the same type of connector on a DIFFERENT supply line (and the line in use does not have a washer right now but this one does)

Final update: Just to close this out, the issue was the washer. When the supply line was unscrewed from the toilet the old washer fell out or disappeared in some way, this caused water to jet out between the nut and the hose whenever the water was turned back on. I contacted the original manufacturer of the valve/line and they sent me new washers which have completely solved the issue with water leaking.

I'm hoping that somebody sees this - I just ran into the same problem as the OP and spent some time researching & investigating the issue.

The problem is that the gasket that comes on the valve is actually still inside of the toilet tank inlet - it's just lodged/displaced & difficult to see. If you shove your fingernail in there you'll feel the rubber gasket.

Simply remove it (without using any harsh tools that may nick/damage the rubber), put it back on the valve, screw it back in and test again. I just did this and the spraying/leaking problem is gone.

Hoping to get a few more years out of these pieces of junk before I eventually replace them all.


Water powered Back up sump discharge whats the code recommendation for discharge pipes when installing a water powered back up sump pump with a primary sump pump. Separate discharge or can you use a Y and connect the backup to the primary discharge. Whats best?

The water powered sump pump, for all intents and purposes, can be considered a second sump pump in parallel with the first, and can be plumbed that way.

They can share a discharge pipe as long as the pipe is rated to carry the load of both pumps running simultaneously.  Even if they should never, in practice, run at the same time, it would be inappropriate to attach both to a discharge pipe that could only handle one at a time.  Most pumps I've run across seem to be installed with larger piping than they absolutely need, though, so you're probably ok combining them.  Be sure to use two check valves, one for each pump, before they combine into the one discharge pipe.


Using fire rated drywall/sheetrock in a partially finished basement Background:  We have a full basement and I have recently completed about half of it as a hang out spot for my teenage boys and their friends.  The other side I use as a workshop and a place to store "stuff".  The ceilings are about 9 feet high in the unfinished side and 8 feet high on the finished side.  The unfinished side only has exposed floor joists, wiring, etc.  The finished side has a suspended ceiling.  The wall between us is finished on their side with 1/2" drywall.  My side is bare studs.  Also, the basement stairs are between us - finished on their side, unfinished on mine.

My Question:  I want to finish my side of the wall and would prefer to use wood rather than sheetrock.  But since my side has the furnace, do I have to install fire-rated drywall between us?  I won't be able to completely close off one side from the other because the wall is perpendicular to the joists above, so even if I run drywall to the top of my wall, there's still about 10" of clearance between the joists.  It seems that fire-rated drywall would not be necessary since any fire would just burn above the wall and into the other room.

There is absolutely no codes, IRC or otherwise that require fire rated materials between a standard domestic furnace space and other living spaces as you describe.  Do the walls with whatever you want, you have no problems with that.


Best way to install fixed bathroom shelves My contractor had installed 4 bathroom shelves but three of them have fallen down. These I guess require glue. Is that the problem?

Is there another way to install them so like with screws so it will never fall?

I cannot imagine how any "glue" that would hold those. But then again, you may want to inquire your local big box or hardware store and ask. Gluing right directly to polished to polished ceramic / porcelain tiles doesn't seem feasible as a practice. I would imagine if that there WAS a way to glue these like this, the surface to surface would have to be unpolished and / or ROUGH ( with small peaks & valleys prepped) to get a good bond design for surface grip strength... The other route would be either porcelain / ceramic "L" brackets or of the stainless steel type.. In which case you're going to need a special drill bit to mount them...
Here's one type:

See below image / link
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dolle-FLAC-Stainless-Steel-Metal-Shelf-Bracket-for-1-4-in-5-16-in-H-Shelves-15750/204640318?cm_mmc=Shopping%7CG%7CBase%7CD59%7CMulti%7CNA%7CLIA%7CAll_Storage_LIA|71700000048022671|58700004795392476|92700041080510599&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAjwkqPrBRA3EiwAKdtwk7j0A5TjHlsAAHyqs0uK06bJ6-HzDzd1PDt7Bi6BJtSYg_Ylrow0ZxoCTPAQAvD_BwE


What size wire for a 50amp rv receptacle from 200amp breaker box 50feet from breaker box What size wire do I use to run a 50amp rv receptical 50 feet from a 200 amp breaker box

Short answer, UF 6/3. I'm assuming part of the run is outside.


Sticky faucet handle of unrecognized faucet Does anyone recognize the brand of the faucet in the image below, so that I can attempt to disassemble and inspect parts? Secondly, the right-hand handle sticks; is hard to turn off completely, and leaves water leaking from the spout.  Any advice on how to fix this problem?

It looks much like this one--wow ... not cheap--found by doing a web image search for "antique brass faucet".

This is the install document. Item 16 is a setscrew that you loosen so that you can remove the handle, and expose the cartridge assembly. Then I guess that you would loosen a retaining ring and pull up on the cartridge assembly.

Do not forget to shut off the water before doing this.

Here is the manufacturer. You could email them.

Here is a search for info.


Can I use 14 gauge wire on a 20 AMP electrical circuit? Running 12-2 Romex cable from the electrical panel to a J-box located in attic. J-box will connect two GFCI outlets and extend a 14-2 cable to the ceiling light fixture box, where other 14-2 cable will be used for a switch.

Circuit breaker is 20A.

Is that OK? Is it code compliance?

You have to use the rated cable (in this case, 12 AWG), or larger, throughout the circuit. Either use 12/2 everywhere or use a 15A breaker.

Keep in mind that if you use 14/2 and 12/2 in the same circuit with a 15A breaker then there is a risk of confusion in the future if someone looks at the 12/2 coming out of the breaker and thinks "its 12 AWG, I can upsize to 20A" and doesn't realize there is 14/2 elsewhere in the circuit. So all 12 and 20A or all 14 and 15A is preferred, but mixed 12 & 14 and 15A is code compliant.


Air purifiers keep smelling like ozone I know that every electric motor produces some ozone, it's unavoidable. Most of the time I don't notice it. We had a Honeywell HEPA room air purifier (basically a fan which pulls in room air through a carbon prefilter and a nested HEPA filter, traps most dust and pollen) in the kids' room for years with no problem, changing filters as necessary, but last year the room started smelling more and more like ozone whenever the purifier was on. Finally it got to the point where I'd start coughing as soon as I stepped into the room.

Hoping that it was just a motor going bad, we bought two more air purifiers, from different stores -- and both of them started producing an ozone smell after a day also.

Fortunately my kids aren't suffering from allergies currently so we've just turned it off.

Any ideas what's going on?

Pretty sure most purifiers work by creating ozone, so I don't think you can really avoid it. There may be some type that just pull air through a filter vs doing the thing where it uses ozone to zap the dust or whatever.


What is 'hardware cloth' sold as in the UK? Some instructions I am following from an American site call for 'hardware cloth'. It's a kind of square wire mesh, that can take weight. I can't find this on any UK sites (the closest I could find is chicken wire, which I expect wouldn't be as strong). Presumably it has a different name. What is it?

http://www.thesodacanstove.com/pot-support/index.html

That's also known as welded wire mesh, or woven wire mesh (your picture shows welded not woven mesh).  Stucco netting also might do you.  For supporting a stove chicken wire is probably fine also.


How can I repair my hammer drill? I have been using my bosch drill to power a small wood turning lathe. Now the drill is always in hammer drill mode even though it is not switched to hammer drill. I opened the drill up but it looks like a bit of a  maze in there. Can anyone point me in the right direction here before i dump the drill. What I should be looking for etc. Id love to repair this myself if possible.

Really old question, but here goes.

Inside the drill, this is the gear that will make the Hammer action (an un-related example)
 As the drill turns, the ratchet action of caused from the teeth sliding against each other creates the hammer action you feel in Impact Drills.

The Switch to activate this is obviously failing in your drill.

The Complicated image below describes your problem.

The Drills drive shaft (#3) in the pic, either makes heavy contact with the ratchet (2) or not. depending on its vertical position (how left or right the shaft sits on in the casing) That position is determined by the shifter knob (point #1 /A) as you turn that knob, the plastic resses is either deep or shallow and makes the shaft either engage the impact driver or not.

There is a spring (at point B) which applies constant pressure on the shaft, making it always want to be in a certain state (either hammer or not depending on drill)

Essentially, you need to push the drive shaft (3) out of hammer drill.. check if the knob (A) is somehow broken, or if the Spring (B) has collapsed and not giving any push.

