Using Cedar Planks for shower ceiling I have an old house that came with stained wooden planks for the lower bathroom shower ceiling. I recently tore down the ceiling in order to fix a drain leakage in the shower above. Now im looking to redo (reinstall) the ceiling using brand new wooden planks.

I got thin aromatic cedar plans from home-depot. They came in a box and they inter-lock with each other. After the ceiling planks are all installed i planned on doing additional caulking and then painting it with paint + gloss coating (to further prevent moisture from entering thru).

Link to the cedar slats im planning to use.

Questions

Does anybody see any outstanding or possible future issues with this nearly complete DIY project (i still need to sand this down and paint it)?
Also, I will probably add an extra layer of gloss paint for water/moisture protection. Will this cause any issues, like trapping undesirable moisture above the wooden planks?

Thank you for reading. All feedback is welcome!

Updated

I have installed the cedar plans (despite them being very thin and warped in some places). I used nails, liquid nails, and finished with latex/silicone caulking along all the joints.

If I were you, I would sand out the flaws from liquid nails, etc. and stain/varnish. I would add some cedar details other place in the bathroom as well. Finish with clear silicone II at edges and joints. Looks nice!


Why would my well water cut off for 30 minutes before working again? I live in a area where I have to use well water and I have a well house that runs to my home. The water work with great pressure for a while, and then suddenly stops and takes 30 minutes to come back on. I Have a well-x-Trol tank, a new pressure switch and a new pressure gauge. The water heater is rather new and I have copper and some plastic lines.

What do I need to do to fix my problem? Is it caused by the water pressure? Is the pressure too low, or too high? Is my pump bad?

Have you listened (or measured) to see if the pressure switch is telling the pump to turn on? If the pressure switch is on and you're not getting water out of the pump you've got issues in the well (low water, bad pump) and you could be damaging your pump.

If you've got low pressure and the switch isn't on there is a problem with the switch (or tank, but that's a low possibility). Do a little bit of investigation and if you can provide more information we can probably provide a more informed answer.


Is a horizontal hang track necessary for wire shelving installation? Can I install 2/4 shelves on three of four vertical standards without using a horizontal hanger?  Verticals will be going into studs.

(I am familiar with the image posted in the question:  some 'shelf systems' include a horizontal bar across the top, and the uprights have a notch which is able to hook onto that crossbar.)

The real reason to use that crossbar at the top is so you can carry the load between studs.  Since you are able to screw your uprights directly into studs, that crossbar at the top is not really needed.


How can I cut off 1/8 inch from ceramic tile? I have a couple of 4"x4" ceramic tiles that are cut just slightly too wide.  I need to take off about an eighth of an inch.  I expect that's too little for the standard score-and-snap approach.  What's the easiest way, given that I don't have any tile cutting tools.

The best approach is a tile saw that can make small precise cuts along the length of a tile. It is a power tool like a table saw but uses a diamond impregnated blade and a water cooling system. They can be bought or rented.

A cruder approach if the tiles are not too big (4x4 should not be a problem)and there are not too many tiles to cut is a tile nipper.

These chip off little bits and you can work along an edge to do the whole side. However, some tiles are especially brittle and some are prone to cracking. I would not try it unless you have some spares to test on and in case the selected ones break.

And, as noted in Jimmy James' comment, eye protection (e.g. safety goggles) is a must for nippers and also for the saw. A random bit of ceramic shard or grit shot into the eye is no joke.

  Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


Extra wires in ceiling fan installation I live in Chicago, which means our home is wire pulled through conduit rather than Romex.  I am trying to replace a single switched ceiling fan and I can't tell what all the wires are for.

The old installation was a single switch that controlled the light and fan together, however, when I opened the box, there were extra wires that I think are meant to control the fan and light separately.  I'd like to wire a double switch to the fan and light if I have the right wires already present.

In the switch box when I open it, there are:
-two blue wires connected to the bottom of the switch
-one yellow wire connected to the top of the switch
-two white (neutral) wires nutted together in the switch box

In the ceiling box where the fan is installed, there are:
-one yellow wire attached to the fan and light wires
-two neutral wires connected to the fan/light neutral wire
-two blue wires nutted together in the ceiling box.

I am guessing the blue and white wires continue on to another fixture or outlet, but nothing else is connected to the switch in question.  Any ideas what I am looking at?

The switch box:

The ceiling wires:

As to what you're looking at...

One of the wonderful things about conduit is you aren't restricted to standard NM wire colors (black/red/white), you have a rainbow to choose from (save for green, which is reserved for ground, and white or grey, which are reserved for neutrals).  So, the electrician that put this in was smart, using yellow for the switched leg to distinguish it from the blue used for the always-hots.  White, of course, is neutral then, which means there isn't a spare wire in there already for you to use.

But that lack of a spare wire is no big deal!

However, another wonderful thing about conduit is that it's possible to add more wires provided there's still acceptable space in there.  Assuming that the conduit in the walls is half-inch (the smallest size you'd see used in a wall) and that the wires are 12AWG (the largest found on a lighting circuit), you get ~27mm2 of fill vs 78mm2 of usable space in a half-inch conduit.  Adding a fourth wire to the conduit for the extra switched hot puts us at 36mm2 of fill, which is still no big deal.

All in all -- installing a double switch here will be a bit challenging (you may wish an electrician as conduit pulling is a non-trivial exercise), but not nearly as troublesome as if it was wired using NM, where you'd have had to rip the cable clean out of the wall and put an entirely new cable in to get this job done.


3-Way switch on single pole--convert to combination? I have a 3-way switch (top and bottom of stairs) to control an overhead light. The whole landing area at the top doesn't have an outlet available anywhere, so my ex-father-in-law (a DIY type who has flipped some houses) confidently told me he could swap the top-of-stairs switch to a combo outlet that would have a switch for the light and an unswitched outlet.
His daughter and I split and the project sort of stayed half-finished--the switch at the bottom of the stairs stopped working, the top switch worked for the light but no power came through the outlet. I finally got around to hiring a pro, and he put it back the way it was (just the switches) and told me he couldn't put in an outlet there because it's a 3-way wired on a single pole, but that it would be possible to DIY it with a GFI outlet on the bottom/3-way on the top and keep the switch working while adding an outlet.
Does anyone have any detail on how this would be done? I'm decently handy but have only done much more straightforward electrical work. I'm not trying to burn my house down, but it would be REALLY useful to have an outlet available in that area of the upstairs.
EDIT:

Unfortunately, this isn't really straightforwardly possible with your current wiring
Sadly, you've been bit here by one of the all-too-commonly misunderstood things in mains electrical wiring: the old style of switch loop, where always-hot power is brought to the light fixture first, then down to the switch (or switches, in your case), and switched-hot is sent back up to the fixture, without ever bringing a neutral wire to the switch location.  You see, an ordinary light switch never touches the neutral wire.  However, if you want to power something at the switchbox location, such as a plug load on a receptacle, or even something as trivial as a nightlight or smart-switch device, you need both hot so that power can get to your gizmo and neutral to provide a path for that electricity to get back to the utility from whence it came.
It's possible to correct this with by replacing this whole complex with smart-switches that talk over RF or powerline comms to a control module in the light fixture box (I personally favor Insteon for these sorts of "spot" smart-switch retrofits due to its powerline-centric, peer-to-peer design) and retasking the white wire in the cable from the light box to become a neutral since it's no longer needed to serve as a switched-hot, but that's a more involved project, especially since you want to put a receptacle at this location as well.


What is better for plywood - varnish or paint I have an old cheap tea table, which I'd like to fix a bit and re-paint or re-varnish. The top of it is a plywood, its surface has scratches and stains, the table is stained black, but I'm not sure if this is just a black paint or black varnish. Sanding peels off the black coat fairly easy, so I assume it is a paint?
The questions are:

assuming this is paint, what type of paint should I apply on a plywood and how many coats?

if it is varnished, how many coats of varnish should be applied?

is it OK to varnish over sanded surface that had paint on it and the other way around?

If you were to paint the surface it would cover and look more uniform than if you were to try and re-stain. Re-staining is more labor intensive in that unless you know the stain color it is hard to get a perfect match.
Without a picture to judge what is currently on the surface the best way to apply a paint coat is to start sanding. Hand or orbital (or both). Start with 80 grit and work through to 120. Be aware that this is most likely a veneered table top which may have only a thin layer of wood grain. If you sand through it you will expose a core or wood ply that may look different. Paint will cover this under layer but be aware. Use any paint type you prefer. An oil based paint will dry harder than other latex paints, but is harder to work with. Apply several coats.
If the stain color is even and no re-staining is required you could give it a light sanding with a 220 grit paper, wipe the dust off with a dampened rag of paint thinner, let dry and apply several coats of polyurethane (oil or water based, gloss, semi-, or matte finish).
Be aware that while you can varnish over paint it (in my opinion) will not look good. The varnish will give a light toned paint a red hue. Painting over a varnish is possible ,too. You must apply a de-glosser to the entire suface first. This allows the paint to adhere better to the surface.


What type of outlet is in the picture? I recently purchased a early 1970's home that has this interesting outlet installed in the master bedroom. It is the only outlet in the entire house like this and I'm not real sure what it is for and if it should be removed. I haven't checked it for voltage or current yet as I don't have a multi-meter handy.

Just by looking, can anyone identify this for me? Is it safe, should it be removed? I haven't been able to see what it's wired to in the attic yet either as the wall is hard to get to in the attic.

My guess is that it is a 300 ohm terminal for a rooftop television antenna. I'm surprised it doesn't have any labelling molded in. If you pull it out, I think you'll find a flat 300 ohm (non-coaxial) antenna cable inside. I googled a bit, and found this thread where someone followed their attic antenna lead down to an identical wall plate.


