Alter existing load bearing wall We're considering altering an existing load bearing wall 10-12ft length
  ( possibly an existing header already above, and definite header below floor in basement with support columns ) in a 1967 rancher , truss roof system, with basement as stated . We want to turn the end support beams of the existing load bearing wall into support columns. We will obviously get a permit and involve a structural engineer to a degree , but want to know ;
if there is already an existing header, can you alter the existing load bearing wall support ends into columns, and can the existing header above just be re-enforced by said beams/columns in the correct load bearing areas without having to add another support header ? Weve looked all over the internet for days for this question and it is not answered anywhere we look .

Update

Again, that's if there is a support header above . We haven't found that out as of yet . We don't want to build another wall : we want to build support columns using the existing load bearing wall guts of that already bares the weight at the ends .

We're looking for cheaper alternatives rather than replacing a 10-12 foot beam and thought support columns at the precise load bearing areas could achieve an open concept load bearing wall image in house

Thanks everyone . And thank you Michael . Theyre plaster walls , truss system roof ; which we've read some truss system roofs built in the late 1960's may not need a middle load bearing walls, that's why we will most definitely need an engineer : but are just wondering if there is an existing header can you support it with columns in the correct load bearing areas if possible, and properly designated by an engineer ?

Pretty much anything is possible, especially in steel, The engineer will tell you how it should be done. In some cases it may make more sense to replace the beam instead of reinforcing it.


Fast flickering LED kitchen light fixture I have a LED kitchen light fixture which has been working great for around 18 months. There's no dimmer on it and it's controlled by a standard light switch. A couple of days ago it started flickering fast, so fast it was like a strobe light and hard to look at. So I ordered a new one which came today. When I wanted to make sure the power was off to the fixture when I replaced it the flickering was gone. What could the reason be? Is this an indication the fixture is bad, or just a freak incident that may not happen again? Nothing has changed in my kitchen and everything else electrical work as it should. I do not want to replace it if it's going to continue working. Maybe just keep the new one as backup in case the old one is on it's way out?

It's the electronic driver, no doubt of it.
I couldn't quite read the numbers on it.  But it's calling out a very exact current flow (I underlined in red).... and a general/wide working voltage range (underlined in blue).

If you can find a driver module that same size, you can swap 'em out.  Current is the critical factor; it must be exact.  If you find drivers that aren't quite in that voltage range, you can carefully scrape the insulation off the 2 wires where I point to in green, and measure the lamp's actual working voltage with a voltmeter (while it's lit normally).  Your driver needs to support that voltage and 3-5 volts on either side.
My usual source for drivers is Mouser.com, and they have a search engine to let you narrow by current and voltage.  However a quick look showed a quality Meanwell unit, but it wasn't that shape (form factor).  Alibaba/AliExpress.com is awash with driver circuits of that exact form factor, in the $1 to $3 range, and ePacket delivery from China is cheap.  The downside of course is you're getting cheap Cheese junk, and it won't last any longer than the last one.

Speaking of that... There are several Chinese dumpers who are absolutely flooding Amazon with junk.  The dumpers have certain patterns: Amazon Marketplace ("Sold by XXX and Fulfilled by Amazon" right under the "Buy" button), no UL Listing nor any other reliable testing lab (CE, ROHS, LVD and EMC are not a testing lab), the brand sounds weird and doesn't have a normal marketing/support/jobs website, the brand is fairly new, etc.
Their typical business model is they find super cheap stuff on Alibaba/AliExpress, have the manufacturer  put them in boxes labeled for Amazon fulfillment, ship them straight from China to the Amazon warehouse, create a listing with price just a little below quality units, then sell a few units to shills who then write the early fake reviews.  People get suckered in either because the product description is competent or they don't realize Amazon Marketplace is a flea market of junk.

At first I thought this was a dumper I call "Ikea Guy" (because he has hundreds of fake brands that sound like items in the Ikea catalog).  But now I'm not so sure, because I see non-Amazon sellers also selling them under that brand. They may just have a funny name and be fairly new.   Just be careful; products from those dumpers are the bottom of the barrel and simply will not last.  The 18 month experience is consistent with the dumped junk.
That's been my experience too.  I once bought a 10W LED security light for $10 from a dumper, and a $15 one from LEDWholesalers, who is an importer. Both Chinese of course but you could tell the latter was much better made.  The no-name one went out after a year. The other is still going after 6 years.


How to replace the plastic socket in a B22 light fitting? I have a broken B22 'bayonet' style light socket. One of the grooves that holds the bulb lugs has snapped off. How can I replace it, and what to look for in a replacement?

Replace the whole thing.

Turn off power to the lighting circuit. Check, then unscrew the top white part and use a screwdriver to undo the screws holding the wires/

Any hardware store will stock replacements.

Some have metal to retain the bayonet pins, which is probably stronger than all-plastic construction.


Why would a light switch be wired with the neutral wire? I'm having trouble installing a WEMO wall switch. The light I want to use it on is a single on/off switch, not a 3 way switch. When I remove the face plate, the neutral wire is wired to the light switch on its own. It's not connected to the other neutral wires that fit in the multiple light switch housing. I have tried connecting but it does not function. What does it mean when the neutral wire is connected to the light switch itself and not bundled with the other neutral wires?

If all you have is one wire entering the switch, then the power for the switch might come from the light, and you just have a switched hot.

The white wire should be marked with tape to indicate it's not being used as a neutral.

Unfortunately, if this is the case, then you don't have a neutral available at this switch which is necessary for most of these automation switches. If there are other switches in this box it might be possible to re-route the power for this light, but I'd need to know more about where the power is coming from, what else is there, and how the light is connected in the ceiling box to help. Otherwise, the only way to this would be to run a new wire to the switch location -- either a new 14/3 from the light (so you have hot, neutral and switched hot), or a new power feed with 14/2 from the panel.


How did my water meter become loose? This past summer, my vacant home was vandalized. Thieves stole the copper plumbing. Once the re-plumbing was done, the city came to install the water meter.

The meter is female-threaded on either end. It suspends in the air by the threaded connections. One side threads on to a copper piece that runs about 6 inches before an elbow, and then 3 more inches until it reaches the wall. The other end threads on to a line that runs about 6 inches before it hits an elbow and the line runs vertically up to the ceiling about 5 feet. This line is suspended in the air; it is not tight against the wall (to give the meter room, I guess). There is no Teflon tape on either joint, to my memory.

Yesterday, I installed a water line heater (think it's also called a heat tape) and wrapped the pipes in insulation because the meter is in a part of the house that is unheated, and it is supposed to get darn cold in the next couple days. During installation, I noticed that the meter was loose. This caused a steady drip. Both joints were loose. I tightened it back down and have been worrying ever since.

What caused it to loosen? I don't think there's been much vibration. The only thing using any water at all right now is the furnace, and it shouldn't really be using much at all since I filled it and bled it 3 months ago. Everything else has been shut off. There was one or two nights a couple days ago where the outside temperature reached down to about 10 degrees F. Could this have caused the problem in the unheated room where the meter is? There was one morning years ago when I lived in the house that the water line actually froze on an extremely cold night and it prompted me to install a heater then, so this room can get very cold.

The meter likely has rubber gaskets that make a seal between the meter body and the pipes; like a garden hose.   Temperature changes or age (likely only if the city installed a used meter with used gaskets) could have changed the pliability of the gaskets. I can't say if the nuts loosened, but there shouldn't be any teflon tape or pipe dope on the threads.  If they start to leak again, or if you're sufficiently worried, you can check the gaskets. Turn off the water at the main and you can easily take the pipes apart from the meter and inspect the gaskets.  New ones can be purchased at any plumbing supply store for a couple bucks.


Window leaking from moulding Having had a crazy rain storm yesterday, I discovered that my window leaks. There was a pool of water on the floor that was coming from the bottom moulding.

Any ideas as how to fix this (ideally without removing the window)?

UPDATE: I had a window guy come down and check out the issue. We pulled off the white trim on the outside of the windows, which revealed there was NO insulation OR any cladding. In fact, the trim was keeping the water from escaping, bringing it into our house. Previous house flipper was clearly out of his mind. . .

Were it my home I'd be removing the gray exterior casing to find out just exactly how the window is flashed. You can't fix bad flashing from inside. You can stop the interior leak, but the water will go on its merry way rotting your wall out.

I'd also want to know what kind of drain plane is behind the stucco, if any. That will determine whether you should flash behind or in front of the stucco.

Can't say much more with what I know from your post. Update if you decide to get into it.


Is it worth replace the engine of an 11 year old fridge I have an 11 years old fridge that stopped freezing/cooling. I asked for a quote to fix it.

My consideration is if it's better to fix the engine or to buy a new one. I would like to know if in an 11 years old fridge I'll possibly have more issues soon or usually the fridge will work well for a while?

Unless your refrigerator is designed to be repaired, that is a drastic repair, and it's almost certainly going to be a better choice to buy a whole new one:

Consumer fridges are designed to be assembled once, and never disassembled. There are probably plenty of pipes and wires that are glued in place and/or buried inside the structure, and are almost impossible to remove without destroying something else
You think you know what's wrong with the unit, but after you've spent a lot of money you may find that you were wrong, and haven't fixed the real problem
Even if you do manage to fix this problem, the best you'll get is an 11-year-old fridge that is may fail in some other way at any moment
Even if the fridge never fails again, it will likely be less efficient and less convenient than a new fridge. Plus, when you choose a new fridge you'll have the chance to get something that better matches your needs.


Is this a brass or copper elbow pipe under the sink? I just noticed that an elbow pipe under the sink had corroded through with a leak at the first elbow and needs replacing.  I temporarily fixed it with some flex tape and I need to find out what replacement pipe I need to order from Amazon.  Should I replace with a brass pipe or will PVC do fine as well?

