What is the stainless steel baseboard in a walk-in cooler/freezer? Trying to identify this base molding that I want to match in a walk-in cooler at a supermarket.  It is missing from a few sections of the cooler and needs to be installed.

Is this anything special, part of the walk-in assembly kit, or just a piece of stainless steel that someone cut to place at the base to pass inspection?!

It looks like galvanized steel to me. It  probably came with the walk-in panels from the manufacturer.

You can get small pieces of galvanize steel at your home center,  I don’t know what application you are going to use it for but you could try looking in the roofing flashing department of the store for longer pieces.

Or  you can get any size  and Gauge you like at a steel supply house.


What size GFCI and receptacles on 20A circuit? I am adding a string (5-6) of receptacles to an existing 20A circuit in my basement that currently has just one 15A duplex receptacle on it (with 12/2 Romex).  I am planning to replace the existing receptacle with a GFCI and install other receptacles downstream (with 12/2 Romex) from the Load side of the GFCI.

Should I use a 20A GFCI?
Is there any reason not to use 20A receptacles (apart from the cost vs. 15A)?  Any reason not to install a single 20A receptacle (for a future air compressor or something), and the rest 15A?

The other circuits running outlets in my house are 20A and use 15A receptacles.

If you don't plan on using any 20 ampere cord-and-plug devices, there is no reason to install 20 ampere rated receptacles. Circuits rated for 20 amperes are useful in the home, because they can support more devices. 20 ampere receptacles are often not advantageous, except possibly in a workshop or garage.


Flat roof membrane not welded at edge of each layer, need help The roofing company I hired finished applying Polyfresko bitumen on my garage, and instead of welding the beginning and end of new layers at the edges, they overlapped one layer over another by about 6 inches, resulting in a “hump” of overlapping layers.

Is this normal? I thought the membrane would be completely flat. First example:

The overlap can be seen from the driveway:

Where one sheet ends, they overlapped the new sheet by about 6 inches instead of welding at the edge of the sheet:

No, it’s not normal for the edges to be loose.

Poly glass is a self sealing modified bitumen roofing product. See here:

http://www.polyglass.com/public/COM/products/POLYFRESKO_G_SA.pdf

As you can see in Item #6 of the installation instructions, the seams are to be lapped 6” and side lapped 4”.

I think it’s installed correctly.

If there are loose edges you could have leaks, blow-off, etc. AND your warranty is void.


How do I remove plastic shelving molly clips? I have some closet shelving clips I need to remove to paint a wall. The problem is that they are molly bolts. These are the exact clips/mollys.

The question is similar to this one, but in my case, I am dealing with molly bolts, instead of simple wall anchors, and they are plastic which have become hardened/stubborn over time (they are less pliable). With a good amount of fanagaling I can rip them out of the wall, but that makes the hole bigger, almost rendering (or actually rendering) the clip usless unless I patch the drywall to reuse the clips. Is there any way I can "uncompress" the molly bolts, so that I can slide them out more easily with less damage to the wall?

Most sites/videos on the matter, suggest simply cutting off the molly bolt head and pushing it into the wall but in this case its a shelving clip that I want to reuse so I cant cut it. I saw a youtube video on the subject, where they suggest inserting a small screwdriver into the screw hole and banging with a hammer to decompress it, but because these are plastic and not metal, the molly bolt does not want to "uncompress", it just "bounces" when you try to hit it out.

Leave it in place, use masking tape, paint around it....


Filling in a small ditch I have a small ditch that I dug to route some water. It turns out that it does not work, so I was wanting to fill it back in. The ditch is about a foot deep in some places. Can I compact new topsoil with a large block of wood and a sledge hammer?

If your available tools include a sledgehammer, just use that, held vertically, head down, pick it up and drop it, repeatedly, every 2 or 3 inches of soil fill (you cannot effectively tamp thicker layers of soil with hand tools.)

Forget the wood block.


How do I correct free-standing deck moving away from home? I have what is primarily a free-standing deck (18x22) in the back of my house.  I say "primarily" because I did nail into the ledger board underneath my glass sliding door, but only there.  The rest of the deck is floating and I did this only to ensure the deck was flush with the house.

The deck has been up for about 7 years, but recently it is begun to move away from the house a bit, by about an inch or two.  The board underneath my glass sliding door (that was there before the deck was installed and that I nailed onto) is now pulling away with my deck.  One of the main support beam for the deck that rests about a foot from the house has begun to tilt as well.

My question is, how should I best correct this before it becomes a major problem?

I would add that I think more recently (past year or two), the ground became soft due to some of the dirt around the footings settling, and allowing water to pool there and soak into the ground.  I've since corrected that.

My thought was to use lag bolts through the siding and to the rim joist of the house over the full 22 foot length, to prevent any further movement away from the house, and possibly trying to "pull" it back to the house with some external leverage.  Of course the deck isn't small, so I thought maybe a few turns of the lag bolts every week or so from inside the house might help  bring it in.

There is siding between the rim joist and the deck (and probably about 3 inches space between the deck joist and house rim joist), so I would drill right through the siding and then caulk it to prevent moisture going behind the siding.

Is this ridiculous, or am I on the right track?  Any assistance or suggestions are appreciated!

This is one of the reasons free standing decks are not a good alternative to a deck that has been engineered, permitted and structurally connected to the house.

Using the house to fix what is, essentially, a foundation problem with the deck will not necessarily go well.  It is not likely that all parts of the deck moved away from the house equally (structures don't usually "slide" around.)  It is more likely one side has dropped opening a gap on the house side.  This is common, and can usually be fixed by jacking the outside edge back to its original position.

Worse case you will need dismantle and rebuild the deck, sitting it on proper foundations constructed below the front line, and anchoring it to the home's rim joint.


Adding an outlet in a water heater closet I have a closet in my garage which currently contains my water shutoff valve and a natural gas water heater.  I'm planning on adding a whole-house water filter that requires a little bit of power (36w max) so I put a GFCI outlet in the closet and ran 12/2 NM cable up into the attic.  Now, there's a closet on the other side of the wall where my outlet is that contains two power circuits, but they're used for a different purpose (media closet) so I was planning on tying into a outlet in the attic that's off of the branch circuit marked "garage" on my breaker box.  Does this make the most logical sense?  It's a bit more work but it seems the most logically consistent to me.  My garage is supposedly GFCI protected as well, but I can't be 100% sure since I don't have a wiring diagram, hence why I added another GFCI outlet in the circuit.  Am I off in my thinking on this?  Edit: I also put the outlet maybe 3-4 feet off the ground just to add in a safety margin for the natural gas, in case there's a leak.

For a load so small as < 50 watts, I wouldn't worry about what circuit I was adding it to.  I'd recommend using the closest one easily accessible.

Before spending the money to buy a GFCI outlet, I'd check to see if the location I'm tapping into was already GFCI protected.  There are GFCI testers out there, and I'd recommend using one if you have one.  If not, use a small incandescent lamp that you can switch on and off without touching any metalwork of the lamp; and a discarded grounded (3-prong) plug.  Turn the lamp off and temporarily connect the two prongs of the lamp to the ground and hot wires of the 3-prong plug.

Plug it in to the source outlet and briefly turn it on and off.  That will safely trip its GFCI protection if it has GFCI protection.  Probably quickly enough that you won't even see the lamp light up.  If the lamp lights up, then your source isn't gfci protected and it's worth the money to use a GFCI outlet.  I'd recommend adding that outlet in a position as near the circuit breaker panel as possible to get the best utilization of it though.  So replace the most upstream outlet and use the one you pulled out of the wall, in the new location.

Put the outlet at a height that is convenient and accessible.  The risk with a gas leak is if there is a spark and that spark occurs in an area of atmosphere with the proper mixture of gas and oxygen for ignition.  A plug in an outlet is't going to make sparks just sitting there.  It's only a risk when plugging and unplugging.


Do I need basement window wells? We live in a bi level house. The basement windows are about 2 inches above ground level, and plenty big enough to escape out of in an emergency. They let in plenty of light, and we have never had a problem with leaking. Why would I need a window well? My husband seems to think we need them.  ( Lived here for 8 years no problems). I've tried to add a pic. But it doesn't seem to work

If your windows have any amount of wood as part of their construction, the grade in my opinion should 8" or more below the sill, the lowest part of the window. If they are protected from the weather, all the better for where they are now, but the moisture that will always be present in the ground will eventually effect the window structure. A picture, if you can get a link posted can be added to the post by a member.

A window should last decades or longer with occasional proper maintenance. In your situation the maintenance may need to be more often. I would give the window a close look to see if there are any hairline cracks in the paint. They will appear only on close inspection.

If you do go with the window well, dig it in so the top is a few inches above grade, and place gravel inside to give any water a place to go. A 12" deep one should do what you need. Of course, you can go with an 18" too if you choose to get more clearance to the sill and more gravel in the bottom.


mounting a hand held shower bracket to drywall I need to mount a vertical rod that will hold a handheld shower head.  There are two brackets.

The lower one will go into the fiberglass shower stall.  No sheet rock behind it, no stud.
The water pipes are in the way to install a horizonal 2 x 4 between studs.  I plan on using adhesive to glues a 12" square of 3/4 ply to the back of the shower stall and then use toggle bolts there.

The upper on has to mount on drywall above the shower stall.  Same problem with not being able to install a 2x4 between studs.  Could I do the same thing as the bottom?  Back the sheet rock with a large piece of 3/4 ply?

Other solutions?

Your idea is pretty good; however, I'd be concerned about the load on the fiberglass wall.

Try to get a sideways piece of 2x6 or 2x8 between the studs. If the pipes are in the way, you'll have to notch them a little. (Probably the easiest method is to set a partial depth on a circular saw, cut a couple of kerfs and lever the waste out with a chisel or even a sturdy flat blade screwdriver.)

If the pipes are too close to the plane of the wall and you can't connect one side of the 2x8 to the stud, then you could run an upright partial stud (also on the flat) from the plate to the 2x8s.


Can I branch from a water heater's supply and output lines for a utility sink? I'm adding a utility sink to our garage. The water heater is a few feet away, so the cold supply line comes out of the adjacent crawl space, heads up the wall to the heater, the hot water leaves and heads back to the crawl space.

