How to lay rebars for a 4'x4'x12" footing for a column? I have three columns to support lvl beams under an addition and have a question about proper rebar layout for each (identical) footing.

All specs are already checked by engineer, but there is one area I'm not clear enough. I'll be doing this myself and the engineer is away. I cannot wait due to the other deliverables on the project.

Each column will be below the frost line, 30".
They will be poured 4 square feet by 1 foot high.
A cinder block column of 24"x24" will come up from the middle of that footing to about 7-8' to hold a 4 combined lvl beams to support the weight.
Number 4 rebars will be used in the footing & will come up with the cinder block.

Please help me on how to layout the rebars, such as spacing, how far from edge, from soil, how to come up to the cinder block, etc... All this will be inspected by the county prior to concrete pouring.

Thank you!

Keep the rebar 3”” from the bottom of the footing and 3” from the edge of the footing.

I’d install the #4 bars 8” oc each way. (You’re not concerned with flexural bending of the footing, because the column on the footing is so large 24”x24”).

I would run 4 - #4 rebar vertically in the column and install 4” hook (90 degree bend) in each rebar and extend it into the footing 8”.  Make sure the vertical bars are about 1” clear from the edges, so concrete can encapsulate the rebar.

For that height of column, I’d use #3 ties at 12” oc. (#3 rebar you can bend by hand.)

I don’t know what you’re supporting (how much load), but that will support about 30 kips at each footing, unless you’re located in a swamp, like me. And the footing will weigh about 7 kips (dead load) each.

Keep all rebar down 3” from the top of the column.


Electrical wiring question These are the wires I found in my ceiling :

I couldn't identify the color code (we live in the UAE, so there is no "natural" convention, and I'm used to EU convention).

There is tension (voltage) between the yellow wire and the other ones, but not between the blacks and green-yellow, so I assume yellow = phase.

Q1: Is it safe to assume that yellow-green = earth and black = neutral? If not, is there a way to check?

Q2: Why two earth and two neutral wires?

Q3: How should I connect my (very basic) roof light?

Thanks

If you have a house wide ground fault current interrupter then you could connect a lamp across the yellow and green and see if it trips.
Your box has 3 inputs, the black and green both come from the left and bottom (in your picture) while the yellow comes from the right. Presumable to switches and other lights. They are meant to be connected together either in a pigtail or in the fixture if the connection is rated for multiple wires.

The color code looks to be "UK prior to 2004" based on this page, which is consistent with the fact that the building predates 2004 and that the UAE often uses British standards.


Light Fixture Junction Box with Remote Switch UPDATE: Problem has been resolved. The solution was checking the connections in nearby junction boxes on the same circuit to determine that a neutral connection had become loose.

I have a junction box in my house that (I thought) connect a hot line with a remote switch (near the junction box but on the other side of the wall) and a ceiling lighting fixture. The ceiling fixture is difficult to access.

My goal was to add an an electrical outlet where the junction box is. When I connected the outlet, I had 120V on both the neutral and hot (relative to ground) so I knew I had done something wrong. When I tried to reconnect the fixture the way it was, I couldn’t get the light to turn on. Here is how I thought the fixture was originally wired:

There are three romex cables coming into the junction box. When they are all disconnected, only one hot had 120V (relative to ground). That hot was connected to another romex cable hot going up to the fixture, the neutral from the fixture romex was connected to the hot on the switch romex, and the neutral from the switch romex was connected back to the neutral on what I’ll call the “panel romex”. I was able to tone out the switch romex with my multimeter to identify it. This was how I THOUGHT it was wired. Though when I reconnected this way, no light. I then tried switching things around so that the power was going to the switch first, and then fixture, still no power. In that case, there was 120V on the neutral wire after it had come back from the fixture.

I then completely bypassed the switch, thinking that the fixture should be permanently on, still no light at the fixture. Replaced the bulb in the fixture, still nothing.

Testing the voltage between the “panel romex” hot and neutral, I’m getting 40V, which seems strange to me. I’m thinking that I am not understanding how this is wired, and perhaps the “panel romex” is actually coming from the fixture or elsewhere? Right now, everything is disconnected and everything else in the house seems to be fine. Any idea what could be going on, and should it technically be possible to put an outlet at the junction box?

Thanks in advance.

Edit: junction box photo

When I see an odd voltage like that I think of the two usual causes: (1) ghost voltage reading and (2) floating neutral.

Ghost voltages are commonly caused by induction from nearby live wires and will disappear when a load is applied. Try connecting a lamp where you had the voltmeter. Try between hot and neutral, between hot and ground, and between neutral and ground.

Floating neutral would be caused by a break in the neutral somewhere in that panel romex. To test for it switch off all the loads on the same circuit breaker, and then measure the voltages at the panel romex again.

"Panel" hot to "panel" neutral: 43V, "panel" neutral to ground: 6.5V, "panel" hot to ground: 120V - doesn't really add up, does it? Either the neutral has a varying intermittent bad connection, or something is interfering with your voltage measurement process. You'll have to examine the entire run of the "panel" romex to find the fault.


How do you remove a really stuck shower diverter spout? My bathtub's shower diverter spout leaks when it's in shower mode, so I'd like to replace it. It's the screw-on type. Trouble is, it's stuck tight. I've applied a lot of torque (counter-clockwise) with a pair of channel-locks and it simply won't budge. I'm worried about snapping the copper pipe if I go any harder. The actual joint is deep inside the spout so there's no access to spray penetrating oil or something in there. Am I gonna have to grind it off with an angle grinder or something to access the threads?

Quite possibly. I have cranked on spouts like that and had them release, and had them fold up and crumble, since it was old pot metal. A grinder would be a good way to go about it. The connection, if it is as you say, will be in about 3" in. The rough in for a connection like that is usually 4" to 4 1/8" to the end of the male adapter, so a cut about 3" should get you to the  adapter.


replace 250 lb propane tank with smaller tanks in parrallel Can I replace one 250 lb propane tank with four 50 lb tanks in parallel. The tank supplies a hot water heater and occasionally a fireplace. I can save quite a bit by taking the smaller tanks in to refill myself as opposed to having the gas truck deliver.

You can split the system and probably don't need 4 tanks but at least 2. If you are renting the tank and regulator you may need to buy a new regulator. Some states require restraints for smaller tanks these can be as simple as a 4x4 post in the ground with a snap chain to each tank. The post also provides a secure mounting location for the regulator. Some state require tank straps attached to the support a bit more expensive.


Cold finished basement I live in house built in 1968. My basement is partially finished. There is drop in ceiling above and there is no insulation in the ceiling. The floor is covered with some old vinyl tiles which feels cold to step on. The furnace is in the corner behind the door where there is bare concrete. There are heating vents in the drop in ceiling.

My question is how do I warm up my basement. There is paneling on the walls and there is insulation behind it.

Should I move my heating vents near the floor?
Will putting carpet tiles help with cold floor?
What else can I do to make that space warm?

One of the biggest things to the feel of a room is the floor temp--you mentioned that yours feels cold. A thermal padding and carpet will be the biggest bang for the buck in the feel or that is what I have found reducing the heat transfer from the floor that has no insulation to a minimum of carpet and a thermal pad has made my basements warm enough that the kids played on the floor. Prior to that they did not like the basement because it was cold even with a 72 deg air temp.

Heat vents being low sure that can help a little but the ducting probably services the main floor so moving them to the floor ends up costing more because you end up running new ducts from the trunk lines. The other thing I found that helped was IR heaters but they only heat a focused area but they work well for a seating area and a zone the kids usually play on the floor in.


Fluorescent bulb shelf life What is the expectation for unused fluorescent bulbs that are 1 year, 5 year and 10 years old?   In general, do fluorescent bulbs appreciably degrade over the first 10 years?

I am referring to tubes and NOT CFLs.

I think there could be a chance of a less expensive lamp that was not well sealed leaking over many years I have found this true on incandescent lamps I bought cases of prior to the out law of standard 100w bulbs but have not seen the problem with linear flouresent tubes or CFL's . I just installed a CFL lamp last week that is at least 5 or 6 years old on my back porch it was fine, I have a few old 4' t8 tubes left in a case that is even older, however after these are gone or I have ballast fail I am converting to LED's because of more perceived light at 1/2 the power consumption. But as far as shelf life it may all come down to the quality of the tube.


New Kitchen Sink not draining properly I recently installed a new sink in the kitchen. Previously it was a dual drain and now is a single drain in the center of the new sink. I now have an issue where the water doesn't drain all the time. It isn't backed up down the line because I can stick a knife or spoon into the water and air will then bubble up and it will all drain. I can also turn on the disposal and not have the water drain. I never need to plunge to get the water to drain just "pop" the air bubble. Because of this it seems like it is an air pocket that is holding back the water from draining. I do not have an air valve installed previous to or after the new sink install. Is this the issue? If so, why wasn't an air valve necessary before the new sink?

Sounds like the drain has no vent (or "air valve").  When there were two drains, one was serving as a vent when the other was draining.  If you had stopped one side, the other would have exhibited the problem you have now.


Do I need a cordless screwdriver if I own a cordless drill? I currently own a cheapo corded drill and one of DeWalt's lower-end cordless screwdrivers.  I want to buy a cordless drill because I am done with extension cords.

Most (good) cordless drills seem to be able to function as a screwdriver.

If I did buy a cordless drill, it would probably get a lot of use as a screwdriver.  Probably more than it would as a drill.

Will the cordless drill be able to fill the same role as the screwdriver?  Will I even need the screwdriver anymore?  Are there any drawbacks to using the cordless drill as my primary power-screwing tool?

For what it's worth, I plan to get a DeWalt with a Lithium battery.  I haven't decided on a specific model yet, though.  (Brand/Model recommendations are welcome.)

The electric screwdriver can sometimes fit where a bulky drill cannot, e.g., electrical boxes.  Apart from that, the drill is a fine screwdriver (assuming it has a clutch, of course, but I have never seen a battery-powered drill that does not).

Don't get rid of your corded drill. Battery-powered drills, especially the cheap ones, are not powerful enough for serious drilling such as a 5/8-inch hole through a 4x4 or any hole through metal.


