What causes hammering from a new diverter when other faucets are quickly turned on and off? We're doing a minor remodel of our master bathroom, and I have replaced the 30+ year old diverter and nearby pipe with a new one from Delta. Now when any faucet in the house is turned on and off quickly, there is a hammering or banging sound coming from the diverter (2 or 3 bangs). Trying to hold the diverter and nearby pipes firmly still does not reduce the noise, though the diverter is certainly well secured to the brace. The photo below shows the extent of the plumbing I had to do. (Note the wonderful polybutylene at the right which transitions via a Sharkbite to the CPVC.)

Are newer pressure balancing valves subject to this kind of hammering? That seems like a possibility since the old valve certainly did not balance the pressure.

The only other thing I can think of is that I knocked some pipe strap/hanger loose somewhere, but why would it cause the sound to come from the diverter area?

I'm not sure why you're suddenly having trouble with water hammer, the old plumbing may have been installed in such a way as to mitigate water hammer. Since I have no way of knowing what the old plumbing looked like and/or what you changed, I can't say for sure why you're having trouble.
So I'll simply talk about a couple ways of stopping the hammering.
The old way
We [plumbers] used to try to stop water hammer with 12-18" capped risers, and this method worked great, just long enough for us to be on to the next job.

The idea was that air would be trapped in the capped riser, which would provide a "cushion" for the fast moving water.  This effect, however, is short lived. The air is eventually absorbed into the water, and the riser becomes completely filled with water.
The new way
Modern water hammer arrestors separate the water from the air, which allows them to function properly for much longer. Most devices either use a flexible bladder, or a piston type design to cushion the water and prevent hammering.

These devices are usually less than 6" long, so they can fit in much tighter places. Cost wise they are comparable to the old method, so they are not going to break the bank. They are available with different connector types, so they can be connected to the existing plumbing in a variety of ways.

As with the old style standpipes, water hammer arrestors should be installed in line with the flow of water. Water hammer arrestors should be installed near all fast acting valves, to prevent water hammer.


How to clean shop vac of oily residue? There was a heating oil leak in my basement, which I soaked up with spill absorber. It worked like a charm, but then I made the mistake of trying to clean up the mess with the shop vac. The oil-soaked spill absorber was too heavy and too slimy for the shop vac, so it just lined the inside of the hose and clogged everything up. Now I have to clean out all the hose and tube segments. My question: What is the best way to do so? I thought about just filling a big tub with water and dish detergent and soaking everything, but do I need something stronger?

Start out by soaking the hoses in hot water and blue Dawn dish soap. It's the best for dissolving grease and I'm not affiliated with them in any way. Then you'll want to thread a heavy string or rope through the hose and wrap one end around a big rag and pull the other end so the rag gets pulled through the hose. You'll have to do this a few times to get rid of all the residue. If your rope is long enough, tie the rag in the middle of the rope and you can just pull it back and forth without re threading it through the hole each time. Replace the rag if it gets too oily.


What wireless temperature monitoring systems should I look into? I'd like to monitor and log temperature on few locations in my home. Wireless monitoring with normal consumer batteries etc would be preferable for the sensors. I have an Mac OSX server running at my home where I could log the temperatures and browse the data. I live in Finland, so something that's too specific for the US will not work.

Do you have any good suggestions or experiences on what wireless temperature sensors and system to use? I'd prefer something cheap but not too DIY as this thing is just a novelty for me.

One option is using Arduino based microcontroller. I recommend JeeNode for integrated wireless.

For basic one "server" plus one remote sensor you need two JeeNodes, USB adapter, temperature sensor and battery, all for around 55 €. You need to know how to solder electronic components and program in C. Each additional sensor would cost about 20 €.

Here is example project for temperature sensor using Arduino (will work on JeeNode as well). You have to add wireless code as well, starting with this skeleton.

So, not so cheap and certainly pretty advanced DIY. ;-)


Remove 1.5” spa pipe fitting from PVC pipe WITHOUT damaging pipe Have a 1.5” compression collar for a spa circulation pump.  Whoever installed it crushed the shoulder behind the “O” ring.  Need to remove it without having to buy a “pipe parana” for $140.  Have to remove the fitting WITHOUT damaging the pipe...no room for error, or re-doing other fittings.  Help?

heat it with a blow torch or hot air gun until it softens then slit it with a knife and peel it off


Why are there extra pipes coming out of the ground? Is there any reason for all of these water pipes to be here? There are four coming out of the ground on the right, that all just connect to each other before going anywhere, and the three on the left that also all connect to eachother before going anywhere.

Behind this wall is a sink for a bathroom, and on this side of the wall there is currently nothing but was a sink at one point in the past for a wet bar. The pipes that go off to the left go no where, but my best guess for that is that the bathroom used to have a double sink since thats about where the second sink would be if there was one.

I guess i'm confused why they would split above ground like that.

That's the sort of thing that can happen when a property is altered. Maybe the building originally had fewer washbasins etc on that floor and more were added. Rather than lifting the floor and making connections in cramped dark dirty spaces the plumber felt it was easier to make the solder connections in a more accessible space where his blowtorch was also less likely to set fire to nearby joists and accumulated dust and detritus.


Is lime based mortar weatherproof? I recently did some outside brick wall patching and tuckpointing. Since the old mortar was whitish, I didn't use the gray ready mix from the Home Depot but I mixed my own, the same what I used for my exposed indoor brick wall restoration: 1 part masonry lime (white powder), 2.5 parts masonry sand, plus water. I also used the same mix for some indoor plaster patches (house is old and has plaster over brick).

But I noticed that that recipe doesn't hold very well on the outside, crumbles and dissipates, unlike on the indoor walls where it's been rock solid and beautiful several years now.

Is lime based mortar not weatherproof and should there always be cement for outdoor applications?

Yes, there should always be cement for outdoor mortar applications.

Lime is a cementitious ingredient in mortar which will increase workability and water retention, resulting in increased bond strength. Lime also increases plastic flow, allowing mortar to take up slight movements without apparent opening of joints.

Requirements for hydrated lime for masonry are specified in ASTM C 207. Other types of lime should not be used in masonry construction.

There are 2 types of HYDRATED lime: 1) Type S, and 2) Type N.

Type S is Special Hydrated Lime which has high plasticity, high water retention, and a maximum of 8% for unhydrated oxides.

Type N is Normal Hydrated Lime and is not recommend for mortar applications.

Mortar bond strength increases as mortar flow increases.  The consistency of mortar must be controlled for brick / block suction or absorption limited. This is done with optimum ratio of high plastic lime (Type S) and use of well graded sand with no voids.

Cements come with and without air entrainment. (Air entrainment reduces bond, so usually not used in mortar.) Type I cement is usually used for mortar, unless high early strength is required due to cold weather...then use Type III. Masonry cements are proprietary and mixes are seldom discussed. You’ll usually just see that it complies with ASTM C 91.


Heating/cooling system recommendations for this small house? I will soon build my first house and I need to choose what type of heating/cooling system I'll have installed. I know very little about this and I'm seeking recommendations, ideas, suggestions, etc.

The details: The house will be in the city limits of Asheville, NC. It will be a three story house with a basement foundation (I'm counting the basement as the bottom floor). The footprint of the house is approximately 24'x24' (I'm still working on the design/plans), and the top two floors will be approximately 1000sf. The main/first floor will be open, essentially one big room with kitchen/dining/living room/half bath, and the top floor will be two bedrooms and a full bath. The walkout basement will be finished as a den with storage area and full bath and sauna. The home site is very shady, under huge oak trees, so using passive solar is not really an option. In terms of my priorities the order is 1) simple/low maintenance, 2) efficient/low operation cost, 3) up front cost, and 4) "green".

I'm interested in heating using a wood stove because it's such a simple system (i.e. very few moving parts to break), it seems like a low maintenance way to go, and the wood stoves available now are very efficient. However I feel like I should have a wood stove as my back up heating system, even if I do use it most of the time, for resale value purposes (many folks don't want to bother with chopping wood, loading/cleaning the stove, etc.). Another aspect of a wood stove that's attractive to me is that I can still heat my home during a power outage. Around here wood is plentiful.

A geothermal heat pump is also interesting because of its high efficiency and because it also doubles as an AC system. It's also likely to be very attractive to buyers if I ever sell the house. However I'm concerned that a geothermal heat pump system is pretty complex (it's not likely that I could fix any part of it myself) and may require considerable maintenance, and it won't blow very warm air (I've slept under a heat pump vent/register in the winter and it felt like I was under an AC unit -- not pleasant).

Can you comment as to which HVAC options are appropriate for someone in my situation? I know there are numerous other alternative heating/cooling systems available that I've not yet considered, and the two mentioned above are probably on opposite ends of the spectrum.

For central A/C, you'll need ducts and vents.  Once you have the ducting in place anyway, you might as well use it for both your heating and cooling.

For a three floor house, you definitely want some kind of zoned system, with a thermostat on each floor.  (I wish my 2-floor house was zoned.)  You may want multiple cooling systems, or maybe one system with motorized dampers to control airflow to the various floors.  Your HVAC contractor should be able to make a reccomendation of what will work best.

Whatever you do, do not skimp on the ductwork.  Your HVAC contractor should run calculations on how big the ducts need to be.  For many home builders, HVAC is a minor concern in the bulding plan.  Make sure everything is sized correctly.  Changing ductwork after the fact is very difficult.  And if you don't have proper ducting, it won't matter how good your central heating using is.

For new construction, Geothermal is usually a good candidate.  It can provide heating, cooling, and hot water with crazy efficiency.  The installation cost is MUCH higher though.  (There are tax credits that will offset some of the cost.)  If you aren't up for geothermal, I would go for a traditional air-sourced heat pump for your heating and cooling needs.  They are pretty efficient (at least in moderate climates).  You are pretty much in the perfect lattitude for a heat pump.

