Over-the Counter vinyl-free paint I very much enjoy painting with chalk paints. The furniture paints are heavily pigmented but the distribution chains are not reliably stocked and the color choices are limited.  I have started making my own paint by adding calcium carbonate to over-the-counter latex house paint.  Unlimited color choices but performance deficits and incredible financial savings.

Obviously, the paint is less pigmented and more coats are needed. Sometimes the vinyl is problematic and sometimes it isn't. I can't figure out why/when that is the case quite yet. My DIY chalk paint doesn't peel off in sheets but doesn't perform the same.  So I have two questions:

Is there are over-the-counter home paint that has less vinyl or no vinyl that I can use(hopefully with some cost savings); and from a chemistry / science standpoint, how is the addition of calcium carbonate impacting the vinyl.  For example, it doesn't peel off of furniture but it does peel perform poorly on slick surfaces like the inside of a smooth oyster shell and other natural objects I paint.   Thanking you in advance, Rachael :)

Yes, it's called alkyd paint. Colloquially referred to as oil paint.  It is stinky, but good performing. It's becoming increasingly hard to find, as California and the EPA are pressuring paint companies to reduce the VOC content in architectural paints (i.e. the stuff sold at home improvement stores). Sherwin Williams continues to carry a good selection of alkyds. It's also readily available as marine paint.

It's available in all the same "bases".  You know about the concept of "bases" of paint:

White base is heavily pre-loaded with white pigment. It's for off-whites.
Medium base has less white pigment. It's for modest colors.
Deep base has no white pigment, and is for bold or dark colors. All the pigment must be added.

My concern is that calcium carbonate is a very poor choice of pigment.  It is highly alkaline, like lye, and will surely damage the paint resin.  It's not a very strong pigment.  Titanium dioxide pigment is vastly superior, non-toxic, readily available, and will not degrade in sunlight (a rare trait today, as most color pigments are organic, and will degrade).

So you should not be adding white pigment. You should select a white or medium base and taking advantage of the pigment already in the can.

As far as slick, glossy surfaces, paint cannot stick to that.  I brush-paint some very aggressive epoxy stuff, and I basically ignore windows; I come back with a bottle of Windex and a razor blade and scrape it off the window effortlessly.  Paint does not stick to slick surfaces.   To make paint stick, you need to scuff-sand (remove gloss, not file material away).  My favorite scuff-sanding material is in your kitchen already; it's 3M ScotchBrite pads, green color.


Why is there a 1/4" jack in my oven? I am in the process of replacing the controller for a jenn-air oven. Ever curious as I am, I was poking around the wiring for all the sensors and elements, tracing them out, and learning their function. Then I came to this, and I have no idea what to make of it:

It is a 1/4" phone jack. INSIDE the oven. I am puzzled.
Is there an option that uses this method to connect? Is some engineer at Jenn-Air trolling me? The connection on the controller PCB for this device is labeled "MT"... and the jack was (of course) empty. What is it for? Why is it there?

That type of connector is commonly used as a socket for a temperature probe that can be inserted into the food (usually meat) to measure its internal temperature instead of the air temperature in the oven.
I imagine the labeling “MT” you saw probably stands for “meat thermometer”.


Tub to shower conversion plumbing questions I'm in the middle of a tub to shower conversion but am a complete amateur when it comes to plumbing issues. The tub is out, the walls are open, we have the stand up shower kit bought. But upon looking at the existing plumbing I have a few questions.

1) Per this link: http://www.dndb.info/the-challenges-in-converting-bathtubs-to-showers/ it looks like we can't re-use the same drain line for the shower as we have in the tub (We're in Indiana not California but I'm not sure if that makes a difference). Would it be better just to cut the drain line back to main drain line and run new shower drain?

2) Since we're converting from tub to shower, we don't need the overflow drain cover anymore (the thing that you can push or pull and it stops up your drain so you can take a bath) can we just cap that section? I'm worried about venting, per this link: https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/3t63ah/bathtub_to_shower_cut_drain_overflow_pipe/

3) Is there an easy (no soldering) way to convert two faucet handles (hot & cold) into one shower faucet handle?

Thanks for all help in advance.

EDIT: PICTURE TIME

Important things: Green circle- the two knobs we'd like to convert to one for a stand up shower. I heard mention of shark bite fittings and I like that idea as we've already done a lot of work pulling out all of the water damage.

Blue circle- Overflow drain cover (if that's the right term). Can we cut this back and cap it?

Non-important thing: Red circle- this is an older house but I still had hope I could remove the existing drain from the drain pipe but this is not the case, I've tried everything (drain plug wrench, crow bar, dremel) and that drain will not come up, so we'll have to cut that pipe unfortunately.

EDIT 2: After getting quotes from two plumbers, I feel like the job is big enough to require a professional, especially since the drain line is a 1 1/2 inch line and it needs to be a 2 inch line for the shower. Thanks to everyone for their input.

This is way too much to answer in a single question, especially without pictures... but here goes:

...it looks like we can't re-use the same drain line for the shower as we have in the tub. Would it be better just to cut the drain line back to main drain line and run new shower drain?

You certainly can use the same drain line but it will need to be altered to exactly align with the drain assembly in your new "stand up shower kit", which may necessitate cutting it back to reconfigure it.

...we don't need the overflow drain cover anymore... can we just cap that section?

The "overflow drain cover" is just a part of an entire bathtub drain unit called a waste and overflow assembly; which should be long gone since you state that "the tub is out". All that should remain after bathtub removal is a trap and drain line (which will likely need to be removed/reconfigured for the shower, see above).

Is there an easy (no soldering) way to convert two faucet handles (hot & cold) into one shower faucet handle?

NO there is nothing "easy" about plumbing when you are a "complete amatuer"; however, it may be a fun learning experience from which you will emerge more confident and competent.
I presume you mean to replace the old two-valve/two-handled tub filler valves with a modern single-handle/knob shower control valve. This might be accomplished with some new-fangled fittings that don't require soldering (I will assume copper since you mention solder) but I would recommend that you solder the connections (which means you get to buy a torch and a bunch of extra fittings and some pipe to practice with until you have a new skill that you are fluent with).
You must fit the new valve and drain to the shower kit to ensure that the pipes in the wall and floor are positioned perfectly, which means that you will probably need to install and uninstall ("dry fit") the assembly multiple times. Follow instructions and have patience.


Eliminate center stack to finish basement? I'd like to eliminate my center stack in order to finish my basement. It's for my hall bath. I have another stack along a perimeter wall inline with the same joist, but around 13 feet away. Will this be doable to code?

In theory yes the drain could take the long way around the room -- but there are several hurdles you'll have to clear to make it so.

The wye, the elbow, and the P trap all look to be below the level of the I-beam. They'll all need to be moved to the other side of the beam -- is there room enough to do that, both in the horizontal space between joists and also in the vertical space between subfloor and top of I-beam?

As the proposed pipe crosses the room toward that exterior wall it needs to maintain minimum slope. Can the arrangement of things by the beam be set high enough to allow the sloping, without requiring the pipe to drop below the bottom of the joists at the far end?

As noted in a comment by isherwood, the center stack transitions to larger pipe near the floor. It appears the pipe rising by the wall is not of this larger size. I think the plumbing code provides some math that dictates the sizing of a pipe based on the number and type of fixtures it serves. It's possible, then, that the portion of pipe crossing the room under the concrete floor might not be large enough to accommodate the combined drainage. It might be necessary to open the concrete floor to replace (up-size) that section of pipe.

Except for truly ill-conceived ideas, there's almost always a way to accomplish something and meet code. The way could turn out to be uneconomical, however.


How do you properly use metal conduit as a ground? I have read here that metal conduit can be used as the ground and you needn't then pull a separate ground wire:

What are the NEC rules governing this?

How do you avoid "weak ground" links between conduit segments?

Are there safety considerations?

Do you have to clamp bond wires between segment couplers, or should the couplers and their interface to the conduit be sufficient?

Do ground-conduits need to be rated as such?

Other considerations?

What are the NEC rules governing this?

You are not allowed to use any wiring method, except for specific wiring methods listed (enumerated) in the back half of NEC Chapter 3.   (The Article 300s). Therein, you will find an article for each allowed wiring method.
Where a wiring method allows use of the pipe as the ground, it will specifically say so in that article.
Select an appropriate wiring method.
Note that you can change wiring methods anywhere appropriate, such as from EMT to NM at a junction box, or EMT to Rigid at any appropriate coupler.
In a few cases you can also use a wiring method inside a wiring method, e.g. you could carry NM-B past the first junction box in conduit, through the conduit, to the second box and splice it there, if the conduit is large enough to allow this.  Just in case you're all out of THHN wire :)

do ground-enabled conduits need to be rated as such?

Not as "ground-enabled" (your term), no.
However the conduit must be rated and UL listed for the wiring method which you are using.   If you select the IMC wiring method, you must use pipe listed and labeled as IMC.
If you are working up a plan to use leftover plumbing or general-use pipe as a wiring method, forget it, but it may be usable as a damage shield for another wiring method such as UF which needs one.

How do you avoid "weak ground" links between conduit segments?
Are there safety considerations?

By following the rules for the wiring method, and NEC 110.2 which requires you use [UL] approved equipment, and NEC 110.3(B) which requires you obey labeling and instructions of equipment.
If you do all that, then the NFPA Code committees and UL have done all the heavy lifting for you.

Do you have to clamp bond wires between segment couplers, or should the couplers and their interface to the conduit be sufficient?

You need to follow the NEC article for the wiring method, and other NEC rules as may be applicable.  For instance if you bring 1” conduit into a 1-1/2” knockout, using adapter washers, you must provide for ground continuity some other way.

Lastly if the installation is making you nervous, review your understanding of Code regarding the part that makes you nervous.  If it still makes you nervous, throw a ground wire in the pipe.


Hinges have come loose from particle-board cupboard I have a large number of built-in cupboards made from laminated particle board (called chipboard here in Australia), with doors attached with two or three cabinet hinges each.

Either the previous owner liked to swing on the doors, or the cupboards weren't of high quality, because there are three or four hinges around the home where the chipboard has given way, and and the hinge has come loose from the side of the cupboard.