Is there any reason I can't use these lines to supply the utility sink? SharkBite connectors to PEX, run along the wall to the sink?

In the attached picture, you can see the supply & output lines to the heater. I'd tee off of them, run PEX behind the HVAC unit to a sink in the corner.

You should be fine. Take the cold water off of the line coming into your hot water heater, and the hot off of the line coming out.  Do this by placing T joints in the line.  I do suggest that you put turnoff valves in the lines from your heater.  This will let your house have water again while you're still connecting your utility sink.


What type of foundation is best in an area with silt loam soil, cold climate, and high water table? I'm in the initial stages of planing a structure build, I say structure because what I'm really looking to build is an off grid ( no running water or sewer for staters ) vacation cabin on apiece of property I have. It's in farm country and I want it to bland in with the surroundings so I'm thinking of going barn style. I'm also interested in a post an beam type construction, or perhaps some post and beam hybrid.

The property is slightly sloped, and in the spring is quite wet, as the water table is not far below the surface. In addition it's in zone 6 so it gets quite cold in the winter. According the soil survey, the soil is "ontiora silt loam" but it seems to me that the soil probably has a bit higher clay content then that soil survey would lead one to believe.

Some of the neighbors build on peer foundations, but had some issues because of heaving ( perhaps they did not go deep enough ). I'm looking for some recommendations on what type of foundation to build on, I'm contemplating some type of radiant heat floor that is driven by passive solar ( just to keep the space above freezing ) and then supplemented by a wood or pellet stove. I've read about slab foundations, but I've also read about Raft foundations, although the material cost seems significantly more.

Cost is a factor, but I'm going to try and do as much of the prep work my self as possible, so if it comes down to material costs of a few 1000 here or there, I would rather go with the better option.

You have several foundation issues to consider: 1) deep enough to eliminate frost/thaw heaving, 2) deep enough to insure stability, 3) deep enough to resist seismic activity,

1) There are lots of charts that will tell you the minimum depth required to reach the frost line. A slab on grade is NOT acceptable, unless it’s structural and tied to a “deep” structural foundation system.

2) In order to find stable soil, you’ll need to go very deep. (Where I live we use piles or piers and go 70’ deep.) We use a geotechnical report performed by a geotechnical engineer. They drill over 100’ deep and take samples. Those samples are analyzed and they produce a report that allows us to recommend the correct foundation.

3) If you live in a seismically active area, you’ll need to consider a “deep” foundation system too. If so, you’ll need an architect or structural (not civil) engineer.

Your neighbors that build on piers, but still have problems, probably did not account for axial load and it settled rather than heaved.

Depending on your soil conditions, you may need DRIVEN piles rather than POURED piles (piers). I’d talk to a local pile driving company and see what their costs are for various pile and pier foundation systems.

Also, because you mention fluctuation in water-table, you’ll need to account for insect infestation.


Can you wire a 30A 2P standard circuit breaker "downstream" from a 60A GFCI 2p circuit breaker? Will this still provide GFCI protection?  Is this against code?  Does this represent a hazard?

I have a subpanel with a 60A GFCI circuit breaker, that I want to use that to feed to 2 30a 240v receptacles.  I'm looking to have GFCI protection on the lines, but also make sure the lines are protected for their rating.

This will work fine. The GFI protection is on the feeder side so everything downstream will be protected.

Out of curiosity, why the need for GFCI protection?


DIY cold room ventilation I live in Southwestern Ontario (seasonal temps of around -5°c in the winter, around 30°c in the summer) and I would like to build a cold room in my basement.

The basement is unfinished with poured concrete walls, concrete floor and standard North American layout joists (18" apart) in the ceiling.

I will be framing with some insulation, and plan to use foam board to cover the ceiling.

My question is regarding the ventilation: My research shows that I should have two vents, one pulling cool air from the outside running down to around floor level, and one vent to the outside for warmer air to leave.

This makes perfect sense in the winter, however in the summer this would lead to warm air (around 30°c) being pulled into the cold room.

Is there a solution to this besides using some kind of a/c unit?

It really depends on what you want to store in it. If you are storing dry goods and don't need fresh air you would close of the damper in the summer. You can also control the temperature in the winter with a computer fan connected to a thermostat. If you are planning on curing meat, it's a lot more tricky.
Lowering the temperature in the summer depends on where the cold room is. If it's under the veranda keep it shaded and on extremely hot days soak it with water on top. As the water evaporates it will have a cooling effect on the concrete slab. It's effective and old Italian men sware by it. I've set up a couple passive meat curing cold rooms but it takes a lot of tinkering to keep a passive system within peramaters.
You could try this
I know a guy who ran the cold water from his water meter into his cold room based on me making a joke and he did it anyway and says it worked. He just hung a coil of copper and plumbed the cold in one side and out the other back to the original connection.
It went somewhat like this

Sorry for the crude drawing
I'm from Toronto so I know the temperature swings season to season all to well, and plus I'm an HVAC tech.


Low light illumination on ceiling fan I have a 15 yr old Hampton Bay ceiling fan with light fixture and remote.  Worked well when we bought home for a few years but suddenly the bulbs in the 3 bulb fixture are extremely dim. The bulbs have the small screw in base and are only 60w bulbs.. I removed the light fixture and tested the 2 wires (white and black) protruding down from the ceiling fan and it showed 48v.
I know very little about electricity and voltage.  The fan works fine.  Needing some professional advice please!

There are voltage limiters in ceiling fans these are to prevent people from installing lamps that are a higher wattage than the fixture is listed for and overheating the fixture.
They were first mandated around 05 so this may be your issue.
It looks like a black square and has 2-3 wires as these fail they do get dimmer or go completely out.
I looked some up last week on amazon around 8$ for a replacement a 3 wire can replace a 2 wire but you have to connect the white to the neutral the 2wire is a direct replacement if you have a 2 wire but both are available the 3 wire last longer.


Glass table supporting 12 gallon aquarium I just recently setup an aquarium I had on this long glass table with dimensions of 54 x 18 inches. The glass is about a half inch thick.

My 12 gallon tank I would estimate filled at around 200 lbs. I am worried about the glass being able to support the tank.

As a precaution, I just ordered another 52 x 16 tempered piece of glass at 1/4 inch thick. I ordered it slightly smaller since the original piece has angeled edges, and I wanted it to be flush so I subtracted the angled bit from each side.

Should I worry about this amount of weight? Once i add this second piece on top, will that remedy any concern? It looks like it may be bowing every so slightly, but it could just be in my head.

According to the tabletop glass load calculator found here, and to my slight surprise, this table top can hold about 400 pounds.

I certainly wouldn't jump up and down on it, and any scratches might compromise it to some extent.

I told the calculator the glass is tempered, 1/2" thick, 18" x 54" with supports spaced 4 feet apart. Make sure you know the glass is tempered, not annealed. If it's annealed glass, it'll hold about 100 pounds.

That 1/4" sheet you just ordered would only hold 54 pounds on its own if you swapped the sheets. If you lay it on top of the other sheet, I don't know how to calculate how much stronger that will make the table, although it certainly will add to the load the other sheet is holding up. Maybe somebody else has some expertise in the benefits (if any) of gluing (laminating) two sheets of glass like that together.


Garage door trolley no longer attached The trolley on our garage door is no longer attached to the garage door opener track (with the operator) and the arm is hanging loose. I wasn't there when the trolley fell off the track, but was told that the trolley was disconnected from the operator and fell off when the garage door was lifted up.

From my research this doesn't seem to be a common issue. What could
cause this? I don't see any obvious damage to the trolley, but can
post additional pictures if need be.

Does this mean the trolley needs to be replaced?

How can I reattach the trolley? I don't see an easy
way to slip it over the track, so it seems like the only options are
taking the trolley apart and putting it back together once it's back
in place or taking the track down and then slipping the trolley
over.

--- Edit(s) ---
Current state of the door

Picture of the trolley

I fixed this issue by calling our neighbor, who realized that the trolley was too loose and the left lip was a bit curved. We flattened the lip (with a hammer) and then squeezed it along the other axis (v-shaped cut) using a vice. We then slipped the trolley back on and it worked without any issues.
Note: When squeezing the trolley to get a tighter v-shape, the metal is rather springy. You need to tighten the vice quite a bit to get it to deform the right amount.


What style notched trowel should I use to lay 6"x24" ceramic on a shower wall? I inherited a 3/8" square notched trowel and a 3/16" v-notched trowel.

Which is the correct for laying down a coat of thin-set prior to attaching 6" x 24" tile to a wall?
When is the correct time to use either trowel?

Most tile manufacturers will have a specific trowel recommendation for their tile. It may not be either of the ones you own. In that case you'll buy another one. In any case, it is normally clearly stated in the installation instructions for the tile. The size and shape of the notches affects both the total amount of thinset (so a 3/8 X 3/8 X 3/8 notched trowel lays down an amount of thinset that would be 3/16" thick if flattened completely) and the way that the ridged thinset interacts with the tile as it is placed (V's have a bit more give than square-notches as the tile is embedded.)

Read and follow the tile manufacturer's installation instructions.


Should I reroute my condensate line to prevent freezing? During the recent cold snap in the NorthEast we had the drain line from our condenser pump (High Effeciency Furnace) freeze (Just the last inch or so which plugged it) and that meant lots of water inside. There are no drains on that end of the finished basement and running it the 60+ feet to the washing machine isn't really an option.

It is currently run with the air conditioning lines and sticks out 6-8 inches from the wall (the plastic stops at the wall and then it runs into a copper line that is insulated).

Someone mentioned it should actually run next to the exhaust from the furnace that is always warm when running. It would be relatively easy to do but I am always cautious when exhaust gases are involved. The exhaust is a few feet around the corner from the air conditioning unit.

The PVC exhaust vent is probably around 3 feet about ground level.

With my furnace, I diverted the drain line into a 5 gallon bucket which I used to flush toilets.  You could install a wye and a valve or two to make the condensate drain into a bucket inside the house on the coldest days. This may be a little too high efficiency, Worked for me.  The tricky part is remembering to check the bucket.


