What type of cable should I bury for a small utility shed? I'm putting a 8x16 utility shed in my back yard. It will be 100 ft from the service panel.  I want to run the supply line under ground. There will be one 4ft fluorescent light and two 120V receptacles. Which kind of wire would be best for this application?

Why bury a cable when you can be future-proof?

The primary issue with direct buried cables is that you have to dig them up in order to upgrade them, a costly proposition.  Hence, it's a far better choice to spend the money to lay a couple of fat PVC conduits now and then pull wires through them, than to have to dig things up 5 years down the road because you want to turn your shed into a shop, park a RV there, or what-have-you, and you need more power for that than the original cable could provide.

Hence, instead of dumping some UF in a trench and calling it good, I would put in two PVC conduits, a 1.5" or 2" for mains wiring and a 1" for low-voltage wiring (such as telephone, CATV, or networking), both buried about 21-22" deep (to provide the Code-required 18" of topcover), and using prefabricated sweeps for the bends up at the ends of the run.  This way, you can run 4 10AWG THHNs (2 blacks or black+red, white, and green) for power to the shed for now, with a 100A or 125A, 24 or 30 space, main breaker subpanel at the shed to provide a disconnecting means and room for future expansion, and not ever have to worry about digging up wire and replacing it.

Note that if you go this route, you'll also need to run some 6AWG bare copper wire from the panel to two 8' ground rods, spaced 8' apart, in order to ground the shed properly; this is in addition to having a ground wire in the conduit going back to the main panel.  Don't forget to make sure that the bonding screw or strap has been removed from the subpanel, and that the ground and neutral in the subpanel are landed on separate bars, by the way!

Also, you may need expansion fittings on the stub-ups of conduit to take up relative motion between the buried conduit run and the buildings, say due to frost heaving or seismic activity.  Check with your AHJ for details.  Last but not least, leaving a pull string in the spare conduit is a good idea so that wires can be easily pulled through it in the future.


Is it common practice to combine room and dryer vent ducts? Is it common practice to tie the exhaust vent to the dryer (gas) vent pipe in laundry room with no windows? I can find no separate pipe for the ceiling fan/vent in the attic .  I am experiencing moisture leaking from fan/vent pipe

Absolutely not. Bringing two exhaust vents together that likely have very different pressures is a recipe for failure (and potentially dangerous backflow). They must be vented separately.


Honeywell VR8300A3500 Single Stage Heat Gas Valve to Ecobee3 with C wire Hey everyone have a quick question regarding a honeywell VR8300A3500 Single Stage Heat Gas Valve and the introduction of a Ecobee3 wifi enabled thermostat with a "C" wire. just want to make sure i am understanding this correctly and have drawn out the right circuit. The TH/TR stand for TH- Thermostat and TR is the common correct? below is my drawn out circuit along with a picture of the valve and diagram of the valve. Thanks. Also i have a 24v hightemp switch in series as shown.

The only goof is that the 24V from the transformer is AC so it really doesn't have a + or - side to it -- it's more or less a "hot/neutral" thing instead.  Otherwise, what you have drawn out will work just fine.


Would a single section of 3 LED's from a LED strip still need the required 12V? I have some LED strips which run off a 12V power brick, but what I don't know if that applies to even a single section which is only 3 LED's?

I was basically wondering if there was a way I could cut a single section of the LED strip and power it with a battery.

Yes, you can cut an LED strip anywhere it says "cut here".

That section will happily run on 12V, as long as it's a 12V strip.


Line to GRN or Neutral to GRN blowing my GFCI? I just helped my friend change an outlet in the garage of a home he just moved into.  The outlet was an old duplex that I replaced for a GFCI.  The installation went fine, outlet tested properly and we used it to power several power tools and shop lights around the garage.  The problems started when we went to plug in the post lamp that is located in a garden bed right next to the garage door and has a 12/2 direct burial conductor running from the post through a hole in the floor.  The previous owner put a two prong non-grounded connector (I know, going to change that) on the end of the conductor.  Now when we plug in the lamp it comes on, no issues except for the fact that after being on for about 10-15secs the GFCI cuts out.  If we unplug the lamp, the outlet will reset and remain on until we plug in the lamp again.  I didn't have my multi meter on me so I couldn't check but from what I described.  Being that there wasn't a ground on the lamp connection...Would you assume the connection somewhere between the connector and the post lamp is having a:

Line to ground short (going to GRN at the post or in the earth) where its causing an imbalance on the return (neutral) which would explain the delay in the GFCI turning off?
Neutral to ground with a similar situation as the above scenario?

If so would doing a resistance check with my DVOM figure that out?  Any other ideas?  Thanks

It could be either one.  The point is the loop is leaking to earth, and it shouldn't do that,  and you should go through it and look at all the connection points.

It's unlikely to be the cable unless he used indoor rated cable.

DVMs are inconclusive.  Obviously a low voltage reading is a problem, but some ground faults act like VBOs - they don't actually suffer insulation breakdown until a certain voltage is reached.  Or they may require a certain operating temperature, etc.

Your starting point is to give all wire endpoints and connections a good once-over. Do that first, because you'd feel pretty foolish doing an exhaustive technical troubleshoot only to trace it to the lamp and find a mouse nest at the terminals lol...


Repairing Polybutylene leak So I found my floor/wall getting wet, ripped off the drywall and found a dripping poly joint.

I figure I can trim out the joint, and put in PEX.
But I'm guessing it would be better to rip it all out and PEX the entire thing, but I'll have to rip open a lot more wall.  What would be best practice?

If your only leaking area is what you see, then I would cut out only what you see and replace it. The problem with just replacing the "T" is that you will have to cut the pipes and that means shorter pipes and more adapters....more leaks later on possibly. I would cut about 3 inches from the right side that you see in the picture and as close and possible to the top of the "T" and remove all the stuff on the left all the way to the copper pipe. Replace all that with PEX. Or just cut your "T" out and shark-bite it.


Rectify smooth filler patches on sand and cement skimmed wall Someone did me a favour and sand and cemented by porch (long story). It had a few cracks afterwards and as I had lots of other things to filler I decided to filler all of the cracks "while i was at it".
Yesterday I gave the wall a mist coat and now deeply regret my filler as the smooth patches on the scratchy wall are very visible.

What do you suggest I do to get a consistent finish without too much work? (Scratchy or smooth)

Thanks

Welcome to the fun world of texture (intentional or not). This is why I dislike textured ceilings. Matching both the texture and color proves to be difficult, if not impossible.

While color is not an issue (this is new work), the texture is going to be a problem. There's no easy way to put a matching texture back on the smooth spots. What I would recommend is sanding it all smooth. Get a rubbing brick and work the wall until the texture change isn't noticeable anymore.

One other piece of advice: get a final opinion (after sanding) from someone not familiar with this. If a person seeing it for the first time can't notice, most people won't. Don't be too anal about the wall. Yes, you will know where you created smooth spots, but the average person doesn't scrutinize walls for flaws.


Motion sensing light triggered by fan on the same circuit I have an inexpensive motion sensing light on the outside of my house, which is on the same circuit as a 120V thermostatically controlled duct fan that pulls warm house air into the space (it's an arctic entryway / mudroom).  Whenever the fan clicks off, the motion sensing light turns on as though it detected motion.  I don't have any other circuits available in the space, so I'm wondering what my options are for cleaning up the power, or if a more expensive motion sensor is going to be more able to handle the electrical conditions.

The motion sensor's circuits are probably being confused by a voltage spike caused by an inductive kick from the fan.  The voltage levels in the device are disturbed, reversing some voltage comparison so that the light is activated. The problem can be attacked at either end.  Containing the surge at or near the fan, or preventing its entry into the motion detector.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snubber

Perhaps the fan has no snubber mechanism in place to mitigate inductive kicks when the motor is switched off. Without schematics for the fan and its control circuitry, it's impossible to give a specific recommendation such as "get such and such type of diode and solder it across such and such points".

A suitable film capacitor connected across the power terminals of the fan maybe able to contain the spike, and would make for a very cheap fix. The capacitance doesn't have to be very large (I'm guessing, on the order of .0nnn microfarads), but the capacitor should have a decent voltage rating, of at least a few hundred volts (i.e. beyond the line voltage) so it can take the spike.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_capacitor

The small capacitance of the surge cap appears to be nearly an open circuit to 60 Hz power line AC (a very high impedance). But a voltage spike looks like high frequency content which passes through the cap. The cap will "take the edge off" the spike, so to speak. It just has to do that well enough so that the motion sensor isn't falsely triggered.


re-wiring/retro-wiring a Carrier 40MVC024 ductless A/C for external thermostat: guidance My server room has two air-conditioning units, with acutely counterproductive controls. I want to rewire them for external thermostats.

Can I simply splice a traditional thermostat inline with the "indoor unit signal" wire?

The model is Carrier 40MVC024.  It's EoL and even when new did not have an available external thermostat.

Question is threefold (descending order of confidence):

is my splice point correct?
is my assumption valid on whether the unit will simply cool and then stop when the thermostat cuts the loop?
will this introduce other issues?  For example, the built-in temp sensors say keep cooling, but the thermostat has shut it off--will this create a conflict that confuses the innate programming and causes other issues?

My thought is that I can close this loop with the thermostat.  As long as the air handler would be on anyway (e.g. set at 54 degrees), it'll run.

Carrier 40MVC024, ductless.  schematic page 14 shows my unit**

My best guess is that I need to disconnect the wire to "P2" and connect it to the thermostat/relay.  UPDATE:  Better phrasing would be to splice the thermostat's relay into this wire.

I may choose active control over plain thermostat

TL;DR

I was not involved in the selection of these units.  They use IR remote control, either remote will control both units--often simultaneously.  Mounted one over the other, the eye is on the bottom, so controlling the bottom one also controls the top and makes me homicidal.