I am trying to decide whether to move the hinges up or down a small amount and reinstall (leaving holes in the chipboard), or whether I can just use polyfilla (or similar) to patch over holes and re-drill them.

Neither sounds pretty, but it is hidden from public view so I am not too fussed about the appearance.

Is polyfilla a disaster waiting to happen or a reasonable approach? Is there a third option?

I'd go with an epoxy filler rather than a cellulose based product. You've already got chipboard, and you need all the additional strength you can get. Drill the old holes out to a size larger than the screws, including thread. Fill the holes with a 2 part epoxy and let dry. Level the surface as needed, then drill pilot holes for the screws into the epoxy. Screw the hinges back on.


Pulling wire under Stairs Have two questions and have attached a picture for each. Thank you in advance.

Is this ok to pull wire under stairs ?. I can't pull through ceiling joists because 2 joists completely blocking my way due to duck work.

In the 2nd picture, I have a pole between two studs in one of the side of the stair's . I am running wire behind the pole ( between studs), and the wire will in direct contact with dry wall.

Is it ok to wire like this and will this pass inspection ?
I don't think its specific to local city.
Please assist and thank you in advance.
Thanks

If this area is going to be enclosed it will be fine.
The only thing I might see as a problem is the telecom panel.
on the final some inspectors won’t allow the cable to be open below 8’.
Since they will call it an electrical closet (no clothing racks or flammable storage).
Easy fix on the stair 1/2” plywood or 1/2” Sheetrock covering that cavity would be code compliant.
The pipe being on the back side of the stair I don’t see a way to cover the wiring. if it is behind a wall it will be fine, you have the wire centered on the stud left of the pipe but on edge of the right one  that’s not a problem if that area will be enclosed. I can’t tell from the photo.
After re reading direct contact or pinched will get a flag, again easy fix 2x4 nailed flat under the stair will make less storage under the stair but keep the inspector from making you do it later (you can bump out that 1 stud bay 1-1/2” and that will also work.


What Size Conduit for 4AWG I'm running a 60 amp circuit to provide power to my garage. It is about 70 ft in length, so I think I need to go with 4AWG to counter any resistance loss. I'll be pulling 4 wires (R,B,W,G) thru Schedule 80 PVC. According to Annex C, it looks like I need a minimum of 1 1/4 conduit, but I just wanted to confirm.

Upsizing makes your life easier

Since I doubt you have a truck loaded with nothing but pulling tools, you're better off upsizing the conduit to make your pull easier.  Get some 2" or even 3" schedule 80 -- you'll be quite happy you did!  (It also means you'll have room to put fatter wires down the pipe later if you want MOAR POWAH in the garage for some reason or another.)


Is this an adequate junction box wire job using a standard electric box? (pic included) I needed to splice a wire to repair nicked wire insulation, but I didn't feel like running to Lowe's just for a junction box.  Instead, I used a regular electrical box.

The wire comes up from the floor and into the bottom of the box.  The repair piece comes in from the top and will be wired up to the electrical outlet.  I twisted the wires together with pliers and nutted them all up real tight.  There are no exposed conductors outside the nuts.

I flipped on the power and, to my surprise, it worked!  However, before I seal up the wall, I want to know if I did this right.

This is not really an answer (well it sort of is), I just wanted to clear some things up from the comments.

First those little tabs covering the holes in some plastic boxes, are NOT knockouts.  They are clamps.
 In this case, however, they do appear to be knockouts.

If they were clamps you'd push the cable into the box past the clamps, then the clamps prevent the cable from being pulled out of the box.  They can be a pain in the butt to work with, but they hold the cable fairly well.

Second, lets see what NEC 2008 says about securing the cable.

  334.30 Securing and Supporting. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be supported and secured by staples, cable ties, straps, hangers, or
  similar ﬁttings designed and installed so as not to damage the cable,
  at intervals not exceeding 1.4 m (4 1⁄2 ft) and within 300 mm (12 in.)
  of every outlet box, junction box, cabinet, or ﬁtting. Flat cables
  shall not be stapled on edge. Sections of cable protected from
  physical damage by raceway shall not be required to be secured within
  the raceway.

  (A) Horizontal Runs Through Holes and Notches. In other than vertical runs, cables installed in accordance with 300.4 shall be
  considered to be supported and secured where such support does not
  exceed 1.4-m (4 1⁄2-ft) intervals and the nonmetallic-sheathed cable
  is securely fastened in place by an approved means within 300 mm (12
  in.) of each box, cabinet, conduit body, or other nonmetallicsheathed
  cable termination.

  FPN: See 314.17(C) for support where nonmetallic boxes are used.

  (B) Unsupported Cables. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be permitted to be unsupported where the cable:

  (1) Is ﬁshed between access points through concealed spaces in ﬁnished buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable.

  (2) Is not more than 1.4 m (4 1⁄2 ft) from the last point of cable support to the point of connection to a luminaire or other piece of
  electrical equipment and the cable and point of connection are within
  an accessible ceiling.

  (C) Wiring Device Without a Separate Outlet Box. A wiring device identiﬁed for the use, without a separate outlet box, and
  incorporating an integral cable clamp shall be permitted where the
  cable is secured in place at intervals not exceeding 1.4 m (4 1⁄2 ft)
  and within 300 mm (12 in.) from the wiring device wall opening, and
  there shall be at least a 300 mm (12 in.) loop of unbroken cable or
  150 mm (6 in.) of a cable end available on the interior side of the
  ﬁnished wall to permit replacement.

  314.17 Conductors Entering Boxes, Conduit Bodies, or Fittings. Conductors entering boxes, conduit bodies, or ﬁttings shall be
  protected from abrasion and shall comply with 314.17(A) through (D).

  (C) Nonmetallic Boxes and Conduit Bodies. Nonmetallic boxes and conduit bodies shall be suitable for the lowest temperature-rated
  conductor entering the box. Where nonmetallic boxes and conduit bodies
  are used with messengersupported wiring, open wiring on insulators, or
  concealed knob-and-tube wiring, the conductors shall enter the box
  through individual holes. Where ﬂexible tubing is used to enclose the
  conductors, the tubing shall extend from the last insulating support
  to not less than 6 mm (1⁄4 in.) inside the box and beyond any cable
  clamp. Where nonmetallicsheathed cable or multiconductor Type UF cable
  is used, the sheath shall extend not less than 6 mm (1⁄4 in.) inside
  the box and beyond any cable clamp. In all instances, all permitted
  wiring methods shall be secured to the boxes.

  Exception: Where nonmetallic-sheathed cable or multiconductor Type UF cable is used with single gang boxes not larger than a nominal size 57
  mm × 100 mm (2 1⁄4 in.× 4 in.) mounted in walls or ceilings, and where
  the cable is fastened within 200 mm (8 in.) of the box measured along
  the sheath and where the sheath extends through a cable knockout not
  less than 6 mm (1⁄4 in.), securing the cable to the box shall not be
  required. Multiple cable entries shall be permitted in a single cable
  knockout opening.

So what does this all mean?

334.30 says we have to secure the cable every 4 1/2' and 12" from each box, however, 334.30(B)(1) says if we are fishing the cable through finished surfaces the cable does not have to be secured.  So we can have an unsecured cable in the wall, but 314.17(C) says if we are using a nonmetallic box the cable must be secured to the box (this is where the clamps come in). The exception to this rule, is if the cable is secured within 8" of the box. If we secure the cable within 8" of the box, we don't have to secure the cable to the box.


What is the best type of insulation to use on a hinged metal attic door? What is the best type of insulation to use on a hinged metal attic door (no integrated ladder)?

Primarily concerned about heat entry through the door when closed.

Also concerned about heat entry around the edges of the door when closed.

Would like to use something that does not cause a mess when the attic door is opened.

A rigid foam (or ductboard) box in the attic which sits over (is larger than) the door opening. When you open the door, the box is still there. When you enter the attic you lift the box out of the way. When you are done in the attic, you lift the box back into position over the door, then close the door.


Replacing 84" entry door with 80" door I have 2 entry doors I need to replace, sized 32"x84" and 36"x84".  Each door also has a storm door, also 84" in height so I either have to get custom doors or replace the storm doors with standard sizes as well.  Is it possible to replace an 84" door with a standard door?  What would be involved in reducing the size of the rough opening?  Lastly, how would I 'hide' the resulting gap on the exterior of the house?  Thanks for your help.

Many suppliers offer standard doors with 32" x 84" and 36" x 84" slabs. See for example these ProVia specs. The best solution is to find a door supplier that will sell and install an 84" door.

Yes, it is possible to reframe for a smaller door but the cost and complexity will go up dramatically. And the end result is unlikely to be architecturally pleasing. To a limited extent we can cover up the shorter framing with molding. But we would be talking about a 6-7" molding: 86" original RO minus 80" new FO. Don't do it. Put the money into a more spacious entry door. Your taller friends will thank you.


What is the role of re-enforcing mesh in plastering, when is it required, and which mesh types are prefered? What is the role of re-enforcing mesh in plastering?

Keep in mind, I'm not talking about the lathe, which is shown in this image.

I'm talking about the mesh, shown in this image.

When is a re-enforcing mesh required? Any use for it in a three layer process, using structolite and a finishing plaster?

How is it used?

Which material of mesh is preferred, for which applications?

I've seen plastic, fiberglass, and metal meshes. The latter looks like a much lighter weight version of metal lathe.

The only place I seen that fiber mesh used in the Exterior Insulation Finish System (EIFS) system of stucco. It goes over the insulation board, folded over the edges and mudded in with a product for the EIFS. It is similar to thinset for tile work, but I believe it is a different product. After that is coated in, the finish layer is applied. It serves to toughen up the insulation board. This is quite an over simplification of the whole system, but it gets the idea across I hope. I have never seen this used in the 3 coat process for stucco, only for the EIFS system. I have seen the EIFS system used on cement board without the mesh over the whole surface since the joints only needed a narrow tape. In the comments I see tahwos uses it for plaster repair, and touched base about the other more narrow mesh. The mesh I was referring to earlier was like the material you have pictured that come in a 38"X 150' roll(s)

You have asked about plastic mesh too. The only place I have seen plastic mesh used, is a much heavier gauge for landscape and roadwork primarily for earth stabilization. There may be others in the group that may know more on that.

