Why am I only getting 92V at receptacles? There are about 5 or 6 receptacles in 2 rooms that all stopped working at once. We were getting a reading of about 92V and it's a 120V circuit. We changed out the receptacles but still the same results. Any ideas for me to fix this? Extension cords through the house are no fun.

When multiple things go out, find out what they have in common.

I'm making a couple of assumptions here, since you changed out one of the sockets, you understand that the breaker must be turned off in order to work on the circuit and that you are actually using a voltmeter to make sure the circuit is dead when the breaker is off before opening up any outlet box. That this is American wiring per NEC. Also that you are not dealing with aluminum wiring.

First step is the breaker, turn it off and push it fully to the off position to reset the internal mechanism. All items (lights & sockets) on that circuit should die. Note what is unpowered on that circuit so you can verify later whether this is a full circuit or partial circuit power loss.
Turn the breaker back on and check the voltage on the breaker output in the breaker panel. If it's 92VAC there, the circuit breaker could have bad internal contacts (breaker needs to be replaced, don't mess with it if you aren't sure how to do it) or on some evilly constructed panels, the contacts to the bus bars may be bad (get an electrician IF THIS IS THE CASE, Buss bar erosion is a dangerous situation). Make sure the output lug on the circuit breaker has a tight connection.
If with the circuit breaker on, the same amount of items are are lacking power as were unpowered when the circuit breaker was off, you have an open connection in the wiring leading to the first socket in the daisy chain, or the incoming connection to the first socket is bad.
If only part of the items on the circuit come on when the breaker on, then you have a bad connection in a circuit daisy chain. When you look at intermediate sockets in the circuit, commonly a pair of wires carries power to the socket and another pair carries the power to the next socket in the chain. Find the first socket in the circuit, check voltage down the chain till you find the drop. The bad connection will be either the last socket with full power or the first one that shows the voltage drop.

Depending on the era and the electrician, the daisy chain may be continued by:

Wire-nutting the two cables (black to black, white to white) and running a pigtail from each to the appropriate socket connection.
By connecting one cable to a pair of hot and neutral screws (black/hot to brass, white/neutral to silver) and continuing the power to the next item in the chain from the second set of screws (newer sockets also allow for straight stripped wire going under a plate that's tightened by the screws)
By using the push-in connections on the socket in a similar configuration

My experience with a broken chain causing partial circuit power loss is with an electrician using the push-in connectors.

The failure was due to poor contact and heating that melted the first or second socket because these two sockets have to carry all or almost all the current in the circuit and if the wires don't enter the push-in straight or have burrs that don't allow them to seat properly you get a loose contact that gets worse over time. Heating anneals the brass and the spring contact goes away.

I haven't seen a screw tightened copper wire connection do that yet, they seem to have a larger surface area and are mechanically tightened instead of depending on spring contact.

I have seen burned aluminum screw contacts where there was a mismatch (non-CO/ALR) and bad assembly, that's another scary situation that opens up a whole 'nother can of worms.

NOTE: Grounding was ignored in the above discussion, bare wire goes to green screw ground lug, wire nut with pigtail is handy for this.


Garage Floor Drain Alternatives A couple of years ago I bought a house that was built around 1960.  It is a brick ranch house with a 1 car garage built in to the house.

The problem is that the garage floor does not have a drain.  This means that when I park a wet car in the garage (snow or rain) the water drips on the floor and it will puddle in low spots against the walls.  I wouldn't say that the floor is badly sloped, but the water has to go somewhere and it does have a few places in particular that it pools.  Because of this there is some water damage against my wall.  The concrete floor is also slightly cracked which may or may not be related.

I know the right way to fix this is to bust up the floor and install a new concrete floor with a drain.  However, I'm finding it difficult to swallow that cost considering the garage has been this way for 60 years.  I realize that is a bad reason for not changing something, so I'd like some second opinions.

Is this a big problem or an inconvenience?  It's been like this for 60 years so what is the harm in letting it continue?  Are there other ways to solve this problem that would be more cost effective?

A couple notes...

The garage is underground and the driveway has 4 foot retaining walls all the way to the street.  To properly install a drain I believe I would need to bust up a lot of concrete.
My only concern is from a safety perspective.  I can live with water if it isn't going to affect the structural integrity of my house.
I am 100% positive that this water only comes in on the car and not through the walls.  I parked outside for months and lined the walls with newspaper while my area got a lot of rain.  There was no moisture at all when I tested it.

You can use a diamond blade to cut drainage channels. Noisy and messy, but it works. You can (for reasonable sums) either rent a concrete saw or purchase a diamond blade for an angle grinder, as you prefer. You can purchase a concrete saw, of course, but the sums appear unreasonable to me for a one-time project.

With such a limited amount of water (no wetness entering other than on the car) you could probably just cut a grid and leave it at that, with the water collecting in the channels and evaporating. An approach with a bit more finesse would cut the channels a bit deeper under the middle of where the car sits so the water would tend to drain away from where you are walking.

If you wanted to put in a sump (seems over the top for this garage) you would carefully slope the channels to it. While the floor does not have a proper slope, if the channels do, the water moves off the "islands" of floor between the channels, and then flows to the sump. That is typically done with a guide rail that you support at the desired slope above the floor to run the saw on.

I don't think the water in any way affects the structural integrity of your house.

If you have adequate headroom you could also add a new layer on top of the existing slab, without breaking it up, though I don't think there's any real need for that.

The cracks are probably not related and not of any real concern.


What are the green spots on our kitchen walls Our kitchen has one of the main walls of our house which is a thick concrete wall. There is nothing behind the wall, just some empty space and then the neighbor's house. I just painted the wall with Flexa indoor water-based color, as grey.
Now, as you can see in the pictures, after a couple of months we see some green spots on the wall in different places.

My question is, what are these green spots? They don't look like mold or mildew.
Update

I just tested our cleaning sprays on the wall to see if it happens because of some spray drops but it was not the case.
This place is not reachable for our kids.

Looks like copper corrosion products - so if there is a bit of copper embedded inthe wall, this sort of staining to the surface is quite plausible. WHY there's copper there to cause staining, I can't tell you.


HVAC: hot attic, system off, heat leaking in from supply vents It’s summer, the attic is hot, our HVAC system is off, but hot air seems to be slowly coming in through the supply vents, making the upstairs bedrooms hot.
It’s certainly normal for some warm air to come in from the vents when first turning the system on because the air in the ducts has heated up during the day.  However, I just noticed that the vents leak hot air even before turning the system on, defeating the purpose of my attic insulation.
I think the connections to the ducts are good (though I certainly could be wrong), but could there be another reason for this?  It certainly doesn’t seem right. Are we missing dampers of some sort to prevent this from happening?

A tale of misplaced insulation, leaky ductopi, and lazy builders
The problems you are seeing here are due to a combination of three problems:

Vented attics in hot climates get scorchingly hot
Your ducts are in the attic (and are a lazily-installed "ductopus" of flex, at that)
Your ducts, sadly, leak (somewhere)

Fixing the leak will stop the hot air from coming into the house, but it won't cure anything else that's wrong with this setup, as the unstretched flex hampers airflow through the ducts and the R8 or so duct insulation is nowhere near enough to keep attic heat from warming the cold air in the ductwork, either.  Considering that there's no ice dams in SoCal, hence no reason to vent the roof deck otherwise, I would go to an unvented conditioned attic, or "hot roof", configuration.
You can either have a couple thick layers of rigid insulation board laid down with the gaps staggered and an overdeck laid over that next time you replace your shingles, spray foam applied to the underside of the existing roof deck if you want to do the retrofit now, or a mix of the two, provided you achieve the R-value you're after.  If you are doing spray foam on the underside of the existing roof deck, you'll also want to put some 1/2" drywall on the underside of the rafters to provide a thermal barrier between the foam and any sort of flare-up that might happen in the attic (some folks use a sort of paint-on coating instead, but the drywall is easier to get right and maintain I reckon).  Of course, the attic venting will have to be removed and replaced with solid materials instead, and supply and return grilles added to the attic so that the air conditioner can cool it.
While you're at it, you'll want to have that "ductopus" of flex replaced with a rigid trunk-and-branch duct system, reducing the amount of work your air handler has to do to push conditioned air through the system.  Between these two upgrades, you'll be able to take a good 10-25% off of the energy usage of your air conditioner, and may even be able to downsize the A/C next time you are shopping for one, since your house no longer wastes effort trying to cool outside air that's just going to get vented anyway, and your air handler no longer has to push as hard to get cold air to you, either.
(As a sidebar: it is possible to "bury" the ducts in attic insulation, but that's trickier than cathedralizing the attic due to condensation issues; it requires careful spray foaming of the ducts in order to keep the dewpoint on the outside of the vapor-impermeable section of the system high enough that humidity in the outside air doesn't go off and condense on the outside of the ducts, creating a moisture problem.)


swingset beam (8') 4x4 vs 4x6? I am going to build a swingset. Four 4x4 will be used to build two A-frames but I don't know what size to use for the beam which will be 8 feet. The max load would be about 300 ~ 350 lbs. Would 4x4 be ok? Or, should I use 4x6?

I would recommend that you use the 4x6 timber and place it so that the 6" dimension is vertical.

Make sure to also plan for some additional material to make some triangulation bracing so that the A frames stay solidly in position with the overhead beam. This can be placed inside the frames or on the outside.

It is common to put a cross piece in the A frame to which this angled brace attaches on the lower end. The use of the brace outside the frame is used when the inside brace would interfere with the swing. Use a longer upper timber to accommodate the outside style of brace.


Help determine current usage of my electrical panel and available capacity to add new equipments I am a new townhouse owner and and hoping to get some help from experts here to understand my breaker panel, specifically

What is the total amperage service to my unit.
How much capacity is currently used by breakers already installed and how much is free.
Can I add an air-handler and / or a tank water heater to it without upgrading? What is the general process by which I can determine this for any device? What is the key piece of information that determines this?

