Installing floor threshold/transition - should I remove existing grout between wood laminate and ceramic tile? I want to install a wood transition board where wood laminate meets ceramic tile at a basement bathroom doorway.

The previous homeowner grouted the joint between the ceramic and the wood laminate flooring - from what I am reading here, they should have instead either left it open or caulked it, as different materials expand differently, tending to cause any grout between them to crack.  The grout is a mess - a huge chunk apparently popped out at some point, and it is either cracked or not bonded to the laminate along its entire length, so it is essentially a glorified spacer that seals nothing.

Should I grind out the crummy grout seam and replace it with caulk (or leave the gap empty) before putting the transition down?  (I intend to use Liquid Nails(R) construction adhesive to bond the transition to the floor surface on both sides of the grout seam).

I would advise you to remove all that old grout.  Give the laminate room to expand and contract.  When you put the new transition piece in, if possible to make it secure by only glueing it on the tile, that would be best. If that doesn't seem to hold it secure enough,  glue to the tile and use a caulk that stays flexible on the laminate side. That laminate wants to move in temp and humidity changes.


How can I seal HVAC duct damper? My bypass humidifier is designed to run in a loop between the supply and return, and has a damper to close airflow for the summer.  The problem is that the damper is by no means airtight when closed and in fact makes the furnace significantly louder when the damper by whistling when it's closed.  I assume it hurts the air conditioner's efficiency to keep it open, or else the damper wouldn't be part of the humidifier.

How can I fix this?  It looks like gaskets are produced for rectangular blade dampers, but not for round dampers.  Is there some kind of plug I can use like a giant cork, or some other way to seal the damper?

There are a few ways to accomplish this. On the cheap DIY side, you could cut a few pieces of tight fitting cardboard (stack them and tape them together) to create a plug. I would punch a couple small holes in it and make a rope handle to pull it out.

On the more convenient side, you could get a expanding plug. The link shows a 6" plug... perhaps that's the size of your damper?

On the industrious scale, you could locate the duct and install a couple more dampers in series. Having a few dampers should effectively restrict air flow.

You could also potentially build a plug from from a bag and a can of expanding foam. Here's a video about a commercial product (instapak). Obviously you can do this yourself... but you might need a couple of practice tries to get the amounts right. Essentially, you would put the bag in the area that you want to seal and spray the foam in the bag and tie it off. You don't need or want air in the bag when you add the foam. Most cans of expanding foam come with a nozzle. You just want to insert the nozzle into the bag, spray it, and tie off the bag. Then you could set a board or something on top (or in front) of the damper so that the foam doesn't expand into a muffin shape.


Bolt, washer placed in wrong order of floor lamp How to fix a floor lamp made in China which has a loose/wobbly base after much use. They placed the bolt first then washer/nut and it cannot be removed or tightened?

According to the picture, the order of the parts is correct. The small nut , the first item in the left side of the picture is the nut that tightens the whole lamp. The bolt you mention, is a piece of pipe Usually 1/8", so the wire can be fed through it to provide the electricity. The parts shown from the right to the left appear to be a spacer, a washer, and the nut. Tighten the nut as necessary being careful to not over-tighten. Make sure the nut is not stripped or broken. One last item, there should be a small nut on the top of the lamp assembly, just below the socket that you may be able to tighten also. Hope this helps.


Solar Charge Controller and grounding the battery I am just getting my feet wet, so I have one 100 watt panel and a 12v marine battery.  I plan on running a small water pump to circulate water in a black hose to see if I can heat some water.
The manual talks about grounding.  Do I really need to ground this simple system of 1 panel, one battery and a charge controller?
Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100/50
3.2 Grounding
● Battery grounding: the charger can be installed in a positive or
negative grounded system.
Note: apply a single ground connection (preferably close to the
battery) to prevent malfunctioning of the system.
● Chassis grounding: A separate earth path for the chassis
ground is permitted because it is isolated from the positive and
negative terminal.
● The USA National Electrical Code (NEC) requires the use of an
external ground fault protection device (GFPD). These MPPT
chargers do not have internal ground fault protection. The system
electrical negative
should be bonded through a GFPD to earth ground at one (and
only one) location.
● The charger must not be connected with grounded PV arrays
(one ground connection only)
Thank you for you help.

Only if you want your installation to be code compliant and to minimize the risk of fire and electric shock. What are the odds that you'll "forget" to install the ground later when you expand the system to 10 or 20 panels, and add another 20 or 30 batteries? What if there is a fire? There will be an investigation, and if the insurance company can prove that the installation wasn't to code, they may not pay your claim. If, of course, you're alive to collect on it.

Good habits start early and last a lifetime.
Bad habits start early and last a lifetime. They also tend to shorten your lifetime.


Removing glued down particle board from subfloor I'm in the middle of replacing some old carpet in my house with engineered hardwood boards. They're tongue and groove and I'll be nailing the boards down in the end.  To that end, I had to remove the particle board layer covering my plywood subfloor.

After starting on the particle board removal, I found them to be glued down, in addition to the visible nails. I've gotten all the boards up, but now I'm left with patches where the glue lines were down.

On one side of the room the subfloor ply is hard enough that I was able to chisel up the lines and it's all relatively flat now. On the other, however, the boards are much softer and as such tend to splinter and tear up when trying to get the glue piles up.

Is there any technique to do this effectively? I've also tried sanding the areas down, but it's hard to keep it from hitting the subfloor and is very slow work.

You will need to get a Razor floor scraper.

It takes a little practice to get the angle  that you hold it at in relation to the floor.

Do not be to aggressive until you get a feel for how well it is removing the glue. Do not go straight at it, angle the blade to patch and gently poke or prod at it, this will result in you getting a little further under it with each poke. Maintain the, just right, angle and keep working at it.

The glue is strong and you are going to gouge some of plywood but try to minimize this, you can patch later. You may have to come at it from another direction.

It is not fun, it is hard work. Some floor scrapers work better than others, buy extra blades.


How to move nut that is corroded onto tap? I'm trying to change a bath tap (faucet for our American friends).  On the hot tap side, the nut which holds the tap onto the bath is seriously corroded, and I can't unscrew it.
As always with bath taps, everything is made more difficult by having to work in a tiny cramped space between the bath and the wall.  I'm doing it all lying on my side on the floor with my arms fully extended, it's really awkward.
Here's a photo of the offending nut: I can wiggle the tap around and can see that it's not stuck to the bath itself, it's just stuck to the screw thread.

I've had a go with water pump pliers, and two different kinds of basin wrench:

With the first one of these, I managed to get a really good grip on it, but even pulling the two rods I wasn't able to shift it.  I even managed to repeatedly bash one of the rods with a hammer but still no luck.
I'm stuck now because the water is turned off for the house (because of course the isolating valves below the taps are corroded and jammed too so I can't turn them off properly).
Any ideas, anyone?  Should I just keep bashing the basin wrench with a hammer?
thanks
EDIT - it's hard to see where the nut ends in that picture, but it includes the flat part above - it's one of these basically:

You can purchase a variety of thread-loosening lubricants to dissolve rust, or you can lubricate with plumber's wax. In the end, however, it requires heavy wrenches with long handles and a certain amount of brute force to make headway when separating the most tightly-locked joints.
Spray lubricant on the outside of a corroded joint and give it time to seep into the joint and dissolve rust on the threads, which usually takes about five to 10 minutes.
Grip the fitting you are trying to separate with one pipe wrench; grip the pipe to which it is attached with another. Hold the pipe steady while you turn the fitting counterclockwise with respect to the pipe. Spray more lubricant and wait an additional five to 10 minutes if the fitting won't turn, then try again.
Tap the fitting with a hammer as an additional way to loosen the threads. Create more torque with the wrenches by lengthening the handles with 2-foot lengths of 1-inch metal pipe.
Lubricate the joint with a plumber's candle as an alternative to using spray lubricant, or as a supplemental measure. Heat the joint with a propane torch until it is hot enough to melt wax. Hold the tip of the candle against the joint and move it around the pipe while the wax wicks into the joint. Try turning the fitting when the wax cools. Repeat the procedure if the fitting still is locked.
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/loosen-corroded-plumbing-50441.html


Necessary to insulate the ceiling of a conditioned crawlspace I have a new home that does not have insulation in the crawlspace ceilings (the floors throughout the home are above the crawlspace). Is it necessary to insulate the ceiling to prevent heat loss in the winter? The crawlspace is conditioned and has plastic sheeting lining the inside. HVAC is in the crawlspace and it is cool there in the summer.

In a conditioned crawlspace the home and crawlspace are at nearly the same temperature.  The insulation is on the crawlspace walls and “floor”.  The heat loss through the floor will be very small.


Can I safely affix tile to a panel of plywood? I plan on affixing some 5/8" glass mosaic tile to a panel of plywood roughly 43 x 44". I then plan on using that as the face of our bar by affixing that plywood to the bar.

My concern is that they thinset might not work very well on the plywood. I was told that if I wet the plywood first before laying the thinset mortar, it shouldn't be a problem. Does anybody have any experience doing this or maybe have some suggestions on how to make this project a success?

Also, what would be the best thickness for the thinset in order to lay the tile properly?

I would use an external grade ply, seal underside and edges with acrylic primer
and stick the tiles with an adhesive suitable for glass mosaic.


Can I substitute a 100 amp circuit breaker in a 90 amp spot? My heat pump 90 amp circuit breaker keeps tripping. Heating guy said it is the circuit breaker and it need to be replaced. It is hot to the touch.  My local store only has the 100 amp circuit breaker. Can this be substituted? Or do I need to special order the 90 amp.

Depends on the label on the Heat pump, the wire size and type, and the stab rating on the panel cover.

Breakers do wear out, it would still be a benefit to replace with the original size it if was the correct size to start with.