What size and type of wire should I use for a 1000 ft run to create an standard outdoor 120 volt outlet? I'm looking for advice on what type of wire and size of wire to use to create an outdoor 120 volt outlet that is 1000 feet away from my home. The device I'm going to plug in will pull a maximum of 80 volts and 3 amps. I do have options in my electrical panel for both 120 volt and 240 volt circuits.   I'm also open to copper and aluminum options.
T

The part of the question about the dequipment "pulling" 80V doesn't quite fit, what you really need to know is it's utilization of the 120V supply - how many amps does it from the 120V receptacle.  If this equipment converts it to 80V internally, that's not really relevant.
Assuming the device uses 3A at 120V, you could use #6 aluminum with less than 5% voltage drop at 1000'.  Direct burial cable will probably be your best bet.  However voltage drop is load-dependent;  if someone plugs in something that draws more power, it would see more voltage drop.
That is an expensive wire purchase but it would be even more for copper.  You'll have to plan to splice the aluminum to more normal sized copper at the end.  You can do things a little more complicated, like supply a transformer at the receptacle with a 240V, which will allow a smaller wire, or step up to an even higher voltage and back down at the receptacle, but at these distances and loads it's not likely to be worth the trouble.


How to fasten wooden board and batten shutters to vinyl siding Making some decorative wooden board and batten shutters.  Need suggestions for mounting/fastening to vinyl siding.  For example,  what type of screws, bolts, etc to use.

Typically, #10 stainless steel screws.  However, it depends on what is behind your siding and what material was used to construct the shutters.  Cedar or pine is very common in shutters and is light which presents no problem.  I have seen shutters constructed of composite materials that can be fairly heavy and thus, you may want to go to a #12 and/or add more of them.  More importantly, they need to be anchored into something solid behind the vinyl siding.  If your wall sheathing is plywood or OSB you should not have a problem.  If it is insulation board/blackboard or something along those lines, you will need to either hit a stud or install mounting blocks.  Also, you will want to pre-drill all your holes, fill the holes in the vinyl with caulk or similar sealant, then drive your screws to hedge against water intrusion.  Hope this helps.


How do I unclog a clogged swimming pool vacuum? I have a swimming pool which I was vacuuming the other day. Unfortunately, I accidentally vacuumed some larger items (leaves, paper, etc) which caused the whole mechanism to clog, i.e., I can no longer vacuum.

What is the proper way to solve this problem?

We have checked the filters, and they're clean. We suppose that something's actually stuck in the pipes.

You'll need an auger to clear the clog in the pipes:

Loosen the clamp at the metal end and begin inserting the snake (metal coily wire) into the pipe until you hit the blockage (or get stuck in a corner).

Tighten the clamp and turn the plastic handle to spin the snake.  That will help penetrate the blockage (or realign the snake to get it around the corner).

Extract the snake, clean the end off removing the gunk it collects, and repeat until you stop getting more gunk and the water flows through the pipes again.


Why aren't my radiators heating up? Two of the eight radiators in my house get only lukewarm. All eight radiators have been bled. The inlet pipes to the two dodgy radiators are red hot so the problem appears to be with the valves. I have tried to loosen one of the valves by removing the plastic cover and then tapping the top of the valve gently with a hammer but there was no improvement.

I have read plenty of advice on the web about loosening the pin in the valve but this seems to be inaccessible.

Could anybody advise what I can do to get the radiators working?

A possible cause for your problem could be air in your radiator.

You need to open this valve (try "unscrewing" it) to see if there is air in your radiator. It's simple but it can be dangerous : when there is no air anymore (assuming it is your problem) you will get very hot water, possibly with some pressure, so be careful. Then tighten the valve again, wait ten minutes and see if there is a difference.


Outward opening bedroom door without a lock I rent a room in a private home and cannot change the doorknob, but I would like to be able to secure my room from others staying in the home. Is there a way to secure an outward opening interior door that does not have a lock?

I would search Amazon for "portable door locks" and add a long-shackle padlock to this type of device

You need the padlock because the majority is accessible from the outside. The whole thing will obviously be visible and not resistant to detrmined attack.

The lower photo shows how it locks into the door frame, preventing the door opening in its usual direction.

This works because an inward-opening door that an occupant wants to secure while asleep is essentially the same case as an outward opening door you want secured when you are elsewhere. The added padlock prevents passers opening the lock.


Removing Shower Tiles from Waterproof membrane I am looking to re-grout some tiles in the shower which have come loose.  However I have a couple of tiles which have completely broken.

However while trying to remove half the tile, it is really stuck down to the waterproof membrane.  When I start to pull on it, I can feel the membrane pulling with it.

My question is what should I do? How do I take the tile off without messing up the waterproofing?

1) Will it matter if I just yank up the tiles? I'm suspecting it will!
2) When I replace the tile will grouting it be fine. (I have waterproof grout)

I've included some some pictures.  The black under the tile is the waterproof membrane.

Thanks in advance.

1) if you can yank the tiles without damaging the waterproofing layer below, you are fine.  You can do a water test leak once the broken tiles are removed.  Plug the drain, put a stack of coins on the floor, put water up to the coins level and check back in 24h.

2) you can regrout no problem. not sure what you call waterproof grout, but you can use any.  its purpose is not to hold water above the tiles.  The shower is designed to handle water that penetrate under the tiles and redirect it to the drain.

that said, what exactly is that black thing under your tiles?  Are you sure it is the waterproof membrane?  it might just be your deck mud.  In that case you could just patch it.

redoing a shower is a lot of work, thus make sure you have no other option first.


Wiring confusion with 3-way switches that control 2 lights I have no issue troubleshooting 3-way switches but this is an odd one. At some point a handyman replaced switches and messed up a 3-way switch setup. However it's 2 lights and 2 switches:
- light A and switch A at top of stairs
- light B and switch B at bottom of stairs
I want both switches to control both lights simultaneously. However, the way it is now:
- switch A controls both lights fine
- switch B only turns on/off light A, has no effect on light B

Switch A has 3 regular leads: red end which is connected to one traveller terminal, white end which is connected to the other traveller terminal, black wire connected to the black screw but then continues to another switch for an outside light so this appears to be the hot. Then there is an additional end of another black wire. This extra black wire controls light B and seems to be the key to the problem. If I touch it to the hot wire, then light B turns on as expected, if I attach it to either traveller screw, then light B turns on and off with switch A. I'm just not sure what I can do to make light B also turn on and off with switch B.

I've most combinations and nothing seems to get both lights working with both switches. Maybe I'm missing a white wire to light B in the mix somehow?

Thanks for any troubleshooting tips you may be able to provide.

I figured it out, once I had both switches out of the box and pulled out all the bundled wires it was easy enough to figure out where everything was going and what was going on based on what was working, there was a hot circuit coming in, circuits going out to each light, and the 3-way circuit going between the switches, so it was easy enough to identify the lines running to each light and put them in parallel. Cheers.


2003 home, new over-range microwave questions Home was built in Upstate NY in 2003. In the kitchen, refrigerator, dishwasher, and range DO have their own circuits. Now comes the "fun" part. :(

I ordered a new over-the-range 1000 watt microwave, Samsung Model. According to the specs:

Power Source 120V/60 Hz

Amp Circuit 14.5 A

Power Consumption (Microwave) 1700 W

The issue comes from this: presently, the existing exhaust hood is "double-wired" on a 15am circuit with the gas furnace. (Which is new btw, it was replaced in 2018.) I am assuming this is a BAD IDEA to use this circuit for the new microwave.

Assuming I am trying to NOT pull new wire, (I don't have room in the 200amp service anyway), the only other outlet(s) are next to the range but close enough that I COULD run the plug from NEW microwave to this wall outlet. This is a 4-plug outlet on a 20amp circuit, but shares this circuit with our bonus room. This bonus room houses my girlfriend's office, and just off top of my head has a 23" monitor, laptop computer, and inkjet printer plugged into the wall.

I am open to ideas here. :( This is my first home, I am finding more and more wrong that our inspector missed every year we are in it. Thank you in advance for any advice on this.

Bottom line, would it be safe to plug the overhead NEW microwave into that 4-port wall outlet? I will cover the other 3 to NOT USE if I have to.

P.S. microwave model is:
https://www.samsung.com/us/home-appliances/microwaves/over-the-range/2-1-cu--ft--over-the-range-microwave-with-sensor-cooking-me21r7051sg-aa/#specs

The 4-outlet is on a 20A circuit, the new microwave uses ~14A, which gives you about 6A for the bonus room.  The microwave will only be pulling the heavy load (MW) only occasionally. I would use the 4-outlet the way you described, with the other outlets taped over.  The original exhaust-furnace circuit at 15A does not have the capacity to carry the MW load.


Do thermostat-controlled, auto-adjust HVAC vents exist? The residential forced-air HVAC systems I have seen are controlled by a single thermostat in one room.  One has to manually adjust the vents in order to adjust the temperature in other rooms.  Is there such a think as thermostat-controlled, automatically-adjustable vents so that one can have multiple heating/cooling zones without having multiple furnaces and air-conditioners?

There are various degrees of a "zoned" HVAC system.

A simple zoned system will include motorized dampers in the ducts to direct air where it is needed.  e.g. If one room is too cold, but the other ones are fine, the system will shut the dampers to the other rooms, and then fire up the heater so just the one room is heated.

More sophisticated zoning systems for larger house will include multiple heating/cooling units (e.g. one for the upstairs and one for the downstairs).

Zoned systems can also work on a schedule.  (e.g. keep the downstairs of your house comfortable during the day, but direct all of the airflow upstairs at night.)

As you can imagine, the control systems for such a unit get pretty complex.  Motorized dampers everywhere, control lines to all the dampers, thermostats in the various rooms.  It all adds up to a lot of money.  It is also a lot of stuff that can break.

Because of the complexity, most HVAC contractors will avoid doing a zoned system unless absolutely necessary.  It is usually easier to install a big air handler (enough CFM to cover the whole house), and then put a few manual dampers (1/10th the cost of motorized ones) and tweak them until they are right.