The metal lath is the only base material I have seen the 3 coat stucco being used. Also, back in the day, when plaster was in use or even towards the end of its popularity, the metal lath was used in plaster repair and bathroom shower stalls and some tub surrounds too whenever tile was going in place. Of course I have seen whole walls plastered with metal lath as the base, but only in one house over my 47 years in the trade.


Single pole three toggle switch I have a bathroom fan, heater, light combo - the switch I got has three toggle rockers on it . There's one black common screw and three silver screws on the switch. Does the black power go to the common or does the single pigtailed white go to the common and the blacks to the silver screws?

Should clarify that I have three wires from the new combo unit... one for the light &a night light, one for the heater and one for the fan

You never switch a neutral

That principle should make it clear how this should get wired. Based on your picture, this diagram should help:

You take the hot (typically black) wire from your breaker, connect it to the single black screw on the set of switches. The black screw indicates it's the "Line Side." You take a bunch of wires and connect them to the silver screws (which indicate "Load Side"). Those wires then go to their respective connections at the light/fan/heater. There should be a single white wire to pigtail to, which is your neutral return. That should not be switched anywhere. You probably also have a chassis ground on your light/fan/heater. Be sure to wire that.


How to reverse a door's opening direction I found a previous question which is similar to this. However, that person was asking about having the door open outward in the opposite direction. I had initially thought about doing as much, but realized that at some point or another, someone was going to get a facefull of door if I did so.

So, I want the door to continue to open inward, but swing left to right instead of right to left. I'm somewhat limited in the questions I can answer because said door is about 2 hours away, so I can't say if it's on hung hinges or whatever. Any suggestions?

Swapping a door's left/right swing direction involves moving the hinges to the opposite side and then moving the door pull/latch/lock to the side where the hinges used to be. Doing this ends up creating a need to patch up all the old hinge mount locations (both in door and on jamb) and the holes left by the door knob and lock set.

It is possible to do all this and make the result look fresh if the door and jamb will be painted. It can be very tedious cutting, fitting and gluing in wooden inserts for the holes and old hinge insets. If it is a stained or naturally finished door where the wood grain shows it would be close to impossible to make the door and frame look decent and unpatched. If it is a steel jacketed door expect the patching job to be more difficult.

My recommendation, to minimize the labor involved, is to purchase a new door and jamb and install it with the door swing direction that you want. This will result in the ability to finish the door to the way you want without all the patching work.


Limits to load connections for AFCI/GFCI Outlet I am remodeling my basement.  I will have 4 separate electrical circuits.

20A Circuit to Bathroom
20A Circuit to Laundry room
15A Circuit for left side outlets / lights
15A Circuit for right side outlets / lights

Each of the 15A circuits runs are 40+ feet long, with 5 outlets and 2 overhead lights.

The question is - Can I use an AFCI/GFCI outlet at the first outlet and run the remaining outlets/lights from the AFCI/GFCI load output.  I was told that there is a limit to the total wire length from the load.  The instruction for the outlet does not address this issue.  (see link below)

Leviton Dual Function AFCI/GFCI http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ProductDetail.jsp?partnumber=AGTR1-W&section=76663&minisite=10251

Your plan will work. Some AFCI's have length restrictions to the first outlet Branch circuit 50' for 14 awg wire and 70' for 12awg NEC 210.12.A.3.B & 210.12.A.4.B. using one installed at the first outlet and installed according to manufacturer instructions you can complete your plan within code.


Is glue needed to hang a cabinet with a french cleat? I have an overjohn that comes with a french cleat. Someone told me that all I needed to do was  secure the french cleat to the wall and just hang the overjohn on it, no glue or anything else.

Is this true, can the cabinet just be hung on a piece of wood that's attached to the wall without any glue or screws attaching the cabinet to the cleat?

No glue needed. the angle of the cleat and gravity does to trick. It will not need it but you can run a screw into the framing to solve any issue you may have.


Pool subpanel circuit correct? I currently have a 200amp service feeding house including a 20amp 2 pole pool pump and a 60amp 2 pole pool heater/cooler, these circuits are not GFCI protected. I would like to replace the pool circuits with GFCI breakers as well as add a 50amp RV plug.
All single pole circuits have already been changed to tandems and I am out of space in panel. I think a sub panel is best, is there another option? If I do a sub panel is this circuit correct?

100amp breaker in main panel

#4/4 AWG 5 feet to sub panel, sub panel neutral and ground not bonded

20 & 60amp GFCI breakers in sub panel feeding existing pool circuits moved to sub panel

#4/4 AWG 12 feet to RV 50amp plug with one leg also feeding a 120v receptacle

All circuits have no neutral or grounds connected to any other circuit except the sub panel bus bars. am I correct, and is there anything I'm missing to make this up to code and safe? Thank you!

You cannot use any wire smaller than #3 CU 75°C wire feed a 100A subpanel.
You don't indicate wire type you are using for the 50A feed to the RV receptacle, UF cable would require #6 CU, using conduit and THWN would only require #8.
If you wan't to use one leg of the 240v branch circuit to the RV to feed a 120v receptacle you will need to provide overcurrent protection suitable for the receptacle. You can't just put a 15 or 20A receptacle on a 50A breaker.  For the short distance you describe a separate #12 feed might be easier. Easiest would be to buy an RV pedestal already has the breakers and receptacles in place https://amzn.to/3oP1zRQ .


Eliminating moth flies (and larvea) of unknown origin found mostly in kitchen I've been battling some relatively slow-moving flying pests and their larvae. Based on my Internet research I'm 90% certain that these are "moth flies".
They are found mostly on the ceiling or on the walls near the ceiling. When they are in a resting state (or when they are larvae) they don't see me coming and they are easy to capture with a napkin. When flying they move a bit slower than flies so I can usually catch them with moderate effort.
The problems I'm having are:

No matter how many I capture or kill, they keep coming back within a couple of hours - I've currently killed an estimated 200 - 300 of them over the course of a week
I can't pinpoint their origin
Fly paper and an indoor UV electric solution perform poorly - I got maybe 10 that way
I can't use chemical sprays or poisons, because I have a young puppy in the house and I'm not willing to risk it

The Internet led me to believe they probably came from drain pipes, so I bought an insecticide made specifically for drains. Not only did it do nothing, when I went to clean and inspect the sink pipes I somehow created a leak. On top of that, I tried to further clean the sink pipe and make the slow drain fast by buying a high pressure air gun made for that, which somehow made the drain pipes totally clogged (I digress - the point is that this option won't work for me). I don't actually see any evidence that they came from the drains at all.
Any thoughts on how to safely eliminate them and/or where else their source might be? I suppose if I found where they keep coming from I could kill their nest or egg sacs or whatever, but they seem to appear from thin air.

Really if it is like that you can do two things:

As Dandavis suggested - water+murphy's oil takes care of it fast.   It works, I have used it multiple times.

You need to do a thorough cleaning.   This is emptying under the sink, moving oven out and cleaning under, same with fridge, trash can (I had an insert in my last trash can and in between the insert and the bottom was food and it was a nightmare - so perfectly clean kitchen and one clump of food hidden), take out all bottom drawers and make sure nothing is under them, all cabinets, pantry, and on top of cabinets.

There is always a chance that you could have a dead animal in the wall but it usually isn't the case.


How can I finish an attic floor where the recessed lighting protrudes above the joists? I’m trying to finish an attic, however, can lights from the living room and other electrical peeks above the joist about an inch give or take.  How would I finish the floor with those obstructions in the way.  By the way the joist are 16 inches on center.

Thanks in advance,

If the existing joists are adequate to support an attic floor, it will be far easier to replace the recessed can lights with wafer style LED lights such as these from Lithonia.

When shopping, check carefully to see that the lights you select will work out with the openings in your ceiling.  You might want to bring one of the trims from your existing lights with you to the store.

If the joists are too small and need to be beefed up, you can sister new, larger joists to the existing joists, but that will probably be a lot of work.


New remote-controlled ceiling fan doesn't respond to wall switch I replaced a ceiling fan in my bedroom that no longer worked. I didn't pay attention to the wiring when removing the old fan but diligently followed the instructions. The new fan has a light kit and remote kit and it all works perfectly except they are no longer controlled by the light switch.

There is a double switch in the bedroom. The right switch controls a lamp next to the bed. The left switch previously controlled the ceiling fan light (the fan itself never worked when I bought the home). I can turn everything off with the remote but want to be able to walk into the room and turn on the ceiling fan and/or light with the wall switch like I used to.

I think I may have missed a wire. There is a red, black, white, and green all coming out of the ceiling box but after following the directions I didn't connect the red wire to anything so I capped it off. Should this have been connected with the black wire to the ceiling fan black wire?

If the fan has a remote module, it's designed to be controlled by the remote. You can usually bypass or eliminate the remote module, but it's usually not possible to control the fan from both the switch and remote.

You'll have to look in the switch box, to determine if the red wire is actually extra.


Remove plastic film from the outside of a metal door? I forgot to remove the plastic protective film from the outside of a metal door. The door is white prime/painted. I was able to remove the film from the inside of the door, but the outside is baked on and cracked. I have tried using a metal paint scraper, but the plastic is very resistant to that. I have tried soaking it in water, spraying JigALoo, and now GoofOff.

Should I try ammonia or a citrus cleaner or something else?

If Goof-Off isn't doing it, I'm thinking your best bet is to sand it and re-prime it.


How do I lower the humidity in my non-vented laundry room? I've lived in my house for about a year now and I have this small room (maybe 5x6) that contains my washer and dryer.  I have central air and this room does not have a vent. Also this room does not have an exhaust. Instead it just has a drop ceiling. I checked my exhaust for the gas dryer and it's fine.

I noticed a few days ago that the room was very humid. I went in the attic and noticed that the underside of my insulation located directly above the drop ceiling was black. To me this means that the previous owners have had issues with this due to the massive amount of black insulation. Since then I put our dehumidifier in the room until I can figure out how I should fix this.

