How to hardwire combined HVAC system for cooling? I had to borrow the Nest thermostat from one of my units for another one where it was more needed, while a replacement is on the way. The unit from which I borrowed is combined HVAC (heat+cool) with an electric furnace/handler and heat pump outside. Here is how it was wired before I took the Nest out:

As you can see, there is only one of the R wires and it goes into Rh.

While I am waiting for a replacement, I would like to have AC accessible by hardwiring the adequate wires and turn it on and off using the handler's breaker on the main panel. I thought I would just hardwire

R (power)
Y (compressor)
G (fan)

which worked but started blowing warm air, no AC. The equipment worked fine until I removed the thermostat. In fact, that is exactly how I had it hardwired in my other property where the system does cooling only (heat coming from a radiator hydronic system). Do I need to wire differently here in order to get cool air because this system is combined, unlike in the other unit?

A heat pump system has a valve that switches the system from heat to cool.  This is typically controlled by an orange wire, and based on how your nest was wired, it looks like your system follows that convention.

I'm not sure how common each type is, but some systems default to heat, and some default to cooling.  You hooked up the R wire to the Y and G and you got hot air, so we can assume yours defaults to heat.  Add the orange wire to your bundle and you should get cool air.  You need to wait some time when switching from heat to cool, so let the system set for 15-20 minutes if you've been messing with it and got hot air recently.


Design and Build Sprinkler Head How would you go about fabricating a sprinkler head for a general use sprinkler system? I'm talking about the sort in your front yard.

The basics of what I'm looking for:

Design which can be placed on a pipe fitting
Automatically pops up from water pressure, possibly spring-loaded
Cheap, accessible materials

Ok, I'll admit, I'd just buy the sprinkler head. Let someone else do the work of engineering it so that it would work consistently on demand, because this has to work thousands of times, day after day. It must survive variable water pressure, be robust to working in a dirty environment, hard water, heat and cold. Any water system sometimes even has grains of sand, etc., that find their way into the lines. So you must cater to that possibility.

You need a filter. Materials that will be dimensionally stable under temperature variations, without corrosion. A robust design that will not leak, yet survive enough water pressure to spray the water where you need it.

If your goal is to do better than what you would find on the shelf, and this is truly for your own DIY use, then buy it off the shelf, and dissect that unit. Look carefully at it, and decide what makes it work or not work to your satisfaction. I'll admit that I don't think you can make it better for less money than the unit cost you off the shelf. The fact is, you have not said what it was that makes you think the off-the-shelf unit is unsatisfactory to YOU.

If your goal is to try to make something like this better for sale to others, then you are asking in the wrong place anyway. In that case, this question should then be shut down.


Wrap indoor USB adapter into plastic bag for outdoor usage? I spliced 120V AC wires coming to the lamp so that I would have electricity for the USB adapter that would power USB camera (USB is used only to power the camera. The actual data transfer happens over WiFi). I put the USB adapter behind the black metal thing that attaches lamp to the wall.

While everything is under the roof and should not directly get in touch with water I still had this "awesome" idea to wrap the USB adapter into a plastic bag "just-in-case" water would somehow get there. However, now I am having second thought about this awesome idea because I am afraid that the plastic bag could actually facilitate condensate to form on the adapter and possibly damage it.

How worried I should be about using plastic wrap around the USB adapter (note, that this is dry California)? Would plastic wrap actually allow condensate to form and possibly cause short in USB adapter?
The USB adapter had a warning notice that explicitly mentioned that it is intended to be used only indoors. Just to be on the safe side, should I be worried about using indoor electronics in the way I did under the roof? Why?

You say the adapter is behind the light shroud. I wouldn't be worried about that part. Besides you will have to poke a hole in the plastic bag for the plug and the cable thereby making it no longer moisture proof. Adapters and cables are fairly cheap and it should last for a while depending on your weather.
If the adapter itself shorts internally (which is not likely considering where you put it, and the fact that it is sealed) it could trip your breaker but probably won't draw enough current to melt or cause a fire.

I would be more concerned with the cable to the camera and having moisture (maybe fog?) condense on the cable and drip into the camera. If you can rotate  the camera and have the cable enter from the bottom then any moisture will drip off the cable before it gets to the connection with the camera.

Good Luck!


Towel bar above wall-mounted convection heater I am building a cozy bathroom in my basement. Due to the limited space, I am planning to install a towel bar directly above a wall mounted convection heater.
Should I be worried of fire hazards of this installation?
How high above the heater should the towel bar be installed?

On product description:
Key Features and Benefits
Top discharge provides powerful convection airflow
From User Manual:
5. To prevent a possible fire, do not block the air
intakes or exhaust in any manner.


Circuit troubleshooting. Need input on discovery Using an extension cord (like new, great condition), I checked a disconnected circuit attached to the same service.

First, I checked the disconnected circuit:

Hot -> Ground ~0V
Hot -> Neutral ~0V
Neutral -> Ground ~0V

All is good...

Then, using an extension cord ran from an isolated (only box on circuit - identified hereafter by (1)), I checked again:

Hot(1) -> Ground(2) ~120V
Hot(1) -> Neutral(2) ~120V
Hot(1) -> Hot(2) ~120V (I don't think this is acceptable)

Can someone explain this to me?

Okay, so based on Johnny's answer, I went and checked a few circuits nearby.  Apparently, I have a lot more work to do on this.  There is a third circuit involved now.

To recap

Circuit 1: Extension cord from a single duplex immediately terminated at the panel.

Circuit 2: Remote circuit with an exterior load.  Supposedly on its own circuit (per the electrician that just upgraded service and load center).  This circuit did operate when engaging the breaker and disengaging the same breaker terminated the load.

Circuit 3: Adjacent to Circuit 2 (well, near proximity) with a small load on a timer (as suggested by Johnny).  Disengaging this circuit breaker did previously perform as expected.  Engaging the breaker did reconnect service to the load and timer(as expected), however, did not supply service to the load on Circuit 2.

After reading Johnny's answer, I went and disconnected this timer and load from Circuit 3.  Checking Circuit 2 again gave me the following:

Hot(1) -> Hot(2) ~0
Hot(1) -> Neutral(2) ~0
Hot(1) -> Ground(2) ~0

Neutral(1) -> Hot(2) ~0
Neutral(1) -> Neutral(2) ~0
Neutral(1) -> Ground(2) ~0

Still confused.

Also, not sure exactly how this was missed by the electrician, but I digress.

The first two, hot to ground and hot to neutral are normal and what you'd expect.

Voltage showing on from the hot to hot leg may not be a sign of any problem -- Voltmeters have a very high impedance, so any load at all on the other circuit can provide a path to neutral that will appear as 120V to the meter. This could be a lamp, a "smart switch" or outlet, a small night light, a cell phone charger, pretty much any load at all.


What can I do to stop my fiberglass bathtub from squeaking? I have a fiberglass bathtub in my mobile home that is roughly 5' x 4' in size. The mobile home is a 1978 doublewide, and the tub was in the home when we purchased it, 5 years ago, so I'm sure it's very old.

There is a creaking in the tub that has gotten much worse over time. When you walk around in the tub, you can feel more give in some areas and the creaking is horrible. We do not have the money to replace the tub.

I have a small access panel in the adjoining closet, and I took a picture (attached) that shows the underside of the tub. I liked the idea of spraying foam underneath the tub, but as you can see from the picture, it is very far off the ground and there are drain pipes that are under one part of the tub.

Click photo for full size

It's not a great picture, but it looks like the tub is supported by wood and foam.  It's possible that the wood has rotted, or the structure that supports the wood has rotted or been compromised in some way.

You can spray foam under there wildly, if you want. But if the structure that will support the foam (and tub) is compromised, it's not going to do you much good.

You're going to want to get better access, and evaluate the structure.  The answer may be as simple as adding a few extra braces, or as complex as ripping it all out and replacing it.  Without a better look, it's impossible to say for sure.

Since this is a mobile home, it's not likely this is a botched installation. Instead it's likely due to age, wear and tear, and/or rot.


Can my garage electrical panel be right beside the door? My house has a single-car garage, with the whole house's electrical panel on its exterior wall.  I'm thinking about adding a bump-out on the garage to make space for a second car.  The problem is that the addition would need to knock down the wall where the electrical panel is.  I'm planning to redo the electrical panel for the house to upgrade the ancient wiring and increase the amperage, so I want to move the electrical panel to a suitable place to allow for the future garage addition plans.
Is there any issue with the electrical panel being within a foot of the side door that leads to the outside of the garage?  Here is an image of the existing panel location with the proposed new location.  In theory, I could shift the door a foot or two to the right if needed.

Maybe this new picture will help to clarify the situation more.  The idea is that I want to add space for a second car, but I don't want to be without electricity in the house during the construction process of the addition.  Since I'm already planning to redo the electrical wiring in the whole house before I even start on the garage addition (down the road), I want to move the electrical service to a better place.  I've looked into some more options, and I think it might be possible to have the main service connect strictly at a box on the outside of the house, then run to an interior wall further inside the house where the breaker panel will be.
So, the plan is as follows:
Stage 1:  Gut and remodel existing house interior, replace all electrical wiring from the 1970s, etc.
Stage 2:  In a couple of years, add on a second garage space, which is made easier by the proper planning of the electrical changes during Stage 1.

Looking at your drawing. There would not be a code reason that prevents you from putting your panel at that location, but there may be a practical reason.
You are putting in a 2'8" door which is probably prehung, so that would be about 2'11" or even 3' of space in the wall. Then you will have at least a double stud around it, and you may have the same at the "T" in the wall. Then there is a lintel above the door which may partially or completely block the area above the panel. Also you have to deal with the double 2x4 plate across the top. A loadcenter (residential panel) needs a 17" space for installation. Rough calculations show that you can install a loadcenter with about 2" to spare. You also need to consider the area above the panel. Does the lintel interfere with the conductors coming into it? What does the slope of the roof look like? Can you get in and out of the panel for expansion? Is this new wall loadbearing? Do you want a wall switch on that door, because it probably won't fit?
This all means that when you begin your remodel, you want to be very specific and coordinate that space with whomever is doing the walls and door or rethink the location of the panel.
Hope this helps and good luck.


