Newly installed thermostatic mixer runs cold when shower head raised in height I've installed a thermostatic mixer into my shower; unfortunately now when I raise the shower head height to above my head (or any useful height really) the water comes out cold. If I keep the shower head very (unusably) low it operates as it should.
The hot pipe feels very hot as it should so I'm not sure why it's not allowing hot water through the mixer?
I have a very old hot water cylinder in my house, the pressure is not the best but it's also not that bad considering. Its located on the same (single) floor of the house. The previous shower mixer pressure was adequate but getting a decent temp was frustrating.

The height of the cylinder is immaterial. Is the hot water from a loft tank or the mains pressure supply?
In most cases the hot and cold must be from the same supply or at the same pressure for a mixing valve to operate successfully. You can boost the hot with a pump or raise the height of the header tank, use a pressure reducing valve on the cold to reduce it to closer to the hot, or use a mixing valve which will tolerate differing supply pressures.


Tuff Shed and adding climate control I live in north TX near Fort Worth.  Not a humid place but a very hot place, averaging 104 degrees in the summer outside in afternoon.

I was planning to buy a Tuff Shed 16 X 20 shed with asphalt roof and a standard home door and a single small window.  I contacted Tuff Shed and discussed my interest in making this a climate controlled building with air conditioning/heating unit and insulation.

They said that insulating it would be something I would have to set up on my own.

But, I don't know how that is possible as they pre-fabricate walls with OSB siding.  Essentially 2 x 4 framing and OSB.  I have a TS now and they are very solid and well built. Been in place for 11 years without issue.

I would think the shed would require a climate barrier layer wholesale on the shed prior to siding.  In other words a plywood layer with vapor barrier and then siding.  Does that make sense?

This implies that Tuff Shed may not be the best route to go but rather a custom built shed if climate control is desired.

You probably don't need to worry about a vapor barrier in your climate.  Most building scientists recommend against them since they impede drying of the structure in at least one season of the year. (They are still required for northern climate zones)  While it would be best to have a continuous layer of insulation under the siding, homes have been built without such for many years. Between 40-50% of your energy escapes through air leaks, not insulation and while air sealing the sheathing is easiest it is still possible to do a good job from the inside.

The best solution would be to spray foam the wall cavities, ideally with a closed cell foam.  This gives you a nice airtight seal, and the foam has a high R value per inch.  This is, however, probably cost prohibitive for a small project. (If you could combine it with upgrading your home insulation it might be worth considering)

If you are handy I would recommend "poor man's spray foam".  Basically you fill the walls with sheet foam panels that are cut slightly smaller than the width between studs.  The gaps are then filled with canned foam to make a nice airtight seal.  This gives much of the same benefits as spray foam but it is slightly cheaper and more DIY friendly.

Once you have the walls insulated you can put up a drywall or interior paneling, again working to make the system as airtight as possible.

If the building is nice and air tight you should be able to climate control with a mini-split heatpump and you will have a very comfortable space.


what kind of transition strip do I need to use to transition from 1/8" vinyl tile in dining room to low pile carpet in adjoining living room? what kind of transition strip do I need to join 1/8" vinyl tile in dining area to low pile carpet in adjoining living room area?

You may not even need a transition if they are both laid down well. Otherwise, you could use whatever you want. I'm thinking a thin metal or wood one would look decent.


How to remove a stuck flexible installer bit? While attempting to add an Ethernet run to a exterior wall (no crawlspace access beneath the wall - oops) I have managed to get my flexible installer bit (example in link) completely stuck. I have a 6A corded drill and it can't budge it; I've also tried vice grips and yanking on it as hard as I can.

I'd really rather not just cut the rod off the bit - it was pretty expensive. Does anyone know of any tricks on how to remove a bit that has become stuck?

Congratulations on using a very good tool for that project, but condolences on getting it stuck! Definitely too expensive to abandon. The only way I know to recover a stuck bit like that is to back it off. You may need to borrow a stronger drill such as a Milwaukee hole hog or some other gear driven heavy duty drill. In the future, always try to use a very strong drill as a flex bit tends to bind easily as it worms it way through thick stacks of framing. Also try clearing the debris from the bit trail by backing off the bit a little when engaging a thick bore and letting debris clear before pushing forward. This will help minimize binding.


Roof Decking: Plywood/OSB over skip sheathing (decking) or should I strip to the rafters? I have a shake roof (looks like the original from 1952!) with skip sheathing.  Then an asphalt shingle re-roof over that (that makes 2 roofs in 60 years, thanks previous owners!).  I have repairs and upgrades to make now and potentially would like to put a whole new roof on eventually.

Can I just strip shingles and shake, then put new decking ON-TOP of the skip decking (considering it is in good shape)?  Or should I also rip out all the decking wood down to the rafters?

If I do put ply/osb over the skip deck, I'm guessing I should use longer nails and still try and fasten to the rafters?  What is the advice there?

Skip sheathing for shake roofs used to be really common around my area of the country and I've never removed it (or seen anybody else remove it for that matter).  OSB or plywood over skip sheathing makes for a much stiffer roof deck, resists problems with expansion better, and obviously doesn't require all the hassle of removing it.

After you strip the roof, do spot repairs to the existing sheathing where needed, then go right over it.  You'll want to use both longer sheathing nails and longer roofing nails.  The sheathing nails should be long enough to give a good hold in the studs, and the roofing nails should be long enough to penetrate both layers of sheathing.


Home Light Automation - Emulate 4 way switch with relay I've been thinking of ways to do home automation that is somewhat future proof (hardwired); and the best idea I have is to use relays for lights on a 3 way switch circuit. Put in a dual pole dual throw relay and have it emulate a 4 way switch. Also add a current sensor so I can tell if the light is on or off (secondary goal). All the lighting circuit wiring is in the attic (1 story house) so I'll splice the box in above. Due to the nature of the way a 4 way switch works this should be passive and allow for simple switches to be used unlike what I saw here Any obvious problems with this DIY home automation?. Also means that if the automation logic is removed the switches will work as normal. I can put these in now and worry about hardware/software later; having all control and sensor wires run back to a central location.

Question is what relay do I need to get, and how would I wire it up in order to accomplish this task? I was thinking of using 24vac coils because they are very common (in homes) but that makes it harder to hook up to a logic board as I'll need another relay to convert DC to AC for the coil on the 120v (USA) relay.

Pretty sure I would need a DTDP (or 2x STDP) latching relay  but I'm not sure which one to get and how to wire it up so that the circuits cross like X or goes parallel like = when given a switch signal.

Making all switches be 3 way wouldn't be that hard to do in this house; so I could do this for every light switch without too much hassle.

You can purchase and utilize a common DPDT type relay (Double Pole / Double Throw) to create a cross over switch. It is pretty easy to understand from the following relay diagram:

You connect one circuit to the two NC (normally closed) terminals of the relay. The other circuit connects to the two COM (common) terminals. Then you add two additional wires which cross connect the two NC terminals to the opposite NO (normally open) terminals.

The coil of course is driven with the control voltage that you have selected. The simplest control voltage to use would be +12V DC. There are plenty of relays available that have 12V DC coils and your remote automation control can use simple transistors to drive the relay coils.

If you go ahead and use 24V AC for the relay coils then you would have to use an additional relay for each switch control to translate the switching from the AC realm to the low voltage DC realm. (There are circuit components available that can switch the 24VAC but it gets more complex than necessary for an application where +12V DC can be easily used instead. And then you can derive the needed +12V DC from a re-purposed computer power supply.

A major concern when building any type of system such as this, where you bring remote control wiring into the mains wiring boxes of your house, is safety and isolation. Only relays rated properly should be used and you would bear the safety liability associated with stringing the control wires around your house.


Should my chimney sit on my roof? I am renting a house built in the 1940s. The mortar around the brick was cracked causing leaks. Someone had built a chimney around the outside of the original chimney. So outside it's twice the size of the original chimney. The outside structure sits on the roof instead of being supported by the chimney itself.

Is this OK to sit on the roof?

The real question is not "Is it OK?"  The real question is "Should this be fixed?" Or perhaps "Will this fall down?"  Or maybe even "Should this have been done differently?"  Any answer you get will answer one of those questions.  "Is it OK?" is really asking "Is this something I can live with?" which is a question you have to ask yourself.

Will this fall over?  Probably not.  But I don't think anyone will give you a guarantee on that.

Should this be fixed? It depends on how the load is sitting on the roof.  Is it being supported by a load-bearing wall or is this in the middle of the roof and the roof itself is holding the load?  I'm guessing it's on an exterior wall.  So it's probably fairly stable.  I imagine that it should be replaced at some point.  That's really the only way to attack this problem: full replacement.

Should this have been done differently? Yes.  You don't fix a chimney by sealing it inside another chimney.  That would be like replacing your siding by building another wall.  It doesn't solve the root issue.

In the end, it sounds like you have a bad chimney and you will probably want to replace it at some point in the future.  Really, you should have someone come out and take a look.  It's definitely not a DIY project.

However, since you're renting, does it really matter?


Remodeling an old mechanic's garage into a conference space I am currently remodeling an old garage (Lube Center) into a conference space.

Right or wrong, this is what I'm doing.

I have already installed insulation with paper backing on the ceiling (Open Rafters) paper facing down. We ran furring strips along every 24 inches to support it, then our plan was to paint it black for the industrial look. The ceiling is about 18 feet high and I have no desire or ability to drywall the ceiling. Again, our plan was to just paint it.

AFTER I was done hanging it all, I noticed that the insulation said it had to be covered by something fire resistant. Someone said they've heard of a mesh material that would meet code, in fact our inspector said that would work, but no one knows where to get it. I know it's more expensive than drywall, but i need to find something I can put over it that is PAINTABLE.

Many red flags. For one, that's not the right way to insulate a ceiling: if you want to use batts, you need to put rigid foam above the roof decking or leave ventilation channels between the roof decking and the insulation. For more info see http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/how-build-insulated-cathedral-ceiling

Furthermore, the fire code is nothing you want to be trying to skirt or do the bare minimum with. Fires are serious business. Do it right. An alternative to drywall is something called intumescent paint but I'm not sure that would work well in this application because the paper facers of the batts are too flexible and brittle to ensure continuous coverage for the life of the building.