I did talk to couple of contractors but didn't get satisfactory answer.I tried to read about it over the internet but I have failed to apply those learnings to my situation.

I have attached pictures of my panel and main panel.

Edit: Adding some more details:

Better image of the panel

Other details:
1600 Sq feet livable area (1900 including basement)
Cooking on gas all other appliances electric
Currently have 3 ton gas furnace and 3 ton AC

Don't get electrical advice from plumbers.

Quite possibly

When you calculate the burden the loads place on the panel, that is called provisioning. You don't provision every circuit for its breaker trip value, but rather for a lower number that reflects the probability of it being active at the same time as other loads.

A typically reasonably-electric home with a 100A main can have a 30A air conditioner, a 30A dryer, and a 30A water heater, and even a 40A range with no trouble.

I see a 30A air conditioner and a 30A ??? that ends with "r". Not water heater, clearly, and 30A is too small for a range, so it must be a dryer.

The rest of the breakers (even the other 2-pole breaker) look like lighting and receptacle loads. Those provision very lightly, since it's assumed you're not heavily loading them all at the same time.  Also they are 120V loads so they only are half the apparent burden.

You have to crunch the numbers according to NEC's procedure (here's a worksheet the City of Carmel uses), but I see lots of headroom in this panel, ampwise.  Spacewise is another thing; this is extremely overstuffed (which is trouble if you want to add anything), and every breaker is the wrong kind.

That panel is OK, the breakers gotta go.

This is a Challenger type C panel.  The panel is perfectly fine. However the breakers are known firestarters just like Zinsco and FPE, except those panels are bad too. Your panel is perfectly fine, but the breakers all need replacing. Fortunately this isn't prohibitive.

Further, the lower left is a Square D breaker which is an alien breaker - a breaker not made for this panel, and a physical misfit.  The problem is where the clip grabs onto the bus stab - they are mismatched, and make point contact instead of surface contact. They can arc and burn the bus bars.

The fool may have installed a Square D breaker on the logic that Challenger Type C breakers are unobtanium.  Untrue.  By happy accident, the Eaton BR line is cross-listed Type C (because BRyant bought Challenger and fixed their breakers, then Eaton bought Bryant.)  This is possibly the most common breaker in the US.

Sold at any hardware store for $5.  $10 for the double-stuff breakers you need.

For that split 15/20A double-stuff breaker, look for an Eaton BR1520. It's a bit hard to find.  For the GFCI or AFCI or whatever breaker, just get both protections in one breaker, it's not much more money.  Get something like a BRAFGF115CS which is a dual-function AFCI+GFCI breaker for $50.  This has indicator lights to tell you why it tripped, unlike the annoying Square D.

Heat pump

I hear you talking about a heat pump, but presumably that will replace the A/C.  So that is already factored into the system, and you don't need to provision any more power for it than you already have for the A/C.

Now, heat pumps often have "emergency heat" for when the ambient air is simply too cold for the heat pump to work, and these can pull as much as baseboard electric heat.  However, presuming you are located in metro California, you don't encounter anything below 25F.  It's pretty easy finding heat pumps capable of working that low.   Alternately if you can get by with only 30A of emergency heat, it can share the breaker because it doesn't run at the same time as the heat pump.

Given that you're in PG&E territory, I strongly recommend you install an "emergency heat" in the form of an Empire style gas furnace - either floor or wall.  These units do not need electricity. So you're not stuck like the poor shlups in the Northeast, having to fetch fuel for a generator simply to get their furnace's electronics and fluid handler to power up.  With an Empire furnace and gas water heat, making your home perfectly livable becomes within easy reach of a homebrew or commercial PowerWall type solution.


Are 2x6 rafters adequate to carry a day bed in a pergola? I'm working on my first big project, a 10x16 pergola. The long side includes three 6x6 posts 8 ft away from each other. There is another row of 3 posts 10 ft away parallel to those posts. All posts are set below the deck on concrete footers and deck posts. Posts are notched on top to receive 2x8 beams.
I have 2x6's running the 10 ft length underneath the beams to give some stability. My wife was wanting to hang a rather large swinging day bed from the pergola on the side where the grill is next to the fence. It will be about 5ft 6in wide and weigh about 75lbs. I would want to make sure 3 people will be safe on it just to be safe. So the overall load would be around 650-700 lbs. It would be attached at two different points across the length of the rafter above where the bench armrests would be. I can either make it hang from two ropes on one rafter or four ropes attached to two different rafters like the pictures I included, whatever is necessary. I was wondering what size rafters I would need to support that kind of weight if it's spanning 10 ft. I currently have 2x6's bought for the rafters but from what I read I will need something bigger.
I would prefer to avoid 2x8's just so the top doesn't get taller. Would 4x6's work as rafters? Thanks for the help. Pictures attached in link of ways I'm looking to attach the swing.

More photos

I think you'd be fine hanging the swing from both 2x6's.  (I don't see any reason you wouldn't use both.)  Southern pine 2x6's are OK up to 9'11" for joists if spaced 12" on centers. But those numbers are based on limiting the amount of deflection of the joist, so the floor isn't springy.  In this way, a little deflection isn't going to be a big deal, in fact a lot of those swings have a spring in the support so they have some give.
If you sink four eye bolts into the bottom of the 2x6's, two at each end, and put say 1' of chain on each eye bolt, and use a threaded link to connect that to the chains that the swing hangs from, it should be more than strong enough.


Installing new bathroom vent Installing new bathroom vent. Adding a second switch to this existing light switch. Can I just piggyback off the existing hot wire, just like the light switch?  I don't need to do anything with the white wire right?

Also, do I need to replace the housing with a double,  or can I just add a single right next to it and run the wire through the knockout on the side?

[![junction box][1]][1]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_FzlcEZYP_POU9jX3Vnck8yWEk/view?usp=docslist_api

UPDATE:
I'm confused. If I attach the white wire from the fan the the three white wires, the fan comes on and stays on. Switch doesn't affect it.

If I attach it to the switch, then the fan won't turn on at all.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_FzlcEZYP_PYmhvR2VvaGlEOEU/view?usp=docslist_api

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_FzlcEZYP_Pdm9UOWVrMXNuVnc/view?usp=docslist_api

You need to tie into the white and ground and take them with the hot to the vent. There are double switches that will fit in the single gang box. double switch .


Replacing a dimmer out of a 2 gang switch My girlfriend bought an old apartment in NYC and we are trying to replace one of the dimmers with a standard switch. The 2 gang consist of the dimmer (Controls the living room lights) and a standard switch (Controls the kitchen light). A quick Google search told me the dimmer was causing flickering with the new led gu10 lights we bought from Ikea. We tried these lights elsewhere and they did not flicker.

When I went to open up the outlet it looked like there was only one power source split between the two? I am following mostly online guides and they all tell me to just attach either two black cables to the new switch or a red and black to it but it doesn't look like the case for my situation.

Is this out of my limited technical skills and we should call an electrician?

I have attached pictures below to show what I mean.

The switch I am trying to replace the dimmer with.

Its very common to split or chain light circuits in parallel. Outlets too.

If you wanted to be quick about it, turn off circuit breaker, cut and strip those two wires that are comming out of the dimmer, and screw them to the brass terminals on the new switch. Btw, you can remove the green screw since its not used in this class of wiring. I would take re-tighten any wire nut splices so that there is no copper wire showing, Looks like the one in the picture needs to be redone.

In some areas, the feed wires are not labeled, so when I see one like this white wire used as a feed (power, instead of common) I mark it with a black marker.

btw, they do make led lights that are compatible with dimmers.


How can I eliminate some of the switches in a 4-way circuit? We have a situation like the following:

The only difference is the wire on the far right switch going from the switch up to the light is red instead of black.

All of those switches are powered and control each other but don't control an actual light. My thought is one of the two main living lights may previously had been a fan or something that are no longer there.

We want to remove the  2 switches on the outsides and make the middle 4 way just a single pole.

To note, the two we want to remove are each part of gang boxes with other switches so the cables would still be fully accessible later on by taking the switch face plate off for future owners.

I feel like I've tried everything. I have pulled all 3 switches out and capped off every wire individually and somehow there is still power coming in? Please help.

Also for clarity, my goal is to add a wink relay on that middle switch.

Right box

Connect the black wire from the power source to the black wire on the cable going to the middle switch box (this will be the hot wire to the new switch).

Connect the black wire from the lamp to the red wire going to the middle switch box (this will be the switched hot from the new switch).

Connect the white wire in the cable going to the middle switch box to the two white wires already bundled. Remove the black marking (this is now a neutral going to the new switch, even if it is not used).

Middle box

Connect the black wire from the right box to one pole of the switch, the line side if there is a distinction (this is hot).

Connect the red wire from the right box to the other pole of the switch, the load side if there is a distinction (this is now the switched hot).

Leave the white wire capped unless the switch needs it. Remove the black marking (this is now a neutral to be used by a smart switch if needed).

Cap all the wires going to the left box.

Left box

Cap all the wires.


How can I run an unswitched receptacle from a three-way switch box? I am trying to add an unswitched receptacle in my basement by tapping into a wall switch. There are 2 other switches that control the basement lights also. The wires into this particular switch are black white and red + ground. What wires do I run to the receptacle?

How is this switch wired? Is it a 3-way switch or a simple on/off switch? (It's a 3-way switch if it is one of two switches that can toggle your lights on/off. It's a simple on/off switch if there are no other switches that control the same lights.)

If it's a 3-way switch, then its two positions toggle a "common" conductor among two "traveler" conductors. Usually white is wired to common (one side of the switch) and black and red will be different travelers.

In that 3-way configuration, the box containing the circuit does not have a neutral available. The neutral will be available at the light or at the other switch box. This means you cannot run a new outlet from the wires in this box - you need a neutral wire.

If it's a simple on/off switch with 3 black/white/red wires, then it's possible that you have a neutral (which will not be connected to the switch because all the switch needs to do is connect/disconnect a hot conductor). Typically that will mean your white neutral wire is unused (should be capped with a wire nut) and the switch will connect black to red when turned on. If that's the case, then you can run a new outlet by connecting to the white neutral wire and the black (always hot, not switched) wire. You could also run another switched fixture from this outlet using white and red (switched hot) wires.


