Solving freezing vent in refrigerator I have a KitchenAid refrigerator model KSRS22MWMWS, a side by side model purchased in 2011.  In the wall between the freezer and refrigerator is a vent in which ice builds up until it becomes completely blocked, jamming against the sliding drawer:

The temperature controls are at the default.  Some ice appears elsewhere in the unit, but not as bad as here.  I've defrosted this area with a hair dryer in the past (it's hard because the structure of the vent is foam, so can't take the heat).  But the problem comes back.

What might be wrong and how can it be fixed?

you may have a badly closing door seal.  if you get a small air leak into the refrigerator, the air keeps the fridge warmer than it wants to be, so it keeps running the compressor to try to cool the fridge.  as it runs, condensation forms internally and will build up in certain areas, and freezes into ice.  i would have a look at your door seal.  just take a thin flat blade of plastic (don't use steel as you can scratch the seal or the mating face) and slide it around the contact point of the seal and the chassis.  you should feel slight resistance everywhere, indicating the mating of seal and mating face.  anyplace you have a drop in resistance, the seal is letting air into the fridge.  this is usually fixed by levelling the fridge properly. the raising and lowering of the fridge corners will make the chassis flex back into a truly rectangular box so that the door is parallel on all four edges.


Why is the white wire hot in my switch box? I have been replacing my light switches with zwave switches but some of them are wired a bit differently and am having some difficulty understanding them.

This one is a single light switch to control one light in the room. The white wire seems to be the hot one.

This one is a two-way light switch. The second switch controlling this switch is in the other room. The red and white seem to be running hot all the time while there are two wires (black and white) in the black connected with a wire nut.

Could someone please help me understand what's going on here?

By US conventions, black should be hot, white should be neutral, and red should be alternate hot. Normally.

When you see a switch connecting white and black directly,  this is a "switch loop", where hot was brought to the fixture first, then down to the switch; the switched hot is brought back up to the fixture. If they were competent, the electrician should have put a black mark r tag on that white wire to indicate that it too is hot.

The second example is apparently also a switch loop, but for a "three-way" switching circuit; see other answers for descriptions of how using two double-throw switches and both hot and alternate hot permits either of two switches to turn the light on or off.

(Don't ask why we call it three-way when it has two on states or four states total...)


Why is dirty water coming out of the air gap when I run my dishwasher? Please see the picture. I have no clue why this happens. It did not happen last month. I checked the filter inside the dishwasher was clear.

If this is only occurring when the dishwasher is running then your drain line on the down side of the airway is plugged or kinked since it just started happening.

If the drain of the sink were plugged the water would be coming up from the sink drains as well.

If the sewer line was plugged then you'd have other drains in the house backing up as well.

The airgap basically functions as a failsafe to help ensure water doesn't get backed up in to the dishwasher causing a flood. If it's spewing water all of a sudden when it didn't before, it's most likely the downside of the airgap is plugged.


What are these two pipes coming out of the house? I am trying to figure out the purpose of a couple of pipes that are currently coming out of the house.

First, a couple of notes:

One-story house.
HVAC system is in the attic.
It is winter here. Running the heat. Using the water heater (which is in the garage). Not running the A/C.

The first pipe, shown here, I am pretty sure is the emergency drain line for the HVAC system. It is coming out from under an eave near the top of the house. Can someone verify that I am correct? It is not currently dripping.

The second pipe is the one that I am not very sure about. It is actually dripping slowly, but steadily. I would say one drip every 3 seconds or so. It has been raining here, but I can't imagine this pipe having to do with draining rain water. Like I said, we do run the gas heater daily. And the hot water is, of course, used daily as well. The water heater is on the other side of the house in the garage. Any thoughts as to where the water from this pipe is coming from?

High efficiency furnaces will make condensate. They run the air back through the hot exhaust to get more heat out. This also cools your exhaust enough to use PVC - that's what your upper line is.

In the process of cooling the exhaust, you might get some condensation. Typically that's collected in a little sump tank. When the sump reaches a certain level, a little bitty pump pumps it out - that's your lower line.

If it freezes where you are, you might want to insulate that lower line. If it freezes shut, your sump could overflow in the mean time. It's just a dribble of water, but still.  It's a leak of water in your attic.


Could using an orifice for the wrong gas type damage a water heater? Question...Over the past 18 months, after our home was built, we learned our two tankless water heaters have been running propane through a natural gas orifice.    We discovered the issue after hearing a loud noise coming from one of the water heaters.   Could this have damaged the water heaters?   Thanks in advance

Nat gas orifice is significantly larger than propane orifice , so the heaters have been exposed to more heat /flame than design ; that could be a problem. I learned this the hard way;  hooked up a nat gas grill to a propane bottle. On the lowest burner setting flame came out around the space between the top and bottom of the grill. In round numbers the gas molecules take up the same volume ( Ideal gas law) . In the nat gas molecule you have one C and 4 H to burn , in a propane molecule you have three C and eight H to burn. So the nat gas orifice is larger to let more molecules through , it lets the same larger number of propane molecules through producing more heat/flame.


Does a cover exist for a 3.5 inch round electrical box? I have a 3.5 inch round electrical box in the garage that is being used as a junction box. The inspector says that it has to be covered. However, I am unable to find a 3.5 inch pvc cover for this box. Anyone know if such a thing exists? I bought a 4 inch cover at home depot, but it is too big.

Your problem is your supplier

There shouldn't be any trouble getting the cover you require.  However it's a rarely requested item, so Home Depot's central office has determined it's not worth the shelf space to stock.  You can take your chances with other big-box or hardware stores, but any competent electrical supply house has about a 90% chance of stocking it, having you out the door in 3 minutes, and be cheaper to boot.  (Home Depot charges gotcha pricing on anything that isn't a hot commodity).

Also you have 8 hots and neutrals splicing up here. All grounds together count as one wire. 14 AWG wire requires 2.00 cubic inches per "wire", so you need 18.0 cubic inches.  Make sure the box is at least that large (it should say on the inside) - if not, look for a 3.5" box extension to get you some more cubic inches. You'll definitely need an electrical supply for that!

If all else fails, put a pull-chain lamp socket there and don't use it for anything, but that will need 4 more cubic inches.


How to test if a dishwasher's below the floor heating element is faulty? My dishwasher uses a Bauknecht 2040W heating element:

Can you test if it's faulty using a continuity test?

If so, is the continuity test between:

ground and the positive,
ground and the negative, or
the positive and the negative?

Testing between positive and negative shows continuity but between either the positive or the negative and ground doesn't.

Continuity is "An unbroken electrical path in an electronic circuit or connector[1]". First thing, unplug the dishwasher or if hard-wired turn off the circuit breaker. Unplug the connector to the heating element and then test the contacts on the heating element.

A heating element is a semi-conductive (typically coil) that creates heat as it resists the flow of electricity through it, a.k.a. a resistor. Also, even though there may be a clear positive and negative fed into/through it, a resistor does not have positive and negative terminals so orientation of your testing leads doesn't matter. A conductivity test will provide some feedback, but a resistance test with provide more accurate feedback, set your multimeter to Ohms Ω and check that the value across the heating element is within manufacturer's standards.

Whenever testing a heating element, make sure you are actually testing the element and not a circuit before it that drives it!

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuity


Why aren't my in-ground lights receiving power? I have in ground site lights at my facility. It is a HYDREL manufactured site light and I have six of them in the ground. Only 1 out of  6 of them light up. I've changed out the ballasts, bulb sockets and have the correct wattage. Unfortunately they are still not receiving power. I have checked the wiring at the base, and there's no power going through them either. I checked the breakers and contactors and it is reading power.
Is there anything I might have missed? I would appreciate any advice please

Only 1 out of 6 of them light up.

So we know at least one of them is working. Odds are that fixture is the first in the string of the lighting circuit. I am assuming they are all on the same circuit. I am also assuming there is a photocell or timer that turns them on and off. Is there a lighting contactor involved? If not then you need to investigate the one that is working and see if there is a loose or corroded connection there.

If everything looks fine then you need to determine the route of the underground connections. Then by disconnecting the wires at the one light that is working and separate the line side (the one that is hot) from your load side to the next fixture. Twist the load side together. Using a continuity tester or ohmmeter go to the next fixture in the string and see if you can get a ring or a reading. If you can't get continuity then you have a break in the underground connection and it must be replaced or repaired. So make sure all splices are clean and corrosion free.

The hard part is trying to determine the route of the underground conductors. It's usually in some form of a loop. We are taught to use the shortest route possible, if that helps. If you can't figure it out then you will need to continue disconnecting fixtures and ringing between the fixtures to determine the route.

Remember you will be kneeling on damp ground so once you find the line side of the first fixture. Be sure and turn your power off to avoid shock.

Stay safe and good luck.


Use Sonoff thermostat TH10 in one room to control a Sonoff Basic in another room For those who are experienced with the Sonoff devices, I need to check the temperature in my living room using a Sonoff thermostat TH10, and when the temperature is above a chosen threshold, I would like to stop the water pumps which are in a different room, using a "slave" Sonoff basic device, remotely controlled by the TH10.

Is such a configuration possible?

Sure is, but the TH10/15 is not a thermostat, but rather a thermistor. And setup depends on how you plan to control them, IFTTT, ewelink, Google Home, Amazon Alexa.....

Best to check in those forums.


Forgot to unplug fridge while replacing thermostat, smelled electrical burning I went to replace the fridge thermostat today. I unscrewed the housing found the cables popped out the metal thermostat from the plastic casing.

I should have stopped to unplug the fridge here since I didn't do it before any of this. But I blanked and started unplugging the power wires. I started to smell faint electrical burning smell, realized I was playing with power without turning the appliance off, and unplugged it from the wall.

I finished replacing the thermostat and plugged the fridge back in. Immediately came on and started running.

I'm an idiot yes. Guess I wasn't fully awake yet. I build computers I know to turn power off, I don't know what I was thinking.
Since there was some smell, have I increased the chances of an electrical fire? Are there any signs (burned wires, etc) I can check for -- after unplugging the fridge...
I do assume there would be nothing toxic that one with breathe in from the fridge/electronics/burning whatever.