How should clothes and books be stored in an unconditioned space? We are having our first child, and to prepare for that we have to move a lot of stuff to storage. The storage we have is not heated or otherwise temperature/humidity regulated. This means that temperature will change from around -15°C to +25°C (extremes are around -20°C to +35°C) during the year, and relative humidity will be anywhere from 20% to 100% I assume. The storage is well ventilated.

We are storing mainly clothes/fabrics and papers/books, but I am concerned about the environmental effect on our stored items. Currently we have been packing clothes/fabrics in air-tight plastic boxes, and paper/books either in air-tight plastic boxes, or just normal moving boxes. But I am becoming unsure if it is a good idea to store clothes/fabrics in air-tight boxes, as the humidity in the air cannot escape when the temperature goes down.

My question is, under the above mentioned environmental conditions, how do you best store:

Clothes and fabrics?
Papers and books?

I can offer my suggestion for storing clothes and fabrics, but not books.

When my wife and I had to store a TON of clothes, towels, sheets, jackets, sleeping bags, pillows...you get the idea....we used vacuum storage bags.
Everything sat in a storage facility for over 2 years, the facility was unheated in the winter and zero air con in the summer.
Being in the northeastern united states the temperature band is pretty broad.
The VSB's worked awesome, no bag failed, everything came out clean and did not have a musty odor.
The only issue was items were very wrinkled, but unless you plan of storing a wedding dress or items that you do not want smooshed, you should be fine.

Other factors that we liked, easy to find items since the bags were clear.  Easy to stack and carry. The bags were really cheap in comparison to other alternatives.
They also provided basic water proofing, as the day we put it all into the storage facility it rained.


What is the impact of moving a geyser outside? We have an indoor geyser but are considering moving this outdoor to save space. We live in a Mediterranean climate with a cold winter day being 5°C (41°F) and summer temperatures generally ranging from 20-25°C (68-77°F). I imagine that the inside temperature is about 5°C (9°F) higher inside than outside during a winter day. In summer things are pretty much the same inside vs outside.

Our geyser is the number one electricity consumer in our household. I am wondering, if we move it outside, how would it affect electricity consumption? Any idea how much it would increase?

Thank you keshlam. Anyway, it may actually cost less throughout the year. Paint it black (or just dark) or put it in a dark shed in a sunny area to greatly assist heating & heat retention. Air temperature is always lower than Solar Gain, a roof can reach 48C (120F) in 21C (70F) air.

If doing a shed, the year-round setup would be to heavily insulate the shed so it retains as much heat as is generated & that radiates in. If no shed, then a heavy insulation sleeve would be beneficial for the winter. Leading to, if you have an attic, it should go there instead.


Spark While Drilling I have purchased a Bosch GSB 550 Professional drill.

While drilling, I have seen sparks inside the drilling machine, is it common or is it a matter of concern.

Appreciate any insight.

The small sparks are normal with carbon brushed motors. When new as the brushes seat on the armature there may be more small sparks than normal. One way to help the brushes seat is to run the motor for a few minutes without a load, Those will help the armature and brushes to polish and seat together. There will always be small sparks as the armature rotates this is normal for brush based motors.


Smart outlet or timer to auto shut-off after 30 seconds of use Is there a smart outlet or some special kind of timer that can detect when current starts flowing and turn off after about 30 seconds?

This is intended for a custom hot water circulation system.  I want the pump on a flow switch to turn on for 1 minute or less when flow starts at the water heater's cold water inlet, then turn off and remain off for 30 minutes before becoming available again (regardless of flow switch position).  I thought that cutting power would be the best way to stop the pump after 30-60 seconds because it is no longer needed.

The closest I've seen is this 30-minute auto-shut-off outlet.

Edit: I've decided to use a Laing pump that incorporates temperature shut-off connected through a timer light switch.  The Laing pump costs more, but I imagine that it will pay for itself in energy savings in this configuration.

Yes - a time delay relay, available in various configurations for building industrial controls. Commonly available, but not at Home Cheapo or your local hardware store, most likely.

You would need a 30 second one and a 30 minute one for this described operation.

Or these days you might run the whole operation with an arduino or the like and some external (normal) relays, with the arduino acting both as the "time delay" and perhaps processing other sensor inputs. If you happen to be a coder that would be the logical direction to go, TDRs are somewhat simpler to deal with if you just want to wire things together and not write code.


How do I get this shelf off my wall, no screws showing This wall rack does not have any screws showing  in the i

Any ideas of how to get it off the wall?

Thanks

Many fixtures with hidden brackets - especially bathroom fixtures - are secured with a set screw into each bracket. Check the underside on each end of the shelf for a small screw. These are usually slotted or hex screws, usually no more than 1/2" in length. You may need to back the screw out almost all the way, as there is sometimes a lip it has to clear.


Lag bolts vs wood screws for reinforcing garage door header I am about to install the garage door header bracket and I have almost everything figured out. There is a ~1 inch gap between the ceiling and  joist I'm screwing into but I need every millimeter I can get to clear the rail and the door. I want to attach a 2x4 against the ceiling to add more working space. Originally I was just going to use a 4-6 inch scrap piece secured vertically with some 2.5" wood screws and then lag bolt the bracket into that as instructed. Now, I think I am going to remove the strap securing the wire and run the wire for about 12 inches so that I can fit a 12 inch 2x4 section horizontally across the top.
Should I attach the 2x4 with wood screws or lag screws? I'm worried that lag screws will require too big of holes that they will need to be positioned so low they might negate any reinforcement I might have had. What are your opinions?
Just so we are all clear with what we're working with here is a picture:

Jacob,  here is my suggestion.  I would use a 2x4 or 2x6" block at least 24" long.  Then I would use some 3" construction screws.  Make sure you pre-drill the block first.  The screws should slip through the block easily.  Then use washers.  The construction screws look a lot like sheet-rock screws but are a lot stronger.  They will have a Torx drive head.  Use at lease 5-screws.


Outlet covers on new tile backsplash We just had a new marble tile backsplash installed, and are now trying to put the outlet faceplates back on.  However, because the tile is blocking the screw hole, we can't screw the outlet covers back on (the faceplates have screws on the top and bottom, not the middle, because they are ground, etc...) Any suggestions aside from trying to drill into our new marble backsplash?  (The snap one ones don't work either, as the mounting plate requires screws on the top and bottom)

DO NOT try to chip away the marble no matter how tempting it may be.....most marble is soft enough that you can use a round file to to simply file down the offending edge. You can also use a metal cutting jigsaw blade, held firmly in vise grips, to carefully saw off some marble. Take your time and clear your cutting edge frequently and you can make your cut easily.

Good Luck!


Is a space heater or my window heating unit more energy efficient? My roommate and I have noticed that, since our apartment faces south and we live right by the Hudson, our apartment is starting to be quite chilly in the evenings, and oftentimes is cooler inside than out. We haven't started turning on our heaters yet, and yesterday she suggested we buy space heaters as a solution for keeping our (fairly empty) apartment warm enough to read or surf the internet in without having to bundle up indoors or have our window heating units running for extended periods of time. (This gets expensive, and we were able to cut our electric bill by 75% by running the AC for short periods in the evenings alone last month.) Naturally, we would unplug and put away said units before we left for work each morning.

Our current built-in units are Islandaire brand under-window units, EZ Series, 42. We haven't picked a space heater yet, but chances are I'd just pick one up from Target.

Looking at the unit you linked to (and your comment on waiting for the "cycle" to finish), it appears to be a heat pump. Heat pumps are typically more efficient than electric radiators (e.g. a plug in space heater). They lose efficiency as the outside temperature falls, and eventually you should switch over to emergency or electric heat, which should be built-in to this unit. This is identical to the heat source you would have with a space heater. I doubt you'll see more efficiency out of a space heater (it all depends on the individual units), but if you do, it wouldn't be until it's very cold out.

Side note: The point to switch to electric heating is somewhere around the freezing temperature. I've seen comments ranging from 40F to 20F, that that may also vary from one unit to another. Depending on the unit, this switch may be automatic, or you may have to manually enabled it. If you get down to freezing outside and can't get above 65F inside, then I'd manually flip to electric heat.


When tub/shower is on in bathroom #1 a shower other side of house turns on in bathroom #2 When the tub/shower in #1 bathroom is running water another shower stall in #2 bathroom turns on.  What is causing this to happen?  How is this fixed?

Washerless faucets are known to have this problem.
When the pressure drops the weight of the handle can pull the valve on.
Opening the valve and making the springs tighter has worked for some.
Heavier springs are required in the worst cases.
I believe we had 1 person that had it fixed until they opened the garden hose (large flow).
Increasing the pressure may help if you have a pressure reducing valve or well pump increasing the pressure for cut in and off.
But heavier springs or a lighter weight handle may be needed to really fix the problem.


Support for flagpole bracket on vinyl siding My house is a 1960 Cape Cod, with hollow dutch lap vinyl siding over the original wood siding. I wanted to mount a 45-degree flagpole bracket to the side of the house to hold a 2.5x4 foot flag. To support this, I purchased a mounting block (specifically Builders Edge 130110008123 Surface Block) which conforms to the profile of the siding. I mounted the flagpole bracket against this block using 4 2.5" wood screws which penetrate the bracket, the block, the vinyl siding, the original wood siding, and I assume the plywood behind.
This works relatively well, however the screws loosen and work out over time. I have a few times over the past couple years needed to remove it, fill the screw holes with toothpicks+glue, and redrill. I think the problem is that I can't tighten the bracket completely, as is begins to crush the hollow vinyl siding (the profile of the mounting block helps this a bit but not completely.) This means there is some movement in the breeze (I try to take the flag down in heavy wind, but I'm not always home for it and moderate wind still moves it quite a bit.) One thing I tried was spraying some expanding foam behind the siding to add some support, but that didn't actually help much.
Has anyone had/solved this problem? One idea I had was opening the affected siding panel and putting some pieces of wood (furring strips?) inside the problematic bays. In my mind this would let me tighten the screws much better, as there would really be something to tighten against. It would also give the threads some more wood to hold onto, whereas before the threads in the void under the siding weren't doing anything. Is there a problem with this solution?