What is the purpose of a deeply cut stud in interior walls? As I have worked on my 30-year-old house, I found some interior 2x6 wall studs are deeply cut, clearly done at the time the home was built.  The cuts are somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 along the length of the stud.

!

I'm guessing that maybe this was done on green studs to prevent the walls from warping as the studs dried, but it's unclear to me if this is #1 common, and #2 whether I should be adding sister studs as I come across these.

It’s an old “sheetrockers” trick. When an interior non-load bearing wall stud is warped, it can be brought “back in line” by cutting it and relieving the stress.

I’ve only seen this done on interior non-load bearing walls AND when there’s just one or two in any one wall. If you have several in a row or they’re in a bearing wall, you should consider reinforcing a few studs.

If it hasn’t been a problem, I’d be cautious about fixing something that’s not broken. Banging the studs with a hammer could cause other problems.


Fragile paperback on cellar ceiling batts Installed in 1968, these insulation batts now fall, or hang. The paperback has become so fragile the insulating weight pulls it apart. What suggestions for a remedy? Replace? Or?

If the room above is warm and the cellar is cold, the batts were installed upside down if the paper face is towards the cold (cellar) side. The batts mostly fall from being full of condensation (water) when in that orientation. In any case batts should have more support on a ceiling than just the backing, whether that be wooden laths or sheetrock.

Replace, possibly with some other type of insulation. If using a vapor barrier (which the paper face is) put it towards the warm side. If in a climate where warm side is hard to figure out (heat .vs. AC roughly equal), consider cellulose, which can function well without a vapor barrier.


Regarding detaching a tube from a valve on the top of a water storage tank I am trying to perform the tank sanitizing operation for the reverse osmosis system. One of the procedures involves detaching the tube from the valve, as shown in the first figure. The document does not specify how to do this? Would you like to let me know how to do this? Besides, the second figure shows the tank label and a blue component. I do not know what is that blue component used for? Thanks.

It's a quick connector. Water pressure actually pushes the locking mechanism to hold the tube in.

With the pressure completely relieved you can press the grey ring around the blue tube inward and at the same time pull the tube out.


Not sure how to hook up new LED light fixture New LED fixture has Black, White, Green (Hot, Neutral, Ground).  Box has two black wires connected to each other, two grounds connected to each other, two whites connected to existing socket and one red connected to socket.  I am guessing that the red is the hot from the switch and the 2 whites connect to the single white on the new fixture.

Does this seem right?  I haunt the Computer area, first-timer over here.

Yes, what you're seeing there is the neutral terminal also being used as a splice.  Neutral comes from supply, and also goes onward to other unrelated equipment.  They are just making the splice at the lamp screw rather than up in the box at a wirenut, which is a little weird.

I'd pull the two white wires off, clean them up and strip them (they might be one continuous wire looped over the screw, nothing wrong with that but it won't work with your new fixture) and join them with on a wire nut, yellow is the right color and Ideal brand is electricians' favorite. Your new lamp has pigtails so just add its white to these whites.


Why isn't my Fluidmaster installation working correctly? I have tried two brand new fluidmaster toilet valves.  It is very inconsistent.  Sometimes it doesn't allow the tank to fill, sometimes the floater does not engage causing perpetual flowing of water, sometimes it works fine, but never more than 2 flushes in a row.  Any suggestions?

1 The float must not be near any obstructions..  Sometimes the valve body was rotated too near the rear of the tank, causing the float to graze and hangup.

2 Another problem can be the refill hose is cut too short, causing the valve to bind.

3 Another issue is not extending the valve tube (it rotates, getting longer or shorter, affecting the tank level.

4 Also check under the valve top, for bits of rust/pipe crud, which can cause very flaky operation.  Be sure to turn the water off for this one...


Is slate tile suitable for exterior flooring in a colder climate? My brother-in-law lives in Northern Alberta, Canada, and is thinking about putting slate tiling down on the front deck.  However, he's getting conflicting opinions, one place is saying that it will expand/contract too much in the cold climate, another is saying that it should be fine.

I've done some Internet searches and really haven't found much, but did run across one person saying that most of the problems are likely due to water incursion, so sealing it well and re-checking it every year should do the trick.  There are also recommendations for "Ditra" or "Mapei" and then the thinset, and making sure there are no thinset voids behind the tiles.

Temperatures in the winter can get down to -20, so it is a bit chilly in the winter.  The base is 3/8" plywood over waferboard on top of joists.  There is a roof over it, but when it's snowy there will be some snow tracked onto it.

Is this a pressure treated deck on post and beams?  Or on top of a foundation?

What ever you do, forget the waferboard and plywood.  Use only pressure treated plywood.

Over time water will find its way under the tile and freeze and crack or separate the tiles. How long it lasts has to do with how well the tile and grout is sealed and how many voids you have under the tiles.

I did find a new solution.  I haven't used it but it would be the only way i would install tile on a deck.  It is a high strength fiberglass grate that installs on top of the joists. The tile is then glued on the grate. The grout lines are left open for water drainage.

http://www.gratedex.com/pg_moredetails/pg_moredetails.htm


Nest needs C wire - Goodman PGB024075-1 Complete novice here trying to install a Nest thermostat in our new home. I hooked everything up according to the Nest guide, but the thermostat gave a power/battery error message. I've gathered that it needs a C wire, but it doesn't look like one is available from the older outside unit - Goodman PGB024075-1.
Photos of the outside unit wiring and diagrams here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/CqgssCF3EULeR7YY8
Edit: I think I finally found an applicable manual - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RLIEJSde4Kr5889qODMiiCYcrvHgTp0G/view?usp=drivesdk
I've read through a good number of similar posts, and I understand that if no C connecter is available on the board (at least I couldn't find one), I should be able to splice(?) into one of the wires coming out of the 24v side of the transformer (Pic 2). Not the red wire though. If correct, where exactly would I do this?
There are already spare small wires running into the house to the thermostat (Pic 5), so I should just need a short length of extra wire (Google says 18/5?) and to know where to connect it.
Oddly, the two capped white wires at the bottom are seemingly not connected to anything (Pic 5). They appear to run back into the unit somewhere (Pic 6). Unsure if one of those could be used?
Haven't been able to find a manual online, so hopefully the photos of the wiring diagrams inside the panels are helpful.
I'd really appreciate any additional guidance on this!

You'll need to do a bit of wiring work
Unfortunately, your unit doesn't expose the C terminal in a convenient place, so you'll have to do a bit of wiring to add it.  You'll need a ¼" "piggyback" tab terminal suitable for 18AWG wire like the Panduit one depicted below, a 3' length of 18AWG blue TFFN wire, and a wirenut suitable for 2 18AWG wires for this.

Crimp the tab terminal onto the 18AWG TFFN, then stuff it down through the grommet in the bottom of the wiring compartment alongside the other thermostat wires. Once that's in place, slide one of the tab terminals off of the C terminal (the one with the three white-ish wires on it) of the 24V transformer in your unit and slide the "piggyback" terminal on where the terminal you removed went, then slide the terminal you removed onto the tab provided by the "piggyback" terminal.  You can then wirenut the other end of that new blue wire to the wire in your thermostat cable you wish to use as a C wire.


Convert wall light to 3 pin plug I'd like to put a couple of wall lights outside my garage but I don't want to wire this into the mains electricity as I want to connect them to a plug so I can control it with IFTTT.

Can I simply buy twin core and earth wire, fit a plug at one end and connect to the light fixture?

The fixture I'm looking at is this and will be running LED lamps: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modern-Black-Double-Outdoor-Stainless/dp/B00VYSL5LK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_sims?ie=UTF8

This is an interesting question because you are caught between different code sections.

If you are attaching a fixture to a plug, the conductor must be described as a flexible cord or cable. That would be covered in NEC Article 400.12 "Uses not permitted" (1) As a substitute for a fixed wiring of a structure. (2) See @Harper (3) Where attached to building surfaces. So in short you can't use flexible cord as a permanent part of the structure. Most AHJ will tell you the minute you put one support on the flexible cable it becomes a permanent part of the structure.

So then you might say, "well I'll use NM and that is approved as permanent wiring." That would be fine but attachment plugs are only approved to be mounted to approved flexible cords and cables (NEC Sections 400.6 (A) and Table 400.4.). Also in NEC Article 334.12 (B)(4) Does not permit NM to be installed expose in wet or damp locations, and a garage is considered a damp location.

So then the only way you could use the method you are suggesting is to call it temporary wiring, but that would mean you couldn't permanently attach the fixtures to the wall. Also temporary installations have a time limit then you must take them down.

Although this may not be the answer you want to here but you really can't connect lights the way you want to a receptacle and be code compliant. Unless that plug would be within about 6' of the fixture and you will have two plugs because you have two fixtures.

I am not sure why you are insisting to unplug the fixtures, but have you considered a switch with a lock out cover instead.


What is this velcro-like product? Does anyone have an idea what this product might be?

It was found it on some hired equipment, used as a cable tie / cable tidy. It is reversible and each side will stick to itself, unlike velcro.

Maybe cable tie was not its intended use?

It looks like it comes in a roll, and so could be cut to a required size.

After extensive searching we have failed to find this product, but we'd really like to purchase some.

I couldn't find the exact product pictured, but http://www.zhihonghk.com/cp/html/?73.html sells something that looks like it matches the functionality of sticking to itself on both sides and it looks sturdier.

I've never used the product above, but I have used Velcro ONE-WRAP thin ties and they work well as a cable tie and even for holding parts of a display stand together where it requires a bit of strength.  I think the green lattice product the original question asks about may have too many holes in it to be very strong and its plastic may become brittle over time, especially if exposed to UV.  On the other hand, it sort of looks like silicone which can last quite a long time.  So it really depends what it's made of.


