Will this TV mount holds LG OLED C8 65"? I have 24inches stud and bought a LG OLED C8 65 inches.
Looking at this TV mount: https://www.amazon.com.au/Bracket-Articulating-MD2380-24-Mounting-Dream/dp/B06XZ6S9VG/ref=pd_sbs_504_1

It says it only supports up to 55" but it does support LG OLED C8 65" VESA size 300m x 200m. It also supports up to 45kg which should be fine cause C8 65" Net Weight without stand is only 21kg. LG OLED C8 specs: https://www.lg.com/au/support/products/documents/OLED%20C8%20Product%20Spec%20Sheet.pdf

I could get a bigger frame but I don't want the bigger frame to block the cable inputs on the backside since it looks quite wide and C8 has some cable input on the right of backside.

Bigger mount:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Articulating-600x400mm-MD2298-Mounting-Dream/dp/B00UT3O46E/ref=sr_1_3

C8 backside:
https://www.lg.com/uk/images/tvs/MD05933200/gallery/medium05.jpg

just wanna ask it should be fine to purchase to mount the C8 65" ?? Seems to tick all the boxes: https://www.amazon.com.au/Bracket-Articulating-MD2380-24-Mounting-Dream/dp/B06XZ6S9VG/ref=pd_sbs_504_1

I am sure the mount would work in that the TV wouldn't fall off the wall.  However you might not be happy with the length of the articulating arm.  If the arm is short, and the TV is wide, you won't be able to turn it left and right like you want to.


Hi i have had my stove isolator moved but having some problem now. the circuit breaker stays up for a while then trips Hi i have had my stove isolator moved but having some problem now. the circuit breaker stays up for a while then trips, but the stranger thing is that my breaker trips even with nothing on. what can the problem be?

[I did X and bad things happened - what can be the cause of the bad things?]

X!

  [and what should I do about it?]

I'd check that stove isolator very carefully, particularly the wiring, which wires connect where, the quality of all connections in its vicinity, the amount of room in the box, the possibility of exposed metal or wires coming into contact with each other as the box cover is closed and the quality of any reused or replacement parts.

If you paid someone to move the isolator, that person/business should be fixing your problem for free.


Two switches have to be ON for light to work I recently purchased a house from the 1970's and I have noticed a wiring issue.  There are two switches to turn the garage lights on.  Both use wiring that includes one red wire, one black wire, and one white wire.  Neither has a ground wire. I have two questions.  First, what wiring changes need done to make each light switch work independently of each other?  Second, can I remove switch #2 and install an outlet instead of a switch?  Thanks!
Note:  I tested the wires with my klein voltage tester and it's showing the black wires are hot.

What you have is a 3 way switch where one of the travelers has gotten mixed up with the common (black or brass screw where the other 2 are silver).
If you wanted to eliminate the 3 way functionality that is there it could be rewired to be a simple 120v circuit but your diagram doesn't show where the feed actually is.


Electrical Circuits in a Workshop I am doing some renovation in my workshop and am considering doing something kind of unusual.  I find that I am always looking for outlets to plug in tools, lights, etc.  Rather than using power strips, I'm thinking of installing a bunch of outlets instead. On the wall where my workbench will be, I plan to install 8 outlets (one on each stud).  Here's the unusual part: I want to make sure I don't overload the circuit, so I plan to put those 8 outlets on two separate circuits in an alternating pattern (i.e. outlet #1 on circuit 1, outlet #2 circuit 2, outlet #3 circuit 1, outlet 4 circuit 2, etc..).  My shop has exposed studs and 4 existing 20 amp circuits.  I would be adding 4 outlets to two existing circuits.  I am comfortable with this kind of work, but will also have my work inspected according to my local codes.

So my question is, is my plan reasonable or a crazy.  Your input would be really helpful.  I'd rather the internet tell me that I'm an idiot than an inspector.  :-)

Thanks for your time, and please let me know if I can provide any additional information.

A multiwire branch circuit would work well for this.  You'll install a double pole 20 ampere breaker, or two 20 ampere breakers with the handles tied together.  Then you'll pull 12/3 with ground cable from the panel, to the first box. And 12/3 with ground cable between each box.
In the panel
In the panel you'll connect the black conductor to one of the breaker terminals, and the red conductor to the other breaker terminal.  You'll connect the white conductor to the neutral bar, and the bare ground to the grounding bar.
At the first box:

Connect the black wire from the feeder cable to the brass colored screw on the receptacle.
Connect the black wire from the cable leading to the next box, to the other brass terminal.
Connect the red wires together.
Connect the white wires together and include a short bit of scrap wire for a pigtail.
Connect the white pigtail wire to a silver screw terminal on the receptacle.
Connect the grounding wires together and include a short bit of scrap wire for a pigtail.
Connect the grounding pigtail to the green screw on the receptacle.
If it's a metal box, include an additional grounding pigtail, and connect it to the box using a grounding screw or clamp.

At the next box:
Follow the same procedure as above, but connect the red wires to the receptacle instead and let the black wires "pass through".
Continue the pattern.
Now simply continue the pattern, connecting black wires in one box and red in the next.
GFCI protection
Since the receptacles are in a garage, they'll likely have to be GFCI protected. You can accomplish this by using a GFCI breaker, or installing a GFCI receptacle as the first receptacle on each line (two total).
However, using receptacles is a bit more complicated, since the grounded (neutral) conductor cannot be shared with GFCI devices. This answer explains how to wire multiwire branch circuits with two GFCI receptacles.
AFCI protection
Arc-fault protection may also be required, which is commonly provided by installing an AFCI breaker.
Dual protection
If both types of protection are required, you'll likely end up with an AFCI breaker and GFCI receptacles.  Breakers that provide both GFCI and AFCI protection are available, but can be difficult to find and may be expensive.
If you can't find a dual function circuit breaker, and you have to use separate GFCI receptacles on an AFCI protected circuit. You can use a combination of 12/3, and 12/2/2 cables.  12/2/2 cable contains two ungrounded (hot) conductors (black, red), two grounded (neutral) conductors (white, white with red stripe), and an equipment grounding conductor (bare copper).  You'll wire the circuit like this.

Pay close attention to the wiring of the grounded (neutral) conductor at the first GFCI, as to avoid sharing the grounded (neutral) between GFCIs.
In a scenario like this, you could break the tabs on both sides of the receptacles, and feed the top and bottom of the receptacles with separate circuits.  For example, all the bottom plugs could be circuit1, while all the top are circuit2. This would be wired like this.

Protection from physical damage
Since this is in a garage, and you said the stud bays are open. You might be required to protect the cables from physical damage.  This can be accomplished with conduit, running boards, installing drywall, or closely following the structural members.  For example, if you have a nonmetallic cable running from one stud to another. You can:

Run the cable through conduit.
Install a running board between the studs, and route the cable behind it.
Install drywall to cover the entire wall, or just the portion of the wall where the wiring is.
Run the cable up the stud, through the top plate(s), then down the other stud. Making sure the cable closely follows the studs, and is secured properly to the studs.


How do I keep drywall around a patch from crumbling? While patching my kitchen ceiling, I cut the hole larger to get to the joists and install my drywall "normally".  On one of my edges the old drywall keeps crumbling away.  My plan is to make the hole bigger still and toenail in some furring (a board to screw the patch to).  However, every time I breathe near this edge it seems to crumble more.  The original drywall is probably 30 years old.  How do I keep this patch from growing?

The edge on the left is what keeps crumbling away.

Sounds like a bad spot in the drywall, maybe caused by water damage, or physical abuse. You're probably best to keep cutting until you find a good section, though you may get away with simply taping and mudding the joint. The tape should hold the section together, so even if the plaster is crumbling it will be held in place. If you opt to just tape and mud, there is no guarantee you won't develop a crack in the future.

If it were me, I would keep cutting (at least to the next joist). If you're lucky the bad section will not extend that far, or at the very least won't extend farther than a full sheet of drywall. You could try to patch it with compound, but it's not likely you'll be happy with the results.


Can this water damage be explained by lack of gutters and grading issues? We are currently midway through a major renovation to an old house. Part of the renovation was digging out a new basement and adding a new foundation around it. The basement has a ceiling height of about 8 feet, with about 5 feet below grade and 3 feet above grade. The basement and foundation work was completed a few months ago.

We are seeing some very damp areas on the new foundation walls after heavy rain. Here are some example photos. You can see the water dampness by the discoloration of the wall in the photos. It's mostly in the corners and where the wall meets the floor:

This house is still under construction. There are no gutters at all yet, and the grading hasn't been addressed at all yet. In other words, when it rains, the water literally just pools up along the side of the house and sits there.

My contractor is telling me that this is why we are seeing these water issues right now, and that after the gutters are installed and the grading is addressed it will not be a problem.

I think this makes sense, but I am also wondering if that's just a convenient explanation. In other words, even without gutters and proper grading, should the foundation walls still be water proof if they were constructed correctly? Or does the contractor explanation seem reasonable?

Here's an additional photo showing the damp-proofing that was applied to the new foundation before the dirt was filled in:

The corner closest to you in the outdoor photo is the same as the corner furthest from you in the "office" photo.

Thanks very much for the help!

You've really got a two-step question here

Would a lack of gutters and grading explain the water?
The simple answer is yes. That's the source here.

Even without gutters and proper grading, should the foundation walls still be water proof if they were constructed correctly?

