Dewalt DCS391 - Can't change blade on circular saw because of stuck blade clamping screw I need to change the blade on my Dewalt DCS391 circular saw for the first time. The blade clamping screw is for an hex key left-hand threads, but I can't unfreeze it no matter how much lever of pressure I put on it, I'm starting to eat the screw head.

I'm following instructions from the manual with no luck.

Suggestions?

Following up on how I've resolved this and what was the issue. At the time of this post I've tried everything that was suggested and the clamping screw did not bulge at all. However, I did not had access to was pneumatic tools in my shop at home, so I went to a local tool store and they dislodged the clamping screw for me.

They explained to me my mistake and why I had such a hard time removing it. The issue was that I've inverted the washers (r, s) and they were not in the correct position.

Here's a picture of the circular saw once it was correctly assembled with the r and s washers in the correct position.


Is this wiring safe and is it according to code? A single 12-3 cable was run to a double switch to control individual lights. The white is used as a hot, is this wiring correct/per NEC code?

There is one safety issue here

It appears that the original installer took the ground wire from the 12/3 cable, looped it around one switch ground screw, then attached it to the other switch ground screw.  This grounds the switch yokes fine, but leaves the (metal) box ungrounded save through screw threads.  The solution to this is to cut off the existing ground wire with some slack left, then nut it to pigtails to the switch ground screws and a ground screw (10-32) into the provided hole in the back of the box.

While you're at it, you should wrap the white wire with black tape to make it crystal clear to the next bloke looking inside the box that it's hot and not neutral.

As to Code...this used to be OK, but not any longer

Back before the 2011 NEC, an "old style" switch loop like this was permitted by the Code -- a single pole switch only needs always-hot and switched-hot, so a 12/2 cable could be used for a single switch or a 12/3 for a pair of switches sharing a hot feed, as you see here.

However, due to the increasing prevalence of remote-controlled switches, motion sensors, timers, and advanced dimmers, all of which benefit from having a neutral at the switch box to provide power to the electronics inside, the 2011 NEC added 404.2(C) to ensure that the neutral was available for such devices, in lieu of them powering themselves via a hack such as using the ground wire as the return path or trickling their operating current through the load (quoted from the 2017 NEC, save for vernacular terms in [square brackets]):

  (C) Switches Controlling Lighting Loads. The grounded
  circuit conductor [neutral] for the controlled lighting circuit shall be
  installed at the location where switches control lighting loads
  that are supplied by a grounded general-purpose branch circuit
  serving bathrooms, hallways, stairways, or rooms suitable for
  human habitation or occupancy as defined in the applicable
  building code. Where multiple switch locations control the
  same lighting load such that the entire floor area of the room
  or space is visible from the single or combined switch locations,
  the grounded circuit conductor  [neutral] shall only be required at one
  location. A grounded conductor  [neutral] shall not be required to be
  installed at lighting switch locations under any of the following
  conditions:

  (1) Where conductors enter the box enclosing the switch
  through a raceway, provided that the raceway is large
  enough for all contained conductors, including a grounded conductor [neutral]

  (2) Where the box enclosing the switch is accessible for the
  installation of an additional or replacement cable without
  removing finish materials

  (3) Where snap switches with integral enclosures comply with
  300.15(E)

  (4) Where lighting in the area is controlled by automatic
  means

  (5) Where a switch controls a receptacle load

  The grounded conductor  [neutral] shall be extended to any switch
  location as necessary and shall be connected to switching devices that require line-to-neutral voltage to operate the electronics of the switch in the standby mode and shall meet the
  requirements of 404.22.

  Exception: The connection requirement shall become effective on January 1, 2020. It shall not apply to replacement or retrofit switches installed in locations prior to local adoption of 404.2(C) and where the
  grounded conductor  [neutral] cannot be extended without removing finish materials. The number of electronic lighting control switches on a branch
  circuit shall not exceed five, and the number connected to any feeder on
  the load side of a system or main bonding jumper shall not exceed 25.
  For the purpose of this exception, a neutral busbar, in compliance with
  200.2(B) and to which a main or system bonding jumper is connected
  shall not be limited as to the number of electronic lighting control
  switches connected.

  Informational Note: The provision for a (future) grounded
  conductor [neutral]  is to complete a circuit path for electronic lighting
  control devices.

and the 2017 NEC followed up on this with the addition of 404.22, which provides a phase-out for the hack of returning current via ground in lieu of neutral:

  404.22 Electronic Lighting Control Switches. Electronic lighting control switches shall be listed. Electronic lighting control
  switches shall not introduce current on the equipment grounding conductor  [ground] during normal operation. The requirement to
  not introduce current on the equipment grounding conductor [ground]
  shall take effect on January 1, 2020.

  Exception: Electronic lighting control switches that introduce current on the equipment grounding conductor [ground]  shall be permitted for applications covered by 404.2(C), Exception. Electronic lighting control switches that introduce current on the equipment grounding conductor [ground] shall be listed and marked for use in replacement or retrofit applications only.


Dremel rotary tool: Grinding holes in hardened plastic I want to cut/drill/grind a small drainage hole (maybe more than one) in through the base of a plastic terrarium. I don't have a drill on hand but I have a Dremel Micro rotary tool. Is it alright to use one of these bits to do this kind of thing? Which one would be best?

The Dremel will do what you need here. The 2nd bit from the left will work perfectly. It will drill a small pin hole to a larger hole the size of the largest portion of the bit


How can I tell if soda blasting was really done? We're restoring a fire-damaged house and hired a subcontractor to do smoke remediation, after we'd stripped the house down to the studs.

The contractor was supposed to soda-blast all surfaces, clean, and then apply smoke seal.

The contractor claims to have finished the job, but the smoke seal has been applied right over: cobwebs, bits of stray insulation, loose dirt, and even wasps' nests!

This suggests that the blasting was not done but, of course, the contractor swears that it was.

Is there any way to tell for sure? (Maybe they just missed a few -- okay a lot of spots.)

Typical problems with the smoke seal (click on images for a larger view):

attic rafters

soot and smoke removal

underside of first floor from basement on suite after cleaning

basement on suite before cleaning finished

They definitely did not soda blast the wood  they simply painted it over. this reply  is a bit late but i think your insurance company would still like to know that they as well as you were defrauded by  said contractor. and it may still be possible to  have them  return the money amount that was supposedly  the cost of said falsified work they did. soda blasted wood  has a almost glass like smoothness to it this ultra smooth surface finish will be reflected in the overcoat. it will be a smooth almost gloss enamel finish if done right.


Operational Electrical Panel in an unfinished building -- safe? Sane? Legal? Is it realistic to have an operational and functioning load center panel (with power supplied only to temporary outlets mounted near the panel), fed by an offgrid solar system, in a half-built residential building?

(The panel would be an outdoor-usable type and would be built and installed as soon as some wall framing was present, the building would then be completed, and the panel would be reworked to provide power to all of the building's circuits as the building was completed.)

Would this require questionable nonsense like having two separate electrical permits? Or is it simply a stupid idea rather than just using a generator or other external power source?

Jurisdiction is the USA, in a rural area where building inspection and permitting is fairly relaxed but still very much a force.

If your solar system is large enough to provide power it is legal, sane, and safe. For temporary power all the circuits will need to have GFCI'S, if the panel is exposed to wet conditions you will need a nema 3r type of enclosure (outdoor as you mentioned) the last if not under cover you will not be able to use NMB or Romex wiring it will need to be in conduit and use thhn/ thwn wire. With weather proof boxes , and in use covers. I have seen temporary power using standard breakers and WR rated GFCI outlets this may be a better way to go because the circuit breakers don't have the electronics sealed (I have had to replace GFCI'S in a nema 3r panel in just the last year on one of my temporary power setups).

In my area a temporary power permit is required. If you are only connecting to your own solar system I don't know if I would get a temporary permit, the temporary permit provides an inspection and a green tag so the power company can connect to the panel. If you need more power than your solar can supply then a permit / inspection would be required. In my mind your solar would be the same as running a generator for temporary power and no permit is needed for that.


Should I fill in gap between window frames? We are getting new windows.  I decided to refinish the trim (from the 60's, but still in good shape other than the lacquer being gone).  I removed the trim and found a gap between the frames of adjacent windows (see pic and pardon the chicken scratch).  I was told this is normal.
I am concerned that when I nail the trim on the sides of the frame the frame will move (it wiggles a little already).  Should I fill the gap with thin strips of plywood, secure the frame some other way, or is it fine as is?

Filling the gaps with wood will cause your windows to jamb as the seasonal change of humidity. I would not fill with a solid for this reason.


Is it OK to have multiple different rooms on one breaker? My dining room, kitchen, two bathrooms, living room and den are on 1 breaker.

Should I be concerned?

You can logically have many rooms on one breaker.  It is really about what size the breaker/wire is and what it will be powering.

Given that you have a kitchen (usually 2-3 breakers minimum) and 2 bathrooms (usually on their own) plus extra I would tend to say that you have too much on it.  I doubt it would pass any current inspection.

Would I be concerned as far as safety?  Maybe.  If you are using too much your breaker should flip.  However when things are maxed out over long periods of time there are usually degradation points.  I would personally have it looked at by local inspector then  electrician.

This is really an over simplified answer but I hope it gets the point across.  What you are describing isn't normal by current standards and should be looked at.  If you give us more exacts - number of lights and outlets and breaker/wire size we can provide more science around it.


Does adding metal plate/foil behind radiators increases their heat distribution? There is this theory that if you put a metallic foil behind radiators, will make them distribute heat better in the house rather than heating the wall next to them.

Is this true, are there any statistics on the issue?

If this is something that is done, what kind of materials can I use?

Statistics? I'd argue this is a misuse of the word, unless you are asking what is the fraction of photons reflected by the reflective surface. Since that truly is a probabilistic question, we could indeed compute statistics on the distribution of such reflections.

Yes, this is not just a theory. Heat is transmitted in several ways. One such way is convection. So the radiator heats the air around it, which will rise, displaced by heavier cool air from the rest of the room. These convective air currents cause a transmission of heat from the radiator into the room.

