how can I reduce manganese, hardness, radon, and prescence of coliforms in well water? I'm purchasing a home in NH and just received my comprehensive water test from the inspector. Here are the marks I'm most alarmed at.

Hardness 264 (want it under 75)
Manganese: .51 (want it under .05)
Coliforms: Present (want it gone)
Radon: 6306 (would love < 2000)

I'm investigating different solutions to reduce or eliminate the three figures above but am running into some dead ends. I would love to DIY these issues, but there are so many different options and solutions that I am unsure which is best or most cost effective.

Does anyone have any advice or experience on ways to reduce these measurements?

Here are the other measurements in case anyone else sees another value that could be a problem that I'm simply not understanding.

There's a good reason it's "an insane buy" but since you seem to be committed regardless (these things are why you pay an inspector and put conditions in the contract allowing you to walk away if inspection turns up issues...) There's no guarantee that a new well with solve any (much less all) of the issues, unless it ends up in a different water supply (not overly likely with only 4 acres to poke holes in.)

A persistent coliform problem requires chlorination or UV treatment. Chlorination and contact time (a big tank) will also deal with the manganese. The aeration that's typically used for Radon mitigation might also deal with the manganese, but you'll still need to kill the coliform if it's persistent, which you have to assume it is unless proven otherwise. A water softener will deal with the hardness; you may want a reverse osmosis system for drinking water (softened water has higher sodium from the softening process)

Radon is the most expensive and dangerous to deal with problem. You are probably best served to make the seller buy a commercial system, and then you need to make sure the system is properly maintained. Rather than repeat myself, I'll just link to the previous question about DIY radon water treatment and my answer to that. How can I build my own water aeration system for radon mitigation?

If you are going to buy the house regardless, get at least $10,000 knocked off for mitigating the well water problems.


Simplest way to carbonate a kitchen faucet I'm hoping my plan to carbonate my kitchen drinking faucet is as easy as it seems, but would like some confirmation I'm not missing something:

In short, I want to hook my main water line up to a consumption-grade CO2 tank, the same way I would hook up a Keg. I have a separate drinking faucet connected to my main water line, and I'd like to add a CO2 tank, connected to a regulator, connected to an air line, connected to a keg coupler. The Keg coupler would also connect to my main water line, and separately connect through to my faucet. For a diagram of what I mean, check out: www.kegworks.com/blog/how-draft-systems-work/ [No affiliation].

I'm not concerned with chilling or filtering at this point, but in theory would I be able to add in a water filter that feeds into my main water line into the keg coupler down the road? Or would that create problems with making the filter system 'under reverse pressure' from the CO2 tank?

I'm also trying to avoid needing to get a separate water tank to keep under my kitchen sink as that space is limited and I'd like to keep refill trips to a minimum. If my current plan doesn't work, having a tank of filtered water that I periodically have to refill and put under my sink might be the next best thing.

I guess what I need to worry about is whether my main water line is pressurized enough to prevent the CO2 tank from simply emptying out into my water supply?Alternatively, would the pressure from the main water line 'overpower' the CO2 tank such that I would get minimal carbonation in the end product?

Per the comments, if I would need to keep the CO2 tank < the pressure of the water line (let's assume 50-75 PSI), would that sufficiently carbonate the water? If not, would it be possible to add some sort of one-way valve from the main water line that feeds into some sort of water collection tank, that then connects to the carbonation system, so that it could 'withstand' higher pressure?

I don't believe this is going to work very well with the set up you have described.  Carbonation of water requires that the CO2 dissolve into the water.  Assuming you get the pressure all worked out, the surface area between the gas and the water is going to be tiny.  If it worked at all, it would dissolve into the water line itself.  My guess is only a few ounces would be carbonated at most when you open the tap.

Another thing to consider is that the colder the water, the more CO2 it can dissolve.  This is why a hot beer is more likely to foam out and create too much head than a cold beer.  Here's a graph of that relationship:

source

I think you might be able to manage this with a tank, though.  Basically it would be a keg but you would need to have a water supply as well as CO2 for the water to refill through.  I'm not sure there's something off the shelf for this but reverse-osmosis systems have a tank so there might be a way to cobble together parts for to make it happen.  I'm not exactly sure how you would make it automatically refill.

You'd want to have some sort of check valve on the water line to prevent it from flowing back into the water supply.  The CO2 tank should have some sort of pressure control valve just like it would on a keg system.

This wikipedia page has some good info on this.  If 70 PSI is the right number for the water line, you would probably need to release the pressure from the CO2 in order to refill the tank.  The amount of carbonation could be tweaked by the pressure from the CO2 tank.  The higher the pressure, the more CO2 will dissolve.

One other consideration is that it the pressure is much higher than typical water pressure, the faucet might not be designed for that and/or it could shoot out too fast.


rusty tennis net posts The winding handles of our tennis posts are completely rusted and wont turn. Is there any way to save them and be able to actually use them and hang a new net? we tried to tie the net to the posts but the whole thing sags in the middle and wont stay tight.

Probably just replacing the winding mechanism makes the most sense.

If penetrating oil fails and you want to try a more extensive rust removal approach, either soak them in a citric acid solution or try electrolytic rust removal (washing soda, water and low-voltage DC electric current.)


Insulation foam inside PVC sleeve for silcock I just installed an outdoor silcock outside my basement. To avoid direct contact with the brick in the hole I drilled in a foot thick brick wall, I put a 1-1/4" PVC pipe and then the silcock inside it (it also makes it easy to replace and service).

Should I put insulation foam inside the PVC pipe between it and the silcock? Right side of the picture (inside part), see the red arrow.

I would make a 1" plug for each end so bugs don't get in. A hard foam ring would be what I would go for.

I would not fill with expanding foam or similar as that will glue the pipe in place.


How could I attach a face plate to a broken Appleby dry lining box? An electrician has installed a dry lining box for a cat6 network terminal.  These boxes are supposed to have a metal insert inside each of the yellow parts, which accepts the type of screw that is standard for attaching UK electrical switches, sockets etc.  Unfortunately, both of these metal inserts are missing, so there is no obvious way to attach the faceplate.

I don't want to replace the entire box as the plasterboard has already been tiled.

What alternative methods could be used to attach the faceplate securely?

Somebody asked about removing the yellow inserts from these boxes on Screwfix, and Appleby responded that "in design principle and as a general rule these [yellow parts] should never be removed as the lugs themselves cannot be replaced."  I hope somebody here can be more helpful than this.

Again, this is being used for networking -- not mains -- so electrical safety is not a serious concern.

The yellow lugs might not be officially removable.

In practice they are.

Whether you will be able to get the existing ones out, and replacement ones in, without causing damage to the rest of the box in situ (causing the mechanism to become inoperable) I woudln't like to say... but you have nothing to lose by trying.


Why can I not assemble conduit around cable, but must pull it after assembly? I have seen a number of answers here from our esteemed electricians about running wiring through conduit, and many of them include a warning similar to:

You're not allowed to piece the conduit together over the wires - they must be pulled only after the conduit is complete

While I understand that it must be done this way because That's What The Code Says™, my question is why is this specified in code?
I understand that code is generally written based on objective laboratory testing and/or real-world experience. What real-world experiences could have led to this being codified?
What is it about "pull wires through a piece of conduit, attach the conduit to the source box, pull wires through an elbow, secure elbow to existing conduit, pull wires through another piece of conduit, secure conduit to elbow, lather, rinse, repeat" that is inherently and/or potentially dangerous?

Guaranteed Reusability
If you run the wire as you are putting together the conduit, there is a possibility, unless you are truly careful about all the details, that you could end up in a situation where your initial set of wires are perfectly fine, but that pulling them out to replace them - or more likely pulling in new wires (out is "easy") will run into unexpected problems. If you assemble everything first then the first time you pull wires through you will find and fix any problems. Plus you will be more careful (especially if you don't do this kind of thing every day) to play by the rules so that you will be able to pull that first set of wires without a problem.
Remember, conduit serves three different functions:

Physical protection
Grounding (for metal conduit)
Ease of use - i.e., add or replace wires as needed

The first two, which obviously are the "safety" issues, will be the same whether you do conduit-then-wire or conduit-with-wire. But for the 3rd, it can make a big difference.


When would I use epoxy anchors? Epoxy anchor is essentially a metal alloy rod set onto epoxy. A hole is drilled and cleaned, then epoxy is put into the hole and the rod is inserted into the hole and left until epoxy sets.

Using epoxy anchors looks not that convenient - they require thorough cleaning of the hole, thorough preparation of epoxy, plus if I need to only set a couple of them I'll have to either clean the epoxy applicator or throw away its nose.

Why would I use epoxy anchors instead of usual expansion (metal or plastic) anchors? In which scenarios around a house are they preferable?

Epoxy is required in home building. Especially when attaching a wooden stud to an adjacent concrete wall. Architects and Engineers will usually specify a rod depth and that they are set with epoxy into the wall. The epoxy can be rolled onto the rod extensively and then placed into the hole. You usually allow the rod to set with the epoxy for 24 hours before attaching any hardware to the rods such as 2x4 pressure treated plates with 2 inch washer and nut. You can buy All-Thread rod that you simply cut to length. If you are concerned about the dust, then use an air compressor to blow out the hole prior to inserting the rod. When I added on a room to my house, it was specified that the rods must be epoxied into the hole. I used Loctite Metal/Concrete Epoxy.


Changing a 3 gang Australian switch loop light switch to a Smart switch with no neutral? I actually have an identical issue to this one HERE, except for the fact my triple smart switch only has four connections, and L1, L2, L3 & L  (see below), so I'm pretty sure I have the right switch as needed in the linked question and my existing wiring loop is identical to the OP's one, like this.

this is the new switch.

