How can I be sure if my toilet flapper is broken My bathroom has been acting funny for some time. Water would not stop running from the fill valve initially. I noticed the old fill valve had a bended holder arm, so the float couldn't stay flat. I thought it was a fill valve problem, so I replaced the fill valve. After the replacement, water still runs into the water tank about every 5 mins, which is arguably better than before. Last night, I put food coloring in the water, and turned off the valve. This morning, the water in the tank is almost all gone, and the water in the toilet bowl is red, meaning water went from the tank to the bowl somehow.
I don't see any visible water flow that goes into the bowl. I'm wondering if I should definitely change the flapper, or if there is anything else I should check first.

If there's no red water on the floor then the flapper is the most likely problem. Run your finger over the plastic rim that the flapper sits on. It should be very smooth with no ridges or cracks. If it's good, then replace the flapper. There only a few bucks at your home store and only takes a few minutes to replace.


Can I use any shaped bulbs in a lamp if the base is the correct size? Been using the A19 bulb shape my whole life for things like fixtures & lamps. But is it okay to use different shaped bulbs as long as the base is the correct version?

I always presumed if a lamp has a E26 base, I must use an A19 bulb. Is this true?

No problem at all as long as:

The bulb doesn't touch the fixture (except the base, of course)
Heat is dissipated properly. Usually not a problem as newer CFL and Led bulbs often use far less power and generate far less heat than the fixture can handle


Refrigerator freezer is building up ice on inside bottom floor We keep getting at least 2-3" of ice on the inside bottom floor of our refrigerator freezer.

Two likely possibilities that I have seen over the years:
Blocked drain
This used to be quite common on GE side-by-side refrigerator/freezers, but maybe on others as well. Frost-free freezers aren't truly frost free. They create frost and them melt it away, it then drains into a pan somewhere to evaporate. If the drain hole clogs, ice builds up in the bottom of the freezer.
Gasket
When the gasket wears out, moist air can get into the freezer. The moisture condenses and then freezes on the bottom. If this is the problem replacing the gasket is the solution - usually fairly easy but also a relatively expensive part and specific to each model because it has to be exactly the right length & width.


Where can I connect the C wire on the A/C side? I’m trying to replace my thermostat with the Honeywell Smart-WiFi thermostat. Quick summary, I have an extra yellow wire which I’m making the C wire, but its not connected at the other end and I’m not sure where it should go.
This picture is with the original connections to the previous thermostat. There is no C wire. Labels are:
W = white
Y = blue
G = green
R = red
yellow wire left over, not connected

Here’s the photo of the new thermostat wall plate. Labels are:
C = common
R = red
W = white
Y = blue
G = green

I’ve since removed the R to Rc jumper loop.
Of the 5-wires that lead from the thermostat, on the A/C end they connect as follows:
thermostat blue connected to small white to small green to thick brown w/ a "C" label on it.
thermostat red connects to thicker red wire  w/ label "R"
thermostat white connects to thicker white wire w/ label "W"
thermostat green connects to thicker green wire w/ label "G"
yellow is left unconnected

Just a note, I'm getting the feeling the blue wire is actually common because it's connected to another incoming wire that is labeled "C", but on the thermostat end, it's labeled "Y". Should I maybe just pair the yellow to the same wire labeled "C" near the A/C end?
Any help much appreciated.

After looking closely at the images you've supplied, this is what it appears is going on in the last photo.

From what I know about HVAC systems, I would guess a broader view of the system would look something like this.

The transformer supplies power to the thermostat through the RED wire.
The BLUE wire serves as the COOL call from the thermostat.
The BLUE wire connects to the WHITE wire, which is connected to the coil of the contactor in the condensing unit.
The GREEN wire is the other side of the contactor coil.
The GREEN wire connects to the BROWN wire, which is the other side of the transformer (C).

When the thermostat calls for COOL, the BLUE wire is energized. This energizes the WHITE wire leading to the contactor, which pulls the contactor closed. The GREEN wire connects to the BROWN wire, which leads back to the transformer, thus completing the circuit.

Therefore, if you want to use the YELLOW wire as C. You should include it in the twist-on wire connector with the GREEN and BROWN wire.

You'll just want to make sure the transformer is sized properly to supply the additional current draw of the thermostat.

If it were me, I'd rewire it so that the YELLOW wire was the COOL call, and the BLUE wire was C. As that's a more common color coding.


How can I fix a door that doesn't close because it doesn't fit the frame? Two closet doors in my house won't close all the way. When they are about 85% closed, it stops because the top of the door is rubbing up against the frames. It looks like I need to move the door down about 3-6 inches a half inch. The doors are hollow except for about a foot on the top and bottom.

I want to avoid having to take the door and hinges off and redoing the hinges. Is there anyway I can avoid that? A step by step would be very helpful, even if there is no way to do it without moving the hinges.

If you're having the same problem I had, and it's a case of rubbing but the door could be forced closed (so it's just slightly off), I just made a note of where it was rubbing with a bit of crayon (wipes off easily), then took a small hand plane to shave down that area slightly.

Unfortunately, I also made the mistake of passing off the plane to my house mate, who wasn't familiar with its use, and he ended up taking a chunk off of his bedroom door.  I have no idea how he managed to do it.  So, for using a plane -- you want long strokes, and try to shave the door off -- if it gets caught and starts splitting the grain, stop, move back further, and then lightly shave down past where you had the problem.


Can I sieve pre-mixed concrete for thin applications? I have bought a pre-mix "multi purpose" concrete. The mix appears to be mixed with sand and small stones.
I have seen Creating a concrete mix with smooth texture which is about how to make it smooth and this kind of answered my question but, I'm not totally fussed about it being smooth (well, I am, but that isn't my question)
The issue I have is, I'm leveling a floor by a tiny amount but the size of the stones are too big and I can't taper it as I'd like. This means at one side, the concrete may have a a height of 3 inches, and the other, 1mm.
I've put down a bonding agent, I've mixed the concrete, spread it out and of course, with stones/pebbles over 1mm high, I can't get it smooth/low enough enough in height.
I don't understand why there are these bigger stones in the mix. My own research shows nothing. My own brain tells me, it's to fill it out to reduce cost! If the stones were removed, more stand/cement would be needed and cost would go up.
If my brain is right, could I have sieved the mix first (and then add water as expected) to remove the larger stones to have produced a thinner surface (and would it still set)?

Aggregate gives concrete much of its strength. Stone is much stronger than common cement mixes, and the pebbles create interior reinforcement that's critical to performance. The gravel also reduces cost and water consumption, but that's not relevant here.
The problem with your plan is that standard concrete isn't designed to be structurally sound in such thin applications. It will be very brittle and prone to shattering.
Products that are designed for thin applications tend to have additives, such as vinyl or latex, which make them much more flexible and robust in thin applications. They're the right thing for the job. They'll also be much easier to work as they don't tear as readily when troweling.


How do I repair nail holes in cement board? The transition strip between my tile bathroom floor and my carpeted bedroom floor is coming up. The nails that (should) hold the transition strip in place are nailed into what looks like concrete backer board that is installed underneath the bathroom tile. The concrete board extends about 3/8” beyond the tile. The nail holes are too close to the edge of the concrete board and as a result they have completely blown out the nail holes.

How do I fix this?

I have another transition strip and plenty of nails exactly like the ones installed. My plan is to repair the nail holes with some sort of filler material, and then install the new transition strip. Would JB Weld work as a suitable filler material? Is there another approach I could use?

I would glue down the backboard - glue in the holes if need be too - and then install transition using longer nails/screws or just glue (liquid nails variety).


How do I deal with vapour barrier for central vac inlets in exterior walls? I'm retrofitting a central vac system, and it will be easiest to put a couple of the inlets in the exterior wall between the garage and the house (the vacuum itself is going in the garage). One benefit of this is I have relatively easy access to the wall from the outside, since I can remove the drywall in the garage.

The inlets I'm using are "Electra valves", which means they have 120V power via a pigtail connection, in addition to the low-voltage signal wire. The box is not an enclosed box,

What should I do with the vapour barrier? I am thinking to just form a small pocket around this whole thing, and then tape up the holes where the wires go through, and tape around the 2" suction line. Good idea, bad idea?

While I could locate these on interior walls, it is much less convenient, as I have to come in through the basement and route around some existing pipes, wiring and vents -- I will end up having several elbows and several extra feet of piping (both things you want to minimize in vac systems), and the resulting inlet placement is no better or worse than if I do the exterior wall.

UPDATE: Completed, using the method Paul described. Everything is 6-mil vapour barrier.

I tried to leave as little air in this pocket as possible, despite it being fairly large. I wanted to ensure there was enough room for the wires to move around when attaching/removing the faceplate from inside, which there easily is.

Though it's not apparent in the picture, I used a separate loop of tape going around the wires so there isn't even a gap, kind of like this:

"I am thinking to just form a small pocket around this whole thing, and then tape up the holes where the wires go through, and tape around the 2" suction line."

Seems like you answered your own question.  I like that you're being fastidious about the vapor barrier, but I have some questions for you.
How new is the house?
How comprehensive is the existing vapor barrier and what does it consist of?  Typically here in coastal California we don't emphasize the vapor barrier as an integral part of the construction process because the indoor/outdoor temperature and humidity differential is not so great.  This disqualifies me as an advisor on this aspect of the project but I'm interested in learning more.
Is the garage at all a conditioned space?
From Wikipedia:

An interior vapor retarder is useful in heating-dominated climates while an exterior vapor retarder is useful in cooling-dominated climates. In most climates it is often better to have a vapor-open building assembly, meaning that walls and roofs should be designed to dry:[6] either to the inside, the outside, or both, so the ventilation of water vapor should be taken into consideration. A vapor barrier on the warm side of the envelope must be combined with a venting path on the cold side of the insulation. This is because no vapor barrier is perfect, and because water may get into the structure, typically from rain. In general, the better the vapor barrier and the drier the conditions, the less venting is required.[7]
In areas below foundation level (or, subgrade areas), particularly those formed in concrete, vapor retarder placement can be problematic, as moisture infiltration from capillary action can exceed water vapor movement outward through framed and insulated walls.
A slab-on-grade or basement floor should be poured over a cross-laminated polyethylene vapor barrier over 4 inches (10 cm) of granular fill to prevent wicking of moisture from the ground and radon gas incursion.
Inside a steel building, water vapor will condense whenever it comes into contact with a surface that is below the dew point temperature. Visible condensation on windowpanes and purlins that results in dripping can be somewhat mitigated with ventilation; however insulation is the preferred method of condensation prevention.

