Are there concerns with leaving part of a home's ground level unfinished? I'm designing a new house for myself, and I've always wanted a basement so I would have unfinished hobby space. The kind of space where you can get messy stuff on the ground like water, paint, sawdust, whatever, and nobody cares because it's just a basement.

In talking to concrete contractors, however, a full basement costs 3x as much as a slab, for only double the square footage of the main floor. In other words, I could have the same square footage for a lot less money by having a slab on grade that's twice as big, rather than putting a full basement underneath.

So, I want a "basement", but I don't care if it's actually below grade. So I was considering a design where there is just one floor on grade, and the "basement" is on the same level as the rest of the house.

By "basement", I mean a big (~800 sqft) unfinished room with a concrete (or epoxy) floor, unfinished walls, a floor drain, and everything an unfinished basement would have, just on grade level, not underneath the house. Unlike a garage, though, it would be climate controlled and not have any vehicle doors.

Are there any issues with having an unfinished room like this on the main level? Has anybody done it before? What would such a room be called? Would there be code issues, where inspectors wouldn't be able to figure out how to classify it?

Edit: Just to clarify a bit, by "unfinished", I meant not doing trim carpentry, not installing a finish floor over the concrete slab, and maybe not doing drywall if allowed by code. It would still have electrical sockets, lighting, insulation, air ducts.

Code has specific requirements based on what type of room it is. There are certain things that a "garage" requires, certain things that you can't do it a "closet", etc. I know that I don't want it to be a "garage" because "garages" have to be lower than the house for carbon monoxide, have steel doors, fire-rated drywall board, etc. "Garages" also use GFCI breakers where "bedrooms" need pricey arc-fault breakers. Bedrooms need egress windows. etc, etc.

So the essence of the question is, what should I call the room on the plans, so that it's governed by the most appropriate codes for what I'm trying to do? (My intent is to use it like an unfinished basement).

The full basement may cost 3 times what the corresponding slab size may cost from a concrete perspective. But you have to also consider the cost per square foot to build the structure that covers the slab/basement. If you double your slab size you need twice as large of structure to cover it. On the other hand the structure footprint is the same size whether it has a basement or a slab under it.


How do you remove hard water drop stains from (shower) glass? I wanted to apply Rain-X to the inside of glass walls in the shower to minimize upkeep and prevent further water stains. But if possible, I would like to get the glass really clean first. The previous owner did very little upkeep and the glass is covered with water drop stains.

I already tried Windex and lemon juice with little results.

I'll post a picture if necessary to show the type of stains.

CLR is best for removing buildup from calcium, lime, and rust. Just use it with care (well ventilated, and probably don't want it on your skin).


Is it Ok to mount a bathroom extractor fan at floor level? I am fitting a new shower to a downstairs bathroom (the room previously only have toilet & sink) and need to fit an extractor fan. The room borders onto an enclosed porch (uPVC doors & windows with sloped tiled roof above).

I could fit the fan near the ceiling and put the ducting through the wall into the porch then vertically through the roof to exit via a chimney in the tiled roof. This is the expensive and more invasive option.

What I would like to know is if it's possible/practical is to fit the extractor to just above the skirting board and have the duct go round the floor of the porch. I understand that hot air rises etc, but what I don't know is whether that really makes much difference if the fan can replace the air in the room sufficiently quickly.

First off, you misunderstand the intention of the extractor fan.  It is not to remove hot air.  It is to remove moisture from the air, and that's done to help protect against mold and mildew buildup.  This is particularly important in bathrooms where the door is usually left shut.

(It still helps with open door bathrooms too but in those cases the moisture will dissipate into the rest of the house on its own if a fan isn't used so it's less of a concern.)

Typically the moisture will be in the form of steam and will tend to want to rise to the ceiling.  In the "door shut" scenario the air will be coming in through the base of the door - so putting the fan on the floor won't really help remove any moisture.


grouting or caulking? bottom of tiled wall at tub rim At the tiled wall surrounding the tub, at the bottom of the tiles where the tiles end and intersect the tub rim, should it be grouted ( epoxy grout)? or leave it open and caulk with silicone caulking? Please advise!

Caulking always! Fill the tub 50% with water and caulk it. Allow the caulking to dry then drain the tub. If you caulk with no water in the tub poly, fiberglass and composite tubs stretch and tear the caulk when filled. Cast tubs are usually solid enough to not make a difference.


Any way to fix a shower handle dripping through the stem? Unlike most answers I've found, this valve is not leaking at the seat washer. I still replaced that since I had the valve open. I tried putting some packing inside the concentric nuts, the silver one that holds the cover and the bronze one that the silver one goes into. Still I cannot stop the drip which only happens when the valve is opened to run the water.

The valve while leaking:

The only discernible markings are around the stem with the word WOLVERINE stamped into the metal.

Here is a picture of the valve stem for further reference:

And here is a picture of the manifold the valve goes into behind the wall:

I did as Jack mentioned in the comments. I got some graphite packing compound and placed it around the stem between the two brass nuts. After tightening all down, some of the packing squeezed out around the stem and the silver nut where the drip was. That has stopped the water for now. I guess this is going to be an ongoing maintenance task until the packing wears away.


Which pipes are what in this basement rough-in? I have an unfinished basement that has rough-ins for plumbing.  I would like to finish it some day, and I'm trying to envision what a bathroom would look like.

What purpose are the pipes for?  Toilet?  Tub/Shower?  Sink?  Wetbar?

The small one in the top left coming out of the floor is likely for a shower or tub. The larger diameter pipe coming out of the floor is almost certainly for a toilet. The smaller pipe to the right of the toilet that continues up is for the lavatory (i.e. sink).

You can tell these things because:

The toilet requires a 3" rough-in.
Showers and tubs require rough-ins within the floor and the rough-in must contain a P-trap. So you can confirm that pipe in the top left is for a shower or tub by taking off the cap and pouring some water in it. If it "fills up" some before draining, you'll know it has a P-trap and is indeed for a shower or tub.
The sanitary tee in the pipe that continues up is placed approximately correctly for a vanity sink.


