Help with installing the Honeywell T5 - RCHT8610WF2006 I recently bought the Honeywell Lyric T5 Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat - RCHT8610WF2006 and am having a hard time installing it. As far as I can tell, the heating works but the cooling doesn't.
Instead of blowing cool air, the compressor turns on (or at least its fan runs) and it blows air that's a little cooler that the outside air but still way above what it's set to.
Edit: after leaving the thermostat on cool over night I believe the thermostat is running the heat instead of AC because we also left the windows open and the house was hotter inside than outside when we woke up
Below are the current configurations I have:
App settings

heating stages: 2
cooling stages: 1
heating system: compressorHeat

I thought we set this to heat pump?

Firmware version: 4.0.0.0

Heater and compressor

Heater
compressor

Old thermostat configuration

old model number
old wiring

New thermostat configuration

new model number
new wiring

Furnace wiring

The solution to this seems to be changing o/b on cool to o/b on heat on the newly installed thermostat. If someone else has a better explanation of what this means in HVAC terminology I'll mark their answer as accepted as I only found this based on happenstance and this answer lacks details.


Furnace Blower Motor fan hums but wont start Furnace Blower Motor fan hums but wont start until I turn it by hand, then it runs fine. What should I check?

Yeah, could be the capacitor.  A good quality multimeter with the ability to test capacitance can check it for you.

Discharge the cap, and remove it for testing (be sure your furnace is off).  Then, set your multimeter to the F/uF setting and test it.  The cap should show the cap rating in micro Farads (uF) and a +/- percentage.  The reading should be within that range.

That said, I had the same issue.  Cap was out of range (measured 9.6 on a 12.5 +/-6% cap).  Replaced cap, motor seemed fine, but shortly thereafter would sometimes not start.  I pulled the motor out, and dismantled it.  The commutator was gummed up a bit, so I cleaned it.  Worked ok for a bit, but the furnace would still sometimes limit out (probably because the motor wasn't starting).  Ended up replacing the blower motor, and it works fine.  Furnace was 23 years old, so I guess I can't complain.

Moral of the story is that it could be a combination of both.  And, btw, if you replace the motor, always replace the cap, too.


How do I troubleshoot my Kenmore dryer that doesn't heat up? I have a Kenmore 110.64642400 that has just started acting up.

It spins fine, using the timed dry function the timer knob advances (although not in the auto dry function), but it never heats up.

I've read that it could be the heating element, thermostat or timer. I already checked the breakers (not blown, switched on and off for good measure).

I've got the back panel off, but I'm at a loss as to what to check for next. How do I go about looking at one of these 3 potential issues to find the solution? (This thread didn't help me decipher what steps to take)

Some dryers have an in line thermal protection device that can go bad. Trace the wires to the element, or better yet refer to a wiring diagram. You would need an ohm meter to check for continuitiy.


Mounting bookshelf in Closet I have looked at closet organizers and just decided on a nice bookshelf to put rods on a 10' closet.  Given the width of the bookshelf I am thinking of mounting it to the wall to give it the height needed.  It weighs 117 lbs and might have 25 lbs of stuff in maximum when full.  The width allows me to find 2 studs running vertical on the back.  If I use 3-4 screws on each side would I be ok?  Thank you.  Mike

If the shelf is one with a sturdy back that is affixed to the shelves and sides of the unit then you should be just fine using some screws like 2 to 2.5 inch long #8 or #10 screws. Three or four on each side that are through the back, through the wall covering (drywall) and into the studs should be more than enough hold it securely.

On the other hand if the shelf is the very typical type with a thin cardboard back that is stapled to the back then that will not be suitable to use to mount the shelf against the wall. Another technique would be required. One scheme would be to screw some angle brackets onto the sides of the shelf and then through the other face of the angle brackets into the studs. This of course only works if the angle brackets just happen to line up over the studs. These are the types of angle bracket I am talking about.

If careful measurements reveal that the angle brackets above do not end up lining up with the studs on both sides of the shelf then it will be necessary to pre-attach several boards to the wall that are longer than the width of the shelf unit and long enough to span across to where studs are located. Screw three of these boards to wall with screws into the studs. Then use the aforementioned angle brackets to the sides of the shelf unit and into these pre-attached boards.


What's the practical difference between "latex" and "acrylic" water dispersion paint? I see lots of water dispersion paints in shops and they usually come in two flavors - "latex" and "acrylic". The application range and procedure seem the same, they are all relatively safe, don't emit anything toxic while drying, prices are more or less the same.

What's the practical difference and how do I choose?

There actually is no difference between latex and acrylic paints because there is no latex in latex paints. Let me explain. All water based paints today are referred to as "latex", even though there is absolutely no latex rubber in the formula. Latex has become a generic label. The stain, water resistance and covering capabilities are achieved by using acrylic resins or vinyl . Better quality paints have more acrylic resins than vinyl.  Paints with a higher percentage of acrylic resin cost more. Vinyl is much cheaper than acrylic and is often used to mix with the acrylic to keep the cost of the paint lower. If you have special needs that may require a superior or better adapted product, the best advise is to go to a professional paint store and discuss your situation with someone that can explain the chemistry and applications of better products.


PAR 38 LED in a PAR 30 recessed can Can you use PAR 38 LED floods in a kitchen where the receptacle says only use 30 PAR maximum?

First the good news: Electrically it would be fine as long as the PAR38 bulb's wattage does not exceed the receptacle's maximum wattage.  In the case of an LED bulb replacing an incandescent household bulb, you'll most likely be replacing a higher-wattage bulb with a lower-wattage bulb, but you should check the specs to be sure.

Now the bad news: PAR38 and PAR30 refer to the physical characteristics of the bulbs.  PAR = Parabolic Aluminized Reflector, 38 = thirty-eight eighths of an inch, or 38*1/8"=4.75".  30 = thirty eighths of an inch, or 30*1/8"=3.75".  As you can see, PAR38 has a larger diameter than a PAR30 bulb or can.  Depending on your fixture, the PAR38 bulb's connector may not even reach the receptacle, and if it does, the bulb will protrude past the fixture rather than being recessed.  Some people use extensions to bridge the gap and use the PAR38 bulbs anyway, but personally I think it looks horrible.

Also, keep in mind that a PAR-type bulb may produce more of a spotlight effect, whereas a BR-type bulb typically produces broader illumination, so you may want to look at BR30 bulbs unless you have high ceilings or prefer a more focused beam.


How do you install blocking in a straight line? When installing blocking that is staggered, you can end-nail it. But what about when it's important for the blocking to be in a straight line?

For example, when you want to support butted-edges of sheet goods.

How should the blocking be fastened?

Toe nailing is usually the easiest (provided you're using an nail gun).

If you want to get fancy, you could end-nail every other one, then use L-brackets for the ones in between (nail the bracket to the blocking so that and then nail the bracket into the studs):

                     |  |
                    +|  |
                    ||  |
                    ||  |
               +----+|  |
    +---------------+|  |
    |               ||  |
    +---------------+|  |
                     |  |
                     |  |


How should I pretreat this wall for an additional layer of cement? I want to fix a damaged wall, and make it flush with a wall above it, which is about an inch more narrow. To do this, I was thinking of putting a layer of a cement-sand mixture on top of the existing wall.

Parts of the wall have some form of white plastering on them. I can't tell what kind (I'm a complete amateur) but it seems to be pretty solid (nothing comes off when scratching it) and water-resistant.

I realize this can't be answered accurately without more detailed info on the plastering which I can't provide, but could you hazard a guess from this (bad) photo how the areas with the white plastering should be pre-treated?

Would I need a deep-penetrating primer (I have some of that), or do I need to remove the plastering in any case? If so - how would you remove it?

Is there a mechanical trick for making a layer of cement stick on a wall with an unknown surface?

Existing wall > 3-6 mil plastic > vertical furring strips > cement/green board (drywall) > spackle/stucco/whatever

Because old concrete doesn't adhere to new concrete; especially vertically, with sufficient confidence in many cases.


I run my hot water in the bathroom sink and the toilet next to it starts bubbling I run my hot water in the bathroom sink and the toilet next to it starts bubbling.

What could be causing this?

Sounds like the sink and toilet share the same sewer pipe, and that pipe is starting to get clogged.

Looks like the water coming from the sink is filling the pipe and the only place for the air in it to escape is the toilet.


Plumbing fixture for draining spa shower lines when off? I am installing a spa shower, no tub.  Is there a device I can include at low points of the outputs to the raincan, etc, that will bleed the lines when the shower is off, exploiting that there is no pressure in those lines, kind of like a tub kit diverter?

Unless your talking a country mile of "standing" water in those pipes you can install ball valves above the faucet.


Can I use a Honeywell thermocouple in a State water heater? I have a State water heater that's around 13 years old. About a month ago, the pilot light went out randomly and I was able to relight it with no problems. A couple of days ago, the light went out again but I was not able to ignite it again using the built-in igniter. After some research, it seems like the likely culprit could be the thermocouple. The model number of the heater is GS650UBRT100.

I found the parts catalog and was able to find the original part through Sears PartsDirect (http://www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/9000056015/0042/153.html). However, if I order it now, it probably won't arrive for another week.

The Home Depot has a generic thermocouple by Honeywell, and I was wondering if I can use that instead: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywell-24-in-Universal-Gas-Thermocouple-CQ100A1013/202216463

The manual refers to my water heater's part as a thermopile, but the parts catalog says it's a thermocouple, so I'm confused as to what it actually is, and if it's interchangeable. Would I be ok with getting the generic thermocouple for my specific water heater? It says it's for 30mV systems, but I can't find the specification for my specific model.

This is the heater's manual: http://www.statewaterheaters.com/lit/im/res-gas/186221-004.pdf
And the parts catalog: http://www.statewaterheaters.com/lit/partslist/res-gas/186298-000.pdf

Also, what are the chances the problem is caused by another part, such as the pilot assembly kit or the igniter? Should I start with replacing the thermocouple and go from there?

