Help wiring Bathroom fan I am not 100% sure how to wire my new bathroom fan, and I am looking for a little guidance. (This is for a NuTone QTN130LE1)

Here are the existing wires in the attic. I have a white wire, a black wire, and a ground.

Here is the wires for the unit:

There are taped into pairs

First pair is White and Black
Second pair is white and Blue
Third pair is White and Red
Fourth is ground.

And here is the wiring guide.

I am a little confused because of the red wire for the night light (Unit has 2 lights, a fan, and a night light) but I do not plan on using the night light if that makes a difference.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Connect the black wire from the ceiling, to the black and blue wires from the fan/light.
Connect the white wire from the ceiling, to the white/black and white/blue wires from the fan/light unit.
Connect all bare/green grounding conductors.
Cap the red and white/red wires from the fan/light unit.

When you're done, the switch will turn on both the light and fan at the same time.


Options for raised bathtub platform We are building a new 6' x 15' bathroom with a 6' x 7' area which will contain a shower and a stand-alone tub.  The shower pan will be 6' x 3.5' and we are planning to build a small raised platform (6' x 3.5' x 4") for the bathtub to sit on.  We are currently planning to tile the top of the platform.  We are not planning to have any barrier between our shower and tub.  Our contractor thinks that we need to have the platform sloped toward the shower pan so that water that may splash onto the raised platform drains off.
I don't really like the idea of not having a level surface for the tub, and I am wondering if (1) the slope is necessary?  (2) if there are other ways to deal with the water that may get on the platform?
This is the bathtub being used: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vanity-Art-Versailles-59-in-Acrylic-Flatbottom-Freestanding-Bathtub-in-White-VA6610/305086229

No slope is a bad idea - sure, you can have the joy of vacuuming up water on the platform after every shower or bath...no, really you want drainage.
If the tub (as usual) stays put, you can set the tub level, and slope the surface around it (or under it, other than where the feet sit, if it has feet) to drain.
Honestly, my first thought here is that the tub base/surround should be a non-raised extension of the shower base. A step like that invites falls in the bathroom. You step out of the tub, it's further down to the shower floor than your brain expects, or you slip off the narrow step, and hurt yourself.
It should still be sloped to drain, while the part exactly under the tub should be level (and full of plaster, since I'm old-school that way with making plastic tubs be solidly bedded. Tubs that flex, crack.) Either raise the side towards the drain to be level, so the tub sits on a very short plinth, or let the surround base & tile flow up the skirt of the tub to embed it the half-inch to an inch it might need on the high side.


Securing base of floor cabinets to concrete I need to install floor cabinets to concrete floor. I see that there is a suitable board on the top of the back of a cabinet to secure the top but was wondering about the base. Should I attach a pressure treated 2x4 to the cocnrete floor 3/4" (thickness of the cabinet) and inside the cabinet so that I can screw the cabinet base to it on the other side?

I can see no other way to affix the bottom. Unless the bottom, for some reason (the weight of the counter top) does not need to be secured.

Base wall cabinets are rarely attached to the floor even with wood framing. It's just not necessary, as the weight of the cabinets, the continuous counter top, and the support they lend each other when connected prevent unwanted movement. This assumes proper attachment to the wall.

Island or longer peninsula cabinets are a different situation, where bar-top overhangs and narrow widths can leave them unstable. Code may even require anchoring. In those cases, attaching an inner frame of lumber to the concrete as you describe, over which you set the cabinet, makes for a great anchoring base. You can then screw down through the base shelf or through hidden portions of the side walls into the lumber.


Why does this switch trip the breaker? I have been living in my house for 8 years now, and there has always been a mystery switch and outlet (both located on the same wall).  My wife has rearranged the room, and now we will need to use the mystery switch and outlet.

The switch is wired and has power, but it does not go to anything. In order to determine which circuit it was on, I removed the switch and wired an outlet to it.  I plugged a ground fault detector and it read Hot/Grnd Reversed.  So I did what anyone else would do (i think) and switched the wires around.  Same reading.

So I found a junction box in the basement, where I thought I would have found where my issue was or where the switch is wired to. NOPE. Here I found a white wire colored black attached to a black wire, so I change them around thinking this was my issue - nope same reading. There are 8 wires going into the junction box, so I undid all the wires and put them all back together (trying to find the wire for the switch) no luck.

The light switch in the room where the junction box is trips my breaker (the lights turn on when the light switch is off and trips the breaker when I switch the lights on) - yes this switch is wired to that junction box.  I checked to see if I may have swapped a wire in the junction box but all neutrals are together as well as all the hots.  Why is this happening?

Sorry for this being so long.   I am looking forward to any insight or assistance you can provide.

Not all white wires are "neutrals", and not all "neutrals" are white.  Some white wires are in fact used as "hots", especially those that are marked with black tape/marker/paint, and/or connected to single pole snap switches.

You should put everything back the way you found it, and contact a local licensed Electrician. Better yet, just shut off the breaker and call the Electrician. You can explain to them what you did.

This advice may sound harsh, but it sounds like you don't know much about electrical wiring.  If you'd like to learn, take a course at the local college, or read some books.  Messing with wires in your home, is not the way to learn the basics.


Replace Track Lighting To Recessed Lights Utilizing 3-Way Switch I had a Switch on one end of the kitchen and a Switch on the other end of the kitchen that would turn on/off the Track Light I had (3-Way Switch).

I want to add 6 Recessed Lights, so I removed the Track Light.

In the attic one wire went from one Switch to the Track Light, another wire came out of the Track Light and continued on to the other Switch.  This wire contains: Black, White, Red and Copper.

I reconnected the above mentioned wire making one long wire from Switch to Switch.
While doing that I also connected a wire matching up Black, White and Copper and took that to a recessed light (3 Black together, 3 White together, 3 Copper together and 2 Red together).
I flip the circuit breaker and one switch turns on and off the light.  The next switch either pops the breaker or only turns it on (doesn't turn off, flashes off but flipping up turns it on, flipping down turns it on).

I need some advice on what to do and how to wire them.  I believe I found the answer how to wire them, but I am confused because I have two different wires (one with red, the other without).

EDIT

Here is a wiring diagram I made of how I have it currently.  The wire running down the middle was existing (has the red wire in it) and was working correctly with just a single Track Light:

EDIT 2:  First 2 images are of the Top Switch in diagram, where power comes in.

What happened is that the white from the top switch is a neutral, while the white from the bottom switch is a traveler. Hence, one of the travelers is connected directly to both the common wire and the light, and the other traveler coming from the second switch is shorted to the neutral -- which explains the weird behavior and tripped breakers.

Now that that's covered, lets fix this -- this is all at the light-junction-box:

Turn the power off at the breaker box
Disconnect everything but the bare (ground) wires and the red wires.
Connect the white from the top switch to the white from the light.
Connect the black from the bottom switch to the black from the light.
Connect the black from the top switch to the white from the bottom switch -- tag that white wire with a piece of electrical tape while you are at it.
Turn the power back on at the breaker box


Are "pigtailed" conductors at an outlet required to comply with the length requirements of 300.14 for conductors that are spliced in the box? I normally make any pigtails at an outlet or switch box about six inches, same as the requirement found in 300.14 for spliced conductors that emerge from their cable or raceway into the box, but an older electrician makes his about three inches and told me they don't have to be any longer than you want to make them. I'm not finding any exceptions to the rule for these pigtails, but I also realize the point of 300.14 is more to keep the working conductors long enough to work with. Is my electrician friend correct?

No the requirement is 6” from the back of the box , no tape measure a dollar bill will , if you only have a 20 I will trade you for a dollar and you will be good,,, ok that has only almost worked once LOL.
My first job as a licensed electrician my dad said I will save you thousands and went back and clipped all my wires on the rough in , the inspector knew I was just had just got my card and measured them, yes he had me replace everything that was less than 6 from the back, most of them I had some slack , but I did have to replace a few lines , ever since then I have always said it is better to waste a foot than be short an inch. , my latest graduate on his first job trued to save some $ on a parallel 500 job , oops now we had to add a j box and splices, I was upset with 12 awg ,, I think he will never do that again as it added quite a few hours splices and a very large j box.
You cannot make them “whatever length”  6” from the back of the box or 3” extension I front I think is the minimum code.


How to repair water main after break My water main broke from the 45 degree angle elbow it has on it going down in my yard. The fitting just blows off when I reattached it. It's 40 degrees outside and the glue has had 6 hours of cure time. The main issue is the angle it is just slightly off. We are about to try a 22-1/2 degree angle fitting. Do I need to dig it completely out to do this or just reattempt it with a better angle? What would a pro do?

PVC pipe is actually welded together by the glue. The two mating surfaces softened by the glue actually intermingle and fuse. When the glue cures the pipe and fitting become a single PVC piece.   Temperature, among other factors, effect the time it takes for the bond to reach full strength. If I remember correctly the glue directions state (paraphrase): "let the joint cure undisturbed for 12(?) hours. Reaches full strength in 24 hours".   I've found the joints hold best when using a PVC primer with the glue. Also use a "full bodied-type" glue also labeled as a "hot" glue. It preforms better when the pipe is leaking water and in cooler climates.  As far as your joint being under stress due to a wrong trench angle shave the trench wall to allow the pipe and fitting to un-bend. This isn't as important as ensuring that the mating pieces are clean, that a full coating of glue is applied to the entire mating surfaces of both parts and that the pieces are pushed together fully and then held tightly for several seconds.


