Why does my house feel colder in one area after installing blown cellulose insulation? I recently insulated my flat roof with blown cellulose insulation. I installed two vents on the roof as well. The house used to warm up well at 72°F. In order for our bedroom to be warm we have to set it at 74°F. I don't understand how after we insulated the whole house from the roof that we have to increase the temperature on the thermostat two degrees. Our bedroom which is the coldest is furthest from the furnace. But prior to insulating it is was fine at 72°F.

Why would this be, and how can we fix it?

You say “thermostat is in the hallway of second floor”

The hallway used to lose a lot of heat through its ceiling; it does not do so any more, so for a given temperature, it needs a lot less input of heat.

A bedroom also looses less heat through its ceiling then it did before, however it still loses heat through its outside walls.   So for a given temperature it needs a little less input of heat.

The thermostat is reducing the input of heat based on the needs of the hallway; the hallways needs have reduced more than the rest of the house.

So you need to turn down water flow to the radiator in the hallway, so it takes longer to heat up.   (If you have a hot air system you need to block up its outlet into the hallway.)

This is why it is best to put radiators under windows on outside walls, so the parts of the building with the most heat loss gets the most heat input.

The normal setup in the UK, is to set the thermostat higher then you want, then control each room using TRVs.     There are better setups but they cost a lot more.


Two 14/2 cables for a Ceiling Fan with Two Separates Switches for the Light and Fan Is this wiring scheme a code violation for showing two 14/2 cables controlling a ceiling fan with separate switches for the light and the fan a code violation?
We are remodeling and added ceiling fans and slim Led lights to all four bedrooms. I cut the holes in the ceiling and pulled the 14/2 cable to each hole. There are holes everywhere and the sheetrock taper/texture guy is making it all look great.  A licensed Union electrician is installing all the lights and fans and he is making all the wiring connections. However, I am the one who bought the 14/2 cable and ran the cable and the electrician is a commercial electrician working on very large commercial jobs.
The electrician is unable to work for me this weekend so I Googled how to wire a ceiling fan with separate fan and light switches  and found multiple posts stating 14/3 cable is the only proper wire to use unless Smurf tube is used. The posts stated 14/2 cable can be used but will not allow separate control of the fan and light.
And, then I found this diagram on HomeDepot.com which shows two separate wires, although the written instructions accompanying the diagram state 14/3.
I just got this reply from the electrician after sending home post from this site titled “Switch leg to light/ceiling fan with two 14/2 cables”
Electrician’s Reply....Good morning....the wiring for the ceiling fans isn’t a code violation..there is no unbalanced load..the white wires are tied together at the ceiling fan box and switch box..a 14/3 wire would be ok also but two 14/2 wires is acceptable..running two 14/2 cables as you did is good✅ there is no unbalanced loads for they share the same circuit..a unbalanced load occurs at the panel for example ..you have two hot wires feeding the panel..when one of the hot is drawing more amps than the other it is unbalanced..panels are calculated for each load served to prevent this..we can check this when I come back..but everything we did is acceptable..have a great weekend!
So, anyway, am I relegated today to buying 14/3 cable, removing the drywall patches before they get taped and textured, disconnecting the 14/2 cable, removing the ceiling fans, pulling 14/3 cable, and waiting until the electrician can return to rewire everything?
https://images.app.goo.gl/WBHozDSgABBJpuDi7

"the white wires are tied together at the ceiling fan box and switch box" that's a Code violation.  That's called paralleling, which NEC 336.20 complexly says "heck no".
Tying all safety grounds together is the right thing to do.  Tying all neutrals together is definitely not - it violates 336.20 and 300.3.  However, in 99.9% of boxes, tying all neutrals together is correct - you can see where this area is prone to error.  Pros who practice entirely in one narrow area tend to drift into bad habits.  Particularly in residential, where neutral and ground seem like the same thing since they all go to the same bar in the panel.
You're OK as long as the fan is a fan ONLY, and the lights are separate.
In that case, you keep the neutrals separate in the fan's box.  The fan hot & neutral serve only the fan... the light hot & neutral pass through that box and serve only the lights.  That's copacetic.
The diagram you found presumes a fan+light combo. And it's wrong.
The diagram you found is for power at the fan/light. Your power comes to the switch, and you want to treat that as a minor difference - no, it's pivotal.
Also, like most diagrams on the Web, it ignores the NEC 2011 code change which requires neutral at the switch.  People who are good at drawing diagrams are not good at following Code.
However you have several no-rewire options.
Light is subsidiary to fan (or vice versa)
In this application, a master switch turns on/off everything. When that switch is on, a subsidiary switch will turn on/off only the light.  (or only the fan).   This master switch cannot be a dimmer, fan speed control or anything other than a plain on/off switch (it can be smart).
Further, subject to AHJ interpretation, if this is the only light in the room, the master must turn on the light. (leaving the fan as subsidiary).  Every habitable room must have a light switch which works (for benefit of guests and first responders). That's not allowed to be a puzzle.
Use one /2 cable as the switched-hot to the entire fan/light assembly.  So this cable switches on both fan and light.  Neutral is present at the switch box, so that is covered.
As far as the second /2, you configure that as a switch loop (always-hot and switched-hot) to control the light.  (or the fan if you prefer).
The subordinate switch, which controls only the light, can be dimmable - but it cannot need neutral because it has no access to neutral.  It cannot "poach" the neutral from the other cables, because switch loops can't do that and it would be a NEC 300.3 violation. (imbalanced currents in the cable).
Separate neutrals at the light/fan assembly
This requires a light/fan that is specifically wired for this so it significantly constrains your choice of light/fan.  The fan in your diagram would not cut the mustard, however, there are fans that would, particularly ones that take retrofit light kits.
Note that each of the /2 cables has a hot and a neutral.  The hots will be switched-hots; one for the lamp, one for the fan.  I would even re-mark these with colored tape:
Cable 1 is "fan-hot" and "fan-neutral", I'd use red and white.
Cable 2 is "lamp-hot and lamp-neutral", I'd use blue and gray.
The fan hot and neutral go to cable 1.   The light hot and neutral go to cable 2.  The neutrals ARE NOT tied together in the fan area; they are already tied together at the switch and cannot be tied both places.
Current travels in loops (hence 300.3).  All fan current returns on the fan neutral in that same cable.  All lamp current returns on the lamp neutral.  Thus we comply with 300.3.
You are at liberty to use any type of dimmer, smart switch, motion sensor, speed control or anything you please at the switches.


Why are my newly wired replacement outlets not providing power? On a job, I had to switch out all old plugs and light switches on a modular home for an update. I installed all new remodel boxes as well.
Bathroom 1's GFCI reads 34 volts and nothing at the light switch.
The kitchen wall, with a total of 4 GFCI and 2 switches are dead. However, when tested to the hot and neutral wire, I get 120v but nothing when I plug into that outlet.
I’m so confused any ideas would be appreciated.

Given little to work from - you replaced a bunch of stuff and you have either no or low voltage, or full voltage but "nothing when you plug in" - it all sounds like:
Poor Connections.
Might be all of them, might just be one bad one per circuit, but loose conections will cause all those problems. Where you have 120V but nothing works when plugged in, the 120V (at no current) is getting carried by barely connected wires, but they are so barely connected that trying to draw current makes the voltage at the outlet vanish, as it's all busy trying to heat up the bad connection.
You don't mention your methods of work - if you used backstabs, don't. Use the side clamp screws. If you used wirenuts, they need to be twisted a lot harder than most inexperienced people will do, and you need to check that none of the wires are loose after you twist them. Be sure that you don't have poorly stripped insulation between the wire and the screw/clamp.
If you changed wires at the breakers, you actually need a torque driver to make those connections properly to code.


Water Heater pilot light blows out after burner ignites! MODEL: Rheem Fury 6yr 22V30F
MANUFACTURE DATE: 31 May 2012
I replaced the Thermocouple, and made sure all connections were good, and secure, replaced the Gasket for the inner panel.
This is a Natural Gas unit, and the wall furnace that is on the same line is working fine. Furnace is less than 8 feet of line from the Water Heater. Gas supply good.
I can light the pilot, and it stays on. As long as I do not turn the unit to the "ON" position, the pilot will stay on. As soon as the unit goes to on, and the primary gas flow starts, it will all light for a few seconds, then it is like it burns itself out. Almost like there is too much gas pressure, but that should not be the case as it has been working like a champ since I moved in here.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Check the flue area from above the flame to the flue pipe, the flue pipe, and the chimney for any type of blockage or flow restriction such as a build up of dirt, rust, soot, or even a bird that may have gotten into the flue pipe or chimney.If you do not get rid of the burned gases the flame will go out slowly as the available oxygen is depleted. It is also possible to have a bad heater control, but I would check the flue first. The problem is probably not the thermocouple since a thermocouple will still produce voltage for some time after it's flame goes away.


Can I bypass a pull-cord switch by connecting the two wires? The chain broke on my ceiling fan light. I don't need it as I have a wall switch. Can I connect the two wires going into the light switch and just use the wall switch?

Yes you can just connect those two wires with a rated connector and use the wall switch.

Optionally, you could just buy a new pull chain switch for a few bucks and install that.


Replace rear bearing of Dewalt DWS520 Type 1 track saw I would like to replace the rear bearing from a Dewalt DWS520 Type 1. I am not getting the armature removed. I did remove the yellow cover, but the armature is still stuck in the body of the saw. Can someone tell me how to remove the armature, so I can replace the rear bearing? Should I be able to pull him lose (tried that already, but it seems really stuck), or should I first open the gearcase on the backside and replace the gasket afterwards?

Many thanks for your answer!

Best regards,
Peter

I looked at an exploded view of that saw, and there are bearings listed as replacement parts (part No's 66 and 68), which is usually the tell-tale sign that they are replaceable. That may however be difficult if you don't have the right tools and skill sets, such as a bearing puller and a press to re-install them. I would call DeWalt.


Does anyone know what kind of rod to use with these brackets? We have an old home (circa 1920).  Our front door has windows on the side and above those windows are these curtain brackets.  Unfortunately the remodelers didn't leave the curtain rods, and they are unfamiliar to me.

