How might one trip a breaker from a GFCI outlet? Somewhat derivative of How can I trip a breaker from the outlet, how could someone relatively safely and quickly, with basic tools, trip a breaker at a GFCI outlet (relatively safely meaning not getting electrocuted or starting a fire)?

If something conductive and grounded is touched to the line or a drop of water falls on it, it's just going to trip the outlet, but there will still be power to it, right? That's the point of the GFCI.

Thanks for answering the question, as well as all advice to not and never do such a thing.

You want to trip the overcurrent detector (breaker) serving a GFCI outlet.

No. Don't do it.

What you're looking for is so similar to the other question that it really is a duplicate.  It is wrong for all the reasons that one is wrong (and not insane in a certain industrial setting for the reasons I describe in my answer there).

The presence of GFCI is irrelevant.  (though of course if you use the hare-brained scheme in the other question, you have a good chance of frying the GFCI's innards; it will cheerfully allow the overcurrent if balanced, but its detection circuit will fail before the breaker will).

Your parameters for "safety" are too narrow

You are ignoring the likelihood of failing a circuit due to the overload opening a wire connection, or worse, setting the stage for a future arc-fault problem that could burn down the house the next time you load the circuit within reason.

Then there's the matter of arc flash right there in your face.

Plug in a radio, and snap breakers

The way you solve this is by plugging in a radio and snapping breakers off until the radio stops.  Pretty simple.  If you don't have a radio, a vacuum cleaner will also do.

You could also plug in two 1500W heater-fans and wait 20 minutes. That will trip any 15A or 20A circuit eventually. But again you are risking the same kind of wiring failures discussed in "too narrow" above.


Inaccessible outdoor PEX piping lost its insulation - what to do? We have an outdoor counter and sink, and a family of squirrels decided that it was a good place to live. Unfortunately they ripped off a good portion of the PEX piping insulation. (Pretty sure it's PEX...)

Now that temperatures are getting colder, I'm worried about freezing. Unfortunately the counter base is made of masonry, and the entry points to it are too small for me for me to get at the damaged area. I imagine a small adult might be able to squeeze in there.

Thoughts on the best course of action? I'd guess there are 20 feet of piping and about 6 feet are exposed. Is it worth fixing?

If so, what are my options? Hire a small plumber to reinsulate? Or rerun the damaged section. (There is access before and after the damage, and PEX is flexible, so this is doable.)

This is in central TX, where we get a couple freezes a year, and the lowest temp in the last ten years was 17 Fahrenheit, which was exceptional.

As Michael Karas' answer said, cost will be minimal and it will be easier just to run a new pipe.

Additionally, do you use the outdoor sink in the winter? Insulated or not, you should probably winterize that plumbing if it's susceptible to freezing.


How can I prevent or remedy "bio slime" accumulation in a sink drain? The drain in the sink which we use for mouthwash consistently gets clogged by a very  repugnant slime. I've tried all the common drain unclogging products (Drano, Liquid Plumber) as well as some non-standard remedies (e.g., boiling water, vinegar + baking soda), but none of them seem to help. Which means that once a year I have to disassemble the entire drain/trap assembly and manually scrub out the pipes. Can anyone offer another remedy?

(Note: as I've mentioned, this only happens to the sink where we use our morning mouth wash. We tried using a different sink -- to confirm the theory -- and sure enough, the bio-slime began to build-up in that sink instead. It is apparently caused by the bacterial discharge that is expectorated with the mouthwash.)

UPDATE: I've discovered that the slime only seems to grow in the presence of water. So my initial habit of running the faucet after spitting was actually counter-productive. I now resist the urge to rinse out the mouthwash and it seems to have solved the problem.

This has been an ongoing problem in the bathroom sink we use the most. When I was using conventional solutions (Drano and the like) to unclog it, I just assumed that there was a bunch of hair in the drain. This was a problem every couple of weeks, though, and I hated spending so much money on toxic drain cleaners. A couple of years ago, I happened across a long and flexible, toothed tool called Zip-It at the hardware store, and I've not had to invest in drain cleaner since. Since this tool pulls whatever's clogging the drain out of it, I learned that it wasn't only hair causing the sink to backup - it was also tons and tons of black slime. It's pretty gnarly, but it's satisfying to know that I'm actually physically removing this stuff from the drain! I saw that the tool is sold online as well, and I noticed that it's marketed in some places as a one-time use tool, but that's ridiculous. I've used the same one since I bought it two years ago, and it still works as it should. It's really cheap, though (I think I paid $3 for it), so even if the teeth do break off, it's easy enough to buy another one.

That drain still clogs with black slime every couple of months, and even though I can pull it out, I'd like to prevent it if possible. So, I'm going to start using baking soda + vinegar + hot water to see if that works to prevent it.


Delta Bathtub Faucet - Unaligned handle stopper I have a newly installed delta bathtub faucet, however, the person who did the job was a bit sloppy. Now the handle is not aligned.

I tried to take the screw off the handle, however, the handle installation piece looks like it has some sort of dummy prevention pattern that only allows the handle to be installed a specific way.

Is there any way to repair this? I can probably take the bonnet nut (Part RP60352) off and try to adjust the Valve assembly (Part RP60400)?

A documentation on the faucet: Delta Faucet

Thanks

What you need to do is adjust the end valve nut based on the screw position of the valve handles.

  1 > A > 4: Note: End valves may be rotated to align handles and stops before
  tightening nuts.


Do I need to do any maintenance for a wood retaining wall? What do you do to protect your wood retaining wall to stand for extreme weather condition (hot and cold)? I just look at mine and thought that before winter arrive do I need to do something. Is it maintenance free? I don't want to miss anything.

And for the related question, How long the wood retaining wall last (on average)?

If it was built correctly (designed with seasonal wood movement in mind) it shouldn't need anything done to it. Depending on how you would like it to look you might want to use a sealer on it. As for how long it will last that all depends on what was used to build it. If it was pressure treated construction lumber then I'd estimate 30+ years although the newer pressure treated formulas haven't been around that long so no one knows for sure how long it will last.


What could be causing this strange intermittent sound? I've seen that there are already some questions about odd sounds but I thought if anywhere is likely to provide a specific answer or a suggestion, here would be a good place to look.

I have a beeping sound that goes off from what appears to be the fridge, I only assume that because it can only really be heard in the kitchen, and its coming from that corner. It happens around about 1-2 times a minute, it isn't particularly loud but I can notice it.

I've managed to make a short video of the sound which I took on my phone, then cut, cleaned and boosted the audio so you should be able to hear it.

I've already made a note of other suggestions on this page but if anyone know exactly what it is already that would be cool.

My best guess (not knowing the model of refrigerator) is a faulty door timer or over-temperature sensor. A beep sounds on various models to remind you that you've left the door open too long.


Running PEX line through PVC then thread into end I installed an irrigation system for my lawn with 1/2" PEX tubing. Most of it is buried, but at the start of the run I want to run it through some PVC to make it look cleaner where it is coming up from the ground, where my water timer is.
My issue is I want it to look really clean, so I want the top of the PVC run coming up from the ground to have a female garden hose thread on it, where I can then attach my water timer. I am trying to figure out how I can connect my PEX line that is running through the PVC to a fitting that attaches to the top of the PVC with a female garden hose end. Any ideas?

One way would be to run your pex cable up the PVC pipe and put a PEX/ female hose connector on the end of the pex. (see below)

Another alternative would be to connect the pex to your PVC pipe at the bottom with this type of connector

and then at the top of the PVC pipe connect a female hose fitting

Your PC pipe would actually be under pressure at this point.
These fittings are available at home stores and plumbing supply stores.


Attic Floor Joist - Structurally Secure I am helping my son remodel the 70 year old house that he just purchased.  He is planning on expanding on the attic on his second floor.  The current ceiling joist are 12'- 2"x6" with the old plaster lathe in the home.  Since that won't support a load of 2 bedrooms and bath - a general contractor close friend suggested rather than putting a 2x8 or 2x10 to sister another 12' 2"x6" to the existing ceiling joists.  He said this would be strong enough to support the load.  This sounds like a great idea since the ceiling height is tight.   Will this work? I would really appreciate a response so I can continue helping my son with this project.   Thanks for your help.

Yes, you can sister 2x6 joists, but you have a few problems:

1) Code requires 40 lbs. per square foot live load plus dead load. 2x6 joists at 16” will span 12’ and support a floor live load of 40 lbs. per square foot plus a dead load of 10 lbs. per square foot. However, they need to be “Select Structural “ grade or better.

2) The existing plaster ceiling will crack with very little deflection from the weight of the floor. So, I’d isolate the floor load from the joists that support the ceiling plaster. In order to do that, the new joists need to be about 1/2” above the plaster, not attached to the existing joists and the top of the new joists needs to be 1/2” above the top of the old joists so when the new joist deflect the floor sheathing won’t touch the top of the old joists. (New 2x6 joists are going to be about 1/8” smaller so make sure you account for their size...)

Btw, the minimum ceiling height in a room is 7’, unless you have a sloping ceiling. Then a portion of the room can be under the 7’.

I’d add a couple of extra joists under the tub/shower too.

Btw, no waterbeds.


Condensing furnace in garage or attic safe for winter? Is it ok to have high efficiency condensing furnace in the garage or attic of a house in an area that experiences below-freezing temperatures? I've heard that having a furnace in a spot without "conditioned air" can lead to frozen components that somehow break the furnace.

A condensing gas furnace needs to discharge it's condensate "waste" water.  If the furnace is in an environment that experiences freezing temperatures, this can become difficult. Typical condensing gas furnaces don't have provisions to protect the condensate line against freezing temperatures, so the line can freeze up and break.

This is one of the reasons you won't typically find furnaces installed in attic spaces in cold climates.


Should I use uncoupling membrane for tile on concrete floor? One flooring company said they would install an uncoupling membrane when installing tile over my 100-year-old basement laundry room's concrete floor.  OIs there a good reason to do use a membrane?