It is rare that anybody installs a smaller than maximum allowed breaker at the time of installation, but the information you need can be found on the nameplate of the Heat Pump, it should look something like this:

The line that says "max fuse amps or hacr type circuit breaker" is the line that tell you the maximum breaker allowed. This breaker can be at the electrical panel or at the disconnect at the unit. If the breaker at the panel is sized to the maximum listed then the wire only has to meet the rating of "minimum circuit ampacity". But if the over current protection at the unit provides the maximum allowed breaker or fuse, and the breaker in the panel is larger then the wire has to be treated as a "feeder" must be matched to the breaker in the panel.

You can see in the label shown that the breaker is allowed to be 50A, but the wire has to only be sized for 29A. But if you feed it from a 60A breaker in the panel and a 50A breaker or fuse at the unit then you would need to up the wire between the breakers to 60A wire. The amperage rating of the wire is based on insulation and conductor type from a chart in the NEC (with additional restrictions on wire #10 and smaller) and the temperature rating of the terminals where the wire is attached.

Then there can be an issue with the breaker in the electrical panel. Many panels have a restriction on the label that limit the total amperage of breakers installed head-to-head. If increasing the breaker size exceeds this number then you can't do it.


Mold on underside of attic flooring I found mold on the underside of my plywood attic flooring. The attic has rollout fiberglass insulation with a paper vapor barrier in the attic joists with no rafter insulation. I have installed plywood flooring to allow for storage which might have caused the problem.  This problem is throughout the attic. I have noticed that Moisture is condensing on the underside of the floor when it is very cold in the attic. It appears that the vapor barrier is inadequate.  Looking for any thoughts and the best product to re-insulate with. FYI, I live in a cold area. Thanks much.

How old is the house?  What you really need is the attic to be air sealed from the house.  paper backed vapor barrier on one side of the insulation as the only vapor barrier isn't going to be effective.
The typically standard is 6mil poly installed before the drywall.  Retrofit is going to be difficult - remove all the insulation and install continuous poly in all the joist bays.  Tape all seams.
Moisture coming out of the house will condense on the first cold surface so putting the plywood right after the insulation allows it to collect there.  Possibly removing the plywood would allow it to be vented out but moisture getting into the attic is still bad and ultimately the air bringing the moisture is costing you in your heating bill as well.


How much water needed to test sump pump? Recently moved in to a place and am attempting to test the sump pump. Most information I can find online mentions that there will be a float switch somewhere to activate the pump but I am not seeing it any where on my unit.

Does this style of sump pump have the float switch inside of the case somewhere?

Is there some way I can manually switch this style of sump pump on? I have looked around on it and do not see any levers or other types of things that I can identify as a switch or float device.

Aside from manually switching the pump on I know I can add water to the pit to test it. I've started doing that but the pump hasn't turned on yet. I have filled in probably an inch or two to the pit. How do I know when I should expect the pump to turn on? I don't want to overfill it if it's actually broken and just not turning on for that reason.

Hard to be sure from that picture, but yes, it's probably an enclosed/caged float switch of some sort, and it should definitely take more than an inch or two to turn it on. Why? only pumping an inch or two is bad for the lifetime of the pump, which does most of its "wearing out" in the first few seconds it's switched on, so you want enough water that it's worth pumping for a while. If you get above the top of the pump itself (black parts) and it fails to turn on, something might be wrong with it, though before that point you might want to start with checking the outlet for power.

If the pump IS broken, the water will, barring a water influx event, tend to go back down where it started within minutes to hours. Since the pump is not turning on and the pit is not overflowing, you don't appear to have such an event going on right now.


Extension Cords needed, can't find I have moved into an older home. All of the outlets are two prong only. Is there an extension cord that will plug into the wall with a 2 prong, but has 3 prongs in the extension part? If not, how am I going to make things work in this old place, lol?? Thank you for any help!

You can legally change the outlet, as long as it is “GFCI Protected” and marked “No Equipment Ground".  You'll get the safety benefits of a third wire ground, though not all the surge protection benefits of your power strip.  The GFCI units do use some 'vampire' power, about 1 Watt, 24/7.

Section 406.3(D)(3) of the 2008 National Electric Code covers this situation.

Consider also a whole house surge protector, and if you have K&T wiring, an AFCI on the K&T.  That said, if any of this sounds unfamiliar, hire a home inspector to check out everything and provide advice as to priorties.


Refrigerator cools once but then doesn't start up again We have a Whirlpool Side by Side refrigerator (GS6SHAXML00) that is about 15 years old and was working fine before a long-distance move. When we got to the new house and plugged it in, it seemed to work fine -- it came on, both the refrigerator and freezer got to the appropriate temperature, and it cycled off. The problem is that it never came back on again. If we unplug it and plug it back in, it goes through the same cycle. It would be usable if we wanted to unplug it after every time it shuts off... (not). Can anyone tell me if there might be an easy fix for this or should we just get a new one (after the move, not a lot in the budget for that)? Thank you in advance for any help!

I think it is the thermostat switch. They fail when they age and can be replaced. They have a bimetal plate in there and sense the temperature with a long tiny pipe which transfers the temperature from the cooling elements. Normally there are two for each area of the fridge.


Can I keep my propane tank valve open? I just bought a new Portable Fireplace and it can contain the propane tank inside it. I also bought some firestones to put in the fire area. The only problem with this is that if I want to turn on/off the fireplace then I need to lift up the fire place and then turn the propane tank valve on/off.

Which is do-able but a bit of a hassle. I was thinking to keep the propane tank valve always on. If I do that, I can still rely on fireplace valve to turn the heat on/off. The only potential problem with this is that my propane tank valve would be perpetually on.

This leaves me with one question: what can potentially happen if the tank is on. is it going to leak the gas or is it plain out hazardous to safety?

There are two possibilities:

Either you make the tank valve available with an access hole or similar,

Or you install an external valve, but this would defeat the logic of having the isolation valve as close as possible to the tank with no intermediate piping.

Making alterations to the gas system may invalidate any insurance coverage unless you have it inspected by a relevant authority - depends on the location ...  Lots of regulations for gas systems as the possibility of a big bang is high :)


Is DC Pedestal fan motor whine normal at low speed? I have a brand new DC motor pedestal fan with 12 speeds. At the very low speeds the motor makes a whiny bearing type noise. Is this normal for low voltage DC fans?

Dead common, but it's more often the circuitry providing the DC voltage to the fan, in my experience.
Not clear what you are powering this from (AC/DC/Voltage...), but the speed control probably consists of some sort of switching circuit, and when there are electronic components that are being switched at audible frequencies, you sometimes get noises you can hear - often quite irritating.


Can I mix waterbase Behr wall paint with waterbase deck stain/sealer? I had some clear Waterguard exterior deck stain/sealer which is water-based. I got them a while ago so I cannot return them. The problem is I like to cover the deck with opaque color. Is it possible and a good idea to mix the Waterguard sealer with Behr water-based wall paint?

First, are the products chemically compatible?  The mere fact that they're water-based does not make it so.  The best place to ask is the factory.

However, there's a bigger problem.  Even if they're compatible, a colored paint diluted (what, 2:1?) with a clear coating will have very poor coverage.  If it's going to take 6 coats to get decent coverage on the deck, then why not just paint 4 coats of clear stain, and 2 coats of paint?

The third problem is that floor paint is a very tough service.  I don't have confidence in any water-based product, but you certainly don't want to use wall paint! For best use of the materials, you might try 1 coat of sealer (to actually seal), 2 coats of wall paint (to color), then more coats of sealer (to provide a durable coating over the color).   That's a stupid amount of work, and I still wouldn't have high hopes.

If it goes wrong, you may have to remove the failed paint.  That will be far more tedious and expensive than any savings you might have had on paint.

Believe me, I get it.  Nobody wants to waste paint.  I have tens of gallons of paint I have no use for (I am a fastidious color matcher, and I buy a lot of quarts just for color tests).  But my problem is, everything I might paint is too valuable to risk a failed paint job and the huge amount of work to recover from that.

There's one more problem with newer water-based paints.  The paint industry has done their level best to reduce VOCs, especially toxic VOCs.  The result is nothing poisons the paint from growing microbes or mold.  There have been many cases of people finding paint that's stinkier than normal, painting their walls, and finding the stink won't go away. Covering it with fresh paint doesn't work, their only option is to peel off all the layers of paint down to the failed coat. This is a staggering amount of work that can go into hundreds of hours.  That makes me very reluctant to use old paint at all.  Again, most of my projects are too important for that kind of risk, so I find myself just buying new to avoid any chance of a big problem.


Are there any advantages to using s-clips for attaching a table top instead of a right angle bracket? I'm looking to build the "Simple, Sturdy Workbench" from Getting Started in Woodworking, Season 2 - http://www.startwoodworking.com/getting-started. The design attaches the bench top to the frame using s-clips, drilled to the bench top and slotted into the frame (with appropriately routed slots in the frame).

My question is: Is there any particular advantage for this method of attachment over using right angle brackets attached into both the bench top and the bench frame?

Unfortunately where I'm currently located, such s-clips may not be as easy to procure as right angle brackets. And I would have thought that right angle brackets would provide a more solid attachment given the multiple potential attachment points on both the bench top and frame. Also s-clips don't really aid in removing the bench top - if so desired - as one would still have to crawl underneath the workbench to unscrew the s-clip to remove the top. Or have I misunderstood something?

The clips that are used in the nightstand in the video are so the solid wood top can move. If the top is secured too tightly and when seasonal movement occurs it will crack. The slots in the apron that the video shows allows for the movement. The slots don't have to be all the way through, it just as easy while machining the wood.

There are other ways to fasten tops and still allow movement, slotted screw holes and there are washers that look like there are two together and look like a figure 8. One side attaches to the apron, the other to the table top. The clips in the video are available online, as are the ones illustrated below.


How to minimize ceiling "backwash" of air circulation in an attic HVAC system I'm remodeling and placing a new HVAC unit in the attic.  The dining room is central on the house, adjoined by the living room, kitchen, service bathroom, and (directly or via a hall) all three bedrooms.

