flow diverter for a nonstandard tub installation I installed an antique clawfoot tub in a tiled & grouted sunken recess (originally a built-in japanese-style soaking tub) which required me to install an s-shaped tub outlet, so as to clear the lip of the tub as shown in the photo.
To divert flow up to the shower head, I tried installing a shower flow diverter valve on the end of the s-pipe, but the flow through the diverter is so restricted that when I want to fill the tub, only a thin jet of water exits the valve outlet into the tub while water backs up all the way to the shower head, which then dribbles like crazy.
I did a temporary fix by screwing a pipe cap onto the end of the s-pipe to block it completely when I want to use the shower head and then unscrewing it when I want to fill the tub, which yields unrestricted flow into the tub with no dribble from the shower head.
This is a clumsy fix, but I cannot find a diverter valve for the end of that s-pipe which provides full flow (like the ordinary tub spout diverter with the pull knob, which will not fit on the end of that s-pipe) without backing up and causing the shower head to dribble.
Does anyone here have any ideas about how to address this problem, short of plumbing in a completely new faucet set/flow diverter/shower head assembly?

Since the "look" is already rather "industrial" just put a 1/4 turn ball valve on the end of the pipe. Hole the same size as the pipe when open, shuts off fully when shut.

The picture implies that you could also possibly remove the blind cover from a hole in the tub to get a more direct path for a straight pipe stub that would take a normal tub spout, if you'd like a "less industrial" appearance.
Or replace the coupling and "S-bend" with two elbows and two straight nipples, which would allow the normal tub spout to screw onto the end of the second straight nipple.


How to remove rusted tank bolts We have a really old toilet in one of our bathrooms which has started to leak around the tank bolts.  I was going to replace the bolts and washers but the nuts are completely seized and rusted to the bolts.  Due to placement I can only get about a 1" draw on a hack saw (which doesn't really cut well) so I can't easily cut them that way.

How can these be removed without shattering the tank?

I would try a Dremel type tool with an abrasive cutoff wheel. Of course you need to be careful of the porcelain. I've cut many screws and bolts this way.

If you can't cut the bolt, you may be able to cut the nut, in the direction of the bolt's axis, then pry the nut apart at the cut line.


What is the name of this pool or irrigation part? Currently in a swimming pool shed. A distributor?
This device takes water in the top, and outputs it alternately to one of five pipes at the bottom. When working it makes a clockwork sound. There are plastic gears inside.
When I know what it is called then I can get parts for a replacement.

It is a zone indexing valve. They are commonly found on sprinkler systems to route the water to different areas. the design changes a lot so if you can find a brand name, it will help getting parts. Worse case scenario, you will have to replace the valve with a new one. good luck and stay safe out there.


How to lock this kind of window? I have this window at home. I feel unsafe as I do not know the latch mechanism. Can someone explain how to shut this window?

That's a window sash lock. It's designed to prevent someone from defeating the lock from the outside, or prevent a small child from opening it from the inside and falling out. Operates as any normal window sash latch would, only you have the option to lock it with a key as well.

Personally, I consider it a death trap. If locked, there's a fire, and that's your only escape route, you've made a dangerous situation.

Offers piece of mind to some people though.


How do I access this external GFCI outlet? The cover doesn't seem easily removable An electrician installed this outdoor outlet on my deck a couple of years ago.
When we went to use it, we couldn't figure out how to expose the outlet to plug anything in.  This stubborn cover seems to block everything except the GFCI buttons.
I tried pulling on various parts of the plastic without any success.
Any information is appreciated.

It looks like there is a screw to be removed:

Possibly two screws where the other one is hidden in the picture.


Will holes bored for radon mitigation cause basement flooding? A company has said that they would drill a hole in the basement to get rid of radon level.

Will this cause flooding from the ground beneath the basement?

Thanks.

Phil

No. If you have that much hydro-static pressure now, water would've already found a way in. A basement is not a boat.


How to remove a granite window sill? I need to remove a granite window sill in order to install plantation shutters.  How can this be done?  Can it be done without damaging the wall that the granite is affixed to (at the base of the window)?

The short answer is maybe, it really depends on what it was affixed with and how thick the granite piece is.

The key to removing it (or anything) without breaking it will be to have multiple pry points simultaneously, or use a piece of wood (2x4) so that you are prying against the wood which can then spread the strain you are putting on the granite piece.  Now that said, if the whole thing was glued down with epoxy...thats going to be a challenge no matter what.

If you can send a picture of both the top and bottom side of the sill we can get a little more detailed.


Can my pex line freeze if I use 90 degree elbow connectors? I'm installing a sillcock outside my house and I'm trying to create a drainable line so it won't freeze in the winter.

Here's the setup from the outside in:

This entire run is located through a basement crawl space that gets very, very cold (freezing?) in the winter.

8" frost-free sillcock connected to sharkbite 90 degree elbow (going straight down).
1' of pex to get under floor joists
Another 90 degree sharkbite elbow.
30' of pex slightly angled down. running under floor joists.
Last few feet enter the heated space of basement.
Finally connected to drainable ball valve

I'm concerned about the two 90 degree elbows but its the only realistic way to get from the outside of the house and then under the floor joists.  Will this be a problem?

I doubt you need the second 90 (#3)  - PEX is bendable at large radius, and if you work with that, you avoid fittings that may have freeze damage (PEX itself does not mind freezing.)

If you think of it as if it was rigid pipe, you end up with a lot of fittings. If you work with its strengths, you can avoid many of those fittings, but you don't get tidy pipe-like runs.

I would be concerned with complete drainage ("slightly angled down while running under floor joists" may work for properly hung rigid pipe - pex is not rigid pipe.)


Why Does Butcher Block Countertop Need To Be Sealed Within 48 Hours? I just bought a birch butcher block countertop from Home Depot. The instructions (https://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/71/71b1d057-7ed6-4336-a063-fb816fb7110c.pdf) states that "the butcher block MUST be sealed or finished on all surfaces within 48 hours of removing shrink wrap."

Any idea why this is? Is it to prevent warping of the wood? To prevent moisture from getting into it?

Answer compiled from multiple comments to the question:

Wood is dried just before being shrink-wrapped. The second the wood is unsealed, dust and moisture can start to absorb into the wood. Both cause issues with a clean finish and water can cause damage in some situations.


How do we convert our drop-in sink to an undermount one? We are in the process of remodeling our kitchen and are trying to narrow in on our sink for our new granite counters. We like the Kohler Staccato with unequal bowls and would like to have it undermount. However, there is a HUGE difference in price: drop-in is $250 vs. undercounter is $630. I know that there are some differences between the two, but not $380 worth, and if anything, the undercounter probably has less metal. I'm sure it is a premium tax for the undercounter option.

I ran across this post that mentions that they used converted a drop-in to undermount.

Does anyone know what is involved with that type of change? What are the things I need to be aware of?

Matt, there is a huge difference between an under mount and a drop in fixture. The first concern is the counter itself. what kind are you using?  Some counter tops cannot be used with an under mount sink.  The support and sealing of an under mount sink is completely different than a drop in.  The holes for the faucet need to be in the counter, not the sink unit, and the edges of the sink unit have to be flat and are usually epoxied and clamped in place while the counter is upside down. If you are very clever, you probably can fit the drop in under the counter, but how are you going to finish the counter edges and drill your fixture holes? They will need to be polished. This is usually a production job, not a DIY unless you give the counter maker an exact template, not something you can simply cut out and do yourself.


Using Smart Dimmer for Fan - why not? I have some experience with discrete electronics, but electrics was never in my interest. Currently I started making our home smarter and I hit the wall - there are no HomeKit compatible fan speed controllers.

For lighting I use very good Leviton DH6HD-1BZ dimmers, which according to the manufacturer work with following types of loads:

Incandescent fixtures
LEDs
CFLs
Mark 10

Nothing mentions fans. I started researching and people are warning that using classical dimmers is a bad idea, however nobody seems to have a technical explanation why? Is it really that bad of any idea to use smart dimmer to control fan? What is the difference between the modes selectable on the dimmer?

Now the fans are controlled by 5 speed switches, which somehow has to control the speed of the motor...

To dim a light, you decrease the amount of power. That can be done by lowering voltage (works well with some things but not others) or limiting current or by only supplying power part of the time - e.g., by changing the waveform (as noted by Harper). Some of these same "tricks" work fine with motors, but generally speaking modern dimmers don't work well with motors - or rather, the motors don't work well with the dimmers. There actually have been issues even with some lights - many fluorescent and LED lights do not work with dimmers and it is always best to make sure that a light bulb (unless it is incandescent) is specifically designed/tested to work properly with dimmers.

How does the 5-speed fan switch do it? It may be variable voltage (e.g., different taps on a transformer) or current (some sort of limiting device) or some other method, but designed specifically to work with the fan motor. Dimmers for lights simply don't work the same way.

If a light dimmer does happen to work with a fan (or other motor), I would watch out for overheating and/or lower motor life.


What could cause an old electric oven to run hot even when adjusted to the lowest setting? I have an old (probably 1940s) Hotpoint stove/oven that came with my 1901 farmhouse. The cook-top works well enough to use but the oven runs in the neighborhood of 100 degrees F over what the dial is set to. I tested this with a new oven thermometer and when set at 300f on the dial, the thermometer reads just over 400f.

There is an adjustment on the back of the knob to adjust the oven temperature setting to actual temperature but it's already cranked all the way to the lowest setting. Are there power resistors inside this thing that have lost their ability to resist current and allowing too much voltage to the coils? I'm a fairly able electronic DIY'er having built several tube amplifiers & guitar effects over the years so I'm not adverse to tearing into the stove if I have to. It is a pretty nice vintage piece though so I'd rather not rip it apart if I don't have to.

You could try to replace the thermostat if you can find a suitable replacement.  But there may be a very low-tech solution.   If the oven temp is consistently 100 higher across the entire range of the oven knob, you can either repaint the knob to shift all the numbers over or you can paint an indicator arrow on the oven surface next to the knob but shifted over.  So, for example, you can set the knob to 250 then paint an indicator next to the knob at 350.  The drawback to this is that someone who is unfamiliar with your oven may be confused and could leave the oven on when they think they are turning it off.  To solve that problem, paint a separate set of indicators on both the knob and the oven surface to positively indicate when the ofen is off.