Re-done rooms now much hotter My daughters' rooms were re-done last fall - we tore out the closets, installed built-ins, replaced hollow doors with solid ones, did a bit of re-wiring for additional lights . . . During the spring we noticed that the rooms are now a lot hotter than the rest of the house.  And one room more than the other - by summer, this room was a good 10 degrees hotter than the rest of the house.

The guy who did the work says that the reason their rooms are now hotter is because they have more lights (they already had one overhead light, part of a fan - we added another light over their beds, and a vanity light, plus a lighted extending make-up mirror, all standard issue), and also because of the new solid doors.   In an attempt to compensate, I have turned out every light in the rooms and opened their doors wide, but it doesn't seem to help much.  And once the door closes which it inevitably does, it's definitely much hotter again.  We thought maybe some insulation in the attic got rolled back when the new overhead lights were installed, but everything seems to be in place.

Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.  Thank you for the help.

If it was worse insulation, the room would be colder in the winter and hotter in the summer.

If it's hot all the time, that's an energy burn inside the room.  What is the wattage of the various lightbulbs?

If they are not LED, it's time.  Boilerplate primer on LED buying: Think carefully about color temperature and CRI, 2700-3000 and 80+ are good choices for homes.  I just installed a ton of those and nobody can tell they aren't incandescent, except of course that they are 6 watts.  Buy GE, Cree, Philips or Ikea.  Don't buy Lights of America, Utilitech or Feit Electric, no matter how good the price is.  Choose wisely, you won't be replacing them for a very long time.

Do they own a home computer?  What kind? Did they change it recently?


Avoiding dust scattering when you drill When I drill into concrete, stone or similar materials - a lot of dust gets scattered. I realize this might sound like a newbie/trivial question, but - how can I avoid this? Both dust getting on me, and even more importantly - into the air people breath and onto furniture and other items?

Vacuum near the point of drilling

Have someone to stand next to you with the nozzle of a (running) vacuum cleaner, and position it very carefully near the where the drill bit enters the wall. Preferably - under the drill point facing up, so as not to "compete" with gravity. Most of the dust should be caught by the vacuum cleaner.

Down-sides to this solution:

If you're not careful, the vacuum cleaner nozzle/attachment could touch the spinning drill bit and be harmed (and these parts tend to be expensive beyond their actual production cost).
This still misses some dust (more if we're not careful and precise with the positioning and the angle).
You can't always get someone to help you with drilling.
Sometimes there isn't enough room for both people or for both the nozzle and the drill bit.


Best option for DIY water heater platform 16 year old gas water heater started leaking, so time to replace!  The old water heater was on a 3-legged stand, and the stand is permanently embedded in to a concrete blob on top of the concrete garage floor.   My quick fix, wife needs hot water now, was to cut down the stand and build a 2x6/plywood stand on top of the old legs.   Since wood is susceptible to water and fire, I thought this would be a temporary solution.

Is my plywood base actually okay, or should I consider replacing it immediately?
What are some options for improving the situation?   My only thought is to jack-hammer the old cement blob, and create a new square cement blob since garage floor is not perfectly level
How important is it that the water heater be perfectly level?

I am disappointed that you cut down the old stand as it would have been acceptable as a base for a new platform. The reason the old stand was raised (as your new platform should also be) was to keep the burner elevated.

The burner is a source of ignition for flammable vapors that could be potentially present in utility areas or other low lying areas; garages, basements. In garages, gasoline or other flammable spirits are often stored, as well as vehicles with gasoline engines. Vapors from leaks or from handling are heavier than air, ergo the raised platform for the ignition source.

Some new water heaters are equipped with features that help prevent ignition of vapors, but it is still prudent to elevate and is very likely required by code, check with your local code enforcement authority.

If I were considering a wood platform, I would staple a sheet of waterproof roofing paper over the plywood top, then place a sheet of 1/2" cement board (like tile backer board/wonderboard) over that to set the heater on.


Water Damage on Ceiling of Shower Today I noticed that a good little chunk of my ceiling in my bathroom had fallen into the bath tub. It appears to be some water damage, though the only thing above the ceiling is an attic that I'm refinishing (no plumbing) so it shouldn't be due to a leak. I'm guessing it's just moisture from the shower itself.

How should I fix this so it doesn't happen again? Just patch with compound sand and paint?

To fix the damage, pry any loose material free, patch with compound, sand, and prime/paint with a paint designed for wet areas (preferably mold/mildew-resistant too).

To prevent this from happening again, you'll need to improve ventilation in the area. It's a little hard to tell from these photos, but this looks like a corner within your shower where warm moist air is likely to pool. A drywall or plaster ceiling that is constantly exposed to moisture is going to have these problems again. Consider some of the following options:

Ensure an exhaust fan is used when the shower is run, and for 30min afterwards to clear moisture from the bathroom.
Add an exhaust fan, or reposition the existing one, to better ventilate this area (Note: you probably can't safely/code-compliantly put it in the shower area)
Lower the glass divider, in order to provide an air space along the ceiling so that moisture can disperse more easily.
Have less steamy showers (your shower head type and position, as well as the typical water temperature, can affect how much steam is generated)
Make the ceiling more water resistant - better paint and caulking any cracks may be adequate, but you could go as far as adding a waterproofing membrane and tiling it.


3-way chandelier switch strange behavior I have a chandelier with 12x 100w incandescent bulbs and controlled by 2 3-way dimmers. I was going to replace the bulbs with LEDs, and I didn't think the dimmers were rated for LEDs, so I decided to just replace the dimmers with normal 3-way switches. The switches are rather near each other, so I checked that I knew what was going on with the continuity checker on my multi-meter. With the power off, I was able to find the two wires that ran directly from one switch to the other, and was sure to install them in the same location on each switch, and then of course with the hot on the remaining terminal of one switch, and the load on the remaining terminal of the other switch.

