Must I ground my dishwasher to a metal plate? I bought a Bosch 800 Series Dishwasher Model SHP68T55UC to install into my year 2000 house. Whenever I read tutorials online for installing dishwashers, I see that the ground wire goes to a metal plate like so:

However, the instruction manual for my dishwasher never tells me to do that. It tells me to put all 3 wires into a box. The green ground wire never goes to the metal plate.

Here, I've followed the instruction manual. As you can see, I have a 3 pronged plug. The wall outlet under my kitchen sink also has 3 holes. I believe the 3 prongs correspond to the ground, neutral, and hot. Is this setup enough to ground my dishwasher? Why is virtually every other tutorial on the internet telling me to attach the ground wire to a metal plate? Is it because they assume you have a 2 pronged outlet with no grounding?

The green wire ends up connected to the chassis of the washer through the connector on the gray wire. If you'd open up the dishwasher you'd see one of the connectors going to a metal plate.

If you have a multimeter/continuity tester you can test this by checking the continuity between one of the connectors where the grey cable plugs in at the dishwasher and the chassis. The corresponding connector will be connected to the green wire.

This is done to reduce mistakes and questions from people who don't know here the green wire goes.

Besides that the black cable should be clamped down with a strain relief to remove stress on the copper wires. That would lead to bad connection arcing and general fire hazard.


Spray foam insulation around wood stove pipe I recently had some spray foam installed in the attic and the crew put it right up against the chimney pipe. Is this a concern? Should I carve out 2" and replace with something?

Pictures:http://m.imgur.com/a/OUz57

It says 2" from combustible material. Is spray foam insulation combustible? And if I need to carve away the insulation, that means a insulation radiation shield? But won't that let in cold air to the attic?

That would depend on the pipe, and its required clearance to combustibles.

If it's 0" - no problem.
If it's 2" - get carving.


How to run cable down wall near where the slope of the roof meets the ceiling? I can't really get my body close enough to the point where the hole needs to be to drop down the wall since the slope of the roof meets the ceiling in the attic and leaves only about a foot-and-a-half clearance.

I figured I can use a flexi-bit and run it up the wall then use a long object to hook the cable onto it from the top, but I'm wondering if there are any tricks to this that I'm unaware of? I have a fiberglass glowrod and fish tape at my disposal.

I am running PL-259 coaxial for an antenna in my attic.

Honestly, a foot and a half is pretty decent working space, as miserable wiring goes. Nice dry attic .vs. grotty wet crawlspace, too. Lay out some boards if I need a floor that's not there, crawl over there and be done with it - would be my approach in that case.

The general idea of drilling a hole and running a flexible rod through it works, so long as the hole will clear both the cable/rod, and the means used (generally electrical tape) to connect the cable to the rod (making the rod/cable fatter than they are "plain"). You want a good long section of tape run the long way, not a little ring at the end. If there is a connector on the cable, it's several times more difficult and you need a bigger hole. Either use two people or very short pulls (and trips to the other end to check) to be sure that the cable is not getting kinked as you pull it when you can't see the other end of the pull. If you get hanging/hinged splinters at the end of the hole, they can impede pulling in the direction opposite the direction you drilled, so use a sharp drill bit and not too much pressure. The point where the junction of rod to cable is entering the hole is the tricky part, and finesse will win over brute force 11 times out of 12.


How do I wire this Leviton switch? I have a new Leviton Decora Switch with built in pilot light (Catalog # 5618-2W). I want to replace a switch currently connected to two black wires. Three sets of wires come into the box. Each set consists on a black, a white and a ground wire.

I know the ground wires go to the green screw.

On one side of the switch I have a black screw and a brass screw. On the other side I have a silver screw.

You'll start by connect the grounding conductor to the green screw. The black wires that are currently attached to the old switch, will attach to the black and brass colored screws on the new switch. Finally you'll have to locate a grounded "neutral" wire; or group of wires, within the box. Using a twist-on wire connector, connect a short bit of wire to the grounded "neutral" wire(s). Connect the other end of the short bit of wire, to the silver screw on the new switch.


How do I re-attach my kitchen cabinet's laminate? Steam from my electric kettle has caused the veneer of one of my kitchen cabinets to separate from the doors and I need to stick it back on.

What is the best method to use? Should I peel the veneer all the way off, sand and then re-glue it on? Or would I be better off keeping it in place and gluing it down as-is?
What adhesive should I use? There's nowhere in my kitchen I can put my kettle where it isn't going to be under a cabinet, so the glue would ideally be steam/heat resistant.

I was thinking about getting a spray adhesive and applying it under the veneer without completely removing it but I'm thinking that it may not be a lasting fix.

I had a similar issue happen with my dishwasher and counter top laminate.  What I ended up doing is peeling it back a bit more to give me access, and picked up some laminate/veneer cement (it is similar to rubber cement).  You apply to both the laminate and the substrate, let it dry for 15 minutes (until it is no longer glossy) then push the two pieces together.  In my case, I was able to line the underside of the countertop with a sheet of poly, which has kept the steam from the dishwasher from working its way up through the particle board substrate.


How to detach this faucet sprayer? Photos included I want to install an extra add on to the sprinkler head, but I'm not sure how do I detach this?

It doesn't just turn? If not, then I'd guess you depress that little tab with the circle and then turn it.

Righty tighty, lefty loosey.


How to clean the LCD screen of the television? Due to my carelessness the LCD screen of the television has developed a sticky layer on some areas.

Can I clean it with a cloth and water? Or Any other (less expensive) solution for cleaning it?

I don't know much about the chemicals available in the market, and thus cannot trust them much.

A slightly damp cloth is good.  You don't want any water to drip into the screen, so "slightly damp" is important.  Many chemicals will damage coatings on the screen, so don't use anything that isn't explicitly designed for electronics.


no hot water or cold water after installing faucts Ok all i did was i added to the end of the hot and cold water lines about 3 feet of copper line on each hot and cold water to install a washer .I turned off the main but didnt drain the hot water heater just turned off the breaker . added the plumbing and then turned on main and turned on breaker . The washing machine works fine hot and cold water the sink near by works fine also hot and cold water . The problem is there is another bathroom near by and the sink doesnt work now no hot or cold comes out nothing . There is a toilet in that bathroom and it works fine . Why would the bathroom sink no longer get any water ( cold or hot water) .I tryed  a couple of times turning main off and on again and nothing . like i said the other sink and washing machine work fine and so does toilet in that bathroom but no water at all comes out of sink hot or cold . And i never shut off angle stops below that sink i never touched it . Any help u can offer will be great thanks for ur time

Remove screen on faucet and take apart and clean.  May even have to pull valves on faucets and clean.  During your repairs I would guess you disturbed some crud and stopped up the little water conservators in the tap.  As a old restorationist I see it all the time.


Using shingles to flatten concrete subfloor I am installing (floating) 3/8" engineered hardwood over a concrete subfloor with 1/8" underlayment.  After grinding high spots and filling in larger voids with self-leveler, I have occasional 1/8" or less dips that I have come across while laying the floor.  I have read here and elsewhere that roofing shingles can be used on a wood subfloor to raise small valleys.

Can shingles be used on a concrete subfloor too?
What are the concerns with using them on concrete if an adhesive like Liquid Nails is used to secure them in place?

I've done things like this on a number of occasions, and the problem is that you'll create more bumps than you resolve. Only the inner portion of your depressions measures 1/8", and fairly quickly they taper up to a smaller dimension. This means that the edges of your shingles are almost always too thick for their position.

Also, they're crunchy. For at least a while after installation you'll hear it underfoot.

You're much better off skimming with a leveling compound.


bladder tank pressure drops quickly as water is running not isolated the tank reads 50 psi at the Schrader valve, I open a water faucet in the house and the pressure gauge drops quickly down to 40 psi and the pump kicks on going back to 60 psi then gauge drops again cycle repeats, on and off happens every 30 or 40 secs.

Could be the tank is a bit small for the system; we try to avoid cycle times of less than a minute. Could be there's a problem. If this is a significant change in behavior from previous behavior, likely a problem; if you never paid attention before, it could be the way it's always been.

Diagnostic step one. Turn off power to the pump, drain water from the system (WATER pressure gauge should read 0) and check AIR pressure in tank.

For a system set at 40-60 PSI as you described, air pressure in the bladder with no water pressure should be about 37-38 PSI. Adjust if needed. If it's also 0, or won't stay where you adjust it to, the bladder has failed and you need a new tank (or bladder, but replaceable bladders often don't cost less than a new tank. Economics is weird. In one case I had, the price was almost exactly the same, but a new bladder had no warranty and the joy of getting the old one out and the new one in, while a new tank had a 5-year warranty...)

Then power up the pump and let the system run until it shuts off. Without using water elsewhere, fill buckets or other known volume items JUST until the pump kicks on. Record the volume that took, and you have some actual diagnostic information. You should be able to look up the specifications of your tank and determine whether the volume you "drew down" matches the expected "draw-down" volume of your tank for 40-60 PSI. If it does, it's working as expected; but you should probably double the tank size to meet the standard aiming point of a minute or more between pump starts.

Another possible mitigating approach (if the bladder is intact and the tank is too small) would be to lower the pressure to 30-50 (set tank 27-28) or 20-40 (set tank to 17-18) which will store more water in the tank (really, look at the charts for your tank, they will tell you.) That assumes your pressure switch is adjustable (be extra certain the BREAKER for the well is off before opening the pressure switch to adjust it, if you do. It has power when the pump is not running.)


how do I level PAINTED concrete floor? I need to level a cement floor but it has been painted with oil base floor paint. Do I need to remove this paint? If so, what would be the fastest way to do this?

Yeah, unfortunately, you're going to have to strip it up.

The two ways I can think of would be to use a concrete grinding machine to chew up the surface. Just a light chewing/scarification will do. You should be able to rent a machine that will do it from your local tool "we-rent-it" type of place... or they would know who to talk to. By far, a machine will be the easiest to work with, even with all the dust.