It strikes me as overkill. There are no cracks in the concrete, and I believe the concrete has been there for a long time.  Our floor is painted, and we have zero moisture escaping from below per the plastic bag test.  There are control joints through the room and they are uneven height, though not cracked.  They'll be using a paste (not a true leveling compound) to even out and flatten the area.

This is a subjective question that depends on individual risk tolerance. I wouldn't bother. My previous home was a similar situation, with several cracks and no expansion joints. It was obvious that the basement was perpetually dry and the cracks stable. (They probably occurred as a result of initial settling 50 years ago.)

I applied fiberglass mesh to the cracks with tile mortar and did the project. 15 years later the floor looked just fine, with no sign of movement or cracking.


Why do I have Insulation in internal wall between two rooms? I have been carrying out a bit of DIY in my bathroom, in a new wall which was put up with my loft conversion which happened of the winter. Inside this new wall, I've found a significant quantity of insulation (rockwall or something of the like).

Clearly this was put in for a reason. But this is in a wall separating my bathroom from my internal staircase to the loft, so there is unlikely to be much of a thermal gradient between these two rooms.

Can anyone tell me why this was put in? Thermal insulation seems irrelevant, unless maybe it's to increase the fire redundancy of the partition wall. Only other idea I had was sound insulation, but wouldn't expect it to have that much effect.

I'm in the UK in case that helps anyone.

It was probably installed to reduce sound transmission. It's common to see materials that are more dense than fiberglass used as acoustic insulation, but fiberglass is used as well.

The sounds of water running and being flushed, drawers being closed, and other... human activities is often something folks wish to reduce in areas designed for serenity, such as a loft.


How much attic ventilation is needed? My roof already had the ridge and soffit vents and gable vents. Does it need attic fans/rotary turbines as well? I heard that I should close off the gable vents to let the ridge and soffits do their job.

Many building codes require at least 1/300 of the attic area in free openings for ventilation when cross ventilated, which it sounds like you have. If not cross ventilated, you need 1/150 of the area. Be sure your soffit vents are not obstructed by insulation. If the ridge and soffit vents meet this requirement without the gable ends, you might consider closing off the gable ends.

My guess is they were put there for a reason and you will not have adequate free area without them. I don't think you get extra credit for turbine vents though they can move more air because they don't move much air in still conditions. You should avoid mechanical ventilation if at all possible IMO.


How can I puncture an eaves trough full of water and not get wet? I bought my first house this past spring and I am fixing it up.

My property has a tear down type garage on it that I'm currently using as storage. (I'll get a new garage eventually at some point but not today) The foundation is cracked and I believe it shifted. It looks like one corner sunk and now the eave that drained out one way now mostly flows the other way and just makes a pool.

Well the heat of summer is on and there are mosquitoes everywhere and I figure the eave must be a fantastic breeding ground for the blood suckers so I need a way of making a hole big enough to drain the eave without making myself and my tools a mess in the process.

I don't really care where the water goes afterwards as the garage is detached and away from the house and I'm just going to level the garage in 5 years or so anyways.

How can I make a hole in my eaves trough?

Anything else I should consider?

I think your best bet is to install a downspout at the other end to drain the water and direct it away from the garage foundation. I'd imagine that water just dripping out of a hole would come with some problems of its own.

If you want to drain it while you work on it then you could use a shop-vac to vacuum up all the water.


Shower not hot enough, unable to find adjustment, manufacturer out of business Our shower doesn't get hot enough even with the knob turned all the way, I measure about 90 degrees F. A sink faucet in the same room at the same time shows 115 degrees F. The hot water pipe leading into the mixer assembly is too hot to touch, so it seems that enough hot water is getting all the way to the shower.

From reading other questions here it seems that these shower mixer assemblies usually have some kind of limit/adjustment mechanism, however I can't find it in this one, and it appears that the manufacturer went out of business a few years ago so I'm unable to find anything online about this particular brand (“Coventry Brass Works Limited”).

Does this particular assembly look familiar to anyone and is there a way to adjust it?

Here are some photos:

Temperature measured at shower

Temperature measured at faucet

Shower assembly

Shower assembly close up with handle removed

Shower assembly handle

If I am interpreting the pictures correctly, I think the white plastic piece that sits inside is the limiter.  Carefully remove the U-shaped locking piece, taking care not to damage the piece slide the white piece out some and turn it counter clockwise slightly and re-set it.

Lock it back in place, and test the water max temperature again.


How can I repair a large hole in an interior door? I locked myself out and didn't have proper tools to get in, so I drilled a hole directly above the door knob so that I could fit my hand in to unlock it. There is also damage to the outer edge where the latch is.
I don't have a router, or carpentry tools, nor the cash for a replacement.
How can I go about repairing this hole?

To be honest, I would seriously consider replacing the door. Sometimes the "big" fix turns out to be the cheapest & easiest, particularly if the door is a typical indoor door and a standard size (or close enough that you can get a standard size door and trim it to fit).
However, one possibility that might work is a door reinforcer:

But (a) it will look a little out of place on a bedroom door and (b) I am a bit concerned about whether the lock will work effectively (and not just fall apart, or even worse, jam) because it is barely hanging on right now.


How can I cut up and remove a metal kerosene storage tank that is in a cellar? This question has already been asked, but in the previously asked question the tank was plastic and was sited outside. This one is metal and in a cellar its 6 ft. by 4 ft. by 4 ft. The kerosene/air flammable mix is the obvious question. The tank is as empty as possible, but there is about half an inch of residual sludge left in the bottom.

How can I cut up this tank and remove it?

Your biggest concern is gas concentration.  You can't get ignition if the mix isn't there, so ventilate, ventilate, ventilate.  Open windows, put fans in them, and have fans blowing on your work area.

A power tool is going to throw sparks, where a manual snip tool won't, so if you can cut through the metal with snips, do so. Slow, painful, but safe.

If not, then drain all the kerosine you can from the bottom, and then cut a hole in the side of the tank with as few cuts as possible (again, heavily ventilated, blowing air through the area and through the tank as well), and use that access to drain even more.

Finally once the sludge is removed, you should be safe to go ahead and cut it up with a reciprocating saw.


What size ceiling joists and rafters should I use for a 14' span? I'm going to build a single story addition to my home with a width of 14ft. I plan on using ceiling joists every 16" but I'm not sure which size to get. The roof will be asphalt shingles and the attic will not be required to hold storage. I've looked at span charts for both rafters and ceiling joists but I'm not sure of the dead load, live load and deflection limit. Another factor is ground snow load. My location is Northern Virginia.

What size joists and rafters should I use? I'm guessing 2"x6" for both.

As @TheEvilGreebo mentions, 2x6 is not enough for a floor that will be used as "habitable space". I know because when I remodeled my attic to convert it to a bedroom, the existing 2x6 floor joists (over a very similar span) were not enough and I had to sister them all.

At a minimum you will need to check with your local (municipal or county) building department.  They should be able to tell you what you need.

It might be easier to get a structural engineer or architect to come out and tell you what to do.  If they are not drawing up plans you might be surprised that their prices are quite reasonable (they should be able to give you a quote for what it would cost for them to come out and generate a report up front).  It will also help when you get your building permit to be able to submit the report written by a certified professional to the building department.


Caulking corner of showers changed grout color I just finished up a second shower tiling project in my house. I was excited to see how much more smoothly my second tile job would go than my first. All was good until the final step of caulking the shower corners where the tiles meet. I decided to use a clear 100% silicone caulk because the corners looked good and I wanted to show them off.

The grout that the silicone has touched is now much darker than the rest of the shower.

I'm obviously disappointed that this happened in the last step of the process. I spent a lot of time planning things out and even spent the extra money on a high quality grout that does not need to be sealed (Laticrete Permacolor Select). I waited several days after grouting to apply the silicone.

I've now waited almost 48 hours and the discoloration is still present.

Has anyone experienced this before? Any recommendations on how to resolve?

I'm thinking about removing the caulk with a razor blade and purchasing a caulk from the grout manufacturer that matches the color of the grout. This would hide any possible staining that clear silicone caused, but I'm hoping I don't need to go this route. In the only other shower I tiled, I ended up having to remove the silicone and add a different color and I'm really hoping that I don't have to go through that again.

Generally speaking, any time you apply a glossy material over a matte material you get darkening. It's unfortunate that this was discovered now, but you do have options.

If you haven't yet sealed the grout, and plan to, see what that does for the situation. Some sealers won't change the color, but some will. Maybe it'll bring things closer to a match.

Otherwise you'll need to cut away the caulk, scrape off at least the surface of the grout (deeper is better for bonding), and re-grout those joints.

Clear silicone is great for many things, but color-matched caulk is better in this situation, and urethane is the best I've used in terms of grab and durability. Use as small a bead as possible (trim the nozzle to act as a tool and don't "finger" the bead out), and note that urethane does not come off what you put it on. Plan well, wear latex-type gloves and old clothes, and consider masking the tile outside the bead boundaries.


Can/Should I seal laminate "wood" flooring? I bought a house with "wood" laminate flooring, where the planks are pressed wood with a wood print veneer. My agent was telling me that spills and moisture in the seams will cause the planks to swell because they're essentially sawdust. Is there a suggested measure I can take to seal the floor so spills don't ruin it?

There are lots of grades of laminate flooring.  When I say lots maybe hundreds.

