Is this a refrigerator water hookup? We just moved into a new place, and need to get a refrigerator -- and would like to get one with ice maker/water dispenser if possible.

This capped pipe (below) is right behind where the refrigerator would go, and my best guess is that it's a water source, but how can I be sure, short of uncapping it and seeing if water blasts out?  Is there anything else it might be?  I'm not there right now to measure it, but I think it's about 1/2", maybe a bit larger.

Short of opening up the end-cap, there isn't a good way to tell which it is. You could try banging/hitting a pipe elsewhere in the house, to see if you can hear the banging. Also, look at other exposed piping to see what materials were used for the various utilities.

Pipe like that could be water, but it also could be oil or natural gas.

There is a chance that it is a drain, but I find it unlikely.

Before opening the pipe, turn off the utilities for the building. Loosen the cap by using two pipe wrenches, one for the cap, and another for the pipe. As the connection is opened, some water will leak out, or gas (and you'd smell its characteristic odour). Retightening the cap may not completely seal it. It may need to be removed, cleaned, be applied with pipe dope, and reinstalled.

The pipe could be made of any of a few different materials, such as galvanized steel, "black iron", copper, or brass.

Black iron pipe is often used for natural gas while galvanized steel and brass are used for water (though sometimes the wrong type is used, so this is not a reliable way to tell its contents). Copper is used for both water and gas.


What is this tiny screw? I won't bore you with project details, but I need to replace a very tiny screw and I'm having a lot of trouble both determining the size and finding a supplier for screws this small. So far I have tried two different sizes(one U.S., one metric) and both were too small.
what I think I know at this point:

flat counter-sunk head(100 degree angle)
Imprecise self-measurement of 1/4" length, 1/16" diameter, 32 threads/in
larger diameter than m1.6x.35x6 machine screw
larger diameter than 1/4" Length, #0-80

edit:
Yes, it does screw into plastic, but I'm primarily concerned with figuring out the diameter, thread pitch, etc.

That looks very much like a PC fan mounting screw. They typically go through the thin sheet metal of the computer case, then self-tap into the plastic mounting holes in the fan housing.
If you don't have any spares lying around (OK, I guess not everyone is a computer geek with piles of spare parts and mountains of spare screws - I'm on a 27-step program to cut back...), pull one out of your current desktop computer and compare it. If it is a match, either order some from someplace like Newegg or Amazon, or just order a replacement fan sized to fit your computer (they do die eventually, so having a spare won't hurt) and canabilize the screws from it. When your fan dies in the computer, you'll have the spare on hand and can reuse the screws to mount the new one.


Will this drill bit work on concrete? I'm very new at drilling stuff and I have never drilled a hole in my life before. I need to drill through concrete (I don't know what kind of concrete it is), and I'm wondering if the following drill bit is good for the task.

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/sds-plus-hammer-carbide-5-32-in-x-2-in-x-4-in/975357

Also, will the type of hand drill matter when you are drilling through concrete?

Absolutely that will drill through concrete but you will need a SDS hammer drill which the typical home owner does not have. This is the type of drill http://www.jccayer.com/product.php?productid=1169

For such a small hole you can use a regular rotary pistol grip hammer drill with a cheap Canadian tire masonry bit to do your holes.


What size beam do I need to span 20' on a 25' roof? I had a 10' addition added after a fire and the beam the (worthless) contractor installed is sagging.  The city inspector said it needs to be replaced with something suitable.

From photos I have it looks like single 4x6 (not LVL) that angles with the roof.

I live in the midwest so it need to support snow load too.

The distance, inside the house, from peak to outside wall is 25' (7.6m) and the beam spans 19.5' (6m) wall-to-wall.

Thank you.

What Nate said in his answer is true, but need to go a bit further on this question.  There are several charts available that specify beam sizes based on span, spacing and types of materials used. A beam 20 foot long would be difficult to create with dimensional lumber, but not impossible.  You will be more likely to find that a LAM or steel beam will be required. Since you already have a negative input from the code enforcement folks, you may have to consult a reputable builder or structural engineer for guidance. I would not take any specific advice from a non professional in your case.  Redoing this job will not be cheap, so do it right the second time. If the code officer will not tell you what they want to see, you will most likely be well served to have a spec certified by an engineer before proceeding.


What determines an air conditioning compressor's location? I had air conditioning installed in my ground floor unit. I specified 2 locations where I'd like the compressor unit to go, but, whilst I was away at work, the installer ended up putting the unit in a really inconvenient location, blowing hot air directly into the small courtyard I have.

The compressor unit is directly outside and below the condenser unit. Is it feasible to get the installer to move it 3 to 4 meters away from its current location? Is it possible to just run the wiring and piping along the outer wall between the 2 units?

Usually it's not a big deal to move an AC compressor a bit. However, there are some common constraints to placement based on the mechanical performance of the system and local codes.

The compressor must have electrical power and control wiring. But wiring is easy, not typically a limiting factor.
You also need refrigerant lines. Manufacturers specify a limit on the distance and total height of these lines. You usually can't put a compressor many floors below the evaporator.
The compressor must be accessible for service. Modern codes usually require an electrical outlet nearby too.
The compressor must have adequate clearance from adjacent buildings, walls, decks, etc. to ensure good airflow.
You may be required to consider noise or setback requirements. Most towns don't want you to place a noisy compressor right on the edge of your neighbor's property.

I got to learn a bit about these rules when we had AC installed last year. My city electrical inspector required the compressor to be rotated in order to place the electrical access panel on a corner not adjacent to the house. (As far as I can tell this is ridiculous and uncommon even in our city.) The installer had to have both their refrigerant tech and electrician out again to rotate the unit. So it's a bit of a pain, but it's certainly doable and if the only reason they didn't put it in the place they previously agreed to is forgetfulness/laziness then you should demand they fix it.


How do I repair broken bathtub faucet handles? How can I repair the faucet handles on my bathtub? It snapped off then when I was trying to use it; it shot off the wall and water constantly pours out where the handles go.

Its likely the whole cartridge will need replacement. With it you will get a new handle stem.

This might be a sign to replace the whole unit.  If you have a three handle setup, a cover plate will let you upgrade to any single handle style.  If you go this route, be sure to get a tub filler spout WITH diverter (the single handle tub/shower valves usually don't have diverters.


Does the arrangement of breakers within a panel matter or follow any rules? When somebody is installing breakers initially or doing a major remodel, are there rules or restrictions that must be followed in regard to which breaker goes where in the panel spaces?
Obviously dual-pole breakers need to be installed into a spot where they can reach both phases, and any other instructions on the panel labeling must be adhered to. But beyond that, I'm curious if any of these considerations matter or are stipulated in code:

Locate largest rated breakers closest to the main, and 15A circuits farthest away.
Balance (within some threshold) the total breaker ratings on one phase with the other one.
Balance the expected real-life load on each phase. (Is there even a way to calculate that?)
In specific locations (e.g. the two separate kitchen countertop receptacle circuits) put these two circuits on different phases -- if the circuits are not wired as an MWBC.
Group standard, AFCI, and DFCI breakers together.
Group breakers by the rooms they serve, or by circuit type, or by 120/240V, or...

Put another way, if somebody were to pop all of the breakers out of their panel (without unscrewing any of the wire terminals!) and shuffle them all randomly, would they need to apply any sort of code interpretation or common sense to reinstall them correctly?

While we're discussing bad technique, let me hit the awful practice of "Mister Snippy", snipping the wires short so they can only reach the breaker they're on right now (or the neutral bar).  Mr. Snippy thinks he's impressing the inspector with wild overinterpretation of NEC 110.12.  Actually they're dooming the panel to a bad hair day of wire nut extensions, when changes inevitably need to be made later.

Locate largest rated breakers closest to the main, and 15A circuits farthest away.

This is a very bad idea for two reasons. First, as Jeff Wheeler discusses, you're dancing with the devil on Stab Limits. I recently saw a panel with a 40/40 quadplex across from a 30... and the OP wanted to change the 30 to a 30/50.  If you don't see a problem there, read Jeff Wheeler's answer.
So the idea of crowding the biggest up top, abeam of each other, is a terrible idea.
Second, about three 2-pole double-spaces should be "reserved" if you will, for things that actually have a need to be there -- generator interlocks (particularly "across" interlocks such as Siemens ECSBPK01), surge suppressors, solar, that kind of thing.   I'm not saying "don't use them", but anything you put there should be easily moved.  A second warning to Mr. Snippy.

Balance (within some threshold) the total breaker ratings on one phase with the other one.

The trip value?  Pointless.  No gain to it. Prioritize other things.

Balance the expected real-life load on each phase. (Is there even a way to calculate that?)

That makes a lot more sense.  You just have to think about how houses are being used.  You don't run the dishwasher while you're preparing a meal for instance.

In specific locations (e.g. the two separate kitchen countertop receptacle circuits) put these two circuits on different phases -- if the circuits are not wired as an MWBC.

Yup, or "saw and dust collector".

Group standard, AFCI, and DFCI breakers together.

Unconstructive and useless.  I see it sometimes, but that's just pandering to 110.12, trying to make a panel that looks neat for no good reason.

Group breakers by the rooms they serve, or by circuit type, or by 120/240V, or...

I think the best question to be asking is, "how do I best facilitate people finding a breaker they're in a hurry to turn off?"  That being the reason they have switch throws instead of just reset buttons.


How to Raise/Level a Sunken Patio Slab at the corner? I recently purchased a house and it has a very nice, solid backyard patio slab. The slab has no cracks whatsoever and is attached well to the house's foundation/slab. However, due to the property being downhill towards the house, the corner of the slab (not the one attached to the house) has sunken a few inches. I would say 2-3, maybe 4 inches at the most. It currently looks ok. It doesn't look or feel sunken, but I have noticed that when I get heavy rain that corner floods a bit. Also, the soil has pushed against it over time that it has formed a bump  higher than the floor level. I just built a french drain to make sure the water doesn't come towards the slab or the foundation and now I want to install tile on that patio and I was wondering if I can pour mortar or concrete on that corner to raise it and bring it to level. I will use a floor leveler once it's all leveled, but I feel like I need to fix that corner first. Any recommendations or suggestions on how to raise that corner without having to jack it up, etc? The total area to be raised is about 5 square feet. Thanks in advance!