I've considered a few options for fixing this issue and would like to know if anyone has had this issue and how they addressed it if they did.

1) Install flex-duct from the existing A/C ducts to the laundry room. This would cool the room and lower the moisture naturally.

2) Install an exhaust fan with a humidity sensor.

3) Keep the dehumidifier in the room.

Try installing a vent in the door, it will allow the room to breath.  Make sure the exhaust from the dryer is sealed all the way around where it exists the wall, then go outside and do the same thing.  Check the roof edge and make sure you aren't having water drain behind the gutter into the wall.  Then climb into the attic when it rains with a big light and watch for water.

Also, get rid of that mold.. it's really bad for you.


Where do I connect the ground wire of a transfer switch being connected to a sub-panel? I would like to add a gen-tran manual transfer switch to my electric panel but I live in a condo where the main panel is in an external meter room and my only interior panel I assume is a subpanel.

The bond screw in my panel has been removed which tells me that it is in fact a subpanel.

Now, the manual transfer switch has a ground cable but I do not know if it needs to be connected to the neutral bar or if I should connect it to a screw directly on the metal case.

Which is the safe and correct mounting point for that ground cable?
Thanks

To the ground bar

Grounds go to the ground bar.

Neutrals go to the neutral bar.

Grounds never go to the neutral bar, ever.  Not rocket science here.  The only reason anyone has ever had any confusion about that is that in main panels, grounds and neutrals are connnected with an equipotential bond, and because of that, Code allows a shortcut of putting all neutrals and grounds on the same bar, effectively making the whole bar the equipotential bond.   Irrelevant here, obviously.

In a facility wired entirely in metal conduit, there may be no ground wires anywhere to be seen, and thus, no ground bar.  This is normal. In that case you can obtain an accessory ground bar for that panel and attach to that, or attach via a threaded machine screw to the cabinet (never a sheetmetal screw!) provided the screw's thread is -32 or finer.  You are likely to find 8-32 or 10-32 threaded holes all over the panel.


How to connect several led lamps (G9 Connector), to a cable wire For my home I would like to connect several led lamps (G9 Connector), to a cable wire.

I thought to cut the wire in several points, and using an electrical tape, to connect it directly. I don't want to use a lamp socket, since it's ugly. I want that it will looks "transparency" when it's turned off.

Is it safe? (I will turn of the home main power plug)
There is a better way to do it?

I don't want to use pre-made lamp strings since I want to design it and decide where exatcly will be each lamp.

Low Voltage For Safety
If you run these lamps directly off mains (120V - 240V, depending on region), you are, quite literally, playing with fire.
The good news is, LEDs are inherently low voltage DC creatures, not mains voltage AC beasts. So use an inexpensive UL (or equivalent) tested/certified converted to switch from mains AC to 12V (or similar, varies by application) DC. Then you can play around with the lamp wiring with much less risk of hazards, including both life safety and fire.
Electrical Tape is NOT a Primary Connection Method
Electrical tape is great for:

Labeling - e.g., mark two ends of a wire with the same color for identification, or mark with white tape and then write a number or letter on the white tape.
Extra Security - e.g., wrap a loose wire nut to keep it tight (I've seen several references to this being a good idea for a wire nut on a single wire)
Quick Patching - wrap around insulation nicked in an extension cord
Testing/prototyping - temporary use to connect wires together for purposes of testing before permanently connecting the wires

It is NOT normally for permanent wiring (low or high voltage). I've learned this over the years (with low voltage!). Basically, electrical tape (or any tape) doesn't really hold wires together. A wire nut (US) or other connectors designed for holding wires together work much better. In particular, most (all?) of these connectors have conductive metal inside them which securely contacts all of the wires, instead of relying on a manual twisting of the wires to provide all the connections.


How can I align an existing drain trap with my new kitchen sink? Installed new kitchen sink and the drain is 4" off from the existing p-trap.

The below pics illustrate my problem. Today I will buying  a tailpiece with a dishwasher connect.

When the tailpiece is installed what other parts will be needed  to align the tailpiece with the existing p-trap setup?

This is a pretty standard issue.  I'm a little confused why your drain end appears to have a permanent reducer coupling attached to it - but in any event they make a flexible, expanding part for just this issue:

Just install it and force the pipe into the best fitting position.  It connects to both ends with a compression ring.


Is it legit to turn a dedicated combi bolier supply into a ring circuit with outdoor socket? I would like to install an external socket. Conveniently located on the other side of the wall where I'd like to put said socket is the combination boiler which has a dedicated supply from the consumer unit.  The boiler itself heats water with gas, using electricity only to power the controls and ignition.

Is it a) safe and b) legal in the UK to turn this supply into a ring circuit with the boiler and socket, where the socket would be protected with an inline RCD?  If not, is there a safe and legal way to do this?

There is no rule in the UK preventing you from putting central heating and sockets on the same circuit (which may or may not be a ring). In my experiance a dedicated circuit for central heating is the exception not the rule.

I'm not sure why you would want to make it into a ring, making it into a ring would mean adding an extra cable which would seem to defeat the whole point of this excercise. So it sounds like what you really want to do is create a radial circuit.

The main question that needs to be answered is what size is the cable and how is it installed. Given that what is it's current rating (current rating of cables depends on installation method). This will determine whether you can design a workable combined circuit using the existing cable. Generally for a socket you want the breaker rating to be at least 16A. The breaker current rating should be less than or equal to the current rating of the cable. Volt drop and disconnect times may also be an issue on very long circuits but are unlikely to be a problem in a typical household situation.

If there isn't one already you should install a switched fused connection unit with a 3A fuse to provide overcurrent protection and isolation for the heating system from the shared circuit.

Any new concealed cabling either needs to be 30ma RCD protected or wired using methods that are considered acceptable for non-RCD cabling.

The socket outlets need to be 30ma RCD protected.

If the CU is very new the circuit may already be 30ma RCD protected but on an older install it likely wont be. There are several ways of providing RCD protection.

You can replace the MCB with a RCBO which combines the functions of a MCB and a RCD.
In a split-load configuration if there is space available in the CU you can move the MCB from the non-RCD side to the rcd side (remember to also move the neutral to the corresponding neutral bar).
You can buy sockets with RCD protection built-in.
You can buy fused connection units with RCD protection built in.
You can fit a din-rail mount RCD in a suitable enclosure (normally you would only do this for higher-current circuits).

The RCDs i've seen sold as "inline" RCDs seem to be designed for portable use with flexible cables.

Obviously an RCD only protects stuff downstream of it (see comment above about concealed cabling).


How do I increase the volume of air going into my lawn sprinkler zones to blow out water for the winter? I have a 13 Gallon tank in my compressor. I can get the pressure up to over 100 PSI, but when I allow air to flow into individual sprinkler zones, the pressure at my manifold reads only about 10-15 PSI, although the guages on the compresser read over 80PSI during the whole operation. My guess is that the flow of air is limited by the diameter of the hose fittings, or maybe I don't know how to set the regulators on the compressor. How can I get more volume of air to flow? My compressor has 2 outlets. Can I attach 2 hoses to the compressor and have them attach to the sprinkler manifold using 2 couplers with a "Y" connecter? I know the professionals use a larger hose and I believe go through a garden hose size opening.

There are probably two things at work here, the limitations of the diameter of your hose and fittings, and the volume capacity of your compressor.

You are attempting to move air through 1/2" or larger sprinkler pipes, probably many feet, and possibly many branches; you need to deliver the air into the system faster than it exits through sprinkler heads, etc., in order to build up pressure (although I think for purging a system, volume is probably more important than pressure).

Your compressor has a rating in CFM @ PSI -- this indicates how many cubic feet per minute can be delivered at a specific pressure; one 13 Gallon unit I picked at random on Google supports 3.8CFM @ 90 PSI, which is not a lot to pressurize an open system with many feet of tubing.

If your runs are not too long, you may be able to get by using two hoses in parallel to get more volume into the sprinkler system (assuming they aren't both fed by a common small fitting somewhere; it's likely that the two fittings are intended for convenience rather than parallel operation), otherwise, your best solution is probably to rent a big compressor to do the job.


How do I apply tile to a small wood platform? I have done some research and mostly I have found that putting cement board on top of plywood is the general answer to tile on wood, but it doesn't really fit my situation as much as I had hoped...

I want to do a little project to cover the corner of my closet where my old cats' litterbox was. They used to pee next to it sometimes so it smells awful!  I plan to rip the corner carpet out, bleach the concrete floor, and seal it with poly. I thought about tiling that, but then I got a better idea!

I want to build a small base out of wood and then tile it mosaic-style.  That way I can put the litter box back on top (different cat, hopefully not the same issue as the other), and it will cover the area while still looking great and being able to move it if I need to so that when I move out I can put another piece of carpet down and the next owner won't have to deal with a little mosaic in the corner of their closet.

Do you have recommendations on how to do something like that?  Do I need to put cement board on the little wood platform or can I tile straight to it?  Must it be plywood or can it be something thicker like pine? Tips please, I have never worked with tile before!

The reason for cement board is to give a good adhesion surface and to increase stability. When a floor flexes from the weight of people walking, or from movement of the house, grout and even the tiles themselves can crack. For a temporary platform intended for a cat box, you're not looking at a lot of weight causing flexing, so I doubt there'd be much cracking. For adhesion, just check the product you're using to make sure it will adhere to wood, but I believe most thin sets and especially any mastic will work without issue.


Removing basketball hoop from asphalt driveway I've got an old basketball hoop pole sunk in my asphalt driveway, about an inch away from a concrete pad. I want to get it out, at least enough to cover over with an asphalt patch kit. I don't want to leave any of the pole exposed. What would be the best way to do this? I could get it mostly flush with an angle grinder, but not sure how to best break up the asphalt to get below the surface?

Thanks!