Best way to cover external XPS insulation My house has a basement, and on the outside, there's a layer of XPS foam insulation on the outside of the basement wall, up to the grade.  For most of the house, the sod goes right up to the house, however on one section it is exposed, and there's a slight gap between the insulation and the house.  What's the best way to cover it up?

For covering exposed XPS, especially on foundations (though not limited to there) "Parging" (pretty much a layer of a stucco-like product) is fairly normal; you can get stuff marketed for exactly this job, or not, as you prefer. In the typical thin application, it provides sun/UV protection and appearance similar to concrete, with a minimal level of impact resistance.

In a more abusive location a full stucco coat with reinforcement may be needed.


Why can't an encapsulated and dehumidified crawl space have vents sealed off? I found SECTION R408.3 of the International Residential Code which says that unvented crawl spaces are only allowed if one of the following is true:

There is exhaust ventilation fan running continually
The crawl space is air conditioned along with the rest of the house

Notably, this means that if you have a fully dehumidified crawl space, code would not allow it to be sealed off completely! This goes against a lot of recommendations, for example this one from buildingscience.com:

The crawlspace is either “vented” and “not conditioned” and connected to the “outside”…or…the crawlspace is “not vented” and “conditioned” and connected to the “inside”.

And by "conditioned" later it is clarified that dehumidification counts:

You have to provide air change between the crawlspace and the house or you have to provide dehumidification.

If conditioning crawlspaces with air from the house is not desirable install a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier handles the moisture control.

The reality of code is that it is written by a group of people who are influenced by tradesmen, lobbyist groups, government organizations, etc. Is the international residential code always going to allow for all acceptable solutions to all scenarios in all locations where it applies? Not by a long shot. They pick and choose methods, sometimes get things right, sometimes wrong (and hopefully fixed in a future revision as has historically been the case with a lot of requirements for basement insulation techniques).
If some new doohicky comes along where a company stands to make a lot of money from a code change to allow the use of the doohickey, a company can lobby the council in charge of the code (or if it’s a large company, they may have a sitting member on the council) and possibly get their special interest addressed.
Without official published reasoning behind the code being the way it is, the best we can do is speculate.
So, right or wrong, here is my speculation:
I think this scenario is uncommon enough to date where the council has currently settled on an “all unfinished” or “all finished” approach to the treatment of crawl spaces. You could make a similar argument about requirements for attic spaces.
I think one of the primary reasons could be that a standalone dehumidifier like you are suggesting is a small appliance not usually installed by a builder as part of new builds where air conditioning equipment is (toaster vs oven kind of thing). Since the dehumidifier is not built in, you could move out and take your dehumidifier with you and then the next homeowner would be none the wiser that a dehumidifier is required. Therefore, I think the requirements are in place to ensure the space will be addressed passively by vents or addressed actively by something expected to be a permanent fixture of the home that you or a future homeowner will notice if it stops working (a homeowner would likely notice if the furnace or air conditioning fails).
It is what it is for now, but if you or the wifi dehumidifier lobbyist group wants to go to bat, you could see a change in the next revision of the code itself.
Another option, depending on your plans and locality, you could always request special dispensation from the Authority Having Jurisdiction (e.g. local building department) and they might grant you an exception.
Also, you didn’t quote code verbatim and I do think there might some wiggle room for using a zoned air conditioning approach where the crawl space could technically be a different air conditioning zone. Again, this is open to interpretation and the Authority Having Jurisdiction has final say.


running heat ducts outdoors I'm building a small (160 square feet) granny flat about 20' away from our main house. Our main house has a great blend of pellet stove + solar collection to keep the home warm. Rather than run electricity or install a wood stove in the granny flat I was hoping I could run ducting from the main house.

I'm planning on a simple 12V solar system for the granny flat's electricity, hence nothing powerful enough to run a heater.

I've seen R8 flex ducting, but it seems weird to dig a trench for ducting even if I re-enforced it in a box. Is there any best practice for running ducting through an outdoor stretch? I'd rather have it be underground regarding aesthetics.

Temperature-wise we're around 8,000 feet in the mountains, temperatures dip down to -10°F in the winter, highs in the single digits (~5°F) on occasion. Normally winter days are 35°F highs and 5°F nights.

Is there any best practice for running ducting through an outdoor stretch?

I am not going to act like I know the specific codes or whatever, especially for a dwelling 20 feet away from the main house.  But I can offer you something similar.

I have flipped many houses in the midwest and on smaller ones we often poured a slab extension.  Before pouring concrete local inspectors have asked us to dig three feet down and bury rigid ducts with at least R-40 worth of insulation around it and wrapped.

I thought three feet was a bit extreme but after the insulation, man you are only 1-1.5 feet below the concrete.  And several of these rooms have been 20 feet plus away from the house at the furthest point so the ducts were underground for 20 feet albeit maybe insulated a bit by the concrete (same weather variations).  Here are the exact guidelines I used when doing mine.

Also I have seen PVC type ducting like this used but not for residential.  I would certainly look into something like this if I were doing one today - I would also insulate it too as the R-10 they are promising is a suspect amount of insulation for cold weather climates.


What is the meaning of the letters on the top of a common hex bolt? I recently drilled and tapped a 5/16"-18 in a piece of soft steel, then found that the 5/16"-18 bolt I had chosen wouldn't fit (the bolt was slightly too large).  When I found that other 5/16"-18 bolts fit just fine, I got curious and eventually tried every 5/16"-18 bolt that I had.  I was amazed to find thirteen different sets of letters (and sometimes numbers).

The one bolt marked "AKD" was slightly too big to fit.  Of the four marked "HKT", two fit and two did not (too big).  All the others fit just fine (though with slightly differing amounts of slop); they were marked "AFE", "AHB", "AKD", "AMD", "BL", "FH", "HBJ", "HBN", "HBS", "HHW", "HKT", "307A CYI", and "307A JZ".  A few had no letters at all.  I got these bolts at different times and places over an unknown number of years, at various hardware stores and big home centers.  They are all steel, not galvanized, not stainless (as far as I know), and all the threads are the same (18).  None of the heads bear any of the lines that are supposed to identify the grade.

I've been searching the internet, and I found many sites that claim to explain these codes, but so far none of them include the codes I found on my bolts.  Can anyone point me to a comprehensive reference for these codes?

Those sets of three letters sound like a whole slue of manufactures as seen here (fastenal.com) in the example of a head marking, on page 44. The Appendix, beginning at page 36, shows industry standards. Any bolt not conforming to these specifications is assumed to be a grade 2 or less.


How do you identify settling cracks versus structural cracks (new build ) In my new build house I've found roof to ground stucco crack on outside and at same location on inside (garage). There's a crack from top through the mortar, then straight through two blocks, then down joint in the wall.

Several things are occurring here: 1) cracks through the blocks not just mortar joints, 2) vertical and diagonal cracks

1) In construction, block walls are designed with mortar joints to be weaker than concrete blocks. That way, when the building settles (and all buildings settle) the wall will zig zag crack down the wall in the mortar joint, NOT through a block. Replacing a block is much harder that repointing the mortar.

Your mason has screwed up and caused a big problem that can only be fixed by replacing the cracked blocks.

2) Generally, vertical cracks are caused by the foundation settling in one location and a diagonal crack is caused by the foundation settling along many feet (big area).

They are both “structural” cracks, it’s just that one is a bigger deal than another. A small crack (like yours) is called a “hair-line” crack and is minor. Often the building is constructed so fast that the foundation does not have a chance to settle before the final finishes have been installed. I think this is what happened to you.

I’d monitor it by drawing a line across the crack every 4’ or so, number the lines, and measure and photo each crack. I’d keep a journal for 1 year checking at regular intervals, say on the 1st of each month. If it continues to get bigger, you have a problem.

Likewise, if any cracks develop, note and monitor it too. If crack gets to be more than 3/16”, you have s problem. Let your contractor know what you’re going to do and send him notes and pics each month. Let him know you expect the cracked blocks replaced at the end of 1 year, plus and walls with cracks larger than 3/16”. (Check your warranty and make sure you send certified letter before the warranty ends.  Maybe this will be a 10 month monitoring process instead of 1 year.)


Least Destructive New Heating System? Hot Water or Air? I'm having some issues with my current steam heating system. I'd rather get it replaced with a whole new system, either forced hot water or forced air. The house was built in 1916, so I'd have to do mini-ducts if I went forced air (thin walls). I plan on feeding the system with the gas line I already have coming in.

I'm sure there will be some floor and wall tearing, but I'm curious to know how much, and should I really not put too much weight on this aspect.

The annoying part is, the previous owners did a renovation in 2009 but left the old steam system. Not that I have anything against steam but they didn't replace any of the pipes, values, air vents or radiators.

Thank you

I would maintain a hot water heating system for the increased comfort. Forced air is actually quite uncomfortable to people but it is cheap to install.

Just google "ideal heating curve" and you will see the many graphs comparing different types of heating systems. Like here. And here.

So you can choose, save money now and suffer or spend more now and be comfortable.

Good luck with your project!


Trying to replace a standard outlet with a GFCI, but found 1 white wire unused and a different white wire used in its place. What am I missing? The current setup shows a switch that controls a ceiling fan. There is another switch (not pictured) that also controls the ceiling fan. Both switches also control power to the outlet shown in the picture. Don't love this setup, but I can deal with it.
Main concern:
The switch has a white wire on top (with the red knob) and black wire on bottom. Yellow wire goes from the opposite side of the switch to the hot side of the outlet. Everything appears to work, but the issue that causes my confusion is the seamingly random white wire that comes into the box through the round hole in the back (see picture towards the center of the box) and is connected to the neutral side of the outlet. The neutral that I would have expected to be connected is just left unconnected (hard to see but it is almost touching the left side of the box). What am I missing here?  Is this extra wire from the ceiling fan, the other switch, or somewhere else?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

OK you have one 3-way switch and one duplex receptacle in the box. The black and the white wire are the carriers for the 3-way and that is where you power is coming into the box. Then the yellow wire is the switch leg that attaches to the duplex and powers it up, along with the black wire which probably goes to the fan which we will get to in a moment.