It came with basic instructions

and a capacitor

I feel like this should be really easy, particularly with the instructions and only 4 connections, but I'm not winning.
Can someone let me know the correct way to connect the wires, please?
I have the white wire connected to the L, with the red wire (from the same switch) in L1 and the other lone red wires in L2 & L3 respectively.
My issue is that although the smart switch sort of works, one of the switches (L3) seems to be a 'master' in that the other two don't light the globes unless it's on, even though all three switches themselves light up regardless (light blue when off, orange when on).
I'm not sure how it's not right, but obviously something isn't the way it should be.
Do I need to put the capacitor on the circuit where the L1 bulb is or should it work without?

You are using a smart switch designed for a completely different application than your original switch.  This kind of thing would never fly in a million years in the States - no ground present anywhere, and plastic that will age-embrittle.
Your original switch setup is pretty basic - you have a hot coming into the left hand switch and that hot is daisy chained to the other 2 switches.  So all 3 switches are completely independent of each other.  You can have light 1 on and 2 and 3 off, light 1 and 2 on and 3 off, all lights on, all lights off, 2 on and 1 and 3 off, 3 on and 1 and 2 off and so on and so forth.  The lights can be in separate areas of the room if you want.
Your new switch is intended for a "3 way" lamp with 3 filaments - filament 1 and 2 are low wattages, filament 2 is a medium wattage.
The idea there is when the wifi switch is first on it turns on the medium wattage light, then if you want more light the second switch position is it turns on both low wattage lights which added together are a higher wattage then the medium, giving more light, and the 3rd switch position turns on all 3 lights giving the most light possible.  Probably for purely decorative reasons the higher wattage light is located physically in between the two lower wattage lights.
I cannot even advise you how to correct this.  In the US they sell "3 switch" wifi switches that can be crammed in a single outlet box that would replace, electrically, your first switch.  (not that I would touch those)  Or you could cut out the wall and rip out the box and put a proper 3-switch outlet box in there and individual smart switches.  I don't know what's available in AU, sorry but my inclination would be to throw the entire works in the trash and put LED smart bulbs in and just leave the original switch alone with all the switches turned on.


DIY question: spray-paint steel balls evenly A DIY-hobby question rather than home improvement. I need to paint a bunch of steel balls (1/4-1/3" dia) but I can't get even coverage. I thought shaking/rolling the balls around in a small container while spraying would help, but the results are very bad: each ball got a bumpy, sticky shell. Is there a method for painting steel balls evenly?

If I was going to try to paint a bunch of small steel balls with rattle can spray paint there are a number of steps that I would take.

Number One most important is to remember with spray can paint is to work at the correct temperature environment and leave plenty of time for full drying between coats.
Almost as important as the above item is to apply multiple thin coats instead of heavy almost dripping coats. This will become even more important with following considerations.
Acquire some square grid welded mesh wire material. For 3/8" balls and 1/4" balls mesh such as McMaster-Carr 9230T403 may do the trick. Following scale drawing shows the side view of mesh and steel balls:

Place the mesh in a sturdy horizontal position.
Hand place your balls on the mesh grid leaving space between them.
Spray paint the up facing surface of the balls with a light dusting type coat of paint and let fully dry.
Rotate all of the balls on the grid so that the recently painted surface faces down toward the grid and then apply another light coat of paint to the new up facing sides.
As long as you keep the coats of paint very thin a small overlap from layer to layer as you rotate the balls should be invisible.
Repeat steps 5 through 9 till all the balls have the desired paint covering. Rotate each ball before placing it down again. It may take five or six repeats to get them nice evenly coated with paint on each ball.


Why does the outlet short out when I turn on the garbage disposal? Okay, when I first moved into the house, everything worked fine.  After about a year, my garbage disposal stopped working.  I thought maybe it was jammed but the blades still move when I turn the hex on the bottom.  I just noticed tonight that if I reset this one outlet, and turn on the disposal switch, it trips the outlet.  I tested this serveral times this evening.  The disposal is plugged into another outlet under the sink, the outlet that trips is a different outlet.  Any thoughts on what is going on and how this can be fixed??

The receptacle that the disposal is plugged into is fed from the Load side of the GFCI receptacle, thereby providing ground fault protection to the receptacle. There is a ground fault somewhere between the GFCI and the disposal, which is causing the GFCI to do it's job and trip.

You'll have to locate the fault, and fix it. If you don't have (or know how to use) a multimeter, you'll want to contact an Electrician.  If you have a multimeter and know how to use it, you can narrow down where the fault is by checking continuity between hot and ground.

Start by turning off the breaker, and insuring power is off in the area you'll be working. Unplug the disposal and do a continuity test between the hot blade (smaller blade) on the plug, and the ground pin (long roundish pin).  If the test shows there is not fault in the disposal, move up the circuit to the next device (receptacle) and test again (don't plug the disposal back in). If you still haven't found the fault, continue working your way up the circuit (the switch next) until you reach the GFCI. If you still haven't found the fault, try replacing the GFCI receptacle (making sure to hook it back up the same way).

If you still cannot resolve the issue, it's probably best to call in an Electrician (since they'll have cooler gadgets to troubleshoot the circuit). I would focus most of my attention on the disposal and the switch, since those tend to be the usual culprits.


Can I upgrade my 40amps breaker to 50amps or do I need rewiring? I have a 40amps range breaker. I want to upgrade it to 50amps. I know that the wires need to support 50amps if I want to upgrade it to 50amps. However, I am not able to figure out whether the wires support 50amps. How would I find out whether the wires support 50amps? Here is the image of 40amps circuit breaker that I want to upgrade.

You need a number 6 wire. The picture looks like 8. It's written on the wire. Following AWG _


Does the circuit providing a light at the electrical panel have to be ONLY for that light? Does the circuit providing a light at the electrical panel have to be ONLY for that light?

I'm fairly sure there specifically has to be a light at the panel, as well as a circuit with an accessible outlet. My electrician at the panel install felt these needed to be separate, which I, with experience stumbling through the dark to a fusebox (20 years before that house got circuit breakers) certainly agree with. But... This means I'm spending an entire 15 amp breaker to run a 60W lightbulb (or its 8 W replacement.) Do I need to? Is that circuit required to be JUST for the panel area, or is that not actually the case? In particular, if I'm running other lighting loads off it, is it still acceptable so long as it does, indeed, light the panel area?

USA location, 2011 NEC is the code currently adopted.

The required lighting outlet for areas with equipment is definitely not required to be on a dedicated circuit. It can be on any general circuit.

Same goes for the receptacle. It is not required to be dedicated, but typically this is. This receptacle is required for unfinished basement areas. It's not required to be at the panel, but usually this is the easiest place to put it.

  2011 NEC

  III. Required Outlets

  210.70 Lighting Outlets Required

  (A) Dwelling Units.

  In dwelling units, lighting outlets shall be installed in accordance
  with 210.70(A)(1), (A)(2), and (A)(3).

  (3) Storage or Equipment Spaces.

  For attics, underfloor spaces, utility rooms, and basements, at least
  one lighting outlet containing a switch or controlled by a wall switch
  shall be installed where these spaces are used for storage or contain
  equipment requiring servicing. At least one point of control shall be
  at the usual point of entry to these spaces. The lighting outlet shall
  be provided at or near the equipment requiring servicing.

  2011 NEC

  III. Required Outlets

  210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets

  (G) Basements, Garages, and Accessory Buildings.

  For a one-family dwelling, the following provisions shall apply:

  (1)  At least one receptacle outlet, in addition to those for specific equipment, shall be installed in each basement, in each attached
  garage, and in each detached garage or accessory building with
  electric power.

  (2)  Where a portion of the basement is finished into one or more habitable rooms, each separate unfinished portion shall have a
  receptacle outlet installed in accordance with this section.


Why isn't the hot water in my shower hot enough? I have two showers in my house, one seems to be noticeably cooler no matter what I try. Both are Symmons Temptrol model A. The house is mostly PEX except where copper is required.

I cannot take a shower in one because the hot water never gets hot enough. The sink to the same bathroom has nearly scalding water.

I have replaced the spindle assembly and the hot and cold seats hoping that this would help, with no joy.

I have backed out the hot-water limit stop screw to the point where the handle now spins nearly 500 degrees (way way past a full turn.)

The other shower is just bearable but I like a really hot shower. I have resorted to turning up the water heater which has helped, but I feel like I am missing something.

I am not sure if there is an obstruction in the pipes but with the single handle design of the shower I cannot tell the pressure of the hot water in the shower. The sink next to it has what appears to be a normal pressure.

Is this typical of this style of shower control?
Does the hot water never fully flow?
If I do have an obstruction in the pipe what would my next step be?

The troubleshooting section in the installation guide would indicate 2 things.  First, you've likely backed the limit screw out too far - assuming the water pressure on the hot and cold sides are similar between the two showers, they should be set in the same range.  Second (and more directly related to your issue), you should pull the spindle assembly and make sure it is clear of debris and calcium deposits.


How can I make these bath valves easier to use? I'm looking for a way to make the valves in the pictures below easier for my mother to use. She has a bad case of arthritis in here hands, so this was suggested by a nurse.

I would really prefer any ideas that don't require opening up the walls and replacing any plumbing. Do I have any options outside of that?

I was thinking of changing the handles. I also thought about removing the valve stems and replacing them with something, but I'm not sure if this is a real option.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

As shoemaker said lever handles are a lot easier for the elderly to use, you may want to consider changing to ceramic disk lever handle taps( the whole top assembly) as this don't get harder to turn off as the washer wears out because they don't have one. They have a ceramic disk which usually last about 3-5 years before needing replacement.

If you decide to keep the old taps you would want to disassemble the "shaft" or spindle and replace the washers in it (jumper valve and spindle o-ring/s), clean the thread inside the spindle housing and put some tap grease in there to make it easier to use.