On an unrelated note, I've attached a picture of my water heater. I noticed that there's a pipe on the very right with the valve closed. What is this pipe, and why is the valve closed? Thank you in advance.

First, I agree with the above comments:  I use a 400 fine-grit sandpaper to clean off the existing thermocouple tip and I clean off the pilot tip as well.

As a separate precaution, I would check the spark on the igniter assembly by disconnecting it then watching for the small blue spark at the hand-button (DUH, only after turning off the gas!)

Yes, you can use the Honeywell 30mV t-couple with the State if/when the threads in the gas control valve seat fit.

Lastly, note that some State water heaters have a high-temperature shunt soldered in-line with the thermocouple. These are a retrofit part to repair problems in hot-weather climates (like Arizona and Southern Nevada.)  In that case, the thermocouple with the shunt 'ignores' high ambient temperatures in garages, etc. I have had to replace my State water-heater thermocouple a few  times because the shunt resistor cracks. Of course the cracking problem only occurs in cold, winter temperatures.

The parts list for your heater is found here; and it looks like yours (at least originally) did not have the high-temp shunt resistor version of the thermocouple.  Your thermocouple #9000056015 is manufactured by AO Smith and (for example) could be purchased here or elsewhere.

Bottom line:  go get the Honeywell and a 2nd push-button igniter; order a 2nd AO Smith thermocouple online; clean and test your existing ones if you are up for it....please post back your progress.


How can I patch a subfloor going under an exterior wall? We recently replaced our leaky patio door, and are left with two ugly water damage spots (pictures below). I'm pretty sure the rot extends below the door and the wall on either side.

If the problem areas were in the middle of the floor, we could just cut and replace. However, since the damage extends below the wall, I'm not sure how to remove or replace the subfloor in those areas.

In case this matters, the floor below is a basement. The room below the left side rot is unfinished and we can access the bottom of the subfloor, but the spot on the right has a finished ceiling below it and can only be accessed from above.

What steps do I need to take to properly replace the subfloor underneath the exterior wall and patio door?

Removal of as much of the rotted or swollen decking is important.  The external walls I have put up are put in place, then the flooring(underlayment). It would be very difficult to remove the damaged decking under a  wall. I would cut it off at the bottom plate and lay new decking. If the internal walls are non-load bearing, the bottom can be knocked loose moved to the side, and the underlayment removed with new decking installed if the damage is substantial.

If the damage is not so bad I would cut it at the bottom plate and replace. Added: This looks more like light water damage not really rotted now that I am looking on my computer. It could be cut off flush with the wall and new decking added.  You will want to go to the next joist on either side or you will need to add framing for support and nailing.

Looking again, it is hard to tell how deep you dug out it is possible the OSB is an underlayment on top of T&G decking. Keep your fingers crossed.  See if you can peel up the OSB.  Most of the underlayment I put down is 3/8" but thicker material is used.


Replacing kitchen faucet, unsure how to remove old plate holding hoses I'm replacing my kitchen faucet and ran into an issue taking out the old Kohler faucet. Pictures of the problem at the bottom.

Underneath the sink there's two overlapping plates holding in the hot and cold hoses and the hose that was running to the separate sprayer. Those plates had two screws in them, but taking those out didn't seem to do much -- not sure if they just stuck together over time, but I couldn't manage to pry them apart either.

It looks like one of the hoses has a nut towards the top, but with the other hoses so close, I can't get it with a wrench or pliers. I'm not even sure a basin wrench could get to it, but I've never used one before.

Does this seem to be a case for a basin wrench, or am I missing something else with removing these plates?

Picture 1:
Picture 2:

See the threaded tube? There's a nut threaded on that, which holds the plate in place.

Use a Basin Wrench (or any wrench you can fit in there) to loosen the nut (rotate the nut anticlockwise to loosen it), and the plate will slide out.

If the nut is stubborn, and doesn't want to budge. A good shot of penetrating oil can loosen things up.


my tv goes black for a second when my fridge goes off I know this may sound strange but it does happen not every time the fridge turns off only some times the tv and fridge are on different circuits should I get a filter of some kind or trash the tv or fridge any suggestion would be a help

did you checked your earthing connection is proper or not ? This can cause an issue.


wiring a fan to an existing switch that also controls an outlet I have an existing switch that controls the lower half of an outlet we use for a floor lamp.  no other lights or fan in the room.

If I use a triple rocker how can I wire the switches to control a fan light combo on the ceiling?

Can I draw power from the switch?

How do I maintain the switch control of the outlet but also use the same box??

I would run 14/3 from the switches to the light and fan.  But and unsure what wires go where and get pigtailed ect.  A diagram would be appreciated

You currently have two cables in the box. One is the power source, and has just a black (hot), a white (neutral) and a bare (ground) wire. The second cable has a black (hot), a red (hot), a white (neutral) and a bare (ground).

As currently wired, the incoming black is attached to the outgoing black and to the switch via a pigtail. This makes the unswitched half of the outlet always live and provides a hot connection to the switch. The red wire is attached to the other side of the switch and provides a switched hot to the second part of the outlet. The neutrals are connected together in the box and the white wire at the outlet itself covers both halves of the switch (only the hot side has separate connections).

Adding other switched lines is fairly straightforward (this assumes that you have sufficient amperage to cover the additional fan and light).

As you surmised, you need a three wire (plus ground) cable. The new white is connected to the existing whites. If you pick a triple switches with a common hot terminal (most are configured this way), just move the existing hot pigtail from the old switch to the common terminal on the new switch. This provides hot to all three switch units. Then attach the red wire for the outlet to one of the other switch terminals, and the new red (from the fan or light) to another switch terminal and the new black (light or fan) to the last terminal. You can swap these three wires to assign whichever switch unit you want to each device.

Connect all ground wires together.

You are good to go.

[I will try to add a diagram later if I have time.]


Thermostat wire type I need to replace the wire from my thermostat from the oil burner in the basement to the second floor. I suspect a mouse chewed the wire or some other reason for a break in the wall along the way. When I search online for thermostat 2 wire, I get what looks like  brown lamp cord except its solid core. My current wire is twisted black/white and multi wire copper(similar to old school Christmas wire that was red and green twist)  not solid core. I suspect  the solid core won't give me the flexibility to fish it up through the wall. But I don't find thermostat wire that is not solid core. Please advise.

You'll be fine with solid wire.  Tstat wire is generally 18 gauge which is pretty small.  Also, since you'll be going thru all the work to fish the cable (which can be a PITA), I'd go with 18/7 cable.  That way, if you or the next homeowner wants to install a heat pump or A/C the cable will be in place to support that.
Edit:  Thanks for the contribution from manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact, I want to add to the answer:  Smart tstats also need constant power which requires an additional wire in the cable. So if the OP or some future owner wanted to incorporate that as well, the cable would be in place.  I deleted the ref to 18/5.


Are there any options for connecting into main stack for venting branch below waterline? Are there any options for connecting into main stack for venting branch below waterline? Could I go up for a few feet with a with a wye join and then come back down? The reason for trying to come up with a solution to this is that I dont have access to the pipe above the waterline and the toilet connection and I'm trying to avoid running another pipe on the side of the house just to get venting for the basement bathroom.

The short answer is: No.

However, there are some other alternative solutions to avoid running another pipe outside the house you should consider:

Studor Vents

As N R stated, you can can use what are called 'air admittance valves' or 'Studor Vents' which are essentially just an air 'check valve' that allows the air to go into a pipe and is suppose to stop it from going back out of the pipe (so you don't smell swear gas).  The problem with these is that they don't always close unless there is a significant back flow of air, which is why they aren't always legal to use.

Chicago Vents

Alternatively, it seems unlikely  to me that you would have no other fixtures on the same floor that are already vented.  Consider running horizontally.  If your horizontal access to a vent would require you to go below run the vent piping below the wet line to you can use what is called a "Chicago Vent"


How to get a TL light working I have a set of fluorescent tubes (2) in my kitchen and they both do not work (noticed while I came home).

Normally one of the starters is broken and I replace it but this time both lights to not work. Changing starts neither.

What can I best do component inside but I don't know if I can buy it separately and I wonder if buying new tubes will help if maybe there might be some other problem.

Flouresent lamps do go bad over time, If you have replaced several starters the next step would be new lamps especially if the ends are dark or black. On older fixtures with mag ballast (requiring starters) the ballast do go bad but I have seen them last over 50 years. If the fixture will not light with new lamps the next item would be the ballast (most of the time it is cheaper to purchase a cheap fixture with a ballast and use the ballast in the old fixture. It amazes me that you can find entire fixtures for 1/2 the cost of a ballast. You may notice quite a bit more light with new lamps I recommend going for 5k or higher color for a true light color where 3k looks a bit orange/yellow in comparison.
When purchasing a new ballast make sure to get one rated for the size and length lamps your fixture uses if saving a high quality fixture. Just thought I should add this if a t8 or t12 4' lamp is in the fixture I have started going with 22 watt led replacements easier than replacing a ballast and more light from what I see. Most of the UL approved. LED retrofits have the neutral on 1 side of the tombstone and the hot on the other side (I get the ones that do not need the ballast) I have completely relamped 2 workshops and 1/2 of my shop at work with these for just a couple $ more than quality lamps cost with no ballast to fail.  Less power used instant on to full power and longer life.  There 18 watt that is supposed to be the same light output as a 4' t8 lamp but the price difference was less than 1 dollar per unit, I have requests to do 6 more areas every one loves them and they don't flicker when it is cold.


Can a shower mixing valve leak water from cold to hot lines if there is no pressure on the hot line? My hot water heater started leaking today, so I turned off water to my house at the curb. After the tank was drained, I disconnected the cold line and turned off the valve right above the hot water heater.

