Gas fireplace won’t stay lit I got my pilot started in my gas fireplace, and now the flame won’t stay lit. I have a light switch as an on/off switch. Originally, I couldn’t get the flame to light at all. Toggled the switch a few times and the flame went on. Shut the bottom compartment of the fireplace and boom, flame gone! And now it won’t restart. Pilot is lit. Can anyone recommend anything?

All such units have a safety device to prevent the main valve from opening if the pilot is not lit. When these go bad, the system thinks the pilot is not lit (even if it is) and the main gas valve will not open.

Sometimes this device is a simple thermocouple, sometimes it is a bundle of thermocouples encapsulated in a tube, called a thermopile or pilot generator. They work on the same principle: when heated they supply a low-voltage signal to the gas valve, as a permissive for it to open (on thermopile units it actually supplies the power that opens the valve).

This would be the first thing to check, look for a small cylindrical device that sits adjacent to the pilot flame such that it would be heated by the pilot. It will have either a pair of wires or a thin copper tube that leads to the gas control valve.

This is only one of many things that could go wrong, but it is a common issue and easy to rule out because they are fairly easy to replace and inexpensive.


How to remove this pipe plug? I'm trying to install my dishwhasher and I'm at the point where I need to install the drain hose.
However, the pipe is obstructed by this plug:

I guess this is the right pipe (please confirm).
I tried to remove it with pliers and screwdriver with hammer without any success.
How may I remove it?
Thanks.

Edit: Here's another picture:

It looks like a plug in a barbed fitting for hose with clamp attachment. When not being used, the drain is sealed by the plug.

I would apply heat to the barbed section causing it to expand slightly and loosen it's grip on the plug. A hair dryer might work, if not an electric heat gun set to LOW worked all the way around the barbed section for a few minutes then try turning it out again - and remember "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey".


How to insulate sloped top of concrete block foundation? I am planning to insulate the inside of my basement.
I have a concrete block foundation.
I am planning on going XPS board route, applied directly to wall with foam/tape on all the seams to make it nice and tight.

One complication is at the top of the top block of the wall, it slopes outwards, up to the sill / bottom plate. If I end the XPS foam board at the top of the wall where it begins to taper towards the sill, how should I insulate the remaining top 6-10" of the block wall?

Two ideas...

Spray foam the inside of the rim joist all the way down to the top of the vertical portion of the wall.
Cut small pieces of foam board, with mitred edges, to attach at the top of the wall, taping all of the seams. Could also spray foam the rim joist areas, but would not be as much area to cover with this method.

Are there other options to consider to insulate the top of the block? What are the pros and cons?

Edit:
Picture...

I've had an almost exact scenario.

you basically have 3 options
1) spray foam the entire system. Expensive for small areas.
2) 1-2 inch foam board that's cut out exactly. tuck tape the seams to the joists/ceiling. This would be a pain to mitre. (I don't think they're meant for this)
3) batt insulation with 6ml vapor barrier over, then tuck tape the seams to joists/ceiling.

Each have pro's cons. spray will be best seal. Batt insulation would be easiest to cut/work with and seal.


Replacing a light kit on a ceiling fan with a cap? I want to remove the light kit from a hunter fan.  What product do I use to cover the opening where the light kit was attached?

The major problem with this are finding those caps. Wherever that fan was purchased, I'd be surprised if they sold let alone had any caps... I wish you the best of luck in your search though

I've done many fan installs for people and have those instances too, where a person just wanted that light kit removed and the cap replaced. I got lucky a couple of times where people had their original caps.

The other times when there was no hope finding caps I've modified the light kit by removing the lights in them and capping off the holes left behind with flat head or round head carriage bolts, with nuts behind them. Painted to match the repaired area, of course.

Not too bad of a look, I believe.


Studs cut to fit the sewer pipe -- is it ok? I removed the drywall in a kitchen and found that studs are cut through to fit the sewer pipes. Is it OK to keep them as is or should I do something?

I am thinking about installing the stud shoes.

Here's the picture how it looks like.

Upd.
The house was built in 1955. This is the exterior wall.

The plastic pipe extends to the right about 3 feet -- this a sewer for the washing machine in the adjacent bathroom.

Added more photos.
Also, I have no idea why the washer pipe is bent forward, there was an offset added to the wall to fit it. Can I make it straight to fit behind the wall?

Thanks!

You are right to be concerned, there's been a lot of support lost with such deep notches. The question is whether this is a load bearing wall or not. Given the fact that it's still standing I'm going to assume it's non load bearing. Building codes often state that notches can't be more than 40% of the width of a stud, which looks like it's been massively exceeded, it's more like 75% which isn't good. The studs are mostly doubled and tripled, but not all of them are.

Kitchen walls often bear a lot of weight in the form of shelves or cabinets, even if they aren't holding up the house itself, so it makes sense to strengthen these. I'd at least double all of the studs and add stud shoes. Keep in mind that may still not be up to code in your area.

This related answer has useful information on guidelines.


Why are there sometimes holes in framers squares? Sometimes I notice there's 0, 1, or 2 circular holes in framers square. I also hear "framers square" and "carpenters square" tossed around as if they're interchangeable terms - perhaps the hole has some sort of relationship or distinguishing aspect between these 2 tools (or maybe they're synonymous)?

What are the holes there for?

It's for hanging on a peg-board hook, both in the store and in the shop.


When to recess a lag bolt in lumber, vs. using a lag screw? I'm trying to figure out when you should recess a lag bolt in lumber, vs. just using a lag screw?  Does it depend on the type of wood being screwed into?  Hardwood? Softwood? Plywood?

I know you can't just drive a lag screw into fiberboard, but standard lumber can hold a screw, so why are recessed bolts used sometimes?

Simply, a bolt is not relying on the holding strength of the threads in wood fiber.  It is a metal-to-metal sandwich that is holding boards together from both sides.  A bolt connection will normally be stronger than a lag screw, but that increased strength is often not needed, and access to both sides of the joint is not always possible.

If there is any question about the holding strength of the wood, a bolt is a better choice.  If the wood isn't very dense, or if it could get wet and soft (like an outdoor swingset), or if you need the maximum amount of strength then choose a bolt.

If the wood is solid and you don't have access to both sides, a lag screw is a proven solution.


Can i reuse a water string filter with a backflush and vinegar flush Water here is very hard. String filter is caked up after 3 weeks.  Thinking backflush and wash with vinegar, reuse one time.  The new filters are 4.5 inch and at replacing every 3 weeks, thats going to get expensive.

I think that you would be better served by a water conditioning company. When I moved into my new house 42 years ago I had a similar problem and I tried to correct the problem myself. When they failed I called "Culligan" who was the best company in my area at that time. A great gentleman came and tested my water. He recommended a solution that I thought was very expensive. I called a couple other companies but they were all reluctant to sell me anything. The guy from Culligan  solved my problem. That man stated that my water condition was the worst that he had ever seen. 20 years I sold that house and the system still worked well with a minimum of service calls. I am glad that I called in a professional.  my 2 cents


Best way to wire multiple lights in multiple rooms on single circuit? In new wiring, when running a new circuit from the main panel in the basement to multiple rooms upstairs, what is the most efficient way to wire lights in each room so they are 1.) on the same circuit and 2.) controlled by an individual switch in each room?

I'm sure I can run my main 12-2 or 14-2 (I will use 12) to the closest light in this circuit, and continue the power to the next room, but I am not sure what the best method of switching the power in each individual room is.  Or if I should run power to each room's switch and then use a new wire to go from each powered switch to the series of each room's lights.

In the old days you could run neutral and ground to all the lights and a single hot throu the switch in each room to the lights in that room. BUT, since 2011 NEC code requires all 3 wires to be available in each switch box even if the neutral is just capped off (this is for remotely controlled switches - smart homes).

Here is a nifty diagram for you (source)

Seems sort of a waste though to be doing it this way now that LED and occupancy (motion/light) sensors are cheap. At minimum, installing a dual switch with one low level LED light fixture is preferable to most people and even Leviton is making inexpensive bluetooth remotes so people can have a switch wherever they put the bed. Some combination of these has greatly improved our family's quality of lighting and now it's unimaginable to have to go back to the single full light on/off scenario.

You asked for efficiency and that can be interpreted differently: do you want to save an hour on the initial installation or make living/working there efficient for years to come?


Ceiling exhaust fan in kitchen We have both a range hood and an exhaust fan in our kitchen.

I'm not really sure that the range hood actually exhausts outside the house, as there's not much room (a couple inches) behind the cabinetry to run a duct upwards. As you might be able to tell, we have a rancher with gabled ceilings and no attic.

The exhaust fan in our ceiling is old, slow to start, and cranky.

Is it worth replacing the ceiling fan with something better to help improve the airflow and reduce cooling costs? What should I replace it with?

Should I remove the range hood if it isn't properly ducted? Do I need to worry about a hood if the exhaust fan us on directly overhead?

The picture of your range hood indicates that it was designed to vent back into the kitchen area if desired. That is what those small louvered vents on the front are for. Most such units can be either vented through ducting in the traditional method (preferred method, IMHO) or vented through the vents on the front of the unit. They are called convertible duct units. When vented back into the room, a charcoal filter is supposed to be used along with (or in lieu of, depending on brand/model) the grease trapping metal mesh filter.

If you put your hand over the vents while the unit is operating, you will know if it has been converted to vent into the room because you will feel the exhausted air blowing out. if you don't feel air blowing out it is probably ducted.

You should not just assume it is not ducted, your picture shows a significant wall area above your cabinets that could be a soffit easily large enough to contain the ducting. Often a 4" x 10" rectangular duct is used (as opposed to a round duct) to save space, so there does not need to be a whole lot of room to run the duct. Inspect the rear of the cabinet above the unit to see if there are signs that a duct runs up behind, look at the outside walls of the home (in likely places) for an external duct hood. Or you could always drop the unit down a bit and take a peek.