Will this concrete fence base heave/break during winter cycle? I live in Ontario, Canada, and the requirement for posts/bases is 4-feet deep in the ground, taking the frost line into consideration.

Now I saw this in Google images. I was just wondering if I can do this? Does the ENTIRE ditch need to be at least 4-feet deep? What will happen if the ditch is say, just 1-foot deep? Will the whole thing heave and crack/break during the winter cycle?

Best advice is to dig the whole thing down to the level below frost line. It is also the standard practice to put down a bed of gravel at the bottom and lay in a reinforced concrete footing that lies completely below the frost line and is wider that the fence support wall. Say 12 inches wide. This gives the poured wall structure something solid to sit on that does not heave and will also help mitigate problems with ground movement and settling.


washing machine set ( Australia ) connectors' position I needed to replace the old with the new one.
http://www.bunnings.com.au/estilo-chrome-washing-machine-set_p5003030

My problem is that I didn't manage to screw it exactly tight for the connectors to a washing machine to be positioned strictly vertically down. So cold water connector looks rather up, hot down to the side. I must have done something wrong, but it seems too much tension is required to reach vertical down position. I should clarify that I screw the whole tap without disassembling on its parts.

It is a very common thing that you have to watch assembly of plumbing joints, especially for valve assemblies like this, and stop tightening the joint when the part is in the proper position. If you have gone past the acceptable position sometimes it is possible to back off just a bit to get the right setting. In that case you have to check carefully for leaks. Other times it is necessary to continue tightening the joint to bring the part into proper position. If it appears that this may not be possible because it is just too tight then it may be necessary to disassemble the joint and completely clean the threads out and then apply a bit more TFE thread sealing tape than the first time. Then when re-assembling stop when the joint is in the right position before going too far.


running a non-potable exterior water line I need to run a water line for gardening to a roof deck from the ground level (up 2 floors). I have a courtyard tap, and a brick wall I can run something along the outside of. My thought was to use a splitter on the existing tap, and then run a PVC pipe up the wall and to my deck, anchoring it to the wall.

This isn't for drinking water, it's just for plants on a deck. Any reason not to do it this way? I was just going to get some masonry screws and clamps for the PVC and attach it straight to the brick. Does that create any long-term issues for the brick?

My immediate thought is PVC expands quite a bit. If it is exposed to the sun check to make sure it has room to expand without binding.

Also the UV from the sun will damage the pipe over the years. You may want to paint it or somehow protect it.


Choosing air-conditioner's BTU power for humidity Recently, I've been cut off of access to sun and fresh air to my apartment. It is completely sealed now, with no windows or sun to the walls or roof. Ever since, humidity has grown a lot, and mold is spreading everywhere.

The climate where I live is an "always humid subtropical highland climate". That means it rarely gets extremely hot or extremely cold. Because of that, air conditioners are not very popular around here.

My first decision was to look for a dehumidifier, but after some research, and after contacting a manufacturer, I decided it won't solve my problem, because the dehumidifier is made for hot climates only - it has suboptimal performance below 18°C, and will freeze and stop working below 13°C. A climate of 0-10°C is common during winter, when it also happens to be more humid.

So my next option is an air-conditioner, which could give me some fresh air besides dehumidifying. My apartment is ~30m² (~323ft2), and ~3m (10ft) high, and I live with one other person. Some guides written in my language show I'd need 18,000-21,000 BTU, but they seem to consider only hot weathers, which is not my case. A calculator in English considers cold weathers, and it tells me I need only 8,384 BTU, which is less than half.

So, considering I need an air-conditioner mostly for dehumidifying on a cold weather (~5°C/40°F), what BTU power would I need?

"Dehumidifying cool areas" is a serious trick

It's a common problem in England too, where it's called "the damp".

The crux of the problem is warmer air can hold more water than cool air.  100% humidity at 10C may be 30% humidity at 25C.  That's how air conditioners and dehumidifiers cool the air.  If they chill air to 10C, it can't hold much water, so water condenses until it is 100% at 10C.  Then it warms back up to 25C and is only 30% humidity.

However the refrigerant method breaks down at low temperatures, because it's hard to get much cooler than 10C without the evaporator coils freezing.

You have two ways to go from here. You can then heat the air (which dries it out), or you can use a dehumidifier that is efficient at 10C.  The best bet for that is a desiccant dehumidifier.  It uses desiccant (similar to the little pouches found in medicine bottles and consumer products) arranged in a disc. Air blows through most of the disc, allowing the desiccant to attract moisture from the air. In a small wedge of the disc, hot air blows through to dry out the desiccant for the next pass.  This hot, humid air must be ejected outside, it cannot collect water in a bucket.

If you want bucket collection, you are stuck running a refrigerant dehumidifier inefficiently.

Heat alone is enough

The simplest way of dealing with cold-temperature humidity is to warm up the air.  The warmer air holds more moisture, which lowers the relative (%) humidity level.

Using an air conditioner as a dehumidifier

Since they work on the same principle, an air conditioner won't be any more effective than a refrigerant dehumidifier.  It simply disposes of the hot air externally, causing net cooling.

A BTU is the energy needed to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree F.  A pound of water equates to a pint equates to a half litre.

Water's latent heat of vaporization is well known as 970 BTU (per pound,  obviously).  You need to move that much heat to vaporize or condense water.  Now, in the HVAC business,  when they say "BTU" they actually mean BTU per hour.  But that gives us a rough idea of the dehumidification power of an air conditioner: a 9700 BTU air conditioner will wring out 10 pounds/hour, or somewhat less than that due to inefficiency.


Is there any harm in turning my water heater to off or to pilot for perhaps six months? I'm finding I use almost no hot water at home (shower at gym, launder in cold; a bit for dishes) and am wondering if I can just turn the hot water tank off, or at least to just pilot, for up to say the next six months in order to reduce natural gas heating costs (which I should have been doing already for two months, but this only recently occurred to me). If I need some hot water for greasier dishes, I will microwave a large mug of water.

The facts:

The house is a rental. I don't want to harm any equipment.
Where I live (Northeast U.S.), temperatures can and do get well below freezing from Nov--April.
The tank is located in the basement, which is heated somewhat.
I may be gone for some weeks during the winter. (A friend can check in). During this time I want to turn the thermostat down as much as I can (50F? lower?), and was going to cut the main water coming into the house to prevent pipes from freezing.
The tank is gas heated, has a "vacation" setting, as well as a button to light the pilot. I can get the make and model if necessary.

The goal is to save as much as I can on natural gas while still being safe for myself and the house (if a bit unusual in my choice). Thoughts?

At least where I live, the supply charge for the first therm is roughly 20x the supply costs for the next therm.  I could be wrong, but I don't think that this will save you much money.


Hose Bib still leaks even after replacing washer I have fixed many leaky hose bib faucets over the years by removing the stem & replacing the bad washer.  I just finished replacing the worn out washer for a leaky hose bib, but when I put the stem back in, the bib still leaks.  Any ideas what I should do next?

The term leaking is somewhat ambiguous, in that the hose bibb can leak at the stem or out the spout. Leaking at the stem is normally due to a worn or cracked washer, unless its quite old and that may require using "stem packing", namely a waxed cord material wrapped around the stem instead of a more modern washer. If the leak is more of a drip out of the spout it could be caused by a bad seat or worn stem that either will wear when over tightened.

Some bibs have a seat, normally brass, that can be removed with an Allen wrench, but most don't and may require the stem to be replaced. Most stems are pressed in past a bulge point that acts both as a safety feature, so that if you were working on the bib with the washer retainer nut off and loosened the stem where the threads were no longer engaged, the stem won't fly out under 100+ psi water pressure. So, if you fouled the seating area of the stem in most cases you can't get the stem out, your only real option at that point is spend the under $5 and replace the bib with a new one.


How can I get rid of weather marks on Trex decking? We got some Trex decking in great shape, except it was originally installed upside down! So, there are marks on the 'wood grain' side where the board contacted the joists. Is there a way to get rid of those marks?

The original Trex product fades over time and with sun exposure since it's partially composed of wood fibers. Conversely, it may darken where fungus is allowed to grow, such as where it contacts other lumber.

I'd expect the weather marks to lessen in a few months or a year. I'm not sure it's reasonable to expect to remove them, though some of the contrast may be due to soil and fungus. Try a pressure washer with some detergent and then give it some time to even out.

If that fails to provide a good outcome, a penetrating stain can be applied to create a more uniform appearance.


What moisture content of wood is desirable for building an open veranda? My family is planning on building an open veranda in Europe in a climate with the average annual percentage of relative humidity of 76.0% and the standard deviation of 8.5%. The framing will be done using 6in x 6in timbers of Scots pine (typical wood there). What is recommended moisture content for materials upon delivery? The construction is supposed to begin in a few weeks when the relative humidity level is about 65%. In addition, when is the best to paint the wood: immediately after the construction or later?

Relative humidity is different than the humidity present in wood, although it does affect the humidity that is present in the wood.

Since the wood will be outside, the moisture content (MC) of the wood can be around the 15% to 20% range, although the lower the better. 20% MC is getting close to green (fresh cut lumber/timbers). If it is lower than 15%, great. I have measured the MC of wood that was under cover, exposed to the outside humidity and it measured 9% MC, this was in an old storage building with siding. Most framing lumber is considered "kiln dried" (KD) and the MC should be somewhere around 6%-10% MC. This may go even higher if the material is stored for a long time outside. Some timbers, in the US, is sold as green, or seasoned dry and will be in the higher percentages, still good to build an outside structure. If the material will be pressure treated (PT) for longevity, will be VERY wet, more than 20% unless in Europe it is KD.

If the finish product is to be painted, and it is not PT, all cuts are primed to seal against moisture intrusion. The material could be primed before it is cut and used, just prime the ends after they are cut and before it is covered by the next piece or where it joins the next piece.