Questions

What kind of pipe is that - copper?  Brass?  What do you call those tightening sleeve rings on it so that I know what to order?
What caused the corrosion at the elbow- are the big U pipes at the bottom brass?  If it's a mixture of copper and brass, it because it mixes copper with brass?
I noticed some white spotting on the longer elbow that the first elbow is connected to - should that be replaced as well?  Will it corrode too?  It seems 5” tall is that a standard size or would I have to get it cut?  I’m at home with no access to outside stores.
Is 12cm circumference == to 1 1/2 inch pipe?

It is Brass.

You will probable not find that elbow at an all-round home improvement center, you will need to go to a dedicated plumbing supply house. ( take the elbow with you to insure you get a match ).

The "tightening sleeve rings" are called slip joint nuts, it  is likely that yours are still fine and reusable.

Because  the top of your  elbow is connected to the drain basket it is acting like a tail piece. A tail piece to basket connection is not a slip joint, it uses a flat washer instead of a slip joint washer but it does use the same nut. For this reason it may be difficult to find the correct elbow.

If you do decide to replace it all with plastic you will need to know what the interface is with the Sanitary tee in the wall. It appears to be a threaded connection and a plastic set up would have a slip joint connection, even if it is threaded you should still be able to slip the 1 1/2 plastic pipe into it but investigate it before buying parts.

Also you will want a  dishwasher branch tail piece . It appears you do not have an air gap for your dishwasher but it is best to have one, it may be code in your area, if not put in a high loop.( explained in this stack question )


Will my gas meter accommodate the demands of a new tankless water heater? I'm hoping to install a tankless water heater, and I'm trying to figure out if my current gas meter can handle it. So I'm trying to figure out how much gas my furnace uses.

It's a Goodman GMH950703BXAD. The label says the max temp rise is 69,000 BTU/hour, and the EnergyGuide sticker says it's 98% efficient. Am I right in thinking this means a max gas usage of about 70,500 BTU? (69000 / 98) * 100 = 70408

In response to comments about pipe size, it's 1" pipe coming off the meter. This is about 30', then it reduces to 3/4" at an old unused T, and it's about 25' of 3/4". The furnace and water heater are both at the end of this. So I've already got the required 3/4" gas supply, and it wouldn't be out of the question to extend the 1" line the entire distance if that would help.

The gas meter usually is not the problem it is the gas line either through the house or the connection size and the size of the line you install. A minimum 3/4" gas line to the new water heater is required. And the line you pipe into should be at least 1 inch. Any thing smaller and you will not have enough gas flow. The main gas line in the house should be at least 1 inch. You could call the gas company and see if they can raise the gas pressure to your house. 8 ounces used to be the maximum.


Bad smell on clothes caused by plumbing? I had a washing machine engineer out today to look over my machine and help me understand why my clothes smell bad after every wash. He said it is caused by the plumbing under the sink

Can you help me understand if this is correct?

Here is a photo, the left goes to drain, middle is sink, and right is washing machine.

I've never seen something like that before.

The most accepted form of plumbing requires a P-trap to prevent sewer gases from coming back into the house.  In your case they might be flowing into your washing machine.

I haven't seen many washing machine to under sink connections before and the more typical thing is a long standpipe for a washing machine to pump the water into.  I'd be fearful that the volume coming out of the washing machine would be too much for the sink assembly to handle in a short period of time possibly resulting in the water backing up into the sink until the volume had decreased.


Can Vent Flashing Nails Be Exposed On The Roof? I am buying a home and as part of the contract we asked for a number of fixes by a certified contractor. For this fix, securing the loose flashing, the home owner said his friend was a contractor so he has no receipt for this specific fix.

The fix entailed 4 exposed nails to secure the flashing. Is this proper/up-to-code/won't-leak?

They probably should be dabbed with roofing cement, but they tend to self-seal to some extent. It's unlikely that they'd leak significantly.

Also concerning is the fact that raw steel nails were used. They'll rust and stain the roof over time. Cement will mostly remedy that as well.

FYI, I don't consider those nails necessary anywhere short of a hurricane zone. Hidden nails and the sealing strips on the shingles hold it all down just fine.


How to verify electrical box is secured strong enough for 16# ceiling fan? The metal electrical box says it's "Acceptable for fan support when secured with 10-32 screws provided".

The box has 2 black screws (sheetrock screws?) in the middle that are screwed to some piece of wood above it. The screws are 2.5-3" long but I don't know how thick the wood is they are screwed into. This is between finished floors so I wouldn't have access from above.

The ceiling fan I am installing is 16lbs in weight.

Fan Instructions
Fan Product Page

How should I verify that this box is secured strong enough for a ceiling fan?
Or, how can I make it more secure?
-- Should I replace the black screws with 10-32 screws?

Thanks!

Okay, stop.  The 10-32 screw requirement is for the lower screws which attach the fan to the box, not the upper screws which attach the box to the wood.   You can see the holes that the 10-32 screws go into, in those tiny squares to left and right of your photo.

It's entirely possible those squares do something clever, like capture a nut.  But they are designed to do a good job taking a 10-32.

I don't know if the kit comes with special, hardened #10-32s.  Suffice it to say I bet you haven't lived for years with this mess on your ceiling, so the magic screws probably secured the old lamp.  Go get them back.  If that means digging in the trash, let that be a lesson not to throw away things before the job is done.

Other than that, what makes them "magical" is probably their carefully chosen length.

DO NOT REPLACE THE DRYWALL SCREWS WITH 10-32

The 10-32 requirement doesn't refer to those!

These screws need to be strong enough to carry 16 pounds and the box.  Drywall screws will do the job, but I would convert to deck screws (a wee bit thicker) if they are the same thread pitch.

Lay the screw threads so they touch, and see if the threads have the same spacing.  Oh yeah, feel free to unscrew one of the drywall screws at a time to evaluate it - not both at once. The stiffness of unscrewing it will also tell you something about how thick the wood is.  If it gets easier as you back it out, that tells you the wood is pretty thick.

Alternately, I would pre-drill small holes in the two remaining locations, and fit the deck screws there.  You must pre-drill!  The deck screws will certainly go in if you don't pre-drill, but they will likely also split the wood right down the line of the screws - and then none of the screws will have any gripping power at all.


Where is residential power voltage reduced to home level from the street line level? What is the potential/voltage of the power line on a city street?
Where does the potential/voltage of the line drop to the indoor value, e.g., 120 V in the US?
If I need to upgrade the whole electric circuitry of a house, do I need to worry about the high voltage and if so, where does the high voltage starts to drop down to the indoor value coming into the house?
To address the concern expressed in the comment below, I am looking to hire an electrician to upgrade the electric circuitry including the panel, meter, distributor, weather head and riser. I am wondering what are actually involved and what kind of price I would expect to be charged. The house is a single family house in Sacramento county, CA, USA.

The power delivery utility company distributes the AC power to locations away from the power generating stations using high voltages. This is done to help minimize the amount of power loss in the distribution wires and cables. The power loss is always related to the amount of current being distributed to the loads. For each doubling of the voltage used in the distribution network the amount of current for the same load is cut in half.
The voltage levels used will depend in part upon the type, location and distance that section of the power grid needs to deliver electrical power to the consumer loads. Voltages can be in the 1000s of volts.
When high voltage power distribution reaches a residential neighborhood or a business center transformers are used to step the high voltage down to the voltages used in the homes and businesses. Pictures of some typical power transformers are shown below. Typically these transformers are owned and maintained by the power delivery utility company. When you would need service at a particular current level the power company will deploy the proper transformers and then provide a power line connection from the transformer to the electrical usage meter which would be on or adjacent to the home or business.
Typical Transformers:

Picture Source

Picture Source

Picture Source


wiring a switch mounted next to a gfci I have a three receptacle circuit connected to a 15 amp circuit breaker.
I have identified the first receptacle in the circuit and want to add install a GFCI and a switch next to it that will control the downstream load receptacles.
The switch will turn off two downstream load outlets connected to the GFCI via the load line leaving the 4" GFCI box.

The circuit's line cable is coming into the box as well as the load cable The two wires from each cable are connected to their respective holes and the screws are tightened. The grounds are pigtailed.

Can someone explain how to effectively do this?

I am assuming that the black load wire from the GFCI has to be cut and connected to one screw of the switch and the remaining cut black wire screwed to the other screw.

I would appreciate guidance on how to efficiently accomplish this wiring
Thanks for your help.

Pretty straightforward, solve one problem at a time.

Establishing the switch and downline receptacles as a unit

In North America we only bother switching the hot wire.

So the cable to your downline outlets: the Hot wire lands on one of the switch screws.  Get a 6-8" pigtail of black wire and attach it to the other switch screw.

Now you have 2 wires in play: the hot pigtail, and the neutral wire that comes from the downline outlets.  These are the hot+neutral pair that you need to supply power to.

Attach this pair to any power source.

The GFCI+receptacle as power source

Assuming the GFCI+receptacle has been powered up via its LINE terminals, it can supply protected power to other devices via its LOAD terminals.

Land your pair on the LOAD terminals and you should be all set.


Do I need to tape inside corners where tile will be set on one wall? I am planning on tiling a Denshield wall which is surrounded by two finished drywall walls (inner corners). Do I need to tape the edges, or am I ok with a bead of silicone?

I usually do tape with fiber tape and thinset , this helps to lock everything together and the corner grout between the tiles won’t crack as easily or often.


What compound is best to use when skim coating a plaster wall that had wallpaper removed? What kind of compound is best to use when skim coating a plaster wall that had wallpaper removed. Should it be thinned with water? when would one use Toping Compound instead of joint compound. Light weight compound, blue bucket, or regular, green bucket if going with joint compound

I've used regular joint compound, thinned with water quite a bit. Be careful with any areas where the wallpaper pulled up the outer layer of drywall and exposed the brown paper - those will tend to bubble up when you skim over them. You might have some success with painting over those areas with something like Kilz, but even then, you might get bubbling. In that case, I use a utility knife to cut out the offending bubbles, and skim again. Thin coats should help reduce instances of bubbling.