Each unit contains a coil, fan, dampers, and control electronics.  Hoses and control wire run to rooftop condenser units.  Power hits the rooftop first, then comes inside.  Small server room where the idea is to have N+1 redundancy: either unit could cool the room on its own.  The no-budget-for-that logic is:

set one unit lower and the other higher
if the lower unit fails, the higher one protects the gear
periodically reverse the two, for even wear

The (huge) problem is controlling them separately.  Switching units takes far, far longer than it should.

Controlling the top one alone is tolerably cumbersome, but controlling only the bottom one is infuriating.  I've tried covering with my hand, weird remote angles, even covering with tape (still only somewhat successful).  The units beep to signify "message received," but it's difficult in a noisy server room to tell which one beeped (or if both did).  Further, I suspect the "mode" (cool, auto, dry, fan) is stored in the remote and re-transmitted with each keypress.

No display on the wall unit, so no way to see what temperature a given unit is set at.  This leads to a highly-aggravating cat-and-mouse when making changes.  Stabilizing within tolerable levels took HOURS of experimentation and frustration today but should take 30 seconds of reliable and simple buttons or terminal commands.

SOLUTIONS

I may simply grab two thermostats, but I'd rather get a relay block and use shell scripts to intelligently manage it (better failover control as well).  If anyone's had good luck with a given model/technique/script I'd love to hear about it.

** uhh... huh huhuh, huh. unit.

BONUS
Since humidity icing up my coils prompted this discussion I'm will also soon investigate budget humidity control.  Anyone with experience please chime in.

Thanks for reading

So per ThreePhaseEel's advice I've gotten a USB-UIRT and a couple blasters.  First impression of the guy who builds/supports them is excellent--great communication, answered plenty of questions before I even ordered, several more afterward.

I still need to pull/audit the codes from the remotes, but I'll update this answer as I progress.  Warning: my time is limited, so this will go slowly.

Anyone is still welcome to answer my original question.  It may not quite be an XY problem, but it's definitely a grey area therein.  If No one answers my original intent before I resolve via the IR workaround, I'll accept my own answer after updating it appropriately.

To be continued...


DIY fresh air intake I live in a concrete block home in SE Florida. The air in the house stinks and I am well aware of indoor pollution. The house is 2 years old and we have lived in it one year. The first year the house was vacant BUT the AC (2.5 T) was kept on. We AC 1800 sq ft with insulated ductwork in the attic. I talked to 2 contractors. They want to stick an outdoor duct into the supply and leave it open. Yea right. I want an electronic damper that I can open say 12 to 4 AM (lower temp and humidity) I want them to exhaust the air from the return located at the other end of the house. They look at me as though I have 3 heads. They want to bring in air all the time and not exhaust any. I say not possible with tight CCB home and few windows. How do I size and buy the necessary stuff so I can hire some one to do the labor. Am 71 and tired of cleaning up other peoples messes!

I use a charcoal filter ahead of the regular filter. My wife has a nose that can smell anything even a football field away. They work great, I buy mine at Home Depot or lowes for around $10.00. Look for the WEB Absorber, ask an attendant in the heating/ ac section. It is a cut to size and comes in  20x25 size. I only had to cut the plastic piece once and reuse with each change. Mine last 6 months.


Incandescent Only Dimmer: Is LED okay? I'm making an LED lamp and was about to install a feed thru switch, but I noticed my wire is too thick for the switch.  Rummaging through my drawer for another, I found an old dimmer, fun.

I see that it has the words "permanently installed incandescent fixtures only" written on it.  This dimmer is so old, I'd imagine they didn't consider LED when making the warning.

My main question, is it safe to use this dimmer?  The LED uses 7 watts, it's 500 lumens.

There are dimmable LED bulbs on the market. If yours is one of those you should be fine. If you try to dim a non-dimmable bulb you'll most likely see full brightness at high settings and flashing at low settings. You'll almost certainly shorten the life of the bulb.

The switch label probably considers compact fluorescent bulbs ("energy saving") which are even harder than LEDs to make dimmable. There is just a chance that the dimmer switch requires a minimum load, but I'd expect that to be started explicitly if so.


Identifying Wires (especially Neutral) in Complex 3-Way Light Circuit I'm planning to replace a number of 3-way switches with smart switches and as a necessary first step have been trying to map out the wiring in each of the relevant boxes. This is what I've come up with (it's Powerpoint, try not to make fun ;)):

This shows 3 boxes on two floors. A through I are all box entry points. The colors represented are what is actually used (except gray has been substituted for white). A simple gray box in the diagram is just a connector. The dotted lines are what I believe is going on in the walls, but that's where I would love to get a second opinion.
The tricky one for me is the leftmost box (2nd Floor Middle Stairway Bottom) because it contains wires from two different circuits, as I confirmed using a voltage tester (even when the breaker for "Circuit" was off, the purple and peach wires in that box were hot - which I guess isn't illegal but I was none too pleased to learn).
I assume the orange wire coming out of S1B's common terminal splits at or near light 1, in the 2nd floor ceiling, providing the load for light 1 and also ultimately for light 2, on the 3rd floor ceiling, as the orange wire from D-E is unbroken. I couldn't find this particular configuration as an example of multi-light 3 way wiring, though. I guess the other possibility is that the orange wire goes C-D-E unbroken, and at light 2 splits and goes all the way back down the stairs to light 1 through another conduit in the ceiling, but at the end of the day I'm not sure it matters.
What I'm less sure about is the neutrals. At first I thought the white at C connected to the white at D, but then it occurred to me that that would mean that the neutrals from 2 different circuits were all connected (if we assume the white at A and B are on the same circuit as the purples and peach). That would be a big no no, right? So on second thought, it seems like the white at D must be the return from light 1, and the whites in that 2nd floor box, like the purple and peach, have nothing to do with the circuit I'm interested in. Rather everything on the circuit I care about ultimately starts and returns through F, which I believe connects to an outlet on the other side of the wall.
So, does this seem right or could there be other possibilities I haven't considered? And how could I be more certain?
The reason this matters is that it determines where the smart switches have to go, and what kind I have to use. And also I just want to be sure that when I play with the white wires in the 3rd Floor Stairway Top box that I'm not going to get in trouble with that mystery circuit that shares the 2nd floor box.
Thanks for any insights!

I assume the orange wire coming out of S1B's common terminal splits at or near light 1, in the 2nd floor ceiling, providing the load for light 1 and also ultimately for light 2, on the 3rd floor ceiling, as the orange wire from D-E is unbroken. I couldn't find this particular configuration as an example of multi-light 3 way wiring, though.

Right. Most novices get intrigued by those "color-by-numbers" drawings of 3-way circuits all over the web, which are made for use with /3 cable.  Your installer took full advantage of being in conduit and having a variety of wire colors... by doing something totally bespoke that is correct for your installation.
In other words the original installer took a procedural approach to a 3-way circuit:

Connect both 3-way switches with 2 travelers (lavender here)
Connect always-hot (pink here) to the common of one 3-way switch.
Connect switched-hot to the other 3-way common and all lamps.
Connect neutral to all lamps.

Treat each wire individually and you can see what they did makes sense.
I believe you will find conduits C and D both go to the lamp box of lamp 1.  The (lavender) travelers pass right through the box.
I believe that lamp box also has the purple, peach and that other neutral passing through it.  These wires have nothing to do with your 3-way circuit; leave them alone. No, you can't poach neutral from that.  Neutrals must stay with their partner hots.
The good news is, this being conduit, you can have anything you want anywhere you want - you just have to pull it.  So you can pull neutral down from wherever C goes, onward to D if necessary.  However since you will then have 2 neutrals in the box, you must clearly mark which is which, e.g. by wrapping associated wires with a couple loops of tape.


Fixing ceramic tile that have a large ceramic chip off How do I fix ceramic tile that have a large ceramic chipped off. (the size is around 5 cm width and 3 cm height).

Overall, the whole tile is still intact except that part of the top layer, which is the ceramic material, was chipped off.

Please enlighten me.

Thank you.

Patch it with porcelain crack repair. Or for just a color match, and if it's not in a high traffic area, believe it or not I've had a lot of success using crayon: lots of color choices and it's not permanent, so you can try different colors until something works. If you work it into the repair well enough it will stay better than you expect. I did this over a year ago in our living room, it's really hard to see a repair was made there and I haven't had to re-color it.


Can I use a 50 amp GFCI breaker on 15 amp circuit? I am in the process of changing my hottub over to wood heat. I have eliminated all controls and am running the pump directly from the panel on a double 15 amp breaker (240 volts). I have my existing spa pack 50 amp GFCI breaker. Can I still use it, or do I need a lower amperage breaker?

The 2 15 amp breakers are in the main panel. I am using 12 gauge wire from the panel to the pump. However, I have to add a GFCI before the pump.

Yes, you can use this.

GFCI breakers combine two different functions into one device.  The circuit breaker function of the device is rated for 50 amps.  However, because your 15 amp breaker is upstream from the GFCI, your circuit is protected at 15 amps, and will trip at 15 amps if there is a fault either before or after your GFCI.

The GFCI function on the GFCI breaker is not related to the 50 amp rating.  This will trip if there is a ground fault after the GFCI breaker.

As long as you size your main breaker correctly, you can use this GFCI breaker at the local disconnect for the spa.

See this article for more details on wiring a spa: SpaDepot: Wiring a Hot Tub


PEX Pipes running along Ceiling on Inside Wall My landlord fixed a leak from the baseboard heating system using a plumber who decided to run the red [guessing PEX pipes] from the water heater/boiler to the baseboards along the ceiling.  The pipes are exposed on the inside [hall, closet, and 2 bedrooms].  There is no insulation around the pipes and they are held in place by plastic nails/fastener.

To save money, she did not want to cut the gyprock and place the pipes inside the wall.

Now, I can see some reddish hue along the ceiling above the pipes.

Question: Is this safe? What dangers lurk by running exposed hot water pipes along the ceiling?

As long as it's oxygen-barrier PEX (red often is) then it should be just fine for baseboard heating. The reddish hue on your ceiling is odd, but I have a hunch it's just light reflecting off of the red pipe.