If the material is PT, the wood needs to have time to loose the excess moisture and have the surface get a chance to leach out the preservative so the paint can bond to the wood, otherwise it will bubble back off. The usual time for PT to "cure" is 6 months before painting, but the ends that get covered do not need to be primed like the standard framing does or should.


What is this object on my exterior wall? This object is attached to the exterior wall of my three-year-old, estate built house. It sits immediately above the patio doors and internally, on the same wall, there is a black cable protruding from the wall whose connectors look similar to, but not the same as, coaxial connectors.

Is this a mounting point for a satellite dish? It seems to be oriented such that any dish would be facing the opposite direction to others that I can see around the estate. Does this matter? I've never had a satellite service before.

My first guess would be, since it is over a door, that it is an outdoor lighting fixture. It would have a cable like Romex or somthing about the size of an extension cord.

Second guess would be an external feed to the utility company.  Those look like little pucks and are usually about 2 inches in diameter.  It will have a small cable (the size of an Ethernet or phone cable) and they use them to read an internal meter without having to enter the house.  I couldn't easily find a photo.


How to remove this fitting from hard wired dishwasher I'm wondering how to remove this connector from my dishwasher, or what it is called?
It seems like it was pushed through the opening, after which little wings depressed, preventing it from being yanked out. I haven't had success in pressing them back in, and am not sure that's the intended removal technique.

There are spring tabs on the left side of the fitting, against the mounting plate. As you suspected, squeeze them. You'll probably need a pliers to get them tight enough to the fitting to fit back through.
Loosen the screw or press the tab to release it from the flex conduit.


Can I connect a normal 12 Volt 150AH C10 battery with a solar 12 volt 150AH C20 battery in series for my 24Volt solar system I have an Exide invamaster 1500imst short tubeler normal battery of 12 volt, 150AH, C10. Now I want to connect this battery with a solar battery of 12 volt, 150AH, C20.
Can I connect this normal 12 Volt 150AH C10 battery with a solar 12 volt 150AH C20 battery in series for my 24Volt solar system. Will it damage the battery or what will be happened if I use them in series for a solar inverter of 24 volt battery system with 1200 watt solar pannel.

Can you - yes. Is it a good idea - no.
A 150AH @ C10 and 150AH @ C20 battery are not the same "size" because one is rated at the 10-hour discharge rate and the other is rated at the 20 hour discharge rate.
Since you have not specified some other chemistry, I'm assuming both are lead-acid 12V batteries, as the majority of 12V batteries are.
If by "normal" you mean "automobile starting" battery, that one may have short life due to construction optimized for a very different service than a deep cycle (or "solar") battery. On the other hand, by pairing them you are limited to the solar battery's discharge rate if you want to get rated capacity (150AH @ 20hr - 7.5 A - at 24V about 180 Watts before inverter losses, perhaps 150 Watts after inverter losses.)
If that seems like a very low power output, welcome to the ugly realities of solar power, where almost everyone starting out undersizes their battery bank until they have the expensive lesson that it costs a lot to be cheap.


What replacement florescent lamps can I use? One of the lamps has gone on the under cabinet lighting in our kitchen. I did have a big stack of spare florescent tubes I bought some years ago.

But now looking on the internet I can't find any replacements?

The only markings I have on the lamps are LT 15W/530-030 made by Narva.

We have quite a big kitchen and a total of 6 of these lights.

What should I be looking for in a replacement bulb?

Narva Specs
LT 15W/530-030, 15W, Warm White 530 color rating, 438mm long, G13 Socket, 26mm dia.

Satco Specs
F15T8-530, 15W, Warm White 3000 Kelvin, 451.61mm MOL, G13 Socket, T8 1"/25.4mm dia.

So, we have a lamp with the following specifications:

T8 15 Watt 1"/25.4mm dia tube with ANSI G13 medium BiPin socket having a 3000 kelvin Warm White color rating and a CRI (Color Rendering Index) of 50 that is nominally 18"/455mm long.

So, basically look for the following tubes and check the length. Narva measures from end cap to end cap while Satco uses Maximum Overall Length which includes the pins in the length.

Common designation
F15T8-530
F15T8-WW

Philips
F15T8/WW/ALTO

OSRAM Sylvania
F15T8/WW


What should I do with leftover mud? I always find myself holding a pan with one inch of leftover mud when I need to stop and come back later. Once I just left my taping knives in the pan. Big mistake. When I came back 4 hours later in the afternoon, both of my new knives were rusted over. Now I try to wipe the knives clean before I call it a day, but what should I do with leftover mud? I thought I could add a bit water and mix well to make it last longer, but so far the result has been disappointing. I always come back to a pan of crusty compound. Even if I then add more water to revive the mud, I get a lumpy and unusable result.

What do people do with leftover mud when they need to call it a day? Dump it? I did that a couple of times. It takes a lot of time and paper towels to get the mud out of the pan and give the pan a rough scrub. It seems a hassle and a waste especially when I plan on coming back to the project in a couple hours.

Do not leave mud in a pan.

If it's premixed mud, just put it back in the bucket, put the lid back on, then clean your tools.

If it's powdered setting type from a bag, throw the used mud in the bin, then clean your tools.


Is this asbestos plaster? I live in a 1970s apartment block in Melbourne, Australia. It’s been fully renovated since then (I’d say around 15-20 years ago), but I know not all asbestos products were removed - we still have old asbestos fire doors, for example. I found this plaster peeling away around one of the downlights, and the hairy fibers in it scared me. What do you think the chances are that it is asbestos?!

Thanks!!

As mentioned in the comments, a test is the only way to be absolutely sure.  This site has some good information (though it is US-focused):

https://www.asbestosguide.org/asbestos-in-plaster/

This looks to be perhaps the most relevant to answering your question:

  Usually asbestos was only added to walls that were fire rated, such as elevator shaft walls and the walls in commercial buildings. Most houses don’t have asbestos plaster in them. To ensure everyone’s safety, if you know a wall is fire rated and was built before 1990, you should assume that it contains asbestos and get a sample of the plaster tested immediately.

But, note it starts with "usually".  The site also has a list of known products that contained asbestos, if you have construction history from the landlord.

Also of particular note:

  Asbestos plaster is most dangerous when it is damaged. Damaged asbestos plaster is known as “friable asbestos”, which means the material can easily break and crumble, releasing asbestos fibers into the atmosphere.


Furnace starts to light then goes out My furnace will light one burner the first time for a few seconds then go out. The second time it will light maybe 3 burners for a few seconds, then go out then the blower will come on...I replaced the flame sensor but no help.

I had the same thing happen with my furnace and I had to have the blower replaced. A very expensive lesson to learn about changing filters often.

The tech told me that if it tried to start and did not pick up on any air movement it would automatically shut off the furnace.

The lack of full air flow first burned out the blower and then I lack of the blower operating kept the furnace from firing.


Is MDF a reliable product for interior trimwork? We are debating whether to use MDF or real wood for interior trim around doors and windows.  We're told that the MDF is easier to work with ~ no sanding and possibly cheaper. However, we have gotten mixed reviews from several people, some saying the MDF can warp and dent easier than wood.  Can someone with experience address this issue for us?

Mdf is a fair product for the price.
I always advise clients to choose real wood if the budget allows. As to what you have heard; Mdf in a dry interior environment will not warp like wood. It should not be installed in kitchens, bathrooms or outdoors. A good carpenter can use wood or mdf to provide pleasant finished details. If you can afford it, choose wood.


Options to fix an old leaky shower valve The shower valve in my guest bathroom is leaking and I would like to replace it but it's fairly old and not compatible with the new mixer cartridges. I bought a brand new valve & cartridge but I'm a bit nervous to attempt replacing it because the hot & cold water pipes will need to be re-soldered and I'm not sure I have enough space to do a good job.

This is an Eljer valve which I believe has been discontinued. The shower handle is one of those where up-down controls the flow and left-right the temperature of the mixture.

Are there any other options? Maybe some sort of converter cartridge is available? I don't even know where to start looking nothing appears compatible.

I would like to switch to a single handle and replace the trim (to Moen or Delta or something) but don't know if that's possible without replacing the valve?

Here is what the valve looks like

It looks fairly standard to me. I'd contact Eljer & see if Danco, Brasscraft or someone else has put out a replacement that fits. Otherwise, have you tried to rebuild the old valve with O-ring replacements & such? Eljer should be able to direct you to the right kit for the valve.

On the other hand, soldering will be difficult & could cause a fire in the wall if you're not experienced. So, either get a Plumber or get a SharkBite Threaded connector so you can just cut the old valve loose & wrench in the new one. I updated the picture to show the correct valve that has screw shut-offs or stops (the silver screw).


How to see if a coax cable is able to receive Internet? During construction works every cable in the house was cut off.
The cable was only used for TV so far, but we want now also receive Internet by cable.
Now we have a lose coax-cable (presumably from our local provider) out of the wall.

The question is: can we receive not only TV and Radio, but also Internet using this cable?

A companioned electrician meant that the cable had to be trinominal which confused me.
What did he mean by that?

The cable is an Kathrein LCD 90

Simply call your cable provider to come hook you up to internet. If need be, they will replace the cable, otherwise they will simply terminate it.

Your "companioned electrician" is misinformed, as are you. You don't need triax or biax for getting internet from the cable TV folks, even though there are other systems which use such cables, mostly hoary antiquities at this point in time. A coaxial cable has two conductors - they are, not surprisingly, coaxial - a center conductor, and a shield, which is also a conductor. Which makes two conductors, not one.

Regardless, just call your cable internet, TV, etc. provider and ask them to hook you up. The vast majority of CableTV internet comes in on exactly the same cable as the TV does, though if the cable is in poor condition due to age or abuse they may choose to replace it anyway. They have specialized test devices the installer will use to check the signal levels at the cable and determine if it will work. Since those are specific to the cable system and typically have a pricetag near that of a car, it's not a DIY project, it's a part of their service provision.