A second way that heat is transmitted is by radiation. Infrared photons will carry off energy (heat) from the radiator. Some of these photons land on the wall behind the radiator. If the wall absorbs them, then it will get warmer. So the trick is to put a reflecting surface in the way. A SHINY metallic surface is such a solution, a heat mirror. Thus a shiny metal foil will suffice. Even a regular mirror, which is simply a piece of glass with a metallized reflective back surface that reflects light, will suffice.


Invisible mounting hardware for a particular kind of wall unit I'm looking to build my own version of this wall unit: https://retrorenovation.com/2012/05/10/barzilay-multispan-vertical-storage-system-valuable-scandinavian-modern-wall-unit-design/

I think I know how I'm going to do the cabinets and the shelving, but the one thing that I can't figure out is how to mount the top of the large wood L-shaped beams flush to the wall with no hardware showing, and no pocket holes.

Well, that's not accurate. I'd like to use a mount kind of like how the rear view mirror of your car mounts to the windshield: that sort of U shaped one where the mirror slides down onto another U shaped piece, but I have no idea what that kind of mount is called. I feel like this would be the best solution to prevent lateral movement of the brackets.

So if you know what that kind of mount is called or if you know of a better way to mount this thing, let me know.

I think what you may be referencing is called a French Cleat:


can I convert four-wire 250 volt, 30 amp dryer to two 125 volt dual outlet receptacles? Can I use the 10 gauge wires (red, black, white, ground)from 30 amp, 250 volt dryer receptacle for two 125 volt circuits for two separate duplex receptacles? Can I use stranded wire for jumpers, or must I use solid wire?

You could make a MWBC out of this /3 + gnd cable and install two 20 A receptacles. You would change the 2-pole 30 A breaker to a 2-pole 20 A breaker.

If the conductors are aluminum, you would pigtail with 12 AWG copper. If the conductors are 10 AWG copper, you might be able to connect these directly to the contacts on the receptacles.

I would make these to 20 A so that if you ever needed to run heavy current demand appliances, you'd have the capability.

EDIT To install a single duplex receptacle in the box, you would split the hot sides by breaking the connecting tab. The black wire would go to the hot side of one receptacle and the red to the hot side of the other.

The neutral side tab would be left intact.


Concrete post base wood too tight I'm using the Simpson PB66Z "Galvanized Post Base" to attach my pressure treated 6x6 to the footing. The wood seems to be slightly too large to fit such that the bottom of the post rests on the metal.

What's the proper way to handle this? I could pound it with a sledge hammer, shave some wood off on the two side corners, or something else? What is commonly done?

Edit: Added picture of the issue.

To follow up, I did use a sledge hammer to pound them into place. I placed a small cut piece of the 6x6 on top to prevent the post from getting messed up. It wedged it in there quite well.


Would building a partial raised wall for a pond in this way be strong enough? I just read your answers about "Building a raised wall for a pond." Although quite detailed, I am not very physics minded and hope someone will give me a thumbs up or down.

I have a pond that is about 16' x 30', 3 sides will be earthen and stone walls (of which, I am not so concerned) the 4th wall is block and masonry.

The wall I am concerned about is 2 concrete blocks high (16") and about 30' long. The first course is about 2-3" below grade.

I laid 4 courses of decorative wall block (the wall blocks weigh about 23 lbs each) about 4-6" behind the cement block wall, 1 course is below grade. I then filled the gap between the two walls with about 1000 lbs of concrete. The cement block was filled with ground and gravel and 1/2" x 4' rebar driven in each hole.

Is this sufficient of a wall to retain the pond water?

1 Cubic foot of water equals 62.48 pounds - the trick here is calculating the lateral pressure, but doing a little googling I found the following formula:

R =(62.4)(L)(H squared)/2  (R = pounds force)

The force water exerts is equal both sideways as vertically, so using this calculation we can determine the force that will be exerted against the wall at its lowest exposed point by using the long width of the pond as L and 13" (call it 1.1)

62.4*30*(1.1 ^ 2) all over 2 = approximately 1,133 pounds over 1 square foot of lateral force at ground level, which translates to a pretty measly 7.865 pounds per square inch (1,133/12/12). (If my math is right, and I think it is a TAD low because if you imagine a column of water 1 inch square and 30' high that's 360 inches of water which is 360 cubic inches which is about a gallon and a half, and a gallon is 8 pounds (pints) ("a pint's a pound the world around")

Since your cement block is filled with gravel and rebar and you've got 1k lb concrete between the two wall layers - I'm reasonably certain that your wall strength combined is sufficient.  However, to be ABSOLUTELY certain, you should consult with a structural engineer who can do all the complex engineering calculations that go into figuring lateral, axial and compressive strength of concrete, etc...


Kenmore 465 Stove / Range with range missing a pipe and insulation exposed? I have a Kenmore stove that's probably from either 2006 or the 90s some time; and we recently replaced all the drip pans in it; I don't know why or who, but one family members pulled a pipe out of the bottom of the back left range and lost the pipe; it's the only range that has this; however the pipe went down through a hole and into the stove.
Now that the pipe is gone, it has exposed a bunch of insulation, and the insulation has fallen into the stove.
I'm unsure how to proceed, I don't know what the pipe is called or anything here is a photo of the issue.

I'm unsure how to proceed

First find the make and model number of the range.
Next, Use the internet to search for the make and model of the range to see if you can find a service manual or user manual in order to see if there is a diagram of the parts. If you can find the name of the part then you will be able to search the internet for an appliance parts web store.
If there is an experienced appliance repair shop in your area they may be able to tell you the name of the part or even order it for you if you can give them the make and model of the range.


Trying to install Kasa smart switch but having trouble with ground wire I started to install my KASA smart switch but when I opened the unit I wasn't able to find a ground wire. I currently have two black wires (one stabbed into the switch and the other is wrapped around the bottom screw on right side). I have a few questions:

Is the top black wire a hot wire or a ground wire? This seems to be going to the same area as the neutral. If this is a black hotwire, this would go into the black KASA wire.
The bottom black wire actually hooks around and then connects to another light switch to the right. Do I leave this wire as is and surround the nut around this wire with the KASA wire?
I read a grounded wire is not needed if your switch is plastic. Is this correct? The junction box is metal...

UPDATE: okay, I looked harder and saw that there is a copper wire attached to a screw that the back of the junction box (and is cut with no extra copper wire). Does this mean that the box is grounded and the switches are grounded as they are connected to the box?

UPDATE 2: Please see image 3 onward for updated photos with the copper cut at the back of the junction box. You can see that the hot wire and neutral wire come out of the same area. The copper wire is attached to a screw.

When looking at the bottom of the switch, I see that there is a copper (i think it is) attached to the screw, which touches the metal junction box.

Is this how the switch is grounded?

Please see images:

Edit: switches (not receptacles) are allowed to make a ground connection via the mounting screws, even if the switch body doesn't rest hard against the metal  junction box.  So that solves that.

Ground wires are always green, green/yellow, or bare copper, except in old installations in Russia.  Ground wires usually go onto green screws.  Use of stab connections for grounds is prohibited because of their unreliability.


Solutions for a moist basement? I live close to the water and there is a high water table around my house. Therefore a lot of water vapor passes through the basement walls. I would like to be able to store stuff in my basement and ideally finish it and not have to worry about mold.

There are a range of options I have been looking at. Such as sealing the basement walls and floor with water blocking adhesive compound such as Drylok, Thoroseal, Blue Max liquid rubber and Xypex Hi-Dry. I am not sure which product would provide the best seal and longest life span in my situation?

I currently have a small dehumidifier in my basement that runs constantly. I don't want to get a bigger unit as this small one is already a big hog on my utility bill. I was thinking of getting an air exchanger that would bring in Fresh air as well as remove humidity and be less costly to run then a dehumidifier. Does anyone have any experience using these to remove humidity from a basement? I found this company EZ Breathe but it looks like they are only installed by professionals.

Putting up a vapor barrier such as 6mm polysheathing on over the concrete worries me a little. I would imagine the water would condense on the sheathing and build up between it and the foundation. I also hear that you are supposed to put the vapor barrier infront of any insulation but that doesn't make sense to me since you are going to have the water building up behind the vapor barrier.

Putting in French Drains inside or outside is a little to expensive for me right now so that isn't an option.

If it's ground water, the issue isn't water vapor, but rather just plain water. Is the water table close or higher than your basement slab? If so, not a whole lot you can do to completely stop moisture issues, as that basement was just built in a bad spot.

That said, the main solution would be a sump pump and drainage tile system. Any water coming up through the earth dumps into the drainage tile, into the pump well, and gets pumped out. Again, though, if the water table is already higher than the basement slab, that'll be a never ending battle as well.

That said, perhaps the issue isn't as much about ground water as you think. Does it get humid in your region? If so, then 'damp' basements are par for the course. Basement walls are usually always going to be cooler than the air, and, a such, will be were condensation forms in a humid environment.

To prevent that, you need to a) dehumidify and/or b) insulate the walls.

A dehumidifier constantly running tends to be a normal part of any basement in a humid zone, so that's a good start. Insulating with walls with XPS or EPS foam will help too, it'll keep the moist air further away from the cold wall.

I can't say if an air exchanger would help or not. If it's including an A/C system, it could help (as the A/C is a dehumidifier) but otherwise I have a hunch you'd just be pumping more humid air into the space.

Products like drylock don't do a whole lot. They're not strong enough to prevent hydrostatic water pressure (high water table) and do nothing to prevent condensation. They're a bit of a gimmick.


Old or new water damage on roof interior I’ve been in this (100-year old) house 3 years, and this area of the roof has always had marks of past water damage. I looked at it more closely today as we’ve been having a lot of melting and freezing lately (minnesota) and am not sure if it’s getting worse.

Any tips on detecting if there is new water damage here? The wood feels cool to the touch, and hard to feel if it’s damp vs just cool.

I don't see what looks like water damage. I see what looks like white-wash (old paint) on some of the roof 1x (one-by) components. It also looks like the white wash was put on the material before it was used to build the roof.