Not putting it inside the walls is being a bit cheap, but, then again, there's some argument for making pipes easily accessible too. If you want to cover them, one option may be to get some crown moulding to put over it.

As for insulation, there's no need for that as long as the pipe is on the conditioned side of the wall (as yours is).


Why won't GFCIs indicator light show on plug? My handyman installed 10 new Gfci's in a 1987 home.  There has never been any in the home.  They all work when you plug something in and do not trip- but the the indicator lights will not come on any of the plugs.  What is wrong?

As @Tester101 said, not all GFCI's have lights that display in the normal (as opposed to the tripped) state.

If the test and reset buttons work as expected, you're probably fine.

If you want to be absolutely sure, get a GFCI tester (US$5 or so). If the tester's lights say you're hooked up correctly, and tapping its button trips the GFCI, you're fine.


What are the pros and cons of different types of smart switches (that are on the US market) ? When putting in a new switch for a light it is often less work to put in a smart switch than run the mains cables.

However, how do you choose the type of smart switch to use?

See also "What are the pros and cons of different types of smart switches (That are on the UK market)?"

X10

Pros:

Many manufacturers, and wide variety of products are readily-available (As of 2012, this may not be the case any more)
Low-cost

Cons:

Old protocol (circa 1975)
Most devices communicate over power lines, and design makes it susceptable to interference from noise. At worst, noise can be interpreted as commands (causing lights to turn on).
Slow and fairly basic. Sending more than 2 or 3 commands takes a couple seconds.
Only supports 256 addresses per network (total number of discrete dimmers, scenes, and sensors combined)
Requires phase-couplers to bridge both phases of power together
Requires PC or special hardware to program

Products

Smarthome makes fairly decent quality switches, which support scenes (multiple devices responding to a single address).

Insteon

Pros:

Relatively low cost compared to other products on market
Decent quality switches
Basic linking (including scene programming) can be done using devices themselves, PC-based programming for more advanced control.
Each device has unique address (16 million possible), and supports
Hybrid powerline/wireless: many devices use both to communicate, and most devices repeat signals to increase coverage/signal strength
Easy to interface to other products due to market size:

There are even several iOS apps that can control Insteon if you have an ethernet bridge
Most home automation controllers can communicate

Cons:

Swapping out a device can be difficult due to addresses being hardcoded (need to reprogram all other devices that were controlled by or control the swapped device)
Some strange limitations in scene programming (eg, cannot program a scene that sets some devices on, and others off)

Products

Smarthome makes a wide variety of products and is also the designer of Insteon

UPB

Pros:

More reliable protocol than X10
Simply-Automated's switches (at least) are extremely flexible:

Can configure 1,2,3-tap and press-and-hold behaviour for every button
8-button switches are configurable with interchangable faceplates to be anything from a basic dimmer to 4 dimmers or an 8-button keypad or almost anything in between

Cons:

Uses power-line carrier, so it requires phase-couplers to bridge both phases of power together
Complex to program, requires PC software

Products:

Simply-Automated makes switches, plug-in modules, in-line modules, I/O connectors and computer interfaces

Z-Wave

Pros:

Wireless, and each Z-wave unit acts as a repeater, so the more devices you add in your house, the better coverage you get.
Standardized and easy to D-I-Y, you don't have to have it professionally installed

Cons:

Still a technology 'maturing', so you might have to be a bit of a hobbyist to get it all to work correctly.

Products:

Thermostats by Trane and others
Light switches by GE and others
Locks by Yale, Kwikset, and others
Controllers by many vendors, either PC-based (Homeseer, z-wave.me) or separate devices (MiCasaVerde, Homeseer)


Anyone know what this is? I recently moved into a home and this was lying on a shelf untouched or plugged into anything. Thanks]1

This is a pump control box made by BURCAM and this link is the datasheet.

From your comment about a pump sitting next to it, this looks like the previous owner had a project they either never completed or had to go a different route in completing that required a pump. As others have stated, this unit appears to have never been installed.


Mecury Bimetallic Thermostat? How many wires do I need to operate only the fan on my furnace with a mecury bimetallic thermostat?

You'll need two wires.  One wire (R) that comes from the transformer, and one (G) that powers the fan relay.


How to reduce brightness of LED spotlight permanently without dimmer? Some of my LED GU10s (dimmable) produce too much of light and I'd like to reduce it. I'd like to use on/off switch on those GU10s with permanently reduced light. How it could be done and what kind of components I should use?

They're called cinematic gels

They are just a gray filter that you put over the LED.  You can also get color-tinted, if you are trying to white-balance with other lights.

But a light one, and if you need more dimming, add layers.


How much clearance is needed on a gas fireplace? I have a small gas fireplace already installed.  I cut a hole in side and it looks like it has about a foot clearance (opening between the outer wall and fireplace housing).  In addition, it looks like there is 16 inches above the top for the fireplace and the bottom of the mantle.

I would like to reduce the clearance to 14 or 12 inches and wanted to know what is the correct clearance.  Additionally, I wanted to check if any mantel shield would be recommended as I would like to put a wood mantle on top.

You should try to determine the manufacturer and model of your fireplace and get a copy of the installation instructions, which will have detailed instructions on the required clearances.    The answer will vary depending on the construction of the fireplace.


Too Much Mud Leveling over New Drywall? I framed a new wall over an existing wall to get a nice, rectangular recessed area for a projector screen in my basement. Here’s the wall prior to spackling:

The old wall (back wall of recessed area) is extremely bowed, and so I read that I could use a drywall darby (and a lot of mud) to level it out. While I used powdered setting type mud on all my taped joints, I wound up using pre-mixed all purpose joint compound for leveling, mostly out of convenience. I realized that this would result in some cracking, and it certainly did. It’s also taking a really long time to dry, but I’ve got time.
While I believe/hope that the cracking will be fixed with lots of iterations of sanding/spackling, I’m more concerned with the left-most wall (pictured below), as I got a bit carried away with the drywall darby and obsessed over a quarter-inch gap in-between the left and the right vertical corner beads (I likely built them up too much).

In retrospect, I feel as though I should have just installed quarter-inch pieces of drywall  and feathered them in.
Questions:

Should I continue down my current path and with spackling/sanding until everything is nice and smooth? Or should I try and remove all of that dried mud somehow, at least on the left wall? I’d really like to avoid taking down any drywall panels at this point.
Do I need to prime the wall with anything different than the standard, run of the mill paint primer considering all of the joint compound? I know that skimming with thin layers can provide a really smooth finish, so I’m hoping that’s still the case with thicker coats. For the sake of same texture everywhere, I’ve tried skimming the top and bottom pieces, as well as the inside frame pieces...

Try not to judge me too hard, and I’d appreciate any help!

First, it shouldn't crack. If it does your putting to much on at once. Id also stop using all purpose mud after your first coat and switch over to plus 3 to make sanding easier on your body. I definitely wouldn't scrap off the mud you have already put on. If you want to sand some mud off Id probably get a finish sander and sand some off if necessary. But go easy on the sander. You can screw things up real quick if you go crazy. A pro would never do this but then again a pro wouldn't make your mistake either. Skim coat with plus 3 a few times, sand it and don't worry about it being two perfect. A wall is never perfectly flat and the only guy that's going to notice it not being perfectly flat is you. As far as primer goes I'd ask the guys at wherever your buying your paint. Normal primer probably will be fine but I'd go with drywall primer.


Using Recessed Lighting with a 6 pin connector instead of a 4 pin? I just purchased some recessed housings (Halo H7ICAT) and they already came with Wago 773-104 connectors. As you see below

1 pin is used for the light.

1 pin is for the actual power.

and 2 are open to other recessed lights.

But for 1 of the recessed housing, I need 1 more connection to avoid drilling through 6 ceiling studs.

Would there be any problem with replacing the 4-pin snap in connector with a 6-pin (773-106) connector?

My breaker is a 20 amp, and im running 12/2 electrical wiring over a dimmer switch

Just pigtail off to another 773-104

I would simply get another Wago 773-104 or equivalent connector and use a short length of 12AWG wire to pigtail the connector on your recessed lights to the new connector.  Repeat this for the neutral and ground, and you should be good to go!

As an aside -- one could pull the wire out of the connector, but it tends to nick the wire up, in addition to rendering the connector useless.


Replacing a pendant light New light has standard white, black and green wire. In the ceiling there are (2) red wires only.  How do I wire it properly?

I pulled out the box out with the white sticker on it by gently pulling both red wires and it revealed the white, black and ground I was looking for.


Should I have cat6 and wireless installed in my house to be built? We are having a house built and one thing we can add (for $200) to our home network along with 4 hardwired cat6 ethernet connections ($800) is

  Enhanced Wireless/Switch - Includes network switch located in the Home network center. Two intelligent high power access points with roaming handoff. Professionally installed and activated with 2x2 MIMO antennas. 802.11b/g/n standard.

Is this something I could/should do myself or is the price to effort ratio good enough to shell out $1000 for them to install it?

I could also just get the 4 ethernet wall outlets for just the $800 if that makes more sense.

I am decent with my hands, have changed some light fixtures, thermostats, and set up a few routers in my years.

EDIT: this would be installed by me after the house is built and the walls are fully painted. I cannot do the work myself on framed walls.

EDIT 2: Thanks for the recommendations everyone! I'm going to try for conduit so I can DI myself and perhaps run other cables (great suggestion!), but if they refuse, settle for the $800 wired outlets and not the additional wi-fi.

UPDATE: I asked them for the conduit, but they said it would be $400 per connection, total of $4000 for the 10 I requested. I laughed and opted instead for the $800 package without wireless. I thought this was the best for me since I had enough projects to do after move-in that this was something I felt comfortable offloading on them.

I bought a pro-sumer wifi unit for about $300 on Amazon (Amplifi is the brand and came with 2 repeaters). It's low configuration and self-meshes with repeaters for total coverage. It's overkill for a lot of houses but I have an odd setup and it should cover virtually any house. I offer it here for comparison to the $200 "pro setup wifi".