Alternatively, if you are feeling brave, you could try to remove one of the sides of the impact driver, thereby disabling the hammer action completely.


Securing 1X12s to plywood for tabletop? I'm building a simple, inexpensive workbench for my basement. The legs and underpinnings are in, and the plywood portion of the tabletop is on. I've got three 1X12s of whitewood that I need to secure to the plywood so it won't have bouncy "pockets" between the boards and the ply. My question is: screws, glue, bolts, some combination? The ply is 19/32", so screws won't have much to grab, but it might be enough.

Any thoughts?

I would just glue them and leave some very heavy weights (evenly dispersed) on them for a couple days.  If the glue fails at some point, you can always reattach.  If the glue is working then screws are useless and aren't adding anything.


Dryer & Stove share breakers in 1972 apt Question1: Why would one hot from the stove be wired into the dryer breaker and one hot from the dryer be wired into the stove breaker? Each has a separate neutral and both are grounded with their individual FMC metal flex conduits to the subpanel (no separate grounding wire).
Question2: Why is the dryer wired into a 40Amp breaker?
I opened up the 125Amp subpanel in apartment. I was shocked to see that one hot, black, from the stove, into the 50Amp breaker, but  the other hot, red, ran into the 40Amp dryer breaker! The dryer had one hot, black, running into the 40Amp dryer breaker and its other hot, red, running into the 50Amp stove breaker! The dryer outlet is 30Amp and the stove outlet is 50Amp. The dryer is listed as 30Amp requirement.
Any advice would be helpful on any portion of this,
Thank you!

One of the serious sparkys will know every detail about your panel, but it's obvious from the labeling that it has a pair on each phase, so the location of your 40 and 50 A dual breakers needs to shift down (or up, for the 40 that will be a 30 when you fix it right) by one space to actually supply 240V.
Which means someone highly unqualified has been working in this panel; there may be other problems I haven't spotted. That one is deer in the headlights blindingly obvious.


Best way to install Emporia Vue Gen2 energy monitor OUTSIDE load center? The pictured energy monitor is designed to be installed inside a load center.  I want to install it outside, on the wall next to the load center.  I have not shown all the signal wires that plug into its sides and top.  They can all easily run through a knockout with a suitable grommet.  The issue is the power wires, shown in the picture.  They are at line voltage.  My question is what's a good way to install this outside the load center, with appropriate protection and routing for the power wires through a knockout?
I could run them loose, as shown, through a knockout with a grommet but it seems like more protection is appropriate.
I could encase them in heat shrink for a little added protection, but not much.  No strain relief that way.
I could use 1/2" conduit butt up against the bottom of the device through one knockout, and run the signal wires loose through a second knockout.
I could use flat cable raceway, and run the power AND the signal wires all through it but that would have no clean interface to the load center knockout and it would probably be a red flag to any future inspectors/surveyors to have raceway used that way.
Opinions?
I expect some to say "use it as designed".  I appreciate that.  The question is, what's a good way to mount it outside the panel?
Why do I want to install it outside the load center?  Because the things I want to monitor are in FOUR different boxes.  I have 300A service coming into a splitter box feeding TWO panels, all mounted on a wall in a row.  I also have a generator feed coming into a transfer switch.   I want the main service sensors on the 300A service in the splitter box, I want various load sensors in both of the two load centers, and I want a pair of sensors in the junction box feeding INTO the transfer switch.   It's MUCH MUCH easier to achieve all this if the monitor is outside any box.  The only "issue" I'm grappling with is getting power safely to the monitor, given is fed directly with these flimsy 240V loose wires.

EDIT
In view of the excellent answers and advice provided so far I’m adding photos to show part of the problem, and my intended solution.
Almost all the sensors are in the 200A panel so it makes sense to have the Vue NEAR this panel.  I could put it inside the 100A panel, easily, but then I would need extension cables for 13 sensor channels.  I could put it inside the 200A panel but there just isn’t room … everything that’s already in there, plus the device itself, and all the excess cable, and there are also 6 more channels coming from nearby boxes that then would need to route into this panel adding to the crowding.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think putting everything inside this panel would be the wrong approach.  I could trim all the cables from the transfer switch to regain space but then I'll lose flexibility to move them to different breakers in future.
So I plan to add a new box with new conduit to three boxes.  The two 200A utility sensors will be in the splitter box on the right, routed through the the 100A panel's existing conduit.  I haven't decided if to use a metal or plastic box.  I'm grateful for the advice on why not to leave it all outside.

The machine and all wiring MUST be inside a Class I wiring methods!
That machine must be inside a NEMA enclosure listed for housing AC mains equipment.  Every part of the system must be inside Class I wiring methods.  You cannot have loosy-goosy wires "merely because you can't figure a better way to install it". No "science projects" allowed in AC mains electrical!  Code or go home.
Given that I'm basically cheap, my view is that the best listed NEMA enclosure is the one you already own - one of the service panels. Power is also conveniently found right there.  Now we must tackle the "problem" of the interconnects.
I say "problem" because it ain't one in my world. 99% of what I do is inside EMT metal conduit, and boy, oh boy! Does that make life easier.
I have plenty of panels in various buildings.  All of them are interconnected with EMT metal conduit.  When they are right next to each other, there are at least 3: One fattie for potential feeder and at least 2 smalls (near top and near bottom) for convenient routing of anything that needs to cross over.
When the panels are right next to each other, this is simply "nipples" (short pipes and fittings) of EMT conduit.  However, the panels need to  be pulled apart by about 1/2" to install these, so it's best done when the 2nd panel is initially installed.  Harder to do after the fact, you can partially detach and  shift one panel if you really want to, but I would just establish a different route.
So my advice is to route EMT conduit between all the panels, if it's not there already.  3/4" EMT is a good compromise between "biggest stuff every box will accept" and "still easy to work with" once you get the hang of it. If you are more comfortable with PVC conduit, that's not a deal-breaker, but I just can't imagine gluing a connection when I could bolt it and easily disassemble it and adjust if I needed to.
Run the CT wires through the conduit. (along with certain other things)
Locate your device in the panel that will result in the least or shortest routing of CT sensors, then run your CT wires through that conduit.
All conduit must be assembled and anchored totally complete before any wires are placed in the conduit. You cannot assemble the conduit around the wires. That means the conduit must be pullable - you must put appropriate sweeps or "conduit bodies" (corners or Tees with access covers) where they'll be needed.  I recommend no more than 90 degrees of sweep between pulling points for ease of installation (honestly 90% of the time I just push my wires through).
The CT wires do not count for 310.15(B)(3)(a) conduit thermal derate. However a power cable to the equipment does count as 1 - you can have 4 if they're all 15-28 amps. 3 if none are over 40A.  Otherwise you need to break out the sharp pencil and do derate calcs.  The CT cables do count for conduit fill calculations, but #18 TFFN is small.
For extending the CT sensors I would use #18 TFFN wire (the stuff used inside fluorescent light fixtures) as it is 600V rated.  However heed manufacturer advice as far as length of the CT cables.
You cannot go smaller than #18 per NEC.
Normally you cannot put data cables inside a power conduit. However these wires are a special case since the entire system, soup to nuts, is contained inside Class I wiring methods. What you cannot do is bring an Ethernet cable out to a wall plate, for instance.
If you want to use cables instead of conduit to extend the CTs, you still have to use Class I rated cables - you can't use thermostat cable or loose individual wires.  The smallest readily available cable will be 14/2 NM-B cable. One cable per CT unless you use 14/2/2 and then you could get 2 CTs per cable. What a bulky, awkward and wasteful way to do that - and no way to twist it either.
An EMT conduit route is simpler, far neater, and will be useful in the future if you want to extend a power circuit.  Again, nothing wrong with CTs in the same conduit as circuits or feeder even, so if you had a mind to a future feeder upgrade, maybe lay conduit big enough for that!
The factory recommends multiple monitors for multiple panels
Honestly, I recommend the same, however I don't see any problems with the conduit method when the panels are near each other.
They report extending 30 feet has been done with no decrease in accuracy. They simply have no info on extending farther than that.