How to fix A0 error code of a Daikin split system air conditioner When I tried to turn on my split system AC today, the indicator light just kept blinking and the air conditioning was not on.

Here is the error code as displayed on the remote

According to what I found on Daikin, the Error conditions decision is When an open circuit occurs between external input terminals with the remote controller set to
"external ON/OFF terminal".

I have no idea what it means.

I suspect it is related to some recent severe storms in my local area (Sydney, Australia).

I tried to switch the circuit breakers on and off but it has no effect (Blue ones in the following picture)

Would it help if I toggle the main isolator? I do not know how to toggle the switch though.

The model no of the unit is: FTXS35GVMA.

To fix it, I need to turn off the blue switches above (the circuit breaker) for at least 3 minute and then turn it back on. The indoor unit resets itself after this and is functioning again.


Is this efflorescence? Is this efflorescence or something else? As you can see I used a power washer on a few bricks and it came off but I am currently looking into what kind of acid I can used to clean the bricks

Thanks

Is this solid masonry or is it a "Thin Brick" system?

Due to the uniformity of the appearance, that does not look like Efflorescence to me.  It looks more like some sort of surface treatment added to the brick during the firing process or an acid treatment. These bricks have similar appearance...

http://www.glengery.com/brick-products/view-brick-products/item/1415186-bayhill-thin
http://www.glengery.com/brick-products/view-brick-products/item/16-cherry-lane

I'm not sure what you are trying to clean.  My suspicion is you've power washed the intended finish off of the surface of the brick.  I would do some homework...

Can you find the product literature for the brick by contacting the
builder?
Contact a local sales representative from a major brick
supplier (the Belden Brick Company or Glen Gery for example) and ask
for input - they should be able to tell you exactly what the brick
is, what it's supposed to look like, and how to treat it.

Try to find out what it's supposed to look like and how the manufacturer recommends you clean it before trying to treat it.  And i would choose a more discreet test location next time.


Why does this switch throw the breaker when turned on? I volunteered to help a friend with an electrical problem she was having - two of the receptacles in her bedroom did not work.
   All the receptacles that I looked at had two black wires and two white wires, which I interpret as they are all in the middle of a run.  The wires in all the receptacles used the "push-in" connections rather than screw-down connections, and some had come loose.   I replaced one of the receptacles as the push-in connectors didn't seem to grab any more.   At this point, the receptacles still didn't work.
   Next I went to a working receptacle in the bedroom and found the same problem, with evidence of arcing on one of the black wires.   I replaced this receptacle and, Ta-Dah!, all receptacles in the bedroom worked.

Now comes the problem.   There is also a switch on the wall that always appeared to do nothing.   I was assuming that the switch controlled one/both of the non-working receptacles, but after my fix all the receptacles worked while the switch was in the off position.   Plus, when the door is opened, the switch is behind the door;  if it was intended to turn on a room light (there is no ceiling fixture), then it should probably be on the other side of the door.
   Finally, when I turn the switch on, the circuit breaker trips.  This is the same circuit breaker that controls the outlets in the room.   The light switch is single-pole, and appears to be the end of a switch loop - the black wire goes to one side of the switch, and the white wire goes to the other side of the switch.   The only other wire in that box is the ground, which is attached to the box itself.

Maybe there used to be a light fixture, and it was wire-nutted together and plastered over?
   How can I trace the wires through the walls?   I suppose I could simply disconnect and wire-nut (separately) the offending wires in the light switch, but I'd like to get it all set up correctly.

If your hypothesis is correct, which it most likely is, that the switch controls one of the outlets, then the extra pair of wires in that outlet have to do with the switch. Either they provide a separate loop to control just one half of the outlet (some switched outlets are like that: a switch just controls one of the receptacles out of the pair). Or else the extra wires are meant to be in series with the outlet, going out to the switch.

It sounds as if you miswired it so that the switch hookup is in parallel with a receptacle's hot and neutral (thinking that it's a daisy chain connection to the next outlet).

When you do that, guess what happens. Everything works when the switch is open, and when you close it, it short circuits.

A half-switched outlet, if that's what your friend has, normally requires three connections (not including ground). Two wires will come from the breaker, and two from the switch giving you four. This means two of them get connected together. How this happens is that the switch receives hot, and so it screwed to the same terminal as hot, or otherwise spliced to hot. The return wire from the switch feeds the secondary hot that controls the switched part of the receptacle.

The best way to proceed here is to turn the power off at the breaker and verify continuities: in particular, which pair of wires corresponds to the switch. With the power on, you should also check that you haven't wired any outlet with the opposite polarity: neutral being hot and vice versa.


Slow dripping pipe freeze? I just noticed that our outside faucet is very slowly dripping and I can't shut it completely off.

Video of drip

We have a hard freeze happening tomorrow. Should I be overly concerned?

Thanks!

Since you said "hard freeze", I'm guessing your from an area where it normally doesn't get below freezing.  If this is the case, and the cold temperatures aren't going to last more than a day or two. You likely won't have any problems, since the heat from the home should keep the water above freezing (assuming the plumbing is in conditioned space, before going outside).

If you have a shutoff for that faucet inside the house, I'd definitely close that one and open the outdoor faucet.

If the freeze is going to last a few days, you could open the faucet a bit to allow the water to trickle.  Moving water tends to not freeze as quickly, so letting it run could prevent it from freezing.

There are also insulated hose bib covers available, which can be installed to prevent freezing. Since your bib is leaking, this may or may not work.


How to remove the wall plate behind Honeywell thermostat I'm trying to install a smart thermostat. I have a Honeywell programmable thermostat now. However, I found that there's a wall plate in back of the back plate, and it's secured to the wall (not by screws) and I don't know how to remove it.

I tried to search on Google and YouTube, but I didn't find anyone who has the same problem. I'm guessing this is a non-typical setup?

Any idea about how to remove this wall plate?

The back plate was meant to be held on by screws into the plastic anchors visible on one of the photos.

If the screws are out and the plate is still attached to the wall, it is likely that paint or compound are holding it on.

Try scoring around the edges with a utility knife, then slipping a putty/taping knife behind the plate and prying it off. There may be some minor cosmetic damage to the drywall or paint.


Carport post base connector - screws or bolts? So I plan on using the Simpson Strong-Tie Model PBS44AZ post base. Further below are picture of what the base looks like.

They recommend installing as follows: Install with 16d common nails, #10 x 1-1/2 in. Strong-Drive SD screws or 1/2 in. diameter machine bolts

I will be using 5 of these with the 5 pressure treated posts that need replacing. The other side of the carport is attached to the house.

I plan on using either  Strong-Drive SD screws or 1/2 in. diameter machine bolts. Which would you recommend?

Also do these seem rust resistance enough, I hope they will last 40 years?

Well I found a table to the allowable loads here, and it doesn't seem to matter which way they are fastened as long as it used one of the methods per the instructions. I am going to use the Strong-Drive SD screws as they seem to be the easiest to use.


What should the input pressure be for a hydronic system? I have a boiler that's operating range is 12 to 30psi.The documentation says that it loses "efficiency" at the low end of of the operational pressure range. When looking at pressure reducing valves typical preset valves are 50 or 15 psi. My thoughts are if you reached an over pressure situation and the system vented back down to 30, it would have to cool off and drop back down to the inlet pressure to start to refill the system. In that case 15 seems like it could take a while for the system to adjust for the venting. On the other hand a 50psi valve can be adjusted down to 25, but operating 5 psi below max by default seems like a mistake. What should be considered when selecting the correct valve?

I doubt that the 50 PSI pressure reducing valve is for boiler service. It is most likely to be used as a domestic water reducing valve. Boiler PRV's are all pre set to 12PSIG. That said, the boiler pressure should have a cold fill pressure setting is high enough to hold a column of water up to the top of the highest radiator. You can calculate that pressure by multiplying the height in feet from from the boiler pressure gauge to the highest radiator and multiplying the dimension in feet by .433. So for example, if the height of the highest rad is 25 feet then (25 X .433 = 10.825) the minimum boiler pressure setting. Then you add a lb or two for the minimum setting. Round up the 10.825 to 11 and add 2 psi for a cold setting of 13PSI.
Most residential boilers are rated at a maximum working pressure of 30 PSIG. Then the relief valve, sometimes called a safety valve, is set for the 30 PSI maximum .  Increasing the pressure above the cold fill setting does not affect the boilers efficiency. The pressure is just to make sure that the water level is held up to the highest radiator that is all it does.
Now, I am not trying to insult you but your question/explanation makes almost no sense in regard to boiler operation with over pressure, venting, cooling down, etc. Before you go any further, look up on U tube or other forum for how a hot water system operates.


What hose bib to use? I need to replace this hose bib. The guy at HD said I need a 1/2 inch hose bib with a female end.

I think I need one that needs to be sweated in, not female.  I say that because the adapter it connects to, it is perfectly round.  The 3/4 -> 1/2 inch male adapters I saw were not round on the outside, they had similar wrench-grip (six sided) like the hose bib has.
Who is correct?
If I am correct, I think I'm going to remove the adapter itself and replace with a 3/4->1/2 inch male adapter, and buy a 1/2" hose bib with female end.
Does this sound right?

I would repair the valve assembly less than a dollar for the seat and some valve packing.
If you want to replace it it is a sweated fitting standard 1/2 nipple goes on the inside of the fitting for 1/2” and 3/4 goes on the outside of the fitting or that is the style I purchase under 10$
Edit
I looked up the style I use 1/2”. 3/4” brass SWT x mHT no kink hose bib $7.97 at home desperate.


Best way to add p-trap under my kitchen sink when drain goes down into slab I just bought a 1980's condo, and there is no p-trap under the kitchen sink.  The drain is down into the slab.  It's a 50/50 sink with a disposal on the left.  Is a p-trap still needed with this vertical drain?  Thank you.

If there is already a trap underground, you won't need a trap under the sink - indeed if you added one, you will have major problems with draining with a double-trapped setup.