The unit is 3 ton, and the house is 1200 square feet.

Also, the dining room will have a tray ceiling notched up 12".  The tray will be about 11' by 11', and the dining room 14' x 14'.  The intake will be in the upper section, so 9' above the dining room floor.

I want to stop "backwash" of air directly from the outlet vents (esp. in the dining room and kitchen) to the intake.  So far I'm intending to keep them as far apart as possible, and also point the vanes slightly away from the intake, but are there any other good options available?

Also, I'm mainly concerned about efficient AC more than heat.  This is central Texas.

Here is a piece of the puzzle you may not have considered.  In air conditioning mode: The cooled air being expelled from the supply registers is far heavier than the room air being drawn into the return air.  As air is cooled be the A/C unit it condenses dramatically.  This cooler, heavier air will drop right to the floor and push the warmer room air up and into the return. The warmer lighter air will gravitate to the highest point in the room.  You have little or no concern of the conditioned air being drawn directly back into the return air.  Good Luck.


How should I drain water from a basement dehumidifier? Our basement has had difficulty with water in the past, from intrusions through the side (fixed by gutters) and chimneys (fixed by chimney caps). Most recently, however, water has been collecting on and dripping from cold water pipes and the basement refrigerator on to the concrete floor below. The amount of water isn't massive, but it's significant enough to cause a problem in and around the affected areas.

The problem, obviously, is humidity. We have placed a 30 pint Frigidaire dehumidifier in the basement, but the problem is that on humid days 30 pints doesn't go very far. We have to empty it some days twice, other days three or four times in a 24 hour period.

Update: Sorry, part of my description got cut off. The dehumidifier can be hooked up to a drain unit, but I'm not sure where or how to drain the water safely. We don't have a basement drain, the sump area lacks a pump and also is where the radon remediation system works, and so the only thing I can think of is to put the dehumidifier on a shelf and gravity drain it with a garden hose out a window, which obviously isn't ideal from an aesthetic standpoint.

So, suggestions welcome.

The simplist solution to dehumidifying in an area with no drain is to use a dehimidifier with a built in pump such as this one:

It has a long thin tube that can be routed to an area with a drain (such as a washing machine drainpipe) or to the outside (through a window frame or a very small hole drilled through the wall).  If to the outside, you need to direct it away from the foundation.

There are a few versions available and they tend to cost a good bit more than a simple tank type, but the convenience may make it worthwhile.

If you already have a good dehumidifier and don't want the expense of replacing it, you may be able to use an add-on dehumidifier pump such as this one

It is hooked up to the demidifier and then uses a thin tube to move the water in the same manner as a pumping dehumidifier.


PERGO Locking Hardwood Flooring in wet areas? Can I install PERGO Locking Hardwood Flooring in wet areas?

No. Wood flooring needs it to be dry. This is one reason that wood flooring is not usually recommended for mounting on concrete floors where the concrete rests on soil.


How can I remove a vanity backsplash without damaging ceramic tile? My bathroom vanity has a backsplash that is firmly glued to ceramic tile. I believe that liquid nails or something similar was used for adhesive. I have tried prying with a putty knife and going around the edge with a box knife.

Is there a good way to remove the basksplash without damaging the tile?

Acetone is great for dissolving glue and adhesive. Try pouring some along the top of the backsplash and let it soak in between the wall and backsplash. After about 15 minutes try to pry it gently with a mud knife, looking for a little loosening of the backsplash. Apply more acetone as needed. Good luck.


Trying to secure a 100lbs floor mirror so it doesn't tilt over. is it possible to do this without a stud? This wall is not shared by another tenant directly next door but does have a unit above me.  I cannot find a stud.  i have used a magnet stud finder.  I have nailed a 2.5" nail into the wall in 1 inch increments. AND even though the rest of the house is sheetrock, and i saw studs when we were remodeling, i cannot find anything on this wall.  the other side of the wall is exterior and perhaps there is a large space between the wall.  What can i do??? I have so many holes in the wall now and i cannot place the mirror anywhere else.  is there something that is very strong that would work if the mirror were to start falling over.  I live in an earthquake zone and i do not feel comfortable having a piece of furniture just leaning against the wall unsecured.  super frustrated.  Please help.

My preferred anchors in drywall for heavier loads are the newer toggle strap types.

These have a steel brace that rests inside the wall, spreading te load over about 3 inches. They also have the benefit of allowing you to remove and reinstall the bolt, which older toggles didn't allow.

The toggle is installed through a hole, usually 3/8 or 1/2 inch. The straps are slid to rotate the toggle bar until it is perpendicular to the wall. the Toggle is insterted and the straps are then slid back turning the bar parallel to the back of the drywall. The straps are pulled forward and the collar is pushed in to the face of the drywall, locking hte toggle in place. The excess straps are then broken off, and the toggle is ready for a bolt. (It reads loger than it takes.)

Rigid Attachment

You can drill holes in the mirror frame and into the wall to mark where the toggle should go. Once the toggle is installed, you can bolt throught those holes to lock the mirror to the wall. If the mirror is resting on the floor, only two toggles should be needed near the top.

Loose Attachment

You also could attach the mirror to the toggles using heavy duty braided picture wire.  Insert two heavy hookeyes into the back of the frame. You can make an attachment point for the wire at the toggle bolt using a piece of perforated metal strapping, or an S hook bent to close the loops. Put the bolt through this attachment point and into the toggle. Tighten. Then loop the wire through the wall attachment point and the hookeys and close the loop with several twists of wire.

This second method is not meant to hold the mirror tight to the wall, just to provide a leash if it were to tip forward. Again, two toggles should be sufficient.

Links and images are for illustration only and are not endorsements of products or services.


Multiple outlets w/bottom switched from two switch locations Can someone provide a diagram for this?  I am finishing my basement and will have multiple outlets where the bottom outlet will be switched from two locations.  I understand how to do this with one switch (attached diagram) but not positive on how to do it with two switches.  Just to give a little more info (not that the physical location really matters), but there will be the first switch, then multiple outlets, then the second switch, then a couple more outlets.

Your diagram would look something like this if installed in conduit. I'm just trying to show the wiring and not any cable configurations. The yellow wires are your travelers which are needed for a 3 way switch. The links on the outlets need to be removed on the hot side. The hot and neutral are run to the last switch because the OP stated there will be more outlets. In my humble opinion, conduit would be your best bet. Some of the real experts will chime in.


Wiring for NuTone Roomside Bathroom fan We have one switch for the bathroom fan and light. I am not sure how to connect the new fan to my existing wiring.  I have included pictures and would appreciate any help.

enter image description here

If I'm interpreting your pictures correctly, the cable you show is the one that went to the old light/fan. If that is the case unless you purchase a two function or three function switch as described in your installation instructions and run at least a 14/3 or 14/4 cable with ground you're not going to have separate controls for the light, fan and automatic humidity control.
With what looks like a 14/2 w/ground you will have to wire all three functions to your one single pole wall switch. That means when you flip the switch on, the light and fan will turn on together but you will lose the automatic humidity control feature. The black wire you see is for the light, the grey is for the fan and the brown is for the automatic humidity control feature.
The only other option from what I see is if you can run a new cable to the fan. Adding another switch doesn't help unless you have at least a 14/3 w/ground or 14/4 to include the automatic humidity control supplying the fan/light.
Edit
If you have only three wires (black, white & ground) going from the wall switch to the fan/light and you can't run another cable you might want to consider returning it and getting a simple fan/light setup that will work like your old one. Right now you're paying for features like the timer and humidity control that you can't use.


Shower Frame is leaking (at the corner) Our framed corner shower is leaking at the "seam."  At the corner where the two sides meet, the panels seems to be loose.  Whenever I spray water on the glass and framed walls, some water will leak at the corner of the walls.

We are not sure how to "take apart" (if necessary) the walls in order to caulk the corner.  Not sure if that is the correct process either.  We have called the installer, he is not returning our calls. Surprise, surprise.

Note:  water may be coming from where alumininum frame meets the solid surface ledge on top of garden tub.  Water collects in weeping holes in the inside and may be coming out on the outside.  Here are some pictures.  I have taped two areas.  Between the two "horizontal" tape pieces the side and the front seem a bit "loose."  The taped area pointing at each other is the "seam" where I believe the water is coming from.

The frame is made of aluminum.  The shower is standard glass with rubber between glass and frame.  The shower is placed against tile walls.  Top of ledge above garden tub is solid surface material.  Something like "corian."  Unsure exactly what it is made from.

well, short of dismantling the frame and welding the tubes shut (WTF????), you might try an easier approach.  never seal the vertical tubes shut.  if you have water building up inside the tubes, you need larger vent holes on the bottom of the wet side of the shower.  its common that they get plugged up over time.

having assembled dozens of these units over the years, i must admit that the one you have is a little different on the top corner detail, but they are all pretty much the same.  the wall has rails mounted to it, then decorative rails slide over those to provide the wall anchor points for the glass.  then the corner rail (either stop or hinge) is held captive by the top and bottom channels, which also hold the fixed glass panels captive.  the door then hinges off the corner rail typically.  since the left and right panels are joined at the corner, this joint tends to flex in two directions and causes the usually inadequate factory seal to fail prematurely.

so, try this (the worst you will do is make it such that if you do have to disassemble the unit, you might have to scrape out some caulking) after you have left the unit to dry for a few days (you can use a hair dryer to speed up the process if need be):

1)  clean all surfaces that you are going to seal really well with methyl hydrate or methanol.  any places that have been previously siliconed over will have to be scraped clean and then cleaned with silicone sealant remover.

2)  get a renovators bar (or 10) or a butter knife (or 10) and slip them in the joint to wedge the offending corner joint apart.  just a little, just enough to get the sealant in.  then get yourself a large bore (14 ga or larger for silicone) hypodermic needle (like the kind to refill ink cartridges with) and inject clear silicone (NOT LATEX) sealant into the gap.  go slow and inject way more than seems reasonable (the metal extrusions often have convoluted profiles that are invisible from outside the joint that will allow for the silicone to not seal well).  go from top to bottom and tap the frame often to get the silicone to settle and cling to the inside of the joint.