I would recommend what you suggest about puling the siding piece, I have done that with great success, filling behind vinyl siding for deck ledger install.
In your case, I would use plywood that is the right thickness, that fill the backside of the siding. Since the dutch lap will require the strips to be narrow, using plywood will keep the backing intact, since it will not split when the screws go through it. Fill it up as much as possible,using pieces that are 8"- 1' long, keeping above the lower piece enough to allow for movement, just a paper thickness will do.. I do not know how the mounting block covers any holes in the siding, but with the siding properly backed up, in my opinion, you will not need the mounting block. Let the screws grab the well attached plywood behind the siding, as well as the wood siding and subsiding. That should give you approx. 1 3/4"+ of wood to mount to.


Should a leak repair take effect immediately? I had a repair job earlier to fix a leaking hot water cylinder and the guy who repaired it replaced the valves. The cylinder continued leaking for a while but eventually stopped after a few hours — I am wondering if it just took some time for the replacement valves to take effect or if the repairman is just charging for something that didn't help resolve the problem at all.

Depends on what the real cause of the leak was and how it was fixed. The "leak" you saw may have been simply loose water that had already leaked (or was incidental to taking the plumbing apart to repair) and simply needed to drain.

Other products take some time to cure and be waterproof and pressure-resistant like Michael said. PVC pipe sealant and liquid thread sealants like LokTite take a while to dry, but again as Michael said they need to cure without any water pressure for best results. Other sealants are specifically designed to seal under pressure, but these are generally quick homeowner fixes (the equivalent of car radiator leak-stop) that a licensed plumber should not be using as a permanent fix to any problem. Teflon tape and other flexible solid seals, as well as solder, should be immediately waterproof.


How can I prevent ground wire buzz in my wiring? i have an out building on the property,
it has electricity. but i have no idea about the wiring or how its setup.

there are plenty of outlets and lights. But i will assume since there is no panel/breaker box any where that the building is wired up in a manner that one line is coming in to the building and then jumpered around to outlets and light sockets and fluorescents.

i will be using the building a a rehearsal & recording space.
therefore, after removing some of the unnecessary pulls.

i was wondering is there anyway i can ground the outlets that my musical gear and recording equipment is plugged into so there is no buzzing or hum coming through the amp and recorder?

any help would be greatly appreciated.
i have a basic knowledge of how to add and remove outlets, switches & etc. but nothing professional. but will have a "electrician" come by and make sure i won't wind up burning the place down!
thanks
future noise!

Yeah, recording gear + gypsy electrical is a recipe for more kinds of disaster than just buzzing.

On the other hand, a carefully set-up system can provide for all your needs with both safety and capacity, even with existing wires.  Mostly it's a matter of getting details right, not expensive gadgets.

First, a "tree" topology with several branches is a normal way to wire a circuit.  When trimming back the excess electrical branches, no need to tear the wire out, you may regret it later. Just disconnect it inside the box, cap it off with a smallish wire nut, and wrap it with electrical tape so the cap doesn't fall off.   Anyway, unused branches won't cause buzz.

Second, check out the grounding system.  look for 2 features:

a ground wire run all the way back to the main panel, to protect you from electrical faults, and if your wiring doesn't have that, that's a problem but we can fix it definitively for about $200.
a grounding rod, to protect your gear from lightning, static electricity etc.  It is optional if there's no breaker panel.

Safety Options

Now if your system is not grounded, the first safety feature you really will want is a GFCI protection device, and I want you to use a deadface unit.  Why? It forces you to pause to understand how GFCI's actually work, which means you'll be able to protect the whole place with one of them ($25) instead of several.

A GFCI won't help with hum but it'll do worlds of good for safety.

The extreme option

I don't normally go to this option so quickly, but an isolation transformer was suggested, and why not go whole-hog and lick your grounding problem too, while also upgrading circuit capacity.  Giving a modern, state of the art service.

Instead of a 120-120 isolation transformer, find a 240/480-120/240 supply transformer.  A 5 KVA unit should suffice, and I see them used for $100.    It takes power from the old supply cable, and isolates it, giving 120V or 120/240V at the shed.   Since it's isolated, it doesn't need the ground wire from the house, just the grounding rod.

If your supply is 120V, you can feed that onto one 120V secondary and draw from the other 120V secondary.  Or, you can change the supply to 240V and put that into the primary jumpered for 240V, and draw 120/240 split-phase off it at twice the power.  (you could even punch it up to 480V with a second transformer, if you have a long distance to go.)

Double extreme

As ThreePhaseEel notes, the problem is often your own gear.  But I'll discuss your old fluorescent lights and things like that.   You can get a second supply transformer and use it to supply the non-music loads.  This would put 4 windings between your lights and your music.


Mortar in Mosaic Grout Lines I installed 100 sq ft of mosaic tile on a floor without cleaning excess mortar as I went. Now I have what seems like 10,000 grout lines that all need to be cleaned. Any advice or suggestions on how to clean them? How clean do they need to be?

Make a weak acid solution using Muriatic Acid (pool acid) and water in a 5 gal. plastic bucket, 1 cup:gallon. Using gauntlet type chem gloves and eye protection, scrub with acid. Use a grout sponge to rinse and wipe clean, using clean water and wringing frequently. Repeat until all excess mortar and haze is gone.

Note: above method is effective for removing dried smears and haze, solid clumps of dried mortar must be mechanically removed (scraped).


Should this retaining wall have drainage Should the wall in the picture below have better drainage (e.g. perforated pipes)? And, if yes, is it possible to add them at this point? The walkway above has the same slate top you see at the very bottom of the picture.

We try to be helpful on this site and that means that sometimes we post things which are not any direct answer to the question. This posting is one of those times.

You do need to get this fixed:

This is surely a safety violation in almost any jurisdiction and the extra strain on the wires could result in circuit failure.


Which Glue for Refrigerator Door Our refrigerator has two little nubs built into the door that holds the butter door on.  One of the two nubs cracked off, exposing the insulating foam underneath.  I was going to use a super glue variant on it until I read the package which states not to use it on foam.  Which glue is best to use in this situation?

An epoxy may be your best choice for a problem such as this. Most epoxies do not react with foam products. On the negative side, cold temperatures are not conducive to good bonds, which may result in days or weeks of cure time if the refrigerator is in use.

Even though you reference not using a CA type of glue, you'd be applying it to the plastic surfaces and not to the foam. You would have no strength by applying adhesive to the foam regardless of your selection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djtKXkTqPUI

The above video shows a series of tests performed on plastic being attached to steel, using various types of epoxies and a couple of CA glues. The winner, in my opinion, is the Loctite Gel Control Super Glue. I've used this product and it's easy to apply exactly where needed.

You would be able to avoid applying it to the foam and even a bit of overflow would cause no problem. If you want to ensure no contact, consider to apply a layer of ordinary wood (or paper) glue aka PVA glue to the foam (only) to seal the surface, but I think that's overkill.

Another super glue type adhesive with which I've had success is DAP Rapid Fuse, which is a bit more expensive, but good product often costs more.

If you absolutely have to avoid CA glues, it appears from the video that the old standby, JB Weld may have sufficient strength. I can attest that it's strong stuff and has worked well for me in the past.


How can I extend my deck posts to support a pergola? I am looking to extend my 4x4 corner posts on a deck to build a Pergola over top of the deck.  I also plan on sleeving those 4x4's with a composite sleeve for the full length from the 4x4.  So the extensions need to be flush, so plates and other things protuding cannot be sticking out of the sides.

So what is my best and strongest option to join these 4x4s?

This is my preliminary Pergola design.  The deck where I'm adding the pergola is not huge.  It is basically a 10x12 Pergola design.

Please note the 2 posts on the left side away from the large square deck section. That is the old deck section that I sleeved the old posts. As alignment wasn't perfect, the post in the center is actually a "floppy post" to make the steps more aesthetic on each side of the steps. But with the composite sleeves make them look like 6x6's and adds structure to the 4x4 posts.

22" 4-way angle supports?

To accomplish the join I'd acquire some 1/4" by 3-1/2" by 24" steel plates and let them into opposing sides of the posts to act as gussets. I'd use countersunk flat-head sleeve bolts, piloted accurately and minimally, to sandwich the whole works.

Be sure to consider whether the existing posts are adequately anchored, as there will be substantial torque applied to them at their bases. It doesn't matter how well you attach the extensions to floppy posts.

That said, I think your plan seems flawed. A pergola creates some fairly unique structural concerns, namely the lack of diagonal bracing that a conventional roof would provide, as well as increased wind drag.

I'd be replacing your 4x4 posts with 6x6 posts that run all the way through. They'll do the job much better than spliced 4x4s, and they'll probably be more appropriate from an aesthetic standpoint, depending on your design. You don't want chicken legs under your nice new pergola.

If you elect not to do that, consider substantial diagonal bracing below the ceiling line connecting the posts to the primary horizontal members of your design in appropriate directions (where connection to a fixed structure doesn't provide support).


Plumbing - what is this bag for? Moisture collection? I bought a rehab house and looking at the plumbing.
Some weird bag was hanging off one of the pipes.
When I touched it - these pink beads spilled.
Does it have any purpose?

This bag and its content aren't related with plumbing at all. Purpose of this bag is (or was) to collect moisture. You should throw it away ASAP, because it might be toxic....after that try to find out what is causing moisture and fix the problem.


Automatically trip breaker in power outage Is there a way to trip a breaker, or otherwise kill the connection to an appliance during a power outage that doesn't automatically turn back on when power is restored?

Background: home in the north that runs a well pump that I may not be at for a week at a time. Heater is on all winter (set to 50 deg), but if the power goes out, the temps will drop well below freezing. The water in the pipes will cause an issue when the power kicks back on and warms up the house if a pipe burst. An "issue" will turn into a complete disaster if the well pump turns back on and feeds the pipes until I show up to turn it off. So, I'd like the well pump's power to be automatically killed during a power outage and only turn it on manually when I can get to the house to inspect, even if the power to the main has been restored.