Since it's draining away from the house, I'd just correct the grade of the soil beyond it so that water isn't trapped and is free to keep flowing away; and leave it be. Dirt is easy to reshape - giant slabs of concrete, less so. If it's grass, peel back the sod, fix the level, roll the sod back down and water it well for a month.
There are ways it can be raised - "mud jacking" is the term of art, basically pumping grout under the slab to raise it hydrualically. Can be expensive, may be difficult to find a local who does it, may cost a lot to bring in a non-local to do it. So I'd pass. If the look of the pergola support is the hill you want to die on, consider that nobody but you will know if you make the pergola supports all the same height and let the top of the pergola not be level ;-). I bet nobody but you notices the difference in the posts if you do make it level...


Are torch-on-roofs the best solution for a low pitched roof? I have a low pitched metal roof and it is leaking.

The roofer I spoke with says to stop the leaks they need to tear the metal off, put down plywood, and use a torch-on-roof system of roofing. He said due to the pitch and such this is the only way to effectively stop the leaks.

Is a torch-on-roof the best solution to solve a leaking problem for a low-pitched roof?

There are many solutions that work well on low slope roofs. There are EPDM membranes and PVC roofs. Those materials are available in large continuos pieces so it's often possible to have a roof without any seams.
I would consult at least two more roofers and see what they say.
Additionally, did the current roofer locate the problem source? Even though it's often really hard lot find leak sources, he should be able to have an idea of the possible problem areas. It could be that the roof is fine and the water is coming from elsewhere. Proper flashing is extremely important.


Will an inline tankless heater help my 50 gallon water heater fill my 70 gallon tub? I've been working on an issue with my remolding plan. I want to get a 70 gallon tub, but I currently only have a 50 gallon water heater. The water heater is only 2 years old and is fairly nice, but I'm worried that 50 Gallons @ 140 degrees and 20 gallons at ground water temp (~50 degrees) is not a very hot bath any more.

My first thought was to add an inline point of use heater to the hot water line of the bathroom. It would ideally provide instant hot water to the bathroom, and then scale back when the hot water from the tank in the basement started to arrive. If I was drawing my large bath, and began to run out of water, the heater could take back over.
After thinking this plan through some more however I can see that it might not be practical. First, how smooth would the transitions from the inline heater to the basement hot water be? I don't want scalding hot water coming out. Further more, after doing my research, I'm worried about an inline heater limiting my throughput. If I have to fill up my 70 gallon bathtub @ 2 gal/min, it's going to take a long time! Ideally I'd like to keep the water flowing at 4-5+ gal/min.

The only other solutions I could think of:
A. Get a 70 gallon tank water heater and replace the 50 (Would hate to do this)
B. Get a 30 gallon tank water heater and plumb it in as a supplement when I need it in the basement. Turn it on 30 minutes before I want a bath. (Seems like a PITA).
C. Get a large Inline water heater for the bathroom and attach it to the cold line, completely divorcing it from the hot water of the rest of the house.

Thoughts?

I believe you are over estimating how much hot water is needed to fill the tub. It will be filled below the overflow drain that should be built into the tub. You can reduce the total by the size of the person getting into the tub. And most importantly you can reduce the amount of hot water by any cold water you include to regulate the temperature, perhaps you are only using 2/3 hot water to 1/3 cold water.

The important question you'll want to determine is how quickly the water heater can regenerate a full 50 gallons of hot water because you may want to heat the bath back up after a while, or use hot water for some other purpose after taking a bath. If you find yourself near the threshold of available hot water, you may find it easier and cheaper to increase the temperature of the hot water in the existing tank, rather than adding a tankless water heater.


Can extractor hood be wired into oven terminal block? I just threw out an old oven which had a separate extractor hood wired directly through it: Power -> Oven -> Hood.

Is this safe/legal? I notice that the cable between the oven and the hood is lighter weight.

I'm hesitant to simply wire the power and hood cables into the new oven's terminal block. Is it safe to do this like the hold oven, or should I get an electrician to properly wire the hood a separate appliance?

Just to be clear, I'm keeping the old hood and hob and just replacing the oven. The power running from the old oven powered the hood and the hob ignition.

To meet the electrical code in the U.S. (and most anywhere) all mains electrical connections must be done in an appropriate junction box that has been tested and listed for the purpose. As a rule, the terminal block and enclosure of an oven will have been tested for making connections to the oven cord. And it may be perfectly safe to add the hood cord as well since the box already meets requirements for flame retardance. For the sake of argument I'm assuming there is sufficient volume for the heat associated with the additional connection but that may not be the case. We don't need to figure this out because . . .

If controlling a hood is not a feature of the new oven then the terminal block box almost certainly wasn't tested for this application and therefore the connection would not meet your local electrical code.

The safe and correct thing to do is to wire the hood directly using an approved method (into a new or existing outlet or junction box). This may require changing or modifying the cord. If you are not comfortable doing this sort of electrical work then it makes sense to hire an electrician to do it. They would likely bill you the minimum for a house call plus materials.


What is this fixture on my external water faucet and how can I remove it? I have this device on my outdoor water faucet. It is leaking water in all directions and by leaking, I mean pouring water everywhere.

What is the purpose of this device and how can I remove it so I can replace it if it is needed ? I don't have an in-house winter valve, so I'm guessing that it has some usage for winter.

I tried to remove it using a vise-grip but to no good.

Backflow preventer:      The fitting closest to the faucet MUST unscrew CCW.

Looking at your bib at the house siding, its not secured.  Use a second wrench on the faucet, torquing in the opposite direction to the wrench on the backflow adapter.  This will prevent you from busting the water pipe and REALLY making a mess.  Backflow article


Which alternative will be more efficient and beneficial for Bathroom Ventilation? How? Facts:

Bathroom Size: 8 feet * 8 feet * 10 feet (Height)

Purpose:

(1) Increase the Bathroom air freshness during use
(2) Keep the Bathroom dry for the next use

Note: Intermittent Extraction of air is more preferable over Continuous Extraction

Alternative 1:
Install two fans
(1) Inlet fan (2) Outlet fan
(Both the fans are of same air flow capacity, installation at same height side by side on a same wall)

Alternative 2:
Install only one
(1) Outlet fan
(With the double air flow capacity the single fan in alternative 1, installation at same height on a same wall )

Which alternative will be more efficient and beneficial for Bathroom Ventilation? How?

Moist hot air rises.  If you have a fan placed near your shower on the ceiling that can move a lot of air out you will have little to no condensation.  Fan should be turned on when you get in the shower and generally speaking should stay on twice as long as the shower taken.  If you buy a fan sized for a bathroom 2 times your size and keep your bathroom door or window open while showering (if you can) you would more than do it.


How to best clean unsealed kitchen grout so that it can be sealed and/or regrouting later I have a problem with unsealed kitchen grout on ceramic tile as it has never been sealed and dirt has allowed to set in. In addition it probably needs regrouted later (pictures below) but sealing it could prevent damage and allow it to be addressed in the future when there is more time.

The issues is I don't know what chemicals I can or should not use nor how to clean unsealed tile without causing more damage. I would normally use professional strength products but I'm afraid it will damage the tile and/or grout as I'm inexperienced with cleaning unsealed grout.

The picture below provides below give indication of the status of my grout. I would appreciate any advice.

Another thing I would appreciate from an expert is assurance that grout is porous and that some stains will "soak in" and not come out despite how much of cleans them thus eventually requiring more reason to regrout much later. I need this "assurance" to accept it and move one.

I'm hoping professional tile layers will answer but all opinions and advice are appreciated at this point. I want to thank anyone who takes time to respond. If possible could someone confirm if it will need regrouted later?

Pictures can be found at Imgur

I have done this many times. Yes, I am an electrician, but I grew up in a family business doing everything and working for a electrical contractor that paid me more as an apprentice.

If the grout is solid (it looks good) I would use a very weak solution of muriatic acid and water, maybe a cup of MA to a gallon of water to clean it out. After that, triple rinse with with clear water, and after it has dried it can be sealed.

I do see a few minor voids but the weak acid solution will clean out the area. It may take a wet vac to pull the moisture between rinses but once done it will be clean and a fresh surface to seal. If it looks uneven a 2nd treatment with maybe a stronger muriatic acid/water may be needed.

I had to do this on my mom's new countertops a while after dad passed many years ago. I have resealed the counter tops several times over the years and they still look great after more than 35 years. Please remember always add acid to water (to prevent splashing of full-strength acid) and use gloves. Muriatic can be purchased at many big box stores and pool supply outlets.


Why is the red ground light on, on my AVBar10 surge suppressor? I have a Tripp Lite AVBar10 that shows two green LED on the outside ("protected" and "line OK") and a red LED in the middle ("ground").

I went to Lowes and got an outlet tester, and all the circuits checked out okay.
When testing the AVBAR10, it reads okay in all circuits on the strip.
I spoke with Tripp Lite and they sent me a replacement, but it reads the same.

Sounds like this is "functioning to spec".  I think that is just how this surge suppressor works.

Why is it red? I know I have had basic suppressors in the past that only had a red ground light (no "line OK" or "protected" lights).  Perhaps they think people expect the ground light to be red.


Closet door minimums Is there a code for the minimum width of a closet door? I've always assumed it was 24 inches. Or is it determined by the square footage of the closet?

The Code only stipulates the size of one door in a residence. It requires one egress door that...

has a 32” clear opening with the door in the 90 degree position (which requires a 36” wide door)
is located at a exterior entrance into the residence opening into a public way or open side yard that opens to a public way
does not open into a garage or carport
is a minimum of 78” high measured from top of threshold to bottom of stop
is side-hinged (no sliding doors allowed)

See 2017 ICC R311.1 and R311.2.
The only other requirement is for sleeping room egress windows, but that’s not your question.


Should I use a wood stain before varnishing my indoor floor? I had been talking to a carpenter friend and for whatever reason, I had come away thinking the best way to varnish the floor was to first stain it and then paint clear varnish over it.