3)  on the wet side of the shower, and only the wet side, run a vertical bead of silicone over the joint.  i would mask the joint with tape so that you can get a nice bead with little mess.

if you do all the cleaning well and be very thorough, this will solve your leak.  you may have to do it again every couple of years, but it generally works permanently.


I added insulation to my attic rafters, but should I have left room for airflow? I added insulation to my attic rafters and plugged the space between the outdoors and my attic with insulation.  It lowered my heating bill by $150/month, but I've seen some information that I may have made a mistake by cutting off the airflow in my attic.

Did I make a mistake, and if so, how can I properly insulate my attic?  There's already insulation in the floor.

You can buy air ducts that staple to the inside of your roof above the eave vents and fit between the rafters.  The will hold open an air gap of approximately 1 inch to allow airflow past a layer of insulation.  The ones I've used are made of styrofoam and IIRC they cost around $2.  You should be able to find them near the insulation in your home improvement store.

EDIT: They are called baffles or rafter vents; this is how they're installed:


Should an exterior surface-mounted outlet box on wood lap siding be flashed? I'm adding an outlet box to the wall over my deck by drilling a penetration through the wall just to feed the cable through. Will air seal with expanding foam and caulk and feed into a surface mounted exterior weather proof box and outlet cover through the backside of the box.
In addition to caulking the perimeter of the box before screwing it into the siding was thinking of installing a small section of L flashing tucked up into the lap of siding above the box to help minimize water dripping directly onto the top of the box and relying solely on the caulk to seal, but almost every video or how to I see of these retrofit installs has the box just mounted directly to the exterior. (I was thinking of it like the flashing detail on top of a window install around the siding)
Am I being overly cautious or would this somehow affect the rest of the water barrier system of the siding?

I don't think using a flashing will hurt anything; but I also don't think it is necessary if you properly install a weatherproof box.
You should consider potential cut/scrape hazard scenario as people (e.g.you) will be plugging things in and out, placing body parts near sharp sheet metal flashing. Also, make sure it will not interfere with the weatherproof box cover doors/flaps and/or any in-use covers you might use.
Also, I think that technically you need to feed the wire into the back of the box through a short conduit with a bushing (bushing to protect wire from damage where it enters the conduit), because of the wood siding...


Replacing old plug-in 220V range with new hardwire 3-wire electric cooktop: remove outlet or add a plug? My apartment had an electric range which plugged into NEMA 10-30P/10-50P and was served by two 50A circuits. I will be installing electric/220V induction cooktop using the same circuits.

There are three wires in the plug (red, black and white).

There are three wires in the new cooktop (red, black and green).

Instructions say to connect the green wire from the cooktop to the white wire from the wall.   So far so good, except the outlet will need to be removed and some sort of extension box will need to be put in its place to allow the connection in the back of the cabinet.

Is it possible instead to put a plug at the end of the cooktop 3-wire cable?  If yes, then is there an advantage to doing that rather than hardwiring it?

Electrical requirements for new cooktop:
    3-wire or 4-wire single phase 208 or 240 volt AC, 60-Hz, on dedicated double pole circuit breaker of at least 40 amps.

For the old range:
    "You must use a single-phase, 120/208 VAC or 120/240 VAC, 60 hertz electrical system. ... connected to an individual, properly grounded, 40 amp (minimum) branch circuit"

I'm in NYC if that matters.

Here is my attempt at picture of the top of the J box behind the plug:

And here is the sub-panel showing the three wires in question:

In NYC, you will have 208V power.  It's 3-phase, but that won't be an issue.

Grounding path

Through discussion, we've determined fairly conclusively that a) this complex's wiring is grounded, and b) the grounding is via conduit or AC cable jackets, NOT individually run ground wires.  OP reports that his "sub?" Panel has no ground wires at all, yet grounds check out on receptacles, so that indicates boxes are grounded and ground wires are not run (except inside AC cable). That's not weird; I manage 11 buildings and all of them are that way.  I don't even stock ground wire.

You need to make sure that the wires from the wall are #8 or larger. (The paper padding makes it AC cable, whose internal wires are THHN, allowing the 75C column to be used for 50A).

If hardwiring

You need to connect the cooktop's green wire to the box*.  The white wire in the box needs to be capped off.

However, there's a snag with hard-wiring. You can't just glorp the wires down "wherever". You need to have the wire-whip enter the box correctly, and that means through a knockout.  That knockout needs to be on the face of the box, obviously, so you need a blank junction box cover that has a knockout on its face.

Easy enough, but you don't have a standard box.  Your box presents the receptacle mounting screws for 2 abreast (e.g a 2-gang box) and lacks the corner screws that standard 4x4 box covers use.

So, you'll want to head to the best electrical supply in the city (goes without saying, that ain't a big-box store) and find the rare steel blank cover plate that attaches to the receptacle screws of a 2-gang.  Ideally this will have a 1/2" or 3/4" trade size knockout on it, but if it doesn't, the shop may cheerfully punch it for you.

1/2" trade size actually uses a 7/8" knockout.
3/4" trade size uses a 1-1/8" knockout.

Cord-and-plug connection

Make sure the cooktop allows this before you commit.

If you want to cord-and-plug connect this, you need to change the receptacle.  That thing is an obsolete, dangerous NEMA 10-50, and must be changed for this application because you need ground and NEMA 10 doesn't have it.

Fit a NEMA 14-50 receptacle.  This has 4 wires.  Fit the white wire to the neutral pin even though this cooktop doesn't use it.

On the cooktop, you'll be replacing the entire whip with a cord, not putting a plug on the end of the whip (which isn't structurally equipped for that).  Buy a 14-50 cord, and attach to the cooktop's terminal block.  Neutral gets wrapped with tape, not tied to ground!

* The box has a hole in the back tapped #10-32, it's a bit smaller than the other holes.  This takes a #10-32 screw, and they even sell green ground screws just for this.  This needs a #10 solid pigtail, which is tied to your oven's green wire.  DON'T just clump this together with the white wire "just in case", that would create redundant neutral-ground bonds, which can cause all sorts of trouble. Also do not use the pre-made ground pigtails sold at the store, as those will be #14 or #12 and you need #10.  You can buy 1 foot of bare #10 wire cheap.


Is this typical for how hot water heating loops are plumbed? First time owning a home with hot water heat, and studying the plumbing the basement, I notice that the living room/kitchen zone that has a run of baseboard, a kick panel unit, and several floor units, doesn't have them daisy chained as I expected, but each one is in parallel with the main loop.   The attached photo shows the "drop" for one of the in-floor units.
Is this a typical practice when a zone has multiple drops?
I can see the benefit of this, in that each successive device doesn't lower the overall temperature as much as if they were "one out, two in" plumbed, and this also allows for more overall flow through the system rather than being restricted by the smaller devices, but it leaves me wondering how enough water goes through the individual devices, since it seems that it would be easier to keep flowing through the larger-diameter main loop than taking the 1/2" route through the baseboard or whatever.
The loop pipe seems to be 1", and the drops are 1/2" copper.  The overall system has a single circulator and zone valves for each thermostat-controlled zone.

Yes, that is how modern hydronic heating systems are commonly set up. The main pipes are called the "primary loop" and each set of smaller piping to the radiators is called a "secondary loop". (The technique has been around since at least the 1950's, but it used to be limited mostly to commercial buildings. Its use in residential systems has become a lot more common in the last 20 years.)
Boiler manufacturers want it done this way because the boiler is not designed to get back return water at too low a temperature. Yes, it sounds counterintuitive, I hear you thinking - isn't the whole point of the boiler to heat water? The problem is that if the temperature difference between the inside of the boiler and the returning water is too great, it will cause condensation inside the boiler which will ruin it.
Installers like to do it this way because it means you don't need to install lots of extra piping that would be required for a traditional "header-type" system with separate supply and return pipes.
It also means that you can turn on/off individual zones without affecting the overall system pressure too much.
If you want to know everything there is to know about Hydronic heating loops, Dan Holohan's website HeatingHelp.com is a great place to start. Here is their article on primary-secondary pumping. If you really want to go deep, Dan also wrote an entire book on the subject (as well as multiple other books about heating systems).


Replacing Tall Baseboards with Smaller Baseboard I am installing new baseboards along my walls but the baseboard I removed was really tall (probably about 5 inches). The new base moulding is only about 3 1/4 inches tall. The walls where the baseboard was removed looks like this:

How should I make sure that seam doesn't show once I put the moulding up and paint?

I guess it's too late to consider 5-1/4" trim?

Hit the line of old caulk with a long blade utility knife (like an Olfa), a sharp chisel or a wallpaper scraper. Then sand lightly to knock down any other lumps and apply a coat or two of mud. (Premixed if you have time; 20 or 90 minute setting compound if you're in a hurry.) When dry, sand lightly.


How do I wire this light switch? In particular I don’t know what to think of the gray wire. Most resources online suggest gray is neutral. If I treat gray as black I would go black to black, grey to red, red to red/white, green to ground based on the instructions.

That's an off-spec black

That "gray" wire is really a black wire that is off-spec a bit on color, as NM does not come with gray wires in it (or pink for that matter, so the "pink" wire is really a red wire).


Plastic fitting cracked in kitchen faucet supply line The fitting is cracked along its base as you can see in the picture.  This is the faucet-end of a quick connect fitting (the other side goes to the spray hose).  I'm hoping to not have to replace the entire line.  Is there a way to repair the split?  Or cut the tubing and replace the fitting itself?

I tried heat-shrink tubing: no way, not enough of a seal for the pressure.  I tried electrical tape: much better, but could not withstand the 30 psi max pressure of a supply tube.