Can I install a toilet flange in a shortened (sawed off) elbow fitting? I'm putting a bathroom in my basement, and had a plumber come in and lay the PVC pipe after I cut out part of my floor.  After pouring new concrete, he came back in and said there was a problem with the pipe for my toilet and it was too high.  He said it must have shifted somehow (it did not -- it was like that from the beginning and my ignorance didn't know it was incorrect).

Short of breaking up the concrete and re-running the pipe, is there anything I can do to make this work properly?

Here's what it looks like.  You can see the collar of the elbow sticking a good two inches above the concrete.

Were this my project I'd cut off the fitting flush with the floor and find out exactly how close to normally the flange fits. The inside of elbow should be the same size as the inside of the pipe. If possible, I'd make slight adjustments to the flange by sanding or grinding, then glue it in using primer and PVC adhesive.

I'd then be sure to securely anchor the flange to the concrete to minimize stress on the joint by the toilet mounting bolts.

This solution won't likely meet applicable codes, and will probably generate a few downvotes from sticklers who think there's only one right way to do things, but if done well will not create problems.  If so much material needs to be removed from the flange as to leave a poor connection or structural weakness, or if the curvature of the elbow prevents a good fit, you'll need to remove the concrete and start fresh.


How to fill an old window alcove? In one of the bedrooms in my house (1930s), there is a sunken alcove where an old window used to be, the internal sill is still there. Whoever bricked up the window used bricks much thinner than the rest of the wall, resulting in the 11cm deep internal alcove.

Because it's so thin, the wall here gets really cold resulting in condensation ruining the paintwork. I'm planning on blocking up the alcove with some stud work, but I was wondering what kind of insulation I should use? Should I be concerned about the condensation, or is that likely to go away once the insulation and stud work is done? Is there a better way to fill the alcove?

Skip the studs - there's nothing structural here.

Use (roughly) 9-10 cm of rigid foam insulation and 1-2 cm of plasterboard/drywall or plaster, depending on internal finish of the rest of the room.
Glue the foam in place with a construction adhesive meant to work with the type of foam you get (should come in a caulking tube.)
Use some canned polyurethane spray foam ("minimally expanding" type)
to fill in the edges around the rigid foam sheet, allow it to cure,
trim back any excess, and finish.


Can I wire a refrigerator and dishwasher on the same circuit? Can I wire a refrigerator and dishwasher on the same 20 amp circuit?

Maybe.
Branch Circuits Required

National Electrical Code 2014
Article 210 - Branch Circuits
I. General Provisions
210.11 Branch Circuits Required.
(C) Dwelling Units.
(1) Small-Appliance Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits shall be provided for all receptacle outlets specified by 210.52(B).
III. Required Outlets
210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets.
(B) Small Appliances.
(1) Receptacle Outlets Served. In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits required by 210.11(C)(1) shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by 210.52(A), all countertop outlets covered by 210.52(C), and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.
Exception No. 2: The receptacle outlet for refrigeration equipment shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual branch circuit rated 15 amperes or greater.

210.52(B)(1) Exception No. 2 specifically says that you can put the refrigerator on a dedicated circuit (that can be 15 amperes instead of 20), but does not require it.  The rest of 210.52 says that you have to have at least two 20 ampere branch circuits to supply all the required receptacles in the kitchen, and that those circuits can only serve receptacles in that same kitchen (with some minor exceptions).
If you can meet the provisions in 210.52, and still end up under the load calculations in other parts of the code.  AND the dishwasher is cord-and-plug connected, then it is possible to have the fridge and dishwasher on the same 20 ampere small appliance branch circuit. Whether or not this is recommended is subjective, and can be debated in another place.
Load Calculations

National Electrical Code 2014
Article 210 - Branch Circuits
II. Branch-Circuit Ratings
210.23 Permissible Loads.
(A) 15- and 20-Ampere Branch Circuits.
(1) Cord-and-Plug-Connected Equipment Not Fastened in Place. The rating of any one cord-and-plug-connected utilization equipment not fastened in place shall not exceed 80 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating.
(2) Utilization Equipment Fastened in Place. The total rating of utilization equipment fastened in place, other than luminaires, shall not exceed 50 percent of the branch circuit ampere rating where lighting units, cord-and-plug connected utilization equipment not fastened in place, or both, are also supplied.

This means that the refrigerator must be rated less than 80% of the branch circuit rating,  for it to be connected to a 20 ampere small appliance branch circuit. This would mean the fridge must be rated less than 16 amperes.
20 amperes * 0.80 = 16 amperes
It also means that the dishwasher (assuming it's not a portable unit), must be rated less than 10 amperes.
20 amperes * 0.50 = 10 amperes
If it's a portable dishwasher, it can be rated up to 16 amperes just like the refrigerator.

tl;dr
So if you have:

A cord-and-plug attached dishwasher fastened in place that is rated 10 amperes or less.
Or a cord-and-plug attached dishwasher not fastened in place that is rated 16 amperes or less.
And a cord-and-plug attached refrigerator not fastened in place that is rated 16 amperes or less.
And you meet the provisions in 210.52(B)

Then it is possible (though maybe not advisable) to have a dishwasher, and a refrigerator on the same small appliance branch circuit.


Why would two circuit breakers be connected inside the service panel? I was trying to locate the circuit breaker for an outlet in my garage and found a truly baffling setup. Two breakers control the same outlet (both plugs). After some head scratching, I opened the breaker box and found (see pic) breaker 4 (20 amp) wired to the outlet as expected but breaker 34 (30 amp) wired to breaker 4. Why would this be done? It was obviously intentional and possibly setup for a freezer. Is this safe and in anyway an accepted practice?

Thanks everyone for the help! I know enough to keep from getting electrocuted and this just didn't meet the logic test. I'll be checking the wiring and hopefully this is the only work they attempted.

As @Ecnerwall says, definitely not safe / legal / advisable.

My guess is that the guy kept tripping breaker #4 (maybe too many power tools in the garage?) and decided to share the load with another breaker by adding the extra wire. Approximately half of the current will flow through each breaker, effectively creating a 40 amp breaker.

EDIT: in fact it's possible / likely that the wires on that circuit were regularly carrying more than 20 amps. Wherever possible you should inspect the wiring, including all outlets on that circuit, to see if there are any signs of melted insulation or other damage. If you find any indication of heat damage I think it would be prudent to rip out the entire circuit and rewire it, since there may be damaged insulation in the walls just waiting to catch fire.


Eliminating ticking noise of pipe in wall I know that the ABS main stack in my home is not rubbing against the floor or attic plywood openings; it is rubbing against the drywall in a interior wall when the pipe expands with the use of hot water.  The pipe is 3.5" in diameter and the wall is studded out with 2x4's, so the stud bay is 3.5" as well.  With such little room to add felt, I was hoping a product existed that was thinner but would still eliminate the ticking noise.

Does any sheet-like product for this application exist?  I was expecting to find some sort of two-piece sheet system that would allow the sliding to occur between the sheets but I have had no luck in finding such an item on the interwebs.

Cut out the 1/2" drywall in the affected area & hot-patch in 1/4" drywall. A gap won't wear out over time, but any & all padding, greasing or spraying will. But yes, even a slight temperature increase will expand plastic plumbing.


Looking for a reliable replacement capacitor on pool motor I'm looking to replace the capacitor on the motor that drives my pool pump. The motor just "hums" when I try and start it and nothing is caught in the impeller or binding it.

This capacitor sits on top of a Century B2854 0-F56AA40A01-24 (1.5 HP motor) Picture of this below capacitor picture.

I've attached a picture of the capacitor. I've seen plenty of similar capacitors on amazon, but I wanted to consult some experts to make sure I am getting the same ratings of my current capacitor, and getting a reliable one.

I don't know my brands or companies of electronics and I don't want to buy something that can harm the motor or will fail.

this is not a shopping question but more of an identification question.
To answer your question the brand is irrelevant. The cap is 30 micro farad expresses as 30uF the voltage is 370v. Any value 370 or higher will work fine.  To get the correct style search for “C65R” then match one that lists 30uF.
Most of the time when a cap fails case bulging is visible at the top and bottom. An ohm meter can be used to see if the cap charges and discharged if your meter doesn’t have a capacitance test function.

With the power turned off short the terminals together then pull 1 of the connectors off. Now using the ohms function on your meter put the leads on the 2 terminals you are looking for the value on the meter to start climbing if the value is increasing swap the leads and now the value should be dropping if this can be observed and the case is not bulging it is probably fine. If there is no change in the value the cap is probably bad and it is time to replace it.


Running schedule 40 black steel pipe through concrete foundation wall I need to rerun all the gas line in my house all the way back to the meter, because the current size is 3/4 inch and the meter needs to feed a 1 inch to handle newly added appliances.
The existing pipe runs through the concrete foundation wall 6 inches above ground.

What size hole should I drill through the concrete for a 1" diameter schedule 40 black steel pipe? How do I line/fill/seal the extra space in the hole after running the pipe? Do I need to keep the pipe from resting on the concrete?

Gas lines running underground to a house are supposed to break the surface of the ground before penetrating the  wall and entering the house. This is so that in the event of a gas line leak under ground the leaking gas will follow the pipe to the surface and be expelled to the atmosphere instead of inside the house. Check with your local gas company to see their requirements for running a new line, wall penetration sleeve if required, type of pipe to be used, and are you allowed to run this pipe yourself. Installation codes change with city, township, county, etc. You do not want to replace the line and find out something was not done correctly and it has to be redone. Where I live the codes are strict and you must follow the codes to the letter. So again, call your gas co. and ask first.  Anyway the 1 inch pipe has an ID. of 1.315 inches which should slide into 1-1/4 inch schedule 40 pipe that has an ID of 1.380 inches.


