What is this weird plug? Trying to use a second-hand oven (bought in France) but it has this strange plug I've never seen before:

The wall sockets in the kitchen are just the usual EU one:

I searched the hardware store for an adapter, but could only find the inverse direction.  And if I search for "four monophase adaptateur" ("four" is oven in French) then I also only see pictures of adapters going the other direction.

What is the plug?  Is there such thing as an adapter to convert to a normal socket, or some practical reason why this only possible in the inverse?

If there is no such adapter, what will be involved to get this oven working - will it be as simple as wiring up the correct socket into the wall, or there may be more involved?

It looks like an NF C 61-315 standard French single phase plug:

These are are rated for 400V, 32A on a single phase. The socket you have pictured looks like a French style Schuko (CEE 7/3), which is typically only rated to around 16A. My guess is that unless you already have a socket that was intended for use with an electric stove, the wires are likely not a suitable gauge to handle the current demand.

If you have an outlet with the appropriate wire gauge, it would probably just be a matter of replacing either the outlet or the plug.  If you have any doubts, I'd consult an electrician before attempting to connect it.

Image credit: "Power connector Legrand 32A" by Kae - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Power_connector_Legrand_32A.jpg#/media/File:Power_connector_Legrand_32A.jpg


Through-wall AC troubleshooting The AC produces cool air for a short period and then ceases to produces cold air after 10-20 minutes.   It will repeat this cycle if turned off for ~1.5 hours

What can be concluded from the observations above (freon quantity, compressor status)

This AC is an older Fedders A1A10W7: these were designed to be serviced vs today's disposable ACs.   Before dropping $1K on a new AC.  I would think it make sense to determine if there is a simple check or repair will extend the service life.   If it makes any difference, the 3rd story AC faces a busy avenue in urban city

Is there a simple diagnostic or corrective (maintenance?) action I can perform before replacing the unit?

Suggestions with links to procedures / videos are always appreciated.  Thank you

First check to make sure that your coils are all clean.  Make sure the condenser fan is running.  Check temperature of condenser coil.  It should be hot.


How do I remove this bolt from my bedframe? This is my first time posting in this forum but I wanted to get some help from y'all regarding removing a bolt from my bed frame. I bought a used bed frame and I need to dismantle it to shift it into my room. Here is an image of the bolt.

Could you please tell me what tools I would need to remove this screw (the silver nut on the left) as well as how I should go about doing it. Thank you, I really appreciate the help from this community :)

Looks like an IKEA bed to me - something like the MALM or the HEREFOSS.

You first remove the metal rail, then undo the nut. The manual depicts a wrench (ikea part 113453) but a regular metric 13mm wrench reportedly works fine. From the assembly instructions:


What is the antenna connection on a European TV called? I am looking for the name of the cable that goes from a 4-way TV splitter (the Power pass out input) to the back of my TV, as mine has broken and needs replacing.

This is to get my antenna and satellite connected.

Here's an image for reference. The cable from the splitter to TV 1 is the one I need the name of :)

I have bought a coaxial cable female to male but this does not fit.

Any help would be really really appreciated!

The photo you posted of  connection on the back of your TV is odd. I do not recognize the connector labeled antenna, the connector for the satellite is a coaxial F connection and that is what typical antenna connectors are in the USA. Do you have the manual for the TV, can you tell us the model number. Possible your tv came with an adapter for this

It is possibly a Belling-Lee connector

Common in Europe and the Australia.

if you are handy you can put a Belling-Lee connector on a coaxial cable. How to wire a Belling-Lee connector

I found this adapter to convert an f connector to a belling-lee.


Can multiple outlets be directly attached to a single breaker? Are either of these ok:

a) Two NEMA-5-20 outlets, each has a run of #12 wire, that runs all the way to a single breaker, which then clamps 2 black #12 wires.

b) Two NEMA-14-50 outlets, each has a run of #6 wire, that runs all the way to the breaker which clamps on two red leads and two black leads.

a) Two NEMA-5-20 outlets, each has a run of #12 wire, that runs all the way to a single breaker, which then clamps 2 black #12 wires.

It depends on the specifications of the breaker. If it allows 2 wires then OK. If not, just connect the two wires to a third wire (pigtail) and connect that wire to the breaker.

  b) Two NEMA-14-50 outlets, each has a run of #6 wire, that runs all the way to the breaker which clamps on two red leads and two black leads.

No. See Wire two 14-50 outlets to 50 amp breaker


Replace linear Compact Flourescent bulb with 2 pin Does anyone knows how to replace a linear CFL bulb that cannot be twisted? I tried pulling it out but failed.Thank you. I

You need to pull that little tab out on the socket with a small screwdriver or knife. This will "unlock" the bulb assembly and then you can pull it out of the socket.


Staple through a small electrical wire, will it still work correctly? I'm running a small cable along a wooden beam, using a staple gun. I accidentally put the staple through one of the wires (the one with the black stripe).

It's very small gauge wire and the hole is all the way through. More worried because it's an electrical wire from a  solar panel, going to an outdoor security light.

How will the hole in the wire effect current and ultimately charging of the batteries on the unit? The picture is a bit blurry but you can see the hole in the wire.

Any direction is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Wrong kind of staples. Eventually they might all abrade the cable, whether or not you stapled right through it and present a fire hazard. Replacing the cable would be best. Inspecting the damage would be good, but then you'd have a splice to deal with or have to re-insulate, both having to be waterproof. Damaged insulation can be fixed, but we don't know how bad the wire got nicked (also a fire hazard).

Plastic Insulated Cable Staples: (Ideal)


Do Old Houses Have a Pre-determined Lifespan? Taking into consideration the building supplies that were available in that time period for that particular geographic area (say, a major metropolitan city in the mid-western United States), do homes built in the late 1800s have definite points in time that they reach where they are essentially beyond repair without a complete teardown? I'm not really talking about things that can be replaced like legacy iron piping with contemporary copper...I'm talking about the lifespan of the actual bricks and wood that go into the foundation/frame of the house itself deteriorating to the point that the house becomes structurally unsafe?

Is this a real problem? Or were the supplies used even in the late 1800s treated well to such a degree that, given typical housing standards (at that time) if it were properly built, should last for hundreds of years?

I don't think it is much of an issue with individual materials.  In general most of them last a long time, and when they do fail, they simply get replaced.  Of course, it can be a problem if the item that is failing cannot easily be replaced.

Off the top of my head I think the only issue could be the foundation.  Many homes built that long ago did not really have a foundation or may have compromised foundation by now.  That is something that is very expensive to fix.  Though not impossible, the fix usually involves lifting the house and rebuilding the foundation and then dropping the house back on it.


Can a plumbing vent pipe be vented horizontally? I live in NYC and I have a plumbing vent pipe which vents through the roof.  The vent pipe however has some "angled" pipes which bring it out into a small section of a bedroom to avoid going through the header between the ceiling and the attic floor, the house is balloon framing. The vent pipe then runs back up into the attic where it vents through the roof. The stack is 12 inches to the right of a window.  I have two questions.
1. Can I cut the pipe 7 or 8 inches above the window and vent the pipe to the back of the house? There are no other openings other than the window.
2. If I can, how do I close off the roof opening, I don't want to take the roof apart, just close off the vent pipe to prevent water or birds from getting in.
Thank you to all who respond.

You really don't want the vent pipe opening near a window, because of the possibility of the sewer odor coming back into the house. That's why vents are on the roof in the first place — any breeze quickly carries the odors away.

To answer your specific question, yes, vent pipes can have horizontal runs, as long as there is no possibility of them becoming plugged with water. In other words, any water that gets into the vent pipe opening must be able to run freely all the way to the sewer, without creating a "trap".


Tighten toilet seat with nut in tough spot I'm trying to tighten a Pressalit toilet seat on a Villeroy & Boch toilet. Unfortunately on that toilet the bolts are inside the toilet base and tough to reach. The Pressalit website shows a special tool they use to tighten the bolt which I no longer have.

Any alternatives to that tool?

Here is a view of the tight spot:

So here is how I solved this issue.

I made a tool similar to the one shown in the hinge & tool diagram link above by wrapping a 1/2" socket with electrical tape, then securing a conduit bracket around the taped socket with more tape. This allowed me to use the portion of the conduit bracket that is screwed into the wall for leverage with my thumb to turn the nut.

Now the nut was still frozen so I used a product called PB Blaster liberally on it and after letting it sit for an hour the handmade tool above was able to break the nut loose.

Thanks everyone for your responses.


rainwater entering doorway below driveway I have converted garage with door way about 4 inches below the driveway. Previous owner left this issue for me. My questions is i want to cut into concrete to create   drainage system, french drain with metal grating. I'm not sure how to handle the doorway. how far away from the entrance do i cut across. Do i need to cut out say a doormat piece of concrete in front of the door so entrance is level. Or just by creating this drainage to run the width of the driving place close enough the doorway(with out change it being below driveway) will resolve my water issue?

I would put the drain as close as is possible to the door jamb. Think about driven rain hitting the door and dripping down it. Where do you want that water to go, into the drain or back under the door?


Will thinset be damaged if it gets wet after drying 18 hours? I laid tile in the bathroom yesterday.  About 18 hours later, it felt pretty solid, so I took the opportunity to do some minor plumbing work under the sink (replaced the water shutoff valves).  I had some trouble installing the valves, and a fair amount of water dripped on the floor, but it's done now.  I haven't grouted yet.  In that area, the thinset in the grooves is now pretty much soaked.  Should I be concerned about the strength of the mortar?

Also - can I grout now or should I wait until the area is thoroughly dried?  I'm unsure because I've read that the drying of thinset is a exothermic reaction, rather than evaporation.

Regarding strength, what's done is done.  I wouldn't worry a minute about it and certainly would not start taking up the tile in the off chance that somehow the mortar has been weakened.

In fact it can be helpful to keep mortar/cement/concrete damp for an extended period.

The spilled water does put an additional temporary moisture load on any wooden substructure, but again, this would be negligible in light of the original water content of the mortar.