Based on the information you've provided it seems that your house varies from cooling to heating needs depending on the season.  This implies to me that the integrity of the vapor barrier is of minimal importance.
It has been my experience that condensation problems primarily happen where the air-flow in uninsulated locations is retarded by improper insulation installation.  A small (<1 ft. sq.) area where the vapor barrier is nonexistent because of fixture installation is unlikely to be a problem.  E.g. everywhere you have an electrical box.


When using a hand saw, why does my cut keep wandering off the line? (originally posted by glw) This was the highest voted question posted as part of the Woodworking Proposal phase. Please sign up, thanks to glw.

There are three basic problems that lead to a drifting cut.

The Setup:
If your saw is not properly set/sharpened it won't cut straight. The teeth of a hand saw are set (bent away from the centerline in alternating directions) so the effective cutting surface is just slightly larger than the body of the saw. That way as the cut deepens the body is less likely to bind in the piece. If the net affect of the set favors one side or the other it will "drift" in that direction. Likewise in the case of a crosscut saw, the teeth are filed in opposing angles to help sheer the fibers as they cut to prevent chip out. If the sum of the left facing angles is greater than the right it will tend to wander off in the that direction, although generally not with as much exaggeration as if the set is bad.
Technique:
Believe it or not there are some techniques to using a handsaw beyond just pushing it back and forth. Even if you're just roughly sizing a piece it's still worth striking a line for both your long and short direction so you can see where you're going. But more importantly than that is how you pursue the line. If you attack the cut at 90 degree angles you're always fighting with the entire length or depth of the saw (depending on if it's a rip or crosscut). You have much more control if you shoot for cutting angle that ranges from  aprx 5 to 30 degrees to the two dimension of you're cut. Start out with your saw basically flat to the face and make a few inches of cut. In this mode you'll only be engaging the teeth of the saw which makes controlling the direction of cut much easier. Once this starts to feel akward, switch to cutting deeper instead of "forward" until the angle of bottom of the cut rougly represents the hypotonuse created by the long and short dimension of the cut, being careful to keep on your short line. Now rotate back to cutting flat and repeat.
If you have a cut that needs to be really precise, replace the pencil line with a knife wall (a knifed line deepened with a chisel). The shoulder of the knife wall will act as a bearing surface and, to a certain degree, guide your cut automatically.
Tension: In the case of the frame saws (coping, fret, and bow saws) poor tension of the blade, specifically a lack there of, will cause all manner of problems. Also, at least in the case of my coping saw, the blade can be installed in either direction, which means it can be accidentaly set up to cut on the push instead of the pull. I would be embarrassed to tell you how I know this :)


How to put a clean hole in concrete block? I am building a brick wall from concrete blocks. Note that these concrete blocks just provide a facade, don't hold any weight except an additional layer of same bricks above them.
The blocks are 4" high, I want to run a 2" pipe through the middle. The 2" PVC pipe should fit snugly. Is there any certain kind of drill/bit I should add to my electric drill to do this work?
I   have a very cheap corded power drill and a battery-powered one as well.
Is there a  certain kind of drill bit I should add to my electric drill to do this work?

To make a clean, precise hole in concrete, use a diamond core bit. Your small, cheap drill probably does not have sufficient torque and runs too fast for a core bit this large. But you can rent a heavy duty drill and core bit.
Wikimedia Image


How do you wire multiple lights and a split receptacle to 3-way switches? I have two lights and a split receptacle wired like so:

Now I want to wire a second switch into the room, but I'm having trouble working the split receptacle into the mix. I feel as though 3 conductor cable isn't going to cut it. Am I going to have to run more than one cable? Or can this be accomplished using only one cable run between everything?

The switches are going to be at opposite ends of the room from everything.

If the switches you are using are typical switches and not the new techno type gizmos which require neutrals, then all you need to do is replace that switch with a three way switch and add a second three way where you want the second switch to be.  Pull a piece of Romex (3 conductor cable with ground) between the two switches.

Use the red and white in that cable as travelers between the (2)- 3 way switches and the black as your switchleg.  That black wire in that cable will terminate underneath the black screw at your new switch location but tie into your wire feeding the lights/receptacle ('red wire in your drawing') at your switchbox that you already have in place.

The hot feed (in your drawing above) will terminate underneath the black screw of the three way switch installed at that box.

Remember, put a piece of red or black tape on the white wire in the cable so that others servicing the box down the road will know that white wire is not a neutral wire.


Sump pump: OK to reduce 1.5" to 3/4"? I have a super-insulated house (18" thick walls, whole-house air infiltration barrier, insulated floor system, insulated foundation, conditioned crawlspace). I have a sump pit, but no pump (wasn't sure at build time whether it would be needed; it is).

I need to install a sump pump and an outlet to deal with high groundwater in spring thaw.

Most sump pumps have a 1.5" threaded outlet. Running 1.5" rigid PVC through the insulated floor system and walls will be painful; it will mean a lot of cutting, loose insulation dropping out of the floor, trying to glue a right angle inside an insulated floor system, and a large new puncture in the air infiltration barrier that helps keep the house warm.

I've been thinking of drilling a single diagonal hole (probably 24" or so) through the floor system in the crawlspace out to the exterior wall, and fishing some Pex through it. But I think this would require reducing the 1.5" sump outlet to a 1" or 3/4" Pex pipe.

A couple questions:

I'm fairly confident that this diameter will adequately drain the water -- right now a garden hose through a window is doing the job. But I don't know if there are other reasons not to reduce a sump pump. Will it wear out the motor faster? Increase the chance of outlet pipe bursting?
Is there any reason not to extend the Pex 10-15' from the outlet outside the house, to route it far away from foundation? It's a cold climate, so freezing is possible in e.g. May; but if things are freezing, then there probably isn't as much water to pump.
Any other advice welcome. I've never sumped before.

I have a sump pump that I use with a garden hose. It works great but has a slightly reduced flow capacity. If that size works for you, use it. My greatest concern would be exposure of the pipe to the cold climate. If it freezes, it will not flow water. The smaller pipe (hose) will put more "head" on the pump but should not cause any harm to your pump. As far as cutting a hole to the outside, why not hire someone or rent a drill that can "core drill" an exact size hole to the outside through almost any wall thickness. It will make for a neat and clean hole with little cleanup needed.


Why won't my kitchen sink drain? Disposal is working but when I run it water backs up into single sink When I run my kitchen sink disposal, it sounded odd earlier today (after I put watermelon rind down it, idiot I guess), but tonight when I ran it, the disposal seems to work fine but the water will not drain. When the disposal is running, it seems to suck the water down into it, but when I turn it off, the water shoots back into the sink.

I unscrewed the P trap, and all looks fine.
I have a 30" drain snake, which I snaked into the pipe that goes into the wall. It came back with black greasy film but nothing else obvious.

Now that I put the P trap back together, the same thing is happening in the sink. Disposal runs but water does not drain and gets kicked back into sink when I turn off the disposal.

There is (obviously) a blockage.  First off, watermelon rind should not be placed in a disposer, it's too tough and fibrous and often clogs up the drains.

If you took apart the P trap and found nothing, it's either blocked before or after the trap.  Most likely before, at the outlet of the disposer.

Take all the pipes apart and find the blockage.  If there is nothing there, then it's in the drain past the part that can be seen below the sink and you need either better tools, like a longer snake or you need to get a plumber in who can clear it for you.


How can I avoid bubbles when applying an enormous sticker to plywood? I'm working on a very important beer pong project.

The top of the table will consist of two pieces of plywood that have been sealed and decorated with a massive 4X5 custom vinyl sticker.

So, the plan is to to seal the wood, apply the sticker, which covers the entire piece, and then coat the whole thing in polyurethane (mostly to eliminate any dampened bounce from the sticker, but also to give it a nice glossy sheen).

Here's the key question:

How do I apply a 4X5 vinyl sticker to a flat piece of wood without getting bubbles?

It's possible this is easy or obvious, but based on my experience with iPhone-sized stickers, I'm guessing it's tricky, and only have one shot.

There are a number of methods to apply large decals and stickers to surfaces while avoiding bubbles and wrinkles.

Most professionals prefer a wet method.  Clean the surface first. Then coat the surface, or the adhesive side of the sticker, or both, with slightly soapy water. Then lay it down slowly and use a squeegee while laying it down.  The soapy water enables you to lift it back up a little if you introduce a bubble or wrinkle.  The squeegee squeezes the soapy water out from under it.

A number of videos show the process, search for "decal wet method" or "vinyl wet application" for some.  I think http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSVk0C_NLpc is probably most applicable to your specific usage.

Also, ask the shop you're buying the decal from for their suggestions.

Note that unless you've purchased high quality plywood, and spent some time sanding, sealing, and filling, it's probably not going to be a very smooth surface anyway, and a high quality vinyl decal will look pretty lumpy on it.  Consider getting a better surface, or seeing if you can have a matte vinyl decal made, which reduces the glossy reflections which will show surface defects very clearly.


Should I get a keyed chuck for cordless drill? I am thinking of getting a Milwaukee M18 fuel drill/ driver combo.  The drill is insane with 750in-lbf of torque.  It comes with a hand tighten chuck though.  My other Milwaukee corded screwdriver has a key tighten chuck and I like how tight I can get it.

My current drill (very old 9.6v Ni-Cad drill) has a 3/8in hand-tighten chuck.  When I drill through steel with this chuck it comes loose.  I'm not sure if more modern hand tighten chucks like the one on the M18 are better or not.