Possible to check NEST system compatibility by looking at current thermostat model? I'd like to replace my Honeywell CT87A thermostat with a Nest thermostat. I see that Nest has a page to check system compatibility. Is it possible to identify if my system is compatible without taking it off of the wall, perhaps by the fact that I have a CT87A? It's bitter cold out and I don't want to turn off the fuse for the furnace.

According to the installation instructions in your link, the Honeywell CT87A requires only two or three wires (R,W,[Y]) to operate.   The Nest compatibility checker shows that a system using those wires is compatible.   You should be good to go.


How to accurately cut plywood with unpowered hand tools? As a beginner in woodworking I would like to build a simple box from plywood. The edges will be simply glued butt joints which means they need to be straight and smooth. When I use a hand saw I can't quite get it to go along the line and it can veer off a bit. I can compensate by sawing a bit further from the line but sanding down the excess seems to take longer then would seem reasonable.

Given that the cut lines I drew are accurate, what is the best way to accurately cut a rectangle or square from a plywood sheet with unpowered hand tools? Are there other tools I will need beyond a hand saw and a sanding block?

Edit:

To cut the plywood I am working with a two sided Japanese pull saw. Similar to the following picture.

For short lengths I can make reasonably accurate straight cuts. The problem occurs when I want to make a 50cm-100cm straight cut. I have a lot of patience so speed is not an issue. Mainly I am asking how people did this sort of work before they had powered tools. Am I using the wrong saw? Should I be using guides? Should the saw just be used to get close and a wood chisel is used to remove the small excess?

First off be aware of a couple of important points.

In the old days before there ever was electricity and power tools crafts persons could build amazing things out of wood with hand tools alone.
Woodworking, similar to any other craft, takes patience and practice.
Plywood material such as you are proposing to work with is a modern thing invented in the age of power tools.

So yes you should be able to achieve your goals with hand tools if you take your time and work carefully. If you find any step of the process not going quite right slow down and practice till you perfect the skill for that process.

You should be able to cut the plywood with a good sharp handsaw. Plywood is a challenge though because you are simultaneously cross cutting some of the wood layers and rip cutting others. Hand saws are typically optimized as a cross cut (across the grain) or a rip (with the grain) type saw.

To get the best smooth cuts on plywood most folks will find that a power saw equipped with a carbide tipped blade will do the best job. This could be a portable circular saw if you measure for and setup a straight edge guide to run the saw base against you can end up with very good cuts.

The downside of hand cutting plywood is that you will invariably end up with a fairly rough edge. Sanding to get it smooth can be done but sanding has its problems because you can end up with a non-straight edge that may be rounded off. A hand plane may be a better choice but plywood is also a challenging material to hand plane and it is easy to get edge splintering when planing plywood in this manner.


Can I remove the framed wall on the outside of my basement? I have a 20 year old house (which is a basic colonial box).  The basement has a standard poured concrete exterior wall.  Against the concrete exterior wall, they framed a standard wood 2 x 4 wall, filled the bays with fiberglass insulation and covered it all with a plastic sheet, which I guess is a moisture barrier of sorts.  I would like to rip out the insulation and framed wall and replace it all with foam boards (DOW Thermax).  My question is, how do I know that the framed wall is not load bearing in any way?  I'm 99.9% sure from what I've read that it's the concrete wall holding up the house and the framed wall is just there to hold the insulation in place and possibly to add sheetrock to in the future.

I know that people might be nervous to answer questions about load bearing walls.  I'm just looking for some general advice rather than a definitive answer.

EDIT: Here's a photo of the rim joist area.  The framed wall at the front is the one I'd like to remove.  From the answer below, it sounds like the joists are indeed sitting on the concrete wall.

EDIT 2: Somebody commented that I have no insulation in the rim joist.  I actually pulled out the fiberglass to take this photo.  I then replaced it with a block of 2" XPS foam board and used spray foam around the edge.  I luckily have access to a thermal imager from my employer, so I took some images.  Here's an image of no insulation (lots of heat loss):

Here's the original fiberglass.  It does  a good job, though there are some obvious cold spots from air leakage:

Here's the new 2" of XPS with spray foam around the perimeter.  It also does a good job and it's more even.  However, I'm surprised that there are still cold spots around the edge.  It was tough to maneuver the spray foam gun in the tight area and I may not have done the best job:

Finally, here's a side by side of a fiberglass next to XPS:

Overall, I'm not sure there's a big enough improvement to warrant the cost.  I think I could do a better job with the spray foam and a second piece of foam would obviously improve things.  Aesthetically, I do like the clean look of the foam boards.

Getting back to the original question, here's a photo of the framed wall with the fiberglass insulation.  Again, the fiberglass does a decent job, but there are some cold spots.

The 2x4 wall is certainly not load bearing in terms of the floor joists, etc.  The floor joists will be supported by the concrete walls, and possibly by a beam or wall somewhere along the span.  Since the wall in question is right next to the concrete outer wall, it won't be supporting the joists.  If the ceiling isn't finished you can likely see for yourself that the ends of the joists extend out over the concrete wall.

If a mid-span wall is supporting the joists, it should have a double top plate, and king studs around doors and such.  Otherwise, it is likely just a non load-bearing dividing wall.  You can also measure the joist depth and length and compare to span tables to see if a mid-span wall is likely to be load bearing.  If you have TJI joists (OSB web with laminated top and bottom) it may be a little more difficult to identify your joist.

If you have a suspended ceiling or such, it may be involved with this wall.  And you might have wiring or plumbing in it.  But it's not holding up the house.


How to connect dishwasher air gap to sink tailpiece? So I bought this air gap: https://www.homedepot.com/p/PartsmasterPro-Dishwasher-Air-Gap-with-Cover-in-Chrome-58454/300733089

And this tailpiece: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-1-2-in-x-8-in-Plastic-Dishwasher-Branch-Tailpiece-C9816/205153966

The output of the air gap is 7/8" barb and the input of the tailpiece is 1/2" barb, what's the correct way to connect these? The only thing I've really seen/figured is a universal dishwasher drain pipe but that's 6ft long to cover a ~1ft distance which seems crazy since I'm already going 6ft from the dishwasher to the air gap. Should I be using vinyl tubing and maybe something like 3/4" ID and clamp super hard on the 1/2" and press really hard to get it onto the 7/8" or something else?

Underside of sink for reference:

My dishwasher is installed using only the "everbuilt" part with the "Y" and not an air gap. My son has his installed as Manassehkatz stated. They both work great.


Bad GFCI or did I wire it wrong? I just installed a Hubbel GFCI socket and when I turned the circuit breaker back on the GFCI green and red led lights went on and the reset button would not stay in.

The ground wires are pigtailed and connected to the ground screw on the metal box.

The line cable leads are connected to the appropriate colored line screws on the gfci

The existing load cable pair  are connected to the appropriate load screws on the gfci.

Don’t know if I have a bad GFCI or something is wrong with my my wiring.

Could another unknown GFCI device on that came circuit be causing this problem

Any ideas what might be wrong?

Always pause in your installation after you have fitted the LINE wires, but before you have fitted any LOAD wires. Power up and run the GFCI through its paces.

This clears a number of problems, including

getting supply and downline wires confused
accidentally attaching to the LOAD terminals
shorts and other problems with the downline wiring
having an actual ground fault somewhere downline

If the GFCI works without anything on the LOAD line, then you know that if problems emerge after adding a set of wires to LOAD, this is a problem there, and can troubleshoot accordingly.

Another GFCI device on a different circuit cannot cause this.  Another GFCI upstream on this circuit would cause this GFCI to go dark entirely.


How do I repair loose ductwork? The ductwork in our 30 year old house has started coming loose where it comes up through the floor.  It's nailed to the subfloor, but in several places, the nails have come loose, leaving gaps of an inch or two between the duct and the subfloor.  This lets bugs into the house and probably isn't too good for our heating and air efficiency.

What's the best way to re-hang the ductwork and remove these gaps?  How much do I need to worry about breaking something while repositioning the 30 year old ducts?

More information

The portion of the duct that goes to each supply vent is hung by one or two nails each on the left and right sides.  The nails have either come loose from or gradually tore through the plywood subfloor and fell out, or the nail gradually tore a hole through the duct (so it's still in the subfloor and the duct is hanging beneath it).

I hope that I'm using these terms correctly.  Here are some photos.

Note the nail hanging on the left after it came out of the subfloor.  There's another nail on the left (not visible) that's still in the subfloor, but the weight of the duct pulling on the nail apparently caused a vertical tear through the duct, letting it fall.  There's a 3/4" vertical gap on the left between the duct and the subfloor and a smaller gap (but still enough to let in a draft) at the top where the duct no longer fits properly because it's hanging off the left.

Another supply vent.  The nails have fallen on both sides, so this duct is apparently supported by nothing in particular, leaving about 2-3" vertical gap all around.  The subfloor looks pretty worn, so I'm not sure that nailing it on each side as was done before would work very well.

If you don't mind a little extra thickness, what about hanging some L brackets over the edge of your finish flooring, and then screwing the ducts to the L? Then, you can put the duct cover back on right over the lip of the L, covering it up.

Bad ASCII art time!

   --+       +--  L brackets
==== ||    || ====Floor
====  |    |  ====Subfloor
       \  /
      |DUCT

I have no idea how you'd hold the duct in place while screwing it, mind you, unless you can get access from below. Maybe you could glue a rope to the inside of the duct and have someone yank it back up into place.


How can I locate a wall from a crawl space? I am needing to add RG6 cabling to a bedroom that currently does not have an outlet.  I have no problem connecting the RG6 to the splitter outside my home, feeding into my crawlspace and running the length of the home.  The question I have is, once I reach the room I need to add the cabling to, how do I knew exactly where in the floor to drill up?

Meaning - I don't want to drill through the floor, I want it to be a wallfish (which I have experience doing but from coming down the wall from say an attic), so how can I locate exactly where to drill up in order to not go through the floor or the baseboard?

I also have an attic and a crawlspace, is there anyway that connects the crawlspace straight up to the attic that I could possibly run a cable up to the attic then wall fish down to a room up there as well?  Maybe somehow follow the chimney up, is that possible?