What is proper way to wire hard wired LED strip light power supply/controller/driver? I'm considering LED strip lighting for a pantry and for the stairway to the basement.  I see three types of power supplies for the strips:  with an AC plug, with pigtails, and with screw posts.  The ones with an AC plug are easy to use and I might consider that for the stairway, but I can't easily hide the plug and outlet in the pantry (it wouldn't look "clean").

The power supplies look to be too large to fit inside an electrical box.

I could mount the pigtailed power supply outside the box and run the wires to the inside where I attach to 120 VAC.  But, I'm concerned you can't have exposed AC wires (going from the supply to the box).  What's code compliant?  Do I put them in some sort of conduit?

What about the supplies with the screw posts??  I'm pretty sure I can't wrap tape around it to isolate the AC (tape could come off).  These mystify me.

Thanks,

Jim

p.s.  Got asked for examples...First is an example of one with a plug, second is an example of one with pigtails, and third is an example of one with screw posts:

I'm pretty sure the proper way involves using a (large) electrical box (Thanks Nate S).  They make them in a variety of sizes--some quite large, like the ones holding your circuit breakers.  I saw a picture of a large one containing a large switching power supply.  You mount it some place out of the way, like in the basement, or in the attic (if you have access) and then run low voltage wires to the room/led tape.

If the power supply is pigtailed, I also think you could butt it up against an electrical box and have the high voltage wires enter where it butts up.  That way no high voltage wires are exposed--kind of how I see the doorbell or boiler transformer mounted to a box.  I'm basing this solely on the transformers I've seen.


electric meter move advice I am carrying out some major driveway works soon, but would like advice on what to do with the electric meter.
The mains supply runs in the front of the property, goes into a garage there where the electric meter (Siemens S2AS) is located, and then carries on past the garage to supply electricity to the house.
So the garage is going to be knocked down, and a tarmac roadway put in it's place.  However I don't know what to do with the meter?  Once all the work is done I was thinking about having it in a small box or something near to the original location at the front of the property.

Should I move it to a temp location?  And can I do this myself, and get an electrical company to do a proper install later once I know where it's going?
Should I just get on and get the electrical company to move it to it's final resting place?  (not sure about this as the works are quite extensive and it could be in the way)
Any other suggestions?

Things vary according to location but around here, you contact the local power company and request a temporary pole and disconnection of your current service.
Once that is done, you can complete your demolition and remodeling but the power company is going to expect to find a finished meter box that they can run the service drop lines to and then install and seal a meter for your new installation.  Then they will remove the temporary pole.
You are not authorized to mess with the always energized service drop wires on the company's side of the meter.


How can I hang an IKEA Stockholm mirror on a brick wall? I found tips for hanging the Stockholm mirror from IKEA using the technique here by Ray Li: https://hackerbits.com/life/how-to-hang-an-ikea-mirror-stockholm/

However, I have a brick wall in the lounge where I want to hang it, so how can I adapt those instructions for my situation?

I used a D-ring (holds 7kg) with two holes then used a nut and bolt (m4*12mm) as shown in the blog and also a 12mm screw directly into the wood (I stopped screwing when I heard little creak).
I wasn't able to use a picture hook as it was a brick wall so used 2 of these sturdy plastic wall hooks (14x9mm) with wallplugs and screws (https://www.prowa-produkte.ch/collections/wandhaken/products/wandhaken-art-610?variant=30337743880258).
The mirror doesn't hang quite flush there's a small 15mm gap at top and 8mm on the side in the middle. But it's almost perfect and looks very good to me


Is it OK if my Durock cement board got wet? I bought some cement board for the bathroom remodel and I stored it in the garage. No idea how but each sheet got a couple wet spots through them. I moved them inside to dry. After they dry are they still usable?

Durock and similar cement-based products are designed for uses where it may be exposed to water.  It's not waterproof but it will not disintegrate or lose its strength when wet.

You should allow it dry thoroughly, however, before using it.


How do I prevent condensation on my balcony windows? On the street, temperatures at night are about -5 °С and about 8 °C during the day. In the apartment it is about 25 °C. So, there is condensation on the windows and I don't want to wipe the windows every time.

How do I prevent condensation on the balcony windows?

You're dealing with a basic fact of nature, water condenses on cold objects, so you need to either remove the water or the cold objects. The windows will typically be the coldest objects in your home since they have such a low R value.

Start by reducing the humidity in your home, run exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom for longer when cooking and showering to remove the moist air. You can also install a dehumidifier to dry out the air.

The second step is to make the windows warmer by upgrading them to double paned insulated windows. If your windows are old, this can also save you money with lower heating and cooling bills.


Help me fix a gap between tile and baseboard! I just removed the paneling in my den. When I started with the base boards and noticed that when when my tile was installed they were installed with the base boards in place. Before I could remove the base boards I had to actually break the grout around them so I could get the boards out. Now that that is done I now have a 3/4 inch gap between the wall and the tile and that is only one side of the room. The other side will have about an inch and a half gap. How should I address this. I was thinking of getting some grout to match and filling this gap in. Not sure if that is the best solution.

You have a 3/4" gap and a 1 1/2" gap, and clearly the larger gap is too wide to be covered by a baseboard alone.

What I might try to do is see if you can get a standard baseboard against the wall which will give you about 3/4", then I would put quarter round right after that against the baseboard.

The 1.5" gap will be hidden, but you might need to cut a 3/4" wide strip of wood so the quarter round has something to sit on.  It should be roughly the same height of the tile so the edge of the quarter round will be just covering the edge of the tile.  If there any more gaps at this point I would probably get some white paintable caulk and go around the base of the quarter round.

I like this approach because I think a little quarter round around the baseboards of your room can be quite aesthetically pleasing and make a simple boring looking baseboard look even nicer.


How many Tapcons should be used to anchor a baseplate to a concrete floor? I'm building a non-structural wall in my basement. I'm using Pressure-treated lumber on top of a foam sill gasket to protect from any moisture. How many tapcons should be used per 8-foot length to ensure long lasting stability?

I'd use 3 good ones in an 8 foot run; more if they don't feel solid. (Since it's not structural, all you're really trying to do is hold the wall to the floor and resist any after-the-fact warp/twist issues.)


Remove a nail-in box with 3 romex cables and not cut drywall? Single gang nail-in box for thermostat was about 1" recessed and probably too small for 3 romex cables of 10g wire. Orig. installer 30 years ago left 1.5 inches of sheathing on all cables. Extension boxes I bought were too small, so I thought I'd just replace box with a bigger one and bring it forward...
Cut box nails.Thought I would cut out box with dremel flex shaft but it isn't working...friend suggested Multitool but I can't see how a any size blade could get in there. Suggestions?

I removed the box making two surgical cuts with a dremel tool and cutting attachment (not going too close to wires). Then i broke the plastic the remaining distance. Twisted and pulled the box out.


How can I clean water stains off my shower stall? It is all glass (transparent) but has become translucent because of salt stains (slightly hard water). What is the best way to clean without using harsh chemicals? My toddler is allergic to harsh chemicals like Ammonia.

Ammonia is not the right chemical anyway. Try vinegar; if that's too much of a chemical for you, get out a razor blade and start scraping. Or rinse after using it....

Once you have it clean, use a squeegee to remove any water from it before it dries after each use to keep it clean.


40 amp range into 50 amp plug I have an existing 220v 50 amp plug in my garage just bought a new 40 amp
Range, would like to plug in range in garage just till after thanksgiving
Then will replace aa cooktop with it in kitchen can I buy a cord to match the 50 amp plug and use range over thanksgiving or will it ruin range or be a safety hazard

Using a 50A plug and receptacle is allowed on a 40A circuit because of an exception in the Electrical Code.  The exception is because 40A receptacles do not exist, or rather, are not part of the NEMA standards. (There are enough varieties of receptacle already!)

The circuit breaker must be no larger than the wiring is fit for - if the wiring is 8 AWG, the breaker must be 40A (or smaller).   If the wire is 6 AWG, the breaker may be 40 or 50 amps (or any value up to 50A).  With large circuits like this, there is only one appliance per circuit.   I am not sure whether it is legal to plug a 40A rated appliance into a circuit breakered for 50A.  I would downgrade the breaker to 40A for an extra bit of safety.

This is a good time to look at the receptacle.  If it's an old NEMA 10-50 type, it does not have a ground wire, and any problem with the neutral can electrify the chassis of the stove, a potentially lethal situation.  A ground wire can be retrofitted using any viable route back to the panel. (Grounds don't have to travel with the conductors).  Then you can upgrade the connectors to NEMA 14-50 type and change the jumper on the appliance to use a separate ground.


No power coming from c terminal on furnace I am trying to set up a nest. My system was a simple heat only R/W wire set up.

I attached the green wire to the c terminal on my furnace, but no power is being fed from it, or at least the Nest is not turning on.

I see the existing red and white wires go to another brick, but it doesn't have anything labeled C.

The problem I see is that your 24vac transformer isn't really doing anything in your system.  It might be there for an accessory that you don't have, but it's not hooked up.  If it was doing anything, there would be a wire connected to the R and C terminals, and that is not the case.  Use a multimeter to measure between the R and C terminals to see if it is outputting 24v - if not the transformer might not be getting power at all.

In a typical HVAC system, the thermostat acts as a series of switches that connects the R wire to Y, W, and G to activate 24v relays in the system that turn on the compressor, heat, and fan respectively.  Assuming the thin white and red wires in your pictures go to the thermostat, that's not the case for you.  Your heater just needs the white and red wires to be connected, but they don't carry voltage.  It operates like a "millivolt" system and expects the (mechanical) thermostat to only provide a contact closure to connect red and white when heat is needed.

This is not strictly compatible with the Nest thermostat, but it can be made to work with the help of a relay.  In the diagram, the connections on the nest would be: Red - R, blue - C, and black - W (meant to be the white wire, but I used black).