C wire possible for Nest thermostat? I have a Nest Learning thermostat. Recently, it has caused a clicking sound to emanate from the furnace area whenever the system is powered off. I've determined this is due to the thermostat drawing insufficient power through the W1/Rc wires that it uses (2 wire heating-only system). Nest technical support recommends connecting a C wire, although I am also investigating if this is a possible battery issue. We are running our system for 1-2 hours a day, and our electrical parameters on the Nest device are all within the ranges recommended here: https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9241211?hl=en#zippy=%2Cpower
As I'm seeing a lot of recommendations to connect a C wire regardless for smart thermostats, I'd like to see if that is possible in my system. I do have 5 wires pulled through. I have taken pictures of the thermostat wires, along with the control board setup: https://photos.app.goo.gl/6zJfUfQsRQ2cDoTq6
Can anybody tell me if there is some way I could connect the loose blue or yellow wires to the board so that either one could function as a C wire?

I'd get a "piggyback" crimp connector and use that to land the common C wire on the C terminal
Given that your board does not supply outgoing C terminals, we have only one sane place to tap C left, and that's at the terminal where it comes into the board from the transformer.  However, we still need to be able to connect the incoming C wire to that terminal, so you'll need to use a ¼" "piggyback" crimp terminal rated for 18AWG wire crimped onto the end of the common C wire in your panel to leave room to land the C wire from the transformer (it'll look like the one shown below):


What should I consider when designing a simple bookcase that will be built without power tools? I'd like to build a bookcase using pine (or meranti) planks of dimension 22mm/220mm/3m that my local hardware store stocks. They offer the service of cutting to length, but I have no power tools (well, maybe a drill and countersink bit), so will have to have it all cut beforehand.

What should I consider when designing it, in particular:

joint type
stiffening the shelves in the middle
allowing for unusual dimensions such as wide and low
I'd prefer something with interesting look

A design I can look at and alter would be the ideal solution

The solution when I was in college was to use cinder blocks as the uprights. No tools at all required. This is a long time ago granted, but I believe gravity has not changed much. Cheap and common, cinder blocks are about 8 inches square by 16 long. Two stacked for each end of a shelf makes room for common book sizes. We would call 22 mm 3/4inch here and I would comfortably make a four foot shelf for books without worrying about bracing provided it is solid wood, which it sounds like it is. The advantage of the cinder block approach is ready availability and quick installation. It is not pretty, though, you would have to call it utilitarian, which went well with the wire spool table and orange crate record storage. This is, or was, a common approach to furnishing your first apartment in the States. They do make cinder blocks in 8 inch cubes also if your shelves are narrower.


Had to shim my double top plate -- how should I secure the trusses? I am building a new detached garage, and one corner of the footing was about 1.5" low. To address this, I installed shims between the two top plates, as shown below. The size of the shim increases from left to right to make up the space. This way, the final height is level all the way around the building.

Now I need to secure the trusses to the top plate. For all the other trusses, I was able to use uplift screws from inside.

For the four trusses shown, I installed the screws from above -- otherwise they would not have been long enough to grab the truss. The manufacturer's documentation (pdf) indicates this is allowable:

Is this sufficient? Do I also need to connect down to the plate below? How?

Does the sheathing connect to the top plate securely? If not, because of the shims, you will need to run screws from below through the lower top plate. You could use long hurricane clips instead.

Photo courtesy HD Supply

I have seen long screws run through both plates from below, just like you have from the top, just run them in.


What do I need to do to finish this outside-door install properly? A new steel door was installed to our unfinished garage but I am not satisfied with how it currently looks. The previous door had trim covering the gap between the siding and the door, as well as the bottom between the riser and the concrete pad.

Is this what is typically done? or is there a better approach to take to this?

Normally at that point there would be a capping trim fitted and job done, though maybe more filler should be added.


Is there a better way to join two corrugated pipes? I've got two pipes from my dishwasher underneath my sink that are for the water that drains out of it. The pipe join has recently started leaking. The join is shown in the picture below and my question is, is there a better way or a better fitting to do the pipe join?

In The Old Dart, extension kits typically include a suitable joining pipe and Jubilee-clips (rather than spring clips)

You can buy the connector separately (e.g.)


Unlinking outlet from the switch I have a dimmer switch which is also controlling the outlet. Now when I dim the light and something is plugged in the outlet my ceiling lights start flickering. I want to make my outlet always hot.
Attached are the pictures of wiring.

This is easy

Fortunately, it appears that always-hot is present at the receptacle location in your case, so fixing the daftness the prior installers pulled (NEC 404.14(E) prohibits dimming general-purpose receptacles if nothing else does, for reasons that range from mere flickery lights to appliances that express their displeasure at being dimmed by getting rather...hot under the collar) is no great challenge for you.

Simply remove all the wires from the receptacle, attach a white pigtail (12AWG stranded THHN always works for pigtails in general wiring if you don't know what to get) to the existing white wires with a suitable wirenut, use another wirenut to attach the black and red wires that went to the receptacle together, undo the taped splice of the two black wires, use another wirenut and a black pigtail to pigtail off of that, and wire up the receptacle with the black pigtail on a brass screw, the white pigtail on a silver screw, and the bare ground pigtail on the green screw.  Button everything back up, turn the power back on, and enjoy your now not-so-dim receptacle!


Turning off the Sprinkler system There is a leak in one of the sprinkler system pipes in my yard.  I have shut off the electric controller but still leaking.  This irrigation system is running of of our well. Located a couple of manholes where some of the in ground controls are housed.  But all those seem to be electric and I do not see any shut-off valve.  Should I be looking for another man-hole close to well head? is there anyway to shut the whole system using those in-ground electric controls?

So consumer level sprinkler systems are pretty simple things. In your case, you'll have 1: a pump near the well to generate enough pressure within your system, 2: a timing unit that acts as the brains/clock (usually at 24V), applying a voltage to likely your pump, as well as 3: those solenoids (those cylinders at the top which actuate) and 4: the actual hardware used in the irrigation system itself.

As Tyson mentioned, most consumer setups that run off municipal water have enough head pressure to provide more than enough flow sufficient for a few acres. That pressure is there when you're tapping from your mains, so normally whoever plumbs it the new run will have a compression fitting in-line with the new piping throwing a 3/8" compression shut-off valve in-line.

If you're sourcing from a well, you don't have that sorta constant pressure (or presumably any pressure at all until your motor kicks on, unless your lands water table is real wonky and your irrigation is significantly lower than where you hit water) to deal with so odds are they said screw it and didn't pay the $15 to couple one in.

This is good news ! Assuming you're 100% sure you're getting well-water, You can likely work on that system without turning off any sort of mains off other than a pump. Ingress and egress (I'm not sure if those are the right flow terms, I'm in semiconductors professionally..) should have no back-pressure.

I can't tell by that picture where the leak is, but check all of your seals first. I'd a boatload of money if you're leaking out where the solenoid actuator is coupled to the lower assembly on the T, it's just a bad ring. They're just like bearings (all standardized in sizes/ratings/etc) so you can swap them out yourself without having to call in some schmo and have him say you have to replace the whole unit because he doesn't want to waste his time to take it apart. You'll end up paying for a whole new unit plus his labor, rather than paying $12 for a seal from those over-priced vendors like McMaster and MSC (and really, unlike bearings which have build quality variance to them - a Buna-N seal is a Buna-N seal). If you have the datasheet from the vendor, it'll tell you the sizing, materials, etc.

I'm not an electrician, it looks like that utility shaft isn't properly sealed so it's getting hit by some elements. It might be a huge pain depending on where you're sourcing your power from, but I'd definitely re-run that with exterior grade shielding, enclosed properly in a weather-resistant box. (Or completely eliminate the mains, buy an exterior enclosure and throw 8 AA's in there if 12v is the solenoid actuating level.)

Edit: To shut off that whole system, cut the three supply lines and PVC cement end-caps to them. I can't tell from the picture 100% if the flex-PVC or the hard schedule 40 is the source, but it looks like the sch.40 are all parallel so I'm guessing those are connected to a manifold which connects to the well/pump. Measure the size (just take a string and wrap it around, divide by 3.14 to get the "OD" (outer diameter). The sizings for PVC are in 1/4 inch so you don't need precision calipers to get a measurement.

Find 4 fittings of that size at your local Home Depot. Buy that, some PVC cement, a hack-saw if you need it, and some 400-ish grit sand paper to clean up the ends of all that dirt so your adhesive bonds properly. (Those are just suggestions - use what you got. RE: Adhesive. If you have some 3M DP100 or JB Weld, those will work too, I'd bet. RE: Sandpaper. 400 grit isn't necessary, if you have a wire-wheel on your angle grinder/drill/whatever you can use that, or even a dremel with a deburring tool. RE: hacksaw - PVC is soft, any cutting tool will work.) Once the ends are clear of dirt, apply adhesive, cap them off with the new fittings. Working time is in the tens of minutes, cure time is usually 24 hours for adhesives of that form.

Electrically, those motors will continue to actuate. It will be a negligible amount of power and leaving them in line won't burn your house down. If you don't know how to decommission them - I'd leave them be, because if other appliances are on the same circuit and powered in series with your sprinkler assembly, they'll stop working. The "right" way to do it would be to find the junction box/circuit/sub-circuit box that it's sourcing from and to disconnect the wiring in a proper-up-to-code-NEC way, or to call a licensed electrician.


Are soffits required over kitchen cabinets? I am remodeling my kitchen and took down all the drywall and took off all the soffits/bulkheads. I had a plumber shift the pipes up to make room for 36" cabinets. Question: do I need to frame/drywall new soffits, or can I just install the cabinets and then trim out the top of the cabinets with crown/casing to close that space (which is full of wires and PEX plumbing). Is there any any benefit to closing in that area first with 2x3 framing and drywall, and then installing the cabinets right up to it?
Update: were these soffits unnecessary?

Do I have to have soffits?