It sounds like you need professional help, especially if you are planning to turn this into a commercial/institutional space. There are liability issues associated with potentially unsafe DIY work in buildings that will serve the public. Spend more money up front and have a better, safer, more nicely-finished building.


What happens if I paint a concrete floor without pre-treating it? I recieved some free polyurethane/alkyd based floor paint and painted my garage floor (used as a woodworking shop).
I did not pre-treat it in any way, just cleaned it. The workshop is relatively new (2014) and the floor was just screed flat (really well done job though).
From what I've come to understand you should grind the floor first, or acid etch it.
How big a miss is this on my part, is my floor going to peel off very easily, or is it mostly a looks question?
I don't need a perfectly flat and shiny floor, just want a brighter color that is easier to sweep clean.

The point of the sanding or etching is to encourage adhesion by removing contaminants and roughing up the surface to give the paint something to stick to. You may or may not have problems - hopefully you won't but if you do you'll know what to do before you repaint.


Spray to keep blown-in cellulose insulation from drifting? I have a hip-roofed garrison colonial in New England, with blown-in cellulose. I have two whole-house fans ("half-house fans"?), and to give enough attic venting I have continuous soffit vents on all four sides of the house.

Problem: some of the cellulose has drifted into the soffits and then over the vents, blocking them. I'm going to remove, clean and replace all the vents (ouch), but I don't want any more insulation blocking them.

There's a substantial amount of (useless) insulation in the bodies of the soffits. I tried using a leaf blower to clean one out one of the bays, but cellulose dust exploded all over my front yard. I can push the insulation to the side to open the air path, but I'm concerned it will just drift back over the vents.

Any suggestions on a spray that could bind the insulation together and keep it from drifting? I could just stick a random can of spray paint up into the slot, but that could get messy. I was also considering dilute white glue. I'd have no problem using up a cheap spray bottle, but that would require something quite thin and probably water-based.

I tried the diluted white glue (Elmers) and it worked well. I diluted it about 1:5, glue to water, and put it in a spray bottle. I then stuck the spray head up into the slot and sprayed indiscriminately. It sprayed well, looking like skim milk. When it dried, the cellulose was indeed (at least loosely) bound in place.


What happened to my outlets? I just had two outlets go. They were working fine and when I plugged the pressure washer in, both stopped working. My Klein voltage tester indicates red (hot). No breakers are flipped. Is this an outlet problem? Again, both were working fine and now read got but nothing plugged in is working.

A connection burned out

Outlets are typically wired in a chain.  One of the wires was making poor contact, and the high but allowable load burned out this poor connection.

It will be on either the last good outlet in the chain, or the first bad one.   It will be on the white wire.

If the connections involve the wire jabbed into a tiny hole in the back of the socket (not directly under a screw), that is a backstab. They are notoriously unreliable for this sort of thing.  Most of convert to either screw terminals or screw-to-clamp type connections anytime we see a backstab.

We know it's not a GFCI because you get a hot indication.


What are pros/cons of skylight placement? I have a vaulted ceiling in my living/kitchen area where I'd like to install skylights.  The designer I spoke to suggested two 2'x 4' skylights in the north facing living room, but she didn't seem to have much knowledge on placement other than aesthetics. I'm wondering if there are design guidelines for skylight placement? The north side of course won't get much sun so there is little to no solar gain. The other option is to place the skylights on the southern side, which will get plenty of sun, but could also blind us.  Looking around my neighborhood, I've seen skylights placed on all directions of houses, so it seems there isn't a wrong side of the house for a skylight.

I think you've figured out the pros/cons already: solar gain and light brightness.

I'd place them on both sides for symmetry, but without seeing the room, that's just a random thought.

A pet peeve of mine is cheap skylights, though. If you're going to invest in these, consider doing it right and get a model that:

can be opened (a easy way to help cool the house in summer)
can be opened remotely (you want powered windows)
has some form of shades/blinds

Nice to haves:

rain detection (will close for you if it detects rain)
internal power shades (to 'soften' direct light)
external power black-out shutters (for when you want full sun blocked)


Can 1/4" bead board be used horizontally without sagging? I'm looking at using 1/4" bead board plywood on the ceiling of my front porch. However, I'm concerned that it will sag too much if it's attached to 16" OC rafters.
I've got a good stock of 1-by material. If I use that as strapping on 12" centers, would that be sufficient to keep it from sagging?

I would say a quality product can be hung on 16” centers as I mentioned in the comments. Would 12” be better probably. Definitely less chance of sag but a quality veneer product should be fine hung 16 OC.


How should I attach glass panes for use as shower walls in place of tile? How should I attach glass panes for use as shower walls in place of tile?

I want to build an all glass shower, including glass panel back walls (see picture at top of page here: http://grayglassblog.com/backpainted-glass-shower-walls/) I am having great difficulty finding how they should be attached to the wall and what material should be behind them.

For example, should drywall vs. concrete board behind? Should they attach simply with silicone or would thin-set mortar provide better adhesion? I tend to doubt mortar, as glass is flat and does not have the ridges like the back of tile does.

The closest I've come to an answer is how this is used in kitchen back-splashes, where they say having j-channel around the outside and some silicone on the back, spaced in circles is more than adequate. This seems to also be the case with thick plastic shower panels, just not sure if the same silicone 'circles' technique will be effective.

It sounds like I want 'colored' not 'painted' glass in this case.

The image on the page you linked shows two full sized panes of glass, measuring by visual estimate about 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 feet. Those are very large panels and for safety should be tempered glass and pretty thick. You might get around the tempered  requirement by using properly laminated panels - I would talk to a supplier to get a recommendation for the best choice of material.

Two main ways I see to attach are using a frame at the top and bottom or to use through bolts. Tempered glass can be spot annealed to drill holes, but that is the province of experts, IMHO, or possibly can be done by the supplier. A frame (like a groove in material or perhaps a plastic lined or coated section of channel, like a U or H channel extrusion could hold the panel and be attached to the subframe. I think the channel would be hard to seal permanently in a shower application. If you find a good specific way to do the bolts, they may have to be visibly placed. Even bolted sheets will probably have to be supported on the bottom edge.

One additional way is to find a system such as used for structural stone veneers - a (size) metal disk or plate is epoxied every (spacing-interval) distance on the back. Specific quality epoxy driven by the application must be used. The disks or plates are attached to the structure. The details really require some engineering, buuuut, if you can exceed the requirements and satisfy your code and inspector...this might be a workable application.

Bolts through non-laminated glass may be stress points that lead to failure eventually. One more consideration is expansion and contraction: a professionally engineered panel this size will be installed in a way that allows for expansion and contraction both in the space allotted in all dimensions and movement permitted by the fastening system.

I think for the best result you should shop materials first then use the supplier’s recommendation for attachment.

*(as far as gluing a panel - that is a lot of surface area to create a strong bond, but paint only has so much adhesion and may loosen over time, depending on a lot of variables)


How do I wire a bath fan? I installed a new bathroom fan. I ran a wire to the light switch, but when I opened the box, there were only two wires inside. How do I wire it so I have a switch for fan and light?

What you have is a switch loop. You CANNOT take power from this switch box for another item such as your fan/light. You'll need to find an alternate feed for this to bring to the switch box. In this case you'd leave the existing switch wiring alone.


Flood lights and Home Automation I am trying to incorporate my outdoor flood lights with motions sensors into my home automation system.  Specifically, I would like to sense when the lights come on to trigger other home automation actions.  I thought an RF switch that provides line state to the server may work best.  Any thoughts or better ideas?

There are some productive discussions here:
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=9980.0
https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/79794/determine-with-arduino-if-220v-ac-power-is-on-or-off

A few ideas come to mind:
1) Stick an photosensor in front of the light connected to your home automation server.  Advantage is that you don't need to modify the light's circuit. Disadvantage is that you need to run 2 low-voltage wires outside.

2) Modify the circuit to have a socket, plug in a small transformer (e.g. cell phone charger) and run that wire back to your circuit.  Advantage is that it is straightforward and uses off-the shelf parts.  This works great if there's a junction box indoors that you can tap.

3) Use an AC-powered relay of the types here: (e.g. Tyco R10)
http://www.industrialelectronics.biz/potter/potter.html
Advantages: safe, disadvantage you still need to modify the circuit.

4) Use a hall effect sensor.  Advantage: no need to modify the circuit, but you still need access to it.

5)  Use a custom circuit consisting of a half-bridge rectifier, a resister network divider, and an optoisolator, which is basically what a wall-wart does, except that it has a transformer in it.  Advantage: cheap.  Disadvantage: dangerous.


Socket wrench: Is there an advantage of a 3/8" drive over a 1/4" drive? I notice that socket wrenches come in a variety of sizes. For homeowners and DIYers, it's common to see socket wrenches which come in two sizes: a 3/8" drive, 1/4" drive and sometimes 1/2". The 3/8" drive is often 30% more expensive or more.

Is there an advantage to having a 3/8" drive over a 1/4" drive?

I won't do major automobile work with these tools.

That 1/4 inch drive may simply not be strong enough to do some work. For example, if I'm taking the lugs off of a car, a 1/4 inch drive may be overwhelmed. On the other hand, I like smaller sockets to get into a tight place.

So I like to keep a mix, up to impacts for the impact wrench, in case I need to do something on the tractor or to rotate the tires on the car. Those tend to be 1/2 inch drive, or at the very least, 3/8. I broke a 3/8 drive wrench last year, so sometimes the extra beef is nice to have.

If you will NEVER do anything heavy, you may appreciate the light weight and ease with which you can carry a 1/4 inch set. So is rotating the tires on your car major work for you, or is it something you might do?


Combi boiler chemical replacement I have a combi boiler (less than 2 years old, with plumbing that may be 25 years old) and I'm doing some work which will require a full drain of the heating system.