You have all the items on that diagram except for the relay.  You will need to find a "normally open" relay with a 24vac coil.  It is a pretty common item if you know what you're looking for and here is an example.  (I just noticed, one of the reviews on that relay also talk about using the nest with an old millivolt heater.)

The diagram for that relay is:

Where terminals 1 and 3 are for the coil, and 2 and 4 are normally opened (note the diagram is flipped compared to the one above).


How to build floating shelving? I want to put up a 6' x 10" shelf....width to be determined by structure that will hold up a 6' long shelf.
The items on this shelf will be some books, craft supplies, knick knacks...
Best way to approach this project?

If you can avoid floating, I suggest you do. It's inherently weak. (And sooner or later, someone's probably going to try chinups or an entire Encyclopedia Britannica on your work.)

If you gotta, Rockler sells these blind shelf supports: http://www.rockler.com/blind-shelf-supports. Hope you're in the US, or shipping/customs might be tough.

(My review on them is way at the bottom of the list, titled "somewhat disappointing".)

I built a torsion box sandwich of 1/2" baltic birch ply top and bottom with 3/4" x 3/4" oak between. Rockler suggests an extra long 7/16" drill bit for these, though you could avoid that if you drilled the back and middle 3/4" before assembly. (Post back if you want a drawing of the box construction... I don't know if I'm really describing it well.)

Only mount these to wood studs. One per stud would be optimum for strength. You'll want to turn them so the mounting holes are vertical, as the spacing for a 2x4 isn't quite right.


Why are all of my appliances becoming energized when ground wire is excluded? I live in Australia, with three-prong 240v power supply including ground prong. I own a simple plug adapter that does not include the ground connection. As far as I'm aware, using any appliance with this plug removes the safety of the ground protection, but should not have any further effects on the appliance. Instead, if I use this adapter with any of my appliances (washing machine, air compressor, etc) the chassis of the appliance becomes energised. By this I mean that I get a strong shock if I touch the chassis. Also, my proximity voltage detector and neon testing screwdriver light up when touching the chassis. My multimeter detects 0.3v running through the chassis (by the suggested method of touching one probe to the chassis and holding the other probe in my hand) Just touching both probes to chassis and trying all settings on multimeter gives infinite "1" result.

What is going on here? How serious is this problem?

Notes:
1. Yes, this is a follow-up to a previous question asked.
2. Yes, I have booked an electrician to come out, but it is always good to investigate yourself so that I can make sure that the electrician addresses the problem correctly. Also, I want to know if it's even safe for me to be in my house and use my appliances in the meantime.

It is unlikely that the chassis is getting "energized" for multiple reasons. First of all, if it was grounded the breaker would trip. Secondly, the power draw of a washing machine would be very dangerous if you touched it. Also, the design of such devices is done to make such accidents rare, otherwise the manufacturers would be facing hundreds of lawsuits. That you see the same thing in multiple appliances makes it improbable that it is current leak. (What is the probability that ALL your appliances have a dangerous current leak? Negligible.)

If you are convinced there is a current leak, it is easy to test. Just touch one end of a voltmeter to the "energized" chassis and the other to a ground. If it reads 240 volts, its energized. According to another post the OP apparently did this test and it turned out negative, confirming there is no hot chassis here, it is static electricity.

The shock is probably due to static electricity. Both washing machines and air compressors will build up very strong static electricity charges due to rotary motion. If this is not discharged by a ground, static electricity will accumulate and charge up any metal on the device. You also see this same effect on cheap, ungrounded shop vac-type vacuum cleaners.


Should anode rod avoid touching bottom of Water Heater? I want to get a replacement anode rod for my water heater. I have a 40-gal tank measures 56" top-to-bottom, excluding legs. It seems the anode rods (multi-sections) come usually in 42-44" or 54". If I get the 54" one, it will most likely be touching the bottom of my tank. Would it be an issue?

I am sure that the anode rod should not contact the inside of the tank. This would surely damage the inside layer of the tank.


Partial power outage after installing new light fixture I was changing a lighting fixture in my hallway. While taking it apart I realized a black and white wire were connected. After 'plugging in' the new fixture and realizing it worked I decided to attach the black and white back together, assuming they were abandoned. Sparks flew and now half my house has no power.

The circuit breaker that blew was reset and is putting out power. But the only thing that has power is an outlet closest to the breaker. Every other outlet and light in that spare hallway basement and master bedroom bedroom is out.

A ohm meter or continuity tester will help you troubleshoot the wiring. With the power off and the light switch on check each set of black / white wires you are looking for the one that is close to zero ohms or shows continuity, then turn the light switch off and the reading should show close to infinite or no continuity. This wire is the switch leg.

The other 2 cables are your power and the run to another light or outlet. Now if you tie all 3 blacks together that side is done. Mark the white switch leg wire with black tape and connect to the black wire from the light. Connect the 2 remaining white wires together with the white from the light.

Since you have a metal box the ground (bare copper) should be attached to the box It may be better to pigtail the ground if the fixture has a ground wire connect 1  ground to the box then connect the incoming ground and light fixture together. This should get you back up and running.

With a direct short the breakers clear quite fast and don't  usually damage the wires. to reset a faulted circuit breaker turn / push it all the way to the off position than back on.


Didn't fur out a shower pan I recently installed and tiled a shower pan.  I did not realize that this particular pan needed to be furred out in order to install glass shower doors. Do I have any options or workarounds that would allow me to install glass shower doors without tearing down the tile?

I assume that you're hoping to install a swinging glass door set that would normally require that the tile and shower pan walls be on the same plane, with the problem being that the hinges won't align as you have it now. I see two options (aside from redoing your tile):

Install spacers for the upper hinge mount points. These could be made of faux marble or constructed with your tile so they match. They could be simply small blocks or essentially short walls that reach to the height of the door glass. If you go with small blocks the gap between the door and wall will be larger, but it may not be an issue.

Profile view:

|    |
|    |< -- door glass edge
|___ |
    ||
    ||< -- hinge location with spacer block (or stub wall)
 ___||
|    |
|< --|---- tiled wall
|    |
|    |
|    |
|    |
|___ |
    ||
   <||- -- pan wall
    ||
    ||
    ||< -- hinge location

Order a custom door kit. Glass shops will be able to accommodate you with notched glass and/or custom hinges and/or chrome rails for above the pan.


Air Compressor Quick Connect Coupler Won't Latch Background: I just purchased a new air compressor. I was surprised to see that the collar on the quick connect coupling is retracted (I'm used to pulling the collar back to insert the male fitting), but figured that it would latch when the male fitting was placed inside.

Question: When placing the appropriate-size male fitting into the quick connect, I cannot get the collar to move. The air compressor came with two of the quick connect couplings, and both have the same behavior. What am I doing wrong? Cheers.

Some female quick disconnects latch the ring back as you describe. I don't expect you have an issue with the female quick disconnect on the compressor.

I suspect that while your male fitting appears to be the right "size", it is of an incompatible type. There are many different types that appear the same when held at arms length.  See this answer for a primer on the various types of quick-connects.


How much will a damper clamp increase my energy costs? I'm considering installing gas logs. I have the option of vented or ventless. I'm leaning towards vented, since these are mainly for aesthetics, I have a working chimney, and my wife is sensitive to the smells of ventless logs. However, I'm concerned about running gas logs and forgetting to open the damper. Carbon monoxide!

I understand that there are devices called damper clamps, which will force my damper to always be open far enough to be safe. Obviously, though, this will open my house to the outside air. Is it possible to quantify how much effect this will have?

Also, as a bonus question, can things (insect, birds, bats, reindeer, what have you) get into my house through an open damper?

Simply, you are not authorized to use the fireplace if you are ever going to forget to open the flue. If you can start the fire with the click of a remote I'd highly suggest leaving it open if you think you might forget. Perhaps a motorized flue control is in order (ideally one with limit switches that deny gas flow until satisfied-open). A CO detector goes without saying I'd hope.

Offhand, I can quantify for you that almost every fireplace installed in a house, has a net loss for heat. Including some even while they're in use. Keep the flue and doors closed when it's not.

houselogic.com will answer your bonus question by making sure you have a chimney cap present which keeps animals, rain, and snow out of the chimney.


What kind of wire would i need to carry 20 amps 100 feet underground Have an existing underground circuit that goes from the house to the end of the back yard. It's about 40 years old, and I have no idea what shape the wire is in, but it still works. I'm thinking about build a shed at the end of the yard to use as a woodshop. I don't want to actually wire the building up, but I was thinking of running a new line underground. What would I need to run a 20 amp line around 100 feet underground.

Wire size

You can use a calculator like http://wiresizecalculator.net/ to figure this out.

Keep in mind that the distance is not just the distance underground, but the entire wire distance from the panel to the receptacle/switch/fixture.

For 140', you'll need #6 copper or #4 aluminum.

Burial depth

For a 120V, 20A circuit, protected by GFCI, in residential use, using direct-burial rated wire (UF), the minimum depth requirement is 12".

See also:

What is the best way to run underground electrical and low voltage in the same trench?
How do I run a wire underground to an outdoor post lamp?


Is it safe to use this dimmer on LED bulbs? I have a question about dimmer switches for LED flood lights.  My kitchen has six floodlights on a Lutron toggler dimmer switch, model AY-603P.

http://www.lutron.com/en-US/pages/SupportCenter/support.aspx?modelNumber=AY-603P&&SECTION=Documents

Up until now I have had fluorescent lights in them.  The lights needed replacing so I ordered some new ones, however, I accidentally ordered these LED bulbs instead...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076HXK16H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The LED bulbs I ordered are dimmable so I decided to try them out and they seem to work just fine on my dimmer switch, no buzzing or flickering.  My question is...

Is this safe?  I had read that I should only use LED approved dimmer switches with LED bulbs.  My dimmer model does not say that it is LED compatible, the manual for the Lutron AY-603P dimmer switch says that it can be used with halogen and incandescent lights, it doesn't say anything about LED lights.  Are there any electrical risks to using LED bulbs on a this type of dimmer switch?  Any commentary guidance would be welcome.  Thanks!