Connecting 3700 Watt induction hob - special wiring? I got this VÄLBILDAD 2 plate induction hob at Ikea in Germany.
I received it with electric cable connected to the hob but without a plug.
I wouldn't try to connect it myself if I thought this induction requires any special wiring,
but from what I read it seems to only require a normal 230V 16A socket which I have in my kitchen.
The hob is 3700 Watt.
The manual says:

This appliance has a type "Y" attachment with a cable type H05V2V2-F. MONO-PHASE connection: min. section of the conductors: 3x1,5mm2

I'm attaching some photos of the wires and the connection diagram.
Can someone tell me if I can just buy a 230V 16A electric plug like this for example and connect the hob to a 16A socket, or should I call an electrician?
Thank you very much.
I'm in Germany.

Yes, if you already have a Schuko socket (and it's the only socket on that circuit), you can just put a plug like that on the cable and plug it in.
16A at 230V is 3680W, which is probably what the 3700W actually is (rounded up for marketing purposes).
Edit: I noticed in the instructions for the induction hob that it's possible to limit the power used by the hob. If you're worried about your wiring not being good enough, or if the circuit breaker trips when you're using the hob at full capacity, you can limit it to 3.5kW, 3kW, or even less.


How to mount a pull-up bar to drywall on resilient channels? I'm trying to mount a pull up bar on a drywall. The wall is shared with another unit though,so there are resilient channels behind the wall, and so the studs are offset from the dry wall sheet. What's the best way to securely mount things into the studs without breaking the dry wall?

There is not a good easy way to structurally mount a pullup bar to a wall with gypsum board on resilient channels which does not significantly impact the existing gypsum board finish because the resilient channels allow for some movement.


How can I keep my neighbors water from leaking through a wall? tldr: How can I, (temporarily and quickly), keep at least some amount of leaking water dammed and away from a wall?

I live in a three unit condo. In the basement, there is a cheaply constructed wall dividing my portion from my two neighbors. The floor of the basement slants significantly towards my part of the basement.

There is a modest water leak through the exterior wall in my neighbors' half the basement, near the dividing wall. It's a little damp for them, but they aren't really experiencing a huge issue with it. What's really happening is that all of the water is immediately flowing through/under/around the dividing wall and pooling in my half of the basement. It's actually pretty remarkable how quickly the water flows away from them and through the wall.

Because of the lack of impact, they don't quite sense the urgency of fixing the issue. We all keep odd hours, so I haven't been able to really show them the extent what's going on in my basement.

Is there any way that I can easily dam up the base of the wall so that, when the water leaks, it at least stays near the leak? I don't want to be a jerk neighbor - they'll get it fixed eventually - but its beginning to damage the stuff I have in storage and I need it stopping now not at some ill-determined point in the future.

You don't want to stop the water.  You are going to make a bad situation worse.  Yes you could use some leveling agents or caulking to stop the water flow.  But then what happens?

The water pools right at the wall, you get mold all over the place and then you and your neighbor have a big issue.  I don't know who maintains the walls of the condo.  In some condo places the outside walls, roofs, lawn, and so on is completely paid for using dues.  Basement wall is one of those grey areas.  You need to call the association to figure out if they should be paying it or your neighbor.

If they say your neighbor should be then they need to enforce this.  [You should try to talk to your neighbor and make sure they understand the importance (mold being the big issue or damage to your property) but it sounds like you have done this]  It should be taken care of right away.  Either the neighbor or the association is libel for damages based on someone else's property.  Do not mess with your unit or another unit though.  Because if you do incur damages they could point blame at your changes.  I would file a claim with the association right away given your neighbor isn't taking action - even if it is something petty (ruined $5 toy or box or whatever) but it will get the ball rolling.


Can I run two 72" 7.2amp 240V baseboard heating units on one 12-3 wire supply I would like to add two Baseboard heating units at my cottage under the front 8' windows. Is it possible and safe to run one 12-3 wire as supply? Looking at Cadet 72" units at 208V and 7.2 amps. should I use one thermostat or one on each unit?

12Ga wire is rated for 20 amps, so derating for continuous load nets you 16 amps, [16Amps times 125% = 20 amps] and 14.4 amps is less than 16 amps, so one 12Ga wire should be adequate for two heaters.

Whether the thermostat is rated for that load will depend on the thermostat, but from a wiring point of view 12Ga wire is adequate.

Pending your response to comment, I'd expect a resistive heater that draws 7.2 amps on 208 volts to draw ~8.3 amps on 240V, at which point one 12Ga wire won't run two (but each could be run on a dedicated 14Ga wire, which is good for 12A continuous load.)

From comment to the question: Examining the 240/208V 72" heater, Part #: 09956

Watts at 240V: 1500  - Amps at 240V: 6.3
Watts at 208V: 1125  - Amps at 208V: 5.4

As expected, being a resistive device, when the Voltage goes up, the Current goes up, and the Power (which is also heat delivered) goes up. Running a 208V (only) heater on 240 V wil also result in more current, and more power, but will probably also cause the heater to overheat, as it is not designed to deliver that much power/heat.


Mysterious cord running from wall. Safe? My wife and I are preparing to sell our home and are discovering some weird things. Our home was built in 1958, so it is older. We found this in a corner that had some furniture in front of it.

We are wondering

What kind of wiring is this?
Is it safe to handle or remove?

That is a wired telephone junction block. The wire coming through the wall may very well be where the original land line entered the house from outside. The other wire is probably going off to some phone jack in another part of the house.


Can I drill/rivet into my Fridge? I would like to attach a clasp/latch to the side of my fridge/freezer, so that I can tell when it is closed at a glance, and to make closing it a concious effort.

The fridge is from some time in the 90s (maybe even 80s), and is 4th hand (I know its last 4 owners). I just want to squeeze a few more months/years out of it.

I initially attached it with hot-glue, but that came off when I forgot it was there and opened the latched door. I moved up to superglue, which has the same thing happen when my mother-in-law opened the door.

So next up would be to drill a hole and use pop-rivets to hold it inplace once and for all.
But I am not sure what is actually inside the fridge wall?
Is it safe to drill a hole in the side?
Will it damage the fridge/freezer -- assuming on don't penetrate the inner layer.

Does the same hold for the door?

My other option is to use 2 part epoxy resin / Araldite.
Though I would rather rivets.

Do not drill.  I did, big mistake.  Did not drill deep, and drilling  was not the demise of the fridge.  I used short sheet metal screws. First two went ok. The third offset screw punctured a line.  Had the Company  not insisted it be done Right  Now, I would research  alternative applications.   Marine lock made by 3-M company,  sells adhesive  pads with cable  to padlock  door shut. Reviews  we're all good. Just look  up marine lock for fridge.  NO HAPPY DRILLING  HERE !


Light fixture wiring - black to black, or white to black? USA - I’m installing a new ceiling light fixture in a bathroom. The instructions (and every how-to video I watched) said to connect white to white (neutral) and black to black (hot). However, when I detached the old fixture, I found the opposite: the white wire was connected to black and vice versa. It’s been like that for years. Should I connect the new fixture the way it was previously, or follow the instructions? And what could potentially happen if I do it the wrong way? In case it matters: there is also another light fixture in the same room that is controlled by the same switch. First picture provided is the existing configuration. I stopped and left it the way it was because I wasn’t sure how to proceed.
EDIT: I have now added a second picture of the existing wiring at the switch. There are two switches at this box. The switch on the left controls a fan in the ceiling. The switch on the right controls the light fixture in question along with another light fixture. There are 4 sheaths coming into/out of the switch box, each of which has one black wire, one white, and one ground. I’m not sure which of these delivers power from the house, and which go out to the lights and fan.

An Edison bulb has a metal "tip" that is totally inaccessible once you start screwing it in.  It does not make contact with the socket until it's screwed all the way in.
It also has an outer metal threaded screw base, which is easily touched while screwing it in.  It makes contact with the sockets "shell" immediately and continuously while screwing it in.
The socket's shell is attached to the white wire.  If you connect that to neutral, then touching a bulb's socket while screwing it in will be harmless unless there's a wiring fault.
Of course if  you connect the socket shell to hot, then if you forgot to turn the switch off, you can get nailed by your finger touching the shell as you screw it in.


Trenching and running power to outside shed I'll require power for the use of a window unit heat pump (8,000 to 12,000 BTU 120 volt), a treadmill, 5 or 6 outlets, and lighting. It's an 80 foot run and will be burying the supply underground.  I've decided to go with a 60 amp breaker at the main to supply power.  A few questions:

A little unsure with the size of the wire (6 or 4 AWG).
My main breaker box is pretty much full so needed to create some space for said breaker: Ideas?
Am I required to put in grounding rods. I've already run all of the electric inside and was going to have an electrician do the rest.  But after being quoted $4200(!), I just decided to do it myself.

How deep do you want to trench?

You'll need 24" of cover for buried cable, or 18" for common/cheap conduit.  You can use exotic conduit called Rigid or IMC, which only requires 6" of cover but is more expensive.

Use 1-1/4" or larger conduit.  That will future-proof you to 100A+.  In the meantime, the large size will make pulling much more DIYable.  DIYers often are stuck/defeated by hard pulls close to the limit for the pipe. That's when you must embarrasingly call the electrician. The correct wire for in-conduit use is THWN-2, better to avoid using cable in conduit because it makes the pulls much harder.

#6 wire will suffice.  If your distance was over 115' there'd be an argument for going up to #4 to reduce voltage drop, but it's not a problem for you.  Do consider bumping up 2 sizes and using #4 aluminum AA-8000 wire, which has always been reasonable for feeder, and this is the new alloy.

Grounds

You absolutely will need both a ground wire in your run, and grounding rods at the shed.  2 rods 8' long, at least 6' apart (more is better). If the conduit is metal IMC or Rigid, that serves as the ground wire.