If I do get this new drill would it be worth it to get a new chuck, or would the one it comes with be sufficient?

I have a hand-tighten chuck on my cordless (a Makita) and I've never had any issues. However most of my bits are spin-resistant (i.e. they have chamfers). I've used it with a step bit to drill 7/8" holes through stainless steel.

If that drill has a user-replaceable chuck, you could always just start with the stock one and upgrade if needed...


Planning a new roof for future roof mounted equmpment I am in the planning phase of a major remodel. Two of the biggest changes will be to completely removing fireplace/chimney and replace a flat roof with a pitched roof.
The new roof will mostly use hip to maximize solar coverage. With gables on the shady north ends, garage, and front porch. I recently realized my old roof has plenty of options to mount satellite dishes, antennas, or other roof mounted equipment; and mostly hidden from view.
The new roof is planned to be a solar tile roof (ex: https://www.tesla.com/solarroof), as it is more cost effective and aesthetic than roof + solar panels. If I don't plan anything, my only option would be to anchor the mount posts under the eaves. I'm not planning to put anything up yet, but I want to have the option in the future.
I am looking for ideas/strategies/inspiration for how to plan my roof with the option to mount equipment in the future without it being an eyesore. When I searched online, I only found resources dealing with mount points for existing roofs. I then realized my roof design will not have good spots to mount over-the-are TV antenna, outdoor WiFi, and tech that might become mainstream in the next 25+ years.
I'm trying to future poof my house with adequate flexibility for my future needs. Ex: solar power for increasing energy cost and more frequent rolling blackouts. Route conduits for network/coax/fiber/etc instead of stapling. Ready to mount equipment on the roof is simply forward looking.
I'm kinda thinking fake chimney or fake vents with conduit access in the attic space might be an option. Not sure if there are better ideas or unforeseen challenges.
About the house and environment:

Corner lot, front of the house on the long side.

I notices barely anyone installs satellite dishes or antennas on the street facing walls or roof. If they do they try to hide it. It is always off to the side or in the back of the house. Not sure if this is only for aesthetics or some ordinance I haven't read yet.

Floor plan is a squished U shaped with courtyard in the empty space.
Front of the house is one the longest side and is facing south-southeast.
Single story house, but planning to add an ADU above the garage.
Old fireplace and chimney will be removed.
The new roof will have a 6:12 pitch. (compromise of solar efficiency, matches neighborhood, and wife's preferences)
Planning a solar tile roof (i.e. the solar panels integrated into the shingles, ex: https://www.tesla.com/solarroof).

More cost effective, aesthetics, and faster ROI than roof + solar panels
Harder to make future modifications to the roof. Drilling could be an electrical/fire hazard.

The planned north side gable wall can be used to mount a satellite TV dish with a good view of the southern sky.

The same spot probably will not work for over-the-air TV because 10 feet away is my neighbor's two story stucco wall in the same direction as the broadcast towers.
A bit of a mystery how well this spot will work for 5G home internet, non-geosynchronous low-earth-orbit satellite connection, or what ever future tech might exist years from now.

We get about 25 inches of rain a year. No snow. Occasionally frosty mornings. On rare occasions hail smaller then a marble. Mostly sunny days.

"Roof mounted equipment" is very broad. Generally, though, the important characteristics of the equipment are its weight and its cross section. These affect the vertical load-bearing capacity and the lateral wind-resisting capacity demanded of the mount. Since this is residential, I'll make the assumption that you're thinking of small and lightweight devices like the 18" diameter satellite dishes, comparably sized wireless networking equipment, broadcast TV antenna, amateur radio monopole or J-pole, and the like.
As you've probably noticed, equipment like these are most often installed on an "existing" roof, even if the shingles had just been installed yesterday. They frequently use a J-mount like this one (image credit to L-com), with or without the optional struts for stabilization. These mounts work for walls and most pitched roofs.

Another technique I've used when I know I'll be installing several antennas in one location is to mount electrical conduit. I don't have a photo but I'll describe one such installation. I made a hole through the shingles and roof deck with a hole saw, positioned a pipe flashing, and inserted a 2" EMT conduit. Inside the attic I used strut bolted to truss members to support the conduit. The conduit stands about 4 feet above the surface of the roof and has a weather head sitting on top. This provides a great mounting structure for high-gain directional antennas I've oriented various ways. The pipe itself also provides a chase for passing cables, even pre-terminated cables if necessary, through the roof and out to the antennas.
Inside the attic I extended the conduit to an 8x8x4 pull box, then more conduit to make a chase down to the basement room where the associated comms equipment is installed.
This method could easily be installed as a roof is built, but retrofitting it later in the position and time it is needed isn't much harder.
Pipe flashing (Lowe's/Oatey):

Strut (Lowe's/Superstrut):

Weather head, aka service entrance cap (Home Depot/Halex):


PEX: Is it worth replacing crimps with push connections? I happened upon a question about PEX tubing last week here and in it there was some discussion about how push connections are superior.  (If someone can point me to that question, I'd appreciate it.) I just tossed a contractor out of my house for various reasons and had a master plumber take a look at what was done so.  He pointed to some issues with the drains that needs to be redone but didn't mention anything with the PEX supply lines.

After reading that last week, I took a closer look at the supply lines and see that they are all crimped.

Question: while things are open should I go through the trouble of replacing these the crimps with push connections?  If so, should I replace the lines or can I use them?  In other words, are the ends going to be compromised after the crimps are removed?

As to the other question "Can you re-crimp the end of a PEX tube?", it doesn't address whether I should change an existing setup and my question is not related to 're-crimping' at all.

God no! I've had two leaks, out of literally tens of thousands crimp conections. Both leaks were installer error. One time my tool suddenly went out of calibration which I could feel in the action and quickly remedied. The other time I crimped it way crooked and I returned the next day with my compound offset crimper, cut out the bad connection and recrimped. Push conections tend to leak if there is a lot of lateral tension applied to them. They are crazy expensive and inferior to crimp under certain circumstances.

Edit

Here's a crimp calibration tool

www.zoro.com

It's used to calibrate the tool and to inspect crimped fittings after the fact. If you find an that the calibration tool doesn't fit over then you should re-crimp them.


Sheathing with Foam Board and OSB I have read a number of other articles related to sheathing and the use of rigid foam panels for insulation and was wondering; is it possible to place a 1" to 2" rigid foam panel against the wall studs and then use OSB on top of that as the exterior of the building?

The foam could be temporarily attached with glue and the OSB can be fastened to the studs with nails or screws thus securing everything.  Correct me if I am wrong but the OSB would provide the sheer strength while the foam panel on the inside would allow for spray foam between the studs against the foam panels without having to worry about moisture issues or an additional vapor barrier.  This also allows for easy attachment of exterior siding.

Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

Yes, you can do this. But there's no reason to cobble it together yourself; the Huber company (no affiliation) manufactures something called Zip-R that's an all-in-one version of what you're describing, plus a weather-resistant outer face that can be taped and doesn't need an additional water-resistive barrier (like Tyvek or tar paper) over it. Other companies make something called "nailbase" that's basically the same thing, but without the weather-resistant outer face. However, other aspects of your plan are more problematic:

Red flag #1: you talked about using spray foam between the studs up against foam board. That could be dangerous. Two-part spray foam heats up substantially as it cures, and polystyrene-based rigid foam boards (i.e. EPS and XPS) have a low melting temperature; about 170f, and they can liquify or ignite at higher temperatures. Don't spray foam against existing polystyrene foam board or you could start a fire. Additionally, depending on the blowing agent of the spray foam, you may destroy the foam boards; polystyrene is melted away by many common aerosols. Finally, it's a huge waste of expensive spray foam due to the thermal bridging of the studs. With the thermal break of foam board outside the studs, you're better off using cellulose, mineral wool, or high-density fiberglass between the studs and saving your money for something else.

Red flag #2: you mention a vapor barrier. Most walls south of Canada don't need or want vapor barriers. They can benefit from vapor retarders on the inside, and the paint on the drywall is generally sufficient. The water-restive barrier that goes outside the OSB or plywood sheathing (usually Tyvek or tar paper) is not a vapor barrier, it's a water barrier.

Red flag #3: you imply that you want to attach siding over the OSB surface because all the foam will constitute a vapor barrier. You are confusing vapor barriers with water-resistive barriers, which serve different purposes. All wooden exterior walls need a water-resistive barrier outside of any wooden surface and underneath the siding. Even if you followed your plan and spray-foamed between the studs against other foam board and didn't set the house on fire or destroy the foam board, you would still need a water-resistive barrier such as Tyvek or tar paper over the OSB to have a code-legal house that won't become a mold-and-rot machine. There's a reason they sometimes call OSB "vertical mulch!" Keep it completely dry all the time.


What's the best strategy to reduce moisture in this garage? First of all, I know this garage will never be dry. It's a standalone, one car garage built into the side of the hill that my house sits on. It abuts the neighbor's yard, and they have landscaping and flowers they frequently water. My neighbor even says the garage gets more water in it when they water a lot.
Garage http://plk.webimages.s3.amazonaws.com/garage1.JPG

The garage has a rubber roof with two gutters that do not effectively drain water. The aluminum edging is not sealed to the rubber, so I'm guessing most water goes straight down instead of into the gutter. There is brush cover on all 3 sides of the garage.
Gutter closeup http://plk.webimages.s3.amazonaws.com/garage4.JPG

Inside is a concrete floor with some cracks. The walls are unsealed cinder block. Even though it has been dry, you can see how much moisture is here. Should I try and seal the walls with DRYLOK?
Inside garage http://plk.webimages.s3.amazonaws.com/garage2.JPG

My ultimate goal in drying this out is to build a small climbing wall in the garage. It will be 2x4 frame with plywood. I don't mind if it's humid, but I'd prefer that it not smell strongly of mildew. I don't want the wood to rot from moisture.

Plan of attack and open questions:

I have considered digging a trench around the perimeter and installing a simple drain tile system. Is this worthwhile? How deep should I go?
DRYLOK the walls?
Obviously, fix the gutter system and roof.