What is this glue layer on top of the slate stone flooring? I ripped off the carpet which was installed on top of the slate stone flooring sometime back. I saw a layer of "glue-like"

I assume it is for the carpet to glue down, which it did not even do its job (it was very lose).
Question is How do I scrape off this layer of glue, given that it is very sticky to the stone but NOT at all to the carpet.

The mesh was a heat activated glue strip to join carpet usually found at doorways and if the room was wider than the roll 2 pieces are butted together and a iron that heats the glue and carpet is used to melt the glue and make a seam. Some of the heated glue sticks to the floor but it is used for the splice. Most places use 4" wide but I prefer 6" as it holds better.  This stuff releases with heat a heat gun is what I use but a hair dryer on high heat low air flow may be hot enough. A razor scraper will shave and left over glue, and a bit of heat makes it softer (think hot glue gun) for the type of glue used.


Air conditioner works in an outlet but not a timer I have a wall unit air conditioner that works fine when I plug it into any outlet or power strip. However, when I plug it into a timer or a thermostat timer, which is then plugged into an outlet, the unit won't work. I've tried various timers nada.

The end of the air conditioner plug has a box thing with a light that is normally green. It never turns green when in the setup I described, and pressing the test button does nothing.

It sounds like your air conditioner plug has a built in circuit breaker. If so, the breaker probably needs constant current to remain set, even when the unit is nominally off (a small trickle current is being used by the breaker and its light).

If that is so, the timer would prevent the breaker plug from getting current for its standby state. It then might have to be reset  before the unit could start.

You can confirm this by plugging the unit into the wall outlet and getting it to start. Then turn off the circuit breaker at your main panel. The unit will, of course go off. When you turn the breaker back on, if the unit does not start up, you probably need to reset the plug breaker. This will mean the timer system will not work.

If a timer is critical to you, many newer AC units have a built in timer setup.

ADDENDUM As I think about it, the culprit is probably the ON/OFF switch circuitry in the unit itself. Once power is removed by the timer, the circuit goes off and will not restart until the ON/OFF button is pressed. Unlike a mechanical switch (which retains electrical contact whether or not power is present), an electronic switch is really a momentary contact switch that sends a pulse of power to the circuit that then locks itself on. It always has to be reset after loss of power. If so, the timer simply will not work.

Newer units with built in timers always have power to their timer circuits and that circuit then turns on the AC circuit at the designated time. External timers shut the whole system down, and it can't restart itself.


Can I combine red & black wire from ceiling to black wire on remote reciever enter image description here

I have 2 switches on wall, 4 wires from ceiling. The ceiling fan I purchased only has 2 wires to be hooked up. Can I combine the red & black wires from ceiling to black wire to remote receiver?

No. You currently have 2 separate switches...1 for fan on/off and 1 for light on/off, correct? You need to cap either one, red or black, and remove the switch associated with that wire and cap the wires at the old switch location. Best bet is cap the red off, and remove that switch. You could replace the switch in your 2-gang box with an electrical outlet, or just get a new face plate that only has one switch opening.


Turning off Power to Thermostat to Replace It I'm replacing my old thermostat due to issues with it somehow not staying at my set temperature. It's a Simple Comfort 2001, and I'm replacing it with a newer model, a Simple Clean 2001L. Both of them are programmable thermostats. I live in a 2-story house with one HVAC unit outside of the house for the ground floor, and one unit in the attic for the second floor. In order to change out the thermostat, I killed power in my main breaker, shutting off power to everything. However, even though the HVAC unit was off, I noticed that the thermostat was still displaying the set temperature of 45 degrees. It was also the same with the downstairs thermostat. This shouldn't be possible. They don't run on batteries, so why would the thermostat still be displaying? Is there a second switch in my HVAC unit that I should turn off? I don't want to needlessly try to switch it out in a situation like this and get electrocuted, so I wanted to ask about it first.

One thing to mention is the house. It was built in 2004 I believe, and the original thermostats are still here. It's not one of those systems built in the '90s, so I'd say it's relatively modern as it could be. It runs on gas, not electric, so would it be strange if there was a second breaker that I would have to turn off in order to make sure that I can change out the thermostat?

Turns out that for my thermostat, I think I had to wait a bit longer. It took around 10-15 minutes for the display to completely go blank after the breaker was turned off. I think it might have been a large capacitor contributing to this issue, and it was taking a very long time to discharge.


Identifying what material this ceiling is made out of I am in the process of re-modelling my old bathroom and I had the ceiling removed today. It wasn't until I put the debris in the skip that I thought I have no idea what sort of material is inside it so I don't know if I'm even allowed to put it in the skip.
I took the one piece I put in the skip out and put it to one side just in case. My brother also grinded through it using an angle grinder with no ppe.
Is there something I should do to minimize my risk of anything bad I.E throw away clothes I was wearing if the material contains asbestos or something. I have uploaded a picture of the stuff.
Can I send it to a lab in the post providing it is securely wrapped or would I have to drop it off myself if I were to have it tested?

If it HAS asbestos after the grinding and removing the entire area and all ventilation in and out of the area is completely contaminated so it's a little late.
Remember that "in the olden days" a lot of people were exposed to asbestos on occasion but the people who were harmed by it had repeated exposure over many years.  People would build homes with this stuff, when they were done the home was completely contaminated, then a month later a new family would move in and nobody got sick.  With the air exchange in and out of those older structures it did not matter after a 6 months or so there was not a free asbestos fiber left.
Something tells me you knew all this already though and you are just looking for confirmation that you won't drop dead a month after you drywall everything.  Well sorry I can't give it to you - although MOST people who got sick from asbestos needed many years exposure there's always some outliers in anything.  Just try not to build a home that is so sealed up when you open the front door your ears pop and you will probably be fine.


How and can you increase the flow volume for a tub faucet? We recently built an addition onto our house of approximately a 1000 sq ft. The existing home had one or two prior additions to it  since the main part was built in 1930 something. The plumbing is the regular yellowish piping but for everything we added we used the newer pex piping.

In the new bathroom we have a stand up shower and a separate big soaking tub. My problem is the flow  or volume for the tub seems really low, like to the point that I gave up on the faucet and when my wife was ready to try out our new bathroom I pretty much filled the tub with a bucket line consisting of me and my four kiddos, haha...

Any helpful advice or something to try to increase the flow is very much appreciated.

You clearly have a problem.  I am going to venture a guess that some debris got into the faucet on install. This can raise havoc with water delivery.  Can you disconnect the supplies going to the tub faucet and check the pressure at that point?


Replacing halogen with LED - will existing transformer work? I currently have 5 x 20W halogen bulbs attached to two AC 12V rails, and an AC transformer (105VA).

I'd like to replace existing five bulbs with five LEDs, e.g. these: 7.5W (update: 12V AC) (Equivalent halogen 43W).

My initial understanding (also supported by this question) was that the required power for such setup would be 7.5W * 5 = 37.5W, and therefore the existing transformer would work fine. However, the seller's website has this manual which basically states that in my calculations I need to use equivalent halogen power (i.e. 43W) rather than 7.5W. That would mean that the existing transformer wouldn't be sufficient.

I struggle to understand why equivalent halogen power should be used here instead of simply the bulb's power. Can anyone advise on this please?

With the additional information provided these 12v lamps are designed to work with standard halogen 12v fixtures since your wattage of the new lamps is less than the wattage of the halogen yes they will work. It looks like 1/2 the wattage so there is the savings and in my experiance you will have more light or perceived light because light meters read light we cannot see where LED's produce light in a narrow band with so power is not wasted.


How to re-anchor banister to plaster wall? So the banister holders are in plaster, and it's pretty crumbly. We removed the wooden rail, but the anchors are in no way attached to the wall soundly.  How can I make this secure again?

Move the anchors to a stud and attach them with long screws. Use a stud finder (preferably with a deep scan capability since you mentioned plaster) to locate your studs. Or you can drill some small test holes since you already need to patch the wall.

Don't use drywall screws, you need something with more shear strength. I wouldn't use anything less than a 2" screw, particularly in the top two holes. You need it to have a good bite into the stud.

Then you just have to patch and paint the old location.


How/where can I find out what the frost-line is for my area? Aptos, CA, United States

What service or documentation resource can I use to determine what the frost-line is for my area?  I'd be inclined to ask the county building/planning office but I suspect that they'll want to charge for answering a seemingly simple (and hopefully well documented) question.

In general you can use these guidelines.

These are very good guidelines that are widely recognized.  However if getting inspected I would just ask your building department for their code requirements.

**NOTE*****  This is how deep your footings would be in undisturbed soil.  So for example if there was a regrading of the land - as often the case in new builds - you would have to go this deep past the disturbed soil or consult an engineer that would sign off on something else.  So if they regraded your land to 3 feet and you lived in Arkansas you would need to go to 54 inches or gets clearance from an engineer to put the footings shallower.


Options for mounting a ceiling fan box directly to interior wooden Ridge Beam I am tasked with mounting a ceiling fan w/ light in an interior master bedroom that has a wooden ridge beam (covered with textured drywall) going down the center of the vaulted ceiling.  Since the customer wants the fan mounted directly in the center of the room (OCD reasons among other things....) I am looking for solutions for mounting the light and staying within electrical code.  This means somehow mounting the ceiling fan junction box in the center of the beam and attaching the light to it.

Problem is -- since the junction box will be face-mounted to the bottom of the beam, the light, and its shroud will be offset and no longer be flush with the beam itself.

I'm brainstorming, and all I can think to do is trace the junction box on the bottom of the beam and route out enough space for it INSIDE the beam itself, but then I would have to feed the electrical wire somehow into the box.

What are other professional ways to solve this problem?

Routing into the beam is probably not a practical option, you can't notch the bottom of the center of a beam without compromising it structurally.

I would use a surface raceway, wiremold is popular but there are others.  Wiremold makes a Solid Base Fan Box Fitting that will make things very straightforward, the instructions illustrate things very clearly.