It's that second question that will get you. Your basement walls comprise an access point for water. They're almost always concrete, which is porous and will let water wick inside. To help prevent this, you have an ecosystem to help channel water away from the basement walls. That ecosystem comprises

Gutters - Collects the water from the roof and helps to channel it away from the foundation
Sloping - Naturally moves water away from the foundation via gravity
Weeping tiles - Typically a "sock" covered drain pipe with holes, this collects water seeping down by the base of the foundation and helps to channel it away (think underground gutters)
Waterproofing membrane - The foundation should have some sort of waterproofing to help the water reach the weeping tiles and get channeled away
Sump pump (optional) - Sometimes the water comes up from under the foundation. If this is the case, pipes in the basement floor will channel the water to a catch basin, where a sump pump lifts the water up and out, typically combining it with gutter discharge (older setups did this into the sewer, but this could permit flooding into your home in the case of torrential rain)

You probably have #3 already (few places don't require some sort of weeper at the basement wall), but I would have someone investigate (or do it yourself and dig a hole, carefully since older weeping tiles were literally ceramic tiles). It's #4 where I see a giant red flag. You want some form of waterproof membrane to keep the water from seeping in because gutters can clog and ground can settle and/or erode so you no longer have a proper slope.
If I were you, I'd consult with an expert on the water table and drainage. You need to know if that was all rain water, or if there's seepage from the water table. I would then demand the contractor excavate the basement walls and apply a proper waterproof membrane. It will be costly, but it will be more so once the walls are finished in the basement. Don't rely on slope and gutters to do it all.
It's also worth checking to make sure your sump pump isn't discharging into the sewer. It might also be a good idea (while the basement is torn up) to add a sewage backflow preventer.
Fix this now, or you'll find your basement damp, moldy and possibly water damaged.


Does the NEC allow electrical wiring to run next to a ventilation duct? I am about to install a vent to the outside for the range hood exhaust in the kitchen. In the same bulkhead that will have this vent, there is some electrical wire (some 12/2 NM and some low voltage speaker wire).

Do I have to do anything special to keep the wire away from the vent? I can't imagine it is an issue (it never occurred to me), but my Father-in-law wondered if there was anything in the "code" about this situation.

There are a few things I can find in the NEC that may apply here. NEC Article 300.8 states that no raceway or cable tray can have elements of any other system besides electrical in it; no plumbing, no fuel gas, no ductwork. This implies that using the vent line itself, or any of its mounting hardware, to support the cable is a no-no; if the wire and the duct go in the same direction for a while, each system needs its own supports connected to the structural members, independent of any other support for any other subsystem in the building.

NEC 300.22 specifically covers wiring within spaces that handle exhaust or environmental air. Basically, an exhaust vent line cannot have any electrical wiring installed within it. Not nonmetallic, not MC, not rigid conduit, nothing. So, you can't drill a hole and fish the cable through your range hood vent. This is because the vent line carries exhaust gases and particulate matter that may be flammable (in the case of a range hood, that would mainly be grease particles suspended in the hot air from frying, and also uncombusted natural gas), and having a wire that could, in some imaginable case, cause a spark would be an extremely bad thing to have in a line with flammable gases or particulates.

As an aside, for environmental air (as in your HVAC system), the NEC just states that the cable must be plenum-rated in order to be legal in an open space used for air handling, and must be armored in some way when installed inside a metal air-handling duct.

Additionally, NEC 300.4 covers basic protection of nonmetallic wire against damage. These include things like minimum depth of installation in a wall, properly anchoring electrical wire to structural members etc etc, but also covers protecting the wire from sharp metal edges. Ductwork can have quite a lot of sharp metal edges; extra protection, such as bushings and rigid conduit, are recommended and/or required for any run of cable that passes close enough to ductwork etc for contact to be a concern.

Given that you follow those three articles' guidelines, I cannot find anything saying that Romex can't be in close proximity to ductwork. I would just avoid having the conduit actually contact the ductwork by securing it to the nearest structural member, and I would protect it with plastic or metal rigid conduit if contact with the metal duct is unavoidable at any point.


Can I Run Electrical Wire through sewage pipe/ vent I'm trying to run new electrical wire from the basement to my 3rd floor apartment. There’s a cast iron vertical sewage pipe that goes in the exact route I’d like the wire to go. But there would be overlap with the first-floor toilet output. Obviously, I’d have to use wire that is suitable for wet conditions like UF-B. But I can’t find anything on if it’s okay to put electrical wire inside sewage lines. And if it is okay, what are the rules around it.

The answer is NO:
electrical wire has to be used in an approved manner.
UF is approved for direct burial and use in an approved wireway or other listed methods.
a sewer pipe is not an approved method in any of the articles associated with NEC 340.10: used permitted for underground feeder type UF.
the answer is NO it is not permitted.


Will adding a gas line wick heat out of my house? I am looking at running a gas line into my house.

One concern I have is that having a big metal thing with a pipe on the outside leading into my basement will wick heat out of my house. I have had a problem with my garden faucet wicking heat out of the house and it is much smaller than the gas line will be.

I could potentially lead the pipe under 2 feet of earth before bringing it into the basement.

Keep in mind what the pipes were made of and what they were full of.

Copper is nearly the best conductor on earth, and the pipe was full of water, which is literally the best heat transfer fluid known to exist, and also convects, i.e. circulates freely.

Iron is not as good a thermal conductor, the pipe will be much thicker, and natural gas is a fairly terrible heat transfer fluid.


How can I tell if my gas fire is fitted correctly? In a correctly fitted gas fire should the ignition system be so visible, and the base so high?

How could I find if this is a correct fitting for this fire, or if not how it should have been fitted?

This is a new installation, a new gas fire supplied with a new fireplace.

Um, wow. Rule #1 of home improvement: If it doesn't look right, it probably isn't. Looks like you can see the manufacturer's tag there behind the bar with the ignition. I'd contact them and see what they say; they're the only ones who can say for sure.


Best choice for flat roof material? We currently have a gravel and tar flat roof, and it's near the end of its lifespan. We're looking to replace it, and would like to know what's the best material to use. We live in Southern California.

I'm a huge fan of EPDM rubber roofs.  They are even starting to be feasible for DIY installation.

The most important thing is to glue them down correctly to the roof deck.  Otherwise weather forces will make them shift around, fold, stretch, tear seams, or pull away from corners and edges.

The roof decking must be in good condition - so it can glue down properly, and not be stressed or punctured by the decking coming up.

I would not put it over an old roof either, same reasons.

Also, it does not like tar.  Tar causes it to melt.  If you have simpleminded buffoons who work on your roof and think tar is for all roof repairs, that will be a problem.

Fortunately rubber roofs aren't terribly hard to patch provided you use proper materials.

Cost of the rubber material is quite low, often under $1/foot, but the correct glues and supplies will cost more than the rubber!  The stuff comes in widths up to 20 feet.

Almost all rubber material is black. That means your roof will get quite warm.  "The thing to do" nowadays especially in CA is to paint roofs white, if you aren't sticking solar panels up there.  You can get white rubber, or white paint, but you must be selective as to type of paint. Painting the roof will make it less repairable.

Edit: Apropos a comment, one idea I've thought of to make rubber roofing easier to work with, is to create some vertical ribs on the roof, perpendicular obviously to the water flow.  Something like this, assuming a parapet on three sides.

Those vertical ribs could become supports for the solar panels.  It's really desirable to NOT have the solar panels introduce roof penetrations, because those leak.

The ribs would be carefully positioned so they can be covered by a single sheet of rubber roof material.  A cap over the ribs and you're all set.


Plastic cage around LED GU10 socket We bought a new house in the UK in 2011.  Most of the lighting is GU10 LED bulbs although a couple of rooms have GU10 halgens, which I'm happily replacing with LEDs as they burn out.

A couple of the already-installed LEDs have now gone as well.  When I've tried to replace them, the GU10 socket has a plastic cage attached (see picture, with replacement bulb).  This means the bulbs I've been buying don't fit, as they are slightly shorter than the existing LEDs, and the rim of the bulb stops the contacts from engaging with the socket.

I haven't been able to find replacement bulbs that fit (I've bought Philips Master LEDspot MVs) and I can't see how the cage can be removed without unwiring the socket completely.

Any ideas for how I can fit a new bulb, or even what the purpose of the cage is, would be appreciated.

I ended up just cutting the cage off using an ordinary pair of scissors.  Haven't had any problems since.


Why does my Dewalt power drill only have a 2 prong plug? Why does my Dewalt power drill only have a 2 pin plug rather than a 3 pin with a ground?

Unless it is very old, it is "double insulated." That means the electrically conductive parts and wires are insulated form the metal parts of the motor and the metal parts of the motor are completely covered by the insulating case of the drill. There should be a box inside a box symbol on the product to indicate that it is double insulated. A double insulated product without a ground is supposed to be just as safe, perhaps safer, than a grounded product.


Shaving off wood in 4"x4" to fit ez base? I bought several of these 4x4 Simpson EZ bases, but most of the 4"x4" pieces of wood don't fit. Some of them are a very tight fit, but most of them are a tad wide.

What tool can I use to easily shave off the additional millimeters from the lumber?

The best option in hand tooling is a wide rasp. However given the eye-popping price of quality hand tools and the wide availability of cheap power tools either an electric router or hand held belt sander make reasonable alternatives.

If you need to take off more than millimeters the time honored approach is to make a bunch of cross cuts with a circular saw set to a shallow depth, then knock off the resulting "fins" with a chisel.


How can I frame a mirror with trim? I want to hang a 4ftx3ft mirror (drywall) and frame it with some trim I found (not mdf).  I was thinking I would just route the trim, attach the bottom piece to the wall with some finishing nails, rest the mirror in the routed lip, and attach the remaining trim/frame to the wall which would then hold the mirror in place.  The trim/frame will be painted.

I have two questions,

In general is holding the mirror to the wall this way bad,  Should I use adhesive or the low profile mirror clamps.  Both cases I'll still route the trim.
Will I get gaps at the corners because the trim will shrink/expand?  Will it be more than some painters putty or paintable caulk can't handle?

The fastest/easiest way is to:

Mount the bottom trim to the wall making sure it's good and level. If you're going to use finish nails I would also run a bead of PL or similar construction adhesive first. If that's a little too permanent for your taste use trim head screws
Plum a line of the point of the miter up to the height of the top trim.
Tack a side piece on the line.
Set the top piece off of the reference point created by the miters with a few nails/screws, checking for level. Build a little leway into your rabbet so if you can keep your miters tight even if its a little off of plum and level.
Check the other side and if it looks good finish securing your top and side. If not you might have to tune your miters.
Once you've got everything fitted, slide the mirror into place from the open end.
Apply remaining trim piece.