Main panel

If your main panel is full, it's time to bite the bullet and either change the panel (ouch) or add a subpanel right there and offload 4 spaces worth of circuits to the new subpanel.

Go big.  Go HUGE.    Many builders cheap out and leave you with a tiny panel, often that require "double stuff" breakers just to have enough breakers.  Get a large enough subpanel to have at least 44 spaces between main and sub, preferably more.  Don't let double-stuff breakers substitute for a real space, they can't anymore.

If your old panel is Federal Pacific FPE, Zinsco, Pushmatic or other brand where finding AFCI breakers is hard, get at least 40 additional spaces and figure on this becoming your new main panel someday. If it is FPE or Zinsco, do that like your hair is on fire, or your house could be.

The new in-house subpanel does not need a main breaker (but it will if you upgrade it to main panel someday). The shed does, though it will only serve as a shutoff switch.   A decently large (spaces) subpanel will have a pretty big "main breaker"  That's OK, it is specifically allowed to be bigger than the breaker feeding it.  If your thought is "Make the local breaker the same size so it trips first", haha, that doesn't work! Breaker sequencing is a black art, and Murphy's Law guarantees it will never be satisfactory.

If you have any thoughts toward future use of a generator, think about an in-house subpanel that is just for the circuits you want on generator. Siemens makes a very slick kit for $30 that lets you use two common $9 breakers as the generator interlock. That, and the price of a Siemens main-lug panel, is cheaper than most interlocks alone.

You cannot reverse the line to the shed to use both as generator feed and as subpanel feed. To do that, you would have to "permanently" rewire both ends, although if you set it up right, this can take 5 minutes to change.  I do that kind of temporary permanent wiring all the time.


Is it possible to create a better temperature controlling system? I have a two story 2.5k sq ft house with a varying degree of temperature throughout the house. The main problem is that the air coming out of vents are very weak if almost nil. Only the living room that's closest to the unit in the garage has full strong air and the rest of first floor and the whole second floor has almost no air coming out. A while ago, we had a minor work done on the duct going from the unit to the wall (to the house). He took off all the insulation padding and sealed the ducts with some kind of putty (I could be wrong I don't know too much about house stuff). I didn't notice much change then and two summers have passed.

I think it's really time for me to do something cuz one month my elec. bill came out to $500. But I don't know where to start or who to call to consult.

Can I reduct throughout with a narrower duct for easier(?) installation?
I think there's definitely a leak somewhere because one side of a wall is cold whenever I have the a/c unit on. Hopefully that has each room with stronger air flow.

Then, I want to control each floor separately because temperature difference is too big to just do so with 1 thermostat. I read somewhere that if I wanna do multizone I need to install baffle to direct each flow to each zone.
If I can do that much then maybe I can finally install z-wave thermostat with z-wave controlled vents to control temperature down to each room.
Is my approach too far fetched? unrealistic? expensive?
Sorry for the long messy explanation. Please help.

I would recommend first contacting a home energy efficiency company first rather than an HVAC company. HVAC guys are usually clueless about systemic problems like these and will usually try to sell you a larger unit without diagnosing the true cause of the issue (which is a pain in the neck and can probably be fixed for much less than the cost of new equipment).

It sounds like you have two problems: Poor duct pressure and temperature stratification. These are likely caused by the same thing: conditioned air escaping or being wasted in some manner. A common cause is ductwork running through an unconditioned attic. For example, in a ranch house, if the A/C unit is on one side of the house, the register on the far side will often not be very cold because the heat of the attic is sucking out all the coolness in the ducts!

This is the kind of thing that is virtually impossible to diagnose over the internet. I would recommend contacting a local energy efficiency & retrofit firm.


Exposure to asbestos, what to do with stuff and worries? I learned just recently about asbestos in condos I had few possible exposures:

In old condo put 20 screws and nails into asbestos wall and took them out later, without cleaning the dust. What to do with carpet, bed, clothes, shoes, camping stuff...where it all might got? Keep or throw out? Do I need to wash every single clothes?

In new condo around 3 tablespoons of dust/powder from possible asbestos drywall, popcorn ceiling, tiles  from old renovation was uncovered under new laminate floor and blew into whole aparment, carpet, furniture, blankets... What should I do with all the stuff? Keep or throw away? How to make sure the place is safe?

I am worried that also there is still some asbestos dust left from the old renovation in hidden places, between baseboard heaters, in dust in popcorn ceiling,walls, closets... since the previous owner said they didnt test for asbestos before renovation (renovation was done 2 years ago, condo is from 1970)

I am worried about constant exposure because of many renovations in the condo building in common areas, elevator, garbage chute...Also blowing it inside while the windows are open from renovation or if exterior of bulding is made of it and its windy...

I am worried about exposure in common areas of the building in laundry room, garage... as I doubt its being monitored and I seen falling paint, missing vinil tile, broken pipe insulation...

Any advice appreciated!

What's actually true is that workers in environments saturated with asbestos dust (i.e. asbestos factories and boiler construction), where they are huffing it into their lungs 8 hours a day, 250 days a year for 30 years... have a chance of developing a rare cancer. The fibers in their lungs and increase the chance of DNA replication errors taking hold (cancer).
Employees sued, and the manufacturers agreed with the government to create "Trust Funds" to pay out claims.  Each trust fund will pay only claims related to that company, which makes applying for relief a little bit complicated.  Just complicated enough to need to get a lawyer involved to build the case properly.
Contingency-fee lawyers charge 1/3 of the payout.
Getting the picture?
This has created a feeding frenzy of lawyers trying to find these victims so they can collect 1/3 payouts on these easy cases.  On Google search advertising, mesothelioma has been the most valuable keyword in the industry for a decade. They also carpet-bomb TV and radio looking for these rare victims.
So actually, you are not comparing the actual toxicity of the various compounds in your home

Asbestos
Roundup
Sucralose
food oils over-heated in microwaves

You are only comparing their level of (adverse) advertising exposure.
Notice also how "novelty" figures into risk management.  Because this asbestos encounter is "new to you", honestly, you'd do all sorts of extreme cleaning if we told you to, because it's interesting. Contrast that to your feelings toward COVID-19 protocols... you're fed up with masks and social distancing and want to stop ASAP.  Even though COVID-19 is infinitely more dangerous.
The toxicity of asbestos in an occasional chance encounter like this, is nil.  All you need to do is not be moronic; i.e. don't grind it up and snort it.   Bonus points for using "wet" techniques for the clean-up.  End of the day, don't worry about it.


How can I fix floor cracks in bathtub (enamel?) coating? We just moved into our new home (not a new build) and noticed flaking of the material in the bottom of one of the bathtubs.  It appears as though the coating (enamel?) has flaked away in some places.  We haven't noticed any leaking, but we're not sure how much of a problem something like this could be and we'd like to fix it before it becomes something bigger.  Is there an easy way to repair this?

Most home centers will carry a porcelain touch-up paint. I have used it for chips but not for repairs as large as your photos show. Trying it won't make it any worse. As an alternative you can see if you it is possible to identify the tub manufacturer. It is possible that it still is under warranty. Several full scale repairs options are available with out replacement of the tub. One type involves installation of a specially molded liner that covers the entire tub. The other involves coating the tub with an epoxy like material. Neither of these are do-it yourself projects but generally are less costly than having the tub replaced. A local search for Tub-refitters should yield some results.


How to confirm coaxial wall plate is connected correctly? I connected coaxial cable to a wall plate plug that connects a wire directly (does not use a terminator).

After doing that, I did some connectivity testing from the back to the front, and I found that there is no connectivity between the outside middle pin connection and the internal pin.  The braided sheath has conductivity to the ring on the wall plate connector

I figured there is some type of signal processing involved so it may not be conductive... there are also capacitors on the wall plate plug so it's probably taking all the power.

How do I test to make sure that I installed this correctly?

Your tester probably uses direct current (DC) which will be blocked by the capacitor.

The capacitor should pass the high frequency AC signal from the aerial.

Mind you, those are horrible cheap unscreened sockets. You'd be much better using the screened type with the metal cage which were shown in the rest of the video.


How to fix kitchen sink leak Can anyone help with this leak under my kitchen sink? It randomly started a day ago for no reason. Do we just need to try to tighten the nut? The photo shows where it’s actively leaking without the faucet being turned on. Thank you! Not handy people but would love to not call out a plumber.

The messing part is a compression fitting and the chrome part a seal fitting. Tape does not solve your problem. If the compression fitting is leaking you need to replace the ring. If the seal fitting is leaking, turn off the water and disassemble the two parts. Thereafter you would be able to see where it is leaking. Anyway I propose to replace both the compression ring and the seal.


Options for mitigating a sloping floor due to settlement I recently bought a house made in 1926. It's built into a hill where the basement is exposed in the back of the house. The basement is poured concrete. Over the years the foundation has settled about 2 to 3 inches from one end of the house to the other, so the floors slope. This has also caused a pair of small matching cracks on either side of the house in the basement walls.

There are no other problems that I know of other than that the floor slopes.

The fix to this, as I understand it, is to level the foundation by jacking it with piers. That is the root cause. However, that's expensive, and I wanted to monitor the settling before committing to the jacking (since I'm new to the house). While I wait and monitor, I was looking for suggestions or ideas on how to mitigate the sloping floors.

It's in an expensive area, so the cost of repairs tends to be small compared to the cost of the location, land, and house itself. I'm a first time home buyer, so no experience, but I naturally enjoy the DIY lifestyle when possible. :)

Looking for DIY options, guidance, or ideas for fixing these framing issues.

If your house was built in 1926, it probably finished settling a long time ago. If you are going to have it fixed, you should just do it. Monitoring it will not likely reveal anything useful at this point.


Do I need a regular Tee or a Slip Tee to add new line (pex) to existing line (copper)? I'd like to cut into an existing hot water (copper) line to add a Tee and run a new hot water line to somewhere else in the house.

Do I need a regular Tee or a Slip Tee?  I'll be using Sharkbite connectors but it sounds like a Slip Tee is made mostly for repairs so I'm a little confused.