Cut an opening in the wall for a low voltage box/bracket,and install the bracket.

Position a flexible drill bit into the hole, so that you'll drill straight through the bottom plate of the wall and into the crawlspace.

This is a poor image since the guy is not drilling straight down, but you get the idea.

Go into the crawlspace and attach the cable to the drill bit.
Pull the drill bit (and cable) up into the wall.
Make up the connections to a wall plate, and install the wall plate in the low voltage box/bracket.


Can I install junction boxes in a closet, and if so, what kind of box? We are designing circuit runs for a ground floor of a house flooded by a hurricane and it is best to use a few junction boxes to run the circuit branches. One reason for the junction boxes is to keep too many wires out of device boxes and to avoid very long runs that back track. The junction boxes are more efficient runs. Am I wrong to think of them this way? Furthermore, if the place floods again we want to have to replace only the wires up to a certain point. Some high up junction boxes will make it possible for us not to tear up the upper half the house all the way back to the breaker box to run all new wires. We will only have to do the lower half of the house up to some junction boxes. The house has no viable crawl space underneath the house for junction boxes, it is too wet and prone to salt water rising. The other option is to put junction boxes in a finished closet so that the face plate can be removed and the wire splices accessed. I know that switches and receptacles cannot be in a closet and some electricians think that junction boxes are okay in closets by NEC and it depends on local codes.

What is the NEC code for closets and junction boxes?

The other idea is simply to put the junction boxes right out in the open in the living room outside and above the closet then put a cabinet around them so the whole junction box is accessible in the cabinet but is not an eye sore in the living room. The cabinet door would open and there would be the junction boxes. Nothing else would go in the cabinet. The cabinet should be built to fit only the junction boxes so no one uses it for storage. There may only be one junction box in the end, but it needs a proper location.

As far as I know junction boxes are ok for closets.  Your local jurisdiction may have other ideas.  Please consider consulting them.

Today's circuit panels are full of (expensive) AFCI breakers that will be damaged by flooding and running many wires can get expensive with current copper prices.  Could you instead run a heavier gauge wire to a subpanel located above the water line and nearer to the loads, and branch out from there?

Also using junctions to "split" a circuit to go two directions should be used sparingly.  Most electricians will expect wiring to "daisy chain" from point to point, junctions can make fault tracing much more difficult.  Some jurisdictions require that the wire be unbroken from the panel to the first load.


How can I repair a pinhole leak in a washing machine drain hose? I've just reconnected my washing machine and tested it, and there's a tiny hole in the out-flow pipe. The hole is in red circle in the images below ... in the fairly-rigid, ribbed plastic, rather than the rubber section with the black ziptie.

I'd guess the hole is the size of a large needle hole? Big enough to get a jet of water squirting out of it, but not so big that the pipe is obviously ruined.

Is there any particularly reliable way for me to mend this DIY? (I need to get it mended quickly, and don't really have the time to schedule a day that a plumber can come, and I can miss work :( )

My first guess is to pour a little superglue over the hole?
Another option might be sugru?
Is there some way that I can trim back the pipe past the hole and then reconnect it?

It's not the pipe connected to the washing machine itself, I don't know where the pipe goes, but it's definitely not going to be easily accessible, wherever it is :(

For a short-term solution you can try self-amalgamating tape, it is specifically made to be water-resistant and it forms a good seal. But with a leak like that I'd only recommend it as a stopgap until you can notify the landlord or hire a plumber. A hose like that should not be inside a wall so i'd recommend replacing it with rigid PVC when you can.


Can I use individual wires in PVC conduit for just a portion of a kitchen circuit? I was planning on running 2 black 2 white and 1 green 12 gauge wires through flex from panel to kitchen wall, then changing to rigid pvc to go under ground to kitchen island for microwave and gfi circuits but the project manager insists I use cable until I switch to pvc because of cost. I didn't realize it would save that much money and prefer not having unnecessary junction boxes. so I just thought I'd ask if there were any potential issues before doing it his way. Thank you.

In answer to the question you asked in your title. There is no issue with changing from a cable (romex) system to a conduit system just so long as it is done properly.

FYI - The difference between a cable system and a conduit system other than initial cost is that a conduit system is more flexible when it comes to upgrades, remodel or repairs. For example, you have a receptacle burn up and it also damages the conductor far enough back you can't make a splice to repair it, with a conduit system you simple go back to the next junction and pull a new conductor. If you have a cable system you will have to open the wall up to replace the cable.

Running PVC to the island and installing conduit and conductors is a good idea since it allows you the opportunity to replace or modify your circuity to the island without cutting up your finished floor. Most houses in the US are normally run in Romex because of the initial cost and electricians are trained to deal with the problems they may cause down the road.

Hope this helps.


How do I adapt my spiral ratcheting screwdriver to use with all bits? I have a spiral ratcheting screwdriver like the one shown below. I want to adapt it to use with all kinds of bits. This basically means putting a 1/4" hex socket on the other end.

Fig.1. Yankee spiral ratcheting screwdriver and bits

Fig.2. Closeup view of bit system and adapter

It works like this. It's an amazing and fun tool to use.

My goal is to make it usable with all kinds of bits. This basically means having the outbound end of the driver shaft be able to receive a 1/4" hex shank (the standard bit fitting).

The driver comes with what's called a "step and notch" bit system. See Fig.2. lower right. Problem is, it's outdated. They actually sell adapters on ebay. Again, shown in Fig. 2. The problem is, they are "sized" and only fit a specific size driver. Plus, they cost more than the tool itself (at least from my sources) by several multiples. So I'm seeking a more creative and universal solution. I hope any solutions might be simple, effective and cheap enough to replicate or reuse (as I have several of these drivers).

Does anyone have any ideas how I can engineer a solution to essentially copy what the adapter does in Fig.2.? I currently have a Phillips head bit in the driver right now. I was thinking some combination of gripping the existing bit with a collet or chuck (or maybe even threading the bit shank) then somehow attaching that to a quarter-inch hex socket. What would be perfect would be a double-sided chuck or collet that could grip the bit with one chuck end and the socket with the other. Know where I can find one? Or do you have a better idea?

Any thoughts or ideas would be most welcome.

I'd try to join one of your existing bits to a 1/4" socket. Maybe the slot will fit nicely into the 1/4" drive side of the socket? A bit of file work should get you to something pretty firm. Then apply liberal amounts of 2 part epoxy and you should be good. (Bonus if you can find a thin rare earth magnet to sit in the bottom of the socket to hold your bits better.)


For planning purposes I am trying to figure out my plumbing under the slab. Can I safely assume that this is the right setup? I am trying to guess if it is possible to relocate the blue pipe to the right of the vertical one
This is the basement, concrete slab. I can't quite figure out the plumbing for the main drain and I am not sure if I will break the concrete above it.
It is essential for me before starting the work, to know that what I want is possible and there is enough room to install the horizontal blue pipe above the horizontal grey drain

I am tying to move the yellow pipe in the picture below in the position where the vertical red pipe is
The red pipe is what I am planning to install, the yellow is what I am planning to remove

Suggestion by ecnerwal

Here are the real distances for the existing pipes in the basement
16" for the fist to the left vertical black line in the picture (the sink I am relocation and whose pipes are discussed here as a possible replacement for the lower section of the yellow pipe)
4' for the second one.
I also highlighted the contour of what appears to be where the opened  the floor to install these
to the left you can see the clean outs of the soil stack and the dry vent (1.5") this is the yellow pipe I am trying to relocate

And here is the updated Sketchup model including Ecnerwal's changes
The bath tub will rotate 90 degrees counter clock wise and will be replaced by a shower pan
The sink will move to the south of the picture in the corner where the bath tub ends

That should work if your wishful thinking is correct, though you might find it more practical to leave the stack alone and re-route the yellow vent around to where the red pipe is, rather than tearing up the stack to put the vent connection on the opposite side. Messing with the bottom of a stack is not trivial.
IF the pipes to the sink are big enough (and probably not if they were not intended for this) you could also route an above-the-slab dry vent from the sink and the sink drain line would wet-vent the rest, but if it's not big enough that won't fly.
Unclear from your comment, but if the place you "need to move" the yellow pipe is the upper floor, you can run it (properly sloped back to the drain) "horizontal" once it is 6" above the flood level of the highest fixture in the floor it serves (the basement.) Not the highest fixture it serves, the highest fixture on the floor it serves. So you could make the move (if the upper floor is the area of concern) without getting into the concrete.


Is it an offence if my landlord has no GFI's in the house and outside of the house? I live in Gloucester Ottawa and there is no GFI's in our townhouses. I have general knowledge of electrical codes. Winter is approaching and I don't feel like getting electrocuted when I plug in my car or my Christmas lights. Also I don't think any units in my complex have GFI's.

You will have to check your local codes, but typically an installation is considered legal if it was up to code when it was installed / built. Doing major renovations may require you to bring the work up to code, but what exactly is required is up to your local inspectors.

If you're worried about getting shocked due to moisture you can use a GFCI adapter, which does exactly the same thing as the GFCI outlets: compare the hot current with the neutral current to look for any leakage (which typically is indicative of an undesirable condition).

(Note that there are still other ways you can get shocked... the GFCI just protects against a specific category of faults.)


Will garage door insulation improve cooling efficiency? I use half of my two car garage as a garage and the other half as a gym. I am lucky enough that when the house was built they routed AC ducts to the garage but since the thermostat is inside (and I am thankful for that) it can still get pretty warm in the summertime (Texas).

To help it stay cooler I was thinking about adding an insulation kit to my garage doors, but I was unsure if it would actually be effective. The walls all have panels up so I can't tell for sure if there is insulation in them but from the looks of it, it was being used as a room in the past as carpet had been laid down at some point so I assume it would be insulated.

One other note, the garage door doesn't see a direct sun hit. The doors are closer to lining up north to south than east to west.

Does putting insulation on a garage door make a noticeable difference in maintaining cooler temperatures in the summer or are they still too leaky?

Yes, insulation would help reduce heat transfer through the door enough to make it a worthwhile investment. Steel is a good heat conductor, so heat from the outside air is readily transmitted to the indoor air.