This link shows the tool for cleaning the inside of the spindle and you could also reseat the brass that the washer seats against with a reseating tool p.s. I wouldn't recommending using the one pictured as they are rubbish and leave a ridge In the seat but it will do for illustration purposes.

Then make sure what type of handle you need the porcline lever handle set in the picture has a centre external screw, which doesn't look like it will fit with your spindles as they all have an external nut to hold the handle on, but just check the old ones before purchasing new ones to save wasting money on taps you can't use.


Is it possible to wire up multiple 4 way switches with power coming into one 4 way and the lights connected to the other Attached is a picture of how we currently have things wired. Is this possible? How would you go about connecting the wires together. Do I need to move the light output wire to the same box that the power is coming into. United States. Blue is used for white.

Contact your AHJ regarding use of neutrals at these switches.

You have wired this for an "old school" wiring plan.  Changes were made in 2011 Code (which everyone has adopted) which require neutral in many, but not all switch locations, depending on where they are physically in the rooms.  This may still be alright, but I would get the AHJ (your inspector) to sign-off ASAP.  If the AHJ is displeased,  you'll need to either wire certain segments with /4 cable or go to conduit; or change altogether to smart switches.

You are not allowed to use 2 cables to substitute for a /4 or /5 cable.  You could if it was 5 volts DC, but it's mains AC power, and imbalanced currents in 2 cables causes big problems.

How to wire it old-school.

The problem with any 3-way/4-way complex is the dizzying re-use of the same colors for many tasks.  Whereas it gets rather easy if you re-mark the wire colors by function.  A 5-pack of colored electrical tape is $5.  Always mark both ends of each wire the same.

Using this this color code:  yellow are travelers, black is always-hot, red is switched-hot, and white is neutral.     Here we go:

on the leftmost cable, re-mark black and white wires yellow.
on the center cable, re-mark black and red wires yellow.
On the right cable, re-mark red and white wires yellow.
On the lamp cable, re-mark the black wire red.

Remember when you re-mark a wire, it is now that color.  I like to spiral the tape on so it marks the wire for much of its exposed length.  The point of these colors is it makes the remaining wire the needed color.

Put your thinking cap on. Ready?

At 3-way switches, the 2 travelers go on the brass screws, and the remaining wire goes on black.

At 4-ways, the 2 travelers from one cable go on the brass screws, and the 2 travelers from the other cable go on the black screws.

At the wires which remain, join same colors with a wire nut.

Wow, that was not so bad. See what colors do for ya?


What to do with the neutral in a 240V 2-pole hot tub disconnect? I'm planning a hot tub installation (nothing built yet). The current plan is:

50A 240V 2 pole GFCI breaker indoors (added to existing 100A subpanel)
4-wire from subpanel to exterior disconnect (2 hots, neutral, ground)
4-wire from exterior disconnect to hot tub

I prefer the GFCI indoors to keep it out of the weather. That way the exposed disconnect is relatively inexpensive if it ever needs replacement.
I might not actually need a 4-wire (TBD) but it seems silly not to just have it and future-proof.
Most if not all disconnects I can find (either for "spas" or air conditioners) are 2-pole. So the question is: what to do with the neutral wire at the disconnect?

Does it need to be switched also, ie is a 3-pole disconnect required?
Even if not required, is there any benefit of switching the neutral anyway?
If not, how to connect the two neutral wires within the disconnect enclosure? Wire nuts? Bus bar? (Maybe if THWN is used it could just be continuous.)

Location: USA

I should add that I've looked at some PDFs of a few disconnects (when they are even available) and haven't seen this detail addressed. Maybe printed instructions would cover it but I didn't want to purchase anything before having a full plan.

You never switch the neutral, well, "never" is a strong word, sometimes some special generator installations switch the neutral, but almost never should you switch the neutral, just the 2 hots.  I like your idea of putting the GFCI inside to protect it.
To connect the neutral, there is usually a small bussbar you can land those on. If your new hot tub doesn't require a neutral, just cap it off in the disconnect.
Your idea about just passing the neutral thru the disconnect unbroken works too.
You got this!


extra thermostat, electric dampers and 1 furnace I have a problem similar to others that have posted: balancing heating/cooling throughout the house. I have already played with adjusting the vent's air flow as well as the manual dampers in the basement runs.... nothing seems to work sufficiently.

So I am trying to figure out how to add both an extra thermostat for the bedrooms and electric dampers to control the air flow to just the bed rooms when needed. My thought is to install electric dampers on the main level HVAC branches off the main run.

The trick is I need something to help with the very simple logic:

When both thermostats on are, all vents are open.
When The Main is on but bedroom off, all vents remain open.
But when just the bedroom thermostat calls for heat and the main doesn't, the dampers close to redirect the heat to those rooms only.

I have 7 vents in the main house and 5 in the bedrooms. I figure I can install a mechanical damper to control overpressurization if that becomes a problem. The real trick is something to control the logic. The electric dampers will run me around $400 for the 7 that need controlling so even another few hundred would be worth it for comfortable rooms. Any ideas?

EDIT: I have been thinking about this a lot the last few days and have bounced it off some especially handy family members. I think I may have some solutions...

I was thinking about it backwards. I would install dampers that are usually closed vs open. When power is applied, they would open. So when the main house calls for heat, the dampers open and heat goes all over the house (although mainly on the first floor). When the second thermostat in the bedroom calls for heat and the main doesn't the dampers would be closed and heat would pump towards the bedrooms.

It turns out wiring two thermostats in parallel isn't such a big deal as long as they are both set to heat or cool and if I install a backflow damper, I can ensure I don't do damage to the hvac system.

So I just need to wire the main thermostat to not only the furnace but also to a power panel that opens up the dampers

No computer controller needed, right? What am I missing?

If the main thermostat doesn't live in one of the bedrooms (probably doesn't), you'll lose the feedback loop that makes the thermostat work.  In other words, the thermostat will stay cold, and keep calling for heat, while the bedrooms are broiling.

If the problem is that the bedrooms are always cold (assuming winter), and you want them warmer, another shot at balancing the system is probably in order.  Get aggressive (I have one vent in my family room where I blocked the entire thing with a sheet of cardboard with one 2" hole).  Try blocking 50% of the area of the register with cardboard behind the grate.  Do this on the vents in the warm part of the house, and make sure the bedroom vents are open all the way.  This is a weekend project.  You'll put some baffles in, wait an hour or so, make some adjustments, wait, rinse, repeat.  Buy a couple cheap thermometers and leave them in different parts of the house so you can check on them.

Just be careful not to block too much airflow.  You should take the temperature of the air coming out of the vent closest to the furnace before you start.  If it rises notably after you're done, you might want to undo some.

Also, if there's not a decent gap under the bedroom doors for airflow, leave the doors open, trim them, or install a through-door vent.  If you sleep with the door closed and there's no way for the air to circulate out of the room, it won't get enough airflow, and the room will get cold.


baseboard heat noise I have oil heat with cast iron baseboard heat. One of them has noise in it & last year I had to bleed it multiple times to get the air out of the line. The only problem with doing this was that our boiler air tank had to be refilled this year when it was serviced. The noise is back again in the same location. Any suggestions on how to once & for all get rid of the air in the line?

Are you sure the noise is air in the line, rather than pipe expanding/contracting as it heats and cools or simple water turbulance?

Is there a manual bleeder valve you could use to release any trapped air, as there is on older radiators? If so, there are automatic bleeders (basically float valves) which could be installed. You'd want to do that at the highest point in the loop, since that's where any air will wind up.

My house also has an device installed at the boiler end of things which lets bubbles escape from the system there, before they can circulate farther.


What if I can not connect the ground wire of my new light fixture to an old electrical connection? I am replacing a bathroom medicine cabinet that has a light fixture attached. The old light fixture only had white and black wires. The new light fixture has white, black, and a copper wire. This is a very old home, and I am assuming that nothing has any grounding. What should I do with the ground wire? Can I leave the ground wire just dangling? Or is there some way that I can/should ground it? It's not my home, and the homeowner will likely not want to pay for any extensive electrical upgrades. Suggestions?

Supplying the fixture from the LOAD side of a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), will provide protection to the fixture.  It could be a GFCI receptacle, standalone GFCI device, or GFCI breaker.


How to finish/trim prefab fireplace We demoed a 70's stone fireplace and re-framed where we had a lot of rot. I'm planning to buy or build a surround/mantle and incorporate some stone or tile in the end.

I'm wondering what the next step should be. Should I put durock right up against the black face of this prefab fireplace? Or can I put mastic and tile right up against this? I'm concerned obviously because of the heat. Or do I need to buy some kind of a metal prefab trim/surround type thing? There were brass doors there before that we removed and threw away. I just don't know anything about prefab fireplaces and finishing them.

Each fireplace manufacturer has specific clearances and installation instructions. If you don’t know the brand, I’d get an installation manual like this one, and study it.

http://www.kozyheat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Z42-Z42CD-Manual-1-09.pdf

Also, I’d be concerned about the styrofoam exposed to the fireplace box. The fireplace gives off a lot of heat and it could affect the styrofoam.

Also, if you use tile or rock to cover the face of the fireplace, use “fire resistant” type mortar, grout, etc. Otherwise, when the mortar/grout gets hot, it could all sag.


What is the exact name of this top pivot with plastic lip for old metal bifold doors? (see photos) Question

I have a pair of old metal bifold doors in my house. Unfortunately, the plastic or nylon cap on the top pivot on one of the doors broke. So far I have not been able to find the correct replacement part or a suitable substitute. What is the precise name of this part, so that I can perform a better search and find the part I need?