The way I found to lower an embedded pipe below grade is to first cut the pipe as low as possible. This involves 2 cuts, the first is to remove enough so that when the second cut is made the remaining section can be handled safely. Use a reciprocating saw with a long enough metal cutting blade.   After the second cut the pipe should be 3/4-1 inch protruding from the ground. Next make 2 cuts so that the pipe is cut in quarters. With a cold chisel and short handled sledge pound each of the 4 quartered pipe sections inwards to the pipe.   Hammer each section at a time until they touch the inside of the pipe. When done the pipe will be below ground level and ready to be filled with asphalt.   Alternately, once the pipe has been cut so that it is close to the ground cut the inside wall with a new saw-zall metal blade and again at 30 degrees from the first. You may not cut all the way through, but the resulting 2 slices will be enough to snap the pipe with pliers. It can then be twisted and rolled from the ground.


Identify this bathroom extractor fan? I have a bathroom extractor fan that has gone bad, so I need to replace it. If possible, I would like to just replace the motor, rather than opening up the ceiling to put in a whole new enclosure. The problem is, I don't know how to find a replacement. Here are a few pictures:

The cover says "Nutone", but I can't get any hits by Googling the partial text visible on the back of the fan. Any advice on how to proceed?

NuTone likely doesn't have anything to do with this.  That is a newer NuTone fan cover that has been drilled to fit over the center post on what is a very old vent fan.  That vent fan used to have a round cover that likely broke at some point.

That whole unit needs to be replaced.  The fan and housing look over 50 years old - there's just no point in trying to mess with what you can buy new for $15.


What is the best plastic to make a see through 'whiteboard' with? Over the past few months I've slowly been converting my garage into a DIY/project/man zone by adding lighting, work benches, storage and tools.

Next I'd like to mount a piece of transparent plastic to the wall to use as a 'whiteboard'

I know that I'd like to use a plastic, rather than glass, so that it wont easily shatter and will have more give to it.

Other than that I'd like a material that I can draw on and wipe clean, won't flex too much  when I write on it and be as cheap as possible (whilst being up to the task)

Suggestions?

Markee Dry-Erase Paint is clear, so it won't even look like you've got a dry erase surface at all. You may want to put up an outline though, since I could see running off the edge of the painted surface being a problem. It's also a bit pricey, at $59/quart or $127/gal. (I haven't used this product myself, so no guarantees on how well it works.)

Another option is Opti-White dry erase film, also in clear. It's $26/ft for a 5' wide sheet. (So a 3'x5' sheet will run you $78 - it would be cheaper to go with the paint-on option, unless you don't want to deal with the mess.)

If you want to go the 'board' route instead of a wall covering, you could try Lexan. It's fairly lightweight and you should be able to get it at most home improvement stores. Lowes has it for about $70 for a 3'x4' sheet.


Can a 290mm x 45mm lvl beam be used as a structural ridge beam? Also are ridge beams only used for exposed ceilings, or can you install ceiling joists which are connected to the rafters, - i assume this would provide extra support.

This is for a single story house and the ridge beam would fall in the middle of a width of 8.2m, the length of this portion of the house is also 8.2m.

Thanks

This would depend on if you're building a dog house, shed, home or villa.

You are asking for specific answers about an obscure subject.  Gather your information about the project and speak with a Qualified and Licensed Engineer in the jurisdiction that you will be doing the work.


Is there a "safe" sub-floor leveling compound? I have some gashes in my sub-floor that I'd like to fill/level before placing laminate flooring down.  Upon checking at my local home depot, I found some floor leveling compound but quite frankly, I'm scared to use it. There are very large warnings on it confirming that the contents of it are a known carcinogen and shouldn't be inhaled, touched, etc.

Now obviously I'm going to be wearing all required safety equipment but I'd much rather use something a little less toxic.  Is there anything else I can use to level-out small imperfections in my sub-floor?

-M

wood subfloor? can you cut out the bad sections and replace it with new plywood?

if you do this, i would recommend installing some 2x4's underneath the section you cut out, perpendicular to the stringers. install them so they cover the joint between the old and new subfloor. depending on the size of the patch, you might also want to support it somewhere in the middle. and then also install 2x4's along the edges of the patch parallel to the stringers.

below is a drawing that show's what i'm talking about. it's a bottom-up view of the subfloor. the part you're cutting out is in red, and the 2x4's you're installing are in green. i did not draw in the parallel 2x4's i recommended above.


240 volt house wiring, 130 volts on one leg and 112 volts on the other? In my folks old farm house, at the panels main input from outside.
L1 is 130v.
L2 is 112v.
When a load is applied both legs down voltage, allot!  Anywhere from 10 to 20v.

The wires running from the pole outside to the house are old and exposed.

Could the old wires cause the difference between L1 and L2?
If so please explain why/how?

Thank you in advance for any input I can receive!!!

Sounds like you might have a bad neutral. Contact the utility, and have them check it.  This is a dangerous situation, that need immediate attention.

Voltage swings can wreak havoc on sensitive electronics, so you may want to use UPS to protect them.


Recommend a material for garage walls The drywall in our garage has holes, gashes, areas of moisture damage, etc.
If we replace it, in a number of years it will be back to the same state.
Can anyone recommend a material that will hold up better....
also, that could be removed for access to pipes and wires if necessary without damaging it?

Below are the requested pictures. The garage is on the ground floor.
This is a converted barn.
The left wall adjoins the basement, which is an office and storage.
Behind the back wall is house foundation.
The right wall is stone foundation, which won't be affected.
I am looking for a material for the left wall. From what I have read above and elsewhere, drywall may be mandatory.

7/16" or 1/2" OSB is a common, fairly inexpensive garage liner in my part of the world. It's consistently flat, and you can opt to show the relatively unmarked rough side (rough to offer traction on roofs, usually has nailing guidelines) or the smooth side, which will have plenty of informational printing but looks better painted. It's nice because you can mount light- and medium-weight objects anywhere on it.

image source
I usually install with 2" gold screws (do yourself a favor and get star/Torx drive). This makes the job easy and is removable. I tend to show the less-marked rough side which looks nicer if unpainted and hides screw holes better from things I've mounted and removed. (I dislike pegboard and just put screws in the OSB as I need them.)
Caveat: Walls adjoining habitable space must have a rated firewall. You can probably go over any existing drywall, but don't remove it. This may mean extending electrical boxes, but that's not difficult.
Side note: If you paint, don't go white. It looks all spiffy and surgical and whatnot for a year or two, then it's dingy and gross. Use a little creativity and get a medium-toned color.


Is there any issue with me splicing a continuous neutral wire and connecting a Wemo switch to it? I have installed 3 wemo switches no issues at all. The neutral wire has been capped of with a wire nut in all the installs. I am trying to install another wemo switch in another location and it appears that the neutral wire is one continuous wire. Is there any issue with me splicing this wire and connecting the switch to this wire?

No. If you're sure it's the grounded (neutral), and there's enough slack, go ahead and use it. Just make sure you turn off the power, before cutting the wire.


Should I be concerned about creaks when the wind blows? Is it normal to hear creaks when the wind blows at about 20 mph speed? I heard the creaks in the upstairs when i was sleeping in the bedroom. I guess that was from the attic. I am little worried as does it have something to do with the house structure?

Yes, it's normal to hear a wood-frame house creak any time the wind direction or speed changes. How much creaking you will hear will also depend on the temperature differentials between inside and out, and the humidity. What you're hearing is minute changes in the wood as  the pieces in the wood framing either rub against one another, or 'slide' on a nail.

The ONLY time you have to pay attention to it is if you go up in the attic and see that something has moved in such a way that it's exposed nails or where a rafter or joist has twisted. I have a few areas that concern me in my 1980 structure, and I have taken pictures of them so that I can keep an eye on any progression. If those areas continue to expand or twist, I will reinforce them with additional wood or metal strapping.

But yes, in general, it's perfectly normal in houses of all ages, types, and descriptions that have wood framing. It's part of the charm, honest!


Can I use flux core wire in a MIG welder that was designed to use argon gas? My friend gave me a MIG welder that has normal wire with the Gas attachment.
I was trying to get argon gas cylinder but had more trouble then expected.
Now I'm thinking of just buying flux core wire and not connecting argon gas at all.

Can I use flux core wire in a MIG welder that was designed to use argon gas?

Yeah, that will work fine.  Flux core is sometimes used in MIG welders even when gas is available.  For example, flux core will work in windy conditions that would blow away shielding gas.  Also, flux core often gives somewhat better penetration than gas shielded wire.


Rewiring an antique lamp I am rewiring an antique reading lamp with SPT-1 wire (wire is interior thru an small opening ~1/4 inch).  Can I use with a 3-way switch and bulb?

Yes, tri-light controls normally happen via a switch that is right at the lamp socket. As such, you use a special socket and don't wire them any differently than a normal socket.


Please help - wonky post location on pergola - concerned with shearing and stability So ever since my wife pushed me to move the post off square I've been searching online (periodically for about a month and I've never found someone dumb enough to have done this and had a tutorial or solution to the issue posted). I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist...

Here's my overall plan:

And, the issue at hand:

Primary issue: Wife didn’t want 6x6 pergola post in what is essentially the entrance to the side walkway that will be decked. Due to this I caved and moved the post off center by 24” south and 29” inches east respectively (see image link above, bottom right corner).

Everything built on old concrete patio, that far as I can tell is mostly 4” thick.

Lower deck level at door exits build on 2x4’s on their sides secured to concrete. I used 2x4’s as it literally fit dead on perfect with the elevation of the door bottoms. This section is 320 square feet give or take. Then upper level has 4 4x4’s secured to concrete, then 2x6’s crossing them for the joists. This gives me the 5.5” step up.

I mention all of that because I used the joists and shored up the 6x6 posts (all 8’) where I could, and I threw in an extra 2x6 joist for the pair of posts on the left, so they are very solid. The middle posts are before the step up (due to wanting vaulted section to match roofline), so I shored up the middle posts best I could with extra 2x4’s and retrofit post bases where I could, and did the same on the right ones.

The middle and rights posts have a bit of wiggle. I can’t really see them going anywhere, I think it’s just my choice to use an elevated Simpson post base to keep the posts off the ground along with the single centered cement anchor that is causing the wiggle. The cement anchor won’t be coming up, but there’s wiggle in it (first time doing this, or I would have drilled larger hole and used a 1/2 inch bolt put in with epoxy - had no idea they'd wiggle so much).