Now, everything basically seems like it's working... but every handful of times I turn the chandelier on (I can't find a pattern, and it seems to be with both switches), the lights only turn on very dimly (remember, these are not dimmers). If I fool with the switches (on/off a few times), then the lights turn all the way back on again.

Any ideas? I thought it might have been too much load for the switches (they are Leviton Preferred), so I took some of the lights out of the chandelier but it still does the same thing.

Any thoughts?

Update:
Ok, before I tested each switch separately, I noticed there is actually a Y from one of the traveler wires on both switches (the same one). After racking my brain, I actually found a THIRD switch that is connected to this light (this is a new house, sorry!)! So I guess this is a 4-way configuration? I also found little labels on the wires - I will write them below as:

'Label': function

Switch near door:
'5': hot/load
'3': Traveler A
'4' and '6': Traveler B

Switch near stairs:
'1': hot/load
'3': Traveler A
'2' and '4': Traveler B

Switch near kitchen:
'5', '6', and an unlabeled yellow wire (the ones with labels are all orange) - I don't know what these are function as.

I tried shorting the 3 'kitchen' wires together (as I don't even want this switch at all), but that made the other 2 behave oddly (in most positions of both switches the lights were on, but in the same 'dim' mode I was originally asking about). I also tried leaving the 3 'kitchen' wires disconnected entirely, but in that setup the light will not turn on at all with the other two switches.

Then I tried (with the 'kitchen' wires all disconnected) just setting it up as a normal 3-way switch (i.e. Disconnected '6' from 'door switch' and '2' from 'stairs switch'.), leaving me with:

Switch near door:
'5': hot/load (I guess? that's what I was assuming before the 4-way fiasco... '5' near 'kitchen switch' when disconnected shows current as well, so it seems like this is reasonable)
'3': Traveler A
'4': Traveler B

Switch near stairs:
'1': hot/load (I guess?)
'3': Traveler A
'4': Traveler B

However, in this case with my AC voltage detector all 6 wires read "live current", but the light does not turn on in any configuration of the two switches.

Any suggestions for next steps?

---------- Update 2

You guys aren't going to believe this...
I went hunting around the house for the other end of wires '1' and '2' and found ANOTHER switch for this freaking light. (So what is this, a 5-way switch??). We'll call this one 'upstairs'.

Door:
'5'
'3'
'4' and '6'

Stairs:
'1'
'3'
'2' and '4'

Kitchen:
'5'
'6'
yellow

Upstairs:
'1'
'2'
red

So then each wire does the following:
'1' = stairs to upstairs
'2' = also stairs to upstairs
'3' = stairs to door
'4' = also stairs to door
'5' = kitchen to door
'6' = also kitchen to door
yellow = ? (perhaps to the light?)
red = ? (I think 'hot'?)

I'm out of time for tonight, but I guess I'm going to get power from another circuit in the 'kitchen' and try to turn on the light by connecting it to the yellow wire.

There were more than 2 switches (4, in fact!) connected to this light that fully explain the behavior.


Gas hot water tank quit working and leaked I came home from work today to find that the hot water wasn't working. I opened the area to my gas hot water tank and there's a large pool of water on the ground. I checked the pilot light and it appears to have gone out.

I removed the pipe attached to the temperature and pressure release valve and tested the temperature and pressure release valve. Some copper colored water came out but soon ran clear. The water coming from the tank is not hot and I do not smell gas. There is what appears to be buildup around the temperature and pressure release valve. The tank is currently not leaking. Could this have quickly leaked water and caused the pilot light to also go out somehow?

Any ideas to what could have happened and how to go about fixing it? Thanks

These are all signs that the tank has corroded through. Looks like you should be in the market for a new hot water tank.


Do I need to leave the light switch turned on all the time for a motion sensor to work? I installed a halogen floodlight today so I adjusted the sensor tonight for it to work and it did. I thought by turning on the switch the light would stay on and when it is turned off the sensor would pick up movement and come on.

Do I need to leave the light switch turned on all the time?

Unless the sensor/light is connected directly to power, the switch will always have to be in the ON position for the light to come on.

The switch is installed to interrupt the ungrounded (hot) conductor, so that when it's in the OFF position no power goes to the light.  If you want power to the light, you'll have to leave the switch on.

In other news, some motion sensors use switch toggling to change modes or settings. So turning the switch off/on could cause the sensor to change modes.

Read the documentation that came with the fixture, to determine how to properly operate the sensor.


Activating hot water recirculation pump in garage via extension cord under kitchen sink I have a hot water recirculation pump installed near the water heater that is located in the garage which provides instant hot water via dedicated 1/2" copper pipes.  Although I have a timer that turns the pump on at different times of the day, the pump is not always running when we want hot water.  This is most needed at the kitchen sink as it is the furthest tap from the water heater and without the pump running, we are wasting water for over a minute before hot water is available! Since the bathrooms are located in close proximity to the water heater, instant hot water via the recirculation pump is not really that beneficial.

I'm considering running an extension cord from the location of the water recirculation pump in the garage, down under the house and up into the
kitchen sink cabinet and plugging into a plug strip that is powered by the 15A outlet under the sink. Whenever there is a need for hot water, we can simply flip on the power to the plug strip to activate the recirculation pump.

Are there any electrical codes that I might be violating in doing this?

Hi grant welcome to stackexchange. I don't what part of the world you are in but if you are in the US. No you can't do what you are suggesting. I haven't had time to figure out how many code violations are involved, but I will start with the fact that you cannot pass an extension cord through a wall or partition. So let's just say NEC Article 400 in particular 400.12 Uses not permitted pretty much covers why you can't or shouldn't do it.

You might want to bone up on this article before attempting any extension cord additions to your dwelling.

Good luck.