The tube itself is, unfortunately, part of the faucet assembly, so I was forced to replace the entire faucet.  I notice that Pfister now uses a different fitting for the quick connect joint, no doubt because the one depicted above was breaking in the field.

So the best answer seems to be, sadly, to replace the entire faucet assembly.


Wiring residential internet router through existing smoke detector My internet router is setup at one end of the house thus the other end gets bad coverage. I'd like to move it at the center of the house to provide better coverage.

The gear in question is located in the basement, everything is opened and wired at the moment.

Here is the center of the house, note the smoke detector:

Essentially, could I branch off the smoke detector to power the router (residential unit provided by my ISP)?

Edit #1

Per the comments below, I'll attempt to use the light fixture that is nearby:

I was only thinking of using the smoke detector as it was closer. Now I wonder if it's advisable if I branch off a 4th line from the light fixture?

No. The 2011 version of the National Electrical Code made this very clear.

National Electrical Code 2011
Chapter 7 Special Conditions
Article 760 Fire Alarm Systems
760.41 NPLFA Circuit Power Source Requirements
(B) Branch Circuit. The branch circuit supplying the fire
alarm equipment(s) shall supply no other loads. The location
of the branch circuit overcurrent protective device shall
be permanently identified at the fire alarm control panel.
This branch circuit shall not be supplied through ground-fault
circuit interrupters or arc-fault circuit-interrupters.

The 2008 version was a bit vague about this, but the 2011 version leaves no doubt. You'll have to find a power source somewhere else.

While this code snippet may not be applicable to smoke detectors, it's still good advice to keep smoke detectors on their own circuit (in my opinion).


Should I peel off the top layer of vinyl in preparation for tiling? I'm preparing my kitchen floor for ceramic tile. Currently it's a sheet of vinyl(linoleum?). The plan was to sand off any gloss and tile over it. I was going around the edges picking off any loose areas and I noticed the top layer of the floor is peeling off and leaving behind a paper like layer which looks to be glued to the original vinyl floor. So it seems the vinyl layer is splitting in half. What would be the better surface to tile on? The paper like surface or the sanded vinyl? Please don't recommend pulling it completely off as that is out of time and budget.

Unfortunately, you NEED to remove or cover the old vinyl. If you attempt to tile over an unsecure base, you are wasting yout time and money because the tile will not stay down. In your case, if you go over the splitting vinyl, the vinyl will continue to separate and up will come the tiles.  If you go over the paper layer, the mortar/quickset will not stick properly. If you don't want to strip everything, which is a very thankless job, and your subfloor may not be the greatest either,  then screw down a layer of Hardi-backer. Hardy-backer or concrete board is the perfect base for your new tile.  Good Luck


How do I install a portable air conditioning unit in a large sliding window? I have a large sliding window that is 53 inches top to bottom and I want to install a portable air conditioning unit.  The kind that don't sit in the windows but vent to the window.  The window exhausting expander thing that come with these units seem to never be large enough.

Can I just use some plexi-glass or something to extend the extender or is there a better way?

Update:
I found one large sliding window vent kit, but I think its just for edgestar ac units and I'd rather not have to buy such a kit if I can get a good seal some other way.

You could build a wood frame that fits in the window with an interior hole large enough to accommodate the AC unit.  This also has the advantage that you won't have to hold the window open, while juggling the unit into place.  You can install the light weight frame, then slide the unit into place.

I built one when I lived on the second floor of an apartment building, because I was always afraid I would drop the unit out the window while installing it. I used foam tape around the exterior and interior of the frame, to make sure I got a good seal around the window and AC unit.

For a unit that only vents through the window (not sits in it), you could build a smaller frame with a port to allow the vent to pass through.  Filling the interior of the frame with Lexan will reduce the amount of wasted window space.

(You could always use smaller lumber for your frame, if you want it to have a lower profile. The frame size in the image is just an example, to illustrate the idea).


Help connecting pendant light I need help attaching these two wires. Do I just connect black and white? And then to black?

If the black wire with the label is connected to that black wire with the orange wire nut, remove that wire with the label. Then you'll need to install a ceiling plate similar to the one below and route the wires through it before installing the fixture. Connect the two fixture wires to the two black wires from the ceiling. You will want to turn off the power before doing any work.


Floating Ground in Renovated Bathroom I am a homeowner and retired RF Engineer, not an electrician.  We bought a house built in 1955 that we have been remodeling in stages over the past five years.  The first thing I had done was to remove the old three phase service and have the utility install new 200A service and have a electrician install new large Square D Homeline panel and new sub-panel for the HVAC. The original wiring is 12 -2 with no ground wire fed from an obsolete GE sub panel with no separate grounding bus. I had new Square D breakers installed in the sub panel.
We are now close to completion on a kitchen and bath remodel the went down to the studs with entirely new plumbing and electrical.  The kitchen and laundry circuits were removed from the GE panel and are now fed from the new main paned with all new 12-2 Romex.  However, although the bathroom ware rewired, the electrician used the existing feed from the GE panel, thus no ground. The light fixtures and outlets all have ground wires connected together but this ground is just floating. When I bring mu induction tester to the vanity fixture it beeps, even if the wall switch is off.  He installed standard duplex outlet just outside the bathroom connected to this floating ground.
Apparently enough coupling from ground to neutral exists to allow the ground test neon light to illuminate in a tester so the circuit read good.  A home run to the bathroom would have been easy when the walls were open, other new runs were installed within a few feet. Don’t know how they missed this because I told them at the start that I didn’t want shortcuts and wanted a real ground in the bathroom.
 My electrician is saying that this is OK, nothing to be concerned about and that I am just being obsessive. I am asking here because I am not satisfied with what my contractor and electrician are telling me.  I really don’t want to rat him out to the inspector so, if he will not correct this, I’ll try to route a ground wire to the new dryer outlet on the other side of the (concrete block) wall.
Any though from the experts here?

fed from an obsolete GE sub panel with no separate grounding bus. I had new Square D breakers installed in the sub panel.

Am I reading this right that you put Square D breakers in a GE subpanel?  Who did this work?

You can't put random brand X  breaker in brand Y panel.  Yes, I know some will "fit" and feel like they snap in, if you completely ignore what insertion force is normal. But the buses won't match up, and they will arc.

If you stick with the OEM breakers/panel combo, those are UL listed to work together.  UL will also classify certain specific breakers to work in certain specific other panels: Take the 3/4" wide Square D "QO" panel. Eaton CHQ (not CH) or Siemens QD breakers are UL-classified because they have passed design review and every safety test.

Are Square D HOM breakers classified for GE panels? No they are not, they are definitely not. I know that because Square D has decried the entire concept of classified breakers, condemns use of ANY other breakers in their panel, and refuses to make classified breakers for anyone else's panel.

So those breakers definitely do not belong in that panel.  Now if you get us photos of the panel and particularly the labeling, we have experts here who can tell you exactly what breakers are UL listed (or classified) for that panel.

Yeah, yeah, your guy has been doing this for 20 years and never has any callbacks on any of his alien breaker swaps.  That he knows of.

  the electrician used the existing feed from the GE panel, thus no ground. The light fixtures and outlets all have ground wires connected together but this ground is just floating. When I bring mu induction tester to the vanity fixture it beeps, even if the wall switch is off.

Where is your induction tester getting a ground reference?  can you try it with a solid ground reference taken off a panel cover? Any wire will do to bring ground for testing. Phone line, ethernet, RG58, whatever you can lay your hands on.

  He installed standard duplex outlet just outside the bathroom connected to this floating ground.
  Apparently enough coupling from ground to neutral exists to allow the ground test neon light to illuminate in a tester so the circuit read good.

Are you sure? That would be an awful lot of coupling.  I have never seen capacitive coupling deliver enough EMF to move the needle on a mechanical voltmeter, nevermind light a light.  That's why we see it  reported so much of late: modern DVMs are sensitive enough to detect it.

  A home run to the bathroom would have been easy when the walls were open, other new runs were installed within a few feet. Don’t know how they missed this because I told them at the start that I didn’t want shortcuts and wanted a real ground in the bathroom.

Are you entirely sure he didn't retrofit ground? That is perfectly proper and legal as of 2014 NEC.  There is no need for the ground wire to travel the same route as the conductors, since ground wires only carry fault currents.

In fact, a ground retrofit doesn't even need to go back to the panel.  It can reach anywhere that has a ground wire that is thick enough, though it's supposed to be something served out of the same subpanel.  It can also go to any non-flexible metallic conduit, or the grounding electrode system.  (Not water pipes, though).

  I’ll try to route a ground wire to the new dryer outlet on the other side of the (concrete block) wall.

Maybe that's what they did.

But do it also, sure.  Worst case you have a redundant parallel ground, and that is allowed because current only travels on grounds during fault conditions. (DON'T use the same logic to parallel anything else).


Plank vinyl flooring , the glue will not dry I decided to replace the entire house with a glue down plank vinyl flooring. I followed the instructions and used the recommended glue to put it in place.

Two days after putting the floor down, when moving the appliances in I could see wet glue coming through the cracks. I cleaned it up and assumed I placed too much glue in that area. That was just the beginning of cleaning up glue. Months have gone by and here and there in the kitchen I would see wet glue come through the seams. Everyday that went by I was hoping it would finally dry.

Well, it’s been over a year and decided to peal a tile up only to see the concrete slab and the glue I put down was as wet as the day I put it down. I don’t know why the glue never dried in the kitchen and the rest of the house is fine.
I don’t have any water pipes that run through the slab, so it’s not a water leak.
The house was built in the mid-60s. The common floor type that was the glue down sheet vinyl with cut back black glue. I still had a hit and miss of this old glue still on the concrete but, it was mostly in another room where the new floor is fine.
I don’t know where to start to fix this problem.
I can pull up these tiles and clean the glue off the slab and reuse the tiles, but what glue will adhere to the concrete and the tile.
 I’m looking for a solution to this mysterious problem.
Hope you can help me,

I'm going to bet that you used a "mastic" based tile setting adhesive, which would have been the wrong type for a kitchen. Mastic is an organic compound (from a Mastic tree) and will re-liquefy with moisture. not only is it bad for kitchens and bathrooms, but if the concrete was not sealed, moisture can come up from below and continually re-liquefy your mastic, even if it has dried. If it was mastic based, you may need to pull everything up, clean it off and reapply with a waterproof acrylic based tile compound.