These are the main things that figure in on how moisture will affect your laminate (almost all apply to engineered wood):

Locking system.  I have put together some laminate that have a very "loose" locking system.  To the point where there are tiny gaps.  Not an install issue, just design flaw.  Any top layer gaps cause liquid to get under quickly.  A good floor should retain a large puddle... until it evaporates.  I have two different types of flooring in my house that would do this - engineered hardwood and rubber laminate.
Padding.  Some laminates come with padding built in.  If yours didn't hopefully they spent the $100 to buy a few rolls.  The padding creates a slight elevation to keep some moisture off the bottom of the flooring (and contributes in other ways).
Backing.  This is really all over the place.  Laminate can be backed by rubber (high end but getting cheaper), cork (high end), MDF (normal), layered wood (normal to high end), plywood grade (normal), and then things in between.  Each has different properties.  I could sit my rubber laminate in a pool for a year and it would still be rubber.  Cork handles low amounts of water well but will be totally jacked up in a big flood.  MDF and plywood are the main ones known to expand on "big" spills.  This is probably what your realtor was thinking of.  Layered wood sheets won't last with long-term water but anything short-term it handles well.  I personally would never buy laminate or engineered hardwood with plywood/MDF backing.
Top material.  This is probably the least important but some laminates scratch easily and if yours gets big scratches then obviously it leads a place for water to bleed.
Thickness.  I can't find any scientific proof but I know that I have seen a lot more 1/4" laminate warped versus 1/2".  The thin stuff is made for apartment buildings but gets used in some questionable areas of homes.
Installation.  Definitely the #1 reason.  Not having expansion gaps (water gets in, wood expands, out of room, warps - where it may have been fine after drying out).  Not locking the planks together firmly/properly - leaving big gaps in floor.  Uneven subfloor that promotes bowing, water pooling, and flexing.  Wrong install method - gluing or nailing flooring that should float.

Basically laminate is just as durable as wood or anything else as long as you get the right product for your installation.   A few bedrooms in a high rise can take about anything.  I use a popular rubber backed brand from HD for bathrooms or kitchens.  In high traffic areas of residential homes I want at least 3/8" and sheeted.  The horror stories with laminate are mostly due to wrong product or install for the need.  If you post a picture of your laminate (side view) I could tell you more.

Can you seal it?  Sure.  Will the sealant be affective long-term.  I doubt it.  When you paint and spill drops on a laminate floor you can usually just wipe off the dried paint.  It already has a finish on it.  It's finish will not support many binding agents without a lot of materials involved.  This is much different from wood and poly.


Do radiator covers harm heating efficiency? I am considering radiator covers, maybe wood slats with a foil back that will prevent towards-wall radiation.

How much will this harm the heating efficiency of the radiators?

Radiators heat by convection and radiation. The radiation output will be affected by the amount of radiated surface you cover and the convection process will be affected by how much you reduce the air flow around and thru the radiators. If the covers reduce the heat output too much you may have to increase the size of the radiators or add more heating surface. (another radiator or a larger radiator) The amount of heating reduction will be determined by the construction of the covers. Covers that have a closed top will reduce the output by as much as 30%. Design is everything.


what if I used sour paint on my walls? I used sour smelling paint on my walls in my spare bedroom about 2 months ago and the smell is still there even after I used fresh paint and put two more coats of the fresh paint. What should I do.? Is it safe to be in that room.? It isn't as bad as it was but you can still smell it.

Honestly you might be re-drywalling the whole room.  If you smell sour that is basically mold.  If you can smell it then it must be producing mold in the air which affects your family.  So you have two choices:

Tear down drywall and start over.
Go through a grueling process of using lacquer and paint removal products that are just horrible.  And now you have two more coats on top of it.  This will make your whole house smell and is just and absolute mess.  And the kicker, you could do this and still have smell problems.

Obviously using the paint was really dumb.  My rule is if I have to ask myself if I should use something or not, I don't unless a pro or research says its OK.


Window Type Aircon Upside down I'm not an AC Technician. I bought a new window type air-conditioner. My friend lifted it upside down.

Is it okay to lift or carry a window type air-conditioner upside down?

Whenever I've purchased items that use refrigerant the manual always recommends leaving it to rest. Times have varied from 1 to 24 hours. The manual says this is to let the refrigerant settle after transit.

There is oil mixed in with the refrigerant that lubricates the compressor. If it's tipped over or turned upside down the refrigerant can move to other parts of the system. If you turn on the air conditioner in this condition it may not work or may even damage the unit. Set it in the correct position and wait 24 hours before using it. Realistically less than an hour should be fine but most manuals recommend 24 hours to be safe.

So no. Moving the air conditioner upside down won't damage it. If you try to run it too soon after it's been upside down that can damage it.


Normal Hardwood floor installation on a wood structured deck We need help on installing hardwood floors made of larch (a type of cedar).  They are 3/4 wide and we want to install them just as we would inside a house.  We will oil them with an exterior oil/varnish.  Should we install them differently,with more spacing perhaps? What do we use to avoid water build-up or to waterproof the deck? Is it the sun or water we should be more afraid of?  What about freezing?

The wood outside will expand and contract due to changing humidity.  You need to provide some spacing between the boards for this.  If you're installing on a humid day, the spacing can be narrower than if you're installing on a dry day.  Any wood kept outdoors will experience a much more varied change in humidity than indoors, that's why the installation can't be quite the same.

Put on a finish that has UV protection and water protection.  Make sure it doesn't turn your deck into an ice rink if it's wet.  The other thing to worry about is that if you only finish the top side, the boards likely will cup since the unfinished underside will absorb moisture.


How to fix cracks in hybrid gypsum/plaster ceiling? I have a 1950's house with gypsum/plaster wallboard as described in this question: Is this plaster over gypsum wallboard?
I have a few cracks in one of the bedroom ceilings and would like to repair them myself if it's not an extreme amount of effort. It has at least one layer of paint on it that's probably as old as the house itself and also a sand texture. The cracks seem to be aligned perpendicular to the rafters in the attic.

I would like to understand options for how this could be repaired and also the process for doing so.

Do I need to use plaster instead of drywall mud over it since the base is plaster?
Do I need to scrape the sand texture off or can I go right over it?
Should I skim coat the entire ceiling or can I get away with doing it near the cracks and then adding more sand texture to help cover it up?

Edit: I want to share more pictures of the process. I took down the loose areas and drilled some holes for the plaster to lock into for extra adhesion. You might notice that every crack appears under a seam.

You’re almost certainly going to want gypsum plaster a.k.a. Plaster of Paris
Since you’re fixing a cracking issue, the last thing you want is to introduce something that won’t expand and contract like its neighbors. I’ve gotten away with this kind of repair using drywall mud in a pinch, but temperature or especially humidity swings make it less likely that modern mud compounds will move like the plaster around it and you’ll be back.
Remove any loose or oily material
I like to use a dish scrub brush or whisk broom. Dampen the surface before applying new plaster and watch for spots that don’t absorb uniformly. Remove the coating further on those.
If sections are found peeling away from the wallboard, carefully use a chisel to chip the edges back to solid.
That crack above the drapes will definitely need poked and pried to drop any pieces that have lost adhesion from the wallboard. Hit it with the wire brush, then if it doesn’t crumble back grab a putty knife and poke around. Odds are you’re going to have to make what looks like a bigger mess to actually fix the hidden damage.
The other crack may not be as bad, but it’s hard to tell from lighting. Same treatment.
Feather out like tape and texture
Unless your whole ceiling looks like a spiderweb (in which case congrats you’re probably in for removing and refinishing the whole thing), just feather it in. Be sure to pack all the voids. Sand smooth when done.
Good news is these are good candidates for localized repair. Poke around with your thumb to make sure things haven’t softened, remediate anything that has.
Long lines draw the eye so be extra careful. Sand the paint back a bit (is it lead?) around the areas you’ll be plastering. When you go to sand out the new plaster, use a longer sanding block than you think you can get away with and remember to use an X pattern.
Move the lamps around while putting on final coat and during sanding. Wipe up dust with a damp cloth before deciding spots are too high.
Are you sure you know why your ceiling cracked?
If it cracked due to old settling, great. If you have expansive soils, brace yourself. If you have changed the load characteristics of the building, it’s best if you can wait a few seasons to let it re-settle.
If you changed insulation or HVAC conditions, maybe also wait a few seasons. In-wall moisture changes are of particular interest since if you have gained a moisture problem you’re literally just hiding it by patching the cracks.


How do i run electrical cord or extension across my sidewalk Would like to add christmas lights to two trees that are across my sidewalk into the front most part of my lawn. I dont want to use tape!

Can anyone provide images or simple steps to do this?

I can think of three options...

For a temporary solution, you could use a cord protector (those little plastic/rubber ramp things you see at carnivals and other outdoor events). Just put it on the sidewalk, and route you cables through it.

For a semi-permanent solution, you could install a conduit sleeve under the sidewalk.  Just make sure it's large enough to fit the cord ends through.

If you're looking for something more permanent.  You could install a permanent electrical circuit out to where you need it.  This will require trenching, conduit or underground feeder cable, weatherproof boxes, and GFCI protection.


How can you determine if an air compressor tank is safe? I've recently learned that old air compressor tanks can catastrophically fail. I can't find anything about the average service life of a tank, but it appears the ones that do explode are typically fairly old (they appear to be around 40 years old).

What is the simplest way to test an air compressor tank? How frequently should this test be performed?

From what I understand, the only option is to hydrostatic test the tank to about double the working pressure. The options are to use a pressure washer (with water), a grease gun (which may be difficult to use water), or a hydraulic pump modified to use water, each of which require about $100 of equipment.

Take it to a shop that either does hydrostatic testing, or has an arrangement with a place that does. It will cost far less than $100, barring a major ripoff. Any place that deals in compressed gasses (welding supply or diving supply) needs to do this on a regular basis (5 years per tank), as do fire extinguisher service shops (which might actually be the place your dive shop sends a tank to for testing.)

The formal tests (in the USA) are based on Department Of Transportation regulations for portable tanks - fixed tanks are not required to be tested (at least by the DOT), but can be. Twice working pressure may be more than is correct - I'm more familiar with dive tanks, and there it may be as little as 5/4 rated pressure - failure is not "burst only"; a tank can fail the test because it permanently deforms (the tank is submerged in a tank of water while being tested - the expansion of the tank when it is filled causes a measured about of water to leave that tank. If the tank being tested does not shrink adequately after pressure is released, the tank fails testing.)