As for your ceiling exhaust fan, I would take it out and thoroughly clean and de-grease the blade, motor, mounting hardware, and duct. If it still makes noise and does not run correctly you can buy a replacement motor for around $30-40 and it will run like new.


What is the recommended way to clean oil based stain out of a spray gun? I would like to know what the proper or recommended way to clean the oil based stain out of my spray gun after use is.

I am using this stain product.

I have the following antique spray gun:

here's a link to the Power Painter manual(PDF) on Wagner's site..  Its a newer version but the cleaning instructions will be very similar.


Need to identify a common wire on my old HVAC For Nest Thermostat 3, I am trying to identify a common wire on my old HVAC.
The diagram can be found on the link below:

Whenever a furnace has a 24V low voltage transformer, the two 24V terminals are R and C.

If you can't find any other way to do it, pick one of these two low-voltage terminals to use for C.

Worst case, you picked R by mistake, and the thermostat will see 0 volts between R and C, since you are actually bringing it R and R.    In that case, use the other transformer terminal.

On your furnace, the low voltage transformer is in the smaller schematic to the middle left.  Within that drawing, it shows the transformer in the middle.  The R wire snakes through a limit switch to the thermostat connection terminal block on the lower left.   Your furnace does not bring C out to that terminal block.  You'll have to "go get it".


alternative insuluation for stainless steel dishwasher? I just bought a new kitchenaid stainless steel dishwasher. The bad thing is it has stinky odor from the black insulation. Most likely lots of stainless steel dishwashers are using such kind of stinky material. I know it and I hate it because my German car has similar odor which make me sick. Instead of return the dishwasher, I prefer to replace the insulation with something different.

I am glad to see that this insulation layer is easy to remove (see 2nd picture).

So I am looking for alternative healthy replacement for the insulation solution? Will there be any issue if no insulation? Does insulation for dishwasher need fire resistant?

Appreciate if any recommendation on any kind of alternative insulation.

This type of "blanket" is commonly used for sound insulation in dishwashers.  It could work for you if the tolerances allow it.  The insulation is there solely to insulate for temperature and sound.


Lights not working after replacing blown light bulb Room with two recessed lights, each with a 65 watt bulb, controlled by light switch and dimmer. One of the lights blew out and the casing cracked off when I tried to remove it. When I did this the other light went out.

I checked the panel and none of the switches were tripped. So I carefully removed the broken piece from the first light, and then replaced both lights with new bulbs. Turned on the switch and nothing. Check the bulbs in another room to make sure they were good, and they were. Checked the panel again, and still nothing tripped. For good measure I then tripped all the switches in that area of the house, and still nothing.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Look for GFI outlets and reset them.

Confirm the switch is functioning and confirm there is power to the switch.

Check for power at the dimmer in the loop, it may have been damaged.


Running electric cables in basement shop I am setting up a workshop in the unfinished area of my basement.  I need to run a couple of electrical outlets and would like to run them along the block walls through grey PVC.  Will this be a problem or should I use metal conduit instead?  There's one circuit already installed by a previous owner, but I'll be removing it.  He has 12/2 romex draped from the bottom of the joists running into metal conduit (one per outlet) which ends about 18" below the joists.  Not only does it look bad, the romex drapes from counduit to conduit, entering each conduit with no protection from the sharp edge of the pipe.  The electric panel is in the same area as the workshop.

You should have no problem using Schedule 80 PVC conduit.  It's easy to work with, and you can get pre-formed 90's for any corners (so you won't need a pipe bender).

You might be able to get away with Schedule 40, but since it will be exposed (and in a work area where it could get smashed with a wayward piece of lumber) I would go with Schedule 80.

Just make sure you do a better job than the previous "electrician", and use proper PVC conduit straps to attach the conduit to the wall / ceiling.

KeithS brings up a fair point.  Make sure the first receptacle on the line is a GFCI receptacle, then feed the rest of the receptacles from the load side of the GFCI.


Are there energy saving lamps which work with touch/electronic dimmers, timers, etc.? Dimmable energy saving bulbs are usually labeled as "Use only with standard dimmers. Not to be used with touch dimmers, electronic dimmers, timers, ..." After reading https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/7931/4390, I also understand why that is.

The problem: I'm living in a rented apartment with the following circuitry: To dim one lamp, I can use a push-button on one side of the room, and a touch sensor button on the other side (push and hold to dim up and down). Both are used to dim the same lamp (similar to a changeover switch). I'd like to keep this setup (and probably wouldn't be allowed to replace it anyway).

But when I install an energy saving bulb, it flashes brightly at about 5 or 10 Hz, when the dimmer is at OFF (probably due to the leakage current of the touch sensor).

Since filament lamps won't be available in the EU for very long anymore (and my new light fixture can't even be used with filament or halogen lamps anymore due to low heat resistance), I don't really know what to do.

Are there energy saving lamps which work with touch/electronic dimmers, timers, etc.?
Or are there suitable dimmers which allow me to control dimming from two locations in the room?

I had the same issue when outfitting two homes with Insteon dimmers (which support both multi-location control and full home automation with an optional computer link) over the past 6 years.  For CFL bulbs, it comes down to the design of the ballast.  I used a combination of forum research and experimentation to find no-flicker bulbs, and have the following recommendations (in order of availability & price):

TCP SpringLamp series
Overdrive Lighting dimmable spiral
EarthTronics / EarthBulb
Dimmable CCFLs from LiteTronics or TCP (no high-lumen models)

All of them work wonderfully for me with a wide range of dimming and no flicker.  One caveat: very low dim levels cause an audible whine on some of the bulbs, particularly the TCP models.

I've read about positive results with LED lamps as well, but the price isn't right (for me) yet.


Need to determine the correct start capacitor for hvac unit I need to replace the start capacitor in my HVAC unit and I don't see any identifiable markings on it. This unit also has a heat pump. I believe this start cap is for the heater. I found the part numbers on the manufacture website but they 6 different models. How do I determine which one is correct? Here are the pictures of my model and the parts available. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

You have a single start cap there not a dual (from the wires I can see)  The resistor is a safety bleed down for the cap.  I would ASSUME that the blower motor uses a run cap and if you look on the upper right of the label on the blower motor it does give a run cap value of 5.5mfd.  Bleed resistors are not normal on run caps.  You may be able to find the value of the needed start cap by looking at the compressor nameplate.  You can use any cap of the correct capacitance and voltage and if it lacks a bleed resistor and the bleed resistor is still good on that cap in the picture you can move it to the new cap.  I'm sorry to tell you but none of your pictures have legible writing when blown up enough to read.


Diagnosing Loss of Power in Bedroom We have no power to our downstairs bedroom. We had the lights on, and a heater plugged in to the outlet. A family member turned off the heater, and unplugged it from the outlet. When she unplugged it, the lights went out in the room, and we can’t get power back. The hallway is on the same circuit, and the lights and power in the hallway are fine. It’s only  the back half of the house that has lost power. In the bedroom with no power, there are two switches, each controlling separate light fixtures (both are dark), and one outlet, which was what got unplugged to start this mess. Here’s what I have tried so far:

Reset the breakers.
Swapped out the outlet with a new outlet.
Checked all outlets and switches with a pen-style volt tester. They all indicate that they have power, and the switches seem to be functioning (tester confirms on-off). The only thing I haven’t tested are the light fixtures.

I opened the switch box which contains the switches for both the bathroom (operating) and the bedroom (dark), and the switch arrangement looks really suspect to me. Picture attached.

Since you state, "When she unplugged it, the lights went out in the room," this seems like the inductive "kick" caused by breaking the circuit caused the issue, rather than overload from the heater.

Look for a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI or GFI) like that in the image below. These outlets are designed to help prevent electric shock, but are also sensitive to sudden surges. Since they're usually specified in wet locations, the outlet might be in a basement or bathroom, but wired to provide protection in the bedroom.


How to drill a 0.75" hole in metal I'm trying to drill a 0.75" hole in a metal pole. I got a 0.75" drill bit from Home Depot (DEWALT 3/4 in. Black Oxide Reduced Shank Drill Bit) that I was told is appropriate for metal. I used a punch to create a pilot dent. I then tried to use the 0.75" bit but it kept on slipping. I did some research and it said that you could drill a pilot hole but that it shouldn't be more than 25% of the target size. As such I drilled a pilot hole and that seemed to help and I then made some progress with the 0.75" bit.

I've now got to the point where there's a lot of vibration in the bit and the hole that it's creating is larger than 0.75" on the outside. The extra size is not a problem - just stating a fact.

The problem is that after progressing through the metal I seem to be "stuck" at this point inasmuch as it's extremely difficult to get it to go further.

My question: Do I just continue to apply force and push on the drill to keep going or is there a technique that will make this easier.

(I'm wearing safety goggles, gloves etc.)

For a hole of that size or larger a hole saw might be an easier method as it removes less material and may be more likely to stay centered due to its pilot bit.

However using the more standard bit you have is working and you should be able to get all the way through. The type of vibration and unevenness of the hole from that type of bit is not uncommon in my experience, and may not really matter in the end if the exact hole size does not need to be very precise.

While the bit might be dull, more likely it is harder to cut as you go deeper because initially more and more material has to be removed on each revolution, and also friction of the bit against the hole increases.

Tips:

Some lubrication (cutting oil - but in a pinch any oil may help) may stress the tools less
You can push hard but if you seem to stress the motor of your drill (you'll hear this) back off somewhat. Also pay attention to how hot the motor / casing is getting. Warm is OK but very hot or a burning smell is obviously going too far.
Be cautious as the bit starts to pass through the far side. Unique to drilling metal (as opposed to wood) the flutes of the bit may tend to "bite in" and you could get a sudden and significant wrenching action on your arm, hand, thumb, etc. Hold the drill very securely, use an extension handle if you have it, and maybe brace it with your body. For the last bit of depth I would push more lightly but spin the bit quite fast.
The hole may turn out to be a little smaller than 3/4" (or whatever exact size the bit really is, such as 47/64ths). That may seem impossible but if you think about what the cross-sectional shape of a slice of the bit looks like it may make more sense (its not a circle).
If the hole is rough you may need to file it down by hand before using it. Whatever goes through it is likely to get damaged.