I do think the fridge is running correctly. The freezer is definitely putting out cold air. Just don't want to burn down the house or anything.
I forgot the most important step. Have coffee, don't do this after first getting up, and don't get distracted by kid/dog/wife. And unplug the dang thing.

If you would have shorted something badly the breaker should have tripped. I say "should" have as long as you have a quality breaker that is not corroded.

I would definitely monitor the situation though until you trust that everything is OK. There shouldn't be any increased chance of a problem unless something was seriously damaged. As long as you didn't breathe the fumes for long then you are good.

Rest easy but keep an eye on the fridge until you are sure everything is working normally.


How to run electrical wire in concrete under the tile I'm running 6 feet of electrical wire from the wall to kitchen island and going to do it this way:

make a trench around 1 inch in depth
put 1/2 inch flexible conduit there
cover conduit with about 1/2 inch of concrete
apply liquid membrane (preparation for tile)
lay tile over it.

Is this solution is reliable? I know that trench perfectly should be deeper but I wouldn't like to cut my slab too deep and my guess is that if I lay large format tile over it then I should be good. Thoughts?

FMC "flex" isn't allowed in concrete. In 362.10 ENT (smurf) is allowed to be embedded in concrete, so I think it would OK, but the inspector could have issue with meaning of "embedded" with such shallow cover, which could be  up to interpretation of "similar finish" by AHJ.

NEC 300.4(F) Cables   and Raceways Installed in   Shallow Grooves.
Cable or  raceway-type    wiring  methods installed   in  a   groove, to  be  covered by  wallboard,  siding, paneling,   carpeting,  or  similar
finish,   shall   be  protected   by  1.6 mm  (1∕16   in.)    thick   steel   plate,  sleeve, or  equivalent  or  by  not
less  than    32-mm   (11∕4-in.)  free    space   for the full    length  of  the groove  in  which   the cable   or  raceway
is    installed.
Exception No. 1:
Steel plates, sleeves,    or  the equivalent  shall   not be  required    to  protect rigid
metal conduit,    intermediate    metal   conduit, rigid  nonmetallic conduit,
or    electrical  metallic tubing.
Exception No. 2: A    listed  and marked  steel
plate less    than    1.6 mm  (1∕16   in.)    thick   that    provides
equal or  better  protection  against nail    or  screw   penetration shall   be  permitted.


Glass thickness for plywood tank Apologies if this question is misplaced. I'm needing to know the required thickness of a glass viewing window when installed in a large plywood/steel constructed aquaculture tank (for a home / DIY aquaponics setup).

The nominal measurements for the inside of the tank are 12ft length x 8ft width x 6ft height/depth. Filling to the brim would put about 4,308 US gallons of water, but for the sake of calculations let's say the working fill is 4,200 US gallons. This means there will be about 35,050 lbs of water in the tank. This means the uniform loading at the bottom of the tank is about 2.53psi, or 365 psf.

The glass windows will be set into a framed opening that will support them all the way around and will prevent the need for the glass to flex. I've not decided how large the openings would be, it likely depends on cost of the glass.

I'm curious as to the relationship of not only the thickness of glass vs strength but also the span capabilities. E.g. I imagine if I had a 5ft x 5ft piece of glass only supported at the edges it might need to be slightly thicker than if it also had a beam running down the middle of the glass. 5ft span vs 2.5ft span.

I understand that the pressure exerted on the walls of any tank holding a liquid increases with depth so I hope I am correct in assuming that if the bottom of the viewing window did not extend all the way to the bottom of the tank I might need less strength for the window.

There is also the question of tempered vs non-tempered; I would appreciate if someone could tell me either way which one is best for this application.

Thank you!

It looks like the glass needs to be strong enough for 72 inches depth.  But besides the pressure there is the span.

A standard aquarium glass thickness calculator only goes to a depth of 36 inches, but using the 5 foot width with a safety factor of 2, that calls for 16 mm glass, and 22 mm for a safety factor of 3.

Using a more general calculator and making all sides glass for a 256 x 366 x 183 cm aquarium using a safety factor of 3 gives 55 mm glass (which is 5.3 tonnes of glass) and an overall weight when filled of nearly 22,000 kg (24 U.S. ton).

If people will be near this structure, of course you want tempered glass.


Making HVAC duct flush with floor I removed a interior wall with a heat/A/C duct in it. I need to lower into floor. I currently stands about 8 inches from floor. What do I need to do in order to make flush with flooring?

Typically the duct run is finished off with one of these, depending on the orientation of the pipe under the floor and IF in this case the pipe leading to the wall duct is round.

If the duct is rectangular under the floor, the idea is pretty much the same, it needs to transition from the duct size under the floor to the grill size in the wall but for the floor location.


What is the minimum amount of equipment required to "stub" for a whole house generator? I'm doing my own electrical for a home I'm building, and am interested in having a whole house generator at some point in the future, but it isn't in the budget right now.

If I understand correctly, you need a transfer switch to go before the main panel, so if we wanted to add one later, we would need the power company to disconnect the service and redo the whole service entrance.

Is there anything I can do that doesn't cost too much right now, to make it easier to install a generator or transfer switch later?

The house will have a 200 AMP service.

When I hear "minimum" I think "trying to save money".

Do you really, seriously, plan to buy a large 50 KVA generator with an aim toward powering the whole house so you can have life as normal (except for the insufferable roar 24x7 of the machine?)  Will this run on natural gas or many trips to the gas station for this thirsty beast?  Reason I ask is if you only plan to use a smaller generator to power important loads, this all gets a lot easier.

In this case, you install a main panel in the normal way.  Then you run a large, say 100A**, circuit to a generator interlock, then to a subpanel, then you punch down all your generator-desired loads into the subpanel.  It can be quite a large subpanel, in fact we recommend that.  (Don't be the guy who counts circuits to figure the smallest panel to get, that saves very little money and adds a lot of cost later.)

A lot of subpanels can be their own generator interlocks.  That makes things cheaper still.

For instance you could even have two interlocked subpanels 100A** each, at sane cost, and simply put every load them with none on the main panel (except loads that would be completely insane to put on generator, such as a Chevy Volt charger.) If you had a 50KVA generator, you could power both!

So it really is a matter of pricing the different options.

** speaking of pricing, you might also consider 70A.  70A breakers are much cheaper than 100s, and remember, you need 3 of them per subpanel.   By the way, the subpanel can be larger than the breaker, so for instance a 70A breaker can feed a 225A subpanel.  You'd do that to get more spaces.  Spaces are very good, and cheaping out on spaces is a bad idea.


Do wooden storm windows need weep holes? I have read about the importance of weep holes with aluminum storm windows, but we have several old wooden storms in our house.  Do those naturally drain because they're not airtight, or is some kind of weep hole needed?

You will see weep holes in aluminum storm windows when the frame is projecting from the exterior wall and has a "lipped" edge. The weep holes allow drainage that otherwise would not occur because of the lipped frame edge. Wooden storm windows are usually hinged and set flush with the frame. The frame bottom is normally beveled so as to shed water away from the interior. If you have weather-stripping installed on the storm windows that creates a good seal it may be wise to modify it if you see water entering past the storm window.


What are the individual names of these nine different PVC fittings? What are the individual names of these nine different PVC fittings?

(source: pvcworkshop.com)

From left to right, top to bottom:

3 way elbow
4 way tee
5 way tee
tee
internal cap
cross
90 degree elbow
slip sling tee
45 degree elbow

Since these appear to be structural PVC fittings, one source: http://www.formufit.com/structural-pvc-fittings/?sort=featured&page=1


Are the resin beads inside old water softeners flammable? Our old water softener just broke and released all the resin beads into our hot water heater. I've been draining it but a significant amount of beads went into the drain pan under the hot water heater. I was a bit concerned that if these were flammable, that it would be a hazard to run the how water heater.

-- EDIT

I took them outside and tried to light them. They did blacken after a while and let off a nasty fume, but the stack did not continue to light after the flame was removed. I would still recommend testing your own if anyone else reads this answer with a similar conscern

I would highly doubt that they are flammable. Water softener beads are made from zeolites, which are aluminosilicates (minerals containing aluminium, silicon, and oxygen). They are much more similar to clay than organic resins, although they may be manufactured with a binder of some sort.  If you're really worried that they are flammable, try burning some of them - I'm guessing it would be similar to trying to burn a brick.


Why does Tesla recommend such a small gauge wire for their chargers compared to this chart I found online? We are looking to install two NEMA 14-50 outlets for our kids to charge their electric cars, and I'm confused about wire choice.  I thought I understood the correct wire to use, but then ran across a Tesla document that said something completely different than I was expecting.
Tesla has published installation instructions here that recommends 6 AWG for up to 150 feet.  Here is a screenshot:

However, when I search online for AWG charts, I find many results that all agree with each other, such as this one from here:

Using these charts to spec out a 150 ft circuit, even allowing for a 10% voltage drop, I see that I need at least 1 gauge wire for 50 amps.  If I want a 3% voltage drop (which I assume an electric car would need), then I should be using 4/0 at least.  According to this chart, 6 gauge wire would only be sufficient out to 15 ft for 50 amps (or 50 ft if we allow for 10% voltage drop); neither of which is close to the 150 feet suggested by Tesla.
Given the clash between my internet-educated understanding, and Tesla's official publications probably written by electrical engineers, I have a feeling that the incorrect party might just be me.  How is my understanding incorrect, and what gauge wire is actually needed for a 50 amp 14-50 outlet?

That chart is from BlueSea - they make marine DC power system components (mostly 12V and 24V). Voltage drop effects are completely different at 12V vs. the 240V used by this EV charger. Disregard that chart.
Plugging the actual scenario (240V, 6AWG, 40A load, 150 feet) into a voltage drop calculation indicates that the worst possible voltage drop will be only 1.98%.