Can anyone tell me what the name is or what kind of rod goes with them?

Sorry for the poor-quality image.

I've seen similar shaped curtain brackets. They used a length of coiled spring rather than a solid rod.


Strange Roof Framing - Are these ridge supports temporary? Attached photo is of a mid century split level roof with gabel ends at 5:12 pitch, there are (5) irregularly spaced 2x4 post supporting the ridge beam which sit on a 16 feet long (2)2x18 wood beam. The wood beam is suppported by a load bearing walls on the floor below.
The roof was re-shingled 12 years ago, and my guess is that these supports were placed to correct a sagging ridge beam.
My question is can I remove the post and beam without the roof caving in? Am i being paranoid?
Thanks

My house is framed similarly, mid 1950's.  No I would not remove any of the "temporary" supports you've pointed out.  Like you said, the vertical ones are to help support the ridge board and keep it from sagging.  I have those in my attic also, and have even doubled up on some of them.
The long diagonal board is to keep the gabled end of the roof, and the entire roof for that matter, from "racking" and folding over in the event of a strong winds.  Without that brace, the entire roof structure acts like a un-reinforced square.  With the brace, you turned that square into a triangle which is much resistant to folding over on itself.


Will GFCI breakers protect my outlets? I'm about to move into an older home at the end of the month. Upon inspection, the inspector found that the outlets aren't grounded. I've been doing a lot of reading on how to fix the situation. I understand that my options are to 1. Ground the outlets. I can do this easily but there are a lot of outlets. 2. Install GFCI outlets and ground them. This is expensive but I'm not really worried about that. 3. Install GFCI or GFCI/AFCI breakers in the electrical panel.

I'm leaving towards option 3. I keep reading that I can do option 3 depending on my homes wiring. There was no elaboration on what wiring my home needs to make sure that GFCI breakers will offer the protection that I need. Is it just as simple as replacing old breakers with GFCI breakers and grounding them on a ground bar (I forget the actual name of the bar) or will I have to run additional wiring all around the house in addition to installing the GFCI breakers? The house was built in 1952 and had a new panel installed but uses what looks like non GFCI breakers. Any help or a link to better reading material?

GFCI is an acceptable substitute for grounding.  GFCI is good at protecting people from electrical shock.  Grounds are good at protecting equipment from static damage. (it also helps protect people by giving fault current a place to go). GFCIs do nothing to protect equipment from ESD damage.

First, just sanity-check that your outlets aren't grounded. Inspectors make mistakes. Pop off a receptacle; if you see hot wire colors other than red, or if you see wires disappearing down a pipe, then you may have metal conduit, which is the ground.  (There are no ground wires in any of my work; I use metal conduit.)

One of those cheap 3-light testers will tell the tale; 2 yellow lights means you are grounded. You'll want one anyway to test GFCIs.  Ignore the "legend" listing what the lights mean; it's written for new construction, and does not imagine any of the problems that arise in old work.

It's perfectly legit to retrofit ground.  You need only run a ground wire, on any viable route; you only need to reach any place which has a ground wire as wide as yours or wider back to the panel.  However you're right, it's a lot of work, and human safety does not require it if you're using GFCIs - so option 2 is unnecessary for life safety.

Retrofit grounds for receptacles where grounds really matter, like refrigerators, freezers, PCs and delicate electronics.  Refrigerators because we won't be GFCIing those.

GFCIs are able to protect downline outlets

The downside is that GFCIs will trip on any problem with a downline outlet. The upshot is you only need one GFCI device per circuit unless you want more than one; there are occasionally reasons for that.

GFCIs come in several forms: GFCI+circuit breaker, GFCI+switch, GFCI+nothing (these look like a blank receptacle with no sockets), GFCI+receptacle, and GFCI+receptacle+switch. All of them can protect downline loads.

So it is possible, instead of GFCI breakers, to simply install a GFCI receptacle at the first outlet location.  Even if the outlet is a switch, they make GFCI+receptacle+switch devices where the switch can be wired separately from the receptacle. (you just don't use the receptacle).

In the case of a multi-wire branch circuit, the only viable way to protect the circuit is a 2-pole GFCI breaker.

That said, sometimes it's useful to use GFCI+receptacles and not use the downline feature (LOAD terminals).  That can be useful if there are outlets downline that you don't want to protect (like refrigerators), or if somewhere downline is a wiring flaw that is tripping the GFCI - ideally you'd do a bug-hunt on the wiring flaws, but for expedience's sake you can simply do that.  Most GFCIs allow attachment of 2 wires to the LINE terminals.

By the way, these GFCI breakers will take a lot of room in the panel. GFCI breakers are not available as "double-stuff breakers", so no doubling up in breaker spaces. I hope you got a nice big panel.  If you didn't, you can fit a subpanel.

Also, there's no need to replace old panels which are Cutler-Hammer, BRyant, General Electric, Murray, or Square D QO.  Those are a perfectly modern type of panel currently for sale.   Kill FPE or Zinsco soon.  Pushmatic panels are alright, but no longer supported - have those feed subpanels. Challenger panels just need their breakers changed to BR.


Can screwing too far (about 1.5 inches) into a stud can weaken it? I put up some IKEA cabinets (using their suspension rail). I used a 5mm (#10) x 50mm (2 inch).  Minus the drywall and rail it probably went in about 35-40mm (1.5 inch) into the stud.

After all was said and done, I realized that the screws didn't need to be that long (or thick).  I understand now that by using longer screws it increases the chance to hit wires or pipes running through a stud.  However, I don't think there are any pipes or wires in the wall where I drilled.  Given that I didn't hit any pipes or wires, is there any concern that the larger screws I used could weaken the stud or foundation?

Only a small fraction of the stud is necessary for the bearing strength of the wall. Every plumbing and electrical run in your house goes through much larger holes drilled through studs.

If your cabinet is solid, your stud is fine.


How do I renovate this wooden furniture? The furniture aren't very damaged, just a bit worn.

I don't have any knowledge or experience on the subject, I'm just trying to revive them a bit. I'd rather not unscrew it or take it apart.

I found information on the topic, but I'm not sure which are relevant to my case, and I don't want to mess it up.

I think I have to use wood finish, but I don't know of which type whatsoever.
And I'm not sure either wether I have to scrub it.

Can't tell what sort of varnish, if any, is on there, but it looks like it's come off in the worn places you care about anyway. Without a complete refinish job, you can try touching up much of the damage you picture with a swab that's been dipped in a dark oak (or red oak) stain. Just put a little stain in the places the finish is gone, wait 20 min. and wipe off gently. The result will not be as good as a complete strip, sand, restain and refinish job, but with the correct choice of stain color I've seen this method take things from fug-ugly to really not too shabby.
If you go this route, be sure to test it on a small, inconspicuous area first.


Ground Water in Sewage Basin hole I am installing a sewage ejector pit and pump in basement, hole is dug and I piped the inlet pvc for the toilet and sink. I did not have time to backfill or concrete.

The next morning I woke up to find after a night of rain the basin floating in groundwater. The septic tank is right next to my sump pump.

If I backfill and concrete the sewage basin and pump in, will the excessive ground water be a problem later?

We can presume that the basin is watertight (both out and in). The only real concern, then, is whether the boyancy of the air in the empty tank will overpower the weight of your concrete (or the mechanical connection between the concrete and the basin).

If those aren't a concern, all should be fine. I imagine that the basin has edges and depressions that will anchor it well in the concrete.


Washing machine stops - but always restarts after I open/close lid I have a whirlpool washing machine (SM 8525079 REV). Whenever it runs, it always stops after a few minutes having filled with water. However, once you open and then close the lid, the machine starts again and works perfectly. (I believe it used to do this intermittently but it now happens all the time.)

Is this something that is easy to diagnose and/or fix?

When is the last time you cleaned the drain filter? It could be detecting a partial clog and actuating the lid sensor causes the logic to reset the "not draining" sensor until it trips again. This happened to mine a few months ago and it all cleared up after cleaning an enormous quantity of hair out of the drain filter (part of regular washing machine maintenance).


Should I build a deck over my existing concrete patio or other? I have a very challenging, small, north facing, graded back yard. The lowest portion of the yard is totally unusable. Attached to the house is a small concrete patio slab that at the highest point is around 3-4 feet, at the lowest is around 1 foot.

Here are some shots of the back yard.

Standing at the top of the yard

Middle of the yardlooking down

Standing on the manhole looking up

Looking at the door

So my questions are as follows:

What kind of deck would best suit this type of back yard? Woodframe cedar/composite? A raised stamped concrete? Reminder that not a lot of light gets back here (north facing).
If a Woodframe is the best, should I remove the existing concrete slab or build a deck over top of this? My neighbor built over top of his and I'm suspect to the wood rotting.

Please if you have any suggestions on improving this area, please advise. thanks so much!

Eric

It's quite a drop off there on the manhole side. If it were me, the priority would be to build steps of some kind there--or a railing.

Anything that is well-drained will not rot. Rot only occurs when something sits in water.

You could certainly deck the porch over if you wanted. My pet peeve is people who just stick wood in the ground. The main thing to consider is how you are going to support the deck. The porch is so tall, that you could just anchor it to the sides, so it just hangs down. Then maybe just have two footings for the steps. Or you could put a skirt of steps all around and have footings every 3 feet or so.


Replacing the remote for an older garage door opener remote? I've just purchased a house with an old Genie garage door opener that uses the simple dip-switch remote configuration system (no rolling code, in other words). The garage has two doors, each with its own opener. Given that the size of each opener is roughly the size of a box of cheap cigars, the range is terrible (need to be within ~10 feet), and the remote generally feels like you're going to break it when you push the button, I'd like to replace the two remotes with a single smaller remote. There are a bunch of different options on sites like Amazon, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc., but most of these seem to be geared toward openers with rolling code systems. Will these remotes work with the sort of opener I have? FWIW, the current remote I have is a Genie GT90-1.

I purchased a Chamberlain KLIK1U 2 button universal garage door remote a little while back and remember there being a dip switch option. I'm not sure if you can program two dip switch openers to it, but it might be worth a try.