If you have to go the chemical route, muriatic acid (available anywhere pool chemicals are available) would work, but you have to be 100% sure that you clean up all of the acid when you're done... it makes a HORRIBLE mess and the fumes are a beast to deal with. I would choose the grinding machine any time before I would choose acid or a stripper.

After either step, be sure that you wash the floor thoroughly to get any dust or residue up and then coat with two coats of the recommended same-brtand primer (if you use Custom SLC, use Custom's primer -- if you use Mapei's SLC, use Mapei's primer) before you apply the self-leveling cement.


20 amp circuit breaker trips after a few minutes or sometimes hours later The 20 amp circuit breaker that controls my man cave, my rear patio lights including a lampost, and some outlets in my back yard started tripping about two weeks ago.  Currently the lights and outlets in backyard are not in use and have not been since late October.

As early as yesterday, I unplugged, and put all light switches in the off position that is controlled by that breaker.  The breaker held for about 7 hours before tripping late last night.

The outlets and lampost in back yard are all new.  They were installed last May when I had some work done on my back yard.  Never was there any problem after installation up until 2 weeks ago.  We live in NY and did have a major Blizzard about 3 weeks ago as well as freezing temp over the last week or so.  I checked the outlets and all are dry and wiring is all intact.

Any other suggestions??  Quite stressful not being able to use my man cave and the thought of all the $$$ it may take to correct!

If you're getting a plain breaker trip, the usual reason is overcurrent.  You have too much stuff on that circuit.

From your comments, a GFCI outlet tripping is not your problem.

You can get power monitor devices that will tell you what each device draws.  The simplest is the Kill-a-Watt, which for about $20 and measures a single load. They make more sophisticated monitors too.

The breaker that's tripping has a number - either 15 or 20.  That's the maximum amps. Multiply by 120 (i.e. 1800 or 2400), that's the maximum watts, and also the maximum VA (volt-amps).

By now you probably know which devices are on this circuit, so check every one with the tester, one by one.  Check it in the same conditions that make the breaker trip.  Tally up the amps, VA, and watts.

At this point, people often find a big surprise. I can't guess what your surprise is.  Now you work the list, same as you would if you were trying to be "green" or save on your energy bill.  Lots of people with those motives will help you with this problem.

FYI 1 watt of energy, run continuously, costs you $1/year or more.  Some upgrades will pay for themselves.

If stuff is running continuously, you want your breaker capacity to be 125% of the continuous loads.


What is the sheet metal behind the drywall in my condo ceiling? I'm trying to install a new ceiling fan in my condo.  I've cut a whole in the drywall to find a broad metal sheets are in my ceiling.  I would appreciate help in figuring out what this is and if I can screw the fan fixture into it.

Here's a picture  .At the bottom of the picture is a ~1 inch tall I beam. Above that is a broad flat metal sheet with recessed strips perpendicular to the I beam. It looks like the sheet is several feet wide before another recessed strip on the other side.  There appear to be several of them running in parallel along the width of my condoceiling.  Also, when I knock on them, they don't sound hollow (but I could be wrong about that).

Please let me know if you have any questions.

The drywall does appear to be screwed to the raised channels such as can be seen at the bottom of the hole.

Jim is correct that this is a structure for supporting a concrete floor, which reduces vibration and noise in apartments. You're going to need to figure out how to run wiring to your fan, and you'll need a surface-mount box of some sort.


Frozen heat pump for 1st time Yesterday I changed the blower motor capacitor on our heat pump and some general cleaning. Heat  Worked “great” through the night. This morning coils covered with ice. Q.Could it be wrong Capacitor; or could I have wired it backwards and that cause the freezing? Older Whirlpool system. Any help appreciated:)

If you did not properly wire the cap (start/ run) your motor may not be spinning at the correct speed if it spins up.
Frozen coils are more often when the defrost is not properly cycling.
Depending on the brand it could be time based, but more often is pressure based (with Refridgerants temps = pressure)  you could have caught it just prior to when it was going to start a defrost cycle.
The reversing valve could also not be functioning correctly.
More info on why you changed the cap may give us the information needed to help you.


Raising a sunken living room floor and concerned about moisture under new raised floor I am raising a sunken living room floor but have some concerns about possible moisture problems under this raised floor.  Here is what I have.

A 1979 typical ranch style.  It is roughly a 16 x 20 room with a 5 1/2" drop down.  At one end is an exterior wall with a brick fireplace that has had a leak that has been repaired.  On the opposite end is a wall with plumbing for the laundry room that has twice over the last 10 or so years had a water leak but now repaired and OK.  Add to this, as we were removing the laminate flooring that was in the sunken living area we notice the underside of the foam pad/vapor barrier under the laminate floor was moist as we rolled it up.

My concern is what moisture problems could I have under the void area?  Should I seal the slab floor or will there be enough air in the void area to keep what moisture may develop there from being a problem?

My plan was to build the floor up using 1/2" pressure treated slats under a 2x4 frame and then top that with 2 layers of 23/32 subfloor.  The 1/2 pressure treated at slab contact for any possible moisture issue.

I can install air registers in some areas if I need to allow for air movement under this floor as well as access for inspection if needed. Another thought was to install ports used for a central vacuum system to be able to access the void and blow air through if needed.

Am I overthinking this or do my concerns about the void area under the floor seem valid?  Vinyl laminate will be on top of the subfloor.

Here's what my builder was supposed to do with a similar situation - new living space built over an existing concrete slab for a garage.

1) Fill with crushed, well draining stone

2) Lay down  6 mil vapor barrier on top of the stone

3) Pour 4" concrete slab up to 1-1/2" below the level of the existing concrete block.

4) Install 2x8 floor joists

5) Insulate between the floor joists

6) Install subfloor

7) Install final flooring


How much space is needed for an outlet between window frame and counter top? How much minimal vertical distance is required between the kitchen counter top and window frame for placing an electrical outlet? We are starting a kitchen remodel.

Single gang standard (smallest) wall plate is 2-3/4 inches. That would be with the outlet "sideways", since you're looking for minimum height.


Were my pipes frozen or was my pilot out? If the pilot goes out on a gas water heater and i turn on "hot water" only at a sink will cold water come out or will no water come out?  I already fixed the hot water problem and got it running again but i was assured it was frozen pipes and i do not think this was the problem.

If the heat source is off on the water heater, but no valves were closed, water will still come out of the hot tap. It may even still be warm-ish if you have a tank water heater, depending on how long the water has been in the tank with no heating. If no water is coming out, or water is coming out more slowly than normal, that could be an indication of a frozen pipe (it could be other things, too).


Why does my fluorescent light fixture ruin bulbs within six months? My bathroom has a fixture for twin 48" fluorescent bulbs. About every six months, the bulbs start to go bad. At first they will only come on about half way, and they flicker dimly for a few seconds before reaching full brightness. After a few weeks they just stay dim no matter how long they are on.

I have already replaced the ballast in this fixture, thinking that might help. No joy. I have replaced the bulbs twice a year for four years. I use the same bulbs in my other bathroom with no issues. Any suggestions?

Fixture ballast is bad. Time for new ones.
Sorry!


Curious "open ground" when using testers in series I added 2 new wall sockets starting from an existing wall socket. After wiring them up and connecting the power I plugged a GRT-500 into the two sockets - I happened to have two so I plugged one into the socket closest to the starter and the other at the end of the line.

The socket closest to the starter socket read "correct" but the last one read "open ground". I shut off the power, inspected the box and receptacle but found no problem. I checked all the boxes I had opened or worked with, again finding no problem.

After failing my last attempt, I removed the socket testers, and just happened to remove the socket tester closest to the starter socket first -- when I did this, the socket tester in the other wall socket switched to "correct"!

I then verified that each socket "individually" reads correct, but only when there is no other tester ahead of it... Is this normal?

The way those cheap 3-lamp testers work, they can't possibly be interacting with one another.  If they are acting that way, then either they are pieces of junk (Made in China?) or they have exposed a wiring problem.

There is also no benefit whatsoever to using two such testers at the same time.  Test one outlet... Then test another.

Keep in mind 3-light testers are just "idiot lights" only slightly more useful than the Magic 8-Ball, and fail to detect a wide variety of faults.   You've seen neon testers with two test probes; think of a 3-light tester as three of those.

hot-to-neutral (yellow, the one that is on for "open ground")
hot-to-ground (yellow, the one that is on for "open neutral")
neutral-to-ground (red)


What could be causing water to drip from the relief valve of my new gas water heater, again? I installed a brand new water heater about 4 months ago, noticed that that relief valve was dripping like crazy.  Checked the expansion tank and it was filled with water.  I replaced it with a brand new expansion tank only a few months old.  It was properly installed, got an accurate reading for water pressure from the city, set the air in the tank to a few pounds under that according to instructions.

Problem was fixed, the relief valve stopped dripping altogether for at least a month.  This recently started back up however and right in the middle of a home inspection no less (I am currently selling the home).  The home inspector included in his report that I have a faulty safety relief valve on my water heater and it needs to be replaced.  The buyers in turn demanded that I replace the safety relief valve despite the fact that I am not even sure if that is the problem.

I even explained to the home inspector and buyers when they were there that the water heater and expansion tank are brand new.  In your opinion is this a problem with the relief valve or the expansion tank or both?  Is it normal to buy a new water heater with a faulty relief valve?  Is it normal for a brand new expansion tank to already be taking on water?

EDIT:

I last measured this a few months ago, after opening faucet and releasing pressure from the water heater I got 30 psi.  The water heater temperature is between HOT and A, but the knob goes all the way up to C.  I filled up my NEW expansion tank to 28 psi and the dripping stopped completely for over a month.  My father in law seems to think that calcium can buildup around the relief valve and cause this dripping I am seeing and that it is more likely to be a problem with the relief valve than the brand new tank.

Well the problem was simple enough.  The expansion tank I installed that was only a few months old was completely filled with water.  I guess 28 psi is too much for a pressure tank that was tested and verified for up to 100psi.