Most fixed tanks fail from internal rust due to lack of proper maintenance (draining the tank regularly.) If your tank is 40-50 years old, it might be worth simply replacing it with a new one, particularly if you have difficulty getting it tested at a reasonable price.


Outlets for gas range I am building a bay for a new 30" gas range.
Q1: I was wondering if there are specifications, or code requirements, for the position of the gas and electrical outlets, most specifically, is there a height at which they should be installed because I know that stoves normally have an opening at the bottom to which the height of outlets should roughly correspond but I am not sure if it is standard or varies by model.
Q2: I am planning to install this gas outlet.

Does the vertical direction matter? In the case of my pipe, it would be easier to install it upside down (if this picture is right side up) because the pipe is coming from above down? Or do I need to install it the way it is in the picture?

Typically the gas comes through the floor, so what you are planning may make a difference.
There may be some general tendencies for gas line location, most I see are close to the floor, usually within 6" or less. Whether it is on the left, right or center is usually defined by the maker of the appliance.
To insure the hook ups are in the right place, do your reasearch, check the reviews for the range you wish to use and download the install guide for that particular unit, and set up everything (gas and electric) for that unit. You can't go wrong.


How to spread load of fish tank I am adding a large fish tank (65 gallons) to my second floor and would like to make sure to distribute the load across as many joists as possible. Is my best way of doing that to build a long, short platform to set it on?

Here is the general idea, where dashed lines are the joists, solid black lines are the box (basically a structure of 2x4s screwed together with a piece of sheathing on top), and the orange is where the tank would go.

If that sounds like the best way, then the next question is as to whether the positioning of the wood matters - i.e. using a 2x4, I can lay the base down by the 4 (making it easier to stabilize).

Update: This is close to the main bearing wall, however the old tenants moved the original wall in the basement (over by about 6-12 inches). This caused the house to shift a little and you can see that via a slant in the flooring. This is why I'm resistant to throwing that much weight in an idle configuration.

Any floor that is rated for humans and their furniture is more than capable of handling a 65 gal fish tank.  Typical tank tables have only 4 legs, but even that means <=200 pounds per leg, which is on the order of a person standing on one foot.  You have nothing to worry about. <-- unless your joists are way out of code.


What is causing these ceiling cracks? So I recently purchased this home and moved in about four months ago. These cracks have been showing up and slowly spreading. I don't remember them being present during inspection or during walk through and moving in.

There is a very good chance that these cracks were covered up before you bought the house.   From the general looks of it, they look cosmetic.

What is causing them is the change in temperature of the attic.

Now the co-conspirators here could also be a little moisture (I am doubting the venting of bathrooms are the culprits on that front), could be bad tape job, and I am going to guess the biggest is that extra weight.

I am going to guess you have a standard attic with joists either 18 or 24" spaced.  I am going to guess that they put a pad down for the HVAC but the rest of the attic has no subfloor.   It is this subfloor that helps bind and disperse weight through the joist system causing less variance during seasonal movements.   Me thinks these cracks started appearing 7 years ago and they basically ignored them before.   Looking at your pictures and I would need better ones but looks like there are perpendicular mud or paint strokes by the cracks (should have been taped).

So what can you do?

You can put in cross braces for the joists to disperse movement.   You could certainly put in a subfloor but that might be overkill.
Then you also want to make sure this space is very very insulated.   This is probably the easiest thing to do.
Then when the cracks are at the worst, and you have insulated and put in cross braces around the joists in question - tape and mud.   And in a different question you can get techniques and mud types best for this.

Or you can just look at your cracks because it is just drywall.   You have to understand this isn't a huge deal, you need more information to fix it right and quite frankly to fix it right might cost a bit and I doubt someone will give you a 100% warranty the cracks won't somewhat reappear.


Why are 120 V general receptacle circuits limited to 20 A? The NFPA-70 (National Electrical Code) prohibits the use of breakers larger than 20 A for general receptacles. But I have my doubts. A 20 A breaker on a 120 V circuit with appropriately sized wires doesn't seem like it is really any safer than a 50 A breaker with appropriately sized wires. Since many people are running a large number of independent 20 A circuits in kitchens, it seems like a worthwhile amendment to propose to the NEC to be able to up-size the wire and breaker rating to be able to run a single wire in this and other common scenarios.

Can anyone give insight into why 20 A was selected as the cutoff for general purpose receptacle circuits in the NEC? Is it really safer or is it just tradition of an arbitrary threshold carried onward? I don't see how it could affect shock risk, and anyway, we can't humanely collect data on people dying from electrocution more when they use a general receptacle on a 30 A breaker.

Why 20A? Receptacle design constraints, most likely

The reason why general receptacle circuits top out at 20A is because the notion of a duplex receptacle doesn't work for larger plug sizes (just can't fit enough meat in there at a suitable spacing for it to work), nor does the idea of a "shared" receptacle (T-slot) that can accept 15A or 20A plugs, as well as the inability to get "feed through" functionality for a larger receptacle size.  (The parts required just become too large and cumbersome.)

There is a tricky way to get what you're really after, though

If you want to get more than 20A to a large number of receptacles in a space like a kitchen, though, there is a way to do this under the Code.  What you do, though, instead of running a fat cable directly to receptacles, is run that same fat feeder cable to a suitably-sized track busway, which then has bus plugs plugged into it that have fuses or breakers and standard 15/20A receptacles in them.  (Think of it like lighting track, only beefier -- it's common in industrial and lab applications where reconfiguration is a need.)

For a kitchen, I could see this working with the busway mounted under the upper cabinets and against the wall, with strip lighting attached to the front of the busway if you wished to have that as well.  Each bus plug would likely contain a 20A fuse and a Dual Function (AF/GF) receptacle (or a 20A Dual Function circuit breaker, if you don't mind the plugin units needing to be larger), and you'd want to run the feeder using metal-clad cable or wires in conduit instead of NM to mitigate against arc faults in the busway feeder.


Unsealed flooring next to shower and strong smell of mold Background:
Started detecting a fairly strong odor in the bathroom a few weeks back. Couldn't place it, and had a hard time telling whether it might be mold, or sewage, or something else... pretty bad, but didn't smell exactly like sewage, so we thought maybe a mold issue. Anyway, tried cleaning, checking toilet, etc., but still couldn't tell where it was coming from. Some days it was stronger, others weaker, but still couldn't place source.

Detected:
Today while I was cleaning the shower, I finally detected what I think to be the source of the smell: the flooring along the side of the shower has come mostly unsealed, and when I put my nose down next to the crack, I got a strong whiff. So I'm thinking there is probably mold growing in the crack and/or under the flooring.

What to do? So now my question is what to do? I'm not really very handy at all, but am just wondering if there's any way to do anything that might kill the mold, or potentially manage the issue for a while, or if I just need to get someone in to pull up and replace all the flooring. And is the issue urgent? I know that some mold spores can be toxic, but presume that this mold may be okay based on the fact that we haven't died yet? :D

Oh, and I live in Corvallis, Oregon, so it is pretty damp.

Pictures:

The fact that you can smell the mold is pretty alarming. I've seen some fairly bad mold in bathrooms and I don't recall it smelling particularly horrendous. The big problem you've got is that you simply don't know how much mold is there (I'm guessing "a lot") and that it will NOT go away by itself. In fact, it will simply get worse and eat into more and more material.

I simply can't see any other option than to start removing tiles ASAP to identify where exactly the mold is (I.e., under the shower tray or under the riles) and then looking to replace or repair as appropriate.


How do I measure for a toilet rough-in? Is my thinking correct - If I measure from the wall to the bolt cap of my current toilet, which is 12", that means I have a 12" rough-in.

You are correct.  12" is the most common toilet setback in the US.  I've seen a few 10"s and seen listings for 14" but both are not common.


Screw sequence for Wood Subfloor to Metal Joists I’m building a second floor in my metal barn.

12’x24’Space, joists are 2”x6” Metal  16” on center & the sub-floor is 3/4” ply TnG using 1&1/4” self-tapping screws.

My questions:

What is the screw sequence on the edges & in the field?

Do I offset the 4’x8’ sub-floor sheets?

I suspect that you're asking about interval (spacing distance) rather than sequence (order of installation). Sequence usually doesn't matter at all. Interval is somewhat subjective since this is a barn and not a dining room, so minor noise isn't really a concern. Here are my suggestions based on experience and not from any particular specification:

Minimum: 3 per joist - just enough to hold things down well
Maximum: Every 12" on the ends (5 screws) and 16" in the field (4 screws) - plenty to prevent virtually any movement

Consider using construction adhesive, which will really lock things together. I think it's overkill in a barn, though.

Yes, sheets should be staggered, ideally lapping two joists. Butt ends should never align if possible. This is to improve overall rigidity since the tongue-and-groove connection will offer support to adjacent sheets at the butt joints.


What is the proper way to sand live edge piece of wood in preparation for a polyurethane finish? I have debarked a live edge walnut slab. Since the edge is rough and not flat, how would one properly sand that live edge without killing all of the subtle contours of that live edge. All of the sanding is being done to prepare for a polyurethane finish.

The reasons to sand before applying finish are to scuff the surface to give the finish something to cling onto, clean the surface of any dirt in the fibers of the wood and to flatten any imperfections.  Poly will generally stick to a good clean surface that is as porous as wood.  I would just go over it with a wire brush to make sure it is clean and evenly scuffed.


What type of material is this shower base? I have a shower in my apartment with a pretty dirty base. I'd love to give it a real good cleaning, I haven't tried much yet, but I think the best strategy would be to determine the material of the base and then learn about cleaning that material.

What can I do to determine the material?
Does it even matter, is there some kind of cleaning solution I can use no matter that material?