If your HVAC situation permits it...

The ability to have a source of heat that works during a power outage is a massive asset, especially if power outages are a serious concern (as they typically are on the long overhead feeds found in rural areas).  Either a wall furnace (Empire-style) or a gas fireplace can be used; either way, you'll want a sealed combustion version that draws its combustion air from a dedicated outdoor source to avoid any potential issues with backdrafting, CO, and the likes.

Dealing with the original problem, though

However, not all folk are in a position to have heat that works during a power outage, either due to a lack of fuel (gas) service to their location, or due to limitations of their existing HVAC systems.  Given this and a couple of assumptions about your well pump, namely that it is a single-phase, 230V unit of 2HP or less and uses a 2-wire start system with a direct-operating pressure switch control, we can solve this problem quite simply and relatively cheaply (under $100) with a few fairly basic industrial-control type parts:

A 230VAC, 20A, DPDT enclosed relay, namely the RIB02P (this is basically a lightswitch that's rigged to an electromagnet so that it can be controlled by an electrical signal)
A 22mm, 1NO/1NC, momentary-contact illuminated pushbutton with a 230VAC illuminator, in a color of your choice
And a single-hole 22mm control station enclosure (metal or plastic, rated to go where you're putting this at) with a couple of 1/2" KOs in it.

This all gets wired up as follows, or as per the diagram below (which omits grounds for clarity's sake), once you attach the box to a suitable wall surface (note that most control station enclosures don't support being flush-mounted inside a wall in a finished space, as they're designed for industrial use), mount the relay to one of the 1/2" KOs using a locknut, fit the switch through the hole in the front of the box, and feed the incoming and outgoing cables through the remaining knockout(s) using cable clamps:

One of the incoming hot wires connects to a normally open (NO) terminal on the pushbutton along with one of the common (COM) wires (yellow or purple) from the relay
The other incoming hot wire connects to a coil (brown/white) wire and the other COM wire from the relay
The NC wires (blue and grey) from the relay connect to the lamp terminals on the illuminated pushbutton
The NO wire (orange or brown) from the relay that corresponds to the COM wire you picked to connect to the incoming hot going to the pushbutton connects to a normally closed (NC) terminal on the pushbutton, along with one of the wires going onward to the pressure switch and well pump
The other wire going to the well pump/pressure switch connects to the other NO wire from the relay
The other coil wire from the relay connects to the remaining NO terminal on the pushbutton, which then jumps to the remaining NC terminal on the pushbutton with a short length of insulated wire
Last but not least, the incoming and outgoing grounds connect to each other (and to a ground pigtail, if the box you used is metal)

This all forms what is known as a stick circuit, using the relay to provide a memory of power failure in the following fashion:

We start with the power off.  The pushbutton and relay contacts are all in their Normally Closed positions, which means that the relay coil has one side connected to the power that's being switched by the relay's Normally Open contacts, and the incoming power is connected to the indicator, not to the rest of the circuit.
When we apply power to the circuit, the indicator lights, as it's connected to the incoming hot through the relay's Normally Closed contacts.  Nothing else happens, though, since the relay's coil is not powered.
Pushing the button switches the switched side of the relay coil from being connected to a Normally Open contact of the relay (connected through the button's Normally Closed contact) to being powered directly from the line through the button's Normally Open contact.
This pulls in the relay, energizing the pressure switch and pump motor through both sets of Normally Open contacts on the relay while de-energizing the Normally Closed contacts, which causes the indicator to go out.  (Why both sets? It's because both sides are "hot", and the appropriate motor rating for the power relay used requires all poles to be switched.)
Releasing the button at this point connects the relay coil to the now-powered Normally Open side of its own contacts through the button's Normally Closed contact, thus holding, or "sticking", the relay in its energized position.
With the button released and the relay energized, the pump can now run normally, as if our circuit wasn't there, while our circuit is ready to detect the next power failure.
Turning the power to all this back off de-energizes the relay, which causes its contacts to return to their Normally Closed state, bringing us back to the state we were in at the beginning of this description.


Legal to leave electrical boxes open and hanging by contractor My contractor (fired) left electrical boxes open with components no longer screwed into the boxes. Is this illegal?

I discovered after I fired the contractor that he is unlicensed. I am compiling a list of issues for arbitration and maybe litigation.

I hired a general contractor that hires subcontractors. The subcontractor in this instance is the GC's son. This is supposed to be a company and not DIY.

I guess the questions are:

Should this be reported to the electrical board?
Is it normal to leave the receptacles like this for weeks?
Does this need an electrician to allow me to utilize the room until I
can hire another company who uses licensed contractors?

The list is quite long as to why we fired the contractor. I've noted some reasons as a comment to a below comment.

The room does not appear move-in ready.  Perhaps it was "left" like that because an inspection is a next step here, e.g. By the licensed electrician he'd have brought in to sign off on the work if you hadn't fired him, or by the city inspector.

Much of what electricians do is such as wiring compressor buildings in refineries, fitting main and backup power in data centers, at a mall putting in 800kva (that's more than the whole mall) of 480/3ph service to power a dozen Tesla chargers, installing mad numbers of Tesla PowerWalls for people not content with their grid-dependent systems, etc.  Those things need experienced electricians and are outbidding residential builders for the limited supply of electricians.

As such, it's a seller's market in this building boom.  Booms tend to cause the bottom of the barrel to be scraped, creating employ for licensed electricians who aren't very good and can't get work except in these times.

Having an apprentice wire outlets then a competent electrician inspects is perfectly reasonable, and certainly preferable to the alternative of hiring one of those bottom-of-the-barrel types, insisting an incompetent do your wiring merely because he's blessed with a government medallion.

Of course, I'm biased; I am one of those competent-but-unlicensed types... but I'm not paid to wire.


Ceiling Fan Junction Box Converter/Bracket 1/2 inch width difference First time poster.   I feel like I have researched everywhere and not found the answer I am looking for.   I've called a few manufactures of ceiling fans who didn't have any answers either.   I began searching the web and came across this website.  I don't see any existing articles on this topic yet however.

My problem.  I'm in a old rental unit that had a broken ceiling fan.  The landlord is lazy but approved me replacing the ceiling fan myself.   I've done about 6 before in a new house environment.   However, what I ran into was I removed the existing ceiling fan and went to install the new one.  I found that the existing junction box mounting screw holes are 2 and 3/4s(2.75) inches apart and the bracket from the new ceiling fan(Hunter) is about 3 and 1/4(3.25) inch apart and can adjust wider but not narrower.   I did a lot of research and this does not seem to be a measurable characteristic on the data sheets.   Hunter ceiling fans say all their fans are that way these days.  The old ceiling fan does not have a make or model visible on it that i can tell.   Seeing as how this is a rental and an old one at that, I do not want to replace the junction box.

My question is does anyone know if there are brands of ceiling fans out there that have a mounting bracket that can accommodate 2 and 3/4s(2.75) inches or an adapter kit that would help?   I have attached a picture of the old bracket that fits(top) and the new bracket(bottom) that does not.  Unfortunately, the new ceiling fan does not fit in that bracket either though.   As you can see in the old one, it has a more accommodating screw sliding space for smaller junction boxes.

Thanks in advance!

Jloco

If your box is that small it is almost certain that it is not a fan rated box. If it is not, then the box MUST be replaced with a fan rated box.

Sorry, but even with approval, someone unlicensed, uninsured, and unqualified SHOULD NOT be doing electrical work in a place that they rent.
This is a perfect example; something as "simple" as changing a ceiling fan turns into a project since the box has to be replaced, and in an older house this can be met with issues.


detect whether something is metal by touching it I am doing things to my walls and can't tell whether I have pierced an electrical cable.  My AC wire detecting studfinder seems unreliable.

I have tried continuity tests via my multimeter between some of the holes and different circuits and they have come up negative.  I'd like to be able to poke a prong like my multimeter into the hole and see if it whatever it touches is metal.

Is there any kind of an instrument to do this or an attachment to my multimeter?

The only meter that I know of that could detect leakage from a small hole in insulation would be a megger and it would have to be used by a trained operator not to make things worse. You might try and put the circuit on a GFIC breaker and see if you get a trip from some small voltage leakage.

Good luck.


Window will not close I have a single hung vinyl window that I can't get to close all the way.  The the building was built in 2007 and I assume the window is that old. Nothing appears to be blocking the track. Can this be fixed or should I look into replacing the window.
picture of the small gap at the bottom of the window

The window had a broken channel balance. I was able to order parts and replace both channel balances. I replaced both since it seemed like I should but maybe I could have just replaced the broken one.
How to replace a non-tilt window channel balance:
https://youtu.be/u4g8Z8jkwTk


Pouring concrete slab against 2 block walls and an asphalt driveway I need to pour a small (~5' x ~5') concrete pad that will butt up against 2 basement block walls (A&B in the diagram) and my asphalt driveway (D in the diagram). I'm having some trouble figuring out how to frame it correctly as I need it to slope toward a trench drain I will be installing as well.

From my understanding, there needs to be an expansion joint between the newly poured pad and the existing block wall. Would using something like this https://www.homedepot.com/p/SAKRETE-50-ft-Foam-Expansion-Joint-70450004/100674358 be sufficient as screeding surface to get the slope right and an expansion joint?
What should I use to frame side D as it's not a straight line and actually has a gradual angle? Would 1x lumber or plywood be flexible enough or is there something else that I could use?
Once the pad is poured, should I insert the expansion joint material between the pad and asphalt (D) or would some concrete caulk be sufficient?

be sufficient as screeding surface to get the slope right and an expansion joint?

No. And neither would the stuff I normally use; Fiber Expansion Joint, 1/2" x 3".

Tapcon a screed guide board to A (and/or B), at a height that will allow a board that's screwed to the top of the actual scredding board, to ride on it. That's how you screed something with only access to one side. And it's what you put the plank on to reach the corner to trowel it.