However, I would not have the heat pump (air-sourced or geothermal) as your only heating system.  Some kind of alternate (non-ducted) heat source would be a good idea.  Heated floors, gas fireplace, etc.  Air-sourced heat pumps lose their efficiency in very cold weather.  And it can also be nice to have gentle air convection, vs a duct that is blowing in your face.  You also have a backup system in case your central heat fails.

That said, ducted air is nice, because some regular circulation of air in all the rooms of the house avoids that "stagnant air" smell, as well as cutting down on dust, dander, etc.

Also, central air systems give you options for humidification and de-humification of the whole house.  Look into that.  It is usually a minor cost increase in the system, but can make a major difference in comfort.


What is a good finish for a plywood benchtop? I just completed a simple workbench using dimensional lumber. The top is 3/4" plywood. What is a good—preferably clear—finish that would harden it and protect it from dings and scratches?

I found an epoxy glaze on Lowes.com that looks interesting.

I have a similar workbench but instead of finishing it, I screwed down (no glue) two layers of hardboard. It's cheap so I don't mind dinging it up and since it's only screwed down, it'll be easy to replace when it gets too dinged up.


Are patch panels essential to a home network closet? I am completing my home remodel and have decided to wire CAT6 cables throughout the house with at least 2 sockets for the wall jacks in each room.

My subcontractor has already wired all of the rooms and we are in the process of finalizing the network closet.

My subcontractor is saying that I do not need to use a patch panel; but he is leaving me the final say in the matter. I am leaning towards using the patch panel but I also have several questions:

Am I going overboard by using a patch panel for my home? Or will it save a few headaches in the future if I need to modify my home network closet?
If I do, in fact use both the patch panel and switch - are there any helpful guides that diagram how the modem and router connects to the patch panel and switch? I want to ensure I have the proper setup to double check my subcontractor's work.

I purchased:

Cable Matters 24 Port Cat6a Shielded Patch Panel (link)
TP Link TL-SG1024 10/100/1000Mbps 24-Port Gigabit 19-inch Rackmountable Switch, 48Gbps Capacity (link)

I currently have and plan to use:

ASUS (RT-AC68U) Wireless-AC1900 Dual-Band Gigabit Router (for misc iPads)
ARRIS SURFboard SB6183 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem. My ISP is Time Warner Cable @ 300 mbs DL

Thank you.

Short answer, you definitely want the patch panel, especially if you ran shielded cable.  (If you did not run shielded cable, you probably don't want a shielded patch panel.)

Male terminations are less reliable than punchdown connections.  They tend to create marginal / intermittent failures in many cases, which can be particularly hard to track down.  To make matters worse, they often work for a while, then fail after the cable has been tugged / flexed / inserted / removed a few times.

If you ran shielded cable, the patch panel should be grounded to ground the shield.  You could try to ground the shileds of the modular plug terminated cables but it will be a mess.

Honestly nobody that does much datacom installation would suggest mod plugs over a patch panel.


How should I apply brick to interior wall? I came across this question and I was wondering what ended up happening,real brick or brick veneer?

I want to lay the brick over drywall on one of the walls(13x10feet)in the basement. I just wanted to see if you have done yours without any complications

How should I apply brick to an interior wall?

Drywall is a bad substrate for essentially gluing heavy stuff to. It's soft weak gypsum with a facer of laminated paper that can peel right off. If you really want a brick wall inside, I'd recommend just building it right in front of the drywall. Obviously, the sanity of this idea depends on several factors, one of which is the subfloor. If you're on a concrete slab, then no sweat. Doing this on the second floor or above a basement is another story.

If that's not an option, you could probably remove the drywall and replace it with cementboard, and then mortar a thin brick veneer to it like in that other answer.


Why would the breaker be tripping after removing a ceiling fan? I removed a ceiling fan and capped off both wires but my circuit breaker trips. Is it possible that the fan was in a pathway with some thing else? If so, do I just connect those wires together? There are two white wires and one black wire.

It sounds like you capped 2 whites together, which would be logical.

However, you've probably discovered a situation where one of the whites is a switched hot, improperly labeled (i.e. not labeled).

Try putting a cap on each wire by itself.

It's unlikely that putting a break in a circuit would cause a trip.  It's the opposite problem, a short that causes a trip.


Do I need an electrician to restore the power to my bedroom on the other side of a wall I drilled into? How can power lost after drilling into
stud be restored? Is it costly?

It sounds like you drilled into an electrical wire, which will need to be replaced. The amount of difficulty involved in repairing it (and the cost) is mainly going to depend on where the wire is and how easy it is to access.  For example, if it was between two outlets that are accessible from a basement or attic, it should be fairly straight-forward.  If it was a feeder line running through an exterior wall, probably less so.  Fixing it will basically require figuring out what is connected to each end of the wire and running replacement wire.


Why does my furnace run periodically when the thermostat is off? I just moved into a small apartment that has oil tank / water baseboard heaters. At first the furnace would not come on at all, after hearing the "click" in the thermostat. Maintenence was sent 3 times before finally replacing the "relay switch", (that's what i was told anyway). Now that it's warmer weather and I don't need heat, I turned the thermostat all the way down to 50 degrees and I still hear the furnace run periodically but the registers don't actually get hot. My questions are, what's wrong with the furnace, if anything ? How much electric does the furnace use by coming on when the thermostat is off ?

This is one possibility, from my distant past...  In a house with hot-water heating that I lived in as a teen, the boiler and hot-water heating were controlled in a different way:

Whenever the water in the boiler dropped below a certain temperature, the burner came on and heated the water in the boiler jacket.  This would go on as long as the system was turned on, winter, summer, whatever.  None of this water circulated to the radiators, until...

When the house thermostat called for heat, the circulating pump came on and pumped the hot water from the boiler around to the radiators.  Of course, if the pump returned cold water from the radiators to the boiler jacket, the burner would eventually sense this and come on to warm the circulating water.


Surface Mount Ceiling Fan with Conduit to a Half Hot plug I'd like to put a ceiling fan in a room and connect it to a half-hot outlet.  I don't have access to the crawlspace above so I'll need to use a surface mount box to hang the fan.  What's the safe way to connect it to the outlet?

This is precisely what surface raceway is for

What you want to do is use surface raceway to bring the switched hot, neutral, and ground from the half-hot outlet to the new fan location.  You'll need to put a compatible extension box (starter box) on the outlet to provide room for the connections, and use a raceway system (Legrand's B-series metal raceways work) that has a fan-rated box (B4F/BW4F in the Legrand B-series) available.  As to wiring inside the raceway, you can run a NM cable or single THHN wires.

(As a sidenote, EMT with standard boxes and fittings also works for running exposed wiring safely, but you may have trouble finding a surface mountable fan-rated box outside of a surface raceway system.)


How can I repair a bump in a wooden desk? I inserted a screw in the underside of my desk but it was a little bit too long.

Result: A small bump in the top side and flaws in lacquer.

Photo:

Who knows how to fix this?

You will not make the crack go away, at least not with out destroying the texture of the finish. If the core material is particle board, it will be even more difficult. You could, as mentioned in the comment put something over it to flatten it, but it will take a driving force to set it back flush, or near flush.

This is where particle board will NOT treat you right. Since it is made up of fine wood particles, when the screw goes through, it displaces the particles and they will never go back exactly as they were. A small block of wood with a hammer driving on it MAY flatten it out some, by recompressing the particles of sawdust. It may also make the chips come out the rest of the way.

If it does work, you may want to try some appliance repair paint to fill in the crack after it has been flattened a bit or perhaps leave it just as it is. Use the appliance paint on the crack, work it in and remove the excess on the surface, leaving the paint in the crack. Hopefully it will disguise the crack to a degree.

Test the paint on a hidden surface with the same finish you need to repair, in case the appliance paint is lacquer based too. If it is, it will "melt" the existing finish and change the texture in the immediate area of the crack. Hopefully it will wipe off clean with no change in the surface at all.


How do I remove a stuck moen 1224 cartridge How do you remove a stuck moen 1224 cartridge? My shower is a two handled moen chateau installed in 1994. Getting the collar of the cartridge was no problem. However, the cartridge won't budge. I don't have a puller but have tried needle-nose vice grips, wd 40 and channel locks with no luck.
Thanks

In the absence of a puller (which you can usually borrow from a local hardware store if you buy a cartridge) you can use the handle screw to attach any flat iron bar stock (even a piece of wood maybe) to the stem and twist and pull the cartridge out. I've done it many times.


What are some easy non-expensive ways to clean a toilet? In particular, the exterior of a toilet.

My parents tell me to wipe the outside and surrounding floor of the toilet with a diaper several times (and then to wash the diaper with water in the sink several times). I'm really not sure if this is the most time-efficient way to clean the exterior of a toilet, and I'm not sure if it's the cleanest way to clean the exterior of a toilet either. Plus, the sink might get clogged with all the debris.

Something eco-friendly would be preferable if possible though.

Put 1/3 vinegar, 2/3 water in a reusable spray container (you can buy unused ones at many hardware stores and gardening supply stores).

Spray the exterior of the toilet, then wipe with whatever you want to use. You could use a couple of hand towels, cloth diapers, whatever.

The vinegar is a good disinfectant and is very eco-friendly. Toss the cloths into the laundry and wash normally. The vinegar should prevent any nasties from growing for a day or so. If no one is making a huge mess around the toilet (like a potty-training child), you only need to clean it once a week, so just plan to clean it the day before you usually do laundry.


How can I protect my rug from being dented by table stands? I have one rug (rug on top of carpet in my apartment) in the living room where a center table rests, and one rug under the dining table. Each of the rugs have developed dents at the point of contact with the table stands, (due to the pressure from stands).

Is there any way to protect the rug from denting?

Put something under the table legs to diffuse the pressure to a wider area.  Something like the circle disc (2 inch variety) furniture moving pads would work for something like this.