The instructional videos I have come across just varnish directly onto the floor.  Is it better to stain and then clear varnish or just select an appropriately colored varnish?

Stain is just color. While it does provide some degree of sealing, whether you use it or not under varnish is entirely discretionary.

The primary difference between the two options is that proper stain tends to penetrate the grain more, creating more contrast. Colored varnishes overlay a semi-opaque color that tends to mute grain contrast, leaving a more uniform appearance. Again, this is a matter of prerogative.


Install lock on electrical panel I have this Siemens electrical panel and I am looking for a way to install a lock on the panel door so that it can only be opened with a key. Any suggestions? Are there latches that already have built in locks?

(click to enlarge pictures)

Your panel already has the knockout for a lock.  It is immediately above the latch.
See graphic.

Read the label, it calls out the Siemens part number for a lock kit.
Or you can bring the deadfront to your locksmith and I'm sure they can figure something out.
Remember, it is illegal to deny a tenant access to their circuit breakers.  A locksmith may be able to build a lock that operates on a tenant's key.


Whirlpool gas oven will not ignite I have looked all over the internet and have not been able to find the answer for my problem. I have a Whirlpool gas oven / range that will not heat up. The gas burners on top work just fine. I just replaced the "glow" ignitor thinking that was the problem but it still won't light.

When I turn the oven to bake, the element lights up really bright, the gas turns on, I can hear it and smell it, but it just sits there letting gas out and never ignites. I stuck a grill lighter in by where the gas comes out of the holes in the long metal tube and was able to light it up manually just fine.

Please help! Thanks!

Rather than my making too many assumptions, I will say only that having the fuel-air mixture a bit wrong can cause flame ignition problems.  Also, if the ignitor is poorly positioned or the gas flow to the ignitor is impeded in some way, that can also cause flame ignition problems.


Why did the neutral wire burn out in my electric shower? I've had my shower fitted for about 3 years and just yesterday it went bang and stopped working. (My wife was using it and says there was a blue flame!)

When I checked inside the unit I saw that the neutral wire was burned out along with the adjoining section of the connector block. The wire had become so hot it had actually melted into the casing.

I'd like to know why this might have happened, after it had been running fine for so long. How dangerous was it- could I have been given a shock if I'd been touching the casing when it blew up? Also I'd like to know whether repairing it is a job it is safe for me to undertake myself or do I need a qualified electrician.

Rip that thing out of the shower. You do not want mains power in a shower even on a good day.


Why does my desk lamp(LED) seems to flicker very fast when capturing through camera lens? Does led work this way?
I have tested two LED light bulbs by capturing them through phone's camera(Galaxy Note 8)and both seems to flicker/flash very fast.
Is this a problem with my table desk lamps? Why is it not cosntant light?
It is direct current desk lamp

There can be several reasons for LED lights to flicker. Most were mentioned in comments above. I’ll summarize them in one answer. (Note that the one actual answer, “All LEDS flicker” is wrong.)
LED brightness is controlled by the amount of current that feeds them. Usually that is controlled with supply voltage.
A cheap power supply can have voltage fluctuations, which will cause the brightness to flicker.
A REALLY cheap power supply might use half-wave rectification, which clips off the negative half-wave of the AC supply, causing the LED to flash on and off with the positive half of the AC sine wave (60 Hz in the US, 50 Hz in much of the rest of the world.) It’s also possible the power supply is low voltage AC, and the LED just blocks the negative half of each cycle. The effect of either of these would be for the LED to be on half the time and off half the time, probably at the frequency of your AC power.
Some LEDs lights control their brightness using pulse-width modulation (PWM). This varies the percentage of on time to off time to change the average brightness. Usually this is done quite fast, and and our eyes perceive the average brightness. If the PWM frequency is high enough (10s or 100s of kHz) it takes a very fast camera shutter-speed for it to show up at all.
Other LED setups like calculator LED displays and other grids of LEDs multiplex a large number of LEDs by lighting them in groups and cycling between those groups rapidly. At any instant only a fraction of the LEDs that appear lit actually are lit.


new mini CFLs don't seem to fit/work in fixtures? In our bathroom we have a 6 light bar over the sink, it has 6 standard edison style screw in sockets in brass plated cups, and no shades, just bare bulbs. It's very similar to this light.

Not long ago we replaced the bulbs in it with globe CFL bulbs, very similar to these. Two of the six bulbs don't seem to screw in far enough to make contact with the center post because the balast part of the bulb hits the cup around the socket. The other four bulbs are able to screw in all the way, but even with the internal temperature of the house at 75 degrees, they start up VERY slowly, as if they were out side in the sub zero temps, like 10 to 20 minutes before they feel like they're at full illumination. (to be honest, my outside CFLs start up faster, even in the dead of winter.) Sometimes, I even have to tap the bulb to get it going.

So two questions:

Would it be a worth while idea to try to get the sockets farther out in the cups? Based on the construction of the OTHER light bar in the house, I believe the sockets are mounted on threaded hollow rod, so I think if I pull the fixture down I can basically disassemble those cups and reassemble them with the sockets farther out. (or more likely the nut on the other side of the rod moved farther from the socket.) But there's no other light in there, and I can't really have that room out of action for long periods of time... so if there's no point trying to fix these then I'll probably want to find a new fixture, and have the paint and such ready to clean up the wall if I'm just going to need to replace the entire fixture.
Is there something about these bulbs and being mounted with the threads to the side? There's nothing on the box talking about what orientation the bulbs should be mounted in. I have seen other CFLs with a disclaimer that they need to be mounted with the balast at the bottom, but that seemed to be an exception on the really big ones (>200w).

Well Cabbey, you are not alone. I have run into the same problem with several fixtures designed to accept standard G25 type bulbs when trying to use CFL's. There is an obvious difference in the neck shape and dimensions. As far as the fixture is concerned, maybe you could go to Home Depot and take a look at the fixture you have at home and see if a simple modification is possible before you take yours down. I have also found a big difference in the performance of different brands of CFL's. I have purchased many "Light Effects" at Lowes with mixed satisfaction. Some work great, light fast etc, and some were very lazy. They have always taken back ones I was not happy with.  I have had better results with Sylvania and GE brand CFL's, even using them outdoors in Maine.


Bathroom addition with separate vent stack and new line I am relocating washer and dryer in a garage that was remodeled by the original owners to have two bedrooms and a craft room. This remodel is very dated and disjointed and we are wanting to add a bathroom in this very large craft room, but it is on the other side of the house from the main bathrooms and the rest of the home was JUST refloored. Very near the remodeled area though is the outdoor clean out that then connects to the main house. It is close enough the cleanout couldn’t be more than a foot top to bottom below the surface. As I am unsure where the waste lines are located I feel it would be more reasonable to tie in between the clean out and the rest of the plumbing (just outside of the house) and have a separate vent stack for the bathroom addition and washer.

We currently have a concrete slab throughout and an ugly linoleum in the area for the bathroom addition. The closest drain I could tie into otherwise is a kitchen sink which would likely be undersized for my overall purposes.

Any reason why I shouldn’t proceed with the addition this way?

I’ve attached an image of the layout with approximations if he plumbing. I would rather not destroy expensive brand new floor if I could instead go through the linoleum located in the garage area and two adjoining bedrooms.

Allow me to recommend you call a licensed and reputable plumber to come and look at your house and make recommendations.  Surely you can find someone who for $150.00 will come and tell you what you can do.  You could go the sly route and request a quote, you could offer to pay for it, and then ask a lot of questions. Make sure to ask for and get, with your quote a simple drawing and piping lay out.  Good Luck.


Can I install this array of circuit breakers in my sub-panel? I have a 30 amp breaker in my main panel, with 12/3 wire ran about 100 ft. To my sub panel in my shed. I'm wondering if I can put a 20 amp breaker for my outlets and a 15 amp breaker for my light in my shed?

I'm running a air compressor about 150 psi for my airbrush and a small heater and my light in my shed at the same time. It's currently on a 15amp breaker in my sub panel.

Don't know much about electrical circuits.

Short answer: yes for the branch circuits, no for the feeder.

The capacity of the sub panel is a total of 30 amps of load NOT the sum of the breakers. As long as the total of all of your equipment doesn't exceed that then you are good.

Edit: Tester is right and I missed that you had 12/3 running to the shed. #12 wire cannot be protected at 30 amps. The maximum for #12 is 20 amps. If you want a 30 amp circuit to the shed it needs #10 wire.


Low city water pressure booster - when would it turn on? If I were to install a pressure booster pump, would it work / be on consistently or is it only triggered by specific water pressure ranges?  A plumber told me it would only kick on if the pressure dropped below 30 or 40 psi, but the documentation I'm finding about different pumps doesn't indicate that that is the case.

Depends on who engineers the pump and controls. They can be either way. The most economical way would be with an expansion tank and a pump that runs only on demand. I have seen both systems, and installed both types.


What is my 3/8" concrete drill bit hitting in the basement wall and not penetrating when I try to mount a TV? I have a 48" flat screen TV that I'm trying to mount into a pre-assembled  then-installed permanent basement shelves.  It appears that the back wall of the shelves was glued onto the cinder blocks.  Across the top of the shelves is a support beam and air-ducts.  I took the template that comes with the TV mounting kit, after centering the TV and removing the shelving in that area, and drilled the first two upper holes and they penetrated the cinder block for the 3" needed well.  It actually drilled into airspace after about 2 1/2" in.
 The 3rd hole will not let me drill farther than 1/2 ".  Even relocating the template higher or lower by a hole size, involves losing the ability to use one of the holes.  What could be about 3" wide around neck level behind the cinder block wall and impenetrable going horizontally across the wall?  House was built in 1984 and I'm certain is cinder block throughout the basement as it is visible anywhere support walls belong and the other 3 walls and areas that meander around the shape of the basement shape are cinder block.  There is a furnace room about 10 feet to the right and a separate cinder block room about 5 feet to the left.  The other side of the wall is simply the foundation outside.  So with all that, what gives?
Josh-U

You could be dealing with a vertical cell filled with concrete or a vertical piece of rebar. If you are not using a hammer drill, try that first and see if it starts going deeper. If not, take a loot at the hammer drill bit and see if it looks like it's dulling. If it is, you will need to try a Carbide Rebar Drill Bit.