When I turned water back on at the curb, water started coming in to the tank from the hot line, eventually reaching ~0.5gal/min coming out the drain.

There were no faucets on in the house. What can cause this behavior? My hypothesis is that it could be the shower mixing valve but I'd like to confirm it's just that and not something more... sinister. (lots of lousy DIY work in this house from the previous owners).

Mixing valves could be the problem and depending on the year built or later faucet replacements the kitchen faucet and bathroom faucets are also possible causes. By turning the shutoff valves the guilty valv should be able to be identified.


Why is my furnace blowing hot air outside through a PVC pipe? I turned on my furnace and went outside and noticed hot air blowing out a J-shaped PVC pipe. Is it a vent or error that needs to be plugged?

It's a high efficiency gas furnace, and that's the exhaust vent. DO NOT cover or plug it!

A normal furnace relies on the stack effect, to carry hot exhaust up and out of the building. Since high efficiency furnaces extract most of the heat from the exhaust, the exhaust must be forced out. Since it takes less energy to move the cooled exhaust horizontally, HE furnaces typically exhaust to the side of a building rather than the top. As the gases are cooler, PVC, CPVC, or ABS piping can be used to carry the exhaust to the outside.

In a normal furnace you'll typically only see one motor and fan (blower), which is used to draw in cool air and blow warm air throughout the house. In an HE furnace you'll also find a draft inducer or purge motor and fan, which is used to draw in combustion air and push out exhaust.


What is this bracket or tool made from steel bar? What is this? A tool? Shelf hardware? Something else?

It's a single support for a staging plank.
It would require at least one more like it (plus a plank to run between them) to be useful.
The angled slots suggest specifically for holding a toe board (keeps workers from sliding off the edge) at the edge of roofing work, since that allows the support to be shingled over and removed without direct access to the nails holding it in place, but it's not (what I would call) a "Roof Jack" with a similar holding arrangement and a board support that can be adjusted to be level or near level on the slope.

source


How can I repair a puncture in a hollow-core wooden door? Someone punched my wooden door. Now it has a giant dent in it.

The dent is similar to this one. Fortunately, it's a bit less severe than this. How can I "pop" the dent back out?

You can't.  Wood doesn't "pop back out".  The wood is actually broken.

If you just want to repair it structurally, then filling in with something like a suitable epoxy and sanding would work.

Getting it to look like the undamaged original will be impossible or very difficult at best.  This is due to the grain, and no replacement piece of wood having the same matching grain pattern.

The best try would be to very carefully get the pieces of the wood back into their original positions.  Then open the cracked areas again a little, carefully insert some wood glue, back to original position, and somehow clamp or hold in that position until the glue dries.  Then you still have to sand the result to make it smooth, and hope the few inevitable interruptions in the grain won't be too noticeable.


Replace plywood behind outdoor meter can My outdoor meter can and main shutoff panel are mounted on a rotting board. It looks like someone installed untreated plywood and didn't prime before painting. I'd like to replace this at some point; ideally before the panels fall off. The rubber seal on that SE wire could also use a redo.

On the one hand this seems like an easy DIY project. Unmount the panels. Replace the board. Prime and paint to match siding. Remount the panels. I would be comfortable doing all these things. But I can't get into that meter pan.

So I'm trying to figure out how many of these people I get involved: the utility (Dominion Electric), a licensed electrician, a carpenter/handyman. How would you go about getting this done with reasonable expense?

Behind the rotting board I expect to find plywood or OSB sheathing and wood studs. I was thinking to mount BCX plywood with stainless steel screws into the studs; then apply waterproof primer and exterior paint. What materials would you recommend for the replacement board?

See @Tyson's comment - Let's start with your comment:

  On the one hand this seems like an easy DIY project.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but its not. Note that I and others can see all kinds of things that also need to be repaired electrically. Also in order to pull the meter base and enclosed breaker of the board you want to replace you will need to call your utility company for a disconnect/reconnect. This means that the project will have to be permitted and inspected in most areas of the county (USA).

A good electrical contractor can handle the work including the material to hang it on to fit your location. Beware there may be other damage to structural timber if moisture has penetrated the wall and rotted them out.

  How would you go about getting this done with reasonable expense?

What do you consider a reasonable expense? In my area something like this would run around $1500 to $2000 for repair and that would not include repair of any unforeseen damage.

Hope this helps and good luck


Cooktop wiring (stranded alu + copper) w/ downdraft First, thanks to all the users who take the time to respond to all the questions on here. I've learned so much over the years but this is my first post/question.

I'm wanting to replace my ~15yr old GE electric cooktop with a GE induction one. I took a peek at the current wiring in the box and I'm curious your thoughts. The previous owner of the house seemed to pull permits for any work ever completed so I can't imagine this was done incorrectly/unsafe, but I also can't be sure. My guess is that they had the appliance store do the install.

House was built in the late 80's and has stranded alu wiring coming into the junction box for the cooktop. Sounds like this common(?) for appliances like cooktops and stoves. The cooktop and downdraft has copper wire, and as you can see, everything is wire-nutted together. First question - is that okay? I've read articles ad nauseam about alu/cu but so much of it has to do with single strand aluminum wiring. There might have been some sort of ox-gard applied as there's a trace of sticky residue under the nuts.

Next question - if you look at my annotations below, the white wire from the downdraft is wire-nutted with the ground from the cooktop and circuit. Is that weird? Correct?

Everything has been like this for 15yrs but I'm not saying that makes it okay. Since the new induction cooktop has the exact same 3-wires as my current (old) one pictured below (and they're both 30a), the easy thing to do would be reinstall as it currently is (assuming it was done correctly) and coat everything in ox-gard.

Thanks for any input!

Aluminum that was used 15 years ago is not a problem (old AA-1350 Alloy vs new AA-8000), but those wire connectors aren't listed for aluminum. Most twist on connectors for aluminum won't properly accept that size of wire, typically you need a set screw style connector.


Dripping toilet with vertical plunger My toilet drips and I have no idea what to do about it.

It's a vertical style plunger with a button on top (not a handle) with 2 flushes. I can stop it constantly filling by using a pen to raise the float, which stops the water filling. However, the water continues to drain out until empty.

What do I need to check /test to find the source of the problem?

Many thanks

It sounds like you have 2 problems:

"constantly filling"- the fill valve (often referred to as the ballcock valve) needs repair. Often this is simple, get as much information on the valve make and model (often there are maker's marks on the valve itself) and buy a rebuild kit at a good local plumbing shop.
"water continues to drain out"- the flush valve (this is whatever plunger/ball/flapper type sealing apparatus that is raised/lifted/moved when you press the flush button/lever) needs repair or replacement, same advice for that as in prior step.

Note- if you were to include pictures of the internal tank components we might be able to give more information.


Is it ok that a hot wire connects to two separate switches? I recently tried to replace my light switch with some smart switches but when I open it, the wiring was a bit odd to me.

The top of wire of the first switch was piggy tailed/connected to the bottom of the second light switch. Is that correct?

I have included pictures and a bad hand drawn picture.

That is a perfectly functional way of splitting a single hot (highlighted green in your sketch) to supply power to two separate switched fixtures. However, most smart switches require a neutral conductor in the switch box so there can be an always-on connection for the "smart" circuitry.

It's hard to tell whether or not you have this because all of your conductors have the same color insulation. It looks like knob and tube wiring, so there is a distinct possibility of the neutral not being present in the switch box. In older circuitry it wasn't uncommon for the installer to run hot to fixtures via one path and return the neutral to the fuse/breaker panel via a completely different route.


Can a second floor exterior egress stairway go past a window on first floor on way down? The insurance company says I need a second means of egress, so I'm trying to design one, but can not find the answer to this question.

Yes, but depending on where the window is relative to the stair and its dimensions, you may need a proper guardrail installed and/or the window would need to be made of tempered glass. This is the same requirement for low sill windows where someone could potentially fall through the window at normal floor level, except the stair treads can be considered "floor level" for determining application of the rules.

There can easily be local requirements in addition to IBC requirements.


Inswing door over the rising pitch on a porch floor I'm getting ready to renovate my enclosed porch. It was originally open air and had a simple wood panel enclosure kit installed. I'm planning on demoing the walls and rebuilding 2x4 stud framing... Started looking for a new prehung entry door and realized I have a problem...
The porch floor is pitched as it was originally designed to shed rain water away from the house. The door opens in over the rising floor. The current door has a pretty tall sill plate and the bottom is still trimmed on an angle and a sweep installed.
Short of releveling the floor is there any way to install a prehung door to open over the  rising floor?
I can use an outswinging door as there are steps leading up to the door  with no landing on the outside.
I would assume adding a footer under the prehung sill plate may work but I'm concerned that it will create a tripping hazard stepping up to walk out the door and down the steps...
To be clear this is not an uneven sill question. The door opens over a rising floor.

I can see four options, two of which have been mentioned so far:

Increase the threshold height
I can see this going poorly, as a trip hazard at the top of some stairs
Using an out-swing door instead
This is probably the simplest option, but can look odd from an exterior perspective
Use a drop-down weather strip with enough clearance
It could look a bit odd when the door is closed, but it looks like there are options for up to 1 5/8" (42mm) of height difference between the door being open and shut.  See this supplier for an overview.  Probably the most expensive.
Use a "rising butt" hinge.
These lift the door as it swings in, and can provide maybe 1/2" of lift.  They are also self-closing by design.


Replacing Wooden 4x8 siding a family member has just purchased  a 1970s home (California shed style) with 4x8 wood siding. The siding has deteriorated over the years due to neglect and many surrounding trees which made a damp environment. There is significant rot and carpenter bee and woodpecker damage.

My questions: Should the siding be removed before replacing it? What would be a good replacement siding?

I would remove the t1-11 siding and replace with hardi-plank along with new facia and soffits...


Do I need a vent for extending a drain to a new bathroom addition? I am building a new full bathroom on what used to be my back porch. I am planning to extend the existing drain at a cleanout and to run it outside the house underneath the floor.