Question on backfeeding generator I have a 50amp gillette generator 9000 watts. My question is if i put a adapter to go from NEMA 14-50P to L14-30R with a nema 30r back feeding through my dryer plug would that be safe running a 50 amp generator.

Yes i know back feedings laws and everything just hypothetically asking if using a 50 amp generator through a 30 amp wire and circuit

To answer your question , yes it is unsafe. This design is dependent on a human to ensure the main breaker is in the off position when powering the panel from the generator.  Humans make mistakes. Mistakes like this can kill.


How do I close this hole in the HVAC vent? What's the best way to close up this hole in the venting leaving the hvac?

Would foil tape be sufficient? Right now it bleeds out hot air into the basement in the winter, and cold air in the summer.

Click for full size image

If you're talking about the seam (circled in red). Then yes, foil tape is appropriate.

However, if you're talking about sealing around the pipe (circled in orange). You'll want to use Duct Seal, or an equivalent product.


Toilet code - 15" from baseboard heater? I am remodeling my small bathroom. I know code is for the center of the toliet drain to be 15" from a wall or vanity. There is going to be a baseboard heater on the side of my toliet. Do I have to be 15" from that, or can i go 15" from the wall?

Most codes require at least 15 inches (measured from the center of the toilet) from any side wall or obstruction and not closer than 30 inches center to center to any other sanitary fixture. (The NKBA actually recommends 32 inches.) There should be at least 24 inches of clear space in front of a toilet or bidet.

Sourced from This Old House, emphasis mine.

If you have the clearance, do 15" from baseboard heating housing. If you don't, can you mount on a different wall, switch to a lower-profile model, or maybe use wall mounted or overhead heat?


fencing under electrical transmission line I'm a week from closing on a house (in Indiana, USA) which includes an adjacent undeveloped 1-acre lot.  Running above that lot is a high-voltage transmission line.  I don't know the voltage, but the lines are supported by huge lattice towers.  The towers are hundreds of feet away, not on the lot I'm buying; and the lines are 100+ feet high.
My hope is to immediately fence both lots together for my dogs, and later, to add a pool and detached garage.  I just realized today there are going to be some setback requirements from the power lines.
I have put in a request with the local power company (Duke Energy) for information about the building restrictions.  I also asked to see the title for this lot of land so I can understand the width of the easement.
I've read brochures I found online from other utilities which specified electrical grounding of metal fence posts, non-metallic fences, or similar, when fences are built under or near these high-voltage circuits.
I would appreciate any advice about fencing near these lines.  I want to build a typical black vinyl-coated chain link fence ranging from 4-feet height (front of lot) to 6-feet height (sides/rear.)  If that's not allowed or unusually complex due to the electricity, I can choose another type of material.
Google Earth screenshot of transmission line path and proposed fence

Duke Energy has employees whose job is specifically to work on easement issues.  I received a call back from them after a few days.  They talked to me about my fence project and sent a PDF with some general guidance, as well as aerial photos of the property with the easement and lot lines marked.

No written application was required; fence project approved over the phone
16-foot gate required at each end of easement for Duke vehicle access; Duke will supply locks which I could connect to my own locks if desired, so they can access the easement without bothering me or cutting anything
Maximum fence height 8 feet (no problem for me)
No limit on materials, e.g. metal fence would be fine
No special grounding requirements

The Duke rep recommended agricultural gates which are about $200ea.


What could be wrong with this receptacle? the power outlet where my tv was plugged in lost power all of a sudden. However, when I plug in a receptacle tester, the power goes back on but when I remove the receptacle tester, power goes off again. What seems to be the problem.

I already checked the duplex receptacle and the wires are secured firmly with screws and not poked into the hole. I also tried plugging an extension into the outlet and plugged the receptacle tester into the extension and it also worked. But nothing works without the tester.

How exactly do you know that the power is going back on?

If the TV is still plugged into one recepticle and simply plugging the AC tester causes the TV to come back on ---- then you need to immediately investigate repairing and replacing the duplex recepticle. It is likely that the wiring in the box is using the quick connect type connection where the wires poke into a hole in the back of the outlet. One wire must be loose and making an intermittent connection. This could be caused by a wire that is improperly installed or the internal string contact that is supposed to retain the wire is broken. Simply installing the AC tester into the other outlet is apparently moving the contact metal work inside the recepticle just enough to cause it to touch the loose wire.

Do note that a loose wire like this is unsafe and could lead to a fire - so please investigate immediately - for the sake of yourself, your family and your dwelling.


Modifying electrical boxes with field mounting and knockout provisions I had to replace an entire coax run and noticed that someone who installed my Aunt's TV put a outlet behind the TV and used a low-voltage box! I know why they did this, mostly because there is only 1" clearance to the cement that is behind the drywall (perimeter wall) and they were lazy.

I already "corrected" the problem but I wanted to know if what I did is ok.

I found the smallest Carlon blue box that Home Depot carries and drilled a 1/2" hole in the bottom and put a romex clamp in to hold the romex (for various reasons I couldn't use the side clamps that come with the box). I then secured the box to the cement using a screw through the back of the box and covered the screw with electrical tape (read something about doing that with screws inside a box that aren't electrical in nature).

Is there anything against modifying the box in the way I did?

As long as the box is rigidly secured, you're good to go regarding the box mounting arrangement

Considering that the concrete wall can be considered to be a structural member, not an exposed building surface, and that the box is mounted independently of the finished building surface, NEC 314.23(B)(1) applies here, which permits the field-drilled mounting hole and screw arrangement used provided it secures the box sufficiently and the AHJ is OK with it upon inspection:

  (B) Structural Mounting. An enclosure supported from a
  structural member or from grade shall be rigidly supported
  either directly or by using a metal, polymeric, or wood brace.

  (1) Nails and Screws. Nails and screws, where used as a fastening means, shall secure boxes by using brackets on the outside
  of the enclosure, or by using mounting holes in the back or in
  a single side of the enclosure, or they shall pass through the
  interior within 6 mm (1∕4 in.) of the back or ends of the enclosure. Screws shall not be permitted to pass through the box
  unless exposed threads in the box are protected using
  approved means to avoid abrasion of conductor insulation.
  Mounting holes made in the field shall be approved.

Field KOs in a box should be OK as well

Making knockouts (whether of standard or nonstandard size) in electrical boxes in the field is a long-standing practice in the electrical industry (in fact, some enclosures ship without knockouts, expecting the user to make their own).  As far as I can tell, as long as the cable is adequately secured to the box with a standard cable clamp (as per 314.17(C)), it makes no difference whether the KO is factory or field made.

However, a box that shallow doesn't have enough fill for...much of anything

The shallowest Carlon nonmetallic boxes (at 1.25" deep), while technically deep enough for a receptacle (at only 0.69" for the receptacle + the minimum 1/4" of extra depth required by Code), do not provide enough box fill at 8in3 to accommodate a hot, a neutral, a ground, an allowance for a cable clamp, and the double allowance for the receptacle yoke -- for 14AWG wire, this would require 12in3 of fill.  As a result, you'll need to slap a 5/8" deep non-metallic single gang box extender (or construct one using a 1/4" and a 3/8" stacked atop each other) on there to gain that extra couple of cubic inches of fill.


Dupont grout sealer on vinyl tile OK? Hi I got some Dupont grout sealer for the grout lines around some vinyl tile. Realized the bottle says use for ceramic, porcelain, and stone tile.

Don't know if that means I can't use it on grout if next to vinyl tiles.

Anyone have experience with this?

Doesn't make much sense why the tile type would matter except maybe for cleanup. I remember grouting that tile and the grout was difficult to scrape up off the tile.

I did a little test and it seemed fine.

I also called the company that now owns that line of Dupont sealer. They said it was fine to use for vinyl tile, just make sure to wipe it off the tile like you would normally do.


How do I consistently drive drywall screws to the correct depth? Is there a special technique or tool for consistently placing drywall screws correctly?

I'm using a standard Dewalt DWD115K (with no auto-stop mechanism) so I'm usually paranoid of going too deep with screws... which results in stopping the screw before it's completely set in -- and then having additional trouble properly sinking it after that.

I thought maybe a screw guide might help but it didn't...  Is this just something where practice makes perfect?

Buy a $5 drywall dimpler, the bit will slip off the screw head when the screw is at the appropriate depth.


How do I convert an old model propane fireplace to natural gas? I installed a propane direct vent fireplace bought from Security Chimney International about 12 years ago.  I now want to convert it to natural gas.  I have phoned the company and they told me that the model is not being made any more so nothing is available but to check with a dealer.  A dealer close to where I live said the same thing.  What is involved in converting an old model fireplace from propane to natural gas?

The conversion kit usually consists of a different sized orifice to handle the LP fuel. I had to do this on my outdoor grill when I converted from LP to NG.


Where should I place the C wire? I have an old Lennox boiler which doesn't appear to have a PCB board. Originally the old honeywell thermostat had a 2 pair wire attached which included Red and White Wires. I snaked an 18/5 thermostat wire and replaced the thermostat with a google nest thermostat. When I tried using just the red and white wire it prompts me to attach the C wire, but I'm not sure where to attach it on the boiler. It also prompts me that it detects the white wire, but doesn't detect the red wire. I'm not 100% certain whether it is not detecting it solely because the C wire isn't currently attached. I can confirm that there is definitely power coming from the switch to the boiler. The wires coming from the switch are marked with L1 and L2 and I tested it with a voltmeter. When I test the voltmeter against the white and red wire I get about 26 volts so I'm not sure why the smart thermostat isn't detecting it.
If i'm missing any pertinent information guys please let me know and I'll include it.