I think I'm going to need some cleaner and some inhibitor, but I'm wondering - can I just add both to the newly-topped up system, or is there a process I'll need to follow?

I am looking at Sentinel X100 inhibitor and X400 cleaner

you need to drain the system and after using the cleaner, so put that in (and run the system a bit) before you start your maintennce.  the inhibitor goes in with the new water when your maintenance is done.


How to fit 4" rigid aluminum duct vent in between walls when there is an angle brace? I want to do what these people have done here:

The problem is I have bracing going diagonally and it is not leaving enough space for the 4" aluminum duct vent.

Can I saw the bracing off for the 1 section where I need to pass the pipe?

I assume not..

What else can I do ?

I wouldn't build it that way in the first place. Hiding a dryer duct within a wall and venting it through the roof (I'm guessing here, but that's what it looks like to me) is just begging for nobody to clean it until it eventually catches fire and burns the house down.

I recently re-did my utility room and discovered an in-wall rigid steel duct just like the one in your picture which vented through the roof. Clearly nobody ever cleaned it due to the annoyance of having to get up on the roof, and as a result it was entirely blocked by lint and dust, with a bunch of creepy-crawlies living in it due to disuse and abundant organic material during an unoccupied period. Not only that, but a section of the ducting had gotten open and was depositing moist air right into the wall cavity, which eventually invited termites into that wall:

Do the world a favor and don't hide your dryer ductwork inside a framed wall and vent it through the roof!


What's the proper way to add spacers between deck beam and joists I have a 20 year old deck. One of the foundation posts (4x4) has sunken about an inch.  The 4x4 post goes into the ground where it is affixed in concrete.

The 4x4 post is notched at the top and two carriage bolts hold it to the beam.  The beam is two 2x10s.

I'm thinking the best way to correct the issue is to jack up the three joists that are sunken and put spacers between them and the beam. Is this good?  If so, what should I use as a spacer?  If not, any suggestions?

What I ended up doing is getting a 12 ton hydrolic jack from Lowe's for $50. Stacked a bunch of lumber up to the beam, put the jack on the lumber, carefully jacked up the beam up off the post until the level sitting on my deck went true. It was raised exactly 1 1/2 inches. So I took a spare, pressure treated 2x4 and put it between the post and the beam.  Then I lower the jack, check for level and secured the spacer with hurricane brackets. After I got the good jack, the whole thing took about 1.5 hours.


Toaster oven makes my kitchen lights flicker Today, I got a new toaster oven. When it's heating, my kitchen lights (plugged into an adjacent outlet) flicker/pulse.

What can I do to reduce the flickering?

If I get a power conditioner, can I put it on the power supply to the toaster oven, so that the appliance doesn't impact any other outlets in the household? It looks like power conditioners are usually intended to be used on the devices you want to shield, rather than on the device that's causing the problem; does it work both ways?

I'm in Canada, so my mains power is 120 V at 60 Hz.

Edit - more details:

New toaster oven: Breville BOV800XL "Smart Convection Oven", 1800W
Old toaster oven (no flickering problem): Hamilton Beach, convection, 1440W
Microwave on same outlet (no flickering problem): Panasonic Inverter, 1100W output, 1200W input

The new toaster oven doesn't exhibit the flickering problem if I'm toasting; only if it's heating on "bake" mode (both when the convection fan is on and off).  The lights dim when I turn the toaster oven on any mode, but on "toast" they don't flicker; they just dim and stay dim until the toaster oven shuts off.

The flickering happens around 8 Hz (but it's hard to tell for sure). I put a Kill-a-Watt meter on the lights (which were turned on), and got the following readings, but it only updates the display once per second:

Toaster off: 118.7 .. 119.2 V
Toaster on "toast": 117.1 .. 117.6 V
Toaster on "bake": 117.2 .. 117.4 V, flickers

The light fixture is mounted above the counter, not the main kitchen light fixture; it has three sockets rated for 50W each and a single on/off power switch (no dimmer control). I don't know what kind of bulbs they contain but I think they're incandescent:

It appears that no other lights are affected (ie. the overhead lights, the range hood light, or a fluorescent fixture above the sink).

I guess the toaster oven is doing some PWM thing when it's on bake? I don't know for sure, but the flickering is very distracting.

This is an old house (100 years this year, I think) but the wiring was updated within the last decade, I believe. I'm renting so it's unfeasible for me to do anything about the wiring and setup (but I suppose I could run extension cords).

The problem isn't within the toaster, and adding a "power conditioner" wouldn't help. It's simply drawing a lot of power from the outlet, and the wiring impedance between the outlet and the distribution panel is causing the voltage at the outlet to drop a bit.

In general, the lighting circuits and the countertop appliance circuits should be on separate breakers to begin with, so that an appliance fault won't leave you in the dark with a potentially dangerous situation (hot and/or spinning objects).

You should try to work out which outlets in your kitchen are on which circuits, and operate the toaster on a separate circuit from the one your lights are plugged into.


How close can I bury circuits to each other? I need to run 3 lines (2 - 20amp circuits and 1 - 50 amp circuit) in a trench 140 feet from my 200 amp panel. How close can I bury these circuits to each other?
To follow up with your questions: These lines are 1st going 140 feet to the 1st building (which will be a tiny house) That is the 50 amp. The tiny house will have it's own 50 amp panel.
Then the 2 - 20 amp circuits will go another 70 feet to a green house.  I have been looking at running the 2 - 20 amp circuits in one 3/4 PVC conduit, coming up at the tiny house location just because I will need a box to pull the fishing tape through. The 50 amp would be a separate 1" PVC line.  I have some depth limitations because of rock, but, for the most part can go down to 24 inches. I have concerns with the proximity of the 50 amp to the 2 - 20 amps. I would choose to run these in the same trench. But, I don't want any current jumping from one circuit to the other.
I plan to have all these circuits coming from an updated 200 amp panel from my barn, and wired with GCFI breakers, grounding them at every box and final locations.

If this run is going to an  outbuilding and will be inspected, you can't have more than 2 circuits without a sub-panel. If an outbuilding, you need to run a 4 wire (2 hots, neutral and ground) to a sub-panel, add ground rods at the structure, and insure the grounds are isolated from the neutral. Running fewer wires (the 4 wire feed) feeding a sub-panel might actually be less expensive than running 3 separate circuits (which isn't code legal for that long a run anyway) and give  you a much more flexible/expandable setup going forward.


Need More Water in Quikrete than Recommended I am pouring a series of concrete slabs for a patio and I’m using standard 80lb Quikrete bags (https://www.homedepot.com/p/100318511).

The directions recommend 3qts of water per bag and a max of 4.5qts. Everything I’ve read states that even one extra quart of water can reduce strength by 40%.

I live in the desert, and the air is incredibly dry. I don’t know how that affects the ratio, but it takes about 5qts of water to get a bag to any kind of a workable consistency. With 5qts, the concrete looks about like what I see in the various videos I’ve watched.

My question is am I doing anything wrong or is this ok? These slabs will only ever carry light foot traffic, but I don’t want them to crack.

Surely getting the concrete to the correct consistency is more appropriate than sticking to the strict water ratio. Or no?

You should mix according to how you want the concrete to flow. Watering the forms and the ground before you pour is important when the climate is dry and hot. You are correct that the water mix affects the strength of the final product, but not as much as you may think. The most important factor is how much Portland is in the mix, and second, how fast it cures. Make sure that you pour when it is not hot and sunny, like in the evening or shade. Cover the work to prevent drying out, in fact, it needs to keep wet for a few days, so sprinkle water on the surface until the product turns white. That may take a week. The closer you adhere to keeping it hydrated, the better your surface will hold up over time.


How to cut floor joist for stairway headroom? I live in an antique cape and we are having the stairs to the 2nd floor rebuilt so we will need more headroom. There is a floor joist that will need to be cut to make that possible.
I'm trying to figure out the best looking way to do it. Should the newel post go from the floor to the ceiling and act as a support for the floor joist? I'm not even sure that would be possible since the joist sits about 6 inches out from the newel.
Or should there be a completely separate post to support the joist? Or is there a way I'm not thinking of to support the joist without a post?
I've attached a photo of the stairs showing the plan. The black area would be removed. The red line is the floor joist.
EDIT: There is nothing above the ceiling being removed. It is "dead space" that is not part of any rooms above.

That's a pretty tall order, you are into structural and would, in most areas, need a engineer or architect to sign off. It would almost certainly involve pouring a concrete footing for the post to rest on along with doubling some of the joists and using joist hangars with the proper structural nails. It's not super difficult but the amount of work required to do the job properly gets exponentially bigger as you add elements to the job. Cutting the stairwell into an L shape adds a lot of work. It's definitely the right thing to do looking at the picture. But it's not as easy as adding a post.

Here's an example of an L shaped stairwell

DIY chatroom

This doesn't necessarily apply to you, it depends on where the load points are above. An experienced contractor could easily figure it out but they is little you can do if something goes wrong. With a architectural stamp you have someone liable for any failures.

Just to throw out an idea

Red is a post

Blue is a double

Green is a cut joist

The post could potentially be placed further right but it depends on how long the stairwell is and the code in your area.


Nuisance Trip GFCI by Electric Motor I have an old 1950s bandsaw (Beaver 2300) that has been refitted, by the previous owner, with a new motor. It runs fine. But now that I am using a power bar with a built in GFCI, the GFCI trips after being on for 15 seconds. When I plug directly into the wall outlet, the 15A breaker does not trip.

Any suggestions on why this should occur, or how I should explore this problem?  I have read about ground leakage of electric motors causing nuisance tripping of GFCIs, but I would like to be sure, for safety reasons.

Thanks in advance.

Edit:
There is no GFCI on the receptacle.

A shop vac and drill press both plugged into the same GFCI power bar do not trip it. The GFCI seems to be tripping after the bandsaw is on for about 15 seconds, even without cutting. I thought it was only with a heavy load before, but I could be mistaken.