How to clarify and remove green tint to an in ground pool I recently opened my in ground pool two weeks ago. The volume of the pool is approximately 20,000 gallons. The pool water has a greenish tint and the water appears cloudy. I have used a automatic robot to clean the bottom of the pool and clear out the debris settled down there. I have used a pool brush to scrub the walls / bottom of the pool in an effort to dislodge any debris. During all this time, the filter system was running on full. Chemistry of the pool as it stands right now:

PH of 7.6
total alkalinity of 90
Free chlorine of 2 ppm
combined chlorine of 3 ppm
Calcium hardness of 220

I have already shock chlorinated the pool two days ago. I added dry acid to lower PH from an initial reading 8.1 and calcium chloride to raise dissolved calcium levels from an initial level of 150 ppm. The pool is a concrete pool with no liner.

What could be causing the greenish tint to the water and the cloudiness of the water?

Green is most likely algae, but it could be metals.  You have to get your water tested for metals and phosphates (most pool stores will do this for free if you bring in a water sample), and then get rid of any measurable amounts using products designed for the purpose.

Cloudiness is also consistent with both of those problems, but could be independent:  If after you resolve any algae and/or metal problem it's still cloudy then add a clarifier.  If that doesn't solve cloudiness then you would most likely have a filter problem – e.g., tear or leak in the filter.


How to restore marble and granite surfaces? We have marble floors, walls and sink-top in our bathroom, and also granite counter tops in our kitchen. All of these look a little dull. How can we renew their shine?

Assuming you don't have extensive scratching or damage to your countertops, sometimes a simple acrylic sealer/refinsiher will work great.  You will need to clean the tops thoroughly with a non abrasive cleaner and rinse completely.  After they are dry, simply apply the acrylic sealer with a lint free smooth cloth evenly over the whole surface.  Let this dry for an hour or two and repeat the application. After the last coat is completely dry, buff with a soft cloth.  Usually two or three very thin coats and a good buff will restore a nice shine. This should last a year or more depending on the amount of use the tops get.  Do not use abrasive cleaners in the future. Simple glass or all purpose cleaner is fine. You may also consider having some anti-bacterial solution (looks like water) in a spray bottle for quick safe cleanups.


How to properly fix these cracks in exterior window sill The inspector suggested that these are easy fixes but most of the searches for repairing window sills brings up rotten wood and that's not what I've got here.

and also this one

I find that a urethane caulk works wonders in cases like this. It bonds like no other caulk I've used, can be had in a huge variety of custom colors, doesn't shrink much, remains very flexible, and is paintable. I'm most familiar with OSI Quad.

Be warned, it's extremely sticky--you won't get it off your clothes, and you'll have to wear it off your skin. It cures very slowly, so don't expect it to be skinned over after a few minutes like silicone or latex.

Cut a small opening on the tube and press firmly to inject the caulk deeply into the crack. Use cardboard or a plastic scraper to remove any excess, pressing very firmly to slice the extra caulk off the surface rather than smearing it wide. Ideally you'll be able to apply and tool the caulk in one pass with the tube nozzle, though.


Do outside faucets need to be winterized in a home with a conditioned crawlspace? Pretty simple question, but conditioned crawlspaces seem new enough that I couldn't find anything about it on Google. Does the warmth from the crawlspace make winterizing the faucets unnecessary?

Update: sorry for not providing climate details. I'm in Tennessee; we get mild winters. We get from 4-7 days from Dec-Feb where the temperature drops below 20*F.

The house has two climate zones for the upstairs and downstairs living spaces, and the crawlspace is tied in with one of them.

The outside faucets are not freeze-proofed silcocks.

Varies with climate/temperature and specifics of the faucets/plumbing. We've had heated basements for a long time, so nothing all that new here.

If they are frost-free sillcocks, probably nothing is needed, but you'll save a bit of energy and add some insurance with an insulated cover over the outer part. I have seen these freeze in a heated basement under very cold conditions with no water use (so even though the sillcock was drained back to the inside valve, it conducted enough heat away from the inside that water in the pipe near it, on the other side of the valve, froze.) That was probably at -20F and the basement was heated, but not hot. Since the piping for the faucet was near the outside wall, it was a relatively cold spot in a "heated" basement, with a hunk of thermally conductive brass sticking out into the cold.

If the sillcocks are not of the frost-free type with a long stem and a valve on the inside, in my opinion they need to be drained in any climate where it freezes, though you might get away with neglecting that in a very mild freeze, depending how well the pipes are exposed to the heat; again, that can be improved somewhat with the insulated covers for the outside part, but draining them is safest.


How can I open a locked door with a half destroyed cylinder lock? On my new bought property there's a locked door whose cylinder lock was destroyed by drilling in it from both sides. The hole indoors is 24 mm deep, the hole outdoors 23 mm. Now the plugs on each side are loose and can rotate without opening the door, they are both obviously not attached to the actuator any more. Unfortunately, the hinge pins also can't be removed undamaged when the door is closed. What can I do to open the door without damaging it?
Photos
Lock from indoors

Lock from outdoors

Image from wilka.de

Technical Drawing from wilka.de

Files

PDF with General Notes about the lock
PDF with Explanation of Drilling Protection methods, the lock may be equipped with ABH I, III, or V.

At 24mm, the holes do not reach the actuator.

If you carefully examine the sides of the drilled holes, you should be able to see the remains of the nickel-plated anti-drill pins. If you don't see them, your lock is probably ABH-I.

I think the first thing to try is to remove one of the cores completely. Drive a hardened steel screw into the key slot and pry the core out with a claw hammer or pry bar (aka crowbar).

You will need to push a metal plug or tool into the drilled hole to keep the core from turning while you force the steel screw into the key slot. Obviously the screw should be a star drive, or even a hex head if you can find one. Try to get it at least 15mm into the core.

It looks like you should try the indoor side first, as you can use the lock housing as a fulcrum without crushing the door panel. Use a scrap of plywood to protect the door when prying.

If you can't get either core out, the next best thing would be to drill all the way through both cores and the actuator. Don't just extend the existing holes at their current diameter -- unlike the original driller, you are not trying to cut away working parts of the lock -- but use a much smaller drill size. You only need a hole large enough to fit a steel rod, like a piece of bass piano wire. Or, you may be able to use the drill itself to tie the cores to the actuator.

Add an assistant and a little coordination to turn both cores in the same direction at the same time, and the door should open with minimum fuss.


How to refinish a checker topped table? What would be the best approach for sanding down a oak table that has a checkered top with grains going in opposite directions. The squares are approximately 3" x 3". Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

You've probably heard the advice that you should sand with the wood grain, and you want to know how to apply that when the grain is going all over the place...  Well, the best bet is to just get a random orbital sander and just sand like a solid piece, ignoring the grain.

If you don't have a random orbital or are sanding by hand, that is fine, but you can't realistically "follow the grain" on a parquet top.  If you are trying to remove a heavy finish, start with a coarse paper (80 or 100) and once the finish or bad spots are gone or mostly gone, move to a finer paper (150 or so).  Depending on the finish and the type of wood the top is made of, you can move to a 220 grit paper for a final pass, but unless you are going for a super-high-quality finish, that is usually not necessary.  If there are noticeable swirls after the 150, then a pass with 220 is warranted, but in my experience that is rare.


Is it safe to use barn wood indoors for furniture, trim, walls and ceilings? I am renovating a farm house built in the late 1800's. I am planning on tearing down the barn from the same era and using some of the wood to finish trim etc. I believe the moisture content is good 7 to 12%.  I'm most concerned about bugs. The area is south-western Ontario.

Working with reclaimed wood presents a few unique challenges and concerns. It sounds like you're going to be using your stock in its raw form so I won't get  into milling etc.

The first thing to watch out for is dust. Barn wood is impregnated with all sorts of nasty stuff including molds and animal dander (a carrier of tetanus). Dust masks are an absolute must and take special care to clean out any wounds and splinters you acquire because they will often get infected.

Another issue is imbedded foreign objects. Hitting an old bolt with a skill saw is as dangerous to you as it is to your blade. Pick up a metal detecting wand ($40) and go over your parts before you make any cuts, you'll be amazed at the variety of shrapnel you collect.

Finally, finishing reclaimed wood is its own bag of problems. Most protective finishes don't really like to be applied over top of dirt and contaminates so be sure to start by wire brushing out the worst of the gunk and then apply a good sealer coat before finishing, or better yet use a penetrating oil like Penofin for a more natural look. Note that any finish will change the color of your patina.

As far as insects are concerned, there is a spray that can be applied to the stock that can mitigate or eliminate the threat of transporting them into your house but it's probably best left to a professional to handle it. If you don't see any signs of activity (holes, larvae, etc. ) you might not have anything to worry about.


Hanging pictures on a sloping plasterboard wall...? So I've just moved house and I have some fairly heavy pictures (one painting, one framed picture) that I want to hang on my wall. Problem is, the walls are sloped (I'm in an attic room) and they're plasterboard.

I was wondering how I can hang them securely to the plasterboard and match the angle of the slope?

Thanks

If the frames aren't important & are at least a few mm's wide, then it would be best to actually secure the pictures by drilling the frame & screwing them directly to the wall. Either, directly into the structural framing or into one of many available wall anchors, I prefer one's that flare-out behind the plasterboard.

You can also accomplish the same result by using large washers on screws applied to the outside of the frames (2 on bottom & 1 on each side), so there's no drilling. But, the washers can be a bit ugly. So, the better option would be a Mirror Hanger type of Wrap From Behind clip (left) or Perimeter Offset Clamp (middle) or you may have to bend & possibly cut your own out of L-Brackets or Corner Braces (right) to accommodate thicker frames (Wrap From Behind application).

These will handle a very good deal of weight & frequent bumping into & can be padded with tape or felt to protect the frames.


tall service mast for remote aerial drop I'm working with the local telecom provider to get internet access to a remote property in California.
There is a 5' tall 8x8 pressure treated post with an electric meter and some other equipment mounted to it. Electric service runs underground from a utility pole about 30' away, which is on the property.
I'd like to put an ~18 foot tall mast on this post so that the telecom provider can do an aerial drop from the utility pole to the mast. One option seems to be 1-1/2" or 2" rigid metal conduit. One issue is I can only find it locally in 10' lengths, so I'd have to use a threaded coupling to go higher, which seems like a weak spot. Also, I'm not sure if such a tall mast is going to be rigid enough to support the aerial drop. Is there some better way to do this?