Should a smart switch (that requires a neutral wire) cause my non-contact voltage tester to beep? I installed 3 smart switches which are all on the same circuit in my house.  I have never changed a light switch before, but I followed the directions very closely and watched a couple of Youtube videos to help me understand the different wires in the gang boxes. All the switches seem to be working (2 single pole switches and 1 3-way switch -- I haven't replaced the other 3-way switch).  All of the switches have a light on the button.  When I put my non-contact voltage tester near any of the switches, it beeps. Is this normal? Safe?
Edit:
To be clear, the voltage tester doesn't respond to any of the other switches in my house, but of course those don't have lights or use the neutral wire.

ncv's will go off for just about anything. never trust an NCV with your life. cheaper ones will go off from shaking them.
i was in a house once where it went off in the entire upstairs. the house was also below large powerlines.
knob and tube , switch loops (where there is no neutral or ground) have a larger electric field. also a loose neutral could cause this.
check with a multimeter. place one contact one a "hot" screw and the other on the metal yoke or a ground wire. you should read a voltage. 0 is bad. 0 means the yoke isn't grounded and may carry a current.
I just checked and my NCV doesn't go off next to newer romex wired switches but does with the older switch looped switches. (klien ncvt-1).
my Commercial electric brand NCV will go off by rubbing it on my shirt. or when i put it back in my tool belt or when i walk around with it on in my pocket.
(ALso note that you only use a dimmer on one side of a 3way system)


UK regulations concerning external staircases We're looking to buy a house which has a newly-built external triple garage, which has an external staircase to a storeroom above the garage.

Our plan is to turn this storeroom into an office.

What I'm curious about, though, is the staircase.  At the top of it it has a small landing area.  I've not taken measurements, but if, say, the staircase is 1m wide, instead of just having a 1m x 1m square at the top, there's actually something roughly like 2m x 1m.  You can either go up the stairs and turn left into the storeroom, or turn right onto a tiny balcony.

Would we be able to extend that balcony?  To make it (say) 3m x 3m instead, with space for a couple of chairs and a table?

As I understand it any decking etc that's more than 30cm off the ground requires planning permission.  I've looked at the planning permission for this garage, built a few years ago, and it doesn't show or mention the current balcony.

I'm not sure if the previous owner did something naughty by adding the extra 1m x 1m at the top of his stairs, or if there's actually a building reg that says you MUST have x amount of space at the top of a staircase, or what.

All of that aside, how hard do you think it'd be to get permission to extend the balcony, if we applied for planning permission?  The main house is 100 years old and isn't listed.  The garage is 4-5 years old.  It's not in a conservation area and no other houses overlook it.

Thanks!

In the U.S., our Codes require a “landing” at the top of stairs that are as wide as the stairs and extends the width of the stairs...so it’s a landing that’s as wide and as deep as the width of the stairs.

So, that’s a minimum dimension required. If the previous owner enlarged it, you’re lucky, especially if you’re going to add a door that swings into that landing. Then minimum dimensions change, especially if it on a side next to the top step.


How quick do tree roots re-clog the sewer drain after snaking? My sewer drain got clogged around September last year. I called in a plumber, he ran a snake through the main sewer out. No more clog. He said it was the roots of the 30ft Maple tree or the 30ft Spruce tree in my front lawn.

It's mid-July now and the trees are active again, and I started to hear some gurgling/bubbling in my basement floor drain again. I'm worried that by August or September, it's gonna be fully clogged again and the basement drain will start to overflow.

Do tree roots grow that quickly in my sewer drain pipes? If so, that means I have to snake it once every year?

I can tell you that in my area (we have full blown winters) the snaking is required once a year. You may be able to stretch in in a dry spell to two years, but is it worth the risk?

Your alternative is to pull up the tree, or to change your drains to PVC, both of which are expensive vs snaking every year.


Can I use vodka instead of isopropyl alcohol? I have to remove some hot glue and apparently the trick is isopropyl alcohol.

Of course, I don't have isopropyl alcohol in my house but I do have lots of vodka (don't judge).

Can vodka generally be used in places where isopropyl alcohol is required as a solvent?  (So this question is more than just the case of hot glue).

I am not sure this is a comprehensive answer to your question but this past holiday season I was doing some repair work in my daughter's house bathroom. I needed some isopropyl alcohol to clean soap scum off the bathroom wall painted surface. They did not have the isopropyl alcohol available so instead brought me some ethanol alcohol from a supply that they had distilled themselves.

This ethanol was a very high proof and it did indeed clean the painted area but it also almost immediately softened the paint to the point that it became a gooey coating on the wall. Letting it dry again the paint seemed to restore itself to a non gooey state.


Preventing mold with minor carpet water damage We had an issue with the hot water heater in our basement that resulted in some minor flooding. Fortunately most of the water went straight out the nearby garage thats across the hallway, but some soaked into carpet in rooms on either side of where the water heater was. No furniture was touched and the baseboards don't look particularly damp either. The water level was not ever higher than an inch since I got to the shut off valve pretty quickly.

At this point I've taken up the carpet and removed all of the wet padding and placed it outside. This was less than a 6'x 14' rectangle of padding. I have a single consumer grade dehumidifier running, and our AC fan on. The RH has never read above 56%. I have the carpet drying, backing up. I have not removed it completely as it is wall to wall only a small portion go wet, less than the 6' x 14' square of pad I removed.

Is this enough to prevent mold given the relatively minor damage or should I be taking additional steps.

Honestly that seems fine to me. For added peace of mind, you can spray it with bleach. If you live in a particularly dry and sunny climate, you could also leave it out in the sun on some concrete. I live in the desert and this works great; the sun dries and disinfects anything in hours.

What you should be more worried about is your drywall. Poke it with something hard. If it's mushy, you'll need to replace the bottom sections. There's also the issue of termites. They're attracted to water; you don't want to find that they're eating your studs. This also depends on where you live, of course.


Connecting a refrigerator water line - modifying the existing tubing I have a water line in place for the fridge but I want to modify it. It is a 1/4" copper line that runs from under my sink under the floor below the cabinets then to my fridge.  I cannot do anything to change it under there.
I have something like 10 feet of copper tubing coiled behind the fridge and I know it is going to get kinked eventually.  I would like to cut the copper tubing about two feet up from the floor and attach braided stainless steel from there.
My plan is to use a compression to thread fitting and running the flexible tubing from there. I think I would secure this connection to the wall as well so the copper and the fitting don't move too much when I slide out the fridge for cleaning.
Does anyone see any issues with this plan?

I would install a Ice maker outlet box in the wall. This makes a nice clean looking install that is flush with the wall and does not interfere with getting the fridge in place.
It is like a washing machine valve box but with just one 1/4 turn valve that will except the stainless steel braided line. The braided line screws onto the valve and then onto the tube in the back of your refrigerator.
There are few different kind of connection types available, Copper sweat, Pex crimp and push to connect.
You will need to transition from your 1/4 copper to whatever type connection the box is that you choose.


Replacing water heater gas control valve First let me summarize my questions, then provide detail:

Summary:

Can a newer gas control valve be installed on an older water heater?
As an individual who has never attempted something like this and never worked with natural gas am I completely insane for even contemplating a DIY project?

Read details below in regards to why I am considering replacing the valve myself.

Also seeking general guidelines / instruction on replacing a gas control valve, especially anything specific to my model.

Fair number of YouTube videos that make it look easy
My model is an A.O. Smith GCV 50 100

Water heater still seems to be in decent condition; a replacement valve should get me at least a few more years (and hot water until the real problem can be fixed)

There is no brown water indicating tank corrosion
There are no apparent leaks from the tank
The water heater also already has an expansion tank installed on it. You can barely make it out behind the flue.

Details:

My wife and I bought a house last summer that is now 10 years old. Our natural gas water heater gave up the ghost last weekend.

Let me show you what my utility closet looks like:

Note the AWESOME freon line that runs directly in front of my water heater, therefore preventing it from being easily replaced without rerouting the line. It could probably be done, but that runs a risk of damaging my HVAC.

I was quoted about $1600 to replace the water heater by two different plumbers; one says he can "manhandle" the water heater out, the other wants the line rerouted before he will try (quoted me $1475 for the job). I'm afraid that the "manhandle" route might end up "manhandling" more than just the water heater.

One plumber also quoted me $700 for replacing the gas control valve. I already replaced the thermocouple on my own and I don't think it was ever part of the problem. I should definitely buy a multi-meter...

I can purchase the gas control for about $200 and I am confident that I can make the repair, however I am nervous about working with natural gas.

Here is the gas control valve now:

So can I use a newer gas control valve or should I get an identical replacement? Should I spend the $2000 + dollars to replace the entire thing or attempt a repair on my own, have the freon line fixed and then wait for the tank to go?