I've already purchased a regular Tee (Sharkbite) but I'm not sure how to measure the section of copper to cut and then how to stick the Tee between the cut ends.  It sounds like a Slip Tee solves these problems?

Using a slip tee or reg tee depends on how much movement you have once you cut the pipe.  In either case you will need to make 2 cuts to where you want to add your tee.  The second cut will be made to remove enough pipe so that once your tee is set, you do not see any pipe when you look into the center leg of the tee.  I'm not a big fan of sharkbite, if it's not in a garage or somewhere that it can be inspected periodically then I would consider soldering copper.  The sharkbite slip tee will just be slipped all the way onto one end of the pipe and then there is a little tool you will need to back it the other way onto the mating pipe.  If you have an old piece of pipe for trial and error that will help you determine how much gap you will need to cut out.


Bought a new (old) house and a new subpanel for the pool was installed. No clue if this is safe I bought a house and prior to the sale a subpanel was installed at the pool area.  The home inspector says it’s fine, but he really wasn’t there to make sure things are code compliant. Before I hire someone or try to tackle this myself, i figured I’d start here and see where to go.

Right now, there is a 2-2-2-4 SER cable running from a 100amp 2 pole breaker in the main panel (200amp service) to a huge 12”x12”x6” junction box about 30-35’ away. In the box, the SER cable is split and the wires are joined with insulated Polaris wire joints (Per the inspector) to individual 2 gauge (4 gauge for the ground) THHN wires. The wires then run into a conduit connected to the box across ceiling and exit the house and go into the ground. The conduit runs about 150’ to a subpanel at the pool. The panel has a 2 20amp 2 pole breakers, 1 50amp 2 pole breaker and a 20amp single pole breaker. The breakers are all gfci and run a pump, heater, salt unit and outlet. Everything seems ok, but I thought the wires to the subpanel needed to be be continuous. Is this ok as is or should I consider having continuous wires run for this? I usually do all my own construction work, but other than identifying wiring, I don’t touch it. Sooooo...is this go to go or should I look into redoing it? I’ve never dealt with pools or subpanels before.

Thanks!

Junctions, done properly, are both fine and a fact of life; whether feeding a sub-panel or not.

While it's not the way I would have run it (because I've turned into a THHN/THWN and conduit for darn near everything person) nothing you have described sounds incorrect or unsafe. If the huge junction box were tiny there might be a problem, but it's not (you need some room to safely splice wires that fat.)

If you want persnickity opinions on details of the work, post pictures and they will get picked apart if there's anything amiss.


Why won't my ceiling light turn off? My ceiling light won't turn off.  There are 2 separate switches to choose from to use.  Neither will turn the light off. One makes the light flicker a bit, but not off the other doesn't seem to be working at all.
This is a recent problem, has worked since room built 8 years ago.

If you've modified any wiring recently, you may have accidentally connected two separate circuits.  Otherwise, the only thing I can think of that could cause this is a short-circuit.

Either case is (very) potentially dangerous.  If you don't feel comfortable tracking down electrical issues yourself, I would call a licensed electrician right away.


How can I replicate this drywall texture? The title and picture say it all. It's a very subtle texture.

That looks to me like a texture that developed over the years, inadvertently, with application of multiple layers of paint using a nappy roller.

You could try to duplicate by spray texturing in a "small blot" pattern, then knocking it down with a low nap roller. There are probably other ways... maybe a stippling roller would come close.

Bottom line is there is no way to really perfectly match any texture. Even pros need lots of practice and trial and error...


How should I connect an electric cook top to an existing dededicated 3 wire armored cable? I am replacing old electric cook top and the old unit had three wire red balck and white which were connected to corresponing red black white in BX cable. The new unit has red black and a bare copper wire. Should the bare copper wire be connected to the white wire?

No. The bare copper wire is the grounding conductor, and it should be connected to the circuits grounding conductor.

If there is no grounded "neutral" conductor coming from the cooktop, you should cap the white wire off.  The grounded "neutral" conductor is only used for 120 Volt or 120/240 Volt circuits, and is not required for straight 240 Volt circuits like your cooktop requires.

Read and understand the manufacturer's installation instructions, before you proceed further.


Inconsistent Garage Door Open Remotes We have a single garage door with an opener and two remotes. We get extremely inconsistent results with both remotes (a change of batteries does not fix). When we leave in the morning and we're right outside the door and want it to close, the remote barely works. We sometimes have to put 20-30 times for it to finally close. However, when I'm arriving at home the remote seems to work from 2-3 houses away.

This morning the remote wouldn't work at all when I tried to close it. I actually walked into the garage with the remote and put it right next to the opener and it did not close. When I arrived back home a half hour later, it worked perfectly.

We've had no other problems with this garage door. The wired switch inside the garage works as well as the security keypad on the outside. I read that I should make sure the antenna is wired in correctly but it doesn't seem like that would be the culprit if it works again a half hour later.

Do I just need to get 2 new remotes?

Edit: It's a Chamberlain Whisper Drive Plus, 3/4 HPS. No idea how old it is, but it seems fairly new.

I saw interference mentioned on a couple of responses.  My hardwired buttons worked every time.  None of the remotes (including the punch code one) worked.  Climbed on step ladder and noticed crackling noise and flickering Compact Florescent Bulb CFL.  Took out CFL.  Good bye interference  Everything works.   Thanks


Best method for painting textured walls? How do pros paint textured walls, specifically knockdown texture?

I'm using a Sherwin Williams emerald paint, an acrylic latex paint and a roller with a 3/4" nap. However, I'm still left with large areas where the paint can't reach all the little troughs and valleys in the texture. I'm having to go back over almost the entire wall with a paint brush and use a stipple technique to get good coverage.

Can I thin the paint out and do two coats? Should I invest in a sprayer? Thanks so much for any tips.

You just need a little more pressure. It looks like you have enough paint on the roller, and just need to press the nap into the texture more assertively. The texture isn't extraordinarily deep or sharp, and those dots appear to be a matter of nap reach, and not of smearing.

If the latter were the case, you could use a wet re-roll strategy--after you finish a wall, go back and re-roll it right away. I've done this with great success when painting bold colors over light colors, for example.


Would this type of backsplash tile not require grout? I’m looking at this particular backsplash tile which is unusual in that there’s really no gaps between pieces:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/MSI-Alaska-Gray-Splitface-12-in-x-12-in-x-10mm-Marble-Mesh-Mounted-Mosaic-Tile-ALGRY-SFIL10MM/206741880

I see no way that grout could be squeezed in there. Will it simply be installed ungrouted?

No you don't grout these period.   I have installed similar 15-20 times.   Impossible.   Grout only effective if it covers, not if it is here and there.

So number 1 you can't grout this type of tile.   They simply don't have big enough gaps.  Even if you tried you would either miss coverage or by putting too much in you will distort the layout of some of the tiles.

Number 2... I really disagree with a lot of the comments.   A kitchen is not a shower.   Unless you are in a commercial kitchen, your personal home kitchen is not really a "wet zone".   Who cares if something spills on it?   You wipe it up.  Oh no the magic tomato soup fairies are going to get underneath the tile and destroy it.   It is absurd.

If anything it may in fact be easier to clean this tile.   Tile does not stain or discolor from a spill easy if at all... what does stain and discolor?   Yes grout.


Replacing a ceiling fan (with a pull chain light) with a 6 bulb chandelier Once connected the lights will not turn on or off with the wall switch. In fact, the chandelier stays on regardless. Please help.

You hooked the new light up to the 'always-hot' wire (probably red) which ran the ceiling fan.
Use the other 'switched-hot' wire (probably black) instead.


Light fixture with 3 white, 3 black, 1 red wire I'm trying to replace an old fixture for cosmetic reasons. Unfortunately I've pulled apart the wiring to the old fixture and don't remember how it all connected. The wiring in the ceiling has the above setup. The fixture itself has the standard 1 white, 1 black, and 1 ground wire. I followed this advice...now the light operates from a different switch from before.

I don't understand the underlying wiring so I'm baffled by what's going on.

Edit: here's a photo of the box:

The marked black wire is hot - it lights up my tester when I connect it to any other wire when the breaker is on and the switch is off.

Well, the good news is each cable is unique.

The /3 cable is not like the other cables, and there must be a reason for the extra hot.  Was this ever a fan/light? It may also be a new style switch loop.
The black wire with the white tape is weird (usually it,s the other way 'round) but that tells us that the black, and its partner white, are special.  They may be a switch loop, and I would check for that with an ohmmeter after confirming power off.
The other /2 cable is plain.  I have a hunch it's either supply power, or onward power to another location.

Now, the question is what else is around here? Is there another light?  What's in the switch box? Etc.

Also, what else has lost power?


Adding two lights to existing light Would like to add two more lights to an existing light/switch setup. Would like to double check my approach. See below for existing vs proposed... purposely did not include ground.  Any and all feedback greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Existing

Proposed v1 (bad) and v2 (good - based on feedback from @bib and @Speedy Petey)

The proposed wiring shown as Revision 1 in the original drawings is not code compliant. Under NEC 300.3(B), all wires for a given circuit must be in the same cable or raceway. In your example, the new lights get the hot lead from a single wire from the switch and the neutral from a separate cable or raceway from the old fixture.

Basically you need a balanced load in each cable or raceway (hot out/neutral back or hot out/switched hot back) to prevent the possibility of induction heating.

As @Speedy Petey suggests, a much simpler, and code compliant method, is to run a cable with a neutral and a switched hot from the existing fixture to the new fixtures.

UPDATE: Based on the added drawing in Revision 2, the proposed circuit is now code compliant. Also, as @Ben noted, any white wire used as a hot that is exposed in a box or fixture must be marked black or red with tape, paint or marker to show that it is hot.


Can I join two 4x4 fence posts? I purchased 6’ 4x4’s to put up a 4’ fence. I learned about digging below the frost line after. So now the non returnable 4x4’s I have are too short.
Is it possible to join two 4x4’s together to make my six foot posts into eight foot posts? If so can the joint be below ground?