Nope

From this LED compatibility guide on Lutron's site, the following output.

Further, The service manual you link states clear that

  CAUTION: Use “AY-” or “TG-” models only with permanently-installed
  120 V incandescent or halogen fixtures. To avoid overheating and possible damage to other equipment, do not use to control receptacles, fluorescent lighting fixtures, motor-driven appliances, or transformer-supplied appliances.

That's it.  It's not "not saying" about LEDs, it's saying very specifically about LEDs, since it allows only incandescent and halogen (which are incandescent).  Open up "See Aridani/Toggler model numbers", and open up "Dimmers" (the only category), i.e. here, it lists several categories and the results in each echo the above.

Welcome to the world of off-label usage.  Which means UL has not tested this equipment for this usage. It might work, might not, might get magic smoke, it's all on you.

So the ultimate answer to your question is, shrug...


Does a whole garage door need to be replaced if the middle bracket broke? I have an aluminum garage door that looks in great shape; the only problem is one of the brackets in the middle of the garage door broke. I thought someone would be able to weld it back together, but a garage door company said the whole door needs to be replaced.

Is that true? Can't a bracket on an aluminum garage door bracket be fixed without replacing the whole garage door along with permits?

You can buy most common parts separately. Replace the part rather than have it welded. Ask at your local hardware store (NOT "big-box" store) for a handyman reference, someone familiar with garage doors. Garage door companies will almost always recommend a new door.

Hey, while you are at your local "mom and pop" store, why don't you pick up a few items and help them stay in business?


What is this dense, foam-like stuff under my bathtub? I moved into a new house a few months ago, and had a leak from my (freestanding) tub.  After taking out the drywall in the ceiling in the room below, I realized I had to lift the tub up to get to the drainage pipe.  After doing so and turning it on its side, I saw all of this...stuff that was under the tub.  It almost looks like some sort of foam that I assume was meant to be some sort of "cushion" when the tub was installed, but in looking at all of the tub installation instructions I can find, I don't find any mention of putting stuff like this (or any kind of cushioning) under the tub.

Also it's much denser than foam (but that could be caused by the leak completely soaking it).  What is this, and when I reinstall the tub, do I have to do something like this again?  Here's a photo:

Your tub space is odd looking, It appears that your tub  had an oval bottom.

For standard tubs The tubs are set in a base of foam or sometimes a cement type product to provide a solid bed for the bottom of the tub to rest on.

This is done to support the bottom of the tub and keep it from flexing.

If it was not there the bottom of the tub would be free floating and  the flexing could, over time, cause issues at the mounting points on the rim of the tub thereby causing loose and or noisy connections.


What material will block/deflect heat from sunlight outdoors for a storage unit? did not know where else to post this, but I am sure here someone can help.

Besides insulation such as fiberglass, cellulose, styrofoam, what material similar to maybe a plastic will not absorb heat or deflect it in order to build something. Styrofoam seems to be the best after my research but it will crack or not last.

Something that I can use to build a medium size storage unit outdoors that will not break if wind throws objects around such as small rocks during storms. This way the contents of the storage will stay fairly warm (maybe 80-85) and not 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also something shiny would hurt the eyes/be difficult to look at outdoors if the entire structure was made with reflective sheets so reflective aluminum is not an option and there are no trees around.

Right now I have a plastic storage unit and the temp. will go above 100 Fahrenheit (I used a thermometer to check). So in a nutshell, I would like to build a big box that resists/deflects/does not absorb heat with durable lightweight material.

Thanks!

Use an aluminum storage shed and line the INSIDES of it with Styrofoam, glued to it with construction adhesive. The aluminum walls shield the Styrofoam from physical damage, the Styrofoam slows the heat transfer from the aluminum. You can also paint the outside with "heat reflective paint" (use your favorite search engine on that term for a supplier near you). Heat reflective paint works by having a substance like tiny hollow balls of aluminum  (varies by manufacturer) suspended in the paint that reflects infrared energy, without necessarily reflecting visible light, so it's not "shiny". I've used some that was a beige color on a steel shipping container, it immediately dropped the temperature inside by about 20 deg. F on a hot sunny day.


Adding a pergola to my deck; ok to replace corner railings posts with pergola posts? Planning to add a pergola to my deck for shade and growing grapes and need help deciding if I should extend the posts of the pergola to the ground on a concrete base or if I can just attach it to the deck by replacing the existing corner posts used by the deck railing and just beefing it up with additional blocking.

Photos showing existing deck and planned pergola post placements

What the pergola will look like - except using 4x4 posts

Some project specs:

Deck is 12x10’; attached to the house and supported by two 6x6 posts set on 16”(?) concrete pillars; the posts at the base of the stairs are set in the ground which presumably provides a small amount of additional support for that corner
I will use 4x4s for upright posts (expecting some warping and cracking) because in my opinion the 6x6’s look too beefy for my small deck and I'm trying to keep the added weigh down
I will use 2x6s for the cross beams and rafters
This will be about 800lb of added weight, including the weight of the grape vine and any accessories, so 200lb per post
The pergola will not be attached to the house, but will be ~2 inches away from the house at the closest point

Location: Greater Philadelphia Area

UPDATE (05/26/2020): Decided I'm comfortable with skipping the concrete base. For the four corners I will be using this style of blocking and tying everything together with plenty of structural screws. Its might not be necessary but I am also considering adding a sister board to strengthen the cantilevered portion of the outer joist. The outer joists did not have joist hangers connecting them to the ledger board for some reason so I will be adding that as well as securing the joists under the posts with DTT ZMAX Galvanized Deck Tension Tie Kit.

I am sticking with 4x4 upright posts and 2x6's for everything else, the trellis top will get covered with shade curtains and later grapevines so I don't care too much if they look "puny" as long as they are solid and strong. Toja Grid makes extensive use of 4x4s in their pergola kits so that gives me confidence in the strength of (properly secured) 4x4s.

I would build it around, not connected to, your deck.

Bury your posts 4 feet in the ground  in-cased in concrete, Use a post protectors around them for longer life. ( With the post protectors you do not have to use concrete, i would. )

This will insure that racking is minimal with the lack of room for knee bracing that  you have and what little racking there may be would not be transferred to your deck, which could weaken/loosen your deck over time.

Added bonus: You could make it bigger, wider, taller; extend it out from the house/deck further. Think Larger deck in the future, more grapes.


Breaker trips in one circuit but not the other I am having a weird electrical issue in my living room. There are two circuits for living room receptacles. Receptacles in the west side are in circuit 1 and ones in the east side are in circuit 2.

I bought a used power conditioner and hooked it up to a receptacle in circuit 1. Then after a couple of seconds, the breaker tripped. If I hooked it up to a receptacle in circuit 2, it was OK. I unplugged everything in circuit 1 and hooked up the power conditioner. Same thing --- breaker tripped. So, I don't think it is overload issue. Before I hooked up the power conditioner, I didn't have any issues in receptacles either in circuit 1 or 2. Can any one have an idea where I should look at?

Thanks.

Your power conditioner has a ground fault

But it does not have an arc fault.

That is why it is failing on a combo GFCI-AFCI but not failing on an AFCI only.

The fact that it doesn't trip with the ground-removing cheater proves it is a fault involving the ground wire.  That is, it is not a fault to a water pipe, cat, etc.

Now, did the conditioner work with the ground-removing cheater?   If its own internal loads now do not work, that means its internal loads are drawing from hot and returning to ground, which you have severed.  They should not do that.    If the internal loads still work, that doesn't tell us so much.

The fact that the conditioner fails alone on the wire, with only its own tiny load operating, suggests to me that it's a hot-ground fault.

It needs to flow 8ma to trip the GFCI, and the conditioner's own loads should be quite small.    It may have a new hot-ground fault due to a short inside the machine, which is separate from its own loads.  That could be any value.

Or, it could have a neutral-ground fault due to bad design or a different short.   With a neutral-ground fault, power returning to source has 2 choices, and flows down both in proportion to their conductance (1/resistance).   Anyway, since current is flowing both paths, one of them correct, it takes more than 8ma to trip the breaker.


How can I frame around a service panel in the corner of the room and maintain clearance? I'm refinishing my basement (1952 CMU masonry duplex) and need help figuring out how to frame around the electrical box that was replaced before the we put up the insulation. Unfortunately, the panel's location is in the corner of the living space. So far I've gotten my 2 layers of 1" XPS up and working on framing my walls by stick-building. Given how the panel was mounted by the electrician who replaced it (i.e. on plywood), we are planning to have it recessed behind an access door. I'm concerned about the best way to frame around it to maintain the required lateral working space. Once I frame the other wall and account for drywall, the panel would be on the far left side of the working space which would extend to about half-way between the two studs visible on right. One thing I'm not clear about is how to interpret the working space requirements.

My plan was to add a stud at the edge of the insulation and frame around the 2x4s, though not sure how to work around those wires.

Before people ask, the XPS is cut to the edges of the plywood the panel is mounted on and is taped along the edges.

Appreciate the suggestions in advance!

Looking at that photo you would need 30 inches measured from the left side of the panel to the right. Your cover door would need to be hinged on the left side of the panel (if allowed) my current area allows decorative covers but a label has to tell what is behind the panel and it can not be locked. With the cover door able to open 90 degrees I would not expect it to get flagged.


Cleaning black spots (putrified insects) off vinyl siding Is there a clever method to remove the black spots caused by (what I believe to be) putrified mosquitoes and other insects from vinyl siding?  Will Jomax remove the spots?

I don't know about Jomax, but a mixture of about 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar will remove green mildew off vinyl siding very easily.  I have seen the small black spots you mention and have removed them with the same and a little more elbow grease.


Attaching a switch to wire shelving What's the best way to go about attaching an AV switch to the top of a wire shelf?

I guess zip ties are one option, but are there any better options (e.g. metal brackets that attach to the wires)?