Now where did I put that warranty card? :)


Cavity wall insulation brick replacement I have an external cracked brick and want to replace it,  but I'm not sure how to deal with the cavity wall insulation.

What concerns me is:

1) when I remove the brick,  the wall insulation will spill out.

2) when trying to replace the brick, the mortar will be pushed into the cavity and sit behind the brick.

(which may connect the external wall to the internal wall with mortar,  thus damp!)

Notes:

I haven't any more insulation to refill any lost.
I have a grinder,  with mortar removal disk,  to get the brick out.
I've searched for videos,  but I can't find any with how to deal with insulation.

Any help would be welcome,

Thanks,

Reggie.

My understanding is that the insulation is stuck together with some kind of resin so it won't just fall out. I've seen one house where small polystyrene beads had "leaked out" around a poorly sealed vent, presumably during installation, and had then solidified into a sort of large drop shape. Presumably this depends on the exact type on insulation. The British National Insulation Association (I'd never heard of them either) mention two types of cavity wall insulation: blown mineral wool and expanded polystyrene beads. Mineral wool is fibrous and sticks to itself so is unlikely to be a problem. Regarding the EPS beads, they say:

  The polystyrene used for [cavity wall insulation] is in the form of virgin pre-formed bead which is usually combined with a binding agent or adhesive at the time of injection.

Removing the brick shouldn't be too hard with a grinder. After cutting out the mortar, you could drill a couple of holes, insert some plugs and screw some chunky screws in to be able to pull the whole brick out.

You can get mortar guns to push mortar in around bricks. Never used one myself but they should help you do a good job in a situation like this.


Should I run outlet circuits through the studs or up and along the top plates? I have a great workshop (20 x 25 ft, 2 level) that was built with no power (previous owner).  I'm installing a subpanel in the shop (90A) and need to install receptacles, lights, etc. as well.  I've never organized a shop before so I'm unsure how to do it (looking for advice).  Here is what I planned:
Install a 20A receptacle every 5 ft down the north, east, and west walls (south-facing wall has garage doors) and two rows of lights on the ceiling.  The lights will be on their own 15A breaker and each wall will have its own 20A breaker.  The first receptacle on each wall will be GFCI.
Here's my question: what is the best way to route wire to the receptacles and lights?  Is it better (right/wrong) to drill through the studs to run the wire directly across the wall, or to run the wire along the top plate and drop wire down to each receptacle?  Since I will not finish the walls I do not know if there is a code issue for either method, or if conduit needs used.  If this is just a matter of preference (i.e. not code related) then I am still interested in hearing people's opinions.

I prefer the "up and over" method rather than drilling thru the studs, esp. since you don't intend to finish the walls.   Not sure what code says about that.  I believe that exposed cable below a certain height needs to be protected (8 feet?) So that would mean running the cable in conduit for the 4-5' from the outlet to near the top plate.
When I built my shop, I used surface mounted Wiremold 4000.  But because my shop is partially earth sheltered, I have very high (4.5') stem walls.  I went with the raceway because shops are often "evolving" with new tools, changed layouts, evolving requirements, etc. Conduit would be less forgiving.  So now when electrical needs change, all I do is pop off the covers and run whatever wiring is needed to the sub-panel, install the appropriate outlet and pop the covers back on.   This may be over-kill for your needs, but wanted to let you know what I did.   Also attached is a pic of the actually installation in my shop (wood-working oriented).
Some other advice:  What are you planning on using your shop for? I spent hours laying mine out thinking about workflow, staging, benches, storage for small tools, etc.  I have 2 basic work areas in my shop:  1) basic milling where I have the table saw, jointer and planer in one area, and 2) A free standing heavy duty bench for more detailed work like dove-tailing, sanding, gluing, routing, etc.   I know this answer goes way beyond what you were asking, but I just wanted to share.  Have fun setting up your shop.


How can I handle dry-looking areas in the table I'm refinishing? I've stripped and sanded my dining room table, and have put down 5 coats of minwax gloss one step (classic oak color) lightly sanding between coats.  The problem I'm having is that there are small areas that aren't taking the poly and leaving "dry" areas. If I put a final coat of satin poly or semi gloss poly would it cover these areas?  Any other suggestions?

Good question.  My thought is a little too late for you, but I have found that some woods excrete "oils" for a long time.  You can usually see these after sanding, but it requires a close look, not only from the top but also across the surface.  If you see anything different from the rest of the surface, then you can try more sanding.  If that does not work, then you need to seal the whole surface until the problem area is no longer visible.  When finishing, my first and second coat are usually 1/2 product and 1/2 thinner.  I find this helps soak into the wood and acts like a sealer.  If there are spots then you need to address them before proceeding.


Can I install a hot water circulator pump without using the drain valve? We just replaced our hot water heater because we were getting a lot of mineral deposits in our fixtures throughout the house because the hot water loop returned to the bottom of the tank and always mixed up the sediment in the tank.  Our plumber is trying to install a recirculation pump without using the drain valve (at the bottom of the tank) as the return for the loop.  He is trying to explain to me how putting a pump in different places can circulate the hot water through the house and back into the hot water heater.  Is this even possible?

Here is the current setup, which isn't really working.  Inconsistent water temperatures, and some times little to no hot water.

https://cloud.smartdraw.com/share.aspx/?pubDocShare=A6EDE21171FE47F6804B860EA95206D10BC

Thanks for your help!!

You can use the cold water inlet to connect the recirculator input by a tee (if your boiler don't have a half-height water inlet purposed for recirculation return), just put one-way valves on both recirculation return and cold water feed. But usually, boilers has an inlet at about half-height to connect the recirculation return.

NOTES:

  black rectangle on the left represents the boiler
  you need both the 1-way valves because you:
  don't want cold water do go 'backward' trough the recirculation loop
  you must avoid backflow to cold water supply
  boiler hot water oulet and cold water inlet are on right side but can be on any side of the boiler.


GFCI burned out during low transformer outage About a year ago, we had a large low transformer fire on our block in Brooklyn, NY.  That's according to ConEd response team. Before and during the fire which lasted few hours, voltage has been jumping up and down. By next day, I had three GFCI outlets in kitchen and bathroom tripped and I could not reset them back. I opened them up and they had signs of hot wire melting onto the plastic. Other building tenants had similar problems, few tenants said they had to replace appliances ie. microwave, computer.

My question is about the outlets. Can transformer issue on the street cause what I described in the apartment? Is there way to protect building or individual apartments from grid issue? Thanks

A GFCI may look like an ordinary receptacle with a couple of extra buttons on it. But it is actually a sophisticated electronic device. Unlike many other devices (e.g., computer), it is run directly off of full main electric power, rather than having a large separate power supply that converts power to low voltage and can (and often do) take the "hit" and save the rest of the device from damage. Unlike many other devices (e.g., washing machine & dryer, dishwasher, etc.) it is "always on", even if it isn't really doing much. In addition, the very nature of the GFCI is that it must monitor the electric current flowing through it in order to do its job.

As a result of all this, a GFCI is likely to be one of the most vulnerable devices to a severe overvoltage or voltage fluctuation event, which can happen with a transformer failure.

Fortunately, these types of events are relatively rare. Far more frequent are loss of power - either entirely (a blackout), to a limited degree (brownout) or a (typically) localized wiring problem (lost leg or lost neutral).

What can protect you from these problems? A whole house surge protector. This is typically installed at or near your main breaker panel. In a quick search, I could not find specifications as to specific voltage levels. They are generally for protection against nearby lightning strikes but can also help with utility problems and problems from interaction with other malfunctioning devices. I wouldn't consider a whole house surge protector an absolute guaranteed solution, but it should help mitigate the problem considerably.


Wire Melts at Connector to Broil Element on Electric Oven I have a Hotpoint RK38T electric oven with a 3410 W broil element and 16 awg 125 C wire connection to one side of the element.

The wire to the broil element melted at the connector. See image of connector and wire.

The wire melted at the same point in March 2018, after 36 years of use. See image of connector.  I could not find a duplicate of the original connector.   I replaced the connector with a high-temperature ring connector.

What caused the wire to get hot enough to melt?  How do I prevent this from happening again?

The oven is the one in:

Electric oven: Bake and Broil not Working

electric oven bake element gets warm but does not get hot

There is a poor connection wire to connector or connector to element, either causes an increase in resistance and therefore heating.

It may be worth replacing that wire either from its source or cutting it back until you get to clean undamaged wire with a good connection to a newcterminal and cleaning the element connection surface.


Why does cold water leak when hot water is turned on in bathroom sink? Before I try to repair this, I want to understand what's going on so I don't fix the wrong thing or cause a larger leak in the bathroom sink.

Our house was built about 20 yrs ago so it's modern plumbing, not plumbing for a house from the 1940s.  When you turn on the hot water, for some reason, water starts leaking from the base of the cold water faucet.  Why would this happen?  I can understand if i turn on the cold water and it leaks from the faucet but not this.

I was going to change the cartridge in the cold water to see if this fixes it but I'd like to know why this funky behavior is occurring before I start doing something I shouldn't be doing and causing a bigger problem.

The cold water cartridge could have a weird worn down spot on it that is causing the leak. I'd try the replacement like you were thinking to see if it resolves the issue.


How can I fix a leaking sprinkler valve? My sprinkler valve leaks water as soon it shuts off. By checking online and going to Home Depot first I installed new inside parts, that didn't solve the problem. then I was told that I had to replace the whole valve, so I did and it's still doing the same thing. Anybody know what's going on or how to fix it?

The most likely issue going on here is that the sprinkler piping down stream from the valve is at the same elevation or higher elevation than the valve itself. Water left in the line is flowing back through the anti siphon air gap in the valve and resulting in what you see as a "leak".

Normally sprinkler valves are meant to be installed so that they are eight to twelve inches above the highest elevation of the watering circuit to prevent this problem.


Whole House Humidifiers for Ductless Furnaces? Is there a whole house humidifier that I can attach on my furnace that requires no ductwork? All we have for ductwork, is a galvanized pipe that sits on top of my furnace. There's a blower that blows the air up that one n only pipe,through a floor register. Our house is a 3,000 sq ft. home.