Where to aquire rubber bushings? Where can one order unusually-sized rubber bushings? A washing machine uses a 17mm OD, 4mm ID, 10mm length rubber bushing that is not available locally. I am aware of McMaster but once I select any of the relevant parameters from the faceting menu, all other relevant options disappear. In any case, McMaster does not ship outside the US.
If had to make my own bushing, how might that be done? Would using a drill press result in an accurate bushing? Drill an OD hole, then fill it with silicon, then to put an ID drill upside down in the press and push that into the silicone. Is there a better way?
I realize that this is a borderline OT question, but it seems to be allowed as in fact I did ask a local home contractor and this is related to the repair of a home appliance. Also, this similarly-worded question is on topic, A-B question not withstanding.

Generally speaking, appliance repair parts are most easily found at an (these days, mostly online) appliance repair parts specialist dealer, as they are not generally "standard" parts (or if they were, you already found those ones by other means.)
Another option (if you just can't find one) is to make your own replacement part using something like silicone rubber that you can form yourself and let cure.


How to get both sides of 1/2 inch water pipe into a new coupling What can I do when putting in a coupling but there is not enough flex in the water pipe to get both sides of the coupling on?

If you're dealing with copper, you will find two types of couplings.  One has a stop in the center and one without. What you need in this case is the type without a stop. Without  a stop, you can slip the coupling over the entire end of one pipe, and then slip it over the end of the other pipe.

With Stop (notice the dimple in the center)

(source: homedepot.ca)

Without Stop

Without Stop http://www.usqualitysupplyinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/coupling-without-stop.jpg


How can I mount a large, heavy, half-inch-thick sign on a wall WITHOUT drilling through it? I'm trying to mount a large sign - roughly 7.5 feet wide by 2.5 feet high - that's made of some kind of very hard plastic on a wall (drywall with wooden studs).

For a number of reasons, I don't want to drill through the sign. But it weighs roughly 60 lbs, so it can't be glued or anything: I clearly need to mount something else to the wall using screws in studs (or very strong drywall anchors).

Essentially, this makes the project a lot like hanging a frameless mirror - I need clips or clamps or something that can be sturdily mounted, that will hold this thing in place. But the mirror clips and j-mold stuff I've been able to find are all designed for thin, flat things (like a mirror). This sign is 1/2" thick.

What are my options? I'm open to corner holders, many metal clips around the perimeter, a j-mold-like solution, etc. Just can't involve putting holes through the sign itself.

(I did do a a fair bit of searching for dupes, but none of the excellent mounting posts I found seemed to address a situation like mine. If I overlooked one, point me at it, and apologies in advance.)

By not excluding drilling into the wall, you may have more options at hand. The first configuration that comes to mind is a modification of the "hidden shelf" design.

Drilling a hole in the studs to take bolts forming a line to support the bottom of the sign would be similar to the hidden shelf construction. A piece of trim cut with a rabbet with the lip outboard of the sign will prevent it from slipping off.

A similar, but less hefty rabbet trim on the top will secure the sign from tipping.

For the weight you've noted, it would be best to have as many supports in the wall as possible. There will be a small overlap on the sign where the rabbet prevents fall-off, but even one-eighth of an inch (3 mm) would be sufficient if minimizing intrusion is important.


How to connect 14 guage speaker wire to LED light strips? I am installing 12v undercabinet led light strips in my kitchen. I have in-wall 14-2 speaker wire and I'd like to use this to connect a 4 short runs (8 ft total) of LED light strips. Most of the solderless connectors for LED slight strip application seem to be for using 22 or 18 gauge wire.
I'd like to use the 14 gauge wires, but can't seem to find a good way to attach the wires to the light strips without soldering them.
Perhaps I am missing something in my search. I am looking for possible solutions.
Thanks in advance!

There are several types of reducer insulated crimp connectors that can be used for this. The one shown below is for #14-16 to #18-22. This will fit through holes that you might have to drill going from cabinet to cabinet. These will work for your 12 volt runs but don't even think about splicing your 120 volt runs. This crimping tool is inexpensive and can be used for many different connectors. You might have to get your plugs and add some #18 to 20 gauge wire to them and then splice to your #14. You also could remove some strands of your speaker wire so it fits into the plugs. You could never do this with any household 120/240 volt wiring but would be OK for the 12 volt led fixtures


Which of these is the sewer cleanout I’m trying to locate the sewer cleanout. I found a box that looks like it contains it but there are 3 separate plugs. Which one should I use?

I also found this which I’m guessing is something else

You are going to have to do some experimenting. Remove the plugs and start running some water, flushing toilets, etc., and observe which way the water's running. If this is multi-family, there could be separate drains for each unit. If you have a building plan it might show up on it. There's not much else we can do from here.


Help identifying a fastener and finding a replacement I've had a bed frame stored in a closet for years and have lost the fasteners with which to assemble it. It's an Ikea Heimdal frame; this item is discontinued and they no longer carry the fasteners needed to put the frame together.

The fasteners can be seen in the assembly instructions here, parts #100585 and #100013.

One part is basically just a shank, the other an elongated head. They are unlike anything I've seen at the hardware store, so I would like to know what these pieces are called and where I can find replacements. I hope they are not unique to Ikea.

For 100013, use "threaded rod", commonly known as "all thread" and cut with a grinder or Dremel tool to size. Any hardware store will have it, but you'll probably need metric.

For 100585, I'd try "female threaded round standoffs", you can get them partially threaded so you can tighten them down. (Looking at the instructions, I don't think threadlocker is going to work) Otherwise, they make closed end standoffs with a hex head at the end.


What could cause a replacement A/C condenser fan motor to only run for 3 minutes? Just replaced a GE 5KCP39FG Condenser fan motor with an AC Smith FSE1026SF.  HVAC Counter sales told me it was the right one and gave me a Partners Choice Capacitor 01-0085 to match.

Old motor 3 wires and no reversible plug.  New Motor 4 wires (brown/white is new wire) and has reversing plug.  Took picture of old motor installation and confirmed at HVAC counter sales how to wire new motor.  Old Black is new Black (goes to plug module on condenser frame, Old Yellow is new white (Goes to 4 prong on Capacitor), Old Brown is new Brown and Brown/White (goes to 2 prong Fan on capaciter), Blue from condenser chassis (goes to 3 prong HERM on Capacitor).