1000ft of Cat6 is about $100 right now. Assuming that they use all 1000ft (which would be a LOT for a house) $700 for install in an unfinished house is steep.

If I were you, I would get a quote on having low-voltage gangs added to the house and 3/4" conduit attached (make sure they attach it to the boxes with a threaded adapter and don't just shove it into the hole) and run through the top plate into the attic. PVC conduit is stupid cheap. So let's say that you had 10 of these added. Total cost of materials (conduit, box and blank plates) would be less than $100. Add in $100 for labor (these shouldn't take much time at all in open walls) and you now have $200 in. Buy a $50 500ft spool of Cat6 and drop Ethernet into the conduit yourself. Buy a 10 pack of keystones and wall plates. Another $100 and you now have your own wired network, for a grand (estimated) total of $300 for 10 wires, not 4. Better still, what if you need coaxial cable run in? Or another set of wires in each box? The conduit supports whatever non-electrical wiring you need.


Flickering lights, sometimes no power to some For the past few weeks some of our lights have occasionally flickered. Yesterday the power went out for those lights. At the circuit breaker box I didn't see any in the flipped position, but I went through them all, flipping each one off and back on, and when I was done, the lights were back on.

Today it went out again for those lights. This time I started by taking stock of what didn't have power, and saw that the oven, microwave, and garage door did not. But the oven clock was on even though the oven itself had no power. There is no battery for the oven clock. I thought that was strange.

While looking at the oven I turned the oven power switch off and on a couple times. Suddenly the lights went back on. The Microwave got power too. And then when I turned the oven off, the lights, and microwave display, went back off. I went back and forth like that several times. With the oven on, the lights and microwave display went on. With the oven off, the lights and microwave display went off. But always the oven clock stayed on.

It's a wall oven, wired into the wall wiring (not a plug). The house was built in 1962.

I recently had to replace the oven when the old one (very old, circa about 1980) died. That was maybe half a year ago. The new oven is a Magic Chef MCSWOE24S.

Any suggestions on troubleshooting? Any thoughts about what the problem is likely to be?

UPDATE:

Following advice given below, I called the power company this morning and they came by. They said they weren't sure what the problem was but replaced something that they suspected, referring to it as "old-style". They said to call them again if the problem kept happening and they'd put a volt meter on to monitor it.

I had previously unplugged the (over-the-range) microwave because it had triggered the problem a couple times. I plugged it back in and tested it and all seems well so far.

UPDATE 2:

Hours after they left, the power went out briefly, and later we saw lights flickering a couple times. So I doubt the saga is over yet.

UPDATE 3:

The problem is in the breaker box. A screw got loose and the connection has been burning up. If I can find an old used 1960s GE TRX2012S or TRX2012F box, the tech can replace the part. Otherwise $2,000+ for a new breaker box and getting up to code. Any idea where I can find that old breaker box?

You may have a lost pole/phase or neutral. That is very serious problem but the good news is that in most places you can call your electric utility and they will check and likely fix it as most of the time this is a utility problem and not a problem in your house. Key clue is a 240v load making 120v loads work.
CALL YOUR ELECTRIC UTILITY AND TELL THEM YOU HAVE A PARTIAL OUTAGE AND DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM.
Until this is fixed you may have more problems - including risk of damage to equipment or fire - than you realize.


What's the recommended distance of a fire pit from a building? I'd like to know if there's an argumentation-/science-based recommendation regardless of the specific laws in different countries. Boundaries/parameters of my question:

fire pit for making a(n open) camp fire with wood for <= 15 persons (max. 10 kg of wood burning at the same time[1]) on the ground inside a stone circle
building made partly or completely of wood (I guess that matters, so should be distungished in the formular in the answer)
fire is watched permanently

The choice of the distance should avoid transmission of sparks to fire receptive parts of the house, e.g. exposed parts of the root framework. What would a fire fighting specialist/consultant, assurance specialist, etc. say?

[1] I've no idea how to measure fire energy emission, so I give this "dimension" for the beginning

The model building codes provide separation distances based upon radiant heat, construction type, occupancy, fire resistance of the exterior walls and the ratio of openings to solid wall in the building to be protected.

Keeping in mind that the fire separation distances given are in feet from the property line and that adjacent buildings have similar requirements one could use the combination of IBC [2009] table 602 and table 705.9 to determine separation. As a rule of thumb, 60' would be the maximum required between two buildings each located 30' from the property line.

However, I recommend discussing the issue with your local fire official. There may be additional considerations that limit or prohibit the use. The fire official may also be aware of additional environmental, utility infrastructure, or fire service availability factors that increase or decrease the risk associated with a large fire pit.

If you set the forest ablaze, the distance between the pit and the structure will become irrelevant.


What type of wood is this scrap piece? I picked up this slab of wood from my local Woodcraft in the scrap pile but have no idea what it is.

This particular piece is 8x12x2".

Judging by the rays in the third picture (and the classic look of every floor I've ever worked on that wasn't maple), it's White Oak. And we can't see any knots, so it's specifically Clear White Oak.

(source)


Mounting a TV to Concrete Through Wood Paneling and Air Gap I have a bit of a tricky question in regards to mounting my 65" TV.

I have 3/4" knotty pine tongue and groove vertical wood paneling on my basement interior wall. The wall divides my finished and unfinished basement, so I can see on the other side that the wall is concrete blocks. I am wanting to mount a TV to the wall (finished wood paneling side) but for the life of me cannot find any studs - even after using a stud finder, drilling test holes, and even removing the outlets (seems the outlets are attached to the paneling at the tongue and groove connections?) I have also not even been able to find any nails in the paneling.

I'm assuming that since it is a concrete block wall behind the paneling, there are no studs and just horizontal furring strips (picking up hints of these with the stud finder maybe). My other assumption is that these furring strips are not strong enough to hold the TV (65" so say about 40-50 lbs on the high side) and I can't tell how they are attached.

To make matters even more complicated, there is a 1.5" air gap between the paneling and the concrete block wall...

So my question is, can I mount the TV to the concrete through the wood paneling or will the overhang (air gap and paneling) cause an issue since I'm actually mounting to the concrete underneath? Hope this makes sense, I did find a similar post here with some good illustrations that seem to match my issue, except it is talking about drywall and mine is wood paneling.

Thanks for any help!!

TLDR: Can I mount my TV by anchoring it to the concrete wall behind my wood paneling and an air gap? (3/4" knotty pine paneling + 1.5" air gap + concrete wall)

I believe 3/4" is plenty thick enough to not need anchoring into the concrete. I've done this with plywood between studs without issue for mounting my tv and it is just over 40 lbs. The plywood was though thoroughly anchored to studs. Just ensure the best you can that the furring strips are well anchored and I think you are good to go.


How do I wire a modern wall sconce to a power source with 6 wires? I bought a house that was built in the early 70's.

I replaced a wall sconce which had the usual white, black and ground wire.  The power source for the wall box has several wires; two white, two black and two red.  I wired the new light using the same wiring pattern that existed previously; the white sconce wire went to the two white wires and the sconce's black wire going to the two red wires.  I left the two black wires alone and twisted/capped together.

The light works fine except that it smells hot.  I am reluctant to use this light because I don't understand how are why it was wired as it is.

Is it safe to use or should it be wired differently?

If the previous light was functioning properly and the new light is wired exactly the same and functioning properly, there should be no issues here.

Smells hot could be any number of things or absolutely nothing at all. Usually feels hot is where problems occur (and not feels-hot because of heat generated by the light bulb(s)).

Black/red/white wired in this manner sounds like a multiwire branch circuit in which they have wired your sconce lighting from one of the hot legs (the red). Assuming the proper breaker is being used, this is a completely safe wiring method.


Are the grounds and neutrals in this electrical subpanel reversed? I would appreciate your feed back to help me understand the logic behind Bonding the Neutral and Isolating Ground as shown in the attached pics.  Subject sub panel is dedicated to one of four residential units / FourPlex. each unit is about 500 Sq Ft of living space with not significant load.  Each unit has own sub panel, wired exactly in the same manner.
The electrical work is newer, completed in late 2019 in southern California. I had no access to view the main disconnect.

Whoever wired this panel simply was not paying attention

The installer who wired this panel did not pay attention to the schematic on the label, assuming that removing the bonding strap was enough here.  However, the split ground design of these Murray panels means that the left-hand bar is factory bonded to the case, with the right-hand bar being the only neutral bar, when the bonding strap is detached from the neutral bar.

Sadly, the only fix for this is to move all the neutrals over to the right-hand bar and move all the grounds over to the left-hand bar, pigtailing extra wire onto them as needed, as the bonding screw on the left-hand bar on these panels is factory-fitted and not intended to be removed in the field.


Portable Generator Temporary Connection I have a 150 amp switch by the meter at my house.  My meter is too far from my service panel that's why I have a switch outside.  There is a 50 amp service panel in my detached garage fed by a 50 amp breaker in my house service panel.

I was thinking about putting a 50 amp generator inlet socket in my garage and putting a lock on the outside 150 amp switch with the key to the generator in the switch box. Then if I need to use the generator I would unlock the 150 amp switch box and turn off the breaker get the key to the generator re-lock the box then go into the house turn off all my service panel breakers. Then go out side and plug in the generator start it go into the house and turn on the 50 amp breaker to the garage and then select which breakers I need in the house.

I have had one electrician to my house to quote a inlet to my house and a interlock on my service panel. He didn't seem too interested but said he would email my a quote. I have contacted another contractor but he hasn't call back yet. I want to eventually have it done right but want a temporary solution, if needed.

Heck No.  Checklists of switches to throw in sequence are absolutely unacceptable. I know this is "new to you", but this is well-hashed territory to safety investigators and most people familiar with electrical.  It falls in the "facepalm, what were you thinking" category.