If the customer doesn't like the appearance of a surface raceway, it's always possible to strip off the drywall, surface mount conduit, then rebox around the beam and conduit - but in most cases, the expense of that work will make the surface raceway seem a lot prettier.


Can paper tape be used with any type of plaster? I'm preparing to plaster over a new plasterboard wall (drywall).  I plan to paper-tape the joints between plasterboard panels before the first coat of plaster.  (Some tapered joints and some joints where tapered meets butt)
I have 40-minute quick-set and Thistle multi-finish plaster (both come in bags / need mixing).  Can I use either to apply the paper tape or are there reasons to avoid one type of plaster?

I have never seen anyone plaster over drywall. If you are going to plaster you should be using "lath" not drywall.


was this vent flashing installed totally wrong? Just bought the house and I don't really know anything about roof work. After some stormy days we noticed a ceiling water spot. A vent flashing is the most likely culprit far as I can tell; there are other vents but they don't appear to have any issues. The problem one was not nailed or caulked to anything; it can wiggle freely with hand force. The collar part was slightly inverted around the pipe, allowing water to pool right at the seam, whereas things I've read indicate that area should be caulked too. Is there a circumstance that would make it right to leave the whole thing unsecured, or did someone screw up?

That was installed wrong.  The metal part of the boot should definitely be nailed down.  Since it is not nailed, the wind is free to blow it up.  When it moves up, the rubber seal can become inverted or otherwise deformed.  Repeated movement will end up prematurely cracking the rubber, and of course when the wind blows it up, water will get blown underneath it.

The rubber boot shouldn't need to be caulked if everything is secure.  Normally you'd see a few nails in the metal section, and those nail holes would be caulked.  There should also be a few nails covered up by the course of overlapping shingles.

Also, it's unclear from your photo, but the lower edge of the metal should not extend past the shingle that it is on top of.  if it does, then that row of shingles should have overlapped the metal.  When the metal overhangs the shingle, it gives wind and water more of a chance to lift and penetrate the boot.


Vacuum Breaker Valve on Hose Bib Humming / Noise I have one of these vacuum breakers on my outdoor hose faucet.

Every time I turn it on, it creates a loud noise in the form of a hum or drone I can hear throughout the house. While I have been able to find many similar questions on the web, as good as my google-fu may be, I can't find any definitive answers to fix it...

I don't think it's "water-hammer" because the pipes aren't vibrating or shaking. So I believe it is just the valve itself. This just hooks up to a standard hose with a normal sprayer/wand on it.

Actual setup below:

Every time I left the outdoor spigots on (all have vacuum breakers), I would hear a whining sound when I turned on and off several inside water faucets.  This always let me know that I, or someone had left an outdoor spigot on.  But, it got kind of annoying after 10 years.  I had no idea it was related to having vacuum breakers on my outdoor spigots. Recently one the vacuum breakers started leaking when the water was turned on, so I tried to remove it.  It was rusted to the spigot, so I had to drill the screw out and remove it.  Spigot now doesn't leak and the humming sound is gone when I turn on my indoor faucets.  Amazing that simply removing the vacuum breaker brings such peace.  I have since removed all three vacuum breakers and life is so nice now.  Guess they are required when selling a home, but I don't plan on selling anytime soon.  Just won't be hooking up chemicals to a hose so I don't run the chance of contaminating the water supply, but otherwise a much enjoyed "fix".


Locating source of excessive energy use Background Info: My house is all electric.

Last month when I got my electric bill, I flipped.  It was triple that of any month prior.  Now I know the cold (heating) can affect this so I decided to turn my thermostat back, even though I never had to before.  I've finally got the results back and to my surprise, it's still pretty darn high (but somewhat lower thankfully).  The head-scratcher is that not only did I turn my thermostat down 4-6 degrees, it also hasn't been very cold here lately.  It has ran a fraction of what it did the month prior, and that's just from the ambient temp difference.  This isn't considering the fact that the thermostat is off for half of the day while I'm at work.  I also wouldn't deem my system extremely inefficient, as I have a heat pump.

Anyways, so I'm suspecting there's something else at play here.  Perhaps another large appliance like the washer/dryer, dishwasher, hot water heater, etc.  However, I do not know how to troubleshoot this or determine how much energy any one appliance is using.

Are there any pro-tips or easy/cheap ways that I can measure, or at least get a general idea, of which appliance in my house could be causing such high energy usage?  I've seen before meters that you plug into the wall (in-between the socket and appliance), but I imagine those are not the most inexpensive route to take.  I was wondering if maybe I could see the real-time load for the entire house?  Like at the meter, and then I could one-by-one disconnect appliances and notate the fluctuations in total usage.

Anything like that would be great, or if you have better ideas, please share!

Quick Note: I recently had someone move into one of my spare rooms.  One of my suspicions that I'm looking to verify is that they take extra long showers and overwork my hot water heater.  I mainly suspect this because they mentioned that they ran out of hot water, something that has never happened to me before.

I wouldn't be concerned if I was still considered "efficient" by my electric company, but as you can see, I went from being relatively efficient to not even close.

UPDATE 3/3/2018 After doing some testing, I've come to realize that my heat pump isn't putting out any heat at all. So basically, I have been running off AUX heat exclusively.  That combined with how cold it has been may very well explain the large spike in usage.  I called a tech to come look at it. I will update and close this question once it has been verified.

UPDATE 12/10/2018 It has been a while so I thought I would share with everyone what the real issue was.  After a few visits, it was finally discovered that my heat coils were stuck on.  Even with the thermostat off, they were getting constant power.  You could actually feel the heat radiating from the floor above the coils (they're in a crawl space).  I'm lucky they found it, otherwise I could've had a fire on my hands.  So yes, in essence, my AUX heat was running 24/7 for what was likely a month or two.  CRAZY!

Since you say your backup heat is electric, I'd say that's what is using all the power. It could be that the weather is unseasonably cold and that the backup emergency heat is kicking in often.
Your Nest Thermostat could be switching to AUX heat more often than your old thermostat would have.
Since you say your nest thermostat is new (last summer), It is likely that it is responsible for kicking on the aux (emergency) electric heat more often than your old thermostat. There are settings to change how often this happens described below.
Your Nest thermostat may calling for aux heat more often than your old one would have. This can be configured with Heat Pump Balance which you might try changing to Max Savings or balanced. Note that the link below states that Max Comfort, the most expensive option, is selected by default. This is probably the issue. If changing this doesn't help, then I'd call an HVAC specialist.

Because auxiliary heat is so expensive, running the heat pump longer is still cheaper than using AUX heat. Heat Pump Balance automatically turns the heat on early to reduce AUX heat use as much as possible and get to your target temperature on time. It can turn on the heat up to 5 hours before a scheduled temperature if necessary. So if your schedule says 70ºF/20ºC at 7pm, Heat Pump Balance can use Early-On technology to start heating as early as 2pm.
Heat Pump Balance gives you four options to choose from:

Max Savings - This is the best setting for saving energy. In Max Savings mode, the Nest thermostat gives the heat pump more time to get to your target temperature before turning on AUX and sets a lower AUX lockout temp.

Balanced - This setting will give the heat pump more time to work, but will still turn AUX on quickly if it looks like it won't get you to your target temperature on time. Balanced has an AUX lockout temp somewhere between Max Comfort and Max Savings.

Max Comfort - When you choose Max Comfort, the Nest thermostat will make sure you'll get to the temperature you want, even if it means using auxiliary heat. Max Comfort is the default setting for Heat Pump Balance and generally gives you a higher AUX lockout temp.

Off - You can also turn Heat Pump Balance off entirely and adjust your AUX lockout temperature yourself. The AUX lockout temperature can be changed in SETTINGS > EQUIPMENT > HEAT PUMP.

There might be something wrong with your heat pump.
It could also be that there is something wrong with your heat pump. IE, it is running and using some energy but not generating any heat. Eventually, this will lead to the thermostat switching on the emergency electric heat and that will use even more power. Call an hvac specialist and have it inspected.


Replacing Single switch with timer switch - Original two switches connected I want to replace a switch with a timer switch, however on checking out the wiring the two original switches have a black wire connecting the two. The switch I want to replace is the rightmost switch. Here's a picture:

Am I correct in thinking that the Hot wire is the bottom wire coming into the left switch, then is connected to the right switch? So when adding my new switch I can use that linked hot wire?

Also, I see ground (copper) wires affixed to screws at the back of the electrical box. Can I simply fasten my new timer switches ground (green) wire onto one of these screws to ground it? Not sure they are long enough to attach to a wire nut

Update: The switch I am adding is a Leviton VPT24-1PZ

It looks like that's a jumper wire that goes from the left to the right switch? The picture is a little hard to see the details. I would think it reasonable to guess that is the hot wire. When you go to swap out the switch, I would suggest replacing the jumper wire with something a little longer. I find trying to fight those shorter wires is just a nuisance and makes it more cumbersome and hard to tighten those wires down.

You should be able to duplicate the current setup with your existing switch. For a safer and better answer, maybe you can provide a picture of the timer wiring diagram and/or the back of the timer. Some timers are specific on where to connect the hot lead to, while others might not matter.

For your ground wire, yes, you can just ground it to the box directly, provided the incoming service is grounded to the box.

My final piece of advice... I remember being told the #1 cause for home electrical fires is the screws are not tight enough! Be sure to tighten them down!

I hope all that makes sense and didn't confuse you any further.


Hit metal piece while drilling through condo concrete ceiling I am trying to install wide rectangular light fixture.

Something similar to this:
https://www.amazon.ca/Feit-Rectangle-Ceiling-Lighting-Diffused/dp/B00Y86OROW

I Hit a metal piece while drilling through condo concrete ceiling.
Is this dangerous?
Did I hit a wire?
The screw is quite long. How do I recover from this?