Another option which is the one I had to do is that if you have a button inside the garage that you press to open the door, you can get a pair of Chamberlain 955D receivers. It allows you to use a rolling code remote on the opener. If you used one for each opener, you could get one remote with several buttons and program it.

I hope this helps!


What is the best way to remove spray paint from a blacktop driveway? I have an area on my blacktop driveway that some kids thought needed some spray paint, what is the best way to remove it without damaging the blacktop?


Is it possible to have a pond that doesn't require a pump for circulation? So I'm trying to build a garden pond but I don't have any power. Is it possible to have a pond that doesn't require a pump for circulation? I do plan on having fish and so plants

A google search for "solar powered fish pond filters" shows many sources. Since you didn't mention the size of your pond or geographic area I didn't make any specific suggestions. But there is a wealth of info and products out there.


Breaker sometimes trips when Microwave turned on Is there a power strip circuit breaker I can use to stop having to go to the basement when the microwave sometimes trips the circuit breaker?

No a power strip will likely not help. If your electrical circuit is properly installed, undamaged and being properly used then it should not trip. Even just a $5 breaker being repeatedly reset could damage the panel, resulting in a $1000 repair.

If you do get a power strip and it does trip before the electrical panel circuit breaker then it would likely be because the trip time-curve of the power strip is not designed to accommodate the power curve of the microwave, and you won't be fixing the problem, just delaying the inevitable, and possibly damaging the electronics of the microwave due to a disorganized power shutdown.

Residential "thermal-magnetic" breakers don't trip instantly at 20.1 amps. They are designed to trip under conditions that damage wiring, on an inverse time curve for thermal overload conditions, low overcurrents such as 1.5x the rating should trip between 90 and 300 seconds, 5x the rating should trip in 4 to 10 seconds, and a high magnetic inrush or short circuit of 10x or more they trip instantly.

For instance if you have a 1200 watt power hungry coffee maker and a 1800 watt microwave (actual ratings of my appliances) on the same circuit then you have 3000 watts on a 2400 watt circuit. (Code requires kitchen circuits be 20A, 20A x 120V = 2400 watts.) That 125% overload should hold for at least 5 minutes, and if it never trips it would still be within NEMA specs.

Those numbers really create a situation that a microwave tripping a breaker means some real circuit evaluation is necessary. Your microwave is faulty and drawing enormous overloads, a circuit breaker is failing, you have a loose connection that could cause arcing that could start a fire, or your combination of loads is greatly overloading your wires and repeated resetting and resuming abuse will create expensive repairs.


Broken Dryer - won't start So this morning I went to put my wash into the dryer, and it didn't start.  First I checked the door switch, and it clicked on and off when pushed, so that seems to be ok.  Next I checked the breaker and outlet (with a multi-meter - yes it's eletric), and the power to the plug is fine.
When I push the start button there is a faint 'clicking' so I believe that the power into the dryer is fine, and it is a problem on the inside of the unit.

Does anyone have any suggestions on things I should start checking when I take the thing apart?  Is there a common fail that is easy to find/fix?

The "click" is the exact same behavior that I had last month - caused by a blown heating element. It was difficult for me to remove and replace, but easy enough to find both ends (and I'm sure this varies based on your model) and do a continuity test on it. Mine didn't conduct, so it was clear that was the problem.


Drop height from Exterior door to driveway We're having our gravel driveway regraded.  As of right now (it's fall) the basement floor of our side door/garage door is level with our gravel driveway.  During the winter, the driveway heaves and rises and water has entered in both of those doors.

I remember the home inspector saying that having the two surfaces (basement floor & driveway) flush isn't up to code. Is there code regarding a step height, that we can refer to for this regrading?  If not, what's the recommendation?

I guess the inspector does not believe in handicap access. Aside from that, 7 3/4" is the maximum height of any step. When given the choice, I always keep the outside surface lower than the interior by about 4". This is for snow build up, just something I always did.


What should I do to level an uneven floor with a potential load bearing wall above? I'm trying to level the first floor in my 90 year old house.

The floor joists are held up by a wooden beam composed of 5 2x8s, which is held up by two steel columns.  In the middle of the wooden beam is a wall that I think is a load bearing wall.  This wall probably holds up the floor joists of the second floor.  There is a third floor/attic above this too (the second floor wall and first floor walls don't line up exactly....the second floor wall is a few feet offset from, but is parallel to, the first floor wall shown below).

The first floor has a very noticeable sag that seems to be worst at one side of an entryway cut into the first floor wall (indicated in the images below).  There aren't any cracks in the walls, but some stone tiles near the front door and near the fireplace, which happen to be near the point where the floor starts to sag, have cracks.  In addition, the second floor bathroom/bathtub is right above this entryway and many of the tiles there have cracked.

I am thinking that I can add a support column to the middle of the beam in the basement.  In fact, there's an imprint in the wood from where a previous owner put a jack there.  Do you think that would solve the problem?  Or, do you think there should be another column underneath the point of maximum sag?

I've had a structural engineer come look at this.  He said that there's nothing to worry about, but recommended that I don't place heavy items near this area of the house.  I'd rather have peace of mind and a flat floor...

I also want to get someone in to retile the bathroom.  Should I get this straightened out (hehe) first?

In general, load bearing walls are placed above and parallel to (with as little offset as possible) the beams below them.

I would span another beam or mini beam parallel to the first one, to support the joists mid span.  I would start out with screw jacks (raising a new beam) and some form of force plate over your slab (steel over plywood to support and distribute the bottom of the jacks), and S l o w l y elevate.  2 inches is a lot of movement.  This elevation process should be done over months.  You may find that stabilization is all that is necessary, (or prudent). If you add 1/2 to 3/4 at your lowest point, you might be happy.

Monitor what is happening at the original beam.  You may find a gap developing there.. If that is the case, you may have to raise the original beam slightly or shim the beam to joist connection with tapered shims.

Once you're happy with the final leveling, permanent columns (and footings below them) are the proper conclusion.


Is it possible to use plastic sheeting rather than tiles in a temporary bathrooom? Is it possible to use plastic sheeting (somewhat like opaque perspex laminate) rather than tiles in a temporary (house will be demolished in two years time) bathrooom? I'm thinking the kind of product similar to what would be used in the construction of a caravan, also cheap.

It needs to meet fire safety standards.

I will fit it over plywood in one place and I'll get an electrician to fit  an electric shower unit through it.

Any suggestions ? B

Updates:

I've done some research, and what I need to get is Acrylic panel. I found a couple of UK suppliers who provide samples, for example :

http://www.rubberduckbathrooms.co.uk/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=0&zenid=22f9fb51acf432bc1fc066aea4d89e01&keyword=polyPANEL+&x=32&y=17

and

http://www.plumbase.co.uk/search?w=wall+panels

There are no regulations or restrictions for temporary bathrooms.  You can do whatever you want.  What you propose seems fine, certainly better than newspapers (old roommate put newspaper in our bathroom to walk on so we didn't have to clean the floor - don't ask how it turned out).


How can I neatly install temperature probes in my ductwork? I'm planning to install several temperature sensors in my hot-air furnace's ductwork, specifically in the return duct and in the supply plenum of each of our two furnaces.   The sensors I plan to use are 7mm in diameter; I'm looking for a way to get them into the ducts without a) leaking air and b) looking crappy.

So far, my best thought is a 5/16" or 3/8" hole drilled and sealed up with foil ("real") duct tape; are there other ways that might be cleaner-looking?

This is mostly a "because it seems cool" project; planning to use a Raspberry Pi to capture the data and add it to a small home status dashboard I have set up. It will also give some insight into how the furnaces and A/C are performing.

I would probably use a strain relief connector (aka dome connector):

There have a rubber grommet in the middle that compresses down around the wire when you tighten it, forming an air-tight seal. Some also have a gasket around the nut at the bottom. These are really easy to install (just require a 3/8" hole), pretty cheap, and available at the box stores.


What options are available to cover a gap in a stone countertop left when a slightly smaller stovetop was installed? We installed a new drop-in stainles steel stovetop into a hole in our stone countertop.  This has left a 1/4" to 1/2" gap in the rear, since it's not quite as deep as the old stovetop was.
What options are there to make this hole look better?  It's not really very visible, so it doesn't have to look perfect, but something better than a gap would be nice.

(I was lucky with my last cooktop - it was slightly smaller and my plumber was able to cut the counter a little bit to make it fit.)
With a stainless steel cooktop, I would look for stainless steel - or at least "shiny metal" to match. Something like this one on Amazon:

Definitely measure first! If a filler piece is too long, you can cut it down, but if it is too short then it won't work very well.


Recomendations or information on adding biocides in furnace pan I have heard that it is recommended to add some amount of biocides to a furnace in order to prevent mold building up in the furnace pan.

Is it common in residential buildings, or more common for industrial/commercial?

What kind of biocides are recommended, and what I should be looking for?

Furnace? No. You might mean your HVAC condensate pan. Yes, these treatments will help keep the bio slime away and help keep the drain lines clean.

Do an internet search for "condensate pan tablets". Each product will tell you how many tablets to use and how often. They also have treatment mats that you unroll into the pan and they dissolve.


Do individual light fittings require a method of isolating them, other than at the distribution board [UK] With the 'Internet of Things' becoming more and more popular there's a myriad of 'smart' switches, bulbs, sockets and fittings that can be controlled over RF or Wifi.

With some of these solutions (Phillips Hue etc) the on/off switching takes place within the device itself, and ideally to avoid a situation where the fitting is switched off at the wall it would be best to remove the wall switch all together and leave all the control down to the various apps / remotes switches etc.

Which leaves me wondering -

1) Are there any regulations or best practises in the UK that require providing isolation to light fittings, other than at the distribution board for changing bulbs / maintenance etc?

2) If yes, can this isolation be provided by another 'smart' device with no physical switch other than an internal relay?

Disclaimer: I'm not an electrician, nor do I intend to make any changes. This is a theoretical question.