Your installation sounds as if your house originally had a coal furnace installed many years ago. Your description sounds like my grand mother's house. That being said, If the supply pipe is a rectangle with a flat surface, and you have a return air duct, almost any bypass type humidifier could be used. If the supply pipe is round, you would have to have a sheet metal shop make you a transition piece that would adapt to the round pipe and give you a flat surface to mount the humidifier on.This may be a lot for the average home owner to do but yes, it can and has been done.


Tub spout leaking when water is off What could be some reasons why a tub faucet's spout leaks when water is turned off? E.g. some gasket within the mixing valve perhaps? The shower doesn't leak, just the tub spout.

If a new gasket doesn't clear up a drip, the valve seat may need to be resurfaced or replaced. The big box stores have replacement seats and the wrench to do it, and may have the tool to resurface. If the correct replacement seat is available, that's the way to go IMO.


Remove tile, or not when changing from range vent to a microhood? I have a tiled wall behind my electric range. Ceramic tile extends up to, but not behind, the existing Whirlpool non-vented range hood. I want to remove the range hood and replace it with a microhood. I don't intend to get into a major tile project--just upgrade to the microhood.

I know that it would be easier and quicker to install the mounting bracket by bolting through the existing tile, but it would leave the microhood sticking out by the thickness of the tile (just a thin, garden variety wall tile).

The alternative would be to remove the tiles where the back of the microhood will be so that the microhood would sit flush against the drywall. It would be a lot of work, with the possibility of tile damage.

Right now, I am inclined to just mount the microhood with the existing tile in place.

I would appreciate any comments regarding the pros and cons of either plan, please?

I would recommend leaving the tile in place (if it is aesthetically acceptable) in case you (or a future owner) ever want to change back to a traditional vent hood; the micros do not last forever either, a future change of style or brand will likely be a different size.


How can I quiet a bathroom exhaust fan that became loud only after the duct was added? I had a fan added in my bathroom. Surprisingly there wasn't one at all. When the fan was first installed they had it venting into the ceiling. It was a .5 sone fan and you could hardly tell that it was even on. You had to listen closely. After I noticed it was only venting in the ceiling I had them come back out and add the vent out to the outside. Now all of a sudden this thing is pretty loud.

Is there anything I can do to quiet it down? Is there something I should be looking for? It's amazing how loud it got by adding the vent.

There more restricted the airflow is, the more noise there will be. All contributing factors to noise:

Diameter of duct (larger is better)
Overall length (shorter is better)
Number of turns/bends (fewer is better)
Radius of turns (larger is better)
Size reducers used (no reducers is better)
Type of duct (smooth, rigid is better than flexible)
Type of exterior vent hood (low resistance opening is better for noise)

This is why the low noise fans often have very large (eg. 5") duct connections. Larger duct is more expensive and harder to install.

Note that adding ducting will ALWAYS make the fan louder than no duct, but you just have to accept that because duct is absolutely necessary. Starting with a low-noise fan is a very good move of course (and 0.5 sones is great).

If you had a contractor install a vent that vented it into the attic, all their credibility is immediately gone, because not only is that not to code, but it's an incredibly bad thing to do: in the worst case, it will lead to mold and rot in the attic space, and ice dams in the winter that will destroy your singles (and also lead to rot and leaks).

So if that contractor came back and installed vent, I would not be surprised at all if they did it the cheapest, easiest possible way, which would likely be using a 3" (maybe 4") flexible hose, and not taking care to keep it as straight as possible.

First step is to figure out what was done and size/length, etc, and then likely upgrade it to something better.

The best possible thing to do is have a straight, rigid large-diameter duct directly out the wall to a decent vent hood.

Pay a few extra bucks to get a decent vent hood that is weather- and insect-proof, but has low-resistance to opening with airflow, especially if it's in a place that sees driving rain or lots of wind. The cheap plastic louvered ones can work if they're sheltered, but they are bare minimum.

Couple other tips:

Don't allow any dips in the pipe where condensation could pool
It's generally preferable to have the duct sloping towards the fan, especially in areas where temperature goes below freezing
If you have to have turns, then large radius turns are better, which you can make with a couple adjustable duct elbows. You can also mix rigid and flexible duct where it makes sense to.
Adding a bit of flexible duct will actually help absorb sound and reduce vibrations transmitted from any rigid pipe

The goal is to have smooth even airflow, with minimal resistance and turbulence.


Why did my basement start flooding while replacing sump pump? The Setup

Last June, we bought a 16 year old townhouse with a finished basement; the sump pump was broken at least since March, when we first saw the house, but I suspect it was broken for a much longer time based on the looks of it (it appeared to be rotted to pieces). Soon after we bought the house, my dad and I decided to replace the sump pump ourselves.

The Players

my father, with 30+ years of homeownership experience that includes minor plumbing work
myself, new to homeownership
the rain, which wasn't too strong, but had started about an hour before we did
vacancy - the home hadn't been lived in since at least December the year before; it was foreclosed and some remodeling was done to prep it for sale

Some Observations

the water level in the pit was the same in March as it was in June; there was plenty of rain in the meantime, but water never came in the basement from what we can tell
no water was coming into the pit while it was raining
our unit is the second of 4 connected in a row. Our pump ejects to a pipe that merges with the neighbors' pipe. The neighbors have never had flooding
our basement had flooded at least twice in the last 15 years

What Happened

after we cut the pipe (below the check valve) and removed the sump pump, my father and I took it outside to marvel at its deconstruction--we surmised it could've been broken for a year or more, but we couldn't obtain any confirmation or evidence
after we came back downstairs to continue working, we noticed the sump pit filled to nearly the brim
about a half hour after we cut the pipe and removed the sump pump, my 3 year old noticed water coming in from the other side of the basement
we rushed to finish installing the new sump pump

What I Want to Know

Why did the water start coming in after we cut the pipe connecting the sump pump to the outside world? I briefly talked to a plumber about it, but he didn't have an explanation. Anyone have a similar experience? I'd love to figure this one out! Thanks.

You removed the 1 way check valve, likely part of the pump, when you cut the line to the pump.

Your sump being low, already had a syphon ready to go, it just needed one last push to get started.

The pump of one of your neighbors started and everything in the pipes of all 4 pipes came flowing into your sump.

Your son witnessed an excellent lesson in gravity and syphons. Far more impressive than anything he will be shown even in college physics.


How to make a 19' bannister sturdy? There's still about a foot of play in the middle.

I put wood glue and finish nails in the loose spindles but very little improvement made. Both newell post are solid.

The spindles provide virtually no side-to-side strength; they're all to carry vertical loads. So, improving their attachment won't help at all.

You have two choices:

Install a stronger rail that won't flex as much. This could be a thicker rail, or perhaps an additional strengthening piece added to the bottom.
As @bib suggested, support the rail in the center with a second newel post, well-anchored at the base.

Of course, it's been this way since it was built, and sounds like it's a safety hazard. Talk to the builder?


What kind of timer can I use to maintain 7 day timing on an old setup? I inherited maintenance of an old building. To control the main lighting, it has momentary rocker switches and bank of relays that are wired to the actual light fixtures.

So:
- Controls (switches) are low voltage (24VAC)
- Actual light fixtures are 120 VAC

I need to set up timer to turn lights off/on automatically, preferably a 7 day timer.

Where can I find such a timer?

(And wiring plan to tie it in?)

I am familiar with those systems:  They don't actually use relays, but solenoids.  They were made by several manufacturers including GE, Remcon, Bryant, and Sierra.  One instantly knows these systems by pressing an on/off button and hearing a 120 Hz buzzing somewhere (usually in the attic).

Each controlling rocker switch has two momentary contacts, one "on" and one "off".  Those are wired to separate coils around opposite ends of a common solenoid to either drive it in one direction or the other.  The presence of the solenoid (which has no spring) either pushes against or pulls away from a 120 volt switch to turn the circuit on or off.

With the most minor of maintenance, these systems continue to work reliably 50+ years later!

Any controller which interfaces with the system must do no more than a momentary connection.  Applying power to the solenoid continuously is "bad".  The existing switches can be left intact.  One of the big advantages of that style of system is that any number of switches can control the same circuit.

I am not aware of any controllers from the era.  Current aftermarket dealers, such as this, provide replacement switches, faceplates, solenoid assemblies, and transformers.

There are home automation systems which integrate with these, but they all seem to be pricey—$1,500+.

If you just need some security lights, maybe just use lamp plugged into a timer which plugs into an outlet?  (It's okay to ignore the existing system.)


How to add a plug socket in a specific scenario Not sure if there are any UK electricians on here, or how similar the electrical industry is to the American system, but here it goes...

I recently moved into a flat in London. A combination of being inquisitive and being too broke to pay for an electrician has prompted me to try and install a new plug socket (outlet?) within a wall in a cupboard. The person inducting me into the new flat pointed to a plate with no interface (just a flat plastic panel with screws) and said "if you want to add a socket in this utility cupboard, that would be the place to do it".

Here is a quick illustration I did of what he was pointing at:

The plate without an interface was the one he pointed at, but the ventilator switch becomes part of the story.

So I went about unscrewing the plate and taking a look at what is underneath it. I thought it might be a simple case of buying a socket to replace the blank plate, and fixing some obvious wires to it.

What I saw when I opened the plate was a load of grey cables connected to a connecting strip on one end, and a flex cable connected to the other end. Some of those grey cables are coming from above, and some (on removing the ventilator plate) I can see are going into the ventilator switch.

The white flex cable travels north up the wall - and I presume it is the ventilator - but it has a fourth flex core (black) going into the connecting strip. On close inspection of the setup, it all got a bit confusing.

I have drawn a very accurate illustration of the setup (note all the wires are going exactly where they are going in real life). I decided to illustrate it (rather than take a picture) because a photograph cannot describe the complex setup. Note that blue is neutral, brown is live and yellow is earth. I have no idea what the black cable on the 5-core flex is; or what it is doing.