May I suggest you solve the problem differently? Use a thin sheet  of aluminum, mount the panel to that using small self tapping screws, and then bend form the aluminum sheet at 90 degrees so that the switch faces front and there is a flat piece resting on the shelf top. Then, bind this piece to the shelf top using either bolts and washers, zipties or even something good & heavy like a book... depending on your needs.

You'll get a more stable switch mount and it'll look better. Aluminum also takes paint well if you want to spray it or whatever to match the switch or your decor.


Toilet bubbles and gurgles We are having problems with our toilets. There are no air bubbles in the tank, but they bubble and gurgle after they are flushed. We have already tried to snake it and treat it with RID-X, but it has not helped.

Our house was built in 1993, and we have been living here since 2005. We have never had the septic tank pumped. In one of the bathrooms, the toilet is not sealed well. Could that be the problem, or is there a problem with the septic system?

Get a Plumber with a longer & much bigger snake & to also do the items below. Or, keep snaking the lines, while flushing repeatedly. Also snake from the roof vent side to clear any build-up that may have accumulated above the draining path. Many times Regular Tee fittings are used instead of Sanitary Tee's, this isn't correct or legal but are missed by Building Inspectors frequently.

Venting or Breathing sounds like your primary toilet problem. Toilets completely fill the drain pipe where sinks & showers do not. If a clog is in the venting it's putting "a finger on top of the straw" & defeating the plumbing's design.

Absolutely, get the Septic System assessed & pumped if necessary. Snake the leach field inlet as well, since something non-biodegradable may have been flushed by a guest. Waiting for a system to overflow onto the yard is not a good "time to clean" gauging method.

Now, when you have a problem, is the time to pull both toilets up. Snake & hose out their drain paths from both ends. Clear the toilet flange pipes to full diameter. Even replace shut-off valves, supply lines, fill valves & flappers. And, Install new toilet seals. Fix any & all problems or potential problems in one shot.


Can a buried electric line cross a buried sewer line? What are the code requirements for crossing a buried electric line (from meter to panel) with a sewage line?

Here it's not an issue:  Sewer lines have to be below frost line, so they are put at 8 feet.  Electrical lines are, I think 3 feet, and can be less if protected.  This of course makes it difficult to run a sewer line after the electrical is in.

I would try very hard to keep buried lines from crossing.  SOMETIME one is going to be dug up for maintenance.


Multiwire Branch Circuit with GFCI I recently added some ceiling lights and had to tap into an existing junction box that had a 3 wire multiwire branch circuit run to it.  This is a kitchen GFCI receptacle.  The red wire is on a breaker that runs to the dishwasher/garbage disposal.  The black wire fed the GFCI (all share neutral and ground).  I pigtailed off the black to feed power to the lights.  My question is should all neutrals be pigtailed - including the one run from the GFCI to the downstream outlet (GFCI protected)?  Does the attached diagram look correct?  Should the neutral going to the GFCI protected outlet (off the GFCI) be pigtailed with the rest?  I excluded the ground wires from the diagram - they are all pigtailed together.

No, do not join all of the neutrals. The GFCI load terminals need the neutral to remain separate. Your diagram is correct in that respect.

However, kitchen outlets must be dedicated; the circuit may not be shared with lighting as you have in your diagram. This is almost certainly a code violation in any jurisdiction.


If a receptacle is added from a switch box, will the receptacle only work when the switch is off? When I was a new electrician, one day I discovered I could read 120v across the terminals of an open switch. I was bothered by this thinking someone had wired it wrong, but I couldn't understand why it wasn't blowing up or tripping a breaker when I closed the switch until my boss explained I was reading the voltage through an incandescent light bulb on a switch loop (a cable with black and white wires between a light and switch, with the white being used as a hot, which should be properly marked to indicate its hot status but often is not, and the black being used as the switch leg). When the switch is closed the current passes through the switch, through the load, and returns on the neutral wire to the source.

My question is mainly for trouble shooting odd things out there. So here is my proposed scenario: If someone (an apprentice electrician, let's say) were to open a switch box, or seeing one with its switch missing, mistake the switch loop for a hot and neutral, then pigtail off to add a receptacle, and then if someone else was to return from lunch, not notice the addition and wire the switch back in on the new pigtails, and then, let's say the new receptacle really wasn't used for many years so no one noticed anything amiss, until one day when someone plugged something in...What would happen? What would this look like when the switch is off, when the switch is on? Let's say the item plugged in is another lamp, maybe LED that doesn't use much current. And let's say the original light circuit with the switch is a 100W lamp with system voltage at 122V. I'm curious if the LED would come on only when the light switch is off. I wonder if the LED would behave normally, even being in series with the other light, and what would plugging the LED in do to the original light?

When the switch is open, then a low power device (phone charger for example) would work - until someone changes the 100W incandescent bulb for a low power LED...

Once the switch is closed that low power device will get the voltage generated across the contacts due to the resistance of the contacts and the current flowing, which will be too low for the device to work.

Putting a bulb into a circuit to help fault find is also a good trick...

On a side note, when I was about 5 years old, I was going round turning off all the sockets in the house (UK which have switches on sockets). Mum asked me why... I said " so the electricity does not run out onto the floor...". Now Mum is not an electrician but did smile, Dad however, is an electrician and creased up with laughter and started to teach me about wires, lights and circuits...


My eq-3 Bluetooth Radiator Thermostat CC-RT-BLE is just showing "UPD". How can I "unbrick" it? The thermostat just shows "UPD" and there is no way to return to the operating mode. How can I complete the update when I didn't pair the device before or deleted the device from the app?

The official statement is that if you have no calor BT app that is currently paired, you are lost and should return the device to the dealer as broken.

However, there is a way out - the following steps are written for a Linux environment but probably can be adapted to other OSes:

Install a current (!) VirtualBox and VirtualBox Extension Pack for USB support
Blacklist btusb module and possibly more specific device drivers like ath3k if it applies to your system to keep the Bluetooth USB device unoccupied (revert this later!); give chmod a+rw permission to the USB device file under /dev/bus/usb/xxx/yyy, see lsusb
Install RemixOS in a VirtualBox VM, add a USB device filter to expose your Bluetooth chip to RemixOS
Install calor BT on RemixOS, run it at least once
Determine the device Bluetooth address: Open the device by unscrewing the four screws, then gently pulling the turning knob outwards, remove the cover; locate the "ADDRESS" QR code printed on the front of the circuit board; scan the QR code to retrieve the Bluetooth adress in form M001A22XXYYZZ (I had to take a picture, crop it and then run the QR scanner on the image); the Bluetooth address then is 00:1A:22:XX:YY:ZZ; replace the cover, again gently pulling the turning knob outwards, turn it to make it fit the turn encoder; screw the cover
Manually set up the calor BT configuration to address the bricked device. Save this as container.json, replacing all XX:YY:ZZ by the address determined above:

{"clients":{},"devices":{"00:1A:22:XX:YY:ZZ":{"availableFirmwareVersion":null,"firmwareVersion":null,"groupId":"17f51411-4be0-4155-98f6-9a03bbde5681","groups":[],"id":"00:1A:22:XX:YY:ZZ","label":"Device","lastStatusUpdate":0,"lowBat":false,"unreach":false,"updateState":null,"operationLockActive":false,"temperatureOffset":0,"valvePosition":null,"type":"HEATING_THERMOSTAT"}},"groups":{"17f51411-4be0-4155-98f6-9a03bbde5681":{"channels":null,"devices":["00:1A:22:XX:YY:ZZ"],"homeId":null,"id":"17f51411-4be0-4155-98f6-9a03bbde5681","label":"Room","lastStatusUpdate":0,"lowBat":null,"metaGroupId":null,"unreach":null,"activeProfile":null,"actualTemperature":null,"boostDuration":0,"boostMode":false,"controlMode":"AUTOMATIC","maxTemperature":29.5,"minTemperature":5,"nextSwitchPoint":null,"profiles":null,"setPointTemperature":17,"windowOpen":null,"windowOpenTemperature":12,"type":"HEATING"}},"home":{"absenceEndTime":"","absenceType":"NOT_ABSENT","availableAPVersion":null,"clients":[],"connected":false,"currentAPVersion":null,"deviceUpdateStrategy":null,"ecoDuration":null,"ecoTemperature":0,"groups":["17f51411-4be0-4155-98f6-9a03bbde5681"],"id":null,"lastReadyForUpdateTimestamp":0,"location":null,"nonAbsenceGroups":[],"pinAssigned":false,"powerMeterCurrency":null,"powerMeterUnitPrice":0,"timeZoneId":"","updateState":"UP_TO_DATE","dutyCycle":null},"metaGroups":{},"weather":{"temperature":0,"weatherCondition":"UNKNOWN","weatherDayTime":"DAY"},"homeGroup":null,"inboxGroup":null}

Maybe use http://www.jsoneditoronline.org/ to edit this.
Now, install this configuration inside RemixOS: make sure the VM is shut down
Mount the RemixOS VM image, first making the VM image available as a block device (using qemu-nbd from qemu-tools):

modprobe nbd
qemu-nbd -c /dev/nbd0 --partition 1 <path to RemixOS.vdi>

Now mount it: mount /dev/nbd0 /mnt
Copy container.json to /mnt/android-2016-06-30/data/data/de.eq3.ble.android/app_data/ (might vary depending on RemixOS version)
Unmount the RemixOS image:

umount /mnt
qemu-nbd -d /dev/nbd0

Boot up RemixOS; run calor BT; go to "Room", then "Device", then "Update firmware"
Firmware should be transferred (showing moving bars next to "UPD" on the device), then rebooted, device is then going to "InS" mode, turn it off and on again to enter date setup, etc.

If this fails during firmware transfer: Keep trying, set the VirtualBox USB mode to 3.0 - I had to try really hard to get this done.


Troubleshooting a leaking exterior door I have an exterior door that leaks water into the house when rain is blown against it. The floor on the inside of the house is unfinished, meaning it is just the raw subfloor.  I don't want to put the finish floor down until the leak is addressed.

The few things I have done thus far have not improved the situation but has also not made it worse.