It's probably unknowable whether or not that 8x8 post is capable of supporting an 18 foot lever, er mast, attached to it. What is the strength of the wood? How deeply is it set in the ground? Etc.
Will the telecom make any requirements as to the materials of the mast? Steel tubing and pipe can often be had in continuous lengths up to 24 feet; you could set one of these in the ground and let it be your mast.
This seems like a lot of trouble to make a drop spanning only 30 feet.
I presume you're wanting that 30 feet aerial because it crosses something that can't easily be trenched -- a driveway, perhaps. I'd find a way to make the crossing underground and let the telecom attach conduit to descend the utility pole and meet with your underground conduit.
Underground construction can be soils dependent, but some techniques I'm familiar with are these:

Hire a contractor to bore a hole with a pneumatic piercing tool, commonly called a "missle" or "mole"
Bore (erode) a tunnel manually with running water, either directly from a hose or with the help of a pump eg pressure washer
Cut-and-patch: saw cut the pavement, trench normally, then backfill and patch


Is it good idea to use repair tape to block water from constantly dripping?u My faucet in the shower started to drip. Till the plumber coming to fix it I thought to mitigate a bit by shutting off the pipe.
I bought a tape similar to repair tape.
So if I put tape in the faucet (and remove it to turn on the water when I need to) would it cause a problem? Would the fact that these drips are not released but blocked make things worse?

Not a good idea. A better idea would be to put a bucket under the shower head with a rag in it or over the bucket to dampen the sound.


What tool to use to clean refrigerator drain? I have a nice refrigerator I like, but it has one problem.

Like all modern refrigerators it has a "automatic defrosting" and a drain tube which carries the condensate away to... somewhere. I think it comes out somewhere in the back, but I haven't been able to find the place. Not that I've looked much. The back of the refrigerator is inaccessible, unless I empty it and move the whole big thing, and I don't want to do that.

Some years ago due to my own mistake some gunk got into the tube. Now every few months it gets clogged up and the water doesn't flow through it, meaning I get a puddle.

Currently I'm using a piece of a wire to poke it and eventually it comes open just enough to last for a few more months. I suspect there's some mold growing in there or something, but with my measly piece of a wire there's no way I can do anything more than poke a little hole. So I'm wondering - there's a better tool for the job?

The pipe is made of silicone (I think) and is pretty narrow. Something on the order of 0.5cm, I think, although I cannot measure it. The clog is about 20-30cm deep. It's not straight, although I don't think it has a 90-degree bend. It takes a bit of wriggling, but I can push my wire through.

I was thinking - perhaps something like this, but I cannot find one narrow and long enough. I don't know if that exists.

A good alternative to the wire would be an aquarium pipe cleaner. It is designed to fit in small diameter pipes and clean out algae that may be growing just the pipe. It should do the same for any mold that may be growing in your pipe.


How can I connect to a drain pipe in the adjacent cabinet space? The plumbing for this kitchen island was run 6" short of where the cabinet is supposed to go, so now its in the cabinet next to it. What are my options besides moving the island over or demo'ing the concrete slab? There's 4.5" of toekick space underneath the cabinets, is this enough to elbow the waste pipe over into the right cabinet?

You'll simply need to bring the drain pipe and supply through the cabinet wall as you would any other wall. Set your cabinet, then cut appropriately-sized holes using a hole saw. Cut from both sides to prevent blowout of the panel's surface. Plan carefully to avoid extra holes, connection problems, and interference with any drawers above.
I would probably use a pair of 45° elbows to bring the drain forward (toward the photographer) from a low point, then 90° through the panel for a trap connection 12-14" off the floor, roughly centered in the depth of the cabinet. Do something similar with the supply.
If you're going to use an air-admittance valve as a vent, that might go well directly above the current pipe location. In that case you'd use a wye instead of the lower 45.
Obviously this disrupts your cabinet storage space, but with a little clever shelving modification you'll have a decent volume.


How do I remove an IKEA shelf which is stuck on top of another? I have bought and installed several IKEA shelves (Besta line), and I installed the following (w x d x h: 60 cm x 40 cm x 123 cm):

on top of another (60 cm x 40 cm x 38 cm; instructions):

In order to attach the top one on the bottom one (besides of mounting them to the wall) they give you two systems:

clamps:

stickers (double sided foam tape):

Now I want to remove them from each other; removing the clamp is easy, but removing 'stickers' is not. There are four stickers between the shelves.

How can I (easily) remove the shelves from each other without damaging them?

Use the thinnest putty knife you can obtain to release the double stick tape.

To get the remaining adhesive off, I would first use a dry rag and try to rub it off. Always rub in the same direction. If that doesn't do it, I would then use "Goof Off", alcohol or acetone to remove the adhesive left behind - first testing a hidden area with the product to make sure you won't effect the shelf laminate. You never know, most laminates are very durable, but...

Heating the adhesive can also work, but you need to have some care as the shelf laminate is also glued on to the wood product.

Hopefully, with care, you can get it all off just with the putty knife, but you may damage the laminate if you go at it too hard, so think of it as a 2 or 3 step process.  good luck!


Should my sewage ejector be fully submerged before the float turns it on? I have a bathroom and wash machine in my basement. The water & sewage drains into a what looks like a 55 gal tank, it is then pumped up into the main sewer line from the home to the street main line.  Should my sump pump be completely under water before the float tells it to turn on?  Won't it short out?

If it is a submersible pump then it is made to be covered to some degree with water.It can be partially or completely covered. The float switch that turns the pump on and off determines the water level.


Do they make a tv wall mount that will come out and down? I want to mount my tv above the fireplace. I would like a mount that will let me pull it out and then down so it will clear the mantle and not make us have to look up too far when watching it. If they make something like this, what would it be called?

Dynamic Mounting http://www.dynamicmounting.com/ has a product specifically for this purpose. Be forewarned, they are not cheap (well, maybe cheap compared to a motorized lift, but not cheap compared to simpler articulating arms).


Shower heads calcifaction and blockage I have 4 wall mounted shower heads that form a square pattern. When I first moved into the house 4.5 years ago the top 2 heads had strong flow and the bottom left was weak and the bottom right was medium strength. Over the 4.5 years the flow in the bottom left has completely stopped and the flow in the bottom right has been reduced to very week (almost a trickle). (As an aside, one of my kids pulled off an broke the bottom left shower head.) My house has a water softener that's always worked well.

I have a theory. The calcium and lime that makes it through the water softener has been building up and blocking these heads. On the head that's come off I can see a wire mesh in there which I assume it to catch sediment and prevent it from blocking the small holes on the shower head. I think that the calcium buildup in the pipes has been falling towards the bottom 2 shower heads that are probably on an elbow and that's why the bottom 2 have stopped working and the top 2 are still okay.

How do I go about repairing or replacing this to restore the flow? Do I need to unscrew the stem from the wall and if so are there any precautions I should take before doing so?

You need to remove the sprayers and soak them in vinegar or some other liquid that will soften the calcium/lime/minerals. Put them in a coffee can filled with the liquid overnight, then use tools to scrub and pick away the mineral deposits. Some people fill a plastic baggie with the liquid and tape it over the sprayer heads to soak them in place without removal, but I like to take them apart for a thorough internal and external cleaning. I use drill bits by hand, to clear out the spray nozzles.

Most shower heads that utilize a shower arm (the pipe sticking out) with a swivel ball are 2 pieces. You can disassemble the shower head such that the main part (the sprayer) can be removed without unscrewing the shower arm from the wall. Kinda like the attached picture.

If you end up having to remove the pipes, you should remove those trim bonnets (escutcheons/flanges) first so you can assess and hopefully apply some penetrating spray to the threaded connection in the wall. Sometimes the pipes (shower arm) are made of rather thin material, which can break off flush with the wall fitting. This can be a real PITA to fix, so help free it up before taking a wrench to it.

Most shower arms thread directly to an elbow or fitting in the wall, yours even seem to have flat spots machined into them where you can use a wrench/spanner.


GE Front load washer service mode It seems hard to enter service mode. what I do is just press "Signal" then "Delay start" then "Signal" then "Delay start", but it doesn't work. what's the exact steps?

It should work with below steps:

Press "Power" button to stop current mode if necessary.
Unplug power line for 30 seconds.
Open the door, then plug power line but do not press "Power" button.
With in 30 seconds, after plugin power line.

Close door.
Press "Signal" then "Delay start" then "Signal" then "Delay start".

Door will be locked and show "t01" on display.


Can I use 2-1/2" metal studs to hang 1/2" drywall? I am in the process of remodeling my basement, & it's ready for studs; the basement is small, so to maximize as much space as possible I was thinking of using 2-1/2" metal studs opposed to the 3-5/8" studs; I'm using 1/2" drywall & I'm unsure if the 2-1/2" stud can support the weight of the drywal.

I'm not sure it would be worth making any stud that couldn't take drywall. For walls, the drywall creates an axial load on the stud which it should easily support. But interior walls must also support an arbitrary lateral load, 5 psf in the US. This combined with the axial load is what would do it in. The manufacturer of the studs should publish span tables that tell you the maximum height wall for which you can use each style of stud under varying conditions.

I've little doubt you can find a 2.5" stud that works, but I'm not sure the proper gauge. That's where the span tables come in. Sorry I can't give you a final answer. All I can say is there's reason for hope.


How to repair a giant hole in plaster over drywall (maybe ?) I just purchased a home in the US built in 1965 and when we removed a piece of plywood we were told covered up the access to the pipes we actually found a huge (32 in x 48 in) hole in the wall.

I'm not 100% sure what we are looking at but the thickness of one side of the hole is a little more than 3/4in and the thickness on the other side of the hole is an inch.  It look like there is a backing material that looks like drywall and then something over top of this.  As far as I can learn from my google searches this might be plaster over drywall but I'm not 100% sure and I haven't been able to find any information on repairing this.  Any suggestions.