Can anyone make sense of this setup? Where would be the best place to put a plug socket (outlet) and would I need to reconfigure anything to do so?

Any help would be super appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Although I'm very curious as to exactly what is going on here, in answer to your real question:

This is probably on a lighting (or similar) circuit, which would make it unsuitable for a plug anyway. You could test this by turning off your breakers one by one and figuring out what's on that circuit. If the wiring is up to scratch, all wire under that circuit should be sized appropriately regardless of its actual use.
However, even if it is suitable for a 13 amp plug, you won't have enough space for all those wires, a block connector and a plug unless it's insanely deep behind there
Blanking plates aren't generally put in "just in case" - it's just as easy to cut the wire and put a socket in, the hard work is getting wires to it and the backbox in. They're normally either left over when something is removed (Such as a hard wired appliance) or, in this case, when the electrician needed somewhere accessible fro a junction box. It was not envisaged as a place for a socket.
Given the above, the complexity of what you're looking at and the fact you're unsure (And I'm just some guy on the Internet guessing) you MUST get in touch with an electrician to investigate this further. You're in this because you were under the impression that it was an "obvious" place to add a plug - I'm telling you that this is probably not the case.


Saggy around sistered floor joist, how to fix? Our house has a single floor joist that has been sistered running down the center of the kitchen. Sounds great except for the part where all the other floor joists have sagged a little bit and now there's a nice ridge in the middle of the floor.

Any recommendations on how to fix the issue?

If the rest of the joists are sagging, the answer is pretty clear. They should be sistered also. Joists sagging badly enough to create a visible depression are in danger of failure (or at least must bounce with comical severity).

Post some photos if you'd like more specific advice.


Should something be placed between engineered hardwood and a cement slab? Just installed engineered hardwood floors on the lower level of our home. We have a cement slab. My question is the floors are very very hard.

When installing the floors, should have been a pad placed on cement before installing hardwood?

Yes if it is a floating floor. If it is a glue down floor, no it is not possible. Grunthos is correct on the availability of instructions. They are always available.


Adding Space Wall Heaters I am thinking of installing three wall space heaters in the basement I am renovating. I currently have three cables coming into the basement:

1 - 20amp for the bathroom GFCI that will power the fan,
1 - 20a for all of the wall sockets and
1 - 15amp for the bedroom and bathroom lighting

Here is the problem: I need a space heater for the bedroom, bathroom and two for the main living area.
My thoughts are because each unit pulls a maximum of 8.3amps that I can put two heaters on one 20amp breaker or do you think each heater would require its own dedicated 20amp breaker
What am I installing? This Cadet CEC163TW Energy Plus Wall Heater
1600 Watts at 240 volts; 1500 watts at 208 volts; 1000 watts at 120 Volts.
The cool thing about this heater is a unique power supply smart sensor auto-adjusts the heater voltage to match your voltage supply.

Wrong heater
I don't know what possessed you to pick that one, but you can get far cheaper Cadet heaters.  A heater of that size should cost $50-100. All of them are 100% efficient - an electric heater that is less than 100% efficient is impossible.
That "cool feature" is actually 100% useless to the consumer.  You know your voltage so you can buy a much simpler single-voltage heater that has fewer failure points. That "feature" is only cool to contractors, who get to stock only 1 heater and simply pass the feature cost on to the customer.
So I think I just saved you about $400 :)  Now we can fund the circuit(s) needed to do the job.

This unit is 8.3 amps @ 120V.   Because it is a heater, we must provision for 125% of that ampacity, so we must provision at 10.4 amps per heater.   Welcome to 120V heating.
Not enough capacity on the circuits.
It must be hardwired. When a hardwired load is more than 50% of circuit ampacity, that circuit cannot have any receptacles.  Even one on the wall circuit will be >50% ampacity (10.4 amps) and will require removal of all receptacles.  Two just won't fit (20.8 amps).
So that means the bedroom lighting circuit can handle 1.  (but the lights better be LED).
Use of the bathroom receptacle circuit is out of the question.  That can only be used for bathroom receptacles OR loads inside one bathroom.
So we can't get there from here.
Since we have to run a new circuit anyway...
you can just run a 240V/20A circuit with #12 wire.  That will be 4800W on paper and will support up to 3840W of heaters.  (3840 x 125% = 4800).
Cadet baseboard heaters are laughably cheap.  These are dog simple and will last 40 years.
2000W baseboard -- $65 due to demand, normally $50.
1500W baseboard -- $57 ditto.
1250, 1000 and 750W also available.
Add up to 3 thermostats at $15 each.
If you really want fan units, here's 3000W in one unit ($181)  Or two 1500W fan units, $126 each.  Or 1000W unit same price.
See how that "feature" doesn't make any sense when you know your voltage?  It simply adds electronics that creates a failure point.


What is the weight limit of an average shower head pipe? I want to use a bucket of filtered water for showering. The bucket when full weighs 20 lbs. Would hanging this bucket on my shower head pipe which is coming out of the wall damage the piping?

It is hard to say without opening the wall you may have a metal pipe coming out of the wall and PVC or CPVC, copper or Galvanized pipe. With galvanized pipe it might be strong enough if the pipe is strapped to a stud but you would be taking a chance.


Any idea what this is? We have this in the washer dryer area of our Mother-In-Law. When we moved in no washer dryer was present. I sort of suspect it's some sort of drain hookup because there is no drain. Does anyone know?

Can't make out text clearly

Drain on water hookup is sealed.

It looks like a drain clean out port.

Do you have a hookup to water for a washer? How about a vent for the dryer? The cap looks like it's been pushed in after the painting took place. Did you try to remove it? It could be a cleanout cover plugging a dryer vent...


6x6 Cedar posts for yard barn, should I glue them? I am building a yard barn/shed, that uses cedar posts as the outside framing of the gable ends.

I was planning on just drilling and lag-bolting the posts together (plugging the holes) but do you think I should glue them as well?

Gluing won't hurt, but it won't help either (in this application) so I wouldn't bother.

Where gluing does help is when you are doubling a beam by stacking two smaller beams on top of each other. (i.e. 2 2x4's to make a 2x8)  Gluing will then help transfer the longitudinal shear stresses that develop when the beam bends slightly.  (To visualize this shear, bend a paperback book, and see how the pages slide against each other.)

Glue works best to keep things from sliding against each other. It's worse in a torque scenario, where you would try to twist two pieces apart, and not very good in tension.  It's also completely unnecessary in compression.


What kind of joint is the best for joining wooden countertops? I am installing a wall-to-wall desk in my office, which wraps around on one side.

One side is 10'-9", and the other is 3'-8".

The material is two lengths of oak butcher-block:

8'-2" x 25" x 1-1/8"
6'-2" x 25" x 1-1/8"

I see the need for two joints:

Joining the 8'2" piece with a 2'7" piece to span the 10'9" wall
Joining the two lengths in a diagonal corner

What are the best joints for these? I am installing the counter top using brackets so there will be no legs.

The 45 miter will be your best bet into the corner. Aside from that, please do consider where you want your joints carefully. I would keep them separated as much as possible, yet not in an area where I am going to work at, unless, you are going to sand and finish the top in place and you are certain that you can get the joint relatively flat and smooth. In my opinion, where you have drawn them on your sketch is too much in one place and will draw your eye to that place, not in a good way. Unless you are like me and there will be crap all over the place anyway.... Set the small piece on the other end, that is if it is not going to be a problem there for some other reason.

To join them, I would use 2 products.

Biscuits,
 and a type of countertop fastener

which I do not know the name of, but you get the picture :).

Glue is always good too.

I made a sketch when I first seen your post , I thought this was an idea too, but it may make the corner piece way too big....


Thermostat is completely blank. How to troubleshoot I have a thermostat that is completely blank (no display).  I'd like to troubleshoot it myself even if I do ultimately hire a pro!  We're in sunny southern california, so it's possible it's had no display for sometime, but when I first noticed it was after we flipped all circuit breakers to the house for another reason (checking power consumption).  I'm ignorant of heating systems, but having done research, it seems that one of two things are most likely:

1.  No power to main unit.  Main unit communicates to thermostat via 24 V or lower.
2.  Power to main unit, but no power from main unit to thermostat.  Possibly bad connections, etc.

I'd like some ideas from a kind and patient soul on how to troubleshoot both of these.
Starting with #1.... The main heater is plugged in, but how the heck does one tell "it's on"?  I see no lights, etc to indicate it is on.  I have tried the socket it's plugged into and it's powered.  However perhaps there is an on/off switch?  The model # is MPGA075B4B.  Originally, I thought the make was Honeywell because I saw that huge name on the on/off gas switch in the unit.  But as I did internet searches, the name "Ducane" kept popping up.  Not sure if these heaters are made by one company and use Honeywell switch or what is going on.  Anyhow, I can't find a manual for it, and I can't see how to know if it's "on".

Number 1 seems like where I should start.  Assuming the unit is on, my understanding is that one can check at the thermostat if it's even getting power.
a) How does one do this?
b) assuming it is not, what next?  Do you check the Honeywell switch on the heating unit itself?
The Thermostat in the living room (that is blank) is Venter, Model T1050. There are 4 wires coming out. Red, Green, W1, and C (which looks blue to me!).

Finally, any other ideas?  And I can post photos or more information.

I appreciate the help.
Dave

Since you have a multi-meter, you can check the voltage of the wires at the thermostat.  Make sure the meter is set to AC (Alternating Current) in this case, and if there are ranges, something safe for 24v.  Probe the Red and Blue wires and see if there is 24v.  You can also check the voltage between the red and any other wire.

If there is no voltage, the low-voltage power supply for the furnace is bad or not getting any power.  There is probably a breaker in the main cabinet for the furnace, but there will probably be a breaker located on the furnace/air handler as well.  Make sure they are both on and recheck the voltage.

The power supply will typically look like this and should have two 120v wires and two 24v wires coming off of it.

If you can find it, check the voltage going to it to see if 120v is present.  Troubleshooting will move on from here if there is not 120v.