EDIT:  Another option to consider is a multi-split system.  Instead of having all your ducts connected back to one central air handler unit, each room/area has its own indoor unit, with its own fan and thermostat.  All of the indoor units have refrigerant lines that are connected to the outdoor condenser unit.  Each unit can heat/cool independently.  Some systems even allow simultaneous heating and cooling (good for server rooms in an office building).  Because they are ductless, they are a good fit for retrofitting a house with no ducts.  They do not make a lot of sense in an existing house that is already ducted, though.


What is the name of the device that allows switching between two power sources? What is the component called that allows switching between two power sources so that only one of them can be used at a time?

A transfer switch allows you to switch between two or more power sources.

An Interlock is a device that prevents a breaker or switch from being toggled. In the situation of two power sources, an interlock is used to allow only one power source to be on at a time.


Is my surge protector really a surge protector? I dont know if this is the right place to ask this question or not. Ive recently bought a surge protector(those small square ones) and im gonna connect it to my Computer. Now the thing is that im not  sure if its really a surge protector or not. Its cause i bought the protector online and ive read some reviews on the website about the protector and some of the reviews were not good. One even claimed that it was nothing but a simple connector.So, is there a way to check if the surge protector is functional or not, like from a multimeter or something, cause i really don,t want my cpu to fry. TIA!

Can the supplier give you a specification sheet showing what it protects against and what the component technology is inside of it? There are industry standards for Surge Protective Devices, (SPDs) administered by UL under standard number 1449 that separates them into different usage categories (hard wired, plug in, large, small etc. etc. If this thing is not UL 1449 listed, it is likely junk. If it is, then you would need to know which class it was and compare that to how you are using it.

https://www.ul.com/offerings/surge-protective-device-testing-and-certification-services

This UL site can direct you to a database they maintain on all of the different manufacturers and suppliers by plugging in the data you have on it and seeing if it is there.

Even if it is listed, that doesn't mean it is good, it basically just means it was tested to some minimum standard and will not start a fire (which is really what UL is about anyway). But the general rule is that the cheaper it is, the less likely it is to be of any real value. Most cheap SPDs are just what's called an MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor), a device that only conducts when the voltage rises above a certain threshold.

So what happens is that a "spike" of voltage comes in from the utility line, it exceeds the threshold of the MOV and the MOV conducts to ground, protecting your downstream equipment. That does work, except that when it works, the MOV is often sacrificed in the task, meaning it only works once or maybe a few times (if the spikes are low), then it is vaporized and no longer there. But you can't tell from the outside, so you don't know. So in my opinion if you are going to buy one at all, buy one with some sort of indicator, usually an LED, that tells you when it has done it's job and is gone. That way you at least know you need to buy another one.


What's the best approach to repair a wedge/corner crack in my foundation? I've got a wedge/corner crack on one corner of my foundation. I'll try to post a picture of it as soon as I can, but here's a sample image of what I'm talking about:

However, my crack is more complex. There are actually two pieces. The upper piece looks like the one in the picture above, and the lower piece looks like a mirror image, such that the two broken pieces of the corner are wedged against one another at their tips.

This makes repair problematic, since the two pieces are wedged against one another so well that I can't pull either free to put any kind of repair compound on the back side of the cracked pieces. If I simply fill over the crack, I'm worried that it won't be strong enough to hold the pieces to the foundation, and it will just crack again.

How would you suggest that I should proceed? I'm thinking I have these two general options:

Try to inject some repair compound as deep into the cracks as I can, hoping that I'll get it deep enough to bond the pieces to the foundation.
Do my best to remove the pieces so that I can apply repair compound directly to the back surface, even if that means doing more damage to the pieces themselves.

I worked concrete one summer while I was in high school, but I'm no expert and it was a long time ago. That being said, here's what I would try:

I'd give both of your solutions a shot first. However, if you end up completely destroying the two chips, I'd try to pour a new corner. Drill two holes into the corner of the foundation and dowel into it with a few inches of 3/8" re-bar. After you've hammered in the steel, form up the corner and pour the concrete.

Also, this forum includes discussion about how to repair similar cracks.

This website also explains a bit more about this type of foundation crack:

  Brick that is laid directly in contact with concrete foundations can cause angular cracks like this in the top 12 - 16 inches of a foundation. These cracks are caused by the brick expanding and pushing the outer corner of the foundation with it. The cracks are not major structural problems.

  It is often pointless to repair them as the next time it gets hot, a crack will likely appear in your repair material.


Is it okay to have an ungrounded light fixture? I recently moved into an older home (built in 1968) and have been replacing some of the older light fixtures. We pulled down one of the lights and found that there is a ground running into the box but the light fixture itself doesn't have a ground to hook up to it.

My wife is considering refurbishing the look of the light instead of replacing it... is it okay to use the light even though it's not grounded?

We live with legacy ungrounded fixtures all the time, usually without incident.  As I understand it, grounding is a backup system to give the high potential an easy path to ground (that is, a better path than YOU) if there is a short in the fixture.

Basically, grounding is a connection between the metal body of a fixture to a continuous ground (wire or metal shielding) that returns to the service panel and an earth ground. You could create a ground on a fixture by installing a screw in the metal body of the unit that could then take the ground wire. However, there could be more than one metal component in the fixture needing a ground, so it is by no means a sure fix.

The main issue is the likelihood of a user touching something metal on the fixture that could be accidentally live.  If the fixture is out of reach, the lack of a ground is probably a low risk. If it is a pull chain light, use of a string pull rather than metal is a good idea.


Air Leaks Where Floor Meets Baseboard Wondering if anyone had any suggestions to stop air leaks where floor meets baseboard. Is caulking the best way to go?

The room with the air leaks has a cold floor anyway as it sits over an non heated stairway, but stopping the leaks would be a good step in the right direction toward a bit more comfort.

Thanks!

Jam

I will install shoe molding, caulk, and paint

It will look natural and caulking will do the sealing


How can I install a nest thermostat with no wires? I have zoned heating/AC/heat pump.  My original thermostat on the wall is NOT connected to any wires, in other words it is wireless.  I thought it had wires so bought the new Nest thermostat.  Unfortunately when taking the original thermostat off the wall discovered it has no wires connected to furnace.  Is there any way I can still hook up the Nest thermostat since there are no wires from the furnace to the original thermostat?

You would need to hook up the nest thermostat where the wires are. This might be right next to your furnace. The nest might not work the best there. You can also buy some thermostat wire and pull it through the walls to a better location as well.


Ceiling Mount Power Cable Pass Through I am Looking for guidance on mounting a laser light in our daughter's office/room remodel to the ceiling, while providing a clean way to hide the power cable.  Some of the laser light devices come with a detachable cable, others do not.  Is it "up-to-code" to pass the power cable through the ceiling where it could connect with a 1-gang outlet box affixed to the attic rafter?

Here is an example I found that I might pass the power cable through...

Then I would connect the power cable to an outlet like this:

If there is a better recommendation, please share!

Thanks!

Stick a box and receptacle in the ceiling and plug the thing in there

This is a job for an old work type box mounted in the ceiling, with a receptacle mounted in the old work box.  That way, you'll be covered under NEC 400.7(A) point 2 which allows flexible cord to be used to wire luminaires, instead of violating NEC 400.8 point 2 which prohibits running flexible cordage through building surfaces.

If your device doesn't have a plug on it, get a field-fit type of NEMA 5-15 plug from the hardware store and put that on the end of the cord.

Powering the receptacle then can be done using a chapter 3 wiring method (such as NM) run through the attic to a box where constant power (always-hot and neutral) are present, such as the receptacle box pointed out in your photo.


Should I worry about sagging joists? I have a two story house and some of the joists between the floors are sagging about an inch or two. When I walk around upstairs I can feel the level difference and downstairs you can slightly see the lines of one or two joists in the ceiling. These joists happen to be the ones our bed is on so I'm guessing that is the cause. There aren't any cracks or gaps anywhere. I'm not sure how concerned I should be, and if it's normal or needs to be fixed.

oh, the house is around 30 years old.

A properly sized floor joist should never deflect. Is your bed a water bed?. Joists are supposed to be sized to handle a minimum of 60 to 80 pounds per square foot, which is actually a lot, since loads are distributed across the entire span.  If you are seeing ridges, cracks, or movement under load, you have a problem.  I have seen joists wain, crack or even fracture at a fault in the wood grain.  If this situation has gotten worse, or happened suddenly, I would seek a pro to take a look. Don't want to scare you, but this is not normal and warrants further investigation. This is not a job for an amateur.


Combining 3 wall switches, which are currently in the same box These 3 switches are sharing the same hot wire in the same box. I want to combine them into 1 switch that will control all 3 lights. The lights are basic outdoor porch lights and are each on separate basic standard house switches. I want to eliminate 2 of the switches so all 3 can be activated by a single switch. I bought a more heavy duty switch to use even though I don't think I need it.
My plan is to use the hot wire that is there and pigtail the other 3 wires that control the lights.

Can you tell me if I'm heading in the right direction and if not, what Should I do? Thank you.

The only question is what is the load? The wires are they 12 or 14 gauge the reason I ask if this is a 20 amp circuit powering 3 circuits of lighting you may need the heavy duty switch. If it is 14 gauge on a 15 amp circuit a standard switch will be fine and your plan is code compliant.


Input voltage drop to 190v after switching over load We have an Online-UPS connected as per the diagram. The output is given to a change-over switch.

So If we want to feed the computers direct AC we switch it to Source O (Top) for bypass and if we want to give it UPS-Output we switch to Source 1 (bottom on change-over).

If the Change-Over is set to Top (Bypass) the reading at the UPS Input Terminals are as follows

Across Point A and Point B : 230v
Across A and Ground : 230v
Across B and Ground : 0v

Now if the change-over is set to bottom (UPS Output), the voltages are as follows, Note the UPS output is still not switched on.