Driving 4x6 into marsh by hand I'm building a marsh boardwalk behind my house. The marsh varies from muddy to perhaps 2 feet of water. I've trying to sink 4x6 posts for the main supports, but it's proving to be very difficult with a sledge. I believe I'll need to sink these at least 4 feet, and I've only managed perhaps 2.5 after 30+ minutes of hitting it with a sledge.

I can't seem to find a post driver that fits 4x6 posts. Most are meant for metal stakes or, at best, 2x4s.

I've seen some people recommend using a water jet to "dig" below the post, bur before I buy a $250 water pump, does anybody know of another, cheaper alternative?

So driving these posts into the marsh was essentially impossible by hand. 4x4's might have worked, but even that would have been extremely difficult.

I ended up buying helical screw piles and these worked great. Still a ton of work, but all it took was some leverage with a long 2x4 to get them in.


How do I repair improperly backed shower tile? Noticed some grout voids in shower tile, scraped away to re-grout and found bottom row of tiles had some wiggle. Figured I should assess underlying cause and removed tiles.

What was under the tiles was a dry-papery substance and behind that some course powdery bits, maybe just dried out mastic. House was built in the 70's, not sure of conventions at the time or if it was tiled since.

The gap shown seems problematic, but do I need to cut away material and apply new backerboard, or should I just put a little moisture barrier over this section to protect the gap? I'd like to avoid re-tiling the whole shower for now as will be doing that in the next few years, but also want to fix it properly so that it will last a while.  Any thoughts?

In those years, wonder board (cement type backer board) was not in general use yet.  Green board was still widely used with a couple of coats of paint over it.  And as you are very well seeing, it did not stand up to moisture for the long haul as was expected.  If the tile sealing was not maintained and or the grout lines, within 5 to 8-years the whole shower was falling apart.

The gap was intentional. It was meant as an air gap.  Water was not supposed to wick across the gap up into the drywall board and thus last longer.

No easy answers here.  Recommend you simply tear it all out and start again.  The new cement type backer board is far superior to what you now have. P.


second window for toilet on rented apartment I rented my apartment in the summer, now with the cold weather starting (Australia). I noticed how cold the toilet window makes the apartment, there is zero isolation, and is basically a window with separated glasses to the outside (second floor).
I want to install a second window that fits on the whole frame for the old window, maybe with just a frame and plexiglass or glass.
So my question is, how to make this isolation window so is easy, cheap. That I can install and uninstall (when the summer comes again).
Is there a preferred solution for this case?
Thanks in advance.

Window insulation film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwkmgbzGG-g
This window kit is clear plastic sheeting.  You attach it with double sticky tape along all edges.  When I did this the last step was to blow hot air on it with a hair dryer which got rid of wrinkles.  3M makes a kit.  The plastic must be something like shrink wrap but I dont know if that is essential.
In my old drafty 1930s house I made adhoc extra windows with sheets of plexiglass that I cut to fit the windows.  I used foam pipe insulation along the edges and pushed them into place.  They worked great but the windows were big and the plexiglas was pretty expensive.  I toted those pieces around for some years after moving hoping to find other uses for them.
If I were going to do that stuff again with maximum cheapness I would skip the kit ($$$) get a piece of clear plastic sheet (¢¢¢) and put it up with double sticky tape.  Then in spring carefully fold up the plastic for next year.


is it legal to cut of factory stab in plugs and replace with wire nuts Electric code on wiring lights with factory stab in plugs can stab in plugs be removed and replaced with wire nuts

Yes... Maybe... Technically, probably not.

But let's talk first about why you want to cut off the quick connect fitting.  If you want to remove the factory installed connector, because you've read all over the internet about how bad "backstab" terminals are. I understand your concern, but you're probably overreacting.  The "backstab" terminals the internet rants about, were poorly designed terminals that were built into devices (receptacles, switches, etc.). Modern "push-fit" connectors are a bit different, and are designed with past failures in mind.

It's very common for newer light fixtures; especially recessed fixtures, to include "push-fit" connectors. These connectors make wiring the fixture easier, and are used by most installers. These new connectors seem to be reliable, and don't appear to suffer the same failures as the old "backstab" terminals. However, loads of folks still have a bias against these connectors, because of the poorly designed "backstabs" that proceeded them.

</rant>

As for removing the factory installed connectors. Technically, removing them is modifying a factory assembly. Which technically probably voids the UL listing. And is technically against National Electrical Code, since you're not installing the fixture according to the manufacturer's installation instructions.

However, I'm sure loads of people do it, and it's doubtful that an inspector would ever fail an inspection because of it. As long as you use the proper sized twist-on wire connector, and make a solid connection. There should be no problem removing the connector, and using twist-on wire connectors instead.

NOTES:

I don't have any statistical data on push-fit connector failures, so have no way to prove if they're better or worse than backstab terminals. At the end of the day, it's about your peace of mind. If you're not comfortable with push-fit connectors, then don't use them.


Does my light switch require a ground wire? I'm trying to install a new light switch from a plastic one to a metal one.

I don't have a ground wire nor is the back box grounded.

Do I need to connect it to a ground?

Assuming you are in North America:
When boxes were steel and the wiring was run with metal conduit or BX cable (flexible metal armoring wrapped around the wires instead of a plastic or fabric jacket), grounding was done via the metal-to-metal contact of the switch to the box, the box to the conduit and the conduit to the breaker panel, which was itself bonded to ground. If you have removed a steel box and replaced it with a plastic one, but the wiring is still in the BX cable, then you can get a fitting for attaching the BX to the box that allows you to attach a ground wire (grounding locknut). But technically, it would not meet current code, because the old BX cable no longer meets the requirements for continuous grounding. NEWER versions, now called "Type AC" cable (for Armor Clad) have a different design that meets code grounding requirements.

For a while, code allowed for switches to not have any ground connection though, so you would have NM (Non Metallic) cable without a ground wire used on them. In that case if you are replacing like-for-like, you can ignore the ground connection on a new switch, there is a Code exception under article 404.9(B) allowing for that.


Kitchen faucet low cold water pressure Can anyone identify the manufacturer of my kitchen faucet from this picture of this logo? The faucet has low pressure of cold water only. Hot water OK.

Cut off the water under the sink and remove the cartridge and examine it. Maybe you will see what's wrong and you can repair it and re-install it. Probably you should just take the cartridge to a big box store (or to a good plumbing supply) and get a replacement.


What work is needed in changing a two prong to a three prong outlet? My wife and I just moved into a new house that was built in the 1930s. There is a mixture of two prongs and three prongs, but there are no three pronged outlets in the most ideal places (I.e. my desk or bedside). How much work is needed to get a few of the two pronged outlets changed to three pronged outlets?

Also there is an outlet I have never seen before, could someone tell me what it's for?

If you only have one or two places where you need three-prong receptacles, you don't have to figure out which is "first" (nearest the panel).  The NEC (since at least 1987) also allows you to replace ANY ordinary, non-grounding (two-prong) receptacle with a non-grounded, 3-prong GFCI receptacle. Marking it as having "no equipment ground" was added as a later requirement, as mentioned by Ecnerwal.


Old mortise lock bolted from inside I have a situation in my 90 year old house with the bathroom door. Last night my bathroom door was closed and somehow bolted locked from inside and I can't get into it or unlock it. I believe this is a mortise lock (like this), but I have no keyhole on the outside, it's just door under the knob.

The bolt goes in an estimated 1.5-2 cm into the door frame. There is a small window to the bathroom, but it's 10 feet up from the ground outside and I would be going in head first about 5 feet to the tub. The hinges are on the inside of the door and the door swings into the bathroom.

Any ideas on how to unlock the door or get inside? Or even an idea of how this could have even happened would be nice to know?

Modern mortise locksets for bathrooms usually have a deadbolt release on the outside, opposite the deadbolt knob (or thumbturn) in the inside. The release is intended to be operated using a coin or screwdriver.

Your lockset presumably lacks this external release feature. However it is likely that the lock body itself has openings on both sides for the deadbolt. So, in the worst case, you could remove the external lever and cover-plate and then cut a hole through the wood of the door at the position of the deadbolt knob to gain access to the deadbolt shaft.


Will closing the ventilation windows in my garage cause problems for my water heater? I have a room directly above my garage and it's usually 10+ degrees difference in temperature compared to the rest of the house.  I'm planning on insulating the door and the garage ceiling with rigid insulation boards.  I have been reading prior suggestions and I see that most also suggest to close up the ventilation windows in the garage. However, I have my water heater in the garage so I'm thinking that's the reason for the ventilation windows.  If I close them up, will that be a problem?

When you say ventilation windows, do you mean operable glazed windows or small permanently open screened openings? Either way, fuel burning appliances require adequate free openings in enclosures to ensure proper exhausting of combustion by-products. Electric water heaters do not require such openings.

Your local building authority probably has specific requirements for such openings which you need to comply with. An example may be something like the garage must have at least 50 cubic feet of volume for every 1000 BTU/h of appliance heat output. If this requirement is not met, provide two openings in an exterior wall with at least 1 square inch free area opening each for every 4000 BTU/h of appliance heat output.

If your locality has no such requirements, following the above recommendations would be adequate.


Is a roofing delivery truck likely to crack my driveway slab? I am having shingles delivered. The truck weighs 62,000 lbs, will this crack my concrete slab driveway?  Also, they plan on a dump truck in the driveway to throw shingles from the roof. I am not sure what weight the dump truck is.

Unless your home is a 20 bedroom mansion I would simply tell them to keep that off your driveway period.   You can't tell what load it will take because it depends how packed it still is, what condition it is in and how thick it was poured (and if this was uniformly done).   Often these large trucks will crack driveways in the corners of their pours since the depth in the parts are tapered even by the most reputable companies and can get to 3-4" inches with poor contractors.

So just don't let them on driveway or make that a risk their insurance will pay for.   I have roofers at sites all the time.   I hardly ever let them on the driveway.   With a crew of 4-5 they can carry the stuff/wheelbarrow/whatever and it is done in 20 mins.   Stay off my driveways, don't break them, don't drop crap from your trucks, don't spit mud everywhere - not my problem.