I am looking for instruction, direct advice and opinions more informed than my own.

Here is the model information for the water heater as well:

So I did it! And it turned out not to be the problem...

Things to note:

You may need a rubber mallet to remove the old gas control valve.

I had to bang on the T junction pipe to the left of the valve to get it unscrewed

Here is the joint compound that I used

I also used teflon tape.
Start by wrapping the teflon tape into the threads of the compression fittings 2 or three times
"Frost" the threads of the male ends of the fittings liberally; a little too much joint compund (pipe dope) won't hurt

Try not to get it inside the pipe however, so stay away from the very very end of the connector

And of course, be sure to turn off your gas when working with it, drain your water heater if it is an older style model (like mine) and be careful putting everything back together.

My problem: My problem ended up being the thermocouple. The replacement pilot light assembly I had installed just 8 weeks ago ended up having a faulty thermocouple. Obviously I should have taken more time to test the thermocouple rather than spending all the time and money on a new valve. Ah well! I'll be putting in a new anode shortly and hopefully I will get another 3-5 years out of this water heater. Enough time to take care of the freon line when the budget allows...

Also worth mentioning, I found an identical gas control valve from a vendor on Amazon. Ever since I got the new pilot light assembly in place it has been working just fine.


Why is newly applied asphalt not smooth? I finally decided to hire professionals to fix my driveway rather than trying to excavate it myself.

This is a newly repaved piece of the driveway:

I would expect it to be smooth and even, am I missing something? This is after the finished layer was applied, but it looks and feels somewhat rocky.

Should a newly repaved asphalt driveway (done right) look like that?

That is terrible and totally unacceptable.

There are several issues: 1) insufficient asphalt to bind the aggregates, 2) no compaction, 3) improper aggregate mix,

1) Asphalt (liquid) should be a thick soupy consistency that completely coats the aggregates throughout the top 2” minimum layer.

2) With loose rocks laying on the top, this is an indication that it was not compacted. Rocks should not be able to be kicked off your driveway.

3) The aggregate mix is very specific for good performance. There needs to be a certain amount of fines (sand), 1/4” minus (small crushed rocks), and 3/4” minus crushed rocks. This is important so that the rocks “bind” together when compacted. (There should NOT be any smooth edged rocks anywhere in the mix. Smooth rocks are not crushed rocks and will not bind together with other rocks.)

I’d dig up a couple of random spots and check the depth of the asphalt and the base. The minimum asphalt depth is 2” and minimum base is 4”...good practices require a minimum of 8” base.

I’d also notify the local Building Official and the local Construction Contractor’s Board (CCB).  Get their CCB license number and file a complaint. (They can help to resolve the issue.) I’d also contact a local civil engineer to review the project.

It’s the worst I’ve ever seen.


Can I place cement board over existing drywall in preparation for a natural stone? Can I place cement board over existing drywall in preparation for a natural stone (quite heavy)installation in my living room? If it's possible, is it okay for the cement board screws to pass over drywall before it reaches the stud as a result?

Here's the project that we completed last month. thanks to Iggy and D moore

Given that this if for inside application the first thing I would state is to follow the manufacture's instructions.  Depending on the stone weight you will have different install methods.

However... given no info from manufacturer:

I would not cement board over drywall.  You would have to use longer screw of course but the fact that the screw isn't binding for the first half inch will put some serious strain on this connection.  If you are dead set on doing it, glue it then screw it.
I would have have personally installed on drywall in dry areas.  As long as this isn't a shower I don't see a performance difference between the drywall or concrete board unless the stone was extremely heavy
To prep for drywall install I would double up on the drywall screws, install wire mesh over the area, and then give it a small scratch coat over the mesh.

If you can give me specs on the stone I can get more specific or change my answer but nothing wrong with drywall as long as the area isn't wet (and given it isn't on a fireplace but then you shouldn't have drywall there already.)

The math:

Sheet of drywall is 48x96" or 4608 sq/in.  The stones are each 108 sq/in.  Meaning you will need 43 stones per sheet.  The OP says the stones are 6.25 pounds, meaning the wall would be supporting about 260 lbs/sheet.

Each drywall screw can hold about 90 lbs of shear force without tearing drywall.  An average sheet of drywall has 30-40 screws.  Let's say 30 to give minimalist numbers.  That means your sheet of drywall can probably hold 2700 lbs which is 10 times your stone weight.

My focus would be on reinforcing drywall and providing a good substrate - wire mesh.  Adding concrete board to me only weakens the connection to the framing - basically you are saying that drywall can't handle the stone but it can handle the backerboard and stone.   If you want concrete board then it should be on the wall - I would not use plywood as it does not bond to thinset as good as drywall or backer.

From a practical point of view... I have installed stone more than a few times on drywall.  Your worries about the wall falling over are ludicrous.  The weight isn't being pulled out.  The weight is going straight down.  90% of the installation issues will be with the thinset and its bond.  You are focusing on something that has little bearing on your finished product.


Is there an easy way to convert a regular railing to a banister one? There's a pretty small hallway and I would like to make it a bit more visually spacious by trying to convert the regular solid railing into a banister one. I'm looking into reusing as much material as possible. (E.g. the tread could become a 'base' for the banister.)

Is there something I should be aware of before disassembling the existing one? Are there any gotchas about installing banister railings?

It's about 40''x40''

No easy way.  The half wall is going to be built like a wall, with studs and a top and bottom plate.

You'll have to rip it out, and install a banister in its place.


What options do I have for quick disconnects for copper/plumbing? (Related to this question) but I think that may be too specific in that I already had an idea of how to solve the problem - perhaps the better way is to pose the problem and ask for the best solutions:

PROBLEM:
I have a tank of fluid that has to get connected to a movable set of copper pipes/tubes.  I will be connecting and disconnecting a few times per year to clean, etc.

The fluid going through the system will be for food use (maple sap turned into maple syrup)

What is the best way to allow connections to be taken on and off and keep food quality integrity and connect copper pipes together?

The temperature of the fluid will reach (potentially) 180F and I want no leaching of plastic or vinyl, etc.

You might want to take a look at what micro-breweries use.  The connections between the various tanks are fairly modular, allowing the wort to be pumped out of the mash tun, through a heat exchanger, and into the holding vessels.  From what I've seen, the pipes have flanges that are held together by a circular clamp.


Motor is whining but does not agitate I bought a GE stack up Washer/Dryer GTUN275EM1WW (now, apparently, discontinued) 3 years ago and today it stopped working:

The motor makes the whining noise but it does not agitate the drum during washing and does not rotate it during spinning.
The water is pumped in and out normally.

Local repairmen say "you bought junk, talk to GE" (over the phone).

GE can send a repairman in 5 days (Diagnostic Fee $108.95 Does Not Include Parts & Labor).

Any suggestions?

Is there a chance that it's something trivial (e.g., a belt fell off)?

Turned out the belt fell off!
Removed the front panel, put the belt back on, still works fine.


Paper joint tape VS. Mesh joint tape What are the pros and cons of each type of drywall joint tape?  Are there situations where one should always be used over the other?

Nylon mesh tape has some pros and good applications. It is best used on joints that may have more tendency to crack, seams with wider gaps, boards that don't fit real flush to each other. It is much stronger than paper tape, but more difficult to cover using straight tools.(as opposed to beveled or bow trowels) It saves time as you do not need a base mud coat, the tape adheres to the wall by itself. The first coat should be a bit thicker than you would use with paper tape, thus taking longer to dry.

Paper tape is preferred by pros because it is lighter, thinner, cuts easier and much cheaper. When using paper tape, the base coat and first overcoat should be a setting type mud, not general purpose. Not absolutely necessary, but setting mud is harder, holds tape better and cures quickly.  Usually a 45 or 60 minute set up type works great. The paper tape must be completely saturated and embedded into the base coat or air bubbles will appear. This first coat should be very thin and firmly troweled over with a 6 or 8 inch stiff knife to push out all air, make good contact with base coat and remove excess base coat mud. Subsequent coats of mud can then be the GP premixed stuff.


Yard Light, or Post light The yard light keeps tripping the breaker.  if the breaker is off how do i test for continuity? will there be power in the wire that a wireless detector can find?  how would i test for continuity on such a long run of wire from an outlet box in the basement, to the light, a run of some 75-100 feet.