The duplex also has a white wire that looks like it is being used as a ground to the box, but the box is not grounded or is it. You need to take a volt meter and check the voltage from the yellow switch leg when it is hot and the ground to see if you get a voltage. I am betting the white wire attached to the box is worthless.

Remember when I said we would get back to the fan. Now we come to the other white wire that appears to come through the hole in the back of the box and acts as the receptacles neutral. I would like to know where this wire comes from. Is there another box on the other side of the wall or near this box where someone has scabbed a neutral and pulled through to the box? This neutral is related to the white wire that feed down from the fan. This should be the proper neutral. Is there a reason why this neutral is not being used instead of the scabbed one? I am guessing that somewhere in the past it has failed and that is why someone scabbed in the second neutral. This is a variation of what we used to call a California 3-way. Where you are using a neutral that is not the original circuits neutral.

Conclusion: You could replace the receptacle with a GFCI but it may not operate properly since the scabbed in neutral may cause an imbalance in the circuit and keep tripping the ground fault. Also it might be ungrounded not that that causes any problems with the GFCI in fact it would be more to NEC standard that what you have in place now. You also need to find open up the fan box and see if you can trace out the original neutral and find out why it is not being used and get rid of the scabbed neutral. Keep in mind that whoever did it, they did it for a reason to correct something that was not working or originally overlooked. The only question would be how many code requirements did they violate to get it working and that leads us to how dangerous is it to an unsuspecting person?

So be careful and good luck.


Metal doors, Mortise locks, and ... mobile liner? Spent last night retrofitting a fancy electronic combination lock on a metal door for the first time, and encountered something I don't understand.

The door has previously had another mortise lock, so I assumed it was set up for the American Standard Mortise and this would just be a matter of drilling the additional holes to support the lock body. I was half right; it was ASM and the mortise body it without any trouble. There turned out to be a problem with different knob center and having to enlarge that hole from 3/4" to 1" and shift it upward a bit, but that was expected.

What I didn't expect was a battle drilling the mounting holes. Drill first hole, no problem. Drill second... and first is suddenly partly blocked by an internal piece. I had to continue arguing with that for the remaining four holes above and below the lock body.. If I'd known to expect that, I'd have brought a bunch of dowels or extra drill bits or something to try to stabilize the position of that... but I didn't expect it, and I'm still having trouble explaning it.

Question: Why would there be an apparently mobile sheet-metal inner box within the mortise opening? Is this a normal part of the design of these doors (and if so is it general or manufacturer-specific), or is it something a previous locksmith added to strengthen the door (seems unlikely), or was it something that should have been spot-welded in place but wasn't, or...?

Check with the manufacturer, it may be defective. Usually something like that moving around is for adjustment...i.e. non-mortise locks having different backsets to accommodate pre-drilled doors that may differ. I haven't run across a mortise lock that was adjustable, the door has to adjust to them.


Deck blocks below frost line I am replacing my old deck that was completely rotten. The original was non treated lumber so it just was toast. The deck is only about 2' off the ground and 15' out from the house. It extents 30' across the width of the house. I am using 2x8 joists and double joists around the perimeter. There are 3 original footings for caring the load at the end of the deck but I was wanting to run a double 2x8 beam at 8' to help carry the load and get the bounce out of the 2x8s since I think the max span is usually 11' not 15'. I live in north Idaho where the frost line is 2'.

Can I bury pre cast deck blocks 3' down and run 4x4 posts up to catch the beam? The original footings should carry the max load as it did before, these would just help. The photo below shows placement but the blocks are not buried yet

Sure you can, but they need to be treated for below-grade use. Most 4x4 are not, so you may need 6x6, which tend to be treated to a further degree.

Also, deck blocks are expense overkill if you're burying them, and they don't always meet the area requirement for below-grade footings. Use purpose-built cookies or a few bags of concrete mix.


What size are the pipe fittings on the feed line side of a sink feed? Trying to figure out what size the feed lines ( and the dish washer T ) are under my kitchen sink. I measured the OD of the metal mesh and it looks around 1.2 inch, but I'm not sure if these are standard.

It looks like a standard braided supply line. available at practically any hardware store in various lengths


What parameters (torque, speed, impact, impact energy) are more important when drilling into reinforced concrete? I try to pick a drill that can drill into concrete / reinforced concrete for a non professional usage, say 1-2 holes a month. It is possible to choose between a combi drill (which usually has better torque) and a hammer drill (which usually has better speed and impact, many times torque is not even specified as if it's not important).
[Side Note: I prefer a combi drill so it can be also used for screwdriving etc]

Example of Combi Drill Parameters - Bosch GSB 18-2-LI Plus:
Max speed: 1900 rpm
Max torque: (1) 63 (2) 24 nm
Impact: 28500 bpm
Impact energy: ? J
Vibration emission (concrete): 13.5 m/s²

Example of Hammer Drill Parameters - Bosch PSB 650 RE:
Max speed: 3000 rpm
Max torque: 9 nm
Impact: 48000 bpm
Impact energy: ? J
Vibration emission (concrete): 35 m/s²

Questions:

What parameters (torque, speed, impact, impact energy, vibration emissiom) are more important when drilling into reinforced concrete? Since many hammer drills come with relatively low torque I figured that it is less important for drilling into concrete but when I asked a representative of Bosch via email he told that torque and speed are more imporant here which left me confused.
Does a higher vibration emission means a higher impact energy (in other words can one infer about the impact energy value by knowing the vibration emission value)?

It depends on what you are drilling.  For small holes, (1/4"-1/2") a hammer drill is not usually enough impact in hardened concrete so any SDS style drill and bit will usually do as they have alot more impact than a hammer drill.  Torque is not usually a problem.

For bigger holes 1" +/- torque begins to affect how much the bit can actually spin as it is doing its work if using a cheaper weaker drill.

For coreing holes 3-6"+ you absolutely need alot of torque to keep the bit moving and the impact becomes less important.  This is why for larger holes only thin wall SDS bits exist otherwise there would be too much torque exerted on the smaller SDS shaft.  The larger sizes that are not thin wall are typically SDS-MAX with alot thicker shaft for the increased torque required due to the additional contact area of the bit face and wall.

Increased impact can help speed the process on larger holes but without enough torque the bit just does not spin the teeth fast enough to let them do their job.

Another way to think of it is if you could have only torque or impact when making a hole, which one is more important?  Torque.  Spinning without beating you get a really slow drilled hole.  Beating without spinning and you don't get a hole; you get demolition with a drill bit which is slower and not hole shaped.

Speed is not usually an issue unless you just dont have any as drilling larger holes is typically a rather low RPM endeavor.


What kind of screw is it this with two different intertwining threads? I have a screw that is 1 1/2" long, and it has two different threads around it.  It's a button head, made for a Phillips-head screwdriver.

What do you call this kind of screw and its threading so I can search to find more of this kind of screw?

That type of threading is called hi-lo, or sometimes high-low.

From MutualScrew.com:

  High-low screws -- or hi lo screws, as they are often called -- have double-lead threads (where two grooves have been cut around the shaft). This kind of screw includes a high thread and a low thread. The unique qualities of hi-lo thread specifications help minimize the amount of material displaced as the screw is driven into the material, while also serving to create a stronger grip than would otherwise be possible.


Can I use end terminal connectors instead of twist type connectors? I am wiring a relay into a pump and right now they are using twist type connectors. Can I use end terminal connectors instead of twist type connectors? In which situation are end terminal connectors properly  used.

There are all kinds of terminals but if you use the quick-disconnect type that will be better than a wire nut if you're disconnecting and reconnecting at times.

If the wires are inside an enclosure, you could also use a terminate the wire with ring or spade terminals and a terminal block / terminal strip the right size, which is sometimes nice because you can put a meter on the screws in the terminal strip when testing.


How worried should I be about unlevel floors/vibrations? we bought a house about 6 months ago. The house is 50 years old this year. Passed main and termite inspections with only minor issues (many of which we've already addressed), and also had an inspection from the insurance company.

I noticed when we moved in that our furniture in a few rooms on the second level is not level. I checked the floor with our bubble level to see what was going on. In our master bedroom the floor slopes a little (about 1/8 inch per foot) towards the center of the house for two to three feet and then levels off. The same is true of another bedroom on the other side of the house. The upstairs is mostly level except for these spots. The foundation seems very sturdy with no cracks from what we can tell, and the downstairs floors are level or very nearly so. The house is slab on grade.

Also in our guest bedroom I noticed that when I walk by a bookshelf (which is, admittedly, IKEA) everything on it wobbles. If I bounce in front of it the wobble is quite pronounced. Bouncing in the other rooms or bouncing in the same room near other pieces of furniture produces a tiny bit of shake (I have to bounce a lot harder to get much at all) but nothing like this one place. When you bounce you cannot hear anything significant downstairs (just sounds like footsteps).

We have not noticed any cracks except a few minor ones above baseboards and other painted wood joints (as in, they need some caulk) and near the whole house fan and sump pump hatch (which we're almost certain has to do with their installation since they are both recent). There are no cracks around doors or windows, everything shuts properly.