There is no measured resistance between ground and neutral on the motor (ie. open circuit). Likewise for live to ground, and live to neutral with the switch off.  When the switch is on (unplugged of course, the resistance is around 1.1 ohms.

I took apart the switch, and verified all the connections.  Everything is tight, well connected, and looks quite new.  All connections were clean.  I vacuumed it all for good measure.  Once I put it all back, there was no change.

The motor has no markings on it.  I will include a photo.  3 leads go from neutral to the motor, and another 3 go from live to the motor.  They are marked 1-6. One of the go to a momentary switch with markings CET36CA-7.

I was told the motor is 1 hp, and it runs off 110v ac. The outlet breaker is 15A and does not trip when the bandsaw is plugged directly into the outlet (ie. no GFCI).

The power bar is Woods Pro Power GFCI 4 outlet https://www.rona.ca/en/electricity-and-lighting/cords-and-timers/power-strips/2.  It is UL listed.

Motor connections:

A 1 Hp on 115/120v line is rated at 16 amps putting a heavy load on the motor could draw 3x the amperage some GFCI's will trip for overload.  Shop vacuums rate horse power differently than true HP rated motors. A megger is needed to check for winding leakage. Most ohm meters are very low voltage where a megger is a high voltage ohm meter. With a megger you connect 1 lead to the case and 1 to the winding I usually use the 500v setting when checking 120v motors.


Removing washing paint stains from clothes As house windows and doors was being painted by enamyl paint got paint stains on clothes how  can we remove wash or remove paint stains

The paint stain has been dried

tried white vinegar baking soda detergent hot water  tarpine oil kerosine oil thinner

There are many favorate clothes of family members and many places drops stains where many places drops stains  I want some solution chemical oil which I can soak the clothes in so that the paint stain can dissolve without harming clothes

Advice and helpful suggestions are thanful

It's over.

They are beyond saving.  There was a chance when it was very fresh and wet, and if you started with the right thing (paint thinner) as mentioned on the paint can's label.  But once it dries, or you set it with the wrong chemical, it's all over but the shouting.

Why were you in fresh paint areas anyway? Stay away.


Can I put plywood over Schluter radiant heat I would like to add radiant heat to my kitchen floor.  I will be using vinyl flooring (with a floor heat sensor to keep the temperature below 85 degrees F). One option is Schluter radiant heat.  In their instructions for installing vinyl they suggest pouring self leveling cement over the electric wire mat.  In my case there is about 5/8" dip near the doorway so self leveling cement would give me a 7/8" step at the doorway (1/4" plus the 5/8" dip) which is unacceptable.  I am wondering if I can use thinset adhesive to glue 1/4" plywood to the electric mat and put the vinyl over that.  Another option is to trowel thinset directly on the mat and than apply the vinyl to that but I do not feel confident I would get the thinset flat enough.  I have not seen anybody address the problem of not being able to use self leveling concrete.

I also considered the ZMesh low voltage floor heating system which is approved for this type of installation (vinyl over plywood over mesh) but the cost is significantly higher.

Any other suggestions?

Brian

As per a couple of suggestions, I did contact the manufacturer and got a prompt reply indicating that it would not be covered by warranty if installed that way. Thanks for the suggestion.


My furnace has a vibration for about a second at the end of the heat cycle. It runs fine for the approximately 15 minute heat cycle. It appears as though it happens as the thermostat is satisfied and the gas valve shuts off.  The vibration is heard upstairs and throughout the house.  The furnace runs after the vibration for a couple minutes.  There is no obvious location when at the furnace.  Should I remove the lower panels to be closer to the apparent noise (with buttons pushed to keep the unit operating?).Thermostat wiring issue - gas valve solenoid chatter?

The furnace is a 90% Arcoair 6 yrs. old and this is the second year with this issue.  I originally thought it was a shorted sump pump electrical issue as it sounded originally like an arcing when the sump pump came on (from upstairs).  New sump pump and continued noise and further investigating proves otherwise.

I agree with @nomind as far as removing the panel on the furnace and inspecting the the blower.

However, I am thinking the fan reaches a particular speed and the balance of it hits a resonant frequency as it slows back down through that speed.

I would suspect lint has built up on the fan and is affecting the balance of it. Remove the inspection panel and clean the fan thoroughly with a vacuum. If the vibration continues after that I would suspect a worn bearing but after only 6 years of use that would not speak very well of your brand of furnace.

Good luck!


What are "alternative absorption field products" and are they a good choice? My county's application for a septic tank permit asks if I want to use "alternative absorption field products" instead of pipe and gravel. They won't make any recommendation of one type of absorption field over the other. It could be that they are using a weird phrasing, or I'm not using the right search terms, but I'm not finding any information on what an "alternative absorption field product" is, or why I would want one instead of traditional pipe and gravel. Can someone please explain what they mean, and why someone would or would not want this?

There are several different types of leach fields, the most common is the gravel and pipe you know about. There are others that use chambers made out of plastic and sometimes just dirt. I have only installed 1 chamber system and the cost of the plastic sections was higher than the traditional gravel and pipe but the owner wanted to try this method because they used a garbage disposal (not good for leach fields because the fines plug the system) . there are also sand filters used with pumped systems and large mounds or very large grids with nozzles that drip the liquid when under pressure these systems are needed when the property fails perc testing (not enough drainage due to soil conditions usually high clay) these are the most expensive systems to install and require the highest maintenance. The standard is method is all that is required in many cases. But chambered systems may outlast a conventional system the chambered system we installed has only been in for. About 10-12 years and they have had no problems with it that I know of. If you want to find more information or types use the term leach field.


How can I repair this wood window trim? A small section of the window frame has rotted away (either that, or a woodpecker went at it)

Here is a picture of it

Click for larger view

What is the best way to fix this? Can I just cut out part of the broken piece and insert it in? I don't know how that piece is held in place.

I see damage to sill (under window), brick mold (covers/protects L/R window edge).  Not shown but certainly contributing is the flashing/dripedge/overhang ABOVE window.

If rot extends through sill and there wasn't proper waterproofing UNDER the sill and above the basic framing, your wall below the window is at risk.

This looks like a replacement window job that didn't address water-shedding/building integration.

As such, a replacement window is relatively easily removed.  Replacement wood and the rot issues can dealt with much easier.  Then waterproofing can be integrated below, on sides and above.

This JLC article deals with replacement windows in brick, flashing and water management.


Can electrical solder be used for joining pipe? Some background here: I'm an electrical engineer, working on a project that is likely going to require liquid cooling. As part of the installation of this liquid cooling system, a joint needs to be made between copper pipe and a pipe fitting. This will carry only coolant mixtures, not anything potable, so lead content is not an issue.

Is there any reason that I should not use electrical solder (of which I already have plenty) to solder this joint? I know that plumbing solder usually doesn't have a flux core like electrical solder does.

If it is fine, will I still need to use a separate flux paste? I imagine I probably will, but in the interest of having a complete answer that's useful to other people, the opinion of someone who knows more of what they're doing with plumbing than I do is valuable here.

My understanding is that plumbing flux is more aggressive (acidic) and will damage electronics, but that you can go the other way and use flux-core solder on plumbing in a pinch. A few caveats:

Electrical solder is often a softer alloy, so it won't withstand pressure as well.
Definitely flux the pipe fittings as you normally would. You won't get good coverage with the flux in the solder.
You may struggle to get enough material in the joint in a timely manner. Plumbing solder is about 5 times the diameter, meaning about 20 times the volume. You might fold the electrical solder back on itself several times and give it a twist in preparation for quicker flow.
Wipe away any leftover flux after the joint cools. It can be corrosive.


Types of floats and trowels for concrete In Brazil there are basically 3 kinds of floats:

Steel (in many shapes), used for smooth finish concrete, spreading mortar for tiles, plastering, etc.
Wood (rectangular) used for rougher finish of concrete(!?)
Plastic/PVC (rectangular) the same as wood, having a smooth base or rough base (as in the picture below).

As much as I tried to find, I was unable to properly define which one is adequate to which job. The ones I'm troubled with (and with many diverging opinions from "professionals" here) are:

"Leveling" mortar (cement+sand) in plastering after it sets.
Bull floating concrete by hand after screeding.

Around the internet I found that magnesium and aluminium are used to open pores for bleed water during bull floating, but there are no such thing around here.

In my years in the construction trade, here is my synopsis of concrete floats and trowels and their uses.

I will start with the screed. A screed can be as simple as a short piece of framing, 1X3 or 2X4, long enough to go from side to side of a concrete form, whether it be for a 12" thick foundation or a 3' wide side walk. For larger poured slabs the screed can be up to 8 or 10' long with handles mounted for ease of pulling. In essence it is a straightedge that gets a freshly poured concrete surface it's initial flatness. If concrete is going to receive another finish on top, some people choose this as the only step needed to finish the concrete. I don't agree with that idea, I am told by somebody smarter than me that concrete needed to be "sealed" by floating the surface at the minimum. Floating the surface is what I do in all cases whatever the finish.

Floating is the fist step in finishing the concrete after the screeding is done. It is done to push the heavier, larger aggregates down below the surface, and brings the finer aggregates/grout to the surface which allows, in the next step, with steel trowels, for a very fine finish if it is required. Floating should be the minimum of any surface prep done with concrete. If you choose to do a very coarse broom finish on a sidewalk or other slab, apply the wet broom after this step, after the gloss is gone. When brooming, I float the surface twice, then broom. It leaves a slightly less coarse finish.

Floating concrete has been done in the past with wooden tools, Magnesium floats, in my opinion, are just a modern, more durable equivalent of the wood float. I have used both, but I have never used a plastic concrete trowel. I prefer magnesium floats over wood, but I have made wood floats on site to get by in a pinch. To answer you question above, if the plaster or mortar has not set up too much, this is the tool I would use to flatten it out. If it has set up too much, then it needs to be scraped off or broken up and tried again.