You've identified the mains supply wires feeding the transformer's primary -- the black and the white wires marked L1 and L2 (the latter is actually better labeled neutral). The label on the transformer is visible (PRI 120V).
The two transformer secondary wires aren't visible in the photo. They are two of the three wires that need to go to the thermostat. You should be able to see these secondary wires coming off the transformer and one of them already connected through to the red or the white thermostat wire. The other transformer secondary wire is your C wire.
I have a hunch that your R and W wires may be reversed. R is the one that should go to the transformer's secondary. With the old thermostat the positions of R and W didn't matter, but with the Nest thermostat it does matter. If you do find that W connects to the transformer and R disappears elsewhere then simply swap the two.
Edit: Additional info in a comment confirms the R and W are backwards according to modern convention. Try the following:

Swap the R and W thermostat wires -- R would connect to the yellow transformer secondary; W would connect to a bundle of stuff that can't be seen clearly. Maybe the the white-with-blue-stripes wire?
Confirm that the blue wire and the white wire nutted together are the other terminal of the transformer. Visual check is good; voltmeter check for ~26 volts from these to the R-and-yellow set is even better. Add the C wire into the nut with the blue and the white wires.
It wouldn't hurt to do a few manual checks at the thermostat location before attaching the Nest. Confirm ~26 volts from R to C and from R to W. Probably 0 volts from W to C. Finally try shorting R to W. The system should begin its usual heat cycle and continue as long as R and W are held shorted.


Did I flood my septic system? New leach pit was put in 4 months ago. The system hasn’t been used at all since then due to renovation. Yesterday however, one of the faucets was accidentally left on for about 16 hours at full blast.

Given the system hadn’t been used at all for 4 months I wonder has this caused permanent damage to the system? BTW, we’re not planning to use it again for the next 10 days or so.

This is not a problem at all! If there is a bunch of water it will at best wash all the debris down the system. As far as a problem NO WAY!
You may be able to over fill a system with water but once the flow is reduced it will recover and there will be NO damage.
I have installed many systems, the only one ones that failed took years when met code.
Yes you can cause problems with a full flow of water but after a day or so everything will be fine if your system passed perc testing or whatever your state requires.


How can I support an already installed shower valve? My shower valve was poorly installed.  The pipes and valve were never secured or clamped to the surrounding framing.  The valve rattles around in the wall and the cover plate has about a 1/2" gap between it and the wall.

I have the handle and cover plate removed - thus exposing about a 5" hole in the wall.  The shower wall is a solid sheet of material.  The opposite side of the wall is my beautiful tile backsplash in the kitchen.

Is there a device that will fit through the hole, but then un-fold to reach the studs and provide support?  Should I just liquid nails a bunch of 2x4's to the drywall behind the valve and then secure to those?

Any other suggestions?

I'd consider canned spray foam around 2 or more pipes slightly back in the wall cavity (not around the valve itself). The foam should have enough flexibility to handle expansion, and the wide contact area should provide solid stability.

Be sure to use window & door (minimal expansion) foam so you don't bulge your drywall.


What are guidelines for drilling into a top plate? Application example:

If one wants to add a new receptacle on the second floor in a finished room with no receptacles, the easiest method appears to be doing the wiring in the attic.

However, this would require one to drill one hole through the top plate, in order to get the wire from the desired receptacle location into the attic.

This still beats the only other method to add a new receptacle, which would require one to drill multiple holes in multiple studs, until one reaches the desired receptacle location.

Questions:

How can you determine if a top plate is load-bearing?
If it is, what are guidelines to bear in mind, in terms of the location of the hole and the maximum size of the hole that can be drilled, without requiring additional structural blocking?

Don't overthink this.

A reasonably-sized hole for 14 or 12 Gauge 3 or 4 wire cable (i.e. 14-2 with ground up to 12-3 with ground) - or 1/2" EMT in the middle third of the plate will have essentially no effect on the bearing capacity.


Will high efficiency furnace plumbing lead to cold air entering the house? At the outside wall of my house I can see two white PVC round tubes/pipes, I understand one is for sucking air from outside, and one is for furnace blowing warm air to outside - correct?  We are worried that the one that blows air out, will also bring in cold air in winter?

These vents are for a high efficiency furnace. One brings in fresh air for combustion, the other exhausts air after combustion. It's separate from the air you breath in your home, hence the high efficiency part. The biggest concerns with these are venting exhaust too close to a window, and having the exhaust sucked back into the intake, but this shouldn't be a problem with a properly installed system. There's no need to modify or cover these vents, doing so can damage your furnace.


Does this thermostat/furnace wiring make sense? Hoping I am positing this in the appropriate forum - please see the image below:

https://imgur.com/upWbb6g

Thermostat is a Honeywell TH4110D and furnace is a late 1980's installed Lennox G8D2.  What is confusing to me is why the "R" and "Rc" terminals are bridged at the thermostat, and if they should be bridged in this configuration.  I ask because I am interested in upgrading to a smart thermostat ("C" is available through an unused wire in the bundle).

https://imgur.com/SNkmxpK

https://imgur.com/a/MHlaNdQ

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

Many thermostats can figure it out on their own these days

Modern "smart" thermostats such as Nests and ecobees have electronics inside them that figures out if they're being powered from Rh, Rc, or both, and handles the situation accordingly (usually giving preference to Rc if power is present both places), which means that they don't need a Rh-Rc jumper.

If your new 'stat does need the jumper, it will come with it

If your new thermostat isn't that smart (i.e. needs a Rh/Rc jumper), it will come with one, similar to the one on your current thermostat.  This jumper is needed because the thermostat doesn't have the electronics to figure out which terminal to draw power from on its own, and some situations (such as boilers, wall furnaces, and the likes) require the thermostat to keep the heating side power (Rh/W) rigorously separated from the cooling side power (Rc/G/Y).


What should I do about a hole in my dryer hose? My cats tore a hole in our electric dryer vent hose, and I used the dryer to dry-clean a sweater using one of those sheets that you put in the dryer.
Now I'm really worried about the fumes in the house and how it will affect us.
I dried a couple of loads of clothes. I'm trying not to freak out!

If your cats tore a hole in it, it has to be flex hose.

Do yourself a huge favor and replace every inch of flex hose with solid metal dryer vent. Flex hose collects vast amounts of lint that get past the lint filer and is impossible to clean effectively (not to mention being delicate enough to be torn by cats.)

As a one-time event I would not be overly concerned about the dry-cleaning sheet. But I would definitely scrap the hose and replace it with solid metal before using the dryer again.


Can I drill through joists? My dad just bought a house and let me move in. He's home once every three months so its practically my house.  I just have to take care of it.

What I want to do is have my internet closet on the north side of the house and my office on the south side of the house.  Well I wanted to achieve this by running a 50ft Ethernet cable up into the attic, across the house, and then drill a hole through the joist that's above the office room and feed the cable through the wall so I can have Ethernet ports on my wall.

Only problem is, I've never done anything like this before.  I had assumed that if I go into the attic there would just be a wide open space where the wall is with a bunch of electrical wires and crap hanging down into the wall, which then I could just drop the Ethernet cable down and find it when I get back out of the attic.

I found out that there's a wooden joist covering it so I'd have to drill through. I tried to drill through and the drill only went halfway and then it wouldn't go through any more. So. I stopped.

Why didn't it go through? Is there a better way to achieve what I want? Am I doing something stupid?

My biggest concern is that when my dad goes to sell the house, will a home inspector see that and then flag him for it? I want to do this in a way that won't create problems in the future.

The method you describe is the basic method used by electricians and data-techs to install low voltage cable.

Low voltage and data cable do not require conduit where it is exposed, or full boxes in the wall. It does need to be run through the floor joists in the basement and stapled to the tops of the ceiling joists in the attic.

Normally you would install it similar to how you have envisioned. If there is a basement, you would drill up from the basement into the wall cavity and cut a hole in the wall sized for a device box. Cut the hole at the same height as your receptacle boxes so they all look even. Make sure you don't hit a stud. Most data-techs use a long ¼" feeler bit with a slot in he end of it. Once you drill up where you can reach the drill bit you attach the wire to the drill bit by twisting some of the wires through the slot in the bit. Then pull the wire down into the basement and feed it to where you want to go. In the basement the cable needs to be run through the floor joists.

If there is no basement, or you think it would be easier in the attic, then drill down into the wall cavity as you already attempted. Make sure your drill bit is long enough to go through both of the top plates of the wall. (This can be a problem if you are near the perimeter of the house where the roof slopes close to the top of the wall) Then use a fish tape in the wall to reach the hole for the data-port. Pull your wire up from the main floor and feed it through the attic to where you want to go. Sometimes you can use a short length (10 feet) of small chain or solid wire fed through the hole into the wall cavity and use it to pull the wire down from the attic. (This is all much easier with two people.)

Either way you go you should read more about the design of wall construction similar to this article. Take accurate measurements to locate the wall cavity and make sure you don't drill into open floor or ceiling.

Good luck!


How do I diagnose and fix a toilet blockage I have a toilet that makes a gurgling noise IF it flushes down. However, at times it will fill up when I flush the toilet and I will see something come up from the bathroom drain. I have tried putting septic tank cleanser through the toilet because I have a septic tank.

What should I do to find and fix the problem?

You have a blockage that is in the main pipe downstream of where toilet and the bathroom drain collect, so it is backing up both of them. Since the chemicals are not doing it, it looks like it has to be augered.


Plumbers putty - wrap the entire opening? The pipe in my bathroom sink has 2 large openings that I was not expecting.

Should I use plumbers putty and wrap the entire open holes, or just use plumbers putty around the drain in the sink?

That sink drain is intended for use with a sink which has an overflow port.
If your sink does not have an overflow then this is the wrong drain and you should return it and get the correct one instead.
Trying to cover those holes is just asking for trouble of the wet kind.


Is it possible to over tighten adapters, valves, etc, causing leaks? My son replaced the sillcock valve easily enough, using plumber's tape at the connections, but there is a tiny drip from the adapter and now the water shut-off valve. The home was built in 1990.