Any advice would be great. We are scared of big repairs so soon after buying the house.

If you aren't seeing new cracks or other signs of this getting worse, it sounds like what you'd expect in an older house. Try supporting your bookshelf with some shims - it might just not be evenly supported where it is, and wobbling because it's unsteady.

You'll want to investigate your structure if you see:

new cracks forming
changes in floor leveling
problems operating doors or windows.

Unless that happens, don't worry! Enjoy your new house. And come up with some fun projects to do to it!


Why do they use a different tap for filtered water instead of the regular tap? I'm talking about the kitchen sink. Why not just connect the filters to the regular tap?

The kitchen sink is used for various other purposes than getting a glass of water to drink. So you don't want to be wasting the filter when doing your dishes.


20A home circuit breaker stuck in "TRIPPED" state If I understand correctly, then the proper circuit breaker reset procedure is TRIPPED->OFF->ON (ie you can't reset the circuit breaker by going directly from TRIPPED->ON state). However, the circuit breaker immediately springs backs into TRIPPED state if I try to move it into OFF state (or just as well ON state).

So my questions are:

Does the fact that I can't even get it to stay in OFF state proves that problem is in circuit breaker (opposed to unresolved short that trips circuit breaker again)?
If so, then are there any tricks to reset it?
Or, is this a sign that it is time to replace the circuit breaker?

If you cannot move the circuit breaker actuator from the "tripped" position to the "off" position and have it stay there then there is certainly something wrong with that breaker.

You should definitely plan to replace that breaker with a new one as breakers do fail from time to time. But first you should evaluate what it was that caused the breaker to trip in the first place. If that is comprehended and corrected then install the new breaker.


What type of garage heater should I connect to my 30A circuit? i want to heat my garage with a garage heater.  My garage is already wired with a NEMA 6-30 plug on a dedicated 30 Amp breaker.  What can i use to heart my garage  using this existing set up?

What kind of heater, what do you think I should  buy?
i have seen three kinds for sale:

construction heaters which are 240v 30 amp breaker, wired to a receptacle with a NEMA 6-30 plug. but i am told that these are dangerous and do NOT conform to the construction code.  they sell for about $150
a wired in heater hanging from the ceiling (i would use the existing breaker and wire but remove the receptacle and hard wire it in) 240v 30 amp. These are expensive to buy (about $300) and i would need to hire an electrician to hard wire instead of using existing plug
240 V dimplex garage heater.  These take a 20 amp breaker. I would need to switch out the 30 amp breaker, and change the receptacle.

is there a better option?

Common electric convection baseboard heaters are ridiculously cheap, in the neighborhood of $50 for a 2000W unit and $15 for a 30A thermostat.

Select your heaters so they total up to less than 80% of 7200W.

That plus some EMT conduit, a few junction boxes and some red 10AWG THWN wire to hook it all up, done.


I’m needing advice on making garden spheres I am trying to make garden spheres. First attempt was concrete..no success too much aggregate need a smooth mix. 2nd attempt was cement, much smoother but doesn’t come in quickset so Bunnings staff sold me bondcrete additive, no idea really how to use I just don’t get the whole Picture on what it does and how to add as in water cause if I add too much it ruins my builders mix.
Also builders sand and cement mix I’m only using 3 cups of mix at a time and I’m adding water to the ratio for bondcrete...I get air bubbles which is a sign of weakness in the mix once dried, I just can’t get a happy medium at all it’s stressful.
i just need to know How much water to add to the builders sand and cement Mix- I’m using 3 cups at a time, for a consistent mixture. Then I need The same Formula but Now adding In the bondcrete to help it set quicker. I’m noticing that it crumbles once it has set...and bubbles in mix as it sets.
I’ve never attempted to make anything out of cement or concrete but I really want to make a garden orb/sphere. I don’t want to give up but I read your page a lot and I get great tips so I just thought I’d put it out there see if anyone can advise me.
For my spheres I’m using blowup beach balls-medium and A gym ball-lge, sadly I only have made a 1/2 of a beach ball.

The question is on how to build a sphere not how to decorate.
Are you using a medium to hold the concrete in place?
We built reef balls using a similar procedure. (Reef balls are concrete balls dropped on the ocean floor to create artificial reefs for fish to hide)
We would wrap chicken wire around the ball making openings for the fish and pack about 1” thick of mortar with some fine rock called Turkey grit. We mixed until it felt right not runny at all but wet enough to be able to push the mix into the layers of wire.
we would do 1/3 to 1/2 the ball at a time depending on size and let it cure for 2-3 days then do the next section or finish it.
We eventually found that 18” worked the best for our project the larger ones got two heavy and the beach balls did not hold up well. The smaller 12” ones worked but would disappear from the area?
There are all kinds of methods, molds and doing 1/2 shell at a time. we found the wire and mortar mix worked well but using that same method you could build your sphere without the holes once it is completed if the surface is two rough you could give it a finishing coat to make it smooth (we wanted rough surfaces for plant and animal life to attach to).
There are all kinds of examples on line not many do the balls like we did but last time I dove the area. There was a lot of life in that area that was a “desert” before.


How can I determine if a contractor has a valid license? Is there a website that you can check to see if a contractor is licensed and is valid?  Is it a state by state thing, or is their a national database as well?

Contractor licensing is by state, and sometimes even more regionally.


I need to paint stained wood trim The wood is newly stained, no varnish or shellac.  Do I need to do anything before I paint, or can I just go with primer?  I am spraying the wood white.

Just make sure the stain is good and dry, and you'll be good to go.


Use 10 inch network patch panel with 19 inch switch I have 10 network outlets throughout the house that terminate in the basement. I got a 16-port switch for them to plug into, going via a 12-port patch panel.

I can't figure out how I'm supposed to rack mount the patch panel and the switch as they're different sizes:

The switch comes with brackets to mount it in a 19-inch rack, but I can't find a way to mount the patch panel in the same rack. I can buy a 10-inch cabinet, but then I have nowhere to put the switch (and I can't find any switch that would fit in a 10-inch rack).

Is there a standard way to adapt a 10-inch device to a 19-inch rack? Or an I stuck with improvising my own bracket? (or buying a bigger patch panel?)

Update 26th April: I went for a new 19-inch patch panel, and put the lot into a 6U cabinet for good measure.

The most obvious thing is to get a patch panel designed for a 19" rack or one that comes with an adapter plate.

If you have your heart set on using the patch panel that you have then you would be faced with creating something of your own. I believe that the easiest way to do that is to purchase a ready made blank 19" rack panel that is higher than your patch panel. You then cut out a rectangular hole in this blank panel to fit your patch panel which you can push through from the front and secure in place with machine screws through the existing ears.

BTW. Blank patch panels can be had in steel and aluminum materials. You may find one type to be easier to work with depending upon available tools.


How can I prevent water from getting behind the gutter? A friend of mine is having a water problem; the water is coming down behind the gutter.  It turns out the drip edge isn't covering up the gutter completely on the one side for a considerable length of the house, as the gutter slants downward.  Is there a way to fix this?  Is there a flashing you can use, or something else?

Note that this started happening after a recent replacement of a roof.  I've included some pictures of what this looks like.

Is the water running down the roof not going into the gutter, and instead flowing behind the gutter? If so, then there is a problem with the gutter and/or flashing installation. In addition to the drip flashing, you should check that the gutters are properly affixed. They should be sloped toward the downspouts, but are they securely attached to the fascia board? The fascia board could be rotted, and the gutter hangers unable to hold the gutters firmly against the building. (This is the sort of problem that rapidly gets worse, as the more the fascia board is exposed to water, the more it rots, letting the gutter hangers fail.)

Alternatively, if the gutters are overflowing and draining toward the house instead of down the downspouts, then you probably just need to clean the gutters so they can drain properly.


Wire nuts vs lever nuts I'm doing some home repair and discovered lever nuts. They look like a great improvement over wire nuts. Though they cost a bit more, ease of installation, tracking the wires, and less bulkiness make up for it, in my opinion.

However, some people are critical. A friend of mine, who is quite handy, says not to use lever nuts because they don't twist the wire for contact, which can create heat. I'm not sure I believe that.

What are the pros and cons of lever and wire nuts?

I have never used lever connectors but AFIK the WAGO should work great.

They are only approved for copper conductor (not aluminum). With the special WAGO joint compound they would probably work with aluminum. I think they do not accept wires over #12 so this would limit their use with aluminum.

I have heard that there are counterfeit WAGO lever connectors in the market so be sure to get them from a trustworthy source.


No Ground on old dryer My mom went out and bought a super old dryer to replace one that busted. I'm trying to hook it up with 4 prong cord hut there is no green nut for the ground. Where does the ground go?

A modern dryer should have a separate ground (which is bonded to the exposed metal case of the dryer) and neutral connection, with a removable jumper between them.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find an installation manual for this model, just several copies of the Use & Care Manual. There are three possibilities:

The dryer has connections for 2 hots + neutral and no wiring at all for ground and the metal parts of the dryer are not connected to the neutral. You can test this with a multimeter by seeing if there is continuity between unpainted metal parts and the neutral connection. If there is no continuity (and you really truly have no ground connection on the dryer anywhere) then "a self tapping screw and secure the ground in the connection area be sure not to poke any other wires" is the right answer as it will provide a reasonable ground connection independent of the neutral connection.
The dryer has ground & neutral bonded together with a jumper. For any dryer made after 1996 (and possibly even a little older) there should be a jumper and by removing the jumper have ground independent of neutral. If you test with a multimeter and find continuity between the metal parts and neutral then if you can find and remove this neutral-ground jumper you can then connect ground to the case with a self-tapping screw and be safe.
The dryer has ground & neutral bonded together but no specific connection can be found. If this is the case then you have a 3-wire connection forced on you. If you were to connect a grounding wire to the metal case, you would effectively be bonding neutral & ground so that even though you are using a 4-wire connection, safety-wise it would be exactly the same - with the same dangers - as a 3-wire connection. If this turns out to be the case then I do NOT recommend this as (a) you are cheating well-established (> 20 years) safety standards and (b) likely have a VERY old dryer.