If my front lawn is not in great condition and it is dry I tell them to use that.   That is all I offer.   If they have a regular truck then fine.   Even a bobcat I will not let them go up and down the driveway unless they are paying for repairs.

Bottom line is you paid for a new roof.   Their deal to get shingles to your house.   Not saying to be unreasonable - I try to make things easy for trades to get future discounts but you must use common sense.   There is a good chance that crew suggests pulling truck next to house and then if the owner came out he would yell at them (worried about being liable for damage).   Yes of course a truck that big could damage a good percentage of driveways.

Addition for dump truck: This depends on size.  I have never had a roofing company use a dump truck at my site.  These are less risk because of wheel sizes but still not letting a full size one on my driveway.   Most roofing companies for a residential house use dump trailers that are a lot less invasive and they are lower to the ground so you can get these really close to house so there isn't a ton of stuff in the gap.

(FYI this size truck is about the same size the big boxes use to deliver bulk drywall.   The operators of these trucks will not come on your driveway if you request that they do.   Simply they know the chance for damage is high and they would probably be liable and get fired.   That is why they use a forklift.   If there was no risk then these huge companies would be instructing their operators to save time by driving as close as possible - big companies micromanage these processes to make money.)


How do I estimate the energy consumption of a ductless mini-split A/C unit? I'm designing a "solar RV" built from a cargo trailer with PV panels mounted on the roof. Currently, I'm listing the expected electrical loads so I can size the solar system and battery bank appropriately.

The largest load will be a ductless mini-split air conditioner, likely a Mitsubishi 6,000 BTU, 33.1 SEER unit. It's the smallest on the market, but it should be plenty since the RV will only be ~110-130 square feet. I expect to use it frequently on shore power, but I'd like to be able to run it at least part-time while off-grid.

I've searched extensively for real-world energy usage reports from people who own that model (or similar), but haven't found any, so the next step is to estimate based on the available specs. Wikipedia describes how to calculate energy consumption based on BTU, SEER, and hourly usage, but the latter confuses me - at least in terms of how it applies to mini-splits.

My understanding is that many inverter compressor models (including the Mitsubishi) are constantly running, and modulate the compressor load as needed to maintain the desired temperature.

Does that mean I'd simply calculate energy consumption based on 24 hours/day (a 100% duty cycle)? So:

6,000 BTU / 33.1 SEER * 24 hours/day = 4.35 kWh/day

Or, is it more complicated than that? It would seem so, as that would be equivalent to a unit with 1/3 the efficiency operating for 1/3 the time, which seems fairly typical in the real world:

6,000 BTU / 11 SEER * 8 hours/day = 4.36 kWh/day

Surely the mini-split must use significantly less power than such a unit?

I doubt that any PV array which would fit on this camper could power this a/c unit. The power consumption of the a/c unit is far above what a small PV array could supply.  Based on my recollection of the circuit requirements of room a/c units rated at 5000 BTU/h, when running, this unit will draw about 10 A at 120 V ac so 1.2 kW continuously.

EDIT

One sees campers with 5000 BTU/h a/c units on top. I have always assumed that these were only for use in campgrounds with electric plug in sites.


What material should a year-round green house in high elevation be made of? I am constructing a green house this summer. I live in Ely, Nevada. It is at a high elevation and cold more so than it is warm. Building the structure is not a problem for me, but I do not know what type of material to buy/use for the outside. Can some one maybe help me?

Winter weather usually lasts well through mid April.

Wood will likely rot over time exposed to the higher humidity of a greenhouse.  I'd also stay away from treated lumber, I'd be afraid of it leaching unwanted chemicals into the soil, especially is you are eating products planted in it.  It might be OK if you keep away from direct ground contact, e.g. with a concrete apron, but it's not what I'd use.

Ideally you'd want to use a vinyl-coated metal or PVC framing.  Bare aluminum framing will work, but will conduct heat like crazy in a way you don't want.  Basically anything that's corrosion resistant, decay resistant, and insulates reasonably well.  There's no way you're going to have a greenhouse that is insulated anywhere near as well as a framed structure, but doing what you can to mitigate unwanted thermal transfer will help keep heating costs down.

While glass is pretty, it doesn't insulate well and exposes plants to direct sunlight that, without significant airflow, can create hotspots and scorch plants.  Diffuse lighting is better, though you get reduced light transmission and can't see outside you'll provide a more consistent quality of light to your plants over the course of the day.  You'll want to consider carefully whether your are more concerned with aesthetics (transparent materials) or functionality (diffuse, translucent materials)

I'd recommend polycarbonate multiwall sheeting for your exterior cladding.  It comes in a wide variety of styles and can provide the best R-values (insulating factors) of any transparent or translucent greenhouse material.  You can likely find some variety that will meet your needs in terms of light transmission, R-value, and cost.

Greenwall Solutions Inc. offers a variety of polycarbonate multiwall sheeting.

This isn't an endorsement one way or the other of this company, I really don't know anything about them, but it is a good example of what you can find.

Search on Google for "Polycarbonate multiwall panels" and you'll find a variety of vendors.


Hardibacker seems to draw moisture out of thinset? Working with 3/4" glass mosaic tiles for the first time - look great, but a very different process than I'm used to with ceramic tiles of normal size.
Tiled a section of cement floor following the glass tile instructions (rake with 1/4 x 3/16 V notch, then trowel flat, then place tile and beat into place) which worked pretty much fine (one loose tile from a few hundred, and several places where I must not have gotten the raking and smoothing even enough so I had to go over with a grout saw to remove excess thinset before grouting.)
Moved on to doing a section of wall that's covered with 1/2" hardibacker. Only did about 3 square feet as I figured it was going to be trickier working on the wall than the floor. Got the thinset on the wall successfully, raked and smooth, tile (in sheets with a gummed paper on the face on it and not falling down, moved to beating it in and I could hear it rattling - much of the mortar wasn't taking the tile, though enough had for the sheets to be on the wall (Mapei glass tile mortar, supposedly 2 hour pot life, 30 minute open time and conditions were not particularly hot or dry.)
I ended up stripping the tiles and scraping off the mortar. As far as I recall the instructions said nothing about pre-wetting the substrate (I understand Hardibacker to be what they call CBU), but it certainly appeared that the Hardibacker had dried it out to a point of uselessness in a very short period (which the concrete floor did not, but of course the floor needed to be mopped clean before tiling and the walls did not.) I'm wondering if I should pre-wet/dampen the hardibacker before applying thinset.
I basically wasted a few hours and a lot of mortar to re-set that one 3/4" square tile in the floor that had been loose, as opposed to getting started on the wall section...
Back-buttering these tiny tiles seems like it would result in a huge amount of cleanup for grouting if laid on with a trowel, and would be incredibly tedious dotting on the back of each one (225 tiles per sheet.)
Similar question but not exactly this (mesh rather than paper face and more about trowel technique)

The actual HardiBacker installation instructions (page 5) for tile do say to wipe the surface clean "with a damp sponge":

Wipe the surface of HardieBacker® cement board clean with a damp sponge just prior to adding mastic or mortar.

This 2006 forum discussion also seems to anecdotally back up that wetting HardieBacker first is a known "must do":

Hardi is thirsty, thirsty, thirsty. It tends to suck moisture out of thinset NOW and makes working time difficult. Kinda like laying wallpaper on un-sized plaster walls.

and

Dry backerboard will suck water out of mortar like a sponge. If too much is removed the final bond becomes very weak.


What material is used to fill cracks in wood that looks black afterward? When looking in the more stylish furniture shops, they often have very large tables (e.g. 10cm thick x 1m wide x 2-3m long, made from one piece of lumber.

Understandably, such pieces often have come cracks, etc. In all the shops I went to, I have seen these filled with some black epoxy-like substance, and I liked the way it looked - I would like to use the same to fill cracks in my projects.

What materials can you recommend as wood filler that would give this look?

In many cases that is epoxy, mixed with lamp black or another colorant. (There are tints which can be used to more closely match the color of the surrounding wood, but in fact black usually looks pretty reasonable.)


Under what circumstances is galvanic corrosion a concern in electrical work? I'm curious why contact between dissimilar metals in electrical work is seems to only be a problem in some cases.  For example, one must use antioxidant when joining aluminum and copper wiring in house wire and distribution panels.  But what about the following cases:

Copper wire attached to brass and steel terminal screws in receptacles
Silver-colored (aluminum?) wire in light fixtures joining copper house wire
Various kinds of screws mounting metal junction boxes to studs

Why are those cases not a concern?

Galvanic corrosion is a problem when the two metals are wet or damp , water being necessary to conduct current causing corrosion. In some conditions of humidity and temperature change ,a small amount of water can condense ,promoting corrosion. Any time aluminum is connected to another metal there can be corrosion. I once had a home with a damp crawl space, all copper wire in galvanized conduit . When I worked in the boxes I wondered why there was white powder zinc oxide . Until one day under the right,or wrong, conditions I opened a box and several drops of water dripped out of the conduit.Aluminum will oxidize by itself in air depending on humidity.


What painting equipment is needed to restore a derelict wooden house? The exterior walls are in a very bad shape, and the whole house needs to be painted.

It looks like this:

What equipment should I get to prepare the walls and paint them?

You will need:

Carbide scrapers of different sizes
Paint spray gun (will save you TONS of time)
Several good quality brushes -- edging and flat shapes
Wood hardener for any isolated rotted spots of wood
Wood filler or bondo to spot-patch rotted areas
Extra replacement siding
Saw(s) -- circular, oscillating multitool, etc
Hammer, nails (galvanized)
Aluminum flashing if needed
GOOD quality caulk (I like to use Quad, sold at Lowe's)
Primer (Zinnser or BIN)
Paint

TBH, I've seen siding in much worse shape.  DO be concerned about lead exposure if that is lead paint.  Some clearer pictures of the worst problem-spots would allow us to give you an idea of other special considerations to take.


How do I remove my old faucet? I purchased this faucet and it seems like an easy enough installation. The bottom of this new faucet looks like this:

Seems like all I have to do is screw something in and it will attach the faucet to my counter top.