Is it possible, yes. Is it practical (.vs. just buying the right size posts), not really. Should it be below ground - no.
To really do it right you want a router bit or shaper cutter that will put tapered "fingers" on the end of the joint which interlock for maximum glued surface - which, unsurprisingly, is exactly what you'll see in the end joints of engineered lumber - but if making a 4x4 from engineered lumber, there would be 2 offset 2x4's that were end jointed, so that the end joints were not all at the same point on the resulting timber.
You can, of course, do it to a lower standard. It may work well enough, or it may fail.
Another option would be to:
Set steel posts and bolt the wood to them. Either cut them off or just let the posts stick 2 feet above the main fence (bolt them to the steel posts above ground level - don't half-bury them.) Depending on the purpose of the fence those extra 2 feet can be useful, i.e to string trellis wire for plants or monfilimaent to annoy deer above your solid fence.


My light fixture made in China says use only 60volt 60W AC bulbs What does the voltage of the fixture mean?  Can I put a 120V 60 watt equivalent LCD  bulb in it?  The fixture has a label saying only use 60 volt 60 watt ac bulb.  This is a new fixture I had put in a couple years ago by two electricians.

Ain't no 60V around here...
If the instructions actually say 60V then throw the whole thing away. Seriously. I don't know any place on a 60V system, and you mentioned 120V (normal for USA/Canada/etc.) anyway. So if it really says 60V then that is a sign of extremely poor quality and I would not trust the actual parts that matter to be any good.
If it really says 120V 60W
If it really says 120V 60W, then this is an indication, often quite reasonable, that the fixture is not rated to dissipate more heat than generated by a 60W bulb. If that is the case, then you can normally put in any type of bulb - e.g., CFL, LED, a 40W incandescent, etc. - as long as it uses <= 60W of power. However, there are a few situations where straight replacement might not work:

Dimmers - if the fixture or an attached switch provides dimming capability, that may not work properly with a CFL or LED bulb.
"Smart" functions without a neutral - timing, remotes or other "smart" functions can either get a little bit of power through the bulb while it is "off", or they can be powered via the neutral. This trick of getting power through the bulb even when "off" doesn't work so well with CFL and especially LED bulbs.


Marble flooring at my house oscillates when we walk over it.How to rectify or resolve this issue? The marble flooring at my house is popping i.e  when people walk over it, the marble flooring oscillates up & down..and it might come out in the next few days if left unattended..kindly provide me a solution as to how to resolve it?.since only 3-4 tiles are having the trouble.

There may be several causes for tiles becoming loose. The most popular are:  1). sub-floor not level. An un-even floor won't fully support the tiles. The unsupported area of the tile will slightly flex and overtime will magnify its' motion until it loosens completely.  2). Thin-set not mixed or not properly applied. The cement adhesive needs to be mixed according to the instructions. If there is too much or not enough water the tile will not bond properly. If the thin-set is troweled onto the floor with the wrong sized notched trowel or too thin a layer the tile may not adhere fully.  And 3). the sub-floor must be rigid and secure with no bounce or movement. If it is not prepared correctly by nailing or screwing loose boards down it will flex and transfer that movement through the tile resulting in a failed or loose tile.


Do Wood Stove/Fireplace Inserts come in 'direct vent' configurations? It appears that gas fireplace inserts are common in a direct vent configuration (where combustion air is brought in from the outside).

Are there wood burning fireplaces that are direct vent? I'm not finding any with my web searches. Do they exist under a different term? Or do they not exist and, if not, why is that?

Depends on how you are defining direct vent. The usual definition is the gas combustion products are vented directly through the wall and no conventional flue or chimney is required. They also draw combustion air from outside, and the combustion chamber can be sealed off from the house entirely.

You will not find a wood burning fireplace that does not require a chimney. Such a contrivance would not draw properly and would be dangerous for burning solid wood fuel. There are a few pellet stoves listed for this configuration however, but not for logs.

If your main concern, as you mention, is only that combustion air be drawn from outside, there are many fireplaces that offer this configuration as an option, including the ability to seal off the combustion chamber. They typically do this by inserting some device that blocks the device's usual combustion air intake from the house and instead provides a 4" dia. duct connection. It's up to the installer to route the duct to the outside. These all still will require a chimney terminating above the roof, typically 6" dia.

I would start searching for such devices by searching wood burning fireplace outside air. You should find many fireplaces have this option, though sometimes you need to dig in the fine print to see that it's available.


Subfloor Water Damage My wife and I are in contract to purchase a home (not a new home). The inspection revealed a few things and the seller has agreed to fix all but one thing we requested. The one thing they are not going to fix/address is a small area of wood rot in the OSB sub-floor directly under the front door. According to them, they can't seem to find someone to do the work. The small area of wood rot (about a 6 inch by 6 inch area) is visible from the basement. The basement is not finished and there are no signs that large amounts of water have entered the home from this area. I do know that the sub-floor has two layers of OSB/plywood and there is luxury vinyl plank on top of that. I remember the inspector showing us this and we went to the exterior of the front door and noticed small cracks between the bottom door sill and the stone/concrete underneath it but the inspector couldn't/wouldn't say if that was the source of the water entry.

Anyone experienced this before and have an idea how big of a deal this is? I'm not thinking it's something to let the deal fall apart over. I'm pretty handy so I feel I could easily replace a small section of the sub-floor myself and the LVP will make it even easier IMO. However I know things aren't always as easy as they seem. Any wisdom would be appreciated  :) Thanks!

As you noted, it's possible the water came from the front porch, ran under the door sill, across the rim joist, and seeped across the subfloor, possibly between the layers, before showing up in the basement. Because any and all of these may have been wet long enough for the subfloor to rot, they should all be checked.

I'd start by probing all of the areas around the rot with an ice pick to find the extent of the soft, decayed area. If you can unscrew the sill or lift part of the vinyl planking you can come from the top. You can also probe from the basement up, starting in the obvious rotted area. Since you don't own the home yet, I doubt they'll let you drill exploratory holes or do other destructive tests, but some careful poking may tell you more about how much repair is needed. After repairing the wood, consider how toy would keep water from getting to this area again... pouring a new porch, adding an awning, grading the front yard, etc. Consider those costs when deciding whether you want to ask for concessions or accept the risk there may be more that you haven't seen yet.


Alternatives to testing coax cable Several years ago, I wired coax cable connections to the main unit of my house and the basement apartment. The cable company ran two cables from an alley pole to the entry point on the house and I took it from there. Inside the house on the other side from where the outside box is to which the alley cables go is a receptacle box in which the inside two cables are connected to what is outside.

Since no one lives in the basement, I didn't get an extra service. The main unit service works fine going through all the same checkpoints (receptacle boxes and entry points). Since I am getting ready to finish the basement, I wanted to test that the basement connection from the inside receptacle still works and that some 30' of cable that runs from the entry point to the basement media box still works, particularly that it hasn't been cut by accident or rodents chewing, before I seal it with drywall.

So I disconnected the main unit connection to the active cable coming in (vs. the one that will be activated once someone actually lives there). However, the modem on the other end of that cable (basement) could not connect. The modem does connect when I take it upstairs and connect it directly to the splitter. When I did this first, several years ago, I performed the same test and it worked. Now it doesn't. It's as though the cable has been cut off somewhere on the way.

Are there alternative ways to test two ends of a coax cable? Like running some current through. I have an organic intolerance for visible wire/cable so I did a lot of remodeling just to hide it, which means my cable is buried behind the wall -- while aesthetically appealing, it makes it a hell of a lot harder to troubleshoot and repair. I am trying to make darn sure the cable is cut before I tear down drywall and reinstall.

I would disconnect and check it with an ohm meter it should show open for a dc test, if that is good short the end and make sure it shows shorted at the other end. It could be a nail or screw causing the problem or totally cut in half so both tests would give a basic idea on a gross failure.


Powering shed (office) 200 feet away I am losing my mind trying to figure out what type of service I need to send to a remote office I built in the yard. I have worked as an electrician's assistant so I have experience in perfomring the work but never really planned jobs.

I am trying to figure out what gauge wire I need as well as how many amps to run out there. I will have lights, computer, amp, tv, and wall AC unit out there. Basically a bunch of electronics and lights. The only big draw would be the AC.

Should I be looking at 100 AMP service or is that overkill? Until this point I have been looking at running 100AMP with 1 AWG wire. I have 100 foot run under the house and 100 foot run underground (200 feet total). Any suggestions would be great.

Thank you!

Do some research on how to do a load calculation on a building, that should give you a good idea on what size service you need. Once you've got that, you can use tables and voltage drop calculations to determine wire size.

Here's an answer, that describes an easy way to calculate the load for lighting and general use receptacles. On top of that, you'll want to calculate the load for any additional items.  You mention an A/C unit. You'll want to check the nameplate on the unit, and add the A/C load requirements to your total load.  Do the same for any items that are larger than you'd plug into a typical wall socket.

This answer gives some good information about how to size the conductors, once you've determined what size service you'll need. This answer will show you how to calculate the voltage drop, so you can determine if you need to use larger wire or not.

If you can get your hands on a copy of the National Electrical Code, article 220 is a good place to start for information on doing load calculations.  NFPA offers free read-only access to the NEC, all you have to do is sign up for an account.


Why were the screws set in pairs in my drywall? I'm currently removing a wall that separates my kitchen and living room. 1/2" drywall on 16" o.c. studs, typical. What I found to be strange was that the drywall was fastened with 2 drywall screws placed 2 inches apart, in pairs about every 18" up a stud, where a single screw would definitely suffice. May be I'm overthinking it, but is there any reason someone would use so many screws for a simple wall? House is a 1990 Bi-level, or raised ranch as I've seen them called. I just want to make sure that this isn't some specialized/important wall due to the odd overuse of screws.