Turned on electricty and AC and everything started like a champ for about 3 minutes then the fan cut out and I noticed the fan moter was very hot.  Also, it was not near the RPMs I remember.

So I fiddled.  Took off Brown and White and turned on electricity.  Condenser fired up , but no fan.  Touched Brown/White to capacitor and fan started.  Once it was spinning, I untouched the Brown/WHiite and the RPMs increased to full speed, then cut out after 2 minutes due to motor heating up.

Last item. When comparing motor info, all the info between the two is the same except for amperage.  Old motor was 1.4, new motor is 2.0.

What can I do and is it the motor amperage?

I had a capacitor replaced once.  Everything seemed to work fine, until 5 minutes after the a/c guy left, then the fan overheated and stopped.  I couldn't get him to come back, so I investigated and found that he hooked up the wires to the capacitor backwards; the fan was connected to the "run" prong on the capacitor and the motor to the "fan" prong.  I switched it back and it's been running fine ever since.


How should I repair a pvc flange set into concrete slab? I've been looking, and haven't quite found anything that matches my situation closely enough to satisfy me...

So, I just put down some vinyl plank flooring, and when going to mount the toilet again, I noticed that the guide for the one of the closet bolts was a little cracked, but I tried anyway. Using the fluidmaster "better than wax" waxless seal, I tried mounting the toilet, but the bolt guide broke further, so this flange just isn't going to work.

The issue is that the flange is under a layer of concrete, about 3/16" thick. It looks like we'd have to chip out the concrete on top of the flange to remove it, then fill the void, then install a new flange at the appropriate height. Is that the best thing to do here? I've seen stuff about putting a repair ring right on top of the damaged flange, but nothing I've seen said that was ok for a pvc flange. (Also, there is a bunch of duct tape sticking out between the concrete and the flange, so I don't know how well that would seal.)

So, I'm mostly asking what the most correct option is here. I'd like to make sure this is as code-compliant as possible, but I'm at a loss for how to begin.

Also of note: it looks like the sewer line is pvc all the way down. I don't know whether that matters at all ...
 ...

I would install a toilet Flange repair ring. This is a metal ring you mount on top this method cost about 10$. The other route is to cut the old flange out and install a new compression flange. This method cost about 35-40$ and is more work but the advantage is it works well with the new height of the flooring. Both methods work but I prefer the compression flange when changing flooring height.


How to install new faucet with old water shutoff valve I'm installing a new faucet and noticed that the instructions call for the faucet water line to be bolted directly onto the shutoff valve. The problem is, my shutoff valves have built-in lines which don't unbolt.

What is the best thing for me to do? Should I install new shutoff valves that have bolt-on connections or somehow connect the existing water line to the faucet's water line?

(shutoff valve at top, faucet line at bottom)

All faucets now use standardized connectors for the water supply.  So yes, you should replace that water shut off valve with a standardized one - might as well do it now and save the frustration.


Horizontal Drains Can Combine Through Wye Laying Flat, Or Can't They? QUESTION Can horizontal drains combine through a wye in the horizontal position laying flat on its side and not upright at all, Or Can't They?  Then see my sketch: Am I doing this right? - Merry

IPC TABLE 706.3 "fittings for change of direction" says wye is okay for horizontal to horizontal.

Are my proposed wyes okay?  How about overall?  I don't want to go down too low with the drains or relocate much stuff.

BACKGROUND:  This is just a draft but in the interest of limited headroom and headache I want the plumbing improvements to not descend too low into the door/passageway below, and I dont want to change the lower level toilet system, an older wall mount model, except just to vent it, without moving the bracket, and to drain the upper level bathroom through a separate soil pipe and vent it.  And most obviously there is improper use of a sanitary tee and that needs to be rectified.

Note I used the term "vertical" incorrectly in my sketch, it should be horizontal but i mean the vent going upward there from the wye which is specifically horizontal but not laying on its side, like the other two in question.  thank you.

Is the vent on the "vertical" wye even necessary there at the end?  I don't know, I was just doodling and it felt right.

Don't you see flat horizontal wyes combining drains within a slab or floor usually?

Some special sanitary situations specifically call for wyes in the vertical position, so i have read, but here we should be good.  My state is IPC.

Yes, it is/has been done often. If you can, I personally prefer to put the wye so that the offshoot is angled slightly down into the main run to create a natural direction for flow.

The only thing I'd caution you on, if your code is picky about it, calculate your DFUs to make sure it is acceptable.

Also... I was looking at your drawing, and this is 100% my personal preference only, I dislike taking the first floor vent off of the second floor flow. If possible I would tap the line ABOVE where the second floor fixtures enter the stack and run that as a second line down to the first floor vents. As far as I know there's no code that requires it, but I prefer to keep my vents dry at all times. (Which you have done in the drawing)


How to seal interior aquaponic system? I'm working on a aquaponic aquarium system that is part of the home improvement and I can't find proper part that would help me instal the drainage from the plant pot.

I'm looking for some pvc pipe that has the thread at the end and is possible to screw with the seal touch so the water doesn't leak. I'm trying to avoid using weld option but if I won't find anything I will need to weld it somehow.

Please see the pic:

Aquarium grade Room Temperature Vulcanizing (rtv) silicone will not harm fish life - it's what holds nearly every glass aquarium made in the last 40 years or so together. If the aqaurium in your picture is glass, it's probably glued with silicone. Read the label on the tube. Somewhere in the fine print there will, or will not be a mention of suitable for aquarium use. If it's not there, don't use it. If it is, use it, paying attention to required cure times. Honestly, the PVC is more questionable than silicone; look up organotins.

Unless you really want to pay extra, the product will be sold as clear silicone caulk (it may or may not actually say RTV, but it is) and you just need to find the fine print in question on it.