Anything else I should do?

The proper way to fix it is to dig- all the way down to 6" below the bottom of the foundation- then install drain tile & gravel. Coat the outside of the walls with tar, then install plastic protector sheets so it doesn't get damaged by the backfill. Condensation could still be an issue- perhaps installing closed-cell foam around the outside (say, 2-4" thick) would insulate the walls enough to avoid it?

You shouldn't use DRYLOK; it won't fix the problem anyway. Water will just fill up the cinder blocks until it finds an opening.

The roof is definitely an issue as well. I'd rip that rubber off, pull off the flashing & gutters, re-do all of the eaves (since water has to be running right under the flashing and soaking the wood frame), then reinstall flashing & gutters, and shingle the roof (since I don't know how to install a rubber roof correctly).


Each new light bulb for my oven doesn't last long The light bulb in my Whirlpool WFG231LVS0 oven keeps burning out.  I've replaced it several times, with new bulbs of several different brands (all marked as being appropriate for ovens).

The new bulbs seem to work for a week or two and then stop turning on.

It seems like the filament is broken. As I rotate it around (see the gif below), I can hear something inside.

I've read elsewhere that oven lights often stop working either because of slamming doors damaging the filaments or because of liquid splattering onto them. I don't think that's the case with mine.

How can I diagnose and fix this problem?

P.S. This is not a new oven, and there had been more than a year of normal usage before this problem started happening.

I appreciated everyone's comments and wanted to follow up with what seems to be the answer.

My latest bulb has not burned out, and it has been 10+ months.

Apparently I'd simply had a streak of bad luck with the bulbs I'd bought.

My hypothesis that my usage or lack of usage of air conditioning in various seasons affected the electricity of the oven seems to be incorrect.

Thanks for all the tips you posted, though.


What is the name hard plastic material that you find on bathroom cupboards? Can someone tell me what the coating/covering is that you find on cabinets in a bathroom. It is a bit like vinyl or some sort of hard plastic. I was thinking vinyl but the coating seems harder and more like a plastic. I am building some cabinets and would like to use a similar finish.
Here is an example

Melamine is one of several options for what you may be referring to. You can get sheets of plywood or MDF with melamine pre-laminated to them.


Travelers on 3 way switch are hot Replacing 3 way switch (horizontal switch) 2 separate 3 ways in one box, each switch has its own power going to it.  Top switch two travelers are hot common is not. it seems to work fine with the old switch attached, just curious as to why?

The usual reason is that the installer is moving the wires to the same position on the new switch, rather than looking at the screws' function -- because every 3-way has their screws in different places and the installer did not realize the screw colors are the important part.  That's the usual reason.

This is one reason I make a point to positively identify the two travelers and mark them with yellow electrical tape.   Yellow wires on yellow screws, there ya go.  In a cabinet with two unrelated 3-ways working in close proximity, I use blue, purple or green for the second set of travelers.  They sell a 5-pack of 5 colors of electrical tape for about $5 in most stores.


How can I match an existing stain color on exterior shutters? The bottom half has been faded by sprinkler hitting them Two of my 14 shutters have water damage on the lower half. I want to sand the bottom half and re-stain and seal these two but do not know the color originally applied. Is there a way to color match without removing the shutters and carrying them to the paint store?

Matching stains on wood is a tricky business.  A paint store should have samples of stained wood you can take home to compare, but differences in wood species can throw off the color of a stain.  It's not likely that the store will be able to "color-match" the stain even if you brought them a shutter - solid colors are easy to match, but transparent ones are nearly impossible, due to the color variations found in the grain of the wood.  If you do decide to try that route, most stores will need a sample of the color to be matched that's about the size of a quarter or slightly larger - which you'll have to extract from your existing shutters.

Another issue you'll face is that stains and wood finishes tend to darken over time as they age and are exposed to UV light.  So, in the off-chance you do find a stain that matches, it may be significantly darker than the existing wood in a few years.

To be perfectly honest, your best bet would be to paint the shutters a solid color, or sand them down and re-stain them with all-new stain.  A solid color will be easy to retouch as the finish is exposed to the elements.

Source: I worked for a big-box retailer for about 5 years, mostly in Flooring, but I also worked in Paint when we were short-handed.  Between the two, I've probably answered most of the common questions about repairing pre-finished wood.


Retro fit can light ghosting I recently installed some feit retro fit can lights in an older home. Had a regular single pole switch and lights stayed on very dim when switch was off. Replaced switch with a dimmer, same issue. Noticed that when lights are out of metal housing they go off. Any suggestions?

Ordinary switches require only "always-hot" (from supply) and "switched hot" (to the lamp).  They do not need neutral.  Because of that, many older switch circuits are wired only with always-hot and switched-hot.

There are many switches which do an extra trick - lighted switch, dimmer, motion sensor, smart switch, timer, you name it.  They need to power themselves.  How? The newer ones attach to always-hot and neutral, getting power the normal way.  However many such devices are made to be compatible with old switch wiring.

As it happens, incandescent bulbs are electrically pretty much a dead short when they are off.  These powered switches can simply leak current from always hot, through themselves, to switched hot - and the incandescent light will not light enough to be visible.   However, LEDs are so efficient that this small current makes them light up slightly.

Your "regular single pole switch" wasn't.  It was a lighted switch or some other powered device.  That's why it leaked a little bit of power through the LEDs.   When you switched to a dimmer, you went out of the frying pan into another frying pan, because again you had a switch that leaked power through the LED.

You need to use powered switches (such as dimmers) that attach to the neutral wire.  They will not leak current through the LEDs, and that will quiet them.

Another option is to put a module in parallel with the LEDs that is designed to leak the current that the switch requires, such as Lutron's LUT-MLC module.


What is a 94+ AFUE gas boiler? I saw that my Natural Gas provider stated I could receive a benefit if I had one or installed one, so I was wondering what it was.

In this context a boiler is more-or-less the same thing as a tankless/on-demand/instant water heater. From what I can gather the term 'boiler' is used instead of one of those other terms based on characteristics of the unit or the usage. Heaters with higher BTU (or kW) ratings, or designed for higher duty cycles, or used as a heat source in a space heating or space heating plus domestic water heating application are often called boilers.
AFUE is annual fuel utilization efficiency. It is a measure of heat output (in the heated water) vs heat input (heat capacity of the fuel gas being burned). Higher AFUE is more efficient.


Is it up to code to do a parallel circut with 220V? Is there a limit to number of splices? State is Florida.  I am wiring a continuous run non-submersible irrigation well pump.  I am using a 30A breaker with #10 THHN in Sch 40 PVC conduit buried 18".  I could have gone direct bury but I feel safer in conduit in case either me or the next homeowner dig.

I have a pump start relay that is controlled by a rain bird sprinkler controller.  The controller is all the way in the garage.  Since the sprinkler controller is far away I want to wire in a simple switch in parallel so I can flip the pump on if needed (I have a hose on it, need to test it, or something).  Since I'm going through all this trouble I might as well give myself an outlet.

My questions are:

Are parallel circuits allowed per code @ 220V?
Am I correct in bonding the neutural and ground since this is an outside panel.  I assume I still need to run a neutural for my GFCI.
Is there a better, cleaner way to do this?  Perhaps a small 24V transformer on a switch?
How many splices am I allowed?  I would assume splices have to limit something.  Can I splice 4 wires into a splice w\ wire caps?
Is it ok to use stranded THHN?  That's all home depot had.

Here is my wiring diagram.

http://i.imgur.com/p00KTlB.png

The bad news

You can't run the GFCI outlet off of one half of the branch circuit as you propose, as it's illegal to put a 15 or 20A receptacle on a 30A circuit.  (The receptacle itself isn't protected properly against overload in that case.)  You'll need to scrap the receptacle, or put it on a different circuit/run.

The other problem you have is providing a disconnecting means for the pump -- right now, the only disconnecting means for it is the branch circuit's breaker in the panel, and in order for this to be Code, the pump location needs to be in sight of the panel as per 430.102(A) and (B).  Otherwise, you'll need to toss a disconnecting means for the motor and controller into your box instead of that GFCI you wanted to stick in the 3rd gang, and clearly label both switches as to their function.

The good news

In turn:

Article 404 won't stop you from connecting switches in parallel like that at any voltage, provided everything's running off the same branch circuit and the switches are being used within their ratings.
Leave the panel bonding in its current state (i.e. bonded for a main panel, unbonded for a subpanel).
You can put a SPDT (3-way) switch on the 24V side as Harper describes provided you have a spare low-voltage wire to bring 24V down to the pump location.
There is no limit on splicing as long as the individual splices are made in accordance with 110.14 and the box fill is not exceeded
Stranded THHN is not a problem as long as the terminations are rated for stranded wire


What does 4/2 AWG with ground mean My electrician is installing a tankless water heater he told me to get 4/2 AWG with ground for 240v. I went to Home Depot and they have no idea what I’m talking about. Can someone tell me what I need to say to explain what I need?

A cable with two insulated 4 AWG wires and an uninsulated grounding wire in a common sheath (which is what makes them a cable.)
You might need a real electrical supplier, rather than Homely's Despot to find that. It's a bit out of their usual range of product.


I have a hardwired ceiling light . I didn't know it was not switched. What is the easiest way to control (on/off) it? I didn't realize a ceiling lamp was not switched (hardwired) I need a solution

Easiest?  Probably one of these:

(Image curtesy of Lowes; not an endorsement)
That will add a pull chain switch to a simple light socket.  Extra chain can be clipped on if you need longer length.
Other options would be:

Replace the fixture with one with a built-in switch
Run some wiring to add a switch loop to a standard light switch (possibly required by code if the room doesn't have another light)
Add a smart relay module behind the fixture in the box, and control the light with an app, remote, or smart home device
Like Phil suggests, put a smart light bulb in the fixture and control the light with an app, remote, or smart home device


Hardwood Flooring Direction on Older Subfloor I have some old hardwood flooring in my house and I'm considering installing new hardwood floors as it's not in the best shape. The house was built in the 1940's and has an older type of subfloor that runs at a 45 degree angle to the joists - I think it's 1x6s. I've read that the suggestion is to always run the hardwood perpendicular to the joists, but curious if that wisdom still stands for this older subfloor layout.