My old faucet:

Doesn't seem like it has the same mechanics. This is what I see under my kitchen counter top:

How do I get that off? I've tried twisting it as if the shaft is threaded but I don't think it was loosening at all.

The black collar seen on the bottom picture is what is keeping the faucet on. It is a plastic nut that screws on the threads you see to clamp the faucet onto the countertop.

That is what you need to unscrew with the basin wrench (or any other that can reach).


Is it ok to use a ground rod at a subpanel instead of a fourth wire? I understand running the neutral wire back to the main service panel and not bonding the subpanel... but running the equipment ground back to the main panel seems to get conflicting answers.

If code requires it, then I'm assuming it's because the main panel should be adequately grounded but is it against code to also install a ground rod at the subpanel just to be safe?  If the subpanel is mounted to a metal stake or metal building wouldn't it be grounded anyway?

Talking to different so-called experts some say on a long run to a subpanel just install a ground rod at that location and save the cost of a fourth wire.

To make this easier, consider the grounding conductor (the ground wire) as a backup neutral. It's not used unless a ground fault occurs, in which case it's only purpose is to provide a path back to the source so that a protective device will trip. (breaker, fuse, etc.)
Your grounding electrode system on the other hand, the ground rod here, is only used for over-voltages on the line such as static or potentially lightning. Although we bond the grounding system, they serve two different purposes.
So for your first question: no, it is not against code to install a ground rod at the subpanel. It is actually required by code.

NEC 2014 - 250.32(A)
Grounding Electrode. Building(s) or structure(s) supplied
by feeder(s) or branch circuit(s) shall have a grounding
electrode or grounding electrode system installed in
accordance with Part III of Article 250. The grounding
electrode conductor(s) shall be connected in accordance
with 250.32(B) or (C). Where there is no existing grounding
electrode, the grounding electrode(s) required in 250.50
shall be installed.

The only exception to that being that if you were only running a single circuit (or multiwire branch circuit) with a ground wire, then you would not need an electrode system.
Now on to your next question on if a metal stake/metal building works as an electrode: yes and no. There are a few conditions were these could apply, but they do have to have direct contact to the ground (the earth itself, the dirt or concrete below). Check out 250.52 (NEC 2014) for the list of electrodes that can be used.
Lastly, all new feeders to outbuildings must contain a ground wire. Previously they were not required, but this is no longer legal or up to code for new installations. However, modifications to existing 3-wire systems do not require the pulling of a new ground wire as long as it fits a few requirements for the exception; as seen in 250.32(B) (NEC 2014)


Gutted a basement and found a window, what should I do? I recently gutted my basement in an early 1900s home that was finished in the mid-80s, and discovered a window! This window is directly under my front door, hidden by a deck that I've never really looked under in detail, so I've never noticed the window. The window is about a foot above grade, and again, covered by a deck, so it is not exposed to snow/rain.

I'm debating what to do with this, all my other windows are upgraded to newer windows about 4 years ago, but this is still a single-pane old-style window. I'm not sure if I should remove it and try and block it in with cinder blocks (Foundation is an old poured foundation), or is it acceptable to leave it as long as it's insulated and sealed? (I'd probably also cover the exterior of the Window with XPS and pressure treated plywood or something similar) The previous basement had fiberglass insulation, vapour barrier then drywall right over it, which I know won't cut it. My plan for finishing is hanging XPS boards directly against the concrete, sealing all the seams, spray-foaming any gaps around the boards, then 2x4 studs and Roxul batts as insulation. The R7.5 from XPS, plus R14 from Batts should give me approximately R22.5, which should be plenty.

Any advice? I know the "Best" thing would be to remove it, but is it acceptable to cover up a window should anyone ever find a need for it?

I've marked the "Answer" as to leave it.  Excellent discussion for and against removing the window, but as mentioned, I think I'll leave it, insulate it and cover it from the outside.  Who knows what other problems removing it could cause.

Thanks

Unless the existing window is leaking, the sole criterion for judging better and worse options in this case is the likelihood of future bulk water infiltration.

The current installation is performing functionally and aesthetically as part of the building envelope. Breaching and patching the envelope is not a repair, and at best will only perform equally well with the current situation in regard to the prevention of bulk water infiltration.

From an insulation standpoint, the cost benefit analysis should factor thermal performance based on the weight of an empirically proven installation versus untested new construction and the requirement that the new construction must occur under less than ideal conditions (i.e. under a porch).

The existing window wasn't a problem a year ago. It isn't a problem now. It is unlikely to be a problem a year from now.


Replace the Threshold of an exterior door Last winter the lower hinge side of back door (which faces west and gets lots of wind) was freezing cold during our Northern Illinois winter. So I wanted to fill it with spray foam to seal it up. When I took the interior trim off I noticed a lot of moist wood and saw OSB underneath the door threshold. I’m pretty allergic to mold and was like woa I got to get this out before it gets worse. Soooo I took the threshold out of the door. I bought a new one at Home Depot and wanted to squeeze it into place under the existing jamb. I haven’t found a lot of guidance on this. At work, when I asked the maintenance guy at work he said replace the whole door. I wanted to fix the threshold only I think I have a pretty tight fit and was planning on caulking it well and filling it with spray foam and then adding a storm door. I don’t see why this wouldn’t work. Am I missing something? Why can’t I just replace the threshold?
I’m trying to save on costs so I don’t have to buy two doors this fall. Besides that the HOA is super slow and I don’t think I would have an answer by January.

You can replace just the threshold. Sometimes it is difficult because the original threshold is screwed to the jambs as part of a complete assembly, or it lies under the door stop part of the jambs, but it sounds like you already figured that part out.

I would caution you to investigate and fix whatever caused the water penetration (in case there was an additional issue besides the old threshold) and repair any damaged wood underneath before you install it. I assume your new one is aluminum since you mention filling it with spray foam, screw it down well with stainless screws.The screws that come with them are not always the best ones to use.


furnace 4 flashes error code I noticed my home gas furnace was turning on, I could hear it running, but it seemed the fan was not blowing the heat out of the heat duct vents...there was almost no air pressure.
SO I went downstairs to the furnace, and looked at the red blinking light on my American Standard Freedom 80 furnace, and it showed 4 blinking flashes then a pause, so I looked on the error chart on the front panel, and it said "Open high limit device."
I figured I would need to go and find my manual that came with the unit, to see where the "high limit" was located?
Anyways, while I was there at the furnace, I figured I would jiggle the 2 electrical connections that connect to the fan housing. I just tried to get the metal on metal connection of the electrical connectors to seat slightly differently.
I put the front panel back on, and the system fired up, and this time I could hear the fan running and blowing the hot air.
I went upstairs, and yes, the heat vents had blowing hot air.
Anyways, in the days before this I had been smelling an odd "electrical burning" smell, like a smell I had smelled before when I had a motor burn out, in some other unrelated tool.
I'm just guessing that this smell is related to the new problem with the furnace?
The filter was replaced one month ago.

Well, I was wondering if you could suggest some helpful hints and knowledge? I sure would appreciate being able to learn.

What does the HIGH LIMIT device do? Does "open high limit device" error code mean that the device is stuck open?

What do you think the "burning" smell is coming from? Which part would be affected in such a way as to cause this?

Thank you.

High limits and you

A "high limit" switch protects the furnace against overheating and damage  -- it's located in the output duct, or plenum, of the furnace and turns the furnace off if things get too hot up there.  The usual cause of a high limit trip is inadequate airflow -- in your case, because an apparently faulty connection was causing the fan to not run.

If you continue to get the "electrical burning" smell after fixing the connections -- that's a sign the fan motor on your furnace is on the way out the door.  Generally, you'll need to have an HVAC service tech come in and swap it for a replacement.  (If you can access the other side of the connection, you can also use a voltmeter to measure the voltage drop across it -- anything more than a volt is cause for serious concern.)


Capping light fixture box with two white and two black wires I’m trying to cap a ceiling light fixture box since we have no need to put a fixture on it. The electrician put a porcelain light fixture on it as a temp solution. The ceiling box has two black and two white wires in it and the switch the light is on feeds 3 other lights used for a bookcase. How do I wire these to make sure the bookcase lights still work?

If this is in the middle of the run to the other lights being controlled by the switch (i.e. capping each wire individually means that some lights won't work, and there's no reason the electrician would have installed a temporary porcelain fixture if a simple capping would have done the trick) then:

Turn off power at the breaker.
Remove temporary porcelain fixture.
Using a yellow or red wire nut* connect the two black wires.
Using another wire nut, connect the two white wires.
Double check both nuts are tight by holding the nut and trying to pull each wire out.
Push the wires into the box.
Attach a round, blank cover plate.
Turn on power at the breaker.

*Check the package labeling to ensure you're using nuts of the correct size for the wiring you're using. My box of orange says it will not support two #12 or two #14 wires, only 1 of each with something #16 or smaller. My box of yellows says it will support two #14 or two #12, as does my box of reds.
Of course, it strikes me as very unusual that the electrician wouldn't have done this in the first place. Surely he would have had a blank cover plate on the truck just as readily as having a porcelain. OTOH, he may have made more profit by charging you for the "temporary" porcelain than he would have for just putting a cover plate on it in the first place. :/


How can I safely remove snow from my roof? How do I remove snow from my roof? How about 4" of snow covered with 1/2" of ice? How do I know when I should risk getting out there to try to remove it?

We just received a notice from The New York City Office of Emergency Management saying:

The Dept. of Buildings is reminding property owners to de-ice public areas and safely
remove snow from roofs, overhangs, and awnings. The buildup of wet snow and rain can
present a threat to the structural integrity of a building.

I live in a suburb of NJ, but presumably the message still holds.

I have been out on my back roof (accessible from my bedroom window) in the rain but the ice-covered snow that we've had build up lately is another matter. I don't want my husband out there either. He is concerned for the structural integrity of the roofs, and now I get that, but it's not worth risking life and limb. Any suggestions would be super. Thanks!

I would suggest a roof rake - like this.  You would start about 3-4 feet up, crack through ice and then rake down.  If you have a tall roof this becomes a safety issue and might need two people - one to secure ladder.  It isn't easy work.