Is my circuit breaker box grounded? If not, can it be? I recently bought a house that was built in 1960.  During the inspection, I was told that the majority of outlets weren't grounded.  However, it appears a few are such as in the bathroom. How do I determine if my circuit breaker box is grounded?  I had an electrician come out and he said it wasn't.  Then he proceeded to tell me that he couldn't ground my fuse box and each of my outlets would need to be rewired.  Somebody else told me that this doesn't sound right.  I have read a lot on the internet and not sure what to do next?

It's unlikely that your service panel ("circuit breaker / fuse box") is not grounded.  That could lead to all sorts of weird problems, not to mention that it would be tantamount to malpractice for an inspector and an electrician to walk away from an electric service in that condition.  Furthermore you said that some outlets are grounded.  If they passed inspection then you have grounded service.

(Technical clarification: usually the ground and neutral buses are connected in the main panel, and the service is grounded upstream.  By code such a connection can only be made in the main panel.  In this case the main panel is still "grounded" even though one might pedantically argue that the ground connection is not at the main panel.)

It sounds like you've gotten confused, so here's the simple situation: Most of the outlets inside your house are ungrounded.  They're the ones with only two holes, that can't accept a three-prong plug without an adaptor.  That's it, and it's very common in construction of that vintage or older.

The only way to provide grounded outlets is to run new wires from the service panel and replace the receptacles.  It's usually quite a pain/expense to do that, and apparently it's not required by your local ordinances.  (NB: See @wallyk's comment: You may have 3-conductor wiring to outlet boxes, in which case switching to grounded receptacles is a relatively easy project you can do yourself with the power off.)

One tip: If you do opt to pull new wires so you can ground outlets use 12-gauge wire, not 14-gauge.  That way you can support 20-amp circuits, which I have found comes in handy quite often, and the marginal cost shouldn't be that significant.


Furnace is Sweating an Abnormal Amount I noticed my furnace sweating a couple days ago.  It's hot and humid where I live so I was only mildly concerned.  It was a high of 74F today with humidity around 70% which is, relatively, nothing.  My thermostat keeps the house around 72F.

Lately, I've noticed that my A/C is running 90% of the time (a lot), but chalked it up to this being the hottest month.

Side of Furnace with Sweat Drops

Good Size Water Trail on Floor

Two Small Streams Coming from the Other Side

Condensation Runoff Line

It looks slightly kinked, but has been that way since before the summer.  I don't know what the blue tube is.

Just for Fun: This is How the Condensation Line Connects to the Main Sewer Line :D

Is this bad?  What could be causing this?

I've researched online and found some informal sources that say something in the airflow is being blocked/clogged somewhere...

Edit in Reply to @Tester101's Questions in the Comments:

The System as A Whole

At the bottom of that "V", where the grey and off-white metal meet, is where Picture #1 above was taken.

Inside the Upper Front Panel

I think this section only has to do with heating, but I don't know if you guys see anything useful.

The Rear Panel

It looks like I can unscrew that entire rear side, but I won't do that unless necessary.  There is also a smaller panel in the top of the photo.  Should I open that?

There are two main contributing factors at play here. First and most importantly, the evaporator is getting too cold. The other problem is only a problem, because the first problem is a problem.  And that is, that the humidity in the basement may be too high.
What's happening, is that the box that contains the evaporator is getting too cold. Once it cools below the dew point, it causes the moisture in the air around it to condense. To solve the issue, you're going to have to figure out why the evaporator is getting so cold.
Improper refrigerant level
My first guess, would be that the system is not charged to the proper level. Specifically, in this case I think it may be undercharged.  Though, you may also see this if it was overcharged. However, since it sounds like it hasn't always been a problem, I'd suspect the system developed a leak.
Testing
To test this, you're going to need a set of gauges. If you don't have a set; or don't know how to use them, you're going to want to contact a local HVAC company.
Restricted air flow
If not enough air is moving through the coils, the little bit of air that is there could be getting too cold.
Testing
Check the filter, to make sure it's clean. Check the evaporator coils, to make sure they are clean. These are the two most common causes of restricted air flow. Additionally, make sure registers and returns are open and unobstructed. If your system has a multi-speed blower motor, make sure it's set to run at the manufacturer's recommended speed.
Long running system
If it's really hot outside, and your system is running almost constantly. It could just be that the evaporator doesn't have time between cycles to warm up.  If this is only a problem when it's abnormally hot outside, it could be "normal" for that situation. Typical A/C systems are designed to cool between 20-30°F, anything beyond that and they'll struggle to keep up.
High humidity
If everything is operating normally, but the system just happens to be in an area where the humidity is high. It might be a good idea to insulate the system, especially in the area around the evaporator.  This is common when the equipment is installed in unconditioned spaces (attics, garage, crawlspace, etc.), but if your basement has moisture problems, it might be required there too.
If the moist air cannot get to the cold metal, the moisture in the air will not condense. However, if the now insulated system gets too cold, you could have problems with the evaporator freezing. So I'd only install insulation, if I was sure the system was operating normally.


How to Reduce the Size or Bridge the Gap of a Vinyl Floor Expansion Gap Our new vinyl floor in our bathroom required a 3/8" gap next to all vertical surfaces for room to expand. Ours ended up being a bit larger than that and we are trying to find out what we can do to reduce the gap (or bridge it) without redoing the floor. We want to use rubber trim like the one below, but it won't cover the gap.

We placed the rubber trim in and for the most part the gaps don't show. Where they do show we filled the holes with a gray silicone. It's not the ideal solution but it works and isn't noticeable.

Use a traditional baseboard. If you're concerned about moisture, instead of wood/particle board, get PVC. There is plenty of nice stuff available like this one from Home Depot

You should be able to find one with a just-wide-enough base. If not, use something simpler and add a matching 1/4-round.

You can paint the baseboard the same color as your walls or a contrasting color.


Wiring bathroom exhaust Having trouble wiring my fan to work with the switch. It either constantly runs or just doesn’t. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

One cable will be the feeder (hot and neutral) and one cable will go to the switch. The one that ran all the time will be your supply the other the cable to the switch.
Turn the breaker off and verify it is off.
Tie the white on the cable that made it run all the time to the white on the fan. The black on the fan goes to the black on the cable that did nothing, the black on the cable that made it run all the time to the white that did nothing.  Now wrap some black tape on that white wire connected to the black.
To do everything correctly the white wire at the switch should have some tape also.
Turn the breaker on and now the switch should work .
This is a switch leg the white is always hot and should be reidentified as a hot, I said traps but tape or fingernail polish, paint any color but white green or gray would be code compliant.


Old house ceiling has unused brown wire, what is it for? I'm a member of a sister site to this one so I thought I would ask this here.

I'm replacing my ceiling fan the kitchen of my old house and coming out of the ceiling was white , black and brown wires.

The old fan wasn't using the brown wire and it was just hanging there with the end cut off so no bare wire was sticking out.

There is no ground as I was expecting a green wire for that.

What would the brown wire be for and is it safe to hang there? I know just because it was done that way doesn't mean its safe or the right way.

Thank you

Ceiling fans tend to also have lights integrated with then and you want to control the separately. This is why 2 live wires are often run from the switch to the fan.

To check you can open the switch that controls the fan and see if a matching wire is present and has continuity to the wire in the ceiling box.

It is safe to leave it disconnected. However I suggest you cap it off with a wire nut at both ends to avoid the copper inside from touching something it shouldn't.


Quickest way to identify line wire and load wire in a multiway switch I am upgrading a lot of light switches in my home to Z-Wave smart switches. It is easy when it is a simple switch, but a 3-way, 4-way or n-way switch circuit is trickier. When doing so, I need to know where the hot "line" wire is and where the most downstream "load" wire is.

I am able to accomplish this but it is time consuming. My current approach is as follows:

Shut power off at the breaker for the circuit
Pick a switch and disconnect it
Turn power back on at the breaker
Probe the wires at the disconnected switch. If I find a hot wire, then go flip a switch elsewhere in the circuit and probe again. If the hot wire remains hot, I have found the most upstream "line" wire. If not, I know the most upstream "line" wire isn't at this switch. [REPEAT FROM STEP 1 with a new switch]
Once the "line" wire is identified, I can then use a similar technique to identify the wire that powers the lights.

This takes a really long time, especially when other people (and children) are in the house and you have to ensure nobody else is in danger of touching an exposed wire.

I can reliably and consistently identify the line & load wires using this method, but I am really hoping someone has a hack or shortcut to quickly accomplish this same goal.

Every 3-way switch has two brass screws, and the two traveler wires always go on those.    They also have one black screw whose name is common, and either your always-hot or your switched-hot wires will go on those.

Every 4-way screw has two brass screws for two travelers inward, and two black screws for two travelers outward.  Every wire on a 4-way is a traveler.

This means in an entire 3/4-way complex of any size, every wire is a traveler, except two.   Those are always at 3-ways, always on the ends, always on black screws, and are always either always-hot or switched-hot.

If you're fond of not losing your mind, I have a suggestion.  I work in conduit with individual wires in my choice of color.  I use 2 yellow wires for travelers*.  Travelers are interchangeable, and there is no need to distingish them from each other, though it sure helps to distinguish them from other wires.  Two identical odd-color wires running together are quite distinctive.  If you're not in conduit, you are stuck with black white red for everything, but you can mark them with colored electrical tape.  They sell 5-packs of colored electrical tape for $3 in a lot of stores.  I'm fond of yellow for travelers, green** and blue for alt-travelers if two separate sets are nearby, red for switched-hot, black for always-hot and the law already requires neutral be white.  (But white can be anything).

* If I have several 3-way circuits in close proximity, then I'll use purple, blue, etc. for the others, again in pairs, it's quite distinctive.)

** Small wires cannot be remarked with green tape to be a ground.  So it changes nothing; the wire is still a hot.


Plywood underlayment over plywood subfloor - how to secure I am taking up carpet & particle board and putting a new layer of 1/2" plywood underlayment over the plywood subfloor prior to installing 3/4" hardwood (nailed down). I know I should orient the underlayment opposite of the subfloor's direction and that I should glue the underlayment to the subfloor (believe me, I will never reverse this install as long as I am in this house, so I am not worried about gluing it down). That said, I have also read that I should not screw the underlayment into the joists, but this seems mostly to come into play when folks are talking about installing tile. I am planning on using 1-3/4" subfloor screws to attach the underlayment to the subfloor. Do I really need to be careful about not hitting the joists with the screws? I am planning on 6" spacing on the edges and 8" spacing in the field. Also, should there be a gap between the underlayment plywood butt joints? Thanks.