The down side to this method is that it can be difficult the get your miters to line up if the wall doesn't form a nice flat plane.
A more involved method is to create the frame first off the wall and apply around a pre-hung mirror.

Attach a ledger to the wall at the height you want your mirror.
Apply a liberal amount of silicone to the back of your mirror.
With a friends help, set the mirror on the ledger and press into the wall.
Take a few scrap blocks and screw them off to the studs above the mirror. (See drawing) As you tighten the screws the block will pull the mirror tight to the wall and hold it in place while the silicone goes off.
Don't over tighten or you might crack your mirror. All of this can be accomplished by using the mirror brackets you mentioned but then you have to notch out around them which is a real pain.
While you wait for your silicone to dry, at least 24 hours, construct your frame.
Once your mirror is secured and your frame is dry, remove the ledger and blocking and apply the frame in whatever manner you're most comfortable with being careful not to hit the mirror with any fasteners.
This method is probably overkill for you (usually it's reserved for much larger mirrors) but it does give you the opportunity to really fine tune your miters.
As for expansion and contraction, it's not a concern. Wood moves very little longitudinally, only tangentially and radially.


What is the minimum width of an egress/entrance door? What is the minimum width of an egress/entrance door?
Is it 32 or 36 inches?

Here is a table from the International Building Code (modified for Florida).

Source

According to this the only egress doors that are required to be wider than 32", are Group I Occupancies.

  Institutional (Group I) occupancies include buildings with occupants
  that are under supervised care, live in a controlled environment where
  they’re limited physically by either age or health, or they have
  personal liberties restricted by detention for penal or correctional
  purposes.  Group I-3, which includes prisons, jails and correctional facilities, is further subdivided into “conditions.” However, unlike the
  occupancy subgroups, the 5 conditions are numbered with increasing risk to the higher numbers.

However, building codes can vary from location to location, and can be adapted by state, city, and town.  To be sure what is used in your area, you'll have to contact your local government.

keep in mind that the 32" is the Minimum Clear Opening, so a 32" door may or may not be adequate.

Note:

More information on how to measure egress openings is available in section 1003.2 Measurement of means of egress, in the document linked above.

Here's the section on doorways.

  1003.2 Measurement of means of egress

  1003.2.3 Doorways

  1003.2.3.1 The clear opening at swinging doors shall be measured between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90
  degrees.

  1003.2.3.2 There shall be no projections into the required clear opening lower than 34 inches (864 mm) above the floor or ground.
  Projections into the clear opening between 34 inches (864 mm) and 80
  inches (2032 mm) above the floor or ground shall not exceed 4 inches
  (102 mm) measured horizontally. Door stops at the head of the door
  frame are allowed to project into the clear opening according to
  1003.2.5.


How should I refinish a pine shelf unit? I'm refinishing a shelf unit made out of pine and painted. It has a lot of holes and cuts in it (I think it was used as a cutting table, or was near one). It's solid, so I want to refinish it and paint it again. I want to patch the holes, nicks and dents. Should I use wood filler spackle stuff or plaster/mud to patch the holes?

Plaster/mud is not meant for wood, it's meant for plaster/drywall, so you definitely should use wood filler.


How to add closet rod support? I fear the weight level in my closet on the cheap thin metal rod and need to support it in the middle.

I bought a metal support bracket and the support part of the bracket doesn't meet the rod, it's lower than it.

Do I keep shopping for a match or is there an alternative method here?

This is just holding it against the wall as a test fit (not drilled into wall):

edit:

I've been asked to add a few more pics.

The bracket itself is not adjustable; or I wouldn't be here asking this question. The diagonal rod is spot welded by the manufacturer (STANLEY).

The rod itself is metal and uses one of these round inserts that I screwed into the wall. Oh, and the round thing the rod sits in is not going anywhere; i stripped all the bolts in it upon tightening by drill  =(

Most often the ends of the closet rod are captured in some type of round pocket holders that attach to the shelf support board. So the rod could be removed from these and thus be re-positioned.

Your easiest solution may very well be to purchase two more of these same support brackets and install one on each end and one in the middle as you showed in your picture. The rod can then be supported by the three new brackets in similar manner.

I am not a huge fan of metal closet rods and by far prefer a wooden rod. With the three bracket solution you have the option to replace the metal one with a wooden one.


How should I attach this sheet flooring? I'm finishing the bathroom in my basement and doing most of it myself. I'm learning along the way, which is both fun and challenging. My current step is figuring out how to attach this flooring to the subfloor. I'm using some leftover material from when my house was built. Here's a picture of it:

And here's the back:

From my googling it sounds like you're supposed to read the instructions that came with the floor, then purchase and apply adhesive accordingly. I don't have the packaging or have any indication of what this flooring is. Any ideas?
For reference, this is going down in a basement on a slab of self-leveling cement we poured about a month ago.

Looks like vinyl flooring (appropriate for bath rooms). It most likely needs to be glued down. Be aware that some sheet material needs a special adhesive while others are glued by just applying adhesive to the perimeter of the sheet. look for the manufacturer's name on the bottom and check their web page for specifics.
Just a quick primer on installation: try to use a sheet for the full area (2 pieces are troublesome.
starting at the longest/most noticeable wall lay the sheet along it and push it into the room.
push it up to the bases of the toilet (if installed) and/or the vanity or pedestal sink.
you'll need to make a cut so that the vinyl sheet can be split around each side of the base.
Once the sheet is cut into the room half of it is pulled away from the floor and adhesive is troweled on the floor and the piece is returned and smoothed to the adhesive. Repeat on other half. Push air pockets out towards the perimeter with a rag.
You will most likely need an adhesive compatible with concrete floor. concrete


Outdoor extension of hose spout My condo building used to have an extension of our hose spout (that's the best I can describe it, see pictures) that has been broken for some time. We're looking to re-build the whole thing, and since it would be nice if this version lasted a long time I'm seeking advice on the proper way to do this:

It appears to have been made out of PVC pipe, but I think that's not meant for a pressure application like this? What would be a good alternative that wouldn't be too difficult to work with? Pex piping?
Since this will have ~5 exit spouts, is it critically important that we have a large enough pipe diameter to maintain pressure?
We live in Chicago, so how can we build the system to withstand the winter? I think we need a blowout hole?

I have done some of my own research but I'm still very naive, so any advice is much appreciated!

PEX stands up pretty well to freezing. It's amazing what you can do to it and how it recovers. Freezing isn't a problem for PEX.  Still I would recommend draining it during the winter via a drain spigot at a low point in the plumbing. Depending upon the plumbing configuration, you may have to "blow it out" using compressed air.


Do command strips work on the ceiling? I've used these  around the house to hang pictures on the wall and so on (command strips is the brand name, sorry I don't know the generic name).

I'm thinking of getting a pan hanger in the kitchen and using these strips to attach it to the ceiling (rented accommodation, not allowed to drill holes etc.)

But I wonder whether these things will work as well on the ceiling. They're rated up to 7.2 kg and all the pans together are not that heavy, but they do weigh substantially more than a picture.

Has anyone used them on the ceiling?

Edit: the consensus seems to be against using this. Command's ceiling hooks are only rated up to about 200g, so they're no good. Does anyone else know of another brand which is strong enough to allow hanging 'real' things off the ceiling?

I would absolutely not use those for hanging cookware from a ceiling, no matter how smooth.

Command strips are designed to carry load in shear, parallel with their mounting surface. Your application would have the load in tension, perpendicular to the adhesive. This would result in detachment with much smaller loads or in a shorter timeframe.
The finished surface of the ceiling will also be subjected to tension stress, which could possibly result in severe damage to the paint or underlying paper (in the case of drywall).
You risk serious damage or injury if (when) it all does let go. If history is any guide, this will happen in the dead of night, possibly triggering a violent, dazed, and comical assault on the "intruder" by your home's occupants.


is it common not to have wood under the stucco on walls on a new home ?? Is it common not to have wood under the stucco on walls on a new home ?? my builder has left 4 or 5 4 x8 sections with no wood under the stucco and says this is very common to just wire lathe and stucco over the insulation?

Original three coat stucco used a 17-ga or 18-ga wire in a hexagonal mesh similar to chicken wire. Over-lapping horizontal layers of black tar paper would be attached to the studs or to sheathing and the wire mesh fastened to the studs and sheathing through the tar paper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihp0QaUZc18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqYgqbiwqNs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ5N69SoAJE

A house now under construction in my neighborhood was entirely sheathed in green ZIP OSB. Part of the exterior is stucco. The installers put black felt over the ZIP board and then nailed a metal mesh different from the original type over that. I assume they nailed into the studs and in between. I saw them apply the first coat. I don't know how many coats are used in this application, but I suspect it is only two.


Can my washer drain do a 'u-turn'? We're moving our washer from our current location (hallways closet) out to the garage. To do this, I need to put in a new standpipe and drain in the garage.

The ideal junction for the new drain (green line) into the main would be in a spot that's currently a rats nest (red circled area) of various pipes. There's the drain, but also various hot/cold water lines, a gas line and heating ducts. Kind of a nightmare.

So it looks like it'd be a lot easier to have the drain go past that mess then 'u-turn' back into the existing drain for the washer. The added bonus is I'd also have better slope by tapping into that point.

Is there any reason why this shouldn't work? Is there some law of drain physics I'm not aware of that frowns upon u-turns?

Sketch (top view of the crawlspace drains):

With plumbing it is all about maintaining the proper drop per foot.  The fact that this is a wash machine makes the call even easier.  I guess the theoretical issue would be would the 90s and slowing of the water make it more likely that something could stick to the inside bend and accumulate enough that you would have an issue.  My thoughts on this:

don't see what would stick to PVC from a wash machine
use long sweep 90s so you don't have sharp bends
and if this ever did fail you would have easy access to it


Radiator rust recovery I would like to repaint just the fin half of this radiator that is rusted. I would like to know of there is a special treatment due to rust that I should do. I do plan to sand the rust with a grinder and a flapdisk.

that looks like just surface rust.  wipe it with strong citric acid or some commercial rust remover (like CLR or Limeaway).  if it all comes off, its just some rust that has dripped down from the upper port.  assuming there are no current leaks, you can just wirebrush it off and seal with a rust converter (corroseal or 3m marhyde are by far the best at this job) and then repaint the whole thing with a good quality latex or polyurethane (it will flex when heated).

just be gentle.  remember, a radiator is a pressure vessel full of hot water.