I need to know if I need to add a new vent to the extension, or if I can rely on the existing vent.  The total length of the new (4") drain will be about 15' from the existing vent to the farthest fixture.

I am in Virginia. I've looked at the code but I can't figure out which rules apply to my situation.

You must have a vent above the vertical run for these drains. As drawn, water from your new work cannot draw air behind it from your existing work.

This is what vents do: draw air in behind draining water.

You could functionally combine all the new work drains as drawn into a single vertical vent, but remember that it needs to be able to draw air from above their combined drain line.

Depending on your code you may or may not be able to combine these into a single vent, but they will need their own vent.


Is there any reason to not span entire deck with boards? I'm looking at needing to rebuild my back deck and researching my options. The way the deck is currently rotting It appears that it is at the seams where two adjacent boards share the same joist it is the most likely place to degrade.
The deck is about 15' long while the boards are about 8', so we have seams in the middle of each run (it's offset so the seams aren't all in the middle, but there are still cuts).
Is there any reason I should avoid using boards that run the entire length of the deck? (I'd think not, but I'm starting to realize that there might be non-obvious gotcha's here.)

I've done a few decks, including my own, and have always spanned the entire deck with the planks. This depends on the length of the deck and if the size is available. For DIY's, hauling the longer boards could be a problem but sistering the joists where a smaller lengths would be connected is more of a chore in my humble opinion.


Possible water in wall from a roof leak I have an old roof that has leaked after a big rain storm this week. I will definitely need to replace the roof, but I am wondering if I need to do something about the water that has already leaked into the walls to prevent mold damage.

The leak is visible inside the house where the ceiling meets the wall. Also, one of the windows frame in the wall has developed a large crack next to the frame and water was leaking in from the crack when it was raining. (photos attached).

Would the water in the wall dry by itself over time without mold damage if I replace the roof ( and therefore fix the source of the leak )? Or, would the amount of water that has already leaked into the wall be an emergency and I need to immediately take out the drywall to dry the wall?

Also, would I wait to dry the wall after replacing the roof, which may take 1-2 weeks, or is it an emergency and I need to dry the inside of the wall now?

I unfortunately have a cathedral ceiling and don't have the skills to go into the tight spaces into the attic to check for extent of water damage. Because of general corona virus concerns, The roofing companies I've contacted refuses to come into the house to look at the leak, but only wants to give me quotes for roof replacement. I'm concerned though that roof replacement won't dry the existing wall.

Mold is unlikely from a one-time water infiltration event.  That is, unless the inside environment is exceptionally damp and prevents the water from drying out.

Generally mold happens when there is a long term issue with water or moisture.


I have an electric circuit issue I have 120 volts at the junction box but only 17 volts at the light switch. What can cause this? I checked the circuit at the last junction box, that shows 120 volts. I checked at the switch, it shows 17 volts.

The 17v is normally a phantom voltage, a bad connection or broken wire is normally the root cause  verify the connections are good and back stabs are not used at both points also check the other side of the wall for a receptacle if a common wall the problem can be there.


What should I do with wires that are too large for back-stab terminals on a receptacles? I am replacing all my electicial outlets and only one has wires that are too big to put into the back of the new outlet. Any suggestions?

As long as you are going through the trouble to replace your receptacles, I have some recommendations:

Choose high quality models, especially those labeled "commercial" or "industrial" grade. They have tougher plastics that won't break as easily. I've often seen cheap receps break and lose bits of plastic, and they are left in service for decades.
Choose receps that have a contoured face. This makes it easier to get the plug in the right spot in the dark or behind furniture. Otherwise, it's tempting to use your finger to guide the plug in to the hole, which makes it easy to get shocked.
Get receps that have screwdown clamps. These are easier to install than wrapping the wire around a screw; more secure than stabbing in the back of those crappy receps; easier to remove than both.
Install tamper-resistant receptacles. These are code-required in many places, and they're a good idea.

As others have noted, it sounds like you're trying to insert 12ga wire in to a hole that only fits 14ga (for a 15A circuit). Don't use that feature; see #3.


Need standard naming description of shape of mirrors on wardrobe Is there a standard naming convention for this type of mirror on a wardrobe, as this pic shows?

This standard name will help me use search engines to find similar mirrors to buy.
Google Lens search on this photo wasn't useful.
Thank you.

That style of panel, whether it's a cabinet door or some other type of furniture, is typically called Cathedral.
Note that depending on where you are in the world there are certainly bound to be other local/colloquial names for it.


What are some options for a 90 degree turn in a long hallway for laminate flooring? We are continuing down the hallway from the living room. There's a 90 degree turn to go past the four bedrooms. How do we make that turn or do we go cross wise in that part of the hallway? I was thinking a staggered corner by running all the way then turn the corner and go down that section. Then repeat the second row staggering at the corner.

It's really a matter of personal taste and the other aesthetic aspects of your home. There are basically 3 options, as I see it:

Keep the flooring oriented the same direction throughout. Obviously cross-hall boards may look odd depending on the style of the flooring. In a very short hallway run it may not be a concern.
Use a T molding to transition over a change in direction, orienting the seam perpendicular to the hallway. This is probably best done inline with the view from the living room, where it'll be less noticeable.
Use a T molding at a 45 degree angle between the wall corners to essentially miter the entire hallway (like a picture frame). You'll see this more from the living room, but it gives more symmetry from the perspective of the hallway itself.

I don't think a herringbone turn is possible with most laminates due to the disparate tongue and groove shapes. That might look nice, though.

You'll need to decide which approach results in the least disturbance to the ambiance created by your new floor.


Will my new adhesive-backed cork tiles adhere to my existing sheet vinyl? I have a vinyl floor, not tiles one full piece, over concrete, in my bathroom.
The vinyl is solid and perfectly fitting to all the walls and runs beneath the bath, shower, toilet, sink and fitted wall cupboards. It is screwed to.  The vinyl floor was there in an empty room before the bathroom was created. The only way it could be completely removed would be to remove the complete bathroom, this is not an option :-).

I am looking to tile over the vinyl with cork tiles.
The questions is: will normal cork tile adhesive stick ok to the vinyl or should I treat the vinyl in some way?

I can't answer for certain, but adhesive is still adhesive (no different than laying vinyl on top of vinyl), so I would assume (possibly incorrectly) that the adhesive is similar.

I can only say what I would do if this were something I was going to try -- my thought would be to clean first with a good degreaser, then with vinegar and water so that I had an extremely clean surface.

I would only consider this if the old vinyl is smooth on the surface. If not, I would approach it just like when laying vinyl over vinyl, following the recommendations from Lowes to use a coat of embossing leveler with a straight-edged trowel.

Once completely cleaned and with a smooth surface, I would lay the cork.


Is it okay to install brick veneer directly to interior of a poured concrete foundation wall? Is it ok to install brick veneer directly to interior of a poured concrete foundation wall, or is there any additional preparation required?

It won't hurt anything, but won't help you if your basement has problems. For example, if your basement is damp and cold, it will remain damp and cold after installation of the brick veneer. If this is the case, then I would recommend first insulating the walls with rigid insulation boards. It'll make your basement much more comfortable, cost you probably under $1,500, and there'll never be a better time than now!


How one is supposed to "plug" a conduit running from basement to attic? I'm going to install a 2" conduit from my unfinished basement into the attic, through the first and second floor. It will be used primarily for getting Cat6 cables into upstairs bedrooms. 2" diameter is just for future-proofing it.

I know I need to use a fireblocking caulk around the conduit in each penetration through the bottom or top wall plate, but what about the conduit itself? I'm essentially creating a 2" chimney from basement into attic, and the conduit will be only 25% filled initially. How can I create removable "plugs" for that conduit so I can add more cables later?

Duct seal is another option. Duct seal is a dough-like product that often carries some form of fire rating (depending on manufacturer specification) and it remains flexible.


Should I use 3 wire or 4 wire for a range? I am trying to do a little work and have an electrician check it.  I have a range that is a 3 prong 50amp 125/250 (looks like the 10-50R).

List of materials purchased:

50 amp Siemens Circuit Breaker
25 ft of 6/3 Aluminum wire
Staples
Cable Brackets
50amp 125/250V receptacle

I am aware that the code changed in 1999 requiring 4 wire, albeit after I purchased this stuff.  Would it be better for longevity to install 6/4 rather than the 6/3 and have the 3 prong range plug rewired?  Not even sure if you can install the 3wire, though it is an old house.

You must always follow the most recently adopted code when installing new wiring, no matter how old the house is. With that said, the cord of a cord-and-plug attached device is beyond the scope of the National Electrical Code (NEC).
Installing a new range
When you purchase a range, they will also sell you the attachment plug.  If you opt to install the stove yourself, they will ask you if you need 3 or 4 wire.  This is because if you already have a 3 wire receptacle that was installed before the code change then you are not required to update the house wiring when installing the range.
When you're ready to install the range in the house, you'll follow the manufacturers installation instruction for a 3 wire attachment plug. Once the cord is attached to the device, simply plug it in and you're done.
Installing or modifying a range circuit
If you are installing a new circuit for the range (which it sounds like you might be), or modifying the existing range circuit, you must follow all currently adopted codes.  This will likely mean running 4 conductor wire, and installing a 4 wire receptacle. Remember, the code is applied during installation, not when the materials are purchased.
Side Note: Technically, code applies at the time of inspection. However, the inspector will usually use the date the permit was granted.  So if there was a code change after the permit was pulled, but before the inspection, the inspector will usually use the old code.
If your range has a 3 wire attachment plug, you'll have to follow the manufacturers installation instructions to change to a 4 wire plug.


Why does my electric oven present the option of 40A and 50A breakers? The oven in question states 40A with 120/240 volts.