First, I'd counter your plans to orient the second layer perpendicular to the subfloor. Plywood and OSB have a strength axis that should run across the joists. Instead of turning the top layer, simply stagger its joints with respect to those of the subfloor. Start with a ripped half sheet and stagger the butt joint by two joists.

I've never heard the advice you mention about avoiding joists with underlayment fasteners. It's probably not critical to run screws into joists, but there are a couple reasons why you would.

Running through between the joists creates some possibility that you'll hit something underneath that shouldn't have holes in it. Using 1-3/4" screws it's not likely to be a problem, but it is possible.
You may find your screws stripping at the threads before the heads are completely sunk. They should be at or below flush, and that takes quite a bit of pull from the threads.

I wouldn't worry about gapping butt joints with plywood. It's stable enough that it shouldn't be a problem unless you happen to be installing very dry wood in a very humid environment. OSB is usually undersized to allow for swelling, but not plywood.


Connecting standpipe to 1 1/2" brass waste pipe? I am remodeling a 100-year-old house, adding plumbing for a washing machine and condensing dryer. I'm installing the washing machine and dryer in the basement. In the location where I want it to go, there is a 1 1/2" brass waste pipe coming up vertically from the basement floor, about 3 inches or so. The main waste stack is about 2.75 feet away.

I believe I need to install a tee fitting, connect a waste arm to it, connect a p trap to the waste arm and a standpipe to the p trap ... similar to the below picture (except with a standpipe connected to the p trap and not a sink).

Questions

How do I connect the tee fitting to the brass drain pipe? Is a rubber reducing fitting OK?
Is my methodology correct?
The p trap needs to be 2" as per code, is it OK that the brass pipe is only 1 1/2" ?

Based on you answer in the comments my answer would be.

Presumably if it was a sink then its vent was provided by the nearby main stack so you should be able to put a san-tee on it and p-trap into the san-tee. BUT it could have had a vent coming of the original san-tee and connecting elsewhere to the stack ?

You want the san-tee low so that you have room enough to put a tall vertical pipe on top of the P-trap so the washing machine discharge does not splash back.

I would, since you do not know for sure if it is vented to the main, stack run pipe up off of the top of the san-tee  as high as you can ( at least a foot or more if you can above the top of the top of the washing machine drain pipe ) and put an air admittance valve on top of that.


How can I connect a 10/3 range to an old 8/2 circuit? This was working fine, but I had to move the range, and I didn't pay attention when I disconnected it. There is an 8/2 in the wall (black white bare) and the range has 10/3 (red black white bare).
I need this back in use.
What if I use wall black to range black, wall white to range red, and then wall bare (ground) to range ground and white? After all, don't white and bare go to the same place in the breaker box?

No. You cannot connect a device neutral to ground.  If the range has no 120 volt components such as as a light or fan, you may be able to cap and not connect the neutral. Check the installation guide for the range.


How to remove a bathroom fan vent grille for cleaning I have a bathroom fan vent that doesn't completely come off, it stays attached but pops down (see attached images).

Should I clean these things using a ladder, or should I remove them and wash them somewhere else?

It does come off. You squeeze those wire clips together and the ends pop out of the slots they are in. Then you can take the entire cover off. After that there is usually just one screw holding the fan motor in place, take that out and unplug the fan so that you can remove it and clean it thoroughly with a vacuum cleaner.


How can I make the surfaces of tile and drywall flush? I am doing my bathrooms up.

I have tiled up halfway up the wall. I then wanted the tiles to be flush with the wall.

The tilers have suggested;

putting a 10mm mdf board (the thickness of the tile) above the tile and painting that. I'm really not a fan of this because i don't believe it will give me the proper finish i am looking for (see the 2nd screenshot)
the tiler who finished the finished bathroom said he glued a board 10-15 mm above the tiles. I imagined he then skimmed it and filled in the 10-15mm gap with something, not sure what....

The reason my guys want to use a board and paint that is that the skimming/bonding will make an incredible mess in the bathroom

I need a professionals opinion on how to finish this without a headache in the short term future.

Tile and drywall is not supposed to be flush.  Yours looks a little off because you have not put a row of bullnose tile to round into the drywall.


How can I catch more lint in my dryer? In the 3 story townhouse I'm currently in, the contractor originally built the (stackable) dryer vent to go straight up from it's location (top floor), then when it gets above the ceiling, it angles up to vent out at the roof top.  needless to say, this is very problematic as it requires regular cleaning.  Is there anything I can do on the dryer itself to increase the amount of lint caught while drying so that I don't have to pull this thing out to clean the vent pipe behind it as often?

They sell inline lint traps, that can be installed along the exhaust vent.

This should catch most; if not all of the excess lint, and give you a convenient easy way to clean the lint. The lint should be cleaned often (along with the dryers internal lint trap), to increase dryer efficiency and decrease the chance of fire.

Keep in mind, these are recommended to be used with a "booster fan" setup. If your exhaust line is longer than about 6' (1.8 m), you'll have to install a dryer booster fan to safely use one of these lint traps.

If you have a gas dryer, you may not be able to use an inline lint trap. Check with the manufacturer of the dryer, before installing a lint trap like this.

Warning

They sell products like this that have an open front, that "deflect" heat into the house.  These are not a good idea, since they also "deflect" moisture into the home which can lead to mold and poor indoor air quality.


electrical - Basement stairs 3 way switch with 2 lights Can anyone help with a solution?

I have a 3 wire coming from a smoke detector in the basement into a switch at top of stairs (3wire providing the hot) and from that switch it feeds two light fixtures with 2 wire.
How do I install another 3way switch at bottom of stairs to control those two lights without affecting the smokes because it's clearly on the same circuit.

Thanks, much appreciated
James

I can't make sense of what you have going on but, the smoke detectors are simple black and white to each of them in the house and the red involved in the smokes is just a signal wire to turn them all on if one goes on. That being said the, aside from the line and neutral wire you can largely ignore the smoke detectors. And yes that picture is a 3 way switch.


Why are my appliances failing and the breaker tripping? 10 yr old washer would not come on so it wash replaced with a working 4yr old one. I did 3 loads of laundry not on same day then tonight it would not come on. The breaker was off. I flipped it on and washer got wispy smoke from the back near the top. Outlet started to hiss. Unplugged it and the freezer which are plugged to same outlet. When I turned the breaker back on the freezer does not hiss in either outlet but the washer does. Only 2 things that have ever been plugged into it and only things on that breaker. I wonder if the fist dryer was broken after all but that's not the question. Can it be the outlet?

Let's start with NEC Article 220.52 (B). which requires a separate laundry circuit for the  washer only. So you will need to find a second circuit for the freezer. Next you purchased a used washer and we have no idea what type condition it is in and it has no warranty (see comments above). Now that you have probably overloaded the circuit with a bad washer, you have picked up "Hissing" in the receptacle. This means you have probably caused some damage to the receptacle or its wiring. So you need to kill the circuit and pull the receptacle from the wall and inspect it for damage and make any repairs necessary. Personally I would replace the receptacle and make sure your wiring did not overheat and damage the insulation. If the wiring is damaged you need to trim it back. If the wire is then too short you need to pigtail it and reattach it to the new receptacle.

Sorry to deliver the bad news, but having a freezer compressor and a washer motor on the same circuit can cause a shortened life for each appliance. So you really do need to correct that.

Good luck and stay safe.


Replace o-ring on Ideal Standard 'Silver' Bidet Ideal Standard 'Silver' Bidet has this little swivelling nozzle on the spout. The o-ring on this deteriorated over time, leading first to leakage around the nozzle, then it came off all together. Photo shows the various parts:

A: Remaining end of tap; note bulbous shape.
B: Inner part of swivelly nozzle (bottom view).
C: Inner part of swivelly nozzle (top view).
D: Outer part of swivelly nozzle with worn-out o-ring.

I have a heap of replacement o-rings of different sizes, but I can't figure out how to put it back together. Clearly B/C screws together with D. I surmise (perhaps incorrectly) that the o-ring serves, not only to provide a water seal, but also to physically retain B/C on the bulbous part of A. But there's not much of a lip inside C to retain the o-ring. And how to put the pieces together? I can preinstall the o-ring over A, but can't then persuade it into C. I can preinstall in C, but when I try to push it on A, the o-ring just slides down inside A, refusing to ride over bulbous A.

Any ideas?

This is the exploded view (from here)

From here, it appears the replacement parts numbers are:

Flow straightener (37) - A910212
Swivel (37a) - E960577AA
Aerator (37b) - A910287


How much light is too much light? I'd like to improve the poor lighting in my 10' x 12' home office (currently a single small overhead LED located in the center of the room; my wife and I have desks at either end of the space). The space is mostly used for computer work, although I will occasionally use the desk for small electronics projects, which is when the lack of good lighting becomes particularly noticeable. I'm approaching 50, which probably has some impact on the question.
I'm thinking of installing an LED panel over my desk, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how much light I need. I'm looking at surface mount LED panels, something like this.
The ceilings are just under 8' high (about 5' from desk top to ceiling).
A 1x4 panel is typically rated around 4000 lumens, but I'm having a hard time translating the "lumens" rating for the lights into practical information, so I'm hoping somebody here can help before I waste time installing a light only to find that it's overkill. I realize it's a subjective question, but is that too much? Should go with something like a 1x2 instead?

Check this answer.
For computer work you don't want too much light, as that could cause glare on the screen. Say 200-300 lux ; less for gaming or dicking around on social media, more for actual work.
For paperwork you need proper lighting, 300-500 lux.
For electronics, if you want to read the value on a SMD resistor with 50 years old eyes, count 500-1000 lux.