Like others have said in comments, drywall was commonly nailed in pairs to help prevent punch-through--hammers had a tendency to crush the drywall and weaken the hold of the nail. When screws were first adopted the practice was continued until it was known that precisely set flute-head screws hold better than nail heads, or until old-timers retired away.
Fun fact: Purpose-built drywall hammers had convex (mildly domed) head faces to help set nail heads below flush without tearing the drywall surface, so that tapers could cover them with compound.


What would cause a toilet tank to intermittently leak into the bowl only when half-full or more, even after a flush valve replacement? Well I'm at my wits end. The toilet's been running for weeks and I've yet to catch it.

I first replaced the flapper, it still leaked. Then I replaced the flush assembly, it still leaks.

Now at this point I experimented a bit, and I filled the tank half way before turning off the water. It stayed steady for 2 days. But when allowed to fill properly, the tank completely empties over the course of 6 hours.

Could it be possible that the tank itself is somehow to blame? Could it be that I didn't tighten the tank down enough?

All I can think of is you are developing a siphon between the tank and the bowl. How high does the water get to the top of the overflow? The overflow pipe is the one that sticks up in the tank.

I would try to set the float level (what ever kind of float it has) such that the water in the tank is an inch below the top of the overflow pipe and see what happens.


How to prep gypcrete bathroom subfloor that has wood around the toilet? first time bath floor tiling. The subfloor is gypcrete concrete but around the toilet it is wood. The wood is rotting so I think I will take it out. But I don't know how to proceed. So a couple of questions:

How do I know if this is not part of a bigger structure? The rotten wood can be taken out easily but the good part stick very well to the floor.

What tool can a DIY-er find to remove this without damaging the plumbing?

After removal, what should I do to repair that part of the whole floor for tiling.

If another wood piece, how do I cut and put it down? after that I imagine I will need to put in a backerboard for that portion?

Is there anything similar to concrete that can be used in this case?

EDIT: I found out that the subfloor is not concrete, but gypcrete. Oh my amateur. And I have also decided that I will hire someone to do it as I don't have the right tools and skills and time so between running around renting tools and spending time and risking doing things wrong I have decided will have to hire someone. Thanks God I didn't start working on the 2nd bathroom.

EDIT 2: More questions :/

1. Do I have to remove the vanity cabinet? I don't want to. One contractor says I need to, others don't.

2. I am given 2 options: leveler or backer/cement board.

2a. Do I have to remove the old thinset completely if I go with leveler?

2b. Can leveler be used on the wood part? I didn't know that

2c. Which option is easier if in the future I decide to replace the tile, bathtub, toilet wood subfloor, vanity cabinet or toilet?

I am more inclined to use the leveler. One contractor says I need to use Wonderboard, another says I have 2 options here. But if the thing is poured over the wood and stick to the bathtub and the cabinet, won't it be very hard to remove it in the future?

EDIT 3: I removed the flange. I poked a measuring tape into the gape and the wood is 2 inch thick and below it is 2 feet of empty space. I don't understand how this piece of wood is secured in place. How do I removed the wood without damaging the gypcrete or below structure?

I can only borrow this circular saw https://www.ryobitools.com/products/details/561

You've got a sticky wicket of a situation. However, being able to remove the pipe flange was a great benefit. You'll need to build-out the joist under the wall with layers of 2x6 scraps until the scraps protrude at least 3/4" beyond the wall plane for good support of the new subfloor & the ability to screw or nail.

To cut out the old subfloor, lay a bridge of plywood over the wood area, from Gypcrete to Gypcrete. Drill holes in the wood area, inside of the joist, to poke a tape measure down. Then, set your circular saw's blade depth to the measurement from the bridge's top & down to the bottom of the subfloor.

Then, you'll want to remove the nails & cut 3/4" over or on top of the joists (likely a line where the old nails were), so the new subfloor can rest on half of the old joist. Once the wood floor's out, you can use it as a template for a drop-in plywood replacement. You can do cement or cement board on top of the new subfloor patch.


Can PVC moulding be used indoors? I recently stumbled upon this some PVC moulding, I actually hadn't known they were making trim out of PVC. Is it designed just for outside, or can it be used indoors too? How do you attach it to interior wall?

We like it for bathrooms and other wet environments. It nails perfectly normally with an air nailer (usually 18g).

The only thing is that you can't cut it slowly, as it'll melt and you'll end up with a blobby mess at your cut. Cut briskly and all is fine.


Any load on circuit trips bathroom breaker Very strange thing happening. House is less than an year old. This is the bathroom circuit. The only modification was an additional outlet. Everything was working fine for months. Until this morning, woke up and realize the breaker tripped. When I tried the reset the breaker, it trips immediately. I turned off all lights and unplugged all outlets, then the breaker was able to stay on. Now the strange thing is, any load on the circuit trips the breaker. Flipping any switch or plugging in any outlet causes the breaker to trip. Any idea what causing this?

It sounds like a wire may have been damaged during the install. I am guessing at this point that it is a gfci breaker since it only trips with a load. In this case I would be looking for a skinned neutral or a point in the box that the neutral and ground may now be touching. I don't believe it would be a hot wire because it holds with no load,  why did it start after months? Wires relaxing , home vibrations but at least this provides a location to look in the boxes on the neutral , it could be a staple in the wiring but I would check boxes first.


Is this serious fixer-upper worth it? So I've been house hunting for some time now, and have come across a beautiful house that I've absolutely fallen in love with! However, the house is an abandoned fixer-upper that's in serious need of some TLC. Judging on the provided pictures from the realtor (on Zillow) the house seems to have pretty strong bones, but the restoration, I can tell, will be extensive.

There appears to be a lot of wood rot and water damage on the floors, walls and ceilings (holes and peeling, crumbling, potentially moldy paint and drywall). The entire upper levels (2nd floor and attic) were likely going to be redone, but left unfinished at the bare bones of the house. The bathrooms, all full, are also in poor condition- water damage and some traces of mold. The kitchen has been stripped, likely by the house's previous owners, and there are no appliances or cabinets in sight, and many of the windows will need replacing. Long story short, this house is in desperate need of some love; and considering it's location (East Orange, NJ) it's probably unlikely that it'll get it. But I'm in love and can really see its potential.

Now I know what I've just described probably sounds like a house of horrors with no point in saving, but if possible I still really want to give it a chance. I'm trying to schedule a visit with an inspector and/or contractor so that I can see everything with my own eyes and those of an experienced professional. There's no mention of any electrical or plumbing, so I'm automatically going to assume it's in similar condition to the rest of the house: poor. But I'd like to have a professional prognosis for that too.

In the end, I'm a DIY addict, and very good with my hands, so a fixer-upper seemed the perfect match for me in my search for the perfect home. I'm always up for a challenge, but I want to make sure that I'm not going too far with this house before I make any offers. At just under $90K, the price is almost too good to pass up, but could it also be  serious warning that I should avoid all together?

I looked up the property (I think I found the right one).

Because this was built 1900s-ish, assume you need to replace all plumbing and electrical. Assume all paint is lead paint. Assume there's asbestos somewhere. Assume you'll need to strip all walls to the studs.
Thankfully, the water damage does not appear to be flooding-related, but from rain.
The water damage appears to be highly localized in specific areas, but bad enough that there's holes in the floor at those points.
The roof appears flat, or generally unsuitable for the climate. This is going to be an ongoing problem for the building.
There's unlikely to be any insulation. (This is actually a good thing for a building with this much damage, as it means the structure can dry out properly, but you will need to fix that.)
The listing talks about the certificate of occupancy. Basically, until the building is fixed, you don't get to live in it. This will generally require you to finish your work, not just fix the roof and make a couple rooms livable. Talk to someone about what that means in that particular city.
The structure at the back appears to be sagging a bit. Not sure if it's a trick of the camera or not, but I don't trust it.

My non-expert opinion: the basic structure appears to be sound. However, you won't be able to move in until most of the work is done. (RV in back yard might work, depending on city rules.)  For a structure this old, there are serious health issues associated with some renovations that a professional would be better suited to handling. This is definitely hard mode for a DIY project. Restoring this is basically a full time job over months.


Proper way to attach tapered, threaded connections? I've been ripping out the PB water line throughout my house and replacing with PEX and a bit of copper piping. However, the few threaded fittings each have very slow leaks.

Above the water tank I used 3/4 copper adapters. Above the water meter I used a 3/4 brass PEX adapter. Each were wrapped with two layers of white teflon tape clockwise. Then tightened as tight as possible with a crescent wrench (maybe 2 turns after hand tight). The washing machine adapters were wrench tightened at least 1 turn but stopped when they were properly aligned.

Looking around the web, I see many different opinions about why these type of connections get slow leaks.

Too much or too little tape (I've seen 2 to 20 wraps suggested)
Use joint compound instead of tape or use a compound with tape
Tighten so that only 1-2 threads are visible or tighten 1-2 turns after finger tight

So are there any standards for joining these connections?

Is it possible to over-tighten the fittings? (I'm worried about deforming the copper or cracking the brass)

The tape and compound seem to be for lubrication and not so much sealing, but many posts online suggest otherwise. This seems to affect the question of how much tape to use. Who's right?

Thanks!

See this thread about how much to tape to wrap.  Two wraps might be too little while 20 seems pretty extreme.

Some people like tape, some like compound and some like both.  I gave up on reading about which is better because it just seems to be a matter of opinion.

Both are for lubricating and sealing.  The "Pipe Dope" has a substance in it (sometimes hemp) that expands with moisture to further help prevent leaks.

Regarding how tight, you can definitely over tighten but if they are leaking I wouldn't hesitate to give another bit of a turn.  You need to be particularly careful with compression fittings since they can be more easily over-tightened.


How can I attach deck railing boards to the top of the rails? What's the best way to attach a board to another board that's resting over it?
The rail is a 2x4 and it will be held, on each side, by a 4x4. Under the 2x4 rail I'll have another 2x4 that will keep the top 2x4 straight.
This is basically it:

I only have a circular saw and a jigsaw, so, I can't do complex joints.
I forgot to mention that I have to attach these 2x4s to the 4x4 wood posts.