Ideally the guide board is an inch or so above the finished surface, otherwise you can't get a trowel in there. E.g., use a 2x4 for the guide and a 2x6 for the screed. Screw a scrap 2x4 to the top of the 2x6 so that it sticks out 1.5". Have fun jiggling it back and forth 3/4" at a time.

What should I use to frame side D

Frame as usual with 2x, well buttressed. Remove later, add expansion joint, and then fill/sculpt by hand.

Once the pad is poured...

You're SoL. The expansion material goes in before you pour. You cut them to length, put them in, and they fall over. Start filling and then stand them back up.


Why is my HI HEAT terminal causing blower to run non-stop? I am trying to troubleshoot what is causing my blower to run non stop (the condenser (outside unit) comes on only when cool is required). There is no issue with cooling the house. I read through all the posts related to similar issue from this forum, but my issue looks peculiar. I checked the thermostat, the fan is set to auto and the wirings look good. Upon testing the control board with a multimeter, the HI HEAT terminal is showing 120 volts even when the thermostats are off or removed. I checked the limit switches and they are showing 0 volts, so they are not tripped either.

For now, I have detached the wire from the HI-HEAT terminal
(that goes from the terminal to blower) and the unit is tuning on and off along with the condenser unit (only when the cool is required). However, summer getting over, I want to get this fixed before the winter cold starts.

I think it is time to check with our experts on what is causing the HI HEAT terminal to request 120 volts which in turn is making the blower to run non stop.

The unit is a Goodman GME80805DXAA attached is the wiring diagram.

Yeah, your control board is shot

I'd replace the control board if I was in your shoes; the behavior you are seeing is a sign that the relays on the board that control the blower motor are failing, or something is causing it to drive them uncommandedly for that matter.


Toilet Refuses to Flush Earlier this month, we starting having problems with our sewer line; it began with the downstairs toilet flushing very slowly, then not flushing at all, then backing up when the upstairs was flushed. After consulting with the previous homeowner (a contractor), he advised that the sewer line was probably frozen (we live in Fairbanks, AK). We called a thawing company, they can and steamed the line, and everything was copacetic.

Fast forward to two days ago. Same symptoms started appearing; very slow flushing downstairs toilet, but the shower and sink drains run fine. So, we called the thawing company back after plunging, running a closet auger down, etc.

They came out and found that the line was not frozen, and checked the vent stacks... One of which was frosted shut. They steamed both vent stacks, and called it a day.

Now, the toilet is still flushing very slowly. I'm not sure what else to troubleshoot; I'm now out almost $500 in steaming service, and I can't find a plumber that can come out until next week. Suggestions?

The lack of venting does cause the drains to flow slowly. In your case, mostlikely caused by the stack freezing again.

I would suggest you do one or a combination of the following:

1) Insulate the exterior portion of the vent stack. That way it is less likely to freeze during the coldest time of the year (one time fix)

2) Add a heating element around the top of the vent stack. I did a quick search and found a product called ArcticVent. This keeps the exterior and upper portion of the stack warm so that it does not freeze. (one time fix)

3) Pour deicer down the vent stack when it does freeze. Deicer would melt the ice. Obviously this would be a quick fix and you wouldn't want to have to do this often, especially if there is snow on the roof. (repeated and temporary fix)


Reattach quarter-round molding under front door The quarter-round molding under my front door came off recently when I opened the door. The molding was attached to the doorsill with two different kinds of adhesive. Apparently the rubber weather strip under the door has been sweeping against the molding every time the door opens, and the adhesive finally gave out.

I've used a chisel to remove the large pieces of adhesive that were on both the molding and the doorsill, intending to reattach the molding, but I'm not sure how best to reattach it. Here are some ideas I've had:

Just glue the molding to the doorsill again. My main concern is that the molding will just come off again due to the ongoing force of the weather strip sweeping against it. (The weather strip seems to apply quite a lot of force along the entire length of the molding, I've found by trying to hold the molding in place with my hands while opening the door.) Or maybe it would be fine; it seems like the original installers maybe didn't do an awesome job, as I saw big drops of glue that looked like they had adhered to only one of the two facing surfaces. Advice on what kind of glue or adhesive to use would be helpful.
Try screwing or nailing the molding to the doorsill. Maybe screws or nails would have better tensile strength than glue? However, I'm not sure what the doorsill is made of. It has a wood grain texture on the surface that feels maybe sort of fake and I don't know whether there's real wood on the inside. I'm not sure I can productively screw into it. I'm also worried about splitting or weakening the molding, and about the difficulty of drilling precisely into a round surface.
Try to sand down or otherwise somehow reduce the height of the molding such that the weather strip on the door clears it, so that the molding is no longer under tension when the door opens. It looks like I would have to remove several millimeters. I'm not sure how to go about doing this. Is there a particular power tool I would use for this?
Buy new quarter-round molding of smaller radius. This molding is ¾″ tall, so maybe I should replace it with ⅝″ or ½″ molding. It seems like it might be hard to find molding that matches the floor as perfectly as the existing molding, though.

I have no prior experience with this sort of thing but am interested to learn and would appreciate any advice on what approach to take.

Update

Eventually I noticed that the molding was not actually ¾″×¾″ as I had thought, but rather ¾″×⅝″. When I flipped the molding around so that the ⅝″ side was vertical and the ¾″ was horizontal—orienting the molding so that it was effectively shorter, just ⅝″ tall—the door began clearing the molding easily and no longer exerted force on the molding with each opening. I simply attached the molding in this orientation with Liquid Nails Perfect Glue, which is the adhesive I had on hand, and it's had no problems since. Thanks to those who suggested solutions!

Once you get the holes size gauged for the finish nails you will use, you will need to drill the holes once the shoe is in place to a depth of about 1". To help accomplish this, use a small piece of tape 1" from the end of the bit so when your tape touches the shoe, you know you are at the right depth. Your nails should slip into the holes you just drilled and when you drive them in, what has not been drilled will hold the nail securely. Drive the nail flush, or near flush, finish it off by setting the nail below the surface of the shoe with a nail set. They come in sizes, use the one that is the smallest, typically called 1/16"


Will the 3-4-5 method work for making a table support? Instead of making a table support leg drop down vertically to the floor I wanted to make an angle (45 deg) support.

If I measure "A" from the floor to the table top and measure from wall to the end of table top...

Can I assume that "C" will correctly fit with a 45 deg angle at both ends?

NOTE: I could not get my graphic to make a 45, but I meant a 45 deg cut at both ends of "C".

No, 3-4-5 creates a right angle, not a 45 degree angle.

In your example, “a” must equal “b” for “c” to have 45 degree angle cuts at the ends.


Proper deck post-beam-post connection We're getting ready to replace/expand the decks on our house.  I'm having plans done and have seen a draft but wanted to educate myself a little while I wait.  The draft didn't yet contain sufficient details for the connections I'm asking about here.
Our deck is two stories, where the 2nd story is about half the size of the 1st. There will also be a roof over the upper level.  My question is specific to the support posts/columns between the ground and roof (Circled in red and blue in the image).  The draft plans showed a 6x6 on concrete base to lower deck, triple 2x10 beam supporting lower deck, 6x6 post to upper deck, triple 2x10 beam supporting upper deck, post to roof, triple 2x8 beam supporting roof.  The connections at the roof (in blue on the image) are different in that there's another triple 2x8 connecting there that goes back to the house roof, so perpendicular to the beam visible in the image.  How should these post/beam/post connections be made?
Another possibility might be to use continuous columns and beam hangers, something like Simpson HUC. The columns would be nearly 20' long though and so not exactly easy to work with.

The usual length of 6x6 pressure-treated timber is 12', though you can get up to 24' (or longer) through special order, there is a rare need for that.
Technology around wood connectors has evolved and advanced rapidly, for your personal information use, I suggest visiting the "Simpson Strong-ties" website, to find the available hardware, cost, and uses. https://www.strongtie.com/


How do I fix an irregular hole in my heater closet? The plumbers cut a roughly rectangular hole in the water heater/heater closet floor when fixing the drain pipe for the condensate line.  The closet is located in the garage.  There are two 2" PVC pipes coming out of the middle of the hole.  Can I patch this without removing the water heater and air conditioner and replacing the entire plywood floor? What's the best way to do this?

Here's the "before" pics; I've included two images from two slightly different angles to help with the perspective:

Here are the "after" pics:

You'll need to square up the hole and do some careful measuring and cutting, but it can be done:

On the floor, mark a rectangle that encloses the existing hole.  Ideally, the two pipes would be parallel to an edge, but it's not essential.
Measure the distance from the two closest corners to each of the pipes.
On some plywood, mark a rectangle the same size as the rectangle you marked on the floor.
Add 1/2 the outside diameter of the pipe to the distances you measured in step 2.  Using a drawing compass, mark an arc with the appropriate radius from each of the corners.  Where two arcs intersect will be the center of the pipe.
Using the drawing compass, mark a circle the outside diameter of the pipe.
Mark a line across the width of the rectangle going through the center of the two pipes.
Start cutting: cut out the rectangle on the floor, cut out replacement rectangle, cut along the line through the center of the pipes (this needs to be a thin saw blade), then cut out the four semicircles.
Cut out the rectangle on the floor.
If you've got room under the floor, you can use some wood under there as strapping to help hold the replacement pieces in place.  If not, you'll just have to do the best you can with wood glue.
Put the two pieces around the pipes; they should be able to slide up and down.  Again, if there's room under the floor, use a piece of wood as strapping to hold them together; if not, glue and hope for the best.
Slide them down into the hole in the floor.  They should fit snugly into place.  Screw them into the strapping if you were able to install some, otherwise just glue them in place.


Where can I get a switch for a 30A circuit? I would like to add a switch to a 30A plug, but I am having trouble finding one (they are all rated at 15a/20a).  Is there a reason you can't buy 30A switches or is it called something different?

To be more specific, I have a wall ac/heat unit that has a problem where it sometimes kicks on even when the switch is off.  Right now I just unplug it when not using it, but I don't like leaving a plug and socket there.