Question about wood expansion for V-groove/shiplap boards I have a lot of tongue and groove, reversible shiplap / v-groove boards from a big box store. I would like to use them for a plank ceiling that is 25x8ft. It is unclear to me how these boards allow for expansion since they sit flush together with seemingly no expansion gap on the V-groove side (see image). If I use the shiplap side down, do I need to rip the tongue to allow for expansion?
I plan to treat the boards before installation. I live in an area that stay low humidity year round.

Barring very unusual circumstances, they are more likely to shrink from the "as installed" state than expand from it.
If they do expand, the small and sloped contact area works in your favor.


How to turn an outdoors tree stump into a table? A large tree at our summer house became dangerous and had to be cut down last week. This left us with a sizable (about 1m in diameter) stump, still rooted to the ground. My idea (and wife tends to agree) is that it would make a nice table. The woodcutters already made the surface pretty flat and level with their chainsaws, I'm not even sure if it needs any more polishing with sandpaper (though that's a matter of preference and I'll think about it later).

Anyways, I'm worried about longevity of the stump. If left to it's own devices, will it not start to rot or have annoying amounts of sap continuously seeping to the surface? Any other potential problems? Should I treat it somehow (and how and with what)? Does anyone have any experience with this?

It will rot.  Eventually.  However, there's no reason why you can't enjoy it as a table for many years.  I'd smooth off the surface after it dries a bit and seal it with a deck sealer.  This will help preserve the top.  But it will continue to rot from below, and eventually you'll have to remove it.

How long from now "eventually" actually is is dependent on many factors such as climate, exposure, type of wood, animal and insect presence.


How can I install this automatic transfer switch? I currently have a Gentran 3028 subpanel connected to a 12,000 watt generator over a 30 AMP branch and the utility/main panel over a 60 AMP branch.  I want to replace the Gentran with a APC UTS10BI.  I would like to mount the APC more than the recommended one foot distance away from the utility/main panel.  The APC can use a UPS as an alternate power source until I can get the generator running.  This is also the reason I need to mount the APC away from the utility/main panel.  There isn't enough floor space for a rack mounted UPS system near the main panel.  My question is how much of a gauge drop do I need to make to cover the 18 to 20 foot distance?  The installation manual recommends a utility line of "Circuit: 12 AWG Two Neutral:10 AWG".  If I drop the circuit to 10 AWG and the two neutral to 8 AWG would that be safe?

According to the Manufacturers Installation Guide (PDF)...

Physical - install the UTS within one foot of the building circuit breaker panel

Page 4

Caution: The UTS must be installed within one foot of the building circuit breaker panel. If the UTS must be located further than one foot from the circuit breaker panel, a licensed electrician must extend the wiring using standard electrical wiring conduit and junction boxes.

Page 7
According to National Electrical Code (NEC)...

National Electrical Code 2011
ARTICLE 110 Requirements for Electrical Installations
110.3 Examination, Identification, Installation, and Use of Equipment.
(B) Installation and Use. Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling.

I'm guessing the unit has permanently attached wires in a raceway, which is of a limited length.  So mounting the unit further from the panel would require you to extend these wires and raceway, which requires knowledge of wiring methods to do properly.  It's not likely you'll have to upsize the wires, but you will have to understand basic wiring methods (Chapter 1-4 of NEC).


Is there anything a rotary tool can do that a oscillating multi-tool can't? I've got a decent chunk of change to spend on tools, and after cleaning the corrosion off of 96 battery terminals with scouring pads last week, I couldn't help but to think that a rotary tool (e.g. a RotoZip or a traditional Dremel) or oscillating tool (i.e. Fein MultiMaster) would make the job a lot easier.  After thinking about it, I figured the oscillating tool would probably be better at the job than a rotary tool... seems a lot safer, too.

I struggled to think of something that a rotary tool would be better at, and the only things that I could come up with is drilling into tile/granite and cleaning other miscellaneous holes out (since a drum-shaped attachment would be perfect for that type of job.)

Anyways, other than drilling/cleaning out holes, are there any jobs that a rotary tool would be superior to a oscillating tool for?

A few things I've done/do with my rotary tool that can't be done with a oscillating tool:

Etching numbers/letters with a diamond point (in very hard materials; such as marking serial number/ownership on a bicycle frame or tool).
Polishing; many rotary attachments are made for polishing fine items.
Routing. There are several router bit setups for roto-zips and dremels for doing very fine (i.e. gingerbread) work.
Curved work, such as fitting tile or wooden flooring around a small curved spot.

Overall, the oscillators have their uses, and replace other tools, but the blades can be hideously expensive. The bits can be cheaper for a rotary tool, and sometimes they're just better suited for a job -- cutting holes in drywall to fit an electrical box is one great example of a task where you can do it by hand, you can do it with an oscillator or even a reciprocating saw, but once you do it with a rotozip and the right bit you're just going to hate doing it any other way.


Replace Broan 670 with new fan/light from bathroom I have what I think is a Broan 670 exhaust fan installed in my bathroom. I would like a fan/light combo instead. I am unable to easily access it from the attic so I am hoping to replace it from the bathroom itself.

My first preference is to keep the housing and replace the fan with a fan/light combo. My second option is to replace both the housing and the fan but maintain the same dimensions (7.25" by 7.5"). My third option will be to just completely replace the fan and expand the opening if needed.

I found a Delta Breez ITG80LED which seems to be the same width and length.

Question: How do I know if it's possible to reuse my existing housing with this fan/light? Or is that only possible with a replacement Broan part (which I can't seem to find with a light) and should I plan on replacing the entire housing?

Photos of existing fan, for reference:

It is highly doubtful that it would be possible to simply place the guts of a new fan unit into the housing of an old fan, especially when it is a different manufacturer. In addition the fact that the new one has lighting in it means that there will be different wiring provisions inside the new housing for two circuits and your old housing only accommodated a single circuit.

The differing models are also highly likely to have differing size and type of fan blade assembly and air guides as well. Attempting to deconstruct both the old and new units to be able to swap parts just to save an old external housing might be possible but it is not something you are going to do reaching up into the ceiling. Instead you would have to have both units out on a workbench to perform the surgery. Such work would likely include breaking spot welds and needing to drill holes and use sheet metal screws to reassemble. But hey if you have it out on a workbench why not just mount the new one in the ceiling.

It has been my experience that you can replace the fan from below (I've done it on flat roofed houses where there was no attic) but you should plan from the outset to remove the ceiling drywall back to the center of the next ceiling joist and make the cutout be large enough that you can work through it. You will need access to:

Disconnect the vent pipe from the old unit.
Shut off the power and remove the wiring connection from the old unit.
Demount the old unit from the side of the ceiling joist.
Mount the new unit.
Connect the vent pipe to the new unit.
String new wiring cable from the fan to the switch location with the added wires needed to deal with both a fan and light switch/dimmer.
It has also been my experience that it takes at least one or two holes through the drywall to be able to route the new wiring cable and remove the old one.
Connect up the wires of the cable to the fan box following the manufacturer directions.
Cut a new piece of drywall to cover the hole in the ceiling and go around the new fan housing. It can be a good idea to lay flat pieces of wood along the top side of the unsupported edges of the existing drywall and secure in place using drywall screws through the drywall into the wood. This provides a support so that you can mount the new piece along as many edges as possible.
Drywall mud, tape and refinish the ceiling as appropriate.

You did say you had an attic...even though access may be difficult it may still be less work overall to replace your fan from above even if the clearance to rafters is only a foot or so.


Any ideas why my Currys CID45B13 dishwasher won't let me select a wash cycle? Any ideas why my dishwasher (model Currys CID45B13) won't let me select a wash cycle? All connected to the mains, all lights come on as normal, but none of the buttons work.

Any ideas how I can fix this?

Here is the service manual for your dishwasher:

http://www.buyspares.com/images/mediator/1513/service%20manual%20-%20cid45b13.pdf

If the control panel is lighting up and giving you some sort of code, the service manual will help you determine where the problem might be.  Sometimes the dishwasher won't allow you to do anything because it detects a fault in the system somewhere.

Also, on page 24 is a diagnostics routine.   Read about the diagnostics and then run them to help isolate the issue.

If you are unable to run the diagnostics, then your control panel is probably the culprit, because the switches on the keypad aren't even working to the point of letting you run the diagnostics.

The service manual should get you going down the right track.


What limits the number of skylights you can put in a room? I am thinking of putting skylights in my kitchen between the trusses in the attic. Let's say my kitchen is below 5 trusses, giving me 4 spaces where I can put a skylight. Is there any structural consideration that would keep me from putting a skylight in each of the four spaces?

I know I would probably lose more heat through the winter. But we live in Seattle and with the rain we get, it's nice to have as much sunlight in the house as you can get.

There is no structural reason why you cannot put skylights between each truss.

As long as you don't interfere with the trusses themselves, all you're doing is replacing the weight of the roof and shingles for the weight of the skylights.

You may, however, find that the skylights themselves make the idea difficult, as they are likely to have fairly wide flanges on either side to help avoid water penetration.  Those flanges are likely to get in each others way for a side-by-side install.

However, in a side-by-side install, you could cut them down and set one on top of the other, just be sure to very fully seal the entire seam where the flanges are cut.


How do I remove the dome of this light fixture? How do I go about removing the dome to replace the lights. I found online that similar light fixtures, one of the 3 "fingers" have a spring. But on mine, that doesn't seem to be the case. I tried, quite forcefully, pushing it in multiple directions, even at different angles. Nothing I've tried seems to work. I have no idea what brand light fixture these are, though Maxim do have similar looking ones.

those bits of metal you see on each claw are unlikely to be for fixing to the ceiling.  they're probably fasteners for the claw to the base - which would indicate that the claws can be rotated (as to release the cover).
there might be a trick to their rotation such as only one direction or pull-down-then-rotate...