Repairing eroded plywood window casing The interior side casing of my window has been scratched/chewed away a bit, destroying the paint and outer two layers of plywood:

What's the best way to repair this?

PS the source of the problem might be this guy:

Start by clearing out any loose particles that are still clinging to the wall.

Once you've got it cleaned up, wood filler will take care of the missing plywood patch. Apply it with a putty knife and sand it smooth after it dries. It will be easiest if you use a putty/taping knife wider than the patch you're repairing. Otherwise, you'll have to do a little more sanding to smooth down the ridges created between passes - either way, it's not a big deal. (If you've already got a smaller putty knife, I wouldn't go out and buy a big one.)

After sanding, wipe the area down to remove all dust, then apply a coat of primer.

After the primer dries, paint the patched area. Try to feather out the new paint overlapping the original. It looks like you've got plain white semi-gloss or high-gloss paint here. Don't forget to match sheen as well as color, unless you're lucky enough to have some of the original paint left over. One or two coats should be fine, especially if you primed beforehand. Also try to use the same method in which the paint was originally applied - it looks like a brush was used originally, so go with a brush for this. A roller will leave an 'orange peel' effect, which will stand out from the surrounding area.


How does a snowblower perform on exposed aggregate concrete? I wish to replace my asphalt driveway with concrete. I am hoping to do something a little more visually interesting than just a slab, though. I like the look of exposed aggregate, but I am concerned about snow removal. Will my snowblower constantly catch on the rocks? Will it leave snow between the stones that builds up to ice? Does anyone have experience snow blowing exposed aggregate?

Most snow blowers have adjustable skid shoes that look something like this:

(source: jackssmallengines.com)

On smooth hard surfaces, you can typically adjust these to the minimum height so the snow blower "scrapes" the surface.  If you have a rough surface then you can adjust these so the blade rides a bit higher and does not catch any of the rough surface.


How can I adjust my dimmers to work the way I want? I have SmartLabs dimmers #2476d in my house and some will turn on all the way on a single tap while other turn half way and then when tap second time they go all the way.

Any idea how I can configure those that go all the way to turn on half way on first tap? Am I making sense?

To set your INSTEON dimmer module's On-Level:

Use either the local buttons on your dimmer module or a Linked INSTEON Controller to adjust the light to the desired brightness.

Press & hold the On button on the dimmer module or Controller to brighten the light. Release at the desired brightness.

Press & hold the Off button on the dimmer module or Controller to dim the light. Release at the desired brightness.
Once the desired brightness has been achieved, tap the Set button on your dimmer module once.

The load will flash. Some INSTEON models will beep once. The local On-Level has now been set.
Test the On-Level settings by pressing the On/Off buttons on your dimmer module.

For full reference, use the manual:
http://wiki.smarthome.com/index.php?title=2476D_Manual_(Rev_5.0)#Setting_the_On-Level

Note that if you link within 4 minutes of setting the level, it will be used as the link on-level instead, so don't link it if you're trying to set the local on-level (as you are).


How to convert from Downdraft cooktop range to hood As a part of kitchen renovation I have to decide between replacing our down draft with another or to replace it with a cooktop and a hood.  I am trying to get some perspective on what is involved and how to proceed if we want to replace with a cooktop plus a hood.
The range is on an interior wall with a single piece of cabinets that extends on both sides.

It looks like the wall has to be cut to access the vent and cabinetry has to be cut to make room for a hood.
Is this feasible/advisable?  Is it easy to hook a hood to the existing vent?
The problems with downdraft are 1) high cost 2) accumulation of grease in the well.
Cooktop is cheaper by itself, but of course renovation cost + hood is likely to be the more expensive option.
With a hood I won't see the grease but I wonder if it accumulates in the vent just in the same way a chimney accumulates soot.  So perhaps a well is better?

Without a photo of your existing setup we can do a little guessing. It sounds like you are on a wall not an island with cabinets over the counter.
The main part of installing a hood (or possibly a over the stove microwave/ hood combination) are the same removing cabinets if on a wall and the exit location , through the wall or into the attic and thru the roof.
You have identified the cabinet modification will be needed , how close are we to a window? With exterior wall stoves going out the wall is the easiest/ cheapest way to go, interior wall through the roof. I mentioned the microwave/hood option because modifying the cabinets will be the most expensive part so I basically eliminate the cabinet and have the microwave there, as far as modification this ends up being a plus for selling if you do not already have a built in microwave.
Modifications all depends on the spacing above or how the cabinets are built 1 piece built in place can be modified but will be the most expensive option. If your cabinets are segmented (most common) and the segments are split on each side of the stove all options are open. Installing a low profile hood not that hard moving the bottom of the cabinet up a foot adding some brushed stainless , copper or brass cladding on the cabinet sides and behind the stove top a lady catcher when selling.
Similar with the microwave option but less cabinet repair (shorten the doors etc)
These are the things I have done on flip and my own homes currently moving from downdraft island to wall overhead hood.
The homes I added the overhead microwave where there was not one really helped them were not high end homes but this really helped the sale.
On one home we installed a low profile vent hood and modified the cabinet then used hammered copper cladding on the cabinets and behind the stove, I thought it looked nice but we ended up with multiple families bidding on that 1950’s cracker box house and it sold above our asking and the realtor said it was the kitchen. New matching appliances sink and that cladding were all we really did.
There are lots of options and a couple of us that have done remodels could be more helpful with a photo.


Joining two areas of tongue and groove flooring in a room - disguising the join I have an old 1960's tongue and groove floor that, after some renovations (removing an internal half-height wall), will be joining (butt end-to-end) some new tongue and groove (85mm x 22mm matai)

I had initially hoped to match the old/new board widths exactly and feather in some of the new pieces in to reduce the visual impact of the join, but this is proving to be difficult as although the boards are the same width, the original installers in the 1960's were very inconsistent with their cramping and there are (sometimes quite large) inconsistent gaps moving the ends of the boards out of alignment fairly quickly.

I thinking about routing out a 30m or 40mm wide channel about 6mm deep cross-wise along the join (ie, evenly across the ends of the old/new lengths) and dropping in a piece of contrasting wood to accentuate the join rather than hide it.

This obviously raises concerns about expansion.

Is this likely to be a problem?

(To be clear, I was going to use new matai for the cross piece insert and  I'm not at all concerned about the difference in wood color between the new and old matai - after sanding/finishing and a decade of aging I imagine they will look fairly similar. I'm just not a huge fan of the straight-line room-wide butt join running the full width of the room - functionally it's fine, but looks a bit a naff. By putting the cross piece in I'm thinking about making it look more like a feature/ slightly more intentional rather than the constraint that it is)

I've been thinking about this since yesterday. There are all kinds of transition pieces for floors that allow for expansion but they all have a slight overlap and thus are raised from the floor, like the one I've shown below.

If this is in the middle of a room it stands out like a sore thumb. I'm guessing you want a transition that's flush so if I was doing it, I'd route out the space like you said you wanted to do. I'd fit in a flush transition piece and deal with any expansion later if it should happen.


Furnace blower motor makes buzzing noise and won't start I'm having a bizarre issue with my HVAC forced air blower motor.  Specifically, it will not start and just buzzes while showing a great deal of startup current (20-22 amps).

Background:  This is a TEMPSTAR Model# NUG5150BKA1 furnace that is ~8 years old.  I purchased the home last December, and I noticed back then when the blower fan would turn on, I would hear a loud buzzing sound for 1-2 seconds and then the fan would kick on.  When the old motor failed a few weeks ago, it was just buzzing continuously for a minute and by the time I ran downstairs the motor was smoking.

A friend and I just replaced the motor with an equivalent new model (same brand - FASCO).  We went through the entire wiring and verified to the best of our ability that it matched up with the wiring diagram on the blower door.  When we power on the system and have the thermostat call for cool / cycle on the fan, the motor BUZZes loudly and will not turn over.  A clamp ammeter on the high speed motor line shows 20-22amps (running full load is rated at 9.5 amps).  When the motor terminals are disconnected from the board, the terminals for the motor show 117volts as they should when the system thinks the motor is on.

Link to video detailing noise.

We have replaced the blower motor with a brand new unit as well as a brand new matching capacitor.  The capacitor test setting of the clamp meter indicates the capacitor is good (reading 15.2mfd on a 15mfd rated cap).  We have also tried replacing the contactor relay in case that was the source of the noise.  No difference.

I'm absolutely stumped.  Is it possible the brand new motor is also bad or am I missing something obvious (or perhaps less obvious).

I can only add that the high current is normal for a motor that is starting.  It's called locked rotor current.  But if left in that condition the motor will indeed overheat.  I would have suspected the cap but you eliminated that...


Caulk on top of grout in tiled shower We have a tiled shower that is grouted. The installer put caulk on top of grout where the wall and floor meet and the corners where the walls meet. Problem is, the caulk mildews and disintegrates. Since there is grout there already, can we remove the caulking?
The grout is Laticrete 1500 sanded grout. By the way, what is the best sealer to use for unsanded grout?

Grout will also mildew over time. The other problem is that grout is not as good as caulk in repelling water which is the reason it is used where shower surfaces meet at 90 degree angles. Your installer did the right thing by caulking those corners.
Eventually, you'll want to remove the old caulk as it starts to break down and recaulk it. It's a basic maintenance process that's necessary in keeping any shower leak free.
Additionally, new grout should be sealed which will help maintain it.


How do you bend a sheet a drywall into a curve? How do you bend a sheet a drywall into a curve? I tried wetting the back surface with a paint roller, letting it soak for 30 minutes, then scoring the back paper in parallel lines about an inch apart where I wanted the curve. When I screwed it to the studs, though, one of the scores turned into a break and the sheet became angled rather than curved.