You may not find one at a box store or your local hardware store, because they are rare in residential settings.  However, if you go to an electrical supply store, they will have lots of them. Hubble, Square D, and others


Although my hot water works, why won't my radiator come on? As above, the hot water works but the radiators do not come on. It's an old gas powered central heating system. We're thinking it's the wall thermostat at fault but is there anything else it might be?

Update:
I thought I should post a follow up for the sake of future Googlers.

It turned out to be the pump as ChrisF had suggested. The hot water still worked because it's gravity fed from the loft (or attic if you prefer ;)), whereas the pump wasn't kicking in at all. 20 years' worth of use had clogged it up. When the system was emptied the water that came out of it started brown and quickly went black.

With your car you get it serviced every year. Boilers get serviced on a regular basis too but the system itself doesn't, so over the years the muck builds up and builds up and nothing gets done about it causes something to break, i.e. now.

The most obvious thing that springs to mind is that you have air in your system.

Do the pipes between the radiators get hot, or the bottoms of the radiators but not the top?

If so then you need to bleed your radiators. You should have a little key with a square hole. Carefully open the valve at the top of the radiator a very small amount - you should hear a hissing sound of air escaping. Wait until water starts to dribble out - use a cloth to catch this. Repeat for all radiators.

For more information, pictures and a couple of videos see The Ultimate Handyman

UPDATE

Turn your thermostat all the way up - to make sure that it registers the current temperature as too cold - then the boiler should kick in. If not then it's the thermostat. If the boiler does kick in check the central heating return pipe - this should get hot after a few minutes. If not then there's either an airlock in the pipes themselves or the pump isn't working.

Can you hear the pump turning. If not there's a screw head in the centre of the pump which controls the speed of the pump (see the pictures here). Turn this clockwise. If the pump still doesn't turn you may need to replace it.

It could also be the electronics in the boiler not sending the signal out to the pump.

At this point consulting a heating engineer would be your best option.


Can you identify this receptacle? I was walking through a house during the middle of construction and came across what appears to be a recpticle attached to a pvc pipe that seems to pass a low voltage wire. Also connected to the receptacle was a 14 gauge wire.

That appears to be a central vacuum system. The LV wire is to turn the vacuum on via a relay. Hard to tell from the picture if the end of the wire has simply been tucked into the pipe awaiting the final cover-plate install that it will be pulled out and wired to (correct) or if some genius ran the wire inside the vacuum tubing (incorrect.) I would bet on the correct case, though.

The 14 gauge wire would provide AC power for a beater-brush or similar accessory on the vacuum-hose.


how to cut concrete beams/sleepers I have long (60cm/23") concrete beams that I want to cut to size to build a small garden wall.
They are 15cm/6" high. I know there exist heavy cutter tooling to cut through (concrete) tiles, but it seems to me that won't do for these large stones.
So, what do you recommend for cutting these into rather accurate sizes?
thanks for any suggestions offered.

There is no easy way to cur concrete I am afraid. I always dreaded and tried avoiding at all costs cutting concrete in any form.. but when you have to then I always used a large grinder..

The problem is (and why i dread cutting concrete) is the discs take a massive hammering and they dissipate while cutting the concrete. I found using disc for cutting masonry very good because they are not too thick (2mm to 3mm are good but need to be reinforced! unlike like stone cutting discs which are 5mm to 7mm) which help cut through faster.

You need to prepare yourself for this.

Large amounts of dust! it will get in your hair, in your nose blow all over the place.

So I advise wearing a dust mask and wide glasses that cover the entire area of your eyes! Make sure you are far away from valuable objects like cars(some stones might fly out the grinder damages nearby objects) far away from your washing . Keep other people and pets  far away.

These are fine..

but these are very good

Strain and friction on the disc could cause the disc to rupture

That is why buying reinforced discs is very important! Many times during cutting discs have failed sometimes right at the start sometimes midway. Make sure the grinder guard is protecting you and the exit path is between your legs. stand quite wide apart but also sturdy. This is also why its dangerous to stand anywhere near it as when a disc ruptures it can fly sideways.

This type of rupture is very rare and years of building I only saw this once.

Usually you might experience the disc splitting layers and small parts will break off.

Noise

These grinders on their own are loud and cutting into concrete is just unbearable. You might want ear plugs and also warn any neighbours or something. Also because you cannot hear any thing I would suggest having somebody in a safe area that can turn the main power off in case he needs to tell you something or warn you. Do not do this on your own.

Doing 1 or 2 poles is ok but if you have many..

Make sure to rest inbetween several as vibrations and feedback take a massive toll on your arm muscles. You always need to hold the grinder sturdy in case it mis behaves and jumps upwards or something else.

Secure your items

Make sure the item you are cutting are secured properly. They should not move at all. If friction changes like you hit a rebar within the the concrete (grinding some metal with a masonry disc is fine! it only eats the disc slightly faster and makes loads of sparks) then its better the grinder vibrates rathen then the item flying and hitting you in the legs.

You can rent grinders for pretty cheap.

Good luck.

And remember to keep safe.


Replacing light fittings with ones with a battery backup I've got two light fittings which are basic pendant lights.

If I were to get them replaced with new fittings that have a battery backup ( kinda emergency light style that would turn the light on in the event of a power cut ), would they need any changes to the wiring?

To answer the OP question is generally no,  wiring changes are not needed for bulbs with battery back up.  There are pros and cons to battery backup bulbs, so do your homework. Some people don't understand how they work and how to test them so give them bad reviews.  You can't test them by turning off a breaker with no other loads on the same circuit turned on.

The lamp determines the difference between a power outage and simply being turned off measuring the resistance between the neutral and hot.  If there is a low resistance between the hot and neutral, the power is off, the resistance measures thru other devices on the same circuit that are "on".  If there are no other devices turned on in the same circuit, the bulb could be fooled and not illuminate. If there is very high resistance (or infinite), it assumes the switch is off. One other thing to look out for on these "battery backup" lamps, is they generally do not operate at full luminosity. They light up, but somewhere around 30%-50%  or so of normal, to preserve battery life.


How should I stop pocket doors from scraping on the jamb? I have pocket doors that occasionally scrape on the inside on their frame which scuffs them up.

How should I protect against this?

I was thinking of using the soft side of velcro strips inside the frame.

There is a missing guide at the bottom of the door, much like a closet sliding door. Install one and it will prevent the door from moving side to side and it will stay centered and not rub.


What kind of sealant to use by foundation? I have a small gap between my patio cement and foundation wall. I'd like to seal it to prevent water from going straight down. What is the best type of sealer to use? Here is a picture of the area I'd like to seal.

Sikaflex or similar is the standard, however that gap seems pretty thin.  Is it less than 1/4"?  You can get this in a self leveling format or not.  My best guess would be to not have the self leveling due to not being able to insert a backer rod to prevent the caulking from dripping too deep into the gap.


Is marijuana smoke worse for your house than tobacco smoke? I live in Oregon, USA, and the state has recently legalized marijuana.  I have a tenant who smokes daily.  I've visited a few times and the home always smells of pot.

I know how tobacco smoke can permeate a house.  To be rid of tobacco smell you must pull out carpets, seal and repaint the walls, and so on.

Is this also true of marijuana?

I am on good terms with the tenant.  If simple cleaning will be sufficient then I am happy to wrap the cost into their cleaning deposit.  But, if it's going to be a serious problem later, then I'll want to invoke the non-smoking clause of our contract right away.

Does anyone have any information on this?

I think you need to deal with weed the same as you would tobacco.  The smell is just as bad as tobacco.  It FOR SURE permeates drywall.  I have had to rip out drywall from a few pot houses.  I think some things you need to think about are:

that most tobacco smokers try to air out their house.  They may smoke more in volume but generally they smoke out windows or open windows/doors after smoking.
weed smokers may let the smoke sit in the room or create a hot room.  It wouldn't take a great deal of time before a house was smell infested.
also weed smokers may grow their own.  The marijuana plant stinks and can stink up a house in a few batches of 5 plants.

Really there is a great range of possibilities with both set of smokers.  I have rentals and I personally would be more worried about weed.  I think it is because the amount of smell damage you can do to a house with weed in short amount of time.  I have had rentals before that I had smoke cost fears and talked to the renters way before it became permanent.  I would feel I would need to check in to a house smoking weed every few weeks.  It is just more of a communal drug and people often prefer holding the smoke inside.


Is it possible to use add-a-wire with my current configuration to add a C-Wire? I only have four wires: Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green. My old thermostat jumps the R to RC and leaves C empty.

I have a new thermostat that wants 5 wires, but I don't have C. I am not sure what the circuit diagram is here, so I don't know if it's possible to make a new configuration that will give full functionality.

Here is my configuration:

Rc   (jumper to red)
R    Red
Y    Blue
C    -
W    White
G    Green

What does add-a-wire do anyway? There is no extra wire so I would have to tear up my wall to run a new wire. I don't want to sacrifice independent fan control. What is the easiest way I can rewire this for a new thermostat?

According to the ADD-A-WIRE™ Owners Manual, you should be able to use the product to achieve your goal.  I've never used this product, and do not endorse it in any way. I have no idea if it actually works, I'm simply going on the claims made by the manufacturer.
This is the diagram from the manufacturer.

This is how I'd wire it up.

R and W stay the same, at both the furnace and the thermostat.
Switch the BLUE wire to C, at both the furnace and thermostat.
Connect the ADD-A-WIRE™ device in the furnace as described in the installation instructions, but connect the BLUE wire from the ADD-A-WIRE™ device to the GREEN wire in your cable.
Connect the BLUE wire from the ADD-A-WIRE™ Diode 'Y', to the GREEN wire from your cable at the thermostat.
Finally, connect the GREEN wire from the ADD-A-WIRE™ Diode 'Y' to the G terminal of the thermostat, and the YELLOW wire from the ADD-A-WIRE™ Diode 'Y' to the Y terminal of the thermostat.

WARNING: Use of this product is at your own risk. I have never used this product, and will take no responsibility for any damage it may cause. Be sure to read all manufacture documentation before using this device.