Also if you can safely get on top of the roof it is much easier to push the snow off.


Need to add cord to 11.5KW 240V fryer We operate a non-profit booth at a fair. A coworker bought a couple of new fryers for us, yeah! They shipped without cords, boo.
I unscrewed the back of the fryer and the mounting block has 3 connections, with the outer 2 used on the equipment side of the block, the cord side is of course, bare. The ground is a copper single square terminal (currently empty) bolted to the sheet metal (my conductor would plug into it, NOT connected directly to the mounting block, nor is it the same screw that the fryers grounding wires go to. They are attached to the sheet metal nearby with a screw.

I bought a 3 wire cord from Lowes, it is rated 240V 50A, 6/2-8/1.

The cord has ring connectors that fit over screws, but as I said the mounting block seems to only take insertion of wires.

Questions:

The cord says 6/2-8/1, is that for 2(#6) wires and 1(#8) wire for neutral?
The block looks like it takes a single conductor wire, is that correct?
Would it be correct to strip off the spade crip connectors on the cord, strip it back .75 - 1 inch and insert the braid or conductors?

Lastly, if I can't use the current cord, where do I buy a solid conductor cord or one that would be correct?

I apologize if this is confusing, I am trying to add enough info for someone to make good suggestions from.

Thank you!

Boo?  There's a reason it doesn't have a cord.  First, most such machines are hardwired.

Second, look closely at the power: 11,500 watts @ 240V (this is a 240V single-phase machine, right?) is 47.916666 (repeating of course) amps.  That's a peculiar number.  Remember that continuous loads must be provisioned for 125% of their rated power.  47.916666 amps x 125% = 59.9 amps.  That's even more peculiar. It's perfectly sized to be provisioned for a 60A circuit, and that is why that size was chosen!

Normal plugs and sockets stop at 50A.  60A plugs and sockets are not common, and not standard.  If they had given you a cord and plug, Murphy would have a surprise for you on setup day.

The plug in your hands is the obsolete, dangerous NEMA 10-50.  Aside from being too few amps, it's NEMA 10 -- hot-hot-neutral.  Neutral is not ground. You don't need neutral and you do need ground. You could use a NEMA 14 (hot-hot-neutral-ground) or a NEMA 6 (hot-hot-ground) if you can find those in 60A.  But this begs another question.

When the faire provisions power to your booth, what receptacle do they provide?  Because you need the plug that fits their socket, at the risk of stating the obvious.  So your next step is actually to have a conversation with them about that.

If the faire is providing you 240V 3-phase, and you have more than one of these fryers, then things just got a lot more complicated.

Answers:

The cord is way wrong.  So moot.
Lugs generally take one wire, a wire being a distinct thing from a cable. Lugs are perfectly able to take stranded wire.  In fact, solid wire is rare in #6.
Don't carve it up, because you'll be returning it to Lowes for credit.
You don't buy a solid conductor cord, since there's no such thing - it has to be flexible after all.  Once you figure out which connector the job actually requires, you will surely not find it in a pre-molded cord, but many shops will be happy to build it for you out of a component plug and proper legal cordage, which is cable specifically made to be power cord.  You can do that yourself with the right cordage. A proper electrical supply house can sell you that don't go to Lowes or any big-box; they are incompetent and it's too specialty for them, they will cheerfully sell you a super-wrong thing like #6 SEU-AL.


Does a split neutral conform to the NEC? I am a Building Inspector and recently have came across a question about splitting the neutral wire between the garbage disposal and the dishwasher. I am unable to locate this in the 2011 NEC. Does anyone know where I may locate this?

Thank you,
Wendy

Yes, the proper term for that is "multi-wire branch circuit".  Two hot wires share a neutral. The neutral handles only the difference in current, becuase the hots are on opposite poles.  If one hot is loaded to 15A and the other is loaded to 13A, the neutral only carries 2A.  Several things for an inspector to watch for:

the hots MUST be on opposite poles.  If they are on the same pole, the neutral will carry the sum of currents (28A) instead of the difference (2A).
In MWBC, neutral wires do not count as conductors for anything thermal.  E.g. There is a maximum of 9 conductors allowed in one conduit before derating is required.  If you see 12 wires in four MWBCs, that is OK because it's only 8 conductors.  Why?  See note at bottom.
Wires in MWBCs must be marked as "together" in the usual manner of marking wires as groups, e.g. entering the box in the same Romex.
starting at NEC 2002, neutrals in MWBC's must be pigtailed.  To be more precise, wiring must be done so that any device (outlet, switch, lamp, etc.) can be removed for servicing without severing the neutral for the other side of the MWBC.   That's so if the power is still turned on for the other half of the MWBC, the serviceman doesn't interrupt its neutral.   This is not a factor after the hots go their separate ways, e.g. if they split into two outlet strings.
Starting at NEC 2011, the maintenance shut-off must disconnect all legs of the MWBC. On common circuit breaker panels, the breakers need handle ties. A 2-pole breaker will do the job, but it is not required.  Overcurrent protection does not need to trip together, so if a trip on one leg fails to trip the other handle-tied breaker, that is not a violation.
Beware of MWBC's connected to a tandem/duplex breaker.  People often confuse these for 2-pole breakers, but they are on the same pole, so they create the dangerous situation in my first point.  One hint is that they don't make handle ties for that.
There is such a thing as a 3-phase MWBC.  This involves 208 "wye" and three hots and a neutral.  With these, you can get 3 MWBC's (e.g. 9 lighting zones)  into a single conduit without derating.

Why do 3 wires count as 2?  Heat is a function of current squared, and in any MWBC load, the three wires' heat is equal or cooler than two wires carrying the same current.  Three wires carrying 15, 13 and 2 amps run cooler than two wires carrying 15 and 15 amps.  Hence they are only counted as two wires.


Which router bit was used on this 18mm plywood drawer front? I have 18mm birch ply fronts for my kitchen and I'm trying to identify the correct router bit to use for making recessed drawer pulls. The ones I've been able to find all seem to be for much thicker wood.

This picture is from a company that use 18mm plywood for their drawers. It feels a little cheeky to ask them what bit they use though. Can anyone help me track down the correct bit?

I may be wrong but it looks like a cove bit.


Replacement of Ventra Bath Fan I've read Replacing a bathroom fan and Where can I find a bathroom fan that will fit in a 5" cylindrical space?. I decided that I would replace my Ventra bath fan with an Air King. The Ventra unit is 8" in diameter, and the Air King is 8.5" x 9" (without exhausts). The problem that I'm having is that I can't find how the Ventra unit is mounted:

I'm able to wiggle it on the right side, but the left won't budge. My attic space is not accessible over this area, should I just cut the dry wall around the unit? Any other suggestions or advice is appreciated.

Also, the Air King unit has a grounding wire; does this need to be connected?

The casing is more than likely nailed or screwed to the ceiling joist on the side that does not move. It may be possible to open a small slot along the face of the joist. Then run a reciprocating saw (Sawzall) along the face of the joist, eventually cutting the attachment fasteners and freeing the casing.

The risk here is you could damage other things attached to the joist, such as wiring. If that happens, you'll need to do the alternative approach. Partly to access the fasteners and partly to repair the damage.

The alternative approach is cut out a big enough panel in the ceiling to give you room to work and remove the fasteners anchoring the casing. Patching the hole isn't too much work, though matching the texture finish can be tricky. You may have to settle for a less than perfect match.

If grounding is at all possible, such as bonding to a nearby metal cold water pipe, it should be done. However you are not required to retrofit a grounding system to your house to replace one fan. If there is no reasonable grounding means, leave it unattached.


Can I use a 4x6x16 top beam for a cantilevered swing set? I have a 4x6x16 beam that I would like to use on a new swing set. If I span 12 feet between supports, can I leave one or both ends cantilevered to support an additional swing?

Yes - I have a swing set that we purchased that was exactly that construction with 4x6 legs and a 16' 4x6 main beam with one swing cantilevered on one end. Ours was made by Woodplay


Removing carpenter ant colony We seem to have carpenter ants in our log house in the Berkshires, MA.
I see the wood saw dust every year during the summer. This is our weekend house and every weekend, I clear the dust and spray Bonide Carpenter ant killer and spread Terro ant dust. I haven't seen any other activity around the house.
The picture shows the amount of dust over 2 weeks since I last cleared and soaked the entire area with the Bonide carpenter ant killer spray

The deck is eTrex and only a couple years old. We never see more than 2-3 ants on the deck at any point in time. There are no ants inside the house. I've not been able to find the hole that they are tunneling into the wood.

The ants are large black ants and do not fly - roughly 1/2" long.

How do I get rid of these ants? Can I spray anything stronger than Bonide or Terro dust?

https://goo.gl/photos/pTYKLXiHGVpioAAD9

my name is David and I work for a pest control company in NJ. I have found that two products which work hand in hand work best. You will also need a brand new sprayer that has not been used for other chemicals or bug sprays. The following products are non repellent which means insects cannot sense them and walk through them, which allows insects to bring insecticide back to nest and spread throughout entire colony like a deadly disease. Sprays that your buying from Home Depot are killing the ants it touches, but unfortunately dosent penetrate the nest and kill the queen. The first product is Phantom Termiticide Insecticide. You are going to want to mix 3 fluid oz of this product in a one gallon sprayer. Spray baseboards, under and around furniture, along with basement and window sills. After using phantom, you will need Termidor Sc. Mix .08 fluid ounces per gallon of water. WARNING ( Termidor is not to ever be sprayed indoors which is why you must get Phantom as well. Also do not add more than .08 fl oz per gallon, you will make spray ineffective). Spray one foot up and one foot out from the foundation of your house. Also check trees in yard to make sure there is not a foraging trail going from tree to your house. I don't recommend just using bait, however after spray has dried, you may add bait to areas you sprayed allowing more chemical to be picked up. You can find these chemicals on domyownpestcontrol.com. It's not cheap for all of this, but you will get great results and multiple uses. Also do not apply Termidor more than twice.