Glue and Screw
Drill pilot holes from the bottom side of the lower 2x4 all the way through, Clamp the lower 2x4 in place and  use 4 inch deck screws to screw up through the pilot holes and into the bottom of the upper 2x4 . ( 2x4 are only 3 1/2 inches ) so a 4 inch screw will give you enough thread to bite into the upper board just be careful not to drive them to far.
Screwing from the bottom this way will keep all screw heads hidden on the bottom side.
Apply OUTDOOR rated glue. Remove clamps.


wiring a ceiling light fitting I have 3 black wires - 3 green and 3 red - but when I attach to light fitting - light comes on with switch off and when I switch it on it blows any ideas ?

Because wires are not color-coded for installer benefit.   The wires are red and black, because manufactured cable is red and black. Actually the wires have a variety of functions.

The wires from supply are "always-hot" (red) and "neutral" (black).

The wires to the switch are "always-hot" (black) and "switched-hot" (red).  The switch will short out these two wires, that is its job, so connecting it to always-hot and neutral will always blow the fuse.

The wires to the lamp are "switched-hot" (red) and "neutral" (black).

The purposes don't match the colors.  I solve that with colored tape; say mark the switched-hot wires brown and the always-hots red. I always mark wires the same at both ends.  Once you color-code everything, then you match color to color.  It's the only way I work.  But you do you.


Can I run #10 and #12 cables through the same hole in framing lumber? I'll begin by saying that I'm no electrician. I was just wondering about the following:

TLDR: Is it ok to have two 12/2 cables and a 10/3 cable going through the same 3/4" hole?

For a washer and dryer there are currently two blue boxes with two yellow cables, which I suspect to be 12/2 cables, going through a hole (through wood, but not a floor joist) maybe 3/4" wide. Turns out a gas dryer wasn't possible so I needed a larger wire, so I ran an orange 10/3 cable through the same hole as the 2 12/2 cables.

My question is whether or not this is OK? The reason I did this is because the ceiling is going to be boarded up and now is the time to do it. The 10/3 cable going to the panel has a drop ceiling so I am going to let the electrician handle the wiring of that (though for now I did just run it along the joists and to the panel).

The 10/3 cable is pretty thick so I did have to tug a little bit to get it through the hole, but it appeared to be undamaged and fine. I'll add by saying that the 10/3 and 12/2 cables are not running parallel once through the hole. In fact they diverge (something like below)

                              ^
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                            12/2
                              v
<---------10/3 cable ------>  *

In the US, as far as the National Electrical Code is concerned, you can run three cables through a hole bored in a joist or rafter as long as you can run the cables without damaging them.

If the bored hole was longer than 24", you would have to observe the rules for bundling and do derating calculations - that is, figure out the diminished current carrying capacity of the cables.  This would be very unusual in house construction, there are not many walls, beams, etc. that are 24" deep.

There may be local codes that apply in addition to or instead of the NEC - can't say what applies for your area.

Some people have their own rules about how many cables can go through a single bored hole.  Sometimes these rules of thumb are pretty popular, and can be confused with actual code requirements, even by inspectors.

The safest thing to do in these situations is contact your local code enforcement department and ask.  Of course, it's often a lot easier to drill another hole.


Can elbow fitting be used to line up drain tailpiece with trap I installed a new vanity and the drain tailpipe does not line up with the P trap. Can I use two 90 degree elbow fittings to make this connect? Can elbows connect to elbows directly or does it require an extender in the middle? See the picture of my problem.

The best repair for this problem is to cut the trap from the drain pipe, glue on an ABS 1 1/2 inch (or same pipe diameter as existing pipe) coupling and than a short section of new pipe long enough to bring the trap under the sink tail piece.
You wll have a little bit of leeway because the trap section can pivot from the threaded connection.


Pulley setup to raise a laundry drying bar levelly I bought a bike hoist which I modified to use to raise and lower a bar that acts as a drying rack for damp clothes in my laundry room.  I now have the following setup:

The problem is that when I pull on the rope attached to the wall, the right side of the bar goes up while the left side stays down.  Eventually the left side of the bar also starts to go up, but by this point all the clothes on hangars have slipped down to the left side.

Is there a way to modify this pulley setup in order to have the bar raise and lower levelly?

As both bib and Johnny have said, the simplest way to do this is to use two separate ropes. You can either manually pull on both ropes at the same time, or the ropes can be tied together prior to each reaching its first pulley away from the wall (A & B in the image below). Alternately, as Alchymist mentioned in a comment, you can use a single rope with the middle of the rope at the wall and the two ends the attachment points at the ceiling.

Using the pulleys you already have, and keeping the location you are pulling from the same as you are currently using, you can do something like:

Pulleys A and B can be located adjacent to each other. You could, of course, use one double-pulley block for A+B.  However, I assumed you would want to use the materials you already have on hand.


What hardware was used for this handrail? What would you use? My plan is to use a 2x4 instead of what you see there

here is where it will go

Update: here is how I plan to shape the 2x4

That could be as simple as gas pipe surrounding a good sized lag bolt... If it was me, I'd counterbore the pipe about 1/2" into the post and rail to stiffen it up.


1/2" Feed, 3/4" Piping, Effect on Water Flow Rate Currently plumbing a 20" rain shower (droplets + water fall). Using it with a water pump/booster.

The valve that comes with it has two 1/2" inlet which consists of cold + hot water so it's basically a 3/4" feed.

It however only has one 1/2" outlet.

So my question is does it help if i connect 3/4" pipe to that outlet after using reducer coupling? In this sequence:

Outlet > 1ft of 1/2" pipe > 10ft of 3/4" pipe > Rain Shower

I know bigger pipe helps with friction but it's of no concern here as the distance is short.

My concern is more on whether this arrangement will produce a 3/4" water flow instead of a 1/2" water flow and whether i should just go fully 1/2" in order to avoid wasting hot water that are sitting in the pipe since the flow of the said arrangement is just going to be the same as a 1/2" flow.

Thanks.

The hot/cold mixer valve and/or the 1/2" valve outlet make installation of 3/4" pipe, downstream on the run to the shower head, unnecessary; you will have no appreciable benefit from this. Also, I imagine that your "rain shower" unit has a 1/2" inlet (although you don't mention this).

Your concern about "wasting hot water" doesn't make sense to me; your proposed pipe size increase is after the hot and cold mixer...


Are there frameless sliding glass shower doors that don't require any channel attached to the curb? Are there frameless sliding glass shower doors that don't require any channel attached to the curb for the sliding section? I see a lot of them for sale online, but the pictures make it look like they have metal channels attached to the curb. Can't tell. I don't want to put anything on the curb except the fixed door and maybe a small guide. This is a DYI project.

Yes, they make such doors.  (e.g. https://www.framelessshowerdoors.com/sliding-doors/)  But they are only useful if the doors are far enough away from the water spray so that very little water gets under them.


Is using a thermal camera an effective method to locate mold & moisture behind finished walls in a basement? My basement is finished and there are signs that I have leaks or some mold.
The smell is not very strong but I can feel it for the first few seconds when I enter the basement, after that it instantly disappears in the sense that I can not smell it anymore.

I am planning to rent a infrared thermal camera to see if this can help with locating the problem.
Is such a camera effective in these situations ?

PS: I have also seen some DIY or consumer grade cameras which can be attached to an android phone in order to get the infrared picture. Has anyone tested these ? Any links to what you tested would be much appreciated

Here is one such a camera http://obtain.thermal.com/product-p/uw-aaa.htm

I doubt it. I'd assume that any water which has made its way far enough into your house, to wet the backside of drywall, would have already acclimated. It's hard enough to find gaping holes in the exterior of a building by scanning a panel of drywall.

Thermal cameras are used to find heat gain, standing inside, or heat loss, standing outside. Suggested reading: Where do I need to drain the footing drain when I waterproof a basement from the outside? You need to somehow drain or shed rain water away from the house. See any cracks in the foundation?


Metal turned dull grey in dishwasher? I put a shiny coffee filter holder in dishwasher, and it turned dull grey. In the pic you can see the difference with filter cup, which retained silvery shine in the same dishwasher:

The holder leaves dark grey spots on kitchen towel, when I try to brush it.

I thought it is aluminum, but got confused by posts in internet stating it would turn black if washed in dishwasher. Mine is dull silvery grey.

What would the filter holder be made of, and is it safe to use it now, considering all the coffee drips through it into the cup?

It's cast aluminum.

Most dishwasher detergents contain lye (NaOH, sodium hydroxide) - which reacts drastically with aluminum. Fortunately the dwell time in a dishwasher is short enough that it generally only darkens, as opposed to dissolving entirely (which it will do with adequate time.)

Yes, it's safe to use (after hand-washing and rinsing throughly), no, it's not dishwasher-safe and should be hand-washed instead.

The filter cup is of some different metal (either stainless steel or something nickle-plated, at a guess.)


Will foam tape stop condensation on metal windows? I am having an issue that water is building up on the inside of my metal window. has anyone tried putting foam tape on inside or outside to stop condensation?

What you really need is a dehumidifier, foam insulation on the inside will help but the window will probably still sweat as long as your humidity is high with cold weather. whatever you do don't block the outside weep drains at the bottom of your windows or the tracks may fill with water and possibly freeze solid on really cold days. They make plug in dehumidifiers that are not two expensive , other than that make sure when bathing that the exhaust fan is on, when cooking make sure the exhaust fan is on both help remove the moisture,,, here is a link to a small portable unit so you can see what I am talking about.


Woodworking tips to fix a stripped MDF screw hole WITHOUT glue Please note: I see some other very similar questions but the recommended answers all suggest using glue in some form. I can't use glue as part of this solution!