Things I have tried

Visited Home Depot. They showed me all their bifold door hardware, but they don't have the right part. I showed the broken part and photos of the unbroken part, and the Home Depot staffer had not seen anything quite like it.
Tried a different top pivot from Home Depot. In fact, I bought two different types and tried to make them work, but either the metal pivot would not attach to my door, or the plastic cap would not stay in the track.
Searched the web. I cannot find the exact top pivot that came with my door or even a similar one that has a 1" cap with a lip.

Description of the part I need

The top pivot I need consists of a metal Phillips screw about 1-1/4" long and 3/16" wide that goes inside a plastic or nylon cap about 1" long with a lipped or beveled top. The lip is only slightly wider than the rest of the cap, which is only slightly wider than the metal screw. The purpose of the lip is to stay inside the guide track above the door. The plastic cap slides up and down as needed on the metal screw as the door opens and closes, which keeps the lipped cap inside the track. The screw fastens to a threaded hole on the top of the metal bifold door, so that the lipped cap sticks up from the door and rests in the track to guide the sliding end of the door. The bottom opening of the track is only slightly narrower than the track width, so there's not much allowance for using a different top pivot. Most modern top pivots seem to use a roller that is much wider than the metal part of the pivot, but I can't do that with this track.

Photos of the part I need

(Click a photo to view it in full size.)

My other bifold door has the part I need, and it looks like this:

The top pivot attaches to a threaded mount at the top of the door. The following photo shows that mount from the inside of the door looking up:

These photos show the broken top pivot that I need to replace. Notice that the metal screw is fine but the plastic or nylon cap's lip or bevel has broken off (and I no longer have it, so Super Glue isn't an option):

The proper name for that "roller" is actually called "guide" Wheel. The piece it attaches to is called a "top pivot"


HZ432 and no heat in one zone I have 4 zones... The following lights are on the HZ432:

Heat 1 - red
Heat 2 - red
Heat 3 - no light
Zone 1 - yellow
Zone 2 - red
Zone 3 - red
Zone 4 - red

I have heat in 3 zones, but not in one of the zones....no blowing from the vents

We have 2 TRANE XV 80 Units - one is on and the other has no activity
What do these lights mean?

Here is an image from the installation manual of your zone controller:

The fact that Heat 1 and Heat 2 are red means that some combination of thermostats is calling for stage 1 and stage 2 heat.

The lights on the zone are pretty easy to read as well.  A red light means that damper should be closed (no air to that section) and a green (might look yellow) light means that zone should be open (have air flow).

Now, the light pattern you describe means that if everything is wired correctly and all the dampers are functioning, you should have air in Zone 1 only.  The red zones should be closed and not have air.  However, there are two types of dampers - normally opened and normally closed, and they have to be wired differently so the controller knows how to open them.  If this is a new installation or work has been done recently, it could be wired incorrectly.

If a damper fails, the unit could show a blinking amber light, but it depends on how it failed.  Some types of failures the controller cannot sense.  It's possible that two zones are stuck open so the controller thinks that only one is open, but really there are 3 open.

If you read the manual for the controller, there are ways to test each damper and cause the fan to run.  You can cycle through each zone one at a time to make sure the dampers work and are wired correctly.  Those instructions are on page 13 in the section named "Checkout".  I would have gone with "Testing" or "troubleshooting", but they picked "Checkout"...  I forget if it allows this or not, but be sure not to close all 4 dampers with the fan running.  The air pressure could blow out some duct joints or damage the dampers.

As far as the activity of your two Trane units - this zone controller is designed to have one unit hooked up to multiple zones.  It's not made to control multiple units.  There might be a way to use the various heat and cool "stages" to control multiple units, but then you're really getting into advanced territory.

If you do call in some outside help on this, do what you can to make sure they are very well versed in these zone controllers.  I had two A/C people give me incorrect information on how they work and really struggle to identify a problem with the system.


Why would a rough in pipe be under the concrete? I'm planning to install a three piece bathroom in the basement. We have 2.5" and 3.5" rough in pipes sticking out, while 2" pipe was fully in the concrete. I had to break the floor to see if it was actually a pipe cap.
We are not the first owners, so we don't know why contractors buried the 2" pipe like that. Is this a normal thing to do? Could it be cause previous owner wanted only 2 piece bathroom? As well do I need to make sure all pipes are connected and vented under the concrete or must it have been done correctly under the code anyways? We are in Canada.

My related post

Pics:

Thank you!

If I had to guess I'd say that the builder expected the wall to pass over that point, and the vanity installed adjacent. You appear to have built your wall tight to the furnace, which isn't ideal for maintenance reasons. I'd bet that if you had set a wall 12" from the center of the 3" pipe it would line up with the 2" pipe.

As to why it's under the concrete... the plumber simply used too short a stub. Maybe he had a scrap laying around and wanted to use it up.


Wintertime and AC line frosted & dripping water in basement? One line IS insulated in the exposed basement ceiling, so I am supposing this frosted & dripping line is the smaller return line? Have a dehumidifier running but the problem remains. What can I do to stop this, it's dripping all over the run of the pipe across 1/2 of the basement.
Thank You.

I looked all over the internet and this line isn't the one discussed.

Temporarily turn off the power to the condensing unit to be certain it's not running at times. You should have a breaker for it in your electrical panel, or a local disconnect box mounted near the condenser itself.

If it's a heat pump the insulated line may freeze for short times normally or if the switchover valve is stuck for longer times.


what are the little dots on wiring diagrams? There are little dots along the lines in many wiring diagrams, like in response to the question "How do I know if a ceiling fan with light and the switch are wired correctly?".  Some of these seem to indicate a junction with another wire, or a color change, but some are just in the middle of a single color wire.  What does this indicate?

Also, why does the color change along a wire in a diagram?

Are you talking about the orange/yellow dots in this?

These are not standard wiring diagrams, they're just drawings that Tester101 makes to make his answers easy to understand.

He appears to be using the orange/yellow dots to indicate splicing the wires together using a wire-nut.


How can I repair a big gash in my kitchen floor? How can I repair this big gash in kitchen floor (I can see wood)

I was cleaning my kitchen floor, and moved the fridge out of the way. Problem is we have our microwave on it with a short cord. Microwave fell and left a big gash in the kitchen floor of our rental apartment. I was wondering what our options would be for repair?

You cannot "fix" it without replacing the floorboard, but you can patch it to look close.

That looks like IKEA's pressboard laminate - that's not wood you're seeing, that's paper.  You can check their stock for some extra boards if there's one near by - sometimes they might have some extras in returns.

So - get yourself some dark stained wood filler and a 2" putty knife, and a small "wood stain marker" that matches the color more exactly.  You can find all of these in among the paint aisles in any big box hardware store.  You'll also want some 100 grit and 220 grit sandpaper.

Fill the hole with filler and smooth with the knife.  Let it dry and sand smooth first with the 100 grit then the 220 grit.

Finally, stain the filler to match, and let dry.


I Replaced Pressure Relief Valve on Rinnai water heater (twice!!). New one does not hold ANY pressure I just finished replacing the pressure relief valve on my Rinnai hot water heater. Everything went well, I turned on the cold input and wham, water just started gushing out of the relief valve. All the specs line up on the valves (150 PSI), in fact the new one has a higher BTU/HR rating by a long shot (500,000 old vs 934,000 new).
I have to ask now. Could I have done something wrong during installation? It was all so obvious what to do, teflon tape, screw the valve into the hole, put the drain pipe on the bottom and done.
After inspection of the new valve it appears that the inner gasket had come unseated therefore not letting the valve close. I assumed it was defective, so I exchanged it for a new one, the gasket looked good.
The replacement had a seated gasket, I opened and closed it manually and it seated nicely. I installed, same as before, as soon as I put some water pressure to it, it just started gushing and wouldn't closed. When I removed the 2nd new one, the same thing happened with gasket, it unseated and pinched in the valve.
Now, I know I installed it right, I know it's the "correct" valve, I had them double check in the catalog and specs for our Rinnai:
Valve specs:

Old Valve:

New Valve with defective gasket (on the bottom right inside):

Could the catalog be completely wrong? Could it be possible that 2 valves were defective? It's the only "Pressure Only" valve we could find in town. The rest are all "Temperature and Pressure" with the thermal probe that won't fit in our heater.
Separate question: can you use a T & P valve be removing the probe and have it still work?
EDIT:
The old valve still holds pressure for the most part, it just trickles/drips water out (which is why I'm replacing it)

By any chance had you turned on the water heater BEFORE turning on the cold water supply to it? Because if so, you may have flashed the water to steam instantly, which is what the PRV is there to protect against. The same could have happened if you had not opened a hot water valve somewhere, because the heater would have had trapped air in it and very little water in the chamber, so it again flashed to steam and triggered the valve(s). If on the third try you turned on the water, had a faucet on so that the air flowed out of the heater, THEN turned on the heater, it would have acted normally to heat the water at the designed rate; no flashing to steam, no excess pressure.


How can I calculate the power consumption of an A/C unit? I have an AC unit with the following specs:

Cooling Capacity: 1260 kcal/h, 1.47kW, 5000 Btu/h
Fan Motor Power: 0.034 kW
Current: 0.155 A

My question is how much power does this unit actually consume in an hour? Does it use 1.47kW constantly?

Btw it's a York unit. Is that a good brand?

It will only draw that level of power when the compressor is running.  In normal circumstances it will cycle on and off to chill the cooling element as needed; the rest of the time only the fan will be running to blow air over them.

The amount of power consumed will vary depending primarily on how hot it is and what temperature you have the AC set to.

To find out how much power it's actually using, you'll need to use a power meter of some sort.  I'm partial to the Kill-a-Watt if they're available where you live.