In this specific situation the curve was probably about 10 degrees over the span of 6 inches. Is this too tight a bend for standard drywall?

Dampening and scoring the back paper is the right way to prepare drywall for installation around a curve.  A quick back-of-the-envelope calculation says that the radius of curvature was about 30", which should have been OK (my drywall book says 20" minimum for 1/2" panels).  You may simply have been unlucky with it breaking.

There are flexible drywall panels, though I've never seen them in the stores.  Failing that, you could also try a double thickness of 1/4" panels, which are widely available.


Can blue painter's tape turn glass blue if left on too long? A yokel told me that the blue painter's tape can be permanent.  He heard of someone leaving it on the window pane too long ( like a year ) and it turned the glass blue.   Is there any merit to this yokel?

Glass is inert and impermeable, so no merit to the yokel's claim that it turned the glass blue.

That said, like most tape, it can dry out and leave a residue over time. Which can typically be easily scraped off.


Is spot treatment of Drywood Termites (airborne) ineffective? Unfortunately, my homeowners association indicates drywood termites in North Florida.  They indicate (source's credibility is iffy at best) that spot treatment would be ineffective and wasteful.  They are against any spot treatment, despite having to wait months for a fumigation appointment.
In what situations is spot treatment ineffective?
Update: drywood species are airborne (somehow that this is important) in contrast to the subterrainian class.  For some reason spot treatment is the go-to treatment for the subterrainian class

The only real solution is to kill the colony and ring the whole house with slow-acting termiticide, like fipronil. Spot treatment is a start, but only if using long-acting poison and when followed up with a whole-house perimeter treatment, including the area where they got in. Not much help only treating the perimeter if they came in under the bathtub.

Or, you can tear down the building and rebuild it with masonry walls and a metal roof structure and plaster instead of paper-faced drywall, and then termites become your friends, turning dead wood on the property into healthy soil you can grow your food in. What a colossal shame that we make buildings out of termite food in parts of the country with aggressive and omnipresent termites.


Why do windows generally open to the outside in Ireland but not in the rest of continental Europe? See title.

I see the reason for having it outside is being able to always have them open for ventilation. Since Ireland has a mild but humid climate.

Opening to the inside inteferes with having plants on the window sills.

Why not have a combination of both?

I've found some details about use and locale usage of window directions and some arguments for both choices:

http://www.luxal.co.uk/inward-and-outward-opening-windows/

Summing up the claims by Frank Tate:

The direction is more seperated between northern (Scandinavian, UK) versus central and southern countries (Pt, Es, Fr, De, It, ...).

Both solutions have unique advantages in regard to climate and handling:

Appearence: Inward opening windows are hiding themself behind the frame when they are open.
Cleaning and Installation: Inward opening windows are same easy to clean from inside and outside. For modern outward opening windows there seem to be solutions as well.
Flowerpot: Inward opening windows are best decorated from outside, while outwards opening windows are best decorated from inside.
Shutters: For inward opening windows external shutters can be used. They are providing much better isolation for radiating heat than internal shutters. They also enable ventilation while keeping radiation heat outside.
Weather: Outwards windows tend to be more resilant to wind and rain, while they have to be secured when open at stormy weather.
Security: Outwards windows can be more secure.


Workaround for outputting HDMI audio from PC to Onkyo TX-SR506 receiver I bought a used Onkyo TX-SR506 receiver after the seller told me it supports HDMI input. I connected it in the following setup:

PC HDMI out ➡ receiver HDMI in
receiver HDMI out ➡ TV HDMI in

Doing so I got both audio and video outputted to the TV, and I couldn't get the audio outputted via the receiver. 90 pages later in the instruction manual I come across this devastating paragraph -

Is there a workaround to this limitation? I really hoped to use only HDMI connections and avoid optical / analog audio inputs. I find it puzzling that a receiver would have a big "HDMI" logo on it (and 4 HDMI connections) - but will act as a "pass thru" device.

Thanks!!

You can get the audio out of your stereo but you cannot avoid at least one non-HDMI audio connection.

Option 1: Follow the method in the OEM Manual
Along with each HDMI input install a digital or analog audio input. Analog inputs are automatically associated with a device (DVD, DVR) but digital inputs must be associated with a device (p. 42 in manual).

This is the preferred method but requirs the most wires. Also your input device must have alternative audio outputs.

Option 2: Route audio back from the TV

Many TVs have a digital or analog speaker output. Use this as an input on your receiver. The catch here is you may not have a good way to select this input when you want it. On older receivers there was a Tape Monitor loop that would let you listent to Tape2 input while otherwise routing some other input out. It's not clear to me that your receiver is setup to do something like this. So then your TV out would have to be tied to a single HDMI input and you lose the capability of routing audio. Also you may find that there is a perceptable delay in the audio due processing by the Receiver + TV (but hopefully this won't be the case).


Plant growing below flat roof My neighbours have a plant growing out the wall where it meets the roof (flat roof).  I mentioned it to them years ago and they must have pulled it out but it’s back and I’m worried it’s growing along inside of roof and could destroy my side of the semi detached building.  Any help on how to deal with it or report it.    Is it harmful. It looks like a creeping green leafy plant but I’ve not seen it growing that much to get Japanese knot wood (unless the growing is within the walls)

Plant roots will do damage to even brickwork, compromising the mortar or even cracking bricks. That looks to be stucco and it would not be as tough.
I would not want anything growing out of my walls.
I used to like the way ivy looked until purchasing a house with an ivy covered wall. The brickwork was in such bad shape we removed the brick and resided.
I would get a woody plant herbicide and spray the plant before permanent damage to the siding and possibly roofing is done.


Adding a smart switch to a box originally containing two single-pole switches I currently have two single-pole switches in one box, with the first/upper controlling an interior light and the second/lower controlling an exterior light. I want to replace the second/lower with a smart switch while keeping the first/upper as a single pole. The smart switch calls for a neutral wire and a ground wire in addition to the load and line. However, my box does not appear to have a ground, or the ground was somehow incorporated into a bypass.

If I understand correctly, the neutral wire goes to the three white wires that are bundled under a wire cap at the back of the box and pass from top to bottom without going through a device. The load wire is the red wire that comes from the bottom of the first/upper switch (and currently attaches to the bottom of the second/lower switch). The line wire goes from the top of the second/lower switch through the bottom of the box to the rest of the circuit. However, the wire running from the bottom of the first/upper switch to the bottom of the second/lower switch is bundled via wire cap with two other wires that come from the top and the bottom of the box. Is that supposed to be the ground?
Also, what is that other yellow wire that feeds into the top of the first/upper switch rather than being screwed onto the side?

Legal colors in conduit wiring:
ALWAYS-HOT: black, brown, red, orange, yellow, pink, blue, or purple
SWITCHED-HOT: black, brown, red, orange, yellow, pink, blue, or purple
There's a convention of black for always and red for switched, but that's purely optional.
Now, these 2 switches have independent control, right? Neither switch is dependent on the other to be on, right?   So... that tells us that whichever wires go to BOTH switches must therefore be always-hot.  Therefore, red is always-hot.
Black is on the other switch terminal, so it must be switched-hot.
On the other switch, I see 2 yellow wires on the same terminal.  One uses the screw and the other uses the backstab.  Sloppy using the backstab but somebody really, really wanted to use the 50 cent switches instead of the $3.00 ones.  Anyway, those must be switched-hot, even though there are two of them.
Neutral, you've met. Make sure those neutrals are part of the same cable or conduit as the hots you are intending to switch, as that's a Code requirement. But they are, here.
I have no idea why there are 2 wires going to the switched-hot. Normally that indicates more than one lamp.  However that's how it was done, so that's how it should continue.  They'll be pigtailed to the new switch unless it has provision for 2 wires (most better switches do).
As for grounds... this hole is already tapped for a machine screw (bolt) of size  #10-32.  Readily available in North America, they even sell green ones just for ground screws - but any will do.


Can I just cut power to a central air and heating system, or should I follow a shutdown procedure? I am going to install some NEST thermostats. The directions say that I should turn the system off by turning off the power to it. However, I'm worried that an abrupt power cut will be damaging. Do I just shut off power to it, or do I need to do some sort of "soft" shutdown procedure to bring it down and back up?

What labels should I look for in the circuit breaker panel to turn the unit off? I see water heater and the like, but didn't see a label for "central heat".

Very few HVAC systems aren't able to handle abrupt power loss. I've flipped the switches on dozens of systems hundreds of times to change filters and perform other service. The gas valve will close and the control boards have algorithms to recover.

It may feel nicer to shut them down gently, but there's no good reason to worry about it. After all, power does fail at times, and when have you heard of an HVAC disaster as a result?


How do I use a floor nailer near the wall? I have the floor nailed down in the entire room , except for the last seven courses. The pneumatic floor nailer can't get any closer than that without the mallet hitting the wall. Do I really have to pre-drill and hand-nail the last seven courses?
I'm using a Porter-Cable FCN200 Pneumatic Flooring Cleat Nailer.

Usually you can hand toenail all but the last two rows, thus hiding the nails. Pre-drill pilot holes just above the tongue (same angle and placement as nailer would have done) and set the nails. You can use a wedge and blocks to tighten and hold the slats for nailing.  The last couple of rows should be glued and face nailed. Counter sink the nails and fill with a matching filler. If the floor is prefinished, then the manufactured probably offers a matching filler.  If it is unfinished, be sure to use a stain-able filler.


Compared to powder, is liquid detergent really better for the health of the washing machine? I am asking about front loaders. I have heard that powder builds up and it is worse than liquid, although I hear mixed arguments nowdays so I wondered if using liquid detergent is actually better for the washing machine, not the clothes.