Of course, if it's remotely like the picture you can also just  poke a hole in the SIDE of the pot at the proper level - anything "leaking" from there will "leak" into the aquarium.


What is a durable and affordable flooring covering for a shed? The shed is a lifted a few inches and over gravel. It currently has plywood flooring. It is a very nice shed so I thought it would be a good idea to invest in a durable flooring to protect against wear and tear (push lawn mower, liquid spills, muddy boots).

Look at a flooring store for sheet vinyl also called linoleum, remnants (the end of rolls). They can be inexpensive and would be seamless. An alternative that would be more slip resistant is something we call locally  porchpaint. It covers many New england porches. It is only available in gray and is an oil based enamal. You can spread sand on it while wet to increase traction. I have had it last 10 years on a porch floor.


When powered Ring Pro won’t stop chiming. When Ring Pro is connected to power, doorbell rings constantly. What can I do to correct this?

sounds like it's not wired correctly or it uses too much power. When the button is pressed, the line voltage drops, which is why the light on the button goes out. electrically, there are conductors and insulators, and a button switches between the two, whereas your ring is somewhere between a conductor and insulator (a load). Yopu old-fashioned bell is confused by this new electrical gray-area.

If your wiring is correct, and it's still "stuck", you have a few options.

a bigger doorbell transformer. Many are very weak, especally ones made after real buzzers and bells were phased out by chimes and speakers (80s?). Make sure the transformer has enough "watts", "VA", or "ma" (labels vary) to power the Ring.
thicker doorbell wire: lower guage wire drops fewer volts over distance, so it might make up the difference to the ringer enough to avoid the low-voltage triggering state continuously.
disconnect the ringer and rely on your phone to notify you of visitors.


Is fibreglass dangerous? I have recently been having problems with the sound in my room and somebody has suggested I use fibreglass to soundproof. Unfortunately the sound is entering through the window and so I thought of putting sheets of fibreglass in black bin liners up against the window. Will these fibreglass sheets (inside bin bags) be dangerous or irritant? What about if I moved them around in the bin bags (I.e. They weren't just leant up against the window)?
I'm worried that because it's not inside something more solid like a wall it may be give off fibres that could be irritant or in the worst case, cancerous?

Fiberglass insulation (the pink fluffy stuff) is a skin irritant and not great to breath either.  Keeping it in thick plastic garbage bags would be ok - unless the bags rip it you use really thin plastic bags.

A better idea would be styrofoam insulation.  It comes in big sheets you could cut to wedge perfectly in a window frame.  It does not have the same problems of being an irritant.


How long can a sink drain be? I've read that the rule is 1/4" per foot of drain line.  From what I know, the rule is based on the height of the P-trap to where you tie in.  What part of the P-trap do you measure from?  How low can you tie into an existing pipe?

You're limited by the size of the materials you're using.

2012 International Residential Code (IRC)
SECTION P3105 FIXTURE VENTS
P3105.1 Distance of trap from vent. Each fixture trap shall have a protecting vent located so that the slope and the developed length in the fixture drain from the trap weir to the vent fitting are within the requirements set forth in Table P3105.1.
Exception: The developed length of the fixture drain from the trap weir to the vent fitting for self-siphoning fixtures, such as water closets, shall not be limited.

If you're using a 1 1/2" trap, there must be a vent within 6' of the trap weir.  The overall length of the drain is also limited based on the pipe size (P3105.2).

P3105.2 Fixture drains. The total fall in a fixture drain resulting from pipe slope shall not exceed one pipe diameter, nor shall the vent pipe connection to a fixture drain, except for water closets, be below the weir of the trap.

So if you're using 2" PVC, the drain must be less than 8' long horizontally.
1/4" * 8' = 2"


Options for current armored cable 12/2 but need 12/3 I currently have an armored cable 12/2 with green (ground) leading to a light switch, running outside the wall (simply runs from the light fixture to a surface mounted box where the light switch is).
I will convert this light switch to an outlet light combination.
That means I need a 12/3 cable. Unless for some reason I'm able to use the green as a neutral or hot return.

In case I really need a new cable (12/3):
I assume I can't use NM cable. This is a New York city 13-floors building built in 1965. Correct?
I've found Service Entrance Wire, Portable Power Cord and Armored Cable. It's unclear to me the specific purpose of the SE Wire and Portable Power Cord.
It seems a little hard to find Armored Cable 12/3 - for some reason they are not cheap as 12/2, so that's why I looked into other options.

Any insight is appreciated, thank you!

First off, you can not use the green, ground, wire as a neutral. You are right about not being able to use NM cable in NYC. It is allowed in certain residential applications in other parts of NY but not in the city. 12/3 with a ground armored cable is what you need. Most home stores will sell a 25 ft reel. 14 gauge wire is also not allowed in the City so don't try to bring some in.


How to tie treehouse cross beam to tree branch notch without harming tree I am building a tower style tree house and have a perfect tree with a notch to act as one of the 4 support posts. The other three posts will be 4x4s with cement  footers.  I was thinking of resting a cross beam on the notch of the tree where two limbs branch off.  I saw something online about saving the tree by using rope instead of nails and envisioned figure eighting the rope around the beam and branches of the v.  I'm concerned this will strangle the tree as it grows.   What is the best way to use the tree for a beam support without causing damage?

You certainly won't want to just sit the beam in the fork of the tree. The tree will move quite a bit and you'd slowly wear through the bark and damage the tree if you do that. Also note that forks aren't always the strongest part of the tree.

What you want to do is have the beam mounted to the tree with hardware that a) allows for lateral movement and b) is offset from the surface of the mark.

They make special hardware just for this. It's typically a huge lag bolt with a spacer than the beam 'rides' in via a slip bracket. Example:

source: http://www.treehousesupplies.com/1_25_Floating_Bracket_p/br-f1.25.htm


Weird set screw on tub faucet I’m trying to remove this old tub faucet. There is what looks to be a set screw, but it’s either been stripped or is super corroded. What are my options here? I can’t seem to fit an Allen key down there.
Picture attached.