It looks like terrazzo, but it's really hard to tell the details. Stone chips are easy to identify, the material between them is tricky. It can be:

some kind of resin / polymer
concrete

Terrazzo is known to be made with both of these, and it is not possible to tell them apart just by looking on photos. So you probably need to ask for cleaning fluid safe for both.
It's tempting to assume resin because it's shower, but I did see concrete-based terrazzo in bathrooms, too.


Dimming (pulsing) lights in house can not find cause For several years my lights have been dimming ,pulsing...not blinking but where you have to stare to see if its really doing it. Its in all rooms at times, like there is a huge draw somewhere in the service line. I have had Master electricians check it, couldn’t find it, wouldn’t charge me..and suspected the electric company Transformer on the service pole.

The Elec. Co. have found no leakage, and a few bare spots on wire to my Entrance meter box. They repaired but in 4 visits could not locate a problem that would cause this. We thought we found it several times, like a loose neutral, grounding or ground wire. Fixed or repaired with no difference. The main breaker on the service entrance pole was 50 years old and rusted. Mice and ground was not attached to anything anymore! Thought that was it for sure! Nope. Replaced the box and meter all circuits do it at times you can see it in lights.

Am I right in concluding its before the house panel? Most guess that when the transformer blows and NYSEG replaces it my problem will stop, NYSEG says it won’t replace what isn’t obviously bad even though its over 40 years old.

Are there industrial plants within your area? I have seen problems on the main power feed from the utility caused by industrial equipment power factor balancing capacitor banks. I have also installed quite a few whole house surge protectors in that same area, the surges are easy to see with an Oscope but the power factor issue was tough until I rented a high end powermonitor that could detect the lead / lag issue. Both problems were caused by a plant several miles away, they were able to fix the problem with the cap banks as they had it set two sensitive and it was constantly hunting up and down causing some problems for home electronics in the area. The surge protectors were the only way to prevent damage to sensitive electronics because when huge electric motors start and stop they create dips and spikes on the line. Not sure if the power factor is causing your pulsing but it may be worth looking into.


How to mark an outlet as ungrounded I'll be replacing my ungrounded three-prong outlets with tamper-proof GFCI outlets in my home in the USA.  Maybe I'm overthinking this, but is there a way to 'universally' mark the outlets as ungrounded for the sake of any future electrician?

I figure that if I mark on the inside of the outlet box or outlet the electrician will already be able to see the absence of a green wire.  But I don't care to write UNGROUNDED on the outside of every socket with a permanent marker.

The gfci outlet likely comes with a few stickers with "no equipment ground" on them.

That is the universal marker. Put them on visibly on the outlet itself and any that is protected by that gfci.


Leftover mineral wool insulation I am insulating my house, going with R38 Fiberglass batts (single faced) in the attic.  I will have a decent amount of Mineral wool 1.5" thick and 7" thick that ranges from R5 to R30 respectively.  I don't think R-38 in my zone 5 is super sufficient in terms of cutting energy costs but I do not have the money to buy more fiberglass or cellulose to add to the top.  Consequently I am thinking about adding my leftover mineral wool to the attic on top of the fiberglass.  It would not be enough to cover the entire attic floor though.  I also don't know if it would interfere with future insulation?  The brand is owens corning and it's rock fiber just like the Roxul stuff.

The other option I have is to use it in my interior bathroom and bedroom walls for sound deadening.

Any thoughts?

Either idea will work. If you lay the stuff on top of the attic insulation, anyone (yourself included) who wants to add more insulation in the future can just flow in cellulose or loose fiberglass on top of it, easy least.


What cable do I need to run from my main breaker in the house underground in schedule 40 conduit to my garage? Well, we finally closed and moved in to our new home. I called around and the electrical contractors in my neck of the woods are ridiculously expensive. So Off to Lowes I went. I bought a Eaton 100 amp panel with a 100 amp breaker + 5-20 amp breakers for like $60.00. 250 feet of 12/2 wire, 20 amp outlets, covers, wire staples etc.. I'm going to get my permit tomorrow to install this myself. I have two spaces in my main breaker panel in the house which is a good thing.My trouble is this: It's just that after doing an exhaustive search on youtube and the internet, I cannot for the life of me find out what cable I need to run from my main breaker in the house underground in schedule 40 pipe to my garage.  Yes, I know what I'm doing, just wanted an electrician to do it for me. I'm old and lazy,but the prices for electricians were out of this world.Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Have you tried searching the site? The panel feeder size question has been answered many times. Here's one such example.

Is you're planning to pull a cable, you'll use 3-3-3-5 USE cable with copper conductors (1-1-1-3 for aluminum). If you're pulling individual wires, you'll want four 3 AWG THWN wires (hot, hot, neutral, ground)(black, red, white, green) (1 AWG for aluminum).  If the run is going to be really long, you'll want to calculate the voltage drop and adjust the conductor size accordingly.

If you use the 3-3-3-5 USE cable, you don't need conduit. If you want to install it in conduit, you'll need 1 1/4" schedule 40 PVC. If you use individual THWN wires, you'll also use 1 1/4" schedule 40 PVC.

You'll have to keep the grounded (neutral), and grounding bars separate in the secondary panel.

You'll have to install a grounding electrode system at the garage, and bond the equipment and grounding conductor to it.

NOTES: This is a very broad, and generalized overview, which lacks specific details for your particular situation. You may need the advice of a licensed Electrician, to provide a more detailed plan based on the actual job site.


How can I seal this dryrot spot to prevent it from getting worse? Our bathroom shower door leaks onto the outside floor and over time, this has caused a dry rot patch on the floor.  It's not necessarily severe but there's some mild "give" and I want to prevent it from getting worse.

The flooring material is standard thick plywood (tongue and groove - I don't recall the specific thickness definitely more than an inch though).

I know the long-term solution is to replace the floor but unfortunately I don't have the funds for an aggressive remodel like that (although we're planning to do that eventually - maybe in the next 2-3 years).

In the meantime, is there anything I can do to try to patch/seal the dry rot patch and make it waterproof?

Here are some pictures:

Remove the entire shower door and frame and scrub door opening tile and door/frame assembly completely clean and let dry. Re-install shower door properly and completely seal all areas where frame and tile meet with high-grade silicone caulk. Most swinging shower doors are supposed to have a vinyl flap at the bottom to prevent water spray from escaping under the door, make sure yours has one.

Cut back the floor covering to expose all damaged and soft wood. Gouge and chisel out all damaged and soft wood. You may have extensive additional damage, this answer does not address that. Use a high quality 2-part wood repair epoxy (it's kind of like auto body filler) to fill all damaged areas. Plane/sand smooth. Cover with entire new vinyl floor or make a patch somehow. This should help until the remodel. In future you need to address water issues immediately to prevent similar damage.


Why do my rooms heat to different temperatures? Any advise would be appreciated.

We moved into a 30-year-old home and this is our first winter and we've noticed that some of the rooms are colder than the others but none of the rooms are actually at our set temperature.

We set our thermostat to 72 and I've attached a picture of the layout and temperatures in each room.

The room that has the thermostat in it faces east, but I've never seen direct sunlight hit the thermostat. And that room its self never seems to make it to the set point.

We're worried that this could be an issue with our HVAC since no rooms in the house actually make it to 72, 68/70 is actually our preferred setting. Our realtor said that the HVAC was old and that we would likely need to replace it in a few years. But we're wondering if there could be another issue.

I've attempted to play around with the dampers and in doing so I can make all of the rooms upstairs warmer but the problem rooms still don't hit 68/70 and I had to set the thermostat at 74 to get most of the house around 68/70 and by doing that the master upstairs becomes horribly cold.

Could this be a damper issue and I'm just not setting them right? Or is it something else because there aren't actually any rooms that are hotter than I want them to be.

I was reading about boosters for specific rooms but I'm worried that adding them will make other rooms colder.

I was also wondering how complicated and expensive it is to move the thermostat to another colder room upstairs and if that would help.

Thank you for your time.

I think two things will resolve 95% of your problem. Get a new thermostat (I like my Nest), and adjust your vent dampers seasonally and to suit your space usage.

Your thermostat apparently has issues with temperature, and a modern "smart" thermostat offers many benefits. One is the ability to run a fan outside of the normal heating/cooling cycles to equalize temperature in your rooms.

The variance between rooms isn't particularly concerning. Solar gain, airflow differences, human activity, and other factors can explain that. The highest temps are seen where cooking and bathing tend to introduce heat. Tweak your vents and see where that gets you. Be sure to look at the returns, too. They're critical to proper air movement.

Replacing your furnace won't do much unless you spring for multiple zones or automatic vent controls. That's probably not a practical approach for cost reasons.


How can I replace the short(screw connecting) wire for a middle-of-run outlet replacement? I’m referring to the very short wires the come from the wire groups pigtail directly to the terminal screw. The wires that was in the old outlet before were decades old and torn. I thought since they were not being fed through the wall like the others, it won’t be an issue to get more wire. But I don’t know wether I should pull more wire through or cut a price off any existing wire since I’m unfamiliar with this wiring over

Here

Before, on each side, you had 1 wire going directly to a screw, and 2 wires joining a short pigtail under a wirenut, then the pigtail going to the other screw.  That's a silly way to  do it.

Rearrange the parts you already have so that all the white wires and the pigtail are joined on one wire nut. Then run only the pigtail to the new receptacle.  So only 1 wire will be on each side of the receptacle.  That is a much better way to do that thing.  This will work best with red or tan wire nuts.

What's happening here is that one of the cables (b/w/red?/bare) is coming from the supply / breaker panel, and the other two cables are branching in two different directions to go onward to other loads.  All 3 cables need to have their wires joined and the power must also go to a fourth place, the receptacle proper.  That's why 4 wires are involved.