Thermostat information

Assuming the wire colors you have are standard...

To turn on the fan, the thermostat makes a connection between the red and green wires.  If you place a jumper between these wires, the fan should run.

To turn on the heat a connection is made between the red and white wires.  The call for heat will always be accompanied by the call for fan.

The blue wire doesn't signal anything - it just supplies voltage to the thermostat in conjunction with the red wire.  To draw a parallel with your house wiring, the red wire is like the black "hot" wire, and blue is like the white "common" wire.


Wanting to add storage over garage So I have picked up woodworking as a hobby and find myself becoming pressed for space in the garage.  I looked in the attic and this is the layout:
Is it possible to remove these angled supports and put in another vertical or something to give me better access to lay some plywood out so I can slide boxes towards the front of the garage?  Could I just do it to the left side maybe or could I do it to both sides?  I'm not entirely sure how the structural side of this works so I am trying to find information to help me decide if this is a possibility or not.

The only answer for removal of those angle 2x4s is no, it is not possible at all unless a major reinforcement of the ceiling and roof is done.

The members that make up the roof are set so they work together as a whole, and to remove one part will severely weaken the whole truss that the piece was removed from. Remove one piece from more than one truss, you may, or will have catastrophic failure on your hands.


Ring or radial circuit for garage workshop I plan to run electricity to my detached garage workshop. The electrician I found had a look at the wiring in the garage and said I have to use ring circuit otherwise the fuse will trip.
My current wiring in the garage is the a 2.5 mm T&E cable going through a junction box which splits into two radial circuit of sockets (2 and 5 sockets respectively). The maximum load I calculated is around 3.5 KW. The electrician intends to use a 16 A MCB for the sockets. What I don't understand is why making it into a ring circuit will not trip the breaker but my current setup will, providing the load is the same and below the MCB.

I think I have an answer to my question now based on some research. So if a 16A breaker is installed and the maximum load I have is around 3.5 KW, it won't trip whether it's ring circuit or radial circuit. However I decided to put it into a ring circuit in the end because of the way I wired my workshop. The wires are surrounded by insulation and going through wall studs. As a result it's not the best setup for heat dissipation. Based on this table my wiring method reduces the current capacity of 2.5 mm cable to only 13.5A using radial circuit, which is not enough for my need. It won't trip the breaker but it'll be a fire hazard.  If I make it a ring circuit I'm effectively doubling the cross section of the wires making it 5 mm cable. With my installation method, it can sustain around 20A, which suffices my need.


How can I darken a bedroom yet let air in as much as possible? Of course one could use a vent but this is not feasible for me. Is there a low-tech solution, like some kind of a specific curtain?
I could also cover my window with an opaque board, letting some space but this lowers dramatically the quality of the air (mainly CO2 wise).

3 layers of pegboard (pierced hardboard), internal surfaces painted black, with the middle layer offset, and spacers between the layers. This should provide little or no straight path for light, but allow ventilation.


Can I install wide-plank solid hardwood over radiant floor heat? I've been planning to replace my living room carpet with hardwood.  I have radiant heating under the floor (boiler and pex piping).  I was originally looking at 3/4" thick 3" to 5" wide boards, but after looking into how to DIY, I ended up with more questions than answers.

The recommended method of installation is nailing, but I have radiant heat, that sounds like a bad idea.  Other advice I found recommended not to glue or float the boards.  I'm in a cold climate as well, and saw advice not to use wide boards because they would warp.  Is it really a good idea to put hardwood over radiant heat?  And if so, what's the recommended method of installing it?

I used to have engineered beech (plywood backing) in my 2nd floor bathroom which was floating and the boards were glued to each other, and it held up well for over 10 years aside from water damage around the shower.  I have laminate in one room and it was ruined when the roof leaked while we were on vacation (ice dam that formed in a spot that had never leaked before), so I'm not fond of anything that is MDF backed.  I have pets and kids so its possible liquids could sit unnoticed on the floor.

I ordered various samples of solids and engineered woods.  To my horror, some of the samples of engineered hardwood were MDF backed, and the 5" wide 1/2" thick plywood backed samples were slightly warped.

Whatever I install, I want it to last.  Can I go with 3" hardwood and short nails or glue the boards together and float it?  Or is engineered really the best way to go?

There are lots of resources covering this topic, and since your question is rather broad I'm inclined to refer mostly to them. In general, you can install hardwood over floor heat if:

Subfloor temperatures are reasonable (say within 15 degrees of room air temperature)
You stick to quartersawn wood species that are known to handle heat well, or
You go with an engineered floor

More on that


Is it OK to leave the thermostat unwired? So I went to replace the batteries in my thermostat and when I pulled it off I noticed a black wire was unplugged. I'm not sure if it's suppose to be like that or if I accidentally pulled the black wire out since the screws on the backplate were loose. It's a white and black wire. The white wire is still connected to the W and the black wire is not connected. Is it alright to leave it this way until I get back from school? I'm already late trying to figure out where the damn black wire goes. Thanks

The only risk is if you live in a cold climate, your pipes could freeze and burst, flooding your home.  This is unlikely to occur in a few hours, but keep in mind the time of day and the availability of stores and professionals should you need additional supplies or assistance.  If it's -30 out, this isn't something you want to leave broken for 24hours.


May i use this flush mount conduit clamp side mount horizontally? Is it against nec code, to use this clamp the way the picture shows it for my emt 1/2" conduit to make a T connection?  The hole would be against the 2/6 vertically with a screw into it and fits perfectly regardless that this was made for fitting between a beam.  There isnt another ceiling hanging clamp besides garvin industry which i could put a shim behind it to make the T clamp connection to hold the 1/2" emt hanging conduit? A third simple solution since my conduit is less than five feet and has an outlet at both ends...Could i use just one regular clamp that is within 3 ft of both. Sorry for being a little paranoid...just want to clarify with the experts. Appreciate the insights. Thank u larry

You could try those like that if you want.

We use pipe hangers Called "Minnies" in the trade since a company called Minerallac makes them.

They look like this.

The hanger you show is a Caddy Clip and is made to drive on to the edge of a steel bar joist. It will work but they are actually kind of expensive for the same purpose.

You can use the Minnies to run parallel or perpendicular to a floor joist.

And yes if your conduit is less then six feet one in the middle will satisfy Code.

Good luck!


What should I do about a bad drywall job on the ceiling? I started to try and cover the tape marks with more joint compound, I was going to sand it, but now I think I should scrape all of it off and try to redo it.  It’s absolutely driving me mad.

The usual approach is indeed to scrape to a sensible point and respray. If you're going with acoustical texture again you don't have to skim first if it comes off fairly cleanly.

You can rent a texture sprayer and do it yourself. Practice first to be sure you have a suitable mix and an understanding of how distance and pattern will affect the outcome.

Above all, start thin and build up. More texture is not necessarily better texture, and you can't take it back once it's on there. :)


Is it safe to use apple cider vinegar / baking soda to remove mold on (soft) plastic? Will the (soft) plastic be eroded or produce bad chemical due to the low / high pH?

Depending upon your mix, the PH may wind up at 7.0, exactly neutral. Vinegar (acetic acid) lowers the PH, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) raises the PH.

Either is GENERALLY harmless to MOST soft plastics, whether alone or in combination. Do you have a specific plastic in mind? If it happens to be polyethylene ("polythene", to those on the opposite side of the Big Blue Wobbly Thing from me), that's nearly perfectly impervious to both vinegar and baking soda.


Which kind of roof coating to use to treat low pitch mod bit roof? My city row house is 100+ years old and has a low pitch modified bitumen roof.  It looks like a one piece asphalt or tar sheet covering of the roof.  I bought the house 7 years ago and never had it treated, I think it looks like it hasn't been done in at least 10 years.  The roof has no leaks but some little cracks in the cover and the paler color than the neighbor's indicate that the time is due perhaps.

The current covering is silver with some patches of black surfacing up.  I imagine the black is indicative of wear and tear and the silver is the original, healthy finish.  At least the neighbor's is all solid silver.

I noticed that the brand Henry at the Home Depot has several grades of tar/asphalt roof covering that comes in 5 gal buckets. I was wondering which grade to use to apply over my roof. I don't think any of them match the current silver of my and my neighbor's roofs though.  The roof area is approx 900 sq ft.

Through other channels, I have found that the solution I need is non-fibrous aluminum coating available at most specialty roofing stores.  I believe it has the viscosity of tar and is best applied using a stick brush.


Base trim before carpet? I know it's an age old question. I will be doing all of our door & window casing in my basement finish this weekend. From what I've read, it's recommended to install the base trim before having the carpet installed? Is this OK to do if we don't know what carpet we are going with yet? I'm assuming I just install base trim 1/2" or so over concrete subfloor? This will give carpet installers enough room? Any other suggestions? Also, what space do I leave between door casings and floor, same distance?

The type of carpet can affect the height of the baseboards.
I usually set the gap at 3/8” this is normally sufficient but some really thick carpets need a full 1/2”.
When I say thick I am talking like heavy weave like Berber where the backing is heavy and the weave is thicker than 3/8 but most carpets will fit fine with 3/8”.


How should I insulate my basement? My basement is CMU blocks and concrete floor.

I had water issues, so I waterproofed it with an interior french drain, drainboard at the edge and a sump pump.  This wouldn't take care of dampness so I added a dehumidifier.

I plan to finish the basement and here's my understanding of how I should go about it:

I think I'll avoid vapor barrier so I don't get mold problems.  It gets quite humid around here.  I'm in Washington DC on the east coast and if I interpret correctly the following: http://www.house-energy.com/Basements/Interior.htm, I shouldn't use vapor barrier.  I have a few minor cracks in the wall maybe I should fill those may be not.

Rigid extruded polystyrene installed directly on the wall.  Two inch R10 perhaps tucked into the drainboard of the french drain.  This way any moisture will go down into the drain.

Leave some space (inch or two) then build the wall from the ground so it's completely detached from the wall.