Side view (sorry for the quality):

Back view:

Update
Here is a zoomed out picture of the whole hole.  The first picture is of the right side edge of the hole.

That looks suspiciously like somebody decided to cut a door through the wall and either gave up or decided it was too much work.  The wall construction looks like veneer plaster, which would fit with the age of the house.

Whatever method you decide to use, you're going to have to get some more framing in there. You at very least would need to replace the stud in the middle that was cut off and either cut back far enough that you can hit a stud on either side of the hole (the option I'd go with), or put in enough blocking that you have solid edges. I'd just use sheet rock for the patch and shim it out so it is flush with the rest of the wall surface.


Why would a furnace overheat with a standard density filter? Some time ago I found my furnace (gas, forced air, downdraft) was getting stuck on, blowing cold air.  I could reset it, but it would happen again after a while.

After calling out a service man, I was informed that the high limit switch was tripping.  The furnace had been using a very light-weight filter.  With a heavier duty filter, it overheated easily.  With extra air-flow (bypassing the filter) it never overheated.

We opened more exit vents and even added an intake directly to the return passage of the furnace.  This seems rather a drastic hack, and I still can't use standard paper filters, for example.  Any ideas?

Update: Furnace is ~15 years; I had a service man to check high limit switch etc.

It could be that the air return system is blocked or insufficient, and cannot provide the proper air flow.  Make sure your air return vents are not blocked by furniture or rugs, and possibly clean the return air system.

You will also want to make sure the heat vents are open and clear of obstructions, if the warm air has nowhere to go it will not flow properly.

You could also check the blower, as it might be getting old and not have the strength to move the correct amount of air.  The blower can also become dirty and be blocked with dust and debris, which will cause a decrease in performance.

The final thing to check would be the high limit switch itself, as it could be on it's last leg and need to be replaced.

Remember to change your filter monthly to prevent it from clogging.


Ceiling fan & light installation - can't get wiring right I recently purchased and installed a Quorum 70443-14 fan with light.
This model has no pull chains, and is operated by an in-wall "remote" that is hard-wired and not removable.

The wall switch (that was included with the fan) looks like this unit: http://img1.wfrcdn.com/docresources/604/11/116905.pdf

The ceiling box has five wires coming out of it, two white, one gray, one black and one green/bare (ground).  The black and gray were connected to the black & blue leads from the old pull-chain fan & light I removed.  The two white I am not sure, at least one was connected to the old fan white lead, but I'm not sure about the second, it may have come loose when I moved the fan, but it was not capped off. The black and one of the whites appear to be a slightly smaller gauge wire. The gray may just be a really old black.

Attached is a picture of the old mount before I installed the new, but you can see all of the aforementioned wires.

I connected the two house blacks to the black of the fan unit, and connected the two whites to the white of the fan unit, and of course the ground to the bracket. I used wire caps and tucked carefully into the canopy of the new fan while installing.

In the wall switch box, there are two switches, the left switch I assumed was for the fan but never used as it did not seem to do anything. My wife claims it would work the light, but I had the fan dismantled before realizing I may need to know that. (oops).

The right switch in the wall box controls a separate in-ceiling light in the room and in the hallway below.

For the left switch, there is a bare wire (ground) a white and a gray. Unfortunately the new fan control unit has a green (ground) and two blacks, one says TO FAN and the other says TO POWER.

Here is the way I have wired the switch:

I have tried two wiring setups in the ceiling junction:

Method 1:
Ceiling gray and black connected to fan black. Both whites to fan white.
This worked at first to turn on the light and fan at a single speed, but became unresponsive to further commands.

Method 2:
Capped off separately the smaller gauge black and white in the ceiling, and put the ceiling gray to fan black, and white to fan white.
Unfortunately, this resulted in no activity at the fan after restoring power and trying the switch.

I am out of ideas at this point.

Attached is a picture of the electrical connection guide in the manufacturer's instructions. The receiver unit in the fan canopy came pre-connected and mounted.

You are not wired the same way as the picture in your instructions. I think the power comes in to the ceiling box, and the switch is a separate cable.

To verify this, disconnect all of the wiring in the ceiling box and at the switch. Turn the breaker on and carefully check for voltage between the black and white wires. When you find the black and white pair (or just the black wire if you are using a voltage tester) that has power, then you can turn the breaker off.

If this test confirms voltage on just one black wire, then connect as follows:

In the ceiling box:

Connect the black powered wire to the other black wire in the ceiling box.
Identify the white wire that is paired with the black powered wire. It will be in the same cable sheath. Connect that white wire to the white wire on the fan.
Connect the remaining white wire (which would be coming from the switch) to the black wire on the fan/controller. Wrap a piece of electrical tape around the white wire about a half inch back from the wirenut. This will signify that the white wire is carrying live current and is not a neutral.

In the switch box:

Connect the black wire to the switch wire with the yellow sticker.
Connect the white wire to the switch wire with the blue sticker. Also mark this white wire with electrical tape.


Code requirement that wall box be tight to drywall? Just wondering if I need to pull out and replace an old plastic electrical wall box that sits a good 3/4" behind the drywall? Seems like you would want a tight fit for heat sealing, but is there an electrical code reason? Box has three 10-2 romex cables with grounds for a 240v thermostat. It is on an interior wall. Part of me wants to get a deeper plastic box and part of me wants to just install the thermostat the way the box sits now...

You need an extender
Assuming that your 3/4" "behind" the drywall means that the box is recessed into the drywall, you will need a box extender to fix the situation, as per NEC 314.20:

314.20 Flush-Mounted Installations. Installations within or
behind a surface of concrete, tile, gypsum, plaster, or other
noncombustible material, including boxes employing a flush-type cover or faceplate, shall be made so that the front edge of
the box, plaster ring, extension ring, or listed extender will not
be set back of the finished surface more than 6 mm (¼ in.).
Installations within a surface of wood or other combustible
surface material, boxes, plaster rings, extension rings, or listed
extenders shall extend to the finished surface or project therefrom.

Fortunately for you, plastic box extenders are cheap as chips at any home-improvement store and should serve you just fine in your application.


Replacement swivel for swing-top reading table Ten years ago I got a Levenger swing-top wooden reading table.  This is a chair-side reading table whose flat oval-shaped top can be swung horizontally over my chair to serve as a stable platform for a laptop.

It has been wonderful but has had one significant problem, the plates that hold the top to the table while allowing it to swivel have ball bearings in them, that, over time, have all fallen out.  Now its all wobbly and unstable, i would replace the whole table but Levenger no longer makes it, and i have never seen anything else like it nor nearly as nice (and I have looked).

So instead I thought I would just replace the part that has failed.  as you can see below, it is a pair of 4 inch square metal plates bound together at the center, with matching circular tracks to hold the ball-bearings.

And here is my problem, I cannot find this part, nor any reasonable replacement anywhere on the internet.  I have been googling "360 degree swivel mount" and though i have found several items, they are all way too large.  The smallest i have found so far is 6 inches with holes set at least 5 inches apart.  My item is only 4 inches on a side with the holes only 3 inches apart (obverse side here):

Can anyone help me by suggesting one of the following:

Any place that sells this item, or an equivalent, or
what is the correct term is should be searching for (I suspect this is my problem), or
some other alternative solution

I should mention that I am hesitant to just try a larger pair of plates here for two reasons, first the swing top is only 1/2 inch thick, and I am concerned that these larger items, sold as swivel mounts for boat seats, will require mounting holes deeper than that.  And secondly, that i may not have the room (or skill) to properly make new holes for the screws and mount it.

Any help is much appreciated.

4" flat square lazy susan bearing will get you what you need.

Turntable bearing may also work without offending hardworking suzys.


Leave Polymeric Sand Until Tomorrow? I was told I only needed 2 bags of polymeric sand for my project. It's turning out I need more. I used the two bags and my project is not complete, I haven't shaken it down yet, and I can't buy more in my location until tomorrow. Should I Just activate what's there? Would putting a tarp over it prevent the dew from messing with it overnight? Would dew not even mess with it? What should I do?? I used G2 Intelligent Polymeric Sand.

The answer isn't quite straight-forward, but the tarp was probably the best option. When I lifted the tarp, half of the tarp had dew on the bottom o fit--the half still in the shade. So the other half may have had dew as well but dried out before I lifted it. Despite this, the bricks and sand were entirely dry apart from what drips fell when I lifted the tarp and the sand was definitely not activated. Results may then vary I guess, but it worked for me :-).


Power consumption of valve actuators I would like to acquire some actuators for my radiator valves. I would like them  to consume as little electricity as possible.  I therefore consider it is better to take normally closed actuators since the radiators will be heating less time than not. Is my reasoning correct or not? Thanks in advance!

Depending where you want your actuators. Taco brand makes a zone valve system that you would have to solder in each loop of pipes. Depending how your system is piped.  The system is usually located close to the boiler and the actuators are closed unless being used


Plumber unable to replace Moen shower cartridge A plumber I hired to replace the cartridge in a dripping Moen shower faucet at home said that he couldn't pull the cartridge out and so will need to replace the entire valve.

The leaking faucet is in a tiled stand up shower, so he will need to access the valve from the other side of the wall to not have to break the tiles, which in turn means this work will entail opening up the drywall and fixing it afterwards. He said he would fix the drywall with an access panel so we can access the valve easily if this happens again.
 The plumber said he tried different ways to pull the cartridge out but stopped because he was worried that he would break the pipes/valve.

I'm still hesitant to jump into all the extra work he recommends because he didn't seem to use the Moen puller, which makes me question his competence.

Has anyone had or heard of a scenario where the cartridge couldn't be pulled out even with a puller? Is it worth it for me to try to replace the cartridge myself after getting a puller and following Youtube videos, or is a stuck cartridge common enough that I should trust the plumber?

Maybe it's me but I would try to pull it myself. Sometimes they're difficult due to corrosion and scale buildup.
Once you have the cartridge puller and with the water supply turned off spray some Limeaway or other decalcifier on the cartridge. Let it sit for a bit then give it a shot. I haven't had to use a Moen puller but I doubt that if used according to instructions it could hurt the valve.