To elaborate a bit, given the 45 degree angle of the subflooring, for structural reasons, is it still recommended to run the hardwood perpendicular to the joists? Or does that guidelines not apply in this case?

From a purely structural point of view, it doesn't matter. As long as the subfloor is properly designed and installed, it is carrying the load, so you can install the hardwood planks in any direction you choose.


How can I soundproof my room to reduce street noise? My bedroom is facing a busy street, with many bars/restaurants. People are shouting and cabs are honking.

The 2 windows are double-pane, and the wall is the exterior wall, so solid brick. There are no gaps in the windows, as far as I can see. I have curtains.

I read that foams are echo-absorbing and will not help in this case, while MLV (mass loaded vinyl) might not be enough.

Is there a relatively easy way to solve this? I'd like to avoid extreme measures such as building a room within a room.

I am by no means a professional 'sound guy' but I do enjoy playing my music and movies  without any outside noises. It sounds like you are suffering from a similar situation I deal with. Often it's not about preventing 100% sound from coming in, but preventing it from reflecting and propagating.

Some common anti-echo techniques I employ are:

hang framed Canvases (cheap oil paintings or blank canvases from a craft store)
Rugs/Carpets (thicker the better)
Foam Panels hung on doors

I always imagine if every hard surface is mirror plated and you shined a light from where the noise comes from. It can be reflected off just about anything. The softer and less dense, the less reflective.

If it comes right down to it, and the window truly is the source of problems, an inexpensive project can be making a frame for a single piece of poly-carbonate to mount/hang over your window. It essentially would make a crude "triple pane" window.

I've never had to go this far for noise, but I have for apartments with drafty windows and it was noticeably quieter.

Good luck and let us know what works for you.


Hanging Punchbag in Cabin - Structural I have a cabin at the bottom of my garden (photos attached) and am thinking about hanging a punchbag from the roof beams. I absolutely do not want the structural integrity of my cabin compromised but i was wondering if a 100lb punch bag would hang safely (and be punched) from the beams in the picture? Or if not are there any small changes I can make to increase the structural stability of the beams.
The size of the beams are 115mm x 40mm x 5000mm and there are 2 screws in each roof board with a light felt roof on the exterior.

I would not.
That's a very lightly-constructed roof by modern standards. Those "beams" are little more than stiffeners--the roofing boards are carrying most of the load over their much shorter span. By themselves the beams are not up to the task of spanning that distance with any integrity.
In my judgement any load, even static, of 100 lbs. will result in sag or other effects, and the dynamic forces of a jiggling load of such weight could pull the beam loose from the deck boards. You're also likely to see spreading of the walls due to ridge sag since there are no rafter ties preventing such movement.


What size wire and subpanel for a pergola with an outdoor kitchen? I am putting an outdoor kitchen in and would like to have a subpanel to run the electrical needs. Their would be a mini fridge, grill rotisserie, 5 receptacles, 3 ceiling fans and some lights. I plan on having the receptacles on 2 different circuits so if we have crock pots or blenders going we don't overload. The main panel on the side of the house is 200 amp and it would take 90-95 feet of wire to reach the location the subpanel would be. The wire would go through conduit that has already been installed. What size wire would I need? What size subpanel? Thanks in advance

You should really have done this calculation before installing the conduit but a 1" will be sufficient for what you want to do.

The answer is: the sub-panel needs to be sized large enough to carry the calculated load of all of the appliances, lights, fans, and plug connected loads. If you have all 120 volt loads you can either add up all the currents and then divide by 2 since you are splitting the load between two conductors on a 240 volt panel, or add up all the wattages and divide by 240 to get the max current on the feeders to the sub-panel.

Most of what you listed are very small loads except for the crock pots and other possible plug connected loads that can be manufactured as high as 1500 watts for 120 volts. (I am thinking of a resistive charcoal starter.) So, I would calculate the receptacles at a minimum of 1000 watts per if you plan to have mixed loads at that location.

All that said there are only a few basic sizes for sub-panels and a back-of-the-envelope calculation tells me you could have as small as a 60 amp panel here with #6 wire feeding it. Now, if you want some room (ampacity) to add on in the future and have big plans to grow your outdoor kitchen, you may want to go with a 100 amp panel fed with #3.

Now it comes down to personal preference.

Good luck and happy grilling.


Should I store my staple gun with the handle up or down? How should I store my staple gun long term? Lever up like this:

Or lever down, like this:

I'm worried about the strength of the spring over time.

I can't say for every stapler, but this works for all the ones I've used;
While in the Open position, pull the lever handle backwards. This will disengage it from the spring mechanism, and you can then lower the handle and use the storage loop to hold it in place. When you subsequently release the loop, the handle will engage itself on the spring.


Do I need to replace water damage or just let it dry out? I had a water leak under my kitchen sink. It happened pretty slowly over the course of perhaps 8 weeks. The bottom of the cupboard was saturated and about 6 " up the sides of the same cupboard unit. Also, I have old wood floors and some of the floorboards (maybe 8" in front and 2' off to one side) are a little tweaked. Looks like they separated a little and curled some.

If the aesthetics of the damage are something I can live with, can I just set up a dehumidifier and fan and dry the whole are out really well or is that inviting trouble in the form of mold or something. I'm wondering about avoiding the time, cost, and trouble of pulling out cupboards, pulling up floors, etc.

Mold is our main concern and I guess I'm wondering if mold is a problem in persistently wet areas or if a single incident can spark a mold infestation that self-perpetuates.

Jeremy, I would strongly suggest you use a Multimeter to measure the water content in your wood flooring, and other materials around the sink.  Please view this link to a suggested meter you can purchase,  it has prongs so that you may penetrate into the wood with minimum damage and get a reading from the inside, as water can stay contained withing the wood.  If the leak was dried within 48 hours and you have a water content less than 16% on your wood and other damaged materials, then you should be safe. If the leak was not dried withing 48 hours, or the water content in the wood is higher than 16%, I would strongly suggest you hire a air quality inspector, he can take a sample from your kitchen air, and tell you if you have elevated amounts of spores indoors, and if you have mold species that can affect your health.  I would make it a priority to ensure moisture is not higher than 60% throughout the house as this can trigger mold to grow.  Some species are known to stay dormant for 48 hours and sprout airborne, which can cause further damage to the A/C system.
Also if you have access to a FLIR infrared camera, this can help you detect if there is moisture in the drywall, or wood frame behind the sink.
It is true that mold is in every environment but elevated amounts of certain species such as aspergillus penicillium, or stachybotrys can cause allergies or infections to your respiratory system.
I am a professional mold remediator, hope my advice is of help.


Outdoor faucets for a residential home For a duplex I own in TN, an outdoor faucet came up from the ground a few feet from the brick wall of the house.  It probably froze, for the pipe in the crawl space has been capped off.  My tenant had no source for outside water.  SO, my former property manager ran a PVC pipe out thru one of the crawl space vents, and attached a metal faucet to it.  You can not imagine what I said when I saw this jury-rig.

What is the best installation for an outdoor faucet coming out of a crawl space?  What about freezing temperatures?  Thanks!

The best situation is to use the type of faucet made specifically for this application where there may be freezing exterior temperatures. The faucet is an assembly that has an almost standard looking external spigot but the valve handle connects to a shaft inside a long pipe on the back end of the assembly that sticks in through the wall. The shaft operates an internal valve that projects a foot or so inside the wall to where the temperature is certain to not fall below freezing.

Typical Unit:

Typical installation detail:

Proper installation and usage in freezing weather requires that the portion of the faucet assembly with the shaft within be tilted downward toward the spigot end to permit that portion to drain out when the faucet is off. Obviously the hose should be removed as well.

You have not provided much data regarding the building wall and foundation details so it is not possible to provide much help on how to best locate and secure the frost resistant type of faucet. It is a pretty good guess that the quick hack job installation of the existing faucet through the crawl space vents was done that way because it was the easiest way to poke through the wall. When you go to modify the installation it would be good to locate the frost resistant type unit away from the vents. (In fact the vents may want to be insulated during freezing weather). It is common to install the external faucet assembly up between the floor joists and out through a hole in the rim joist. This places the pipe assembly up close to the floor where the heated interior of the building keeps the area warmer.


Washer doesn't spin-dry anymore (most of the time) Update:

I researched some more and found this video of exactly the same problem and some Amazon reviews which state it, too. I ordered an inverter and will replace it myself and update if it fixes the issue.

My Bosch WAS28443 washer doesn't spin-dry anymore. Well... most of the time anyway. I had a mechanic coming over (5min for 70€) who said it was the inverter and suggested a repair for 250€.
I don't really believe him, because I think the inverter is an on/off thing, and not "sometimes" or randomly.

It doesn't follow any pattern I could recognize. Yesterday I had a 6kg load and it worked flawlessly, today it was only light sports clothing ~1kg and it didn't work. Also, if I set it to spin only after it didn't work, sometimes it spins without further problems, sometimes it doesn't, no matter which speed, or any other settings are set up.

I uploaded a video (https://vimeo.com/224351376)  to show the problem. As I wrote, sometimes everything is in order, but most of the time it tries to spin, but can't/won't.

I think it sounds like a cog not having enough "grip", lacking a better term.

I'm thinking of opening the machine, but wanted to ask some maybe specialist if this is a good idea or if I just should get a mechanic.

Well, it obviously was the inverter. I ordered and changed it and after several cycles everything is well, it spins even better than before...


Can I replace a cutler hammer GFCB120 breaker, with a GFCB120cs breaker? Can I replace a cutler hammer GFCB120 breaker, with a GFCB120cs breaker? What is the difference between the two?

So, since I had questions for Eaton tech support anyway, I threw yours in with the mix, and their rep said that the "cs" suffix is simply for retail (plastic clamshell) packaging -- it's the exact same breaker either way.  (The clamshell is what you typically find at a big-box store, while your average supply house would likely dispense with it and just give you the "bare" breaker without a package.)