Thanks

No precise regulation for a light switch

Except in the case of electric discharge lighting, there is no precise regulation that says you must place a switch, mechanical or otherwise, in or near a light, but in practice it would be unusual not to, and safer, more convenient, and more appropriate to the purpose of the device if you can operate a mechanical switch for that circuit or part thereof, rather than a circuit breaker.

Regulatory definitions and requirements

From BS7671:2008 incorporating Amendment No 1: 2011 (Requirements for Electrical Installations, IET Wiring Regulations, Seventeenth Edition)

  Isolation. A function intended to cut off for reasons of safety the supply from all, or a discrete section, of the installation by separating the installation or section from every source of electrical energy.

Reg. 530.3:

  Equipment shall be selected and installed to provide for the safety and proper functioning for the intended use of the installation. Equipment installed shall be appropriate to the external influences foreseen.

Reg. 537.5.2.3:

  Off-load isolators (disconnectors), fuses and links shall not be used for functional switching.

Table 53.4 - Guidance on the selection of protective, isolation and switching devices:

This table shows that a circuit-breaker or RCD may be used for both isolation and functional switching.

Reg. 537.5.1.1:

  A functional switching device hall be provided for each part of a circuit which may require to be controlled independently of other parts of the installation.

Reg. 537.5.1.3:

  In general, all current-using equipment requiring control shall be controlled by an appropriate functional switching device.

  A single functional switching device may control two or more items of equipment intended to operate simultaneously.

Reg. 537.5.2.2:

  Functional switching devices may control the current without necessarily opening the corresponding poles.

  NOTE 1: Semiconductor switching devices are examples of devices cable of interrupting the current in the circuit but not opening the corresponding poles.

Conclusion

Smart light bulbs, remotely controlled, are only switched after the fixed wiring and after a DC transformer. Therefore they fall outside the scope of functional switching within the meaning of the regulations.

In practice, what this means is that the light fitting would still be live when you remove a bulb, unless switched or isolated within the fixed wiring. Normally, this would be achieved by means of a light switch, but the regulations provide that a circuit breaker (not a fuse) can be used for this purpose.

Smart switches, inserted into the fixed wiring but electronically controlled, fall within the scope of the note to reg. 537.5.2.2 in that they do functionally switch the light fitting(s) such that in the off state, the lamp socket would not be live for the removal and replacement of a light bulb.

Smart bulb controllers that look like mechanical or electronic light switches but are not connected to the fixed wiring, are increasingly common, and aesthetically and functionally speaking it is not necessary to install a mechanical or even an electronic light switch beside such a controller. In the long-term however, should you wish to replace smart bulbs with non-smart bulbs, even on a temporary basis, it would be inconvenient at best to have to switch them off at the consumer unit.

My recommendation based on the above, where smart bulb controllers are installed, would be to install them over or beside a blanked switch box containing a link (with screw terminal blocks, for example) in which a switch could be installed. Alternatively, if non-routine switching within the room is desired, but accidental local switching-off is to be prevented, install the controller beside a secret key switch such as those in MK's Grid Plus range:


How to repair screws popping through drywall all along corners? We had an addition built on our house recently. While adding on, the screws popped through the drywall in the original portion of our house. The screws have cause a small raised bulge every 6” along every corner of the room.
How do I repair the screws that have popped beneath corner tape. Can I take a razer blade to each of the bulges to smooth them out and then mud over it?

Yes you'll want to scrape off the raised section. You want to probably add new screws 1" above and below any bulges as well since the movement that caused the screw pops has likely torn the paper which gives drywall all its strength. Then refinish with drywall compound before priming and painting


Why does the water level in floor drain fluctuate when the toilet is flushed? Level of water rises in floor drain a bit  and then goes back down when basement toilet  is flushed. Would this be normal. Thanks

If your plumbing is up to modern standards you should see very little movement in the floor drain's trap water level. The fact that you do probably indicates poor or blocked venting, resulting in a vacuum situation. It's not really a problem, though, unless the flush pulls the water completely out of the trap, allowing sewer gas to escape into the room.

It's possible that there's a partial blockage downstream, but unless this is a new development it would be my second guess at the cause.


Best method to cool a garage? Trying to figure out the best way to cool an attached garage. The garage door is insulated and has weather stripping on the outside. There are no windows and the exterior is brick. We live in a humid climate, south Texas, humidity 80% in the morning and 60% at night. Newer construction, 2015.
Researched mini-splits but it's just too expensive, approx $4-5K.
Looking at portable units. Reading a lot of conflicting info on one or two hose systems and the best way to vent. There aren't many options when it comes to venting, there are no windows and the wife doesn't want holes cut through the brick. Can I vent either a one hose or two hose portable system into the attic? The attic is passively cooled.
.

I had a grey tin shed that was getting very hot in the summer.   The cheapest and quickest fix was to paint the sides and roof side that faced the sunlight, with some random white paint I had laying about.  It wasn't a quality job, but in my case it was around the back and not visible.
Decreasing the insolation is a good start, is silent, and needs no ongoing costs like power.
Then you can start exploring more costly solutions like active cooling.


Not sure how to reattach two bathroom objects About a year ago we had a contractor switch out a cabinet for a pedestal style sink. I didn't notice until recently that behind the sink there was a loose ring object on the outflow pipe and the molding (did I get that right?) is loose
The top red circle has a loose ring around it, what is that called? If I push it against the wall it doesn't fit in the hole. It does not look like it was glued on initially. How should I fix it so it covers the hole?
The other red circle at the bottom. Do I need to hammer a nail into that molding to get it to stay against the wall and spackle/paint over the nail?

what is that called?

The true name is escutcheon, the common name is pipe flange or trim flange. Those escutcheons are typically designed to gently grip the pipe with small bendy metal tabs that are part of the escutcheon. Other (better quality) ones have a set-screw that holds them to the pipe. The bendy tabs on yours are probably now ineffective and your only options are to either remove and replace or try to get it to stick to the wall with some strategically placed globs of caulk and tape to hold it till cured.

Do I need to hammer a nail into that molding to get it to stay against the wall and spackle/paint over the nail?

Yes, that is exactly what you need to do.


Feeding single circuit from two different subpanels (with interlock) I have a main panel and a critical loads sub-panel fed by a PV inverter + battery backup. I need to avoid overloading the normal capacity in the critical loads panel (50A), and I'm already at a comfortable max on that for normal use.
However I'd like to be able to run my garage door opener off of that panel selectively, so that I don't have any concerns about tripping the breaker backfeeding that sub-panel, but also be able to easily switch over to backup temporarily to still run the garage door opener during an extended outage.
Is there a standard/easy way to accomplish this? I suppose I could use something like the Square D QO1DM10030TRBR 30-Amp Generator Main Breaker Outdoor Manual Transfer Switch (and just remove the generator twist-lock receptacle from the bottom and instead feed directly from the critical loads sub-panel), but I wanted to see if there was a better way of accomplishing the same thing.
Edit: In an ideal world there'd be a way to a setup a "transfer switch" like this without require breakers in both the panels and in the switch itself.

You have to switch the neutral in your application.   Fortunately your garage door load is only 120V, so you can use 2-pole interlocks.
Now, you're overspending on that particular panel.  What you're looking at is a common "QO" 8-space panel ($35) + a QO2DTI interlock ($30) + a pricey 100A breaker you don't need ($65) + a common 30A breaker ($16 because QO) + a socket you don't need.
You can buy just the components and avoid the expense of socket and large breaker: just a "QO" 4-space panel + the QO2DTI interlock and 2 2-pole breakers.  Don't leave room for anything else in the panel; it's an oddball 120V switched-neutral panel.
An even cheaper way to do this is to bring a receptacle fed from each power source... and right next to that, have an inlet.  From the inlet proceed with normal house wiring to the garage door opener (so this section of permanent wiring is isolated from all others).  Then have a short 1' extension cord that you plug into the inlet and move to whichever outlet is relevant.


How to provide ventilation on NEMA 12 Arcshield enclosure with help of fans? I have a NEMA 12 enclosure with VFD (Powerflex 753) mounted in it. Also the enclosure should be ArcShielded. But the norms are that if the NEMA 12 enclosure is arc proof, then no fans should be mounted on the door ( to avoid the arc fallout on the operating personnel through fans). So how should I provide the ventilation ? The space factor is 6 S.F. ( = 78 inches ). (Please note:- There are fans made especially for ArcShield, but those cannot be mounted on NEMA 12 enclosure.)

There are no NEMA 12 fan options for PowerFlex VFDs in the "100ms" version of ArcShield MCCs, but there are in the "Device Limited" version. Device Limited ArcShield MCCs mean the MCC can have a maximum of 1200A bus and the main must be part of the MCC.

If you have an MCC at 1600A or larger, then you are limited as to which VFD options are available to you and there are no options for NEMA 12 vented VFDs, so that limits you to I think 40A (25HP @ 480V) or 34A (20HP) if there is a reactor, which is the largest non-vented VFD in a NEMA 12 package.

What I do if the project needs larger VFDs in NEMA 12 and needs to be Arc Resistant is to split up the MCCs into 1200A or smaller segments so that I can use Device Limited, which allows for vented VFDs in NEMA 12.

But to answer your specific question, you cannot add anything to the front doors of an ArcShield MCC in the field without violating the Arc Resistant certification of it.

Side note: You mentioned "NEMA" so I am assuming you are discussing the 2100 Series NEMA MCCs, not the IEC version 2500 series. Those options may be different for IEC.


What is a good material to block all light from a window with? Blackout curtains have always disappointed me because they let in far too much light. Both through the fabric itself, and around the edges.

I would like to create a window covering for my bedroom that doesn't allow any light through. Such that I can't differentiate the window from the rest of the wall when it's covered and the room is dark.

My best idea currently is to use plywood and flush mount them with a silicone or rubber lining around the edges to further seal it. They'd open/close like this:

But I'm worried about the weight of the plywood making it unwieldy to open, and dangerous should it fall. I'm also unsure of the thickness I'd need the plywood to be to both be stable and properly block the light.

Does anyone have ideas for a better material?

An answer to a similar question suggested rigid foam, but I'm pretty sure that foam wouldn't be stable enough for years of use.