So getting back to my main concern, about that wonky post that is 24” south, and 29” east of the rectangle (measured from outside of post to outside of post). My idea for a solution since it’s on the pergola side would be to put a 45 degree 4x4 going from south to north, to then meet the 2x6 (or 8) beam coming from the northeast post. Then another 45 degree 4x4 going from east to west to secure the higher cross beam. Cross beams will either be 2x6, or if height allows 2x8 for extra support. They will then meet each other where the post should have been, and I will use a Simpson connector to secure them to each other (probably 2 or 3 – the ones that look like a cross basically).

I have to have the decking portion done by Friday (party sigh), which shouldn’t be an issue as the lower level is about done, and upper level joists are all in (just need to put in decking with a few custom cuts around posts). After the party I am almost tempted to remove the decking around the wonky post and go to war with the hammer drill to remove a 10x10 section of the 4” concrete patio, then dig down 3 feet, throw in the rock, and buy a 10 foot 4x4 and cement that bastard in.

Ok, so after all of that. Does anything think I’ll have issues with my idea of using 45 degree 4x4’s with shearing when it gets windy, or issues when that person leans against the post since I’m not building using 2 perfect squares? (I will be using heavy duty 45 degree braces, and using bolts to secure everything where I can. Otherwise heavy duty screw in deck bolts) The west side elevated square I’m not in the least worried about since it will be built like I’d build a shed with full covered roof. The east side pergola with that wonky post location as me stressed.

Appreciate any thoughts or ideas for a better solution! Thank you!

Edit 1:  Images of the deck from straight on angles to show out of line post, and quick terrible image in paint to show where I'd put what I've decided are 6x6 45 degree braces so I can sandwich the 2x6 heading north/south, and the 2x8 heading east west (2x8 on the slightly longer span).  For reference, the decking is east/west.  https://imgur.com/gallery/oiS27fS

What you're trying to do appears possible, with a few extra parts. See here (forgive the crappy art, I made several edits):

The two red rectangles are the beam-post braces I would add (minimally) to handle the horizontal loads which can no longer be handled by your odd post.
The post I drew where there isn't one is just a short floating section used to fix the two beams together.
What you need to build so your post does not need to be buried in concrete is a cantilever. Extend the 45 degree horizontal beam some distance inside the pergola. The longer you make it, the less load you will have where you join it thanks to leverage. I would aim for as much inside as there is outside. Fix the end to another 45 degree beam (shown in red). This needs to be rather strong as it will be handling roughly the weight of that corner of the pergola. Except that end will be trying to move down, not up. Think of that joint as hanging a large weight on the red beam.
I've shown the red beam as resting on the 2x6 beam, but attached to the side of the 2x8 beam. It should be easy to find some kind of metal L you an screw to the 2x8 and rest the beam onto.
The connection between the two 45 degree beams could be a large bolt down the center, with appropriately large washer. They will be about 6 inches apart vertically as the red one is over the 2x6 and black one under, so that would likely be easiest. But it's also possible to insert a short section of wood and use steel plates to fix both ends to the beams properly.
I also suggest resting the 45 degree beam on top of the post, with some minimal fixing to keep it from moving around. I would drill a hole from the top and drop a rod which will not rust in it. Same deal where the 45 degree beam meets the tiny floating post. A lag bolt from below would do fine. Or any kind of screw you can get that's long enough, it won't be pulling anything but its own weight.
With that setup, your odd post does not even need a brace to the horizontal beam to hold everything up. But it will help overall stiffness to have one.
If you go the "10 foot post into concrete" way, I suspect you will find your post slowly tilting towards the pergola over the years. But that's just an educated guess.


Mounting a 1-gang alarm panel over a 2-gang hole I am replacing a (discontinued) Leviton/HAI OmniPro II Home Automation system with a new Elk M1 Gold system.

The OmniPro II keypads (model 33A00-1) are designed to be mounted either directly on the wall, on top of a single-gang electrical box, or on top of a 2-gang box. In this building, the original installer elected to install using a 2-gang low-voltage ring.

For the new Elk M1 system, the keypads I have are model M1KPNAV (touchscreen) which are designed to mount either directly on the wall or on a single-gang box that is horizontal. The entire new keypad unit is only the size of a single-gang wallplate, so it won't even cover the 2-gang hole.

I really don't want to have to deal with drywall and paint matching - this project is difficult enough without all that. Also, there's a lot of alarm wire in the walls around the panels and I kind-of like being able to take the alarm panel off the wall to be able to reach it.

I know I could just cover the existing hole with a blank faceplate and drill a new hole, but I expect that will look really bad (and won't be approved by other stakeholders).

One thought I had is illustrated in the image below. I should be able to take a regular blank 2-gang faceplate, drill some holes in it, and mount the keypad on top of it.

The problem, as you can see, is that the holes to mount the coverplate on the wall are partially covered by the keypad base. This means I would have to first mount the coverplate on the wall and then the keypad on the coverplate. Since the coverplate isn't that thick, I wanted to be able to mount the keypad base onto the coverplate first using nuts behind the coverplate and then mount the whole thing on the wall together.

Does anyone have any other ideas for how I can mount these keypads?

Well, it seems unlikely to be easily solved with a 2-1 gang reducer, or at least
I've not met one that also turns the single gang 90 degrees. With a 4 or 4-11/16 square box you just use a one-gang and it could be mounted either way, but that's not what you have.

Three options:

Hot-glue (or epoxy) the nuts to the back of the faceplate.
Place the alarm panel slightly above or below center so that you can
drill holes in the alarm back to access one set of mounting screws
through it, and access the other set directly above or below the
alarm panel.
If the LV ring is square, (they are pretty close to square, but sometimes just a bit off) unscrew, remove, rotate, screw in, and then use a 2-gang to 1 gang "centering" trim plate, which are commonly available.


Increase airflow central air I have central air in my home and the majority of the house gets really cold with no problem.  However, my master bedroom has a washer/dryer & I typically use my laptop for leisure.

With that being said, the room gets quite warm.  I can have the A/C in the home set for 65 and while the downstairs is cold, the bedroom is not.  I have horizontal windows so buying an additional A/C would be a pain.

Would I be better off purchasing a stand-up fan such as the Dyson? Or should I be looking to do something else?

I think you really need to nail down why that room is warmer than the other rooms as I doubt you're doing laundry all day every day.

Is the room on the south side of the house?

Does it have more windows than other rooms?

Are the windows properly insulated and caulked and not leaking air?

Is there poor air circulation in the attic above that room for some reason? Do you have an exhaust fan in your attic with proper soffit vents or other intake vents?

Are the plumbing and exhaust vents for the w/d properly sealed? Is the dryer vent in an insulated wall?

Is there sufficient insulation in the walls and attic in that room?

Are the amount and size of AC registers in the room appropriate for the room?

After addressing any existing problems with air or heat leaking you may want to consider a couple of different options.

If the hallway outside the bedroom is cooler you might want to create a vent to allow air to pass through from your bedroom and hallway.

Probably the better option is to have someone install another register off the main duct so you have more cool are entering the room provided your system can handle it.


Why does my blower fan sound like a yeti? My A/C inside my house is making some kind of strange grinding noise. The fan wants to start, it blows cold air, and attempts to come on but only until whatever is making it drag stops the wheel fan thing and shuts the button inside the closet off. We have removed the filter to check it out, it definitely sounds and looks to be coming directly from the blower fan. (I think that's what it's called) Although the filter was due for a change and there is some dirt that accumulated, we regularly keep ours clean so it's not from that. It spins well when we remove it out of the unit but sticks and grinds and drags when we place it back in. There is no visible damage. Please help!!

If the blower fan assembly turns freely when when it is removed from the forced air unit then there must be either something that is adjacent to where the blower mounts that has gotten in there. When the blower is out check very carefully for anything that may be in there. Maybe there is a flap, piece of insulation or even a dead animal that got into that area.

From the description given it was not fully clear, but it sounds like the blower fan is directly mounted to the motor shaft as opposed to there being some type of drive belt assembly between the blower and the motor. It is possible that there may be an internal failure inside the motor that is causing the problem. Normally you would be able to detect that when manually turing the motor - but not always. If there is a separation between the two then you would need to check both ends of the unit - motor and blower - plus the belt.


Water heater working when flushing a toilet I have a tankless water heater. After I finish to use hot water and I close the faucet, the water heater starts a fan and make a typical noise, it's very typical and expected. I guess it blows off excess moisture or similar.

I noticed however, that when I flush a toilet (only the one of the three toilets I have), the moment toilet valve stops the stream of cold water, my tankless heater starts the same noise as when you shut-off hot water. This leads me to believe that some hot water is pulled in when flushing a toilet. I closed the output hot water valve on the heater and - obviously - it does not make the noise when I flush that toilet. Also, the "in use" light of the water heater does NOT turn on when the toilet is being flushed, unlike when you open hot water "explicitly".

I also made another experiment and if I open the faucet of the tubs, fully on cold, when I shut it I also get the same reaction from the water heater.

I suspect I'm literally draining energy down the toilet every time I flush, and I'd like to understand what is going on.

Do you have a mixing valve somewhere in the supply to the toilet ?

In cold climates it is common to mix some hot water in with the cold so that the water supplied to the tank does not cause condensation on the outside of the tank do to a temperature difference between the water and the ambient room temp.

Thus if your toilet is calling for water it will use some hot water from the  hot water heater.


Help with oversized furnace causing short cycle I have just moved into a new home that had a pretty terrible HVAC system installed brand new by a flipper which has been causing me a ton of headaches.

My house is 2000 sq feet, and the furnace is in the attic. They have currently installed a 130k Payne furnace, and matching air conditioning unit.

There are 4 registers in the upstairs (3 bedrooms / bathroom) right below the attic.

Originally there were 5 registers downstairs, and the return is at the top of the stairs along with the only thermostat.

When I first moved into the house I immediately noticed something was wrong since it the thermostat was reading 68 but it felt incredibly cold downstairs. I had someone come in and they basically told me the whole job was a mess and clearly it was severely broken.