Butane smell normal? I bought some of this Vector 14x Butane

To use in a Butane Soldering Iron and every time I turn on the Iron, there's a really strong rotten egg/gas smell (and it lingers even after 30 secs).  Is this normal?

I had a small torch years back and got some cheap butane from 7-11 and it never smelled so strong (could barely smell it) before when I turned it on.  Not even my gas stove smells that bad after using it for an hour.

Is it the butane? I bought the Vector cause the Iron said to use premium butane.

Yes it's relatively normal for some gas to escape before it starts burning.

The smell is from an additive called Ethanethiol (ethyl mercaptan) which has a strong odor that humans can detect in very small concentrations.  You only smell it from escaped gas and not a byproduct of combustion, hence why you won't smell it relative to the duration of the burn.


Hot water (steam?) gas boiler not engaging burners, low pressure, sight glass full At the beginning of the winter season my boiler wasn't turning on, but I got it to work by turning on the inlet valve and just letting it feed water until the gas burners kicked in.  The sight glass completely (over)filled with water to the point I couldn't see any air in the top.  I was happy because my heat was working.

Now, the boiler is not engaging again.  I was going to try the same tactic, but without knowing anything about boilers, let alone the kind I have, I'm afraid I might damage it. So, I just drained the water (from the rear at the inlet valve) until the low water light came on (the water in the sight glass was near the bottom).  I then let in new water until the sight glass showed 4/5 full.  Still no engagement of the gas burners.  The pressure is floored, too.  The gas pilot is burning, too.

I'm pretty sure if I just let the inlet valve feed water to the unit things will start to work again, but then what's the point of the sight glass?  I don't want to try that until I know for sure it's the right move.

I'm attaching some photos of the boiler and it's readings, and I hope you can help figure out why I have no heat.

Boiler Front

Boiler Right Side

Boiler Info Sticker

Sight Glass

Water Pressure Gauge

Water Pressure Cutoff Switch

Inlet From Hot Water Heater

If this steam boiler has not been serviced in a while I would recommend that you have this done to insure safe operation this winter. Using this boiler with too little or too much water in it can damage it and can be very dangerous. Without knowing more about how the boiler is connected into the heating system and what type steam system it is, it is hard for anyone to give a further explanation of how to fix your problem. I can say however that some of the return piping looks wrong. It does not have a "Hartford loop" in the the return at the boiler.  That doesn't mean that it will not work and heat your place. Also, post a picture of a typical radiator or baseboard installed in your home so the piping in and out can be seen. Also, send a picture of the return piping that can be seen in the next to last picture or the one before the radiator so I can see how the return is piped. One last thing, the piping that is connected to the pressure control and the low water cut out needs to be removed and cleaned. They both could keep the boiler from firing.


How do I maintain a newly laid oiled floor? I just bought an Emperor Oak Oiled Floor. The salesman of the reseller said it has been oiled 7 times with Woca oil but advises another coat once laid.

Reading forums, opinion seems split:

  it's quite common (these days with so many products coming from China)
  the "oil" used on pre-finished boards is not really protecting against
  drips and spillages.  When we install boards like this, we either
  apply a wax-polish or one coat of HardWaxOil to create a better wear
  and tear layer.

  Why would you want to re-oil a pre-oiled floor straight after
  installation??  Use a suitable maintenance product 4 weeks after
  installation and then every 5 -6 months.

  Don't re-oil - use a proper maintenance product!

So:

What do you think?
Which one is best for me?
Should I be applying another coat of oil once laid?
Should this be a maintenance oil? Or a normal hardwax oil?
Should I use a floor soap first like "Osmo Wash and Care"?

Any oil-based finish is not very durable and must be renewed periodically. Flooring is usually finished with a polyurethane varnish for this reason (in the old days it would have been an alkyd varnish). It does; however, preserve the look and feel of real wood without having an obvious film finish on top of it.

The installation process can scuff up the surface which is why hardwood floors are finished after they are installed.

The MSDS for Woca oil (here) indicates the presence of a drying agent so it shouldn't be too much trouble to wipe on another coat - it should cure fairly fast.


IP Camera suddenly stopped transmitting outside of the network I have an IP Camera linked to AngelCam it has been running for over a year. Last night it suddenly went off and I can't understand why. The internal port is 192.168.0.42:80 I have forwarded this port to [external ip]:80 this has run fine until last night.

I bought the camera for about £15 on amazon the device ID is C6F0SeZ3N0P5L0 (According to the device information on the dashboard) and it uses HiCam software.

If I type the local IP into the browser I enter my credentials and I see the camera dashboard, then I have 2 options Web View or Mobile view. Both work fine and transmit videos on the local IP.

What is strange though is if I type the external IP and port I see the dashboard (this says the port forwarding is working fine.) However, the camera feed does not work. However if I click mobile view I can see the feed.

Has anybody experienced anything like this before and does it sound like I have missed something.

Couple of issues here.

  I bought the camera for about £15

Most likely, this is your problem.  I spent a few minutes perusing the IP cameras on Amazon, and £15 is the bottom, bottom, bottom of the barrel.  This thing is simply too cheap to have any expectation of reliability.

The wisdom of scraping the bottom of the barrel is arguable. What's not arguable is that it's definitely not worth sinking your precious time into troubleshooting it.  The normal expectation is that when it breaks, you throw it out and buy another one.  Once you are sick of this merry go round, you buy a better one.

  The internal port is 192.168.0.42:80 I have forwarded this port to [external ip]:80

OK, so you exposed the camera to the public internet.  I'm really not sure why, the camera should be initiating contact with AngelCam, and that should work  just fine through a NAT/router; there's no reason or need for Angelcam to initiate contact with the camera so no reason for the camera to be publicly exposed.

Anyway, by leaving it publicly exposed, someone scanning IP addresses (note your public IP is IPv4, which makes it easy to scan) probably found your camera, threw the usual exploits at it, found a vulnerability, and either own your camera, or accidentally broke it by their cracking.  Because manufacturers of $15 cameras don't issue patches, even if you were faithful in patching.

(By the way, this is how small businesses go bankrupt.  Some silly thing like this is overlooked in their PCI-DSS self-inspect, it gets used as a gateway to hack a credit card machine, etc...)

In the future, don't forward public ports for security cameras.  Get cameras smart enough not to need that.


Are these steps for refreshing a patio floor correct? My patio floor needs refreshing. While at it, I'd like to avoid the boring gray and use a hint of color, either gray-blue or gray-green.

Here are the steps that I have planned:

Lower the nails (by turning a little) to avoid that they rip the sanding paper.
Sand the surface with grit 80-100 using a floor sander.
Insert either the tip or the edge of a belt sander to sand the rounded edges, however far I can reach, with grit 120.
Sand the top surface with grit 200-220 using a floor sander. Don't bother fine-sanding the rounded parts since even someone walking barefoot will not notice the difference.
Apply one coat of "Low-Lustre Enamel Porch & Patio Floor Paint".

Do I have these steps right? Is there any surprise waiting for me?

One additional worry is that I will not even touch the (inaccessible) back side. Is there any chance that the planks would buckle from the different treatment after I'm done?

Tightening the screws is really important you might want to replace some with slightly longer as the holes over time will not hold well (if they hold you are golden). sanding with a coarse grit to get the paint off is a good idea to help reduce the high spots also the heavy weathering After sanding you will wand to clean the deck to remove the dust from the grain and screw heads. I have used a product that home depot sells called Restore. this looks nice but I think it comes in brown and Tan. Restore will help hide the heavy weathering and you really don't need to finish sand only rough sand or pressure wash to get rid of the loose paint. I have refinished horribly weathered decks with Restore that came out looking really nice. The first one was 6-8 years ago and it still looks close to the way it did when I put it down. No matter what you use the boards are "dry" other than minor water penetration and you should have no problems with cupping or warping. Exposed boards really warp and or cup much faster than sealed boards.


Replacing the railing on an old rock retaining wall This house was built in the mid 1950s. I assume the rock wall was built at the same time. It has an old railing that is not attached anymore and needs to be replaced. My current plan is to cut off the old railing and build a wooden post and cable railing.

This is just an example of what I'm trying to accomplish.

My issue is that I'm not sure how to anchor the posts to the wall.

Here is the rock wall.

You can see that the mortar at the top isn't in the greatest of shape.

The span is about 16 feet total.

The current railing is secured via some odd pieces of rebar and having some of the metal posts mortared in to the wall. The rebar has detached in some places and some of the posts have just broken off, leaving the whole thing just flopping around.

My original plan was to cut the old railing off and get something like these post bases and anchor them directly to the wall using these bolt wedge anchors with some washers or something to shim it to keep the whole thing level.
I've since realized that bolt wedge anchors are probably not a good idea on these stones. I'm also worried that using a hammer drill on this wall will simply knock the rocks loose.

I think I've got a handle on how to build out the railing if I can figure out how to mount the posts to the wall. That's my concern right now. Thanks.

Cut the existing fence out in pieces, preserving as many of its original vertical support posts as you can.  Instead of solid 6x6 lumber, use four pieces of 2x4 lumber in a square, and secure them tightly to the original posts.  You might also be able to design a special pentagonal support this way that would work well in the middle corner of your wall.

Or if the original support posts are hollow below grade (which is a long shot), cut them off flush, and embed new threaded rod inside them with epoxy.

Anther option is to accept that you're going to damage the wall when putting in new fasteners, and also plan to add a new cap layer to the wall that would cover up that damage.  Avoid using high impact hammering, try to find a bit that can grind instead, and use plenty of water to wash it out while drilling.


What are these wires I found in my yard? I was digging the holes for some crepe myrtle saplings and I sliced into a wire with one unlucky shovel stroke. They do not seem to be carrying any voltage, but I haven't hooked my multi-meter up to it yet. I've called 811 several times in the past, and nothing has ever been marked out anywhere near this side of the yard. The wires themselves are 2 red, 1 white, solid copper core, maybe 20 gauge (slightly heavier than say speaker wire). They are buried ~4 inches below the surface with no conduit or protection. They are a few inches away from the sprinkler PVC pipe, running roughly parallel to it and the driveway, towards the street away from the front corner of the garage where the sprinkler control system is.