This may seem counterintuitive, but for a temporary fix, you permanently modify the wire.  You de-energize the entire system, then run around with flashlights physically severing the mains connections, and physically splicing in the generator connection. Like you'll never use it again, but leaving it intact for potential future use.

For instance I would physically remove the main breaker from the main panel and replace it with a (listed) blanking cover, and/or remove and insulation-wrap the mains feeds.  Then hard-splice the wires to the garage so they go to the generator instead of the garage panel.

Walk that whole thing, double/triple check it, have the inspector visit if that's a requirement, then light 'er up.  That's what I do for temporary work.

For permanent work, obviously, I'd put in a proper interlock.  This is not as big a deal as it sounds.  I would start by installing a small** sub-panel right next to the main panel.  This would have two "main breakers" in positions 1-4, with an interlock between them (rather simple affair).  One would feed from the main panel, the other from the genny.   Then I would decide which circuits I would ever want to light from the generator, and move those circuits to the subpanel.    The original main panel stays mains-only.

src

I gather you want to use the wiring to the garage subpanel in a bidirectional manner, feeding the garage from mains, or feeding the house from genny.  This has come up on this forum before, and there's just no way to do that even remotely safely.  Bite the bullet and lay parallel cable.

** by my definition, "small" is 42-space.  Panel space is dirt cheap and often comes with free bonus breakers, so a net win.  Whereas, running out of panel space is a catastrophe.


Is this HVAC capacitor dead? HVAC system stopped blowing cold air today. Last time it did this, we gave it a 2-3 hour break, in case it was over-heated, and it came back. Today, same deal, but no cold air after a few hours. I went out and didn't hear the compressor or fan going.

After opening the unit to have a look, I noticed that 1) the capacitor had "goop" over it (see circled sections of pictures below) 2) the electronics "bay" looked a bit wet, which was odd (see top of picture #1 below). I suspect this is a sign of a blown capacitor, but GoogleBing image searches aren't conclusive. Suggestions? Opinions? Conclusions?

Exhibit 1

Exhibit 2

The capacitor needs replacement.  While it is possible there is a circuitry problem causing the capacitor to overheat (and thus fail like this), it is also possible it was simply time for this electrolytic capacitor to fail while nothing else is wrong.

See this photo for a similar failure mode.


What is the minimum drill voltage/power required for a plumbing snake bit? In particular this one Cobra Products 25Ft Power Drain Snake.

Will a 12-volt cordless be strong enough?

Depends on the size/strength of the clog.

However, as an owner of a Hitachi 12v cordless, I find it quite strong as long as the charge is good, so probably.


IP Rating for Recessed Shower Lighting I've heard the terms "damp" and "wet" used in referring to lighting fixture ratings, but the fixture I am looking at has a specific IP rating. Is there an IP rating equivalent to the "damp" and "wet" ratings? The fixture I am looking at is a recessed, GU10 fixture with an IP44 rating.

Also, I do understand the IP rating system. For a fixture I intend to place in a rain shower, I should only need an IPX2 rating since condensation would be the method on ingress.

NEC 410.10.D The last sentence states marked for wet locations were subject to shower spray. I believe this is interpreted as any area inside the rim of the shower to be a wet location. I know IP54 = NEMA13 provides protection from water spray. None of the NEMA to IP cross references I have have a 4 for the first digit so I am not sure on IP44.


Kitchen sink pipe question Total newbie here and 1st post.

Im trying to change out my kitchen sink strainer but during the process I damaged one of the pipes (corroded). Also the slip nut is stuck (need a hacksaw). Im looking to keep the same pipe setup, just swap out the old ones with new ones (except the trap)

I would like to know the names of each pipe in the photo.
How do I measure/find the pipe sizes?

my strainer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012Q5RTSW/

Thx guys!

I would rip out the whole thing and replace with new plastic pieces all the way from the wall to the new sink strainer basket. Part of the reason for this is that if part of it was corroded enough to break there is a real good chance that another part will be in similar condition.

The plastic parts for sink drains are very inexpensive and they will last a long time. In fact the typical big box home store will even sell kits of some of the parts that you need including the P-Trap. There will also be bins nearby that will have every other part that you could possibly need for your replacement. The plastic parts are also much easier to work with if they need adjustment or cutting to length. Many of the parts are designed to telescope with one another to allow adjustment without the need to cut to precise lengths.

Many of the joints in the plastic piping system use compression rings that the nuts squeeze around the outside of the adjoining pipe. These are often a fairly hard white/grey fake rubber or clear nylon material. I would encourage you to look around the area where the pipe parts are sold and purchase some alternate type compression rings that are made of a softer fake rubber material. (The ones I have purchased were red or blue in color). They cost a bit more but they make a far superior joint seal due to their flexibility and wedge shaped cross section.

I note that the existing P-Trap assembly is attached to the pipe in the wall via a rubber coupler that is secured into place with two screw type gear clamps. You will have to pay attention to this area as it may be necessary to provide suitable adaptation to the new piping system. In fact it may even be necessary to replace that rubber coupler if it is very old.

The first time you tackle a sink drain replacement you are sure to experience some frustration and say a few choice words. Especially as you bump your head in the cabinet as you go to back out. It is also not uncommon to have to make a second trip back to the big box home store to get additional parts, supplies or a tool. The experience will pay off however because the next time you have to look under a sink to make repairs you will have the needed confidence. And it is much less expensive than having a plumber come in to do the job.


IC can light with holes I was sealing around air leaks in the attic and realized one can light had holes in it. My impression was that means the can was not IC compliant. I took the trim off and it does say IC on the sticker. Is it normal to have holes in these cans?

Yes it's normal.

The holes do not go all the way through but to a space that is covered by another can that does not have holes and can be in contact with the insulation.

Just in case there is also a thermal safety switch within the fixture that automatically turns off the light when too much heat from the bulb has been trapped and the temperature to rise to a certain point. Once the fixture has cooled, the switch turns the light back on again.


How to prevent incandescent light bulbs from heating up the room, safely? Currently I have ten 60W incandescent light bulbs heating up my room, very little ventilation, and no ideas on how to stop them from making the room so very hot. If I had other lighting option, I would've switched to them by now, but I have to work with what I have.

How can I prevent the light bulbs from heating up my room, so that I don't lose too much light (at most 20% brightness loss is acceptable), and the lamps don't overheat, or otherwise become a danger?

You haven't mentioned what sort of fixture these bulbs are in, but this sounds like a classic case for compact fluorescent lights (CFL).
Efficiency in light bulbs boils down to "for a given amount of power running through the bulb, how much is turned into light and how much is wasted as heat?"
Fluorescent bulbs are much more efficient than incandescents; LEDs are even more efficient, but they're a lot more expensive.  Here's a comparison chart from the US Department of Energy.

CFLs are marketed according to the incandescent bulb they could (theoretically) replace; 60-watt replacements draw 13 watts.
As I said, the replacement values are theoretical, and you may find that a 13-watt CFL is not quite bright enough; if so, you could step up to the "100-watt equivalent", which draws 23 watts, and still be generating far less heat than you are now.

The maximum-wattage labels in light fixtures are based on the power drawn and heat generated, NOT on the light produced; you could safely upgrade all the way to these bad boys (55-watt CFL, "250-watt equivalent") without worrying about overheating, but your room would be unbearably bright (and nearly as hot as it is now).


What energy saving methods can I use for a new gas water heater? I am getting a new water heater (Bradford White RG2PV50T6N, which is gas powered). I was wondering if I could do anything easy to make it more energy efficient.

1) Would a jacket help conserve heat? Several documents I read said not to bother unless the tank feels warm to the touch. The tank I have now does not; I assume the new one won't either. Are the new ones so well insulated that a jacket is pointless?

2) I was considering adding a timer so that it would only heat water at the times I need it. But, again, some reading made it sound like it was pointless. If I understand correctly, the tank will heat new water as I use up the old water, and then should be insulated well enough to keep the water hot all day without expending any additional energy. It sounded like a timer is mostly useful to heat water during non-peak energy times--which doesn't apply in my case because I have a gas-powered tank.

Am I wrong? Would a jacket and/or timer be helpful? Or is the best energy savings just to turn the temperature down a few degrees?

A blanket is unnecessary and some manufacturers of tank WHs state that a blanket should not be added.

The temperature set point of a tank should not be below 130 F and some say not below 140 F. This high temperature is necessary to prevent the growth of Legionella bacteria. For the same reason a timer is not recommended and I don't think a gas tank can be controlled by a timer.

Research the proper temperature setting and just use the heater as it is equipped. If you have a shower with a thermostatic anti-scald valve it would be OK to use 140 F, but if you don't, then you might want to use the lowest recommended temperature setting. A lot depends on how many people in your house want to shower at the same time or in quick succession.


Smoke detectors & backup generators My home was built in 2014; California code requires hardwired smoke detectors. I also have a 10kW Generac whole-house standby generator. Whenever I lose power, every smoke alarm in the house gets activated...I contacted Kidde to find out why, and the technician responded that hardwired detectors CANNOT be used with a standby generator, because the generator produces voltage spikes that can damage detectors. He said I either need to have the detectors on a circuit not connected to the generator, or use non-hardwired detectors that utilize wi-fi for interconnection. Problem is the 1st solution means the detectors wouldn't operate in a power outage (NOT good!), and the 2nd solution won't meet code, which requires detectors be hardwired. My electrician says he's never heard of hardwired detectors not being able to be used if one has a backup generator, and I haven't been able to find anything about that on the 'Net either. Can anyone shed any light on this or offer suggestions?

California also requires battery backup for hardwired detectors.  So you could separate that circuit from the generator safely.

Most consumer level power generators do not produce the same quality of power as the power company.  Total harmonic distortion (THD) may be much higher.  Generac is a good company, but they don't specify a THD on the data sheet for  their 11/10kW Guardian Series generators.

I find that regular loss of power sets off hardwired detectors.  I just consider it a power failure alarm and move on.  The switchover from the power company to the backup generator will never be 100% smooth at this price level.