My guess is that the two 1x12s, with the white streaks, had the white-wash dripped on them, maybe while the other materials were being painted.

Another guess is that your pictures show some 100 year-old material re-purposing. Like a white-washed chicken coop was dismantled and the boards were used on the house.


What is the best way to retrofit an underfloor heating system in a concrete slab? I have a UK bungalow that I am renovating. I would like to replace the current heating system (radiators, natural gas boiler) with an underfloor heating system. I think the cost of digging up the existing concrete floor for the whole property would be prohibitive.

What other options are there?

If you have sufficient ceiling height, you could consider laying a new floor over the existing floor.

I'm assuming that since the bungalow needs refurbishing, then there is unlikely to be any (or at least sufficient) insulation under the existing slab, so you'd need to insulate under any new underfloor heating - no point having the sub-floor sucking half of the heat out of you new underfloor heating system! Unfortunately, that means that you could easily be looking at 100mm (or more) on top of the existing floor by the time you've accounted for the insulation and screed.

That in turn will give other issues to look at. Doors will become too low. Windows could need to be re-glazed with toughened glass if they then fall within the limit on distance from the floor.


rewiring a basement light I have a light switch in my basement that controls  three lights how do I make each light come on with its own  switch so do I I go from a three way switch to a two way switch on the main switch and add to more two way switches  for the other two lights

Rob, thank you for explaining what you are doing, but I got that from your original question. What you need to do is re-wire the complete lighting arrangement in your basement.

My suggestion is to remove what's there and put in exactly what you need in each room/area. If you do not know what to do this wiring please simply hire an electrician to do this job for you.

If you are making this into bedrooms there are several other VERY important codes you MUST follow, such as AFCI protection for any circuits in the rooms, smoke/CO detectors, means of egress, etc.


Will latex paint dry thoroughly if applied too thickly I became impatient and applied latex paint to a cabinet door way too thickly.  I dumped about four ounces on the door with the door laying flat and then just spread it around with a brush.  Will the latex dry thoroughly but just take longer or did I mess this up?

Yes it will dry and it will "dry" in a couple days with right temp and air flow controls.

However with the amount that you put on there it could be a long time before the paint actually cures and it may never cure to the point of a good paint job.   Depending on a lot of variables even after it cures the inner paint may become rubbery or even worse it could become chalky and never bind right.


Is it easier to paint straight lines with a smaller brush? I was curious if it makes sense acquiring a 1" angled Purdy brush just for cutting lines.  Currently, I use a standard 2.5" angled brush for corners and I'm not too good at cutting lines with it.

Possibly. However...

I would think a 2.5" brush gives you better control, because a thinner brush can result in a more wavy line. With a larger brush, the "waviness" is controlled a little better.

And, a smaller brush can only hold so much paint, and you'll end up with more stops and starts due to very nature of the thing. That can introduce some more imperfection in the process.

Also, you'll end up holding the brush for much longer, and if you're anything like me who can't hold a pencil for longer than five or ten minutes before needing to rest, the entire process will take much more time.

Of course, your mileage may vary.


Replaced bathroom ceiling light and now permanently switched on trips switch if flicked I replaced the bathroom ceiling light recently but since I did this, it is permanently switched on and if you flick the switch to turn it off, it trips the upstairs lighting trip switch at the fuse box.

I thought that connecting live to live, neutral to neutral and earth to earth would give the desired behaviour but not the case. I took a photo of how it was wired up before I even touched anything (below).

As you can see there are three live/neutral and earth wires coming from the ceiling. I wasn't too sure what the purpose of the white terminal block was which seems to link up two neutrals from the ceiling which I would have thought would just do the same as putting all three into the brown terminal block.

Anyway, it is an incredibly tight space to work with the amount of cables here but I am assuming I would need to rewire it up exactly as it was before as per the photo? I'd be interested to know why it needs to be like so (I tried searching online but there are so many various scenarios I thought it would be easier to just explain my case with picture here).

There is just one light switch for this bathroom light.

Well you can see how they set this up.   The old lamp goes into the back side of terminals 2 and 4, and that's it, done.   I have no idea what would possess you to mess with any other wires, in the photo it's right.

Left to right the four terminals are

always-hot (from supply, to other load, and to switch)
neutral (from supply, to other load) and on the other side to lamp.
earth (from supply, to other load, to switch, and to rose)
switched-hot (from switch) and on the other side to lamp.

Put it back and you should be fine.

The odd little white splice simply appears to be because the black wire is too short.


Two countdown timers connected to one inline fan — Does it work? I'm planning on replacing two old bathroom fans with a single inline model installed in the attic (Panasonic WhisperLine). It will be connected with the two bathrooms through a Y-duct and exhaust outside through one exhaust vent in the roof.
There is an existing question from many years ago, but I still don't quite understand how to control this from both bathrooms.
If I want a countdown timer, can I install one in each bathroom and connect both sets to the fan in a boolean OR configuration? Do the circuits need to be isolated, like with a diode? Is there a solution that puts a single timer near the fan and is triggered by switches in the bathrooms?

This is the classic "DC electronics guy thinking schematic.  Here, you need to think wiring diagram due to NEC 300.3(B) and the eddy currents induced by AC EMF. So wiring routes must be a "tree" topology; no loops or bubbles.
All wiring throws EMFs. For steady-state DC power, it's like a refrigerator magnet. Not for AC power; its constant changing causes powerful EMF effects.
As long as all related conductors are tight-packed in the same cable, these EMF effects cancel each other out. Say there's 6A on hot1 and 4A on hot2 both returning 10A on neutral.  That's 10A of EMF that are equal and opposite, and cancel each other out, and that is fine.
Anytime AC power goes out one path and back another, that encircled area becomes the core of a transformer.  So if hot2 took a different path, now you have 4 ampere-turns being induced into the encirclement, which will cause vibration (leading to wire cracking leading to overheat), eddy current heating in anything ferrous or nonferrous, etc. That's why we don't do that thing.
However, what happens inside a junction box is something we are resigned to.  And it helps for EMFs to use a metal box. I don't know why people are so in love with plastic boxes, SMH.
So here's the plan
Wire it with a /2 cable from supply to timer1, then /3 to timer2, then /2 to the fan.  This is "tree" topology and complies with 300.3(B).
Supply to time1 carries always-hot (black), neutral (white) and of course safety earthing.
Timer1 to time2 contains always-hot (black), switched-hot (red), neutral (white), and earth.
Timer2 to fan contains switched-hot (black remarked red), neutral (white) and earth.
The remarking of black to red is not a Code requirement but it makes the circuit easier to understand by making colors match wire function.
At timer1, the timer connects to always-hot (black) and switched-hot (red).
At timer2, ditto.
Wow, that was easy.


What pump for a pond where sediment keeps restricting flow? We have a pond with a fountain fed by a closed centrifugal pump. The fountain looks great... for 30 minutes. When its turned on, the pump sucks up sediment suspended in the water, and deposits it inside the hose. Over time this reduces the flow rate of the fountain to a trickle. If I use a water supply with higher pressure, such as that of the house, I can clean out the fountain hose (by simply forcing the sediment through the hose) and it runs perfectly - until it clogs up again.

The fountain is partly concrete, so a replacing the hose with a larger bore is not an option, therefore I need a new pump.

I am concerned though that buying a more powerful centrifugal pump will only result in the same problem. I am aware that you get either pressure or throughput with these, but don't know enough about fluid dynamics to be able to tell if, if I get a big enough one it stop it getting clogged up.

Ideally we would have a pump that maintained a constant flow rate, and increased the pressure as the line was constricted, until I presume some sort of equilibrium is reached where the pressure in the hose is large enough to displace the sediment on the walls.

Do I need something like a displacement pump, or will a correctly sized centrifugal pump do what I want?

Put the pump in a 5 gallon bucket with two bricks in it; something to keep it off the floor of even it. Improvise some kind of intake screen if necessary.

Install a 'T' fitting on the output, valved, so that you can bleed off the desired amount of over pressure in the line directly back into the pond.

It's probably clogging where you have it choked down and possibly not making the pump happy from lack of cooling water flow.


Is it possible to be electrocuted from a properly functioning GFCI circuit? It's my understanding the the purpose of a GFCI circuit is to prevent shock by tripping the circuit if there is an imbalance in current in vs. current out. So my question is, if you have a functioning GFCI circuit, either due to a GFCI outlet or a GFCI breaker in the service panel, is it possible to be electrocuted?

Presuming you had a properly functioning GFCI outlet it would be "safe" to stick, say, a piece of metal into the hot socket while holding the other end? Similarly, if you had a GFCI breaker in the service panel could you "safely" change a light fixture or socket on the circuit without cutting off power to the circuit first.

(I use "safely" in quotes here because I understand you would not want to do this... I'm just curious if this is indeed the case.)

Yes you can be electrocuted even with an operating GFCI. A GFCI will only trip if current goes from the hot and does not return on the neutral. That means it will trip if you stick a fork into the hot and jump into the bathtub / touch the fridge while holding it (because the current on the hot is NOT seen on the neutral - the power is escaping through the water or fridge chassis to ground).

A GFCI will not trip if you grab one fork in each hand and respectively stick one fork into the hot and another into the neutral (because all the current on the hot is also seen on the neutral). At that point, you're relying on the current operated circuit breaker, which will only trip once the current exceeds its rating (which it may or may not do while going through your relatively high-resistance body).

GFCI's limit shock to a low level, fail often, and are a good supplement (defense in depth). http://www.thecircuitdetective.com/gfis.htm


Does a device exist that can help find the source of a leak in a flat roof? My Dad has a flat roof over his garage. It's covered with tar and felt.

We had an unusually hard and cold winter last year (Republic of Ireland) and since then the roof has developed a leak.

We've made several attempts to patch it, with no success. We know where the water is exiting the roof but we can't tell where it's getting in.

Is there some device that will trace the water from the leaks exit back to where it's getting in under the felt?