The sprinkler control box still has power and it can still turn on the sprinklers. I did a short test run of the zone that the wires are running through, and they had normal pressure (after pushing out all the air that accumulated over the winter).

I switched to a hand-spade and started tracing the wire route through the garden. The wire seems to be getting deeper as it approaches the house, but I lost it in the twilight under a tree root.

Does anyone have a premonition about what these wires could be? If I do test the wire and find it dead, is there any danger in yanking the severed wire out of the ground to trace it? Is it worth calling 811 again and waiting to see if any of the utilities own up to it?

Additional Information (in response to comments):

The sprinkler system came with the house, so it's builder grade. I'm tempted to believe the theory that they are trace wires for the sprinkler PVC, except that I've gleefully hacked through the PVC on the other side of the yard with no sign of wires. I have not yet disassembled the box wiring to see if a white and two red wires connect to it, although the sprinkler panel and manual don't mention any fancy features like rain sensors.

We have no exterior electrics. No lights or fountains or anything. The only outdoor outlets we have are built into the base of the house. The nearest one to these wires is on the other side of the driveway.

I agree that it is unlikely it's any part of a utility. The location is haphazard and I'm pretty sure there's a building code for underground current carrying wires to have conduit. I can see the builders skimping on that, but not a utility.

The wires do indeed go to the sprinkler system. There turned out to be a 4th white wire I hadn't yet uncovered. The two sets provide the current to open control valves for the two zones on the other side of the driveway.

I finally got input from a professional sprinkler repair company. They were baffled at first, because the pipes appear to go all the way around the house. The sprinkler guys finally decided that those had to be stubbed extensions for adding a zone to the backyard. Additionally, the wires turn under the drive at a different point than the actual water supply pipe.

Finally, I didn't detect the problem because there was another long standing problem with the zone they supplied that prevented it from getting water pressure.


Makita impact screwdriver was dropped, now it doesn’t work. Prospects? I dropped a brand new impact screwdriver (Makita XDT 14) and now it won’t work. It’s like it’s has no power? I know it’s a good battery. The work light doesn’t work, nor do settings indicators.  Any chance of fixing it?

If it's brand new, take it back to where you purchased it and get another one. Makita has great warranties on their products. Don't try to take it apart or otherwise fix it or you'll void the warranty. Good luck.


Ceiling fan installation box How do I tell if this is a box for a ceiling fan? This is a 25 foot ceiling. No idea if this is ceiling fan friendly or not.

Judging by the screw hole on the bottom, left side of the picture (labelled "fan") the box seems capable of holding a fan.

Likewise, seeing two nylock nuts holding the box in is also a pretty good indication of a strong mount on the back side of this box.

I would say it is probably safe to proceed mounting a fan in this box.


Why is it a bad idea to install self-stick tiles over luan plywood? I am intending to instal self stick tiles over a primed luan underlayment in a bathroom. However, the manufacturer's instructions clearly state:

DO NOT install over unsuitable or unstable subflooring such as chipboard, OSB, luan plywood, mahogany based plywood underlayments, Masonite™, cement board, fiber based backing boards, or any other non-underlayment grade panel

In trying to understand why the luan would cause an issue, whereas plywood would not, I've since read that luan contains certain "extractives which adversely  affect  the  "cure"  of  mastic adhesives."
I'd like to find a way to make this work without needing to tear up the newly installed underlayment. Will the primer help in this regard? Is there any additional prep I can do to maximize the probability of a successful installation / adhesion?

Luan plywood tends to have a ton of resin and other chemicals in it (due mostly to the species of wood used). This can leach out and stain tile grout or vinyl flooring (or cause adhesive issues due to salts, etc.).

It's a very soft plywood, so it may not have enough rigidity to support the floor and prevent dents.

It tends to have voids in the interior plies. See previous point.

It isn't made with an exterior grade adhesive. This means any water can cause quick delamination and swelling.

In general, it's cheap crap and not up to the task. Use it for theater props instead.

If you were to seal it against stains, and if you were comfortable voiding your flooring warranty for puncture damage, you can probably get away with it. If you've already primed I'm not sure how you'd accomplish that.
To preempt any grumbling about Big Orange, et al, selling Luan plywood, when I worked there (many years ago, granted) they made every effort to inform customers about its unsuitability for flooring. People demand cheap, and so they sell the stuff, but it's not their fault if it's misused.


How can I stop my washing machine drain from overflowing? When my washing machine drains it sometimes comes up and out of the open pvc pipe in the service closet where the water heater would drain. I've found lots of posts where people speak of the washer standpipe overflowing, but can't find any info on what would cause my problem. When the washer drains I have to stand at the service closet (next to each other in the garage) and watch/listen. First I can hear gurgling, then hear the water coming up the pipe (similar to the sound of filling a glass of water), then I can see the water just before it emerges and floods my service closet and garage.  If I turn the washer off and on as it drains this doesn't happen...but not really feasible for the long run.  Any ideas?

It sounds like the pipe is partially blocked and water can only get through at a slower speed.  The drain at the hot water is the lowest point so that's why it is coming from there.  The blockage could be anything, from debris that came in through the pipe in the service closet or a sock that made it out of the washer.  Since it's after where the water is coming out of the service closet then you might be able to get a drain snake the problem but you might have to get an expert to get it cleaned out.


Dishwasher air gap problem Problem: When dishwasher drains it dumps water to the sink through the air gap. Problem started accuring 6 month after kitchen/sink/dishwasher was installed and used.

What I tried:

Opened the cover of the air gap and checked it was clean
disconnected the 7/8 ID hose coming from the sink to the garbage disposal made sure it was clean.
made sure garbage disposal is clean

Next thing I ran a new dishwasher cycle and the issue is not fixed. I took the cover off the air gap and observed it while water was dumping. The part of the air gap connected to the the dishwasher is shooting water in the air 5-6 inches.

Question: is that how dishwasher should be dumping water? There's no way this air gap design can work this way. Is my air gap assembly incomplete? When I take the cap off I see one 3/8in pipe inside the other (wider one). There's no cover of any sort to restrain water flow, so when dishwasher dumps the water it just spills out.

I'd like to thank everyone participating and up-voting. I went to home depot today and bought a new air gap. Upon a further inspection I found out that my air gap is missing a cover: a piece of plastic that routes the water coming from the DW into the drain.

Long story short, it somehow got popped out and my wife "saved" it by sticking into the kitchen drawer.


How can I add insulation to my attic cheaply and safely? I currently have 6 - 8 inches of cellulose blown in insulation in my attic.  I live in Michigan and energystar.gov is recommending a total of R49 - 60.  From what I can tell only have about R19-25 based on the chart in the link below.  I need to increase my R-value as cheaply as possible.  I live in an old farmhouse (circa 1910) and have plaster ceilings and am concerned that if I get up there to add some fiberglass batt insulation I may crack some plaster simply by walking on the joists or accidentally put my foot through since I cannot see through the cellulose to the joists.  Any suggestions?

http://www.greatdayimprovements.com/insulation-r-value-chart.aspx

We just usually bring up a couple of 2x8s at about 10' a piece and use as walkways.   You can't really do much with blown in insulation other than add more to it.  Cost of 2x8s (you can get the "bad" ones from big box for $5) and insulation + renting a machine (most are free given you buy X amount of insulation) is about a $400-600 job for most mid sized houses.


Is it OK to use 1/4" concrete backer board over 1/2" plywood as a bathroom subfloor? I just bought a house built in 1978 and I'm planning on putting tile in the bathrooms (currently linoleum).

The fixtures are removed and the flooring under the linoleum is particle board.  I think its 3/4".  It has a couple weak spots (one over a vent and the other around the toilet that was leaking).

I was planning on pulling this up and replacing with plywood and concrete backer board.  However, my question is, can I put 1/4" backer board over 1/2" plywood, so that the level of the floor is pretty close to where it was before and not have a large transition between the rooms?

-edit to add-
1 bathroom is along an outside wall of the house.
1 bathroom is in the middle of the house with a support beam running along one wall (beam runs the whole length of the house).
Bathrooms share a wall in between them (total span of 10ft from outside wall to middle support beam of the house).
Both bathrooms are on the 2nd floor.
both bathrooms are above another heated/insulated room.
16in joist spacing.
I don't know how big the joists are because I haven't removed the existing subfloor yet.
We will most likely be installing ceramic tile.

My main goal here is to create the smallest transition as possible between the bathroom flooring and the carpet (installed on the same particle board) outside the bathroom.

If there are other options outside plywood + backer board that would be available, I am 100% willing to listen to them.

1/2" plywood is for temporary applications, exterior sheathing and used as gigantic shims. It does not belong as a floor or a roof; minimum 5/8" exterior grade.

HardieBacker:

  What subfloor should HardieBacker board be installed over?
  The minimum subfloor specified is 5/8" exterior grade plywood or 23/32'' exterior grade OSB subflooring. HardieBacker board must be installed in accordance with local building codes and the floor must be engineered not to exceed the L/360 deflection criteria, including live and dead design loads, for the specific joist spacing used. HardieBacker board is not designed for use over concrete.

Durock:

  Subfloor should be minimum 5/8" exterior-grade OSB or plywood.

Wonderboard:

  For the subfloor, securely glue and fasten minimum 5/8" (16 mm) exterior grade plywood or OSB panels (PRP-108) to the floor joists. Floor joists should be spaced a maximum of 16" (40 cm) o.c.; a 3/4" (19 mm) Exterior Grade Plywood or OSB subfloor with I-joists spaced a maximum of 19.2" (48 cm) o.c. is also acceptable.

For the threshold you don't want something that overlaps, like this:

For a Hardwood transition, you want the type that abuts the tile, like this one-sided beveled threshold: (I've had luck filling against them with grout; complementary colored caulk is also available for tile-to-wood transitions. Standard thresholds can be ripped down, length-wise, to remove one bevel and then the bottom sanded down for a custom fit. Endeavor for absolutely perfect cuts along the doorway.)