How to chlorinate a tankless water heater? I live on a private well and have had a tank for a while. Every few months I'd have to chlorinate the tank (with hydrogen peroxide) to get rid of the rotten egg smell.
Two local plumbing companies advised that the smell was caused by sulfate-reducing bacteria, confirmed by numerous online sources.
I could get rid of it by draining a gallon out of the tank, opening the temp & pressure relief valve, pouring hydrogen peroxide into the tank, and letting this solution flush through the pipes and sit for a few hours.
About a month ago I noticed the smell again and was planning to chlorinate the system. Unfortunately shortly after, the tank was leaking, so I replaced it and "upgraded" to a tankless system.
Now the problem is, after a month, the water still smells. Obviously there is no more anode rod or sitting water, so there must be bacteria still in my pipes. It's mainly coming from one faucet in the kitchen.
How can I flush that pipe, or kill the bacteria in some other way?

Odor in the cold water that goes away after water flows... the most likely source of the hydrogen sulfide is Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria 1

Well, the standard method of chlorinating well systems to kill bacteria in the pipes is to use chlorine (peroxide is an oxidizer, but it's not "chlorinating" in my vocabulary) in the well, and pump it throughout the system, wait several hours, and then flush it out.

Presumably you could use peroxide if you have a sufficient amount, but it's likely to be more expensive than using chlorine bleach (plain, unscented as I would hope would be obvious.)

Interestingly, "overkill" generally is less effective at killing things that a proper level of chorine. My particular well with 200 feet of 6" well full of water above the pump takes about 3 quarts of household bleach. Process is to open the well head, run a hose to the well head and turn it on, and add bleach with the hose running so it gets circulated. Once the chlorine is well-mixed in the well, run water from each tap until you smell the chlorine, then shut it off. Wait several hours, pump most of the chlorinated water out with the hose to somewhere that isn't your septic system or a body of water (run it onto the ground), then flush the pipes in the house once there's no more smell of chlorine from the hose.

I'll go look for references and edit.

http://www.dep.pa.gov/About/Documents/Disinfection%20of%20Home%20Wells%20and%20Springs.pdf

http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/drinking_water/pdf/Well_Disinfection.pdf

This publication suggests a smaller dose and longer contact time:

http://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/HealthyEnvironments/DrinkingWater/Operations/Treatment/Documents/CT.pdf


Any structural issues when creating an 11" diameter hole in brick wall? I'd like to install an external blower for a range hood. Spec says an 11" diameter. I have a 12" thick brick wall. I'm wondering if there are any structural issues with making a hole that big.

The wall is the exterior kitchen wall with no structure above it (ie, just the roof).

Not if you cut it round - using a diamond hole saw so that the edges are all clean. Done properly the mortar joints won't be disturbed and the bricks around the hole will support themselves.

If, however, you just "hack" a rough opening with a chisel and sledge then you will crack all the mortar joints around and it could easily be or become unstable.


How to remove rest of Delta Monitor 1500 shower handle? The complete album of images is here https://imgur.com/gallery/mOgTMZ8
I have removed all of the screws and the nut shown in the picture but I can’t manage to pop off the rest of the handle to get to the cartridge. I am trying to remove the handle so I can update it to a 1700 series handle. I found a similar post here but the detail of how to remove the handle we’re not provided.

Have you tried one of these?

These are used for removing pulleys from shafts.  You are likely going to need to sharpen the points to fit.  With a 3 jaw puller it's often useful to wrap a stretchy cord around the jaws to keep them from slipping off a narrow edge.  The end is either a 1/2" or 9/16 end.  use a socket on it.


Why is my hot water circulator causing there to be hot water in hot and cold pipes? I have a Grundfos circulation pump.  It is installed on top of the hot water heater and feeds directly into the hot water pipe feeding the entire house.  It also has a timer that I use.  When hot water is circulating, all water pipes, hot and cold have hot water coming out of them until we run the cold water a long time, after which only cold comes out of the cold water pipe.  What is causing this?

Somewhere at the end of the line there should be a valve that bridges the hot and cold water lines, which is usually under a sink. If that valve fails or is installed backwards then you will get excessive hot water in the cold line.

To test the valve:

Find the sink with the valve under it.
Close the cold water valve under the sink.
Open the cold water faucet.
Water should SLOWLY come out of the faucet. (If it comes out quickly, you have a bad valve.)
When the water warms up, the flow should slow down and eventually stop completely. (If it does not stop then you have a bad valve.)


Help me identify the hex-to-allen adapter in this image I'm trying to determine the name of the red-circled adapter so that I can buy it and replicate this setup to fix something at my place.

This is a 1/4" x 1/4" hex adapter. Sizes will vary depending on the allen wrench used.

Instead of using this, you could get an offset screwdriver: slotted on one side, Phillips on the other.


Replacing leaking Scalemaster scale inhibitor I've just discovered that my "Scalemaster Electrolytic Speedfit Scale Inhibitor" has a pin prick leak in it.

This device is sat between a copper pipe going to the combi boiler (I have assumed)

I've ordered a replacement with the intention of replacing it myself as it looks dead simple to do. However, I know absolutely nothing about plumbing.

Are there any pitfalls I could run into when attempting to replace it? Is there going to be an "air lock" situation?

My plan is simply to:

Turn off the water (which I've tested does stop the leak)
Take off the scalemaster
Put new scalemaster on
Turn the water on.

Is there anything I should be aware of? Am I incorrectly assuming it will be this simple?

Here is the knackered one:

Replacement on order:

Your plan is decent, but I'd amend it slightly:

Turn off the water
Take off the scalemaster and throw it away
Replace with a couple couplings and a regular piece of pipe
Turn the water on.
Be happy you saved your money by not buying a pointless device


How to fix my roof draining into gutter improperly Looking for some help on how to fix my roof draining improperly at the corners of my home.
To my eye, it appears that drip guard is not installed properly on the corner. The paint is starting to bubble up because there's water behind it. I tried looking around for drip guard installation tutorials, but most I've found are for the front edges of the house behind the gutters, not showing the specific corner situation I'm trying to fix.
I've linked a few pictures below, in the head-on view picture you can see that there's a significant gap between the drip guard and the edge of the gutter, leaving the compromised board exposed to the elements. Do I simply need to bridge this gap with more drip guard/flashing material?
Pictures
Paint bubbling:

Front View:

Head-on View:

Same problem on the rear corner of the house

Top view 1:

Top view 2:

Any and all advice is welcome, I'm a new homeowner and feeling a bit out of my depth. Thanks!

I agree with your assessment that these corners are getting wet, and it is because they are improperly formed.
As commenter suggested, the gutter typically goes all the way to the roof edge, as in this picture (crudely edited from what you posted). This would require cutting the extra-long fascia shown in red.

Alternatively - much easier, but kind of a stop-gap measure you can use "in the meantime" while you prepare to cut fascias/extend gutters - you can at least stop the water from getting in here using another piece of aluminum flashing that extends from under the shingles to over the end of the fascia. The key here is to route the water from the roof around the top of the fascia where it has been sitting long enough to seep under the paint. Note that even with this measure, you'll need to properly address this soon because the fascia wood has already started to rot.


Worth it to just clear coat a marginally beat-up wood floor? The wood floors in our new-to-us house are kind of beat up. There are very few indelible marks and scratches that will require strategic furniture placement, but most of the damage is just superficial scuffing, discoloration, and irregularities in the stain. Notably, they have no polyurethane or other clear coat protecting the finish.

Ultimately they deserve to be stripped, sanded, and refinished. However, with the number of pets and young children we currently have, I'm reluctant to do a full refinish job when realistically they will get pretty beat up again within 3-5 years. I'd like to delay the full refinish until after this damage-intensive period of child rearing tails off. However, I'm concerned that with the total absence of clear coat the floors may in that intervening time acquire much more damage than they would with one.

I'm now thinking that I'd like, for now, to lay down some polyurethane on the freshly cleaned but otherwise unrepaired floor. This would be cheap, give some protection from incurring further damage, and only take a day to do. My question is, will doing this make my already beat up floors look appreciably worse?

I am a firm believer in doing it right the first time. The most expensive part of this type of job is the urethane. Good quality oil based urethane can go $50 to $90 per gallon. you really need at least three coats to do the job properly, with a light sanding between coats.

If you take the time to sand the floors now, get them in a good condition, balance the color if necessary, then put on 3 or 4 coats of oil based quality floor urethane, you will amazed how well they will hold up to kids and pets.  The other advantage is that spills, surface scratches and normal wear and tear can be easily repaired a few years from now with a light sanding and a couple fresh coats of urethane.

The disadvantage of doing a quicky overcoat now over a damaged floor is that it will be much harder to sand, a lot messier later to remove all the urethane and surface damage on the wood. The job will take a lot longer and any $$$ you spent on urethane will be wasted.

If you do it right now, you will enjoy a nicer looking durable floor now and the freshening 3 to 5 years from now will be simple and fast.


Should I rekey new locks before or after installing? I'm buying several Schlage smart locks for my house. I'm gonna buy one to make sure it fits on all my doors and then buy the rest.

Is it better or cheaper to these rekeyed before installing them?

If you're going to re-key the locks yourself, it shouldn't matter.

If you need to have a locksmith do it, you'll save yourself paying for a service call if you can take the locks to the locksmith before you install them in the doors.


How to fix a boiler that is not blowing enough air? I have a new York 4 ton 15 SEER heat pump with 5 ton York air handler with expansion valve; it also has a coil behind the air handler going into supply line from an outside wood boiler.