Bottom line: If you still can't find a jumper, check for continuity between case and neutral. If you don't have any continuity (check multiple locations to be sure) then ground to the case. If you do have continuity, get a different dryer. Used is OK, as long it isn't too old. Anything newer than 1996 should have a removable jumper so that you can connect it correctly.


Why do I have almost no water pressure after installing a new valve? We had a leaky shut off valve under our master bathroom sink.  The valve appeared to be original to the house.  That would put it in the 40 year old range.

I replaced the valve with a new “Shark Bite” style value.  My local building supply store did not carry the actual “shark bite” product.  This was on the cold water feed.   The new valve was placed on the cold water copper feed pipe.

Now both the cold, and the hot, in this sink only,  are running at very low pressure.  I would call them a trickle.

All other faucets, and both toilets in the house, as well as the dishwasher, clothes washer, etc. are all functioning perfectly.

We are on a well and the pump is properly pressurized as evidenced by all the other items that use running water be fine and my viewing the gauge on the pump tank.

Up to the installation of the “Shark Bite” style valve the hot in the sink in question worked perfectly.

I am at a loss as to explaining this and require some advice.  The hot and cold under the sink in question are feed by separate ½ inch pipes.  If the “Shark Bite” style valve was the issue how would it also affect the hot supply?

Likely that you have injected or dislodged some bits of stuff that have now flowed up and clogged your faucet.  Especially likely if you have one of those faucets with a single handle; otherwise how can you explain how the hot water is affected?  Those kinds of faucet have little channels that can be clogged with gunk; it happened to my shower.


What is the grounding requirement one a second sub panel in a steel building I currently have a 125A sub panel in my steel shop ran from my house 200A service panel.  Existing shop sub panel is grounded from house panel to isolated ground bus and also is grounded to shop ground rod and bonded to shop frame.
Going to be running #8 to new panel 40 ft away for a welder and convenience outlets.  New panel is bonded to building frame so is it required to run a grounding conductor to new sub and is a ground rod required?

I'm assuming this new panel is in the same outbuilding shop as the 125A panel.

Any sub panels fed from the "main" panel for a structure (in this case the existing 125A panel is the main panel for your shop) should be grounded with a dedicated grounding conductor in addition to the hot and neutral conductors. So yes, you must run a ground wire to the new panel.

Note that connecting your panels to other metallic things like the metal building (or copper pipes, etc.) does NOT count as grounding. From a safety standpoint they are irrelevant. Your metal building is probably grounded to your existing panel/ground, not the other way around.


Can I run a central air conditioner in the winter? What happens if you run a central air conditioner when it's below freezing outside? Is this expected to work?

I know, it sounds crazy, but that's because you don't live in an overheated New York apartment building built in 1904 where the whole building is a single heat zone.

Our building has a big boiler in the basement that goes on for a certain number of minutes every hour, depending on the outside temperature, sending steam to every radiator in the building. In order to make sure that the coldest room in the whole building is adequately heated, that means lots of rooms are way overheated, and the temperature can reach the upper 80s (F of course).

The usual solution is to open and close windows manually. Apparently this is "by design", many of our windows actually have little panels in them you can open to get cool air. Then the temperature goes down to the lower 60s near the window, while it's still 80s elsewhere in the apartment, and it's drafty, too.

We're looking into installing thermostats on the radiators, but that is not the question.

The question is, what happens if we run the central air conditioner while it's freezing outside but over 80 inside?

The central air conditioner consists of an Aerosys THDC condenser (which is mounted through an "exterior wall" to an air shaft) connected through refrigerant lines to an indoors air-handling unit which has typical ductwork going to each room.

I don't think the people who made these condensers ever expected that they would be operating when it's well below freezing outside, so I am wondering if it should just work fine or if this is really a morbidly bad idea for some reason.

Empirically, it sort of worked for a couple of months, but when it got really cold, the condenser conked out, and now I have a repair call in to the AC company, but I don't know if that's because it was so cold outside or for some other reason.

After reviewing the spec sheet for the unit i have found that the LX series has a variable speed blower that will allow the unit to operate under low ambient conditions. Is specifies the system can operate down to 20 degrees. Anything below this and the system will not operate. If you do not have the LX unit and do have the standard, the. The unit is not permitted for low ambient use.

Most central air conditioning systems do not work under low ambient operation and doing so can damage the system. Residential condensers will very rarely come with a crank case heater for the compressor as well as a low ambient control that can modulate the condenser fan speed to maintain proper operation of the system. This is however common practice on heat pumps and ductless units. Most will only allow operation down to 32 degrees. A low ambient kit is normally required to lower the minimum operating temperature of the system.

The issue on running an air conditioner in cold weather is that refrigerant will migrate underneath the oil in the compressor crank case. When the compressor is then energized the refrigerant will rapidly change state as it is agitated and absorbing heat. This will cause the oil to be forced out of the crank case and will cause the compressor to run dry on oil for a period of time until the crank case has refilled with oil in the system. This can cause the compressor to fail. A crank case heater is utilized to prevent this by keeping the compressor pre heated.

So in conclusion if your system is the LX model it will stop operating when the outdoor ambient is below 20 degrees. The fact that the system is advertised for low ambient operation means that it is ok to operate down to 20 degrees.
If it is the standard model then you may have damaged the system from running it in low ambient conditions.


What is this layer of material in the kitchen floor? I have decided to replace the linoleum flooring in my kitchen with a layer of LVT Underlayment, and then Vinyl plank flooring. There were sections of the original floor that were not covered by the linoleum (underneath some, but not all counters) and so I began removing the existing linoleum.

The layers of linoleum peel up easily enough, as it is still flexible enough to score with a blade, and roll it as I peel, however this leaves a white fiber-ish layer. That layer is glued down to what I originally assumed was the subfloor which I thought was plywood but one area of it began to scrape away quite easily as I was attempting to remove the glue. From other questions asked, I think it may be rosin paper, but it seems to be fairly thick and links to rosin paper do not seem to match that quality.

After I removed the dishwasher, I discovered a small area of what looks to be OSB, and so I am now unsure, what exactly this layer that the linoleum is glued to would be.

If the 4th layer (linoleum, white fiber / glue, brown unknown layer - maybe rosin paper?, OSB?) is in fact the true subfloor, would the best idea be to remove everything down to that, and glue the Vinyl Underlayment directly to that surface, before installing the free-floating vinyl planks?

Looks like hardboard, often used as underlayment. Likely 1/8" thick. If so, you can remove or go over if in decent shape. Follow directions for additional underlayment for product you're installing either way.


GFCI Test button is intermittent I put in a new GFCI outlet (Electeck model GF-15-WT-5PK), but my TEST button is intermittent. It takes 2-4 presses to trip it off. There was no issue before I mounted it to the wall. Initially it would trip immediately when I flipped the circuit breaker on, but I fixed that by tightening the ground.
When the outlet is hanging by the wires, it tested on the first press.
I tried my fingers and a screwdriver and it does not trip off on the first press of the TEST button.
The outlet is installed in a Wiremold metal deep extender box. Wiremold backplate is grounded.

Those are counterfeit GFCIs
I would chide you for being "cheap", but the fact is, many of the dangerous or counterfeit items on Amazon are being priced same as quality items.  Further, counterfeiters have found an exploit that gives you a fake even if you order a "Ships from and sold by Amazon" item.
As a result, do not buy electrical equipment on Amazon..... and I gather I don't need to tell you not to buy it on the other shady mail-order sites like eBay, Banggood, DealExtreme, Wish, etc.
Jeff Bezos is firmly committed to making Amazon a "platform to connect sellers to buyers" - in other words, eBay. Further, Bezos has thrown open Amazon's warehousing/fulfillment/delivery system wide open to any comer.  Industries use it, eBay sellers use it, and if the item is also sold on Amazon, it ships with Prime.
So it's a gory mess, and it's impossible to give any guidance as to how to buy on Amazon safely.  Best advice: don't.
They all need to be ripped out
.... sent back and replaced with ones from a competent home store.  Send. Them. Back. Don't you dare let the counterfeiter keep your money! I know most consumers don't bother with refunds in most cases, but please do with counterfeits - it deters counterfeiters and helps Amazon identify the bad guys.  If the return window has expired, call up Amazon - they're more reachable than you'd think, and yell and scream - you'll get it.
If you don't want to walk into a Home Depot, they and Lowes do curbside pickup, and both will happily mail-order for you, and they ship it from their own supply chain, which are under quality controls.
because aside from being unsafe, they're not legal. NEC 110.2, equipment must be approved.


What's the best/easiest way to install and wire a wall light? I would like to add a wall light to a wall, but I'm not sure the best way to go about doing this.

I'm thinking it will be easiest to wire it up to a ceiling light (directly above proposed placement of wall light), and just fix the cable to the wall and paint over it.

Is this a viable option? What would I need to check with regards to power consumption, and type of wires?