You wouldn't have to purchase a branded kit, however. Simply fitting 1" or 1-1/2" extruded foam (or even Styrofoam) will do. The one you linked seems priced competitively, though.

Make sure that you have good vinyl seals on the door as well. Airflow is much worse an energy waste than conduction.


For Subflooring, what is the distance needed between screws? I have 3/8 inch particle board which I am screwing and gluing down to 5/8 plywood.  How close together should the screws be?

It will create a mess if the particle board is not predrilled because the screws will at least break-out the backside of the particle board there by preventing the screw from ever drawing the PB flat against the plywood ... especially if the PB is not high density (heads will pull through) ... and especially if the screws are going into something as thin as 5/8" (low grade) subfloor grade plywood.

When predrilling, a depth stop will be essential to keep from drilling into the plywood because over-drilling by a mere 1/8" will leave less than 1/2" of plywood  for the screw to grip.  A small chunk of wood can be used as a positive (failsafe) depth stop.  It'd be best to layout the joist locations on the 3/8" PB and aim the screws to grab into the joists.

If adhesive from a caulking gun is used, the floor will end up wavy, not flat, if you were to put a straight edge to it afterwards.

Regardless, I can't see the job coming out well using 3/8" particle board. Sorry for the pessimism. Is 3/4" not an option?


What is causing a wet patch on an internal wall? We recently bought and moved in to a house. It's 16 years old. One of our walls has developed a patch of wetness. This wall is part of what was once the garage, and has since been converted into a dining room.

The wet patch is shaped like a sand timer, and is at eye level (so not near the ceiling or at ground level). I don't think there are pipes behind it.

What could this be? And how do I go about fixing it if there's a problem?

It will be awfully hard to say what is causing the damp spot without either opening up the wall or knowing a lot about the context in terms of what is in and around the area.  Either way, if the spot is damp and remains damp, repair will involve removing the wet section, so I'd say the answer you're looking for is: open up the wall by removing the wet spot, then look around and above the wet spot for potential sources.


Why is my control panel for AC/Furnace not working when the fuse is ok? So a few weeks ago I replaced my thermostat with an ecobee3 smart thermostat. In the process of wiring the thermostat I blew the 3A fuse up in the attic and had to replace the fuse. The thermostat then worked fine for about a week. I do have a C wire.

Then suddenly there was no power to the thermostat. I went back up in the attic and even though the fuse looked ok, I replaced it again anyway and the ecobee lit up right away and worked for another week. At the time I suspected I might not have fully locked the cover panel in place and the kill switch might have just popped open.

Today the thermostat was dead again. I went up in the attic and the fuse was ok but I replaced it anyway. No dice. I tested the fuses from this week and last week with a multimeter and they test just fine. Still, I replaced the fuse yet again but still no power. So I don't think it's a fuse problem.

I verified there is 110v to the power outlet up in the attic where the furnace is plugged in. I used a multimeter to test the thermostat wiring for the ecobee and it appears that no power is making down to the thermostat.

I tried pushing on the kill switch while the unit is plugged in and while doing that no lights go on inside the furnace (I read online a light should go on showing the transformer is working) and the thermostat wiring gets no power on the multimeter. There's only one little red light on the control board but it stays dark no matter what I try.

Does this sound like the transformer would be bad? I can't figure out why the ecobee3 would work for a week and then die, only to work again for another week when all I did was open and close the panels in the furnace (and replace fuses that didn't need replacing).

See pics attached -- is it time to call a professional? I don't feel comfortable replacing a transformer on my own.

Wanted to follow up in case this helps anyone else. I tested the terminals as Ed Beal mentioned in the comments and was pretty sure the transformer was not working. Since I was uneasy with replacing it myself I decided to call an HVAC professional. Turns out that was a smart idea.

He tested the transformer and confirmed it needed replacing: 120v in, nothing coming out. In the process of replacing it he noticed (and I had totally missed it!) that the power cord from the outlet to the furnace had a significant problem:

So after 20 years with just a bit too much tension on the power cord up in a very warm attic space, it sparked, blew the transformer, and fortunately did not burn the house down.

I have a feeling my installation of the smart thermostat and accidentally blowing the 3A fuse a week earlier was not a pure coincidence and probably made the wiring spark sooner. Me removing the furnace cover and plugging/unplugging a cord that had too much tension on it was probably part of the problem, too. Still, it was an accident waiting to happen.

Anyway, I had the wiring professionally repaired, the 24v transformer has been replaced, and everything is working ok now. Thanks for the pointers, Ed.


How can I pump water from our 2nd floor down to 1st floor drainage? Update: I've done it!... and it works.

How can I pump this unclean water from our 2nd floor to 1st floor down to our drainage?

I keep accumulating a lot of water (enough to fill a water basin) every 2 days from washing stuff.

I'm thinking of using some kind of Hose to transfer it.
I've heard of 'Siphon' method, but to do that, I have to go to 1st floor and suck the hose a bit, which I don't want to. The water is unclean.

I don't even know if 'siphon' will work in a 15 foot hose.

Or maybe use water pump. But I'm not sure what pump will I need. Are there any cheap water pumps out there that cost only around $10? water pumps that I see are a bit expensive.

You can find a manual siphon pump at any large hardware or automotive store. It will look like a hand-sized rubber bulb, or possibly like a small hand-operated bike pump, with a hose on each end.

An arrow or other marker will be present on the bulb to show you which side is the intake and which side is the outlet. You simply submerge the end of the intake hose, put the end of the outlet hose at some lower point (in your case, out the window), and repeatedly squeeze the pump until it has pulled water up to and through the pump and water is flowing freely. Once the flow is established it will siphon out all the water (until the water height is equalized, which won't happen in your situation).


How to fix rough opening of closet door I'm redoing our master bedroom closet and the original doors were 1970 type sliding doors. The rough opening is 65.5". All the bedrooms already had a face-lift with wheat oak bi-fold doors and I would like to stick to the same trim and bi-fold door look.

The problem I have is the opening in the master bedroom is too wide or too narrow for bi-fold doors of the style we have. We can either get 30" doors which leaves 2 inches to make up with 2x4's or something else. The 36" doors are too wide.

So my question is what can I do to make the 30" bi-fold doors work? The trim going around the doors are 2.25" wide which would not cover the 2" space I need to make up and at least 1/2" of the jamb.

Either way you go here there's drywall and paint involved.

If it's not load bearing, just move the stud until you can fit the larger door. Barring miracles this will involve removed, replacement and refinishng of drywall.

If it's load bearing, add a stud on one side to make the new opening and drywall it in, since you can't cover it (or one on each side) with trim.


Can I connect my two HVAC systems? My house has two HVAC systems. One is in the attic and has supply and returns in the ceiling of the second floor. The other is in the basement with supply and returns at the floor of the first floor. Each has a thermostat on the respective floor.

This makes one terribly poor at heating and one poor at air conditioning and overall difficulty to keep the house comfortable. The staircase is open so I can't isolate the floors.

I'm thinking of connecting ductwork between the two so each will circulate some air to and from both floors. Probably 6 or 8 inch duct between them. Will this cause any issues?

Connecting the 2 may make things worse. Trying to control 2 different systems I have done but interconnecting the ducts would need to be done on the supply and return with dampers to be able to adjust them. An 8" duct is not going to provide a lot of change over that distance. I use 6-8" ducts for single bedrooms with just a short feed from a trunk line. My concern would be the system efficiency could be reduced for example sending cool air upstairs to the 2nd unit could cause that evaporator to freeze up. But if dampers in the duct were added you could possibly improve the mix I would just be concerned about freeze ups.


Using a 16A energy monitor in a 10A socket I'm in Australia (220-240 / 50-60Hz) and wanting to monitor some appliances energy usage. The sockets here are 10Amp standard.

Am I going to run into dire trouble if I use a 16A monitoring device between the 10A Wall socket and the devices (10Amp and under) that I plug into the monitoring device?

The concern is because the monitoring device specs say it's Max output current is 16A.

When electrical appliances talk about Amperes it usually means

how much max POWER it can OUTPUT
or
how much max POWER it can MEASURE

In your case, the spec actually means not to exceed the 16A limit.

So if you are monitoring a 10A socket that is well under the spec. So you will be fine.

As long as you do not exceed the 16A monitoring device limit you will be OK.

Usually in home applications.. you will(should) never actually have anything even close to that 16A limit. Power leads are typically marked 16A maximum to conform to electrical and home safety standards.

16A X 220Volt = 3500Watts

You will only see devices use more than that in Industrial situations and usually run of multiple phase supplies and massive core cables.


Loose plug in outlet makes circuit work - Weird Issue One entire circuit in my house was not working. All the lights and outlets connected to that circuit were off.

Step 1: Check circuit breaker. Circuit breaker was not tripped. Voltage on breaker measured to steady 124v. I tried turning off and on the circuit breaker but the lights still didn't work.

Step 2: I started unplugging everything from the outlets in the room. When I was unplugging a power strip that was plugged in, when I had it half way out, all the lights came back on.

Oddly enough, when the plug is properly inserted, lights don't come on. When it's removed, lights don't come on. Only when it's oddly plugged in at a slant, the lights come on.

I am going to open up that outlet tomorrow. I am suspecting the neutral wire is loosened. Any other thoughts what it may be?

I suspect the receptacle is the problem.  Either one of the screws are loose or it is the old stab-in back wired receptacle which were notorious for problems.  The new stab-in's are much improved.  Either way I say replace the receptacle. They need to be changed periodically any way.


How do I remove teak oil from a granite kitchen counter top? I mistakenly rubbed teak oil on my granite counter top. How do I remove it without damaging it? Thanks!

Definitely acetone. You can buy acetone at any hardware store. Get an ace bandage and soak the acetone in a bowl in the sink. Do not ring it out, and place it over the stain spreading it out to completely cover the stain. Pull saran wrap over the gauze with plenty extra to secure the gauze so the acetone will not evaporate. Leave it on for a couple days. Easy and it works. You can use anything that absorbs from gauze to a old cotton shirt. Acetone will evaporate fast so that is why you cover it with the saran.