After failing to find a solution that would (1) look alright, (2) not devalue the house, and (3) be permanent, I looped back and looked to blackout curtains more. The solution I ended up with involved:

Getting blackout roller shades cut to size, installing them myself.
Buying floor-length blackout curtains and sewing magnets into the seams where they meet, as well as attaching velcro to the sides that keep it snug against the sides of the window.
Creating a cornice box to block light coming in from the top.

This ends up working very well, with some minor light spillage on the bottom that's very hard to notice while lying in bed. Best of all, it was inexpensive to do and looks great when opened or closed.


Can I hook up a smart thermostat to a "high efficiency gas forced air heater"? Are there any caveats? I got some help from folks here identifying this as a gas unit heater.
I'm wondering if it's safe to replace the thermostat with a smart thermostat, and if there are any caveats,  E.G.  minimum on and cool down settings. (Should I be wary of regular home heating advice given this kind of heater, or am I over worrying?)
The main reason I want to get a new thermostat is that this thing currently reaches target temperature, turns off, then kicks back on when it falls 1 F (or not even, it seems), which is way too often for my poorly insulated apartment. I'd prefer something like 5 F.

It will be perfectly fine. The internal control and safeties of the heater will prevent most bad™ things from happening.
A smart thermostat will come preprogrammed with reasonable defaults for hysteresis and min turn on.
One additional thing you should consider adding is a CO detector, which will alert in case the unit starts emitting the toxic odorless and colorless gas into your living space.


Transferring Surge Circuit inside Metal Enclosure I have transferred the PCB of the leviton surge protection inside a metal enclosure (to avoid burning the case if the MOV burns). But the problem is the inside is much cooler now with the opening and metal heat sinking properties. This is compared to the original sealed plastic enclosure.

So the thermal fuse would take longer to open, and the MOV burning even more? If it burns more, it can burn the wirings and short circuit them.

Therefore I think I must put insulation inside that can prevent heat from escaping.. or trap the heat. Do you know what material I should cover the inside of the metal so heat won't get outside (besides covering the hole of course)?

This is assuming the MOV transfer of heat to the thermal fuse is dependent on ambient temperature, what do you think ?

With a part that is likely to get hot I would use fiber or ceramic spacers , plastic can melt, and rubber can burn. In power distribution systems fiber and ceramic standoffs is how we mount buss bars.


Should I use an orbital sander or a belt sander for sanding a section of varnished floor? I need to sand down a small section of our floor and thought I'd buy a small sander instead of renting one for the day.

I've been looking at orbital and belt sanders.  In particular the two models I was looking at are as follows:

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/makita-m9400-4-electric-belt-sander-240v/4558r

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/erbauer-ero450-150mm-electric-random-orbit-sander-220-240v/285fx

The belt sander is 940W whereas the orbital sander is 400W. This suggests the belt sander has more heft than the orbital model but I'm not sure what is best to use on our floor.  I like the idea of the orbital sander as I expect it will be easier to blend in the new varnish with the old coat but maybe that is nonsense.

Can anyone tell me which is better to use on varnished pine flooring?

I've got both types of sanders and I use the belt sander when there is a lot of wood to be removed and the orbital sander when the amount of wood to be removed is small. You have a little better control with the orbital sander. With the belt sander, it's easy to put some pretty deep grooves in your work before you know it. I'd go with the orbital sander.


How can I hold a nut underneath a deck with no clearance while screwing a bolt into it? I have an existing deck with composite wood planks.  My kids bought me a gazebo for my grill that I would like to bolt to the deck.  Is there a tool I can use to hold the nut and washer in place under the deck while I screw the bolt into them from above?  There is no clearance under the deck, so I have to go between the boards.

Any suggestions?

Remove a board or two or use screws or lags.


How can I center a drill bit so that it drills absolutely straight down rather than perhaps a little off to the side? In Googling "drill bit guide" came across this and other tools like it:

Something like this seems perfect for being able to drill a straight hole through wood.  However, I can't seem to find anything like it at Lowe's, Home Depot, or Menard's.  Surely, I must not be searching properly as it would appear that such a tool would be a very handy addition to one's arsenal of precision tools.

What, exactly, is the industry term for such a tool that makes for the easy centering of a drill bit?

Update 5/12/2013

While my jig below does work, this product is even better!

Big Gator Tools V-DrillGuide Standard Size Portable Drilling Guide

Original Answer

I am answering my own question here with an awesome, home-grown solution to my problem.  I fastened two pieces of wood together at a 90 degree angle.  Corner clamps made it easy to get it perfect.  I then took a third piece of wood and cut a 45 degree bevel off the corner.  This piece is my drill bit adapter that fits a number of larger-sized drill bits, but was made with my 3/8" bit in mind.  I also made another for smaller sizes (not shown).

To hold the adapter firmly in place and tight against the bit, I use one of my smaller c-clamps.  Using this custom guide, I was able to drill a near-perfect hole into the subject.  I also used another similar custom assembly that works with a plug cutter bit for my power drill.

No expensive equipment required!


How do I get rid of this dirt between the tiles of my bathroom shower? So I've tried to use bleach but this isn't coming clean. I know it's been a while since it's really been cleaned. Here's a pic:

I am in the US.  I have had luck with Soft Scrub (bleach and mild abrasive in a paste like base), and with Zud (oxalic acid); Bar Keepers Friend is also oxalic acid.  Comet is also bleach.  Get one of those products and Scotch Brite green scrub pads or something similar.  Scrub the stuff in there and leave it there.  Let it sit all day before you rinse it off.

Plain bleach is really less than ideal for this for a number of reasons.  One it does not cut grease and grime at all.  Two it is runny and won't stay on a vertical surface.  Three you will breathe a lot of it and hurt your eyes and nose.


Hanging a new shed door on a frame that is not level I have moved into a house that has an old shed without a door. I have just bought a tongue and groove, braced and ledged door and primed and painted it. I'm looking to install it.

I have 3 issues:

The frame (and therefore the shed I guess) is not level. a) Should I ignore this and hang the door level? b) or try and hang to the level of the frame?
The door is 76.3cm wide while the opening is 78.5cm. a) Will the door look odd with an 11mm gap on each side? b) what would be the ideal gap? c) Should I leave a smaller gap (5/6/7mm) hinge side and pack out the frame on the other side to match? d) is the gap I should leave dictated by the thickness of the hinge/ distance between the flat hinge and screw holes or do you just leave a bit if hinge overlapping the door to increase the gap?
I would rather have the hinges on the right as the light switch is on the left. Does it matter that the braces perhaps suggest I hang it from the left?

Thanks!

Almost any door should be hung plumb on both axes, level, and square. Not doing so results in undesirable movement due to gravity along with other adverse functional issues.

In this case, I'd hang the door roughly centered in the opening using shims, then I'd apply casing on the outside to cover the uneven gaps. Optionally case the inside as well. I'd then construct a threshold in an appropriate shape to mate to the door edges and the floor.

The ideal gap between a door jamb and the rough framing is one that's large enough to accommodate out-of-plumb and out-of-level conditions, along with room to shim. More is not helpful, but may also not be a problem if the casing is large enough.

In response to the new information provided... You have a small, lightweight shed. Level the floor by any convenient means and the door opening should return to something approaching plumb/level/square. Then you can hang the door parallel to the opening and expect it to work well.


New Generator Circuit - 10/3 UF-B to NM-B back to UF-B through attic I've found bits and pieces that answer most of my project questions, but still a bit unclear. I have about 50' of UF-B and about 25' of NM-B, all 10/3. My project is to run a dedicated circuit from exterior panel (30amp 2-pole breaker w/interlock) from one side of the house to the other out to an exterior 30 amp power inlet box.
My plan is to run 1" PVC with UF-B from panel up through soffit and then exit cable after the 90deg turn into attic. From there i would run to a suitable location in the attic for a junction box where i would splice the NM-B. From there I would go to the other side of house and transition through another junction box back to UF-B. Pop through soffit again to exit attic and run 1" PVC conduit to outlet. There is no plan to use conduit through attic other than section that breaks the soffit plane. I would attach wire to rafter/studs as appropriate. Is this reasonable/meet code?
My second option, is to minimize junction boxes and go UF-B from panel to NM-B through attic in one junction box. From there, run remainder of distance with NM-B and come through garage ceiling and run inside of garage/block. Run some EMT for NM-B wire coming down and drill a hole through concrete, out to outlet box. Per my understanding I would need some type of conduit for NM-B through concrete? (which I'm still not clear if that puts NM-B into a "wet"-type of location...?)
Attached is my interpretation of what this would look like. Appreciate any insight, corrections, and what the...?

Option 1 looks good. For my understanding you still need to transition to a wet-rated wire going back out the wall in option 2, so you don't really "save" anything there. Since the conduit appears to be (at least partly) below 8 feet (thus "subject to damage"), you'll want schedule 80, (if PVC) so you'd want to go with 1-1/4" minimum.
You could also use 1 inch EMT, though you might appreciate having more space, in practice. It is generally "not fun" to get anything very close to the maximum fill through a conduit - but you've basically got straight sections to LBs, so it should not be that bad. Though you have drawn elbows (which should be sweeps if doing that, and sweeps don't go though walls nicely, which is why we normally use LBs or a "pulling elbow" for the most minimal accessible connector.)


How can I air seal around a brick chimney with a metal flue liner? We have a 1954 brick chimney that has a metal liner inside and is only used by the natural gas hot water tank. It's had fiberglass right up against if for guessing 20+ years.

I'm air sealing the attic, it comes right up and through the attic with a couple inches gap between the framing and the brick.

I've read online about using sheet metal and high temperature caulk to close this air gap, and to keep all insulation away except (some say) rock wool.

Is this really necessary and/or required in my situation? This isn't a wood burning chimney, it only exhausts 1 50 gallon hot water tank through a metal flue inside the brick.

I'd like to just put rigid foam and stick it in place with Great Stuff and then insulate right up to the chimney. Most of my google searches have led me to info on insulating between the metal flue and the chimney, that's not what I'm looking for.

I would use that Flex Seal, unless you have high heat.