I'm thinking more tricorder, and less dowsing rod :)

An Infrared camera can be used to look for water infiltration and damage. I would not recommended they for DIY use.  They are expensive (low end models $1,000 US) and it takes a lot of training and experience to interpret the results.  There may be a local IR company in your area that can assist.


How can we fix bouncy floors? Our floors are somewhat bouncy, especially in big rooms with long joists.  I think that the main cause is that they used 2x8 joists on 15-20' spans.

We are going to replace/install hardwood in several areas.  Given that we'll have access to the subfloor, what can be done to make the floors less bouncy?

Note: looks like it's different from the situation described in What are these spongy/soft spots on my hardwood floor?, since the floor moves as a whole and not just in some places and there are no hollow spots there.

It might be worth checking out the subfloor if you can get access to it in case that is what is not holding up to weight instead of the joists.

Otherwise, I know in your comment you stated that you don't have the joists exposed, unfortunately, I don't know of a way to resolve the issue without exposing them as anything you tried to do at the floor level would just be adding weight.

If you don't feel your joists are up to snuff, you can reinforce them by laminating them.

You would get additional boards of appropriate size to fit snugly next to the joists, then use an adhesive and screw the boards to the joists.

Make sure you are getting the additional wood over your load bearing walls, otherwise again you are just adding weight to the situation.

Remember though, even if you are going to make it a DIY project, structural work is a big deal and you should at least consult a contractor/architect and make sure you get proper permits and inspections.

You can save yourself the money on the labor, but don't skimp on the planning.


What are the drawbacks to bridging phases in my home electrical? I'm installing some powerline automation equipment and I can't (for obvious reasons) control equipment that are on the opposite phase as my controller.

I've found a phase coupler, but I'm wondering if I will run into any issues or drawbacks from doing this.

It is standard practice to install a phase coupler. You should not have any issues.


What is the best kind of weatherstripping (door set) to use? Looking at the various options for weather stripping to use around the perimeter of a door, there are many different options, ranging in price from $15 to almost $50 (the below are ordered from least to most expensive, at time of writing, from homedepot.ca).

Vinyl spring-action

Magnetic

Foam

Ribbed neoprene

Silicone

Certainly there are obvious things, like a magnetic set is only useful on a metal door, but are there other factors that will determine which one will work best (such as climate)?

Essentially, you get what you pay for.

The cheaper ones (e.g. vinyl) work okay to block wind, but are very susceptible to wear and tear, may rip, may pull off the door entirely, leak if your floor or sill is uneven (they can conform but only a little), and only provide a wind block rather than true insulation. Also, they leak around the edges. But they are generally under $5, so if you don't care too much, you can just replace them every 5 years.

The neoprene and foam ones are generally more expensive, and will conform better to an uneven floor (like most floors). Less abrasion resistance, though, so they wear out faster.

Ones like that silicone one create a bubble of dead air between in and out, providing actual insulation in addition to stopping air travel.

All of these designs depend on the screws holding the stop against the floor, so strong winds may defeat them. This means they drag as you open and close the door, and eventually they wear out. They may also get hung up on carpets or the like.

An alternate design mounts to the bottom of the door, rather than the inside edge. These include a U-channel usually made of metal, and multiple 'sweeps' to create that long bubble of air. They are adjustable, but require you to have more clearance beneath your door--essentially your door has to be hung with them in mind. They work great, and they protect the bottom of your door from rot provided you caulk the outside edge well.

At the high end there are also spring-loaded systems. They are U-shaped channels and also have a spring-loaded gizmo that presses down against the floor when the door is closed but pulls open when the door is ajar. It sounds great but I have no idea if they work--too expensive for my needs.


How do I wire this switch/outlet combo? This 5 minute task has kept me busy for an hour. Old switch/outlet combo melted. Replacing with gfci combo.

Red/White pair is the line.
Orange/White pair is the load to the  light.

Strangely, this outlet says its load and line are flipped, with the line on top instead of the bottom.

Wiring this way got me a dead outlet. Wiring with the load on top got a green light,  but it won't reset and light won't turn on.

What's the correct wiring please?

UPDATE:
This is a Leviton X7299-W switch / outlet combo.  Here's a link to a pdf of the instructions:
!4

When running just the line ( red / white ) pair to the bottom posts, I get a green light, but it won't reset and no power.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_FzlcEZYP_PX25GT2o0NUl6b2c/edit?usp=docslist_api

Note that this is the bottom terminals, because all the diagrams I've seen show the line at the bottom, load on top, and if I run them to the top, I get a dead outlet.  No green light, no power, won't reset. If the green light is an indicator of anything, it would appear that the bottom posts are closer to the truth, although it also appears that this outlet can't handle the truth...

What this thing is

It is a triple GFCI, switch, and receptacle.

The onboard receptacle is hardwired internally to be on the protected side of the GFCI - no choice there.

The GFCI portion has LINE inputs and LOAD outputs like any other GFCI.  Most GFCIs ship with a piece of tape over the LOAD terminals that says "Do not remove unless you really know what you're doing."  Seeing 4 screws on the old thing and 4 screws on the new thing does not qualify as knowing what you're doing.   Put a piece of tape over the LOAD terminals.

It is also a switch.  The switch does not have any terminals.  It has 2 wires.  The switch shorts the two wires.  That is all.

Phase 1: the receptacle

Don't even think of hooking up all the wires at once and having it magically work.  It won't.

First, hook up exactly 2 wires (plus ground, I won't mention ground again).  2 wires only.  Only to the "LINE" terminals. This will power up the receptacle only, and will do nothing for the light.

Victory is defined by the receptacle working, the neutral (tall) pin on the receptacle being near ground potential (no neutral/hot reverse) and the TEST and RESET buttons both work.   (if they don't work, you messed with the LOAD terminals! Naughty naughty!)

Phase 2: the lamp

Now there should be 2 loose wires coming from the wall. Those are switched-hot (black or a color) and neutral (white) to the lamp.    We switch hot, so wire-nut the switched-hot from the lamp to either one of the black wires from the switch.  That was easy.

Two wires still dangle unattached.  One of them is neutral to the lamp.  The other is always-hot from the switch.  (it becomes switched-hot at the switch.) They are coming from different things, but functionally, they're a matching pair. What do you do with an always-hot/neutral pair?  Connect them to a matching hot-neutral supply pair.

And look what we have on the GFCI's "LINE" terminals:  always-hot and neutral.

Those fancy "screw-and-clamp" types take 2 wires.  So there's room.

Once that is done, victory is defined by the light working off the switch.   And the GFCI not tripping unless  you push the TEST button or plug something into it.

Phase 3: the GFCI

Oh?  You want to GFCI protect the lamp as well? People often don't bother... but sure, why not.  After all, there is a GFCI device right here, and it certainly is capable of protecting downstream loads. It has a matching pair of hot and neutral terminals for that exact purpose: the LOAD terminals.  The ones with the tape that says "... really know what you're doing."

Since you understand "matching pair of hot and neutral"... close enough.

Connect that pair we discussed to the GFCI's pair of LOAD terminals instead of its pair of LINE terminals.

If you want to see what a GFCI does, then hopscotch them: connect the hot to LOAD and the neutral to LINE or vice versa.  It's wrong, but it'll give you an education.

Once it's hooked up correctly, and the GFCI trips, what does this mean?

The GFCI must be defective, surely!
The lamp or its wiring has a ground fault.

You can pursue #1 but usually it boils down to #2.  Not a 5-minute job.


How can I repair a textured ceiling without making a mess? I have knocked out a couple walls and never really made it fit right with the ceiling pattern - Is there an easy way to replicate this ceiling texture?

Also as time goes on I am noticing that the nails they used to hang the drywall are losing their bite.  This is only in the main living area which is completely open now.  So I need to probably hit most of the ceiling in this area with a lot of drywall screws.

I also have a couple of hairline cracks to fix too but these are rather small and have done that before.  So just lots of ceiling issues.

If I can get all of the furniture out of these 4 rooms (kitchen, front room, living room, dining room) - and these rooms are all open to each other - what kind of ceiling treatment can I use so that I do not have drywall dust all over my house and something that will deal with the already swirl/sand that I have?  (Acoustical texture isn't an option.)

Caulk the hairline cracks. Pick out the nail pop plaster, screw the nail or screw back in with an adjacent screw to hold it in, spackle & prime. Then, re-paint the ceilings with a Sandy Paint or Add Sand to any paint.

Roll-on the new paint for everything. But then, go back with a brush to do a 2nd or 3rd coat with a brush. The brush will let you swirl & build-up any flat areas for a pretty perfect match quite easily.


How to drill straight hole in 4x8 beam? I need to drill a 0.5" hole for a big bolt going through 4x8 beam (used in swing). Now I only have the hand drill and no drill press tool (which could be nice). I only need to make 2 holes and they must be straight from one end to the other.

What are some tricks to drill a straight hole through 8" of wood? I am thinking about putting my drill sideway and slowly move in with a piece of lumber below to support while drilling. But then I don't really have a 8" long drill bit so I need to drill on both side. Even 1/4" off would be a big issue.

Please let me know any suggestion.

You could try clamping something rigid and relatively straight (like a T-square or 1x4) to the beam and then using that to ensure it's perpendicular. Then measure your holes and drill with, say, your knuckles making contact on the rigid surface

If I were you, I'd just buy a longer bit tho. Sounds like a waste, but when you need the right tool, you need the right tool. And it makes life easier. Your regular bit may not penetrate enough to connect the holes (I've had that one happen).


LVL Floor Joist Notch / Reinforcement Question Please see image attached.
I am looking to make a notch in a 11 1/2 LVL beam spanning 17ft across my basement.

The engineered lumber should be marked with the name of its manufacturer. Each manufacturer publishes information about the size and positioning of cutouts that are allowed on a "prescriptive" basis. If you can't find a cutout or notch description in those tables then you'd need a structural engineer to design something specific for you.

The steel I beam approach you proposed may work, but it may not be necessary to go that far. It may be possible to simply reinforce the joist that is to be notched, for example by attaching a plywood or steel sheet gusset to the sides of the joist extending some distance beyond the notch.