Can I place a cap on my furnace exhaust to keep rainwater out? I have a Lennox high efficiency furnace the vents out the roof with plastic piping,  both fresh air and exhaust. The fresh air pipe terminates above the roof with a U-shaped pipe at the end of it, I presume to keep out moisture.
The exhaust pipe on the other hand just terminates with an open pipe facing skyward.

The problem we have is moisture and insects hit the open end , runs down inside the pipe until it collects in the exhaust blower in the furnace .
We have to have a serviceman out approx. every 4 months to unclog the drains , and remove water from the blower.

Can we put a raincap or u-shaped piping on the end of the exhaust pipe? The serviceman says its just a problem with these furnaces that vent thru the roof.

"These furnaces". LOL. It is a poor carpenter who blames his hammer.

I'd put a 45 degree elbow on it, pointing away from the intake duct and the roof (or any other structure). From that elbow add a short length of pipe with a 45 degree angle on it (or another 45 elbow), resulting in a vertical exit face orientation. Should keep 95% of the rain out without undue restriction.

You could also just add a 90 degree elbow, but that may not clear your roof as well. This question shows how vents protruding from walls are set up the same.

Disclaimer: I'm not an HVAC technician nor a code expert. I do have gobs of home construction and remodeling experience, as well as two decades of home ownership and improvement. This is what I'd do. YMMV.


Attic insulation: Giving unfaced insulation a face I just moved into a small 1950s home. The previous owner had purchased tons of unfaced fiberglass batts and they are still in their bags, piled up in the attic. So I'm going to clean up the little bit of loose fill insulation that was there, and lay the new stuff on a clean slate

What should I do so that this unfaced insulation will have the same effect as faced? A plastic vapor barrier? I'm getting mixed messages on those...

Nope, you don't need it. A paper facer on batt insulation is a vapor retarder, not barrier, and you don't want a vapor barrier or need a vapor retarder. Install it and be happy.

Additionally, save the loose insulation (assuming it's not asbestos-laden vermiculite...) and pile it on top of the batts once you're finished. If the final result isn't 12 inches thick, get more loose insulation, preferably cellulose or mineral wool, and keep on piling it up until you have 15 inches or more up there. Every little bit helps.


Is it OK to use an AC power supply with output voltage lower than specified on the original power supply to recharge a cordless tool? I need a new power supply for my Black and Decker GS500 3.6V DC cordless grass clipper. I have not been able to find a Black and Decker replacement power supply. The original power supply label shows output 8Vac 250 mA.

I have a power supply with the unit label showing output AC 6V 300mA. The no-load measured output is AC 7V.

My AC power supply voltage is 25% lower than the design input to the charging circuit. I am not clear as to how that impacts the output of the charging circuit and its ability to charge the 3.6V DC battery.

Is it OK to use the lower voltage power supply? Will I damage the clipper charging circuit or the power supply? Will the charging circuit try to draw more amps than the capacity of the power supply?

This question was asked in Electrical Engineering and put on hold as off-topic.

Edit 6/8/2019
The charging circuit consists of the power supply, the battery pack with 3 Ni Cd batteries, and a 4-inch long blue device (see image).
The black lead from the power supply is connected to the positive terminal of the battery pack.  The negative terminal of the battery pack is connected to one end of the blue device.  The other end of the blue device is connected to the black/white-stripe lead from the power supply.

That may work, or it may fry your power adapter and/or tool depending on the design of the internal charging circuit.  Your original charger supplied 2 Watts (8V * 0.25A), and your proposed replacement is only capable of delivering 1.8 W (6V * 0.3A).  If your charger pulls more current to compensate for the lower voltage (which is likely, assuming it works at all), then most likely your power supply will either blow a fuse or overheat and melt.

One solution that might work for you if you're willing to do a little electronics work is a 9VAC adapter (which are cheap and common as dirt), plus a power resistor to drop that down to 8V.  Here's one that can output a full 1A for less than $5.  Since you know your device will be drawing about 250mA, and you want to drop 1V across the resistor, we can select a value with Ohm's law: 1V = 0.25A * R; R = 4 Ohms.  That resistor will dissipate (0.25A)^2 * 4Ohm = 0.25W, so anything 1/2W or bigger will be fine.  This would be one example of a suitable resistor.

EDIT: Another option, albeit slightly expensive, is an 8/16/24V Doorbell Transformer.  It has the right voltage and more than enough current.


Why aren't Geothermal heat pumps more common? Air conditioning and heating are major energy consumers in American buildings - commercial, residential, and industrial. I have been curious for a while as to why it isn't more common to use the practically constant 50-60*F temperature of the earth just a meter below the surface to bootstrap our heating and cooling needs.

More information on Geothermal heat pumps

As I understand it, the "ground loop" is expensive to dig but lasts for decades. And once the system is in place it's 40-70% more efficient than traditional HVAC on a single household basis.

What I'm really wondering is: why don't municipalities provide geothermal ground loops like they do sewage and water pipes? They could and should be laid together. Tapping into the loop would have some monthly service fee but only for maintenance, not for consumption (unlike water usage).

The technology is relatively young, and not as well known to consumers as traditional heating and cooling methods.  The upfront costs of a geothermal system are also higher, and there are fewer companies around with the knowledge and tools to install the systems.

In the US most homes are not built by the home owners, they are built by development companies who buy large plots of land and build as many homes as cheaply as they can on them.  When they build these homes most of the products they use are "Contractor grade" (meaning cheap), so that the companies can make the maximum profit.  Because of this, the builders typically will not choose a geothermal system over a more common HVAC system if the cost of the geothermal system is higher.

As for municipalities controlling a geothermal system, again this comes down to dollars and cents.  If you were building a new city from the ground up this might make sense, but to retrofit a system like this would cost billions of dollars.

Hopefully as the "Green" movement marches on, geothermal and other "alternative" power sources will become more popular.  And as they become more popular they will become cheaper, and the cheaper they get the more attractive they will look to average home owners and home builders.


Light fitting won't work with more than one bulb in place I have a light fitting very similar to this.

i have purchased the correct bulbs but when more than one is fitted none work. i have tested each individual fitting and each works. i have purchased a different make of bulb and tried again with the same result.

the switch is a dimmable switch and the bulbs say suitable for dimmer use. any ideas wht's wrong? thanks, Joe

Your fixture is made to use a set of 4 x 4W LED bulbs (for a total of 16W), but you're trying to use 50W halogen bulbs instead.
This is extremely unsafe, because the halogens give out orders of magnitude more heat than the LEDs do, and your fixture is not made to survive all that heat.
It's a good thing that it's "smart" enough to "see" that you're overloading it and shut down instead of just work for a while before catching fire.
You need to get some GU10 LED bulbs to use in that fixture.


What is the sheathing underneath my brick exterior walls? I am trying to figure out what is inside of my exterior plaster wall that the brick is attached to. The house was built in 1946, has no insulation in the walls, and (oddly enough to me), has drywall with plaster on top of the drywall. I was actually expecting wood lathing of some kind. I'm assuming the sheathing is some kind of gypsum or fiberboard sheathing but wasn't sure if that was even around in 1946.

The first shot shows the sheathing through the hole in the plaster. The second shot has the sheathing on the left (with water damage). When you push on it with your finger, it is a little "squishy" and not firm like regular drywall.

Click photo for full size

A better question would be, why is my sheathing getting wet?

The grain of the sheathing suggests to me it is  Homosote  Homasote.  It should not be squishy, rather firm and resilent.

Something is allowing water past your brick barrier, and then, past what was vapor barrier (for the time, 15-30# tar embedded felt paper.  I would look up, overflowing gutters can get behind fascia boards and run down the inside of the bricks, soaking the sheathing if the vapor barrier was broken during the bricking (as sometimes happened, also mortar bridging can cause this).  In no case is it normal for the sheathing to be wet. Poor tuck pointing (especially around windows) can also allow water intrusion.

Once the water intrusion is corrected, all stud bays in the affected areas should be opened and the sheathing evaluated for viability.  Also, opening the cavity will allow faster drying out and possibly see where the intrusion is starting.

As an aside, my 1941 house used a gypsum lath board for plaster.


Adding push button to Chamberlain opener Added a doorbell push button to newly installed Chamberlain garage door opener...linked push button wires to same contacts as the incoming control pad inputs (red and white). Doesn't work. Is this wired incorrect?

A regular push button either normally closed or open will not work on most modern garage door openers, because the control pad doesn't just short or open the wires. They use resistors or some other mechanism to vary the voltage going back to the motor controller.

You must purchase a Chamberlain compatible push button.


Outlet wiring & single pole switch I have a 10 x 10 bedroom.  One single pole switch, four 15 amp outlets sitting on a 20 amp circuit breaker.  Each of the four outlets (typical double receptacles) -- 1, 2, 2, 3 and 4 are "hot" i.e. the single pole with has no effect.  Outlet 1 has a red wire.  Outlets 2, 3 and 4 are wired with white and black...no red wires.

If I want to have Outlet 2's top receptacle be operated by the pole switch do I simply break/remove the black terminals connector plate (not sure proper term) between the black terminals and it will work in on/off mode with the switch ?

Thank you in advance for taking this "newbie" question.

Ross

Unfortunately, no. That red wire is the key. Half-switched outlets need an always hot wire and a switched hot wire. Outlet 1 has that (black and red), but outlet 2 does not. You would need to run another cable to Outlet 2.


Why does some polyurethane need to be wiped off, and what happens if I don't? So, I stupidly applied some polyurethane to my project without reading the instructions on the can.  After it was dry several hours later, I finally read the instructions, and to my horror, I saw it said something like this:

  Let sit for 30 minutes, then wipe off with lint-free reg.  Do not let the finish dry without wiping it off.

So, erm, now what do I do?  Did I ruin my project (it still looks perfectly fine..)?  Why does it need to be wiped off, and what are the consequences if I don't!?

There's a chance you were using wiping varnish or a "tung oil finish" (not really tung oil). It's basically thinned down poly that can be left on in a thick coat, or the excess can be wiped off after a coat is applied.

The warning to not let the finish dry without wiping is probably good advice to eliminate the possibility of runs and drips.

Popular Woodworking has a good article on the history of wiping varnish.