For matters of power requirements, I live in the UK, although answers specific to other countires are welcome too for other users who may read this question.

If you want them to turn on and off at the same time, yes, it's fine.  If the floor above you is an attic, the job is relatively easy, otherwise call an electrician to do it.

You'll have to find a way to access the wires that go into the ceiling lights.  Once you find them, turn off the breaker, and get some appropriately sized wire nuts to combine all of the wires together, including the new 12 AWG wires for the wall lights.  You will need wire strippers and 3 wire nuts and combine the following together: hot (typically black), neutral (white), and ground (green.)  There may be more wires involved, but at the very least, you will have the 3 wires in each of the 3 colors -- one wire coming from the breaker box (aka service panel), one wire going to the existing ceiling light fixture, and one wire for your new wall fixture.

Use a sheetrock knife to make the needed hole in the wall for the wall light.  Then you can drill an extremely small (i.e. 1/8th-inch) drill bit into the ceiling above the fixture (assuming that the floor above is the attic) to let you know where the wall light is.  Then go into the attic, remove insulation where you think the drill bit is, and then find it.  Once it's found, drill a larger hole (3/8 to 1/2-inch) in the top plate (diagram) and feed the wall light wires into the hole.  Once you feed enough wire into the hole to reach the opening that you've cut into the wall, fish them out.  Cut the wires for the new wall light to an appropriate length, keeping in mind that you'll need extra length since it won't be going in a straight line and that you need extra length to make the wire nut connections.  Secure the wires with staples... no, not the ones in your office stapler... ask at HDepot/Lowes/etc. if you can't find them.

From there, it is simply a matter of stripping the last inch or so of each wire, making the electrical connections (see instructions that came with the fixture), attaching the fixture to the wall (see instructions), and then turning on the breaker.  Use wall putty to close up the tiny hole that you made in the ceiling.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately no guarantees can be made that the installation will be completely safe if you follow these instructions since I am forced to make assumptions and unforeseeable problems may exist that I have not thought of.  I am not responsible for any consequences that arise or any inaccuracies in these instructions (especially since you live in the UK, not the US.)  Hire an electrician if you want to be able to sue someone!


Do I need to grade my turf for drainage in a small plot So I have a townhouse with a small 20'x 30' backyard with a 20' x 7' garden in the rear that I'm converting into artificial grass (the green area in my diagram).  I'm keeping 2 large tree-like shrubs in the corners and putting artificial grass all around it, and using a 20 mm playmat foam turf pad underneath.  The bulk of the backyard is paver stones (in gray) with a surface drain in the center and a remaining garden strip on the right-hand side that I'm putting bushes in.  The house is to the bottom of the diagram with a balcony and stairs to the garden, and the yard abuts other back yards made of pavement or dirt on every side.
My question is this: I see in the instructions for artificial grass to grade away from the house for drainage.  Since I have such a small patch of turf that's separated from the house do I still need to grade for drainage?  To mound up in the middle or to slope away from the house is a challenge as outlined below.
I tried flattening out all the dirt after removing the plants and it seems like there is a slight grade back to front towards the house (down in the diagram).
Additionally, the area where the brush trees are slightly raised on top of that.  If I were to do the easiest grade I would fill in a bit towards the middle top so that it's even with the raised dirt around the trees and slide the whole thing slightly towards the paver stones and house.  However, that seems to go against the instructions to go away from the house.
Leveling the dirt around the tree bases and reversing the grade seems like a lot of work and might expose some roots.
So can I get away with either:

not grading the dirt and leaving the dirt higher around the tree base
grading the dirt to slope down towards the paver stones (and the house - down in the diagram) so that it can keep the dirt around the tree at its higher state?

or do I have to dig down around the trees and re-level the back garden area to slope away from the house to the top of the diagram?

1/8" per foot or 1cm per m (minimum) slope away from the house is always needed, and will save a lot of problems with water infiltrating the house.
However, since this does not directly abut the house, if the paver area next to the house is properly sloped away from the house and the drain works, sloping the grass area away from the house is less important, unless there's so much water the drain is overwhelmed. I typically try to have 12 feet or 4 meters around the house consistently sloped away - after which things can change, if water management is adequate.


Check valve seeping around hinge nut - should I replace it? As a part of my hot water recirculation system, I installed this brass swing check valve about a year ago on the supply side of my tankless water heater. It appears to be leaking just enough to cause corrosion around a nut on the side. One review of the valve called out removing the screw, putting thread sealant on the screw, then replacing it - I just noticed the issue and did not do this during installation.

Based on the image search I did I think the nut is for the hinge, but I'm really not sure.

The valve does slam shut rarely, particularly when my washing machine is running and quickly shuts off its hot tap.

I have two questions:

Is the corrosion bad enough that I replace the valve? Or would cleaning it up and attempting thread sealant on the screw be a better course of action?
Given its use case, and the fact it slams shut when the washing machine runs, is there a better valve for this application such as a spring-loaded check valve? Something else?

Well just clean it up with the pressure gone! Then follow the instructions. Do not waste $ that is a quality valve. Shut off the pressure to this valve, heat and pump. Then clean it up and seal as you should have done to start with.


Unable to hang things in certain walls We just bought a house that was built in 1941. The bathroom doesn't have a toilet paper roll holder, so my husband tried to install one. In 4 different areas of the wall he hit something solid and our drill can't get past it. In the kitchen I tried to hang a broom holder (lightweight 4 broom holder) and when I ran the stud finder (with electrical detection) it alerted to wires running throughout the wall. When I tried to hang a plastic bag holder on the wall it bent 4 different screws. What could this be? cinderblocks/concrete?

I appreciate all the help, I'm at a total loss

Your walls ,because of the year you stated it was built are probably plaster. Plaster walls use lathing as an attachment under the plaster , but I don't see this as the problem you are encountering when securing accessories to the wall. I'm thinking that while drilling the wall in the bathroom: 1) you may have encountered a cast vent/waste pipe beneath the wall or 2) it could be a pipe or electrical wire protective plate that are installed when a wire or pipe are installed through a wall stud. Either of these would explain not being able to drill an opening. The first thing to be sure of is the material of the walls. Try to drill a small opening in an unobtrusive location ( down low and in a closet). You should see grainy course sand ejected as the bit pierces the wall.


Is this normal for the brick to extend past the concrete slab foundation? I am in the process of buying a home and noticed that the brick extends past the concrete slab foundation. I checked different houses around the area and all were flush with the concrete slab. Is this normal or a concern?

Back in the day, at least my day, the building code allowed for a maximum of a 1" corbel (extention).

I do not see any cracks in the photo that suggests shifting has occurred.

If there is a basement or maybe not, while the foundation is laid, or in the case of concrete, while it is poured, the top of the wall can rack out of square. The break between the lower wall and the upper gives the chance to re-square the walls. This may be a symptom of that.


Can I build a temporary driveway ramp over a new concrete curb? My street is being redone and the road crew poured the new curbs yesterday and the bossman says I can't get out.

I notice that the level of the earth of my lawn is above the level of the poured curb. Would i be able to use two separate 2x6 boards and lean them over the curb against the lawn and use them as a makeshift ramp to get my vehicle out?

If the boards flex and bend under the load and crush the green concrete curb, you will be responsible for the full cost of the road crew returning to the site, removing the mess, and pouring new curbs.

Right now only the bossman thinks you're stupid. You don't want to hear the same thing from a judge.

If you can find some cement blocks or other firm braces, you can support the boards right next to the curb. Make sure it can't wobble. You're still taking a chance, though.

Don't do this job alone. You should have at least two helpers, one to watch the ramp as you drive onto it and stop you if it shifts or bends, and the other to hold your beer.


How do I connect a high intensity infrared heater and thermostat? enter image description hereHarper gave me a great answer on how to connect my Lambert high intensity heater to a thermostat in general but I have a follow up question and don’t know how to attach that to my original post so I am creating a new question.

My heater has a transformer connected to the control box and is running blue and yellow wires that attach to the blue and white connectors respectively on the control box. However I have an empty red wire connector on the control box which I assume is for the thermostat but I don’t know where to connect the thermostat’s white wire. Can anyone please help me with this question?  Thank you

Try connecting the thermostat red wire to the blue terminal and the thermostat white wire to the red terminal

From the labeling on the cover of your ignition module, connecting 24VAC power between 2 and GR will turn the pilot burner on, while connecting 24VAC power between 3 and GR will turn the main burner on.  So, if you connect the red (R) wire to your thermostat to the blue (2) terminal on the ignition module (aka the blue wire from the transformer), and the white (W) wire to your thermostat to the red (3) terminal on the ignition module, you should get the unit to fire up when the thermostat closes.

If your thermostat needs a blue (C) wire, it can be connected to the white (GR) terminal on the ignition module (aka the yellow wire from the transformer).


attach decorative terracotta disk to outside of house I have a couple of exterior terracotta disks that I’d like to attach to the outside of my house. How can I go about doing so? They have no real fixing holes on the back as you can see in the picture.

Typically those would be installed in/with mortar or stucco, which would key into the depression in the back.

That or construction adhesive would be the logical approach unless you want them removable and don't mind something like 3 stainless steel nails capturing it around the edge (mark, remove, drive two, place disk, drive the third with care) or 3 L hooks.