An alternative is to cut out the marked part of the joist completely. A beam may be installed crosswise between the joists to the left and the right of the marked joist so that those two carry the load of the cut joist. Doing this is likely to require those two joists to be reinforced in some way, such as "sistering" them by installing a second joist alongside the existing joists. The "sister" might be dimensional lumber, another LVL of same or different depth, etc.

A structural engineer could help you figure the loads carried by the floor above and choose the "best" approach based on material cost, practicality of carrying materials into the space and installing them, etc.


Where do I install my hairpin legs on this 8 foot long butcher block for my new workstation desk? So this is my first DYI wood project for my new workstation desk. I purchased this Baltic birch butcher block and finished it myself. Not bad for my first go! It's 8 feet wide, 25" deep and 1.75 (1" 3/4) thick. It's a heavy boy.
For my legs I purchased these 28 inch ones. They're solid but the 1 inch dry wall screws that arrived with them are poor quality so I'm going to pick up some wood screws.
Questions:

Where should I install the legs from the edges? It says 2 inches from the edge. Will that be enough for an 8 foot wide heavy butcher block? I don't see a problem with bowing in the center. Is there a rule of thumb for installing legs? I'm worried I'm gonna mess it up.

The holes in the leg plates are 1/4" in diameter. The desk is 1.75 (1" 3/4) thick. What kind wood screw size will do? Also, do you recommend I drill a pilot holes for birch wood?

Apologies for the super newb questions. Thanks a bunch!

Yes to pilot holes. #10 or #12 pan head screws, 1-1/2" long.
Subtleties in leg positioning aren't going to matter. If, as @FreeMan suggests, the desk has wobble problems, you could put two struts on the back legs that form triangles. Or you could tie it to a wall with a bracket if you had a wall handy.
For anyone facing the same questions about sag, the Sagulator, http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/ is a great resource to see if a given piece of wood or wood product will sag under a particular design load. If the OP had a flimsier piece of wood, that might have guided the positioning of the legs or changed the design.


What are the pros/cons of installing glass doors over a whirlpool tub? I'm building a new bathroom and I have a whirlpool tub. I really like the tile behind it, and I would like the look and the feel of being able to see through wall to wall. However, I'm worried about 2 specific things, and whatever other issues you guys may be able to inform me of. First, comfort of trying to relax in a whirlpool tub with a metal guide right there. Is that going to be annoying?

Second - I'm worried about the vibrations of the air jets somehow effecting the glass.

Anything else I'm missing in weighing this decision?

The metal guide track is only annoying if you really don't like the looks. that is a personal thing, but every tub with doors has one and millions of people live with it.  The vibration from the jets will not adversely effect the glass doors at all, especially if you select a quality door unit. I prefer to install suspended type doors like the Kholer or Sterling. They suspend all the weight from the overhead bar so there is no weight on the bottom guide. they operate very smoothly and are easy to keep clean, especially the ones with treated glass.


GFIC outlet indicator light is green but no power in the circuit My wife overloaded a circuit when plugging in a hair dryer.  I attempted to reset the GFIC outlet but the reset button would not engage.  I purchased a new GFIC outlet and after installing, still no power at any of the outlets in the circuit, even thought the green light is lit on the new GFCI outlet.  Just like the old outlet, the test and reset buttons would not engage.  Do I need to change the outlet where the hair dry was plugged into?

Thank you

If you don't have a non-contact voltage tester you should buy one to help solve this problem.
Start at the breaker and make sure it is on for the problem circuit. Remove the faceplate of the GFCI and carefully check for voltage on the "Line" side of the GFCI. Assuming there is voltage on that side now check the "Load" side of the outlet. If the green light is on you should have voltage there as well. If you do, continue downstream carefully checking each outlet as you go. Remember the circuit is live.
The problem will probably be in the first outlet with no power or possibly in the cable between the last outlet with power and the one with no power. Once you find it, shut down the power back at the breaker. Check the GFCI to make sure you have turned off the correct breaker and there is no power in the circuit. Then  check the connections to the outlet particularly the pigtail. A loose pigtail at that point would be the prime suspect. In these cases the problem is typically something basic like a loose connection. If this is the outlet where the hair dryer was plugged in and the connections on the outlet and the pigtail are all tight, I would replace the outlet. They are inexpensive and not worth fooling with.
Turn on the breaker and test for power again. My guess is you will have power at this point. If not, the problem, unfortunately, is going to be in the cable between the GFCI and the first non-working outlet. In which case it might be time for an electrician.
Edit
Forgot to mention backstabs. Check for them. They are notorious for arcing and failing. Alaways better to attach wires securely with the contact screws.


Why are some electrical systems only two phases of a three phase system? I setup a kiln at our building, and I realized that the electrical system is setup with a three-wire feed - two hots and a neutral.  This is fed from a three phase system, though, so the voltage over the two hots is 208v instead of 240v.

Why would something be setup in this way?  Doesn't three phase wiring require all phases to be used in order for it to be balanced?

Phase balance is handled upstream from the meter socket

You will see this in two places:

Densely developed areas where the low voltage grid is fed from multiple transformers at once (something called "network service" in distribution parlance)
Larger multi-tenant buildings that exceed the capacity of a single split-phase service drop from the utility and are not configured to allow for per-tenant utility drops

Either way, what will happen is that the buildings or tenant spaces will be connected to 2 of the 3 phases to get a 3-wire service from the 4-wire wye system, but the phases they get will be rotated/transposed to balance the load:

Building/tenant 1 gets A and B phases
Building/tenant 2 gets B and C phases
Building/tenant 3 gets A and C phases
Building/tenant 4 also gets A and B phases
...and so on (there are other ways to arrange them, this is just a demonstration example).

This way, you get an evenly balanced load from several 3-wire services on a 4-wire system.  Furthermore, a similar pattern occurs if you go down a 3-phase panel on a 208Y/120 system plugging 2-pole breakers into one side of the panel:

Load 1 gets A and B phases
Load 2 gets A and C phases (really C and A, but it's irrelevant)
Load 3 gets B and C phases
Load 4 gets A and B phases again
...and the pattern continues from here

As to implementing this:

If these are individual buildings, then the utility will implement this at where the service drop/lateral from the utility splices into their low voltage main (quadplex)
If these are tenant spaces in a multi-tenant building, then there will be facilities in the meter bases to control which phase busses the meter sockets connect to (often times, a pair of movable links are used for this, but changing them will require electrician help and a utility power cut to the whole building as they're upstream of the tenant meters)


Sump Pump Trips GFCI Receptacle. Is a single, dedicated non-GFCI receptacle safe? I recently replaced my sump pump in one of my two sump pits.   To comply with codes, I replaced the outlet with a GFCI type outlet.  Unfortunately, once I turn the power back on, the GFCI trips immediately.  I eventually gave up and put the single 20amp receptacle back and the pump is working fine.

I've done some searching online and couldn't seem to get a consistent answer.  Is this a sign that there is a fault with the pump?   Is the nature of a sump pump such that some current will leak to ground?   Ultimately, is it safe to use a single, dedicated receptacle in this application?  Finally, do local codes even account for this circumstance?

There used to be an exception to the code, that said that a sump pump didn't have to be on a GFCI if it was on a dedicated circuit, and it was connected using a single receptacle*.  And by "single receptacle" they meant a non-duplex receptacle.  One like this...

With that said, "officially" there should be no problem with having a sump pump on a GFCI circuit.  Unofficially, there are sometimes problems with sump pumps on GFCI circuits.  The manufacturers are supposed to reduce or eliminate any leakage current, However, nobody sent the memo to manufacturers so they don't always get it right. Because of this, you may find that a sump pump does trip a GFCI from time to time.

If the GFCI was tripping every time, and immediately. You'll want to first verify that:

There is not a ground-fault in the sump pump.
The GFCI wiring is correct.
The GFCI is not faulty.
The GFCI was manufactured within the past 3-4 years.
The GFCI is rated for the proper current draw.
The circuit wiring is correct.

If all of this checks out, you may wan to consider using a single receptacle to connect the sump pump.  While it's not up to code, a slight electric shock hazard may be preferable to a flooded house. Though a house flooded with electrified water, might not be the best thing ever.

WARNING:

It is not safe, or up to current code to install a sump pump using a non-GFCI receptacle. And I am not telling you to do so.

I will say that a sump pump installation does not require the circuit to which the pump is connected to be upgraded, if the pump is connected to the circuit in a cord and plug configuration.

**citation needed*


Do I have to wrap electrical connections with electrical tape? I installed my first ceiling fan with remote today. I believe I did everything correctly as the fan turns and the light lights, both via the remote control.
My question has to do with the need for electrical tape.

I replaced an existing ceiling fan without a remote.  I disconnected the blue wire (lighting wire) from the group of existing wires. I then connected the black wire to the black wire and the white wire to the the white wire. I used the plastic caps originally used to twist the wires from the remote to the wires coming from the ceiling. There was no ground (copper) wire. The box and support was already sealed.

The only thing I didn't repeat in this process was to re-wrap black electrical tape around the plastic connector caps.

Here's the question; Is there going to be a problem down the road because I didn't wrap black electrical tape around the properly capped wires from the ceiling to the remote?

As long as the twist-on wire connectors (colloquially known as "wire nuts", though that's a trademark) were the right size, attached firmly, and left no un-insulated wire exposed, electrical tape over them is unnecessary (and I believe is not recommended).


How do I fill in the grooves in wood paneling in order to paint over it? Most of my house has wood paneling instead of drywall.  I want to fill in the grooves to give my walls a smooth look (drywalling the house is not in the budget).  Based on the recommendation of a book, I've tried using spackle.  The problem is it shrinks too much and then cracks later, plus sanding creates a ton of dust.

Is there another product I can try that would work better than spackle?

I might consider wallpaper as an option. You can surely find it in a plain paper, in your choice of colors, or any of a million patterns. First, you would need to fill in the grooves with spackle, but now you can do it very quickly. No worries there, just ensure that there are no voids behind the paper. And a plain paper would be relatively inexpensive.