How to drill plastic without the bit "grabbing" it? I am attempting to use a drill press to drill a 13mm hole in the ends of a small electronics enclosures (a Hammond case).  The wall of the case is about 2mm thick and made of ABS plastic.

Started off by drilling a 5mm pilot hole and followed it up carefully and slowly with the 13mm bit.  Immediately the box was grabbed by the bit and the workpiece was ruined (split down the side).  After massaging my bruised thumb I realised that I need a better way to do this.

Reckon I'd have no better luck with a hand-cranked drill or a cordless drill.

My available tools are severely limited and there's no hope of getting any budget to buy new tools (not for a small project like this).  I've got a decent selection of drill bits and a small, fixed-speed drill press and not much else.

I did consider just drilling a 5mm hole and simply reaming it up to the 15mm hole we actually need but this is a real pain in the neck.

What can I do to prevent this grabbing problem?

Sandwich the workpiece between two pieces of wood, clamp it all together, clamp the whole assembly so that it can't go spinning off into oblivion, then drill through the whole thing.  You'll also want to use really light pressure when drilling through the plastic, but don't go so slow that you melt the stuff.

If you have some, you could use a step drill instead of a twist drill.

If you have a bunch of in between size bits, you can simply start small and slowly work your way up to the final size. However, you're still going to want to properly brace the material. Adding support behind the piece is also a good idea.

If it's within your budget, a drill bit designed to drill plastics might work. However, you're still going to have to secure the workpiece while drilling. I'd also recommend using a wood backer, to support the piece as you drill.


How to fix a bathtub faucet that leaks only when the shower runs? I just moved into an apartment and the faucet in the tub is fine when all of the water is off. It leaks when I turn on the water and switch it to the shower head. What could be the problem?
It's a rental so I don't want to take the switching mechanism off to investigate. I suspect it's some sort of rubber seal in the switch.

UPDATE

The control is a twist knob between the cold and hot twist knobs.

Sounds like the washers/gaskets on the valve have gone bad, you'll have to either replace the washer or the entire valve (if you can find a replacement).
Here is what the valve may have looked like when it was new (just to give you an idea of what you're dealing with).

Removal

Turn off the water to the shower faucet using either a local shutoff valve or the main water valve for the house.

Turn the shower’s hot and cold water all the way on, to drain leftover water from the pipes.

Pry the cap out of the center of the diverter’s handle.

Remove the screw in the middle of the handle, and then pull the handle off the faucet.

Unscrew the metal sleeve that sits over the valve stem.

Insert a Shower Valve Socket Wrench over the valve stem and turn the dirervter anti-clockwise to remove it.

Replace the washer, or the whole diverter if you can find a replacement.

Apply some Silicone grease (plumbers grease) to the washer before replacing the diverter.

Installation
Installation is the reverse of removal.

Insert a Shower Valve Socket Wrench over the valve stem and turn the dirervter clockwise to install it.
Screw on the metal sleeve that sits over the valve stem.
Push the handle on the faucet, then replace the screw in the middle of the handle.
Push the cap into of the center of the diverter’s handle.
Turn the shower’s hot and cold water all the way off.
Turn on the water to the shower faucet using either a local shutoff valve or the main water valve for the house.


Is a replacement fluorescent-tube light not working because it draws too much current? My daughter had 2 incandescent fixtures on one switch in the garage. She changed one of them for a two tube fluorescent fixture, but the fluorescent fixture won't work - it's wired correctly. Is the incandescent drawing too much current?

Is the incandescent drawing too much current?

No.

If it was, the circuit breaker would trip. This would only happen in the case of a serious fault in the fixture (or incorrect wiring). You would probably know if a circuit breaker had tripped.

The largest two-tube fixture would be 2 x 6-foot tubes. That would be rated about 140W. On a 110 volt AC supply that fixture draws a current of about 1.3 Amps. Most circuits will be rated for a maximum current many times higher than that.


I need a C wire connection for my new Glas thermostat I have 3 wires(red,white,and green) going to my thermostat. I’m replacing my old thermostat with a new one the requires a C wire connection. The 3 wires goes to my Honeywell aquastat. The white goes to TV, the red goes to T, and the green doesn’t go anywhere. But I do have a Z connector. Can I use the green wire as a C wire and connect to the Z? Any ideas

Yes, the green wire is likely an "extra" unused wire that can be used as the C wire.


What kind of screw is this? It's meant to be paired with a grommet What kind of screw is this? And what characteristics are relevant when trying to locate a suitable replacement?

It's meant to be paired with a grommet.

This is referred to as a "shoulder screw" because the wide section above the threads stops it from going in any further.  They can be used so that soft or brittle materials like plastic of a certain thickness are held in place without being pinched or over-tightened.

I've also seen these used as a type of "standoff" that you could hook a spring or cable onto, but the basic term "shoulder screw" is what will help the most.


How can I remove flaking (likely lead based) paint from very rough, exterior stucco? Here's a similar type of stucco to what I have:

Mine is light yellow but similarly rough-seas wavy like this picture. Mine is also now looking pretty dingy and I would like to repaint. Upon closer inspection I found that the paint on there now is flaking off in thin, holey flakes. I read that this is a good indicator of lead-based paint; my house was built in 1925 so this would not surprise me in the least.

I started calling around to abatement places but got the runaround. I feel like I could do this myself. But I'm not usually very careful about keeping a surgically clean work area or cleaning up super perfectly, and if this is something that is required with lead paint then I might be better off paying somebody to do it for me.

But if not ... how would I go about doing it? Chemical or UV lamp? How would I need to set up drop cloths to catch the flaky bits that fall off? How to I need to dispose of it? Would welcome detailed instructions from anybody with experience.

What is mandatory for contractors is suggested for homeowners.

Lead dust is what you want to avoid:

Manual scraping is much better than power.
Hand sanding is much better than power sanders
Wet wipe down is much better sweeping dry
HEPA vacs are much safer than ordinary shop vacs

Common sense stuff: N95 (or better, EPA suggests N or P 100) dust masking, hand washing, clothing changing, sealing debris and plastic tarping in (appropriately tough, 3 mil ) plastic bags


Analog Vom and AC reading I have a surplus 120/240vac generator that has a problem with AC voltage invading the DC control circuit. The invading voltage is erractic. My Fluke 86-5 digital meter is to slow to accurately read fast moving voltage. It's useless to track and view this voltage. I tried a Simpson 260 but it does not have the capability to block DC while on the AC position. And it does not read frequency. So does anyone have a suggestion of a good analog meter that can read what I need to see?

You need an oscilloscope for this, not a meter.

Meters "average" either electronically or mechanically.  If, however, you simply need to block DC while trying to measure a superimposed AC, just use a capacitor in series with the signal.  The cap will block any DC and will allow AC through.  Since the input impedance on a meter is relatively high, you just need to choose a capacitor that has a high enough voltage rating and a high enough capacitance so that it's effective resistance is small compared to the input impedance of the meter if you are wanting to get a precise AC voltage measurement.


What type of hose should be used when flushing a water heater? I know that a hot water heater should be flushed yearly to mitigate sediment buildup.

What kind of hose should be used? Is a simple garden hose sufficient, or will the hot water melt or damage the rubber? Are there heavy-duty or heat-resistant hoses for hot water?

If you're going to flush the hot water heater you might as well turn it off and then take a shower or do a load of laundry. That way the water will only be lukewarm when you flush the tank and you won't throw away water you already paid to heat. Then you don't need to worry about the type of hose (or worry about spilling scalding water on yourself).


Should a new basement window have flashing around it? I hired a local contractor to install an egress window for me and he did some odd stuff.  I plan to have him fix it but I want to make sure to ask for the right stuff.  I don't know much about installing windows but shouldn't there be some type of flashing, molding, and or foam used here?  Any input will help.

That would depend on what exactly the contract called for. Hopefully you got a contract that spelled out everything that the contractor was responsible for, like trim, molding, foam, etc.


Hold a nut while unscrewing? Im trying to take apart a metal desk, but Im stuck on one part. Theres one spot where the screw is visible, but the nut isn't accessible, so when I turn it, it just turns both. Ive tried moving other parts, but no matter what I can't get to it. Is there anything I can do to get it out? Im ok with going hard on it, but I'd rather not ruin the desk, so powertools are mostly out of the question.

Without any sort of picture, one technique that has worked for me is to pull on the screw to pull it out and then rotate gently - friction between the nut and its surface then allows the screw to come undone.

Tricky part is getting the “best” amount of pull compared to rotate. If it was cross-threaded then you are out of luck, see the next bit...

If all else fails, you will probably end up drilling the head off the screw - good luck.


Is it okay to put rigid sheet foam insulation directly over studs before installing sheetrock (fiberglass insulation would be in the walls)? We want to improve the insulation in a bedroom.  Will it cause a problem (condensation, etc) if we put rigid sheet foam insulation that completely covers all the studs before installing the sheetrock?  There will be fiberglass insulation between all the studs.

We live in the same area, you will want something that will allow moisture out But stop air flow (vapor barrier).

We do have issues with mold here.
  on several houses I have found the bad stuff (Stachybotrys chartarum) and 2 have been when the home owner tried to seal the walls In similar era homes.
 In this era home there are normally a lot of air leaks and house wrap may be a better option, although toxic mold is not common all mold can cause issues with the structure and health at some level.

Also don’t forget about your floor. Your floor is a large external surface area and simple fiberglass insulation in both the walls and floor may be best. I have used chicken wire or fish net to hold the fiberglass in the floors in place and it reduces the chance of squirrels, raccoons and opossums getting in there and pulling it down (yes even in town).  if copper pipe do not let the chicken wire touch the pipe, the moisture in the air + copper+ zinc coated wire = pinholes in copper pipe because of galvanic corrosion.

If you want to air seal the room please get a dehumidifier.
Dehumidifiers in a sealed bedroom will go a long way to prevent mold and mildew here in the Pacific Northwest.