Bull floats are simply much bigger versions of the floats mentioned earlier. Instead of the working part of the tool being 16" or so, it is up to 36" wide and is really efficient in getting the surface smoothed over in a short time. I have made wood bull floats on site too when the occasion needed, sometimes up to 4' wide.

Steel trowels are used to give the smooth finish you see on floors in commercial buildings. Of course the finish floors are covering them up, for the most part, It is also done in basements of residences with finished or near finished areas.

The steel trowels take the fine sand and grout that was brought up in the floating process, and takes it one step finer. It pushes the coarser sand down, leaving the finer sand and grout at the top, which leaves a supremely fine, smooth finish after troweling 2 times. When  fine broom finish is called for, the wet broom is applied after the first steel troweling is done and the gloss has gone.

I believe this also helps the concrete cure harder.


Repairing a circuit when the break is unknown and inaccesible. Background: 100+ year old house with lots of really janky, messed up stuff. Some novice before me has been monkeying around, so don't assume that the current wiring is sane, safe, legal, modern etc.

I am experiencing a phenomenon where outlets and lights are failing. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason- the outlets downstairs, the lights upstairs and several rooms in the basement all failed together and another went out last night, all for no apparent reason. We had an electrician look at it but he could not find fault in any accessible light switch, socket, outlet and exposed box and he pretty much just gave up. Of course, we checked the breakers. Unfortunately, the breakers are not mapped, so there's a mystery there as well.

The best answer that we can come up with is that either from old age or shoddy craftsmanship (or both) some wiring has broken somewhere within the walls or attic of the house. Short of tearing into the walls to get the wiring, is there any way to locate this break?

One possible investigatory tool is a "toner" set - Fox & Hound or some other brand - While they are are more often used on telecommunications cables, some do claim to work on power wires. User reports vary, possibly due to different toner sets working more successfully than others with power wires. They work by one part applying a small electrical signal to the wires, which  the other part of the set can pick up without having to actually touch the wires. If you can get a tone on a circuit (Disconnect it at the breaker before hooking up the toner - assuming you understand the risks of and precautions to take when working in the breaker panel [scratch that - it's the landlord's problem - leave it alone]) and then you find a place in the wall where tone stops, rather than going off in any of the possible directions at that point in the wall, it might mean you've found the break. Check both sides of the wall, etc. to increase the odds of success. Try connecting the toner at one of the dead outlets and tracing backwards, as well. If they both stop in the same place coming from different directions, that's a good place to knock a hole in the wall.

Before any more fail, map whatever circuits still work, and perhaps turn off any you can't find out what's connected to (paying attention to things that might not be instantly obvious like furnace or boiler, well pump if any, sump pumps, etc...)


How to I fasten this toilet flange down? I'm redoing my bathroom and had to replace a toilet flange. The old one was rusted cast iron whose flanges had all but disintegrated, and I ground down what was left of it with an angle grinder. It was fastened directly to the pipe, not the subfloor--which is concrete (house is on a slab). Here's what the result looks like:

Then I bought a new flange that fits inside the existing pipe. Unfortunately I haven't found a good way to secure it to the subfloor, which is old (very hard) concrete. I tried Tapcons with little success. The problem is the angle of the concrete I need to drill into:

The walls of the existing concrete are so steep that it's almost impossible to drill pilot holes.

So what should I do? I've contemplated pouring some new concrete to fill the void and embed threaded rods in it to which I can fasten nuts though the flange, but I worry that it won't adhere well to the old concrete and tightening the nuts will just pull it loose.

What do you guys think?

I would drill out and break out more concrete to develop a hole that would hold a new concrete plug/doughnut around the pipe, rather than the difficult pointy cone you have now.

So, drill from the flat surface you have, lots of holes, and chisel carefully between holes.

My personal experience with Tapcons and "hard concrete" is abysmal. In green (new, fresh) concrete they seem to work OK most of the time.


The cheapest (in terms of efforts) way to mount mic stand to a table with slanted edges I bought a microphone table stand and only after that I've realized that the edges of my (only one and beloved) IKEA table aren’t flat enough.
I've tried different options but predictably have failed.

Question: Is there's something I can do to have a good enough solution to mount somehow this exact stand to this particular table?
UPD: I've implemented @willk's solutions, so I'm accepting it (though both answers are awesome). Works like charm!

A piece of a board between the clamp and the tabletop should work.
If not sturdy, then drill a hole in the clamp arm and use a screw to secure the end of the board.
You could also attach the board to the underside of the table with doublesided tape.
If you cannot find wood, then get a cheap plastic cutting board meant for kitchen use.

Another possibility, but not cheapest is to drill a cable hole, and pass the clamp through the hole.


How can I fix a leaky A/C evaporator? We just moved into our new place. So many new things need to learn. Just like the problematic AC. My apologizes if I do not know the correct terminology for some of the parts. I will try my best though.

The air handler with evaporator was installed in a closet on the 2nd floor. The evaporator is at the bottom in the air handler unit. And there is a big hole on the floor plywood right underneath the air handler to let the return air come in.

So the problem we have is that if we run the A/C for about 1.5 to 2 hours, we can see water drips to the ceiling of the first floor. And there is a water mark on the ceiling. So I just drilled a hole and let the water run down to avoid further damage. And I also took a picture through the hole to see what is going on(the filter has been removed). I saw condensate forming on the bottom of the drain pan. I'm not sure if the coil sweating.

What I've found/tested are:

The main drain pan seems working okay. I can see it catches water and
let it go away through the pipe to the drain-line. But the pan is
dirty. And it seems not overflowed.
Looks like there is no backup drain pan so the condensate drops
directly on the ceiling.
The filter is a washable filter and has been cleaned.
Tried to put a dehumidifier in the closed but didn't help too much.

I'm not sure what I can do next to fix this problem permanently. I thought I should install a secondary pan and clean the coil regularly. Am I on the right path? If you get an idea, please let me know.

Any working coil is going to sweat, or it isn't working.

You need a pan or a properly ducted return that will catch the drips and protect the drywall, or a combination of both.

If it still functions, you only need a new coil if the drain tray is cracked. Even then, the pan itself might be a 'simple' replacement part.

"I read on the manufacturer's website (Bryant) that if the installation is on the first floor then a secondary drain pan must be installed." – Hemant Patel


Wooden piece without a screw hole - is this correct? This is my first DIY, so please forgive me if my question sounds very naive. I have a whole set of furniture's coming in, so I need to get this bed-side table right!

I am trying to set this up and I have almost everything sorted out, except for one component, you might get an idea from the picture(s) below.

Below is the S0 wooden piece:

Basically I need to fix the S0 piece - but then I do not find any holes on them - unlike all other pieces which had them. Do I need to drill one? If so, what could be the reason that only this piece is left without a hole? How do I go about this?

Considering that the material appears to be particle board, one can presume that the screw is pointy enough to create a hole as it is threaded into the wood. You may get away without a drilled hole but expect to see a disruption of the surface on a scale smaller than the volcano in Hawaii.

If the construction permits, place the wood at the brackets, mark the screw location on the wood. Place the wood on a solid surface and begin to drive the screw into the wood. This will allow you to apply sufficient pressure reducing the chance that the screw will strip out the hole being created.

Once you are satisfied that the screw will progress well enough, remove it and place and fasten into position.

You could use a nail and tap it in the same manner but it might be a bit more difficult to remove it. Maybe tap in stages, wiggle and remove, repeat, then drive the screw.


Do asphalt contractors throw away unused sealant at end of season? Background

I just had a guy knock on my door to pitch me a quote to reseal my driveway. I need to get it resealed, so I listed to his pitch. He said he wouldn't charge me for materials because he is just going to throw away the sealant at the end of November.

That line smells a bit suspicious, but there is some legitimacy. From what I read 1 2, it is possible for the sealant to go bad in storage. So maybe he's telling the truth, that he just doesn't want to bother with storage. Although, I would expect disposal to be a pain for the contractor as well (assuming he disposes of it correctly)

This isn't the first time I've had a contractor tell me they'd give me a discount because they want to get rid of materials for the end of the season. I heard it once before from a gutter salesman, and an AC salesman too.

Question

Is the "I'm going to throw the materials away" claim legitimate in the driveway sealing business?

This is the setup for a classic scam. The offer might be legit, but that is really not the way to bet. Before pursuing this check with the police, BBB, att'y general's office, and past customers.

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2012/04/watch-out-for-paving-scams-this-spring/

[H]ere are a few red flags that you can look for in a driveway repair scam:

* The contractor says there are leftover materials from another
job – Professional asphalt contractors know, with great accuracy,
how much paving material is needed to complete each project.
Rarely will they have leftover material.

Scammers use this as a ploy to explain how they can provide you
with a huge discount over the normal price. The catch is that
they will ask you to pay everything upfront. The materials tend
to be inferior and the work ends up shoddy.

* Beware if you are pushed to make a quick decision – Trustworthy
contractors will provide a written estimate that will be valid
for days or weeks. It should specify in detail the work to be
performed and the total price.

* Be suspicious if you are asked to pay on in cash – Most
reputable contractors will take checks or credit cards.

* Watch out for a company that is from out of state – Look at the
truck the representative travels in. If it is unmarked or has an
out-of-state license plate, be cautious. Even if the
representative claims to have a local phone number, scammers can
easily purchase disposable cell phones to provide a local number
in the area they are soliciting.

Or just websearch "driveway scam". Sometimes it's repaving, sometimes it's resealing, always it needs to be considered questionable. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it usually isn't true.


Is this induction hob safe for me? I'm in the UK, I bought a new induction hob that has the label in the picture. It mentions 7kW, although I'm not sure what those 1.5kW/2kW mean then.
Is is safe for me to use in a dedicated ring circuit that has 30A fuse in it or should I get it changed for a weaker one. In case I wouldn't have to worry about drawing more then 7kW, still 7000/230=30.43A. But I also read that ring circuits should be rated for 32A.
Could I just replace the 30A fuse for a 32A?
EDIT:
Attached the picture of the cables and wiring
.