Here is what I have done:

Pulled the exterior frame off and filled all the gaps with slow expanding foam.
I have put a roll of 4" valcor rubber strip over all the now foam filled gaps.
I have checked and confirmed that the door is plumb.
I installed a aluminum drip edge across the top molding and behind the clapboard.
I inspected the gasket on the bottom and it looks ok.
The surrounding gaskets seem ok (no cuts or overly squished look when the door is open).

I do not know the brand of door, but it is about 5 years old and has been doing this since pretty much the first storm after install.

What is the next thing I should look for OR what can I do to test and find what is failing to allow water to come in? And then, How do I fix it?

I will also say that depending on who I listen to from the DIY shows, Mike Holmes from Canada says "Use a storm door, that's why they call it a storm door". Norm Abrams from My USA says "an exterior door should keep out all the elements on its own and not require a storm door to do its job". I like and believe that an exterior door should do its job and something is wrong, broken or failing and THAT is what needs to be addressed.

Verify that the door is leaking and not some other place. Have a helper with you and on a dry week spray with a water hose against the door where it meets the jam see if any water leaks in from that. Give it 30 min to show up and if that doesn't work try spraying around the outside of the frame and see if it leaks in then.
Follow the stains to the wall. It is entirely likely that the leak is somewhere else and the door is the first break in the seal so it leaks there. You may need to pull moulding and or wall sections around the door. Following rusty nails can do it to.  I have an addition to a mobile they did not keep a solid pitch so the add-on is about 4" below the main roof.  If ice starts damning it will go down under that roofing all the way across the roof and in to the outside wall 16' away before leaking out. We had a bay window dripping last winter because of that.


Does this basement pit drain into the soil or the sewer? My house was built in 1940.  I recently pulled up the floor and subfloor in the basement and noticed this basement pit.  There was about 6 inches of water in the bottom which I drained.  Below that is a layer of what I think is home-heating oil.  Maybe the house used to have an oil tank inside that leaked (it now has an electric boiler).  I removed most of the oil; below it is clay soil.  The pit is about 3 feet deep.  The short pipe comes from the garage floor drain (I think).  The 90 degree pipe goes to the sewer system (I can hear it).  This pit has probably not been opened in at least 30 years.  There are no signs of flooding or water damage in the basement.

My questions are:

Is the idea behind this that water drains down through the clay soil?  If so, maybe the oil was blocking it, that's why there was the accumulation in the pit?
Is the pipe to the sewer system for overflow should the pit fill with water and not drain quickly enough through the clay?
Should I be thinking about putting a sump pump in the pit?

I emptied the water from this pit and after a day or so it started to smell like sewage in my basement.  That's when I realized that this pit works the same way as a toilet.  The water at the bottom block the fumes from the sewer.  The oil-like substance at the bottom of the pit is some kind of sealant put there to prevent the water from draining into the ground below.  I dumped some water down the pit and voila, problem solved.


New door jamb is smaller than the one it replaced. Can I use it? I've installed the new jamb, however the new jamb appears to bow a bit, and goes in quite a bit at the bottom. I haven't screwed it down yet, or shimmed it, I wanted a second set of eyes (and 3rd, 4th, 100th) to make sure I didn't do something wrong.

Update

Okay, I apologize for the lack of information given here. To expound, my wife locked the door and closed it behind her before checking to make sure she had her keys, and broke the door frame somehow to retrieve her keys.

So, only the strike side really needs to be replaced. I removed the molding and the old jamb, and bought a new kit from Big Box.

Also, the wall is plaster. From what I've read, plaster door jambs and drywall door jambs are different sizes although we measured thickness of old and new jambs @ Big Box, a quick check of width shows 5 1/4" on the old jamb, and 4 1/2" on the new jamb.

Is there any way to use this smaller jamb? I don't think they have larger ones in stock.

It's the carpenter's responsibility to properly shim and anchor any door jamb. Unless it's a rigid steel commercial unit, it's not designed to be self-supporting.

I usually shim behind each hinge on the hinge side, and at four locations, including the latch position, on the latch side. Use a combination of wedge and flat shims. For an exterior door I usually use 3" gold construction screws behind the weather stripping.


Should I patch this hole in my slab? I'm in the process of tearing out carpet and installing laminate in my guest bedroom. After I got the carpet out, I discovered a hole several inches across underneath the wall that borders the garage. The other wall, which is a foot or so away, is an exterior wall. In the center of the hole is a copper pipe (~1/2" diameter) with pipe insulation around it.

I THINK it runs outside to my A/C unit, but I'm not sure why it's running into the slab, since the line for the A/C exits a few inches up the brick. The evaporator is in the attic.

Can I just fill in the void with concrete patch? Do I need to wrap the pipe with anything first?

Bare copper will eventually corrode if it is in left in direct contact with concrete over time.

You can try wrapping the pipe in duct tape and then covering it with sand, then skim coating over the top with concrete. That way, you could get access to the pipe again if you needed to.


How to prevent back flow for parallel connected tanks? Two parallel over head water tanks are connected at the same height and have the output pipes connected to a single pipe into the home. How can back flow of water from tank to tank be prevented?

I would use a non-return valve

  Diameter: 0.75 in
  Maximum Bar Pressure: 16 bar
  Type: Non-Return
  Colour: Black-Grey
  Material: PVC

  Ideally used for conveying water and other fluids in urban and inter-urban infrastructure, industrial, mining, landscape, and farming applications

Note: This one seems expensive, I suspect I can buy about ten 22mm metal-bodied double-check valves for this price.

The secret to buying plumbing parts is to specify exactly what sort of pipe you are joining, materials, nominal and actual diameters, joining method, types of fluids and pressures to be carried and so on.

It is disappointing when you find your 40mm push-fit spigot won't fit into your 40mm "Multifit" compression coupling, or you find that your spare parts box has 40mm ABS solvent-weld elbows but only 40mm  MUPVC solvent-weld pipe (and your PVC-only solvent has jelled anyway). Find a local plumbing supplies outlet and try to build up a good relationship with them so you can get advice and can return parts that don't fit the way you expected.


How to find trusted builders? I live in UK. Since I have decided to buy house, I would need a mortgage lender, conveyancing solicitors and property surveyor. However, this is not all in the long term. I also need to find reliable and competent builders for any decoration or repair work.

My friend had an experience with a builder, this builder did the job partially and then one day asked for a huge sum of money saying that he had to buy more materials. He took the money and never showed up again. My friend found this builder through some website where the builder had a lot of good reviews. This was obviously a huge problem for my friend.

Are builders generally unreliable like this?
If we can't find a reliable builder through our connections, what options do we have?
What is the best way to find a reliable builder?
Should we make deal with large organizations that take on contracts rather than a one man band to do all the work?

Are builders generally unreliable like this?

Most are reliable. But like any other industry, there are some unscrupulous people who will take your money and run.

  If we can't find a reliable builder through our connections, what options do we have?

Personal connections is my biggest recommendation. Ask your friends & neighbors. Send an email to a local community email list (i.e., don't just ask some random person on the internet). If you talk to enough local people you'll likely find the same good and bad recommendations repeated, and then pick (obviously) one of the "good" ones.

  What is the best way to find a reliable builder?

See above.

  Should we make deal with large organizations that take on contracts rather than a one man band to do all the work?

That can work out well. But you will be paying for overhead (advertising, office staff, equipment, etc.) that the little guys don't have. On the other hand, you will often (but not always) have a larger company that can fix up the tough problems if/when they occur. On the other hand, a large organization that doesn't care much about its customers can actually be worse when things go wrong, for a bunch of reasons. So it is a bit of a toss-up.

In the end, I find personal recommendations to be the most effective way to find good service - whether construction, doctors, lawyers or any other professional.


How should I relocate my shed? The property that I bought recently had two sheds. The older one was closer the to the fence and it is already demolished and the other one which is currently blocking our view and it is too big for our needs. The plan is to cut it in half and try to relocate one of the halves on the blue area marked on the picture

The resulting structure will look like this:

Here are my questions:

Is the above a good idea ?  What difficulties can I expect?
2 The house has no slope build around the walls to lead the water away of the walls. That is something that I want to improve in the near future. Do I need to build a slope under the off the wall shelf ?
Considering that I will have to move a prebuilt structure what is the best type of base that I should build for my new shed (the blue square)? I am thinking about a skid base.
  The current shed has its own base frame and it lies on top of solid concrete blocks. Considering that the half of the shed that I am moving has to slide into that space I don't  think that another type of base is a good idea
Do I need to lie gravel under the shed? The area was previously used as a storage area, gravel was stored there before the first shed was build. I already cleaned the place and collected all the gravel in two garage bins.
The old shed base is still in place, it has a gravel bed on top of which concrete pavers were added. They are not level anymore. I could probably use them to build a base fore the new shed (in the blue area) or try to drive the water away from the house in the greyed area under our windows.
The question is, if the old shed does not need a base (either gravel or concrete slabs) which of the two is the best to cover the grey filled area in the first picture: concrete slabs or gravel? (I guess they will both need a sloped bed before anything

Update (2017): I ended up cutting the shed in half and reinforcing the structure so it  could stand by itself (worked well)
After that I used conduit pipes to move it in place. A friend of mine got some leftovers from work and they where just good to roll the whole thing on them
I ended up moving the structure twice since when I first moved it in place it was late in the season and I had to wait till next year when I built a base by the book (sand, gravel, slabs)
It stands strong no issues to far.

I think:

No, it is not a good idea. You can expect all the difficulties of renovation, new construction, and building relocation, combined. Perhaps also conflicts with land use regulations as well. Without tying the roof to the adjacent structure, expect water damage to both the shed and the home.
Support for the shed should be suitable for the soil and drainage conditions local to the site. A proper foundation would be the preferred solution. Whatever is constructed should be in accord with current building codes and meet the requirements for wind and seismic forces.
A concrete slab might provide better long term performance.
See answer 3.