Most problems I have found with outside lights like this are at the pole itself.
Where to look, where the wires come up or are spliced or the fixture itself.
In the case of trying to do a continuity test here don’t waste your time a tester or ohm meter is low voltage and will not find the fault in most cases.
Remove the lamp and if it has a motion sensor remove that. Turn the circuit on and see if it trips the breaker if not put a new fixture / motion sensor in, if it still trips I dig up the lamp pole, at the bottom or in the pole is the next most common place.
If the breaker is tripping with the pole disconnected the only other way is a tracer to find where the wire was cut or insulation damaged.
2800 sounds a bit high but trenching and going under sidewalks (finished basement?) all takes time to get a new feed to the pole so I would be checking that out trying to isolate the short before having it replaced because in my experience it is usually at the pole. Or damaged by digging but that can be repaired for a couple hundred bu a electrician or 50$ DIY if the cut is identified.


How best to repair 24 sqft dirt hole in concrete slab I have a hole in the concrete slab of my foundation approximately 4' x 6'.  The slab was originally poured directly on the dirt.  The slab is approximately 4" thick with rough edges.  The hole is towards the middle of the slab.

I have a few questions:

1) Is there any point in putting gravel in the hole, for drainage, before pouring new concrete?  If so, about how much?  4"?

2) Considering that the edges are rough, do I still need to undercut them with a chisel?  Or will the new concrete lock onto the edges well enough as is?

3) Should I match the thickness of the existing slab for the new section (4"), or is there another more preferred thickness?

4) Would it be best to create some sort of metal reinforcing structure, or would fiber enhanced concrete do the trick well enough?

Thanks in advance for any help or insights you are able to provide.

Probably low-stress, may not need anything much, but in the "better safe than sorry" mode I'd drill half-inch holes around the edges and stick reinforcing rod into them anyway. Steel is cheap compared to the rest of the job (labor and concrete cost.) That also deals with the "lock in" aspect better than chiseling.

You won't change the drainage under the rest of the slab by adding stone here, so don't bother.

You won't change the thickness of the rest of the slab either, so unless you have a heavy machine you're mounting on this particular spot that needs a sturdy foundation, 4" should be plenty.


How to skim coat a wall that receive a heavy light at night? I’m polish expat based in Thailand.
I’m at the finish stage of building a 150 m2 small house. Basically all work left to complete the unit is just painting job which is turning out to be a nightmare because of uneven plaster with very bumpy skim coat all over interior and exterior walls.

Here is few important points to illustrate the problem:

Poorly plastered walls. 30-100 cm large and 2-6 mm deep Indentations
as well as smaller bumps all over the surface. I think this is not
much visible and would not be a problem but I’m guessing that it
raises a problem for the skim coat to be applied as the substrate is
too much uneven.
Exterior surfaces looks pretty much acceptable in a daylight but
terrible at night when flushed with lights. There is a sweep at the
top of the walls wrapping around whole house. The sweep has several
LED down lights which highlight the bumpy skim coat very much.
The skim coat product is Australian Parex Lanko 103 considered in
Thailand to be one of best quality product available.
Reference: www.parexgroup.com.my/images/product/Lanko%20103.pdf

Skim coat is painted with a premium quality Elastomeric paint (eggshell).
2 different tradesman failed to apply the skim coat. After that I
decided to learn and complete the job on my own. I have spent weeks
practicing, watched and tried many tutorials and advised
techniques. I can’t get satisfactory results when wall get lights at night.

The short story is that all looks pretty good in a day but turns into terrible mess when highlighted at night.

I’m pretty disappointed at this point but don’t want to give up. After so much effort giving up would just break me up completely.

Please advise or guide me through. Feel free to ask for additional info or images.

UPDATE: After posting this I have got an important addition and more direct question that may lead to a solution.

I have realized that one thing making the job difficult is the fact that I can't tell if the surface is smooth enough unless I paint it over with the final coat.

I have even tried applying final coat of mud followed by sanding it at night with lights on but even than I can't really say if all is good enough.

The skim coat is very flat white and also covered with dust. Whats more I see gray plaster in small points where the mud layer is very thin which makes an illusion of uneven surface...

All bad stuff is just showing up after I paint it over with a final coat of paint.
Than, at this stage is to late to make any fixes as there is a need to sand out the paint along with the excess of mud in places where I see the bumps. The paint is to elastic, rips a part and just makes all more difficult.

So, my question: Is there perhaps some type of paint that I could use as a tester? I imagine it would have to be easy to sand and have some gloss to cast shadow of all bad places to be fixed.

You should take note of Ed Beal's comment above. I am a bricklayer by trade and I have seen this same problem with wall mounted lights on brickwork a lot. The brickwork looks, no, IS spot on, but at night, it looks steppy because (most) bricks are not flat.

I'll stick my neck out here and say that it's going to be very difficult to get a perfectly flat surface with cement based coatings/ rendering etc. i.e good enough to shine lights down.

The answer is to do what the historic buildings do. Shine the light ON the building (not down it). Not only does this look spectacular, making the house stand out, it will of course totally 'hide' the walls you're not happy with. This usually means lamps mounted in the grounds/bollards etc. and angled back towards the walls.


Can I build a garbage chute that connects the garage for residential use? My current home has the kitchen adjoining to the garage. Most of the really smelly garbage is generated in the kitchen. The big garbage can and recycling bins live in the garage.

Is there an appropriate sealed, insulated chute or hatch that would let me just toss my waste directly into the big can in the garage instead of a small can in the kitchen? It seems like something McMaster-Carr would have.

Is this governed by any national (US) or regional codes? Any concerns or code issues with having a flap opening to a garage space instead of a living space (CO, car smells, etc.)?

This would free up some kitchen space by not having to have a separate garbage can in the kitchen. It would save time since that can would not have to be emptied. It could save time sorting garbage if multiple chutes are used for recycling. It should make the kitchen more pleasant as the really stinky garbage would be in the garage and not in the house.

Any general thoughts on this idea?

Any suggestions for alternatives, like maybe an insulated dog door if something like an insulated hatch doesn't exist?

I personally wouldn't do it.  Even if you could find a suitable hatch, you'd need a good way to clean it out regularly.  When I lived in an apartment complex with a hatch, it was foul; it was bad enough that they'd spray for bugs every 3-4 months, and in the process, drive the bugs into other apartments (and mine was right next to the chute ... so make sure, when renting an apartment, take that into consideration).

I'd be afraid that if the chute went straight outside, that bugs would eventually use the route to come up into your home, particularly of any food trimmings were to smear themelves on the chute or hatch.

If you were to connect it to a garage, I'd be concerned with fumes coming into the house.  At a bare minimum, I'd make sure to have a CO monitor inside the kitchen, but I'd think that car exhaust would get in, too, and might make for a less than pleasant effect on your food.

I'd also look to fire codes in your area -- you're not allowed to have open holes between floors in many areas, because it'll allow fire to spread more quickly.  (never mind that you have to vent toilets ... but you then have to fill gaps on the holes those vents run through).

...

For non-meat or dairy food scraps, you can also get kitchen compost bins which have a charcoal filter on top ... so you can stash your trimmings under the sink, and then empty it less frequently.  The only real problem are meat scraps; yes, you can put them down a garbage disposal, but it's not ideal as it puts a greater load on the sewage treatement plant; also, it won't work if you have a septic system, and still won't provide a good solution for bones.


I have t9 flourescent bulbs, what ballasts can I use? I have a bank of 12 t9 bulbs. I would like to purchase some ballasts, however, t9 ballasts are no where to be found except for circline bulbs. I have straight tubes. I would like to know if I can use instant start t8 or instant start t10 ballasts. Or if anyone knows where to find instant start T9 ballasts that would be helpful as well

Thanks
-J

Here is a 18-20W black light balast there are others. make sure to google the entire number F20T9/BL and look for the bi pin models. (You will get less hits on circle lamps with the BL as that is a standard bi pin).


How to reduce maximum LED brightness First-timer here.

I want to lower the maximum brightness of various LED circuits in my home so that the "public" dimmer switches on the walls, when at maximum, only produce the lumen limit that I, the boss of this house, have chosen.

In other words, I want to install a resistor of sorts that is not going to be messed with by anyone other than me.

I haven't tried anything yet, but my first thought was to install a second dimmer in a nearby closet -- in a junction box, code-compliant and all -- between the public dimmer and the light circuit. Or does it matter which dimmer comes first?

But this can get ridiculous fast. Is there a better way to achieve this?