Since you are transitioning to Carpet, I'd use something like this or this: (an abrupt leading edge is more of a concern then a reasonably high threshold)


Is this #14 gauge wire shredded THHN? Sorry, I didnt know how to add a picture to a reply. Would this fail inspection? I originally purchased a pulling elbow without a cover. Then, per Harper's suggestion, I went out and got a pulling elbow with a cover?

Is there a way in reply to add a picture.

The wire appears damaged. Regardless of size it would probably fail inspection and should be replaced.

Questions on how to add pictures should be directed to the Meta Stackexchange.

Good luck!


What length header should I consider? I have 2 bathroom remodeling we are planning on the 2nd floor of 2 storied house. I want to carve out part of the bathroom as laundry room where Washer (27") and Dryer (27") will be stacked in a closet 31" wide. And there will be 28" wide door to this closet. Look at the picture below. The two walls extending towards the top are closet walls so you can ignore them.

The joists are going perpendicular this wall and for almost any location they do not lap over this wall but extend straight to the nearby parallel exterior wall (9 ft away). It sounds like non load bearing wall so far. But I need help to confirm.

Now, I have 2 issues:

In the image, yellow/black are existing door frames in the wall. The left one is entrance to a bedroom and the right one is entrance to the bathroom. The blue one is the opening I want to create. Right above this opening I have 2 pair of joists which are lapping so it definitely makes it load bearing section of the wall. I am wondering why only those 2 joists could be lapping?
I would definitely be putting sistered header above the new door. But I am wondering the 2 other doors being so close to this new opening, should I consider 3 doors together as one big opening and put a longer header to support all the 3 door frames together?

hard to say without knowing more about the floor plan. Maybe they're in a longer section of floor. Maybe there are plumbing fixtures that required a shift in layout. Who knows?
It doesn't much matter whether you use one header or three, but you'll want trimmer studs supporting it or them between each pair of doors. Otherwise you'd need to size the header for the full span, and that would probably call for a LVL beam.


What are my chances to revive a (gasoline) pressure washer after ~ten years? About eleven years ago, I bought a gasoline-powered pressure washer, and used it for some days to clean the driveway and house walls. Then it sat for 10 years, unused, unmaintained.
What are the chances of it still working ( or being revived)?

I let it run dry when I last used it
it is stored inside a garage (so no exposure to the elements)
it looks fine from the outside
I didn't yet try to use it - for some years I thought it's beyond help anyway, but now somebody told me it might be just fine.
I'm afraid that simply trying to start it might damage it, so I'm asking first
I'm not a handy-man - changing spark plugs might just be outside my skill set, but I could try.

What should I do before adding gas and trying it, if anything?

You let it run dry, which was key. This means you don't have smelly, gooey, inflammable fuel dried in and clogging the small carburetor passages.

Check the oil level and fire it up. If it's lubricated, it's probably just fine. If there's moisture in the oil it'll evaporate when the engine comes up to normal operating temperature.

There's no reason to change the plug unless you have reason to believe that it's fouled, but storage doesn't do that.


How to repair scratches by utility knife on wooden dinner table? The wood is the fake kind, not actual wood, found in cheap furnture. The scratches were made by a cutter knife.

Depending on how deep the scratch is.
Before more typing, why not just place a table cloth over the scratch since it is what you said?
To "fix" finishing on wood furniture requires techniques, and costs on materials.
Is it worth the fixing? looked like it's all the way across edges.


Is there a remote switch I can use to replace a switch located in a wall being removed? I am removing two walls that contain light switches for the dining, and kitchen ceiling lights. Is there a wireless switch I can use for control, without fishing wires into the existing walls?

That's possible, but I doubt that something like this would be up to any electrical code unless those are 3 way switches that have their counterparts somewhere else as they make wireless 3 way switches

Anyway, something like this seems like a bad idea. If you are remodeling anyway , then either fish the wires or open up the walls and patch them later. Nothing beats hardwired connection.


What defines a load bearing wall? I know "A" is a load bearing wall.
"B"  may/may not be load bearing.  Correct?
What about "C"?  I want to take that wall down.  Can I safety assume non-load bearing?
Edit1:  Horizontal lines are the joists.
Edit2:  Empty attic is all that is above.

Based on your description, and assuming your horizontal lines are joists, I would say A and B are load-bearing. C is likely safe to remove.
However you provided limited details, so we can't say for sure...also don't blindly trust people on the internet.


Should I put a moisture barrier between a single ply of pressure treated (PT) plywood and a second non-PT ply when constructing a shed? I am building a shed.  The floor consists of 4x4 PT runners, 2x8 PT girders, and 3/4" PT Plywood flooring.
Anytime in the past, when I have laid PT lumber next to non-PT lumber, there is mold/mildew on the non-PT lumber after a very short time.  Also, anything metal seems to rust quicker when on or next to PT lumber. I wanted a heavier duty shed, so I was thinking of adding a second, non-pressure treated layer of plywood on the first. This would strengthen the floor and also separate the PT wood from the contents in my shed.  Is this plan acceptable?  Should I put a moisture barrier between a single ply of pressure treated plywood and a second non-PT ply?

Dont put moisture barrier between, it will just trap moisture and rot quicker. Moisture for shed should be under structure. But if it collects rain water on top you are just making humidity worse. Pt plywood is generally dried out when you buy it so there shouldn't be an issue.


How to clean settled grease from kitchen cabinets? I like to fry a lot (I am not fat though :)) so there is quite a lot of grease and oil fume buildup on my kitchen cabinets.  I tried spraying and wiping, to no avail.  Any idea how I can clean settled grease and oil fumes from my cabinets effectively?

A standard treatment for kitchen surfaces is to wipe it with a solution of TSP, an acronym for trisodium phosphate See http://www.ask.com/explore/what-tsp-cleaner.  It forms an strong alkaline (basic) solution that converts the grease to soap, making it easy to clean off.  The reaction is called saponification.  The same reaction takes place in drain cleaners and oven cleaners.

Be advised that the TSP will do the same thing to oils in your skin!  Use rubber gloves, eye protection, and whatever other precautions you find on the package.

A "Just Remembered" Edit:  TSP, and other alkaline solutions will attack aluminum surfaces!! Be warned...


Gabion cage retaining walls: drainage and deadman needs? I'm having some difficulty finding information about gabion retaining wall construction.

We're building a 2' high gabion cage wall to hold back 2' of flat topsoil backfill.

There are two aspects I can't find definitive information on:

1) Drainage pipe/plane. Is that needed at all? I've built block retaining walls before where you want to backfill the wall with a french drain, drainable rock, and then filter fabric. But it seems to be a gabion wall, in itself, is a drainage plane. Is there any reason to just not line the back side of the cage with filter fabric before filling with rocks?

2) Deadmen. Are they generally needed for 2' walls? And, if so, any ideas how to do that with a gabion cage? I was thinking of hammering in some metal fence stacks 4' back, and then just wiring them to the cages. But not sure if that's even worth the effort.

There are two types of retaining walls: 1) cantilevered, and 2) gravity.

1) Cantilevered retaining walls rely on a wall that has a compression side and a tension side. The compression side relays on the compressive strength of the concrete, masonry, etc. The tension side relays on reinforcing steel.

2) Gravity retaining walls rely on the weight of materials pressing down more than side forces pressing from the side. There are a few issues with this system, including sliding, rotation, long term deterioration of the cage, etc. all of which are variables due to the type of soil. The reason there is very little information about these retaining walls is because any change in the soil can have significant affects on the wall.

So, these walls are generally oversized.

With regard to drainage from behind the gabion retaining wall, water is a great force that can destroy the wall. Therefore, more drainage (including filter fabric) the better.

With regard to the deadman, it’s not necessary for 2’ high retaining walls. In fact, it’s not even considered a retaining wall until 4’ high. At 2’ high, there isn’t enough pressure (force) on the wall for concern.


Is there any AA battery wall-powered placeholder? I don't need mobility and I think that rechargeable AA batteries are expensive and too much of a hassle.

Is there any way to wall power my device that is normally powered by 2 AA batteries?

I was thinking of buying a 3V power adapter and connecting its wires to some AA shaped plastic casing with metal connectors in the right places. But it would be better if I could purchase such device already assembled.

Battery Eliminators

There are indeed ready made products (called battery eliminators) that perform the function that you envision.

The "active cell" has the wires that inject the 3VDC from an external source into the battery holder. The "dummy cell" is just a plastic block that has an end to end wire. (Note that when using the pictured type device it is necessary to make sure that your wall mounted device just has two wires from its battery holder off into the internal circuitry).

Installation will require some modification of the device's battery door unless it is possible to operate the device without the battery door in place.

The whole kit also includes the wall wart type AC mains adapter:

DIY Eliminator

If you start the search for "AA Battery Eliminator" you will quickly find that these units are moderately expensive. Based upon that you may be encouraged to build your own. The fake cells can be constructed using suitable diameter wooden dowel material cut to length. Sometimes the end caps can be taken from typical dead AA carbon zinc batteries as these end caps are often removable from the cell and can then be glued in place on the ends of the dowel. A hole drilled from end to end of the dowel and one from one side into the center can accommodate the wires.

In some cases alligator clips can be used instead of dummy cells:

Rechargeable AA Cells

Keep in mind that it may be another option to invest in a couple of sets of rechargeable AA cells and a separate wall/USB powered charger unit. The cost of such solution may be similar to the battery eliminator.

Do be aware that many low cost re-chargers are garbage and will do more to destroy your rechargeable cells than the actual use of the cells themselves. There are some decent battery chargers worth considering such as this unit from Lacrosse. I have the the Lacrosse BC-700 model and can report that it is an excellent product.

Buy AA Cells In Bulk

The overall simplest solution would be to purchase the AA alkaline batteries in bulk. With a little bit of research you can find bulk purchase options that include free shipping and prices of just over a quarter of a dollar per cell.