Painting unfinished attic, what are the pros/cons? I have an attic that is pretty old.  House was built in 1939. Here's a picture.

I want to:

clean it up (get rid of all the wood chips, etc. which I think was from roofing...I don't see chipping in the framing members)
get rid of left over junk from previous owner
get rid of all the dust
and then finally paint it

What are the pros/cons of painting the attic?

Cleaning up

Pro: Reduce fire risk from scrap kindling material.

Pro: reduce wildlife habitat internal to house.

Con: It's work. Not that much of a con.

Painting

Pro: easier to see (if you paint it white.)

Con - expense (money and time) .vs. amount of time you'll spend in it, since it does not appear to resemble living space or enough space to convert to living space, unless you are housing hobbits or leprechauns.

There is no real benefit to "sealing the wood" since there should never be weather in here. Kept dry, "unsealed" wood lasts for hundreds of years.


How to fix a toilet that no longer swooshes when it is finished flushing? We recently had our bathtub removed and a full shower installed.  A city plumbing inspector did some work downstairs and since then whenever we flush our toilet it sounds as though it is flushing right except there is no longer a swooshing sound at the end of the flush and there are remnants of toilet paper left behind. Any easy possible solutions would be appreciated, as we would rather not have to get the city plumbing department involved again.  Thank You.

Definitely, snake the toilet to confirm he didn't flush something bad or leave his rag in that was used to plug sewer gases out until his work was done. Some guys shove their rag in & out of sight to then forget about it.

Depending on the setup the shower could have cleared the rag from the shower & right into the toilet elbow. If you do hit something mushy with the toilet snake immediately or in a couple or few feet, then it's likely his rag. If it's not in the toilet itself, then the toilet has to be removed in order to retrieve it...So it doesn't get caught somewhere else where it can't be removed easily.

If you aren't comfortable with that &/or don't have a new toilet seal on hand, then absolutely get him back ASAP to fix whatever he did.


What material is this pipe? Options for new 2" Union I'd like to go 2 inch pvc into my new pool pump from that valve. What are my options? This pipe is 1.5 inches, not metal, but I'm not 100% that is CPVC either, but I'm not an expert. I have a 2" union on my new pump that I need to connect to somehow.

A lot of small pre-threaded nipples like that are only offered in gray Schedule 80, because that way they can be used for water OR electrical purposes and the resellers don't have to carry inventory of both types. White Schedule 40 cannot be used for electrical conduit.


Add light and outlet to attic I would like to add lighting and an outlet to my attic. Very similar to this project here with the exception that I would like to have a hard wired light fixture rather than  a plug in.

The attic is accessed by a hole in a closet from a 2nd floor closet, with no permanent stairs or ladder. I have to disassemble my closet and put a ladder in the space to get to it. The only thing in the attic is the air conditioning air handler and duct work.

Currently, there is one single light near the access hole, which is a simple pull chain light, mounted vertically against a king post with an electrical box behind it.

For the outlet, I believe switching out the light fixture for an outlet would be simple enough. I would then connect another run of wire to the outlet for the lights.

What would be the best way to get wiring to the other side of the attic? I would have to cross a lot of trusses, perpendicularly. Is it enough to run it high above and out of the way and staple across the edge or should I put the wiring in conduit? Or something else entirely?

If I need to split the wiring to add more than one light fixture, does this change the suggested wiring paths? (i.e., lights on both halves of a truss. )

So you have a keyed light (the pull chain is your switch). That likely means the power to the light is always on.

What I would do is add a double gang box below the light box. Disconnect the wire going to your light fixture (shut the breaker off first), and then wire it to an outlet. Now, run a new wire from this new box into the existing light fixture. You can buy an unkeyed fixture or just keep the keyed and stop using the pull chain. Add a light switch to the double gang and attach the neutral to the outlet, while attaching a hot shunt to your switch. Then add the wire to your light. You can then daisy chain additional lights off this light (they're generally designed to be wired in series)

Unless your attic is considered a livable space, you don't need armor clad. Armor clad is to protect wires that are exposed to high traffic areas where the wires could be damaged.


Screwed bolt past thread. Now it is stuck. How to remove it? The thick metal plate has a thread for two bolts. By mistake I screwed one of the bolts in all the way. Now the bolt won't come out from the metal plate - bolt spins freely both directions. I tried to apply downward force on plate while turning the bolt in hopes that it will "catch on thread", but it didn't.

Any tips on how to get the bolt out? And is the thread most likely ruined in the plate and/or bolt?

P.S. this part is from washing machine where it goes into trunnion.

By getting the bolt positioned in the manner shows in the image, you have effectively filled a hole that is just a bit too tight for easy removal. This means that you should be able to tap with a hammer or mallet the bolt until the thread engages the bar threads. Caution should be exercised to not cause deformation of the bolt thread or bar thread as they near engagement. Consider also to rotate the bolt as you tap downward to assist with the gentle thread coupling.


a. c. nielsen equipment causing damage to outlets I became a member of the Nielsen tv monitoring group,  The tv is is in my living room on a back-to-back wall in my kitchen.  Only the tv was on when I tried to make a cup of coffee with my Keurig machine.  The GFC blew but the button did not pop and could not be reset.  I have to wait 5 days for an electrician; no tv and I have to make coffee at another outlet on the floor.  Could the pretty large amount of Nielsen equipment have caused an overload or short to my electric lines?  One gfc and two regular outlets are affected in my kitchen and do not work anymore.  My place is 17 years old.  Do these outlets just "go bad?"

GFC trips are caused by a very small ground fault current. Seems more likely that Keurig plus TV and Nielsen caused the branch circuit breaker to trip. You should be able to find, get access and reset that without an electrician. However an electrician should investigate why the living room outlet is on the same branch circuit as the kitchen. Depending on where you live, that is likely an electrical code violation.

Circuit breakers and GFCs do go bad. When they do they should fail so that they trip when they shouldn't or don't reset rather than fail to trip.


Drywall,taping attic ceiling I'm remodeling my attic in my bungalow, the way I want to do it is to leave the rafters exposed so I get a rustic loft look. What I done first was put wood strips up between the rafters then installed the flat foam insulation onto the wood strips so there was a expansion cap between the roof and the foam insulation. Then I put up the 3/4 drywall between the rafters. Now I'm doing the taping on those inside corners of the drywall between the rafters My Question Is,,, because one side of the drywall mud and tape will be on the rafter when we get our extremely cold winter weather even though the attic will be heated can those rafters freeze and cause the corners to crack.

Since the wood is apt to move a little, I suggest you use "tear away bead", and maybe apply some painter's caulk after a season if you see any gaps. The alternative would be flat taping, but that depends on a pretty close fit between the drywall and the timber.


Will an LED light bulb illuminate down on this uplight lamp? I have this Ikea Floor Uplight lamp and I want to replace the current CFL light bulb with an LED light bulb. I'm thinking of using a Philips 433235 60 Watt Equivalent SlimStyle A19 LED Light Bulb (Daylight, Dimmable).

I use this lamp next to a desk which is about 3 ft to the left and 3 ft below the light bulb. Will the lamp still illuminate the desk as well as (or better than) the 60 Watt Equivalent CFL light bulb?

I've been reading that LED light bulbs light in one direction as opposed to CFLs which radiate light in all directions. However, the Phillips LED light bulb I'm considering claims that it radiates light in all directions. Has anyone had any experience with those types of LED light bulbs that claim omnidirectional lighting?

EDIT: Fixed typo "radiates life in all directions"

Here's a photo of the bulb in question:

I have that same bulb and when used in a shade that hides the bulb itself, it does radiate similarly to an incandescent. The bulb has an array of small LED's around the edge that light up the thicker ridge of plastic, it essentially looks like a bright tube of evenly lit light, so the light radiates in all directions. However, the thinner plastic in the middle isn't lit. Since the entire ring is lit starting from the bottom of the bulb and the ring is wider than the base, some light is radiated downwards, but like a traditional bulb, more of the light ends up going upwards since the base blocks some of the downward lighting pattern.

This unusual shape can be visible in a lamp with a translucent shade or in a fixture where the bulb is exposed. In a lamp with a traditional paper (or paper-like) shade that is nearly opaque, this type of bulb has a very even light distribution.

Here's the light at a low dim level, showing the LED's around the ring:

But when the light is at full power, they all blend together and project light evenly, lighting up the entire "tube".

I tried these bulbs in a bathroom fixture, but discovered that the translucent shade on the fixture was transparent enough that the bulb shape was quite visible, so I replaced them with more traditional looking LED bulbs.

Since the floor lamp you're using has the bulb above eye level, as long as the shade is sufficiently frosted to prevent the bulb shape from showing through, it should work well.


200 amp service wire size in Mason County Wa I want to know what size wire to use running underground aluminum triplex in 3" electrical conduit from PUD transformer to my above ground free standing (mounted on posts/plywood back) 100 amp service panel which will feed a 100 amp RV panel on same posted/plywood. But, I want the wire to be uprated for future 200 amp home service. So, what size should I use to ensure I have adequate wire size for a 200 amp service for a home and not have to worry about pulling new wire at a later date. From what I have read from charts in code, it says 4/0. But what I am not sure about is what the other two wire will be. Will it be 4/0 4/0 2/0 or 4/0 4/0 4/0 or something different all together. Thanks Dean

Apply 310.15(B)(7) to your entire service
NEC 310.15(B)(7)says that you take your entire (planned) service size - 200A - and multiply it by .83 (83%) giving 166A for you. You never need to use wires larger than that anywhere that's served by that service.  So any feeder - even if it's 200A feeder - only needs to be 166A not 200A.
So that calculates out to 4/0 aluminum (180A).  3/0 aluminum is too small to carry 166A.
Footnote:

Now, often when you go shopping for 100A wire, some fool will tell you "oh use #2 aluminum or #4 copper".  That's wrong.  The person is incorrectly applying 310.15(B)(7) on the assumption that your entire service is 100A, and they don't even realize their blunder because they're just giving 4th generation hand-me-down advice from someone else who misapplied 310.15(B)(7).
Actually, you need #1 Al / #3 Cu for 100A, and 310.15(B)(7) is saying that you never need larger than 4/0 (which isn't very helpful lol).