Across Point A and Point B : 190v
Across A and Ground : 230v
Across B and Ground : 40v

If I turn the UPS output ON, the UPS starts beeping saying Battery Voltage Very Low please turn off UPS.

Is the connection done wrongly?

Edit: Verified ground between terminals and building ground. All seems to be fine. The UPS is getting Ground from the building's ground.

Previous Setup

So what was happening here is once the change-over was not set to AC, the common neutral was not linking to the UPS output.

Had the wiring reconfigured in the following way. Things are back to normal.


Should I move all my window air conditioners to the upper floor for better efficiency? 1800 sqft + basement

On main floor
2 window air conditioners 19k btu combined

Upstairs
1 5k btu air condition

There are 3 bedrooms upstairs. Does it make sense to just put all the ac units upstairs and let the cold air drop down through the floor or to drill vent holes in the floor? Would this method actually cool the main floor or reduce humidity on the main floor? The stairway is pretty open so all hot air floats up here pretty quickly.

Just as the hot air goes up since it is lighter the cold air will fall since it is heavier. If by chance you have a forced air heating system, you could run the furnace fan while the A/C units are on to help distribute and mix all the air in the house for better comfort. My son did this in his house for many years and it worked fine.


How to Fill Gaps Between Hardibacker and Drywall? Trying to figure this out.

I am going to be using Hardibacker for wet areas around the tub-shower above the acrylic tub/shower surround, and drywall for the rest of the room.

There will be no tile.

The whole room will be painted.

What should I use for the gaps where the drywall and the Hardibacker meet?

Thank you for your time.

If you are going to paint, the seams between the drywall and the hardibacker will need to be mudded and taped like any other wallboard seam or the joint will be visible and ugly. it will probably be hyper-visible actually, if you use glossy paint (as you should in moist areas).

I think you'll be fine with standard mud/tape, it's not a wet location, just moist if it is indeed above the splash zone (if it's not above the splash zone, you should use an alternate surface treatment instead of simply hardibacker). A good prime and gloss paint should protect the drywall, mud joint, and hardibacker.


How to secure 20 lb light fixture install? What is the simplest (easiest) method to properly secure the light fixture to a ceiling?  Fortunately, the electric box is already in place.  I believe the ceiling is drywall

Toggle bolts. Put them in the drywall on either end. There's no chance it will pull out.

Let me expand on this by telling you a true story. I bought a house that had been reposessed by the bank. I can only assume the previous owners ransacked the place (even the fireplace mantle had been removed) and the bank had hired a contractor to come in and replace all the light fixtures. So he put a new fluorescent light (not dissimilar to yours) up in the kitchen.

With screw-in drywall anchors (insert duhn-duhn-duhnnn here).

This is what my wife walked into one morning not long after we moved in.

The screw-in anchors are rated for the weight, but not the parallel downward force (they're designed for perpendicular force). So I promptly went to the local big-box and bought some toggle bolts. Since I now had two brand-new holes, I only needed to slightly enlarge them to get the toggles through. That fixture hasn't moved since.

The toggles are your best bet because they

Distribute the weight of the anchor across a wider area
Would require the complete destruction of the drywall to pull out

Even the smallest toggles are rated far more than your fixture weight (a single 2" toggle is typically rated for 50-70lbs).

So what size do you need? Any size toggle will do, just be sure to check the size of the head. It should cover the hole on your fixture easily, but you might need a washer if the holes are large enough.


Is a gravel layer necessary under sand for a paver fire pit base? I'm getting ready to start a DIY fire pit using pavers in a circular design. I've read that the first step (after the obvious digging) is to lay down around 5 inches of gravel or crushed stone. Then, lay down 2-4 inches of sand on top of the gravel. Is the gravel absolutely necessary, and if so, why?

The DIY instructions I'm following also say I should lay the sand, place the pavers, fill in the gaps around the pavers with more sand, wet the sand, allow them the pavers some time to settle, and then remove all the sand between the pavers via powerwasher before filling the gaps with polymeric sand. Why would I want to fill the gaps with regular sand if I'm just going to remove it shortly thereafter?

Thanks for the help!

The gravel is a good idea because reasons. Reason one being that gravel provides much better drainage than sand which will help keep the rather nasty water (rainwater through ashes is the traditional way to make lye) out of the yard or from freezing and heaving in the winter.

The second reason being that gravel compacts better than sand, and can be compacted by beating on it where as sand must be vibrated. A compacted base obviously means less settling down the road.

So while it's not essential it does add a bit of durability for the low price of a couple bags of paver base and thumping on it with a tamper. It's pretty cheap insurance against resetting pavers. But really the biggest recommendation is that you need not be concerned with the drainage and compaction properties of your existing soil.


Motion sensor won't switch off I have a motion sensor in the ceiling to turn the lights on, it turns them on ok but won't turn them off until you turn the power off. Only just started

From your question I can make two assumptions:

1) It worked appropriately for a period of time (week, a month or longer).

2) There are very few settings, possibly one for duration and maybe one for sensitivity.

If neither of those are true, bring it back to the store and get a different unit.

If they are both true, try changing the sensitivity to a lower (less sensitive) setting and the duration to a longer setting. This will help to troubleshoot the unit and indicate whether there is some unknown motion that was too small to trip it previously but has become more significant. I had one in a hallway that tripped when the furnace came on and blew the tips of some flowers in a vase. If there weren't any flowers or they became dry, the motion sensor worked great but if there were fresh flowers it would trip (only when the furnace came on) - that almost drove me crazy!

I'm also assuming that you don't have a dog, cat, mouse, ferret, bat, bird, etc. that is running/flying through the room when you aren't looking.

If that doesn't take care of it, then replace the unit. You didn't say how you were using it either, but if it was to turn the light on when you entered the room (the switch is across the room) you might consider getting a motion sensor integrated into the switch rather than the ceiling. They tend to be a little higher quality, have better settings and easier to put in without a ladder.


Attempting to install new stair treads and risers I have the stairs prepped, but I noticed that the risers and the treads that are there already are not square. Do i use shims to square up the risers and treads or is there another way? Do I stain the treads and risers before they get installed or do them after?

You need to determine why the risers and threads are not square. The problem might be the stringer. then determine if shimming is the way to go.
If you've got the space and the time, staining the risers and threads before installation might be a whole lot easier than crawling up and down trying to stain them.


Can I use a 110 V GFCI outlet on a 220V service? I am in a country that uses 220v circuit. I want to install a GFCI outlet but I cannot find one that is 220v rated. I can buy in the US a 110V GFCI . Can I use it instead.?

No, no, no. Ignoring legalities, there's circuitry inside a GFCI. If it's designed to run with 110VAC, and you apply 220VAC, you'll let the magic smoke out of the device (and perhaps out of your home and loved ones).


There are some green gunk near my shut off valves and my sink faucet. Do you think my water warrants for health concerns? I noticed some green gunk near the warm and cold water shut off valves and the sink faucet. Does the condition of my water warrant for health concerns?

The corrosion is on the outside of the pipe, not the inside.
It's normal green copper oxides.
It says nothing good or bad about your water.
It says nothing bad or good about your water.
If you are on a municipal supply, ask them where you can see their required test results. They might even be willing to use your tap for one of their upcoming required tests (then again, with covid raging, they might not.)
If you are on a private well, send a water sample out for testing. That normally involves getting a kit of sample bottles with instructions. follow the instructions carefully - that is normally mailed to the laboratory, and they will email or mail results to you.


Adding blocking between joist to support column? I have this drawing for open up the living room wall. The architect is proposing a 5-1/4x16"x16' lvl beam with 5-1/4"x7-1/4" column on each side and adding 2x8" blocking btw. joists to support column but would not explain anything.

what is 2x8 blocking referring to?
structure that prevents the joists from twisting, a solid piece of wood, often the same material as the joists themselves, is installed perpendicular to the joists without any gaps (e.g. I joists would use a piece of I joist for blocking)
or additional vertical members (2x4's) to carry the load from the beam up to another load bearing object above the floor (e.g. a new column)
if it's the later, what's benefit using the block to support the column? wouldn't be better for the column to go straight down through the subfloor and rest directly on the existing beam?
thanks

This is the reason for the blocking:

"additional vertical members (2x4's) to carry the load from the beam
up to another load bearing object above the floor (e.g. a new column)"

In other words, it's a complete load path from the beam to the foundation

if it's the later, what's benefit using the block to support the
column? wouldn't be better for the column to go straight down through
the subfloor and rest directly on the existing beam?

Depends on what you mean by better.
Better related to the load path? Yes, in that all the pieces will be imperfect and have a little gap between them that has to close up before the load is applied. Note that wood has more strength along the grain so install the wood blocking vertically, not horizontally as most other blocking.
Better related to buildability and cost? No. It is done this way for a reason. It is much easier and therefore faster and keeps costs down.
This is an extremely common detail and if you're architect and engineer are doing their job correctly, then there are no issues.


Why do you need to have gate valves fully open? My house's main water shutoff is a gate valve. My plumber has told me several times to remember always to make sure the valve is either completely open or completely closed, never in between.

I'm wondering why this is. The water pressure does not appear to be any different if the valve is halfway open or fully open, so why does it matter?

I'm not doubting the plumber's advice. I'm just curious about why this is the case.

Secondarily, if gate valves should never be only partly open, why don't they just make them so that they have to be fully open or fully closed, like a ball valve? Are ball valves a newer invention?

If a gate valve is partially open, the stem that holds and moves the gate will be in the water stream. If left in this condition for a long period of time, the water stream will wear away the stem, especially the end that attaches to the gate. The usual failure mode is that the valve is closed (stem pushes on the gate), but then as one tries to open it the stem pulls out of the gate and the valve will not reopen.