How to mate two pressure-treated 2x6s together? I want to mate two 2x6s pressure-treated boards (span = 8') so that I can use them as a beam for my ground-level floating deck.

Should I use a construction adhesive? Anything special given that the boards are pressure treated?
What should I use: screws, bolts?
What is the recommended spacing between screws? how many screws at each mark?
Screw / bolt length?

TIA

[Edit] For clarification, by mating I mean joining them together such that two 2x6s become a single 4x6.

I usually nail them together. Construction adhesive won't be enough. You could use screws also.

For spacing I usually start by making sure the crown is going the same direction and at one end put 2 in within a few inches top and bottom, then at 6" away from those put another nail on the top an inch from edge another 6" one an inch from the bottom another 6" another at top and repeat until close to the end of the board 2 like the start.

If your lumber has different bow in each board this can be pulled to match as you nail make sure to check that they still match at the loose end after each nail and it is usually easy to keep them even.


Breaker off but shock when electric heater kicked on I was recently working on my ceiling fan wiring. I had the breaker off and I confirmed no power coming in. While I was preparing to twist the cap onto the black wire (I was touching the exposed copper), the electric heat in my house kicked on and I got a smallish shock.

The shock wasn't as significant as touching a live black wire; if I had to guess I'd say half as painful.

Is this an indicator of a problem in my house's wiring?

Well it really shouldn't matter if you have the breaker off but in years past a multi wire branch circuit did not require handle ties or common trip. This may be the case and you turned off 1 breaker but the other breaker was still using the neutral any imbalance will be on the neutral, or the hot on the circuit you thought was turned off gave you a shock. Been there in residential and industrial.  Current code protect for this with a common trip on these kind of circuits.I will need to find my 80' S code books because there was no dedicated circuits back then and if on what we call a MWBC today handle ties were not required. Edit i was an apprentice in the 70' S back when zinsco and FPE was the the best or low cost options avabile did lots of them in my apprenticeship and after returning home.


How to waterproof metalic electrical conduit entrance in concrete wall? I have concrete garage inside the hill below house level. Electrical metal conduit runs underground and enters the garage at the top of concrete wall. It may 12"-15" below surface.
See pictures.

It's ok most of the time but during heavy and long rain, electric box inside garage starts leaking.

Electrician who installed it put some concrete around conduit but it's not a lot and obviously not enough. I dumped bucket of water there and I observed that leak happening.

So is there a good way to waterproof it? I am thinking - dig around the conduit, put something around it and then pout much more waterproof concrete (or whatever suitable material).

I have had need to seal up a few places like that in basements where the conduits came in and had a potential leak risk. On occasion I would use a Sika product, 2c-sl is the name Sika give it. A 2 part, self leveling, pourable material that can be painted on. I even made a form and poured it into that to ensure it saturated the crevices, since it was well below grade. This is good stuff. WR Grace also makes a 2 part liquid applied membrane that comes in 2 consistencies, trowel or knife grade. One is thick, the other thinner. I think either one will work for you. It is called Bituthene Liquid applied membrane. If you can get to Tremco products, they make a one part waterproofing solution, Tuff and Dri is all that I can find on that. They make another product that works really well, to bad I cannot find not more info on, other than I used it, sorry.

All these products are super flexible, and if you clean the wall real good you can paint that and the end of the conduit that the wire goes in to wrap it all in waterproofing.

Disclaimer: I do not work for or represent any of the above mentioned companies, I only know how to recommend products that do the job, and do it well.


How to address a slow garage roof leak During a recent rain storm, I noticed a very slow drip of water coming from the center of my (external) garage roof in a few places.

After it dried up, I went to inspect the problem spots and found some rotting and could see daylight through some spots where the nails were.

Close to the front there was a significant amount of torn tar paper and it was even completely free in one spot where I could touch the metal ridge cap that sits atop the roof. (Shown below)

From the exterior, there doesn’t appear to be any major damage to my shingles or cap or anything out of the ordinary that I am able to see from ground level.

Also, after a thorough inspection during heavy rain, there were no other areas leaking other than along the general line of the ridge.

Would like to keep my garage from rotting itself from the inside out, and prevent any foundation damage here, so I would like to address this as soon as possible.

What must be done to stop this leak?

The ridge vent can allow driving rain in, but for it to be showing water damage, it would have to be getting in during nearly every single rain.  Is this area of the garage perhaps where the driving rain comes in or is there possibly something that cannot be seen in the pictures that would be directing more than normal water in?

I don't think the tar paper is supposed to bridge the ridge like yours is.  I can't seem to find an install guide online at the moment, but last time I installed ridge vent, we did not have tar paper across the opening and the roof has no water.  I wonder if the water is getting on the tar paper and is getting through a nail hole causing this issue.


Can having a bad grounding situation destroy a circuit breaker? We moved into a home, built a while ago. there are wires hanging and covered in black tape on a chimney.

I bought 2 sconces and put them in place. i did not hook up the ground wire on one of them, the first in series and turned them , they worked, i saw the ground wire was broken, so i cut the wire back and fix it and re-wired it to use the ground wire.

after wiring them up, our circuit breaker on another circuit for the dryer starting popping. We had a dryer repair man come out and test the dryer, it never went over the 17amps to pop the 30 amps circuit breaker, he thinks the circuit breaker is bad.

I thought maybe the work I did for the sconces on ANOTHER circuit may had caused an issue? I have turned off that breaker for the sconces and still the dryer pops the 30 amp circuit breaker.

Sounds to me like a coincidence.

Grounds have nothing to do with the functionality of a circuit breaker. Meaning a circuit will work properly (albeit less safely) with or without a ground. The ground is a "safety backup" in case of a short circuit to metallic parts and pieces.

Hopefully all the work you did on the sconces is proper. Did you install and mount boxes for the wiring and to mount the lights?


Stain / residue on hardwood after years of rug covering I just bought a house from the mid 1800’s. Hardwood throughout but two rooms have had rugs on the floor for obviously many, many, years. When we pulled up the rugs we found that the hardwood was extremely dirty and/or stained. I’m sure there are a hundred different answers as to what to what caused this and the best course of action, hoping to get some ideas for cleaning or if refinishing will be necessary.

You can try cleaning the grime off (thats some of the carpet pad impregnated with dirt), but ultimately you should refinish the wood floor.
This involves a commercial sanding machine and other equipment not readily available.
To clean try and scrape as much of the crud off as possible using a putty knife or a paint scraper. try not to gouge the wood or remove the stain (this is the difficult part). Next you should use some type of floor cleaner. I think a good cleaning product is TSP. It's made for heavy cleaning. Fill a bucket with hot water and mix in the appropriate amount of TSP. Wring the mop out so the floor isn't saturated with water and apply. Scrubbing with a bristle brush will help. Repeat as needed.


How to fit jam extensions to this window? New double casement windows came from manufacturer bowed inwards at the center mullion so that window has an a very, very slight "V" shape when viewed from above.

The windows need jam extensions made so that they are flush with the adjoining drywall surface and must fit flush to existing jam, but the inward bow of the window near the center prevents the jam extension from making contact all the way across for the top and bottom extension pieces.

This means I can't make a jam extension with a flat surface fit the jam without a gap at one end (it rocks near the center).  I've tried sanding down this area (see pic) but it is a tedious and I am not getting anywhere, and I am not sure this is the best way to do this.  Feels like it would be better and easier to make the jam extension fit the jam but have no idea how to sand/plane/cut the extension surface to fit the jam.  How would I do this? Is there a way to trace the jam surface onto a new piece so that I can cut it similar to scribing a bookcase to a wall?..I don't know how to do this if so!

!

!

The right way to fix this is to cut out the spray foam insulation and move the window into proper position so that the two units align on a single plane. This isn't as difficult as it sounds. You can pilot and countersink some construction screws through the window frame at an upward angle into the framing to pull it outward if necessary. Work slowly and use caution and the window will move easily due to flex in the mounting flange. Be sure to keep shims in place to prevent the frame from bowing upward.

It looks like you have screws running through the window frame into the header. Many window manufacturers specifically prohibit this, as it increases the chance that settling will bow or jamb the window. I suggest removing them and reviewing the installation instructions. Andersen windows, for example, call for nailing through the outer flanges only (except where special clips are provided). (Correction: frame fastening is allowed, but is only done through the sides of the window.)

Otherwise, you'll have to use a jointer, powered hand planer, or sander to shape your extension jamb to the window. I wouldn't try to remove material from the window itself. You'd do this by holding the extension in place with the same gap to the window frame at each end. Measure that gap, and there you have the amount of wood that you need to remove at the center of the extension jamb, tapered evenly to the ends. How you remove the material depends on the tools you have on hand and your skill set.


How can I take apart this leaking outdoor faucet? I have looked up how to take apart a leaky outdoor faucet. Unfortunately it looks like my faucet does not match the videos/pics I have seen.

Most videos show removing the knob, removing the nut which is around the stem, then removing the assembly which screws into the faucet housing to get at the washer.

Does where the arrow point actually come apart, because I have not felt any give on this at all and I am worried about damaging the line leading to the faucet.

Is there another faucet type I am dealing with here?

Here's the topview just to help with the identify.

That nut should turn, but hit it with some penetrating oil (WD-40) first and let that soak in. Try to use a wrench or socket if you have one that fits snug, rather than pliers, since pliers can damage that nut. Finally, be careful when rethreading the nut back on since it's easy to cross thread or strip the threads.

If the plumber that installed this was nice, you may find the entire faucet is attached via a threaded pipe and can be spun off. My plumber was less kind and soldered the threads, so I'd have to open the wall and replace the pipe to change out the faucet. Keep in mind that when a faucet like this gets old, it may not be good enough to change the washers and repack the stem, so keep your option to replace the entire thing open.


Small Batch of Mortar I'm looking to patch a couple areas in my basement with type S mortar. I don't need much. Is there a method for mixing small batches of mortar? Either by measurement or feel? I thought I saw somewhere that you want a peanut butter like consistency.