Connecting a Washing Machine with Aquastop We've just moved into a new flat and bought a new washing machine. The provided cable isn't long enough to fit to the water outlet.

I bought an extension cable, along the lines of this:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/kinetic-1000mm-flexible-water-connector_p4750083

But I'm not certain if these needs to go before or after the Aquastop. The Aquastop is the electric variety but there is no additional cable to the maschine.

You'll want to put the extension between the Aquastop and the machine, so that the Aquastop can stop the water supply even if there's a leak in the extension hose.


Why is there a supply vent in my unfinished basement? Background

I have an unfinished basement. It has cement floors with stone walls. The furnace is located in the basement. There is a supply vent blowing conditioned air into my basement. As far as I can tell, there is no return vent in the basement.

It seems a waste to me to be conditioning such a huge space that I don't really live in. But, I don't really understand too much about the reasoning for why certain areas in my home is conditioned. For example, I was told by an energy auditor that the crawl space under my bathroom should be conditioned (which also seems wasteful).

Question

Why is there a supply vent in my unfinished basement?

Should the vent be opened and heating/cooling my basement?

Any area that contains water lines should be heated if temps hit freezing where you live. Crawl spaces without insulation should also be heated in these climates particularly if you have non-carpeted floors above them to avoid cold floors in the winter. Also, I'm not an HVAC expert, but I've been told you should condition the air through which uninsulated ductwork runs.


Can (and should) I replace the hose connecting a cold water expansion vessel to the cold water supply myself? We recently had a small flood in our apartment. I found that the metal-sheathed rubber hose connecting the cold water supply to the blue cold water expansion vessel had a wide split in it. The water supply had already been turned off by someone else; when I turned the water back on gently, water gushes out of the split.

Can/should I replace this hose myself? I have no plumbing qualifications, although I do have a solid grasp of physics and engineering, an eagerness to learn and I know how to turn off the water supply to my flat...

The tank is a Zilmet Ultra Pro 8 litre. Note that the water connection of the expansion vessel is at the bottom; the air valve is at the top - other similar products I've seen online seem to have them the other way around.

My concerns:

I unscrewed the hose at the mains water end, a little water dribbled out. As I started to unscrew the hose at the vessel end, it gurgled a bit as if air was getting in and started to leak water (exactly as you'd get if you slowly unscrewed the cap on an upturned water bottle). I started to worry that I was letting air in to the water side of the expansion tank and that this might be bad - eventually I decided that the air pressure must be too low as I'm assuming that when the tank is pressurised correctly but there is no water pressure, the diaphragm will be pushed against the water inlet, so to re-expel that air I was letting in all I ought to do was to repressurize the tank. Is that correct? I attached a bike pump to the valve and the pressure was zero, worryingly. As I pumped it up to the factory pre-charge level (1.5 bar = 22psi), loads more water was expelled. Is this normal? It sounds like the expansion tank has been running depressurized for some time.
The water coming out of the tank, especially towards the end, was a bit smelly, and had a few black bits (rubber?) swimming in it. This doesn't seem great - I think this feeds the rest of the taps in our house including the drinking water! The tank claims it has a (replaceable) 'food grade membrane' and is advertised as being for potable water.
The rubber hose does not appear to have perished, nor the metal sheath on it corroded - I have no explanation as to why it split. I'm concerned it burst due to some pressure surge (would the expansion tank have absorbed this, had it actually had some air in it?), and that other parts of the system may be damaged.

I'd try to eliminate the flexible hose if at all possible. You can get a threaded piece of copper pipe and solder it into your plumbing system if you have copper plumbing.

In a well designed system, all of the hoses, valves, etc should exceed the threshold for the TPR valve on the hot water heater. So maybe the hose you had in there wasn't rated for enough pressure, or your TPR valve isn't functioning (very dangerous, you should test it).

For the tank itself, don't worry about water coming out of it. It will work just fine without water in it (in fact, it will likely work better since you've increased the volume of air absorbing pressure fluctuations). To pressurize it, you have to remove all water pressure first (shutoff the water supply and open a faucet) and then pressurize it with a pump up to your water pressure PSI level. As long as the tank holds pressure with the water turned off, the bladder is still good, and you can reuse the same tank.

If you're worried about dirt in the water side of the tank, fill and drain it a few times to see if you can clean it out. Chunks of rubber will likely get stuck in an aerator or shower head which would need to be cleaned out, so better to do this now.

In terms of mounting, they can be mounted any direction. If mounted vertically on a fixed pipe (doesn't matter which end is up) then you don't even need support brackets.


How wide does a 6x6 concrete post footing needs to be? Need to attach 6x6x8 posts for a free-standing pergola - I'll use Strong-Tie anchors attached to the concrete footing.

The hole for the footing will reach well below the freezing line, but how wide should it be?

EDIT

Found these construction guidelines for decks that recommend 14" diameter holes, but not sure if there are other recommendations for pergolas.

Since it is a structure that is not occupied in any way, I believe there are no codes that would govern footings for pergolas.

With that said, in my opinion, any hole worth digging for concrete should be at least 12"X12" or 12"  round. Just to make a point, the posts could simply be set in the ground, using the 6X6 bottom as the bearing surface. Even not knowing your soil type, or bearing capacity. I am sure that would hold anything that may grow upon your pergola, BUT you have the right idea about the concrete. With the concrete poured a little above grade and the post clip added to the bottom of the posts, you have a good set up for long lasting posts.

The biggest thing will be is, you will need to provide bracing so the pergola does not rack.


Range hood impeller slipping on rotor shaft My range hood has a motor with an impeller on it. The impeller is attached to the rotor shaft by a nut that threads onto the impeller's... bushing I guess it's called, which is slotted, so that as the nut is tightened around it, the bushing is pressed into the shaft from all sides to prevent the impeller from freely slipping on the shaft.

The problem is, I guess the nut isn't pressing enough, and the impeller is in fact slipping on the shaft. I can tell because the bolt heats up so much from the friction that you can't even touch it. It also produces noise which is similar to the noise it makes when the nut is put on very loosely and there is a lot of visible slippage (I checked just to be sure).

I tried tightening the bolt, but so far was unable to tighten it enough to solve the problem. It loosens enough to allow slippage within minutes of first use. Is there any other way to increase friction? I was thinking maybe some kind of tape, but not sure which one would be effective and would be thin enough to fit. Or maybe just glue? Although I will eventually need to take the impellers off for cleaning.

For the record, the motor actually carries two impellers on the same shaft as shown on the diagram. The model is Kitchenaid KICU265HSS1.

Put a drop of super glue on the bare shaft, then slide the impeller fully into place. Put the nut on without gluing it. Leave it for an hour so the glue can set up. You could also use a threadlocker liquid on the shaft. I have repaired loose impellers for combustion air fans inhigh efficiency furnaces. I also use this repair for bath fans and rangehoods.


My contractor wants to install a different brand of solar panel from what was approved in their permit I am having solar panels installed on my house. My contractor told me that they are installing 20 Canadian Solar CS3k-325-MS panels. I just got a copy of the plants they sent to the city for their permit though, and those plans say they are installing Q.Cell Q.PEAK Duo G5 325s. Comparing the two, it looks like the Q.PEAKs have a little better specs, better reviews, and are also a fair bit more expensive.

I was fine with using the Canadian Solar panels, but I'm wondering why they made the change. They emailed me asking about the Canadian Solar panels after the plans with the Q.Cell panels had already been approved by the city, but before I got a copy. When I asked my contractor about it, he just said "We will correct it before inspection."

Is this okay? It smells a little funny to me to change to a cheaper panel type from what was approved in the permit, and I'm wondering if I'm going to have problems clearing inspection after they're done. I'm in the US.

Datasheet on the Canadian Solar panels: https://www.canadiansolar.com/upload/bc48dbe8c5c41fed/ab28643aabcece82.pdf

And on the Q.Cell panels: https://www.q-cells.com/dam/jcr:4fcbaac5-18ed-4e46-aa6c-fb53b5dbe957/Hanwha_Q_CELLS_Data_sheet_QPEAK_DUO-G5_315-330_2018-03_Rev03_NA.pdf

To my eye, the specs look pretty similar. The Q.Cells have a slightly better linear dropoff warranty and a few other pretty minor differences. The Canadian Solar panels are monocrystaline while the Q.Cells are two crystals. To my eye, in terms of what's on the datasheet, there isn't a lot of difference, but I am not expert enough to know if I'm missing anything major. The Q.Cells seem to have generally better reviews and are markedly more expensive, but I'm not sure why.

If you're using microinverters there are some circuit calculations you're supposed to do using the panel specs and local temperatures to let you know the maximum number of those panels that can be chained together.

If you got different panels then you paid for, I hope you got refunded appropriately!  Besides initial specs, I believe mono panels age better than poly in terms of output degradation over time.


How do you wire a current sensor to multiple fans? I have two booster fans that I only want to run when the main HVAC blower fan is on.
Each fan will have its own speed controller.
How do I wire them both to the same current sensor switch? Should I just run two separate lines from each fan and connect them to the relay at the same place, or do I need to run a single cable from the relay with one fan online and one at the end of the run?
What part of the fan should the sensor connect to?

It does not matter if you run two separate cables to the two fans from the same point - two homeruns - or if you daisy chain, with one cable from the switch to the first fan, and a second cable from the first fan to the second.  Either way, they'll be in parallel electrically and the load through the switch is the same.
However, you do have another issue.  That switch in your link is handy because it's self powered, but it is rated for up to 2.5 amps at 120VAC, so it's really not up to running even one of those 3 amp fans directly.
You could use that current switch to operate the coil of a relay / contactor and have the contacts of that additional relay switch the fans.   There are zillions of such devices available, you'd just have to select one that's rated for the application (and of course you'd have to install it correctly).
You can also find current sensing relays that will combine both functions in one device.