No
You can leave the mechanicals exposed. If they're hidden enough by the new, taller cabinets, nobody will know. If they're not hidden, people will know and whether you care or not is up to you.
If you're going to trim out the space above the cabinets, some sort of soffit framing will be very useful for attaching your trim and moldings to. You could, however, work out a system of attachment (possibly with pocket hole screws) that doesn't require attaching the trim to any sort of framing material, but it will probably be more work to do so than it would be to frame out with 2x2 or 2x3 and attach the trim to that.
If the soffit framing is going to be totally hidden behind wooden trim, I see no reason to drywall it. Simply build the soffit to the point where your finish trim will be at the level you want it to be then trim over it. There's no requirement for drywall between the layers of wood (or other trim material).


Can I install a GFCI outlet downstream of another GFCI outlet? I have a circuit protected by a GFC breaker and I change a regular receptacle with a GFCI receptacle and now same time I have a trip breaker, is ok or not to do this???
Details:

Main GFC breaker is for a sunhouse and the GFCI receptacle is daisy chained to a shed 100ft faraway; on the sed I have 2 fluorescent lights and 2 receptacle on the load side to GFCI.

You can daisy-chain GFCIs if you really want to.  They will still protect just fine.

But you have more annoyance dealing with trips...  because all the GFCI's will trip, and you will have to do more walking to find and reset them all.

The only way it's dangerous is: If you have put double protection on circuit A, and no protection at all on circuit B, then you are wasting resources; you could protect circuit B and you haven't.  Circuit B can still kill you.

If you put the GFCI outlet on the already-protected GFCI circuit hoping only the nearer one will trip, and save you the walk down to the service panel... well, you just wasted your money.  GFCI's do not work that way.


Is it possible to use an older GE service panel as sub panel? I'm upgrading my electrical service from 100A to 200A and am hoping to leave the existing panel as is and feed it from the new main as a sub panel. I know for a sub panel the neutral and ground bars have to be separated, but I'm not sure by looking at the existing panel (an older GE 24 breaker) whether this is possible or not. It definitely doesn't look the same as the newer panels where you just remove the one tie bar.

Any insight would be appreciated.

It looks like that panel has two grounding bars.  One on each side, mostly hidden behind insulated wires in your picture.  It also appears like the Neutral bus bar is distinct, and care was taken to keep neutrals and grounds on their separate bars.  This will save you much time.

By the looks of your picture, the panel chassis is used as part of the ground bus, which is kind of sketchy, but ok.  I would also guess the brass screw on the neutral bar doesn't have any hole to put a wire through, and touches an unpainted section of the chassis.  if so, removing it will likely separate the ground and neutral plane in that breaker cabinet.

After doing that (and testing with a multimeter that ground and neutral are separated), you should be able to run this panel as a sub off of a 100A breaker in the new panel.


What type of woodworking clamp is this? The pair of orange clamps are held onto a special mortising jig via threaded rod, the red inset image is a variation on the design but what are they called and where can you get them from?

This clamp is one type of a "Hold Down Clamp". Some types are direct bolt on clamps like this one:

Other types similar to the one that you pictured are designed to slip into the flanged head of a pin that pops up through a hole in the work bench.

Here is a picture of one in action where you can clearly see it engaging the pin coming up from the work surface. In this case notice that the work surface has an arrayed set of the attachment points.

When used on a work surface as shown above this type of clamp has a great advantage of being able to be used rotated around 360 degrees.

Be aware that this type of clamp has has dropped out of favor in more modern times and are hard to find. You could try this link or this link.

The Original Hold Down Clamp (Holdfast), tap with a mallet to set, tap with a mallet to release.


Why would one breaker trip more than another under the same load? I have three circuits in my shop, each dedicated to powering 2 duplex 110V receptacles. The circuits originate from a 100A subpanel inside the shop.

Two of the circuits are 15A, and one is 20A. Everything is wired with 12/2 MC cable with ground, and metal boxes. Each circuit is about the same length. Each circuit has a GFCI receptacle first, with a regular duplex receptacle downstream. the 15A circuits have 15A rated receptacles, the 20A circuit has 20A rated receptacles.

Funny thing is - the 20A circuit will sometimes trip using tools that might draw only 8 or 9 amps max, while I hardly ever trip the 15A circuits with the same tools, or even when using a tool that will draw 15A max (briefly, like a table saw).

What could cause this? I have a multimeter - Can it help me infer something here?

Get another 20A breaker and replace one of the 15A breakers with it.  There is a special exception in Code which allows 20A breakers to be used on  circuits where

all the wiring is 12AWG Cu or larger
There is more than one 15A socket.  That's easy; most come with two.

A 20A circuit can't feed only this.

  One of these is fine.

FYI, there's also a UL rule that 15A receptacles must be good for 20A passthru. That applies to most GFCIs too.

Now with two 20A breakers in the panel, you can experiment more and get back to us.

Also make sure the breakers actually are the same make/model as the panel -- the simple way here is to make sure your panel brand equals your breaker brand.  Wrong brands/types will seem to snap in, but don't properly mate and will arc and burn up the buses.

This isn't scamming you, we're not name-brand-obsessed, if you want to use a GM/Delco brand brake pad made for an F150 on your F150, have at.  That's just not very common with breakers.


Building Regs for 1st Floor Bathrooms We are installing a Bathroom in an existing bedroom on the first floor of a 3 bed victorian terrace.

We've heard building control have regulations regarding the double joisting or sistering of joists to spread the load when a bath is full of water.

What are the regulations?  Is it as simple as double joisting?

What is double joisting?  Is it as simple as bolting a new joist to an existing joist?  In this scenario the original joist is still taking the full load on each end that is supported by the brick wall.

Or must the new joists be supported by the  brick wall (or hung) in their own right?

Different countries, or even more specific, the localities in the US use different standard.  Even when they adopt a standard, they may use a specific year of adoption.  I suggest more detail, or contact the building officials for details on the code that they use.


Cracked grout at shower floor/wall intersections - how much do I remove? The grout where the walls and floor meet in our tile shower was deteriorating. My project for the week is removing it and sealing the shower, then replacing with silicone caulk.

One big concern I have is how much grout to remove. I've got it now where there is a nice 90 degree angle between the surfaces, whereas before it was a 45 degree slope of grout. (I'm using a handheld grout saw just for this small area.) Also, when done, should I seal the remaining grout before caulking?

Here you can see a pic of halfway through a grout line, before and after.

In some places this is the best I can do (wall and floor almost flush), in others there is still more grout. Do I just stop here? I'm worried about going to deep and hitting the wall behind or the shower pan.

Here is an example of where I'm at now.

Pretty 'rustic' finish between the wall and floor! General rule is to use silicone at every change of direction (wall to floor or wall to wall in a corner etc.) or change of material, (tile to wood or tile to glass etc.). As you said, aim for a clean square corner or 90 degrees between the floor and the wall. No need to go deeper than the surface of the tile. You'd have to go pretty hard (or be using powered tools) to hit the substrate under the tiles, so don't worry about that. Cleaning and sealing the grout (plus the tiles if they are porous) before the silicone sealant is best practice. Silicone is usually the last job (unless you're doing something silicone will not stick to).


Can a mini-widespread 3-hole sink faucet with 4-inch spread be replaced by centerset or widespread? We have bathroom sink faucets where the centers of the hot and cold handles are 4 inches apart, which means it is a mini widespread faucet. They need to be replaced. There are fewer good choices for affordable mini widespread faucets, so can they be replaced alternatively by a regular widespread or a centerset faucet instead? Centersets are made with both handles and the spout all mounted on the same flat bottom metal piece, and the sink the holes are cut into is slightly curved (see photo), however we do have another similar sink which does have a centerset faucet working fine.
Alternatively we may be interested in a widespread fixture. They typically say to use them for a range of 6 to 12 inches (sometimes explicitly saying not to use it for a 4-inch spread). But would it still work? The sink is over a cabinet, and the hoses are typically flexible, so I don't know what the reason would be that it couldn't work, but I'd like to check before ending up with an unusable faucet.
I found that according to a post on Faucet Shower Guide:

[Y]ou can replace a centerset faucet with widespread faucet. If you have proper space in the bathroom sink then do three holes for the widespread faucet and now you can easily replace the faucet. At the time of replacement measure faucet size, it is 4-inch or 8-inch. Replace it with the same so you don’t need to do any extra work for installation.

However I was confused by that and am not sure what it's saying.

The problem with a traditional widespread faucet would normally be the sheer physical size. You will probably find that the girth of the spout where it meets the deck will interfere with the handle escutcheons/trim. However, if you find one that fits there should not be a problem.
Centerset lavs are typically fine to use where a mini-widespread was installed. In fact, the mini-widespreads are a (relatively) new type of product to give consumers a more decorative option for sinks originally designed for the formerly "standard" 4" centerset lav.


How do I connect two insteon switches to this wire box? Update: I think one of the black/white cable pairs is for the thermostat. One of the neutrals/whites is not being used, and that's probably for the thermostat.

Here is a picture of my wire box that I made. I'm guessing the right is source and the two to the left are the light and the outlet that is controlled by the switch. I have two insteon switches that have a red, black, white and green/ground wire.

When I opened it up, there seemed to be a lot of extra connections/wires, so I removed two of the connections/wires. I didn't take a picture, and I don't remember how it was configured! The middle neutral wasn't used, the two blacks on the right were together, one red and one black were connected, etc. Now I just want to get to a point where I can use my switches and not have something catch on fire!

It could be worse

Copper thieves could have taken a bunch of wires, leaving you no idea how things were ever hooked up.

So you have to get your multimeter and start testing stuff, and some of this must be done hot.  Figure out which wires are your power supply.  Figure out which breaker it is on.  Bonus points if you slap a GFCI breaker there to keep you honest.  Make sure it doesn't trip before you start.

Then you have to move through each group of wires and figure out what they do.  I wouldn't throw power on any lines until I have made sure they are not a switch, by checking for resistance with switch(es) in all positions.

Hook up the grounds first, in any case.

Having a few incandescent bulbs and dollar store night lights helps a lot.

One of my most useful tools for that is an appliance cord and two wire nuts. If you have a pair that reads infinity ohms until you plug in a nightlight or install a lamp bulb, splice their hot and neutral into the cord, plug in to a supply (fed off another circuit of course) and see what else lights up.

Work through it, labeling or diagraming as you go.