It may be a piece of rebar, usually plumbing and wiring in a multistory building will be in a electrical / plumbing chase, not in the “floor / ceiling”.  No recovery needed, I would get a shorter concrete screw it looks like you have a fairly deep hole. Those led panels are not much of a load and you should have at least 2 screws if not 4 so cut that screw down or get a shorter one.


How is this electrical service setup to subpanel able to work? I have setup on building where panel is feed from meter through disconnect.
The wire is #8.
There are two legs and a ground coming from meter.
There is a ground wire running to metal case of disconnect.
But there is only two wires running entering conduit with NO neutral.
These wires run 70 feet into building to subpanel which is 1950 era.
Questions:"
How is this type of system able to work?"
What is theory of this old type of panel?
Do I need to run a neutral wire from disconnect to panel? (I want to upgrade.)

No neutrals.
My first reaction is "they played "fast and loose" with the differnce between neutral and ground.  Neutral is not ground.    However, I don't see any neutrals at all in the photographed fuse box.  It looks like this panel is for 240V loads only.  (baseboard heaters would be my wild guess; can't be a range or dryer, those need neutral).  Water heater maybe.
As long as all loads are 240V only, I'm OK with the 2-fuse disconnect since 240V-only loads don't need both legs to trip out on a failure.  However split-phase loads (a 120V subpanel, washer, dryer, MWBCs) do need common trip to avoid a variety of badnesses.  So if you plan to add circuits that use neutral, you really need to change that master disconnect/fuse box out to a breaker.  The usual manufacturers make a variety of "breaker disconnects" (basically a 2-space service panel) or you could fit a small main panel there and have some extra breaker spaces.  However it'd need to have a distinct main breaker.
Here's how it ought to be done.
Safety Ground, or its legal name is "the Equipment Grounding Conductor", must originate at the first disconnect switch from the meter.  The takeaway here is that the power company does not supply ground, and so you don't bring ground from meter to disconnect.
Actually, you bring it the other way; the meter pan is grounded from the main disconnect; but that happens via the metal conduit. Done and dusted.
The meter to disconnect wiring is correct.
The "Grounding Electrode System" is the wiring from your main disconnect to the ground rods or water pipe or Ufer that actually provide the contact with the earth.  The GES should come into this disconnect box.  This is also the one place in the system where it should be tied to neutral.
Beyond this main disconnect, both hots and neutral must be carried as insulated wires to the "main" subpanel, which is a subpanel because it is downline of this point.
By modern Code, ground and neutral must be carried separately from here to there.
Archaic Code allowed the subpanel to be grounded to the neutral wire.  The neutral wire could even be bare, as it typically was with pole lines.  However, the neutral wire would never, ever be carried as the metal of a conduit pipe! That was illegal the day it was installed.
More notes
Note how your feeder to the first subpanel "daisy chains" - it is then carried onward with more #8 wire to anther subpanel. That is fine, but you need neutral there too.
Note that your existing #8 wire is TW type, which is limited to 60C per Table 310.15(B)(16).  That means your #8 is only good to 40A.  If that wire were THWN, it's good to 90C so the limiting factor becomes the lugs on the fuse boxes.  If their labeling is intact and blesses 75C operation, then it's worth changing the wire to THWN so you can up-fuse from 40A to 50A.


How can I keep an entry gate operating during a power outage? I have an electric sliding gate, with a motor powered by 220V.

The problem with this kind of solution is that, when we have a power supply failure, we must remove a  screw and open it manually. It is annoying and problematic when my mother (65 years old) must open it alone.

I would like to connect the main power to batteries (using a convertor AC/DC) and the motor to batteries. The problem is that i know that these motors require a high spike of energy to start it up and i would need a kind of capacitors, but i'm not quite sure, if there is already something in the market or if anybody did it already and has some directions for me.

Basically, what you want is a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply); it's a combination surge protector and battery backup. These are usually spec'ed for computer systems (server rooms, uptime-critical workstations like for call centers, etc) but as long as you keep the actual unit inside some weatherproof area like a garage, it should be just fine for powering outdoor equipment like your gate. Be aware that U.S. 220V UPSes are hard to find; most 220-240V supplies are designed for use with ordinary European single-phase circuits, which run on double the voltage but half the amperage as U.S. 120V circuits. You want it to work with a two-phase U.S. circuit, which is double the voltage AND at least 15A. That will make most 220V UPSes cry uncle.

The UPSes that will do the job are going to cost a bit of money (this one from MultiStar is marginal for the amperage draw you'll need, and it's $535: MultiStar 3000VA 220-240V 60Hz UPS). You will have to ask yourself whether it's cheaper just to buy a gate system that has its own battery backup specially designed for the gate.


Is it more effective to insulate the walls, or ceiling of an unheated basement? We have a new house, well built, spray foam insulation, tight seals.  My daughter's room is over an unfinished area of the basement and is COLD this winter.  There are vents in the unfinished area, but we have them closed because we don't want to heat that area.  We probably wouldn't ever finish that room because it is our main storage space.  The whole unfinished space is below ground.  My husband and I are having a debate.  Do we install foam board insulation on the walls in the un finished area or do we spray foam or use other insulation in the ceiling of the unfinished area?  Or both?  Our HVAC is not the issue, we have checked that out.

If the ceiling of the unfinished space is the floor of the bedroom and is uninsulated, the floor of the bedroom is going to be cold. It would help a lot if that floor was insulated. There is not any real downside to insulating that floor or the unheated space. Insulation on the walls of the unheated space would help a bit, but you will see much better results if you insulate the ceiling/floor first. Doing both would be great.


How can I safely remove an outlet from service? I have an unwanted 240v outlet in my hallway, on the same circuit as my sewer pump.

I pulled the cover and the box is an old work type. I noticed a junction box in this area of my crawlspace, so I suspect this breaker is controlling both.

Now, to my question: How can I safely remove this plug from service, while keeping the sewer pump active?

They don't make child safety stuff for 240v receptacles that I've seen, so I'd like to just get rid of it. Is it safe to remove the plug, cap the wires and put a blank plate over it?

There should be no problem with opening the box, removing the outlet fixture and then putting wire nuts on the ends of the wires. It may be necessary to straighten the wire ends and trimming slightly if the bare wire ends are too long to be nicely covered by the wire nut. Some folks go the extra step of wrapping the wire nut and the end of the wire with electrical tape.

After the wires are appropriately prepared fold them down into the electrical box and cover the box with an appropriately sized cover plate. The key here is to keep the electrical box cover accessible by not trying to cover it over with permanent building materials and finishing.


What do I do about a toilet flange that is too high? I just had the floors in my bathroom replaced and now the flange is too high.  When I put the toilet on top, the front touches the floor, but the back does not.  The flange and piping are PVC, and the floor is concrete with vinyl on top.  I'm not sure how to approach this problem.  There are many solutions for a flange that is too short but not for one that is too tall.

I found this 2 part video on YouTube that helped me understand what to do.

part1
part2

I ended up cutting off the top of the flange with a PVC pipe cable saw.  I then used a mini hacksaw to cut some segments into the fitting and wedged the pieces out.  After removing 2 small parts of the ring, the rest just wedged right out without much effort.  I cut down the pipe to be flush with the floor using a pull saw.  I put a level down and found the concrete was not level around the pipe.  I used a rub brick and the mini hacksaw, which I could angle to cut the inside of the pipe, to get the pipe and surrounding concrete truly level with the rest of the floor.  This took a while.

When I finally got it level, I put in a Twist N Set Closet Flange.  I drilled 4 pilot holes and put in concrete screws.  The toilet is now level and not going anywhere.  Now I just have to fix my guest bathroom which has the exact same problem.  At least I got a good deal on the house.


Rust on bathtub feet. Any way to provide support to bathtub without disassembling bath unit? I have a Bette steel enamel bath similar in shape and dimensions to the one below.

The bath unit is supported by four support feet in the same configuration as the image below. It's set sideways into an alcove, with tiled walls on 3 sides, and the other long edge supported by a (tiled) wooden frame. I'm unsure if there are supports bolting the other sides to the walls.

I've noted the two bath feet next to the long edge of the wall are getting quite rusty.

I would usually remove the tiling from the support frame to install new feet, but the tiles are cemented solidly in place, and it would be a tough job to disassemble and reassemble them.

There is a 50 cm x 50 cm access panel in the tiled support frame that I can use to access the underside (directly next to the bath waste pipe connections) so my options are limited.

I was thinking of propping up the underside with several layers of 50 cm x 50 cm carpeting or thick fabric right under the middle of the tub. Another option is to put in supportive wooden beams of similar size, but the problem then is how to align them with the curvature of the underside.

I'd be very grateful for any suggestions that you may have.

Instead of carpet or fabric, consider using 1-2" thick pink foam insulation. It's available at most construction type stores, withstands enough weight to support concrete floors without crushing, can be easily cut and carved to shape, and doesn't rust.


How to fix broken screw hole in ceiling box? (re: ceiling light fixture; how to replace the box?) I was trying to take down the ceiling light above my kitchen table and in the process one of the plastic screw holes in the ceiling box broke:

This ceiling box holds a ceiling light (14.2 lbs) so I need to make sure this is fixed properly and doesn't kill myself or my children.  :)
How can I replace the box?  It looks to be attached to a joist (on the right-hand side of the picture you can see it slightly).
I'm only familiar with these old work "t-brace" but I don't think this will work because it's so close to the ceiling joist.

Can anybody help me out?

The box up there is similar to the one below.

If you have attic access, you can remove the old box and replace it fairly easy.
If you don't have access, then you'll have to cut the tabs the nails are in so you can remove the box. Be very careful not to cut the wires going into the box. A keyhole saw or hack saw blade with a handle works great. Once the box is out, you can get a ceiling box that screws right into the stud where the old box was.


Using 2 Separate NM Cables to Make 1 4-wire conductor? I have 2 6/2 with ground cables installed in my attic. I got a oven that requires a 4 wire (2 hots, 1 neutral, 1 ground). Is it code to utilize the 2 insulated conductors off of 1 nm cable and 1 - off of the other as my neutral?