Modern machines use so little water that the recommended quantities of powder can lead to a little bit building up below the dispenser drawer because the water has all run before it can dissolve (it also depends where in the drawer you put the powder, with respect to the water jets).  The same machines are usually cold-fill only which further slows the disssolving. Sometimes the rinse water brings the rest of the detergent with it, meaning you don't get a very good rinse. The damp powder can form a caked-on buildup which is harder to shift than the original powder.

Using a little less than stated on the powder box will avoid these effects and save you money on powder, as will liquid (even if you add that via the drawer rather than a dosing ball).  For all but the dirtiest clothes you can use a fair bit less powder than claimed by the people who are trying to sell you detergent.

My machine's quick-wash program wants liquid as there's insufficient time/water for powder to dissolve properly.  I put this in a ball in the drum, which means that the dispenser gets flushed when I use the quick-wash program.  This helps too. This is all in the UK where (almost) all domestic machines are front-loading.


Diagnosing faulty kitchen appliances I have a waffle iron that trips the RCD breaker (the rightmost breaker inside the red box below) after I've made a couple of waffles.

I'm fairly sure that I don't have a problem with the kitchen wiring, because I can run a kettle that's rated at 3000W, and that doesn't trip the RCD breaker, nor the kitchen sockets breaker (inner red box below). The waffle iron claims to draw 750-1000W.

Except that the toaster started also tripping that same RCD breaker if we use the two right-hand bread slots. I'm hoping it was a coincidence.

I'm in the UK. The kitchen sockets are on a 32A breaker. The oven is on its own 40A breaker.

Note that when I say "trips" I mean it actually trips out half of the house (the 63A RCD inside the red box at the right), which I'm hoping is caused by the aggregate load on that half of the consumer unit.

Pictured: The consumer unit.

I'm talking about the left-hand half of the consumer unit: Shower/Cooker/Sockets (G)/Sockets (K)/Sockets (1st)/RCD.

Here's a close-up of the breaker and RCD:

The breaker is a British General CUMB32; the RCD is a BG CUR6330.

So: how can I figure out whether the waffle iron and the toaster are faulty? If they are, this will obviously be cheaper and more convenient to resolve than calling out an electrician.

If it is a 30mA RCD and there is a strict separation of Neutral and Protection Earth downstream of the RCD there could still be a problem with the wiring resp. with other electric devices that are connected to the same RCD.

A bubble search should disclose more infos, i.e. disconnecting /switching off half of all devices/appliances that are connected to that RCD iteratively. If there are breakers downstream of the RCD, same procedure would help.

The wafer iron or toaster serve as sensitivity booster, one or both should be switched on during the test.

This issue is often a multiple problem. The RCD does not trip below 30mA, but 25mA are still too much leakage current. In these cases here this might be a sort of "team work" of more appliances and/or the wiring/panels to get this high level. Moisture, condensation, dust, overheated isolation, detergent etc. can produce leakage current in not well ventilated installations, in wirings of walls with damaged roofs, in washing and dish washing machines and elsewhere.

Of course a direct measurement of the current would help, via clamp meter, but here it is supposed to be not available. A digital multimeter DMM could also measure the variable leakage/ground current, but the PE would have to be opened near the Ground/Earth bar which could be more difficult and inconvenient.

Last but not least if there had been a shortcut somewhere  downstream of the RCD  sometimes in the past, i.e. a  circuit breaker tripped for high load, the RCD could have been damaged.

Measuring the resistance between hot and Protection Earth resp. between Neutral and Protection Earth of the appliances when disconnected - first suspects would be the wafer iron and the toaster - could disclose a (too) low resistance. Mechanical on/off switches should be in on position, the toaster handle should be kept/clamped down.

If a DMM reads only some kilo-Ohm, there surely is a problem with the device.

But if the measured resistance is very high, e.g. Mega-Ohms or even infinite, this is NOT an indication of a good device.

The reason is the fact that insulation resistances can be non-linear, i.e they seem to be fine with the low voltage measurement via a DMM (mostly not more then 9 Volt from a battery), but could be much less with the line voltage of 120V or 230V.


Building pull-up rig with 6x6's I have a home garage gym that I'm looking to improve on. I'd like to build a pullup rig in my backyard and I plan on using 6x6's to do it. My plan is to have two 6x6x10's and two 6x6x12's. The tens will go on the outside of the rig, and the 12's will be on the inside.

My intent is to have two normal pullup bars on the outside of the rig and then have the inside of the rig tall enough to build both a salmon ladder and hang gymnastics rings on it for muscle ups.

I'd like to sink the posts as shallow as possible (for maximum height) while still ensuring that it's sturdy enough to use, but have no idea how deep this is and I can't find any references that deal with 6x6's.

I expect them to be around 5ft apart from one another in a straight line, not a box.

How deep should I sink the poles and what are the tradeoffs? I definitely plan on cementing them in the ground.

Thanks!

General rule is 1/3 of the post needs to be in the ground. However, if the aim is to get a lot of height, consider going with an a-frame structure--essentially a swing set.

Instead of burying anything in the ground, anchor it with earth screws (essentially a large screw used to anchor swing sets).

So if you are using 12' lengths, and the base is 6' apart, you could still have about 11' of height without having to bury them at all (albeit you'll need extra material to make it an a-frame with two sides + cross bracing)


Breaker Breaker, Which should I use? I have setup a new water heater where I used 10-2 wire to a disconnect box. Then, connected a square D 30 Amp dbl pole in my breaker box. Water heater connections were black to black white to red and grounded to plate. My breaker was Square D QO230 wired with Black to one pole and white to the other. I then grounded it. As soon as I turned it on the circuit tripped. I thought maybe I had my connections switched on the breaker so I switched them and the same thing happened. I am starting to think I am supposed to use two 30 amp single pole breakers but I thought that was the same thing as a 30amp double pole breaker does that sound right? Could it be I have a different issue?

You're in a QO panel; fortunately has unique busing so you can't misfit a breaker that doesn't belong, you can use either the OEM Square D QO230, or one of the UL-classified competitor models the CHQ230 or ITED230.

Since both wires will be hot, you must use tape or paint to re-mark the white wire a color. Typically this is done by wrapping it with black tape.

Ground first, not last

You should hook up the ground wire first.  You said you hooked up the hots, then hooked up ground, then had a problem.  You were lucky.  You could have been shocked if you tested it without grounds present.  The fact that you did grounds last makes it seem like the ground is at fault. It's not.  It's simply the "canary in the coal mine" warning you of the problem.  Hook it up first, and the problem will be more apparent.

Divide and conquer

Unhook all the wires, except for - anyone, anyone, Bueller? Ground wires.  That's right, leave all ground wires attached.

Now, hook up one wire to the disconnect, open the disconnect, and see if the circuit can power up.  If so, power down and attach the other wire to the disconnect, and test again. Now close the disconnect and test again.   Now attach one onward wire to the water heater.  Test again.  Etc. etc.

At some point, adding a wire will cause the breaker to trip when turned on. Divide that further if possible.  Now you're pretty close to the answer.  If you're still stuck, ask.


Hardwood over poorly-installed asbestos sheet flooring In a guest apartment with three rooms the smallest room has two layers of sheet flooring in it. Below the two layers there's some sort of black felt paper. All those layers are glued onto each other and they are not tiles but one big sheet each.

The flooring jobs were done poorly, with the surface showing up to one third of an inch difference in height over maybe a yard distance and many small bubbles and spikes. The flooring was tested, the middle layer contains asbestos.

Now we'd like to put hardwood flooring in, avoiding removal of the existing floor since it contains asbestos. I have just the right amount of click type bamboo flooring (suitable for below grade) with 3mm thick underlayment and would like to use that.

My question is essentially what do I use best to make the existing floor level? Can I pour regular leveling compound over it? I'm afraid that it will be too thin and crumble over time. If I make it thicker, there will be a height distance to the other rooms. Is there some special leveling compound suitable for this situation (thin and over vinyl flooring)?

ArchonOSX's right of course that the best solution is to remove everything. But, if that's just not going to happen until hell freezes over for a 2nd time. Then, a few thoughts come to mind. If the Bamboo is underlayment approved, then even dime-thick padding will help.

First, get the floor as solid as possible...noticeably improved. Surface bubbles can be X-cut & glued back down...short screws into the lower layers, a heavy object or a floor to ceiling stick wedge for clamping would be needed. Cut, chisel or plane spikes to remove them.

As far as the big dips, hills & ramps go. I think you're right & I don't know of any "Floor Product" or "Concrete Resurfacing Product" that won't breakdown to dust. However, I do know of Bondo or Plastic Auto Body Filler & that won't dust, is easily manipulated & sanded, has decent open time, plenty strong & adhesive enough, is meant for large areas & is water resistant.

I think this line of thought is your only good option & you can start cheap & small to try it out & go get more if it's doing the job. These have the same benefits so you might choose them instead. I'd also say go with an Epoxy, but it gets expensive & is a lot worse goop to clean up & might slump or run too much. Finally, a soap & water clean-up would be Loctite Power Grab caulk adhesive since it dries good & hard & you'd be able to return unused tubes.


Ground Bus Bar on Sub Panel I was working on a house with a sub panel for a shed/workshop. The sub panel was fed off the house main panel via 2pole 50A breaker. The sub was a load center type with no main breaker. The neutral bus bar of this sub had both the neutral and the ground from the house tied into it. Likewise the circuits coming into the sub had the grounds tied to this neutral bar. My understanding was that the ground was only to tie to neutral at the main panel where the main panel ground came in. I understood this was to avoid a lower potential ground path through something or someone shorting the circuit and getting fried.

Am I mistaken?

Should I put another bar in the panel to separate the ground wires from the neutrals?

Per PhilippNagel's comment yes, but when feeding to another building some of the rules change. Note the attached:

Since you say you have an EGC (ground wire) run from your main building to your sub panel you would be following the rule to Building 2. You need to install a separate ground bus and bond it..

Hope this helps.