Can I apply full-sized brick to an interior wall if shared with a fireplace? Similar to a previous post, I don't want to use veneer, I want to use real brick. The wall is in my living room and it includes a wood-burning fireplace. The existing wall has what seems like faux stone veneer (haven't demo'd to confirm), floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall.

Existing stone similar to this style (but mine is floor to ceiling wall to wall)
http://www.hotelpicodaurze.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Custom-Wall-Coverings.jpg

If full sized brick walls require proper concrete footings to support the massive amount of weight, then perhaps my existing concrete footings are sufficient since I have a chimney shared with that wall?  I assume the chimney was constructed at the same time as the house.

The chimney is not supported by the floor system, it is built from the ground up with a foundation of concrete under it.

Full 4” brick weigh 40 pounds per square foot so a wall that is 9’ tall and 15’ long would add 5400 lbs to the floor system.

I would want an engineer to approve the area in question to be certain that it can support this added weight with out compromising the integrity of the structure.


Well water in whole-house water filter turning green I've been adding windows to my outdoor shed housing my well and water filter.  The filter looks like the image below.

After adding these windows, I'm now noticing the inside of the filter is green, which I'm attributing to the water now being in sunlight.

We haven't noticed any taste/color/smell issues, but I am concerned about the color.

Do I need to bleach the well, or is cleaning the filter assembly sufficient?

You don't need to experiment with this system. What you have there is algae growth because you have opened up your well house to sunlight. This is a very common problem. Algae is every where, it is in the wind, all around you. Algae needs two things to grow, sunlight and water. You just supplied the sunlight. Eliminate the sunlight and you will not have any growth. I usually recommend to my clients that they make a boot out of insulation for there filter. Or you can simply replace your cartridge housing with a new one that is not clear. The clear ones are nice because you can see your filter and it indicates when to change. But, you already know that because of experience with when to change your filter out. So, Boot over the filter housing or change housings, problem solved.


How can I mount K-728 diverter valve without any clearance behind it? I have a 2x4 wall which doesn't allow for much room (maybe 1/4") behind the diverter valve. I do not want to extend the wall outward into the shower as that would be a headache. How can I secure the diverter valve (and pipes and everything else) into place so it is secure?

I have to wonder if your next problem will be that the valves are too far back in the wall to install the handles when the shower walls are installed. My experience with shower valves (not, I admit, a huge number of them) is that they normally don't sit all the way back in a 2x4 wall cavity when at the correct depth, so there's normally room for a 3/4" board behind them to screw into, at least.

To directly address the mounting issue, assuming they are where they belong, depth-wise: You can either replace a strip of drywall behind it with a board (or plywood) so you have some wood to screw into, or use a steel bracket and machine screws - either one mounts to the studs.


Voltage Between Ungrounded Appliance and Ground I noticed that our stainless steel refrigerator door makes a high pitched feedback sound when I touch it.
Investigating further, I found that the previous owner of the home (who left the fridge) removed the grounding prong from the outlet.
I measured the AC voltage between the door and a nearby grounded outlet and found a voltage of 24v. What's happening here, and is it dangerous?
Answers to questions in comments
The door has a dispenser in it. I cannot tell if it is the door or the person making the noise- it seems to originate from the point of contact and is louder when a better "connection" is made (whole hand vs finger)
The 24v I am measuring is AC. Turns out it is 24 when the fridge is running and 3v while holding temp. The rest of the house is grounded, at least I can test an outlet and get voltage difference between hot and ground.
The PO broke the pin off the plug- the socket in the wall is functional.

Chop the butchered plug off and replace it with a proper grounding plug
Fortunately, the disfavor that the previous homeowner did you by chopping off the grounding pin is fixable.  Simply chop the butchered plug off the cord and replace it with a field-fit type NEMA 5-15 plug, available at any hardware or big-box store.  (Strain relief isn't much of an issue here, as how often do you move the fridge, anyway?)


What is the name of this water source for a whole house humidifier? A plumber told me that the type of water feed I have tends to leak.  I've owned the house for 10 years and it has never leaked, but I would like to think about upgrading. I plan to search the web for DIY instructions. But I have no idea what the feed is called or the name of the better method of feeding water.  So, what is the feed below called and what is the name of the better approach?

These are called "saddle valves" or "vampire taps".  They just poke a hole in the pipe with a little pressure around the hole to seal it.  They almost always leak after some time but they are quick and easy to install.

The right way is to cut the pipe and install a tee fitting that then supplies a standard valve.  You can use push-to-fit connectors these days to make the job simple or you can used a traditional soldering approach.

Because of the number of fittings in that small space and the fact that the pipe is damaged with two saddle valves, you'll be replacing that entire bendy section.


What is the dynamic head capacity of this pump? I am looking to buy a condensate pump that can push water 20' away ( I need to circumvent the fact that I can't slope a drain through the ceiling so I need the pump to push 8' up and then another 10' horizontally through a 3/8" pcv pipe
Specs here: https://littlegiant.com/media/131855/995125_VCMA-20-Series_08-12.pdf
The documentation is poor but a very good review on Amazon is saying the following
The pump’s manual, which is for all models in the VCMA series, is annoyingly vague about certain things, and one of those is the maximum pumping distance and height. The manual I have says the -15 sub-series has a “15 foot shut off”, whatever that means; my guess is that it cannot pump higher than 15 feet, but I don’t know of that is correct. Elsewhere in the same manual, it says, “Route outlet (discharge) tubing or piping from pump straight up as high as necessary. Do not extend higher than 75% of the total dynamic head capacity of the pump.” Nowhere in the manual does it say what the number is. Nowhere on the actual pump does it say how high it can be relied on to operate properly. Suffice it to say that pumping from a basement floor level up to the ceiling, or even up to a sink or drain on the next floor up seems to be within this pump’s capacity. The manual DOES recommend against using a discharge hose or pipe larger than 3/8” ID; apparently use of a wider discharge can result in excessive reverse flow as the pump is shutting off, and maybe the check valve cannot deal with that. It is strongly recommended that the discharge hose/pipe be installed such that it does bend back down near the end, so it should be routed to go up at least a few inches higher than its eventual discharge into a drain.

You have selected the 230v model,  I have the 120V model.  The only standing water will be the 8' vertical to the ceiling and then a slight loop to the horizonal section.  The horizonal should still have a small slope toward the end where the water is discharged.
I cannot tell if your specific model has the check valve in the outlet.  None is described in the link to the pump description.  You will need the check valve.  At 10' vertical rise, it will pump 48gph, so 8' should not be an issue.


Right tool to dig six foot holes? I would like to dig some 6-12 inch diameter dry wells (any diameter in that range will work). The holes need to be at least 6 feet deep to reach the permeable layer of the soil. However, the equipment the local rental agency has will only dig 4-foot deep holes.

What is the right equipment to dig 6-foot holes?

The soil is clay with some sand. There are no rocks. It digs very easy.

Depends a lot on the ground. The advice to call for utility locating ahead of time is spot-on, no matter what you do to dig them.

In my ground, an auger is generally useless, since it will find a rock that it can't shift just about every time, so an excavator or backhoe with a bucket is the only tool (short of a well drilling rig that can drill through the rocks) that's going to work, and the well-drilling rig is far too expensive to set up for such piddly holes.

Well, actually, a pick and a shovel and a clamshell post-hole digger might work, if you want to go cheap and physical, and speed is not of the essence.

In nicer ground than mine, you'd dig some 2 ft deep large holes and then use your 4 ft auger, if cheap and physical and not very fast were your guiding principles, but you preferred renting the auger to a clamshell. In my ground (if not using a backhoe/excavator) I'd go prospecting with the clamshell and then dig a large hole to move the bigger rocks aside and provide room to go deeper with the clamshell.

Beware of climbing into a hole deeper than waist deep that could collapse around you, since that can kill you, which could be regarded as "not cheap."


Drafty gap found in drywall corner during bathroom remodel I bought an older home (built in 1952) about 5 years ago and I am working on the main floor bathroom which was actually an add-on at some point. It's always felt a little drafty even after re-caulking the windows. I found out why today... After removing the poorly hung wallpaper, I found a gap in the drywall in one of the corners. It starts out as a 1/4" gap at the bottom and by the time you get to the ceiling it's almost a 1/2" gap. It's the corner between the shared wall (the kitchen sink is on other side) and the outside wall. What is the best way to fill/seal/repair this gap? Will drywall tape and mud be a strong enough barrier against the cold or should I use something else?

Assuming you have little to no batt insulation at that corner (and there's nothing snug that would hold-up a strip of the same if stuffed into the crack with a putty knife):

Get a 4"-8" wide strip of metal screen (as used in a screen door) and fold it in half.  Insert it into the crack.  Tape it open, to the left and right sides of the gap, respectively, thus creating something onto which an insulating spray foam will attach without falling to the floor of the stud bay. Spray foam using the straw-like attachment, let cure, and trim any protruding excess and in such a way that one forms a proper inside corner for the drywall tape. Note: this stuff expands greatly so go easy with it.

Then, using self-adhesive fiberglass drywall mesh, repair as one would normally do for a small hole.


180º/gooseneck/u-shaped cold air return? I am in the planning stages of moving a cold air return from an inconvenient spot in the floor to a nearby wall. The basic plan is to open up the wall on both sides (cutting one stud and framing in a filter grille box) and cut a smaller hole in the floor on the opposite side of the wall from the filter – the "back" of the wall.

To make this work, the incoming air will need to make a 180º turn from where it passes through the filter to where it enters the main return flex duct in the basement (16", if that matters). We don't have a lot of room on the back side of the wall, so need a compact solution – <14" outside the back side of the wall – that won't create excessive noise. The system specifies 850 cfm.

What parts/products should I use to route the air like that? I know there are companies that create custom returns, which I'm open to if the price is reasonable, but is there an off-the-shelf solution? Is this just a bad idea to start with?