It really helps if you know how to do electrical wiring.  If you don't, you won't know what you're looking at.   For instance, that 3-wire bundle black/white/red probably has something else going on.


What material should I use for a tent house like this? I'm planning to build a tent house like this in Paddy field. I'm totally new to this. I'm looking for the materials for tent. What is good recommendation for durable material for this?

Traditionally, that would be duck canvas. You'd want treated canvas designed for tents that will help with water resistance and UV protection.


Rewiring Garage, building grounds I'm rewiring my garage from in my opinion is an odd setup.
In my house panel (200A split phase) there is a 20A breaker there is a junction somewhere ( I haven't traced it out yet which branches this circuit to two. The net result is a 3 way switch for the garage lighting and an always hot circuit. I haven't quite figured out how this is done with three wires. Both circuits are run over 3 conductor overhead wiring to the garage. At the service drop, the cable is connected to two 12/2 cables. The neutral is shared, grounds are tied together and just left hanging there at the drop.

Not liking this setup at all I worked backward and wired up all the new stuff in the garage to a small secondary panel. The next step is to connect to the existing wiring, but I'm trying to figure out what the previous guy did.  The voltages to the wires coming in are strange. I'm pretty certain this is partially because they are not grounded. This brings me to my first question.

I've done lots of work inside homes but never from building to building. Since overhead cable doesn't have a ground, and neutrals and grounds are generally on the same bus within the breaker panel, this this mean I should have a grounding rod at both ends of this cable?

The other question I'm sure I can figure out. I haven't closely examined the previous guys work other than at the service drop. Since the voltages are so strange it's difficult to tell what is going on. If someone has a quick answer, I would appreciate it. Like I said the garage lighting can be controlled from my kitchen and a switch in the garage. How did they wire a three way switch in addition to a always hot switch on three wires.

The sub panel will need the ground to be separated from the neutral. The only place they are joined is inside the main breaker panel. This prevents open neutrals between the main and sub panel from sending current over the ground, and possibly electrocuting someone if a better path to ground can be found.

For the 3 way switch, I'm guessing you need to trace more wires, or you have a smart switch of some kind. You'll need to check the switches first, and then start tracing the cables on each end to see where they go. I'm guessing a second line is running just for the 3 way switch that you haven't found.


constant motor type sounds in the house For the last month, I have a vibrating sound low in volume, but strong enough to hear clearly sounding like a motor or a pump.  I turned off the power and also shut off the water, but to no avail...the sound continues.  It is so hard to sleep and ear plugs help.  I checked in the crawl space and did not hear it.  The sound is hard to locate, but may be coming from the garage.  I hear the sound in most of the home, but stronger nearer to the garage.  Right now late in night, it is really humming.  No signs of leaking pipes.  I am stumped and so wish to cut that sound out.  What to do, who to get (plumber or electrician) and how to  find the source of the sound?

According to user LCD, from How do I find out the cause of a low frequency hum in my house?, you can detect the source of the hum with a variety of methods:

  Check that others can hear the noise. Other family members, neighbors, etc.
  Make a cone listening device with something like a sheet of paper that you can hold up to your ear. This will help you to better narrow down the location that the sound is coming from.
  Use a stethoscope (you can find one pretty cheap at a drugstore), preferably with a metal head. Use this to try to further locate the source of the sound. Place the stethescope on pipes, walls, floors, radiators, vents, etc. Be careful not to come into contact with electricity as you're doing this.
  Turn off circuit breakers (individual, or the master). If the master breaker stops the hum, then use the individual breakers, one-by-one until the hum returns. If you find the circuit that the hum is on, start tracing that circuit.
  Turn off water supply (individual, or the master).

You might also consider using an app on your phone meant for monitoring audio or showing "spectrograms". This might help you to visualize the frequency of the hum.

The above listed reference also includes a variety of potential sources that are worth checking to help identify the potential source.


How do I determine the correct rise of a step for a concrete footing on a slope? Going to be building a retaining wall in the front yard on a slope. I'm going to be using King size residential bricks to make a 2 wythe wall. Because of the slope I'll need to have 3-4 steps in the concrete footing and was planning that the rise of each step would be the height of the brick plus the thickness of the mortar. Is this the correct calculation for the rise of the step?

Finally found an obscure article that confirmed my calculation is correct. The Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) defines the various sizes of blocks used in US construction. They are each given a nominal size but the actual size is slightly smaller and accounts for 3/8" mortar joints. So when building lets say a retaining wall out of 16x8x8" "cinder" blocks your step rise should be 8" which is the nominal height of the "cinder" block but the blocks actual height is 7 5/8" to allow for a standard 3/8 mortar joint.


Do cracks in softwood boards indicate structural problems? I received my terrace decking boards today. Almost all of them have fairly deep cracks on the ends and some have cracks on the face.
Should these be considered as critical damages or I should still be able to use them in my construction? The wood is Siberian larch, so very resistant to rot.
Should I expect them to get deeper with time?

Of course the splits (“checks”) will affect the performance AND strength of the wood.
Wood is a product of nature, it’s not manufactured so there will be imperfections in the wood. Wood shrinks more “across” the grain rather than than the length of the grain. So you are seeing the checks developing in each piece of wood.
Your wood is to be used for deck boards, so the material will remain outside AND will continue to shrink and split. It will not substantially affect the strength of the wood to the point that it will NEED to be replaced. However, it will become increasingly unsightly and the checks will get larger (longer and wider).


What's the best way to repair this hardwood floor damage? (Part 2) This project is quickly becoming a series on diy.SE. For more background, read the previous question.

Strip dimensions: 2.5" wide x 1/8" thick (cross section)
Videos I watched: here and here.

I'm trying to repair my water damaged hardwood floor. I've started removing the planks (which I will now begin calling "strips" because they are so thin, only 1/8" thick) individually using the hammer and chisel approach recommended in the answers to the first question.

The new information I have for this question is as follows.

The damage appears to go beyond and beneath the first layer of wood. (The planks are only about 1/8"). Should I just keep digging out strips going deeper and deeper into the floor until I get all the damaged ones out? I am concerned about how deep the water damage appears to go. It might go all the way to the bottom of the floor into crawl space. Should I just keep digging out planks/strips? Or should I stop at some point and just patch over it. Patching over the damage just seems wrong somehow. But if it goes all the way thru, it seems like the complexity of the repair might grow exponentially.

What new advice can you give?

Fig. 1. The work area and the tools I'm currently using. Hammer, chisel, safety glasses.

Fig 2. Cross section of a strip.

Fig 3. Another strip cross section.

Fig 4. Close up view of the work area. Notice the blue cord and the vinyl material coming out and up from the floor. Is this because I am getting close to the crawl space?

Fig 5. Another close up.

Fig 6. Another close up.

Fig 7. Another close up.

You've got to get all of the rotten, water damaged wood out of there.  Have you been down in the crawlspace yet?  Looking at it from underneath will give you a better idea of the extent of the damage.  It's entirely possible that the joist(s) are compromised as well.

You will need to cut the subfloor (plywood or OSB underlying the wood floor) back to the mid point of the nearest joists (the beams under the floor).  And then lay in new material of the same thickness.

Once that's done, new flooring is in order.  Honestly, with that thin existing "hardwood" flooring, I'd tear it all out.  If you don't opt for that, linoleum may be you're best bet to match the thickness of the existing flooring.  Cheap, tough and waterproof.  Tile would be my preferred option if you redo the whole bathroom.  If you only do the portion shown, you'll have a significant lip because it will be quite a bit thicker then that wood floor by the time you put down backerboard and such.

Not sure what that blue cord is?  Does it have a wire core to it?  Any chance you have electric radiant heat in there?


How can I protect my hardwood floors without sanding and refinishing? At some point, I do plan to sand down my hardwood floors and refinish them in my 100 year old home.

However, It's a 100 year old home. There is no subfloor, the hardwood is installed right on the floor joists. The finish has chipped off in places, has been gouged (not just a little bit) in other places, it's worn through the existing finish, and needs some repairs throughout the first floor. Additionally, there is a big sagging section where some floor joists have cracked (which I intend to repair before attempting to fully sand and refinish the floor).

Until I have time to fully address the repairs to floor joists to eliminate the worst sag in the floor and move all my furniture out, is there a temporary solution to covering up the damaged bits and protect the bare wood sections from water damage and high traffic?

Can I simply apply a topcoat of varnish that matches the color of the existing flooring or a shade darker?

You could apply a few coats of a water-based clear finish to the floor. This you can apply with a roller and it dries fast so you can probably do two or three coats in as many days. Then later, if you choose to to a more complete job, you will fix the sag and then re-sand the entire floor and apply finish again. This would only cost you the price of the can of finish and a paint roller.


Install Fluorescent Tube Light, Correct way to Rotate? When I replace a Fluorescent/LED Tube Light,
(a) When removing the tube light, Which way should I turn, toward me or away from me?
(b) And when Reinstalling, which way should I turn tube light, away or towards me? Or does it matter?
All these websites are giving different directions. Just want to be sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0CAnQgEPZw
https://www.wikihow.com/Replace-Fluorescent-Lighting

I have replaced tubes on easily 20 different kinds of fixtures with a wide variety of tombstones (that's the lamp socket the tubes go into).   It's a dog's breakfast.

Many of them rotate 90 degrees.  Some have channels or cages that require exact 90 degree rotation.
Some of them only allow about 60 degree rotation.
Some of them pull straight out/down, although 60 degrees of rotation will likely make one end pop out.

The upshot is you really have to "go by feel" - remember you are holding onto a glass thing, force hard enough but not too hard.
For what it's worth, the tube ends will have a "dimple" perpendicular to the pins, so when it's square into the socket, the dimple is lined up with the socket.
Once the first tube is out, stop and take a close look at the tombstone, and see how it is designed to work.
Unfortunately I'm not at my site, so I can't give you a rogue's gallery of different tombstone pin paths. Suffice it to say, there are many.