I don't want to delve quite yet into the world of smart bulbs and hubs and the like. I'm no Luddite, but I have bigger fish to fry right now.

And if my need to control the max brightness sounds odd, it's because a couple of the can circuits brutally overwhelm all the other layers of lighting when fully lit. And I'm the only one who seems to notice or care.

Thank you!

Put lower power bulbs in the offending fixtures. If you were sneaky about this, you could reduce the power in stages so that the insubordinate bunch you are afflicted with would not notice that the fixture was putting out less light than formerly.

If you wanted to be public about taking charge, you could put a filter on the cans that are too bright. A black wire screen would reduce light output but still allow air flow to keep the lamp at the desired temperature.


Do I need to sand before recoating a worn polyurethane finish? I polyurethaned a tabletop and some spots have worn off. What is my best option to fix this? Do I have to sand the whole top and re-apply?

You only need to sand to the degree that you're satisfied with the smoothness of the surface. If you have scratches or chips, deal with them. Then apply urethane in multiple thin coats, allowing appropriate dry time between and optionally buff with steel wool, until you're satisfied with the finish.


Where is the blade/spindle lock on an old Skilsaw 5250 7 1/4" circular saw? I have a Skilsaw 5250 7 1/4" circular saw i picked up used 20 years ago. No idea how old it is, but still works.

I recently put a metal grinding blade on it to cut roofing tin. Worked great. But now I want to put the saw blade back on. Never saw a blade lock button, so always used a Phillips screwdriver through one of the holes in blade to "lock" it while tightening/un-tightening the blade nut.

The metal grinding blade has no such holes. I Can't find a way to secure the blade/spindle while trying to loosen the nut.

Thanks.

It likely does not have a spindle lock.  I have a similar saw and there isn't one.  I use a heavy rag or glove to block the blade while adjusting the bolt.


Is it reasonable that a contractor has asked for two-thirds of the project cost by start time? I'm not sure if this is an appropriate question for this forum.  If not, I'll remove it.  I need to have some work done on my house and the contractor has asked for 1/3 to schedule and pull permits, then another 1/3 on the day he begins.  So, 66% before any work is actually done.  That seems a bit steep to me.  I've looked at the .gov site for my state, and they don't allow more than 50% down payment, unless more is needed to secure materials.  Does anyone know if this is standard practice?  I'm viewing the entire payment as a down payment, as it will all be paid before they even begin.  Thanks.

It could be worse than the answers others have provided.  I've personally heard of contractors that got in trouble (financial) on a fixed price project and were losing money.  Then they tried to get out of the hole by asking for big up front down payments for cash flow on subsequent projects. Thankfully it's not been my personal experience, but it has been the experience of others whom I've helped.  I think this is a more common problem with smaller contractors, many may be great craftsman, but not good businessmen.

For major projects involving contractors, I have been asked for proof of ability to pay and I have no issue with that.

I just managed a LARGE concrete driveway replacement for my mother and the contractor wanted 50% up front.  I told him I wasn't comfortable with that and we settled on 25% to start and the remaining progress payments based on completed work.   He was OK with that and it turned out well.  Sometimes you just need to push back and negotiate.   I could write a lot more here regarding this, but need to not allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good!


Can you "refresh" half-dried concrete just by mixing in water? I mixed a wheelbarrow load of concrete (sand, cement, water) this morning, but before I could use most of it, I got called away and didn't get back until this evening, like 7-8 hours later. By now the concrete is half set - very stiff and dry and has to be almost scraped out so it can't really be used.

But I find if I add a little water and mix, it's back to the same consistency as when I first mixed it this morning. This saves a bit of work and cement / sand.

My question is, is it any good at this stage (being used for laying patio slabs) or I should I just dump it and mix a new batch?

Depends on what it will be used for as the reaction has already started. If it is for fence posts it will be fine, if it is for a smooth drive then not.


Is there a way to prevent mildew/mold from forming on vinyl siding? The back side of my garage is shadowed by branches from neighbors trees, which causes mold/mildew to grow on the vinyl siding.  Since removing the trees/branches is out of the question, is there some type of product that can be applied to the siding to prevent this growth?

Currently I power wash the siding once a year, but the chore has lost it's fun factor so I'd like to avoid doing it. Even if the product/procedure could reduce my maintenance to every other year or every few years, that would be a significant gain in my book.

Rustoleum sells a mold/mildew-proof paint called Perma-White.

They also sell a fungicide (Tiabendazole) additive called ADD-2 you can mix into your preferred paint.

Either of those should at least help some.


Can an SPST switch be used instead of a thermostat for a gas stove? We have a gas stove that can be either on or off. It has two wires going to a thermostat that has more capability than the stove, such as control of non-existent air conditioning and fan. The wires from the stove connect to the thermostat's W and R terminals, with the R jumpered to RC.
The stove is not our main source of heat. It is mostly used to supplement our heat-pump system and for ambience. So we would prefer to turn it on or off at will. The ultimate goal is to control the stove with Alexa. Smart thermostats seem to offer too much capability at too high a cost. We want a simple solution. One thought I had was to use a smart plug to operate a relay if a simple switch is all the stove needs.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional. I am an electronics hobbyist who has researched and tinkered with my own home heating.
Yes, a relay is almost certainly all you need.
In conventional thermostat systems the device being controlled supplies 24 VAC (if it has an electric supply line to it) or a small DC voltage generated from the heat of the pilot light, for gas appliances not otherwise powered (a so-called "millivolt" system). In either case, the circuit consists of the power source, the gas valve, and the thermostat contacts.
(Side note for completeness: electric heaters are sometimes controlled by thermostats which directly switch the power to the heater. It's still true that a relay can replace the thermostat, but in that case a relay capable of handling the full voltage and current must be used, and installed safely. I have not heard of line voltage control circuits being used for gas appliances.)
You can cautiously confirm this for your system step by step:

With a multimeter, check the voltage across the thermostat terminals with the heat off or the thermostat disconnected. It should be 24 V AC or something like 1 V DC.
With the thermostat disconnected and the meter in resistance/continuity mode, check that the thermostat is closing a circuit across R and W when it is on and not when it is off.
Having established it won't do harm by step 2, touch together the R and W wires going to the stove and expect that it turns on.

If all of that is as expected then you can add your relay without fear.

By the way, it is also entirely safe to hook up two thermostats in parallel to the same control wires (two closed relays are the same as one). In particular, you could add your Alexa-controlled relay and also connect the stove to a thermostat so that the stove is on if either of those controllers calls for heat.
You could also consider controlling the stove with the "emergency heat" / "second stage heat" terminals of the same thermostat that controls your heat pump, but that's trickier to do right because you're connecting two separately powered electrical systems and to make sure there are no consequences of that you'd want to use another relay as interface, with a 24V coil powered by the thermostat-c-wire from the heat pump.


How to fill 3/4" gap between tub and tile floor My house is 120 years old and there are very few level surfaces or right angles.

I just had the (alcove) tub and shower replaced. One end of the tub apron is nearly flush with the floor, but the other end has about 3/4" clearance.

Without ripping the floor up, how can I seal this gap to keep the subfloor under the tub dry?

You could use a bead of silicone adhesive to attach a baseboard and then run a bead of caulk where it contacts the tub and another bead where it contacts the floor.  This will keep out most incidental drips and splashes.

The other option is to insert a backer board into the crack and install a curb tile.


What is this type of roof covering called So, I built the framing for this structure some years ago not knowing exactly what it's called. Can anyone elaborate?

It's basically a portico or bay window awning.


Need 12' ladder on second floor but staircase is too tight I have a fan on a high ceiling (maybe 16 feet high) that I want to replace. I need at least 12 foot type A ladder but it needs to fold because I have to take it up some tight stairs and corners to get it to the master bedroom.

I tried rending a fixed step ladder from home depot - it weighted a ton and it was so long I couldn't get in in the room.

The telescoping ladders all seem to be 9' tall and I don't want to pay $$$ for a ladder I'll only use once.

Any ideas how to get to that fan?

I'd look at renting a tall-ish scaffold set - something like:

When I'm standing that far off the floor in the middle of a room and wanting to be able to use both of my hands (as I would do when replacing a ceiling fan), I'd like a wide, firm base to stand on.
As long as you can get the individual pieces into the room you want to use it, you assemble it there.


How can I make sure my portable toolbox hasn't got any tools missing? Background

I have a big house and I've managed to have tools scattered across the house (basement shop, kitchen, garage (bike tools). I can't, at this time, consolidate them all in one place (no room to work in one place for the 7 bikes and room to work on other projects).