It's totally OK to oversubscribe
So for instance if you have 200A service, it is OK to have 200A going to the house, 100A going to the shed, 50A to an RV stand, 30A to a well, etc. even though these add up to more than 200A.  That's fine.
You are restricted on how much total load you can have on the service, and this is based on a Load Calculation. But that allows for intermittent and "non-simultaneous use".  You still want to make each feeder big enough it won't trip on its local loads e.g. welding in the shed with the compressor running.
Consider a "farm panel"
This is a type of service panel that has

Sometimes, a meter
A 200A main breaker
8 breaker spaces (they also make 4-space versions, avoid - too few).
"Thru Lugs" carrying the full 200A onward.

The idea is you come off the "thru lugs" to the biggest load - e.g. the house.  It has access to the full 200A.  Then you use the 8 breaker spaces for four 2-pole "feeder breakers" -- e.g. 50A to the RV stand (they don't need more unless there are two RV stands).  100A to the shop. Etc.
If your existing feeder to the house is only 100A, then go ahead and feed it from one of those four 2-pole brakers, just slap a 100A  breaker in there (90A if the wire is #2 aluminum or #4 copper).
...Except my service is only 100A
Since you expect to go to 200A, I advise still doing the above.
Only difference is you fit a 100A main breaker in the farm panel instead of 200A.  The 200A version of the panel is so popular that cost wise, you are probably better off buying the 200A version of that panel, then buying a retrofit 100A main breaker for it.  Then bag the 200A breaker and leave it in the bottom of the panel for that happy day in the future.


Could power fluctuations have killed my refrigerator? Bought a house (built in 1937) recently.

When the clothes washer runs (particularly, when it agitates), lights in the house flicker.

I've read in numerous places online that this is possibly due to a loose neutral somewhere.

Would that kind of power flicker kill my fridge?  The freezer keeps cold, but not the fridge, and I'm almost certain it's due to the control board dying.  My impression is that poor power stability can kill control boards in appliances (I'm pretty sure it happened in our previous house, to a fridge).

I'm asking because I want to know if I need to get the flickering fixed before I get the fridge fixed.

That kind of flicker can kill your house. I'd get it fixed before proceeding with anything else. Loose connections and undersized wire = potential fire.


Is it okay to connect a subwoofer to two devices with a Y cable? I have a soundbar for my TV and an amplifier for music. They are never used at the same time. I have one subwoofer that I want to use for both. Currently I manually switch the RCA cable. Would it be okay to plug them both in at the same time with a Y cable? Would something weird happen, like the signal would go back up toward the other device and run through the powered-off amp at some unknown impedance level?

I tried that exact same thing back in my younger years and found out that the signals definitely back fed into each other and weakened the signal going to the subwoofer. Whether or not it would have burned out the equipment, I don't know because I immediately went back to the A/B switches I originally had used. The setups today are not made as well as the ones back when I did this so I'd shy away from trying it. Just get a two channel A/B switch. I'm sure they have remote control ones.


Mounting 24v transformer? I bought a standard 24v transformer and attached a plug to one end so I can plug it into a standard outlet. Can I just mount it to the wall by the outlet? Should I leave some space between the back and the wall, or does that not matter? I’m concerned some portion of it may get hot, or needs some air by it, etc.

in mains electrical, wiring methods are everything.  You're running smack into that right now.
What you were thinking of is this.

However for thermostat wiring, the above is a silly product, because generally speaking thermostat wiring is a permanent part of the building, and there'd be no reason to make it pluggable, and a lot of reason not to.   Enter products like yours, which are designed to mount on standard 120/240V steel junction boxes, common as dirt in 120V wiring methods:

They're so common Amazon doesn't practically sell them, since every hardware store and electrical supply stocks them for about a dollar.   As you can see, your transformer is made to be the lid of this.
However, you have it upside down. Code requires it be mounted with the AC power (black and white) wires on the inside, where they will splice to AC power wires also inside. The non-hazardous low voltage terminals are to be on the outside of the box.
Now, if your basement is unfinished, there's likely to be one of these junction boxes somewhere, with handy circuits behind it your electrician can tap.  Alternately, she can fit one of these boxes at an appropriate location, and then use listed wiring methods compliant with the Electrical Code to bring 120V mains power to the box.
At that point, the electrician splices the transformer's 2 wires to mains power hardwired, fits the transformer as the box lid, tightens it down, and leaves. You use thermostat cable to take the 24V wherever you need to go.  (or the electrician also could, obviously, and they're experienced at fishing wires through finished walls without wrecking drywall).
The key to this type is you let the thermostat wire do the traveling, you fit the transformer in a less finished utility space, crawlspace or basement where that makes sense.   I would say that is also true of the wall-wart transformer you really want.
But you don't really want a wall-wart transformer, you want this thing, hardwired in and installed to code.  Call an electrician, or learn proper wiring methods and fit your own box.  DO NOT hork this thing together like you have been aiming to do so far.


A few questions about installing engineered hardwood I'm installing engineered hardwood for the first time next week. The wood I've chosen is    Wire Brushed Strand Woven Cocoa Bean 3/8 in. T. x 5-1/5 in. W. x 36.02 in. L. Click Lock Bamboo Flooring (13sq.ft./case) Model # 300011041 (Home Depot)

I'm wondering a few things:

What type of tape should I use to join together pieces of underlayment?
What type of nails/staples should I use for installation?
What's the recommended expansion gap?

The installation instructions for that product which are provided on Home Depot's web site indicate that this floor is intended for either floating or glue-down installation.
As such, no nails or staples are appropriate or necessary.
The instructions also specify a 1/2" expansion gap.

The fact that you're asking about taped underlayment strongly implies that you're not intending to glue it down - so (unless you're planning to go against the manufacturer's recommended installation instructions and nail it anyway) you should be doing a floating installation over the underlayment.

Some underlayment has pre-glued strips along one edge which you use to stick the pieces together, but obviously this doesn't always cover every join, so you'll probably need at least a little tape to finish off.
You should be able to buy this tape along with the underlayment.


DIY trenchless technology -- what options would be suitable? I have seen, on occasion, folks on this site whose situation would call for the use of some flavor of trenchless technology -- this guy is the most obvious example, but others have come up.

However, it seems that directional drilling requires a skilled drill operator to run the machine, and pipejacking may not be possible for DIY-sized pipes, just culvert-sized ones.  Is moleing the only option for a DIY trenchless job, assuming your local tool rental place carries a mole and a suitable air compressor?  Or does moleing require a similar level of training and skill as directional boring or pipejacking would?

(Of course, you call One-Call and get all the utilities marked out thoroughly, but you'd be doing the same if you were digging a trench, so that point isn't an issue.)

Thought about making your own? PVC conduit run from an excavation deep enough to go under to another hole deep enough to retrieve. Attach fittings to allow you to use water pressure through the conduit itself to hydraulically bore the hole? Then blow the water out with air, attach fittings, and fish your wire. I have done this for both conduit and water pipes (albeit never 30' across).

You could glue pipe pieces as you go to facilitate ease of insertion and operation. Think male threaded adapter with adapter to water hose thread (or fire hose thread, on a grand scale), as pipe proceeds you cut off and glue the next section, reusing your fittings each time.


What kind of window is this? And how to open it? This window sits above our (sort-of) 3/4 glazed french doors onto our balcony.

It looks like somehow this rod should turn, allowing the window to fall back into the room but we've had no luck so far. The only part that appears to move is that the rod (?) can be lifted up and down a few centimetres which shuts or opens the window a tiny bit.

The window is quite high up and start about 8ft above the floor and requires a ladder to reach.

I've tried googling a number of different window styles and can't find other similar windows, or even how to open it.

The mechanism to open looks very similar to this 'preston system opener':
It looks like the mechanism is similar to a 'preston system opener':
https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/product/preston-system-opener-bright-zinc-plated-311878

Yep, looks like you hit it with Preston type, it's a screw drive that pulls the window in like a hopper window. Behind the cross-shaped part with the screw (threaded section) should be a part that spins on the threads and walks the upper assembly out, pulling the window along the screw.

I'd get up there and remove the hardware and clean it up, since it's caked with paint and not gonna move easily, plus you'll find you need a long, looped cord/chain/bead chain to run the spinning part. Hard to describe, but start by pulling the assembly off, clean, and make sure the window is not painted shut (sealed with paint).

Personally, I'd make sure the window opens easily with the mechanism off before moving forward. That style opening is designed to keep the window in place if there is wind, and be easy to open from floor level. Other types of closures used on high windows were a lever with a loop in it that you would use a pole with a hook on to open the latch and pull the window in.

Here's another style shown: Transom Hardware, oldhouseonline.com


How to fix leak from flat roof under lead flashing I live in a terraced house, built 1935, with a relatively new roof. As the picture shows, there is a bay with a gabled roof over beside another bay with flat felt roof. I have water damage to the part of the wall just under where the roof valley meets the flat roof, so I suspect water is coming in under the lead where it joins to the flat roof. I haven't been up there yet, not too keen TBH, but the lead looks reasonably fresh, so I think my guess is right.
How should a watertight roof joint/transition be constructed?
I would prefer to do it (or have it done) the right way, rather than just having some silicon slathered on, and if I pay somebody, I'd like to have some idea about how it should be done.

Your guess may be correct. From what I can see from the photo the valley flashing doesn't appear to extend all the way down the pitched roof (although that may be from the angle it was taken).
What it also can be from is the chimney above the flashing. Flashing chimneys is extremely detailed work and must be done properly.
Extend the valley flashing if necessary. Check for loose shingles and nails. Remove any obstructions impeding rain flow from the flashing and gutters. Look at chimney flashing; i should be embedded in the bricks mortar joints.