EDIT2: Seems that I didn't mention the electric oven connected to the same circuit that draws 3.8A max. But I even had an electrician come have a look and he said that its very unlikely that I'd run all 4 surfaces at full power at the same time plus the oven and that the oven doesn't consume that much all the time either but it turns itself off once it reaches the target temperature. He was more concerned about an extractor fan that I had completely disregarded due to the fact that this extractor fan is a joke but it will still probably run simultaneously with the the hob so it has to be counted. And to be honest I've been using all these now for some time together and I've never used 3, let alone 4 surfaces at once (all at full power), and oven, so never had a single trip of the fuse.

No, you MUST NOT run it on a 30A or 32A ring final circuit.

The only things that can be connected to a ring final circuits are 13A sockets (single or double) or a 13A fused connection unit. Every connection or appliance on the ring must be protected by a max. 13A cartridge fuse to BS1362.

  Fixed loads fed by the ring must be locally protected by a fuse of
  rating no greater than 13 A or by a circuit breaker of maximum rating
  16 A.

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/6.3.2.htm (this book does not cite the latest Edition of the Wiring Regs, but the stipulation is still in force).

The safety of the ring circuit (where individual 'legs' are rated at 20A) relies on the load being spread more-or-less evenly around the ring. Putting a 30A load at one point could seriously overload the ring unevenly.

Regulation 433-02-04 of BS 7671 requires that the installed load is distributed around the ring such that no part of the cable exceeds its capacity. (That reference number may not be from the latest Edition of the Wiring Regs, but the stipulation is still in force).

At 7 kW, that appliance requires a dedicated 30A or 32A circuit from the fuseboard/consumer unit.

As you have a fuseboard that uses rewireable or cartridge fuses (at 30A for a ring final circuit fuse, rather than 32A for a MCB) it is unlikely that you have a RCD (residual current device, which protects against earth faults). Any new circuit must be protected by an RCD unless it is wired in steel conduit or cable incorporating a metallic shield. In domestic installations, this requirement usually indicates a fuseboard upgrade to a modern consumer unit is required.

The only way you can run that appliance from a ring circuit through a fused connection unit (FCU) is if there is an installer settings menu that will limit the maximum total load to less than 3 kW.


Unusual three-way+ light configuration I have been working through the wiring in my house to add in gfci's in the appropriate locations and update outlets and switches.  I am familiar with usual three-way and four-way light set-ups and have had no trouble updating with most of the three-way and four-way wiring configurations.  The exception is an overhead-fluorescent light in my kitchen with four flourescent bulbs.

There are three switches for this one light, two of which are in the same box.  Two of the switches are three-way switches and the one sharing the box is only a two-way switch.  If the two-way is flipped off, flipping either of the three-way switches turns the light on (but only 2 of 4 fluorescent lights are turned on).  If the two-way is flipped on, 2 of the 4 lights are automatically on, and flipping either of the two switches turns the other two on.

I have not quite figured out the wiring connections between the three light switches, but is it possible that two of the four fluorescent lights are hooked up to the three way switches and the other two lights are only hooked up to the single two-way switch?  If so, is this set-up all up to code?  If not, any idea as to what is going on here?

Extra important info: There is a single wire going from the three way switch to the two-way switch and three wires hooked up to the two-way switch (one in back slot and two on side wire terminals).

Thanks ahead of time for any help!

Real simple.  2 of the fluorescent lights are on the 3-way switches.

Separate from that, 2 of the fluorescent lights are on the 2-way switch.

The reason is to give a "low-high" setting.

The wire going from the 3-way switch to the 2-way switch is always-hot supply power.  The other 3-way switch is the "remote".


How do I clean stainless steel? We have just finished building a house and we have some small stains on a stainless steel door handle.

I was wondering what was the best way to remove them? Unfortunately I'm not sure what's caused them. They appear as small "smudges" along the handle.

Use some Flitz.  I used to have a tube of the paste that worked really well on stainless knives. I need to pick up some more from the hardware store.


While replacing a GFCI I find it has 2 circuits running into it. New GFCI trips During a house sale, inspector pointed out the GFCI at the front of my garage was failing his tester.  The trip light was always on but it still fed power.

Skip to the end if this is too wordy, but I wanted to cover everything I have verified so far.

While replacing it myself, I am flipping off breakers to find the one for it (key for later on) as I don't have all labeled on the panel yet.  The new GFCI constantly trips.  I remove the load wires and the GFCI is now good.  The load runs to an outside outlet down the same stud gap which I course want protected as well.  I fiddle with the outside receptacle and replace it as it was old and rusty.  Nope, GFCI still trips.  The outside receptacle has two lines and I can't tell which runs to the GFCI and which runs further down (or so I thought it was down) so I unhook one and try it.  The GFCI and outlet now work.  So what did I unhook?

Checking around the house, I find several kitchen/dining/deck lights not working.  Not good.

Decide to bypass the GFCI and just pigtail the lines together.  Now all the lights are working.  About to give up for the night when I notice on the breaker box that I had left one of the others off from the initial flip testing.  That one is labeled with kitchen & dining lights and GFCI.

After some more flipping with the unnoticed breaker, I find out that the line & load pairs to the GFCI were actually line & line, 120V on each when all breaker switches are on.  So the outside receptacle was fine all along but it's not below the GFCI on either circuit.

That's not normal?  What would be the purpose of doing that? I'll verify tomorrow, but it would also seem that both lines terminate at the GFCI.  Apparently the old GFCI was able to handle this (somewhat) and the new one doesn't?  There's no indication on the old one that it was double poled, it has the same line/load instructions on the back that every other one I have installed.

Modern GFCI devices will not set if the LINE and LOAD are reversed. If there's power on the LOAD wires, the device will not (and should not) set. It sounds like the GFCI is working as designed.

You're going to have to figure out how both circuits are wired, to determine if this is intentional or accidental.  If it's intentional, you can simply cap one set of wires in the box.  If it's accidental, you'll have to disconnect the crossed wiring, and then connect the LOAD wires to the GFCI.


Hot wire splits into two neutrals that take different routes back to panel; is this legit? I discovered this in the course of replacing an old ungrounded receptacle with a GFCI. I connected a run of lights controlled by three-way switches (two switches) to the load side. Afterwards, as soon as I flipped either switch, the GFCI would trip. It turns out that one of the lights in the run has its neutral routed back through the GFCI, but the other one is spliced to neutrals from other lights on the same circuit that are controlled by a different switch (diagram below). This gives two different routes back to the junction box upstream of the GFCI, which naturally makes it unhappy.

So first, is it ok to have a hot wire send part of its current back through a different neutral like this? If so, probably the simplest thing for me to do is just move the lights off the load side of the GFCI. If it's not ok, how should the wiring be changed?

Super-high-tech diagram. I used blue for the neutrals since the paper is white:

No, this will cause inductive heating if it passes through anything ferrous. Like a Romex clamp, locknut, MC cable, or steel conduit. It is called splitting a neutral and is really bad workmanship. Depending on the current load, it could become hot enough to start a fire. Change it as soon as possible.


Building a 'Concrete' Ramp, Concrete Mix I'm trying to build a ramp as shown in the picture below.

It will be above a concrete floor connecting to another concrete floor, so I suppose it doesn't have to be very strong as it will not be load bearing. Using it for trolley and it will not be heavier than 30kg.

Here are however some questions which I need some help with.
The country I'm in doesn't sell any pre-mixed concrete, so I'll have to mix them myself.
Can I use only cement and sand without any gravels? From some googling I guess I will be using a ratio of 1:4. Will it be feasible? Will also be using a wire mesh to prevent cracks.

Would appreciate some tips on making the ramp stay adhered to the floor, most probably I'll be chiseling out the flat surface so it could adhere better.

Some issues to consider: 1) steepness of ramp, 2) structural support, 3) design of bottom edge, 4) mix design.

1) In the U.S., we can’t exceed a ratio of 1:12. That is, 1cm of rise requires 12cm of run. Also, it requires a handrail.

2) Concrete weighs about 150 lbs. per cubic foot. Whatever supports the “concrete floor” will also need to support the concrete ramp.

3) Concrete that comes to a point, will “chip off” over time, especially if wheelchairs roll over it. I’d chip down into the concrete floor (if it’s structurally capable) so you have a 4cm or so edge. (We often place a piece of rebar within 3/4” of the edge too.)

4) we like a “rich” mix for tapered concrete projects. That is to say, a 5 sack or more mix is important. Also, do not use too much water. If it’s too runny it will not keep it’s shape on the slope.

There are many factors in the design and finishing. Here’s a site that may help.

https://www.concreteconstruction.net/how-to/materials/top-10-myths-in-concrete-construction_o


Determine which way to place beam for maximum strength I have a 4" x 6"-16' treated wooden beam. I am trying to determine which way the beam should be placed to provide the most strength for the decking.

Always for the most strength, place the beam so the 4" faces are the top and bottom and the 6" dimension is the height.

As a mention I hope you are planning on adding posts or some means of support in the center. A 16' beam supported by the ends only will not hold up a deck.


Filling a gap in double-active free-swing double-doors I have a set of double doors into a water closet (within a larger bathroom) which we want to keep as free swinging with each door being able to swing past each other.

The upper hinge is mounted into the door frame, so it's not really possible to offset the doors from the jamb to reduce the center gap.

A (very large) astragal would close the gap, but then would let the doors get into an aesthetically unpleasing state depending on which one returned to center first.

Is the best I can achieve here something like 3/4" weather stripping adhered to each door? Or is there something like an astragal, but soft, so it occupies the space without providing a rigid barrier?

"move the doors" and "buy wider doors" are both considered out of scope.

The total gap is currently 1 7/8".  Getting it under 1/4" seems like it would be much more aesthetically pleasing.

You could use two soft astragals and make them overlap slightly.

If the sweep (soft part) is very thin, the misalignment of the closed doors will be almost unnoticeable.1 You'll have to shop around to see what you can get. A wider sweep is better because it will flex more. I think the "T" style is more attractive than the draft-stop style. You might have to add some wooden strips to the door edges to narrow the gap slightly.