I then had the following work done to try and correct the issue:

Install ecobee thermostat so that I could have it pretend the thermostat is downstairs. This makes it warmer downstairs BUT makes it inferno like upstairs since airflow going downstairs was bad and upstairs was very strong.
Install 3 additional ducts going downstairs and adjust the main trunk into 2 trunks so that one day I could zone (no zone dampers installed yet)
Install a duct going down into the basement to get more air away from the furnace / upstairs
Install 5" media filter in the attic so that I don't die trying to replace a filter on the ceiling of a staircase

After the work was done there was a significant improvement. Now it only takes about 15 min to go up the 1.5 degrees downstairs when the thermostat clicks on. However, the system still has problems and I'm not sure where to go next. Current problems are as follows:

Any day it is around 50 degrees or more the furnace will short cycle. Highly annoying because it will be off for 3 hours when this happens
It is still way to hot upstairs under most circumstances. I was advised to close the dampers at least half way or more upstairs to force more air downstairs, BUT this unfortunately also causes short cycling.

I REALLY want to get this fixed, it's hard to trust anyone after the last bit of money I spent didn't resolve the problem all the way.

I've received 3 recommendations

The 5" media filter installed by the guy I had do the work is potentially restricting airflow into the furnace too much in an already somewhat unstable system and a big part of the short cycling problem.
I should spend a bunch of money to rearchitect the main trunk into a long T shape to help make a more consistent amount of airflow and the ability to force more air downstairs since he believes the now 9 ducts going downstairs should provide enough airflow to not have short cycling.
Spend a ton of money and just essentially redo everything, obviously this is not optimal

EDIT: to be clear when I say short cycle this means hitting the high temp limit which is what causes the cycle to be short

Any advice would be great. I live in Northern NJ

There is no reason that you should have that much variation in your basement and top floor.  It is either a storage area or a living space.  If it is a living space then you have a huge insulation issue down there.  Trying to solve that via more registers is idiotic.  If your main level is heated properly a well insulated basement should need very very little heat.  Any living space should have access to heat/air but the last HVAC guy sold you his stuff without fixing the problem.
Do not restrict the airflow.  If you have to constantly close registers or are adding filters this is a huge waste of money.  You are burning fuel to have a good percentage of your air hit a dead end.  So this just makes no sense at all.
Understand that your main HVAC issue is the size of the unit.  Anything you do to cripple the output will cost you money and your unit will not last as long.

Options...

Insulate your basement.

2a. Sell your furnace, install properly sized one.

2b. Live with what you have.  Let it do its thing.  Keep thermostat upstairs.  Understand it will short cycle when it is warmer out.

The problem is most HVAC companies you call will know you have a problem and will solve it based on what they are best at or what makes them the most money.  And unless you allow them to tear the whole thing out none will fully guarantee a marked improvement.  And of them giving advice about filters or doing whatever to make your system less efficient I would never do business with them.


Ceiling box has 2 black wires and 1 white wire I just moved into a newly built condo, and there wasn't a light fixture installed before.

This is what it looks like right now:

There are two wires, black and white, marette'd(?) together, and there is a lone black wire, which had not been stripped.

Ground wire is just bare copper and it's not touching anything.

The LED light fixture I'm trying to install is pretty standard, it has one black and one white wire, and a bare copper ground wire.

I'm not sure which wire goes where!

Here's what I've tried:

WHITE 1 with WHITE (light fixture, lf) and BLACK 1 with BLACK (lf)
WHITE 1, BLACK 1, with WHITE (lf) altogether and BLACK 2 with BLACK (lf)

In both of these cases, when I turned the circuit breaker back on, the LED lights were very dimly lit, and they did not respond to the light switch at all. They stayed on, very very dim. Did the diodes break?! :'(

Thanks!

The white wire tucked into the back of the box, that isn't stripped or capped, is your actual neutral.

We know that "White 1" is not neutral, because it is spliced to a black wire, and a black wire can only be a hot wire (remarking hot-colored wires to change their purpose is forbidden).  Therefore "White 1" is certainly a hot wire, and should have been marked with black tape -- marking white wires to make them hot is allowed.

This means that the remaining loose black wire (surely hot-white's partner) is coming from the switch.

So, the white+black that were already spliced together should not be touched.  The lamp needs to take its hot from the solo black wire, and its neutral from the white wire in the back of the box.

I am surprised at the number of mistakes here.

The white (actual neutral) needed a cap. Neutrals absolutely can be energized with hot voltage; that's why they use insulated wire.
The other white (always-hot) needed to be marked a hot color (e.g. black). That's been mandatory for over a decade; the person was following the old code which said "unnecessary if the usage is obvious". Was it obvious to you? :) That's why they changed the rule :)
Wiring a switch loop without a neutral. (the white has been re-tasked to be hot). That's been illegal since 2008? 11?
If this is conduit, it's legal to omit neutral because it's easy to add later, but it's illegal to remark white wires to be hot (you're using individual wires so you must use the correct color, end of subject).

I would consider having your own electrician come in and do a forensic inspection, and going after the condo association for the cost of going through this work with a fine-tooth comb to look for other mistakes.  This is a lot of mistakes for new construction, but the building boom has left them "scraping the bottom of the barrel" for electricians.


Outdoor Outlet switch for Heat Cable I will be replacing my Heat Cable on my roof. Currently we have to plug it in manually when we want it to 'run'. This isn't a big deal but is annoying.

I'm not to interested in the sensors, i'd just like an easier way to control this plugin/unplug process. I was thinking of getting an Outdoor Outlet Switch with Remote and connect the Heat Cable to that. Will that work or am I asking for a fire?

As long as the switch is rated for the load it should be fine. Most of the cable heaters I have wired run on 12 amps or approximately 1500 watts or less (120V) if yours is similar you should be fine with 15 amp rated remote switch.


Can I output video single wire RCA signal out of 3 composite ports? My projector has a single RG-6 cable with RCA terminals running to it from the console space in the front of the room.  I wanted the cable to be hidden as much as possible and I didn't run an HDMI connection because I couldn't find a way to terminate HDMI terminals on unterminated stock HDMI cable, which is how I did with RG-6 and RCA terminals.  Currently, I output the video signal out of an older model DVD player, which has a single RCA output.  The video quality is good and the projection size on the wall is 98# in diameter.

However, I would like to buy a streaming video box, such as Roku HD, so that I can stream movies and music from YouTube and Netflix onto my home theater system.  I ruled out Apple TV as it only has HDMI out.  Roku HD has HDMI, which I can use for audio, but it also has three composite ports.

My question is: can I either just use one of those three ports to connect to the single wire projector connection or can I somehow convert the signal by using all the three and then some kind of adapter?  If not, what are my options for streaming with this kind of video connection setup?

There are two common video connection types that use RCA-style plugs:

Composite video uses a single connector, typically yellow, to send the video signal. This is really the lowest quality video connector available, capable of sending only about 480i (which is half the resolution of a DVD, and downright pathetic compared to the requirements of high-def video).

Component video uses 3 connectors, typically red, blue, and green, to send the video signal. Component video is analog (unlike HDMI, which is digital), but is capable of sending full 1080p high-def video.

Neither of these standards includes audio, (like HDMI does). Analog audio RCA connectors are typically red and white (or sometimes red and black), and are in addition to the video connectors.

Unless you have absolutely no option, I would strongly discourage you from using composite video. The quality is quite poor by modern video standards, although of course you also need to consider the resolution of the projector. Does your projector support component video? If so, there are HDMI-to-component adapters available (I have no experience with them) that you could use from the Roku if you need to be able to terminate the cables yourself.


Will a C16 deck joist (about 2" by 5") span 3m (about 15 feet)? I'd like to add a decking to my garden, dimensions are 5m width x 3m depth.
Am planning to have 3m joists laid vertically (about 50cm apart) and 5m decking boards horizontally
As the soil is not very stable I was wondering whether about 10 C16 joists (2 inches x 5 inches), with bearers on both ends (3m apart), would work, could anyone confirm?

Thanks

Are you asking whether a 2x5" joist will span 15 feet (3m)? No. It'll be a trampoline.  (Or yes, but it'll be a trampoline.) Here are your options as I see them:

Go with your original plan and lay it on the soil. Then you'll have critical intermediate support even with loose soil. Worst-case scenario it settles into the soil and ends up lower then it started, or becomes uneven in the case of non-uniform soil.
Lay a sleeper at the midpoint to cut the joist span in half. In this case I'd remove 4-6" of soil under each of the three sleepers and replace with crushed rock.
(Preferred method): Remove 4-6" of soil and replace it with crushed rock laid over heavy landscape fabric. Then set your joists right on the rock.


How can I repair damaged door casing? We recently adopted a pup and are still getting to understand his separation anxiety triggers.

Recently, he gouged the door frame pretty severely. I am hoping I can fix this myself, since this is a rental.

Does this look like something that can be repaired by woodfiller/epoxy/bondo. If so, what would you recommend? If not, am I better off looking at replacing the trim?

He did quite a number on it, but luckily the damage is almost entirely to the trim. I'm asking, because most other DIY resources related to this seem to be focused on much more minor damage.

I would just replace the trim. If you were good with an oscillating saw or sharp wood chisel you could cut the molding just above the damaged area at an angle. Remove everything from there down.

When you take out the lower piece try to keep a piece that is undamaged so you can take it with you when you go searching for replacement trim. Hard to tell from the picture just how standard that trim profile is and when you go to the store it will be very handy to have a reference.

Cut and fit the new trim to fit the angle and length to the bottom and then nail in place with small finishing nails. A small amount of spackle can be used to blend the joint if it is not a perfect fit.


Filling interior door trim gap The doors were installed at the same time as the paneling.  Now, however, there is 1/2" drywall, and if I try to install the trim around the doors, there's a huge gap between the door frame and the trim (see photo).

All the doors are similar in disposition; they all will have about a 1/2" gap (some nominally less, but still significant).  I'm trying to get away with not having to pull out the door frames, but rather just filling the gap somehow.  Any ideas or guidance are very much appreciated.