Garage wiring puzzle I'm trying to figure out the wiring in my finished garage. It has two ceiling junction boxes, with attached porcelain lights, and three wall outlets.

I'll say up front that all of this was done safely...

I opened up what I think is the "main" ceiling junction box and found four armored cables junctioned here. Okay, I think I guessed right. Three of the cables have just a white wire and a black wire, and one of the cables has a white, a black, and a red traveler.

I separated the four ganged black wires and figured out which is the "power in" with a non-contact voltage tester. We'll call this Hot #1.

I connect each of the other Hots, in turn, to Hot #1 and got these results:

Hot #1 to Hot #2 powers the other ceiling light fixture. Btw, this Cable #2 is the one with the red traveler.
Hot #1 to Hot #3 powers Outlet A and Outlet B.
Hot #1 to Hot #4 powers Outlet C, and surprisingly, also Outlet A.

Huh?! That last one doesn't make sense to me. Can anyone clue me in to what's going on?

Here's the answer.

It turns out there must be another junction box.  I made an incorrect assumption that Light/Junction #1 is the main junction.  It isn't.

It appears to be wired like this: Breaker feeds some junction that I can't see which then feeds Outlet A and Light/Junction #1.

So anytime the breaker is on, Outlet A is powered no matter what.

Really sucks if this main junction is in the finished garage ceiling and no way to find it without busting up that ceiling (cement/plaster type with lath of heavy wire mesh).  Jeez, all they had to do was put the main junction in the unfinished ceiling of the adjacent laundry room where the power cable comes through anyway.

Update: There may not be another junction box afterall.  See photos.  That's a very tiny access hole that I pushed my phone up against.  You can't see the full width of the joist bay.  Two cables coming back towards the camera.  One is the cable from the breaker and the other actually goes down the wall to Outlet A.  The two cables going horizontally to the left is odd, since the only thing over there is Outlet B.  More investigation is needed, but it looks like I might be able to feed a new 20 amp (12 gauge) cable through here, which is what I've been wanting to do.  Unfortunately, there's no access on the other side for Outlet C and this junction box can't be removed without busting up the ceiling as the cross bar mounting goes through the box.

Update 2: There is indeed another junction box, but it is not hidden.  Well, sort of.  The furnace duct in the garage is very close to the wall where Outlet A is.  The photos I took put the junction much closer to the wall than the known Light/Junction #1.  Sure enough, there is another Light/Junction "hidden" behind the duct.  No bulb in it, so I never knew it was there.  But this is definitely the main box for the garage.  Whew!


Can attic insulation be rolled over ductwork? I have Insulated AC flex duct work in my attic. Am I correct in that since its insulated already if I lay insulation over the duct work it is fine as long as the duct work is sealed properly? I have R11 4' x 100' rolls and it might be difficult to get the entire roll under the flex ductwork. I could cut the rolls down and line them up but was hoping for one continuous roll out.

You can cover the ducts with more insulation -- just make sure to mark where they are, and provide a way for the HVAC tech to access any dampers, etal.

(Sidenote: given your location, an unvented, insulated compact roof could very well be a better bet -- this makes the attic part of the conditioned space, and eliminates the hunt for duct leaks.)


replace regular breaker with dual function AFCI/GFCI I have a 15amp circuit that feeds outlets in the upstairs bedrooms, the one outlet in the upstairs bathroom and a few light fixtures. A few years ago I replaced the bathroom outlet with a GFCI outlet and I replaced another bedroom outlet, with an open ground, with a GFCI outlet. I would like AFCI protection and am considering a dual function ACFI/GFCI circuit breaker to replace the current circuit breaker (specifically this guy: https://www.schneider-electric.us/en/product/HOM115DFC/miniature-circuit-breaker-120v-15a/ ).

My question is, do I need to remove the existing GFCI outlets or is having the redundant protection at the breaker and the receptacle acceptable? Is it more than acceptable and even benficial?

It's redundant.  It's acceptable. It's not beneficial except in the unlikely event of a GFCI failure.


Installable storage heaters - why manufacturers bother putting the bricks in? Recently I have learned of "installable storage heaters". Those are fairly heavy devices which consist of a ceramic brick stack and electric heater. The brick stack is heated during the off-peak electricity hours and gives back heat the rest of the time.

This made me think: the density of bricks is at best twice the density of water. Heat capacity of bricks, on the other hand, is closer to being 4-6 time smaller than heat capacity of water.

A simple calculation thus shows, that device with exactly same dimensions as those available on the market but featuring a drainable water tank as a heat accumulator instead of bricks:

Will be able to store more energy
Will be light and portable when water is drained
Will have better efficiency transferring heat from primary heater to accumulator

So the question is: why offerings on the market mostly consist of immovably heavy, brick filled devices?

Good observation on the relative merits of water.

However, your key assumption about relative heat capacity is almost certainly wrong: Many common metals have volumetric heat capacity exceeding half that of water.  And many ceramics have higher heat capacity than water!

You could still argue that it would be cheaper to produce and ship these storage heaters empty, and then fill them with water once they're installed.  But then you would have to consider the unique drawbacks of water:

It is corrosive to many metals
It expands when heated (and also if frozen)
It can't be heated beyond its relatively low boiling point in a non-pressurized system
If its container leaks it causes a lot of collateral damage.

Plumbers tend to view water heaters like time bombs: No matter how exotic the alloys and coatings used in their containers, the effects of expansion and contraction seem to always find a way to break them.  I.e., it's just a question of when, not if water heaters will leak.

Granted, it is possible to build water-based heat systems that last for generations without leaking or failing.  But in a smaller system it might not be – in fact, as you observe, evidently is not – cost effective.


What does the lead content statement on my reducing valve actually mean? I just had a pressure reducing valve (Watts LF 25AUB Z3) and expansion tank (Watts PLT-12) installed by a City of Ottawa (Ontario) contractor - these items both specify NSF-61 compliance, but also specify the disclaimer "The wetted surface of this product contacted by consumable water contains less than 0.25% of lead by weight."

My understanding is that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water and that it is usually measured in micrograms/L.

Does anyone know what the disclaimer actually means? And what is the maximum amount of lead expected to be leached into my water?

Thanks!

This is simply a statement by the manufacturer of the lead content in the valve material that could contact the water running through it. The composition of a solid material is expressed by % weight in this example. .25% is considered "lead free" in the U.S.

The amount of lead "leached" into drinking water cannot be perfectly predicted due to so many variables (water chemistry, temperature, velocity, etc.) so there are limits on lead content of the components.

The U.S. EPA says this: "Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) establishes the definition for “lead free” as a weighted average of 0.25% lead calculated across the wetted surfaces of a pipe, pipe fitting, plumbing fitting, and fixture..."

EPA prohibits the "use of any pipe, any pipe or plumbing fitting or fixture, any solder, or any flux, after June 1986, in the installation or repair of (i) any public water system; or (ii) any plumbing in a residential or non-residential facility providing water for human consumption, that is not lead free.”


Using screws to install a set of french doors? I am installing a set of french doors. I have installed many doors before, but I was curious as to whether or not anyone has tried using countersunk screws to install the door? If I needed to adjust the frame, I could just back out our put in each individual screw until it is perfect.

I've installed four or five doors, and I exclusively use screws. And had to do exactly what you mention: Needed an adjustment and pulled it out.

Just make sure you're pre-drilling, especially through shims.

Edit: To avoid seeing the screw holes after, one trick is to put the screws underneath the stop trim. Steel exterior doors usually have a fabric/rubber magnetic strip attached to the stop trim, which ensures a full seal with the door. The screws go under this. Interior doors often requires you to attach the stop trim yourself, giving you ample opportunity to put the screws in the right place.


What is the best way to fix a crack in an acrylic bathtub? I have a crack in the bottom of my bathtub. I had 2 different people come out to give me an estimate on repairs. They are about the same price but different methods.

The first wants to cut out the crack and fix with fiberglass, then resurface the entire bottom of the tub.

The second wants to drill holes and inject foam along the entire bottom of the tub, then sand and seal the crack with Bondo.

Which one is the best fix?

When you have a crack in the bottom of the tub, the area around it will flex and bend (even if it is only slightly), tending to put stress on the crack and making the crack want to continue to grow/lengthen.

The first goal is of course to plug the leak and keep water in the tub.  But the only proper way to do that is to hold the sides of the crack together and prevent them from flexing away from each other.  The key to that is tensile strength in the repair.

Supporting the bottom of the tub from underneath will help reduce the flexing.  But foam will not provide that support.  You can compress it easily by poking your finger in it with almost no effort; forget about the weight of a whole person.  (Foam is good for temperature insulation or for deadening sound if the tub sounds too hollow.)  To support the weight and prevent flexing, you need a bed of mortar or something solid; my acrylic tub required that in its installation instructions.

Bondo will not provide any tensile strength across the crack.  If the crack was over a solid mortar bed, Bondo might be OK (but I'd still question what flexing caused the crack to begin with).  Bondo is essentially talcum powder in epoxy resin (plastic).  The epoxy resin is strong, but will still crack like the acrylic.

To provide the tensile strength across the sides of the crack, you need strong fibers like fiberglass.  Instead of powder in epoxy resin, you have strong glass fibers in epoxy resin, giving the strength to hold up to the stress and flexing.  They make boats from pure fiberglass. They don't make boats from pure Bondo.

Fiberglass is definitely the right repair for this.


Guidance please? Rewiring the light switch in an old bathroom house that I can't figure out for the life of me! Not sure how best to word this without getting tedious. But this old house is such a pain. Basically I am trying to figure out how to rewire a light switch in a bathroom that used to control two separate bulbs on a bathroom ceiling. These lights were part of a recessed fixture that was part of an exhaust. The exhaust was on its own power supply and the two switches controlled two bulbs.

I hope the pics I took come through and that you can see them. The black wire from the Romex in the upper left hand corner is the only one that is hot (I used a voltage tester to confirm this). The Romex on the upper right and lower right don't activate my tester.