Lux are lumen per square meter, so if you had a fixture that throws all the 1000 lumen of a lightbulb onto one square meter of desk space then you'd get 1000 lux. In practice a significant proportion of the light goes elsewhere, light beams aren't perfect, and the inverse square law says when the light is twice as far, its intensity is spread over 4x the surface, which means 4x less lux.
Inverse square law means you can easily get much higher levels of illumination on a small area with a desk lamp and a spot bulb (because it's close to the desk) than with a powerful ceiling panel. However, a desk lamp will make hard shadows which are annoying when doing electronic work.
Now, since you have several different needs, which require different levels of illumination, it means of you use only one light it has to be dimmable.
If it is dimmable, due to Kruithof curve (see link at beginning of post) it has to be variable CCT or else it will suck.
Also you need high CRI even if you don't know it yet ;)
Simple solution:
This is what I did at home since I couldn't find any LED panels that suited my requirements. They're all either CRI 80 which is garbage, or horrendously expensive.
Aluminium profile like this one which can take 2 LED strips, with clear diffuser that you can frost lightly with steel wool. This is a wide profile, which allows two LED strips mounted on the inside.

24V 4000K CRI95 28.8W/m LED strip ; you can also use 5000K if you want, but their 4000K is really nice.
24V variable CCT 2400K-5500K 28.8W/m LED strip
Dimmer and FUT092 remote (note: this one doesn't flicker, PWM is at 5kHz)
24V supply
A 2m long profile fits nicely above a desk, and these look quite slick. You can suspend this from your ceiling at a height of your choosing. Inside this profile you put 2x 2m LED strips at 28.8W/m each, or 115W. It's important to put the different color strips close together inside the same profile so the variable color temperature light behaves as a single light source; if you use two profiles with different CCTs you'll get colored shadows. If you make two lights, a 24V 10A power supply like Meanwell XLG/ELG-240-24 will work fine.
Use the RGB controller. On the 2400K/5500K strip, connect 2400K to output "RED", 5500K to output "BLUE", and connect the 4000K strip to output "GREEN".
Then you can use the remote to set intensity and color temperature.
Now you might say, "what? you're using the RGB outputs to control color temperature?"
All LED dimmers which control color temperature have the same problem: constant output power. If you set the color temperature to "warm" or "cold" you get 100% power on the "warm" LEDs or the "cold" LEDs. But if you set in the middle of the range, you only get 50% power on "warm" and 50% power on "cold". The sum is always 100%. So you can't turn on both LEDs at full power at the same time, which is annoying. If you use the RGB dimmer instead, you can set both LED channels to full power at the same time. This is purely a software issue, and it is much simpler to do it that way than to reprogram the proprietary dimmer firmware...
Additionally, the dual color temperature LED strips all have the same problem: to respect the Kruithof curve and get a light that feels good at all color temperatures, you need about 3x more "cold white" LEDs than "warm white" LEDs. But these strips have the same number of both. Underpowered "cold" (4000K-5000K) light feels icky, so that's why I'm recommending one color changing strip, and one single color 4000K-5000K strip to boost it.
With this setup, using the RGB wheel:
"Red" gives a 14W, very warm 2400K light which is really cozy. At this CCT it doesn't need much power. 2 meters of the strip I mentioned will be just right.
"Green" gives almost 60W of 4000K LEDs which is great for office and electronics work.
And if you slide your finger a bit more towards "Blue" then the 5000K LEDs in the dual color strip will also turn on, which gives a bit more power.
I really like the result, and the color rendition on these Auxma strips is beautiful. Unlike cheap LEDs there is no ugly greenish tint.


Is it safe to shut off cold water entering water heater? I have a pretty bad situation at my place. I have a leaky shower faucet which has gone from drips to a steady stream. I calculated the flow at .3 gallons per minute. My very old home has no private shut off valve for the water. I tried to shut the water off at the meter, but the valve was very tough and I didn't want to force it, break something, and be liable.

I've noticed that the water coming out of the faucet is pretty hot. So, I tried shutting off the valve supplying cold water to my heater. The amount of water leaking from the bathroom faucet reduced significantly. Is  it safe to simply shut off the cold water supply to my gas heater or will it cause problems with pressure? Will water come out of the pressure relief valve at some point?

This is a temporary measure until I can have the water shut off by the water company or plumber. For now, I've left it on.

If you have no separate shut off valve you should wait till the local water authority can come and temporarily shut off the water at the meter (which is presumably near the street).

I see no problem with shutting off the water supply to the water heater as a short term measure to curb the water waste from the leaking faucet in the shower. It would be a good idea to turn off the water heater during the time that the water supply is turned off.

After you turn the water supply back on the only issue you will have with the water heater is that some air could have fed back into the tank. All you have to do is to open the hot water valves in several of your sinks and let them run for a short while until the water runs clear without any bubbles or spitting coming out of the faucets.


Reroute water around garage I am having some issues during spring / rainfall. Because one corner of my garage is low, all the water pools, which then comes into the garage. I find myself constantly trying to broom the water away.

My ideas:

1) For around the door, can I just dig down say a foot around the sidewalk along the side of the garage towards the back and fill it with gravel?

2) For the portion by the garage door, can I use a bit of concrete to create a bump, to allow the water to channel down toward the backlane? Perhaps a large rubber stopper?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Both of your plans will work to keep water out for a while. I would trench to a lower area and use some rock it will act as a drain, the only problem will be after years of use it may plug with soil, grass clippings and other organics but if I'd dosent freeze it will work until then. A bump that is sealed will stop water but you don't want standing water there it will rot out the wood. Try the gravel first hopefully you have some grade away from the house and the gravel will make a nice drain.


How do I Clean and Seal Laminate floors? My home has laminate (but appears wood) floors, and I want to emulate what we did in the Military, but I don't know any of the product names (just the slang, Sealer)

I have use Linseed Oil on hardwood floors in the past, and really liked the what I got out of it.

Can I use Linseed Oil on my floor to the same effect, or is there a better product to help protect my floors? (Side note: I don't care about the floors look, I care about keeping the material from becoming damaged)

Also, given the suggested protectant: What would be the best way to clean those now-sealed floors?

Laminate flooring is not made to be sealed after installation.  The floors are made with a protective coating that make them durable.  Typically they have a good warranty on them.  The only problem I had was gaps.  My floor was not level and when the seasons changed I would get gaps.  I finally solved that from another post on the site.


How many lighting circuits are needed in the LED era...? (US - NEC) This is in a two story, ~1000square foot per floor building. With the advent of affordable, decent (IMHO) LED fixtures (finally!) the entire lighting load for the structure looks to be 500W - 1000W at the outside - well below even the 1440VA that a paranoid or cautious soul might derate 15 amp lighting circuits to on the basis that they are (at least potentially, in the long dark winter) pretty much like a continuous load. Great news for my power bill.

There will be NOTHING but lighting on the lighting circuit (or circuits.)  I've been on the other side of that, not going back. I have never personally seen a lighting-only circuit blow, though I'm sure it must happen - very occasionally. These are lights in the ceiling, not outlets/receptacles that could have "whatever" plugged into them.

Do I need to split lighting into several circuits to satisfy a code requirement, or not?

I may anyway, to ease the wild hare of "I suppose the lights could trip a breaker" but is there a code-driven need to? As far as I can see, from a practical point of view, all the lighting needs of my building in the modern age can be met with a single 15A 120V breaker.

Say, for instance, the one lighting one light at the panel right now. (which I've given a separate question.)

If you want to get picky about edition, I believe that 2011 NEC is the currently adopted code for the USA location.

As far as the NEC is concerned, there is no limit to the number of outlets (lighting outlets in this case) that are allowed on a single circuit assuming that the attached fixtures don't exceed the rated capacity of the circuit.

However, @Edwin raises exactly the correct point in the comment - what matters is what the fixtures are rated for, not what they are currently being used for. The general rule of thumb that electrical inspectors tend to use is around 8 boxes for a 15A circuit and 10-12 for a 20A circuit.  Keep in mind that they are counting boxes, not what gets put into them.  The idea is that you can put in a receptical rated at 5W, decide you don't like it, and throw something with a 150W load in the same receptical.  The only thing that makes something a "light" in the eye of the inspector is that it is on the ceiling and has a switch running to it.

Outside of the load consideration you actually bring up a good point in the question, which is safety.  While the NEC doesn't specify a minimum number of lighted branches (other than the panel lighting requirement), your local authority very well could.  I know my jurisdiction only allows 2 rooms to share the same branch for lighting purposes, precisely for the reason you mention - you pop a breaker, you're in the dark.


How to air-seal apartment breaker box and range hood duct I live in an apartment on the top floor. It's the dream apartment for me except for the heavy cooking smell from neighbors entering the unit. I believe the main culprit is the bathroom fan without manual control, it has a motion detector and runs for hours whenever sees any light or movement. The smell was tolerable the summer since we kept our windows open, fresh airflow.
It's now winter, and we keep the windows closed. When the bathroom fan runs, it creates suction, pulling air into the unit from wherever it can.
I detected two sources of air coming in:

The breaker box in the entrance (on the shared wall with another unit)
Range hood duct (poorly sealed, duct shares a common "box" on the rooftop with other units)

The smell does enter through the range hood duct even when the bathroom fan is off.
So far maintenance only interested in hood duct exit, and installed a second flap to prevent air from coming into my unit to that said box, no difference. There were talks about installing a backdraft motor on the rooftop as well, but at this point, I'm pretty sure I'm being ignored and not confident to press on this since "smell" is hard to prove.
Since I'm on a rented property, I want to address these with light, reversible modifications. My ideas are:

Breaker box:

Use a thin rubber seal around the inner gap of cover. A snug fit should work, the cover is rarely opened.
Use clear silicone to fill the gaps around the frame.

Range hood:

Modify it to use the ductless recirculation mode.
Remove the duct connection, place a duct cap, and seal with foil tape.