Concerned about the outcome of insulation fibers I was working in an attic ,an exhaust fan was turned on I immiedetly breathed and was choked with the insulation to the point I couldn't breath ,I now feel it in my lungs as uncomfortable ,any idea if fibers might have lodged in my lungs and what dangers I might encounter?

No likely permanent danger, the effect is most likely limited to the acute irritation you are experiencing. Even if it contained some amount of a hazardous substance, a short term exposure is not likely to pose a long term health issue. Now if it happened to you every day during the course of your work, that would be a different story.


Safe to mount curtain rod to support beam? I'm hoping to mount two curtain rods to span a distance of about 14' so I can partition a portion of my finished basement and make it easier to heat. There is a single wooden support beam running the length of the intended partition. It's 6x8 and probably as old as the house, built in 1926.
Because of a dropped ceiling, only the bottom half of the support beam is exposed. If I were to mount the curtain rod hardware on the side of the beam, at least one screw per mount would be within the bottom third, which I understand is where the beam is in tension.
Is it safe for me to do this because the beam is so thick and the screws are small (1/8th wide, 2" long)? Or is it still a total no-no because I'm putting holes in the beam's bottom third?
Thank you kindly for any imparted wisdom.

It's always smart to ask when dealing with support structures in a building. I'm not an engineer but based on my long experience in dealing with various structural issues attaching screws of that size to the bottom of a 6x8 beam to hang a curtain is not an issue. The assumption, Of course, is that this is a standard curtain and not made of chain mail.


Do I need special primer for red(ish) paint? I am getting ready to paint my living room using Behr's Glowing Firelight (S-G-200):

My building sidekick suggested not to use the regular Killz2 primer but some special gray primer for red(ish) paints.  I am posting here to confirm his suggestion and open a discussion for second opinions.  Which specific primer would be the best for this paint?

You should have your Kilz 2 tinted the same color as the topcoat. Most places will do that for free.


Gluing concrete blocks for landscaping I'm actually rebuilding my terrace replacing pressure treated 6x6 retaining walls with 18x6x4 35 pounds concrete blocks.  Max wall height is about 20" but there is two levels so total height is about 40".  Block manufacturer says max height is 36" and they recommend gluing the blocks for "easy installation".

Side view ASCII art below :

                             |
        ||----- Terrace------| House
        || 20"               |
   ||---||                   |
   || 20"                    |
---||------- Ground ---------|

My questions are :

Any drawbacks to glue concrete blocks?
How to apply glue?  Spot, zizag pattern or it doesn't matters?
Should I glue them on every side too?

For the three or four concrete block retaining walls I've built none of the concrete block manufacturers mentioned using glue. I have used concrete glue for capstones and the pavers that sit on the retaining wall.

For the largest wall I've built - a little over three feet tall max height - I used a Versa-lok (not an endorsement) type block that used pins.

The most important tip I can pass on to you is - build a wooden model that is the exact shape and size of the block you will be using. Use the wooden model in place of an actual concrete block to level the gravel in your footing.

Leveling the first row requires leveling the gravel, putting a block in the hole, checking level, take the block out of the hole, level the gravel, put the block in the hole, check level, etc. It's a lot easier to move a 2 pound wooden model of a block than a 35 pound block.

Glue Drawbacks
Since I don't build retaining walls for a living I tend to make mistakes and have to re-work sections of the wall. Or, I'll discover a better way to do something and need to take blocks apart. Once, my wife decided she needed me to add steps to a section of the wall...

My concern with gluing blocks is that if you have to pull the wall apart to adjust a section it will be a big mess.

You dig your footing, lay in your base gravel and then lay in your first row.
As you put in your second row - gluing as you go - and you find that you have a section glued in that you'd like to adjust. Even if the glue is not dry pulling it apart will be a mess.

I would have to figure out a way to add the glue only when I knew everything was perfect.

If after the wall is complete the ground settled  - heaven forbid - and the wall needed repair or you wanted to modify the wall for some reason it would be very difficult to disassemble.

Application
Here are the instructions for Loctite landscape glue (not an endorsement)

Preparation:
The temperature of the adhesive, the surfaces and the working area must be between 0°F (-18°C) and 100°F (38°C). For smooth,
fast, easy application during cold weather, store adhesive at room temperature (70° ± 5°F) 24 hours prior to use. Ensure surfaces to
be bonded are clean, structurally sound and free of standing water, dust, grease, oil and/or other contaminants. Pre-fit all materials
prior to applying product. Cut off tip of cartridge at 45° angle to desired bead size. For exterior applications, the recommended bead
size is 3/8” (9.5 mm). Puncture seal inside of nozzle.
Application:
Apply a continuous zigzag bead to one surface to be bonded. Apply the adhesive at a rate so that the materials can be positioned
and fastened within 15 minutes. All projects may require support until adhesive has cured. It is recommended that all foot traffic stay
off of paver stones or retaining caps for at least 24 to 48 hours after installation and heavy traffic for approximately 4 to 5 days after
installation.
For Landscape Blocks:
When installing the cap onto the final course of landscape blocks, apply approximately 2” in from the front and 2” in from the back of
the cap to be installed.
For Concrete Paving Stones:
Apply an “S” shaped bead to the back of the stone to be installed. If using old concrete, clean with a 20% muriatic acid solution, then
rinse with clean water and allow to dry prior to applying adhesive.

Gluing the side of the blocks
You don't need to glue the sides of the block


Need to calculate load ratings for DIY wooden storage shelving I'm trying to figure out the max load ratings for some shelving at our shop.

It is 2x4's pine that spans 4 feet across and 30" deep with 2x4's as joists and angled 2x4's for support for each section. Then the 4 foot sections are fastened together in succession. They aren't currently mounted to anything, they can't be to a wall where they currently are sitting (electrical room and needs spacing in front of electrical panels) but will be fasted to the floor.

Thanks, Matt.

To calculate the max load, you need to check the capacity of each piece and identify which one will fail first, in other words whatever has the lowest capacity is your max capacity. In some cases, you'll have load spread across multiple pieces, e.g. each of the decking boards will carry some of the load for the shelf and send half, give or take, to each side. This will all depend on how the load is distributed on the shelf itself, and it's a good idea to be conservative and assume someone places a heavy item on a single side and on a single board.

To start, you can check the weight bearing of a 2x4 turned on it's side for the two sides, and know the capacity can't exceed double that (since there are two sides, but I'd be conservative and assume all the load was applied towards a single side). Next, you can run a similar calculation on the 2x4 decking where the boards are turned flat and over a longer span. This will likely be a smaller rating per board and you'll have to decide how conservative you want to be with the load spread over multiple boards. The next piece of structure you have are the verticals which have to support all of the shelves down to the floor. This is compressive force where the 2x4 is strongest, but you'll want to run this calculation to be sure. Lastly, and where I and CoAstroGeek both suspect you have your weak point, you have the fasteners attaching the sides to the verticals. If those are simple nails, they have a small shear force compared to bolts and could also pull out if there's a sag in the decking.

When looking at how much weight each point can support, don't forget to include the load that's already there from the shelves themselves. So for the horizontal sides of the shelf, they need to support the weight of the 2x4 decking. And the vertical supports running to the floor have their share of 3 decks and sides.

Of course the practical method to calculate the max load is to get some weights and load up a unit until it fails, and then see how much it took before it broke. Or if you don't want to destroy a shelf, use the weights to double check your calculations once you believe you know a safe capacity. It's better to test the shelves when you are being extra safe and expecting a failure than when workers are being careless and a failure could injure someone.

Lastly, I agree with CoAstroGeek's concerns about the lack of diagonal bracing along the long axis, this could easily rack and collapse under a light load if any lateral force is applied.


Soldering AC wires to this PCB I'm working on a DIY Mirror Touch frame and am on the final stages connecting everything.

I have the issue where I was unable to find a deep enough aluminum frame and therefor have the issue where the power cable would protrude from the backside (see first image below and red line).

I've managed to disassemble the DVI connector and reduce the protrusion there.

For the power connector, I would appreciate support with soldering the Power adapter wires to the PCB - as I have no idea which solder point on the PCB should be associated with which wire (DC Live, Ground or DC neutral). I would de-solder and remove the power connector on the PCB and solder the wires directly (and then add a good amount of hot-glue).

I doubt that cable is carrying household voltage. It's probably DC voltage in the 12-24 volt range from a power supply brick.

Use your multimeter to figure out which part of the connector on the cable is positive and negative. Then you can desolder the socket from the board, cut the connector off the cord, use the multimeter to identify positive/negative in the cable and solder it to the circuit board.

If I had to guess, the two pins sharing a trace are probably positive, and the third pin looks to be attached to the ground plane and therefore probably negative.


How to connect dryer duct to wall? I just removed a stove and fan, and am left with this rectangular exit for the fan exhaust.

I would like to hook up a dryer in place, and am wondering the best way to connect the round duct from the dryer to the rectangular wall opening.

Assuming the rectangle is a 10" x 3-1/4" and the dryer is 4" round, you can get something custom made ($$$) or do this with two pieces;

rectangle to round:

round 6" to 4"


Recommend laundry tub automatic pump system I've spend hours looking through various online catalogues and other sources for advice. What seems to be the most long-lasting and reliable design for systems that pump grey water from laundry tubs to home sewer systems, that do not require human intervention? (I assume that one is not allowed to mention trade names on here.)

Thanks!

Type into your favorite computer search engine like  Google "sink tray system sump pump" and you will get lots of pumps and places to buy them.


Why does shutting off cold water valve to the water heater shut down cold water in entire house? I'm a new homeowner so maybe my understanding is off. My question is, why would turning off the cold water intake valve on the top of the heater turn off cold water to the entire house after about 12 hours?

I thought turning off the cold water intake would gradually shut off the hot water, not cold.

Context: We have an ancient (from 1989!) electric water heater in the basement of our townhouse that popped a leak and is going to be replaced, hopefully within a few days, hence me turning it off.