If you are removing this unit to replace with a new unit, then I would either:

drill out the setscrew - not much care needed as it’s being replaced. But if it was to be re-used then putting the drill in a jig to save the threads would help.

just use a grinder to cut the old unit up - protect the worktop and surrounding surfaces from the debris.


Are these doors installed correctly, and are they secure as they are? I hired a contractor to install 2 prehung fiberglass exterior doors in my home and I'm not sure if he measured incorrectly, but both doors have at least 1-1.25" of gap space on the sides between the frame & studs. Both doors also sit about 3/4" inch back, so the hinges are merely screwed into the door frame and won't even reach the stud without about 3" of length and some angling. The door jamb also sits a 1/2" behind the drywall, causing the molding to not lie flush with the door. One door is 30" with a 34" rough opening and the other is 36" with a 40" r.o.

I have 3 questions:

Are both doors too small for my entryway?
Does this pose some security risks of being easily kicked in?
How can this be remedied? Order larger doors, add fillers between the gaps?

With those rough opening sizes, I would have stepped up the door sizes a bit, 32" in a 34" r.o., and 38" in a 40" r.o. You need some space to plumb and level, but 4" is overkill. I tend to install the door as close as possible on the hinge side to the framing (shimming it out for plumb and possibly raising it a bit to keep the top level). I also use a few 3" screws through the hinges to reduce sagging, which also improves security. On the latch side, I shim behind the strike plate and dead bolt opening, and use 3" screws over there directly to the framing. Any door that doesn't have long screws into the framing is a higher risk for being kicked in, but that's honestly a majority of doors out there these days, security seems to be an upgrade.

For the jamb depth, if you can't find a door with the correct depth for your home, sometimes you can get a deeper jamb and cut it back with a table saw. But the easier solution is to get one a little too small and add a piece of filler trim on the inside to make the jamb flush with the drywall and the install the casing over that. I wouldn't even try to line that filler up perfectly to hide the seam, instead give it a 1/16-1/8" reveal and do the same with the casing on top of the filler. The multiple reveals will give it some depth and decent look where trying to conceal the seam is likely to result in an ugly gap appearing several months later.


What size A/C unit should I install? currently using a Goodman 24000 BTU Central air, installed in '96. it is starting to cost too much because of leakage of refrigerant. I did the size calculator thing and it recommends a 30000 BTU unit, but that size just doesn't seem right (24000 all day sometimes to cool down from the mid to upper 80's °F to 78 °F). I think that it's too small, and think it should be larger. I am looking at a 36000 BTU system, but someone else said that is too high for the square footage.

My main floor is 1100 SF and the basement is too, (2200 SF). I cool both and calculated that in, that's why I think 36000.

1 calculator says use a 2.5 ton, but if you use the oven a lot, to bump it up 1/2 ton more. My wife and I both cook a lot.

What do you think?

In 96 it still took 4 or more hours to drop the temp 6 degrees. Its been recharged 2 times since it was installed, 1 capacitor replacement. The last recharge cost $225, 2 years ago. The furnace however has had 4 controller boards, 3 temp sensors, and 2 blower motors. That is why I am looking for a replacement for both. The furnace size is not an issue, only the question about the AC size. I just don't want to get an AC too big and cool the house, before it removes the humidity and then have that issue to deal with, although I could run a dehumidifier if it's too big an air conditioner. My house has 2 big trees, for now, one on the East and one on the West, but the one on the West will need to be removed in the next 2 years. That is why I think I'll need the 3 ton, vs the 2.5 ton. The West side has a big sliding glass door, but all the windows are double glazed and low E glass.

How did the system perform back in '96 or at least on a good charge? Ideally someone preformed all the necessary 'manuals' and it was the correct size to use. I lived in a 1700 sf apartment that was always a little hot until we switched out a 2.5 for 3. It all depends on your heat gain: windows, drafts, insulation, lighting, appliances, humans.... If you are not going to pay an arm and a leg for a professional calculation, I would charge it up one last time and see how it preforms on a nice hot day and then decide if its undersized or just neglected. Charging it back up would cost less than a full load calculation I would think. Or just go with a 3 ton. Although the problems can be just as bad with an over-sized unit, they are much less prone to present themselves then in an under-sized unit. It may cost more to operate but it will work as opposed to it almost works.


How can I prevent my furnace vent from icing up and shutting off the furnace? How do I keep my exhaust vent from icing up in the winter. We are in a new house with a HE Furnace in a pretty cold zone. It has iced up two times now and we are only in our 1st winter. Anything I can do to help prevent this?

One thing you can do is insulate the exhaust vent all the way to the outlet. The warmer the air is when it gets to the opening, the more likely it won't freeze. Does it pass through any unconditioned spaces on the way to its outlet? If so insulate it the whole way from the furnace as best as you can.. Keep that 85f degree exhaust air as warm as possible on its journey to the freezing cold..


Can I use old bowling alley lanes as counter tops? There's a guy in Brooklyn who has a huge stash of old maple bowling alley lanes that he says a person can make counter tops out of. The wood is actually pretty beautiful and some of it has inlaid pin markings.

I'm seriously considering doing it. The catch is that the lanes are wider than a counter is deep, so I'd need to split it. The lanes are made of panels glued and nailed together, which means a circular saw would be cutting through nails. Bowling Alley Guy says I just need the right saw blade.

Before I go much farther down this road ... does this all sound a bit right?

The whole project feels like it is within my wheelhouse. I have a circular saw and a sander. Does anyone have experience with this?

I don't have direct experience but generally speaking while a circular saw blade can go through nails, it's dangerous as it increases the risk of a kick back.

Although slower, you will be far safer if you cut the counter using a reciprocating saw with a demolition or dual wood/metal blade attached.  That will cut through nails without the kickback potential.

You should cut your pieces a bit wide, say 1/8" extra, since your initial cut very likely won't be perfect.  After the initial cut, you can sand the edge down to fit.