Not sure what I'd do with the floor; maybe would insulate it maybe not.  Height is only 7ft so any inch of height is precious.

Here's an article about this in BuildingScience.com:
http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rr-0309-renovating-your-basment

This is all theoretical, I've never done anything like this, so I'm looking for feedback.  Also, would I need insulation on the ceiling?  I like the idea of spraying fire-rated foam, is it an overkill?  Guess, I'd need soundproofing if nothing else.

Edit:

Since I'm starting with the walls, here are my first-priority questions:

Fill cracks or not?
Vapor barrier or not?
2 inch rigid foam or just 1 inch and then more insulation next to the dry wall? (I'm thinking all insulation better be away from the dry wall to avoid any condense around it)
Do I tuck it into the drainboard?
Do I glue the insulation or is there another method of attaching?
Use spray foam to insulate the parts of the wall between the studs?  Or is the rigid foam going to be fine?  (I'm thinking the spray would fill all gaps, therefore'd be better)

Why would you need insulation on the ceiling in a basement? Since the ceiling is touching a heated space itself, there is no need if you will then be using the basement too. Insulation there should be done only for soundproofing, unless you have radiant underfloor heat installed, in which case, the insulation should have been done already as part of the installation. So insulation really only offers soundproofing value. So the question is, how much noise will be generated there?

Counterbalance that with the rationale for leaving this space accessible. I've often enough needed access to the underfloor regions of my home, for wiring changes, plumbing changes, repairs, etc. So any insulation may be better done as fiberglass batts anyway.

As far as the walls go, filling the cracks is a reasonable idea, IF they are stable. If the walls have moved due to frost heaves, etc. and might continue to move, I would ensure they are stabilized before you cover the wall over. A buckling foundation wall is not something good to have under your house.


What does it mean when our window screens are loose and the windows are hard to lock? We just finished building our new house and we feel like the Simonton windows might have some issues.  I'm not sure if what I'm seeing is normal or not so I thought I'd post my issues here and see what you guys think.

The screens on some of our have a gap on the side larger then others.  In some cases I can move the screen side to side and there's about a 3/8" gap that I've actually seen bugs crawling through into the house.  On some days we have to keep the window closed because bugs keep coming in.
Some windows are extremely hard to lock.  I have to pull the window down with my body weight to get it down far enough to lock.  Otherwise the lock just pushes against the top pane and doesn't actually go into the lock slot.
In the winter we would see circles of frost form on the picture windows in the center of the window.

Sounds like too much insulation was stuffed in the jambs forcing the window jamb to bow inwards causing the sash to be to tight in the jamb. On the loose ones sounds like the jamb was nailed in with an outward bow. Use a 4' or 6' level to check and see if the window jambs are bowed from top to bottom.


wrong coloured lead used on replacement window I recently had a window replaced with lead square design on the surface of the glass.  The existing windows are silver leaded, but the installer decided to put a dark lead, almost black on the window.  It looks ridiculous and I wondered if there is anyway I can rub the lead to take off the top surface and bring it back to the silver colour, which I'm sure is underneath. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Back when I did some stained glass, there were two methods of doing the fitting.

The "old" way, with lead came.  This is typically an H-shaped long lead channel that the lead fits into on both sides of the channel, then the pieces of lead are soldered together at their joints.  Then would be finished with a putty of sorts, worked into the joints to seal things up against weather and moisture infiltration.  This method typically is not then finished to give the lead a different color, but rather typically is left the dull dark gray of the lead.  This is still used nowadays, but not as common as the more modern method outlined next.
The "more modern" way, is with copper foil.  This method was popularized by Louis Comfort Tiffany for making stained glass lampshades.  It involves wrapping the edges of the pieces of stained glass with narrow copper foil strips (sometimes adhesive-backed, sometimes not, depending on the era).  The pieces are then fit tightly together, and all of the joints are soldered together all along the joints, covering all of the foil with solder. At this point, the solder is a somewhat dull silvery shiny color.  The solder lines can then, optionally, be chemically treated to get to a shiny silver, copper, or blackened look, depending on desired outcome.

Without seeing a picture to be sure it's hard to know 100% what you're seeing and describing.  But based on your description, I would be guessing that your repair person used the copper foil method, and then chemically treated the solder to give a black color.  Whether it's possible to re-treat the solder lines to get the bright shiny silver color you're wanting, I have no idea.  Your stained glass provider/installer would better be able to answer that question.


My florescent lights need a shake or a hit to work I have a Wave Twin Fluorescent Ceiling Light that doesn't light up in general.
If I switch it on, it only lights up a very small part at one end.
I need to shake it or give it a hit a couple of times to light up, but it only keeps up until I switch it off again, then I need to hit it once more a couple of times for it to work for the next switch on.

Anybody knows what to do, what to change for it to work?
Before some time it worked well enough.

EDIT

I noted yesterday that it functions with an electronic ballast, so it doesn't have any starters

They look exactly like this:

Difficulty starting is a symptom of worn-out fluorescent tubes. They have a finite lifetime. Some might die after a couple of years regular use, some from the same batch might last ten or more years. See if the tube is slightly darker near one end.

Either

Change the starter (only on older fittings), or
Change the tube

Or

Replace the fitting with a LED strip.


Fill-Valve Float intermittent failure BACKGROUND

This symptom \ issue appears (seemingly) randomly, so I have labeled it an intermittent failure.  The float (of a 2 year old Fluidmaster toilet fill valve) intermittently fails to float and does not cut off the water.  The resulting symptoms include

water is not shutoff and requires intervention
cylindrical black float is submerge beneath the waterline (photo below)

The patch has been to manually tap the float once and it will rise and shutoff the water.  It would be nice if the root cause of a intermittent stuck-float were corrected.

Questions

Although I could install a new fill valve, my concern is that I will arrive with the same problem in a few months.  I would like to understand why this is happening so that the corrective action can be judiciously selected.

If you have experienced this problem please state this in your reply, as experience is preferred.  Bonus if you have the experience and successfully corrected the problem.

1) Is this a a) design problem or b) maintenance issue?
2) if a), what was the replacement used?
3) if b) what corrective action was taken

Any lessons-learned or pitfalls to avoid are appreciated.  Thank you

I have had these same valves get to the point where they quit working reliably so yours may be on it's way. However I would venture to guess that one of the following could contribute to intermittent failure.

The float on your particular valve may have been deformed slightly in its manufacturing process to that it is just a little out of ideal shape. This lead to the thing binding on the riser post if it was in just the right position.
There may be some molding seam flash on either the float or the post that leads to a binding problem with the float when it rises with the water fill.
Check to see if there is any possibility of mineral deposit build up in the working slide area of the float. This could lead to sticking or binding.
Make sure that the float is fully away from the sides of the tank so that it never has the opportunity to scrape on the tank side.
Check the upper valve lever arm hinge under the upper cover (turn water off before removing) and make sure it has nothing that could cause it to want to stay in the down position making to force the float to stay down.

RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION

These valves are really pretty inexpensive and it only takes about 30 minutes to replace one [provided your shut off valve is functional :^) ] so I recommend that you just get a new one and swap out the intermittent one.


Why my engineered hardwood floor is chipping/worn (abuse or regular wear?) I've been in my apartment for four years, and have some damage to the engineered hardwood floors. I'm trying to determine if the damage constitutes regular wear and tear, and the floors are just really cheap, or if I was too hard on them and it's my fault.

There are a variety of chips along the seams, that weren't caused by me dropping anything. There's also a highly worn spot where I had a plastic mat that my computer chair was on (the plastic was supposed to protect the floor...).

From some other questions I've asked, the deciding factor would be the grade of the hardwood floor, and the thickness of the veneer. Hopefully something can tell me based on these images what the grade/thickness is, or if this looks like regular usage patterns:

https://imgur.com/a/GySJPTQ

That floor appears to be of phenomenally low quality, and I have doubts that it's even actual hardwood. I would have expected the broken out pieces of veneer to leave a more fibrous edge. From the shape and coloration it appears synthetic.

Do you see how the edges of the top layer show white near the missing areas? Wood doesn't do that. That's what shows when the printed laminate wears away. I'm 99% sure there's no wood in this product besides the particle board. Tyson's suggestion about moisture would explain the decomposition at the edges due to swelling.

Your question isn't really answerable as we don't have all the facts, and it's partly a matter of opinion. I can only say this with certainty: Real wood doesn't look like that, and even inexpensive laminate shouldn't be disintegrating without extreme traffic volume or moisture damage.


How do I clean vinyl siding without a pressure washer? My vinyl siding is turning green from mildew and I have to clean it up this weekend.

I let a friend borrow my pressure washer at the beginning of the summer, and he's out of the country for awhile.  I'm working that angle to try and get it back.

I called for a rental and found that it's pretty expensive to rent one, even for a few hours.

Are there any products out there that can you can spray on and rinse with a hose?  These stains are 20+ feet up, so I'll bite the bullet on the tool rental before I get up there to scrub.

My dad recommended giving Jomax a try.  Any experience with this?

Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.  I wish I took before/after pics.

Bought:

Jomax

Clorox Outdoor

Put in a garden sprayer designed for bleach according to instructions on Jomax:

3/4 cups Jomax
2 1/4 cups bleach
13 cups water

For 75% of the siding, I applied the mixture, then rinsed after 5 minutes.  A number of sections needed a second application, and the worst section took three.

I rinsed using one of the "fireman" nozzles on my hose, just so I could get it up to the eaves:

I did try just spraying the mildew with the nozzle...worthless.  "Firemen" should sue for defamation.

Anyway, I'm thrilled.  Probably took 25% longer than last year, but I wasn't dripping wet either :)  I'll get a power sprayer for next year, but I'll definitely stick with this; it looks much better than what I get from pressure washing alone.


Do I have a mold problem? Hi DIY Stack Exchange!

I had a fun wintertime question about moisture and mold. My bedroom has been getting dry lately and with that comes dry hands, and small furniture cracks. Fun! So I went to go buy a humidifier and set the gauge to 45rh.