Could this be caused by over-tightening the valve?

Yes you can definitely over tighten threaded connections.  The typical rule of thumb is to hand tighten, then tighten a quarter-turn with a wrench. If you still have leaks, repeat the quarter turn until the leak stops.

Also make sure that on threaded connections that you use Teflon tape or pipe dope. Do not use this on compression fittings.


How do I connect several led strips to build a single light panel? I want to build a very bright rectangular light panel (ca. 1mx0.7m). The idea is to put 8 rows of led-strips behind acrylic glass. I'm using an optonica 5050 led strip that wants 14.4W per meter.

I could connect 8 1-meter-long strips in parallel to a single power supply (360W 12V 30A).
I also want to control it via a dimmer. The dimmer only supports 96W.
I also have an RGB amplifier (12A). It supports 192W.

Is it a good idea to use 8 strips in parallel, or should I try to connect some of the strips in series and use the amplifier?
And what is the best way to connect several led strips to one single amplifier or to the power supply? Can anyone recommend some kind of screw terminal with multiple inputs and one single output (Is "distribution block" the correct term)?

You have all the right parts.

If you didn't want to dim them, this would be simple - just parallel them all to the power supply.

Since you do want to dim them, you need to think about how dimming works.  These products are generally PWM dimmers which pulse the LEDs on and off, and the percentage of "on" time decides the brightness.  LED amplifiers take this as an input, and pulse their outputs exactly the same.  So, the output of the PWM dimmer can be "power" to LED strips, "signal" to amplifiers, or a little of both.

This particular amplifier is 192W, but it's also RGB, which means it's 3 channels (red, green, blue) at apparently 64W per channel.  I'd send the same (monochrome) PWM signal to all three RGB inputs, and drive white LED strips off each output.

120v power to your power supply.
12v power to both the dimmer and the amplifier.
Dimmer output split to all 3 inputs on the RGB amplifier.
Dimmer output also drives two LED strips, in parallel.
Each of the RGB outputs of the amplifier drives two LED strips, in parallel.

Alternate which strips are powered by which source, so the 8 strips are powered something like RGDBRDGB.  That way, if one channel fails, the strips which fail will be some distance apart and it won't leave such an obvious dead spot on your panel.

The common Chinese dimmers have a limited dynamic range, i.e. they can't go "very dim", they just turn off if you go below a certain brightness.  This can be annoying.  For this reason, I suggest adding a cutout switch on the signal to the amplifier. That will disable its 6 LED strips, leaving the 2 driven directly off the dimmer.  That is why I suggest distributing them strategically so they can do a reasonable job lighting the panel alone.  This is a soft limit of cheap Chinese dimmers - if you are creating that PWM signal yourself using an Arduino or whatnot, you can go as dim as you care to.  Just try to keep the pulse frequency as high as possible, certainly over 200Hz, so it isn't visible to the naked eye.


Tile over brick...with a problem We have this giant brick fireplace in a home we just purchased.  As part of our renovations, we plan on covering the brick with tile and putting a simpler mantel on top.  The hearth and surround was brick and the sides and top edge of the brick was covered by the old mantel.

We removed the brick hearth and had just planned on just covering the old brick surround with tile.  When we removed the mantel, we discovered that the builder hadn't finished the brick surround fully because it would be covered by the edges of the old mantel.

Whats the easiest way to ... 'fill in' the unfinished area so we can tile over it.

You want something with close to the same thermal and moisture properties as the rest of the surround. Best wound be a piece of brick. You could bond it in with thin set since it is not really structural.

If none are handy, you could use pieces of tile layered using thin set to glue it in. Just make sure none of the pieces stick out more than the brick.

You might want to put a skim coat of the set over the whole brick face before tiling to give you a smoother base for a more even finished surface.  This ski coat would cover any irregularities with a pieced tile patch.


Trying to change regular outlets with GFCI in both bathrooms A few months ago, both outlets stopped working at the same time.

I thought one of them would be feeding another one. So I bought two GFCI outlets to replace both of them in case. When I opened the outlet and tried to find which wire is line and which is load, it seemed like neither has power in them in either of the outlets. They both have four cables with white and black wires in them. So two of them should be line and two should be load (at least that is what my understanding is).

Could it be that it is getting load from somewhere else and that is where the problem is?

It seems likely the breaker for the bathroom outlets has tripped.  Or possibly become disconnected somehow.

Start with the easiest first.  Inspect the breaker panel.  Most residential breakers do not visibly move the breaker handle when they trip.  To reset the breaker, turn it fully off and then back on.


Can Panel Handle Hot Tub - 50 amps I am looking at purchasing a hot tub that requires 230v/50amp and I was wondering if my panel could handle it? Any help is much appreciate, image below..

The two open slots at the top right-hand side of the breakers looks from the photos as though it can handle a double breaker needed for 230V.
So from what you've shown the answer appears to be yes.


California Title 24 implications for bypassing ballasts in my 4-pin (GX24Q) fixtures I've gotten fed up with the recessed 4-pin GX24Q fixtures in my kitchen that were required by California Title 24, after removing a burned out (and relatively expensive) CFL, cracking it in the process, and potentially contaminating my eating area with mercury dust yet again.
I'm aware that ballast-compatible LED GX24Q bulbs exist, but I have not had good experience with them: the ones I've tried seem to get too hot and frequently burn out quickly in my fixtures.
I'd like to bypass the existing ballasts and replace the GX24Q sockets with E26 ones so that I can use cheap E26 LED bulbs.  I have no intention of ever using incandescent or halogen bulbs in the fixtures, and since the LED bulbs should be of lower wattage than the CFLs intended for the fixtures, I don't think that this should be a fire hazard.
However, if I were to sell my house, would there be any California Title 24 implications to having E26 sockets?  Would it matter if:

Instead of replacing the GX24Q sockets entirely, I used ballast-less GX24Q to E26 adapters?
I used LED retrofit kits that screw into an E26 socket?

Or would I need to hardwire the Molex-like connector that LED retrofit kits typically use?

From page 9-45 of the California Energy Commission 2019 Residential Compliance Manual (emphasis mine):

Example 9-39
Question:
In the kitchen above, I am replacing one of the recessed downlight luminaires. Must the new downlight luminaire be high-efficacy?
Answer:
Yes, newly installed luminaires must be high-efficacy and meet the requirements in §150.0(k). Screw-based sockets are not permitted for newly installed recessed downlight luminaires in ceilings.

An E26 socket cannot be installed in recessed downlights in California and remain compliant with Title 24's Building Energy Efficiency Standards.


How can I fix my door frame So yesterday I accidentally locked my bathroom door so I had to kick in the door and now a piece of my door frame came off (the door still closes and is fully functional ) I wanted to know how I can fix this or what supplies you recommend I could get at Home Depot to put the broken piece back in

To do it right a new piece of trim that matches or 3 new ones around the inside would be a start. An over sized strike plate (the part the latch drops into) and a couple of longer screws to secure the strike plate. Then find a small flat blade screwdriver to keep close in case this happens again. Most of these doors have a small hole in the outside knob. With the door open practice unlocking it. Some only need to push the button out, some you need to turn to get them to unlock.


Would replacing old mortar for new prevent water from seeping through brickwork? Would replacing old mortar for new prevent water from seeping through brickwork?

I have included photographs just in case this is a special case:

It wouldn't hurt. looks like a lot of that mortar is just missing with holes and cracks. Looks like rain and a bit of wind could drive rain right through it.

That said, it looks like the brick is also damages. Brick with a damaged face will also take in water like a sponge. They do make spray-on brick sealant. I can't say it it works or not, but might be something to look into.


What sort of a drain pipe is this? I dont even know if drain pipe is the right word. We have this little pipe jutting out of the wall in our back yard.

It keeps dripping water. Its a new unit/apartment in Australia and the builder is now no where - so we are on our own.
First we thought it was the water heaters outlet, because the builder said so. But the water dripping out is cold. Then we noticed it will only drip when our washing machine is draining its water into the trough. Clothes washed with cold water. Doesn't look like all of the water is getting out either, but only a glassfull. 1) Should we be worried about it ? 2) How do I fix it.

If you only notice it draining when the air conditioning cooling unit is on, my guess would be it is the condensate drain for the evaporator coil.


What is the best way to lay brick pavers on concrete porch I have a concrete porch which I would is covered and does not get wet during rain/snow. It does not have any drain issues. We don't like the way it looks so we would like to beautify it by laying brick pavers.

I've looked on line for how to lay brick pavers on cement surface but have gotten mixed results.

What is the best way to lay the brick pavers?

Should I:

Lay & level gravel
Lay & level  paver sand
Lay & level  brick overs
Cover the holes with polymeric sand
Edge will be set in mortar
Wash it up

I'm looking for the easiest and durable way to do this. The above steps seem a lot because the porch is covered and won't be wet in rain.

As Tester101 points out, the options you describe are mostly the methods used to set pavers on soil. The gravel and sand acts as the base. You already have a base, the concrete, so you'd want to adhere the bricks directly to it.

I imagine you could glue'em and then use polymeric sand in between, but since this is covered and out of the weather, I'd consider going the full mortar route.

That said, note that pavers are meant to be an ALTERNATIVE to concrete rather than an ADDITION to. Adding full pavers is going to introduce a whole variety of other issues...namely the height differential between the first step and the ground, and the porch and the front door.

HerrBag has a good suggestion that you can use brick veneer. Some other options I'd encourage you to consider:

tiles (concrete is ideal for tiling and there are plenty of outdoor options)
stone veneer (stone veneers can look great)
stain (not everyone likes the look of stained concrete, but a lot of people do. It's also likely the easiest to implement and if it ends up looking bad, you can always add tile/veneers after)
Stone topper (like a hearth...one large monolithic piece of stone)
epoxy texture paint (lots of options...many offer up a marble-ish speckled option)


How to control system with 2 condersors+evaporators and 1 blower I have problem with the control the HAVC system using 2 condensors + 2 evaporatora with one blower.
I used 2 thermostats (4 wires/thermostat) to control. But the problem is when i turn on (cool position) each of thermostat, both condensors work.
Pls kindly advice me how to control each of them.
Thanks

This is an unusual setup, it would help to know more about what you're trying to accomplish.