It's real common for less experienced folks to get tripped up in wiring methods like this.  Who really cares if you use 4 screws or only 2 on the receptacle?  Not I, and not electrons.  The important thing is all the blacks get connected together and all the whites.  (Mind you, that's not the rule everywhere, but it's the rule in this junction box today.)

You cannot pull more wire out of the wall.  Do not waste what you got.


Best method for sealing underneath basement window sill? There is a large gap underneath the bottom sill of the window, that is currently caulked when the house was built.

I would like to strengthen the waterproofing here. I'm thinking backer rod with Vulkem 116 caulking.

Would this be the best way?

Here is a picture of the window, it's the channel underneath the sill.

I have built both residential and commercial buildings. Every scenario such as this we use expansion foam which can be found at most hardware stores. Then once hardened, carefully scrape back some to leave room for any type of silicone caulk or whatever you choose for a finished look.


Cancelling needless freeze protection on pool filter For some reason the temperature sensor on my Paddock Aquatouch no longer reads the correct temperature.  It thinks my pool water temperature is in the range of 30F despite the fact that it is actually about 85F.  As a result, it keeps needlessly turning on my pump filter every 5 minutes!  How can I disable this?  I've Googled for my control system model but it is pretty old and all the results show newer models which have controls mine doesn't.  I assume there's a temp sensor somewhere I can disable it from listening to maybe?  How?

By playing around a bit with the buttons in all the combinations I could think of I did find that when I press "Program, Enter" I get the following message:

Press devices to activate for freeze protection - press enter when finished

Unfortunately, just hitting enter informed me that the filter pump was protected.  I tried adding and removing a couple other pumps, but while I was able to add them, I wasn't able to remove them!  When I hit enter it says:

Devices allocated to freeze protection are:
  Pump
  Aux7
  Pool Htr
  Spa Htr
Freeze protection is enabled

Implying there is a way to disable it.  But I haven't been able to find a combination to do that.

Update: Here is a picture of the controller.

I found what I think is the temperature sensor attached to the piping.

The circuit board (A Jandy Aqua Link 5574C) is shown here. I have circled in red where the temperature sensor wires appear to connect.  However, there are 4 wires instead of the expected two: green, yellow, red and black.

I have ohmed out these 4 wires with no power:

black and red: 1.2 ohms

black and green: 1.5k ohms

yellow and green: 1.5k ohms

Update: After I closed up the box and turned power back on after taking the bottom picture, the temperature reading went as high as 84F before dropping first to 75F and then 49F.

I suspect the 30°F reading is what the sensor indicates if it were disconnected.  Inspect the wiring between the controller and the sensor which is mechanically connected to the plumbing somewhere.  It could be a sensor failure, but is most likely a wiring problem.


Best lock for side hinged wooden garage doors We've just had a new pair of oak garage doors installed at the front of our house.
We want to be able to open these doors from the inside and outside. Therefore, a simple padlock or internal bolt solution won't work well.
On the advice of the firm who produced the doors, I purchased a 5 lever mortice sashlock. However, the joiner who fitted our doors informed us that inevitable settling in the wooden doors will cause the lock to fail in a fairly short period of time. He was also of the opinion that this type of lock could easily be circumvented by forcing the doors apart with a prising tool.
I've consulted an independent security firm who agree, though the supplier still maintains that this is the most appropriate type of locking device.
We now think a long throw lock (Gatemate) will actually work much better and be more secure. However, this has no kite mark and is less favourable from an insurer's point of view.
Now I'm considering having both installed!!
Have I missed an obvious solution here? We'd love some advice, please.

On one door use an inside-only bolt into the ground or ceiling.
On the other side use a "Two point swivel lock" mounted vertically.   This does not require precise alignment of the two doors with each other, and it is much more secure because it uses the door frame and floor for security rather than just the two door edges.  I think it's easier to install and maintain, and I think it will look nice on your doors.   Pictured is a sample, just search for two point swivel lock.
If you want to create better vertical alignment between the doors, you can never rely on big wooden doors hanging from hinges. Add small teflon wedges, one fixed to the bottom edge of the door at the end farthest from the hinges, and the other fixed to the floor beneath it.  The two wedges should be just thick enough to meet and lift the door edge a millimeter or two so as to position it at a relatively precise height.  Then the misalignment will only be caused by vertical expansion of the outer door edge, not by all the other movements of the entire door.   You don't need to do this if you use the locking system I suggest.


Will Liquid Plumber Foaming Pipe Snake corrode the drain seal on my bathtub? I just bought and used a bottle of Liquid Plumber but I was just worried about whether the stuff might be able to corrode the rubbery seal under and around the top of the bathtub drain. I live on a second floor apartment and the walls of my shower are already corroded enough to leak below, but that was patched. I meanwhile have a lingering phobia of leaks and was just wondering if I should be concerned about this seal. I can visibly see the seal. My apartment--a condo which I "own"--is about 18 years old, as is this bathtub.

I think the answer is going to be "it depends on what that rubbery seal is actually made of" -- here's the quote from the Liquid Plumbr FAQ --

  However, we do not recommend using clog removers in rubber pipes. The products may damage rubber.

Is the part with the rubber seal removable? If so, remove it before you use the liquid plumbr.


How do I install a new, non load bearing wall in my basement? I'm looking to finish my basement and simply want to wall off the concrete blocks that make up the wall. I want to insulate it as well so that it becomes a usable family room when I'm done. How do I go about installing a wall given wooden beams in the ceiling and a concrete floor?

You shouldn't have to do anything too special, but here are a few tips from my experience:

Use a treated board for the bottom of the wall where it touches the concrete.  This will help to prevent rotting from any moisture that may seep up from the concreate.
Build the whole wall on the ground just a bit shorter than the lowest joist/beam so you can easily raise it into place without it getting stuck.
At the bottom secure it with cement nails/ramset/tapcon screws to the cement floor.
At the top, if the wall is perpendicular to the joists, you can shim between the bottom of the beams and the top of the wall and nail through those to attach it to the joists/beams.
If the wall runs parallel to the beams/joists you can either put scraps between the beams and nail to those or you can attach a scrap of 2x4 flatwise to the wall and up against a stud, attach it to the cement wall, then nail through the stud and into the side of the scrap.  Do that for every other stud or so.


Should I dig a hole to pump water from under basement? My basement is leaking in an area where I just had a sewer line installed. I had dug a square into the basement floor concrete, so that the plumber could run the new sewer line under the floor. The job went great but almost immediately the hole in the concrete began to fill with water. This pit is near a wall.
This seems strange because we never had water leak into the basement in this area. We have, however, had leaks in this basement in other areas, when it rains really hard.
Eventually some months ago it stopped filling with water in this pit, so I had the pit covered back with concrete. Lately water is leaking in this area again, and it's coming in through the wall near this pit, and also water is seeping up through the edges of where the pit was filled with concrete.
I imagine I could use drylok paint, hydraulic cement, radon seal, etc. But that won't make the water underneath the floor go away.
What I want to try is digging a new hole near where this pit is, and near the part of the wall where water is coming in. Then I'll insert a sump pump liner, and when it fills up I have a swimming pool pump and hose that I can use to drain the water out the window and down a long way into the yard, away from the house.
So my question is, to kinda reiterate, would it be a good idea to dig a hole for a sump pump liner near the area where this sewer line was covered up? Or is there a better way to attend to this new water leak?
BTW eventually if this does work, I'll put in an actual sump pump and have it pump into a nearby DWV pipe (with a trap of course).

You should not immediately dig in this spot but you should do some research, get some expert advice and probably should put in a sump system to keep your basement dry.
If you have water entering your basement during rain storms it’s a good idea to implement a drainage system.    There are different approaches but you’re suggesting a sump pit and pump.   I have that in my basement, it’s quite effective.  It’s not necessarily the right solution to put a sump pit in the location you describe, just because you see water there.  Since you have water appearing elsewhere also, you should do some planning to put the sump pit in the best location.
If subsidence is a problem in your area you should not do anything that will remove a lot of water from the soil.   Neighbors and local pros will be able to give you information about that.   If neighbors have sump pumps that’s a good sign.
If  water elsewhere in your basement is coming through the walls you might consider a french drain and sump pit combination.  Read more about those elsewhere, but briefly it’s a trench dug around the inside perimeter of your basement and filled with perforated tubes and gravel to collect water and direct it to the sump pit.   OTOH if water is coming through the floor you might need more than one sump pit.  You’d best get an expert to look at it before you start digging in this one spot.
The location of the sump pit should be where its drain will have easy access to exit the house and then, with as short a run of pipe as possible, drain water onto the ground where it will run away from the house.  You have to think about the outside grade, where the drain will go, and where the water will flow from there.   During a storm you could be pumping hundreds of gallons per hour and you don’t want it all collecting around your house or your neighbor’s.
I don’t think your pool pump experiment will prove very much.   If you don’t have much rain, but you do have a little water in that one spot, and you pump it out …. would that spell “success”?   It really isn’t proving anything, only that the amount of water in that one specific spot given the amount of rain you’ve had during your experiment is (or is not) within the capacity of your pool pump.  It’s not an interesting experiment.
If you have a combined sanitary and storm sewer service, you might be allowed to pump sump water into it but even then it’s not a good idea.  If your main drain line (from your house to the street) becomes clogged during a storm, your sump pump would then cause black water to rise up all through the house.   If you have separate sanitary and storm sewers you must not pump storm water into the sanitary sewer.  Best thing is to drain the pump outside where water flows away from your house.
You should run a new dedicated electric line from your panel for the sump pump. If you have a nearby 20A outlet that isn’t used for very much else you could use that but don’t plug it in to the outlet shared with your washing machine, dehumidifier, or any other large appliance and especially not your basement fridge or freezer.
You should bear in mind that sump pumps need power, and power fails usually during storms, when sump pumps are most needed.  If you rely on the pump to protect a (future) finished basement you should consider backup solutions, either generator power or a backup sump pump.  A backup pump uses no electricity, it uses water pressure from your city water supply to drive the pump during power outages.
Hopefully that helps, but in summary: you should not dig a sump pit in this one spot just because you recently damaged the floor there if you also have water entering your basement elsewhere.  Instead you should plan to dig drains and a pit that will serve your whole basement. You should not run your pool pump experiment because it doesn’t prove anything useful.