In the installation manual:

  This range is manufactured with the neutral terminal connected to the
  cabinet. Use a 3-wire, UL Listed. 40- or 50-amp power supply cord
  (pigtail) (see following Range Rating chart). If local codes do not
  permit ground through the neutral, use a 4-wire power supply cord
  rated at 250 volts, 40 or 50 amps and investigated for use with
  ranges.

To me this is saying a minimum of 40A cable but can use 50A.

If I install a 40A then how much safety buffer is included? Is there a safety factor built into the stated slide in oven 40A rating? i.e. it will only pull up to a certain percent below the 40A rating? I do not imagine running a 40A cable where during operation its reaching the upper limit of the cable and associated breaker.

Also why state: 120/240 volts?

How do i decipher the meaning of 120/240 volts isnt it one or the other??

There are a few different issues here:

120 vs. 240

A typical oven for installation in a system like the US (split 120/240) will use 240V for the heating elements (i.e., needs 2 hot wires) and 120V for the controls (i.e., needs 1 hot, 1 neutral). So you can't run it on only 120 or only 240. That is different from, for example, a computer power supply that might list 120 - 240 (or more typically something like 100 - 250) which means that any voltage in that range is OK. That is because a computer uses a power supply that can take "anything" and convert to a single lower voltage. An oven will actually use the power "as is" (at least for heating elements and lights) and has to get what it needs or it won't work properly.

40A/50A

An oven is designed with specific power requirements. It will not, unless damaged, exceed those requirements. In addition, as a device with a continuous load (i.e., it can be on for a while), it will actually be designed to use less (I think the normal number is <= 80% of the rated current) power. So there is plenty of safety margin even at 40A, by design. As far as 50A, there are some ovens that require 50A instead of 40A. By designing a 40A oven so that it can operate safely on a 50A circuit - i.e., that it is engineered such that the breaker not tripping until 50A instead of 40A is "OK", that gives a little bit of flexibility on the installation. Otherwise, if you had a 50A circuit (both appropriate wire and a 50A breaker), you would need to replace the 50A breaker with a 40A breaker in order to install this oven - but that is not the case here and you are fine with 40A or 50A.

ground through the neutral

You didn't ask about this part, but I will tell you anyway. For historical reasons, many ovens used to have no ground and then later ground was piggybacked on the neutral wire. That is not safe (though marginally better than no ground at all) and is not recommended, even if local code permits it. If you have a hardwired oven then you need to connect the oven ground to either a ground wire or (if you have a metal junction box attached to metal conduit going all the way back to the breaker panel) to a metal box. If you have a plug-in installation then you need to use a properly wired 4-wire socket (NEMA 14-50) connected to 2 hots, 1 neutral and 1 ground (ground again can be metal box/conduit). If you have an older 3-wire socket, now is the time to replace it - and yes that may require running a new cable.


T8 LED Burn-in Process Direct Wire 4ft T8 were purchased and installed.  Is there a rule of thumb or recommended process to burn-in the bulbs?

Is there a good test or process to weed out 'infant mortality?'

Most modern lamps do not need a burn in period. You can just install them. As far as "infant mortality" I know of no field test other than install them and if you get a bad one it will usually burn out in 30 days or less. After that they shouldn't go bad for quite a while.


Can I use a shorter length anode rod? I have a 6 year old 80 gallon American water heater, looking to check/replace the anode rod for the first time. It currently has a 3/4" aluminum anode rod, 52" length. I need a flexible anode rod, as I have very little clearance to put a new one in.  The longest flexible one I found is 44".  Can I use a shorter anode rod than what it calls for?  Would it simply mean it may corrode faster?

It should work still. Just make sure not to overtighten when replacing if it is a glass lined tank.


How are rivnuts measured and what eyebolt fits? At Amazon, I've seen RN14 1/4"-20 steel rivet nuts, RN516 5/16"-18 steel rivet nuts, RN1024 #10-24 steel rivet nuts, 1/4-20UNC, 3/8-16, M3, M5, etc.

I also saw the following image explaining the size of a 1/4" rivnut, but it doesn't make sense to me.

So my question is: how wide and how long is an 1/4"-20 rivnut and what drill bit do I need to make the hole so it fits correctly? And what size eyebolt would fit this rivnut?

I'm buying the rivnuts and the eyebolts online, so I would need to be sure of the sizes.

Thanks.

They are typically listed by the size of bolt that will fit in them.  For example. RN14 1/4"-20 steel rivet nuts, would accept a 1/4" bolt that has 20 threads per inch.

If you look at the details of the "rivnut" (either in the details provided on the website, or by looking them up through the manufacturer), you should be able to find some other useful dimensions.  "Hole Size" should be listed somewhere in the details, which is the size of the hole that has to be drilled for the rivnut to fit into.  You should also find "Grip Range", which is the range of material thicknesses that the rivnut can be used in. You should also find the "Head Diameter", and the "Length" of the rivnut.


How to track down a ground failure Several times, I felt some tingling when using my 30 year old grounded sawzall. Brand is Milwaukee.  I thought that was odd since it has a grounded cord, plus I was wearing hiking shoes with thick rubber soles.

I investigated the non-gfci outlet (in the garage) with a multimeter.  I was able to get ~110 volts across the two blade ports, but unable to get any voltage across either blade port and the roundish ground port.  I tried the same thing on a kitchen GFCI outlet and was able to get a voltage across one of the blade ports (the small one if I recall correctly) and the roundish ground port.

I found a nearby outlet in the house with a good ground, and used it to finish the 5 minute sawzall project, but still stuck to gripping the sawall only by the red plastic handle the black rubber boot.

I haven't determined which circuit breaker controls the receptacle, or if other recptacles on the circuit have functioning grounds.

I think the multimeter results mean the ground is not working on garage receptacle.  Is that right? how do I track down the problem?  Does the tingling also mean I have an electrical problem within the sawzall?

The taller blade is neutral.

Ground should be bonded to neutral at the main panel so a measurement from hot to ground should be near 120V... and a measurement from neutral to ground should be near 0v.

I agree a hot-ground reading of nil indicates no proper ground.  To find that, you have to go chase the wires.  Follow the wires back to the panel, find the last place ground is good,  and open up that box and each subsequent box and see what is amiss.   It super helps to know what normal looks like, so hit the books.

As for detecting a ground fault in the tool, try plugging it into a properly grounded** GFCI receptacle, get an insulated wire with bared ends, attach one end to a solid ground, and  the other against metal parts of the saw.

Sometimes you can clear a tool ground fault by cleaning it well, or by disassembling it and cleaning it.

You really do want GFCI protection in garage and workshop space, though.  If you don't have a ground, you may be better off getting a GFCI than a ground.   GFCIs do not require ground.  Learn how to use the LOAD terminals on a GFCI and you will only need one per circuit.

** GFCIs do not require ground, and grounding a GFCI is nice but it doesn't massively improve its safety.  In this case I want you to use a grounded GFCI as a diagnostic aid, because it will help detect ground faults in a grounded tool.


Can I replace a 3A plug on a light fixture (that comes with 3A cable) with a 5A plug? Can I replace a 3A plug on a light fixture (that comes with 3A cable) with a 5A plug?

The 1st problem I encountered is that the cable has 2 power lines rather than 3 which connect to the 5A plug.

Can someone help please?

From the mention of 3A and 5A plugs, I'm guessing that you're in the UK (or a country that uses the same style plugs).

The only difference between a 3A and a 5A plug is the fuse, and the fuses in a UK plug are interchangeable, so to convert the 5A plug to a 3A plug, just remove the old 5A fuse and install a new 3A fuse.

Your fixture doesn't have an earth lead, meaning that it's double insulated.  Connect the two wires on your light fixture to the terminals marked 2 and 4 in this diagram:

(Image courtesy of the Wikipedia article on UK plugs)


What does the 10 flash signal indicate on my garage door opener? My garage door opener will not close , I get the 10 flashing light signal. I have eliminated the sensors as the culprit by releasing the the door by pulling the red rope and when i push the button to engage the opener it works properly and even stops when i block the sensors. When i hook the door back up it trips and will not close and sends the 10 flashing lights. The door moves freely and there are no bad rollers. Why am i experiencing this ?

According to this site, 10 flashes means the door sensors have detected an obstacle.

  When properly connected and aligned, the sensor will detect an obstacle in the path of its electronic beam. If an obstruction breaks the light beam while the door is closing, the door will stop and reverse to full open position, and the opener lights will flash 10 times

Depending on the make and model of your opener, this may be what's causing your problem.

Depending on the sensors, there might be lights on the sensors. Check the manufacturer's documentation to determine what the color and/or status of the lights should be.


How to fill in hinge and door handle mortises? Replaced an interior hollow core hinge door with a bi-folding one and now need to fill in the mortises in jambs.

I've read people recommending all sorts of things and got a bit confused. There's Bondo, there're all kinds of putties, spackling etc.

Is there an easy (and preferably cheap) solution to fill those in? The door is white, so would be great not having to paint the filling afterwards if possible.

I'd put in a piece of matched wood, then use an appropriate filler to smooth the junction between the patch and the frame.

If it's painted, you can get away with other materials.


Can someone identify this HVAC duct component? Getting ready to redo duct insulation.  On supply ducts off the trunk there are some sort of valve-like devices teed into the duct and oriented to point down.  Same diameter as the duct. Butterfly doors with some sort of doohickey centered in between.  The current insulation has a gap such that either side of this valve and the valve itself is not insulated, and moisture tends to condense on the bare metal surfaces.  I am tempted to replace them with straight duct.  But I don't want to break some function.  House dates back to the 1960s.  It does look as though they may have been retrofit into the existing ductwork.  I have not been able to find something similar on the internet.
I expect that it is some sort of damper, but it is not inside the duct.  This is throwing me. If only I knew the name to search on, I'd find it right off.:) Here is a picture.