I think the fan motor is 1 hp variable speed motor, 1050 rpm. I don't think it blows enough air out the vents.

With the boiler water temp outside at 160 degrees, it took from 9:30 to 12:00 (2.5 hours) to bring the inside temp from 57 to 62 degrees.

Notes:

Outside temp was 46 degrees.
It is a 2400 sq.ft. heated space.
Walls are foamed 1/2", with 6" insulation.
Ceiling has 12" insulation.

Can I get a higher rpm motor to turn the fan faster to ultimately solve this problem, or is the boiler coil reducing the air flow too much?

If not, what do you think the problem is? I asked the HVAC contractor who installed it but they are not helping.

If you need more information please ask.

If the blower motor is actually a 1 HP motor it should be able to provide sufficient air delivery through the system. Do you know what speed the motor is utilizing, (most have 4 speeds).

The coil design and the resistance of each coil will play a major roll in air flow as will the size of the supply and return ductwork. A lot of contractors use a high resistance figure when sizing ductwork in order to save a few dollars.

This results in a lower delivered air flow, along with more air noise. With the information you have provided it will be very hard to offer any solutions. There are some pretty smart guys that monitor this site so more info is needed, such as the model number of the equipment including the heat coil specs, size of the supply and return duct work, type of filters used, etc.

By the way, if the water delivery temperature was 160 degrees at the boiler, that is not very hot when trying to raise the house temperature quickly. You also need to check the temperature drop across the coil, the in and out temperature of the water and the air temperature increase across the coil.

Raising the water temperature to say 180-200 degrees will greatly increase the output of the coil. The best answers would be provided by someone actually being at your location.

Hope this helps.


Is it safe to ground/earth an extension cord with the radiator? I just moved into a dutch student house without any grounded plugs which is quite usual around here. I get the 'Macbook Tingle' after some time, which solved by nudging the Macbook to the Radiator. and now I'm about to connect more computer appliances to an extension cord.

This makes me wonder: Can I earth the entire extension cord/ power strip with a crocodile clip to the radiator? Of course securing both sides properly. Needless to say I know this is not ideal but I'm also not keen on leaving it without anything.

This seems extremely dangerous.  If the plumbing for the radiators is not grounded, and a fault occurs. You could potentially electrify the entire plumbing system.

Worst case scenario. The heating plumbing is electrically connected to the water plumbing, you electrify the plumbing, and everybody in the building dies when they wash their hands.


Why does my cold water smell like sulphur suddenly? This is a long, detailed post about my water problem. I've included all relevant info I can think of.
I bought my first house about 2 years ago, it's a ranch style with a finished basement and a pole building that has a finished area with a small apartment inside. In the last 2 or 3 months our cold water started smelling terribly of sulphur in the house, although not out of every faucet. There is no smell in the hot water, and we have never had this problem before.
We do have well water and our own septic tank. There is a water softener and a tankless water heater in the finished basement, where me & my boyfriend have our own living area. Most of the pipes in the basement are pvc. My mother lives with me and stays on the first level, where in her bedroom the previous owner installed a sink, shower & toilet. My mom has said her cold water in her bathroom sink has always had a slight sulphur smell, but aside from that one sink there was no smell in the house before recently. The smell seems to mostly be in the basement water and in my mom's room, I checked the kitchen sink & don't smell anything from the cold water there or in the other first level bathroom, which is weird. It doesn't make sense that our water would just start smelling badly out of nowhere, unless the previous homeowner was doing something to prevent this smell. I've done research and can't find any info on sulphur smell isolated only to the cold water. Everything I've read is either hot water or both hot & cold.
The only other issue we have had with the water is outside in the pole building apartment there is a standard hot water tank and the water will start to smell of sulphur & get stronger if we don't run the water out there for a few weeks. The previous homeowner said he adds a little bleach to the hot water tank out there whenever it starts to smell, then runs the hot water for a while to flush the tank the next day, and also completely drains the tank to clean it out every spring. I follow his instructions whenever the water starts to smell out there & that takes care of the problem. If I recall correctly it's the HOT water out there that smells.
Here is what we do & have done recently in the house:
-We change the water softener filter as recommended and flush the tankless water heater once a year with vinegar.
-We did change the filter out of a few months back and in doing so we checked the sink water to make sure it was off, when we did this the faucet shot out dirty water & air. After changing the filter we turned the sink back on and let it run for a few minutes to clear the pipes.
-We use the iron fighter salt pellets that the previous homeowner recommended for the water softener.
-This may be coincidence but we did run out of salt somewhere around the time the water started smelling and the softener tank sat empty for maybe a few weeks. Ever since then the water has not seemed soft when I shower, it feels grippy & dry instead of slippery & almost lotion like, even though it's been well over a month since we added the salt.
Anyone have any ideas on what would cause this and what I can do to eliminate the smell? Thanks in advance!

I have to somewhat disagree with Ed, which is rare. When a problem like the OP described that springs up suddenly, it's probably not a water quality issue.  From wells, the water quality (or lack there of) is pretty consistent.    What the OP is most likely to have is an anaerobic bacteria colony somewhere in the cold water plumbing.  Sounds really nasty, but there is a fix. It's not uncommon, esp. when you have well water. I have had a similar experience at my home.  You have to bleach the system. There are various methods to do this. Ed Beal described one. Others involve pumping / circulating a diluted bleach solution thru the cold water piping. The most important part is letting it sit for a few hours for treatment.
This is sort of gross, but just want to warn you that after treatment, and you turn the water back on to flush out the bleach, the cold could be VERY discolored. In my case I had a couple of faucets where the water came out BLACK! Totally black. Even after flushing for a long time, you may notice a slight chlorine taste for a few days. ....nothing to worry about, it will go away.


Where to find glass window specs Does the AAMA Certification label shown here
(source: fayor.com)
imply that the window has been subject to wind and projectile testing?
If so, where can I find the details of that testing?

The specifications are in the middle panel of the sticker (with the security standards at the bottom of the right panel.  While it would probably be extremely difficult to get the testing results on the actual window model itself, all of the specs give minimum performance requirements and the certification means that the model passed.

The relevant ones are ANSI/AAMA 101-93 (the DH-C## ones are for double hung condensation resistance), AAMA 1302.5, AAMA 1303.5, ASTM F 588 and ASTM F 842, which cover forced entry resistance.

You can find a pretty good simplified run-down in this pdf.  If you want all the gory details, the full specification is available here, but I'm not sure it's the most recent version.


Correct placement for 1,200 lb pizza oven on wooden box I built I am not much of a DIY-er, but I decided I wanted to try and make a stand for a 1,200 lb pizza oven I wanted to buy. I built a box out of 4x4's, and wrapped it in 5/8" OSB.

The dimensions of the surface of the box are 48"x48", and the pizza oven is 40"x40". The problem I'm dealing with now is that if the pizza oven is centered on the surface, most of the 4x4 beams around the perimeter aren't directly under the oven, due to the 4" inset all the way around.

So given the design in the picture where there are two center vertical pillars in the back two rows, but not in the first row, I'm wondering if I need to either scoot the pizza oven all the way to the front, or else all the way to the back. Or will it work fine being centered? Maybe I am just being overly nervous, but I want this to last, and as I said, this is my first rodeo with framing.

It will be fine in terms of the weight... the 4x4s in the center will easily handle the load.  I'm a bit concerned about the OSB though.  Personally if it isn't too late I'd really suggest 3/4" CDX plywood.  But if it's too late don't lose sleep over it, just a long shot.


Can air in a Hotwater tank, prevent the pressure release valve from working? I know I should bleed the system of air, but will any air in the tank prevent the pressure release valve from opening?

I am installing a new hot water tank. I intend to fill it, and then bleed off any air, but am concerned that if the pressure is too high it will damage the tank before I can bleed it. I am trying not to have a open pipe  to prevent damage to the room. And therefore would prefer not to fill (until water overflows) then fit the valve.

Air in the tank won't prevent the valve from opening. But if an electric water heater it can cause damage to the element. Just don't turn the water heater on until it is plumbed in then open a hot water tap and turn the supply to the water heater on. When the tank is full the tap will quit spitting air and run normally. After this is done it is safe to turn the heat on.


I have a 30amp 240 breaker going to a 240v water pump. I want to protect each leg with a GFI I have a 30amp, 240v circuit running to a 240v water pump. Can I add a 20amp GFI to each leg?

In short, no. Each leg of a 240v circuit is is 180° out of phase and they share a common neutral. If both legs are hot, it will trip a 1 pole GFCI because the opposite phases cancel each other out on the neutral. You would need a 2 pole GFCI, which trips when there is a potential difference between the 2 hot legs instead of a single hot and neutral.


Could I cut out the affected area in a termite damaged joist or would I need to replace the whole joist if it's rotted at the end So I have a 2x10 floor joist that's only about 5 feet long (short because it only spans a rounded part of my house) which has termite damage at one end for about 1.5 feet.  The damage is on the outward side of the joist making it much thinner than 2" once the damaged bits are flaked off. The end sits on a notched sill on the curved wall on the masonry since I have brick exterior walls.  The notched sill area is not wide enough to have 2 sistered joists rest on it.  It is the first joist and doesn't really seem to have much weight or load on it since the load is mostly on the exterior brick wall at that spot.
If I were to do this myself - would I cut out the affected end by a few feet and replace it with a partial new joist which I sister to the old joist, or should I just replace the entire joist since it's only 5 feet long in its entirety?
I am assuming that I can't just sister it the whole length since the edge of the sister can't sit on a sill?
The joist goes in front of the hvac register so I shouldn't have to cut any duct, just maybe hold it up if the register edge is screwed into the joist.
Images below and I drew a blue line in the floor plan of where the beam is along with the red line indicating the termite damage.  Note that the white residue on the wood is from the BoraCare termite salt that was sprayed on - the wood is normally a nice brown.