How to finish bathroom vanity junction with the floor? Hello Internet DIYers!

I'm in the process of remodelling our bathroom. The floor is done and I have installed the vanity (I screwed it to the studs in the wall). The vanity side walls arrive nicely to the walls.

However, I had to shim the front-bottom to get to that point, so there is a small gap between the floor and the base of the vanity (~2 mm). The shims are not yet glued.

What's the generally accepted way to 'finish' this spot? I've thought about a couple but they won't look nice:

Quarter round (There are none of these anywhere else in the condo, so I'd try to avoid it.)
Caulk (I think it would be hard to find the proper colour.)
Leaving it like that (The best approach I've thought about, but I'd like the shims not to be visible.)

Would there be a way to make the shims not visible and finish it with transparent caulk? (Or just making the shims not visible and not putting anything else..!?)

Thanks!

P.S. I've added a picture to illustrate.

If you can mark the shims at the face of the cabinet, remove them temporarily, cut them slightly shorter than the mark, use a black marker to "paint the visible sides of the shims and set them back in about a 1/8" behind the face of the cabinet. Using a tube of clear water cleanup caulk, with the tip cut really small, say about 1/8" at the tip, draw a line around the bottom of the cabinet, filling the gap. Wipe the excess flush with the edges of the gap, leaving nothing on the adjacent surfaces of the cabinet or tile, the residue will show up in the glare from the lights in the bathroom.

FWIW, sealing the bottom with caulk may be good if the sink, waterlines or drain does not leak in the years to come. I would do a little here and there with the clear caulk at the escutcheons to keep the potential leaks in visible places, rather than running under a cabinet and collecting there. If the toilet floods, it is a good thing to caulk there, it is a bad thing if the drain or something else at the inside of the cabinet leaks. That is why I suggest the caulk here and there wiped with a damp sponge or cloth to keep the caulk in the joints only, and force a leak to show itself.

I see you have no base there yet, I would caulk the gap at the wall to the floor before you install the base. Just my 2 cents worth...


Changed an old Led light to pendant and it keeps shorting I recently just replaced an old LED ceiling light with a simple pendant and as soon as I switch it on it shorts.

I've made sure that I kept everything in place but as soon as I switch it on, POP it trips.

Pictures are attached http://imgur.com/a/UWghz, any help would be great.

You shouldn't need all those floating connector blocks, there are enough positions on the backplate for loop-in, loop-out, switch and pendant.

The pendant should be connected to the outermost positions and looped through the cord grips.

Your wires to the switch probably include a red permanent-live and a black switched live which should be marked with red tape and connected at the double position connector.

In the above diagram, A is loop-in from prior ceiling-rose (or from consumer unit), B is loop-out to next ceiling rose and C is to/from switch. Typically all wires are 1mm² or 1.5mm² twin & earth with green/yellow sleeving added to the bare earth wires.

Note that I think most UK electricians wire the wires from the switch cable (C) in the other way than that shown in this diagram, they connect the red to position 3 and the black (with red tape) to position 2. That's the way I, as a mere home-owner, wire these fittings.

Photo - own work, © RedGrittyBrick. Licence: Creative-Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0

At the top are three 1.5 mm² Twin&Earth cables with the 2004 colours (blue neutral, brown line/live) the bare circuit protective conductor (CPC or Earth) in the cable is covered by a green/yellow sheath when terminated.

From left to right these are feed-in, feed-out and switch. The blue from the switch is covered in red tape (probably should be brown?) to indicate switched-live.

The flex to the pendant lamp is looped around the strain relief.

Could it be that in your case, the black switched-live is not marked with red tape and has been connected with the other blacks - this would short the circuit when the switch is turned on


Can I connect a gazebo light to a shed sub-panel or outlet? I have a sub-panel in my garage and there is UF cable 12-2 running underground to my shed with a disconnect box, and the 12-2 wire is running to a GFI.  Within the shed, I have another 20 amp outlet, two ceiling lights on a single pole switch and two outside lights on their own switch.  I’m adding a gazebo on my deck and need to add a ceiling fan with a single pole switch and one outlet.   Can I run another UF 12-2 underground to my shed and tie the wires to the disconnect box or to the other 20 amp outlet?

Here is the diagram:

Since the garage panel is a subpanel and not a service entrance, you should be able to turn the entire subpanel's feeder off upstream -- I'd lock it out with a breaker-lock + padlock myself to avoid a shocking surprise from somebody else in the family.

With that done, running the gazebo circuit into the subpanel should not be an issue -- it's like running wires into a giant junction box in that you'll need to support and clamp them in the same way as you would a box. Once you have the wires in there with enough slack to make the connection -- simply screw the bare wire to the ground bar, the white wire to the neutral bar, and the black wire to the screw terminal on a spare 20A breaker, presuming you have one.  You'll also have to take the front cover (dead front) off and put it back on, but that shouldn't be too hard.

Once everything is hooked up, put back together, and ready to go, simply take the lock off the feeder breaker and turn it back on.


Is it common to tile behind an OTR microwave? I have an over the range (OTR) microwave, and am about to tile a new back splash. I'm not sure which way to go:

Tile behind the microwave and then install the microwave
Install the microwave first and then tile up to the bottom of it

If I do the later I'm concerned that the additional ~7/16th of an inch lip of the tile will lock the microwave in place.

Anyone have experience with this particular scenario that can shed some light on the correct route?

I tile behind the ones I do.  First this takes little time.  The top couple inches don't have to be perfect.  I try to make everything look nice but in the grand scheme of things this is a few minutes of work and you already have the tiles, thinset, grout, and tools going so just do it.

Some issues I have come across not tiling:

The top row is almost always slightly slanted and the cuts can be hard to make look nice.
If you switch microwaves (the new OTR micros don't last long) and it doesn't reach the tiles what do you do?
If the microwave goes past the tile then your install can be slightly slanted back.  When you have tile behind there it is easy to jam the microwave in knowing you have a flat surface.
If you decide to take micro out and go with a hood you probably won't have enough leftovers to get all the way up.


Is it possible to bleach Sapele wood? Can I bleach Sapele wood? I want it much lighter & less red. I have tried rubbing down with coarse wire wool & applying lime wax unsuccessfully.

Try using oxalic acid - you may be able to buy it at the local hardware store as "wood bleach"; it comes in crystal form to be mixed with water.

Pity, though, to take that marvelous color out of sapele! Good thing you didn't buy bloodwood (muninga) or redheart... 8)


Do I need a vapor-barrier for laminate if my current floor is raised off a concrete floor? My basement was finished in the 50s or 60s, including a real white-pine hardwood floor. It's raised off the concrete floor by nominal 2x4s as furring strips. The floor has seen better days, and for various other reasons, I wish to use laminate flooring instead of trying to repair.

Most manufacturers recommend a vapor-barrier for applications to concrete, but since this is not directly onto the concrete, do I still need the vapor / moisture barrier?

The laminate I will be applying already has underlayment, which I understand is not at all the same.

Contractor never added a vapor barrier. The basement is incredibly dry, never any trace of mold in places where the floor had come up, so this was not a concern. Too late either way, so answering the question to close out this question.


How to add grounds to a 120 amp panel and grounds electrical outlets I'm buying an older home. The inspection showed no ground on the panel and no ground on some outlets. I'm assuming the outlets are near water, sinks, etc, that need the reset protection. I currently live in California, moving back to Michigan, by February 17th, 2019. The current owners are baulking about doing the fixes, $$$, and have us at a disadvantage, because we need to finalize the sale ASAP. ( I've helped to install a 240 amp panel in a pole barn that was going to use machines that needed the higher amps, so I'm fairly confident I can do the work myself.) However...

If I'm asking for advice, does this mean I should be seeking professional help? And then too our lender may make closing contingent on the work being completed before financing. Thusly making this question moot.

I am going to assume a few things. First the inspection you are referring to is by a home inspector and not the AHJ. I have to say I have never been very impressed with the home inspectors of this area because they are not licensed electricians, plumbers or HVAC-R mechanics. They are simply someone who is somewhat familiar with general construction and building codes, and they were able to pass a general inspection test to be qualified to inspect houses. Some are pretty good. Some not so good.

I really have a hard time believing that you have a main panel without a ground. I can believe you have circuits not grounded in a house built before the mid 1960's. If what I just said is true then your house is legal under the grandfather clause. Any changes to your electrical system is an upgrade and if the buyer wants an upgrade then he should be responsible for cost incurred or a mutual agreement between the buyer and the seller.

My advice is to hire your own electrical contractor and have him review the comments and reinspect the house. Then he can present you a letter on his own letterhead and license number stating that the system meets the code it was constructed under. He will probably also suggest to you what you really need to fix.

I can't speak for the State of California or your local jurisdiction, but my masters license and a letter on with my letterhead and my license numbers (contractor and master) over rides any home inspectors report in this area.

PS My license never over rides the AHJ.

Hope this helps.


Widening cabinets to fit a OTR microwave Purchased an older home with odd custom kitchen cabinets. I am wanting to remove the ugly box range vent and add a box shelf and an OTR microwave, but the width between my side cabinets is 28 inches.  How big of a problem is it to move these cabinets over to increase the width.

Picture(s) would help for your "move these cabinets over" statement. But, if you have room then it's just unscrew from each other & from studs...in that order. To then re-mount them to other studs & back to each other.

However, you may also be able to swap cabinets to get a few more inches. If you have cabinets on other walls there may be a thinner one in an area that can accept the fatter one.


What should I do about mold in the corner of a bedroom? I have what I think is a cold corner in a bedroom. Before we moved in, there was wall paper up for a number of years (as per the house selling photos and when we moved in, house was for sale for 2 years), and when I removed the paper there was no marks or issues with the wall. Now since then there is a very moldy corner next to the ceiling. I have had previous work done to my roof and the water streaming down the walls has since ceased, however there is now no water but just mold. I have washed this continually but can't get rid of it. Do I paper over it? I have found thermal like wall paper that states it is damp and mold proof. Or do I paint with anti mold paint? Or should I pay to have someone out to look at this?