Goal

I'd like to just put most of the important tools in my toolbox (actually a tool "bag"). But... I miss the benefit of having a nice pegboard with outlines for all tools so I know if a tool is missing.

Any suggestions of a better toolbag/box that addresses this or perhaps some method?
(I've currently labelled (yes, I'm that anal retentive ;-) pockets in the bag for important tools but I still have to visually inspect them. Invevitably, I'm in the middle of something and find I'm missing a tool (sometimes purloined by my kids)

A simple method may be just to weigh the toolbag when it has a complete set of tools.  Record the number.  Whenever you need the toolbag, quickly weigh it again.  If the number matches then everything is accounted for.  If not, then you would need to rummage through and see what is missing.


Converting dryer from 3 to 4 prong cord but it doesn't have a grounding screw / wire I'm trying to convert a recently purchased dryer from a three prong cord to a four prong cord to match my outlet. However, it doesn't have a green screw for the ground line. Where do I connect the green cord?

I'd try the screw above N for ground

It looks like the hex-slot screw going into the top center of the metal plate above the terminal block is your ground screw, so I'd land the cord ground there.  It doesn't need to be connected to a wire within the dryer, either: the cord ground simply needs to ground the dryer's chassis/frame to provide protection from electric shock.


What is this gutter part and how do I keep birds out What is this part of the gutter? It looks like regular drain with some piece on top? Birds keep nesting in it and I'm trying to find a way to keep them out that is easy to do. Thank you.

Don't see what the confusion is here.  When you see this it's almost always to drain a raised edge rooftop or patio or something.  You can adjust the cover so there is no hole for the birds to get through.  Use screws as you may want to remove it one day for a cleanout.  If the pipe draining into it from the deck is significant size, block it with mesh.  Bird can't get in, deck still drains, no problem.


Typical high amperage applicance power cord age This question on high amperage/power cords used with appliances such as dryers and ranges. I am curious to know typically how long these cords are good for. 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? 40 years?

I know they're expected to last at least 3 years because Home Depot in the US tells me this product http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-4-ft-4-Prong-40-Amp-Range-Cord-WX09X10035DS/203438714 has some kind of 3-year extended warranty I can get.

I saw this question and it seems 40-60 years is pushing it.

The conditions the cord is exposed to will affect the life of the insulation, high heat and light exposure are 2 things that age insulation. If the cord is still flexible and there are no cracks it should be fine. I had a dryer that I kept going for 20+ years that the cord was still in good shape but, when I updated the wiring to a 4 wire receptacle, the 3 wire cord had to go.


Subfloor tolerance for engineered hardwood I am installing (floating) 3/8" engineered hardwood with 1/8" QuietWalk underlayment on a cement slab.  I have used a grinder and leveling compound to remove the large valleys and hills.  Now I have occasional small valleys I've found that are around 1/8" or less deep at their deepest points and span 1 or 2 feet in diameter.  What kind of tolerance can I allow given I have a 1/8" underlayment?

It usually says on the packet, but if there is a 1/8” dip then the floor will flex when someone like me walks across it - I am 110kg.

You may want to consider finishing the underfloor surface to a better standard, like 1/16” as the underlay will compress on the high points and still have 1/8” gap at the low points...


Nails sticking out of balusters Recently purchased a house and noticed some nails sticking out of the balusters on a staircase.  They are pretty sharp so I'm worried about someone stepping up brushing their foot up against it.

What are my options for fixing this?  Try to pull them and nail back in with new nails?

18 gauge trim gun nails don't take well to nail sets, especially when they protrude that far. They bend too easily and you'll find yourself with more damage to the wood.

Grab them with a needle-nose pliers and bend them back and forth a few times. They'll break off. If you do this well they'll break below the surface and you can putty the holes. If not, now use a nail set to push the resulting stub in, then putty.

If you're looking for a stabilizing repair, I'd drill 3/8" horizontal holes 3/4" deep about 1" up from the bottom on one or more sides. I'd then pilot inside those holes for trim screws at a steep downward angle, into the floor. I'd then glue in 3/8" wood buttons to cap the larger holes. You could also use flush plugs.


220 / 110 acv home voltage stabilization I am trying to find an in-line home  power voltage regulator  for my house . I am looking  to put it in after my city meter  , but before my home fuse box . I want to make the city voltage stable . my 110 ac volts will range from 111 to 124 ac line volts . I find this wide range is to hard on my LED lights . I have 6 battery powered backups for computer , tv , and other electronics .
I think if I get a whole house stabilizer to set / adjust it for 110 and 220 ac it might help some problems .

Will this hook up to my 220 house line so I can set my ac volts to 109 or 110 volts ?  Also help with power surges ??

If the LEDs are driven by a low voltage power supply, you could just get a high quality regulated power supply that supplies a tightly controlled output voltage irrespective of the input voltage fluctuations.  If your LED lights are on regular 120V fixtures, it's a harder problem.

A whole-house solution is possible but probably impractical, it would have to be rated for the full amperage of your service, which would be very expensive.

You can could have a power conditioner installed for lighting circuits, it wouldn't be too bad to install one or two.

If you use dual conversion "online" UPS's, they can correct for low voltage for the loads that they power.  Line interactive UPS's generally do not.  That would be helpful for the electronics, or for the LED lights if they run off a corded power supply.


All Leather Sofa Creases My new all-leather sofa came in a few days ago. The inside fill is polyfoam. The cushions and armrest did not have any creases or wrinkles on it. However, after sitting on it a couple of times, creases are left on it. Shouldn't leather rebound after sitting? Can this be a quality issue from the leather?

I don't know if this is right place to ask this question but I am impressed by the advice given here so I hope some of you can share insight into this.

All leather upholstery will eventually develop a significant collection of wrinkles and creases with continued use. How fast these develop varies by material thickness, fill firmness, tightness of the cover, and the amount of weight and use the surface is subjected to. This should be considered part of the charm and character of a natural material.

This also softens the leather and makes it more compliant and comfortable. Maybe some people see an old leather chair as an ugly wrinkled old thing. I see a charming, well used and loved chair that is invitingly soft and comfortable that exudes tons of character.


Can a 40amp breaker be used safely and without issue with a 40amp device on 6AWG wire? We are installing a Cooktop that calls for a 40amp circuit. I was given 6AWG wire (instead of the 8AWG wire I asked for) by mistake. The electrician saw the 6AWG wire (that I had already run) and used a 50amp breaker. The Cooktop installer requires that the breaker be 40amp. My electrician was concerned that using the larger 6AWG wire would lower the resistance therefore affecting the amps; he cited Ohm's law. He has refused to change the breaker from 50amps to 40amps for fear of damaging something or affecting safety. I thought the amp requirement was dictated by the device (it asks for 40amps) and the 40amp breaker would ensure that 40amps is all that it would get. Does anyone know of any dangers/issues if using a smaller breaker with 6AWG wire?

Your "electrician" is not one of the brighter bulbs in the pack.

The 40A is to protect the wiring and the device.

If the wiring is AT LEAST 8Ga then it's adequate to protect the wiring. It also protects 6Ga, (or 500 MCM for that matter) just fine, and it properly protects the device at the end of the wire just fine.

"Ohms law" has squat to do with this. You could have a cooktop located 3 feet from the breaker panel and connected with 8 Ga or one located 100 feet from the panel and connected with 6 Ga - the 8 Ga would have (much, about 20 times) lower resistance, because of the wire length. Upsizing wire for longer runs on heavy circuits is actually quite normal. As stated, not a particularly knowledgeable electrician you have there.


Why am I measuring 60v at some outlets? The house I bought a couple years ago had a couple outlets in a small room in the basement that didn't work. Now I'm troubleshooting them. It's a finished basement so I can't tear down walls. There's a lot of troubleshooting already complete so I'll describe where I'm at now:

I'm at the first outlet in the circuit fed from my panel. With no power I have connected the hot and neutral wires at the outlet and tested for continuity: ok. I checked for resistance to ground: Infinite meaning ok. I've checked for shorts by testing the individual wires to ground: all ok. The breaker is fine. I even swapped breakers and not change. Symptoms: With open wires at the outlet (bare, not attached to anything), I read 120V between neutral and hot; I read ~60V between Hot and ground; I read ~60V between neutral and ground. I'm aware of ghost voltage and I have a Fluke meter set in LoZ mode. Measuring Hot to ground give me only a ~2.5V differential when I would expect to see ~120 Volts.