Does this sound like a good plan to you? Are there any fire/safety codes that I'm missing, or some alternative that would work better?
Attached images of the breaker box and range hood duct.

Every residence, excluding the ISS, submarines and similar special cases, needs a certain amount of makeup air. Newer buildings tend to let in far less air as a way to improve energy efficiency, but there is always some air coming in or else you would end up with too much CO2 and not enough O. See Apollo 13 or a report of a mine disaster for details.
That being said, if the problem is excess draft caused by the bathroom fan, stop the bathroom fan! Since this is a rental, you can't replace the motion sensor without permission. But a piece of duct tape over the sensor will fix that problem really quickly. Alternatively, you could tape some sort of flap over the sensor so that you could turn it on/off as needed in order to ventilate moisture from the bathroom after a shower or bath. Much like many people place a removable cover over their laptop camera and remove it when they actually want to Zoom.


How can I know if my boiler is supported by Nest 3rd Gen thermostat? Here are the pics

How do I know if my hot water boiler is compatible with Nests domestic hot water control

Unless you already have a separate electronic controller/programmer for your water heater you can't control it with your Nest thermostat.  Since you haven't mentioned it or provided pictures of a controller or wiring, I assume you don't have one.  Having a controller for your water heater is common in some regions but not in others.  Based on search results from Nest's UK website, I guess it's more common in Europe.  In the southern US, I've never seen a controllable water heater.

A basic water heater is controlled by a knob or adjustment screw and doesn't contain any electronics to interface with.


What kind of pump would I need to supply my trailer with water from a nearby creek? The water has to come out of the creek, up 30 feet to the pump, then about 100 yards to the holding tank. I am not sure how much higher the holding tank will be above the pump, but I do know that it is about 30 feet above my trailer on a hill side. I was going to try to just use a gravity feed for shower and sink. It's an RV so I don't need too much pressure. I also wanted to have a couple of hoses for garden use back down near the pump.

What size and kind of pump do I need?  Should I have enough water pressure at the trailer and hoses? Is there anything else I should do or know?

All this is contingent to your property having water rights to that creek. None of it is to be used as drinking water unless you like a good bout of liver flukes, giardiasis, cryptosporidia, hepatitis, typhoid, etc. Not a good idea to contaminate your RV water system with it.

What kind of pump? You start drawing vacuum on top of a 32ft column of water, so the pump will need to be a jet-pump if you plan on pulling water over 28 ft. vertically. Keeping the pump primed is going to be the bane of your existence if the water level in the creek drops below your foot valve.

A submersible in the creek would get rid of the vacuum issue and the priming issue in one, just don't let it run dry due to sucking your sump empty.

Conversion from head to psi is done by dividing vertical distance by 2.31 so the vertical rise from the pump to your tank system needs to be known. 100 yards on an incline isn't the same thing as vertical rise. Figure rise in ft./2.31 = psi required for the pump to produce to get it to the gravity tank. (how to figure vertical rise below).

Figuring the head needed to give you pressure at the RV requires multiplying psi * 2.31 = rise in ft. so if you want 20psi at the RV, 20psi * 2.31 = 46ft which means your tank needs to be 46ft higher than your RV.

To figure the pressure available at your sprinklers, measure the elevation change from the tank down to the garden, drop in ft./2.31 = psi available to run your sprinklers.

For controls, you need to have a float switch in the gravity tank to keep from overfilling and a way of monitoring for when the creek runs dry to shut the system down so you don't burn the pump out (not mentioned where on the planet you're located).

None of this takes into consideration the amount of wire you need to run down to the pump or the sizing of the wire to reduce voltage loss. It'll have to be 220V to keep the current down, so no 120V pumps. And it will need to be run through a piece of pipe to keep the local wildlife from deciding that Romex is tasty. Squirrels love it.

Any springs or small tributaries uphill from your location? A 1000 gallon stock tank and gravity from there are a lot less energy costly.

Addendum Simple trig for real life or how to figure something you can't measure with two items you can.

You get a protractor, mount it on a stick you can push into the ground, make sure the flat side is level with the angle measurement side down and then sight along from the apex (pencil hole if you're using one of those cheap plastic ones) down to the pump location. Now you measure the distance on the ground from your protractor apex down to the pump in as straight a line as you can possibly achieve following the sight line.

This gives you a right triangle with a known hypotenuse and an angle. You now want to calculate the height of the opposite side.

If you have Windows, you have a scientific calculator function that can be turned on from one of the dropdown menus. Set the angle function on it to Degrees, enter your angle and click the sine button.

Multiply that by the distance you measured and you should now have the vertical distance between the pump location and a sight line straight out from the RV location. This is the vertical head your pump will have to overcome to get water up to that elevation. As discussed, you will need to place the tank yet further up the hill to have any appreciable pressure at site, so you probably want to measure at that location instead.


How do I attach a ledger board if I have no interior access? I would like to build a small, 24" high deck, for a new entry door to the house.  I have the deck plans all laid out, and am in need of a 2x10 ledger board under the door to attach the deck to.  Most of what I have read on attaching a ledger board, suggests using large carriage-bolts through the ledger board and rim joist, with a nut/washer on the back side.  Unfortunately, this section of the house has a finished basement, and it would be quite difficult if not impossible to access the back side of the rim joist.

What other options do I have?  Would some hefty lag-screws work?

DANGER DANGER DANGER....  As we speak, I am replacing an entire 5 foot knee wall 20 feet long, jacking the floor joists, new studs, mold remediation, new sills, new top plates, new insulation, floor joist sisters, a very expensive 6 foot slider is in jeopardy. This fix is gonna cost my customer over $3,000 minimum  Ants and rot everywhere, all the way to the concrete.  Why you ask?  The deck ledger was lag bolted to the the house through the vinyl siding!!!!   no flashing or Grace ice and water shield under the door or around the ledger, not to speak about invading the water tite integrity of the siding itself. Water seeped in the wall for the last 10 years.  everything in the wall was wet and mold was starting to show on the interior sheetrock. 24 inches is not high. Consider a plan where the deck is free standing and stands a 1/2 inch away from the building, and you will avoid all these potential problems. Seriously, if you don't know how to place a ledger and water proof it completely and then reinstall vinyl siding under the deck and adjacent to it etc., then seek a bit of professional advise or go to a self supporting deck.  simple cross bracing will make a very stable deck not attached to house.


What type of paint should I use to paint a block foundation wall? My house has an old well room that is off of the main foundation of the house. I want to clean this space up to use it for storage and part of this process is to repaint the cement block walls.

The walls were already painted white long ago, but are now stained in areas and flaking. I want to repaint with some left over paint the I already have and am wondering which would be best to use. Interior latex satin paint or exterior latex satin paint?

There is very little difference between interior latex and exterior latex enamels, the primary difference in exterior enamels is probably in some additional chemicals to help resist moisture as well as resist cracking and flaking due to extreme changes in temperature.

Moisture issues aside, concrete blocks will contract and expand greatly with temperature differences and an exterior latex paint is appropriate to withstand this without cracking.

To prevent peeling and flaking however you need a good surface for the paint to bond to, so I recommend using a wire bristle brush or a rotary tool with a paint scraping attachment to completely remove all areas where paint is peeling or flaking.  Areas that are not peeling or flaking should be "roughed up" with your tool as well so that the new paint has a good surface to adhere to.


How to install a electrical outlet box in a workbench? I'm building a workbench for hobby electronics. I have have my basic blue prints for the bench.

I want to install outlets(3-4) along the back of the bench, embedded into the workbench.  I want to have two plugs from the workbench to my home outlets.

What cabling would I need? Can I cut up a power cable and tie it into the outlet box, and string the wire from one outlet to the other?

My suggestion is that you consider installing a ready made plug strip across the back of the work bench. These can be purchased from many suppliers and come with an already attached heavy duty power cord that you can attach to the home outlet. Here is an example of what I am suggesting:

Let me also make another suggestion (coming from an experienced electronics person myself) that you should consider the possibility to install the plug strip up under the upper shelf of your bench instead of at the rear as you have indicated. It is much better for real usage to be able to plug things in without having to reach behind all the junk that accumulates on a work bench.

Here is a picture showing the ideal location for the plug strip. Notice how it is not hidden behind all the equipment on the bench.


Why is my sump pump still beeping after I replaced the battery? My sump pump battery monitor was beeping.  I changed the battery because the message said that the battery was not working.  Not 24 hours later the battery was beeping again!  Do I need to do anything special since I just bought a new  marine battery from an auto parts store?  Any help would be greatly appreciated. The beeping is driving my crazy!!!

These things have a battery AND a battery charger. You wanted to verify why the battery went dead. If the charger is not working (or maybe is not even plugged in?) then the new battery will die too.

Check that power is getting to it. Check that the charger is working. Check all connections.


How much deeper sink can I get away with without having to redo waste drain? I'm remodeling the kitchen. Our sink is a standard 7" deep sink, but most cool sinks these days are 8-10" deep. I would probably want to keep the existing configuration with the double bowl and disposal. It looks like I could maybe squeak out an extra 1.5 inches by shortening the tailpiece below the sink. I think modifying the plumbing stub out so the trap arm could be lower would be a pain because this is an exterior wall below the window.

Here's a picture with the measure up to the bottom of the sink.

You've got 3" of trap seal and you are allowed 4" (3" is better) and there is about 1-1/2" of space between the tee and the coupling nut. For a grand total of 2-1/2". You may be able to squeeze more with some reconfiguration but it seems you really need to.

If you need that extra inch you'll need to change the trap to abs and use a rubberized coupling like a Fernco coupling. The abs trap would need to be a hub trap (basically a U shape) with no union. This will allow you to make a 4" trap seal.

This shows where you can get the full two and a half inches

Hub trap

Hogwart

Instead of using the 90°(street 90) as shown use a section of pipe sufficient to create a 4" trap seal and turn the street 90 around and attach to the wall stub with the rubberized coupling. On the other side (tailpiece side) use a tailpiece adapter and a section of pipe. Done!