What can I do about a breaker that trips frequently on a Stab-Lok panel? I have a 120V/20amp breaker that trips if I run a kettle boiler, toaster oven and microwave at the same time. The only other load on this circuit is a small computer/modem/wi-fi router running at < 55W (I have a meter on this part of the room).

The breaker does feel soft, and I was told it is old and tripping too soon (instead of when the load approaches 80% of 20AMPs). Is this assumption valid?

If yes, how do I order a replacement. Below is the panel and the breaker (last 20A one on the bottom). What is the model of this breaker so I can order online? I rent this house.

UPDATE 1: thanks to the strong warning & consensus here I've been able to convince the landlord to have a licensed electrician come take a look at the situation and hopefully replace the panel (with a new or possibly retrofitted one). I will update the question as the situation develops.

UPDATE 2: Both answers are of high quality and I am not sure which one to accept. I will wait a few days and accept the highest voted answer. I've been around SE sites for a while and just joined DIY.SE, but I think I will be using it very often. Thank you all for the great input!

FINAL UPDATE: Job done, new siemens panel installed:

A kettle is 12.5 amps*. A toaster oven is 12.5 amps*.  A microwave is between 8 and 15 amps.  You're running all at once, so between 33 and 40 amps.

Now, what is the number on the circuit breaker that is actually tripping?

Uh huh. And that is normal.  By law, kitchen circuits must be either 15 or 20 amps.  You are overloading this circuit by nearly 2:1 (and worse, doing it on an FPE Stab-Lok, but we'll come back to that).

The breaker is supposed to trip.

Now, I gather you are following the math here.  You're adding 10 and 12.5 and coming to a sad realization.  It is true. You cannot even run even two of those loads at once on a standard kitchen circuit.  Nevermind the Stab-Lok.

Now, to ease that, the Electrical Code has several new rules.  First, in newer construction, each kitchen must have two 20A circuits dedicated to kitchen countertop receptacles.  That still is not enough to satisfy your perfectly reasonable need, but Code is an absolute minimum. Yours is a picture postcard example why a savvy electrician installs more than two: one circuit per receptacle is not excessive. (One circuit per socket is ideal, but very expensive for technical reasons).

That said, I gather from the Stab-Lok that your building is not new construction, and the current situation is grandfathered. It was legal at the time it was installed, and there is no obligation to upgrade it, i.e. Grandfathered.

As a rental property, it is illegal for you or anyone who is not a licensed electrician to make any modifications to the electrical system.  Even the landlord can't do it.  His handyman can't do anything but simple socket changes.  Must be a licensed electrician.  Further, any work needs landlord permission, failing to get it is grounds for eviction.

Due to the foibles of Stab-Lok, you really don't want to make a habit of tripping that breaker.  Seriously.  You are creating exactly the situation Stab-Lok is known to fail in!

So this pretty much locks you onto one option: Only run one heat appliance at once.

Read the sticker on the back or the manual, it will state amps, which is what can't exceed 20 in total.   If it does not state amps but does state "watts" or "VA", divide it by 120 (volts) to get amps.  Mains voltage is 120 these days in the US.  In our house, we learned their amp values, and know not to exceed 20. (Or 16 if continuous).

Now, about that Stab-Lok panel.  The company is purported to have committed fraud when certifying the panel as safe.  They tricked UL, sorta the way Volkswagen diesels tricked the EPA.  There are separate problems with the breakers, and also with the panel busses.

What do breakers do? They protect the house's branch circuit wires from overheating and starting a fire in the worst place possible to fight a fire, inside the walls.  You won't detect it early, you can't reach it to extinguish it, all you can do is evacuate and call the F.D. and the house is probably done for.  FPE Stab-Lok breakers are notorious for sticking, and failing to trip when they are supposed to. Older breakers from this era were not made for frequent, repeated trips.  Every trip "wears them out" somewhat.  So you are really "playing with  fire" by continuing to taunt the Stab-Lok.

Why don't they just make replacement breakers that are safe? No point.  Stab-Lok panels have a second problem: the way the breakers attach to the power bus (specifically, they stab) has proven to be very bad news.  It conducts poorly, heats up, develops a gap, starts arcing, and this arcing makes a great deal of heat - the more load on the circuit, the more heat.  Main panel arcing is serious business, and again a firestarter.

So this old panel is just plain nogoodnik, and that is the consensus of most everyone in the business: these panels should be replaced ASAP.   The company defended their panel saying they will only fail if (you do things like you are doing and which lots of consumers do) and CPSC said "shrug, we don't have the budget to test this". The upshot is, there is not a mandatory recall, and the company went bankrupt so there's no way to fund it anyway.  So it is legal for the landlord to continue this one in service, and anyway, it does seem to be working.

* Heating elements are very cheap to make, so cost is not a factor. Heat appliances want to be as high-current as possible so they work quickly.  1500W or 12.5A comes up a lot because that is the max that UL will allow a resistor heater to have on a 15A plug.  UL (Underwriters Laboratories) being the agency that tests and approves appliances for sale.

The problem is that US 120V electricity is very limited in how much power it can provide.  In Europe, they use 230V, and circuits support nearly twice as much power.  Kettles and such are typically 2500 watts because they can be, i.e. That is the preferable size for these appliances.


How do I remove wallpaper when it is close to a cupboard? I have wallpaper close to a cupboard as you can see in the picture below.

I'm looking for a way to remove it, without removing the cupboard.

Is there a technique that can do that?

Thanks.

Update:

This is the result. Thanks!

I would use an Exacto knife or razor knife to neatly score along the edge of the cupboards.

Then soak the wallpaper with hot water from a sponge and then use a teakettle or other source of steam to loosen the paper until you can scrape it off with a putty knife.

Good luck!


Can I use a junction box to splice together wires that are on a different circuit? I'm doing some work inside a wall that has some 12/2 NM cable running through where I need to put something. The cable doesn't have any additional slack for me to route it around the obstruction. I initially contemplated using a wire splice kit to add some slack, but am worried about the longevity of the device, so I want to do it right and splice it in a junction box.

However (and I'm sure this is common) I don't really want an ugly cover plate in the middle of the finished wall. Fortunately, there's an existing electrical box very close by that's used for a switched light on a different circuit.

My question is this: can I use the existing electrical box to splice cables that are on a different circuit? Or does each box have to only contain cables on the same circuit?

You can have multiple circuits in the same box so long as you do not overload the volume of the box with devices and wires.

See this answer by @Tester101 that discusses box volume.


Outlet in laundry room is dead My wife and I bought a house and had most of the outlets rewired (to add a ground wire mainly) when we bought the house.
Unfortunately, one outlet in the laundry closet (which is there the laundry machine plugs in) did not get rewired for some reason.

The washer was working ok even if the outlet was not grounded (despite having no GFCI and a 3-prong plug -> It's a no-no, but it's how we bought the house).

We recently had our furnace removed and we had a heat pump installed in the attic. A lot of work (including some electrical work) was done and now, the washer is not working any more. I used an outlet tester and the outlet is now dead. The washer works fine when connected with an extension cord to another outlet.

Let's name the broken outlet as outlet A and the outlet that I used to test the washer as outlet B. Outlet B is the closest outlet to outlet A and it is newly rewired 2 years ago by an electrician (it is also grounded).

I called the HVAC company and they sent someone to check it out (since, in my opinion it was their fault: outlet was working before they started the job and not working after). The guy they sent did not speak English so I got some information from his boss (who was acting as a translator over the phone). The worker said he traced the cable from outlet A in the attic and traced it to outlet B (not surprisingly since outlet B was the closest outlet). He opened up outlet A and found two disconnected cables. He hooked them to the outlet and then, the breakers tripped so he gave up.

When I got home, I did the following:
1) I checked for shorts in outlet A (between hot and neutral) -> no short
2) I plugged a cable in outlet A (the broken outlet) and ran it next to outlet B. I then measured connectivity between outlet A (through the cable) and the wires that were in the same box as outlet B. Wires were indeed connected.
3) I removed outlet A and capped the loose cables with wire nuts and connected the cables in the outlet B box (that lead to outlet A) to outlet B. The breakers tripped again.

At this point, I am puzzled. Why would the breakers trip when there is no load? My only potential explanation is that either that outlet is also connected to some other circuit and I am crossing two circuits when I make the connection in the outlet B box or that somehow the Romex cable insulation got punctured and it making some electrical connection to something else.

The HVAC company says the breakers are tripping because the outlet is not grounded and I should replace my ARC breakers with regular breakers. This makes no sense to me (but I am not an expert). How would be breaker know that I have two loose wires connected to hot and neutral when there is no load connected?

Here are some questions:
1) Does anyone know what is going on? This is more out of curiosity as probably the correct fix is to rewire the outlet.
2) Is it possible to fish new Romex cable using the existing cable so I do not have to drill holes in the drywall? One of the walls has insulation.

Good diagnostic info!

What happened: there is a short in either the cable between outlet A and B, or in the receptacle at outlet B. Have you tested connectivity/resistance between the poles on outlet B? You might find the short. If this setup was kinda sketchy in the first place, other electrical work may have disturbed it just enough to cause a short; it's happened to me when working around around 75-year-old wiring.

If the current wiring was fished through the walls, it is possible to use it to pull new wiring. However, if it was installed while the walls were open, it will probably be stapled in. Horizontal runs are also not likely to be fished. So depending on the location of outlet B, it may be easier to run new wiring (e.g. down the wall into your basement) than replace the existing.


Can I sense filter replacement need based on filter pressure drop? I should first point out that the system I'm referring to will be a self build DIY project. Fan and Filters being the only items purchased complete, And I'm still in the design phase but I'm not a HVAC expert at all. USA has forced air more commonly than here in the UK so I'm hoping you can help me out.

This is a room air filter, It will go under the stairs where I can hopefully sound proof it.

2 or 3 stage filter setup depending on pressure drop to clean the air for a 45m3 room, intending to get 4 air changes per hour.

Fan I have selected thus far is an ERK 250 which will blow into the filters.