How should I fix blemishes in a stained particle board table top? I have a table that has a particle board too. I cleaned off excess debris, sanded the board, applied a pre stain wood conditioner to it, stained it espresso and there are blemishes that are showing through...what I do? Can I sand it again and start process over? Help?

It would help to know exactly what you want to accomplish because there's likely a better finishing method than stain in your situation. A good first step is a paste wood filler to smooth out the surface imperfections. You may need to shop around a bit or online, and it's helpful to decide on a finish first.

Paint is the easiest solution, any you have some flexibility with sheen and texture if you open your options to chalk and milk paint. That being said, many people don't care for painted furniture and "stain" is often a code word for wanting a clear topcoat which is problematic with paint.

Lacquer is much more common than paint for factory finishes. It's not brush friendly but you can buy it in spray cans. On its own you'll get a durable fingernail polish type of finish, while preserving the option of adding a clear lacquer topcoat.

For problem pieces a gel stain is a much better option than stain conditioner. They're thicker than conventional stains so they don't absorb unequally. The advantage for you would be the ability to apply polyurethane as a topcoat. It's also much more rag and brush friendly than lacquer.


Acceptable voltage between earth, Line,Neutral - Single Phase I have a 240V+-10V 2 Wire Single Phase (UK) supply with TT earth bonding (earth rod).

The breakers are double pole.

The issue is with a lighting radial circuit.

This is a new electrical installation and the electricians are about to finish.

The lights that are connected to the circuit power up fine.

One light is not yet connected to the switched live.

With one CB on I probed (using a multimeter, I aware this might not be the best way to test) between Neutral and earth and there was 230 Volts.
I probed at a fixture (neutral to earth) and again, 230 Volts

What is an acceptable voltage between Live/Line and Earth?
What is an acceptable voltage between Neutral and Earth?
Should there be voltage between live or neutral to earth?

Is voltage between neutral and earth normal or could there be a fault?

This video states that there should be 0-0.5V between earth and neutral

This post on Quora states that

  A rule-of-thumb used by many in the industry is that Neutral to ground voltage of 2V or less at the receptacle is okay, while a few volts or more indicates overloading; 5V is seen as the upper limit.

Normal case:

Live-neutral: around 240v

Live-earth: around 240v

Earth-neutral: around 0v

With neutral and live swapped:

Live-neutral: around 240v

Live-earth: around 0v

Earth-neutral: around 240v

So maybe you have a setup were neutral and live got swapped. That's not a safe setup. But to be sure, please check the difference in voltage for all 3 cases.


Cannot determine which breaker has my 3 dead outlets on My wife cut through the extension cord while hedge trimming outside in front. It cut power to that particular GFCI outlet. There is another GFCI outlet in back also dead as well as standard receptacle in garage dead. There are no visible tripped circuit breakers. I reset (flipped off then on, making sure breakers are snug in the slots) ALL breakers in my panel. Did not help. Tried to reset the Test and Reset buttons on both GFCI receptacles, but pushing the reset buttons do not make test button pop back out. How can I find which breaker controls these outlets? Could all 3 outlets all be dead?

It's possible that your GFCI outlets are mis-wired in a daisy chain.  What happened then is that when the cord cutting event occurred all the GFCI's on the circuit tripped.  While you found two there is likely another.

GFCI's must have a power feed to bevreset. If they are improperly daisy chained they must be reset "in order", as the first one provides the power feed to the next.  They can not be reset out of order.

If this is the case you can choose to live with the situation as it is and just "know" the secret to resetting them.  Another choice is re-wire the circuit so that the GFCI's are no longer daisy chained and each can be reset on its own accord.  If that route is taken the circuit should be carefully evaluated so that GFCI protection is not eliminated at a location requiring GFCI protection (such as that standard outlet in the garage that you mentioned in the question).


What's the best/easiest way to paint edges? Been doing a lot of interior painting lately and I always find the edges — by the ceiling, windows, baseboards, etc. — the most tedious.

What's the best way to paint the edges — old fashioned cut brush?  Some of these special edging tools they have at all the home stores?  Some other method?

A good old fashioned, quality paint brush.

Get a good quality paint brush and take good care of it.  It's a lot less time intensive to use a good brush and make a good line than it is to have to tape it first.


How important is circuit breaker breaking capacity? All else being equal circuit breakers can have different "breaking capacity" - it's the maximum current which the breaker can disconnect and it's typically several thousand amperes. The idea is that after that the electric arc can start inside the breaker and it will continue conducting current even with contacts moved apart.

Now how important is the actual value? Suppose I'm shopping for a 20 amperes breaker for my apartment. The retailer offers models with breaking capacities of 1,3 kiloamperes, 3,5 kiloamperes and 5 kiloamperes and higher breaking capacity comes for higher price. Do I always choose the highest breaking capacity? How do I make my choice?

I am not a physicist, but i don't think the larger more expensive breaker is going to make much difference in your residential situation.  If you draw 1,300 amps, not only will the breaker arc over, but your wiring will be arcing, burning , not to mention your main breaker and service entry cable from the utility, which is probably only 4/0 alu rated at 200 amps with a max out of 400amps. Keep in mind that excessive current will heat up conductors and cause them to melt ,burn etc, thus allowing shorting between conductors. It is voltage that supplies the potential to arc. All wire and devices for residential use are rated for 600VAC min, unless the insulation is compromised. At 1,300 amps, every wire and devise will become a fuse! Call 911


Why is my primer peeling off like plastic, and what can I do to fix it? I stripped the peeling paint off my wall. Its like grey concrete? plaster below. So I used universal primer on it.  But as I was leaning against the wall today, the paint wrinkled beneath my hand and I could just peel it off like plastic.

What can I do, why is this happening? There is no obvious sign of damp

If the house is in the 100 year old range or older it be be a calcimide coating on the walls and ceilings. It is more of a white wash than paint. If you wipe your hand on the wall and you see a chaulky white powder on your hand, it may be calcimide. The powder prevents the paint from adhering. Sanding does not seem to help because the coating is absorbed into the porous plaster. It must be sealed or removed prior to primming. I have had decent results using Binz or Kilz first then prime and paint.


Is the insulation on this cable burned? I read in other answers with similar photos that this is tar from insulation. The insulation is not that old (30 years). Is this burned cable or tar or something else?

First, de-energize the cable entirely until you are sure.

Dip a rag in paint thinner, not dripping, just slightly moist.  Wipe the spot.  If it spreads all over the place and eventually cleans off the cable entirely, it's tar.  Burn marks won't wipe away.


Polishing Metal Rail I'm hoping someone can identify what type of metal this outside balcony rail is and offer advice on how to polish it.  I tried Brasso.  It did not seem to really do anything.  Possibly I need to scrub with brush?  I used cloth.

So,
1. Anyone know what kind of metal this is?
2. How does one make it look nicer?

Thanks,

Dave

The metal appears to be copper. There are house hold cleaners for copper bottom pots that will help clean this. Wrights copper cream is a product my Mom uses. You may need a "car buffer" with a cloth bonnet to do a large area. After getting it bright and clean a spray with a clear lacquer will keep it looking nice for several years. Without sealing it will quickly tarnish again. I think lemon juice and baking soda will also work but may take more elbow grease than wrights.


Ufer grounding with multiple systems When installing the ufer ground in a single building, with an expansion joint connected properly with bonding jumpers, and the foundation rebar is completely connected throughout the 800,000 sq ft pad. There is a ground ring, water systems will be grounded, grounding rods will also be placed throughout the building connecting
i beams, and of course the systems individually connected to building steel also. So would only 1 ufer be needed for the 6 distribution systems that feed the building,  or would each 6 systems need its own ufer ground?

You only need 1 Grounding Electrode System no matter how many services, systems, or tenants you have in your building

All the grounding electrodes in a building are required to be bonded together to form a single grounding electrode system for the building, as per NEC 250.50:

  250.50 Grounding Electrode System. All grounding electrodes as described in 250.52(A)(1) through (A)(7) that are
  present at each building or structure served shall be bonded
  together to form the grounding electrode system. Where none
  of these grounding electrodes exist, one or more of the
  grounding electrodes specified in 250.52(A)(4) through
  (A)(8) shall be installed and used.

  Exception: Concrete-encased electrodes of existing buildings or structures
  shall not be required to be part of the grounding electrode system where
  the steel reinforcing bars or rods are not accessible for use without
  disturbing the concrete.

Furthermore, NEC 250.58 requires that all services feeding a structure use the same grounding electrode system:

  250.58 Common Grounding Electrode. Where an ac system is
  connected to a grounding electrode in or at a building or structure, the same electrode shall be used to ground conductor
  enclosures and equipment in or on that building or structure.
  Where separate services, feeders, or branch circuits supply a
  building and are required to be connected to a grounding electrode(s), the same grounding electrode(s) shall be used.

  Two or more grounding electrodes that are bonded together
  shall be considered as a single grounding electrode system in
  this sense.


What's the purpose of the paper in NM-B cabling? I mean isn't it a (slight) fire hazard?

From what I can tell, the paper around the bare grounding conductor is simply a separator. Where as the paper wrapped around all the conductors, is there to hold the assembly together while the outer jacket is applied.

  Source

  with a bare copper ground wire wrapped in paper and laid
  parallel between the insulated conductors. The entire assembly is wrapped with a paper separator before applying the PVC outer
  jacket.

  Source

  4.) Separator: A suitable paper wrap, applied over the ground

  5.) Assembly: 2 conductors and ground laid parallel and overall paper wrap or 3 and 4 conductors and ground twisted together.

It can have a negative effect, if the cable is exposed to liquid.  According to Underwriters Laboratories

  In general, cables with PVC insulation and jacket can withstand immersion in clean water for a short period of time without being damaged as long as the ends are not immersed....

  If the ends of the cable are immersed for any period of time, however, the internal paper wrapping around the bare equipment-grounding conductor will absorb and transfer the water into the cable assembly. The water may then start degrading the insulation or possibly corrode the conductors. If the cable comes into contact with contaminated water, the contaminants may also act on the insulation or conductors. Over time, failures can occur.