These are just crude supply registers to provide heat/AC to the basement. They could have been installed with the regular installation or added at a later date. There should be register covers somewhere with a screw in the middle that when attached to the vent controls the opening of the vent. We had them all over our unfinished basement. When we had it finished. we utilized them with the drop ceiling.
You can replace them with straight ductwork but you'll need supply registers somewhere else.


How do you fire-block a fireplace? An engineer (when I bought my house) said I should fire-block my fireplace. Does anyone know what this means and how to do it?

I am not exactly sure what your engineer friend means by fire block. He may have meant fire brick or even a flue liner.  In either case, before you use a fireplace for the first time with an unknown history, it is extremely wise to have it professionally cleaned and inspected with a camera. There could be several conditions that can be dangerous, including loose or missing tile sections, no tile at all, dried out and missing mortar joints, improperly sealed thimbles, just to mention a few.


Have you used a core drill on a foundation wall? I'm looking to use a 4" core drill on a poured concrete foundation wall. The hole will be about 2" or so down from the top of the wall. The rental place has a handheld core drill with a water attachment. Does anyone have experience with this? Also any tips or best practices that you could share?

I have used several different core drills. For horizontal drilling I have anchored the machine one I used expanding sleeve anchors others are held in place by hand and that one can be like a torture device these drills are slow and make a mess if inside.  Keeping constant pressure on the cutter will allow the cutters to do there job.
For the mess I found making a plastic sheet taped to the wall to direct the water into a bucket and pump it out to be the best method inside to control the mess.
I have had to split the slug of concrete once when the forms may have blown and the wall was thicker but breaking the slug allowed the cutter to go in further and finish the cut.


A-Frame for a hoist? I need to move a heavy-ish piece of concrete, a part of a garden sculpture, weighing about 300lbs, to about chest height. I'd like a hoist, but don't know the equipment I'd need to assemble an A-Frame-style hoist. What would I need to build a small, easy to move hoist for awkward sized rock and concrete formations? I need it to work in dirt, so wheels / casters are possibly not viable (like a mechanics crane has).

Rent or purchase an engine hoist. The definition of a small easy to move hoist, and pretty inexpensive, with some level of engineering built in (while you can still hurt yourself with improper use, at least you remove one area of hurting yourself with improper kludging of a lifting mechanism.)

They store pretty compactly and most can be easily taken apart for easier moving or storage in pieces. They have wheels, though small wheels will require some sort of base to run on or they are useless. Planks can provide that base on dirt, or you can not worry about moving it with a load on.

Never put yourself in a position where the thing you are lifting will crush you if it slips free (especially with rocks, which can be hard to get a reliable grip on.)


How can I fix this chandelier socket? I have a nice chandelier that I'd like to keep, however the light sockets are deteriorating and the light bulbs don't always connect properly which causes flickering.

Any ideas on how to replace the socket?

This is a relatively easy DIY job.  The sockets are most of the time removable.  I can't tell exactly from your picture, but they are usually held in place by a screw below, the socket itself screws in, or the sockets sometimes have a thread on the top and a bolt holds it down.  Remove the reflector/glass and take a look to see if you can figure out how to remove it.  There will be two wires attached, usually with a screw terminal.  Unscrew the wires and remove the socket.  Go to Home Depot or your local hardware store and find an exact replacement (they are 99% of the time standard sockets).  Re-attach the wires (doesn't matter if they are reversed in this case), re-attach the socket and enjoy your handy work!


Connect downspout to PVC pipe? I want to drain an aluminum downspout into a 4" PVC pipe. How can I seal the space between the downspout and the pipe so that leaves and dirt do not fall into it?

There are plastic fittings with a rectangular opening on the downspout end and are round on the other end.

downspout to pvc pipe


Wiring receptacle(s) controlled by a switch OK, here is a problem that I need solved: To connect indoor (double) receptacle and a switch to an outdoor (porch)
single receptacle so that the switch will control when the outdoor receptacle is on or off (and possibly not have
any effect to the indoor receptacle). In other words I want the line feed of the indoor receptacle to also feed the
porch receptacle, but I want (an indoor) switch to control the outdoor receptacle. I did it wrong -- see the approximate
photo and diagram (at least I think that is how I did it). When switch is down (off) it does not affect either indoor or outdoor
receptacles -- they all work with no problem. When I put the switch up (to on) the breaker intervenes and shuts down
that box. So clearly, turning the switch in the "on" position connects the neutral and the hot, which I did not expect
since I thought the (s)witch comes "after" the original receptacle...
So somebody help here with a neat solution: Given are: 1) a feeder line coming to the indoor receptacle (not too much
extra wire to play with); all casing is metal which serves as the grounding (so the extra hair pig tails I add in the box
are not necessary). 2) Porch (outside) receptacle with its wires. It is set in its
position and I do not want to go through the trouble of (re)moving it. The (metal) box is also in place and I do
not want to remove it. So how do I connect these wires so as to get everything to work: indoor receptacle (preferably
without interference by the switch) and outside receptacle to work when the indoor switch is in the "on" position. Uups, I have the diagram in the wiring diagram in the pdf format but I do not see an option of adding pdf file picture.
Here comes the diagram

If I understand the diagram correctly, you connected hot from the duplex receptacle to the switch (correct) and then from the same screw on the switch to the single receptacle (wrong). You also connected neutral to the switch (wrong). Basically, you treated the switch as if it were another receptacle, when actually it should only be in the hot wire.

Remove both wires going to the bottom of the switch and connect them to each other (but not to the switch) with a wire nut. These wires should both be white because they are carrying neutral.
Disconnect the wire going from the top of the switch to the single receptacle and connect it to the bottom of the switch. This is switched hot - when the switch is on, it carries power from the hot wire (top of the switch, coming from the duplex receptacle) to the single receptacle. This wire (and the wire to the top of the switch) should be black (or any color other than white or green).

It doesn't matter whether you have hot on top/switched hot on bottom or vice versa - with a simple switch it doesn't matter.


How many CAT6 cables can fit in 3/4 conduit? I was planning to get 3/4" conduit (Carlon ENT/Smurftube) to run network cables through the house.

Just how many CAT6 cables can safely fit into 3/4" conduit?

This depends on whether you are using pre-assembled cables or not. The following images were made using The Engineering Toolbox's Smaller Circle in Larger Circle Tool to find the optimal packing.

If using bare cable (No Connectors)

Using a 6.5mm (0.256) Diameter cable, you can fit only 5 cables per conduit.

However, this assumes the cables are perfectly circular and non-deformable. If you assume you can deform the cables, or you use a slightly smaller cable, you can fit up to 7 without destroying the cables.

If using pre-assembled cable

However, you will likely be using connectorized cables. Assuming a 0.5"x0.5" connector head (I measured one I had laying around), you'd be lucky to fit 2.

Conclusion

If running connectorized cables, you can probably get away with 2, max. However, if using bare cable, you can comfortably fit 5, but can potentially fit up to 7 without completely squishing the cables. Using the ratio of areas, we could theoretically fit ((.75^2)/(.25^2)) = 9 cables, but if we abide by the National Electrical Code's 40% rule, this translates to only 3.6 cables (more accurately, ((0.203)/(pi*.125^2))=4.1). Therefore, if you go with bare cable, by code, you can only legally run 4 cables through the conduit. (I'm not sure how the NEC calculates this 0.203 although their math allows up to 4 cables - my math would limit us to only 3 cables). Although I do not endorse illegal activity, I would feel comfortable running up to 5 cables in that size conduit.


What is this digging tool called? A plumber came out to my house yesterday and had this tool on his arsenal which was basically a 3 or 4 ft long thin (1/2") fiberglass pole with a metal tip on the bottom and a handle on top which makes it look like the letter T. Here's a quick sketch of it I made in paint:

He used it to help find the cleanout for the waste line before digging by pushing this tool into the ground.

I think it would be a handy tool to have, but cannot put a name to it that works in search queries. What is this tool called?

Sounds like a non-conductive soil probe.


Repair crumbling edges of deliberate (wanted) hole in plaster ceiling In my bathroom, there is an extractor fan mounted in the plasterboard/drywall ceiling. It's there to remove moisture and stale air. Naturally, there is a hole through which the fan fits, and the fan is held in place by four clips that radiate outwards, over the edge of the hole, from the internal (roof-space) edge of the fan.
The edges of the hole are now crumbling and the fan is in imminent danger of falling through the hole. The crumbling extends about 10 mm outwards from the edge of the hole. An additional problem is that the fan needs to be replaced and it isn't always possible to get the exact size for which the hole was cut, although it is probably possible to get something within 10 mm diameter of the existing fan.
How can I repair and strengthen the inner crumbling edge of the hole without replacing vast amounts of the ceiling plaster. As the end of the task, I want a hole into which I can mount a new extractor fan.

Extractor fan types can vary widely. The type that you describe sounds like a terrible design. My suggestion is that you replace the unit with one of the type fans that consist of an in-ceiling rectangular enclosure that mounts to the ceiling framing material.
If properly installed the edges of the enclosure should fit down into the hole in the ceiling plaster board and come down just even with the ceiling surface. These units come with a baffle piece that attaches to the enclosure structure to hold it in place. Retainers for the baffle may screw on, clip in or use spring clips. A very common type uses spring clips that allow the baffle to be clipped into slots in the enclosure and as the baffle is pushed up into place the spring spreads some to hold the baffle firmly to the ceiling.
For your situation you should look for a unit that has a cutout hole size that is bigger than the current hole plus the damaged area around it. Depending upon the location of the framing members in the ceiling it may be needed to add an additional piece of blocking between two existing ceiling joists to provide a place to secure the fan enclosure. Actually the best situation to provide the most secure mount for the enclosure is to have there be framing material along two sides of the enclosure.
Using this technique will eliminate any repeated fraying of the plaster board edge. In addition the fact that the fan enclosure extends to the ceiling surface it helps to isolate the edges of the plaster board from the damp air that the fan draws up and out the vent pipe.