Each filter has an initial Pa drop of lets say 50Pa new with a replacement final pressure drop of say 200Pa. My intention is to design a circuit that will have a differential pressure sensor to measure the pressure before and after the filter to calculate the pressure drop caused by that one filter thereby allowing me to calibrate it to indicate when said filter should be changed. The same for the other filters that follow.

Will the first filter effect the reading for the 2nd filter? I can't think of a reason why it would but then air flow dynamics is a black art to me.

Will it work? Are there any commercial filter change sensors out there and how do they work?

Since the purpose of replacing filters in the first place is to restore airflow which has been diminished by reduced filter porosity, it would be a better approach to use a differential sensor to monitor airflow, rather than a differential across the filter(s)

In a ‘passive’ system with no blower control, the filters are simply replaced when the flow has reached some minimum acceptable level.

In an active system, energy to the blower is regulated in a control loop.
The desired operating volumetric flow is first established, and this forms the reference for two control set points for the loop.
When the flow reaches the lower set point energy to the motor is increased to restore specified airflow, and decreased when the upper set point is reached.
Filter replacement is indicated when the blower can no longer sustain the required flow.

An example of how a differential sensor is applied in deriving volumetric flow can be found here:
http://www.bapihvac.com/CatalogPDFs/I_App_Notes/Determining_Air_Flow_CFM.pdf

I have just completed a design applying this principal in extending the service life of HEPA filters in a forensic laboratory environment.

I also used the Freescale MPX2010DP, coupled to a PIC16F818, which has just enough pins to drive the 4 seven segment display digits, scan three buttons (START/STOP,  and set point UP, and set point DOWN) and implement PWM control on the motor.
The sensor requires to  feed into an instrumentation amplifier (fabricated from the ubiquitous LM324) as the full scale voltage output differential is only 0.4V, and the ADC on the microprocessor requires an order of magnitude greater than this to realise adequate resolution.

The two air duct  probes, one for total pressure and one for static pressure, which connect to the pressure and vacuum sides of the sensor respectively could easily be fabricated DIY  from thin copper, aluminium or other soft metal tubing, or they may be purchased online for very little.

The cost of materials for this type of project would be trivial, the question is whether one would enjoy and derive satisfaction from the substantial effort it will require.


Screw eyes that are screwed in counterclockwise? Is there such a thing as a screw eye that can be screwed in counterclockwise? 99% of screws are tightened clockwise. This one would be the opposite.

If this type of screw eye doesn't exist, is there another way to accomplish  the same thing?

Screw eye turnbuckles have one screw eye reverse threaded. That's what makes it get longer/shorter when you turn the turnbuckle.


dedicated return line and recirculation pump I'm building a new home and I installed a dedicated return line for my water heater. The recirculation pump I have says it's not compatible with water heaters with heat traps. Does that only apply to recirculating configurations without recirculating lines?

Some recirculation systems are based on gravity/thermal expansion effects that create a small pressure differential to keep hot water moving and recirculating through the pipes, from the hot water output back to the recirculation input.
This is a feature for comfort, and it comes at the expense of efficiency: hot water continually leaves the heater (albeit only a very low flow) and returns a bit less hot after having been cooled by the piping, all this while never having been used for washing etc...
This same gravity/thermal expansion effect that is exploited for recirculation can also cause an undesired flow of hot water out of the heater. Hot water leaves the heater and returns to it a bit less hot, all in the same outbound pipe. It's convection within a pipe, much like convection in a tall and narrow upright cylinder.
This undesired convection can be stopped by installing a P-trap or a nipple. Both create counter pressure to stop the flow: the P-trap by the gravitation and counter convection by the P shape of a section of pipe, and the nipple (a short piece of pipe with two male threaded ends) by the elasticity of a membrane or a ball inside it. It will take more pressure than that provided by convection to cause water to flow through them.
Two traps are shown here, one is based on a heavier than water ball, the other on a membrane.

When a faucet is opened, the much larger pressure from the water mains will easily push through the minor counter pressure, allowing water to flow as expected, but only when a fixture is open.
The counter pressure to prevent convection losses can form a problem for recirculation pumps that are designed for low flow at low differential pressures. Thus, a recirc pump that intends to pump water at a very low rate through a heater with nipples in the lines will need to be slightly more powerful than one rated for lines without such counter measures.
So if a pump is not rated for heat traps, it means it cannot overcome the heat trap's counter pressure. If the heater or its installation enable recirculation based on the same gravity principle, then the pump most likely can push through it, as it will aid the gravity induced flow, not counter it.


removing lead paint from wrought iron The lead paint on an outdoor wrought iron trellis is badly flaking and chipping, so I don't want to scrape it off dry or use a wire brush, but hope to find a paint remover that chemically neutralizes the lead. There are paints that are said to have this chemical property. Are there paint removers that have it too?

I know this may be a little longer than you might want but it is rather important.

Short answer - Use a heat gun and mineral spirits.

Removing Paint from Wrought Iron, Cast Iron and Steel Using Thermal Methods

This specification provides guidance on the selection of appropriate thermal methods of paint and rust removal from wrought iron, cast iron and steel. These metals should be repainted immediately following paint removal in order to prevent exposure to the atmosphere and subsequent corrosion.

Thermal methods as used herein shall apply to high velocity oxy acetylene or oxy propane flame cleaning, a standard surface preparation method for steel and cast iron, or to the heat gun.

The heat gun works using a hot blast of air at 500 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme caution should be taken when using this method.
Heat higher than 1100 degrees Fahrenheit will vaporize lead paint and is hazardous.
The hot air blast produced by the heat gun can ignite debris within a wall cavity or behind a cornice or soffit. The dust can smolder only to ignite hours later after the work crew has gone home so extreme caution must be taken when using this method.
As with flame cleaning, the hot air of a heat gun can overheat cast iron and steel features creating localized thermal stresses, or causing small sections to become distorted.

There are several causes for paint failure on metal.

Excess moisture can cause rusting. As metal rusts, the rust expands breaking the bond between the metal and the paint.
Inadequate or improper surface preparation can interfere with the proper bonding of the new paint. The wrong primer can cause anything from pitting of the metal surface to peeling of the new paint.

It is not necessary to remove all previous coats of paint if:

They are adhering soundly.
The new painting system is compatible.
Important design details are not being obscured by the paint layers.

Chemical products are sometimes sold under a common name.

This usually means that the substance is not as pure as the same chemical sold under its chemical name. The grade of purity of common name substances, however, is usually adequate for stain removal work, and these products should be purchased when available, as they tend to be less expensive. Common names are indicated below by an asterisk (*).

Mineral Spirits:

A petroleum distillate that is used especially as a paint or varnish thinner.
Other chemical or common names include Benzine* (not Benzene); Naphtha*; Petroleum spirits*; Solvent naphtha*.
Potential Hazards: TOXIC AND FLAMMABLE.
AVOID REPEATED OR PROLONGED SKIN CONTACT.
ALWAYS wear rubber gloves when handling mineral spirits.
If any chemical is splashed onto the skin, wash immediately with soap and water.

Available from construction specialties distributor, hardware store, paint store, or printer's supply distributor.

Here is a video link on YT for removing paint off metal
Stripping paint with heat gun 1965 Mustang


How do I break a concrete slab without damaging cabling running through it? I want to install fiber optic in my house. It shouldn't be an issue except at some point my phone cable goes through a 5cm-thick concrete slab that was cast around it. This happens in a weird corner which makes using heavy machinery difficult. My plan right now is to break the slab around the cable with a hammer and a chisel.
Is there a big risk to damage the phone wire? Is there an other way to proceed you recommend?

If you need to maintain the existing phone cable, leave it alone. Actually, even if you're not planning on using the existing phone cable, just leave it alone.
If you want/need to run the fiber close to the existing cable, drill a new hole. That will give you a neat, tidy opening you can run the fiber through and shouldn't cause any damage to the existing cable, so long as you're not trying to get too close to it.
Optionally, run the fiber in a totally different location. Bring it to the slab, then run it up, in EMT or Schedule 80 PVC (for protection on the outside of the house), until you hit wood, then go in through the wood instead of through concrete. This will make all your work much easier as any work to get through wood is much easier than any method of getting through concrete.


Box fill calculation example I have seen a few examples on here of boxfill calculations but not one where the box is directly attached to a light. So if possible please verify if these calculations are correct:
3 14/2 nm romex cables coming into the box = 3 * 2 * 2 + 1 (grounds) = 14
Lamp Yoke = 4 = 4
Total 18
The lamp head itself is what is throwing me off. It has two screws that hold this lamp to the box but doesn’t really have a strap or yoke like an outlet or switch but instead is like the cover to the box with a light on it. I plan to add one more 14/2 Romex to this box and pigtail the whites together so there is no double wire for single terminal as shown. However I was recently told pigtails don’t impact the box fill calculation so I should Be good on that front. Just need to figure out that lamp aspect and then add in these extra conductors from the wire to see if I fall under the 20.8 cubic in limit of this box.

According to what I am reading from the 2020 NEC Handbook, you're good. The only question would be about the fixture if it is inside the box or outside, but you do have it covered when you added the lamp yoke.
If you would like to verify this yourself. If you find the Commentary Table 314.1 "Summary of Items Contributing to Box Fill". Remember this is in the 2020 NEC Handbook. Not the NEC. I select the 2020 since it should have the strictest interpretation. This table might be posted online somewhere as a stand alone.
Hope this helps.


How can I disasseble this kitchen cabinet? I'm trying to disassemble this cabinet so I can get underneath the  bottom panel and clean it - has a nasty fishy smell underneath and will require a comprehensive clean.

From the pics you can see there are no screw or anything on the outside.  From the inside you only see screw at the top left and right panels.  I want to know since the bottom panel doesnt seem to be screw in or anything, how can I take it off.