What is the difference between dimmable and non-dimmable CFL bulbs? I have a dimmable ceiling light fixture in the Dining room. I put in CFL bulbs a few months ago. It all seems to work fine, no problem. I went to a hardware store yesterday and saw that there were CFL bulbs that were labeled as "dimmable". They were ~$10 for a bulb that puts out light equivalent to 100 W incandescent bulb.

What's the difference between a dimmable and a regular CFL bulb? Do I really need a dimmable one? My regular CFL bulb seems to work fine right now.

Do not use a non-dimmable CFL with a dimmer.  It shortens the CFL's life, and, in rare cases, a dimmer operating a CFL could result in fire.  Change it out with a switch to be safe.

Dimmable CFLs aren't as good as incandescent for dimming.  Their lowest settings are nowhere near that of incandescent, but they are good if you want the option to save on power and still be able to dim the lighting.  Sometimes you will have to turn up the light to get it to kick on and then dim it.  They can also be audible at their lowest setting.  If you buy some, save the receipt as you may not like their drawbacks.


How to remove and replace kitchen tile backsplash? It's time to replace a tile backsplash, which is course textured, thick, and appears cut to fit around cabinets.

Is there a reasonable way to chip it off and preserve the underlying wallboard, or must I demo back to the studs and replace the wallboard as well as the tile?

If a wallboard demo is needed, does this mean removing and re-hanging cabinets?

Thanks!

This is one of those jobs it could go either way. You could get lucky the tile will come off the wall easy or it will just be easier to remove and replace the wall board. If this was my job I would first tape around the cabinets and the countertop using painters tape and craft paper to protect the surfaces. Next I would start in an open space with a hammer and chisel to test how difficult they are to remove and how much damage the removal does to the wall.  I would most likely try my oscillating multi-tool with a flat blade running it behind the tile.  You will likely have some gouges in the wall board and some small humps were all the thinset was not removed.  If you have bad damaged areas repair these. I would then put a skim coat of thinset to smooth the surface and let dry before installing the new tile.  If you do have to remove the wall board you can just cut it around the cabinets.  You will have to install some deadwood in places before you replace the wall board.


Standing Fan seizing up only when powered I have standing fan, it has a simple 0-1-2-3 pushbutton switch system with a timer.
A few days ago it stopped working. If I try pushing the blade (with an insulated screwdriver, of course, not with my fingers) there's clear resistance before it spins for roughly one rotation then seizing up again.
If I power the fan down (pressing 0 or unplugging it or turning the timer to "off"), the blades can rotate freely. No resistance (aside from initial inertia), no seizing up. Pushing the blades hard will cause it to rotate several times before stopping due to (seemingly normal) friction.
What could be the problem with this fan? And how do you suggest I fix it?

I'm going to suggest that this fan has reached the end of its useful life.  It sounds like there is a bearing problem that is impeding the rotation.
This is almost certainly an induction motor and one characteristic of these is that once power is applied, the magnetic field from the stator not only tries to rotate the rotor but also pushes is axially forward or backward. So when you turn the fan ON, there is a force on the shaft that is not present when the power is off.  That's putting pressure on the bad bearing and stopping it from turning.


What type of wood siding should I use for a shed? What kinds of inexpensive wood siding, suitable for a shed, are commonly available in the U.S.?  I checked Lowe's and Home Depot, but all they had was a single type of barn-style shiplap.  I had expected more of a selection.

T-111 is pretty much the standard for that kind of stuff.  What kind of a look are you going for?  You could always sheath it with OSB and put anything you want on top of that (vinyl, clapboard, etc.)


Replacing a cabinet face I've just moved into a new house and decided to paint the kitchen cabinets. Last night I took all the doors off and for the first time got a good look at the shape they're in. It's not so nice, especially under the sink. I found a tutorial on how to use a drill, jigsaw, and screws to replace the bottom MDF with some plywood and I'll probably be doing that. But the very bottom face part (above the toe board) is in pretty bad shape; it looks rotten.

I know how to use tools OK but I don't know the names of a lot of things and I feel like I must be searching for the wrong things when I try to find a tutorial on how to replace this. Here's a picture (not my cabinet) just to clarify which part I'm talking about:

I looked at it and it seems to be connected with some type of joining to that vertical piece in the middle, but I can't see very well and I'm hesitant to just try and rip it off until I know what I'm doing.

So if anyone can give me any guidance, I'd appreciate it. Like search terms I could use or if you know of a good tutorial on fixing these somewhere or even tips like, do people even just replace that part or is this something where I have to replace the whole face or what? Maybe it's not even worth it and I should just kind of hammer it in and paint over it?

Thanks in advance.

First of all, if anything is rotted, there's a water problem. Make sure that's fixed first.

As for the piece that's circled, if that is rotted, then I'm wondering if the water problem is bigger than we think. How's the floor in that area?

As for replacing that one piece, there's no easy way to do that as it's likely screwed/nailed and glued. You can probably cut it out and replace the piece that way, though that would only look OK if you are painting everything.


Gas range top burner - fuel line blocked between valve and burner orifice I have a Frigidaire convection oven, model KGSS907SSS00.  The front left burner has a dual mode.  Inner circle on the burner (for igniting and low flame) doesn't get any gas.  Outer circle (high flame) does.  I removed the dual valve and determined both are working fine.  I blew through the gas line connecting to the problem inner burner and determined it is blocked.

I've tried blowing compressed air from both directions and remains blocked.  I tried running a small wire hose-cleaner type of metal brush down from the valve side and it reaches the blockage and can't clear it.  Trying to run the brush from the burner side hasn't worked.  I sprayed solvent and no change.

Removal of the top panel on the stove is complicated by the fact that all the burner bases are secured by very corroded screws. I already sheared one screw even after applying penetrating oil and giving it time to work.  If I have to go the route of removing them I can but am hoping to avoid if I can clean the blockage in place.

Any recommendations on how to clean the line out without removal?

I was able to clear the blockage.  I considered a number of different cleaners to see what I might use.  All of them said don't use on aluminum.  The gas line is aluminum.  I settled on dawn dish detergent in water.  Soaked it overnight from the burner side.  Applied compressed air to the valve side of the gas line and it eventually blew out the obstruction.


Nest thermostat E74 error - no power to Rh Wire It was working with no issues for last 3 years. Today it suddenly showing this error. Any help appreciated.

Bit of Nest history

Nest often has a sub base issue. Usually the issue is contained to the cooling side. Rh is power input for the heating side. So that wouldn't be my first guess.

Test

Remove Rh and G and connect them together with a wire nut or simply twisting together. It doesn't have to be a very good connection, it just has to be a connection. This will bring your fan on. Now what you will want to do is, move to a location where you can hear the fan running. If it is running that confirms power. If it's not running you will need to identify the issue it may be a breaker, the furnace switch is off, the fuse in the furnace is blown, or one of many other power related issues.

If it's running

If the fan is running you can remove the RH wire from the G terminal and connected to the W wire. Now after a few minutes you should have heat blowing through your vents. If you do have heat blowing through your vents then I would suggest calling nest and getting them to replace your sub base they usually do it for free.

Conclusion

If you're unable to resolve the problem due to it being a power issue then that is another question which I am happy to help with but for now try the method outlined above and let us know how it worked.


I installed my cedar fence 2 months ago. Can I stain it next year? This is a knotty cedar board fence. I did not have enough time to stain it this year. On top of that I plan to redo my deck next year in April-May. I would  like to give the same stain.

Is it too late to stain the fence next year? What problems could I have? Am I going to see a sensible difference between the two, fence and deck? They are not exactly next to each other, the fence is at the front, the deck is on the side, you can see the fence from the deck but not the other way around, when you look at the house from the street you see the fence but you can not see the deck (hidden behind the garage)

Yep, you can stain it whenever. It will catch up to the other areas that were stained already. Usually, you want Cedar to season for at least 6-months.


How to insulate a concrete block shed - material / method I've got a shed built of big solid concrete blocks, that also has a concrete floor.  I want to insulate the whole lot so it can be fit for human habitation – so I need to insulate the floor, walls and ceiling (which is currently just corrugated metal).  The question is, what type of insulation to use, and how?  I need to try and save space, so I want to avoid leaving an air gap between the concrete and the insulation.  I suppose I need something that can cope with getting wet – I'm assuming I will get condensation etc. on the inside of the blocks.  So not too deep, no air gap (or very little), can cope with damp.  I'm assuming wood wall batons and something – foil perhaps?  I'll be covering the insulation with timber tongue and groove.  It's not huge, so I don't mind if it's a bit more expensive.  There's such a myriad of options and kinds, I just don't know where to start, except that I doubt I can use rolls of rock wool or thick glass fibre stuff just due to the depth etc. (the ceiling especially is not very high!).  Any help with this will be really appreciated.

The most efficient (highest R-value for the least cost) is batt insulation.

For the walls, You say, "solid block wall", so I presume it's not hollow blocks. So, installing rigid insulation boards on the exterior and then covering it with a moisture barrier (building paper, peel-and-stick membrane, etc.) and then covering it with, as you say, "timber tongue n groove" will give you both the insulation you need and the waterproofing you need. This can be done using wood stripping installed the opposite direction you're going to install the "timber tongue n groove". (Placing the insulation on the exterior will help with the size of the spaces too.) The thickness of the rigid insulation depends on the thickness of the stripping and how much you can afford...generally R-21 is recommended. The stripping should be easy to install if the blocks are solid and not hollow.

For the ceiling, providing a pitched roof with R-38 batt insulation is recommended for your location. Be sure to vent the attic to prevent condensation and ruining the insulation.