Not sure what other details I can provide. When the wires are all disconnected but the power to the circuit is "on" the black Romex at the ceiling is also hot.

Can anyone tell me how to rewire this so that I can get the light on the ceiling working? What was previously in the ceiling were these two recessed light bulbs that were controlled individually by two light switches which I removed and is what you see on the wall now. And now all I want to do is use one light switch to turn on one light fixture that I centered in the ceiling (pic provided).

Not sure if this is necessary but there is another light switch above the exposed plate in the photo I've provided. That one I can get to work but it will be designated for the new exhaust I will be installing that won't have a light fixture.

Last bit of possible useful info. The gauge of the Romex located in the bottom right hand corner of the switch box is noticeably smaller so I wonder if that was to control the second light which I am no longer using.

Hope to get some input, thanks.

You determine which of the two cables on the right is connected to the light.

Turn off the breaker to the line hot (cable on the left). Fasten the line hot to one pole of a simple switch, and fasten the black from the candidate cable (say the upper one on the right) to the other pole of the switch. (Keep the whites out of the way for the time being.)

Turn the breaker back on and use your non-contact voltage tester to see if the black at the lamp is powered when the switch is on and unpowered when the switch is off. If it is, then go turn the breaker off and connect the white in the line cable to the white in the cable whose black is connected to the switch. Now turn the breaker on and the switch on and the light should come on.

To complete the job go turn the breaker off, fold the wires, and screw in the switch. Cap the wires to the other cable which is not going to be used. Put on a cover plate. Turn the breaker on and verify operation.

NB: You should really verify that the cable you have energized goes only to the light and not also to some other cable that should not be powered.


Is it safe and legal to make this gas plumbing connection? I have learned that, contrary to what they tell you, the big box stores will not connect your gas dryer when they deliver it.  So I was left to do it myself.

The guy told me to remove the incorrect sized inlet flange fitting on the wall pipe and replace it with a coupler.  The one I bought did not fit on one side.

But the flange that came with dryer fit the bare pipe threads so I installed it, used some goop, leaked tested with soapy water and ran the dryer and it works.  I circled my work in purple.

But is this the correct way to install a gas fitting???

EDIT2:
The inside of the steel fitting and the outside of the cast iron pipe are both threaded.

EDIT:

Your flex tube looks like it has a flare fitting with light colored pipe dope. Flare fittings are metal to metal seal and dope interferes with the seal. Even if it does not leak now it can leak in the future. I investigated a house fire -death caused by this situation. Only a problem if you have a flare connection with pipe dope.


I'm building a Deck. Is it cheaper to buy wood from a mill rather than a box store like Home Depot? I'm building a Deck. Is it cheaper to buy wood from a mill rather than a box store like Home Depot? Are there any benefits to choosing one over the other? Should I expect to see better quality from a mill vs a box store.

Most mills do not produce and sell treated wood rated for contact with the ground, so any wood in your deck that will be in contact with the ground should be treated, and gotten wherever it is to be got.

Buying wood from a mill is often cheaper, though it is not always. A smaller operation with a smaller economic influence (like most mills open to the public) will feel fluctuations in the supplies and prices of the commodities they consume in the production of lumber (fuel, electricity, trees, etc.) sharply, and so the price of their own offered commodity (lumber...) will vary sharply according to these fluctuations. A larger corporation like The Home Depot, Lowes, or Menards, likely has multiple sources for the commodities they need, they have bigger and deeper lines of credit, and a huge buffer of stock not on the shelves, insulating them from small localized changes in economies, so their prices will be more stable over the long term.

So the advantages to buying lumber from a mill that you can really count on are customization of lumber dimensions, greater choice of species of wood, and personalized service. The disadvantages vary by mill and your own preferences: is the wood air dried, kiln dried, or not dried at all and sold green? Is the wood graded by the sawyer? Is the wood sold rough cut or has it been planed?

The advantage to buying lumber from a box store is that although they might sell an average generic lumber, this average generic lumber is always there, every day, at a reasonably average price, and you don't have to call ahead, place an order, or make an appointment, you can write a check or use a credit card, and they are often open earlier in the morning and later into the evening. The disadvantage is that the experience of buying lumber from these places is often just as bland and lifeless as the lumber they sell.

Either way you go you might save money, and you might spend more. If saving money is the crux of the issue, compare quotes and go with the cheapest. If saving money is not the crux of the issue, call your local sawmill and make friends with them. You won't regret it. Your deck wood will look and feel unique because it will be, it will have a good story to go along with it right off the bat, and, if you ever get really ambitious you'll have a place to bring logs from trees you've chopped down for sawing into lumber that you can call your own. ;-)


Single pole to a 3 way? We have a single gang box that needs to switch two single poles and a 3 way switch. I've only been able to find switches that house 3 single poles in a single gang space. Can I safely convert one of those switches to a three way switch?

I doubt you will find one. For simplicity (fewer SKUs), you will generally find "everything the same". So that would mean "3 regular switches" or "3 3-way switches". But due to box fill limits (see Looking for triple 3-way switch ) plus I suspect limited demand to figure out a solution, a triple 3-way doesn't seem to exist.

What might work is a smart switch. Many smart switches have "remotes" that are either battery powered or just use a few wires to get power, control power and communicate to other switches. But in a quick search I didn't see any single gang triple switches.


How can I stop our duct work "pinging" at night? I'm in Canada, and our home is a bit older, ~20 years, and the duct work seems to be making a rather loud "pinging" noise at night. I assume this is due to colder weather in general, and the hot air from the furnace heating the duct work up.

The noise, however, does bother my wife, and I'm looking for some advice on how to resolve this. (Currently earplugs are an option we use at times :) )
As I'm a heavier sleeper, it doesn't really bother me though I have heard it. It's not audible during day; there is too much other noise masking it, so I hope that helps understand how "loud" it is.

I never really noticed this in previous houses, so I'm curious as to how "normal" this is, and if there are any "simple" methods for fixing the issue?
(I don't really want to call in somebody to replace all the ductwork.)

Is there something simple I can do to reduce this pinging?
Is there some simpler task I can hire somebody to do to identify the "problem area" and fix/repair it?

Sometimes ductwork under pressure and heat can experience a sudden deformation commonly referred to as oil-canning.  This is where large rectangular pieces of box ducts have stiffening ribs formed into them to prevent deflection under pressure.
If a particular panel is installed in just the right (or wrong) way, it can temporarily flex when it warms up.  It's usually coincident with a loud ping as described.  It generally repeats when the heating cycle ends, it cools down and it returns to its original shape.  If you can find the specific duct portion that's doing it, you can stop it by gluing a damping plate (piece of plywood or steel) to the outside face of the offending duct panel.


Replace a 36" door with a Five ft slider on a two story load bearing out side wall What should the header size be? I was thinking two 2x12.
One king and two jack studs on each side?
Do I need to build a temp support while installing the new header?

The 2x12's are good. 2x10's are calculated to be enough.  Double jack studs are good.  And definitely provide temporary support. This information is available on Table # R502.5(2) P.


What to do with a new duplex outlet when the tester says Hot & Ground are Reversed? I switched out a regular outlet with a LeGrand Radiant Duplex Outlet, connecting all of the wires (2 White, 2 Black and 1 Green) exactly as the previous outlet was wired and according to the instructions. It blew and the breaker is on but the outlets and lights connected won't work. I can't find the GFCI anywhere as the house is 28 years old and the wiring is a mess. If the breaker is on, could the GFCI trip the outlets?

I bought a Commercial Electric Outlet Tester Model: MS112H and each time I tested the out, it stated Hot/Grd. Reverse... What does that mean?!? I can't imagine the Ground Wire being connected to anything other than the Ground Input, especially the Hot Input! How I wire it differently?

Thanks for reading and helping...

Here's what's actually going on inside those 3-light testers.

You see there is a neon light between each of the prongs.  The red is between neutral and ground for instance.  The problem is, neon lights are not voltmeters.  They will light for a wide variety of voltages, and won't tell you which voltage except very subtly by brightness.
When they wrote the descriptions for the device, they were forced to come up with something for every light combination. They were optimised for the kind of mistakes seen in new construction... and so they're misleading and wrong when troubleshooting old work.  They're so horrible I call them "Magic 8-ball tester".  The testers are much improved by tearing the sticker completely off, and learning to interpret the raw data the lights are providing.
For instnace, a broken neutral with a load on the circuit turned on. Neutral is pulled up to 120V, so the outer lights light.  Interpretation: "Hot Ground Reverse" (unlikely). We've had novices waste hours trying to chase that nonexistent fault.
The ground-neutral tangle is a clue
If the green/ground wire is connected to neutral in any way, That Is Bad.  That is often done by incompetent hacks to try to work around a problem, typically one they created.
I suspect that somewhere upstream, the neutral wire is broken.  The previous hack decided to bootleg neutral from the ground wire, which is why he crossed them.
Generally, wiring problems are at terminations, and every one of those should be accessible.  However every once in awhile you have a problem with the wires proper, e.g. someone drives a nail through a misplaced piece of Romex.


Can I fix a mold problem in wall-to-wall carpet myself? Recently, an apartment-mate of mine flooded my toilet quite severely. It completely covered the bathroom floor (tiles) and seeped into the carpet. I'd say a good 6-8 feet of carpet was soaked in water. Fortunately, the toilet water was just clear water so it's just water that got onto the carpet. I'm not sure how much of the water she got off the carpet but the area around the affected carpet has been smelling pretty bad. I'm certain there's mold/mildew under the carpet which is the source of the odor.

The carpet is non-removeable and I have no steam/deep cleaner or dry/wet vacuum but I do have a standard vacuum.

How would I get rid of the odor and/or the mold(/mildew?) with limited supplies?

Do I need to hire a professional to do the job for me? Or can this be done by myself.

No you can't unless you will buy pro cleaning equipment.  First if your carpet has mold it is settled into the pad.  Carpet has to be rolled up and affected pad replaced.  Subfloor cleaned and dried too.  A pro cleaner would scorch your carpet - you can't get the heat from rental cleaners.