Smart dimmer: neutral, ground and copper wire capped together I called an electrician today to help me install These smart dimmers (Amazon link)  in my home. For one of the dimmers, he tied up the neutral and ground wires from the dimmer to the copper ground wire in the wall. Is this ok (see picture)?
When he first opened the box, he noticed that there was no neutral wire and then used a voltmeter to see if he can use the copper wire to connect to the neutral. After he concluded it was fine, he connected it and then just capped the green wire off (not connected to anything). When I asked him about connecting the neutral to the copper ground, he said it was fine. He then explained something to me but there was a bit of a language barrier, plus I'm not familiar with electrical work. He then said there are incidences where it is also acceptable to wire the ground, neutral and copper together, so he did that. I also asked him if connecting the three was ok and then he said yes it is safe.
I will also note that I was having a hard time connecting the smart dimmer to my phone when just the neutral and copper were together. Once he added in the ground to the two, it connected to my phone. Not sure if this is a coincidence or not?

If  and only if the dimmer's instructions say so
Bootlegging neutral off ground is not allowed, no.
However, a small number of dimmers are made to do that.  The instructions say to use ground for neutral if neutral is not available; otherwise they want you to use neutral.  This method has been approved by UL, and they approved the instructions as part of that.


LEDs are burning out quickly I am an DIYer and replaced bathroom light fixtures 3 years ago.  Was using halogen and incandescent bulbs, but decided to switch entire house to LED.  I admit that I purchased these bulbs from the dollar store and that may be part of the problem.  Four of the nine bulbs have burned out after a few months. However, I just bought a new batch of bulbs from Home Depot, but do not want to install them if there could be another issue.  It is in a bathroom and there are 3 fixtures chained together with 3 bulbs apiece.  I believe the wiring is all correct or the fixtures would not have worked for 3 years?  Right?  The only other thing to note is that the switch itself is one of those lit ones that you see at night. That was also causing a problem with the LED bulbs glowing at night because they were picking up the current from the switch. Did some internet searching to solve that one. I changed the last bulb in the series to a different type of LED and the glow disappeared.

Do you feel it is the bulbs, switch.  Or, possibly the wiring?

I'm pretty sure it's a quality issue, possibly exacerbated by minor power issues that probably can't be fixed.

Several years ago, I found a 2-pack of bulbs at Costco. They were LG bulbs and pretty pricey ($15/bulb if memory serves). Other than having my kids break the glass cover (bulb works fine), those bulbs have lasted through years of regular use.

By contrast I bought a 12-pack on a Black Friday sale a couple of years ago. While some bulbs are doing just fine, I've had to replace 3, although one might have been due to a dimmer that was on one fixture before I swapped it for a normal switch. I've even had some cheaper "branded" bulbs burn out on me within a year.

So what gives? There's a few reasons why cheaper bulbs burn out quicker. The largest is that LED bulbs have to perform a power transformation before they can power the LEDs. Cheaper bulbs invariably means cheaper components to transform that power. Add in that your house might not have the best wiring or random power fluctuations and you have a recipe for disaster for these cheap components.

I would check your voltage to make sure it's steady. If it's not, buying a dimmable LED for those locations might be advisable. Because they're built for the power change they tend to have higher quality power transformation.


How can I secure my spindles? My house has 3 stories, and from the first floor to the second it has spindles.

My issue with them is that they seem very rickety, and don't support any weight what so ever.

Is it possible to secure them?

The top set seem to be much worse than the bottom.

Stair hand rails are primarily supported at the top and bottom by the newel posts. While some additional support is needed in a span over 5 or 6 feet, the handrail does not need dozens of braces. You will often see an inside wall handrail with attachments that are several feet apart. The spindles are primarily intended for safety, to prevent someone from slipping under the handrail on an open staircase.

No spindles on a full handrail run would allow the rail to flex too much, so they are necessary. But if a number of them are loose, there is little likelihood of risk unless the attachment at the newels is also compromised.

Having said that, it makes sense to firm up the spindles. Driving 1 1/2 or 2" finish nails on an angle, pinning the tops and bottoms of the spindles to the handrail and the base should probably do it (much easier with a nailgun).


How can I waterproof a bathroom ceiling? I live in an apartment building. The resident upstairs has overflowed her bathtub 3 times in 2 years. The water damaged my ceiling and has been repaired twice. Now the ceiling will be replaced at her expense. What is the best material to use for this -- knowing that it seems likely an overflow could easily happen again with this resident. MY building super advised that it's better to leave the current plaster ceiling (built 1953) because it has some small rocks and gravel that are intended to absorb small amounts water. He recommends putting a
"water resistant" drywall over the current ceiling.  What is the best long term solution for me ?
Is there a waterproof drywall?  If waterproof drywall would have water spilled from upstairs, would it become watersogged in time? Or would the water sit in the ceiling cavity, possibly collecting mold ?
What is the best long-term solution for me?

The better solution is to fix your neighbor's overflow drain so it doesn't happen again.  I can't imagine that any of these solutions isn't going to result in a mold problem if they're allowed to get very wet in an already damp environment and then not be removed and replaced.


Is this termite ? Please help [ Update: I went to the back side of the walls, ie exterior. And updated a few more photos. Possibly the cause ]

   Saw this small holes over my fireplace. And lot of sand like stuff on the ground.

When I put my ear against the wall, I think I hear something.

Photos attached.

Is this because of termites ?

Adding three more photos for more context. First show inside of house, second size, its next to the fireplace. And one to show the back of it, where we have brick walls.

====  The wood looks damaged, possibly from water ===

I've seen bees do the same kind of damage, however those are small holes. I have also seen the smaller almost yellow jacket looking insects burrow into wood also, but I'm no entomologist so I couldn't tell you whathat they may be. I do know that spraying some wasp killer into those holes will most likely get rid of the problem if you don't wanna pay an exterminator. Those bees would burrow into the wooden beams on the outside porch. To eradicate them I'd plug all the holes but one and spray into the remaining exit, but they always come back. I've not seen them indoors though.
Edit* Just remembered another method of eradication - WD40 works just fine, and the tiny straw will fit right in those holes. Hope that helps.


Can I use 18g cord for one light bulb? I would Like to hang some pendant lights from my ceiling. I want to use this wire. I would only put one bulb (like this)  on each length of cord and connect them all to the 12-2 at the ceiling. Is this going to work or will I burn my house down? also is there a limit to how long my cord length can be

18 gauge wire is commonly used in mass-produced lamps. I don't see a problem with using it for single runs of 60w max. It's rated for 7 amps at up to 50 feet. You'll draw about half an amp.

However, the connections you make are perhaps more critical. Be sure to use sound methods when bringing the wires together at the source.


Vent pipe related odor Odor happens when adjacent bathroom toilet is flushed and is only smelled in adjacent laundry room???
Was really bad at Thanksgiving when we had about 14 extra people in our house for several days. Odor comes and goes.

Your toilet and washing machine standpipe probably empty into the same pipe.

There should be a p-trap at the bottom of your washing machine standpipe that always holds water, sealing it so that sewer gases cannot enter the building through the standpipe.

There should also be a vent pipe running upward from the washing machine waste pipe, just downstream from the standpipe's p-trap. It has to be in a position where the slope and distance down the pipe ensure an air gap (consult the plumbing code).

If there isn't a vent, there are a few things that could potentially happen.

One is that when water is flushed through the washing machine drain, the pressure could suction the water out of the p-trap, leaving it unsealed. Sewer gases would then enter the residence through the open pipe.
Another is that the sewer gases have higher pressure than the air in the house. So if the vent isn't there to allow the gas an easy path out of the house, it will bubble up through the water in the p-trap.
Another possibility is that the pressure from flushing the toilet is suctioning the water out of the p-trap at the bottom of the washing machine standpipe because there's no air break (the break--free flowing air--defeats the hydraulic pressure that could otherwise "suck" all the water out of the p-trap).

If there is a functional vent in the right place, the free flowing air through the vent will cause a break in the suction that might otherwise pull water out of the trap, and it also provides a low-resistance path for the higher pressure sewer gases to take, so that they don't bubble up through the trap into your dewlling.

It's also possible, assuming the plumbing is correctly vented, that the vent stack is plugged somewhere. Bird nest on the roof in the end of the pipe?

If it's a remodel, I suppose it's also possible that there is no p-trap on the washing machine standpipe at all, in which case sewer gas would flow freely into the laundry room.

It's also possible that you have a broken pipe, either the vent pipe or something downstream from the p-trap in the laundry room, or that you have a badly-done joint in the vent stack that is leaking gas into the room.


Calculate electrical box volume needed I am replacing some 15A 14/2 outlets.  All went fine except the last.  I think the box is not large enough.

(3) 14/2 coming into the box; one is the live the other two go to other outlets
All grounds in a wire nut, single ground going to outlet ground.
2 of the hot from the outgoing are connected via wire nut, single hot going into the push pin connector
hot from the live in the other push pin
the 3 neutrals are in the two push pins and the screw connector (no wire nut used)

How do I count this?  I'm pretty sure the 3x2x2.5 box is not enough.

All grounds count 1. (per @ThreePhaseEel's comment, more than 4 are now 1/4 count each as of NEC2020)
One yoke device (the outlet) is 2
6 wires terminating in the box are 6
If there are cable clamps in the box, those count as 1. If they are outside the box, they don't count.
14Ga so 2 cubic inches per count.
So: 18 or 20 cubic inches. Pigtails (wires that don't leave the box) are free. Wires count the same if they terminate on a wire nut or terminate on a device.  Your box isn't big enough, you are correct about that. A box can be legit and still be hard to pack in (the free things are not really free that way) but the box you have is not legit as wired.
Side note. Using the backstabs is highly dubious and frowned upon by anyone who has removed a half-melted device using them, or actually had a fire started by them. How they ever got approval is beyond me. Use the side screw clamps or devices that have a screw clamp on a different type of back wire entry.