How can I know if my home has soffit vents My home is located at illinois,which is built at 1958. I can see 8 roof vents on my root but one contractor say I need to install soffit vents as well.

But I can see some slot on my soffits actually as below:

And from the attic, I can not see if it's connected to the soffit area or not since it's too tight and I almost can not get a clear picture:

Is it necessary to open my soffits and create a hole to connect to soffit vents? I am thinking about it should be done during building the house, but not sure old house always has such issue!

That's unvented soffit. The vented variety has a pattern of slots punched into it on the flats.  My guess is that there's plywood underneath, and it wasn't deemed necessary to open it up before covering it with maintenance-free aluminum soffit.

You may be able to do this to get venting in place:

Remove the aluminum soffit by detaching the fascia and pulling the nails along the bottom edge that secure the soffit panels.
Cut a channel in the original wood soffit. Whatever you can conveniently remove with a circular saw will probably be adequate. It's a messy, gritty, upside-down job, so have some eye and respiratory protection on hand.
Reinstall the aluminum soffit and fascia, but replace every other panel with vented soffit. You could also use all vented panels, or the variety that's partially vented. Since you (presumably) don't have taller energy heels on your rafters, that'll be plenty of vent area.
In the attic, install vent baffles. These create a channel up over the wall plate and along the roof sheathing, past the level of the insulation.
Install additional vents near the ridge to meet modern standards based on attic area. Do not install gable vents or vents lower on the roof. You want as complete an airflow path along the roof as possible.

Note that this would need to be done on eaves (at wall level), but not on rakes (on gable ends).

As a lower-cost (but somewhat less effective) solution, Use a hole saw to cut through both the aluminum and plywood soffits, then install round louvers every 6-12 inches.


Can mold survive on copper? Also, does copper kill mold and mold spores?
Does copper prevent mold such as 'black mold even.

To;dr - Yes, and probably.

Copper has been used for a couple thousand years now for piping and as a part of brass for plumbing fittings and handrails. It is naturally anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. You don't need antibiotics or cleaners on real brass handrails.

The Romans used it for plumbing and although they really didn't know anything about bacteria it kept them healthier. (Unfortunately, they also used lead which is poisonous and may have contributed to insanity in their upper clas population.)

Copper is also used in asphalt shingles and as a paint additive, as an inexpensive anti-fungal and anti-mold agent to prevent moss, mold, and mildew growth.


Ceiling electrical box rated for fan, and type of screws I'm trying to install a ceiling fan, however I'm not sure if the electrical box is rated for a ceiling fan. There are no screws available in the box. Am I supposed to use the screws through the box ears and then into holes at the end? The holes at the end only seem to have 2-3 threads, would they be enough to hold the weight of fan? The fan I'm trying to install needs at least 35 lbs weight (actual weight of fan is around 15 lbs). Do I use 10-32 screws or 10-24, and what length?

The label says so, so yeah, it's fan rated

You can see a partially painted over label there that says it can handle a 70-pound fan or fixture when attached to joists that are 24" on center, so yeah, it's a fan rated box alright.  However, it appears to use a metal hanger bar running across a joist bay (instead of mounting to a joist directly in the fashion a pancake or saddle box does).

As to what screws to use....

I would use 10-32 screws, about 3/4" longer than the depth of the box (so 2.5" or 3" long) and screw them into the holes in the back of the box that lie behind the cover-plate mounting ears -- they need to engage into the hanger bar behind the box in order to mount the fan correctly, it appears, in your case.


How can I build a two-legged table? I am building a rectangular coffee table and want to build it with two legs  The table top will be 120cm x 100cm (approx 47x39inches).  The table height will be 40cm (approx. 16 inches)  the idea is to use two legs made of 18mm (3/4inch) plywood sheets with widths of 50 cm and 40 cm (20 inches / 16 inches)

The legs will be mounted perpendicular to one another.  ( think T)

What is the ideal position of the legs to maximise stability?

Using two legs at a "T" will result in a table that is very prone to tipping. In the diagram below, the sum of the moments (torque) about the R1-R2 axis must be zero for the table to remain in equilibrium. Just before the table tips, all the reaction force from the legs against the floor will be concentrated at R1 and R2.

If the weight of the table at the centroid contributes to a greater moment about the axis than that from a downward force at AB, the reactions from the legs will be distributed more evenly than just the tipping point at R1 and R2.

If you're dead set on a "T" table leg configuration, consider making L1 and L2 the entire length of W and H respectively. That's not enough to achieve stability however, since the far corners of the table are still at a much larger distance from the R1-R2 axis than the centroid of the table is. Therefore, consider trimming the table down to a trapezoid or triangle, with the narrower end corresponding to the bottom of the "T". Otherwise, consider an "H" or "X" configuration for the legs as @Wayfaring Stranger suggests.


Check Valve Or A Flapper Valve For My Sewer Drain I live in a trailer, so my sewer line is above ground, with the clean-out plug between 12" & 18" above ground. During the cold winter in arkansas the toilet paper tends not to flow. Each trailer , there are 12 in line with my trailer being #10. We all tie into the same drain line. When the line get clogs at trailer 11 and/or 12 the back-up from trailers 1 thru 10 tends to fill my bath tub & over flows my toilet. My question is.. Is there some sort of check valve or a flapper system i can install that will prevent the this from happening and still operate properly when the main line is flowing/draining correctly? Thanks to all who respond with any advise.

There are back flow preventers they cost about 50.00 and do keep others sewer from coming in. They need servicing on occasion but with a pair of rubber gloves are much easier to clean than your tub filling up.


Re-priming over sanded primer I’m finishing bare oak cabinets. I burned through the coat of primer during my sanding. Am I good to start spraying the alkyd paint on this or do I need to go back a prime again over the burned through areas?

Nope, you need to re-prime.

That's why care while sanding is a good idea, and that's also why it's very common to prime 2 or more coats.  Honestly it's almost inevitable to blow through the first coat on sanding; this is just you exposing the high spots.

Leveling is one goal of priming; you're using the primer essentially as a filler to fill the low spots.

As you get the surface more the way you want, switch to finer sandpaper and less pressure.


Is it safe to keep using this 30amp safety breaker for water heater? First of all this is the technical data written on the heater:

I've been using the following connection for my water heater for 2 years before the switch key got molten as shown in the following two pictures ( The heater was always left in the socket and we used the switch key for turning the heater on/off ):

Now, I called for an electrician and he replaced that connection with a breaker of 30 Ampere.
As far as I know, A heater like this won't use more than 7 ampere, so I believe it's better to replace it with 15 ampere or something like this.

My question is:

Am I correct that this breaker isn't functional ?

Can this connection cause any damage if I didn't change it ?

EDIT:

This is the main breaker of the home

EDIT 2:
The water heater is connected to that C20 breaker with some 7 bulbs of 16 watt each and some times we connect 2000 watt device, so this whole circuit uses about 16.4 Amp. The main circuit breaker of 20A is perfect in my opinion, but still want a perfect connection for the heater itself.
Now:
What connection is better ?

The old connection but with replacing that 30A switch-breaker with 10A one ?
The new connection as it was, not grounded because no ground sockets in Egypt.
Something else is better ?

In North America, we have a service panel containing a main breaker which protects the whole panel and a row of circuit breakers which clip into buses and protect individual circuits.  Europe has the same function, with breakers all in one location -- but they use random components mounted on "DIN rail" and hand wire all interconnections (no buses).

My guess is your C50 is your "main breaker" which feeds all the others, and then the 10 and 20 amp breakers protect individual circuits, presumably including the water heater circuit.  I see 1-2 empty holes in your panel, so you have spare spaces.  Let us try a hypothesis, that the water heater was not breaker protected at all: if so, why would they not simply use one of the spare spaces in your panel and an ordinary breaker?  Therefore I suspect your water heater is protected by one of these breakers.

Therefore it is protected by 3 breakers: the 50A main, the 10 or 20A branch circuit breaker, and the 30A standalone switch-breaker.  You should really study/follow the wires to make sure of that assumption.  Or you could turn off the 10/20A breakers one at a time to see if any of them power the water heater.

It really doesn't do any harm to have redundant overcurrent protection.  But it doesn't do any good, either.  The protection will be the breaker of smallest capacity rating.

It is also possible that this switch-breaker does something special, like provide GFCI/RCD protection.  Though I would expect the package to mention that.

Your electrician may have been thinking about your future. 1500W is a very small water heater that will be slow to recover.  I can't speak for the rest of the world, but North American practice is to use a higher capacity water heater in the 5500W / 23A range.  As Ken discusses, we derate by 125%, so 23A becomes 28.75A, fitting just inside the 30A we typically allocate for water heaters.

However in your house with a 50A main, a 30A water heater is too much.  Was your electrician aware of any future plan to upgrade service?


Sound proofing HVAC ducts We have an HVAC system in our house where the duct work is all sheet metal with no insulation on the interior of the ducts as all of it is buried under inches of foam roofing insulation.

Works great.  Efficient air flow with great insulation performance.

The problem is that the pipes carry sound -- conversations, TV, etc.. -- from some vents to other vents.   Not very loud, but loud enough to be annoying.

Is there some way to deaden the sound transmission without grossly reducing airflow?

And, of course, do so keeping in mind that all of the duct work is completely inaccessible?

You could try having the ducts Aerosol Duct Sealed. An expensive process not intended for it's acoustical value, but I assume it would offer some.

Reduce noise from forced air furnace. -More related to unit noise then from people, but you still have two basic options: baffles or insulation.

Other options: move the TV so it doesn't shoot at the registers; add a white noise generator; or get new roommates\children.


Will soldering a cast brass finial to 38mm brass handrail tube discolor either metal? I am looking at soldering a cast brass finial to 38 mm brass handrail tube because the fit is too loose for using grubs-crews.
Can anyone tell me if a decorators-style propane torch be hot enough for this, and will the heat discolor the metal permanently?
I am used to soldering copper tube joints as big as this, but not heavy gauge and not brass.