Another choice is to use a product that is closer to a latex caulk to fill the grooves. It stays semi-flexible (so less fear of cracking) and is paintable, and you can buy it in a tub form to spread with a knife. I used a product from DAP (sold as a crack filler) once to solve a similar problem, filling cracks in a ceiling.

A third option is to buy battens - thin strips of wood moulding, perhaps 1/4 inch thick, and perhaps an inch wide. You can even choose the profile for the moulding if you wish to give it a custom look. Nail these vertically over the grooves, and paint it all. You might also paint the battens a different color to highlight them. This will give the wall a completely different look, rather than just looking like painted paneling, and no spackle will be required.


Hanging dry wall on mass loaded vinyl - can I glue and screw I am finishing a basement and had a question about hanging drywall on top of MLV (Mass loaded vinyl).

The basement I am finishing has MLV fastened to the ceiling joists.

I am getting ready to hang the drywall on the ceiling and I was wondering about if/what glue I can use.

Normally you can glue and screw the drywall To ceiling (i.e liquid nails and screws)

In the case of mass loaded vinyl what do I do? Can you use liquid nail? Should I use green-glue? Is there a special glue to use? Or do I not glue at all and maybe just add some extra screws.

Thanks guys!

If the MLV was not bonded to the joists, then there is no value in gluing the sheetrock to the MLV. Add extra screws if you like, but a standard screw pattern of 6 screws per joist will suffice. I know it is not part of your question, but RC-1 channel is a really cost effective way to add a lot of sound deadening to the ceiling in addition to the MLV, if it is done properly. It only lowers the ceiling an additional 1/2"-5/8"


Dryer vent pipes touching copper hot water pipe I am installing a long clothes dryer vent in the crawl space under my house to replace the old one.  I am using a combination of both flexible metal pipes and rigid stove pipes to try to reduce the friction as much as possible. Unfortunately the length of the pipe is 20 feet and there is really no alternative.  In several spots the pipes almost come in contact with the copper hot water pipe for the house--it is a very tight area and I am doing my best to avoid touching the pipe.  Is is a problem if both the flexible and rigid pipes come into contact with the copper hot water pipe in just a couple of small places?

This is not likely to be a major problem, but I can think of two ways it might cause trouble. One is noise, which can occur when the pipe moves due to thermal expansion or rapid water shutoff. Another is galvanic corrosion, which can occur when non-copper metals contact copper water pipes.

Either of these issues can be easily addressed by placing a section of foam pipe insulation around the copper pipe in a way that prevents contact with the duct.


GFCI Outlet in Bathroom, Lights not working I completely lost power only in bathroom, so I reset the GFCI and then I turned on the light switch. As soon as I flipped the light switch up the lights flashed on then off and the GFCI outlet made a clicking sound. Reset GFCI again and the outlet has power but as soon as I flip up the light switch the outlet loses power. So, the outlet retains power until I flip light switch, lights don't work at all except for when it flashes on/off when I reset GFCI and flip up the light switch. I reset everything on breaker still no luck. Can anyone help?

You have a short to ground on your light fixture circuit somewhere and the GFCI is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. In bathroom light fixtures, the culprit is usually corrosion and/or condensation build-up.


Adding a neutral straight from panel I had to add a neutral for a light switch. I was not able to run up the ceiling and tied the new neutral in where the light Is installed in the ceiling. The switch for the light was only a couple of feet away from the breaker panel so I ran a neutral from the switch back to the panel and put it under the same lug as the neutral going to the light.

It’s not in conduit It is cable stapled to the rafters. There is no way to fish a wire from the switch up to the light. Coming down from the light to the switch is the hot wire and then another wire going back to the light. When you flip the switch That second wire becomes hot and turns on the light. I needed a neutral at the switch and since I couldn’t fish a wire up to the light and connect to the neutral there I connected a neutral wire from the switch back to the breaker panel neutral bar Under same lug as the neutral for the light circuit.

Is it OK as in a possible code violation?

You have several code violations here, and there's a better way to do it anyway.

You can retrofit a ground like you did, but you cannot retrofit just a neutral.  The main reason is that all conductors must run through the same cable or conduit, and currents must be equal in each cable: power must go back the way it came.  This is because it is AC power: it will induce eddy currents (turn metal things into transformer cores, heating them up), induce vibration which damages cables, and produce lots of EMF radiation (which is normally very low because we follow that rule).

Proper wiring methods (NEC Chapter 3) must be used.  It's not allowed to simply toss a single THHN wire alongside an existing Romex because THHN isn't listed to be installed that way.  Even worse would be using one strand torn out of Romex, since that lacks its protective sheath, and isn't even labeled.  You can't use random unlabeled wires.

1 wire per lug*. For one thing, it interferes with setting the correct torque - yes, that matters.

You can't run a new cable from lamp to switch? OK, but you can run a neutral wire from service panel to switch.  How about a whole Romex cable?  Run a Romex /2 cable from the service panel to the switch.  Change the wiring from a switch loop, to a power-to-switch arrangement.  Then, up in the lamp, cap off the power supply that goes to it, so it is fed from the switch.
Now your switch has always-hot and neutral from the panel, and neutral and switched-hot off to the lamp.  Done!
House wiring uses a tree topology.  You usually see it as more of a vine topology, but that's not required.  You can have branches anywhere, including 6 inches from the circuit breaker.  Yes, you can wire-nut in a service panel.  And you can use stripped down Romex for a 6-12" pigtail. (the markings are every 12" anyway).
So you take your existing circuit's cable, and this new cable you just added.  Join its two hots to a black pigtail with a wire nut; that goes to the breaker.  Join the two neutrals to a white pigtail; that goes to the neutral bar or the GFCI/AFCI breaker.  Now you're safe and legal.

Another way is to use a smart-switch/dimmer/whatever you are installing that needs neutral, take it back to Home Depot, and get a similar thing that does not need neutral.  We're starting to see models appear on the market that do all the smart-switch things, require ground and not neutral, and UL is approving these, so there you go.

*  unless the panel is rated/listed/labeled for 2 wires per lug (e.g. Pushmatics are, but they use screws not lugs).


Installation options for an electric dryer I just bought a house with a gas hookup for the dryer, but did not realize that when purchasing an electric dryer.
The builder says the laundry room was built for a gas dryer after purchasing the electrical one.
At this point we may not be able to return it what can i do and how much would it cost?

If i assume correctly you do not have a 220v outlet for your electric drier.
The most economical thing to do is Sell the electric drier and buy a gas drier. You may loose a little money selling it but it will likely be  more of a loss/expense to pay to have a new outlet installed.
The gas drier is (probably) going to have a lower energy cost to operate and the cost of Having an electrician install a 220v drier outlet  MAY be a significant expense. (for a variety of reasons)
We can not tell you what it would cost, you can get an electrician to give your an estimate to find out.


Running 6/3 Romex into 1" LB Conduit I’m running 6/3 Romex through a concrete block wall to the outside.  Can I use a 1” LB conduit body on the outside of the wall to receive the Romex without splicing?  Then will use 1" SCH 80 to the subpanel.

Reviewing some of your added info...

Since you only need 50A, you need #6 in Romex (NM-B or UF-B) cable... but in conduit you can run THHN or XHHW wires at a higher temperature, so you can get away with 50A on #8 copper or #6 aluminum.  At 50A, Your ground only needs be #10 Cu, or insulated #8 Al.

You could also stay with the 70A thing if your hot tub subpanel provides 50A protection and it has extra spaces. That would allow you to add another couple of circuits later.

You can transition between wiring methods anywhere you can put a sufficiently large junction box that will remain accessible.  What happens if your NM-B cable only sticks its neck out 1 foot into outdoor space, just enough to get into an outdoor box?  That's a matter of some disagreement here, but the understanding I have is that is not allowed. Water will wick for dozens of feet down the paper wadding, and will rot the cable from the inside.

PSA: Take no shortcuts when wiring a hot tub: while electrical drownings are deadly, bad hot tub wiring can also kill people 3 towns over.  Anywhere in the wildfire west, I would use metal conduit to wire a hot tub, and I'd run ground wires also.

Conduit is not actually liquid-tight.  In fact, you are required to assume outdoor conduit is 100% full of water 100% of the time!  The protection must be in the wires themselves.

You would need 2" conduit for that

By "Romex" what you actually mean is UF-B cable, which is rated for outdoors/underground/in outdoor conduit.  UF cable is wide and flat, and as such requires quite large conduit -- 2" in fact.  At that point you might as well run fatter aluminum MH feeder for half the cost at the same ampacity.

If you really wanted to get inside 1" schedule 80

... run Aluminum XHHW 4 AWG at 25 cents a foot per wire (x3) plus a 6 AWG AL ground wire (20 cents a foot).  At that point you can breaker for 70A.

This involves a couple of reality shocks for many people: first that aluminum wire is actually perfectly OK for feeder.  And second that individual THHN/XHHW wires are not only a legitimate wiring method, but very much the preferred one inside conduit! Much easier to pull - and pulling difficulty matters a lot when you DIY.

Now you'd make that splice inside the house before the wire enters the conduit. The Polaris splices would be about $10/pop x 3, but the savings in wire will pay for it.  Then from your main panel to this splice box, run #6 Cu if you want 60A or #4 Cu if you want 70A.  Or you're welcome to carry the 1" conduit all the way back to the main panel, in which case no splicing will be needed and you run the Al straight from the breaker to the subpanel's main breaker.

It should be noted that #4 and larger wire does not require "the color game". You can simply buy 3x your required length in black, and use colored tape to mark your phases, neutral and ground. However your ground needs to be either #6 Al or #8 Cu (Cu can be bare, Al cannot), because 1" conduit won't quite fit four #4.

Other notes

Of course an outbuilding needs a "main breaker" in the panel, simply to function as a disconnect switch - nobody cares what number is on the breaker.   It is highly appropriate and correct to use a 100A++ subpanel on a 60A feed. Some people believe that's not true and that panel rating must match feed breaker. No, if you get 112 mph rated tires, that doesn't mean you have to drive 112 mph!