I was concerned about a borrowed neutral in the basement. The house was built in 1997. The power comes in from an underground feed from the city. The basement was finished a few years after that. I hooked my meter up to hot at the outlet location (measuring 60 volts) and proceeded to turn off and on all lights in the basement: no change. Then I had the wife systematically kill the power to EVERY breaker in the house one by one while I monitored for a change in the voltage on the goofy circuit: No change. Then I had her turn off every breaker except this one particular one. There is no power going to anything in the house except this one outlet (wires pulled off for measuring) now. No change: 60V hot to ground, 60V neutral to ground and 120Volt hot to neutral. I cannot see, or logically reason that there is anything between this outlet and the panel. No other circuits in the house are affected by this breaker, and with every single wire on the rest of the circuit disconnected, there is no power anywhere else. I'm at a loss. It's like there's something back feeding on the ground wire because I've pulled the hot and neutral wires off in the panel and I get no volts. So I pulled a outlet off a separate circuit on the main floor: Everything is normal.

My electrician friend over FaceTime suggested that I connect the ground and neutral wire at the outlet. It does make the problem go away, but I'm concerned that there is a potential that the ground wire while connected to neutral at the outlet creates a hazard if something were to short. And this is where the limit of my electrical knowledge leaves me. Thanks for reading and please help.

So, I fixed it! The only wire I hadn't disconnected in the panel was the ground wire. As it turns out, the ground wire was broken somewhere in the home run cable. This means that the entire circuit was not grounded! This explains why I had a wandering ghost voltage AND why terminating the ground to the neutral made the problem disappear. I now am reading all the correct voltages. I had to run a ground wire from a switch that was above one of the other outlets. I've done lots of wiring, but I had never encountered a grounding and bonding issue like this. I appreciate all your guys' input. Hopefully, there may be someone out there that can figure out their issue by reading all of this. Cheers!


When to reprime vs just repaint? I am curious when a surface should be reprimed (if ever) vs just repainted. Are there any general guidelines? If it is badly stained, should I reprime or use some stain blocker?
Please consider this picture of a 30 year old casement window (wood). I stripped some paint from the trim around it and the stripper got on the window + just regular grime settlement over the years. I would like to repaint white semigloss but am not sure if I need to reprime first to block the ugly stains.

Primer is generally used for one or more of these reasons. If they apply, use it. If you're unsure, use it.

Save cost (cheap sealing and color/texture uniformity coat)
Improve adhesion over glossy or dirty surfaces
Block stains


How do I repair a nick in vinyl floor? We had some recent work done on our house and it appears that one of the workers nicked the vinyl flooring in the kitchen -- resulting in a circular gash about 3/4 inch wide. Here's a picture:

Unfortunately the contract we had with them indemnify them against stuff like this so we'll need to repair it ourselves.

The good news is that we're eventually planning to replace the flooring (probably within the next year).  In the meantime, I looking for a way to repair the damage and make it resistant to water.

Any suggestions?

Option 1: Try some nail polish of an appropriate colour.  It's not a perfect fix by any means, but it is cheap, and you are replacing soon.

Option 2: Cut out the entire 'tile' on the 'grout' lines and cut a matching piece from leftovers if you have any. Glue it down with contact cement. The edge of the patch will collect dirt and become ugly pretty fast.  I don't recommend this if it's in the center of the field.  It's ok for edge work.

Option 3:  Put a rug over it.


Changing Light fitting - Old Wiring Hi There i'm trying to change the light fitting in the living room from a single pendant white plastic Standard. To a multi light hanging fancy pendant. I have old UK Wiring, please can you advise and support how i'd go about getting the wires in the right place! The photos below show what i have and the new. ANy help would be appreciated]1

A caveat, I am a US building inspector but I after some reading I think I can help you.

It appears that your home uses the pre-2004 coloured wiring schema and your newly-bought pendant has the post-2004 schema.  Your current pendant has the post-2004 colour schema as well.  At this point it will be as easy as replacing blue with blue and brown with brown.  The protected ground/earth (yellow and green) needs to be attached to the copper block where there are other copper grounds.

The issue I can foresee with your new fixture is that there are multiple leads and cramming those all into the existing wiring block could possibly be difficult.

I personally would go to my local hardware store and buy a half-metre of similarly coloured, single strand wire (blue and brown) of a similar or larger size and wire-nuts that can hold 8 strands of wire; ask your store clerk, they should be able to help you.  Cut the single strand wire down to a comfortable size that you can work with and still fit inside the fixture housing when you are done.  Strip off a couple centimeters of jacket on both ends of the single strand.  Remove the 2-3 cm of the wire jacket on the ends on the fixture, gather all the leads together along with one end of your single strand and use a wire-nut to bind them.  Then take the other end of the single stand and attach it to your wiring block.  Do the same thing for the other colour.

Finally, I don't see how your fixture is going to be able to support its weight.   The current fixture is actually being supported by the wire that passes the weight to the plastic studs and then the plate.  The fixture base you are holding appears to be much larger and have a hole where a threaded rod might pass.  You probably also received another component that would replace the clear, plastic box plate that is there currently.  If so, it appears that the black and brass block might have to be removed.  If so, here in the US you can just use a wire-nut to splice the strands together (which I think is more self-explanatory then the ambiguous black block that everything is wired to), though it might not be code in the UK or your county/village.  Just black to blue, red to brown and bare copper to green/yellow.

As always, do the work with your mains switched off at the breaker, don't depend on the wall switch. If it appears to be too much confusion for you, hire a licensed and insured handyman and electrician and ask if you can watch so then you have seen it done.


I am using tongue and groove planks for a desk. What's the best substrate to use? I am using tongue and groove planks for a desk. What's the best substrate to use?

best substrate would be 3/4 or 19mm baltic birch ply, or as a second choice, 3/4 maple ply.


How do I intall GFCI breaker if wire for outlets is 12/3 using two breakers? I have kitchen outlets that have one breaker powering the top outlets, and a separate breaker powering the bottom outlets with the tab broke off on each outlet.  There are a total of 7 different outlets wired up the same way.
I wanted to have the outlet GFCI protected but did not know how I could use GFCI outlets and have the top of bottom of the outlets be powered but two different breakers.  I bought two 20 amp GFCI breakers to change out the original breakers.
That is when I found out that I had one 12/3 wire with black, red, white, and ground wires.  I tried to use two different GFCI breakers by trying to wire nut two wires off of the white wire so that I had a white for each GFCI breaker.  When I turned on one of the breakers it was fine, but when I turned on the second breaker it tripped both breakers.
I thought that I might have to buy a double pole 20 amp GFCI breaker in my situation to make this work.  I am not positive how double pole breakers work.

Will I then have 240 volts instead of 120?
Do I have to check every outlet to make sure they did not have black and red on same top or bottom circuit?
Will I have 20 amps off of each side?

I wanted to have the outlet GFCI protected but did not know how I could use GFCI outlets and have the top of bottom of the outlets be powered but two different breakers.

You can’t make a GFCI receptacle work that way.  It can only protect one 120V half-circuit; you have two.
To do this with GFCI receps, you would need seven of them, and each one would be on a different circuit (i.e. both sockets on the same subcircuit).

That is when I found out that I had one 12/3 wire with black, red, white, and ground wires. I tried to use two different GFCI breakers by trying to wire nut two wires off of the white wire so that I had a white for each GFCI breaker. When I turned on one of the breakers it was fine, but when I turned on the second breaker it tripped both breakers.

Yup, that can never possibly work.  That is not how GFCIs function.   They are comparing the current on the hot to the current on the neutral.  If they are different, current is leaking somewhere.  So from each individual GFCI’s perspective, current via the other GFCI is a ground fault, and they must trip.

I thought that I might have to buy a double pole 20 amp GFCI breaker in my situation to make this work. I am not positive how double pole breakers work.

Yeah, and I bet you’re getting real sick of spending $100 over and over on things that don’t work.  Good reason to ask!
However the 2-pole GFCI is the right solution for this.
A 2-pole GFCI monitors all three wires, assuring the currents are equal (or to be more precise, net out to zero... counting outbound current as equal and opposite to returning current, on whichever wires it may occur).  Now, neutral is not bypassing the GFCI so all neutral current is being correctly counted.
By the way, if working with and replacing outlets, never splice the neutral wire on the outlet.  Neutral must always be pigtailed.