*Update
In case anyone is interested, I ended up have 2x8s bolted/sistered together to replace what turned out to be an actual 3x8.  I used some shims on top of the brick sil.
To get it in, broke the concrete cap in the notch, put in the double beam,  and then re-cemented it back in.

In my estimation, that is not at all load bearing, it simply holds the flooring above up to keep it from being bouncy.
As short as it is, I'd suggest replacing the whole thing. With termite damage that severe at one end, you don't know how far into the middle of the remaining portion they may have eaten, so might as well get rid of the whole thing. The hard part is getting the board long enough to fully bear on both sills while being short enough for you to be able to actually get it in place - I'd imagine the original was dropped into those slots from above before the flooring went down.
I would be tempted to cut it to length, then cut it in half. This would allow you to slip each end into the notch for it and have them meet in the middle. Of course, now that it's cut in the middle means it's not going to support much. To fix that, take the left over piece of that 10' 2x10* you bought and sister it across the entire span. Sure, a 5' scab is probably overkill, but you've got the lumber, so why not. I believe that the general rule is about 2' on either side of a split/break, so you're only exceeding that by about 6" so why bother cutting it shorter.
Unfortunately, this will leave the floor boards above not attached to the joist, so you risk them squeaking. Pick up a floor squeak fix kit that includes clips that will screw into the bottom of the flooring, then into the side of the new joist. Putting one on every other floor plank above will probably do the trick. Leave the ceiling open for a week or so to see if that's sufficient, if not, add more.

*The existing joist looks to be rather old and rough finished, as a matter of fact, it looks like much of the lumber in my house. That means there's a non-zero chance that it's actually 2" x 10", not a nominal 2x10 (i.e. 1.5" x 9.5"). If that's the case, make sure you buy a 2x12 as your new floor joist, then notch down the ends to the exact height you need to slip into that pocket in the wall. If you don't, your nominal 2x10 will sit on the bottom of the pocket and not reach up to the floor, or you'll attach it to the flooring, but it won't rest on the bottom of the notch.
Oh, and your nominal 2x12 won't be wide enough to fully fill the pocket, either. That's less of a concern, since you'll be sistering 2 pieces. The 3" bearing surface against the flooring above, as well as the squeak-fix clips, should prevent it from twisting, turning, or "sliding" around in the pocket. However, you could use some 1/2" plywood shims to get a nice snug fit into the pockets, if desired. Cut the plywood to fit and drive the shims home (hammer and a sacrificial scrap of 2x4) after you've got the joist in place. Remember, too, that 1/2" plywood is also a nominal size ranging from about 0.4" to about 0.6" so be sure that you're getting ply on the thicker end of that range. Easier to sand it down to fit than to try to add additional wedges/shims.


Brick drilling in close distance to another hole? I am about to install a samll kids coat hanger, however it seems I will need to drill another hole about 1 cm from the existing one (brick wall). Is it at all possible or should I look for another location?

Angle the new hole away from the other by about 15 degrees. Put it on the correct side so that you can angle it towards the center of the brick.


Moved compressor from one outlet to another. Now it trips the breaker. Same circuit. Different outlet. Why? I had a single phase 115v ac compressor connected to a 20A circuit. It worked in that location for many years.
Recently, I moved the compressor to another outlet on the same circuit. Now it trips the breaker whenever the compressor comes on - but only if I'm not watching it... if I turn the compressor on and off manually the breaker never trips.
The breaker itself is fairly new. All wiring is 12 ga nonmetallic cable. The new outlet location is the first one on the circuit. In other words the previous compressor's location was downstream of that outlet, in fact it was the last one on the circuit so it should have suffered from more voltage drop than the new location.
If I move the compressor back to where it used to be, it works fine and the breaker never trips.
I couldn't find anything wrong with the receptacle, but I replaced it with a brand new 20A commercial grade duplex receptacle anyway. I couldn't find anything wrong with the wire nuts but I replaced them too. All wires are wrapped nice and tight.
The compressor motor nameplate indicates 15A, with a locked motor current of 98A. Obviously its starting current is a lot more than 20A and I know I'm pushing the limits of a 20A circuit. Starting current might be around 60 to 80A, possibly more, but that misses the point that the compressor worked and continues to work in its old location.
There is nothing else on that circuit except for a very small battery maintainer that doesn't draw much current. And remember, all I have to do to make things work again is move the compressor to its old location, all the way at the end of that same circuit. Which by the way used a residential grade 15A duplex receptacle.
I don't have any way of actually measuring current that big, but have no reason to doubt it's really drawing too much for that breaker.
What the heck is going on?

You said down stream: if this receptacle further away from the panel than the original I would suspect a bad connection in the wiring or this receptacle is loose creating a voltage drop.
With reduced voltage the amperage to start the motor will be higher and that could be why the breaker trips, now and did not in the original location.
Yes your motor can draw 3-5x the rated current but only a high end meter could actually see the real peak value even a small reduction in voltage 1% could increase the current the motor draws creating the occasional tripped breaker.
I would be going back and verifying proper pigtails are snug or wraps around screws are snug (you said 20 amp so there should be no back stabs in use but they are a common source on 15 amp circuits however some contractors use stab blocks instead of wire nuts I have only seen these a few times in my area).


Identify this ceiling fan? I have this ceiling fan in my house. The previous owner didn't leave any documentation about it. It came with a remote, but unfortunately the remote's screen does not turn on, even with a fresh battery.
The fan:
Here is the fan with the upper cover removed:

Here is a close-up underneath the upper cover. This is the writing I can find on here. The other side looks roughly the same, but without any writing on it.

Here is the fan with the lamp cover removed:

Here is a close-up underneath the lamp cover:

Here is the remote that came with it. Unfortunately, even with a fresh battery, the screen on the remote does not turn on.

Thanks in advance for your help! If we can figure out what kind of fan this is, I will try buying a new remote and see if that gets the fan going again.

Looks like a “Big Ass Fan”, maybe a “Haiku” model or “Haiku L” model. They come in sizes from 8’ to 14’ with various types of controllers.
You can Google them and then email your pictures to them.


How can I deal with waste water from a washing machine in a non-plumbed room? My wife wants to build a small add-on to the house in the current carport for the washer/dryer. It's not a huge project. The washing machine will be about 30ft from it's current location. I don't want to run plumbing outside the house to the drain; I'd rather do it through the attic, which extends over the carport. My question is: how do I handle the water discharge? Someone told me that the discharge head on a washing machine water pump is enough to handle the rise into the attic and the run to the drain, but I haven't really been able to find out if that is true. My original thought was to install a small holding tank with a float switch operating a small 110V Jabsco pump.

If I go the holding tank route, does it matter how the holding tank is installed in relation to the washing machine and what would be a "safe" minimum size for the holding tank? Surely 10 gallons would suffice?

In homes where there are no drain lines in the basement floor, it's common practice to use some form of cistern containing a pump.  A quick search at Home Depot turned up the SANISWIFT®, made by a company called Saniflo. The specifications list this unit as having a vertical discharge of 14 ft., which should be more than enough.

I've seen similar setups in many basements, where the only drain available is overhead.

Grey water from the sink and washer are collected in the cistern, then pumped up and out of the area when the cistern is filled to a certain level.

If the washer discharges faster than the grey water pump can handle, you're going to have problems. That's why when installing a system like this, the cistern should always be large enough to hold more than the volume of water that will be discharged by the washer.  In the above image, the sink acts as a secondary reservoir (as well as an air gap) allowing the pump extra time to discharge the water. If you're not using a sink it's a good idea to have a larger cistern, and/or a grey water pump that can handle the volume.

You'll also want to install a check valve, on the discharge line from the grey water pipe. This will prevent the water in the vertical pipe from draining back into the cistern, and causing a potential infinite loop situation.

As for whether or not you should rely on your washing machine discharge pump to lift the water, you might find this related question useful.

WARNING:
This is only appropriate for grey water discharge.  This method is NOT appropriate for sewage discharge.
Obviously there are other manufacturers of other systems, and you could always build you own system. I do not recommend or endorse this product, it is only used as an example. Searching for grey water pump will find many alternative products.


Questions about drill features I'm planning to buy a corded drill but after shopping I have some questions about features.  I'm not a contractor, just a DIY'er.  I'll be drilling holes from the smallest size to several inches in diameter and installing/removing fasteners - mostly in wood but would like the ability to drill concrete and thin metal.

What size chuck? I have no idea about this one
Keyless or keyed?  I've had problems with keyless - I can't seem to tighten the chuck enough by hand so was thinking keyed might be better.  Or would a chuck designed for hex-shaped bits be better?
Do I need to be concerned about power or any other features?  (I don't kneed an impact drill).

It's tough to say all your future needs will be met, but:

1/2". So, you don't run into problems with larger straight bits fitting.
Keyed. If you've had problems with slippage or spinning on smooth shanks it's the only answer. If you had spinning on hex bits, then you did something wrong. However, keyed will also fix pull-out of both smooth & hex shanks.
No, but maybe later. For what you mentioned the cheapest drills will handle it all. But, if you get into mixing 5-gallon buckets of Joint Compound or Concrete Resurfacer then you'll kill a smaller motor. However, the bigger the motor the considerably heavier the tool & you won't enjoy that at all for what you're currently doing.
Hammer Action. Not needed if you're only doing infrequent small holes & have a set of masonry bits...for most situations.
Adjustable clutch. Not needed as long as the drill is variable speed & all of them should be that you'll be considering.
Impact Action. As you say you don't want it. But, it's really-really nice. Are you sure? Have you actually tried it for 3-inch & more screws? Yummy-yummy you'll want one.

Actually, except for the 1/2" chuck & I think also for Keyed, but the Corded might be Keyed. I'd recommend the Black & Decker Matrix, it comes in Corded & Cordless. The interchangeable head will make your life so much better. I got a cordless one & all of the attachments I've got actually work better than I expected & quite well overall.