I would install on neutral bar in panel, make the final splice in a jbox then just extend the correct 4 wire to the oven connection.   I do not think it is code but cannot find the scenario in which it rejects that.   I do not have access to get to the panel from the oven and want to utilize the existing wiring i have i place if possible.   I know it would work, but is it code, and what are the dangers?

Nope -- this violates the intent of 300.3(B)/300.20(B)

Trying to "split" a circuit's conductors among cables or raceways is generally prohibited by NEC 300.3(B), with a few exceptions (that are not applicable to typical residential wiring, even if they appear so at first glance).

The issue is that if you have current going out to the load on one wire and back on another, the resulting loop generates a magnetic field within it.  This is a EMI hazard as it can induce 60Hz noise into sensitive devices (old tube TVs and monitors were the most common examples), but more importantly, it's a fire hazard because that magnetic field can go on to induce eddy currents into ferrous objects within that loop, heating them up just like a pan on an induction cooktop.

As a result, you're better off running a new 6/3 cable for the new oven, as sadly, there is no such thing as a 240V-only wall oven that I have found listed for US use, and the old-style 3-wire connections are prohibited for new wiring for very good reason.


Where to connect thermostat C wire to Weil-McLain HE2 series 1 boiler I have a Weil-McLain HE2 series 1 boiler and am attempting to attach a Honeywell RTH6500 wifi thermostat to the main floor. The house has 4 zones and therefor 4 separate thermostats. The main floor thermostat has an extra (green wire) in addition to a red and white at the thermostat. There is only heat, no AC, fueled by propane. I attached the thermostat on the main floor and with the Cwire attached to the neutral side of the external transformer, the thermostat powers up, but cycles off and on when calling for heat. There is an additional transformer inside the boiler unit with a pink and brown wire. Where should I attach the C wire at the boiler?

Both this document (PDF) and this document (PDF), say that one 24V-40VA transformer can only support 3 zone valves. Since you have 4 valves, you're over the recommended number of valves.  Once you added the demand of the WiFi thermostat, you likely overwhelmed the transformer. The answer here, may be to install an additional transformer.

There's a diagram in the second document, that shows how to wire in an additional transformer. This document also has a good explanation of how the valve actually works, which might be worth a read.

Based on these documents, a WiFi thermostat should be wired in like this.

Based on the your description of the wiring, it sounds like it's a bit different than that of the documentation. Incorrectly wired valves might also be the problem. Based on the documentation, terminals 1 and 2 are connected through a heater, while terminals 2 and 3 are connected only when the valve is open.

When the thermostat closes (calls for heat), current flows from terminal 1, through the heater, to terminal 2. Once the valve opens, a contact allows current to flow between terminals 2 and 3.  So basically energizing 1 and 2 opens the valve, and energizing 2 and 3 signals the boiler to circulate.


How can I repair a cracked water tank? I have a rowing machine (a WaterRower) with a water tank (picture).  The tank has a few cracks on the top.  I'm thinking of gluing a piece of plexiglass on it as a patch but was wondering if anyone had a better idea.

Add'l info: the tank is 23" in diameter and 9" tall.  The plastic is ~3.5mm thick.  The cracks are roughly 2" long.  I'm not sure what caused them.  The tank is normally sealed except for a bung hole in the top (visible in the 2nd photo) but it's currently in 2 pieces so I can work on it. I can't tell what the plastic is made of (no markings) but the tank has a little give when pressed.  Here are 2 photos taken from the inside:

Try using a windshield repair kit like the one shown here:
https://www.thoughtco.com/repair-your-chipped-windshield-281417

The basic steps are:

Clean the crack and area around it
Drill a small hole in front of each crack and chip at the hole to create a 'bulls eye', this helps stop the cracks from spreading
Align a resin applicator tool with the crack
Load a windshield resin applicator with resin and begin spreading the resin into the crack
Apply a finishing film to smooth the resin.
Let dry
Scrape away excess resin with a razor.


Why are two breakers connected across a third breaker? This is a 17 yr old double wide mobile home. Our plan is to use existing 240V wiring, kill one of the lines and connect the other to a new 20A breaker to make a 20A 120V for the gas range.
I've never noticed this before but I've never seen anything like it. Two 40A brekers, I assume a separated double pole, for the range straddles the 30A dryer breaker? It's obviously designed this way since there's a bracket hooking the two switches together. Any idea why, or any cautions for me? Thanks in advance!

This is a quadplex breaker. Basically, in order to squeeze more stuff into breaker panels, many manufacturers came up with a way to squeeze two breakers into one space. The problem is that for 240V loads that doesn't work - you end up with 0V between the pair of breakers instead of 240V! So then they came up with quadplex - 4 breakers in 2 spaces. The inner 2 and the outer 2 are each 240V pairs, just like traditional double breakers.
I am not a breaker expert, but that looks to me like it may be "handle tie" rather than a true functional double breaker. Actually, the "All poles have no common trip" reinforces that the breakers are independent of each other, electrically speaking.
That is OK for some situations (MWBC), but if I am correct then that was never actually correct for a 240V circuit such as an oven. That being said, it doesn't matter if you are changing things anyway.
There are two possibilities here for your current (yes, pun intended) situation. You may be able to swap individual breakers, or you may have to deal with them as a set of 4 (quadplex). If they are individuals then you can pick one of the two 40A breakers and replace it with a 20A breaker. Based on the latest picture, the circuit is using neutral, so you can swap either breaker and leave the white neutral as-is. If the new gas range is hardwired, then you should be all set. If it has a plug and you are installing a 20A receptacle, you will likely need to pigtail the 8 AWG wires to 10 or 12 AWG wire to connect to the receptacle, as many can't handle 8 AWG wire.
Make sure the breakers are correct for the panel. There are a lot of similar breakers from different brands. The wrong ones might fit but won't fit correctly.
Also, in case it wasn't clear already, you can't replace a quadplex with two pairs of duplex breakers if even one of the pairs still needs 240V.


Are there timers to limit the hours a shower can be used? I have a autistic son who tends to sleep walk. I have found him a few times sound asleep in the bathtub with the shower running. I'm looking for some type of timer that limits the hours a shower can be used, like say between midnight and 5:30am.

You could plumb a 12 volt DC electric solenoid water valve on the hot and another one on the cold water line to the shower. Take a 120 volt AC to 12 volt DC transformer and wire it to them. Then put the 12 volt transformer on a 120 volt timer and have it power the solenoids when he is allowed to use it.


What is this light? How can I replace / fix it? I moved into a new house recently and one of the lights in my new bedroom stopped turning on. I was surprised to discover that unlike the other lights in the house, it wasn't powered by a bulb, but the LED grid (?) pictured below:

This is the only thing connected to the switch, so I'm not sure how to diagnose what part of the system failed: the switch, the black/white wires connecting the mount and the transparent panel, the LEDs themselves, or something else.

What I should do to get light back in my bedroom?

This is an LED fixture. The idea is that it should last 60,000 hours (?). When it burns out you simply replace it. See the comment from @Tyson. The only other thing you can do is to check and make sure it is getting power when you turn the switch on.

You might be able to get a warranty replacement if you know the manufacturer or the place it was purchased.

Sorry I can't help you further.


Garage door torsion spring popping and warping. Tension or defect? Background

A day or so after the garage door, track and torsion spring were professionally replaced, popping sounds are heard from the torsion spring during operation. This sound is emitted when the spring "pops" back into place after warping/ bending.

It occurs opening and closing when the garage door is closest to shut. Other than this issue, it seems to operate normally.

Question

Is this behavior typical, or a result of something like the tension requiring adjustment, or maybe a defective spring? While we are waiting to contact the installer (holiday weekend), is there any risk of it worsening if it continues to be used in the meantime?

Thank you.

According to the technician, the coil snaking is normal for new springs. It will become less pronounced as it "wears in." A bit more lubrication was applied and the binding has stopped.


Plaster Wall Ice Damming Water Damage A couple weeks ago ice damming in my gutters caused a lot of damage to my plaster wall inside my house.

I got an estimate of around $2500 to fix the issue so I'm going to attempt it myself. Here is what I plan to do:

Remove the plaster from the wall in a rectangle from the right side of the window frame to the first stud past the right side of the water damage. Remove any of the damaged plaster outside of that area. The plaster is attached to wood lath.
Install moisture / mold resistant drywall over the wood lath in the large rectangular area where I removed the plaster.
Layer on plaster over the drywall and patch the other areas until the wall is smooth.
Paint.

My questions are:

Is there a specific type of drywall I should purchase for this job?
Is there a specific type of plaster I should use for this job?
Do I risk damaging the plaster molding just below the ceiling?

Any comments or things to consider when doing this job would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

UPDATE (3/17/2015):

Before I started to prep the plaster I cut a hole to double check there was never any insulation (there's none throughout the house) behind the wall and discovered that this situation had clearly occurred before (I just moved into the house four months ago) since there was already sheet rock screwed to the wall and plastered over.

I removed the sheet rock, as it seemed pretty messed up from the water damage. There was no insulation and everything seems pretty dry now. Here is what it now looks like:

UPDATE (4/05/2015):

Just wanted to give a quick update to show the finished result. This was my first real home improvement project and though it was daunting, and at times it seemed like I bit off more than I could chew, it came out great. Thanks for the help guys!

Before you attempt to repair it, make sure that the cause of the ice dam has been fixed. You may need to insulate the ceiling, and/or add a styrofoam vent baffle to the inside of the roof to prevent that area from getting too warm. Ice and water shield installed on the roof probably would have also prevented this from happening.

The repair will depend on how long the wall was wet and the extent of the damage. From what I am seeing, you should be able to fix this damage without needing to pull the whole wall apart.

Let the wall completely dry out and then check for signs of mold growth. A dehumidifier is not going to dry out the wall for you. You will also need fans aimed at the wall to circulate the air. Industrial blowers will do the best job, but a household box fan on high will also do.