-- Edit --

Here's a sketch:

If you want to go completely amateur, you could just stuff it all in there. However, that's going to result in a significant decrease in airflow and will result in a lot of strain on your air handler's blower motor.

The cross-sectional area of at 16" ID duct is about 200 square inches. That's the number you need to match or exceed to maintain the same possibility of airflow.

Since you are using a rectangular vent and you only have 14 inches of depth, let's figure out how big of a rectangular duct you need. 200 / 14 = 14.3 inches. 14x14? That's pretty close to some of the standard sizes, like 10x20. But since you have to make 2 90 degree bends, up-sizing is a good idea. Also, a larger grate can help reduce airflow noise. So I would go for 12x24, which is almost 50% larger.

So at your local home improvement center, you can try and get a 12x24 filter grate, two 12x24 90 degree rigid metal ducts, and a 12x24 to 16 ID adapter.

However, it's likely you will not find those exact pieces. So what you can do instead is get a few sheets of duct board and make a duct. Duct board is like a rigid piece of insulation rated for HVAC airflow. You will also need a 16 inch collar to attach your flex duct to your new box.

In your case, I would make your duct box extend down through the floor (where you have your two question marks) and attach your flex tube to the face of a duct board. This way you minimize the number of bends you put in the flex tube.


finishing a tile to tile edge The previous owner re-tiled the master bath floor. There are two places that look unfinished. The first is where the floor tile meets the bath tub tile:

And the second is where the tile meets the cabinets:

How do we finish these two interfaces?

Caulk.   Something that matches your floor grout is preferred so go with a regular or even sanded colored silicone caulk (I have used this).   I did notice that some of the tile is butted on the other tile and some with a good 1/8-1/4" gap.   I would lay a layer of caulk down on the large gaps flat to tile.   Let it dry two days then put a layer that is beveled throughout so that you have about 1/8" bead on the "top" of each tile piece.


My inflatable hot tub says "don't use with an extension cord"... but can I? Sadly they don't explain WHY not to use it with an extension cord. I wonder if it's to do with the risk of having such connections outside in the elements?

The cord it comes with is 7m long, and where we want to site it is 6m from our outhouse. I've drilled a 1ft long hole through the stone wall of the outhouse to thread the spa's cord through... But once in the OH the plug still ends up 3m away from the socket. Would it be considered ok to run a standard 13A indoors extension cord to bridge the gap?

The OH socket is grounded (I'm in the UK) and on an RCD-protected circuit, and the spa has an RCD in its cord (and another in the pump/heating unit, I think).

Maybe their concern is voltage drop in the thinner conductors of a typical extension cord. Maybe I can buy a "heavy duty" one which would be largely equivalent to wiring a new socket in?

Or do I need to just admit defeat and wire a new socket in?

Thanks

I think you have likely answered your own question. The use of an extension cord could cause a voltage drop, especially since the factory cord is long already and the spa probably has an electric motor that would be damaged by voltage drop. Also, cord/plug connections are not weatherproof.

This is a CYA (cover-your-arse) by the manufacturer. Your plan of using a short heavy duty cord (same wire gauge as the factory cord) with the connections indoor should be fine.


Does my travertine-tiled shower have thin set leaking out the bottom? I have shower tiled with travertine and along the entire bottom a thick almost rubber-like substance is slowly leaking out. It is a grey / black color. I'm assuming it is thin set that wasn't mixed properly and never completely set up. Should I be concerned, and if so what should I do about it?

I suspect that's butyl sealant that a lazy installer used to prevent moisture from wicking up behind the tile, avoiding a trip to the hardware store. You might carefully trim it off with a razor blade and cover it with what should have been used in the first place: "tub & tile caulk".

Thinset has only two consistencies: powdery when dry and concrete-like after exposure to moisture.


Replacing LU70 High Pressure Sodium Bulb with LED? I have a bunch of older outdoor light fixtures with this bulb in them:

LU70 medium base like this

There are about 5 of these and I'm considering replacing the bulbs with LED replacements. I don't know much about them though. Is it "safe" for me to replace them with a regular outdoor-rated LED lightbulb to save electricity?

Any recommendations on a particular bulb or type?

Thanks!

Funny, I just replaced one of these last week for the first time.  Both the counter guy at the electrical supply counter and the bulb manufacturer ( paperwork in the package  of a high output LED bulb with the same "A" type screw base) gave the same instructions.

"By-pass the transformer and all associated hardware and wire the socket direct".  While you can just screw in the new bulb, it is not designed for a transformer and ballast(?) that the lu70  needs.   Easy job, I just didn't know there was even a transformer in the housing.   I would have probably ruined the $55 replacement LED if I hadn't listened to the pros.


How can you stop dual pocket doors so they close in the center and do not come off the track New pocket doors installed, but if you close the doors and maybe one is beyond the center, it comes off the track. What can be done to stop the doors in the center?

Usually there is a metal stop (like an angle bracket) inside the top track area that stops each door at the center. If you cut away the top corner of the door you could use wood, metal is thin enough that it's often not bothered with, or could be done (if looking for perfect closure) but is a much smaller cut.

You could also block the track to stop the wheels at the proper position, but it's harder to get right.


Why is my A/C unit running when the heater runs? So it finally got cold here in AZ. We switched our thermostat from A/C to Heat. Now for some reason when the electric heater runs, the A/C condenser unit outside kicks on too. This is our first winter here in the house. The vents do blow warm air, not hot, but warm.

Where do I start looking? Is it possible it is just a thermostat issue? or could it be a bigger problem?

Are you sure the AC isn't actually a heat pump? A heat pump looks about the same as an AC, but in winter it runs in reverse to pump heat into, instead of out of, the house. Examine the markings on the outdoor unit and see if it's a heat pump. If so, this is normal.


Cold air from gap underneath kitchen cabinets My kitchen is next an exterior wall of my house. Unfortunately there is a constant flow of cold air coming from underneath the cabinets into the kitchen itself.

Here is a picture of the cabinets:

After taking a closer look, I realized that there is a 1" gap underneath the cabinets that seemed to be the source of the issue:

My guess is that the gap was left there because of the vent, but it's making the floor (and that whole area of the home) very chilly.

What is the best way to safely fill the gap (given the nearby vent) and prevent the flow of cold air?

Usually cabinet makers don't try to seal the gap between the toekick and the cabinet box.  What's most likely happening is there is an opening in your drywall behind the cabinets for plumbing or electrical that the installers did not seal, and that is your source of cold air.

Since getting to that is near impossible (without dismantling the cabinets) your're going to have to settle for plugging the gap.  Maybe some fiberglass cut to fit, and some plastic tape to seal.  The space under that cabinets may run the whole length of the assembly.  It will be a kludge no matter what.  Just make it look semi-reasonable.

That register; is it a return or a supply?   A return may just come up in the floor, and they cut the toekick to provide flow.  A supply should be ducted to the register cover.


Timer Switch Problem I'm trying to replace a basic on/off switch for the fan in my powder room with a timer switch (which requires a neutral). The timer switch comes with red, white & black wires, the same as what the old fan switch was connected to.

In the same box there's also a light switch which is also connected to another on/off switch in the next room. In speaking to the timer mfg they told me it won't work with a 3 way switch. Instead of returning it I'm assuming there must be a way to separate the fan from the 3 way switch so it'll work.

The old on/off switch had a red & white wire coming from a romex and it had a black wire (power I'm assuming) that connected to a number of other black wires.

Can I get this timer to work??  Thx!

Here's a pic. The 3 wires with the orange caps are what the old on/off fan switch were attached to (which had 1 black & 2 brass screws). The light (motion sensor switch pictured) works independent of the fan. The mfg said the timer switch I bought won't work in a 3 way after he saw this pic. So I'm trying to figure out how to get around the 3 way. A light switch in the next room can also turn this light on and off (and I don't need it if that helps).

Timer Switch This is the timer switch I bought and yes I'm open to buying another digital timer if its easier to hook up.

Here's a better pic, hope it helps (again, the orange screw caps are on the wires that were connected to the old fan switch).

Here's a wiring diagram. There's a 5th romex at the bottom of the box. There is only 1 switch which controls the fan & I think the white wire went to the black screw on the old switch.

My wiring diagram is correct. It's an optical illusion in the photo. The white & red with the orange caps come from the same romex.

Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks everyone!

Thanks Phase 3 & Harper for your answers!

Harper I had a question. You said "OK, since you say only one switch operates it, I assume the 3-way switch at the other end has been disabled. Okay, all three wires in cable 3 get disconnected and capped off (2 of them already are)." The switch in the next room still controls the light (only) and nothing has been disabled. Does that affect your answer?

Harper - I tried your answer and the timer works! Problem now is that the light doesn't work. :-)  Since you assumed the 3-way switch at the other end was disabled, I disconnected the wires on that switch (in the other room) and capped them off. Would this have caused the light not to work or do we have another issue? Thanks.

I put the wires back on the switch in the other room and everything works!! Thanks!

The good news: you have all the wires you need

The good news is that you have all the wires you'll ever need here.  The bottom cable and the leftmost top cable carry always-hot and neutral, while the center-left cable goes onward to the other light switch with its travelers and neutral.  What's more important to us, though, is that the center-right cable is a spur to the other 3-way location for the fan, with both of its travelers (red/white) and the black switched-hot, which then goes off into the far-right cable to the fan alongside neutral.

The bad news: you'll need a different timer if you want 3-way support

As you have discovered, most electronic (pushbutton) countdown timers, yours included, are built down to a price, and thus only support single pole control.  There are countdown timers of this style that support 3-way control, but they require that a matching companion switch device be installed at the other location, which just means we have to do a bit more work.