Any help of advice would be appreciated.

Fix the underlying problem before. There is a reason why you still have mold. I would personally rip that wallpaper and locate the source of humidity/water causing this mold. If the water infiltration was fixed correctly, there shouldn't be any mold unless the affected area wasn't let to dry before sealing the area. In order to properly clean mold, you'll need to properly protect yourself N95 mask and gloves and wash thoroughly the affected area with a solution of water and bleach. 1cup of bleach per gallon of water i'd say. Good Luck


How to buy a land and build a cottage in the United States? I plan to buy a small residential land (<1 acre) to build a vacation cottage there. Since I want to explore possibilities across different states, I am searching for possible options over the internet before personal visit. I am not sure about the factors to be considered for selecting the land.

Can I simply build a house in a residential land, or I need some permissions for that?
Are utility services always available for a residential land, or I should check it for a specific land?
Should I request for physical postal address after construction, or is it part of the land registration?

In general, it is great if someone explain or reference the general procedure for buying a land and building a home there.

NOTE: I was not sure if this question well falls within the scope of this QA site, but I had no other alternative.

There are many different rules in various areas of the US, but here are some broad guidelines.

Build

Just because some piece of land is in a residential area, it doesn't mean you can build on it. First you must determine zoning.  This is a categorization that a locality places on land, regulating what can be put on land (one family houses, multiple family houses, commerce, farm buildings, dockage, etc.). It also regulates how big a plot of land is needed of a given type of structure or usage (1/8 acre, 2 acre, etc.). Finally, you need to check if there are restrictions on the land, such as not subdivision, farm only, open land requirements. There are many pieces of land in residential areas that you cannot build a house upon.

Next you may need planning authority approval. This controls where on a piece of land you place a building, how a house is accessed from a road, whether accessory buildings are allowed and where they can be placed, where sewage disposal units or fields need to b e placed, whether fencing or foliage screening is required. Some juriosdictions handle this as a separate process and some relegate this to the building department.

Finally, you must comply with building regulations, if the area has them. At very least, most jurisdictions have health regulations covering drinking water and waste water. Most have building standards covering foundtion, construction, electricity, and plumbing. You may have to submit plans in advance for approval and may have to have various inspections done during or after construction to ensure compliance with rules and standards.  While there are national guideline standards that many jurisdictions adopt as regulation, there are a lot of local variations based on local conditions (such as climate) and practice.

Connect

Many areas of the US have utilities present on or at the edge of a given piece of property.  Many do not.  Vast areas have no central water or sewer service. If not, there may be an option (or a requirement) to hook into existing water and sewer. If so, you probably have to pay to run the lines to your property and then to any dwelling you build. There are often restrictions on how large a house you can connect.

If there is no central water and/or sewer available, you will have to install a well and a septic system.  Each locale has rules about the type and positioning of these units. These usually require installation by a licensed practioner, and a certification of compliance.

Electricity similarly is available in many locations at property lines, but if not, you may have to pay to bring power to the site. Some locations have natural gas hookups for heat, but again, if it is not already at the proerty line, you may have to pay to run a branch line to your site. Otherwise, oil, electric, bottled gas, wood may be needed for heat.

Address

Most locals have pre-assigned addresses for each parcel of land, generally referred to by the name of the access road and a number that may be arbitrary or based on a measurement from some reference point. If a piece of land is being subdivided, a new address may need to be generated by the local authority. These are often done on tax maps controlled by the town or county.

In many areas, postal service is available to a mailbox at the roadside or to a front door (usually in city or dense suburban settings). Some areas have restrictions on mail boxes and do not allow street deliveries or require clustered boxes at the end of a road or other central location.  In many places, post office boxes (P.O. Boxes) located in a local post office are the more typical way of receiving mail.

As others have suggested, the range of issues may make it advisable to enlist the aid of a local builder to learn about and navigate the complexities of getting all the necessary pieces in place.


Unable to remove a cross-threaded water hose I am unable to remove my outdoor hose from the spigot faucet and think it may be cross-threaded. I am using a pipe wrench but the entire fitting just keeps turning. Do I need a plumber to remove it?

** IMPORTANT UPDATE:
In order to prevent a DIY disaster, I had a plumber come out who immediately recommended replacing the entire pipe, valve and spigot at a cost of $175. Having received OUTSTANDING recommendations and informative comments from StackExchange contributors, I asked him to first attempt to use a dremel to cut a notch above the back-flow preventor pin on the hose bibb, and if necessary, slice the collar to peel it back at a cost of $75. This method took him 20 minutes, was totally successful, and saved me $100!
When finished, he inspected the cut pieces and informed me that the issue preventing removal of the hose was not due to cross-threading or stripped thread; but rather, the use of a hose connector made of aluminum on a brass hose bibb which causes corrosion due to dissimilar metals. ** PLUMBING 101: NEVER USE DISSIMILAR METAL FITTINGS ON PARTS INTENDED FOR FUTURE REMOVAL !! I have replaced the hose with one that has a brass fitting ;)

That's not a quick-disconnect. That is a backflow prevention device (aka vacuum breaker) between the faucet and the hose. It prevents your hose from becoming a water inlet point and introducing non-potable water into the municipal water system. An example of how that would happen is if a firetruck connects to your fire hydrant by your house and turns their water pump on and they suck more water out of the water main than it can supply. That causes a vacuum (negative pressure) in the water line and opening a kitchen faucet will just introduce air into the water main, but a garden hose that doesn't have one of these can introduce mud/fertilizer/pond water/etc. Other things can cause water to backflow, but that's the best example I can think of.

If your garden hose fitting is completely stuck, then I think it would be the next easiest to remove the backflow prevention device and replace it.

That is a set screw, but the set screw is designed to break off after tightening it to prevent a homeowner from inadvertently removing the device which would be against code in many places. The way to remove it is to grind a notch with a dremel tool in the top of the set screw, and then use a flat head screwdriver to back out the set screw.

It is very possible that you damaged the threads of your hose fitting by trying to unscrew this device without removing the set screw. If you remove the set screw and it still doesn't come off, then you'll probably need to replace the entire valve.

But if you're trying to avoid calling a plumber, the final thing I would try is grinding a vertical notch through either the entire backflow device or the entire garden hose fitting and literally split it apart into two pieces off of the threads. It might not work, but if you already have the dremel tool out it's worth a try. They're both made of brass, so it's soft and easy to cut with a hacksaw if that's all you have available too!

3/4" Vacuum Breaker, Brass, FNPT Connection Type


GFCI Circuit Breakers Wired Incorrectly Just moved into 5yr old home, was looking to expand a garage outlet to afford more outlets.  The outlet is below the panel is a GGCI outlet, however, the circuit breaker is not, so, I am going to change that, well I bought the wrong one, however, then inspected the other GFCIs in the box and noted that the load neutral is going to the neutral bus with the GFCI neutral connecting to the same bus.  I noticed the GFCI wires were all squiggly and not neatly run, then I disconnected one and it arced when it hit the panel box.  I thought this problematic, but, reformed the neutral wire strands and put it back where I found it, again, it arced again.

Reading about the interweb, it appears that the load neutral is meant to go to the circuit breaker where a slot is provided then the stranded neutral from the GFCI is supposed to go to the neutral bar.

First, why is the stranded neutral from the GFCI arcing?

Secondly, do I have to rewire all the GFCI circuit breakers?

When you pulled the Neutral wire off of the N bus, did you turn the breaker off first? I suspect that you did not, which would explain the arcing.
You are correct about the error in wiring of the existing GFCI breakers; the pigtail (squiggly) white wire goes to the N bus of the panel, the load neutral wire goes to the N terminal of the GFCI breaker. They essentially bypassed the GFCI sensing of any L-N faults. This is indicative of the work having most likely been done without a permit and inspections. If you just moved in, you should take a look at your disclosure forms and if the previous owner stated that all work was done with permits and inspections, they either lied or you have terrible inspectors... If they lied, you should be able to go after them for the cost of having a licensed electrician come out and inspect the entire system for any other errors and make any corrections.
If your outlet is already a GFCI, you do NOT need to have the breaker be a GFCI too. One or the other, not both. It's good that you discovered this problem, but you didn't need to do this project in the first place.


How do you replace missing vertical blind slats? I need some advice about vertical vinyl blinds for a screen door. Right now I'm missing 4 or 5 of the blinds. Should I buy replacements slats or a new set? When you buy them, will you they be cut to size by the store, or is this even an option? Looking for some general advice on how to proceed.

Honestly, vertical blind sets are so relatively inexpensive that if you've lost/broken this many slats I would seriously consider replacing the entire vertical blind. There are blind sets available from HIW stores as cheaply as $20. Even if you don't want to actually replace the whole thing, a kit like this is cheap enough to justify cannibalizing it for spare parts, so you could buy a cheap kit with the same color slats as what you already have, and just throw away the rail assembly, keeping the slats in storage for when more slats break (and they will; it's a guarantee).

As far as I have ever been able to tell, replacement vertical blind slats are not sold individually. Being made of vinyl, they have to be stored flat during shipping or else they'll never hang right; this makes packaging, stocking and selling replacement slats a bulkier proposition than you might think. Then, they have to keep a selection of popular color schemes in stock long after that color or pattern has been discontinued (a vertical blind set can last years if not abused, but those slats eventually WILL break up at the attachment to the rail, or split along their length when accidentally folded in half). All to sell them for maybe a dollar a slat. It just isn't worth it to the manufacturer or retailer.

As far as cutting to length, the default height for a vertical blind installation is that of the standard doorway, 84" (7 feet). You very rarely see vertical blinds in windows (though it can happen) and so there's less requirement for customization. However, any HIW should be able to cut vertical blinds to length using much the same equipment they'd use for cutting window blinds (if not the same method). I doubt though that they could customize the width of a blind set; unlike horizontal blinds such as for windows, vertical blinds have that bar mounted along the entire rail with bearings on both ends. You can't just lop some of that rail off and still expect it to work.