Here in cross section are some suggested arrangements:

Well, of course you will notice it because you know it is there. No one else will notice, trust me.


Better to have single butt joint or 2 tapered joints when hanging drywall? I am in the process of hanging drywall for my basement.

Due to the length of the walls there are a couple situations where I could either hang the sheets to have a single butt joint.. or to have 2 tapered joints. Which one would be better for the mudder? I am planning on hiring out the mudding but have not hired anyone yet to ask. thanks.

There are merits to both. For structural support (yes, drywall adds some shear support) you want fewer joints and drywall crossing as many studs as possible. This has the side benefit of reducing the amount of taping needed and may use less mud.

For visual appeal, tapered joints are easier to completely hide with mud. Rather than spreading out the mud over a wide area to minimize the visibility of the joint, you can completely fill the taper for a perfectly smooth transition.


Basement Steel Stud Framing with 1.5" Float How does one frame a basement with steel studs where 1.5" of float is required? I reached out to the inspector and he said "...use a bottom slip track deep enough to accommodate 1 ½” of float."
How does one secure the steel studs to the deep leg track and allow it to float at the same time? Do they dangle there?

If one Googles "deep leg deflection track" one may see a photo like this one:

There is a way to use this type of track to build a floating frame but I don't fully understand it and therefore don't want to spread misinformation.
Per FreeMan's suggestion I reached out to the inspector. He recommended using slotted track instead. This seems to be the more intuitive way to build a floating frame with steel.


When to use EPS instead of XPS (aka Styrodur [TM] and Styropor [TM]) for insulation? What are the pros and cons of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) (known as BASF Trademark Styropor) and extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) (known as BASF Trademark Styrodur) cards for thermal insulation between an cellar wall and the soil?

All I could find out yet was that EPS has larger pores and is softer and lighter than XPS. I could not find good sources for all other statements like "EPS can absorb more water".

Please add sources to your answer as there seem to be some legends around these materials.

EPS is not suitable for soil contact. XPS is.
see (dow.com)


Deck posts - set in concrete or use anchors? I'm planning to build an elevated deck. I was going to dig the holes for the posts, put them in and set them in quikrete. I've done this for a fence and I'm comfortable with the process.
A deck builder who gave me an estimate stated that's what he would do if he gets the job.

However, looking at my existing deck, it occurred to me that it might be better to use anchors so that if I ever have to replace the post I can do so easily?
I currently have a post that is bent and seriously cracked that is using an post base, so I can see how convenient it would be if I was to replace it. (I'm replacing the whole deck instead because it's in very bad shape)

Here are some pics, I'm pretty sure the cracking and bending are due to how the load is falling on the deck, but I also noticed that the post base is not set on a cement footing??

I wonder what is the better solution? What's the chance of having to replace a post?

I really prefer post bases for decks over putting the posts in concrete; it's a much better way of going. I like the beefy ones like the EPB66HDG, but Simpson makes a lot of different ones.

Here's a trick for getting them right. Dig the footing holes, and then temporarily attach the connectors to the beam. Put the beam on the ground directly under where it is going to be, level it in both directions and anchor it (stakes or whatever) so it can't move. Then, pour the concrete around it. This gives you post connectors exactly where they need to be. After the concrete sets, just remove the beam, put the posts in, and put the beam on top of them. Simple. If the posts are all the same height you can put short pieces of post between the deck and the beam.

I like hefty footings for 2nd floor decks; I would go at least 1x1x1 (depth set based on your frost line); I have a 2nd floor deck with a roof over it that has 5 footings that are each 2'x2'x'1. You can put a bit of rebar at the bottom to help hold the footing base together.


Is adding a Time Delay/Dual Element Fuse a good idea for pump motor install I have 240v circuit with 12awg wire that will service a 3/4hp motor (about 5amps max at 240v).  That circuit is protected by a standard 20amp breaker.

I was wondering if it is a good idea/warranted to put in a 10amp time-delay fuse at the motor as extra protection?

Like this for example.  600V Slow Blow Class CC Time Delay Fuse

Problem with this style fuse I can't find a single fuse holder/block and the three place ones are 6 times the price of a fuse on ebay.

Can one use a more standard glass/ceramic type fuse for this application?  like this Bussmann MDA 10A 250v Slow Blow Time Delay Ceramic Fuse because holders for this are common and cheap.

There is no real need to put a 10A fuse on it in addition to the breaker. The 20A breaker will be enough protection regarding overload and short circuits.

The only recommendation I would give is to put it on a GFCI because it's for a pump in a presumably wet location.


Help identify chandelier/needs a new glass globe I recently broke one of the glass globes, and can't find a maker label anywhere. If it's hard to know the maker, is there a place to buy single domes?

OK, you've got a few choices. You can look for another globe in your home store. They have lighting sections and sell replacements for some standard globes. You'll have better luck if you go to  commercial lighting store and look for/order a replacement. You can purchase 5 globes similar to the ones you have and replace all five. if you do this, buy an extra one just in case. These lighting fixtures are so mass produced I doubt they even can be identified.


Rewire wall switch to an on/off switch, for a ceiling fan that has nightlight, fan & lights? How do I rewire a wall outlet to an on/off switch? It's for a ceiling fan that has a dim nightlight above the fan, and lights below the fan?
It also has a Hampton Bay remote.

Any thoughts from the pics.   Again,  trying to go from a multi light fan switch to a single on off switch. My Hampton Bay fan with a dimmer night light and a regular light is controlled by a remote.
Fan remote has three speeds. One button for night light & one for regular lights.
Multi  Wall switch has a black striped white wire on the back side at the top and the bottom is a black wire on the back side.  The light side has a blue wire on the back at the top  and in the middle at the bottom is the green stripe white wire, ground.

The blue light wire is connected to a red wire on the wall. The fans black stripe white wire is connected to a dark Gray wire on the wall. The  bottom black wire on the fan side is connected to a dark gray wall wire. The Green striped white wire is connected to the copper ground wire on the wall.

If you could help on  basically what wires in the wall to connect to the on off switch to make the nightlight, regular light, and fan speeds operate  when turning the on off switch on and using the remote.

Reference the UC9031 installation instructions (PDF).  Your picture shows:

And the backside of that model:

Is there another wirenut not shown?  Otherwise, there is no separate connection for the nightlight.

In order to be able to switch off everything at the wall you will need:

Short length of #12 or #14 wire for pigtail(s).
Larger wirenut sufficient for joining 4 wires. Those yellow nuts are not big enough.

The new switch should be wired like:

Make sure power is off and consult an electrician if you're unsure about anything.
Label all the wires from the wall before disconnecting the old switch.
Leave the neutral alone.
Wire the fan, light, a 6 to 8 inch pigtail, and the nightlight wire (if any) together.
Connect the other end of the pigtail to the switch as shown.


Bathroom floor - what should I do? I am renovating my bathroom. Previously the plan was to replace the old floor with new floor tiles. But after some investigation, it's too much effort for its worth.

So now I am thinking more along the line of polishing it. Does anyone know what material this is, can it be polished or otherwise  made looking newer?

Here is a closer look of the bathroom floor.

That's an interesting floor. Is it cold to the touch? I ask because it looks rather quite a lot like actual sliced stones with grout instead of like any sort of resilient flooring with stone-appearance surface; the breakage all seems to have happened AROUND the "stones". I've seen sliced stone available attached to fiberglass mesh to make mortaring & grouting easy; it's laid similarly to ceramic tile.

If that's the case - that it's actual slices of natural stone, it may be really difficult (or at least impractical) to polish the surface with any sort of abrasives. Paste wax might add more shine, but at the cost of making the surface more slippery underfoot. Another possible option would be to pour a layer of acrylic resin (possibly "bartop finish") or decoupage over it, just deep enough to fully encapsulate all the stones. If you did that, you could even patch the damaged areas first with sliced stone (stones CAN be sliced with a diamond-rim wet tile saw) and grout.


Painting Galvanized Fence Bracket I have some galvanized fence brackets that I want to use on some benches.  Before construction I want to paint them black to match a table we have.  I have been doing some research on how to do this so the paint will stand the test of time. From what I have seen the basic steps are as follows:

Clean the metal with an acid (i.e. distilled white vinegar)
Apply primer to the surface
Paint using a latex based paint

Am I correct on this or did I miss something?  Do I need a primer or can I do multiple coats of paint?

You definitely want the primer. Latex paint has lousy adhesion on metal; it gets the nod on galvanized surfaces because oil based paints have a chemical reaction with zinc. The primary reason for the acid is to etch the surface and give the paint a mechanical bond. You really don't want to skip a primer when adhesion is such a big issue.

There are oil-based primers with a high zinc content, with zinc in the name or for galvanized metal printed loudly on the label. They offer superior performance in extreme temperatures and salt water environments. I doubt that it's worth going out of your way to find them, but it might be an option if you see one while you're in the store. You can go over them with a latex paint, just not vice-versa.

You might also be able to get them blasted for a reasonable price at a local powder coat shop or someplace similar. It really only requires a small amount of labor to glass bead something in a cabinet, but we all know shop rates can be wildly divorced from reality.


Are uninsulated steam pipes behind walls and touching beams a fire hazard? We are getting our unfinished basement done. We have replaced and rerouted (to make more space) our steam pipes (house built in 1937) with new pipes (Black and I believe 4 inches in diameter). These pipes run into/from the boiler and run very hot. We are getting sheetrock walls built in the basement to cover existing concrete walls and pipes will run behind the sheetrock.

Plumber says the pipes can remain behind the sheetrock walls to help generate heat and that the pipes don't need to be wrapped/insulated. He also says that the pipes can run against ceiling beams without being insulated.

Question: Is it safe to have these pipes behind walls or against (touching) wooden structural beams if the pipes will be non-insulated/wrapped? I am very concerned about potential fire risks.

Thanks!

Do you know the temperature of steam pipes? Do you know the ignition point of wood?

Some say the "ignition" point of wood is 451 deg F. Most say around 570 deg F. Either way, the surface temperature of steam pipes will NEVER even get close to that. Typically upwards of 250 deg F. I think you can trust your plumber on this one.