Matching the style of your original device leaves us with one option, unfortunately, though, and that's the Leviton Vizia LTB30-1LZ paired with a VP0SR-10Z remote.  This gives you the classical "pushbutton timer" functionality at the main location that you are looking for as well as ON/OFF operation at the other location.

As to the hookup

Fortunately, the LTB30-1LZ (or one of its LTBxx brethren, depending on the timeouts you want) isn't too hard to hook up, even with the remote involved.  With the power off at the breaker, of course, we start wiring this with the remote 3-way location as follows:

White from the old switch goes to the WH (neutral) terminal on the remote
Black from the old switch gets capped off with a wirenut
Red from the old switch goes to the YL/RD (traveller) terminal on the remote
And the ground from the old switch goes to the green ground screw on the remote; if the dimmer is any indication, you may have to add a ground pigtail to the existing ground bundle.

You can then button up the remote location, and move onto the timer location, which gets wired as follows:

First, the black switched-hot wire in the far-right cable (heading onward to the fan) gets tagged with (preferably red) electrical tape, as we'll need to distinguish it later on
We then move onto undoing both wirenuts of black wires, and combining all the untagged black wires with the black wire from the timer into a single wirenut
The white wire going off to the other switch location gets incorporated into the existing neutral bundle along with the white wire from the timer
The red wire going off to the other switch location gets nutted to the yellow/red wire from the timer
The tagged black switched-hot from before gets nutted to the red wire from the timer
And the existing ground bundle has the green wire from the timer, as well as a ground pigtail to the dimmer's green ground screw, incorporated into it

Once this is all wired up, you can button the box up, turn the power back on at the breaker, and enjoy your new timer!


Does code allow a main-lug-only panel connected to the meter lugs? We have a single family home with 200 amp service. One main breaker inside the house.

We needed a 220v 40amp power supply outside.   Instead of running a circuit from our main breaker, he connected a Main lug only panel w/ 6 breaker spaces to the the source power within the meter can.  He pulled the meter to do this, and it IS connected on the correct side of the meter. Can the main lugs in the meter can be double tapped like this and still be within code?

Additional information:  there is no main disconnect for the main panel (or the new MLO panel) outside at the meter.  There is no shutoff breaker at the MLO panel, but I believe that is standard.

No permit was pulled but part of the terms were that all work would be done within NEC & local code.

Can the main lugs in the meter can be double tapped like this and
  still be within code?

The short answer is NO. NEC 110.14 States: Terminals for more than one conductor ... Shall be so identified. I have never found a 200A residential 120/240V meter base that had an identified multi-tap fitting, and the utility companies I have worked with forbid it.

That being said, it is allowed to have a maximum of 6 service disconnects at the meter. So it is not unusual to put a small panel beside an existing Main and add an extra breaker and leave space for additions. All that is wrong is that there must be something like a junction box added and tap the conductors there instead of at the lug.

If you electrician balks about it you can always get the AHJ or the utility company involved and see what they have to say. At least I would contact the owner (not the electrician in the field) of the contracting company and see if they want to get them involved as a tie breaker.

Hope this helps.


Tile layout on the diagonal to minimize cutting I am tiling a bedroom floor with 20" tile on the diagonal.  Is there a way to layout the tile so as to minimize cutting?  I am fine with trying the layout in reality and making adjustments to it as needed.  I can also work with graph paper.

No, there isn't. You'll want to follow a common strategy of either running a full tile or a joint down the center of the room so that the rows at the edges look appropriate. Snap one or two chalk lines on the floor as references, then snap one or two at 90 degrees to get your joint lines straight.
With a wet saw these types of cuts are not difficult nor time consuming. With a helper you can lay tile almost as fast as you can mark the cuts. Once you work out a strategy for measuring it's easy.


Should I pull triplex 4/0 though conduit before laying it in the trench? I am going to be pulling some Triplex 4/0 4/0 2/0 though 2 1/2" conduit. Do you think I should pull it before putting it in the trench to make it easier? The trench is pretty much straight, with slight curve in beginning and end.

Assemble and bury the conduit. THEN pull wire.
You have to fully assemble the conduit, have it inspected if your inspector requires that, backfill it and - important - tamp it, especially the corners.  All BEFORE you start pulling any wires into it.
First-time conduit novices always think it will be "easier" to lay all the wire out and thread the conduit sticks over the wire.  I do a ton of conduit, and that doesn't sound "easier" at all, it sounds like the most difficult possible way to do it!  It really works much better to pull!  Of course, if that skill isn't in your repertoire yet, I can understand that -- I myself am terrified of drywall work.
What tends to coexist with the "assemble the conduit around the wires" way of thinking, is also a dastardly plan to build conduit in a way it would be impossible to pull.  For instance, using a plumbing elbow instead of a proper sweep, facing the LB against the wall so the access door can't be opened later, etc.   That's not allowed, and realistically, you'll hate yourself later if you do it.
Now, if you are using cable that is certified to be used alone (in walls or underground), then it is allowed to use conduit selectively, solely as a damage shield to protect certain segments of the cable run.  An example is when you do direct burial, and you are required to use a stick and a sweep of conduit simply to protect the wires on the "Stub-up".  In that case yeah, you thread conduit over cable, but it's only a stick or two.  If you have used conduit like that before, then I can understand that thinking.   And if you want to do that, then simply trench to 26" instead of 21" and just do direct burial.  Easy peasy. (however you will never be able to change or upgrade the wire, and that may be a huge problem because...)
Generally, when running conduit the entire route, you want to run THWN or XHHW individual wires.  Cables are much stiffer (the same way a ream of copier paper is stiff until you take the wrapper off, then, it's a noodle).  This also lets you select exactly the sizes you want, as selection is better in individual wires.
Why are you running triplex anyway?
In almost all cases, triplex is the wrong stuff. Triplex is only allowed between the weatherhead, through the meter, and to the very first breaker or disconnect.  Beyond that, everything must be quadplex - separate neutral and ground.
Now some say "But the meter is out at a pole, and this is the run between meter and house".  Sure, except didn't the power company/inspector require you to have a main disconnect out at the pole?  I bet they did.  Then it needs to be 4-wire.


Wiring Ethernet through Telephone Cable I have been researching this for some time now and feel that I am almost ready to begin. I have run into a slight problem though that I can't seem to find any answers for. The telephone cables in my house are all connected to one single cable and they branch off from each other at each telephone jack. If I make the ethernet connection at the central cable will this run ethernet to every telephone jack in my home? Assuming I retrofit the correct connections on the ends of course. Every video tutorial I've seen on this have several phone lines running from the box to their respected telephone jack, which would make this much easier.

Nope! Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) jacks were usually daisy chained as you describe. Ethernet requires a "home run" from each jack to a modem, router or switch. Also, it's probably cat-3 which is unsuitable for Ethernet.
EDIT:  Based on comments (which sometimes go away, but answers don't), I'm adding to my answer here:  According to others Cat-3 can be used for limited ethernet service (I wouldn't recommend it), but every jack would have to be wired in a home run configuration, which is uncommon for POTS wiring.   Next:  As others commented, the POTS wiring might not even be Cat-3, it could be 4 wire cable (Red, Green, Yellow, Black) which was very commonly used back in the day, which wouldn't work at all.


Trouble removing old wide-spread faucet I'm having several issues removing an old widespread faucet from my sink and could use a hand in naming a few pieces and trying to determine if I can remove this thing with existing tools or will i have to cut it out with a rotary tool.

Lets look at some pics shall we, top half of the photo is the faucet with the pfister marquis styled handle covers removed.

Bottom left of image is of stem underneath handle, I can't unscrew that rounded, bronze colored cap, have sprayed copious amounts of WD40 on there, not sure if loosening that nut will allow access to area that can help in removing handle from topside.

Bottom right of image is of down stem and brass fittings from underneath.  The basin nut is something I have never seen or heard of, can't find n image of it online.  Would be nice if someone could point me to the name of that thin threaded nut with the square notches in it:

Even if I had a tool to loose that nut (basin wrench will not grab ahold of it due to its slim profile), how would I remove that brass tee fitting there?  It doesn't look like that tee is section is attached to anything, looks like all one piece.   when I used the basin wrench the tee fitting, the whole thing spun around together. So I'm officially confused and a bit frustrated after looking at this situation for 3 hours.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Our house is from 1970 and we have three of the exact same model faucets. The handle in particular is a bit rough on the hands so we were eager to replace. The drain cover says Price-Pfister.

Similar to above, the spanner nut was in there tight. On one of the replacements, I was able to use a type of hook wrench pictured to function as a way to hold it in place while I turned the underside of the spigot clockwise. This caused it to loosen. On another, I had to spray some WD40 on there to loosen it then once again hold it in place while I turned the underside of the spigot clockwise.

On both there was no budging the top assembly. Essentially you have to loosen it enough to be able to pull and expose enough spigot to take a mini hacksaw and saw it a little more than halfway. It takes about 10 minutes. After that it bends and breaks rather easily. Fortunately I did not need to break out the Dremel tool.


Central AC Is not Cold My AC will turn on but will not blow out cold. I'm rebuilding the whole system, ductwork and all.

I've shorted the thermostat's red (power), yellow (a/c compressor), and green (fan) wires together. The handler and compressor are both running. However, the system blows out room-temperature air.

What could be the issue? I haven't run the system for over a year, so it could have gone bad at any time really. Only thing I can think of, is that possibly the refrigerant is low, but I have no idea how to check it. The insulated refrigerant line doesn't seem to be getting cold. The compressor and interior of the handler are mostly clean - a little dirt/dust, but I doubt that it'd totally starve the system.

Is there a way to narrow down my search some more?

Here is the thing, if you don't know what you're doing with respect to an HVAC system, then please call a licensed professional.  There is the potential for injury to yourself and others if you do the wrong thing.  It's also illegal to handle many refrigerants without a license in many locations.