How to calculate efficiency of old Westinghouse furnace VS new variable speed Furnace We have an old Westinghouse Forced Air Furnace (model FGUB137EG). It's been working fine, with the occasional pilot lighting issues since we moved in 6 years ago. We've been thinking about adding central air conditioning with a heat pump and part of the upgrade would be replacing the furnace, with a new variable blower furnace.
I am trying my best to figure out IF we would save on energy - and heating cost - with the new setup in winters. We are in NYS and the furnace definitely gets its use. Anyway, according to the furnace plate, it's "INPUT BTU/H" is 137,500 and the "BONNET CAP BTU/H" is 110,000. Does that make it this a 110,000 BTU furnace with 80% efficiency?
We would be switching to a 96-98% efficient 100,000 BTU furnace with variable or 2-speed blower, along with a 4-ton 24-SEER heat pump. The cost of the everything is coming to around $13K (including labor), in case you can comment on that as well.

What is “old” a 20 year old system may have the same specs or close.
The serial # can help find the date but if it has an open combustion chamber your efficiency will improve.
As far as pay back that really never happens I say this because by the time even a 10% increase in efficiency you save $10, $20 per month by the time it pays back its time to replace it again ,,, how could that be? you don’t need heat half of the year watch the sales scams that throw in 12 months of savings.
I tell my friends the way to look at it if you have a 30-40 or 50 year old system is it may be getting close to the end of its life and proactive replacement makes sense. And is usually less expensive (most all furnace failures happen when it is cold that makes sense) having the system installed off peak heat or cold is when the contractors are hungry for business and if you shop around you get a better price. But prices go up in the peak heat and cold times because they can get it.
You would like to add AC /heat pump. To your system so if it is a truly old system that you would gain efficiency that makes sense but trying to justify based on payback in reality is a shell game , what you gain in comfort is the main thing because adding AC your annual cost of heating/cooling usually goes up but the home is more comfortable throughout.
If you do get a ac/heat pump that makes sense to me. a high end thermostat that can use the outside temp and select the cheapest heating method may increase your savings on heating when it’s not as cold outside. Again it takes a long time to pay for bells and whistles like that but it is also greener in the long run.


help me interpret the results of an outlet tester on some GFCI receptacles I'm trying to figure out what might be wrong with some exterior GFCI receptacles that I have.

The problem is that this is an old house, and I'm not really sure what is happening between the receptacles and the breakers.  Since the receptacles are all outside, the wiring to these receptacles runs underground, and I have no idea what junctions (or lack thereof) have been made.

I'm using a Commercial Electric GFCI outlet tester, like this one:

https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/cc6d7656-65fd-4f30-b66c-226d62c6f1fe/svn/multimeters-ce-hgt6120-64_1000.jpg

I've got four GFCI receptacles connected to two breakers.  Of these four, two are one model, and two are another model (I'm mentioning this in case different models of GFCI receptacles might have different behaviors).

On circuit breaker 1:

GFCI receptacle 1, model 1: lights up | OFF | OFF | RED | indicating BAD GROUND.  Pressing the GFCI button successfully trips the GFCI and the lights then switch to | OFF | GREEN | OFF | indicating CORRECT (this doesn't make sense to me).

GFCI receptacle 2, model 2: lights up | OFF | GREEN | OFF | indicating CORRECT.  Pressing the GFCI button successfully trips the GFCI and the lights then switch to | OFF | OFF | OFF | indicating OPEN HOT (or no power?).

On circuit breaker 2:

GFCI receptacle 3, model 1: lights up | OFF | GREEN | OFF | indicating CORRECT.  Pressing the GFCI button successfully trips the GFCI and the lights then switch to | OFF | OFF | OFF | indicating OPEN HOT (or no power?).

GFCI receptacle 4, model 2: lights up | OFF | OFF | RED | indicating BAD GROUND.  Pressing the GFCI button has NO EFFECT.

My analysis:

I think GFCI receptacles 2 and 3 are fine and are behaving as a properly wired, properly grounded GFCI receptacle should behave with a GFCI outlet tester.
I think GFCI receptacle 4 is behaving as a properly wired, but not properly grounded GFCI receptacle should behave with a GFCI outlet tester.  As this receptacle is very near GFCI receptacle 3 which seems to be properly grounded, I'm thinking to just run an external ground wire from receptacle 3 to receptacle 4 and everything should be all set.
What the hell is going on with GFCI receptacle 1?  At first it seems like it is just another ground that isn't actually grounded, like GFCI receptacle 4. But why the hell does it change to | OFF | GREEN | OFF | indicating CORRECT wiring when the GFCI breaker trips?  That makes no sense.

Normally, the legends on a 3-light tester are useless and wrong, so I call them "magic 8-ball testers".   However, they are simple affairs, with the 3 neon lights connected triangle style across the 3 prongs, and a thinker can get useful info out of that.

Not in your case.  That tester has a microcontroller stuck in front of the lights. The controller is interpreting the raw signals to "help you out". Just like the old legends, the interpreted answers are wrong.   So it destroyed the one thing that made a 3-lamp tester useful: raw data. Into the trash it goes.

Get an old style one, with yellow yellow red lights and Y Y - being a normal reading.

Of course get one with a GFCI tester; that function has nothing to do with the presence or absence of the very unhelpful microcomputer.

I agree with your analysis on receptacles 2, 3 and 4.  GFCI #1, ??? Whatever.  It is normal for outdoor GFCIs to fail far too soon, that's what you get for leaving them outside.  Occam's razor: bad GFCI.

Do you know how GFCIs work?   "I spend $20 a socket replacing every receptacle with one of these and the home inspector signs off" is not how GFCIs work.

GFCI is a filtering/safety system that rides between the hot and neutral.  It comes in combo w/breaker, standalone (deadfront) or combo w/receptacle.  Obviously, the first two don't have any sockets and their one thing is to protect the downline part of the circuit.  They can protect the whole circuit - one device.

Here's the thing: the common GFCI receptacle can do that too. That's the one purpose of the LOAD terminals.

So when I hear about GFCIs getting chewed up outdoors, and when I hear about 2 GFCIs on the same circuit, I say it's a good time to figure how the circuit is wired, and find an indoor location to fit one GFCI that'll protect the whole outdoor part of the circuit.


How can I locate and repair a leak? We recently bought a 100 year old house that stood uninhabited for 18 months prior to our move. Everything had been properly winterized for the cold winter months (Temperatures can reach -40 C) and the water was turned on and seemed to be working properly for about 3 weeks. Then we ran into some issues. The house is two storeys with two full baths on each level stacked on top of one another. The first floor toilet had a minor leak that seemed to correct itself within a day and hasn't been an issue since. The second story toilet began to leak about a week later due to the tank overfilling and leaking through the flush handle. We remedied this problem quite easily and the toilet hasn't leaked since. Now here comes the real issue.

Shortly after the second toilet leak, we woke up early one morning to discover water covering the floor of the first floor bathroom. It was coming from the ceiling at a steady drip rate, but nothing alarming. We shut the water off to the entire house and the dripping stopped after about 12 hours. During the following week we ended up peeling back the plastered layer on the ceiling to discover that it is made of cement board (??) and the water seems to just seep through when the water is on. We can access the shower pipes on the second floor through a removable panel in the wall, but there is no water to be seen. I guess I'm just trying to see if anyone has had experience with a similar issue, any suggestions as to how it can be diagnosed/fixed, and whether or not I'm going to have to take a second mortgage out to fix the issue.

I should mention that we did call a plumber the same day the ceiling leak was discovered. He set up an appointment, but then called back and told us that if the leak was related to a burst pipe, the amount of water leaking would be much more substantial and it wouldn't continue to leak after the water was turned off (which it did initially for about 12 hours). He informed us it was probably water that had pooled underneath the upstairs toilet and was now seeping through the cement board. We now know that the leak will start and stop in relation to the water being turned on and off, but I think the issue is that the leak isn't a dramatic one when the water is left on. It just kind of... drips through. Please help!

What this could be is that you have a slow leak from the floor above. Probably a water feed rather than a drain. Although it could be from the heating system if you have a water or steam system with radiators. When you turned the water on the house it started to drip, and the ceiling soaked it all up. Eventually the ceiling became saturated and started to drip onto the floor.

If you do have a slow leak then obviously you need to find the source. It's probably a leaky pipe joint, or maybe a loose compression fitting. The only way you're going to find it is to get access, as for how that completely depends on your house's construction. There may be a panel in front of the bath that can be removed, etc.

What you need to do is meticulously go through the whole bathroom above and look for any kind of access to pipes you see, and look for signs of dripping moisture, oxidation on the pipes, or hard water deposits. As it sounds like the whole ceiling needs to come down on the floor below do that first, then use that access to find your leak.

As for how to fix it if it's a compression fitting get out your wrench and have at it. If it's a solder joint or a bad pipe get a plumber in unless you have the tools and the experience. Good luck!


Fast trick to figure out to where bathroom fan vents out Recently had a guy come out to clean the clothes dryer and clothes dryer vent.  Asked him to clean out the bathroom fan vent as well.  He looked up the attic, on the roof, and along the siding, and could not figure out to where it vents out.  I would think it would be obvious, but it's not.

I opened up the fan and it is attached to ducting.  I'm concerned that the ducting might go straight up into the attic and terminate under the attic insulation.  I have an injury, so I haven't wanted to go up there and start tearing away insulation unless I really need to.

Is there a good trick to figuring out to where a bathroom fan vents out?

If you have access to the attic; and presumably the top of the bathroom fan, you may be able to follow the duct.
If you don't have access to the top side of the fan, you could remove the cover and take a peek inside. You should be able to get a glimpse of the outlet, which should allow you to determine if there's ducting attached.
In my house, the bathroom exhaust fans vent directly into the insulation around them (an issue I've been meaning to fix since I moved in). Because of this I don't use the fans, since I'd rather have the moisture in the conditioned space than in the insulation.
If you've determined that there is actually ducting attached to the fan, you could use a fog machine to help locate the outlet.