Should I replace all the copper pipe in my heating system with PEX? I am replacing my existing faucet plumbing with red / blue PEX all over the house. Everything that goes to the sink, dishwasher, washer, bathroom sink and so on will be color coded and installed correctly.

Although, I was pondering on changing my water heating system with PEX while I was at it. Of course, I would leave my baseboards with a copper pipe so that it gives off more heat. What I would like to do is to have quick-connects from the PEX to the copper, so that if ever I need to remove the baseboards (redoing flooring, walls, etc), I just disconnect the whole thing and pop out the baseboard.

PEX is better at keeping the heat in the pipe compared to copper so I would be losing less heat if I go from the boiler to the baseboard with PEX. Then I'd have copper inside the baseboard which would feed into the other PEX that would go to another baseboard...

Is this recommended in 2014? I feel like copper is old and out dated.

My boiler is powered by bi-energy electrical elements, which then gets pumped through the whole system with approximately 12-15 psi.

Will I eventually regret putting PEX? Should I keep going through this old house and fixing the copper whenever there's a leak?

How often does your heating system spring a leak? It's not particularly often in my (long) experience with closed-crcuit hot water heating systems - less than once per 20 years, I'd say, and usually with some outside cause. In general, it is a waste of money to remove/replace a system that's working. To address one of your "benefits" - where do you suppose the heat "lost" from your copper heating pipes goes? Unless the pipes are running on the outside of your house (which would be a bit unusual) it goes to heating your house. Absolutely nothing is gained by "saving" that (small amount of) heat "for the radiators." If the pipes are running outside the building, they should be insulated regardless of their material.

Quick connects are more likely to INCREASE the number of leaks you have over time .vs. leaving the copper pipes alone. Replacing a reliable soldered joint with a complex mechanical seal is not a direction that will benefit your leak statistics. Most people simply work around baseboard heat when redoing walls, floors, etc. and manage to get by just fine without "popping them out."

You need to use an oxygen barrier type PEX if your heating system is (as is typically the case) a closed circuit system. Copper pipes do that by default.

You may, or course, do what you like, but this appears to be a somewhat absurd project. There are good arguments for building a NEW system with PEX "in 2014" but really no good reason to rip out a copper system and replace it with PEX and copper.


Fastening stone stair treads to a CMU base in a removable manner I'm designing a very, very low set of landscape stairs (really more like a wide stoop) to transition two areas of my yard. My plan is to pour a concrete base slab, build a core with CMUs on top of that, and then clad everything in natural limestone. I'd like to integrate low-voltage lighting under the tread noses.

My plan so far is to cut a network of grooves into the CMU core to run the low-voltage wires from the fixtures back to the transformer. The treads would then go on top, concealing the fixtures and wires. However if I mortar the treads in place, it will be very difficult to replace the fixtures when they inevitably fail. Could I get away with some kind of less permanent fastening, like a masonry caulk that could be cut away when the treads need to be removed? The stone treads are quite heavy, and are mostly held in place by their weight. I think I would only need something to keep them from rocking/budging.

Stairs need to be EXTRA safe, because a loose stair is potentially deadly. It's not something you want to mess around with, heavy or not. Could you drill and bolt them toward the back of each tread, running the bolts down into the concrete below the CMU blocks? You could countersink the bolt heads  on the tread stone and fill them with sand or something to hide them, then vacuum out the sand if you ever need to remove the bolts to lift the tread. If you do that, use stainless steel hardware all around.


Why is there no heating at all until we use hot water? My boyfriend has a combi boiler and he's very confused as to why he has no heating at all through the radiators until he uses hot water.

On the meter it says radiators shouldn't be working but they are. He has the council out but they just keep putting it off. Please can anyone help as it's winter soon and he will need them working without having to run hot water, for our baby's sake.

Most water-coil heaters have a circulating pump to run hot water through radiator when the HVAC needs it.

It sounds to me like you either have no circulating pump, or that your circulating pump is malfunctioning.


Light bulb spins in recessed but won't unscrew I had a bulb that spins in recessed light can, it won't unscrew, how do I get it out?

Probably the glass bulb has separated from the base.

Wear eye protection and heavy gloves.
Turn off power to the socket.
Pull the glass portion of the bulb out forcibly, breaking it if necessary.  By spinning it around several times, you might be able to keep the glass intact and simply break the wires to the base.
Unscrew the base from the socket by whatever means is convenient:  pliers, cardboard tube (like from a toilet paper or paper towel roll, with one end squished to fit), potato (video, text), etc.


Clear rubber hose purpose for pressure washer I'm sorry if this is obvious to you guys but I'm really stumped. I recently purchased a Black & Decker PW1470TD

It came with a short clear rubber hose and I can't figure out what it is for. I couldn't find it in the manual either.

I would appreciate it if anyone could tell me. Thank you guys.

As you've figured out, it's the suction tube for the detergent bottle.


My power strip has (what appears to be) a burn mark. What do I do? I got an power strip from IKEA around 12 months back.  I used it for at my desk with the laptop, pc, printer and light plugged in simultaneously. Now I discovered when I was moving that there's a burn mark midway covering around a sixth of the circumference and around 0.5 cm long. There's clearly heating since it's deformed/bent but it's hard to judge the extent of the damage.

Since it's only a year old, is it reasonable to go back to IKEA and ask for a replacement?
Could the fact that I used the extension cord on a non-earthed wall socket have contributed to the problem (old dutch houses just don't come with them...) and if so, I am liable to see this problem again?
Is it safe to continue using this one?

pic http://www.ikea.com/nl/nl/images/products/koppla-contactdoos-schakelaar--contact__0293166_PE425719_S4.JPG

Don't risk your life over a power strip.  Throw it away and get a new one.

You can try taking it back and Ikea is pretty good with customer service.  But I personally wouldn't be trusting an Ikea power strip with my computer equipment.  I would get something a little more heavy duty and has surge protection.

Also is your printer laser or ink jet?  If laser you should be treating that device as a small appliance.  IE, no power strip/extension cords as they tend to draw high current during the printing processes.


Shower fixture close to above lighting fixture What is the golden rule to a canned light fixture close to the shower head.

With all the splashing from washing hair it looks really close.  I think I am going to have contractor just close it up.

The fixture needs to be rated for Wet locations and should be protected by a GFCI.


Alternatives to springs for recessed can light trims? Does anyone know of a good alternative to the specialized springs normally used to secure the trim of a recessed light to the fixture? They look like this:

I am installing about 40 trims and for whatever reason we are missing most of the springs. It is possible to buy replacements in small quantities, but they end up being over $1 (US) per spring which seems ridiculous and does add up.

Photos of how the springs attach to the trim:

and from the trim to the inside of the lighting fixture ("can"):

I'm thinking along the lines of some kind of material such as: rubber bands , stretchy string, common springs, quick ties etc. which would serve as a long-lasting substitute.

(Aside from sufficient strength the key feature of these springs is that they allow the trim to be installed without visible fasteners. So I'm not looking for a "band aid" solution using screws, tape, etc.)

Thanks!

Welcome to the world of recessed lighting. I've run into this a few times and have used common springs. You have to shape the ends to fit into the can. Rubber bands and elastic string won't stand up to the heat long term.

Instead, exact replacements are available online at $1.18 for two.

Since you're installing 40 trims and need two "springs" per trim, any retrofits will take a lot more time to install. It might be worth the price to buy the springs and do it right. Good luck.


Do 3-way switches exist that don't "stick" in UP / DOWN position? Do 3-way switches exist that don't "stick" in UP / DOWN position?  Is there a name for this concept that would help me search for products?

"Momentary Toggle" looks like the interaction I want, but those don't match standard 3-way switch lighting. (looks like they only make contact temporarily, vs. toggling full contact on/off with each press)

Core issue is that I don't like having a house full of light switches where UP = ON, DOWN = OFF, then a couple 3-way switches that stick in random up/down positions reversed from normal ON/OFF.  Ideally I'd like a rocker switch that rests in the neutral position, with UP or DOWN both toggling the light's state before springing back to the neutral position.

It seems this would be easy to create mechanically.  It's just swapping a toggle switch for a push-button toggle between the two switch states.  Why can't I find something that seems so simple and obvious?

The problem is that you need some thing to "remember your state".  A simple mechanical switch shows it's state externally.  Now you are talking about something that toggles every time you push.  Probably possible to invent some rotary mechanism to do that... but there is this ROI issue.

There is a technology, used in commercial settings, not sure if it's cheap enough for residential, where a relay is installed on the light, and  on/off low voltage wires are run (in parallel)  to any number of  operational push buttons.  This allows n-way operation and even automation options.

http://www.kyleswitchplates.com/low-voltage-switches-plates/


Glue crawl space rigid insulation I've dug a trench around the perimeter of my crawl space.  Then I planned the next steps.  I took a week off but I'd like to finish this project next weekend.  I am going to glue 2" R-10 FOAMULAR 250 Rigid Foam Insulation to the cinder block using Liquid Nails FRP.

Is this a good choice of materials?

The Liquid Nails instructions say that I should cover the whole area of the panels and 1 gallon is going to cover about 50 sq.ft.  How important is to really do that?  Do I really have to cover the panels or is it going to be OK to put less liquid nails material, perhaps just lines at the edges or even just a few spots at the corners?  I'm asking because the glue is not that cheap and I don't want to overdo this.

There is no need to give the panels 100% coverage.  Just get some on the edges and a few good daps here and there. As long as it sticks to the wall, you should be OK.  Once you backfill the bottom, the panels shouldn't go anywhere.


Grounding of an old house I am replacing the  wiring of an old house( partially burned),some of the 220v appliances such the stove and the clothes dryer have only 3 wires( black, red and white), I think (not sure) the house is grounded through the water copper pipes( the white wire-the neutral- is connected to the ground bar in the panel) . My first question is : do I need to run a dedicated ground wire for each appliance or I can leave the old wire connected as they are(  keeping the  neutral  connected to the ground)?My second question is: do I need to install a grounding rod to supplement the existing grounding which I assume is connected to the water pipes ? Thank you

If you are replacing the wiring (after a fire, I guess you mean by "partially burned"), I believe the normal standard is to meet the current codes at the time of replacement, not the code at the time of the building construction.