There are a few scenarios that I can imagine:

You've mis-wired something
Your thermostats have the Blower and Cool terminals connected together. -- In this scenario, when either Thermostat energizes the compressor and blower, then other compressor would also be energized through this shared connection.   You could use relays to isolate the blower (the thermostat energizes the relay, which in turn energizes the blower).  This doesn't seem likely, as that would preclude the use of a fan-only setting.
If your aim is to create a 2-stage system, where the second compressor kicks in if the first one isn't providing adequate cooling, you may be able to connect the power on the second thermostat to the compressor lead from the first thermostat, this would engage the second compressor only if the first is already engaged AND the second thermostat is calling for cool; in this case, the second thermostat would not need a connection to the blower as it would already be on from the first thermostat's call.


How can I open this smoke detector to change the battery? I don't know the model of this smoke detector, but it's beeping from low battery and needs to be changed. I can't figure out how to open it, so hoping someone can help! Here are some photos of it:

If it helps, it's in Australia.

Thanks!

It appears to have a hinge on one side and a locking tab opposite. Press it in the direction of the arrow until it moves, then swing the cover downward.

Manual


Is this HVAC condensing unit platform acceptable/stable enough? Our contractor just installed a new A/C system and he built this platform outside our house for the new condensing unit.  It looks like it is a 4" concrete slab sitting on top of brick "legs".  Looks like he poured some sand under the bricks to help keep them from sinking into the earth.

I can't tell if this is acceptable or if I need to ask the contractor to make it more stable.

I did use a level and confirm that the platform and unit is level.  Having the bricks on the bottom seems like it would let any water runoff flow under the unit without getting blocked by the platform which is a good thing.

But we are worried that as time goes by some of the bricks will sink and it will start slanting or something.

I'm looking for honest opinions on whether this platform is reasonable.

That upper pad is probably not concrete, it's more likely Styrofoam covered with a coating to make it LOOK like concrete. That Styrofoam is actually better in some ways because it doesn't degrade or crack as easily as concrete and it absorbs vibration, making the unit quieter. Some jurisdicions however do not allow the styrofoam pads to be in direct contact with earth, hence the bricks.


How do I alter the shape of my existing concrete steps? I have some concrete steps from my back door that I plan to cover with paver brick, so that they tie in aesthetically with my new paver patio. The existing steps are rectangular, but I want them to be circular, like so:

If you were going to do this, how would you attack it? Here are my ideas:

Option 1) Pour a 4" slab in the shape of the outer circle step, around the existing steps. Then build up the steps with landscape block and fill with gravel where necessary. In this case I'd probably make each circle a bit bigger so I could fit block around the corners of the existing steps.

Option 2) Build circular forms around the existing steps and pour concrete around the existing steps to build up the shape I want. I'm not really concerned that the new concrete won't bond to the existing concrete since it's all going to be covered by paver brick anyway. Any concerns with using something like QUIKRETE for this?

Option 3) Rip out the existing steps, pour new concrete steps, cover with brick. I would like to avoid this because existing concrete is about 4'W x 5'L x 4'D, so it will take a very large piece of machinery accomplish this. It may not be possible to get a machine that big into my back yard. If this is the only way to do it right, I'm probably going to scrap the whole idea.

I'd remove the current steps, and then consider putting in new concrete steps. Maybe stain them or used colored concrete or perhaps tile them.

Concrete pavers aren't really designed for steps...and tend to be porous lower-grade concrete anyways. They make bricks for steps, but are a nightmare to maintain over the long haul as you are constantly re tuck pointing them--especially if you live in a freeze/thaw climate.


Baseboard trim installed before tile? I was looking to run some cabling behind my baseboards, but ran into trouble trying to get the baseboards off the wall.  As best as I can tell, the contractor put the baseboards in, then laid the tile up to it, flush.  As a result, it seems some of the baseboard is below the level of the tile.  Obviously its hard to pull back the baseboards with a prybar if there's tile in the way.

Is this common practice?  My intuition was that the baseboards were typically installed after the flooring was finished, rather than before.
Any advice on how to get the baseboards up?

This isn't an answer that will solve the problem, but rather provides context. I grew up with this sort of stuff, working with my father as a finishing carpenter until I started my own career. However, the majority of our work was in new houses, so not a lot of renovation jobs.

In my experience, baseboard can either be installed before or after the tile, but if it is installed before, the baseboard is installed at the level the tile will be, leaving a gap below the baseboard to accommodate the tile. Once the tile is installed, quarter-round (or door-stop for a smaller profile) is used to cover the gap. If the baseboard is installed after the tile is installed, it is typically scribed to match the variations between tiles (quarter-round is short enough that it can bend).

Installing the baseboard first is easier because you can avoid the scribing, but if the customer didn't want quarter-round then we scribed it; usually the tile was pretty flat but there was always some to do. Of course, you could just leave the gaps (even if the tile is installed perfectly there will be gaps, especially with natural tile), but we never did.

Done properly, if tile was added where there was none before, either the baseboard should be replaced with it; or the tile should be installed in such a way that it is not cemented to the baseboard, then quarter-round installed afterwards.


Non-toxic materials for edging garden I'm looking for a edging for my garden which is non-toxic. I've currently got pressure treated lumber (supposedly it is not arsenic laced). I've been stapling chicken wire to the top of the lumber to keep out rabbits (this has been working), so I'd like to continue to use pressure treated lumber, but as I understand it, they no longer sell it without the chemical treatments.

Is this true? Any ideas as the best way to "seal" off my garden area? I've tried plastic edging and found it incredibly frustrating. I guess if there were some trick to installing it, I'd consider it, but I still need to be able to seal the area off.

I've used cedar for a number of years on garden projects with great luck. You can get the fence pickets relatively inexpensively as well. I use them (cut into 1' lengths) to build my above ground planters, and laid out lengthwise to build a box around the garden for mulch/fence supports.


How to repair toilet flange that is glued and recessed I installed new flooring. The existing toilet flange is recessed - see picture. The flange is glued into and existing outlet and I don’t see a way of removing it without cutting the pipe lower down and making a new outlet. An alternative is to cut the top of the flange and add a new flange with a smaller outlet - there are flanges that fit within a 3 inch outlet.
Would this work?
Also, would I need to build up the subfloor or can I still have it recessed?

Your original flange looks like it's in perfectly good condition, so I wouldn't try to remove & replace it.
Instead, I would use a Flange Spacer like this:

or one of these:


How can I add a closet to an existing room? So I am looking to add a closet to an existing room. I want this to be a built-in because where I live real estate listings do not count a bedroom with a free standing closet. However I can't ever recall seeing someone's house with this and I can't help but think it will look terrible. Is it possible to have a closet that builds out into the room, but still looks nice? I was thinking of placing it where the 19" short wall is and covering up an existing door.

So based on advice from ratchetfreak in comments I took his advice and went with the 'corridor' effect on the 37" wall (pic below). As the room has two doors it gave me an interesting perspective on what the 'walking into the room' vibe was. For door #1 (the bottom door in pic) I felt like the closet made the room feel smaller on entrance. For door #2 (left wall) I was really surprised that walking into the room didn't feel like the closet was overbearing.

So my end analysis is that a closet jutting into the room across from a doorway is fine. Also, that a corridor effect makes a room feel smaller on entrance. I prefer option one, although we ended up going with option two because it really was the only place the closet would fit.


Is there a way to unscrew a light bulb that has broken? The recessed light in my bathroom broke while trying to unscrew it, and only the metal collar remains. What is the best way to get that remaining part out?

With the power off at the breaker, and verified with a non-contact tester, I've always just used a pair of needle nose pliers to grip the rim of the bulb base and turn it to remove. If the bulb is really stuck you might try spraying some WD40 around it.

A similar alternative, as others have mentioned in the comments, is to expand a pair of pliers inside of the base in order to grip the inside and turn it.


Are all ungrounded >120v outlets now outlawed? I understand that in 1996, NFPA outlawed the NEMA 10 series outlet for new work. This is an ungrounded outlet, which provides 120/240v split phase (hot-neutral-hot).

I wonder if the same is also true of its ungrounded brothers in multiphase: The NEMA 2 series, for 240v single phase.  The NEMA 11 series, which were used in 208/240v delta 3-phase.  And the NEMA 18 series, used typically in 208v wye 3-phase.  Are these also outlawed?

Of course, NEMA 1-15 remains universally common despite being ungrounded.

I guess what I'm asking is, did NFPA outlaw all >120v ungrounded outlets?  Or did they only single out NEMA 10 because of its frequent appearance in household circuits?

The outlets themselves are not "outlawed".

Article 250.20 lists AC systems that are required to be grounded.
Article 250.21 lists AC systems that are not required to be grounded.

The receptacle or plug configuration you use depends on the system you are connecting it to. NEMA 1-15 receptacles are still allowed to be used on ungrounded systems.

As long as the plug or receptacle is rated for the system it is to be used on, it can be used. The NFPA does not dictate the style of devices we use. If I had a device with straight 240 power with no neutral load I could use a NEMA 10 if I so desired with the third prong used for the equipment ground. For instance a large compressor. Normally this would be hard wired but the Code does not require that.

To summarize the NEC does not dictate the style of plug or receptacle used it only requires the system to be either grounded or ungrounded. The devices follow that requirement. Trade practice is followed to install the receptacles and plugs most used here in the US.