How cold can it be when painting exterior? Last fall we rebuilt our front porch steps.  Now we are finally getting warmer weather and I want to paint these as soon as I can.  The primer I have does not give a minimum temp rating.  I figured if it is in the 50s I would probably be OK.

Primer dries fast, so 50's will probally be OK, especially if it gets some direct sunshine. Give it some time however, before painting. I have used exterior paints as low as the 40's as long as night time temps are not going much lower, or paint/primer at least 4 hours before temps drop a bit. Some paints do give a temperature range.  There are low temperature paints that will cure down to upper 30's with no problem.  The main problem with priming or painting in cooler temps, is that you must let it cure enough before applying the next coat. That may take a couple of moderate temp days as it will not cure in the colder nights, dew or excessive moisture, as that will delay the curing process or discolor the finish.


Help Identifying hose So  in the back of the property i'm currently  running direct burial cable to the shed,, while digging the trench i came across the hose pictured.
I know for a fact it has nothing to do with us,and nothing to do with the neighbours,it looks like copper but seems to be plastic..  should i dig it all up or just leave it where it is and don't give it a second thought?
(The misses thinks i should just dig it up and find out where it goes)

Give it a squeeze, if it flexes then it is low pressure pipe (probably for irrigation). If you cut it, be careful in case it is being used as conduit.


Why does power to entire house go out when I turn on the microwave Renovating a house. Hired electrician to replace the panel, all wiring and the service line coming from the meter. Went out to test it yesterday and when I turned on the microwave power to the entire house went out, except for a few flickering lights.

Outside I can hear a crackling sound where the line enters the house. After about 10 minutes, the power restored. I've described this to the electrician who is scheduled to come back out, but can someone please explain what is going on here?

If you're hearing crackling at the service entry, there may be some arcing there and/or in your service panel. This is showing as flickering (interruption to your whole house power supply) and either breaker shutoff or disconnection within your supply wiring or service panel.

These are all potentially major issues in the electrical supply to your house or the wiring within it. It needs to be investigated thoroughly on-site and you should make sure to personally inspect the panel as significant arcing could destroy your breakers, bus bars, etc.


Different quality of faucets? I'm in the market for a new kitchen faucet. I want one that is well made. Some people claim the faucet models sold by plumbing supply stores are of better quality, made with better material, and are therefore more expensive than faucets purchased elsewhere. Other people claim this is non-sense.
The Delta website advertises the MSRP of its 19810-SS-DST as $405. But the Delta website also points to online resellers who offer the item at $195 or $243. That's very odd.
Why is there so much disagreement on this subject? What is the true story?

You are conflating two very different issues:
Quality of DIFFERENT models
Different models of faucets made by the same company, sold at wildly different prices, may have the same internal components that determine longevity and functional quality, with differences in pricing due to other issues such as style, outer coatings, etc. Or they may really have functional differences - e.g., plastic vs. metal components. They may also sell specific models (with minor or major differences between them) at big box stores (often want an "exclusive model" so they don't have to price-match the same model sold elsewhere), plumbing supply houses (selling to tradespeople who don't need fancy boxes but who (hopefully) care about functionality, ease of repair, etc.) and other types of retailers, including online stores.
The same types of differentiation applies across many different industries including (at times) appliances, clothing, mattresses (a classic - I remember one store used to have a huge computerized list of all the equivalent mattress models because each of the companies would private-label for each retailer, but they were mostly just different tags), etc.
It is pretty much impossible for any random person on the internet to tell you which particular models are "best", because the models change frequently, the specifications don't tell the whole story and personal preference (I may put more "value" on feature than you do).
Pricing of the SAME Model
MSRP = Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. The vendor (big box store, plumbing supply house, online store, etc.) can charge whatever they want. With many types of products, the MSRP is artificially high - often easily 2x the price that a retailer will pay if they purchase in volume (truckloads at a time). Some retailers will charge very low markup, hoping that they will make their profit on other things - e.g., a computer retailer might make more money on a $ 19.99 cable (that wholesales for $ 1) than on a $ 499.99 printer. Some retailers charge a fairly consistent markup (e.g., 20%, 30%, 50%, etc.) across much of their product lines. That gross profit helps to cover things like returns (which is often easy in some stores and nearly impossible in others), service, support, overhead, etc. - all of which vary dramatically from store to store.


Can new wall go over tile floor? Looking at moving my laundry upstairs, and the right answer is to combine two adjacent closets to get the width and move one of their walls a foot or two into the kitchen to get the depth.

The kitchen floor is 10-inch-square tiles. It would be sort of nice if that continued on into the laundry closet. I do have a full bundle of spare tiles in the basement.

Question: Could/should I plan on the new wall coming in on top of the existing tiles (presumably having to drill to secure the footer without shattering them), or should I plan on removing the ones under the footer and fitting cut pieces back in afterward?

The "correct" way to do it, is to remove or cut the tile where the wall will go.  Whether or not you want to do that, is up to your personal preference.


Correct grit and sander for sanding a cedar railing? We have a cedar railing around a deck. The railing needs to be sanded prior to applying a water sealer. Two questions:

What is the best grit of sandpaper to use? I read that using too fine of a grit might make it more difficult to seal, but the article did not provide much guidance after that suggestion.
What type of sander should I use? Is a random orbital sander OK, or is there a different preferred type?

Thank you for your input!

cedar is soft, grit not critical, I would use 150


Wire sizing for built in oven and microwave What size wires do I need for 240 single phase 40A 2P breaker?

According to Table 310.15(B)(16) of the National Electrical Code, #8 Gauge AWG Copper is good for 40 amps.


100 AMP garage sub-panel from 200 AMP house I've checked a number of the other questions but not finding the specific answer I need.

I'm wiring a 100 AMP garage sub-panel from a 200 AMP main in my house. I plan to install a 100 AMP circuit breaker in the house panel. The run to the garage, lug to lug is ~65' and I have to bury the cable to meet code and am going to put it in Sched 40 conduit.

I'm thinking I can use 1/0-1/0-1/0-4 AL but since it needs to go underground am confused about SER vs MHF and hoping I can find a solution that doesn't require changing cable to go from underground outside to inside the house and garage. The NEC chart isn't particularly helpful to me.

Also, what is my option for copper instead?

Your options are a minimum of #1 aluminum or #3 copper.

Since it's only 65 feet I wouldn't upsize it for voltage drop.

You don't need service entrance or direct burial type cable if you are running conduit underground you can use type THWN wire. Individual wires not cable. If you don't want to run conduit you can buy direct burial type wire like You are talking about.

Good luck and stay safe!


Trying to find window manufacturer from sticker on vinyl window I have a bottom sash of a vinyl window with some broken glass and need to replace it.  There are several stickers and markings on the window, but I am not able to figure out who manufactured the window.  I've attached pictures of the stickers/markings that I found.  Any help would be appreciated.

If you know who the home builder was you may be able to get in touch with them.  Generally they will know which company they went with...if that isnt possible depending on the age of the window you may be able to take it to a builder's supply or big box store and get an answer.

All that said replacing a window pane is generally pretty easy and most hardware/big box stores will cut the glass to size for you.  If it is double pane that could be a little more tricky.


Risk from installing a "Nest" thermometer without shutting off home power? I'm trying to install a new Nest-brand thermometer in my parents' house (unscrewing a thermometer from the wall and screwing on the new one.

The first instruction in the manual is to shut off power to the house. What is the risk of not shutting off the power?

Some systems are line-voltage in which case you could get a 120V or even 240V shock from the thermostat wiring.  I believe the Nest is designed for 24V systems.  It does seem a bit extreme to suggest turning off the power to your entire house.  I would probably settle with turning off the power to your furnace and then verifying with a non-contact voltage tester to ensure none of the wires are live.

On many thermostats, you can verify they are not getting power from the furnace by removing the batteries - if this display stays on, it's getting external power. If the display dies, then its not.

Always assume it's live until proven otherwise!


Interior wall construction - Is it possible for this to be load bearing? I have a 2-story brick house built in 1940 with balloon construction. On the first floor, I have an interior wall between my kitchen and living room.  I have done (I think) my homework, looked at the construction, and settled that the wall was not load bearing.  I have since removed a portion of the wall.  There was no sag at all, and no changes have happened in the structure aside from:

A slight crack at a seam in the cement board (no gap, just crack) - Possibly due from the vibrations of the construction
After cutting the studs that made up the doorway (2-2x4's), the upper 2x4's moved +1" sideways - Possibly because they're just fixed on one end now and had some residual stress

Some info on the wall.  It runs parallel to both the floor joists beneath it and above it.  In the basement, there is no wall, beam, or structure of any type beneath it.  On the 2nd floor, it lands somewhere between two walls that make up the closet between two bedrooms.

Here is the wall as it stood originally:

The hole above was an access hole so I could view the construction of the wall and how it met the floor joists above.  This is what I saw:

That's looking down the kitchen bulkhead.  The top plate of the wall on the left appears to be attached to a 1x12"(?) board that is only attached on one end of the floor joist. The wall and joists do not line up.  Here's a quick hand sketch of what I measured:

Looking at the way that thin board was cantilevered off of the floor joist, I cannot see how it could bear any load.

I realize these questions are a little obnoxious, but generally I'm somebody who did research, made a decision, and now am looking for some affirmation.  I understand the guaranteed solution is to call a structural engineer (I'm looking into it), but short term I wanted to get a little smarter and see what insight those more experienced than I might have.

Thanks

Update:

Just some more photos of the framing above the wall and 1x12 board.  As you can see, the duct work in the wall comes up through that 1x12 board, so you know the joist is offset.  One of the ducts actually goes through an opening in the joist.

You're right that the 1x12 board can't possibly be load bearing in any meaningful way.  They almost certainly just put it there to have something to attach the dining room ceiling to.  I'm not a pro, but based on my experience having done this several times I would have zero concern about removing that wall after seeing the pictures and diagram you posted.