I have silver soldered this size in the past for a large commercial ice maker. I did use an expander to stretch the copper to be a snug fit in the fitting (German ice maker US made compressor); after silver soldering, I cleaned up the pipe and manifold with a light (400 grit) sandpaper then sprayed with a clear sealer since this was used with food production and inspectors look for anything ugly.
Even though this is just a mechanical joint, I would use a swage tool to expand the copper for a snug fit, or your solder connection will be the same as a grub screw.


How can I level concrete pavement for an above-ground pool? I want to set up an above-ground pool (14' round) on my back yard. There is a relatively good place for it, where there are concrete slabs, however, there are two problems:

The slabs are not level. It's about 2 inch per 10 feet decline.
Between the slabs, there are about 10 inch gaps, filled with cedar blocks held together by concrete, with the surface about 1/2 inches below the surface of the slabs, and the edges of the slabs are just a bit risen. I consider this a problem as it may damage the pool's liner.

I don't feel like redoing the whole area, unless there are no other options all together. Any other location would require new outlets, I'd like to avoid that either.

What can I use to level the area and cover the gaps, and whatever other artifacts of the area?

I know I can use concrete, but the minimal application is 2" deep, it would be too tall a rise for this.

Any grout, or stucco coat I can use that will hold?

The best bet may be to build a frame around the area you want your pool.  This can be made from either 4x4 pressure treated timbers or pressure treated landscape ties. These can be attached by drilling and screwing through them into the cedar that is already there or by drilling into the concrete to hold stakes (you can use large galvanized nails) that go through the ties. You need to be concerned mostly with lateral shifting and less with holding them down.

This frame should then be filled with several inches of sand, as suggested by uncle brad. Sand is the standard base for both above ground and even in-ground pools that use vinyl liners. While you can trim or shim the frame to be level, that is not really necessary. The sand can be leveled even if the frame is not. You also could size the frame so that it is just outside the edge of the pool, or you could set it back a bit and use concrete paving blocks to form a margin around the pool for walking.


How were these copper pipes attached to the T&P discharge valve likely connected? In the rental house I'm in now, the T&P release valve on the water heater is connected with copper discharge tubing which exits the garage. See this picture .

The right-side of the pipe seems to be simply threaded into the T&P discharge valve with some plumber's tape, but the left side is connected to an (otherwise soldered) series of copper pipes by this nut looking thing. I'm curious how this arrangement was likely created, given the fact that these pipes are obviously not flexible connectors. Was it likely that the left side was connected first, and then the water heater was positioned into place exactly so the threading on the right worked? Or was this horizontal copper pipe screwed into the T&P release valve first (allowing the water heater to be positioned semi-independently) and then that nut-like thing somehow helping the copper piping to be connected to the elbow in a way which helped the fact that otherwise the piping would have to have been seemingly cut to the exact perfect length to work. Perhaps the nut allows for some fitting to be placed there and then the horizontal tube was soldered into place while connected to the water heater?

I don't need to re-engineer this or do something similar, but I'm curious how this connection would have likely been made with rigid piping. What is this nut? How would the left-hand side likely been connected?

That fitting is called a union, it was installed to allow for the T&P and/or the entire water heater to be replaced without needing to cut and resolder the relief valve discharge line.

As for the order of operations during initial installation, there really is no way to tell for sure. Assuming the discharge line exits the utility area where the heater is located then a very likely scenario is that the installer may have "roughed in" the discharge line prior to the closing of the walls with sheetrock and then simply piped to it from the T&P valve once he placed the water heater in its final location. In this case it is likely that they would have begun on the right with the male adapter going into the T&P valve, then measured and cut the pieces and added the fittings, working to the left until they made connection with the previously installed discharge piping. It is also possible that they piped it the opposite direction, from left to right, but personally I think its easier to go right to left in this case. The union isn't required either by code or by the fact that it is rigid copper piping, it is simply there to ease the replacement of the tank itself and the relief valve.


Allowed wiring methods for running power between two structures above a walkway US, Southern CA, NEC 2017
I have a pergola 5ft away from an exterior wall that I'd like to run power to. Are there wiring methods that would allow power to be run through the air between two structures and above a walkway? If so, what would the code requirements/limitations be?
Things I have considered:

burying conduit - not an option due to an existing concrete floor
surface conduit - I'd like to avoid adding anything to the floor as there is an active walkway

Edit: It seems like conduit could be used above the walkway if it was supported and protected properly. The building-side has eaves that extend 2ft into the gap, so the actual air-space that would need to be crossed is closer to 3ft, not the entire 5ft span.

What you're after is called messenger supported wiring, and it's an established part of the NEC
The good news is that what you're after is quite possible within the NEC, using a wiring method called messenger supported wiring.  In short, this involves suspending a steel messenger wire between the two structures, and then using that messenger to support electrical cables or wires.  This works much the same way as overhead utility wiring; in fact, you could use a length of utility triplex for this job, but it'd be more trouble than its worth.
The bad news is that like an overhead utility service drop, you'll need to get some elevation on these wires to keep people from blundering into them face-first.  NEC 225.18 requires the lowest point of the wire to be at a minimum of 10' from the ground in a typical situation (using triplex). While this is less than what'd be required for an actual utility service drop, it would require some sort of mast.
However, given that you'll be running a UF cable on the messenger in all likelihood, you can use a metal strut channel or wood pole at each end with the UF and messenger attached to them instead of conduit and weatherheads, or even dispense with the mast altogether (with AHJ approval) as 225.18 may not apply to a fully insulated cable on a messenger.  This doesn't exempt you from providing a proper drip loop though!
When you're running the UF up on the messenger, you'll need to lash it to that messenger wire, or clip cable saddles onto the messenger and run the UF through those.  You'll also need to ground the messenger wire itself; this can be done by using a split bolt to clamp an 8AWG bare wire to it at the pergola end, then running that wire down to whatever you're using as a disconnect and landing it there.
Speaking of disconnects, you have a couple of options for that.  For a single circuit, a simple lightswitch, or perhaps a key-operated one if there are receptacles at the pergola, will do the trick.  A weatherproof box and cover would certainly be in order for such, though!  If your run is more substantial than that, though, you'll want to use a non-fused pullout disconnect box (air conditioner disconnect) instead.  Either way, you'll want a compression grounding wire fitting (sometimes called a "Kenny clamp") to bring the messenger ground into the box, and a second drip-loop + weathertight fitting/gland to bring the UF cable into the box via the bottom or side. (I wouldn't trust a NEMA 3R hub to seal properly against a UF fitting.)
If you want to use conduit instead
If you wanted to use conduit instead of a MSW run for such a short distance, that is possible as well.  Given you're only spanning 3' eave-to-eave, you could technically do this with LFMC provided it's attached securely to both the house and pergola eaves, as the NEC permits 4½' between supports for LFMC.  However, a sturdier wiring method such as rigid conduit may be a better choice given the potential forces involved.  If you do go with rigid conduit, though, NEC 300.4(H) means that you'll need to put an expansion-deflection fitting or two in your run, though, to take up relative motion between the two buildings.  (Which can be very significant indeed given what gets up to shakin' where you live.)


Can a doorbell transformer be installed outdoors in a protected location? We have an outdoor electrical outlet w/ two knockouts. I was going to add the doorbell transformer in there but I couldn't find out if it is code to have the transformer in a dry outdoor place. It is unlikely to get any rain or snow unless there is a really severe storm and knocks over furniture.

A basic Google search: "can a doorbell transformer be outdoor"
yields this from the home depot, really? I've never seen doorbell transformers outside.

"Doorbell transformers are usually located outside the home along the siding or on a wall in the garage. They may also be fixed to a wall in the basement or closet near the front door or entryway. If you don't see it in any of these places, check the walls in the attic. It may be tucked behind the insulation."

Update

thank you for your responses. I didn't see anything in the transformer's documentation about outdoor use.

In the before screenshot, I mounted the transformer for a couple of weeks to at least have a doorbell working. It rained a couple of times, and there was no moisture on it. Still, it looked terrible so I went ahead and used the LiquidTite PVC conduit to feed it under the deck. The transformer I moved to a weatherproof box under the deck, 2 gang. Now it is secure and away from the elements. I even power washed around the setup a few weeks after and no issues.

None of the doorbell transformers I have used would be code compliant outside. Your 120v junctions would be fine inside the box but the transformer and low voltage would be exposed. The NEC requires us to install electrical equipment according to its listing 110.3.B. If the transformer is protected and the low voltage and line voltage are separated with barriers it may be possible but normally I would say NO.


Buzzing and leaking sprinkler valve I noticed the other day that one of my sprinkler valves appears to be leaking. The valve still works, but when testing it I noticed the solenoid is also buzzing. I'm not sure if these two things are related?

I tried testing the solenoid manually using 9v batteries and it opens the valve fine and runs quiet. But when I tried running it off of another sprinkler wire or another station number on the controller it still buzzes.

Should I just replace the entire valve and assume the wiring is good? If it's replace, is there a way to get this off without cutting the pipe?

"Should I just replace the entire valve and assume the wiring is
good?"

Don't assume, you should test the wiring by connecting the wires from the problem valve to the valve next to it and activating that station using the Manual feature on your timer (or waiting for it to operate according to your existing timer schedule.

"Should I just replace the entire valve and assume the wiring is good?"

We can't tell where the leak is coming from so we don't know if it needs to be replaced, maybe it just needs a simple washer or o-ring. Most valves can be rebuilt using a washer/gasket kit (those are particular to brand and model, get the info off of the valve and google it). The solenoid can also be easily replaced (the buzzing noise, whether it still works or not, may be an indicator of near-future failure).

I don't mention rebuilding as a money saving strategy, I mention it as part of the answer to your second question:

"is there a way to get this off without cutting the pipe?"

NO