Mold may be on the surface of the plaster, and it could also be under your trim. Use white vinegar to clean off the areas affected by mold and then use a mold killing primer such as Killz on all of the damaged areas.

Once the wall has been primed, then you can repair the plaster. You will need to get a bag of plaster of paris and a 5 gallon bucket of drywall joint compound. Mix the plaster with water per the instructions and mix in joint compound in a 50/50 ratio. Trowel on the mixture and blend the repair into the existing wall. The advantage of mixing the two is that you can use thicker coats of plaster without having it crack. It will also dry much faster and shrink less. The joint compound will make the repaired area harder and will bond better with the wall. Over time plaster dries out and becomes brittle. The gypsum in the joint compound will help prevent the plaster from deteriorating. In the old days, they would mix in chopped up animal hair (usually horse hair) to strengthen it instead.

You may need to apply more than one coat. You should also sand lightly between coats and feather the repair into the wall as best as you can. Any imperfections will be easily seen once the wall has been painted.

Once you are satisfied with the repair, then you can prime the wall. You can use any kind of primer that is compatible with the color coat. I prefer using primer that is rated for interior and exterior use since it is less likely to peel when you put the final coat on.

Repaint the wall and trim. If you can, repaint the entire wall at once so there isn't any differences in the sheen. It may look different if you only paint the damaged part.

Once the wall is painted, you shouldn't be able to tell that there was ever any damage there.


Is it okay to trim the toilet tank overflow pipe? [EDIT 2016-09-28: It is a Kohler toilet, and the old fill valve is Kohler 81093-AA.  I suspect it is the original valve. I've been in correspondence with Kohler.  They asked for pictures of the toilet to identify it, which I sent. They didn't respond to my question about cutting the existing overflow-pipe.  They gave model number 1138930 as an appropriate replacement, however they said it may not extend as far as I needed, so extend it all the way and should be ok.  That was voicemail, so I emailed back asking for the height-range of the 1138930. Waiting for the reply.]

[EDIT 2016-09-28: still waiting for a reply to my follow-up email (but installed the 400ARHR and the project is done.]

Kohler toilet with original Kohler guts runs. It is old and is not a low-flow toilet.

Lifting the float by hand does not stop water flowing out the bowl-refill tube attached to the overflow pipe.  So I bought a new valve.

New valve is the Fluidmaster 400A.  It's height is adjustable, but it doesn't extend quite long enough for the Critical Line on it to be 1" above the top of the existing overflow pipe.  The manufacturer did not stamp a water level mark inside the tank, though there is the water stain.

Is it ok to cut off about an inch of the overflow pipe? might need to cut 1.25 or 1.5. Haven't measured precisely.

Not only is it ok, but Fluidmaster gives instructions on where and when to cut the overflow tube, as the follow photo shows.

Fluidmasters Article states the following:

  The most important part inside the tank is the flush valves "overflow pipe." The overflow pipe is the safety net for your toilet. When properly set it will prevent water from overflowing the tank and flooding into the home.

The four critical areas of a toilet tank are:

The Tank Lever Hole
The CL (Critical Level) Mark located on Fluidmaster's fill valve
The Overflow Pipe (top end)
The Water Level

The water level should be indicated by a mark or (depending of the age or use of the toilet) a water stain on the inside of the tank. When rebuilding a toilet it is very important to set the fill valve to achieve this height.


Can a sanitary vent take a jog around an obstacle? I have a sanitary stack running through a bathroom but enclosed by drywall.  The enclosure takes up quite a bit of space in the bathroom but without it the stack would be visibly running through the room.   The toilet in this bathroom is the highest fixture on the stack, so above the bathroom floor it is just a vent.  When I renovate this bathroom can I jog the vent, just above the level where this toilet drains into it, so it runs through the adjacent wall instead of through the room, and then jog it back at ceiling level so it rejoins the existing stack to go through the roof?  I do not want to mess around with the roof or to open up walls in the room below this.  I'd just like to regain the space wasted by this pipe running through the bathroom by rerouting it and rejoining the existing pipe below and above.   Any issues with that?

The magic number is:
6" above the flood rim of the highest fixture on the floor served by the vent.
Unless you have a very strange bathroom, that highest flood rim is probably the sink in the bathroom, not the toilet in the bathroom.
Vents are to be "vertical" (which is defined as 45 degrees or more) up to that level, after which they can be diverted "horizontal" (2% slope back to the drain they serve.)


Copper NPT male fitting: accepted practice to sweat to the inside? My plumber did this and I'm finding it hard to search about, asking for my next project.

Here's an example: the 1/2" side of this fitting is 1/2" male NPT, but you can also sweat a 1/2" copper pipe to the inside.

I've seen other references to this practice but I'm just wanting to know if it's taught in trade schools?  Or is it regarded as a hack?

I would not call it a hack it is more expensive and due to the metal thickness takes a bit longer to sweat but works fine. Possibly a little better as the brass will hold up better than a copper male fitting.


Is this what a leaking toilet looks like? The last couple of weeks I have noticed a stale urine smell in my washroom. I scrubbed the washroom top-to-bottom, but the smell persists :(

Today I noticed that the grout at the "corners" of my toilet appears to be a little damp (photos below). Could this indicate a leak with the wax seal, and be the cause of odor?

If so, I guess the solution is replacing the wax seal, drying out the area underneath, and (depending on damage) replacing drywall ceiling underneath (it's a second floor washroom)?

There are numerous explanations for possible causes of moist grout near your toilet base, one of them being a compromised wax ring.

washing/cleaning of the outside of the toilet can allow water to run down and moisten the area at the base
a compromised seal between the tank and bowl can allow unseen water to run down and moisten the area at the base
poor aim by male household members will cause urine to run down and moisten the area at the base, this would cause a urine smell as well (this is a thing, I had 3 boys in the house)
a compromised wax ring could cause moisture at the base of the toilet

Some modern wax rings have an integral plastic funnel that allows gravity to direct water/waste into the drain line, which helps prevent leaks (under normal circumstances) even if the wax is compromised. I would recommend that you carefully examine the unit for other signs and if you find none go ahead and pull the toilet. Get a friend to help, they are unwieldy, and use a ring like I mentioned above when you replace it.


Is exterior paint more protective than stain for protecting a shed from rain/elements? I'm assembling a shed (more like an outdoor office) made out of "Nordic Spruce" and want to make sure that it's protected from the elements (particularly rain and direct sunlight - no snow).

Aside from personal preference, is there any reason why I would want to use exterior paint instead of stain when protecting an outdoor shed/office? Is one type of coating clearly superior than the other in terms of reliability and waterproofing? Or is this purely just a style preference?

All wood coatings are essentially decorations. The only thing that keeps wood from rotting outside is proper drainage of it and airflow around it. Wood can get wet every time it rains and snows as long as it is permitted to shed water effectively and dry out quickly. When it stays wet even through days of sunshine and wind is when wood will begin to foster fungus and rot. The vegetable and fungal organisms that attack wood require constant moisture for survival. So design your wood elements exposed to the weather judiciously, and choose a finish for its aesthetic merits and maintenance requirements.

An oil based stain requires minimal prep work, doesn't peel and flake as it ages but simply fades, and reapplication down the road requires little to no prep work again, though it may require more frequent reapplication than paint to remain looking brilliant. Paint is a more exciting and transformative finish, but requires more prep work, and reapplication down the road may require some labor intensive scraping and sanding. If you do decide to use paint, then stick with a high quality exterior latex, and be sure to use a high quality latex primer first (you get exactly what you pay for with paint). Stay away from oil paints. Latex paints are much more flexible than oil paints and will hold longer looking good.


Easiest, fastest, and most precise way to cut Ceramic Tile I'm looking for a fast and precise way to cut precise pieces of ceramic tile.  Any recommendations on tools with pros and cons would be appreciated.

Thanks!

You need a diamond tile saw, where you put the tile on a platform and slide it past the water-cooled blade. They are fast, precise and good for the hardest porcelain tiles. Expect to pay $300 and up. Straight cuts are the easiest. To cut out a square corner, make the two cuts with the tile upside down. The back of the tile will be a mess, but the business-side will be tidy.

If you want the cut edges to be velvety smooth to walk on or rub skin against, use some damp 400 grit wet/dry held at a 45degree angle to the sharp edge.

Score-and-snap tools are fast for cut edges that will be hidden by a baseboard.

Cheaper saws where you push the tile through (like a table saw) are OK, but not as fast and versatile as the sliding-table models.

For round holes for shower heads etc, use a diamond hole saw. If the tile is porcelain, submerge it in water on a bit of plywood while making the cut.

For rectangular holes for electrical boxes, use a diamond hole saw for the four corners, then use the tile saw from the back, like a mitre saw.

The wet diamond blade is pretty amazing - it will cut through tiles but is fairly safe on fingers. You can hand-hold tiles for tricky trimming without too much danger. (at least so far!)


120 volt outlet not functioning properly voltage is 120,circuit tester says all positions and correct .  It will run a small .6 amp fan fine but a 2.1 amp box fan funs about 1/2 speed.  My circular saw just grunts, no go. what is up?

You mentionned the voltage being 120v. I assume this is when there is no load on the circuit.

Most likely, when you draw higher amperage, the voltage drops in a bad connection. This could be:

a bad backstab connection
a loose wire nut somewhere along the path from panel to outlet
a damaged wire somewhere in the path
way too long wiring (unlikely)

Since you're able to use a voltmeter to measure the 120v, you can also measure it while there's a load. (use something safer than a saw, if you're going to look at the voltmeter at the same time, say a toaster :-) )

Once you confirm the voltage drops, just walk back along the path, and figure out where the drop occurs. Either at the outlet backstab or at a loose nut would be my guess.

Fix it by redoing the nut correctly or not using the backstab.

Personnaly, if I'd trace it back all the way to the first connection after the panel, I'd call the electrician.