I turned the power off to our water heater and turned off the cold water intake last night; when I got up this morning, the sinks and the toilets were working fine (except for the hot water obviously) but a few hours later normal water flow to the cold water faucets and the toilets also stopped working (so no flushing!). When we turned the cold water valve to the water heater back on cold water was immediately restored.

If that is truly the case as you reported it, something is seriously wrong with the design of your plumbing system and you are mixing hot and cold water all of the time, which would be costing you a fortune in electricity bills.

Are you sure it was ALL of the cold water lines that were off? On things like showers, bath faucets and in some places, sinks, there is an anti-scalding / temperature balance valve used to mix cold and hot automatically. With no hot water at all, it may have interpreted that as there being too much cold water, so it kept reducing the cold water in an attempt to balance the temperature. But that would typically not be associated with your toilets. MAYBE, if you are in an extreme environment where the toilets might freeze, someone did that to put a little warm water into the toilets too, but I have never seen that.


Can I add bathroom/closet in place of 2nd entry door? I have 1.5 bath ranch style house shown in picture below. The closet space is very limited and I really want to add one more full bath. I am contemplating closing the 2nd front door (as seen in sort of middle) with bathroom or at lease a closet. The bay style window is living and the corner room is the master bed, so the proposed bath could be attached master bed would would be great.

But does it sound like reasonable place to add bathroom? Will it be costly because it sort of outside of the existing living area? Alternatively would it be possible expand the house on right side and add bathroom/close there? What kind of cost are we talking about for that one?

Note, I do have the main entrance next to the garage. I don't think I will ever use the 2nd entrance and I have lawn in the back which is my main yard. This is the front of the house. I think I should use this space which otherwise I will hardly use. There is corridor part inside which could be part of it. Another of my concern with this is could bathroom be made sound proof enough so it can't be heard at all in the adjacent living room like flushing/showing etc? Could it look ugly from the front? If so that would kill the deal in the first place.

Contact an local architect.  They will be able to create design drawings (and/or computer models), which will allow you to visualize the change.  This will allow you to make a more informed decision, than asking a bunch of dopes on the internet.

The architect should also be able to produce the blueprints, that can be used by a contractor to make the changes to your home.

Architects do charge for their services, but it's going to be much cheaper than building an addition you're not happy with.


Bathtub valve that changes flow to shower head leaks My bathtub has a pull up valve that’s supposed to channel the water from the bathtub faucet to the shower head but it leaks a lot of water out of the tub faucet when the shower is on. What’s wrong and how do I fix it?

I take it from your description that the diverter is in the tub spout and so it leaks out the spout into the tub. The leak is not going into the wall, right? This type of diverter does leak much more than the diverter inside the wall, but the leak is of no real consequence.

But if the leak is really excessive or it bothers you, then AFIK the only solution is replacement of the spout. AFIK there is no replaceable seal inside Sometimes it's metal-on-metal in the spout and the sealing surfaces wear with use.

See video.


One light switch powers two separate light switches At the top of my stairs leading to my basement, I have one light switch (Top Switch) that powers two separate light switches at the bottom of my stairs.

At the bottom of my stairs, the left light switch (Left Switch) controls a receptacle (Left Receptacle) to the left of my stairs.  The right light switch (Right Switch) controls an overhead light fixture (OL) to light the bottom of my stairs.

How it works now:

If TS is on position and LS (or RS) is on position = LR (or OL) power is on

If TS is on position and LS (or RS) is off position = LR (or OL) power is off

If TS is off position and LS (or RS) is on position = LR (or OL) power is off

If TS is off position and LS (or RS) is off position = LR (or OL) power is on

If I remove the light switch at the top of the stairs and make that permanently hot, how do I change the two 3-way switches at the bottom of the stairs to single-pole switches?  I am upgrading the two switches at the bottom of the stairs to Lutron dimmers which are single pole.  I plan to use the power from the Left Receptacle to power a set of new recessed lights.  I plan to use the power from the overhead light fixture to power a second set of new recess lights.

I'm using LUTRON P-PKG1W-WH Caseta Wireless 600-watt/150-watt Multi-Location In-Wall Dimmer with Pico Remote Control Kit.

Presently, the left switch controls a receptacle. I plan to use the power from the receptacle to power one set of recessed lights that I am installing. I will put a blank face plate on this receptacle.

And presently, the right switch controls an overhead light fixture that lights the bottom of the staircase. I was planning on using the power to this overhead light fixture to power a second set of recessed lights that I am installing.

There are neutrals available in all boxes.

Photo of the light switch at the top of the stairs

Photo of the two 3-way switches at the bottom of the stairs

Go for the Pro model

I spoke with Lutron's tech support online via livechat and the Lutron Pico remotes do support being paired with more than one Maestro or Caseta dimmer.  With the correct parts, you also can leave the mechanical switch in place upstairs to allow a houseguest or first responder quick control of the lights.

You'll need a black pigtail (match the existing wire gauge) and a few more wirenuts for this, as well as two Lutron PD-10NXD (this is the pro model, which adds the hardwired switch support) dimmers and a Pico remote with a wall mounting kit.

Turn off power at the breaker (if it isn't already off that is)

In the upstairs box:

Remove the two black wires from the old switch and nut them together with the black pigtail.
Attach the other end of the black pigtail to the black screw on the upstairs switch. (This effectively uses the 3-way switch as a single pole switch.)

In the downstairs box:

Remove the top (in your photo) black wire from the left 3-way switch.  Nut it to the red wire on the dimmer that's going in the left side.
Remove the top (in your photo) black wire from the right 3-way switch.  Nut it to the red wire on the dimmer that's going in the right side.
Pull out the neutral bundle from the bottom box. Connect the white wires from both dimmers to it.  (This will yield improved dimming performance and avoid flickering or other misbehavior if CFLs or LEDs are installed.)
Remove the bottom (in your photo) black wire from the right 3-way switch. Nut it to the black wires from both dimmers.
Remove the red wire from the right 3-way switch.  Nut it to the blue wires from both dimmers.
Pull out the ground bundle (if present) and nut the green wires from both dimmers to it.  If no grounding means is present in the box, nut the green wires to each other but do not connect them to any other wires in the box.

Back at the upstairs box:

Install the Pico remote and wall mounting means adjacent to the upstairs switch box.
Button both boxes up.
Turn the power back on at the breaker.
Pair the Pico remote with both Caseta dimmers as per the supplied instructions.


How much should brick "give" when pushing against it? My wife and I are having a home built by a local contractor.  The house is wood framed construction with a brick exterior.  The home is nearly complete -- just interior trim and paint work remains.

When I pushed against the exterior brick, I could hear the trim on the eaves flexing.  Should the brick give at all?  Also does Alabama have any building requirements addressing this?  I'm not sure if they used brick ties or if they are even required since the walls aren't load bearing.

Not at all.  If it's real brick.

If it's a veneer, that's different.


How can I solve an F-28 code problem on a Kenmore HE2 clothes washer? Our six year old Kenmore HE2Plus washer is flashing code F-28 about every third wash during its final spin. It's really irritating my wife as she has to stop the cycle and rerun the Rinse/Drain & Spin again, which washes out the fabric softener.

I researched this on the web and did not find a straight-forward solution. Some folks have replaced the motor controller unit (MCU), others the central control unit (CCU), others both, and results are sketchy . Another thing mentioned frequently is checking all electrical contacts between these units.

If you have fixed this problem on an HE2Plus I'd appreciate hearing what you did.

VICTORY!

Bottom line: clean the discharge pump filter first if you get this code. Mine was clogged with years of accumulated junk (coins, pencil parts, keys, lint, etc.).

What I did: cleaned filter, cleaned all contacts (both ends) on CCU, MCU, interlock switches with Dentek Easy Brush, standard size, dipped in rubbing alcohol. Tested door switch, interlock switches and motor: all good.

To access the filter, remove three screws holding bottom front panel and remove panel. The discharge pump filter is located at the bottom right. Twist the 3" round white cover counterclockwise to remove the filter. Put a pan below to catch water. Note: I also suggest you temporarily disconnect the black hose coming down to the back of the filter from the washer and shake it to dislodge any junk in the hose.

Update 7/1/14: F-28 returned. Resolved by disconnecting the CCU motor connector MS2 and pinching in on the prongs to tighten the connection. Used a sharp pointed pick, and pressed in on both sides until they touched.

Update: 8/25/14: Got F-28 again. Disassembled the MI3 electrical connector (three blue wires)on top row of the CCU. This is the connector that was pinched as described above (Error: It was the MI3 connector instead of the MS2). The tiny metal clips inside were deformed from the previous pinching. Reformed them and reassembled. Problem solved for now.

Update: 10/16/14: The saga continues. Got F-28 again. Soldered MI3 wires directly to board on CCU and added bullet connectors to connect wires. Then, a couple of days later, got code again. This time removed the MCU (from front, after removing bottom panel and filter assembly). Observed that board contacts for the MI3 wires were oxidized. Took tiny jewelers flat-head screwdriver and scraped off oxidation. Also sanded wire-end connectors with folded 220 grit. Then compressed wire-end connectors slightly to make for tighter grip. No problem in a month. Think this fix should last a few years.


Water tastes weird and coper pipe looks corroded / affected I originally started looking at the my water pipes because drinking my tap water gives a burning / dry sensation in my mouth and stomach.
My copper water pipe looks corroded / affected and has probably leaked some water on the tube from the neighbors.
I was wondering if anyone spotted something weird on the pictures or has heard of this problem before.
I've tried having all the taps open for 1+ hour, which doesn't change anything.
I have called a couple of companies, but they told me they can only try to test the water for a lot of money and maybe get a result out of that so they can fix the problem by chemically cleaning the tubes for more money.
Any help is very much appreciated.
https://imgur.com/a/SktM0ss

Get a water test kit (from a laboratory - "home kit test strips" are next to useless IME) carefully follow the directions for taking a sample, send it to the laboratory, read the results.
There's really no way to infer what your water problems might be over the internet.
Many state (or similar local area) governments have relatively low cost water testing laboratories. They are there for the safety of your drinking water, not to sell you anything. There are also independent laboratories.