Can rough in shower drain be offset below grade? Dug out the drain box for my basement shower/tub drain. It's about 2" off from where the tub drain will line up. I need it to b 14 5/8 from the stud wall per the installation instructions for a 30" tub. The pipe in the floor is 17" away from the wall right now.
Can the plumber offset the drain/trap to line up, or would it be better to move the wall closer to the drain?

If the J bend is not in place yet the pipe will need to be cut back to add it. Then with that in place the drain can be lined up to the right spot.
That blocked out portion of concrete is just for that purpose, get the pipe close, then fine tune it when the final hook up happens.


make ground 4 gauge wire from several twisted 12 gauge solid copper wires Can I make a 10 foot long single 4 gauge grounding wire from several twisted 12 gauge solid copper wires?

#4 has a area of 41,742 CM (Circular Mils).

#12 has a area of 6,529 CM.

As Dave Tweed says in the comments, you need 7 (6.39) connected in parallel.

Parallel conductors are permitted by electrical codes for phase, neutral or ground for #1/0 and larger.  Each conductor must be same length, material, insulation, area and termination.  The parallel conductor rule is set up for currents > 250A.

As Peter Bennett says, an electrical inspector will probably take exception to this because #4 is readily available.


Dead circuit / outlets I have a handful of electrical outlets that went dead. I have a Kolsol F02 wire locator that I used to identify the circuit breaker they are on, and it seems like I have connectivity from the breaker to the each wire/screw on (assumed) first outlet, from the first to the last outlet, and from there back to the breaker. I also verified the circuit breaker passes all 240v when on.
They seem to be the only thing on this circuit, since I can't find anything else that isn't working with the breaker turned off.
So, I don't know what to do next.

Continuity is NOT a good test as it only verifies a circuit, not how much the wire will carry, ie, a braided wire with only a few strands will test continuous but not carry a designed load.  Have you tried disconnecting each appliance at the its personal connection and taking a reading there to verify the voltage there as opposed to the fuse box ?? If the 240 is present then each appliance individually should be working.  If not is there a reset button, (thinking of a possible surge kicking off the resets but power showing oK after the surge)(we had a lightning hit transformer blow and it kicked every reset and switch in the house).  Get a good set of clamps so that YOU are not holding your test leads in place, remember, circuit brkr OFF,  disconnect or  clamp, close brkr, test reading, check reset, If ALL good  then on to next appliance.


How can I replace a light switch with strange wiring? Here's what we have in the box:

(2) Black wires
(1) Yellow wire
(1) Capped cluster of white wires.

Here's how it was wired:

As stated above, the three white wires were capped. One black wire was attached to one screw of the light switch. The other black wire was taped to an opening in the middle of the yellow wire. The yellow wire was then connected to the other screw of the light switch.

I was trying to replace a regular switch with a dimmer and knew I should've dropped when I saw this, but went ahead and things got mixed up. I tried to return the light switch to at least the originally goofiness and now other circuits are being controlled by this light switch.

Since your other circuits are now switched, you have reversed the black wires. You must also eliminate the taped connection. Since your dimmer probably has wire leads instead of screw terminals, this could be easy. The thing to ensure is if you cut the yellow wire back to where it was taped, will it still be long enough? It should be if the dimmer has wire leads. Also ensure there is enough room in the box for all the wires and the new dimmer, as it is larger than a standard switch, it's easier to run out of room.

If it all looks good, first turn off the power to the switch box. Mark the black wire now attached directly to the switch as power. This was originally taped to the yellow wire until you got mixed up. Remove it from the switch and straighten the wire end.

Remove and straighten the other black wire now taped to the yellow. This originally went directly to the switch. This goes to the light you want dimmed. Trim it so the exposed wire is the same length as the wire stripped for the dimmer lead. Attach it to one of the dimmer leads with a wire nut.

Cut the yellow wire back to where it was taped, leaving an appropriate length of exposed wire. Trim the insulation as needed so the new end is free of any insulation. Connect the power wire, the yellow wire, and the free dimmer lead together with another wire nut. Be sure the nut is big enough to accommodate three wires.

Ensure any ground wires are all connected together, but not to any other wiring.

Turn the dimmer up to full power, and turn it off if you can tell the difference. Restore power to the circuit. Turn off the dimmer if it's on. Ensure the other circuits are still powered. Enjoy your now dimmable light.


Can my water softener's backwash cycle run while the well pump is out of service? We have a water softener at one of our properties.  This time of year we have power issues.  I want to put my older softener with a mechanical timer on a UPS.  If the well pump is not on a UPS will happen when the backwash starts with the power off?

If it has a mechanical timer it doesn't need a UPS so I am figuring you mean a rotary electric timer as a opposed to a digital one.

As you have probably surmised the softener would go through its timing cycles even if the power is off but the well pump will be depleted somewhere during the softener's cycle and it will fail to properly regenerate. How far it gets through its cycle depends on how big of a pressure tank you have for the well. It is possible it won't even finish the brine cycle and you could have some brackish water until it clears out.


Installing GFCI outlets in multiwire branch circuit Background:
There are four power outlets above my kitchen counter: three are located within 1.5 m of the sink, while the last one is further away. None of them are GFCI and some are damaged and in need of replacement. Current Canadian electrical code stipulates that any power outlets located within 1.5 m of a sink should have GFCI protection. My house was built in the late 1990s and apparently predates this GFCI requirement and I would like to bring them up to code with GFCI protection replacements for the three outlets close to the sink, if possible.
I have identified and shut off the two breakers that supply the four outlets and have pulled them out of the wall so I can see how they were wired.
All four of these kitchen counter outlets are on multiwire branch circuits. There are two MWBCs, each with two outlets. Each outlet has ground, a white neutral wire, and both a black and red line wire. The line tabs are broken on all four outlets and they are running in split configuration: black line to one half, red line to the other half.
This is how the existing outlets are wired:

And here are the two handle-tied breakers that supply the four outlets:

Question:
Aside from installing a double-pole GFCI breaker back at the panel, what would be the best way to install GFCI outlets in this environment?
I've done a lot of reading about this and feel like I've read conflicting answers, which is why I'm asking what may seem like a duplicate question; I need some clarification.
Could I cap the black line wire in one outlet and the red in another of the line wires at each outlet and wire the GFCI outlets as normal, or would the common neutral shared between two GFCI outlets cause them to keep tripping?
Here is an example of why I'm confused.
This answer starts off suggesting that this will not work:

... if you want to hook up GFCI receptacles. GFCI receptacles will not work properly with a shared neutral, you'll end up with nuisance tripping with a shared neutral. GFCI receptacles work by monitoring the balance between hot and neutral, so if the neutral is shared the GFCI will not work properly.

However, it then goes on to suggest that you can use multiple GFCI outlets with shared neutrals:

You can share a neutral between 2 GFCI receptacles. The catch is you'll have to pigtail the neutral to the receptacles, not use the neutral from the load side of the first GFCI to feed the second.

So, which is it?
This answer, on another question, makes a convincing argument for not using multiple GFCI with shared neutrals:

Ground fault circuit interrupting devices work by measuring the current on the ungrounded (hot) conductor, and the grounded (neutral) conductor. If the currents on these conductors differs by more than a specific amount, the circuit is opened preventing current from flowing. This can present a problem when using two separate GFCI breakers, because the current on the grounded (neutral) conductor will be the difference between the two ungrounded conductors.
Ungrounded conductor 1 = 13A
Ungrounded conductor 2 = 6A
Grounded conductor = 7A
In this situation, the breakers will detect a potential (false) ground fault and trip. This can easily be avoided by using a double pole GFCI breaker. This is because a double pole GFCI breaker monitors both ungrounded (hot) conductors, and a single shared grounded (neutral) conductor.

Any help would be much appreciated.

This type of shared-neutral wiring is called a Multi-wire Branch Circuit, or MWBC.

All these issues are entirely mooted in your case, since you will not be able to use the LOAD terminals at all.  There's simply no way to do it.  You only have two receptacle sites per MWBC.  The whole point of an MWBC is to make good use of both hot legs.   Well, you need two GFCI+receptacle devices to do that.  And that fills both sites.   So the issue of extending off the LOAD terminals of one of the GFCI+receptacles will never come up.

A GFCI that doesn't use its LOAD terminals can't have a shared neutral problem.

Scenario 1:

As you propose, in box 1 of each circuit, connect the GFCI+Receptacle device to the LINE terminals only.  Connect black and neutral, and cap red.    In box 2, cap the black and comnect red and neutral to the LINE terminals.  And you are done.  There is no use for the LOAD terminals, leave the tape on them.

Before, the 8 sockets went to circuits as follows: 1.2------1.2------3.4------3.4

Now, the 8 sockets go to circuits as follows: 1:1------2:2-------3:3------4:4

Keep that in mind when plugging in heavy draw appliances.  I.e, it's no longer "pick one socket, 1 on top 1 on bottom", now it's "1 appliance per GFCI". If you liked the other way, see Scenario 2.

Now, if you need AFCI protection, you need the newer cAFCI breakers designed to work in MWBCs, that do not need the circuit's neutral wire landed on the breaker.  (the AFCI may have its own neutral pigtail, this is only to power itself.) These are all 1-pole breakers, so you will need a listed handle-tie to tie them together so they are shut off together for maintenance.  This will resemble a 2-pole breaker.

Scenario 2

This depends on not needing AFCI.

In this case, you leave the wiring exactly as you found it. You will then replace those 2-pole or handle-tied breakers with 2-pole GFCI breakers. In this you land all 3 wires (2 hots+neutral) on the GFCI breaker. You cannot handle-tie two singles because of the shared neutral.

If you can find a 2-pole cAFCI+GFCI+breaker device, you can use that.  I haven't been able to find one.

As far as the answers you're not understanding, Tester101‘s postings are sublime, among the finest on the forum. There's a lot of technical data there, and the volume of material makes it confusing when these concepts are new.  I see no conflict nor contradiction in what he wrote.

About neutral sharing, he means in the context of MWBC and protecting downline loads using the LOAD terminals.  You cannot.  The one neutral can't be both the Load side of the black subcircuit and the line side of the red subcircuit. Thus, GFCI receptacles on MWBCs cannot protect downline loads, their LOAD terminals are useless.