Choosing a Switch Based on Amperage I will be replacing a light fixture that had a switch built in and was operated independently from any wall switch. Rather than limit myself to the very few light fixture options with switches built in, I am buying a standard light fixture and installing a switch with a pull chain in the base. I've already researched how to add a switch into the circuit of a light fixture and it's an extremely simple job.

However, I am a little stuck when it comes to choosing a switch.The ampacity of my circuit is 15 amps. Yet the switch I have (originally intended for a ceiling fan) says it can handle either 3 amps at 250v or 6 amps at 125v. This is the US, so I assume it will be closer to 125v.

The old light fixture is marked with 120VAC, 60Hz, 18W, 0.35Amps. It was a miniature fluorescent fixture with one tube.

The new light fixture isn't marked as clearly, but it is made for two 75W incandescent bulbs (I'll be using LED bulbs) and the bulb sockets are marked with 250V and 660W. It doesn't say the amperage.

Is it safe to assume that the switch from the old fixture would work just as well on the new fixture, and the switch for the ceiling fan, too? What amperage should the switch be rated for?

Edit: I forgot to add that the switch from the old fixture also says 3 amps at 250v or 6 amps at 125 v.

It is safe.

If you use 2x75w incandescent bulbs, the current would be 2*75W/120V=1.25A, which is way below 6A. If you use LED bulbs the current will be much smaller than 1.25A.


How to keep floor insulation dry and safe from pests? Hi I'm in process of constructing a small house I want to live in. The house will be built on foundation of concrete pilots. Since I want to insulate the floor I am now in process of designing such barrier which will keep the insulation dry and pests (mouse or similar which would get into the crawlspace) away. I have now this construction in my mind (cut below):

===================== - subfloor
||-------------------
|| Joists, spaces filled with insulation
||-------------------
+++++++++++++++++++++ - one way vapor barrier
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - chicken wire

What do you think about this solution? Are there any better? I don't want to re-invent the wheel...

See above picture

I would add an electrical outlet in this crawl space and plug in a electronic pest repeller, to make any rodent's life miserable, if they found their way in there.

The other added reason to have at least one outlet down there is for your convenience, if you needed to plug in temporary lighting. Insure that this outlet is GFCI protected as well.


When does sanding(smoothing out wood surface) sensibly apply I know I can smooth surface right after stripping is done. And I read somewhere that I can choose to perform smoothing step after pre-conditioning step instead. What I would like to know is if I can skip sanding, to smooth out the surface, until after applying :

a) stain to surface?

b) protective coat(in my case polyurethane satin finish)?

Sanding
The core of the sanding must be done before you finish your work; in other words, just after stripping.  Most paint strippers won't do a perfect job, sanding will help you remove the leftovers. Sanding can also be used to remove any existing scratches or dents.

Raising the grain (Optional)
Once your piece is perfect (no visible scratches and smooth), you can then choose to raise the grain or not.  Your stain's instructions will usually tell you if you have to do it or not. The goal of this step is to greatly reduce the fuzzies created by stains or finishes.

To raise the grain, you must:

Wet your piece,
Wipe the excess of water,
Let it dry overnight,
Sand the piece again with an extra fine paper (Rule of thumb: The next grit after your last sending grit.)

Maybe this is what you heard about smoothing the surface...

Staining
To be honest, read your stain's instructions and follow them.  Some products will require you to sand between coats and others will advise against it.

Varnishing
Varnishes usually requires you to lightly sand with extra fine grit between coats.  Once again, your product's instructions are your friends!

tl;dr

a) No.
b) No.

Read you product instructions.


Building a 1 layer thick brick wall over drywall Looking to lay a brick wall over drywall in my basement.  The floor is a concrete slab which covers my entire basement.  I am looking to see what issues or concerns I should have laying a 1 layer brick wall from floor to ceiling. I am concerned the wall would topple over.  How can I lag this in?

Assuming the bricks would be adequately supported from below, you would use brick ties (attached to wall studs on one end, and embedded in mortar on the other) to give your brick wall vertical stability.

If you want the look of brick wall with less effort, you can just install brick-look tiles on a suitable backer board onto your existing wall.


Gas range burner won't ignite in the morning one of the burners on my gas range won't throw a spark when first used in the morning. If, however, I light it up with a match, it will start throwing a spark both while burning as well as if I turn the burner off and restart it the normal way (without a match). Would really appreciate any advice you can give. Thank you.

Often the spark from the electric igniter is redirected and cannot ignite the burner gas. This could happen if there is any moisture on or near the electrode. Do you wipe down the stove in the evening, leaving it damp? Do you boil water on that burner in the evening, potentially causing dripping condensation that could be getting the area wet?

Another common cause is the gas port in the burner assembly. There is (usually) a small "pilot" port near the electrode that directs a small amount of gas to the electrode area, for easy (non-explosive) ignition. Ensure the port is free of corrosion and debris. This scenario does not seem to align with your "morning only" intermittent issue, however.


I lowered the pressure on my boiler and it flooded We have single-pipe steam in our four unit building. We installed Danfoss RA 2000 valves in 3 of the 4 apartments but they seemed not to work too well and also tended to spit water from the air valves.

The system was running around 3-5 PSI. I turned it down to 0-2 PSI. After doing that however I noticed the water level in the boiler slowly rising and now it flooded. Any idea why that would happen? Am I stuck with higher pressure?

Update:

I have the Danfoss controls for 1 pipe steam. (My radiators stopped heating consistentenly, so I put a Hoffman vent on one of the radiators.) The rest are Danfoss vents.

As for the boiler flooding... looks like my Pressuretrol tripped? The mercury bulb tipped over and opened the circuit.

I drained the boiler until the sight glass was 1/2 way and pressed the lever and the boiler turned on again. But it keeps tripping. Sorry if I'm not using the right terminology.

The water in the glass moved higher and seems to be hovering around 3/4 full. (It visibly oscillates up and down slightly when the boiler is on but I assume that's normal?)

I am attaching picture(s) of my boiler controls maybe you guys can see what's wrong...

I don't know how to adjust these controls to try to keep the pressure below 2-3 PSI.

Here is the real answer to your heating system problem. I worked on these for 40 years. 1 pipe steam systems are very critical of any thing you or anyone has changed in that system since the time it was first installed. Now; exactly what valve did you install? Did the valve replace the steam vent in the last section at the end of the radiator? I hope so, since this is the only Danfoss valve that will work on a 1 pipe steam system. You will also have to install the steam vent that came with or was an optional part of that valve. A Hoffman steam vent #43 will work with Danfoss valves. The steam pressure should never exceed 3 psig. All the manual inlet  steam radiator valves must be fully open or fully closed; never close a valve part way to try and control steam flow. After you read this respond with what you have done so far. You may have to add a boiler control system (not just a wall thermostat) since the boiler has to cycle off to get these valves to work properly.


Does a rock face concrete block house need insulation? I’m considering buying a 2 1/2 story older Foursquare home built in 1926 located in northern Virginia. The house was built by a building contractor as his personal home. The house is in excellent condition. During the home tour I noticed the inside of the perimeter walls had no Sheetrock or insulation and only covered in wallpaper.  When I got up to the attic I could see concrete block had been covered with a thick coat of cement and then plaster. The roof is standing seam metal. No insulation in the rafters. The house has only exchanged owners a few times and most everything is original. Having no experience with rock faced concrete block homes I don’t know if insulation is necessary? I’m concerned I will be able to keep it heated or cooled.

In 1926 they didn’t worry about insulation, oil was cheap. The blocks have “open cells” in them that could be filled with insulation, but I doubt it. Usually reinforcing is installed in most of those cells.

However, insulating the walls should be done after you 1) caulk all the cracks around windows and doors to cut down on drafts, 2) insulate the attic, heat rises so it’s VERY cost effective to add insulation in the attic, 3) up grade furnace, thermostat and air filter, if any, and upgrade hot water heater.

Replacing single pane windows with thermal pane windows and insulating walls is usually not cost effective.

I agree with @ecnerwal, get a copy of the heating bills.


Inverse polarization of appliances This question has been hunting me for years.

In domestic AC you a Line and a Neutral.
Usually there are best practices to make sure that you set loads in the proper way (ie.: when you have a switch and a light bulb, you don't want the line to go directly to the bulb).

Now, in some countries of the world, the power outlets, and the respective plugs don't have a guide to force one way. Basically you can insert the plug in both ways.

What are the downstream consequences of having insert the plug in the wrong way? Isn't that bad since you are polarizing the appliance in the opposite way (ie.: assume I have a bad side table lamp, now all of a sudden I have the line that goes directly into the bulb).

Thinking about more sophisticated electronics (like converter, led drivers, etc) this is equivalent to exposing them to constant tension (and consequentially to all the spike of the tension in the house) which, imho, is not a great thing for longevity of some of the components.

Thoughts?

Appliances are supposed to be approved by a competent testing agency.  This might be TUV or CSA, and the EU has a scheme where EU manufacturers can self-certify.

Part of the certification is confirming that the appliance is insulated sufficiently for reverse polarization, assuming it comes with a plug capable of being plugged in backwards. (A non-issue on UK and US plugs which are polarized).

This, however, is only as good as the testing agency.  This is where the sea of cheap foreign junk enters the picture.  A lot of mail ordered items bypass product safety laws and customs, and have never seen the inside of a testing lab.  For those items, your concerns are very much warranted.


Strange looking garage beam support post I was looking to buy this house and then realize this room is strange. It used to be a garage but got converted to living space (with permit):

It was a single lumber running across so I am not sure why it needs the support in the middle. I guess the span is too wide for that lumber.

Anyways, the support post looks weird:

Is this piece of metal a "Structural" component or just some "hack" from previous owner?

What do I do in order to remove this post? Larger beam?

I would hire a structural engineer to give me a report on the existing conditions and include any needed support for that beam. Tell him your ideas and intentions so he can advise you what is needed or required.