You can usually pick these up fairly cheap; especially around Halloween, or possibly rent one from a party supply store. Set the machine up in the bathroom, and turn on the exhaust fan.  Then walk around your house looking for the fog.
NOTE: You might want to set the fog machine up on a ladder, as close to the exhaust fan as possible. Otherwise you might have to fill the entire bathroom with fog, before it's actually sucked into the exhaust fan. The fog tends to be heavier than air, and so tends to hang around the floor.
Smoke pellets, smoke candles, and other smoke testing devices are also available. Which may work better than a fog machine, since the smoke from these are typically lighter than air.
The product links are for demonstration purposes only, I have never used these specific products and do not endorse nor recommend these specific products.


replace stud that has vent pipe through it I had some water damage in my bathroom and a few of the studs are rotted. I am assuming they need to be replaced.  The problem is these studs have a plumbing vent pipe drilled through the middle of them. How would I go about putting new ones in? Is there a way to do this without cutting vent pipe?

Why do you need to replace the stud?  Unless it has rotted, you do not need to replace a stud with water damage.  Removed the damaged drywall and any other wet items and let the wood dry out before replacing the drywall.

If this is inside the bathroom, be sure you are using the right type of product.  You would not use regular drywall in a shower or bath area, you would use cement board or something similar.


Installing recessed lighting using a switch that used to power on/off a duplex outlet So I have a duplex outlet that is powered on/off (both receptables) by the living room switch. The outlet is only connected to one white and one black wire, so I'm assuming the electricity ends there. I want to install recessed lightning in my living room and have questions regarding the wiring of the switch.

Basically from what I read on google and watching youtube videos are...

Run romex cable from lightings to the switch box.
Disconnect the black cold wire in the switch box that used to power the outlet and connect it to the newly black wire in the romex from the lights.
Wire nut all 3 ground cables together (one from box, one from romex, and one connected to the green screw of the switch)
Wirenut the 2 neutral white cables (one from box, one from romex)
Nut of the ends of wires (individually) in the receptable box as it's no longer going to be used

My question is, is it okay to still have the neutral white and ground copper wire from the OLD receptable nutted with the new stuff? Would that do anything in the circuit?  All except the black wire of course.

I would do it a little bit differently.

First I would tie all the ground wires together and push them into the back of the boxes.

On the new Romex cable, wrap both ends of the black wire with red tape to mark them.  Red will be the color-code of "Switched-Hot".

At the lamp, connect the lamp's white to white, the lamp's black or red to the red (switched-hot) wire, and the ground to ground.  Never mix white with ground.

At the switch, connect the "red" wire to one switch terminal, and a black pigtail to the other switch terminal (it may already be that way).

Then I would wire-nut all the black wires (which aren't marked red, obviously) in the switch box together - these are "always-hot". The pigtail to the switch, the supply, and the downline to the old socket.

Then I would wire-nut all the white wires together - these are neutral.  The supply, the wire to the lamp, and the wire to the old socket.

Voilà.  Now, the lamp works, and the old socket now is always-on.


What screw/fitting to use on this wall? I am putting up some wall rails for my mum, she is not local so I need to go in and do the job in a day so need to get the correct fittings etc in advance.

The problem is I am not sure what material the wall is, therefore not sure which type of fitting to buy.

The wall seems quite soft and hollow when knocked with my knuckle.  My mum said it is plasterboard but I don't trust her opinion as she knows less about DIY than I do.

The other side of the wall is a staircase.
There are identical wall rails already attached further along the wall out of shot, on the other side of the cooker.
The house is about 100 year old, victorian.

1) Would these self-drive plasterboard fittings be a good choice?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hafele-Plastplu-Rawlplug-Self-Drill-Plasterboard/dp/B00E1LR5JS/

2) Do you think it is safe to screw into the wall in the spots indicated? (as it is close to power socket)

The wail rails are Ikea Grundtal.

Shelves like the one described can carry a significant load and things are regularly being put on and off, increasing the dynamic load. Unfortunately, from the illustration (and the appearance of the listed item on the sellers website), there are only two screw holes at each end. This puts a serious load on each attachment point.

Plasterboard or even plaster by itself is not a very good support for shelving screws unless there are many attachment points.  I would try to find framing members, usually vertical studs, and align the screws on at least one end with them. You can use a stud finder to locate the stud.

If you cannot align all the screws with studs, on either or both ends, or if the wall is made of plaster over hollow blocks, I would use toggle type anchors instead of the screw in anchors you listed.

These spread the load over  larger area of the plasterboard than screw in anchors, reducing the risk of pullout.

If you cannot align the screws with framing members, a stronger solution would be to mount a board on the wall first, screwing the board to multiple studs, then mounting the shelf to the board with wood screws.

 Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources


Should I install drywall panels parallel or perpendicular to ceiling joists? I am going to be putting drywall up on my ceiling soon and I am not sure which is the best orientation\layout for the drywall.

The ceiling joists run horizontal to the following images.  The section of the ceiling is approximately 33' by 11'.

Which of the following would be better?  Option #1 has 12 butt joints while Option #2 only has 8.

Not sure if this matters but the ceiling joists do not match up with drywall lengths so I've added blocking at the appropriate spots for support.

Longer sheets are not an option.

With option 2 you have twice as much seam length running down the center of ceiling joists. This can be a real pain to keep everything aligned, especially when you have roof braces, overhead door brackets, and other structures holding the truss members rigidly in place.

Also, some brands of drywall aren't designed to resist sag parallel to the mounting lines and should only be installed perpendicular to the framing.

For those reasons, along with what juicestain09 said, option 1 is far better.

One note... unless your wall is very straight, you may want to run the first row on a chalked line 24" off center, and cut both outer rows to fit. Cutting drywall is not difficult, and you may end up with a nicer fit. That said, you have 1/2" of coverage available from the wall panels, so maybe that's adequate.


Venting bathroom into attic I have a new house with metal roof no plywood with Ridge vent and soffit venting and has cathedral ceiling. My electricians vented the bathrooms high up into the attic, is that ok?

Electricians are usually only responsible for supplying and installing the fan, not running the ductwork. That is usually done by the HVAC guy or at least another trade or individual. If the electrician has it there contract to run the ductwork fully, then it needs to go to the outside of the house. The water vapor from the bathroom will condense under the metal roof on cooler days and cause water damage elsewhere.


How do I repair a minor scratch in wall tile? I've just discovered a few of the brand new ceramic wall tiles in my bathroom have a faint scratch. It's certainly not deep or wide as I can just barely feel it tug if I pull my fingernails across it perpendicular to its direction. Its color is, however, light gray and hence a bit too visible against the off-white tile for my liking.

Taking the tile out is sadly out of the question, as it was professionally installed just a few months ago (long story short: I'm now quite certain the tiles were scratched upon installation, but I guess I don't deserve any better when not noticing upon job completion inspection) and my removing it would probably disturb the wet-zone membrane behind it.

So, are there any tips for what I can do to repair it? So far I've tried rubbing it with polishing leather, and I've tried to locate an enamel repair paint, but I can't find a color close enough to the shade in question.

Edit: I say the tile is in a location that's wet-zone rated. While this means I don't want to disturb the membrane, the tile is in fact rather far from any actual source of water, and any fix doesn't have to handle anything beyond the occasional light cleaning.

Here's a horrible mobile phone picture that probably doesn't help at all:

This looks more like a cracked tile than a scratch (but it is difficult to say from the picture). Was there work done after the tiling that may have put stress on the wall? I must admit that it is unusal to see this on a wall tile. Replacing it is not rocket science and the preferred method (there is really no other way to fix this).


No Cold Water in Shower I'm not sure if this was ever asked here, but I've got a strange issue with my shower. It sounds weird, but I've been wanting to take cold showers lately to cut down on how much hot water I take up in the shower so others can enjoy showers. Honesly, I don't mind cold showers.

Here's the problem: My shower will always default to hot water. When I turn on the shower, it starts cold and then will start getting warmer until it's hot. I'm pretty sure it isn't my imagination because I've tried leaving it on for a while without touching the water (Of course, turning the lever enough to have it fully on, but not enough to get near the halfway mark) and it's been hot.

If you'd like to know more information about what kind of shower, let me know! I'm not the most advanced person when it comes to these kinds of things, but I'll try my best to specify! Thanks in advance!

Sounds like the mixing valve is shot... if you can see the brand, any plumbing supply store (I wouldn't go to a big box store) will be able to sell you a replacement cartridge etc to rebuild it.  It's a pretty simple job.


Will it cause problems to shower without the exhaust fan and only turn it on afterwards? If the exhaust fan was not turned on until after the shower is complete (say, 30 min. after the water is first turned on), is that enough to cause mold/mildew/paint issues?  The mirror is foggy during these 30 minutes.

Or is 30 minutes of humidity per day a short enough period to avoid any negative effects?

Condensing water is never good. The vapor will creep in places where it may not quickly evaporate once it has condensed. It will condense easily but dry slowly in cold places and badly ventilated corners (like around the window) and on a cold floor. That means that these places stay moist for longer than one would think. Take a "finger test" in such places an hour after you have finished.

If water vapor condenses between layers like under wallpaper, window paint, between plywood layers or similar, it will start to do progressive damage there, even if it's only present for an hour each day.

Getting the vapor out immediately is much better. It will prevent some of the condensation from happening in the first place, which is much preferable.