Is a 240vac (2 pole) outlet a "single phase receptacle"? I just read about NEC 2017, section 625.54:
"Ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel.
All single-phase receptacle installed for the connection of electric vehicle charging that are rated 150 volts to ground or less shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel."

This seem redundant since all EVSE (Electric vehicle supply equipment) have GFCI built into the unit. I was wondering if this refers to the 120v (hot-neutral) type outlet only. I got a regular 40A breaker (2 pole) for my outlet but, if I read this right, I need to upgrade to a 40A GFCI breaker? $100, ouch!

Are 120v (hot-neutral) and 240v (hot-hot) single phase receptacle?

Thanks

If you hard-wire the EVSE unit, then you're covered because the unit has GFCI built in and you never have an open unprotected receptacle.

Presumably you are talking about a residential application in the U.S., since you seem to be doing it yourself and you are referencing the 2017 N.E.C.

This applies whether your 240V supply is single-phase or 3-phase (in which case it will probably be 208V).

As a curiosity, it might be worth mentioning that if you're dealing with a 3 phase service typical of commercial installations (say you're doing this at a rented commercial office or store space rather than at home), then your service is probably 3-phase with neutral, in which case your outlets will either be 120V, or 208V (there is 120V of potential from any of the phases to the neutral, and 208V from any of the phases to another phase).

In a residential situation, you are served by a single phase (from the 3 phase distribution lines), which is stepped down to 240V in the transformer outside your house. This is split, in the transformer, by a center tap neutral into a pair of 120V legs. This means you get 120V from either pole to the neutral, and 240V from pole to pole. But either way it is still only 1 phase.

Sidebar...

The poles of your residential transformer are 180 degrees out of phase with each other, because the AC sine waves are shifted 180 degrees apart. I believe this is one of the sources of occasional confusion, and this plus the fact that both circuits derive from one phase is one of the reasons that some people refer to the 120V legs as "phase legs", and is also why some people sometimes seem to perceive "phase leg" slightly differently than other people. The bottom line is that this entire setup is a branch circuit off of just one phase of the nearest 3 phase transformer that ties you into the long haul power transmission lines that serve you. Thus, the entire 240V circuit that feeds your house, and both 120V legs of that circuit, are all one phase. And yet the two 120V legs actually are out-of-phase from each other.

Summary

But again; if you are connecting the EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) unit to an approved power source, and you hardwire it in, then you are covered by the GFCI built-in to the unit because you don't have an exposed, unprotected receptacle.

If you run power to a receptacle that you then plug the EVSE into, then you're probably required to use a GFCI breaker because you have created a situation where there may be an open receptacle in an area that requires GFCI protection.


Wall Mounted Light Fixture Mounting Plate I'm prepping for drywall and will need to install a wall-mounted fixture, but the bolts that go through the mounting plate to attach the fixture are lined up with where the plate attaches to the box.  Since this is wall mounted, those bolts need to be horizontal so that the fixture is straight on the wall.

It has been suggested that I can get a different mounting bar (not sure what it would look like) but I don't understand how that would make a difference since the fixture bolts going through the plate would likely still hit the section where the plate attaches to the box.

It seems as though the holes in the box need to be in a different location (anywhere besides where they are now).

Thanks

You need to adjust the screws so they protrude from the front of the bracket just enough to secure the fixture to the wall with the included cap nuts. Then cut off the part with the screw heads, flush with the back of the bracket. Good luck.

Many wire cutters/strippers have the ability to cut this size bolt and protect the threads.


Mold growing on inside of new windows We spent thousands of dollars for new windows couple years ago.  Our old windows were only 15 years old and double pane and always getting wet inside in winter so we had them all replaced with triple pane.
Now these ones are getting wet only around the edge of the glass but very  VERY moldy. We had the people from the window Company back after it started and checked the air and it showed comfortable but they still said it's too much humidity.  We have a small monitor in use all the time and it shows comfortable so what can the problem be and if it's due to humidity why didn't the old windows grow mold. They definitely didn't.  Ever.

As homes become more airtight ( new windows=less drafts and no air exchanger ) there is more of a chance for humidity to hang around and not evaporate. If you allow the moisture to just sit there the chances of mold growing is increased.  Wipe the moisture away on your windows on a regular basis. Perhaps spray them with a bleach solution as well.

Consider adding de humidifier or some ventilation.


Methods for dampening condo floor noise? I recently purchased a top level condo with floating bamboo floors.  My HOA doesn't have any rules around hardwood floor installation and I think that whoever installed these floors didn't put a very good underlayment down.

Because of this issue I've been having many fights with my downstairs neighbors about the noise levels.  We've finally reached an agreement to split the cost on fixing the problem.  But I'm not really sure whats the best way to address this issue.

I was thinking that the best option might be to just have the floors torn up.  Lay down a nice sound proof underlayment like cork.  And then have wall to wall carpeting installed.

Is this a solid way of reducing noise for our neighbors?  Does anyone have good suggestions for this type of problem?  The noise I am trying to reduce is mostly impact noise from walking around and I really am just concerned about finding the right solution.

Thanks.

Update

I am okay with just putting carpet down in place of the bamboo.  I don't really mind carpet and I think it will make a big different in terms of audio noise in addition to the "contact" noise of just walking around.
   From the comments it seems like if I tear up the hardwood floors.  Put down a good foam underlayment and lay carpet on top that should be enough?  Cork won't help much past that point?

Update 2

I already have area rugs in most of the rooms.  But still hear noise when stepping on the creaky parts of the floor.

Before you tear up the floors, which is messy and expensive, how bout getting an area rug (they can be cheap at Target, etc.)?

If the area rug works, then you know the problem.

My concern is that the frame of the building is such that the noise is not related to the type of floor material.  The sound may be transferred through the joists and walls.


Building a Workstation (Piano Keyboard) PC DESK with MDF I am in the process of building a new desk. The table top will be about 175cm. There will be 2 simple shelf cabinet so one on each side. But in between the 2 cabinets, there will be another desk drawer slider so I can slide my keyboard out.

I want to keep this project under £110 as this includes a circular saw which will be about £40.

Now while I would live to use wood such as Oak or pine, it's too expensive.

I was thinking of using plywood but that is pricey as well. Now I am thinking of using MDF since it is pretty cheap.

However, the main issue is I read the MDF board will sag, I thinking of using 18mm board.

Question: If I build a timber frame to support the desk, and using MDF as table top over the frame, will this be fine since the desk is being supported by timber?
If not, do you think I should use plywood, if so, can someone recommend a place that delivers cheaply in the UK and is cheap, would need 2 large sheets since the length will need to be at least 1800mm by 600mm.
Also, will there be any issues if I use wood screws, drilling pilot holes, or will the boards split?

Also I am planning to buy 2 sheets of MDF, from 2400mm x 1220mm x 18mm depth. These sheets will be huge and heavy. I can get these two for £34.
What I am planning to do it take the measurement to the store so they can cut out the pieces, that way I can drive it myself.

I will also buy Timber boards to make the frame and Pine for brackets.

Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

Take a look at this online sag calculator to see the amount of sag you would get.

Using 18mm MDF shouldnt be a problem if you use a small amount of structural support.A relatively simple solution would be to fix 1 or 2 wooden beams to the underside of the desk and have them be supported by your side cabinets, which should provide enough support.

Another option would be to glue a second piece of MDF thinner than the width of your desktop to the underside of the desk top, in this way improving the strength.

Both options would not affect the aesthetics of the desk in general, as desks are usually quite low, so the viewing angle prevents you from seeing the relatively hidden structural support.

Of course if you are planning on placing the desk against a wall, you could always use a couple of L brackets to prevent sagging.


Gym Equipment in the Oil Tank Room? I am thinking about getting an elliptical for our home.  The only space it will fit is in the room where our oil tanks are located.  Is it okay to workout in this room or is this a health hazard due to the smells/fumes I might be breathing in?

You should seek the advice from a recognized medical practitioner. You wouldn't place your health and well-being on the answers of people who drink beer and chew tobacco all day would you? If I had to offer an answer I would suggest that if you notice any type of petroleum or other noxious fumes it would be wise not to do aerobics there.


Make outlet controlled by switch, constant hot I have one outlet controlled by a switch.  I would like to make it constantly hot.  I also have a ceiling fan which is always hot and would like to have that controlled by the switch (later).  For now, I want to just focus on the outlet, being I screwed it up.

I read a few posts regarding the same situation and tried to follow the advice given, but I screwed it up.  For now, I disconnected the switch and outlet and put a wire nut on each end.

The first two pictures are the switch and the other the outlet.

Here’s the room with the additional hot outlets.
Thank you all for the help!

Normally the wire colors in cable distinguish the wires in the cable and absolutely do not indicate wire function.

However in your case there appears to be a happy accident. It looks like every white wire is neutral, every black wire is always-hot, and every red wire is switched-hot.  Even happier, these are the preferred color codes for those functions.

That makes this super easy.

You don't want to use switched-hot anywhere in the photographed areas, so simply cap it off on both ends.
You will not be using the switch.
The always-hots get connected to each other and also to everywhere always-hots go, i.e. Brass screws on receptacles.
Neutrals likewise (silver screws).

Next time, a couple things.  First don't take everything apart like this. Remove  only the wires which were attached to the device, and take pix first.  I get the impulse, but we call this "trying to learn electrical by dismantling your house".  Won't work, it is very inefficient and will give swiss cheese knowledge (as will Google) - instead, get a book on home electrical and read it cover to cover for a well-rounded primer on the subject.

You got lucky, but this can also end at an impasse, having to call an electrician to spend a couple hours sorting/ringing everything out.

Second, stop forcing the screws all the way off.  They are captive screws and you are supposed to stop turning them when they get stiff.  Often the captive screws hold essential parts of the device (e.g. Screw-and-clamps), but in any case you will gore up the fragile brass female threads so they won't hold well or pass current well. Once you've descrewed a rceptacle, throw it in the trash.