Necessary to tape ceiling-wall joint if installing moulding? Just got my drywall up in a room that I will be installing crown moulding in.
Is taping the joints where the ceiling meets the wall necessary if its just going to be covered up? I've heard mixed answers, some including just using a single layer of firetape.

You can do what you like unless local codes require otherwise.
It does not have to be pretty, since it will be hidden, but two benefits of bothering to tape and mud the joint (at least crudely) are better fire performance and not making life easier for your insect friends crawling around the house. A third would be somewhat less air leakage.


edge gluing more wood onto butcher block countertops to make them wider? Question is: can I take same width strips of the same species wood - ideally from another section of same-brand butcher block, and then glue and clamp it to the butcher block countertop to make it wider??

Background information:

We just finished installing our new kitchen cabinets, and, because the walls of the old house are so bowed, there's over an inch gap between the top backs of the cabinets and the wall even with the bottom of the cabinets pushed all the way against the wall.

This means that the countertops will need to be an inch wider than normal, which is putting a kink in our plans to use butcherblock which is sold at 25" wide. We need it to be closer to 27" wide!

We chose Baltic Birch butcher block countertops from Menards, a lot cheaper than other species from Lumber Liquidators and I think they'll be better than the ones from IKEA. I don't have a lot of experience with birch, other then plywood, but it is supposed to be just as hard/durable as oak and takes stain similarly to maple.

The sizes that Menards carries is limited: they have 4 and 8 foot lengths of 25" wide boards, and a 6' length of 36" wide. The cabinets are 24" wide, and need at least 1/2" overhang past the drawer fronts, which are 3/4" wide - so that's more then 25" wide! Why would they make the countertops only 25" wide??? And then our peninsula will need an even wider countertop because the 3/4" backer panel makes it that much wider. So the plan is to buy the 36" wide countertop for that section, rip two 3" wide strips off of that to glue to the other sections. Does that sound reasonable?

Also, feel free to share your opinion of wooden countertops in the comments :) We want wood for it's looks and I just love wood personally, but we're also looking at laminate because it can take a beating a lot better. That being said, if we stick with the butcherblock idea, I will use Rubio Monocaots because it's supposed to have the water/stain resistance of poly yet the feel, looks and repairability of penetrating oil. And you don't have to apply it once a month. Your thoughts?

Thanks! Edit: I've attached a photo of what I came up with for the dimensions of the countertops that we'll need. At the moment, there's a needed 7" section I can't quite squeeze out of the 3 pieces, so we'll probably need to buy an extra 4' long piece.

Maybe you could stand a piece up and create a backsplash on the back side against the wall? Or if you are worried about the glued piece snapping off, put it on the back wall side and glue it there. Thats how butcher block and cutting boards (unless solid slab) is made by the way, they glue pieces together and clamp tight. If you attach tot eh back wall side, you could pre-drill holes and use screws instead of clamps. You have lots of options.


Will a shade sail have too much pull on 4x4x12' posts? I have a 22'x16' shade sail like the one found here.

I have 4x4x12' (pressure treated) posts that I wanted to use for each corner. I will be pouring cement and using simpson post base brackets and bolting the post to the bracket (I am not sinking the post in cement).

My question is, will the tension on the sail pull the 4x4s inward too much or should I go with 6x6? To get the sail to not sag, you use turn buckles to tighten the distance between the sail and post. I know this heavily depends on how tight I make the sail. Any insight on this?

It isn't a question of post size. Well, it is, but you have bigger concerns: The brackets will not serve your purpose. They're mostly designed to anchor the base of the post, and to keep it off the concrete. They don't provide nearly enough stability to keep a post standing under load.

Your posts must be embedded a substantial distance into the concrete. 1:3 is a good rule of thumb for anything carrying lateral loads. (Heck, the concrete does nothing at all for you in your scenario.) Or they must be supported with rigid crossbars or diagonals of adequate length.

If your posts will actually be 12' above ground, and they're not supported with any sort of diagonal bracing, you will want 6x6s (or at least 4x6s). 4x4s will flex and bounce substantially at that height.


Carpet company wants to charge me for the waste they will have left over. Is this normal? My floor measures out at 296 sq ft, but the carpet company wants to charge me for 330 sq ft.  Their reasoning is that they are not charging me for the actual square feet of total area, but for the carpet they are bringing with them to do the job which includes the remnants that will be left over.  Is this typical or are there shady happenings?

It's totally normal. Carpet comes on rolls in widths from 11'6" to 13'. They need to cut off a chunk of that roll to fit the room.

It's the reason why if you're carpeting a 10x10' room, you can't buy 100sqft of carpet: they'll charge you for more like 120sqft (12' roll, 10' long).

It also depends on the layout of the room, and where they put seams (if necessary). Eg: an L-shaped room has a couple different ways to lay out the carpet, and depending the layout and where the seams are, you'll use a different amount.

A good installer will also consider traffic: if there are seams, you don't want them right in front of a door way, or preferably not running down the middle of a high traffic pathway. I think they also avoid putting seams within a foot or so of walls (so there isn't a narrow strip of carpet running along the wall). All of these things may end up using more carpet than a layout optimized just to minimize scrap, but will result in a much better looking and longer lasting install.

The other factor is in patterned carpets, they will use a bit more since the patterns need to line up. The bigger the pattern, the more is scrap needed to keep it in line.

The important bit is to keep the scrap carpet, unless you really don't need it, since you
paid for it. Often there is a good size chunk, which can be used for many things:

Large door mat
In front of fire places
Padding for moving/storage
Google has many more


How can I determine the size of a hanging toilet mechanism? We would like to install a hanging toilet in an area that is 65cm wide, which is fine for us. However someone told us that the mechanism of a hanging toilet (that's hidden in the back wall) needs at least a width of 70cm. How can I determine if this is true?

You also need to be sure your water pressure is adequate (as in high psi). A wall mounted toilet doesn't use a reservoir, but relies on high water pressure for complete flushes.


Can I ground my workbench using an unused outlet's neutral? I haven't found any advice on my specific predicament, so I'll ask here. First, some background.

I just moved into a house with old electrical wiring (read: ungrounded outlets). Unfortunately, the area where I'll be working with static-sensitive devices (microcontrollers and similar devices) is in a carpeted area and the humidity here is very low. In other words, I will likely want to start using a wrist strap and anti-static mat for my work. However, I don't have anything to ground to.

While I know connecting ground to neutral in an actively used outlet is a silly idea, I'm wondering if it would be alright to use the neutral connection of an unused outlet to ground my mat and wristband. Since the outlet is unused the neutral wire should never be energized and always grounded.

If this is not a reasonable idea, does anyone have any better suggestions? (Rewiring is not an option for me as it's not my house.)

If it is a reasonable idea, I'm curious if it would also be safe to ground an active outlet with the neutral wire of an unused outlet. Not that I plan on doing that, I'm just curious if that makes sense (it seems like it would theoretically be fine given my understanding of how individual outlets are wired).

Do not do this.

If you ever ended up with a break in the neutral between the outlet and the panel, you would have electrified your workbench and wrist band.


Is snow piled against the outer wall likely to cause damp? My question is basically that recently we have had a lot of snow, some of it is high enough to be over the damp-proof course (DPC).  Should I be worried about this, or would damp penetration take longer than the snow takes to clear?

Here in Alberta this turns out to be a non-problem.  What tends to happen is that the snow slides off the roof, stacks against the house.  Within a day or so, heat from house melts a finger sized crevasse and the snow is no longer touching the house.

Assuming that there is reasonable siding on the house this is a non-worry item IMHO.

If however, the ground is impervious to water penetration, and you start getting a pool of water at the base of this crack, then watch that carefully that it doesn't get above the foundation course.  If this happens, you need to create drainage to take care of it.  I've not seen this happen in our climate.


Vibration dampening solution to stop extractor fan / dishwasher vibration? I am getting vibrations from some other flat's downstairs dish washer / extractor fan / air conditioning. We're not exactly sure what what is causing it - we can't determine it. In fact, it could be anything - I am at a total loss to track down its source.

However, it is disturbing my sleep. It is not audible anywhere. None of the other flats I have asked know what it could be / or if they do aren't admitting it. It is definitely not a washing machine because it goes on too long to be that. It can go on for hours at a time

What solutions could you recommend? Vibration dampening under the feet of my bed? If so what type of dampening would remove these very small vibrations? The vibration is very subtle (you can't even see the surface of a glass of water move), but it is noticeable when trying to sleep and is very annoying!

Are the feet of the bed on carpet or hardwood?  I am assuming hardwood, but I would start with dampening blocks like DA01 has suggested or something like these Vibration Isolation Pads, they can be cut to fit underneath the bed posts.  Good luck!


Cutting down blinds (Specifically metal frame - not the blind itself) I have some blinds that have metal side pieces made from (I believe) aluminum. The sides are runners that the blinds and the handle slide up and down in.

The problem is that these are about 5mm too long for the height of the window so I need to cut them down. I know nothing about DIY and have few tools :P

What tools do I need to do this? I assume some kind of hand saw might do? Or is there a power tool? I don't mind spending a little money on a tool that I can use in future for other projects. But specifically what do I need to cut through thin metal reasonable neatly.

Any advice welcome, I want to learn (Even if it's you should get someone in to do it!)

The hand tool for cutting metal is called a hacksaw. For neater cuts, select a blade with fine (narrowly spaced) teeth.

There are many kinds of hacksaws available, but for this use you'd want a traditional one. There are mini hacksaws which might be cheaper but a larger one will make the work faster and the cuts smoother.

After you cut, you can smooth the edges using some sandpaper or a medium/fine sanding sponge. Be careful as you handle the piece because cut metal edges can be sharp.