How do I find what these breakers go to? I recently mapped every appliance, receptacle, light fixture, switch to their respective breaker in the master 200A electrical panel.  When I was finished I ended up with 2 20A breakers that did not go to anything I could find.  The breakers were on when we bought the house.  I have since shut them off not knowing what they go to.

Is there any other way to trace them or should I just not worry about them and leave them shut off?

Short of buying and using a tracer, I'd check for:

appliances that were converted to another fuel source
appliances that you aren't using currently (e.g. AC or sprinkler system in the winter)
appliances that you may not notice aren't working, like sump pumps and radon fans
check outdoors, detached structures, in crawl spaces, and attics that you may have missed when labeling the circuits
check for outlets that may have been used to connect a generator

Lastly, if you turned off just these circuits to see what stopped working, do the reverse. Turn everything else off except the one circuit. It's entirely possible that someone bridged two circuits together somewhere.

The location in the panel may give you a clue. Similar appliances are often grouped near each other, and additions tend to be added to empty spaces at the bottom.


Should you coat exposed roofing nails with neoprene washers Was on my roof cleaning pine needles and noticed that my roof had a number of exposed nails that have neoprene washers near flashing and on the last ridge shingle on each peak.
Should I seal over these with roofing tar or will the washer be sufficient protection? There is no signs of leaking from inside the attic and the roof is ~ 5 years old

The point of the neoprene is to make the seal. No additional sealant is typically required.
See also: Millions of ribbed steel roofing screws with rubber washers under their heads.


Why is new paint flaking off one area? Paint started flaking off a small portion of a recently painted wall (replastered entirely), I assume this is because we failed to apply the mist coat properly.

We did apply a mist coat, but might have missed this area a bit...

What is the best approach for this? Remove flaky paint with scraper, sand down, clean and reapply mist coat + extra layer of paint to affected area? Trying to avoid this happening again!

I am not sure what a mist coat is but it looks like there was dust that kept the mud or paint from sticking. If you had used a skim coat of mud without cleaning the surface as it dries it can flake off. The same is true on top of the mud--if it's dusty the paint may stick to the dust and flake off when dry, so in both cases a good wipe down is needed to prevent these kind of problems.


Multiple 30A outlets on the same breaker I am upgrading my Garage/Shop electrical installation and adding a few 30Amp circuits. Is there any electrical code restrictions to have multiple 30A outlets on the same 30A breaker?

No, as long as you don't overload the circuit of course

This is stated most clearly in NEC 210.23(B):

  210.23 Permissible Loads, Multiple-Outlet Branch Circuits. In no case shall the load exceed the branch-circuit
  ampere rating. A branch circuit supplying two or more outlets or receptacles shall supply only the loads specified
  according to its size as specified in 210.23(A) through (D)
  and as summarized in 210.24 and Table 210.24.

...

  (B) 30-Ampere Branch Circuits. A 30-ampere branch circuit shall be permitted to supply fixed lighting units with
  heavy-duty lampholders in other than a dwelling unit(s) or
  utilization equipment in any occupancy. A rating of any one
  cord-and-plug-connected utilization equipment shall not
  exceed 80 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating.


How can I get a smoother finish when painting trim? I'm reinstalling some crown molding and decided to do some touching up while it's down. I had previously done some touch-ups on the same style in another room, and never quite got it perfectly smooth. How can I prevent brush strokes from showing on the finished product?

Some factors I've thought about:

Should I go buy a top-of-the line brush?
Would thinning the latex paint with water help?
Should I just go get a paint sprayer to save myself some time? (And hey, another excuse to buy a new tool is always great!)

Follow-up: I went ahead and bought an airless paint sprayer on sale for $60 and used Floetrol as well. (My 1 gallon compressor couldn't supply the cfm required for the HVLP sprayers I considered.) As shirlock suggested, I had to go over the trim with a brush afterward, but I think it was the most efficient method to use. A few minutes of spraying followed by a quick brush over was all it took for 30+ ft of crown molding. I think I actually spent longer cleaning out the sprayer afterwards than I did painting.

Getting a smooth finish without purchasing an expensive HVLP sprayer is fairly easy.  Start with any good grade paint, and treat it with Flotrol acrylic additive at a rate of about 1/2 pint per gallon and mix well.  If you get a real thick paint, you can increase the amount of Flowtrol up to one pint per gallon max.  I use and recommend Purdy brushes.  For trim, I like a sash brush, (angled style). Be sure to pick out a brush for latex paint, usually a combo of nylon and poly bristles. The ends of the bristles need to be very tapered and soft. Check out the Purdy ExtraGlides for latex.

Your technique is important also.  Always try to finish with long smooth strokes only using the very tips of the bristles.   Properly treated paint and the right brush used well will give you fantastic results.  Good luck.


Were these gutters installed correctly? Had these gutters installed last year.  During a rain storm, water runs behind the gutter and down the fascia.   What good is my drip edge doing, if it is BEHIND the gutter?

This is a common problem when gutters are installed at a later date  after the roof and drip edge are finished.
Ideally, the shingles would be extended over to the gutter but that wasn't done here in anticipation of future gutters.  One solution is to run some caulking between the top edge of the cutter and the drip edge. Another solution, and a better one which I have done, is to get some flashing from your home store and slide it under your bottom row of shingles and overlap the back edge of the gutter. These are solutions that could have been worked out when the gutters were installed if you knew what to look for or if the installer was looking out for you.


Turning an HMO into a family home I am considering purchasing a house that for the past ten years has been an HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy - so each room is rented separately, with a shared kitchen). I'm in the UK.

Because of this, what would have been the two downstairs reception rooms are currently styled as bedrooms, complete with en-suite shower room each. The ground floor of the house also has a bit of a weird flow to it (no floorplan available so I drew one based on a video tour of the house. thin lines are windows, open lines are doors; it's not to scale. red line shows original house before extension. The image is oriented with East at the top, and the back garden is east-facing. All dimensions are height x width as far as I can tell):

Upstairs is fine, it's just a typical three-bed house (one en-suite and a family bathroom); all above the original home (i.e. the extension is single-story).

I'm not against knocking down walls etc. What can I do to make this house feel like a family home, and flow better between rooms; and also get light into the dining room?

My initial thoughts are:

Move the front door to the right of the stairs, and extend the dining room down into the hallway (remove the wall to the left of the dining room door, add a wall joining to the under-stairs cupboard with a door in it)
Remove the en-suite in the lounge and the dividing wall, and have patio doors out into the garden at the top of the image. From what I can see from old pictures, the lounge used to have that configuration anyway. I could then additionally add a door from the removed en-suite into the dining room, near the kitchen and block up the current door into the lounge.

OR, perhaps, to make it more of a Q&A type question, what in general gives a family home good "flow"? or Would the suggestions I have made be feasible, what sort of costs would I be looking at, and would they help the flow?

I used to live in a house with a dining room that had no outside windows (Also in the UK).  Similarly to yours it had a kitchen extension behind it (SW-facing.  It had a big window between the two, and a partially glazed door which we replaced with a fully glazed on (lots of little panes). At the front we had a slight advantage over you - the dining room was semi-open-plan to the living room (it had a half height wall).  There was an RSJ as the original wall had been taken down.

The dining room was very dark when we moved in.  Just replacing the dark wallpaper with pale paint in the dining room itself and the lounge made a huge difference.  Improvements we made to the kitchen helped too.

In your case, I'd look at:

Removing walls that have been added (e.g. probably those between bedrooms and their en-suites)
Adding internal windows between the living spaces.  In fact it might be a matter of restoring original windows in the S (right) wall between the DR and lounge 2, as that was the original external wall, though L2 might have been converted from  garage to a bedroom given the size and location.  Depending on how much light comes into L2 these will make a big difference (while L2's windows face S, they're neither front nor back windows so could well be shaded by next door.
Adding internal windows/glazed doors (maybe double doors) between the dining room and hallway. I wouldn't knock the wall down even if it's not structural:  A front door and stairs in the living/dining room can be perceived as belonging to a cheap house, can be draughty, and with your open-plan layout into the kitchen could lead to cooking smells  in the bedrooms.

These ideas would be a little cheaper than yours while still opening the house out into something that feels more like a single home.

On thing to watch with HMOs is that extensions may have been built or garages converted on the cheap with little insulation in the right place, so before you get too far you should check.


Toilet tank slow to refill (bowl refills normally)...bad overflow tube? This is definitely a conundrum:  not even our local hardware store could figure this one out!  So, here goes:

We have a fairly new one-piece toilet in our guest bathroom that now takes forever to refill its tank!  Note that there isn't a problem with the bowl refilling...that fills up fairly normally and rapidly.  Also, this is a relatively recent change:  this toilet actually used to be the fastest flushing toilet in the house.

Here is what I checked:

A visual inspection has uncovered no cracks/leaks from the tank
portion of the toilet.
No problems with the flapper valve (we aren't
getting plagued with random "ghost flushes", and the flapper appears
to be seated well and sealing properly on each flush).
The water valve is fully open.
Just for the curious: the other toilet continues to flush normally.

Here's where the puzzle comes in:  based on all of these observations and watching the problem toilet in action, it appears that the problem is the overflow tube, which I have never heard of (nor anyone else).  The fill tube running from the fill valve is stationed to run water down the overflow tube--as I understand it, this is normal and is what allows the bowl to refill.  But when flushed, it takes over four minutes for the tank to fill.

Here is another reason I suspect the overflow tube:  it just so happens that the clip holding the fill tube in place over the overflow tube is wearing out. One time when I had the tank cover off and was repositioning the refill tube back in its proper place, on a whim I decided to hold the refill tube outside of the overflow tube, so that it would send its water directly into the tank, and flushed to see what would happen.  The toilet bowl and tank filled rapidly--as one would normally expect--and shut off promptly.