Most LED tubes are aligned so the light shoots out the way the tombstones come out.  If you want to get rid of the infamous LED eyeball-burning glare, at the expense of less light, install them "upside down".


apply plumbing cement on p-trap Is it mandatory/recommended to apply cement on all threaded parts of a P-trap. I need to install a new one, and am wondering if I also need to get a plumbing cement. Also, if I purchase a P-trap with cleanout, is a cement necessary on a cleanout nut? (I would not, because otherwise the whole purpose of cleanout is undermined, whenever you need to clean the trap, you're going to have a hard time trying to unscrew it/)
Thanks.

You do not use cement or any sealant on the threads of a p-trap. It would not do any good and would bond the threads and so prevent adjustment. The purpose of the threads in these drain elements is to compress the joint. The seal is made by rubber or plastic ring seals or the faces of the two parts of the p-trap.


how do i replace a fence post that was also used as a deck footing? So I removed the old broken 4x4 post that was for the fence and deck.  I have the deck sitting on stone slab after I held it up with a jack.  It had two bolts that I had to cut out that are still in the holes for the deck framing so I cant put the new 4x4 post back in the same way to attach it back to the deck.  Any ideas on what to do?

Use a sledgehammer and a large punch to drive out the old bolts. For one-time use, a spike just smaller in diameter than the bolts, with the tip cut off flat may work well-enough at a lower cost, if you don't have a large punch on hand.


Three way switch with dimmer control First, disclaimer: Not an electrician. I'm doing a bit of home wiring, and wanted to make sure my setup for a 3 way switch w/ dimmers works. If anyone sees problems, has complaints, knows a more elegant way, etc, please let me know. I'm always willing to take criticism.
So here is what I'm trying to do: There will be three rows of dimmable LED lights. Each row has 3 lights.
Each row needs to be able to be shut off or dimmed independently of the other. Additionally, they must be able to be shut off from another switch that is located elsewhere.
The easiest way I could think of to accomplish this was with another three way switch between the dimmers and other switch. I've attached a tentative diagram of what my plan is; I apologize if the colors are strange, I know neutral is usually white, but I was on a white background so I went with orange.
The remote location is at the bottom of the stairs. There is an open stairwell which leads to a large open format room(as of yet unfinished) where the lights are. Very often I forget to shut off the work light as I leave since I need it to see getting down the stairs. It is similarly convenient to have the lights on in the room going up. Thus one switch at the bottom that I can hit if I'm leaving, or if I'm going up. I did consider using three switches, since it is probably simpler, but it seems silly to put three switches for my use.
I'm not married to the second, regular switch in there. I'm just not exactly sure the best way to make this work without it. If anyone has any pointers for that I'd be really appreciative.

The remote shut-off requirement may cause you to choose between two problems:

While the remote shut-off is activated the lights can't be turned on locally. Must walk to the remote location and re-enable.
or, by using the 3-way as you've drawn, the lights can always be turned on locally -- but you can't tell whether they're on or off from the remote location! (assuming that the lights are not visible from the remote location)

#2 can be mitigated, for example by wiring a pilot light at the remote location.
If the remote shut-off can be three switches rather than a single switch that makes things easier. There exist three-way capable dimmers, for instance.
A simpler way to implement this is to use "smart" light switches. The Lutron Caseta family, for example. You could install three Caseta dimmers locally near the lamps and pair each one with a Pico remote installed at the remote location. The Pico remotes won't give you feedback as to whether the lamps are on or off, but you can click the off button of each one to be sure.


Why isn't there hot water in the shower, when there is hot water in the rest of the condo? I moved into a condo two days ago, and found that while the rest of the plumbing in the house has hot water, the shower when turned to hot just has a cool trickle emanating from the tap. The cold water there works just fine (in fact very well, it's downright freezing). As I'm told that it's a condo unit issue (and hence the building won't fix it) and my landlord hasn't answered his phone in the last two days, is there anything that I can attempt to rectify this issue and not freeze myself every morning having a shower?

Sounds like there is something wrong with the plumbing in the shower wall or more than likely the shower valve or stem system.  If you are renting this isn't your responsibility.  Not sure of your state's laws but if there is an issue like this in most states you can give the owner 2 notices and a reasonable amount of time and they have to pay for your plumber.

Again if you are renting I would not fix this yourself no matter your confidence level.  Because mitigating damages will be on you.

Put something in writing to the owner.  Tell them it is the second form of contact.  Give them a date a few days out and say if it isn't fixed by that date you will hire a plumber to fix it.


Ladder fall protection options Are there any good fall protection options when working on an extension ladder?
 I need to fix some siding near the top of my 2 story house. I have thought about using something like a roof anchor, only screwed/nailed horizontally to a stud near the top of the side of the house, and then tie on to it with a safety lanyard/harness. This doesn't seem to be commonly done though. And I don't know if it would be strong enough. Most people seem to climb ladders with no fall protection and hope for the best.

You ask about mitigating injury, but it seems feasible to implement preventative measures, first. The correct way to repair the siding is not with a ladder but with a boom lift or scaffolding. Doing so would avoid breaking 3 rules of ladder safety:

Maintaining 3 points of contact,
Not leaning to a side, and
Standing on platforms instead of rungs, which are designed only for ascending and descending.

These rules are intended to keep you from falling. I admit to breaking all of them, too, but in retrospect, my ladder-related accomplishments don't seem that important.

Assuming you still want to use a ladder, I suggest browsing the US OSHA rules on Personal fall protection systems. Note the 22 kN (5,000 pound) minimum breaking strength for the anchor, tether, and harness. Also note that belt-only harnesses are prohibited.

A complete fall protection kit will cost about $200 and are available for sale at many Websites. The most difficult part to find will be a suitable anchor. The most common anchors are intended for roofing and attach to the peak of the roof with 20-30 nails. Anchors are also available to mount to the top plate of a wall with 4 large bolts. A single eye bolt isn't strong enough to transfer that 22 kN to the frame of the house.


What is the best way to calculate the angle at which crown moulding should be cut? What is the best way to calculate the angle that crown moulding should be cut in the compound miter saw to fit an inside corner?

Most crown molding is going to have to be cut flat on the table.  the angles are going to be 52 degrees on the angle, and 38 degrees on the bevel.  For your corners, you are going to want to cope them instead of trying to fit these angles.  Coping is the proper way of installing any type of trim (crown mold, base, shoe molding, cherry rail ect.)

How you would cope your corners is by getting your measurement to the wall.  You will be running the coped end into another piece that is cut square into the wall.  Your wall measurement for your coped piece is going to be the long point of your 52 degree angle, and the long point of your 38 degree bevel.  You will then take a coping saw and cut back into the piece cutting along the short edge of your bevel cut.  Following the pattern of your molding.  A good technique to installing to ensure a tight fit is to:

First make sure your corner fits well into the other piece.
After you have to corner matched nail the molding about 4-5 feet back from the corner to hold the piece up for you.  Also, leave your square cut loose as well.  This way you can manuver both pieces to fit right incase the corner is out of square.
Match your corner and nail where it fits snug.
Nail in the middle of you first nail and the corner. If there is any slack, push the middle in and nail.  This will help seat your corners and give you a nice fluid look.

If you choose to try to angle you corners you are going to spend all day trying to get them right.  It will not look good, and you will waste a lot of time.  With coping you can get away with being a degree or two off without it opening up at the base or top of your corners.

I have done trim carpentry for 8 years and this is the best way to put up your molding.  It will look great, and you will not have to worry as much about the expansion/contraction of your molding due to season changes.  Also another tip.  On your long runs, make sure you bevel the ends together when joining two pieces in the middle.  Do not ever but up square ends when installing any type of trim.  Happy DIY 


What easily obtained material would work best to protect my LCD screen? I've got 18 month and 2 1/2 year old boys. I'm considering purchasing a TV, and I'm concerned about the occasional lapse in judgement. (e.g.: The odd toy being thrown at the screen in a fit of uncontrolled anger) What material would be easiest and ideal for protecting my 46"-55" screen from infrequent projectiles. (I'm not expecting it to have to take a huge beating, but it should be able to deflect a pen or maybe a matchbox car)

The clearer the better, but my guess is I can get rid of the protector in 18 months or so anyway, so this is not a permanent solution.

I've seen the following, but was hoping to get in a little cheaper (particularly since the 55" version is $240)

I'm considering a basic acrylic, but not sure if this is the best choice or not.

You could use a sheet of Polycarbonate Lexan, It will stand up well to projectiles.

When you no longer need it, you could convert it into a whiteboard as @Peter Bridger did.


Split System Air Con icing up at night only..? My Mitsubishi Split System works great all summer but now I find that it heats wonderfully all day but then ices up outside during the night when the temp falls below 0. At -2 it stops altogether and the fins are nothing but a block of ice....it's too cold and damp from heavy dew for it to defrost. Only in the morning when the sun hits it does the ice begin to melt...  How do I stop this from happening? Can I put a protective covering over it of some kind ?

I am assuming that this unit is a HEAT-PUMP. If it is, check with the manufacturer as to the lowest an ambient temperature this "heat pump" is supposed to run in. If that temperature is say 20 degrees, then the heat pump should shut down at that temperature and heating will continue on the 2nd. stage heating system. If it is "all the time" then okay we need to check for reasons for the icing of the coil. The outdoor coil of a  heat pumps, when running in the heating cycle will ice up, under certain conditions, but should defrost when the ice builds to where it impedes the heating capacity. If your unit does go into the defrost cycle but does not properly defrost the coil, then there is a problem with one of the controls that initiates the defrost, senses the amount of icing, or terminates the defrost cycle. When operating properly the ice will be defrosted off the coil at any outside ambient temperature. Now I have a couple questions: #1- have you ever witnessed the defrost cycle? If so, was all the ice defrosted off the coil when the heat-pump terminated the defrost cycle and the outdoor fan started running again?  #2 Do you live in a snow area and if so is the outdoor unit elevated off the ground as it should be? I used to set my installations at 12" above the ground. If the servicing company can't get this unit to defrost properly then you need to find a new servicing company with a tech that knows Heat pumps. They are a different kind of animal and can stump even knowledgeable service techs and factory reps.


Is it feasible to make a sealable hole in the freezer door seal? I want to operate a small mixer in the freezer, for churning ice cream. I can close the door over the power cord, but the door seal isn't flexible enough to enclose the power cord, so it creates a crack.