I have a workbench that, on the end cap, has an upside down screw that keeps a piece of wood (on my bench) fastened to an MDF board. The problem is that I've had to move the workbench many times over the years, and each time I do, I need to unscrew and rescrew this upside down screw, and the residual wear-and-tear has started to strip both the wooden and MDF screw holes.
So now, I can pretty much just push the screw into place, and its not really doing its job, and the two pieces of wood come apart easily.
What can I do to make the screw "stick" and properly secure the two pieces of wood together?
I absolutely have to keep the existing MDF board in place; I cannot replace it. I do not want to use any type of glue as that would be permanent. And I am open to using a thicker "gauge" screw but I'm worried this might cause the board and MDF to crack or break apart and, besides, I'm not sure if there are any other woodworking tricks this community could teach me here that would solve the problem without needing new hardware! Thanks in advance!

Use a glue/wood mix to fill the hole and let it harden.
Then you can drill it and use the existing screw as it should be used to hold the part in place.


Replacing hardwired dishwasher with existing wire I am replacing one Frigidaire gallery dishwasher with an new one. My old dishwasher only  had a black and white wires for hardwiring. So it was wired black to black and white to white with the power supply and the bare copper grounded to the frame.  My new dishwasher has black white and a green wire. I connected black to black and white to white. Do I hook the green from the washer to the bare copper from the power supply or do I hook the green to the the green terminal connected to the frame and then ground the copper to the frame

The green wire is the same as the bare copper.
The green or bare copper is the equipment grounding conductor and it should be tied to the frame.
Connect the green wire to the bare copper in the box should be connected to the frame by a green grounding screw.  Tried to phrase it both ways but green or bare from the supply to the machine doesn't matter the connection to the system ground and to the frame is the important part.


how to find circuit breaker for exterior light Most breaker finders seem to work with outlets, but I have 3 exterior light fixtures which are on all the time. I want to find the circuit so I can work on this and fix it.

Turn off half the panel

And go see if the light is still on.  You now know which half of the panel it is.

Turn off half those breakers.   You now know which quarter of the panel it is.

Note that you do not need to see the light go out.  If it remains on, that tells you it's in the "unturned off" half of the breakers you are testing.

Now turn off half of the quarter.  Still on? That means it's in the half of the quarter (1/8)  you did not turn off.  Divide that in two (1/16) and go again.

You should be able to get there in five, maybe six on a big panel.


Code requirement for burying electrical PVC that runs along foundation I need to run a circuit to the opposite side of the house from the service panel to an AC disconnect box. From my understanding this could be run with THWN wire in Schedule 80 PVC above ground if it's attached to the structure (A in attached pic). If instead it was buried, Schedule 40 could be used (for any sections not above ground) but it would have to be 18" deep.
Does that rule for burying 18" deep apply if the conduit is in contact with the structure? In this case the whole run would be up against the house, I would essentially just be wrapping it around the house. It would not cross through any area with traffic. I'd like to bury it enough to keep it from being visible (2-3 inches - B in attached pic) but it would seem that digging an 18" trench all around the foundation is overkill when the same path is allowed if it's simply moved up a few inches to be above ground.

The trench actually needs to be deep enough that the TOP of the conduit is at least 18" deep.
Frankly, you'd be better off paying the slight upcharge for schedule 80 the whole way regardless, because it IS a slight upcharge and you would need schedule 80 for the parts coming out of the ground anyway, and it's a lot harder to break.
The difference is exactly what @isherwood's comment calls out - once it's buried, it's hidden and non-obvious, and "the rules" are that conduit hidden underground needs to be protected. Some landscaper planting rosebushes does not expect to find a power conduit 6" underground, and you won't always be around to tell them it's there, so there are rules.
There are ways to go shallower, but they cost serious money (Using rigid metallic conduit, pouring concrete cover that extends beyond the conduit) and are usually not practical for most people as a result. The conduit on the exposed face of the building can be seen and avoided, and is required to be at least schedule 80 (below 8 feet) as insurance against accidental impacts.
If the issue is that you don't want to see it running on the outside of the house, the simplest (and shortest) solution is usually to run it inside the house if you are heading to "the opposite side of the house" - drywall repair is trivial compared to ditch-digging, and you can use EMT or (I'd personally not) NM cable for the "inside the house" part of the run (still need wet-rated wire outside.)


How can I fasten 6" XPS tight against concrete slab? I have an 8" concrete slab with XPS (rigid foam board) insulation - 6" wide, 16" tall - around the perimeter.  The operator who back-filled around the site compacted things a little too aggressively and cantilevered the top of the XPS out from the top of the slab.  There is a further 8" of EPS beneath the slab which may be what allowed the bottom of the XPS to move inward.  There is now a gap of up to 3" between the outer edge of the slab and the inner edge of the XPS.

This is going to make finishing over the XPS challenging and the gap will also need to be filled, probably with spray foam, to keep cold air away from the slab.

Is there some way I can bring the XPS tight against the concrete (short of digging everything up and trying again)?

One idea that's been suggested is to drive some concrete screws through the XPS with large washers and use these to cinch the XPS tight up to the concrete.  This seems like a great solution except that I'm unable to find nylon concrete screws long enough to do the job.  Longer metal screws are available but create a thermal bridge from outside (cold) to the slab which I'd prefer to avoid (having just put a ton of XPS around the slab to insulate it ...).

In searching for a suitable nylon screw, I came across threaded nylon rods which are readily available in lengths up to at least 6'.  By cutting such rods I was able to obtain a stem of suitable length.  These were inserted into holes drilled in the slab and fastened using epoxy.  Then, a nylon nut (also readily available) was used to tighten a galvanized washer against the foam and pull it closer to the building.

This was moderately messy (drilling holes in the XPS for the rod and to countersink the nut made a billion little pieces of foam to clean up) and still involved the use of a bit of foam to seal over each nut/washer/rod.

Worse, the XPS was not willing to move all the way to the building in some places.  Where there was less than a 2" gap the approach worked.  For the largest gaps, the XPS began crushing beneath the washer before coming flush to the building.

The remaining gaps led me to choose to spray more to fill these gaps and then, rather than flashing it all with aluminum sheet metal, we used an elastomeric paint over a fabric to extend the house's water barrier over the foam and down to the earth and to provide some mild protection for the foam.  The result doesn't currently look very good but with another coat or possibly two it may improve.

Overall it's not a very satisfying solution but we couldn't come up with anything better.


Is moving a desk upstairs/downstairs for comfort twice a year a sign of poor insulation? In a side-split on three levels, four including the basement, the heating and cooling unit is almost new (2 years), and the heating/cooling unit was only available at 35% more cubic feet capacity than the house. Hence it should be quite easy for it to handle the volume of air inside.

Both summer and winter I keep the air ciculation turning on perpetually, whether the heating and cooling unit is on or off.

The thermostat is on the main level, set to about 68F/20C in the winter and a little more, 70F/21C, in the summer.

Despite all these factors, each year in May and September I find it necessary to move my desk, in May downstairs and in September back upstairs. Otherwise the temperature is too uncomfortable for an extended sit-at-the-desk session. I found it easiest to just buy a second desk, and move everything else (monitor, monitor arm, laptop, paraphernalia, desk chair).

Is this:

Normal or near-normal. Regardless of the roof and wall insulation, the rooms upstairs will have to heat up if the house (detached) is baked throughout the day from the sun. In the summer the temperature outside is regularly 80F/28C and sunny.
Not normal. The description above indicates that the walls and especially the attic are not sufficiently insulated.

The bedrooms are upstairs, but the extra heat is not an issue, because the temperature outside is anyway cooler at night.

In this question I'm not even seeking a solution yet (there is already a huge leafy tree on the east side and another, even larger, on the west side). I'm first trying to understand what is to be reasonably expected for comfort inside at all levels.

Quantifying (following isherwood's comment):

I'm asking for a round-the-year issue, but mentioning specific temperatures may help. In this late May, and while the temperature outside is a pleasant 65F/19C, I haven't even switched on the A/C unit yet. Despite that, the upper southwest room (used as winter office) reached 78F/25.5C yesterday. The air circulation is on. Is this heat level normal? Could a room that's baked on two sides for the whole afternoon be expected to remain cooler? (Notice that it became much warmer than the outside.)

I have seen what in my opinion are crappy jobs on multi floor systems. No single system at the same static level year round will ever heat / cool properly. I install adjustable dampers in the trunk lines both supply and output for the air handler. In the summer the upper floors are wide open and the lower floors closed down ~20% this pushes more cold air up where it is warmer. In the winter I reverse for the lower floors to be open and the upper floors throttled back. This uses a limited amount of natural convection or heat rising cool falling because of the density.

It may be possible to add trunk dampers this is the best and easiest way to adjust for summer winter temp changes , even a very well insulated home should have dampers in my opinion not only in the rooms and each room to be balanced but on the trunk lines to the different levels so the house comfort is similar on all levels.


Why does my kitchen faucet's hot water line rattle and lose pressure? When I turn on the kitchen hot water, it heats up, then rattles, and the pressure cuts back by at least 50%.  This does not happen with the dishwasher or the cold water.  Any suggestions?

If you're only opening it just a bit, then it can be thermal expansion.  When the hot water reaches the valve, it can cause some component to lengthen slightly, closing the valve a bit more than it was.

I've seen that exact behavior on bathtub valves as well.  If the behavior is new, it could be that a washer is staying compressed when cold and is expanding only when it gets warm.  If so, replacing the washer may change it up.

Does it cut back 50% if you open the valve all the way, or only if you open it a "normal" amount?


What type of wood should I use as an outdoor table top for a BBQ? I am going to build a brick BBQ similar to something like the below BBQ picture.

The position will be against the house and will get wet from rain. I only plan to cover the BBQ.

Would I be ok to have a wooden counter top?

What types of wood should I look at?

How to protect?

I would recommend something that is dimensionally stable, resistant to rot and easy to work, like cherry, chestnut or walnut - for an outdoor food preparation surface, any tight-grained hardwood will work. (See also the "Wood Picker" app)

Fine woodwork that's meant to be kept exposed to the elements should be protected with a marine-grade spar varnish. This requires a bit more effort and care to apply, and will require periodic maintenance - google "brightwork", which is the art of applying finish to wooden structures on boats. There have been entire books written on the topic, but here's an article to get you started.