What in the world is going on here?  I appreciate any serious guesses!

The overflow tube drains directly into the bowl, not the tank. The only way I can think that it would prevent the tank from filling is if it was cracked or had a hole in it and allowed tank water to drain into the bowl. If this was the case, you would notice the fill valve cycling if it was a slow leak or never shutting off if it were a large leak.  The reason the tank fills quickly when you divert the bowl refill tube into the tank is that you are simply not splitting the water from the fill value between the tank and bowl any more.

It sounds like your fill valve assembly is the problem.  The fill value has 2 outlets, one that directs into the tank, and the other that sends water into your bowl refill tube. My best guess is that something inside of the fill value got clogged with sediment, hard water deposits, or something else that restricted it. These are relatively cheap to replace and likely not worth the time to clean them out in my opinion.


Ryobi 18v. Lithium says fully charged but no energy Recently I was using a Ryobi cordless drill to work on some drainage equipment. Unfortunately it caused a spill and a little water got on me and the drill. I did not think it was a lot of water (and I thought the battery had stayed dry), but after that the drill's battery stopped working. When I place it on the charger, the charger says that the battery is fully charged, but the battery's power indicator button doesn't cause it to light up and I can't get it to run a flashlight.

Is the battery kaput? Or is there something I can do to salvage it?

The classic fix for electronics that have been dunked in water is to put the item in a sealed plastic bag with a bunch of uncooked rice for at least a few days. The rice will draw the moisture out of the electronics, and you might get lucky.

Alternately (and I have no personal experience with this), it seems like Ryobi has a good warranty policy. If the rice doesn't work, you might try that route.


Should I add a return or another supply to a large room with only one supply? I just moved into a new house and I have that one room that always seems to be hot. It's on the 2nd floor of the house with the attic over it. The other 2 rooms on the 2nd floor are always a nice temperature.

The room is 23x20 with 9ft ceilings. There are 3 windows in the center of the back wall and the supply is centered over those windows.

There is no return at all in this room. I was wondering if I added a return would it help out with the heat. If I'm already adding a return then does it make sense to add another supply and if so where? Would it make sense to add a supply at the front and back of the rooms and the return in the middle (all in the ceiling)?

Adding a return and/or additional supplies may help. Adding a supply and a return would almost certainly help -- it might be overkill, but you could always close them off if needed.

The important point, however, is that this is a question of balance relative to other rooms. Knowing the best solution requires understanding the layout of your home and the sources of heating/cooling load. You mentioned this room has 3 windows; are they exposing this room to more solar heat gain than other rooms? Is it properly insulated? Are other rooms over-supplied? Is your home's entire cooling system undersized? All these factors should be considered before you make a change like adding ductwork. It could be that you need insulation, curtains, or even something as simple as closing vents in some other rooms.

There's a fair bit you might learn with some experimentation. Someone with HVAC expertise who can walk through your house would likely be able to evaluate quickly and suggest reasonable options. You could also have someone do detailed heat load calculations, but that may be overkill for your situation.


What mix of cement and sand should I use to set cap slabs? We have a number of "slabs" that are just wider than a brick, which are set on top of walls in the garden. A number of them have come lose and I need to remove the cement mix that used to hold them down and set them again.

What mix of cement and sand should I use, and are there other things I should mix in to ensure the mortar has a good "grip" on the stone that sits on top of the wall?

you could use a Construction adhesive like Liquid Nails or Beats the Nail.  This works well for cap stones, since they are usually not a structural part of the wall.


How can I get my ceiling fan lights working again? After my light kit on my hunter type 2 fan stopped working I determined there is power entering this device (white wire) but none exiting it (pink wire). The pink wire runs to the pull chain for the lights.  I went so far as to buy another fan assembly with new light kit and replace the whole thing but I have the same problem. Fan works, lights don't.  Same issue power into the device , nothing out?  Any ideas?   I have replaced the fan for now with a 5 bulb ( 40 watt each) light fixture which is working fine.  Frustrating.....

There should be black, white and green (or bare) wires at the fan.

The green or bare connects to all metal work-box and/or green screws.

The white, neutral connects to the fan white and the light white.

The black goes to the light via any switch it may have.


My neighbor keeps complaining about my music. How to soundproof my apartment? I live in an old apartment building and the walls are thin. This is a problem because I love to listen to music -- sometimes at odd hours of the night. Yes, I can be an asshole in this way. But my neighbor bangs against the wall even when I'm being perfectly reasonable (his bedroom seems to share a wall with my living room). And it's not just the low frequencies that get to him. He knocks against the wall even when I turn the subwoofer off on my speakers, which are located on the opposite wall.

This is kinda unacceptable. This is my home! What can I do so that I can live in it the way I want?

Unfortunately, since you do not own the space and cannot make deep changes to it, your options are limited. The general idea is to "decouple" the sound generation equipment from any rigid structural members, and to then isolate the air space that you are vibrating from any neighboring air spaces, so that the vibrations induced by the moving air into rigid surfaces is reduced to the minimum that is feasible to obtain.

Bass frequencies are going to be next to impossible to isolate; the best you will probably be able to do is to put your subwoofer on a folded towel, so that its contact with the ground is buffered and so the chassis can't induce as much vibration. Also try moving the subwoofer more than two feet away from any wall. this reduces the "coupling" effect that a subwoofer has with vertical surfaces, which sets them vibrating sympathetically (increasing the bass response as heard by you, but also transmitting it through structure).

Treble frequencies are much less penetrating, because their high frequency makes them easier to cancel out by their own reflection, even if that reflection doesn't produce a perfectly inverse wave. Basically, you will want to hang or install something very thick and substantial, but soft, on the wall that separates you from your neighbor. This soft material will literally absorb the sound by being compressible but not elastic; it absorbs the pressure wave without transmitting it through itself, so that the sound cannot contact and be conducted through the wall. Good candidates are polyester batting (i.e. quilts, insulating curtains), egg foam, acoustical panels, etc. Understand that these will also reduce the reverb time of the room, which will make the room sound "deader" and will make your stereo sound quieter as you will only get the sound waves emanating directly from the speakers instead of what's bouncing around the room.

Understand that if your neighbor wants it pin-drop quiet, your only real solution is to use headphones, or move. Sound pressure levels are measured on a logarithmic scale; an increase of 10dBA is a doubling of the perceived loudness, and a 10x increase in the energy contained in the sound waves. So, even if you were able to absorb 90% of the energy of the sound waves that are currently going through the wall to your neighbor (which is admirable, and will be expensive to achieve without tearing down walls), you'd only cut the volume as heard by your neighbor in half. If you were playing your stereo at a comfortably rockin' 85dBA, for the sound to be below your neighbor's threshold of hearing in a space with no perceptible ambient noise, you would have to block 99.999999% of the sound produced by your stereo. This is, I deem, impossible to achieve in an apartment built to standard multi-family residential code; to achieve this, you pretty much have to build an entirely new room within the existing room that is suspended on vibration-absorbing struts. This is NOT a project you undertake in a space you don't own outright and control down to the foundations.


Main service electric panel has no neutral wire - both neutral and ground wires on same bar - sub panel question My main service panel is 200 amps and has only 2 black wires coming in, there is no neutral wire like I was told is commonly how it should be. All neutral and ground wires for the individual circuits are connected to the same bar.

My question is in regards to a sub panel that is detached from the main house, the sub panel was already installed when I bought the house. The sub panel has 2 hot wires coming in the top and a ground. All breakers in the sub panel connect their neutral wire and their ground wire to the same bar. My understanding is that if your main panel has the neutral and ground wires bounded then the sub panel must not be. In my case both the main panel has the neutral and ground wire on the same bar, AND the sub panel has neutral and ground on the same bar. Is this a problem? If I have a fault in my neutral will the ground wire be electrified?

Up until 2011 the National Electrical Code allowed a "3 wire" method of connecting a sub-panel. This means you have the two "hot" wires and a neutral running to the sub-panel as opposed to the "4 wire" method where you add a separate equipment ground wire.

So, when your house was built, it was perfectly legal to use the 3 wire method. There is no problem with this unless you connect a metal pathway, such as a water pipe, from one building to the other. This allows neutral current to flow on this parallel path. This could be potentially lethal to someone working on the pipe.

As to the main panel not having a neutral: it does. If you look again you will see the two hot wires and a bare conductor. There is no ground wire on the service drop. The bare conductor is the neutral. This is allowed on the service drop, but from that point on all neutral conductors must be insulated. Ground wires are always allowed to be bare.

So, in short, there is no problem with your system unless you run a metallic system to the sub-panel building. This would create a problem.


How to get fresh air to flat without letting noise in My flat is at 4th floor just next to very noisy street (cars/trams); above my flat there's only roof (no other floors or attic). I have problems with fresh air inside because I try to keep my windows as closed as I can - not to let the noise in.

How can I let fresh air to come in not letting noise to come in?

Firstly, it may be good to at least consult an HVAC specialist regarding any code implications to vents and air return modification.

From a logistics standpoint, there are several manufacturers of 'silent' centripetal inline  fans made to mate to 4" round ducting on either side.

Pair this fan with a electronically controlled damper and some exterior access with a baffle/squirrel cage and some 4" round ducting and you should be able to force fresh air into a room, or series of rooms. One might be careful to allow access to fresh air, but without allowing in all of the other elements; Hence my suggestion for an electric controlled baffle that would prevent extremely cold or hot air from passively infiltrating when the system was not on.

Since you aren't necessarily concerned with heating or cooling the room, total CFM requirements may be a lower priority than distance/degrees of separation from inside to outside. If the inline fan was remotely located near the source of the fresh air, and the run was long enough, I would be confident that you could source the air, without all the noise pollution.

TL:DR

Exterior Weather Resistance Inlet -> Electric controlled damper -> Inline Fan -> necessary Ducting -> Interior Vent