A few hours later, when I walk into my room, it has a very peculiar sour cheese like smell. I've smelt this before on and off during the summer but it's stronger today than normal. And before I had the humidifier running, it wasn't an issue at all. The problem is that I live in a very new building, and that I'm the only tenant to have ever lived in this unit. And it's my bedroom.

I am a fairly clean person, so this has come as a pretty strong shock to me. I don't really leave anything laying on the floor, especially anything damp, and I'm not really sure where the mold could have came from. Are there mold spores in my walls that the humidifier is bringing to life? Are they in my carpet? Is this even mold? What can I do?

No, it's you. "Fairly clean" doesn't avoid foot greases. Actually, the real problem is carpet, it catches & holds EVERYTHING...if floors could talk.

Including you & mold & allergens & viruses & enormous amounts of bacteria if it isn't literally shampooed semi-annually.

The likes of Wood floors, Tile, Finished concrete & Vinyl flooring harbor almost nothing & can easily be sanitized or even sterilized compared to rugs & carpets.


How can I fix this patchy paint job? I painted my hallway and it looks absolutely terrible, I really messed it up good.  It doesn't look too bad when looking at it face on but, when the sun is shining down the hallway, it looks terrible as you can see in the photos.  It really does depend on the light as to how bad it looks, but I'm really unhappy with it and would like to fix it.
I used Dulux once Jasmine White and I used a Harris Trade Micropoly 9" x 1.75" roller sleeve.
I'm wondering how I can fix it?  I'm not sure if I should paint over it, or sand all the paint off, water the paint down next time to make it easier to work with?
Honestly, I have read about it so much, and thought about it so much, over the last few days that I don't know what the answer is!
Hopefully someone can help me.

If you're sure the wall itself is flat and there's no major paint drips/lines on it, you could try another coat on one of the walls and see if that makes a difference. I can't really tell if there is just a difference in sheen on your walls or if there are surface issues.
Also, The less shiny the paint, the less obvious the imperfections when light hits it.
I wouldn't ever try sanding wall paint. Depending on the paint, it can peel off like a sunburn from the heat of the friction if there are drip lines. If there's major surface issues, you could mud over it and sand it down to re-smooth wall. I also personally wouldn't water down the paint.
Just my opinion... we'll see what others say. ;)


Frozen coil in the fridge I bought a second-hand fridge two months ago.

The fridge was not cold enough, getting more and more ice in the freezer, and started making noise last night.

I unscrewed the freezer section and found the fan and coil were frozen.

Its looked pretty bad.

I managed to clean up some ice but still leave some at the right as it's stuck at the coil.

I have no knowledge at all in fridge.

Could someone give me a brief on how the thing on the picture works?
What's the function of the 'brown tube' at the right of the picture?
Anything I can do to prevent it from happening again?

Mechanically removing ice is a great way to break your fridge. Stick to heat and time.

Your fan appears to not be attached. That would be  problem.

Other than that, you either have a problem with the automatic defrost, or it was overwhelmed, perhaps by the lack of a happy fan causing more icing than it expected, or by excessive humidity. I have had a fridge that would need an occasional manual defrost in the summer, but which was fine the rest of the year. Eventually it got worse and was replaced.

Being careful to seal and cover things in the fridge to reduce evaporation, and minimizing the time that the door is open will both help, somewhat, by reducing the available water in the air to freeze.

If you have bent fins while mechanically removing ice, carefully straighten them - bent fins block airflow.


How can I disconnect this brass fitting on my kitchen faucet? I'm replacing at least the handle of a kitchen faucet (possibly the whole thing). Its the type where the spout is standalone, then there's a separate hot/cold combo handle, then a separate sprayer.

I removed the hot/cold waterline connections coming into the handle, but the line coming out of the handle going to the spout has a strange connection I'm not familiar with. The flexible line connects to a brass looking ferrule connected to a black plastic tee (with the other tee connections going to the faucet and to the sprayer).

I twisted the ferrule, but it just spins. I also tried twisting the line piece going into the ferrule, but couldn't get it to turn. I was being cautious, as I didn't want to break any of the lines, since I may try to keep the spout piece. Any idea what this connection is, and how to remove?

The piece I’m referring to is on the left in the picture, with the steel braided hose coming into it:

The braided hose is attached to the black plastic fitting with a push-fit connector.
The locking part is inside the brass 'ferrule' on the end of the hose, and to release it you need to pull the light-grey plastic ring back in towards the ferrule (away from the black plastic fitting).
The hose should then just pop off as you're doing that.


Preventing Clogging/Flooding at bottom of exterior basement steps I just purchased a house this weekend, and moved in yesterday. I live in MD (USA), and there just happened to be a torrential downpour yesterday after we moved in. I went downstairs to check my sump pumps, and then checked the door leading to by basement as I was instructed to. My sumps were fine, but the water level at the back door had climbed to just below the bottom of the door! Five more minutes, and I would have had water issues the first day in the house!

Just to give you an example of what I am talking about, the steps to the basement look like this. This isn't my basement, but it's pretty identical.

The drain at the bottom had been clogged, and I had to go outside to unclog the drain. Luckily, the water drained almost instantly, and the crisis was averted. Still, it made me extremely nervous and I want to do all I can to prevent this in the future.

So, what can I do to prevent this from happening again?

Obviously, maintenance will help, but making sure it is clean every time it rains requires that I be home. Trimming the foliage around the steps will also help, but I'm looking for a more permanent, less maintenance solution.

I thought of a few options that might work..

Putting a metal grating at the bottom of the steps covered in screen material to increase the surface area of the drain and make it virtually impossible that the entire thing gets clogged.
Put an awning over the steps / extending the roof to prevent water from falling directly into the stairway.
Raising the door / higher step going into the basement (worst of the bunch, in my opinion)
Putting a dome over the drain that is specially made for this. Much like option 1, it increases the surface area of the filter/drain. Though this creates a tripping hazard, which isn't that big of a deal considering we plan on never using those stairs anyway.
Sealing off that damn door since we will never be using it, and getting rid of the stairs. I'd prefer not to do this, but if the door wasn't there in the first place, I never would have complained.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Same sort of basement entry here in Seattle. Intermittent flooding and the hassle of sweeping wet leaves out of the stairwell for too many years.
  I love my current solution.
A friend drilled support-heavy screws into the concrete foundation.
We cut 3 pieces of heavy duty plywood to cover the space and fit around the bases of the railing at the top. One end of the wood rests on the screw-supports. The other end rests on the concrete on the other side of the stairwell. (3 pieces because they are heavy - so the dog would not crash through if he walked on them.)
Rain rotted my first try, so I bought sheets of that rippled Fiberglas roofing type material and cut them to size.
If you get the picture, you’ll be able to figure out how to keep water from getting into the wood through the seams in the Fiberglas.
The stairwell stays dry all winter.  I can store lawn chairs and such down there.  The cat can go there and sleep.  I can still access the stairwell if I need to get out fast by crawling out or lifting the plywood from below. If you don’t have animals, you might be able to use just the Fiberglas sheets.
PS make sure this cover slants so the rain runs off. My screw supports are just a little under the siding.


Why does the transformer on my furnace keep burning up? Why does the transformer burn up, about 2 minutes after i turn on the power to the furnace? Nothing gets turned on at the thermostat. I just plug it in and push in the blower door switch and it burns up. I know after a lightning strike I heard a "slap" sound and then smelled burning. I know it was the transformer because there was no power light on on the control board. When I replaced the transformer the lights came on, then the transformer burned up. So I replaced the contactor and the transformer, the lights came on again, then the transformer burned up.

Your transformer is undoubtedly burning up because something in the rest of the transformer load circuit also got fried in the lightening strike and is placing a load on the transformer that greatly exceeds its normal operating specifications. Could be your control board, could be the thermostat, anything that is a load on the transformer output.

The idea posted in comments to fuse one leg of the transformer output is a good trouble shooting scheme - fuses are going to be cheaper than transformers. So it seems like you will be replacing a few fuses whilst you try to isolate what component is severely loading the transformer. I would place my bet on a relay coil that has burned the insulation on the coil to a near short or a semiconductor that has suffered on chip meltdown to a short.


Drywall clips to support partition wall points and ceiling edges I am looking at these drywall clips made for supporting drywall edges that would normally require a piece of 2x lumber (nailer) to support the edges.  I have a couple ideas on using blocking but it makes my stud cavities cluttered and less insulated.  It also means I would have 3 plates at the top of my wall in some areas.  So I was wondering how well the clips work that big box stores sell?

Use them as described by the maker of the clips, they will save you money and give you a better insulation job. Be sure the corners are straight and true before the nails are set in place to hold the edges.


Replacing Awkwardly Cut Drywall I recently had a scare with my plumbing where the plumbers had to cut a large hole behind my sink. I attached a picture of the hole below. It is around two feet tall by a foot and a half wide.

I have never replaced a piece of drywall so large, but from what I have seen online you are supposed to cut out a piece of drywall that matches the size, and put a wood brace behind so that you can nail the drywall into place; however, how am I supposed to do that in this case as the only thing that could be used to secure it on the bottom would be to drive the nail through the floor molding? Any help would be appreciated!

Cut 3/4 inches over each stud. (Oscillating multitool is the best for this, but patience and a utility knife will suffice.)

Screw new drywall on. You could use a thin bit of plywood at the top horizontal seam to stiffen it up. Screw the old drywall as well. (Be careful about the power wires.) Tape and skim the seams. Caulk the joint between the baseboard and drywall. (Texture? I can't tell from the pic.) Paint.


How should I connect my new WiFi Smart Switch? Installing WiFi switch on the last switch to the right. Where do the 2 black and 2 white wire connect.

See existing wiring in picture below:

There's a nice video at that link which covers things pretty well. You connect the blacks to the two blacks that connect to your current switch.

The white from the new switch can be bundled with the cluster of white neutrals in the box, though it appears that the nut on it is already quite full. You might need to split the bundle and connect two smaller bundles with a jumper.

The green ground wire connects to the bare ground wire bundle in the box.