For the floor, we don't worry so much about concrete slabs on grade. The cost is too great compared to the benefit of adding perimeter insulation.


Non toxic Pest control My wife and I are facing quite a bad situation with pests in our apartment. My wife is pregnant and I do not want to go with traditional pest control, which might be toxic.

Are there any options that I might have for non toxic pest control?

Thanks.

Borates are generally used for framing (termite control). Boron does have some minor toxicity, but it is generally regarded as a low toxicity pesticide. Other less common "natural" termite controls (Beauveria bassiana and orange oil) have similar toxicity levels.

Other good options for reduced toxicity treatments include baits with systemic insecticides (like ant and roach motels) and (maybe sticky or pitfall) traps with attractants (light, carbon dioxide, pheromone, or other baits). There is also diatomaceous earth, for indoor crawling bugs (not really for termites or other wood destroying bugs, though).

Edit- also, soapy water makes a decent bug spray; mix 1oz of dish detergent per quart of water. Also, you can use straight dish detergent around the edges of the floor or cabinets to help control invading crawling-bugs. This "treatment" will generally last for a few weeks. I would not advise doing this on carpet, but vinyl and linoleum should be fine; dishsoap on a hardwood floor might be ok, but it might also cause moisture damage. If you could test a small, inconspicuous area first (let it sit for a month- unless you see a problem) that would be smart.

Regarding roaches, a good bait is dog food and peanut butter. To make a roach trap, cover the outside of a straight walled container (like a coffee mug) with masking tape or cloth tape. Wipe a layer vaseline around the inside wall of the mug (not the outside). Put the bait on the bottom and place the trap in a dark area, like under the sink or behind a shelf. Be sure to clean the trap out occasionally and maintain the vaseline layer (it keeps the bugs from crawling out).


Should we use carpet tape or tack strips? We want to install commercial carpet in a basement that currently has damaged linoleum/vinyl tiles over concrete. Can we use carpet tape around the parameter or do we need to install tack strips? We plan to install padding underneath the carpet.

Get rid of the linoleum, clean out any mold.... and use tape instead of tack strips and padding. Save yourself some money since it’s a basement.


Should I use self-leveling concrete or mortar to level a patched area of concrete prior to tiling it? I had to repair cast iron pipe in the basement.  This left me with a 2ft x 3ft hole in my tiled basement floor.  We cut along the grout lines,  so I just need to replace the tile and concrete.

Well,  I have poured the concrete,  but I was not able to get the concrete perfectly level.

On two corners across from each other,  when I lay a tile down along those corners I notice the tile is not flat.   It it is about a 3/16" inch gap.

I'm inclined to to get some Quikrete leveling sealant to bring everything up to level.

My buddy was mentioning that we could just use the mortar that we are using for the tile to  fill the gap.

I'm concerned the tile will crack even with the mortar under it if we don't level it.  But is 3/16" of an inch anything to worry about?

What do the tile experts here say?

If you just have 2ft x 3ft there's no problem using usual (not thin-set) mortar to level the surface - it will be cheap (likely cheaper that self-leveling concrete) and quite easy to do.

Thinsets indeed can crack if it's too thick and also they are not very strong - don't withstand compaction as well as ordinary mortar and so there indeed is a chance that you have tiles cracking after thinset applied too thick. How much thick is "too thick" is typically specified by the thinset manufacturer and I seriously doubt that 3/16" (which is less than 5 millimeters) would be a serious problem - that is likely within spec. The problem is you might have hard time applying the thinset so that the tiles perfectly match the uneven surface - it's much easier to do if the surface is even, although my tiling experience is quite limited and I guess there're ways to use the thinset on uneven surfaces and have good results.


How do I get under shingles to replace the roof edge flashing? I am rebuilding an eave on my house and have gotten to the part where I need to figure out how to install the flashing. The eave goes around a corner and the flashing covers a 4" space between the eave and the roof. Also, the flashing runs along the main part of the edge and extends about a 1". The existing flashing is sheet lead and dates to 1910. Unfortunately it has deteriorated and needs to be replaced.

The problem is that the old flashing is nailed to the roof under the shingles. How do I get under them to remove the old flashing and attach the new flashing?

I eventually figured out how to do this on my own. I am posting the answer in case anybody else has the same problem.

The secret to doing this kind of repair or rebuild, as any kind of shingle-related repair, is that you pull up the layer of shingles above the one you are working on. So, in my case, I need to pull out the nails from the last row of shingles (or whatever row is over the flashing) using a nail puller. This will allow me to lift up the shingles and expose the nails holding the old flashing. I then will pull up those nails and remove the old flashing. Next, I lift up the shingles, and attach the new flashing by nailing, screwing (or whatever). Finally, I will nail the upper layer of shingles back in again.


Green and white stuff on copper pipes This is at my mom's house, an hour away. The valve in the first photo has a slow drip and I will be replacing it. The other photo (a union?) is one of a few spots that look similar but are not currently leaking.

I know the green is oxidation. How big of a concern it is that it will leak? What about all the white flaky stuff?

Should I just replace all the valves that are solid green and/or white? Should I try to clean them off and then see what they look like first?

I'm trying to prevent an emergency trip there for another leak but also not do needless work. She is on a private well.

The green stuff is cupric chloride, a byproduct of corrosion of the valve body or possible copper leachate in the water.  Either way, it's typical of water leakage where the water is of low pH.

The white stuff (sometimes feels fibrous like cotton candy) is just efflorescence.  This is from dissolved minerals in the water precipitating out as the leak drips, then dries and deposits miniscule quantities of calcium, sodium, etc on the valve body. You often see this where residual flux was left on a pipe and over time, condensation or outright leakage causes these buildups.  It's always more pronounced at joints between dissimilar metals (due to galvanism).

Wearing gloves, as copper chlorides are toxic, you can remove them with full strength vinegar or dilute muriatic acid, lemon juice or even more flux and a bristle brush.  Once it's cleaned up, repair the leak or tighten the packing gland on the valve stem.  Then when all done, just liberally apply a paste of baking soda and water. It will neutralize the flux and retard further reaction (if it's condensation related).  It would be wise to have your water tested for acidity.  If you have highly acidic water, it can cause the same problem or just dissolve pipes outright.


4awg Al on ground bar with 6awg max holes Im adding a subpanel, I installed a tgl2 (GE) ground bar that take 6awg max, my ser is a 2-2-2-4. Is there a way I can use this ground bar with a 4awg Al ? Also do I need to use some type of grease on my hot wires ?
Thanks for your help

If I have an issue I add a chair lug and screw it directly to the buss, years ago we used to split the wires into 2 equal groups but I think they quit allowing that back in 99 maybe prior, I usually carry a few single and double lug chair Lugs with my crimps ( I carry probably 50 lbs of different sized crimps) just for this reason. I do agree with George noalox or another corrosion inhibitor is needed with aluminum wire connections (I use it on all my feeders even copper).


What are these blue and yellow cables coming out of my house for? I recently purchased a house built in 2007. All houses in the area have those cables on the side of the house. The white cable on the picture is for cable/tv. But what about the blue/yellow cables? Are they safe to remove?

As best one can see from that resolution those are twisted pair cables.  The blue is probably a Cat5e or Cat6, for ethernet, and the yellow is probably Cat3/VG for phone.  If you look closely you should see the rating on the jacket.

If your area has or is scheduled to receive fiber-optic com utilities then some vendors (like FIOS) put the fiber terminal outside and split off the various services from there.

If they're not connected on either end they're safe to remove, but I'd leave terminals in case you want to connect service so you don't have to drill back through the siding.


Notch more than 25% deep on a load bearing wall stud. Help! I hired someone (so much regret) to mount a tv for me and they notched the studs of the load bearing wall for the cabling. I don't have a picture of the notch but I have a picture of the mounting and the dry wall before it went up. http://imgur.com/a/ACe96

On the last picture you can see putty on the left hand side and that is where the notch is. This notch is on 4 studs that are together side by side. Studs are 5.5 inches deep. The notch is uneven, 2 inches max depth and 1 and 3/8 inches minimum depth.

This is a newly constructed multiunit building in Bay Area, CA. That tv was mounted on a second floor of a wall that starts on the first and goes to the 3rd floor. There is a bedroom right above the living room where the wall is.

What do I do?

user71123,
With the 2x6's notched uneven, you won't get optimal support for your tv. The     1 3/8" notch is fine, but I wouldn't go deeper. You'll want to sister in (along side) your existing studs with 30" 2x6 blocks placed above and below the notched studs. In other words your sister blocks should be placed so the notched part of your existing studs hit center of sister blocks. Then you can cut new notches for your tv mount.

I know it may be a lot of work since the drywall is already hung. The only other advice I can give is to return your tv mount, and buy one that's suitable for hanging tv's without notching, unless your local codes won't permit that type of tv mount. If permitted, so you can use a mount without notching, then you'll have to adjust placement on other studs or even a different wall. Good luck


Transformer core size and breaker size Without an isolation (or step down) transformer. Your 20 ampere circuit breaker can happily trip when oven hot wires touches ground by using proper hot, neutral and grounding wire sizes. No problem about it.

But when you add an isolation (or 220/110v step down) transformer. There is now the core size that can limit the current. So when you use small size transformer, and the wire touches ground in the oven (given proper wire sizes for all), the 20 ampere circuit breaker can no longer trip because the core limits the current, right?

What must then be the proper transformer size given 20 ampere circuit breaker. Does it mean I need to buy a 20 ampere 220v-110v transformer even if the oven is only 1 ampere just to make it trip?

Note I live in a country with only 220v output and let's say I need to use an important equipment that is rated only at 110v. I don't know the answer above so even if the answer is obvious. Please confirm it.

You can't rely on the primary-side circuit breaker to detect all faults that can occur on the secondary side. You need to install separate protection for the secondary, appropriate to its ratings.