Cast iron clawfoot tub diverter faucet riser stem question: what is this called? I have a clawfoot tub faucet where the "stem" that leads to the shower part is angled at less than 90 degrees because back of the tub is angled greater than 90 degrees from the floor. Most of the replacement faucets I have found online have a 90 degree angle for the "stem", but for some I see that the angle is acute -- unfortunately nothing from the respective descriptions/specifications seems to distinguish a 90 degree on from an acute angled one.

What is the name of the thing I'm calling a "stem" and/or what term(s) can I use to find a replacement that is so angled?
Is the difference implicit in the classifications "cast iron only" and "acrylic only"?

I wasn't able to get a great angle (no pun intended) on the picture, but the "stem" is the part pointing down in this picture, looking almost like a spigot itself but for the threads around the opening. I've tried to highlight it with a red line.

UPDATE

I have still been unable to find a replacement. Sign of the Crab says they have never seen anything like it. It appears to be an Elizabethan Classics model, which afaict is a Home Depot exclusive brand. Home Depot says they know nothing about it. Trips to the top plumbing/building supply shops and salvage yards have left me no closer to finding a replacement.

Luckily I happened upon a catalog that had tons of pictures of diverter valves and identified the Kingston Brass model that appears to be the one that failed on this unit, so I'm just going to replace that and hope nothing else happens to the faucet.

http://www.vintagetub.com/bathroom/tub-faucets/tub-wall-mounted-faucets/randolph-morris-clawfoot-tub-faucet-with-handshower-and-porcelain-lever-handles-rm155bn-s.html
http://www.vintagetub.com/bathroom/tub-faucets/strom-plumbing-tub-faucet-with-diverter-for-riser-connection-p0006c-s.html
http://www.clawfootalley.com/handshower3.html

It is your Diverter valve, and the "neck" is your male (IPS?) shower riser interface.

Out of curiosity, if this valve is supposed to mount to a slanted wall of a tub, you might be able to find some hardware parts to allow you to adapt the "standard 90" units you are finding to mount to the tub with a tapered/slanted washer type of hardware to work with the 90.

Also, you could use an intermediate riser or custom  riser with a bend in it to meet your shower head (assuming you aren't on board with using flex tubing).

From what I read, it does seem like identifying the current faucet make is a good approach since apparently there is no standard defined for what angle the tub manufacturer used, so you will have to special order something, or order what you want and pay a shop to customize it to your needs.


What could cause kerosene-like odor from a gas oven/range? Suddenly my gas range/stove emits a kerosene-like odor when I operate the stove, and especially when I operate the oven -- but our service is natural gas.

I called the local gas utility, and they sent a tech out. The tech said there were no leaks. He inspected all around the house, replaced the service meter (the old one was vintage 1981) and poked around with a sniffer to look for, I presume, underground leaks.

He asked if I had painted or cleaned anything lately. I haven't. No paint, no cleaners, etc.  I did clean the range top about a week ago, but I used the same stuff I always use and have never had this gas-like smell before. Furthermore I have not cleaned the oven.

The scent is nauseatingly strong when I operate the oven, but still present when I only operate the range.

I read on some forums that the oven igniter might be bad, but all the stove burners and the oven light quickly as they always have.

What is happening is called product of combustion. Somewhere around in the house or near the house someone used or opened some sort of stain, paint, varnish or comparable compound including cleaners. The molecules carry over and get mixed in with air and then burned off from open flame. If you light a candle or a lighter you will smell the same odor, although not quite as strong- the bigger the flame the stronger the odor. The odor will dissipate over the next few days until there are no more molecules from the source left in the air.


How do I move this light box over a few inches in the wall? I need to move the existing power over to where the hole is in the image. There was a strip light and I’m replacing with a single light.
The blue box is anchored to the frame. The cable is too short to feed over.
*I’ll be adding a wood finish to the wall, so the light fitting will anchor on that.
Is there an product that allows one to join electric cables - so that I can make the line longer to fit? Should I remove the blue box and get something else to use on the wall?

The cable comes in from below, and it appears to be running up the right side of the stud, so I'd bet you can swing it over by releasing some staples below the box.
Since you're overlaying paneling or boards, just cut out a couple horizontal slots in the drywall--one at the box level and one a couple feet lower. These could be 4" high by the width of the stud bay.
Now find and pull the staples. Swing the box over and re-mount it to a new framing block, which could be horizontal between studs.
Whether you replace the drywall cutouts is up to you. It would be easy to float some scrap plywood or 1x2 in there and screw them back into place.


Can I use these replacement ballast even though the yellow wires are on the opposite end? I am trying to replace a ballast for my garage lighting.  I removed the old one but there are absolutely no markings, numbers, diagrams or anything on it.  It is a 2 lamp 120V fixture with 40W T12 bulbs.  Based on the chart at Lowe's I bought a Pilips Advance AmbiStar RELB-2S40-N.  Besides being a different size and much lighter, the 2 yellow wires are on the same end as the red and blue wires with a black and a white on the other end.  The old ballast has red and blue wires on one end and the black, white and 2 yellows on the other end. Does that mean it is not the right one?  I'm scared to try it.

If you live in the USA, that's a perfectly fine ballast for your purposes, Lori. Some manufacturers bring the yellow wires out the same end, some bring them out the opposite end. That ballast is rated to handle two 40W T12 tubes.

If you live in a country with 240V municipal power, though, that ballast won't work for you; it's built to be connected only to the 120V common in the USA.


Looking to add a bath fan I have a light that has power to it and then from there goes to a switch.  So neutral is hot back to light so you can turn it off and on.

Behind the switch in the box the power is split to 3 outlets.  I am getting rid of one of the outlets.  Is it possible for me to pull the wire from that outlet into the switch box to power a second switch for the fan?  So the power comes in from two lines but they are all the same breaker.  They will also be on separate switches.

If i'm understanding you correctly, you have a light that has a power source coming directly into it.  From there, two wires go down to the switch (Black is power to the switch, and White is the power back up to the light.)  You have some outlets that come from the light junction box and want to remove one of them.  You want to add a second switch so that you can control a fan that you want to add to the light.

From this, it sounds like it is very possible.  It sounds like you just need one more wire from the switch(s) location back up to the light/fan.  You would use the power from the first switch to jumper over and feed the second switch.

Edit

In order to avoid having two power feeds coming into the same switch box, i suggest taking the cable that goes to the laundry outlet, and put it into the switch box.  This will gain the neutral as you mentioned and as gregmac mentioned about 404.2(c) requiring a neutral in the switch box.  So at this point you have two power feeds in your switch box.  Then go to the light fixture and disconnect the power feed that goes from the light directly to the switch box (black wire i believe).

Now you will have your power and neutral in one cable (from the laundry outlet) and then you will have a cable with one wire (white) acting as the switch-leg going back up to the light, and the other wire unused (black).


Can I or Should I Sand Drywall? We're re-doing our kitchen that was built in 1980. The old countertops were cement & tile with the tile continuing into the backsplash on the wall.

We've removed the old counters, backsplash, and cabinets which has given us a better look at the current drywall situation:

As you can see there is still a significant amount of binding agent left over from where the tile backsplash was (it seems like cement but idk). Overall though, it seems like the drywall is in decent shape so I don't think we need all out replacement.

We are getting new cabinets and countertops and plan on doing another tile backsplash that has a similar (but probably not identical) footprint where the previous backsplash was.

Based on my research, we should be removing the old material in order to make sure the new tiles can be installed flush and bind successfully. My first instinct was to use our handheld orbital sander to try to remove it. Is there a better way?

Sanding is not a good idea as the material you are trying to sand off is known as thinset or mastic ; it is a mortar like cement by the time you sand it off you will most likely damage the dry wall.

The process is to first scrape it with a scraper and then use a razor scraper - very time consuming and it will not be perfect. You can then come back with high grain sand paper if need be. Patience is your friend here..

If a bit of the dry wall paper comes off :

If the new backsplash will be covering it: Just use your
thinset/mastic liek normal it will cover it and protect it.
If it is in an area where the new back splash will not cover - apply a very thin layer of joint compound in multiple steps with a 6" - 8" wide putty knife.. allow to dry between steps. Lightly sand and you will be fine.

Because your back splash is about the location of the divide between upper and lower wall - replacing the entire dry wall would require both upper and lower drywall sections (for that kitchen about 10-12 boards $150.00) - not hard and not very expensive .. just depends on how your removal work turns out.

Again this will be dependent on you as to if you want or need to replace / repair a section.


Wiring 2 or 3 outlets controlled by one switch I want 2 ( maybe 3) outlets controlled by the same switch. Easy enough. But, in addition, I want  half of each outlet controlled by the switch and the other half of each outlet always hot. Is there a wiring diagram somewhere for this? I just haven't found it. A diagram would help confirm how I think it should be done. They will be in the same room and the wiring will be relatively easy to run.

Wiring diagram, though I hope you don't really need it:

Don't forget to break the tabs off the hot side of the outlets.


Can anyone explain this strange 3-way wiring? Trying to install a motion sensor switch I'm trying to replace one of two 3-way switches with an occupancy sensing/motion detecting switch. I was expecting to see a pretty normal 3-way wiring but when I opened it up, I was surprised by the wiring as shown below in the image.

Descriptively: The box on the left has 3 romex wires. Two of those are effectively nutted (sorry) to eachother, white-white, black-black and bare-bare. The third romex goes straight to the switch with the white going to common. On the other box there is only ONE romex cable and this attaches directly to that switch, again white to common.

The wiring diagram from the booklet tells me that I need to first determine which switch has the "hot wire". Unless there is something happening in a junction box somewhere, this whole circuit seems like it's running on magic!  What should I do as a next step?