Make sure to get a LARGE panel.  Spaces are dirt cheap when you buy the subpanel, but running out of spaces creates an expensive problem later.  The worst case is when people unnecessarily spend a fortune on copper wire, find themselves unable to pull the balky cable through the conduit and have to hire an electrician to finish the job, and then chintz out on the subpanel and wind up completely out of spaces and having to do expensive rework (or more likely simply be unable to do their next project).

I'm not against direct burial cable.  Much the opposite, I'm a huge proponent of it unlike most here, and the reason is theft.  But cable in conduit is a bad idea unless you wildly oversize the conduit.  Why do that when you can simply learn THHN/XHHW?


attic access to the outside If i build in my attic 2 bedrooms do I need to have a access door to the outside or some kind of ladder. The attic is the 2nd story of my home and has normal stairs going up from the main floor living space.

You don't have to have a ladder for a second story window.  However I would buy one and keep it in a well known place.  They are literally $30 for a drop ladder.  I won't recommend any because I have never had to use one and don't want to recommend anything that is poor.

First any municipality will make you have formal stairs getting to the second level.

Second you need to understand these numbers (US) - you need a window that meets them:

no more than 44" above floor (bottom of the window)
20" wide
24" high
and 5.7 total square feet

Couple of notes here.

I have had inspectors check that the window is able to open and close.  So if you are thinking about buying a solid framed window, I would ask your inspector first.  I have never installed this on a second story of a home so I can't say I missed an inspection, but I have seen an inspector open a few windows to make sure they were in working order.
I have messed up the 5.7 total square feet.  I had a framed window of 24" high by 24" wide, so you would say - "meets code".  No, it wasn't because it didn't meet the 5.7 requirement.  Luckily inspector noticed this during rough-in (I had already bought window but still).  This is one of those mistakes you only make one time.


How can I improve my hot water heater's performance? I don't have the equipment details on hand but could probably get them if needed. It's a pretty standard boiler + hot water heater + pump set up.

Often the hot water coming out of the shower faucet is... not hot, to say the least, while sinks can get hot enough to scald.

Why is it that the shower is not providing the full range of heated water that is provided elsewhere?

I end up having to leave the shower running for 20 minutes or so to get the room warm and the water slightly warmer though it still never really gets that hot the vast majority of the time.

Is there anything I can do to increase the performance of the hot water heater so it provides hot water on demand? Again this really only affects the shower most of the time.

I had this problem once.  Is the water flow in your shower controlled by a single knob?  If so, then there is an adjustment thingy inside the faucet knob that controls the ratio of hot to cold water.  Take the knob off by prying lose the center plastic cap and removing the screw that holds it on.  There will be a plastic piece underneath that you can pull out, rotate a little bit toward the hot side, and then push back in.  You may have to experiment a little bit to get it where you want it.

Now, it's been a little while since I did this, and I'm pretty sure I didn't have to turn off the water to tear down the faucet to that point, but I just can't remember for sure, so I guess you should turn off the hot and cold water supplying the shower before you take it apart.  You can probably find an exploded diagram of your particular faucet online if you can still read the manufacturer's name on it.

This may not fix your problem, but it's a good first step to check before you get too involved with water heaters and pipes just on the principle that it's a 5 minute job and it's free.


Sump Pit Not Holding Water Moved into a new house built in the 1970's and discovered that the sump pump was not operational. I replaced the sump pump, re-attached everything, and poured water into the dry sump pit to test operation. The curious thing was that the sump pit did not retain any water. It drained the 6 or so gallons of water I poured in just a few minutes.
The bottom of the sump pit is concrete, but it is clearly porous to some degree. I guess my question is: is this cause for concern?
My suspicion is that this is not cause for concern. My reasoning is that since some sump pits are gravel, I would assume that water draining out the bottom of the pit is normal and acceptable. Zone of saturation could be low at the moment, etc.
Discussion on this question leads me to believe that this is okay and not cause for concern but I cannot find anything addressing this specific question.

That is good , the idea of a home sump is to remove ground water before it causes damage; you have no ground water problem. That is better than frequent pump running.  Normally ,drain tile around house perimeter bring water to the sump to remove it, so I would expect some connection to the sump.


Sanding a mildewed deck Rented a cabin for vacation use for a year.  It has a covered back deck that was power washed, not allowed to dry in December by landlord and then "sealed" with awful Thompson's.  Smell is awful and would like to sand it down and reseal with Ready Seal. Deck doesn't get any sun.
Suggestions on how to proceed?

Power wash it first, with plain water. Then use a belt sander with a 60grit paper, when the stain/sealer is off sand with a 150grit paper, when done get as much air circulation as you on the deck, open windows and fans.


Could a pressure relief valve that drains up cause my water heater to explode? In the case of a big pressure build up, could this "hypothetical pressure relief valve" piping installation indicated in black below cause my water heater to explode? What could be the consequences of having the hypothetical piping installation?

A pressure relief valve does (or should) what it says: relieve pressure. That is exactly what you want - in the unlikely but non-zero event that a water heater overheats or has some other problem causing the water inside to get very hot (which leads to high pressure) or to get to much higher than normal pressure, the valve opens to relieve the pressure.
Normally I see the pipe from a pressure relief valve going down. It looks like the pipe in the picture goes sideways and then down, presumably to a drain outside.
If I understand the drawing correctly, the hypothetical part here is not "existence of the valve" but rather "pipe going straight up from the valve." That is not a good idea. Under normal circumstances, water pressure can handle any direction. But in the case of an over-temperature/over-pressure situation, you want the water to specifically go out the easiest path possible. If the pressure relief valve piping extends above other pipes, it is quite possible that even after the valve opens, the water will try to exit via other means - the pipes at the top of the water heater - which could lead to burst pipes or other problems.
One extra safety feature that may make sense is a water heater drain pan. This goes underneath your water heater to catch leaks. It is typically required when a water heater is not on the lowest level, but even on the lowest level of your house it is a good idea if there is no floor drain nearby.


Is a 6x6 beam good enough for a span of 10ft I'm opening up a wall between two living rooms. The wall use to be an exterior wall which runs east to west and used to have a large window which was closed up when they added the back living room. The joist also run east to west and end on a center wall and an exterior wall that run north to south.There is currently a 4x6 that ran above the old window. I've attached photo so I hope that helps. Any info on beam size or material would help. I do want to do an exposed wood design so the beam and posts won't be behind a wall.

Thanks for any info you can give me.

This is the edited one.

No. 6-by lumber hasn't been used for beams since the 60s or so (and it doesn't fit in your wall anyway). An engineer would specify something between a doubled 2x10 and a doubled 1-3/4" LVL (engineered lumber) beam, up to 12" nominal height, depending on the roof system.

If I was held to the fire for a guess I'd put in a doubled 2x12 in a U configuration with a flat 2x4 on the bottom. The primary factor is whether you have a full-span engineered truss system or a conventional ceiling joist configuration where they'll be carried by the beam.

Simply put, we can't say for sure from our desks what you need, but I can say that a 6x6 isn't it. They're for posts, not beams.

Also be aware that it's not uncommon for beams that long to have twin trimmers at each end. You may also need to block through the floor system to the wall or beam below as well, to prevent overstressing the subfloor at those concentrated load points.

UPDATE:

From the new photo it looks like that wall was open at one point already. The key question is whether the opening spanned the entire width of the header. Sometimes single headers are used with intermediate trimmers acting as posts.

I'd still remove everything up to the double top wall plates and install a double 2x12 header immediately below that, replacing the 2x6 header and resting on the existing trimmers.

Disclaimer: I'm making a number of assumptions here that aren't supported by adequate knowledge of your building. You should be consulting a local engineer, not a bunch of strangers on the interwebs. Take my advice solely as a presumed plan of action to be verified before completion.


Properly flashing ledger board for pergola or overhanging patio roof I am wanting to build a roof over our west facing patio to help with the heat of the day. I was thinking either a pergola type structure with a roof on it, or just an overhang. The structure will attach to the 1st floor of the house, directly beneath where the 2nd story of the house sticks out about 20 inches. This overhanging 20 inches will cover the entire length of the ledger board.
The problem is, when the house was initially built it was not code to have a house wrap. When I remove the vinyl siding, there will be nothing but wood there. How should I properly flash this?
In addition, what is the correct way to attach an angled joist to the ledger board? The roof will be slanting down.

Thanks!

How should I properly flash this?

  what is the correct way to attach an angled joist to the ledger board?

p.s. I think in your application it would be referred to as a rafter as opposed to a joist.


A hinge door stopper that won't break easily I have a door which can only be controlled by a hinge mounted stopper. So far I've only used this kind:
but it is not sturdy enough and it breaks every so often.

I'd like to know what other options I have of more solid hinge stoppers.
I thought of the possibility of using more than one, but I would like a better one.
Also, has anyone used this other type? If so, what do you think of it?

Better answer is to use a door stop that stops the door rather than the hinge. Anything that mounts at the hinge will eventually pull the hinge screws out or bend the hinge leaves or both.


Dealing with scratched floor tile I have a kitchen with a tile floor.  In one corner, there's been a pedestal style garbage bin.  It seems that stepping on the foot pedal has caused the bin to shift slightly during each use, and over time this has resulted in a patch of surface scratches on the tile surface.  The damage is minimal, but is noticeable.  I'm assuming I should be able to remove or at least reduce the scratches through some simple polishing of the area, but it's something I've never tried before, so I wanted to see if anyone had any advice or a similar experience.  I'd rather leave it be than risk causing more harm than good.

Update: Unfortunately, the tile was laid before I was the occupant, so if there are extra tiles, I haven't found them yet.  Perhaps my question should have been phrased "are there any options, short of removing/replacing a tile, to minimize scratch damage".

If it was easy to do, then the tile would become scratched up merely by walking on it. Your feet scuffing the floor with a little dirt there would cause scratches. Tile is used for a purpose - it has a tough, hard surface.

Next, you must consider if the tile color goes all the way through, or if it is simply a surface glaze. If the color goes all the way through, then you could erode some of the surface and still see the proper color. Often however, tile will be a different color underneath.