Check it out, can buy it in stores now 14 colors.

https://www.getflexseal.com/?MID=6169906


Does anyone recognize this door part? We put up two old french doors, and at the top they each have a spring loaded metal ball that supposedly keeps the doors shut.  I believe they are supposed to slide up against something when they are closed.  But I'm not sure what to get for the doorway, whether something exists, or if I have to make something myself.  I'll include this picture, sorry for the poor quality.

There should be a Striker plate much like the ones on a standard doorway.


LiftMaster garage door stopped closing I have a LiftMaster 1/2 HP from 2004 (sorry, don't know the model offhand). Just yesterday it started exhibiting this behavior:

Opening the door works fine.

When closing the door, it will travel 90% (door gets within 24" of ground) before reversing and blinking the lights. Subsequent attempts sometimes repeat same behavior, but often will reverse immediately or within the first 5" of travel.

When the sled is detached from the door and the door is in the raised position, the sled will travel properly both down and back up 100% of the time. So this problem has nothing to do with the safety sensors or wiring.

When the sled is detached and the door is in the closed position, the behavior of the sled matches #2 above. The sled will mostly immediately reverse or travel a few inches and reverse.

Notes:

Have tried power-cycling the unit.
The door is fairly well balanced and I have no trouble opening/closing it manually.

Appreciate any ideas.  Thank you!

I disagree that the problem has nothing to do with the safety sensors...in particular, the optical beam which is placed near the bottom of the door.
Check and make sure there aren't cobwebs or leaves or any other crud on the emitter and sensor or hanging down from the door itself which could fool the door into thinking there is an obstruction.


Voltage not detected on either switch terminal when switch is turned on I am in the process of replacing switches in my 1920's home which was renovated in 1970. While doing so I am creating notes of what wires exist and do not exist in each box. I found a light switch where the line in connection is hot, per my Klein non-contact detector. But, when I turn the light switch on neither the load or the line wire connections are showing up as hot, but the light is on. On the light switches I looked at so far, when I turn the switch on it results in both the line and load connection as hot.

Is there something wrong with the wiring?

This has all the smells of a switch in the neutral wire, which is a no-no as it's a potential shock hazard for a clumsy bulb changer, and forbidden by NEC 404.2(B):

  (B) Grounded Conductors. Switches or circuit breakers shall not disconnect the grounded conductor of a circuit.

The reason why the voltage detector turns off when the switch is on is because when the switch is on, the switched wire is effectively connected to the grounded conductor, putting it a few volts above earth ground.  When the switch is off, though, there's no current flowing, so the switched wire "floats" at mains voltage, which is picked up by your detector.


Belt and pulley fell off 40" attic fan & my repair failed (updated) Summary (also see photos of fan and motor below)
Update 2:
I bought a capacitor for small dollars and now the fan works again, perfectly.
Update 1: Capacitor was indeed broken (see photo at end)

Belt and upper pulley fell off 40" attic fan

Attic fan motor turns when not connected to anything

Fan blades turn easily by hand

When I put the pulley and belt together the motor does not turn the fan at all.
What should I try?

Here are some more details.
My large (40" diameter) attic fan has worked flawlessly for years, on a thermostat.  Recently we have not heard it.
I climbed into the low ceiling attic and found the 18" belt on the floor and the 7" top pulley on the floor as well.
The motor turned when the I manually triggered thermostat.
I put the pulley back on the shaft and tightened it in place with the set screw. Then I put the belt back on the pulleys and triggered the thermostat.  I replaced the belt with my bare hands, so it cannot be very tight.
Surprise: the motor tries to turn (jerks in place) but does not turn.
The fan blade itself is easy to turn by hand.
Why did the pulley fall off and what should I try now to get it running again?
If you need any more info, tell me what you need.
Thanks.

Check the capacitor

Since the motor starts and runs no-load, it's not the motor windings themselves, and the capacitor isn't open or shorted most likely.  I'd check it anyway though, as it's likely way out of spec, which'd explain the behavior you're seeing (starts unloaded, but fails to start up under load) and the motor is a Permanent Split Capacitor (PSC) type, so there's no start switch involved here.


How to know what color of paint was used on the walls? We've recently moved into our new house and we don't know which color the previous owner used to paint the interior walls. We've been trying to get hold of the previous owner but since he was only the seller, he didn't really reside in the house and he can't give us an answer.

Is there any easy way to know which color he used?

Take a paint chip from a hidden location to the store, they will match it for you. It's a fairly common practice. Just realize that paint fades, so even a perfect match to your chip may not be a perfect match to the entire wall. It's best to paint at least up to a corner, if not the entire room. If that's not possible, then practice blending your patch into the rest of the wall by going over it with a mostly dry roller and a light touch.


A ground from a 4/4/4/6 wire and a local ground, grounding rod, in a detached building does it meet code? Can I use the ground from a 4/4/4/6 wire, that's coming from main breaker box and a local ground, a grounding rod, in a detached building and meet code. Also do both grounds get attached to grounding bar in breaker box?

You have the right idea here
Pulling the four-wire feed was definitely the correct move here, as the NEC nowadays requires neutral and grounding/bonding to be provided separately to detached buildings in addition to requiring the structure to provide its own grounding electrode system.  This is because we are dealing with three different functions here:

Neutral works for a living, returning normal power to your main panel and therefore to the utility
The grounding wire provides a safety connection to return any wayward utility power back to the utility -- current flows in loops, after all, and without that grounding wire, any fault to exposed metal will become a shocking experience
The grounding rods, on the other hand, are needed to return wayward natural electricity to terra firma -- this helps deal with voltages induced on the feeder due to lightning strikes, among other things.

And yes, both the incoming grounding wire from the feeder and the grounding electrode conductor from the outbuilding's ground rods get landed on the ground bar in the detached building's panel.  Don't forget that the panel needs to have a main breaker to serve as a disconnect switch for the structure, and also to provide plenty of spaces in that panel for future growth!


Is it true that one hinge bears most of the load on a typical 3-hinge door? This is an anecdote I've heard from time to time, but have not read any systematic evidence for.

Given that a geometrically perfect door fitting would be difficult (if not impossible) to achieve, are there any proven methods to minimise asymmetric load-bearing on a heavy 3-hinge door?

The best method of reducing the chance of putting more stress on one hinge vs another is to use prehung doors.   Your question is the number one reason why most doors that are installed are prehung.

The fact is they can have a machine cut the hinge cutouts on the jamb to pretty close perfection (you can look at a prehung door for about 1 second to tell if there are angling issues on the hinges) and then have the matching cutouts on the door side.

Let me tell you with too much unwanted experience that measuring perfectly, taking your time and using the right tools to install a door perfectly "square" might be skill but includes a degree of luck and compromise.

As far as what hinge has the most weight on it... It is based on how it was installed and quite possible the wall it was installed on (walls aren't 90 degrees most of the time) but it really doesn't matter.   The most important aspect of "hinge" weighting in residential doors is your top hinge with the jamb side being more important than the door side.

A door's weight is resting on the cutout grooves on jamb and door.   There is literally no real force and most hinges could carry 100 times the weight (without the door swinging).   The problem comes when weight is added to the door and this is often someone hanging on the door handle or the top of the door while it is moving.   This will produce an outward force and will affect the top hinge the most.   This is why you want to screw the top hinge into the studs not the jamb.

So to answer it concisely - no there isn't one hinge bearing the weight and unless your hinges are floating in the cutout.   And the weight is usually inconsequential.   The top hinge however has the most chance to fail due to improper installation or abuse.

The math - I don't want to get deeply into the math on this but what we are talking about is torque which measures the amount of force applied as something is moved over a pivot.   So a door has 2-3 hinges.

The equation for applied torque on them has basically three components.   The weight of the door, the center of the weight of the door, and the height of the pivots - which is used as the angle differential of the center of mass.   The greater the height vs the center of the weight the greater the torque.   What I mentioned above about the common failures of the top hinge is greatly effected by a human interaction.

This is because if you gently open or close a door by applying a force perpendicular to the door the only weight that matters is that of the door.   The top hinge already is bearing most of the applied torque in this equation only because of its height.

However this is highly amplified if someone leans on the knob as they move the door because the center of the mass not only gets lower but it gets more outward which makes for a great angle comparatively for the top hinge.   This is a basic door swing torque physics equation, however the real life "measurement" is hard because the person opening the door is rather inconsistent with the pressure they apply.**


Termite leaving sand on wall We have termites problem in our house. And its getting worse day by day. We keep cleaning the wall everyday but still the problem of this sand termite exist. Please if anyone know how to keep them away please help me. And tell me what should we do to fill those holes

Cleaning your walls won't help; you're only taking away the crud your termites output.

Filling in the holes won't make a difference to the original problem of termites eating away at your structure. This might make things look good, but stuff is rotting away deep inside, and no amount of lipstick can fix that.

Please call an exterminator. That's certainly more expensive than just covering up the damage, but if you want your home to stay structurally sound and livable, you'll need to repair whatever damage has already occurred.

EDIT: Your profile indicates you aren't in a wood-framed house, in which case my answer would probably not apply at all. You'll need to figure out what your termites are after (wood, other food), and remove that attractant. Calling an exterminator may still help.


Will my electrical sub panel handle a HVAC load I have an old, small house where electrical was updated about 20 years ago.

Description of electrical hook up:
I have the main power coming into the meter, with a panel box adjacent to the meter. It splits: one supply via a dual-pole (correct terminology?) 60 amp breaker to the garage sub panel  and another supply via a dual-pole 60 amp breaker to the house sub panel. This house sub panel is fed by a thick wire (writing on the wire states "aa 8030 type se xhhw-2 style R... 2 AWG" and also says 4 AWG. The house sub-panel is rated for 125 Amps. There is currently a 50A dual pole, and various other breakers feeding circuits throughout the house. See below picture. The dryer, washer, and water heater are in the garage.

I am updating the labeling to match the circuits. There is possibly an unused circuit breaker as well (the ?). There are also two empty slots in the box.

Also, I know there is some rust on the box. This is not from rain, but rather heavy humidity.

Question:
Can I hook up a split AC unit to this box? The unit states a 20 amp 220V breaker (so 20 amp dual pole?)