3-way switches can seem a little bit like magic, I suppose. ;-)

What happens is that power comes into one switch on the "common," travels to the other switch over one of the "travelers," depending on the position of the switch, and then depending on the position of the switch on the far end, power will travel out of that common to the light(s). If the 14-3 or 12-3 wire only runs between the switches (not through the light fixture), then the "common" in that cable will be the hot conductor coming back from the far switch, in which case it should be connected to one of the black wires, which supplies power to the light. But if the red/black/white cable runs through the light fixture, it might be wired up differently.

In your case, it looks like power is probably coming into the box with the multiple "romex" cables entering it. One of the incoming 14-2 or 12-2 cables brings power in, and the other takes power to the light. That means the white wires in those black/white cables are neutrals, while none of the 3 wires connected to the switches are neutrals.

Your occupancy switch requires a neutral connection in order to function.


broken cement board corner i installed a cement board with a badly crushed corner.
how should i proceed?

This is for a shower it will be waterproofed with redguard (or
equivalent).
There is studs behind the screws on the right and left.

I don't know if its worth the effort (or if its even necessary) to
   patch this corner with new cement board.

Add mortar with either fiberglass or a kerdi membrane let set then add another layer of membrane to the corners as required for usual install.


Water pressure from slope causing crack and lean in foundation. Is a French drain the answer? We have a concrete basement foundation.  It's the type with a retaining wall that can only be seen from inside the basement and a second outer wall on top of which the structure is built.  The retaining wall has a crack and is leaning.  We got a few quotes and the fix is.... not affordable at the moment.

One guy said that the best thing I can do immediately is dig a french drain on the outside of the house because the damage is caused by water pressure from the land sloping gradually in the direction of the house.

I thought that would be a simple google search and then I could get digging, but it turns out there are different views of what a french drain is and how it should be dug.  I'm very confused.

I have a lot of questions, but first and foremost:  Am I digging a trench that has no outlet, but is deeper than the foundation and catches the water from upslope and drains it beneath the foundation?  Or am I digging a trench from the back yard to the front yard that drains the water into a drywell or something in the front yard?

I have to find a way to drain the gutter also since it currently drains into the front lawn from an above ground corrugated pipe.  Can/should these problems be resolved together?

Photo 1: I pointed out the crack location and compromised wall in red.  I pointed out the downspout with corrugated pipe in blue.  There is a small slab foundation addition that I pointed it out in blue so as not to confuse anyone.  I also pointed out in red the cracked wall for the stairwell which is due to the weight of the slab foundation (separate issue, but thought it might be relevant).

Photo 2: A close-up from a different angle.

Photo 3: showing the downspout and alleyway to the front yard.

I am appreciative of any advice at all.  I don't have any experience with this kind of work and this house has too many problems for us to get professional help with all of them.

Couple of progress picks here.  Not yet sure how I'll manage getting around the sewer pipe which is about a foot down.  Also, found an old foundation wall, I'm going to have to pick up a sledge hammer to bash it to bits.

A French drain needs a location to drain to. Some drains are like a curtain in front of the house that extend down the side of the house to the lower area where the water can drain. If there is not a way to move the water or allow it to flow it would be useless.  Some drains on flat ground end up in sumps so the water can be pumped out. Most of my homes have been in areas that had a slope and I have installed them to drain water coming down the hill to the house and causing foundation problems simple 3’ French drain with pipe in the bottom extending to the low side of the house eliminated my problems, other homes deeper drains were needed but that property had a huge slope. After the drain was added the problems were fixes at that place. It looks like you have a fair drop to the property behind yours as the roof level looks to be almost at your ground level so you have 5-6’ of slope to work with if that is your yard, put the drain in the front drain to a low side or if level side to side both sides to the lower area in back, this should help if surface water coming down is the issue and this can cause problems with only a few feet of slope. The good news a small slope of only a couple of feet usually only requires a trench 18-24” deep, I find steep properties require deeper trenches , my last home had 5-1/2’ deep ~10’ in front of the house and that set of drains below the house we had to bring in more rock as it flowed like a fire hose ok no pressure but but the 4” pipe was flowing almost completely full of water, flowing onto rock we dumped. The drain helped in several areas of that property.


When does an under the sink P-Trap assembly need venting? In the realm of second homeowner woes, I had a P-Trap assembly under the bathroom sink. It was a straight connection to the pipe connected to the main sewer line. (least I think that was the case). It was not vented and it worked just fine. But after dealing with a clog the corroded bottom of the P-Trap (which was made of chrome plated metal) broke and left a 1/2 inch long hole in it.

Suffice it to say, I had to replace the entire assembly. As with most projects, more pieces needs replacing. I replaced the sink flange and tail pipe and the P-Trap now made of plastic.

As you can see in the image above that I used the original back plastic pipe leading down the wall.

When water drains now it backs up and eventually gurgles. Also when it backs up it leaks where the tail pipe and the P-Trap meet. My research tells me this is because this assembly is not properly vented. Is this true?

I ask only because the former assembly did not have venting problems. Is it possible that the former parts were venting through bad seals?

When does an under the sink P-Trap assembly need venting?

All traps need venting in all cases. Without a vent, the water seal in the trap gets sucked out and sewer gases can enter the room. There's also all sorts of examples where someone thought they were providing venting, but done in such a way that clearing the water seal was still a possibility. Some of these methods even used to be accepted practice, such as S traps. There's still several appropriate ways to achieve proper venting. For example, in island sink situations, a loop or foot vent is acceptable.

It's hard to say why the previous installation worked without venting. For sure, one way or another, the siphon action was disturbed by the entrance of air somehow, either from oversized pipe or leaking fittings. Regardless, where do you go from here? The downward facing ell in wall needs to be replaced with a sanitary tee for starters. The top of the new tee needs to tie into a vent somewhere, without travelling downwards. Is there a vent pipe nearby, such as from a toilet or shower? Or a pipe could perhaps be extended up into the attic, where it should be much easier to make a run to a vent pipe?

If all that sounds like too much, get a mechanical vent such as jberger suggested. They are not accepted by many codes, but they do work. Just be sure it's attached to a long enough pipe so that the valve is above the flood level of the sink. No doubt this all sounds like a real PITA right now. Once it's all done, you can take pride and sleep well knowing you have a properly functioning and completely sanitary sink drainage.


Why does the pressure, attached to a submersible well, keep increasing? I have changed the pressure gauge, a Square D switch, and checked the pressure (from 40 psi) to 28 psi.  Within 3 to 4 days the pressure increased back to 40 psi. I called a plumber who lowered the pressure to 28 psi (as I had done).  Again the pressure has risen to 40 psi. I lowered it to 28 psi.

Where and why is the pressure rising?  The attending plumber was at a bit of a loss.

Per your other thread, it sounds like you're measuring the pressure in the tank's bladder. If this is the case: don't. In fact, if you're releasing pressure to get it to 28, you've actually screwed up the calibration of your tank, your pump is likely going to be cycling faster than it should be, which will wear out the pump faster as well as cause fluctuations in the water pressuring in your house.

The tank pressure is irrelevant while the system is running. The valve at the top of the tank is for setting the pre-charge pressure.

The pressure you should care about is on the gauge at the base of your tank: this is the water pressuring going to your house.

To set up the pre-charge correctly for a 40-60 PSI range:

Turn off the power to the pump, then open a tap until all the water drains out (so your system pressure is 0).
Via the valve on top of your tank, set the pre-charge pressure in the tank to whatever the manufacturer recommends: typically 4 PSI below the low pressure limit (so, 36 PSI).

Now you can adjust your pressure switch, if needed:

Turn off the valve to the rest of the house, and turn the pump back on. Your goal is for it to stop at 60 PSI.
If it goes higher/lower, adjust the big nut until it shuts off at 60.
You may have to open the valve to release pressure so the pump kicks in again, and repeat several times.
Now open the valve to the house (run some water). The pump should turn on at 50. If not, adjust the small nut until it does.

Keep in mind to adjust the pressure switch, the big nut (green arrow) adjusts the overall pressure, while the little nut (red arrow) adjusts the range between the on and off values.


Is there an "inside box" switch (for smart lighting) I recently bought some smart recessed lights (with smart dimmer) for the kitchen. The smart lighting system requires the power supply to the lights always remain on. Rather than placing the smart dimmer somewhere beside the existing light switch, my preferred solution would be to place the smart dimmer directly over the existing switch location. In order to do this, I was wondering if there exists an "inside box" switch. That is, a type of switch that can be tucked completely inside an electrical box (which I could easily access and still turn off, if needed, by removing the overlying dimmer).
Edit: I had thought of just "hardwiring," (foregoing a switch completely) but felt that might have been unsafe. The answers indicate this is not a concern.
The smart system I purchased is Philips Hue (GU10 bulbs and Hue dimmer switch).

First, if you're not familiar with how to do electrical, hire in a handyman.  Most jurisdictions consider swapping a light switch or fixture to not require pulling of a permit/electrician.
Second, make sure that your lighting product is actually safe and certified for use.  That means it will have a listing from UL, ETL, or CSA. Be extremely skeptical of items shipped from either China or an Amazon fulfillment center, or bought on eBay, Amazon Marketplace, DealExtreme, Wish, Banggood, AliExpress etc. Chinese knockoffs have been flooding the market, and they are not safe (and are not legal because they are not safe).
With that resolved, all the competent US products I'm aware of which have smart lights and also a remote switch, have designed the switches to allow mounting in a standard junction box.  It mounts up like a normal switch even though it takes no wires and runs on battery.
So the intended installation is to remove the original switch, tie its two hot wires together (so effectively it's "always on"), and now there is an empty hole where the switch used to be. As I say, the products I've seen are designed to physically fit in that hole and mount up like a standard switch.  The ground wire need not be attached to the battery powered switch, however, if it is a metal box the ground wire must go to the metal box.
The cosmetic cover plate may also need to be changed, ordinary switches take a 1" x 1/2" slot opening, and these smart switches tend to take a 1-1/2" x 3" (-ish) "Decora" plate opening.  These cover plates are readily available at home stores in a variety of colors.