Best is to replace the tile. This is not as difficult as it seems, IF you have a replacement tile. Always keep spare tiles for just this purpose when a floor is done. (Also carpet fragments, etc.) Surprisingly, it is often possible to find matching tile in tile stores, even for older floors.

Replacing the tile requires chiseling out the grout (or using a grout removal tool) then a cold chisel will help to break up and remove the bad tile. (An air powered chisel is great here.) Clean off any adhesive still on the underlayment. Then carefully butter the new tile, put in place, and regrout with a grout that will match the color of your old grout.


Plastering over a junction box I've got a switch box on a wall, it was originally meant to be a three-way with the switch outside, but that is not necessary and right now it is just functioning as a pass-through. I know you can't plaster over a junction box as it needs to be accessible. But I've read that you can plaster over the box if you permanently join the wires together by either crimping or soldering with heat shrink. Is this correct?

Further, if I do solder the wires and heat shrink them, can I apply plaster directly over the wires? Or should I put in some styrofoam/drywall as a "backing" for the plaster over the wires inside the junction box (we have fully plaster walls over brick).

No, you can't do this -- Code requires that boxes and most kinds of splices be accessible.  Under certain conditions, it's possible to bury splices made using a special connector in a wall (see this answer for what's needed) -- but the conditions aren't likely to be met because the cables at your box aren't all the same size.


Replacing Gutter Fascia? A decision must be made to determine whether to replace gutter fascia.  I am replacing a faulty / questionable soffit install:

I am at a decision-point: if the fascia is to be replaced, now is the time to do so before any more soffit work.
The photos below show replacing the soffits with radial pieces.  It also shows removal of the old gutter sections. Gutters were removed exposing the aluminum facia:

The remaining gutter in the left of the photo was installed 12 months ago and will be retained.
QUESTIONS
There are a few small nail holes that could be filled in with sealant.  If there is no damage to the wood under the fascia:
What are the reasons to replace the exposed aluminum fascia?
How do I test said reason to determine if replacement of the section is necessary?

I intend to add gutters soon, however, I need to understand why I would want to replace the existing fascia, so I can develop a "litmus" test to decide whether or not to replace.

Assuming the aluminum fascia covering is sound (i.e. not bent all to hell or oxidized/corroded) and the wood underneath is in good shape, replacement criteria would be strictly aesthetics.
Yours looks bent up a bit and stained in places, but if it were mine I would attempt to (carefully) beat it back flat, caulk the holes, then hit it with a fresh coat of paint.


What to watch out for when using lithium grease? I've only used machine oil compounds for lubrication previously, lithium grease is new to me. What do I watch out for?

I mean when using machine oil and similar stuff it should not be applied to plastic because many plastics get dissolved this way. Also machine oil will stain porous materials and those stains are nearly impossible to remove. Other than that machine oil is more or less fool proof - can be applied to any metal, doesn't damage it.

What are similar guidelines for lithium grease?

Wikipedia mentions nothing of what you are worried about, and I have never heard of it having an issue staining or dissolving anything.  I've used it on many things including plastics, and never personally had any issue.  I know it is used on the plastic moving parts inside things like VCRs and DVD players, and I know it is used on many different types of metal machinery as well.


How can I repair battery acid damage on a Caesar-stone counter? A regular alkaline AA battery apparently leaked on our Caesar-stone (similar to Silestone) island counter top. If this is indeed the case, it has been left there for several weeks. It left a battery sized bleached area. It feels very slightly rougher than the surface around it. In real life it stands out even more than in the picture:

Interesting enough, when that area is wet the mark is much less apparent, almost invisible:

Reading on similar damage on-line it would seem that sanding the damaged area will not help, as the acid bleached the color of the quartz. I might try some gentle (800+ grit) sanding to completely smooth the surface, but that probably won't help with the color.

From the observation above (the stain almost disappearing when wet) I hope that a "wet-look" stone sealer might darken the damaged area without touching the non-porous undamaged surface around. Anyone had any experience with something of this sort? I'd really hate to have to replace the entire island counter top.

Note that the damage is in a part of the counter top away from the food preparation, so it should be only lightly used.

I would experiment with dye on a cut-off piece..  talk to some installers of ceasar stone or get some samples.

The dye I'm speaking of is a metallic salt type (Transtint http://www.homesteadfinishingproducts.com/htdocs/TransTint.htm ) They are intended for wood, but will stain most any material with some porosity to it.

This will be a temporary fix, a surface treatment that will have to be renewed periodically.  If you get a mix working (keep track of your formula), you can bottle it for refreshing the color as needed.

I'd suggest 1 OZ of denatured alcohol and 4-6 drops of a Transtint color to start.  Mixing is straight forward and color blend is the true genius of this system.
PS wear latex or nitrile gloves..


Why is the water pressure suddenly high in my toilet after hot water heater replacement? I got my hot water heater replaced this morning. Immediately after the water pressure in my toilet became very high. When flushed it’s so forceful I jump. I noticed a noise when the guys were still here and they said it was the toilet refilling after they turned the water off. But it hasn’t gotten better through the day. Did I just not realize my pressure was sluggish before? The other tank was about 7/8 yrs old and had a a tiny leak and some rusting.

Try running the water for several minutes, both hot and cold sides, at the other fixtures too. Do they behave similarly? Do the symptoms diminish after a minute or two?
When a water system is opened, especially for something like a heater replacement, air gets into the pipes. Eventually the air finds its way out through the various faucets. As bubbles of air exit the faucet they make a lot of noise. They also can cause the water to eject forcefully. It sounds and looks a lot like the water pressure had been increased even though that's not actually the case. Running the faucets for a few minutes allows the air to be purged from the system and it'll behave normally again afterward.


Toilet Shooting Water when flushing We are having an issue with one of our toilets "spitting" water out of the toilet when it is flushed.  The toilet bowl itself also doesn't seem to have much water at all sitting in it.  When we look in back of toilet, the tank is full of water - so not sure why there isn't more water in the bowl itself.  Could this be an easy fix/adjustment?

When re-filling the tank after a flush, some water is routed thru a small tube coming from the fill valve/float into the overflow tube that refills the bowl. Check to see that it's not broken or come loose from the over-flow tube.   If not broken or detached, with the lid off the tank, flush the toilet and see if you have any water coming out of that tube (it's a small tube, less than 1/4" ).  If no water is coming out during the re-fill of the tank, something is wrong with your fill valve/float.  But not to worry, for most toilets (unless you have a fancy one with a dual flush function), toilet tank guts are very inexpensive, about $20 or so and pretty easy to replace. One of my sons had a running toilet and needed to have the guts replaced.  He's not very "handy" at all, but I made him do it with my guidance just to give him confidence in home repair. He had no problems doing it all, piece of cake.
If you have a hard pipe from the valve on the wall, this would be a good time to replace it with a braided steel riser....much easier to deal with than hard pipe and compression fittings!


Circuity Breaker 2 pole Amp Label Old breaker needs replacing. Is this a 2 pole 40 amp breaker (40 each pole) or a 2 pole 20 amp breaker? (20 + 20 = 40).

It's a 40 ampere double pole breaker.

It can supply two 40 ampere 120 volt circuits, one 40 ampere 240 volt circuit, or any combination of the two.

It may seem complicated, but it's really quite simple. Go to the hardware or home improvement store, and ask for a double pole 40 ampere breaker.


White wire when changing from 4 prong to 3 on dryer I recently moved into a home with a 3 prong outlet for my 4 prong Kenmore dryer. I went to Home Depot to replace the 4 prong plug with a 3 to match the outlet. I was ready to install the new plug when I noticed this white wire (2nd picture) and I'm not sure where it should be connected to. Originally on the 4 prong plug this white wire was connected to the middle screw (1st picture) but from the videos I've been able to see this seems to go to the ground (green screw). So my question is where should this white wire be connected to, the green screw or should I connect it once again to the middle bracket?

Original 4-wire cord

New 3-wire cord

Getting power to the machine is the easy part.   The neutral goes to the silver screw in the center, and the two hots go to the brass screws on either side.  Now the machine is powered.

Safety ground is the hard part.  You really want that.

If you have a 4-wire cable with NEMA 14-30, you're all set.

If you have a 3-wire cable with NEMA 10-30, you have several options, and the rest of this post is about that.

For dryers and stoves specifically, Code allows you to "cheat": bond ground to the neutral wire.  The rationale is there are a lot of old NEMA 10-30's out there, and trouble is unlikely since dryers and stoves are rarely moved and plugs are rarely unplugged. The hazard is, if the neutral fails, it will energize the chassis of the dryer at 120V and will electrocute users, and has.  Sometimes fatally.
Install a 4-wire cable to a 14-30.  For a dryer circuit, Romex 10/3 is the right stuff, it sells for less than $1/foot.  Follow the old wire and replace if feasible. If you're not comfortable going inside the service panel, leave about 4 feet of excess length and call an electrician to make the connections.   If you prefer, you could run metallic or non-metallic conduit and use single-wire THWN wire (preferably stranded for easy pulling).  Ground is optional in metallic conduit, the conduit is a legit ground path.
Replace the NEMA 10-30 outlet with a 14-30 by running a separate ground wire.  It must be at least 10 AWG - single wire will do, but the wire must be bare, green or greeen/yellow, and re-marking another color is not allowed.  Route however you can, to either the service panel inside on a ground lug, or to a ground screw inside a box in all-metal conduit that is continuous back to the service panel. This is covered under NEC 250.130(c). Don't connect anywhere else, e.g. not to 120V outlets, those have 12 or 14 gauge ground wires - too thin. You might be able to bond to a water heater's ground, but ask a code expert before you do that.
You cannot buy or hack a 240V-only dryer (which takes NEMA 6-30) and replace your plug and re-designate the white wire to be ground instead. Electrical code does not allow that.  You can remove the insulation, but you must remove all of it - hard to do in jacketed Romex.

If you install any wire or grounds, get a book on wiring installation and learn how to do it properly and legally, so the wire is not damaged and any electrician who touches it won't want to tear it out and redo.