Just mix in the same ratio as the original instructions. If the instructions say to mix 2.7L water to 20kg mortar, that's 0.135L per 1kg. So if you only want 5kg mortar, you'd mix 5 * 0.135 = 0.675L water. Same applies if you're mixing with sand or lime.


re-using wood from a concrete form? I strive to not waste materials wherever possible, and "use once then discard" methods are particularily irksome. So with this mind, what suggestions do you have for enabling re-use of lumber used for concrete forms?

If you use it for a form again no problem . . . otherwise, the remnants of the concrete on the wood will damage your power tools.


Tiling over the bathtub lip vs up to the lip I am renovating the bathroom and everything I see online says to tile over the lip. This creates one obvious problem - to replace the bathtub one would have to remove the tile, and since style and trends change all the time, you won't find the same tile again.
It would seem logical to tile up to the bathtub, so it can be removed if needed. Why is everyone tiling over the lip? Still have to use silicone between the tile and bathtub surface. I am almost at the stage of tiling and trying to finalize the plan.
The reason I started to doubt the tile over the lip technique is because I know someone who did tiling up to the lip and had no water problems for 15 years, at which stage they remodeled and all walls were dry.

I have good news for you - it does not matter!
Whether you tile over or under the lip (it's over and should be obvious why), you will absolutely be destroying the bottom of the water proofing of that shower/tub system - either way.   There is no way you are getting a tub out and a new one back in like they are lego blocks.   Good luck, never seen it - ever.
So you would rather install your tiles wrong and chance having water issues on the walls and have to take down an entire wall or a few walls, so you might be able to replace tub?   Hmmmm.
OK so if you are hazy on this tub.   If it is of low quality or you don't think it will last, you should spend money on new tub before doing anything to your walls.   You can get a good cast iron tub used for 300-400 plus another 300 to reface it.   Minus a refacing every 10-15 years it should last forever.   Tubs and shower pans are not items that can be swapped.   They are the bottom edge of a waterproofing system and once you try to swap them you take a huge chance of water issues - and thats given you have the room to get old one out and new one in without having to rip things down.


How can I add a ground wire? I have this metal electrical box that has no ground wire. I was thinking that I could buy a ground screw and screw that into the side of the box. There's a wooden frame on all sides. Afterwards, I could simply hook a wire onto that and then connect it to the ground screw on my outlet.

I'm not entirely sure if this would work though or if it'd violate the NEC.

Yes, in most steel boxes, one of the holes is threaded 10-32 (specifically) for taking a ground screw.  Sometimes it's risen above the bottom of the box so there's somewhere for the end of the screw to go.

If you can't find it, it would be legal to drill and tap your own hole.  What you can't do is tap it any coarser than -32.  That's because regulation boxes aren't thick enough to give proper thread engagement on any coarser threads.   Obviously, sheet metal screws are Right Out.

Also, if the yoke (metal ends) of the receptacle are bottoming out hard against the box, then you can ground through the yoke instead of having to hard-wire one.  This is not allowed if the ears are catching the wall and preventing it from bottoming out.  It is also not allowed if any insulating material is between yoke and box, like those little bits of paper or plastic that hold screws to the outlets.  So that leftover screw-catcher on the upper bolt would have to go.


Two openings from inside basement to outside and not sure of the purpose My basement has two vents from inside to outside. Both are set in-between the main floor joists (see pic) and opens outside, with flaps that opens outwards. The ducts are outside the furnace room. I like to know the purpose of them. Also I'm in the process of remodeling the basement and like to know what to do with them or how to handle them?

Until you said it was only 12 years old, I was going to say coal chutes for an old coal furnace. I had those in an old house built in 1910. The chutes led to a walled area near the furnace chimney (the furnace was long gone but the chimney remained because it formed part of a wall in the kitchen). The walled area was filled with dirt when I bought it, but I excavated the dirt to try to make the space useable and found it to be half full of old coal. I put an ad in the paper and someone bought it from me and removed it.
Any chance your 12 year old home was built on the foundation of a 100+ year old home?
My next guess would be vent fan ducts for a radon extraction system, the flap would be to keep pests from going in but let the air our when the fan runs.


5 Wires in Light Switch I have 5 wires in the back of the light switch. It looks like there are 2 ground wires (copper, no coating) one from the breaker and one to the light. They go into different holes and then are coiled together.

The switch that I have now just has 2 wires going into it. No ground. The two copper wires are just twisted together and capped.

How can I install the new switch? Which one of the grounds do I use? And how is this light functioning now without a ground?

Based on your wiring color and photo, I'm going to assume this is an older house in the US.

First a few things.  Sometimes there are wires in a box that just pass through and go somewhere else, so all the wires might not be used by the switches or outlets in a given box.  It's not unusual to have 5 wires in a switch box.

Also, the ground wire is there for safety.  Lights and appliances don't really "use" the ground, and ideally it should never carry any current.  All ground wires in boxes and fixtures just get connected to each other like a safety net that catches and stray electricity and makes sure it gets back to the main breaker box (to hopefully trip a breaker in a dangerous situation).  Older wiring practices didn't always use the ground, but now almost everything is connected to ground including light switches.

So, for the new switch, hook up the same two wires that go to the old switch and then you will need to "pigtail" the ground and connect it as well.  A pigtail is a short wire that runs from a bundle of wires and connects to a device.  So, it's not a matter of "which" ground wire - it's both.


How can I improve efficiency of my home? Geothermal not saving money I've been getting very high electric bills since moving in last August. My winter months have averaged $350/mo and so far this spring has been the same. I live alone, work 8 hours a day, do 2 loads of laundry per week, rarely use the stove for baking, and my temperature in winter months is set at 68-69 deg, and in summer 72-73 degrees. The house remains comfortable for me. I don't watch a lot of TV or have a lot of appliances going regularly.

About the house:

Built in early 1990s
1480 sq ft
2x6 exterior walls
crawl space
geothermal heating, closed loop (unit is 2 years old, piping is over 10 years)
loose insulation in attic, about 10-12" thick (not the roll out type)
insulated garage
front entrance has vestibule (exterior door and interior door into living area)
laminate flooring, tile in bathrooms
high efficiency washer/dryer (new this year)
all electric appliances
rarely use the oven, just stove top, microwave

I was told geothermal systems were very efficient and people with 2k sqft homes were paying $80-100 for heating/cooling costs. I also leave the temperate the same throughout the day as told by the geothermal company and previous owners as its most efficient.

My neighbor has a similar sized house, with natural gas heating, and his total utility is half of what I pay. He also keeps his house a bit warmer (wife complains) in the winter months. This really ticked me off so I contacted my geo company and they came out to inspect the unit. Nothing was found wrong with it and the flow rate/psi/etc was all tested fine. I'm not seeing the savings with geothermal at all.

As I've mentioned, my house does not get a draft at the front door because of having a vestibule. My garage is insulated and I feel no draft coming in at the garage door or interior garage door. My two exterior doors in the rear both go into a sun room, so again, no cold/hot draft coming in. My windows are all sealed and I feel no cold/hot air coming in. Even using a thermal sensor, it was very efficient. I'm not seeing any leaks on the exterior walls. The three weak spots are - my hallway has an attic fan and the other hallway has the attic stair pull down. The fan area seems to be letting heat pass through, but not as bad as the flaps are closed. The crawl space has no insulation, but I can't see that being a big factor in the winter months as heat rises.

Majority of lighting in the house uses LED. I have a few CFLs but they are hallway lighting and set on a 1 minute timer.

Water heater is in the conditioned area of my house. Only the water pump is in the crawl space.

Other than possibly insulating the crawl space and sealing up the attic entrance better, I can't see how much more I can seal up the inside of the house.

What else can I do to with the house to be more efficient? Is it worth investing in a standard HVAC system?

Kansas City Metro Area

Last bill:

Avg Temp - mid 60s
2701 kWh Used = $231.92
Customer Charge = 10.71
ECA 64.76
ECA 1.91
EER 0.43
PTS 2.48
Taxes 23.92
Surge Protection 8.83

(Edited for more information)

Upon replacing my air filter, I noticed some warm air in the air handler. My strip heat was stuck on causing the problem the entire time. Company is replacing the circuit board.


When should I consider using Plastic Round Cap Roofing Nails? I'm getting ready to shingle a roof for a shed/outdoor office and I'm confused on if/when I should use plastic round cap roofing nails:

I haven't seen these used in any instructions (including the instructions that came with my shingles) or videos.  Are these nails a gimmick?  Or are there clear advantages to using them?

Those nails are used only for holding down the roofing underlayment. They excel at doing so whether it be old school tar paper, or the newer more durable, hi tech roof underlayments.


Halftone tile pattern for floor Halftone and op-art caught my eye, and a local opportunity could provide a good source for a tile project. It would comprise two different colors of tiles, with identical size and dimensions.

The halftone pattern would be made by cutting corresponding tiles to make a new whole, i.e. 20/80, 30/70, 50/50, 70/30, 80/20. For example, pretend that each [bracketed] group below represents a compound tile, made from fractions of cut tiles.

[00000+] [0000++] [000+++] [00++++] [0+++++]

these examples show related effects

https://www.123rf.com/photo_45319621_stock-vector-vector-tiles-pattern-abstract-gradient-op-art-seamless-monochrome-background-with-rhombus.html

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/550987335644152321/

The cuts can be made horizontally or diagonally at varied angles, as long as the bisecting line passes across the entire width of each tile. This will leave a uniform space for grout in every possible ratio of tile fractions, and provide a uniform size of each compound tile.

The floor would be installed in a bathroom of a house where I live. However, I might rent the space some day, and don't want to install anything that would spoil a deal for a potential tenant. DAE know an example of halftoning done tastefully, without looking garish or odd? Selecting two tile colors that don’t substantially differ from one another might tone down the effect, and make a subtle transition from one color to the other.

This project demands many cuts, careful attention and much time, so I don’t want to begin unless I have a better idea of how well it might go.

Tl; dr – how can I properly do a halftone tile project, so I can avoid a noisy eyesore that will repel tenants and require expensive rework?

the project turned out OK with a transition from light gray to white. the 90 cuts took some time, but went faster once I developed a technique.

finished grid