As such, you will need 4-wire service (hot, hot, neutral, ground) to 240V appliances that use the neutral. 240V appliances that don't use the neutral only need hot, hot, and ground.

You will also need to bring the grounding system up to current applicable code.

My sense from your question is that you might want to self-educate a bit more, or consult with an electrician in the planning stages, rather than have to re-do stuff later from improper planning now.


Can I increase gas pressure to a stove? I have a gas stove (+ electric oven) which has one large burner, two medium burners and a small burner.

The main burner is acceptable, but the medium burners are insufficient to boil a saucepan of water in a reasonable time, even when on full. (I don't even bother with the small burner.) As a result, I can't cook a sauce on the main burner, and boil rice/potatoes/spaghetti on the back burners at the same time.

The stove is about 13 years old, but has had limited use in its life. It is pretty clean, and I don't believe the gas lines are clogged. The valve leading to the stove seems to be fully open (i.e. the knob is in a position parallel to the pipe).

Is it possible to turn up the pressure of the gas entering the stove? Is this a consumer-adjustable item (e.g. adjusting a regulator), a job for a plumber, or will I need to replace the whole stove (which isn't warranted)?

The stove will have a gas regulator on it, so assuming that it is performing as-expected, you cannot increase the pressure in order to generate more heat.  The stove is designed to accept a range of pressures from the supply line to begin with and increasing the pressure beyond what the regulator is designed for would be dangerous.

If the flame is mostly blue then this is a good sign that the pressure and oxygen mix is correct and it is probably performing to spec.  If the flame is mostly orange/yellow or appears "lazy", then this is a good sign that it is not burning properly either because the pressure is too low (due to supply, regulator or a blockage) or there is not enough oxygen being mixed in (clogged).

If the regulator is bad then this can be replaced.  If the supply to the regulator is too low then you likely need a bigger supply line. Both of these are outside the realm of most DIY repairs, so best bet is to call a service technician.


adding 220v 50 amp circuit-breaker can i add double breaker into an empty slot circle "1"? this will be for 220v hot tub.
i have not tried anything yet, looking at circle "1" i have a feeling that breaker won't fit there.
also i really don't know how much is there needed to describe my problem.

Space marked 1 appears to have a label indicating you cannot use that space. That is common in panels that have stab limits, meaning the piece that opposing breakers clip onto can only handle the heat caused by up to a given limit. This limit would be found on the panel cover. It appears your bottom 100A and 20A may exceed stab limits too.
Space marked 2 is only a single pole, you would only get 120v from that space alone.
Your overall load is a concern, with a 100A in and a 100A out, but it seems like you aren't experiencing overload currrently, you may not if you add the hot tub. Likely the tub doesn't draw a full 50A.
Making space to accommodate a two-pole 50 can be made by substituting a breaker similar to a q25020c (upc 783643194984) in place of adjacent 20A breakers. I can't make a specific recommendation because you got tape gumming up critical information and you haven't provided.
But the biggest concern you got here is you appear to have breakers incompatible with the  Listing of the panel. You haven't provided specific information, but I have never seen an electrical panel that is NRTL (UL, CSA ,ETL or similar) approved for use with Siemens, Challenger, and Eaton circuit breakers. You should check the information on the panel cover and arrange to get breakers replaced that are compatible.
Also I can see a couple of places that it appears a ground wire and neutral are terminated in a single lug hole. I have seen panels that the listing and labeling allows multiple grounds, but never one that allows multiple wires with a neutral termination.


Ok to hook up water filters to a regular kitchen faucet? So we have this beautiful Grohe Minta (sort of upside down 7-shaped) kitchen faucet. We want to add a drinking water faucet next to it, but cannot find any filtered water faucet that goes with the Minta's looks.

So, I'm thinking of buying another kitchen or prep faucet, connect the cold water hose to the filters and cap the hot water connection.

Is this ok to do? Permissible?
Any issues we should be aware of? Flow, gpm? Connectors/adapters needed?
Here is a pic of the Grohe Minta:

Good idea. There's really no problem with that approach aside from the stagnant water that will accumulate in the faucet's hot water stub, which could be a health concern (or just gross).

Instead, split your filtered water supply and run it to both the hot and cold sides of the faucet. This has the additional benefit of making the faucet flow full in all temperature modes.


Strange Breaker Behavior with Treadmill Electronics I have a brand new walking treadmill that triggers circuit breakers when the treadmill electronics are powered on but when the treadmill motor is NOT running. The strange thing is that it triggers circuit breakers on circuits it is NOT plugged into.
My office and living room are on separate circuits. I plug the treadmill into a socket in my office and power on the electronics (but not the treadmill motor) and the living room breaker is triggered. Sometimes it happens immediately, sometimes it takes a few minutes, sometimes it doesn't happen for at least 30 minutes (so far at this point even with the motor running with me walking on it).
On one occasion it did trigger the office breaker while plugged into an outlet in the office (but this has only happened once, whereas the living room circuit has triggered instead on about 10 other tests).
UPDATE: Running the motor seems to prevent the circuit breakers from trigering. I walked on the treadmill for about an hour and a half and the breaker only triggered a few minutes after I switched the motor off but left the electronics on.
UPDATE: Pictures of breakers

The electronics of the treadmill are putting out "noise" that the CAFCI breaker is interpreting as a potentially dangerous arc. This can be caused by all kinds of things, including motors, but in this case the motor is fine and it is "no motor" when you have a problem. My hunch is that the noise of the electronics gets "lost" when the full load of the motor is in use but when it is by itself it stands out and the CAFCI treats it as a problem.
A few possible solutions:

Check with the treadmill manufacturer. They may have a fix.
Put the treadmill on a heavy-duty surge protector. Make sure it is rated to handle the full load of the treadmill. A surge protector is primarily to protect problems in the incoming power from affecting a device, but it can help with problems in the other direction too.
Check with Siemens. They may have newer/better CAFCI breakers that you can swap. A newer design may handle the noise more selectively, preventing false positives.
Check other breaker suppliers. Carefully. You can't simply "swap breakers from different brands", but there are some situations where one brand will make a breaker that is listed/certified for use with another brand. In other words, it has to be specifically designed to be compatible with your Siemens panel.


How to fix a poor plumbing installation resulting in severe odor problems? After reading this related question and checking that the wax seal is OK, I assume I have a problem with the trap, but where's the trap? The outline of the plumbing in my home (a bit simplified) is like this:

Legend:

Blue: the main pipe that comes from the bathroom to the city wastewater system through the house basement.
Yellow: City wastewater (I can't touch it).
Red: The problem.

Chronology:

When I bought the house, there was a bad smell in the bathroom. I assumed it was because nobody lived there for months.
After some weeks, the bad smell hadn't dissappeared, so I checked the bathroom (everything right), then I opened a manhole I found in my garden (the red part). I found it dry and had a strong bad smell.
After asking to a professional plumber, we decided to make a trap there with a pipe. Something like this:

This got rid of the bad smell for 3 months, but after it appeared again. Then we cleaned the strap and the bad smell dissappeared again for another 3 months.

Of course, that's not a good solution for 2 reasons:

We have to clean the trap (at least) 4 times every year.
Worst: after a couple of month the main pipe is full of water because it doesn't have enough slope. I'm afraid a day it can explode and flood the basement.

So, the question is: how can I fix this? There are no other traps in the house, should I make one? Or there is a simpler way to fix it?

On top of looking for a dried out trap I would check your vents. I had a squirrel build a nest in a vent pipe and plug it so when you flushed it pulled the water out of the other traps and let the smell in. I had to make a cap with vent holes to keep the little bugger out.


What drill bit for what screw tap? If I want to drill a hole for use with an M3 (or other metric size) do I need a special lookup table or do I simply use an M3 bit with an M3 tap?

If you intend to tap the hole, it needs to be "a special drill size" and you can look that up in any of a bajillion sources, many online.
Google says 2.5mm for M3 - I haven't bothered to check for actual charts, but it will likely be correct. Yup. That's for the usual cutting tap. 7/64" for a forming tap.
If you just want the screw to pass through, M3 (i.e. 3mm) will do that.


GFCI outlet reading between 80 and 640 volts on multimeter I am adding a circuit to feed off a live GFCI outlet. At the outlet I read 118V in both receptacles and the reading is stable. With the new cable, I connected the neutral white to the silver screw directly underneath the old one, and the hot black to the gold screw directly underneath the live one. When I go to test the exposed wires on the other end (not connected to an outlet yet), the voltage readings are crazy and bounce all around from 80V to 640V. Did I wire the new circuit to the GFCI incorrectly?

One set of terminals says line that is the incoming hot.
The other set of terminals that normally has a cover over them say load.
The load is for additional receptacles to be protected.
Some brands the line is on the bottom some line is on top so we don’t know if it is correct or incorrectly wired.
Strange readings on your meter are you sure it’s on Volts and not millivolt range.
Just wiring wrong cannot create higher voltage.


need help size of wire I'm wanting to run wire from power main box to another box to power my garage and then put lights plugs to run power tools what size wire should I use from main box to garage box it will be about 75' to 100'

**** Howdy partner, normally for something like this you should install a sub-panel, which is a mini-breaker box. Since you have both lights and tools, I would consider a sub panel pretty much mandatory. In the subpanel you may, for example, have one 15-amp circuit for the lights and 2 20-amp circuits for the tools, for a total of 55 amps. You could use a 60 amp sub panel or a 100 amp subpanel (which would leave room for expansion). If your "tools" are big machine tools like lathes, milling machines, large table saws, etc, I would recommend going with the 100-amp subpanel.

Because this is a long run you should use 1 size larger than normal for the wire. For example, for a 60-amp sub panel, the standard wire size is 6 gauge, but you should use 4 gauge for a long run. Likewise, for a 100-amp panel standard is 2 gauge, and 1/0 gauge for a long run.