Updated photo of the data sheet for the panel below:

You'll need to swap that BR260 in your garage panel for a BR290 to do this

Right now, given that the house panel serves 1000 ft2 at 3VA/ft2, as well as three small appliance branch circuits for the kitchen at 1500VA apiece, and an 8kVA allowance for your range, we plug those numbers into the standard Article 220 load calculation procedure and get about 52-53A of load on this panel out of it.  Since your AC pulls 15A of nameplate current, we tack that on and get about 66-67A of load in the new configuration, too much for the existing 60A breaker.

However, the fact that your SER cable is 2AWG is the saving grace here.  A 2AWG aluminum SER cable running between two pieces of distribution equipment with 75°C rated lugs is good for 90A; I suspect it was breakered at 60A simply because the electrician didn't have any breakers between 60A and 100A (or even simply above 60A) on their truck when they did the electrical update.  So, we can free up some wiggle room here by swapping the BR260 in your garage panel for a BR290.

From there, you can fit a BR220 in the house panel (or a GFTCB220 if you want to be ready for the 2020 NEC's expanded GFCI requirements), and run 14/2 or 12/2 (your choice since the minimum circuit ampacity on your AC is 15A, and air conditioners use the Article 440 wire and breaker sizing rules, which say "follow the nameplate" for everything we're concerned with here) to the air conditioner disconnect box.  You'll need to transition to individual THHNs of the same gauge in liquidtight or a prefabricated flex whip for the disconnect box to air conditioner connection, by the way.


How should I remove a raised concrete pad on my basement floor? I have a raised square of concrete, about 42" by 42" by 6" in my basement.
Its probably an "equipment pad" of some sort, not sure what it was originally for, but it is inconveniently placed.
Its poured directly onto the slab.

I'm sure I can just go down with a sledge and whack it away, then smooth over with instant concrete but, I'm not experienced with basement slabs so what do I need to know?

Whats the quickest way to remove the thing and smooth things over with minimum fuss and mess?

If it was poured onto an already existing slab, I would try separating it from the slab first to see if it can be broken away and leave the floor intact.  Note:  The pad should weigh about 815 pounds (370 kg) so light duty efforts are inappropriate.

Obtain two heavy steel digging bars like this along with some scrap 2x4s or similar.  With heavy gloves on, try to wedge the pointy end into the joint between the pad and floor by holding it mostly horizontal, but still a down angle of 30° so the point is against the floor and firmly swing it into position.  Or use a hammer and cold chisel to chip out a notch right next to the floor so the flat end of the digging bar can get a grip underneath the pad.

If you can establish a catching point, place a 2x4 3–4 inches away from the edge and use it as a fulcrum to lift the pad.  Recall leverage basics:  If you push down on the far end of the bar with 100 pounds force and the fulcrum is one-tenth the distance from the other end, that is a 10:1 force gain, so you will be applying 1000 pounds of lift.  If you can get it off the floor, insert the other bar with another (or a shared) fulcrum to raise it 1.5 inches off the floor.  Slide in a 2x4 to support it at the lifted edge (this probably requires one or two helpers) and withdraw the bars.

Once the pad is mechanically separated, have some Wheaties and then swing a heavy sledge hammer (15+ pounds) approximately one-third the distance away from the supported edge.  It is easiest to crack the pad by starting close to the edge.  Don't be discouraged if you don't see any cracks even after a dozen husky whacks—especially with six inches.  Each impact is being absorbed and is weakening the pad.  However, while it is intact, it is strongest.  Persist and it will soften, crumble, and eventually break.  After the first crack, it will become much  easier to break up.

Break it into convenient-to-carry pieces and dispose.  Clean up underneath.  Probably the floor will be in good condition if the pad was added much later than the floor.  Otherwise, you might have to sand down bits that stick and smooth the floor.


If the iron levels in our home's water are too high, how do we adjust them? Although I haven't tested the actual water quality in our house, we often get orange colored stains in toilets and around drains where water has evaporated - which I would assume are from high iron levels.

If a water quality test were to confirm this assumption, how would I fix the problem?
Would this be an inexpensive fix or a major expense? A quick fix or major renovation?

It really does depend on what is in your water, and how much is there. You can buy home test kits to find out, at least roughly, or you can bring in one of the many water treatment companies. (I'd do the test kit myself first, to see if they are telling the truth anyway.)

Assuming you do have iron in the water (manganese has similar chemistry, and probably is taken  out the same way.)

Iron/manganese can be removed in several ways. Again, the best scheme really depends on how much is in the water. For example, if there is just a bit of iron, along with other stuff, then a softener might be a good choice. To get a lot of iron out, you may need to go all out with a chlorination system, then filters to remove the remaining chlorine.

Edit:

As far as cost goes, if the iron is actually leaching out of old pipes in your own walls, that is a major cost of course. Tearing out walls and floors to replace plumbing will cost you large sums of money.

If a chlorination system is used, coupled with filters, a settling tank, and a chlorine pump, then expect a cost of at least $3000 to $5000. (Depending on where you live, it may be more.)

Smaller problems can cost less. If only a water softener unit is needed, then I'd expect the cost to be somewhere in the range of $500 to %2500.

If all you need is an inline whole house iron filter, that can be installed by a handy person with a torch and bought from the local home center, now you are talking several hundred dollars.


How many cables are you allowed to run through a single hole in a wooden floor joist? How many cables are you allowed to run through a single hole in a wooden floor joist? For example, could I run five 12-2 cables through a 1-1/8" hole? I know they physically fit, but is there a code to regulate this? Is there any limit on this or some table for guidance?

Nonmetallic-Sheathed Cable

The Answer

According to the National Electrical Code, you can have 4 12/2 nonmetallic sheathed cables through a single bored hole that is fire- or draft-stopped using thermal insulation, caulk, or sealing foam, or where proper spacing is not maintained for more that 24 in. If you maintain proper cable spacing (which is defined by individual cable manufacturers) where not passing through joists, you can jam as many cables as you like (without damaging the cables) through a bored hole (that is not fire- or draft-stopped using thermal insulation, caulk, or sealing foam).

The Work

Article 334.80 tells you that you can use the 90°C column from Table 310.15(B)(16) for derating, but the final value must not exceed the 60°C column.  If you look at Table 310.15(B)(16), you'll find that 12 AWG copper wire is rated at 30 amperes at 90°C and 20 amperes at 60°C.

Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) tells you that with 7-9 current carrying conductors, you'll have to derate the ampacity by 70%.  So with the information from Table 310.15(B)(16), and Table 310.15(B)(3)(a). The math is quite simple.

4-6 current carrying conductors
30 amperes * 80% = 24 amperes
7-9 current carrying conductors
30 amperes * 70% = 21 amperes
10-20 current carrying conductors
30 amperes * 50% = 15 amperes

Which shows that you can have between 7 and 9 current carrying conductors through the bored hole, before the wires are derated below 20 amperes (from Table 310.15(B)(16) 60°C column). Since each 12/2 cable has 2 current carrying conductors, you can figure that only 4 cables can pass through the bored hole (2 * 4 = 8).

The Codez

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Article 334 Nonmetallic-Sheather Cable: Types NM, NMC, and NMS

  II. Installation

  334.80 Ampacity. The ampacity of Types NM, NMC, and NMS cable shall be determined in accordance with 310.15. The ampacity shall be in accordance with the 60°C (140°F) conductor temperature rating. The 90°C (194°F) rating shall be permitted to be used for ampacity derating purposes, provided the final derated ampacity does not exceed that for a 60°C (140°F) rated conductor. The ampacity of Types NM, NMC, and NMS cable installed in cable tray shall be determined in accordance with 392.11.
  Where more than two NM cables containing two or more current-carrying conductors are installed, without maintaining spacing between the cables, through the same opening in wood framing that is to be fire- or draft-stopped using thermal insulation, caulk, or sealing foam, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be adjusted in accordance with Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) and the provisions of 310.15(A)(2), Exception, shall not apply.
  Where more than two NM cables containing two or more current-carrying conductors are installed in contact with thermal insulation without maintaining spacing between cables, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be adjusted in accordance with Table 310.15(B)(3)(a).

  Article 310 Conductors for General Wiring

  310.15 Ampacities for Conductors Rated 0–2000 Volts.
  (B) Tables.
  (3) Adjustment Factors.
  (a) More Than Three Current-Carrying Conductors in a Raceway or Cable. Where the number of current-carrying conductors in a raceway or cable exceeds three, or where single conductors or multiconductor cables are installed without maintaining spacing for a continuous length longer than 600 mm (24 in.) and are not installed in raceways, the allowable ampacity of each conductor shall be reduced as shown in Table 310.15(B)(3)(a). Each current-carrying conductor of a paralleled set of conductors shall be counted as a current-carrying conductor.
  Where conductors of different systems, as provided in 300.3, are installed in a common raceway or cable, the adjustment factors shown in Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) shall apply only to the number of power and lighting conductors (Articles 210, 215, 220, and 230).


Testing a wired smoke detector system, with in-ceiling fire suppression - how to test detectors ...without setting off the sprinklers?
I'm not sure wired detectors (on 3 floors of a condo) are connected to the in-ceiling fire sprinklers, so...
How do I determine the detectors are all working/inter-connected SAFELY? (as in, no sprinkler action)?

thanks!

These are normally two separate systems, with different issues relating to testing.
Sprinkler System
A sprinkler system is normally heat activated. This is for a few reasons, including:

Only activate the sprinkler heads that are needed. This limits water damage (water damage can be a huge cost, but is worth it when it puts out a fire) and maximizes the pressure/flow rate in the areas where it is actually needed.
About as fail-safe a system as you can get. As long as there is good water pressure (which in most, though not all, places is provided by the municipal water system so it is quite reliable and works even if the power is out), the sprinkler will activate even if power, electronic systems, etc. are not working - which can easily happen in a fire.