My idea is to make a small hole in the seal, for the power cord. If it is a tight fit, the cold loss during mixer operation will be minimal. But I don't plan to keep the mixer there permanently, so I'll have to seal the hole somehow.

I think that an earplug will be the best seal. It is easily removed, and once inserted, it will expand to fit the hole perfectly. The foam should be a fairly good isolator.

While it looks to me that this will work, it sounds slightly lunatic from some angles. Not being an experienced DIYer, and afraid to end up with a freezer which is constantly heated through a badly sealed hole, I want to ask you: Do you think this will work? Are there drawbacks I am missing? (Beside the freezer spending extra energy to cool a working motor, I think I can live with that). And are there better ways to do this?

update in response to ppumpkin

This is a standalone freezer, not a compartment in a fridge. It has no lightbulb or thermostat on the inside.

The mixer will only be put in the freezer for ice cream making, so it won't be there most of the time.

I have already thought of putting a socket in the freezer, caulking the hole for the power cord coming from outside. But while I can get wet-room rated extensions, the cords of premade extensions are too thick to lead through the seal. So I'll have to make the extension myself, which is much less secure than connecting the mixer to a socket outside.

The other idea was to build my own "mixer" from a 6 V DC motor and operate it from a li-ion battery. But not only is it lots of work, li-ion batteries at -18°C aren't a good idea. So I still think that connecting the mixer outside is better.

Put the cord/hole in the top of the door, and it really won't matter:

The cold air is heavier than the air around it.  So your freezer full of cold air is like a bucket of water:  the cold air is trying to flow out only where gravity will let it.  Other than the stirring of air causing the mingling of warm and cold air, a freezer doesn't need a top at all.  Ever wondered how the open-top freezers at the grocery store stay frozen?  They're a big bucket, and the cold air is trapped by gravity.

So take advantage of that:  Put your cord inlet at the top of your freezer, and don't worry about sealing it.  The mixture/transfer of air at the cord inlet point will be negligible.


Help: Wiring 220V in garage to NEMA 10-30r because MIG welder and air compressor have 10-30p I've reviewed many articles on this website as they've been referred by my Google searches. But most have been about dryers.

I have an older air compressor (240V, 60Hz, 15A, 5hp) and a MIG welder (230V, 60Hz, 21A) that both have NEMA 10-30p on their cables. I picked up a 10-30r and 10/2 Romex for this dedicated circuit (dedicated to these two shop items) as per the directions of a couple floor staffers at Lowe's. I've already run 1-1/4" PVC conduit and this 10/2 wire from the sub panel in the garage to the central beam where I'm placing my receptacle.

Have I started off on the wrong foot? Or can I make this work? [Other threads here read as if code says I can't even use NEMA 10-30r in new wiring (since 1996)].

Should I have purchased 10/3 cable?

How would I adapt my three wire cable from the compressor and MIG to a four wire NEMA 6-30?

I have pics if they'll help.

You can't install a 10-30R.   That's off the table.  The question is whether you can

install a 6-30R with hot-hot-ground wires, or
run hot-hot-neutral-ground wires and install a 14-30R.

You need to check this.  But most likely these machines are 220V-only and have no need for neutral.  If so, those machines should not have had the 10-30 plug on them in the first place, because 10-30 provides neutral but not ground.  This is very common with hobbyists who simply want to 'get-r-dun' and don't want to care about safety or Code (which are close to the same thing IME).

Those machines probably want 6-30.

10-30 is bad news because it lacks ground. Neutral is not ground, and grounding things to neutral is unsafe.

Conduit is magic

Regardless, You have conduit, and I take that to mean the conduit is continuous from the service panel to the new receptacle location.  Cable such as 10/2 cable, is definitely the wrong thing in the sense that trying to install it in conduit will be like wrestling alligators.  It also destroys your ability to expand it.

The right thing to put in that conduit is

Two black wires, type THWN-2, size #10, stranded. *
One bare or green ground wire, #10, pref. stranded

Pull those through and you'll have everything you need to hook up a NEMA 6-30, which is I believe what your tools actually need. Now if I am wrong and a tool actually needs neutral and NEMA 14-30... or if later on, you want to hook up a new thing which needs neutral, or you just want to future-proof, nothing easier:  Leave the wires in place and pull 1 additional wire:

One white wire, THWN-2 #10, stranded

To pull it, you can try bundling the ends with tape and pushing it through, or use a shop-vac to pull through a napkin tied to a stout string.  Anywhere you gave yourself a conduit body to pull through, open that up and guide the wires through, don't drag 'em around that corner.  You can also use fishing tape.

You notice this leaves you lots of room.  You can actually put as many as 4 circuits in that cable.  The circuits could be larger - you could support three more 50A circuits (#6 wire) or even a mix of bigger or smaller.  So in fact you don't even need to swap plugs, you can simply throw another hot-hot or hot-hot-neutral in that pipe, and power a separate plug, and you can run both at once. Real handy if you get a 240V dust collector.  These multiple circuits can share the 1 ground wire.

It's not actually illegal to run cable in conduit, just a very miserable experience to pull it, and the cable chomps most of your pipe capacity (flat cable is counted as if it is round wire of the widest dimension, which means only 1 cable in a 1-1/4" conduit). And you wouldn't be able to do modular upgrades like this - if you had pulled 10/2 and wanted neutral, you'd need to yank out the 10/2 and pull 10/3, what a waste.  The upshot is, whoever told you to use cable is a fool.

All this to say: grab the 10-30R and the cut cable and take it all back to Lowes, and at the customer service desk be angry.

You already did it!!??

Edit: Now you are telling me you already have a 6/2 cable and a 10/2 cable stuffed into this conduit.

OK let's do the math.  Your 1-1/4" trade size conduit has 1.5625 square inches.  Oval cables count the same as a round wire of their wide dimension, 6/2 is 0.68" across so 0.4624 square inches. 10/2 is 0.49" across so 0.2401 square inches. Both cables (so far) count as 0.7025 square inches.  That means your conduit is already 45% full.  Two "wires" in a raceway are only permitted 31%, so that's already illegal overstuffing.

3 or more wires can fill to 40%, but the two Romex already put you over 45% so that's no go. There is no way to do this.  If you want to add a third circuit you must yank out all the Romex and substitute THWN, which will be insanely easier to pull, by the way, especially if it's stranded.

Once again: You see it at Lowes/whatever where they often have pre-cut lengths of cable at a discount, even though Lowes supposedly has a no-cut-cable-return policy. This is where those come from.  Tear out all that cable, take it and everything else on the receipt back to Lowes, slam it down on the table and let the Hulk rage: "You knew this stuff was illegal when you sold it to me!"  Leave em all the stuff, tell them you are going to chargeback your credit card for the full charge, and then do it.  Doing a chargeback costs them about $20 and they lose the money too.

If you have things on the receipt you want to keep, just buy clones on another receipt, and return them on this receipt, so you're returning every single thing on the receipt.  I do it all the time because I get reimbursed, and accounting dosn't like to see two complicated receipts showing buying A B C D E and returning -A -B -C.

And when you buy replacement cable, I'd go to an electrical supply and tell them you're not impressed with the prices or service at big-box (say that so they know you are price-motivated and will give you a contractor price).  The electrical supply will have more variety of colors for your circuit-distinguishing pleasure.

*Why the same color?  It's not really necessary to distinguish the two hot wires from each other - seriously, you're not going to do anything with that knowledge!  Also, feel free to use other hot-legal colors (NOT green gray white) especially if you are mixing several circuits in this pipe.

So if you heavily populate this with four 30A circuits, use black-black, red-red, blue-blue, and orange-orange (or whatever your electrical supply stocks).

I had one genius put four #10 circuits (and some #12 circuits) in two parallel conduits. (4 circuits per conduit max). He put all the #10s in one conduit, circuit 1 was black-red and so were the other 3.  His markings fell off, and you couldn't tell 'em apart.  So I "rearranged" - 2 blacks and 2 reds in each conduit.  And made the circuits black-black and red-red.  Now it's easy!


How can I level my bed? I have a very uneven floor in my bedroom, and a metal bed frame (non-leveling feet), soon to be a wooden bed frame. I'd like to level my bed. What are some good ways to do this?

One approach is to just get some shims and stack them up. If this is my best bet, then what are recommended materials to use?

I'm surprised to not find more discussion about this problem on the web -- it's really unhealthy to sleep on an unlevel bed, and many floor in old houses are very unlevel.

This really depends on the degree to which the bed posts are out of level, the floor type you are using and the diameter of the post contact on the ground.

It sounds like you are going wood posts, what I would do there is to get a few Cork or rubber Adhesive floor protectors (like below)

The problem there, is that you need to find material which is slightly thicker than your gaps, since you cannot really add these things together too much (since they will be easy to fall off) - You can also attempt to slit them with a long stanley blade. these strips will needed to be applied to the underside of each bed post.


Electrical box wires In the past, I added 4 breakers to my breaker box in my basement and ran the wire for each of those circuits out the side of the box thru their individual clamp.  However, all the pre-existing wires were run thru the top of the box thru 2 pvc-like pipes.  That pipe ended when it reached the bottom of the joists.

Is it a code violation to run wires out the side of the box?  The face of the breaker box is flush with the sheetrock around it but the new wire can be seen in the 1" gaps on the side of the breaker box.

Technically, exposed NM wire should be protected from physical damage, especially in heavy traffic areas like kitchens.

For your situation, a 1x1 piece of wood to buffer any accidents is all that is needed.


Can I use latex exterior paint over oil based primer? I'm in a time crunch. I have to get this storm door painted before the installer comes. I primed it with oil based primer, but don't have time to get oil based paint. Can I use the water based exterior paint that was used on my house?

This is the paint I have.

I don't understand the difference latex, acrylic etc. and I am at work now.

Primers (of either base) can be top coated with either latex or oil.  Double check your primer label.

What doesn't work is an oil based topcoat (brittle film) over a latex topcoat (softer, flexible film).

An oil based primer is a good undercoat for exterior (or baths), due to its greater degree of waterproofing.