Is it the case that the hole bottom assembly is done with adhesive.  Therefore I need to unscrew the top, then pry the bottom panel out from the sides?  Can you explain to me exactly how I should do it.  I was pushing the bottom panel up yesterday but I thought it might snap.

Also the bottom panel had to holes which I thought maybe screw but on closer inspection it doesn't look like anything.

Thanks

As opposed to disassembling the cabinet I would just remove it in one piece. Inside at the top it looks like the wood cross member is screwed to the wall. Remove the screws, slice the caulk on the top and the entire cabinet should pull away from the wall.


Gas combi boiler raditator flushing to clear dirt When I flushed my radiator, I have noticed that there is lots of sludge in the water.

In order to remove the sludge from the heating system, I would like to

Turn off the Worcester gas boiler
Open the pressure valve of the boiler so that water flows into the system
Open the radiator drain valve to let the water flow until it is clear of sludge

Please suggest if there will be any issue in the above process of draining the water continuously while pressuring the system through the boiler.

I have searched online and couldn't find anyone doing this method of flushing and wondering if it will cause any problem to the boiler.

Since there is no response to my question, I took a chance and tried as below and there was no problem, I have cleared all the sludge.

Turn off the Worcester gas boiler

Open the pressure valve of the boiler so that water flows into the system

Open the radiator drain valve to let the water flow until it is clear of sludge
Maybe not as efficient as power flushing but it is an easy and cheap procedure


How is a a two phase, three wire, grounding plug such as a NEMA 6-20P safe to use? I'm looking to use a piece of commercial equipment in my home, and I've been reading about AC current and circuits. I currently have access to an old style non grounding 10-30 style plug, which I understand is unsafe to adapt this device to plug into, because it has no ground.

I've been reading that during normal operation, current is supposed to use the neutral as a return path, and in the event of a neutral fault, ground is supposed to become the return path, which trips the breaker. My question is, if the 6-20 plug doesn't have a neutral, and only has two hots and a ground, doesn't that mean that the ground wire is used as the return path, and the stainless enclosure of this appliance is ungrounded?

How is this safe?

EDIT: The outlet I currently have is for an older dryer, and is a NEMA 10-30. The plug for the new device is a NEMA 6-20p, and it's for an induction cook top.

NEMA 6-20 (hot-hot-ground) is for 240v circuits not requiring a neutral. Some motors or perhaps a heating element.

If a neutral is required for the equipment you wish to connect you cannot use the NEMA 6-20 configuration.


Would I have flow issues if I hookup a 1hp sump pump along with a 3/4hp sump pump with a wye? Backstory. I own a home that has a driveway that slopes towards the garage. The garage has a grill in front of it to catch all the excess water drainage and dump it outside the house, I presume to main drainage on the street. The garage grill drain is on the same plane as the sump pump pit.
The crux of the problem is that if there is really heavy rain then the sump pit will fill up above the inlets even with the sump pump running and cause the garage grill drain to begin accumulating water, so much so that the water flows into the garage causing flooding.
Right now I have installed a 3/4 hp sump pump - which ensures that the sump pit doesn't overflow but unfortunately can't keep up and the water fills above the inlets. I think its only a matter of time.
So long story short, I'd like to add another sump pump in 'parallel' to push water out.
Currently this is my solution:

My question is two fold. Should the 1hp pump be at the bottom or the top? I will be keeping the 3/4hp and would like to utilize it.
Secondly, when both pumps are activated, will there be an issue with flow? Will the PVC explode?

I did something similar using two pumps with 2” copper pipes.
Pumps and connections were designed to run in series and individually.
What is needed is non-return valves for each pump so they cannot backfeed.


What section of California plumbing code pertains to water main lines? Can someone please point me to California (US) plumbing code references regarding how water main lines should be buried between the house and street source? A plumber left an exposed pipe near the water meter and I'd like to have this information handy if they indicate that it's to code...

Title 24- California Building Standards Code, Part 5 is the California Plumbing Code. It is based on the ANSI Uniform Plumbing Code. You can view it for free on line.

I do not think there is any requirement that it be buried. If you do bury it, it must be "... not less than 12" below average local frost depth..." and "...not less than 12" below finish grade...". See Chapter 609.

You should always ask your local Authority Having Jurisdiction.


Any tips on fixing a difficult wall for tiling? I've got this small old bathroom that I want to lay with ceramic tiles. But to do that the walls should be straight - which they are not. Three of them are almost fine, but the fourth is... well, take a look at the pictures:

Wall http://valts.21.lv/problem/wall.png
Left: front view at the wall;
Right: side view at the wall.

This isn't to scale, but you can see the idea. First of all there is a large towel-dryer in the middle of it, stretching almost all the way across. Secondly, the wall starts slanting away on the upper half.

I cannot remove the towel dryer because the people who designed the original plumbing system (probably dead by now) were... not very smart, to put it politely. It is attached to the central hot water supply in the apartment block and turning off the water means that everyone loses hot water. To make it better, even if I did turn off the water momentarily and remove the dryer, I'd still need to reconnect the open ends or the water flow would be broken (my above neighbour gets the hot water that has passed through my dryer). And last but not least - to turn off the water and do anything with the dryer I have to call the authorities and pay them $30 every time. Royal pain.

So... what would you suggest?

If this were my wall: I'd pay the $30 to have an engineer remove the towel rail and fit service valves to the pipework. Then you can take it off, replace it, or what-have-you whenever you want without worrying about the upstairs neighbour. Mention to the plumber that you'll be re-plastering and re-tiling so the service valve is properly proud of the wall.

Then, with the towel rail off, get someone in to plaster it. (Don't try plastering yourself unless you do it for a living, it's much harder than the fellow you'll get in will make it look.)

Then tile away. A smaller tile means you can generally get away with really quite big imperfections, a wall that's a couple of inches off true at the top should be fine. (See here for more on that.)


Is my shower drain leaking under the slab? My wife & I renovated our master shower a couple years ago.  About three months ago, we noticed the baseboards in the guest bathroom (on the other side of the wall from the master bath) were getting water damage (similar to how they were getting damaged a couple years ago, thus the shower remodel).  I tore out the baseboards & sure enough, water was showing up just like it did a couple years ago.  I called my contractor friend out to look (he had spear-headed the original remodel) & his thoughts were that it wasn't leaking thru the tile/hot-mop since none of our tiles were displaced or coming off.  So I tested - I plugged the drain & filled the shower with water.  It held water for 6-8 hours without any showing up in the guest bathroom, but as soon as I took a shower, there was the water!  This made me think it was the drain under our slab, but how was the water getting up?

Here is what I think is happening, but I would like some thoughts on how to remedy it without tearing up my newly-remodeled shower.  I think the Fernco adapter mating the original cast iron pipe with the new PVC pipe is leaking.  Of all of the pictures I took during the remodel, one of them showed the plumber didn't clean up the cast iron pipe before attaching the Fernco adapter.  I believe this joint is leaking, the soil around this joint is now saturated and the water is being forced up thru the slab at the point where the vent pipe goes thru the slab.  I called a company that does pipe relining, but they wanted $1800 for this three foot run and wouldn't guarantee a seal since they were getting to the problem area thru the shower trap.  I do need to get a couple more estimates, but at this price it might just be cheaper to tear up the shower floor & fix it correctly, thereby confirming the problem & guaranteeing a fix.

Does anyone have any other ideas as to how to fix it?  I'd appreciate any thoughts.

It's possible the water is getting around your shower, possibly where the tile meets the tub or pan (if you have one), or behind the fixtures, or even around the door (if any).

I would check all of these and recaulk where appropriate before going in for wholesale destruction. Try splashing water by hand/bucket on areas you might suspect and see if that leads to leaks.

Or maybe you even have leaky plumbing in the wall. Do you have access to see in there?


Do I need a sleeve for through the wall air conditioner in new construction? I am about to buy a through the wall A/C unit for a small building, which the builder will frame out for the A/C. Is the framing enough, or do I need to buy a sleeve for A/C?

Ultimately, you'll want to consult the manufacturers installation instructions.  You may find that some units don't have a case, and rely on the sleeve to protect/cover their internal bits and bobs.

Whether or not the unit has a case, installing a sleeve is usually a good idea.  The sleeve allows you to insure the opening is sealed properly, before installing the unit.  It also allows you to remove old units and install new units, without worrying about sealing the opening.


How do I remove drywall stuck between flooring and wall? I removed some drywall from a wall, but I am having difficulty removing the bottom half an inch because the flooring is about half an inch tall or so, leaving a strip of drywall at the bottom of the wall held in with nails. Is there a fast way to remove this?

Keep it simple, use brute force.

I would just use a wide chisel and hammer to smash it up, then a large screwdriver or some such tool to scrape it out. Diagonal cutter or needlenose pliers would make short work of any nails encountered. Use a shop vac to then clean that slot.


Front door lock "clicks" after closing I have problem with my front doors. I feel little pressure during key turning and after closing them when I pull the doors towards frame I can hear clicking noise coming from lock (like it turns a little bit more). I would probably try repair it by myself but I don't know what could be cause of this. Does anyone know what is wrong with them?

if your door has a deadbolt and a passage handle, its probably the passage bolt, just popping into the latchplate recess.  this is common as you want the door to compress the weatherstripping and seal the door, but not have a load on the deadbolt as you try to unlock/lock it.  the passage bolt is just set so that it takes the spring load from the weatherstripping in order to unload the deadbolt.

if your door is just a standard keyed security set, it could be the anti-pick pin on the backside of the bolt just popping past the strikeplate as you put pressure on it.  if its not fully extended, the bolt is much easier to wedge in with the door being locked (so your lock isn't doing much from a security perspective)

if your locks are working fine and your door is sealing, i would just leave it be, if not, you can try experimenting with the strike plates.  moving them in and out even a tiny little bit can make big changes, negative or positive, in how the door works.  you might want to get a pro if its something you have never done before.  its very finicky to get it just right (and have it stay that way over a wide temperature and humidity range)