A sprinkler system will often (I don't know when/where this is a code requirement - it may be related to commercial vs. residential and/or the size of the building) often trigger a flow sensor (passive relative to the actual sprinkler system, so sensor failure will not prevent the sprinkler from pumping out water on the fire) which can automatically call a monitoring service and/or the fire department.
There are ways to test sprinkler systems - e.g., measure pressure, check valves, etc. - which typically require professional knowledge & equipment.
Wired Smoke Detectors
Wired smoke detectors may be simply wired for power and to trigger as a group (which is a good thing, unlike sprinklers where that would be a bad thing). However, they may be also wired to active in other units in your building and, if so, to automatically call a monitoring service and/or the fire department.
Since you are in a condo and not a single family home, you need to find out what kind of system you have. If it is independent - only your condo and no external connections (monitoring or other condo units or common area) then you can test the smoke detectors locally. If your system is linked to monitoring and/or to other units/common area then DO NOT TEST IT YOURSELF. Systems in commercial and other large buildings (like a multi-unit condo) will typically have monitoring in place - often required by law - and those systems will also have legal requirements for professional testing/certification on a regular basis (e.g., quarterly in my area).


GE washer fills, then drains 11/29/18
Moved into a condo and inherited this laundry pair.
I have same exact problem with the washer as OP on 02/19/18 except model # is GE GFWN1100L3WW.
Washer fills with plenty of water, drum senses one or two rotations, then drains, unlocks door and flashes the pause button.
No cycles run complete.
I unplugged, replugged for 15 seconds.   Then tried 15 minutes.
I cleaned the drain at the bottom of the machine, as well as the filters just inside the hot and cold water hoses.
I changed the water inlet valve.  Still no resolution.
Ran a test for error codes.  There were several.  We cleared the codes and re ran the tests.  Got an E46 (motor or control).  Called our usual repair man and he is still trying to get info on the error code fix.

Any other suggestions before I give up and replace the darn thing?

TIA

Right off the top, "motor or control" + "fills" + "one or two rotations" + "drains" indicates a problem with the drum motor. Since it fills and drains, it is unlikely to be related to hoses, filters, inlet valve, etc.

I found a site that explains how to get into Service Mode. This should enable you to do some more diagnostics. Another page on that site describes the E46 error as follows:

  E42/E48/E49/E46/E54 Motor Related Errors

  These three errors are motor errors and can be caused by a bad inverter or motor. First, clear the code, exit the service mode and disconnect the power to the washer for at least 30 seconds. Don’t disconnect the power until you exit the service mode because it may damage the control. If the problem persists see the page below.

So that points to:

Inverter
Motor
Something causing the motor to overload. Since it does "one or two rotations", the motor is getting at least some power (inverter) and is not totally dead (motor). It could be wearing out or malfunctioning in some way that it either draws too much power (and the control board senses that and shuts down) or doesn't turn fast enough or turns too fast (e.g., if pulley is loose) (and the control board senses that and shuts down).

So next steps (aside from anything you can figure out in Service Mode) is going to be to disassemble it to check the motor for loose connections (doubtful, but you never know), dirt blocking the motor or similar "easy fixes". One likely culprit is the drive belt (part WH08X10048) - if that is worn out it could explain everything, though even that is in the $50 range so you want to be fairly certain that is the problem before ordering one.

If that doesn't turn up anything, then you get into "swap components" mode. The catch is that a motor assembly (part WH20X10028) ranges (currently, subject to change, which is why we don't do "shopping questions") $50 to $300 or more depending on where you get it from, new/used, etc. In which case it may be time to look for a new washing machine.


What DIY tools are very critical for plumbing works and repair? From my understanding, besides the pipes, I would need the following:

Screwdrivers

Pipe Cutter

Pipe Wrench

Piler

Nut Driver

So, are there other DIY Tools that are missing from my above list that is very critical for my plumbing works and repair?

Wrenches
Pipe Wrench

You'll want at least 2 of these, of different sizes.
Tongue-and-groove pliers

These come in handy all the time, have a few pair at the ready at all times.
Strap/Chain Wrench

Sometimes you just need to get a good grip on a pipe, nothing beats a strap/chain wrench fo this.
Basin Wrench

For those hard to reach places.
Adjustable Spanner

A few adjustable wrenches of various sizes always come in handy.

Tape Measure

You're going to have to measure something, eventually.

Pipe cutters
Copper pipe cutter

Pex/Plastic tubing cutter

Hacksaw

Pipe reamer

You can get ones that do both inside and outside reaming in a single tool. You'l also want a bit of sandpaper.

Pipe Cleaner

Used to clean up the ends of copper pipe before soldering.

Taps and Dies

You might find yourself in a situation where you have to thread some pipe yourself. For this you'll need some Dies, and possiply taps.

Torch

Working with copper is likely going to require some soldering, so you'll need a good torch.  DIYers usually grab propane, or butane torches. If you've got the extra cash and you'll be doing a bunch of soldering, MAPP torches are what the pros use.

Hammer

Do enough plumbing, and you're going to want to pound something into submission at some point.

Putty knives

You'll need this to scrape gunk off of stuff.

Auger

A great tool for clearing gunked up drains.  Either manual or powered, the choice is yours.

Glues, Puttys, and other gunk
PVC primer and cement

You'll need this if you're doing any work with PVC.
Dope and PTFE tape

If you find yourself working with threaded connections, you'll want to have some pipe dope and PTFE tape.
Solder and Flux

When working with copper, you'll probably have to sweat some joints.
Penetrating oil

Great for those really stuck joints.
Plumbers putty

You'll need this if you're installing sinks, and/or faucets.

Buckets

You'll always want to have a couple buckets of various sizes on hand.

A Box

The more jobs you do, the more left over fittings and other bits & bobs you'll have. The longer you do plumbing work, the larger the box will have to be.

Gloves
Leathers

You'll want a good pair of leather gloves, for when you're soldering and doing other knuckle busting types of work.
Rubbers

You'll also want some rubber gloves, for when you've got to touch stuff you'd rather not touch.

Plumbers Crack

You can't call yourself a plumber, unless your crack is hanging out. It's also great for warding off people who have "just a quick question", or want to offer "advice".


Just lost electrical power to 1/2 of two rooms, on separate circuits? Flipped the light switch for my laundry room, bulb flashed and now I lost partial power in that room and in the garage. No breakers tripped. Cycling them doesn't help. Panel and all switches is 2 years old. There are no GFCIs involved anywhere.

My laundry room is sort of a "bonus room," with a light switch in an adjacent room. When you flip the light switch it turns on the light for the laundry room and the garage. The laundry room has x3 wall outlets, the garage has a couple as well. Power to the wall outlets is not controlled by the light switch.

However, now the laundry room light, garage light and one laundry room outlet no longer have power. Just to repeat, this outlet is not controlled by the light switch. The other outlets in the laundry room still have power, as do the ones in the garage. None of the breakers in the box have tripped. I've cycled every single one anyway, with no effect, still not getting power to the lights or that single outlet.

What happened here? Some sort of a short? Why wouldn't the breaker have tripped? Why would it be affecting an outlet not tied to the switch?

This is getting two long for comments.

I usually figure out the location using the main panel as a starting point, we normally run as little wire as possible so if the chain in this case went to a fan/light there could be a pig tail that failed but this would be rare thogh possible.

One of your outlets that was not controlled by the switch is now dead (this may be the failure point) With the string of outlets on that circuit one probably feeds the light but the problem may be 5 outlets closer to the main panel - it just depends where the connection was lost.

I usually start closest to the breaker panel and start checking until I find a dead outlet. I pull that outlet and check it for damage. If I don't see any damage then I pull the one prior, just realize that if a common wall between 2 rooms there are outlets in the other room that are probably on the same circuit.

Once I find the last working outlet and the first dead one, the problem is almost always there. Now if you don't find any damage to the wires in those 2 locations, turn the breaker back on and if the circuit now works the back-stab reconnected and since you don't know the flakey outlet, replace both or at least rewire them using the screw terminals (with the power off ).

To tell the truth, I hate back stabs but they have made me thousands of $ to repair this exact problem some times caused by hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, electric heaters, and yes shorted light bulbs. So go back and find the first dead outlet, if not there it could be the feed from the last working outlet.

This will pinpoint the failure since some outlets are working. No fancy equipment needed, just observation and a screwdriver. So yes this makes total sense because the weakest back stab in the link failed and it could be the hot or neutral.


First time testing old motion sensor outdoor light, with new LED bulbs, light flickers at constant fast hz, why? What could cause a motion sensor to blink at a steady frequency when it is turned on?

We've had an outdoor motions sensor flood light that hasn't worked, we presume because the bulbs died. After much delay and various electrical works on our house, we finally took the existing bulbs out, got replacements, and installed both of them. Testing it out now, we find the light flickering at a constant, relatively fast frequency! Before changing the bulbs it did not turn on at all. When switching it off, it turns off, and when switching it on it begins flickering almost every time we've tested it. The flickering is very steady and rapid, which makes me think it is not a loose wire anywhere but rather some more 'stable' or steady problem.

I've tested the different settings on the motion sensor and they didn't change or stop the flickering in any orderly way, though the flickering did in one case not start until it saw motion, and in another seemingly random case the flickering was slower and then got faster.

We've had electrical work done on the house, including on the circuit we think this light was on. We were never 100% sure which circuit the light was on because when testing circuits we presumed the bulbs were just dead and they're high up so we hadn't replaced them, but based on location of the light and other wiring we know of, we're pretty confident which it's on. So far there's no other signs of electrical issues in the house.

Here's a photo of the back label of the motion sensor light:

And a photo of the settings/options on the bottom of the motions sensor:

And the new bulbs we replaced the old ones with:

Here's a video of the lights being turned on and blinking: https://vimeo.com/user88849293/review/286817079/b741e8c936

How can we fix this? What would next troubleshooting steps be?

This is due to the way older motion sensors worked.  Incandescent lights essentially ignore (or at least, don't put out any light) from small amounts of power coming through the fixture, which is how the motion sensor is powered.  However, LED lights will light up with very small amounts of energy, so that power leakage will cause them to flicker off and on.  It's the same reason LED lights have problems with older dimmers.

Basically, you have to either install incandescent (possibly halogen) lights into the fixture, or replace the fixture so it's compatible with LED bulbs.  Or get one of the combo led panels/motion sensors.