Find some cheap 1/2"x (something like 1" -- could be 3/4; could probably be as big as 1-1/4). Nail that to the jamb first. (1/4" reveal is typical.) Then put door casing on top of that. Could be dead flush, or could have a slight reveal of its own.

Pro tip: too small a reveal (like, 1/8") is hard to do, because subtle differences in width can be seen easily. A bit bigger, and your 32nds disappear.


Why might a thermostat refuse to switch from Heat mode to Cool mode? I have this Honeywell RTHL2410C programmable thermostat and typical Florida electric AC system. Starting this Spring, it has started behaving strangely when switching from Heat to Cool mode.

The thermostat has a physical switch to change the mode (or to turn it off completely) and separate programs for the two modes. When I move it from heat to cool, the thermostate becomes partially unresponsive for quite a long time (at least 30 minutes or more). During this time, the unit does not turn on and I can't set the temperature override or do anything to coax it to turn on. The thermostat has power; it's backlight comes on in response to pushing the buttons, and I can even adjust the programming, set the time/date, switch the fan from Auto to On, etc. But I can't adjust the temp or use the Run or Hold buttons. It's like the thing is actually in Off mode although it's definitely in the Cool position.

The past 2 times this has happened, the unit eventually "woke up" and came on and cooled as expected.

Also, the unit is not running when I switch the mode; for example, today it was quite warm when I got home and switched from Heat to Cool, so the unit had not been on since early morning.

This only recently started happening; in the past it's worked as intended when changing over from one mode to the other.

It doesn't seem like the thermostat is faulty, since it mostly works. Could it be a partial fault? Any ideas for troubleshooting are welcomed.

Based on the installation instructions for the model you listed, you have two AAA batteries. I recommend you begin by replacing them.


Gap between wall and stair treads I decided to pull the carpet off one of my stairs to see what was hiding under there. Ideally I'd like to paint them (I don't think they are real wood) but there are gaps on both sides...how do I go about filling these gaps? There is already a skirt on both sides of the stairs as well.  I'd say the gap on the right is a little over 1/4 inch and the one on the left is just about 1/4 inch.

Small pieces of trim on each tread and each riser would do nicely to hide those gaps. They'll be pretty fiddly to get a nice joint where horizontal meets vertical - you'll want cope those joints so they stay nice looking and don't open up over time.
Based on this picture, I would agree that they're not "real" wood. Where that paint has come off, it looks like MDF. Even with paint on them, I'm not sure how well they'll take the daily abuse of being walked on. The carpet protected them from wear, but the paint may not take the abuse as well. If you're going to remove the carpeting, you'll probably want to replace the treads with solid wood. The risers should be OK remaining MDF, if that's what they're made of.
Also, be aware that paint can be very slippery, especially glossy paints. You'll want to look at something that's specifically designed for floors, or something that you can add some fine sand or grit to in order to give traction. You don't want increase the chances of someone slipping on the stairs, tumbling down, and landing on that tile at the bottom.


Hanging microwave without above cabinet I am looking to install a new microwave in my kitchen since my old one just died. My new microwave is a Whirlpool over the range microwave model #WMH53521HZ. My old microwave had a bizarre mount where there was a very long bolt that when through the entire microwave and the mount actually went through the microwave itself. This new microwave is only supported by a thin metal bracket that just holds the weight on the bottom and then you are supposed to tilt the microwave back and drill through a cabinet above the microwave to secure the mounting bolts.
Only issue is that I do not have a cabinet above my microwave and the old mount is not compatible with this new microwave. I am looking to create something to mount onto my drywall and then come out 14 inches to the mounting bolt hole which is located on the top of the microwave.
Luckily I have two studs within the 29 inches where my microwave is going to be installed. One stud lines up with the right mounting bolt hole on the top of the microwave and one mounting bolt hole does not. I was wondering if I could install these two L brackets above my microwave and then just slide the adjustable part to where the mounting bolt hole is on top of the microwave. I was planning on using a 75lb rated wall anchor for the hole that doesn't line up with a stud. I did not want to have these below the microwave because the girlfriend does not like the look of it.
I then planned to cover the 8 inch gap above the microwave to the ceiling with something decorative.

You're essentially creating an inverted shelf over your microwave. Just adhere to all the principles of mounting a shelf:

Adequately strong brackets
Anchors of appropriate size and depth
Shelf material that's up to the task

I would not use brackets of that type. They don't seem robust enough to me. Heavy gauge steel with a diagonal brace would be your best bet. Two "max brackets" mounted upside down with a 2x6 or 2x8 screwed well to them would do nicely.


Single pole or dual pole relay for switching a 3KW water heater? (UK) I have bought a Wifi controlled device to control a 3KW, 240V water heater (immersion heater) wirelessly but despite being advertised as 15A, it actually has a 13A relay which has "push fit" contacts. I'm not sure I trust it to run for several hours at its maximum rating. I want to replace the relay with a 25 or 30 amp rated relay which will therefore be operating well below it's rated load.

However the original isolator switch to the immersion heater is dual pole.  Should I therefore use a dual pole relay behind the isolator switch, or is this not necessary?  Is there any advantage of using dual pole in this scenario?   Given it's just a resistive load, I'm not sure if there's any particular merit of using a dual-pole relay in this situation?

That item probably should not connect to AC mains

Each country has apparatus to protect its citizen from dangerous products.  Most countries require good be certified by a competent independent testing lab such as UL, CSA, BSI, TUV etc, and retail stores can get in big trouble for carrying uncertified items.  The EU allows companies to self-certify, but that only applies for businesses physically in the EU who ship from the EU to the EU.  And shipping via dropshippers like Amazon Warehouse does not count!

The CE mark (that self-certification mark) is worthless for things shipped from Amazon or outside the EU.

Certifying testing labs isn't really in USA OSHA's wheelhouse, but they've done a good job so everybody defers to them. Look for the mark of an NRTL.

From its configuration it's a USA/world market item.  The packaging/literature lied about its internal abilities.  It's a no-name or a brand you didn't think important enough to mention.

So this rings similar to what we see a lot of, which is that cheap Cheese junk brought in mail-order.  Search for a mark from an NRTL (CE isn't it). If you see ETL or TUV or UL, it's safe to let it touch mains power.  Otherwise, heck no - keep it on the low voltage side of the certified wall wart. Have it use low voltage to operate a certified relay.

Components have their own certification system; one common one us RU (with a Russian R for some reason). That is UL's component listing. Ideally you'll see a mark like that on every component capable of taking a mark, and certainly the relay.

You're right, the relay isn't strong enough

Really, you want a margin of safety anyway, even with certified stuff.

I recommend you go a somewhat different way. Rather than having the "smart WiFi device" switch the power directly, have it switch a (certified quality) relay/contactor which in turn switches the power.  If it were America I would recommend a Rib or Aube, which operate on 12-24V and fit right up into our style of junction boxes.  I don't know what equivalent equipment you have for mains switching in the UK/EU market, but I'm sure there's something.


Low dynamic hot water pressure throughout the house I recently bought my first home, and the first thing we noticed is that the dynamic hot water pressure is pretty low compared to the cold water pressure.  I purchased a water pressure gauge and found that the static hot water pressure is identical to the cold water static water pressure (about 95 PSI).  When I turn on a cold tap, the dynamic cold water pressure reads at about 85 PSI, which is totally cool.  When I do the same for the hot water, it drops waaay waaay lower.

When I attached a hose to my water heater to try to flush it, the water pressure was amazing, and the water was perfectly clear.  So it doesnt appear to have a sediment problem.

Basically this results in a low hot water flow rate for the entire house.  The water heater (probably near the end of life) is a 40 gallon gas heater.  Any idea what might be causing this?  Anyway I can try to fix this with out having to buy a new water heater or call a plumber?

There is a restriction, somewhere. You could use your gauge to verify that the pressure (while you are flowing from faucets) at the water heater is good (you've only done so qualitatively so far, and you have means to test it quantitatively, so....) But basically somewhere in the line is something that is restricting  water flow - perhaps a clogged or under-sized tempering valve (if there is a tempering valve) or the one I keep mentioning because it was a bear to track down and semi-unbeliveable when I did, an elbow almost completely plugged with solder. Could also be pipes plugged with mineral deposits.

If you open the hot faucets and pressure at the water heater stays good, move the pressure test up the line - somewhere it will get worse, and between there and the last place it was good is the problem.

Incidentally, 95 PSI is on the high side for many fixtures - you might want to add (or adjust if there is one) a pressure reducing valve and get to down to 75-80 PSI MAX.


Over sanded between coats of varnish I’ve finally stained and applied a first coat of varnish (oil based poly in satin finish) to a dining table. I went to sand it lightly once dried as per instructions - I think I used a way too rough grit - 180, to sand the varnish back. Some scratches appeared so I got the 220 grit to try get them off and now that section appears so much duller than the rest of the table.
This is my first time doing this - spent 2 weeks sanding this thing back and I’m heartbroken. Not sure if I should apply a second coat of varnish now.
Is it salvageable or do I need to sand it all back again?

Wow that is still too coarse unless you had bubbles. I actually use steel wool or 400+ grit. With 220 and even light pressure you cut through the layer, the second you use anything to scuff the surface it will look dull or even white this is normal clean and apply another coat, when you sand between coats you are taking off the high points and roughing it up so the next layer will bond better. On high end projects that I want an absolute glass surface that looks to have depth I will use 400 grit until the grain no longer shows, then I jump to fine steel wool or 600+ until I get the depth or look of depth I want. When you add the next layer if well cleaned it will become clear and look great again.

One trick to save your brush, I use a glass jar that can be sealed, fill with solvent to cover the bristles, immediately after finishing I clean most of the varnish out (you never get it all out) I put the brush(s) in the jar and seal it I have had quality brushes last 6+ years using this method, time for a second coat or 10th, pull the brush out shake off the excess load the brush and go. Cleaning at the end and returning to the sealed jar.
I use +20$ brushes and prior to doing this I could waste 1/2 a gallon of solvent and the next day the brushes were ruined as the fine bristles were hard and sticking together, so a nice coat was impossible. Using this method I have had to replace some smaller brushes that fell apart after many uses but the big ones have lasted all these years and work as well as a new brush.