Fan in my furnace will not turn on in the manual position When I turn my thermostat to the off position and my fan from auto to on the fan does not turn on. I have a Goodman electric furnace. Is this normal? The fan will run if I call for heat or cooling but not when I have system off. I was told the fan should come on when I switch from auto to run even if I am not calling for heat or cooling?

It depends on how many wires your thermostat has.
If you only have 2 or 3 wires it is 100% normal for there to be No connection to turn on the fan.
If you have more then it would be common to have a fan connected to the thermostat.
It also depends on the model of Goodman some are only 2 wire units.
A bypass switch can be added at the furnace location quite easily I have done this many times.


Term to describe two circuits run through one /3 cable For example, I have a 12/3 cable in which the red and black wires are controlled via separate breakers. The 12/3 drops into a single-gang outlet, out of which runs a 12/2 to another room. Is there a word/term for this (joined circuit, sistered circuit)?

I'm looking for a polite term ;)

(EDIT: Changed /4, /3 to /3, 2 - all cables mentioned contain grounds)

From Wikipedia

Split phase shared neutral (North American Wiring)
In split phase house wiring, for example, a duplex receptacle in a
kitchen is typically connected with a cable that has three conductors,
in addition to ground. The three conductors are usually colored red,
black, and white. The white serves as a common neutral, while the red
and black each feed, separately, the top and bottom hot sides of the
receptacle. Typically such receptacles are supplied from a ganged
breaker, i.e. a breaker in which the handles are tied together for a
common trip, so that if one kitchen appliance malfunctions and pops
the breaker, the other side of the duplex receptacle will be shut off
as well. This is called a multiwire circuit.

Notes:
These types of circuits must use a double pole circuit breaker

While the NEC recognizes this configuration, there is open debate as to weather or not this is a safe practice. For more information see Understanding the Dangers of Multiwire Branch Circuits
EDIT
Multiwire circuits for 3 and 4-way switches
Switch legs, also called travelers must now be in a different color to be easily identified.  A few years ago the white wire could be used as a traveler but code changed that to lessen the confusion of identifying the traveler.  Now instead of running a piece of 14/2W/GRD or 12/2W/GRD for 3-way you have to use 14/3W/GRD or 12/3W/GRD.  Same goes for 4 Way's also.


Fluorescent light requires twist to start I have a fluorescent light in my bathroom. It used to work fine, but then had issues with it not turning on. I replaced the tube, but it hasn't fixed the issue.

I can get the light to come on if I twist the tube a little bit. After twisting it takes a second but the light then flickers and works. I've taken off the cover and now just twist the light each time, but this isn't a sustainable solution.

Any suggestions on what is wrong and how to fix it?

The tombstones are defective and this is why you need to twist the bulb.

The tombstones are the bulb connector mounting - I am guessing you have a Bi-Pin although single pins can have the issue they are less susceptible .

You can replace the tombstones, however the price you will pay for the replacement parts and the time to replace them might not make it feasible.

I have had this situation and just replaced the unit with a $24 LED unit.


50 amp breaker being replaced by a 60 amp breaker I have a 50 amp breaker that runs the auxiliary heat on our heat pump.  It keeps tripping.  Can I replace it with a 60 amp breaker?

Larger amperage requires larger wiring.  It's possible but probably not likely that the existing wire can handle the larger current.

The heater is probably not rated for the larger breaker, so even if the wire is big enough, still might be a real bad idea.


Wiring for shop: 240V with light switch on same circuit? See below for (attempt at) solution
I'm wiring up a shop I'm putting together and came up with a plan with my electrician but I'm a bit confused on how to execute it. Namely, I'm trying to put a 240V outlet with no neutral pathway on the same circuit as a lightswitch, if possible. I've drafted up the following incomplete wiring diagram for reference:
Some specific questions:

I'm using 2-wire flexible metal conduit. So when I wire up the two hots to the dual-pole breaker to power up the 240V socket, which has no neutral pathway, these wires are left floating in the wind. What am I supposed to do with them?

Ideally, I would like to power the shop lights on the same circuit as the 240V outlet. Can I use one of the hots coming off of the dual-pole breaker to power the lights? Maybe I can use those two neutrals here as well?

For obvious reasons, I'm under the assumption that I'm supposed to be getting 240V across the two poles of the 240V outlet. However, my application of Kirchhoff's laws to the circuit gives me 0V across the poles. Can someone explain to me what I'm missing?

I'm happy to clarify anything I've said.Thanks for the help!
Complete schematic based on Harper's answer:
Hope I'm interpreting correctly.

I gather your electrical experience comes out of low voltage DC?

1. 2-wire FMC.

Flexible metal conduit doesn't have any wires in it. You surely mean AC cable or something like that.  What's more, since you're talking about neutral wires left floating in the wind, I gather you are using two cables for the same circuit.  You are never allowed to do that.  All related conductors must be in the same one cable or conduit.  If you have complex wiring needs you need to use conduit, but what you are trying to do should be workable with /2 or /3 cable.

If your apprehension is that you think you are not allowed to use a white wire for "hot"... in cable you are allowed to re-mark a white wire black* at both ends and use it as a "hot".  Obviously you no longer have a neutral at that point.  But you may not need one.

So your answer is to use ONE armored/metal clad cable, and re-task the white wire to be the 2nd hot.

"But I want to run 2 circuits and get 240V out of them" -> That is called a multi-wire branch circuit and is one circuit in one cable with one neutral.

2a. Hooking up the lights (the easy way)

Eliminate one of the two metal clad cables.  (by which I mean, task it for a totally different and unrelated circuit).

The white wire on the lights should be remarked black.*  It should then be conected to the red wire on the recep.

This will deliver 240V to the light, but the vast majority of modern lights are multi-voltage 120V-240V.  If you do not have a light like that, get one!

2b. Hooking up the lights (the hard way)

Eliminate both existing cables.

Replace the cables with a single /3 cable (black white red in the cable).  Wire it as normal, except land the neutral on the neutral bar (or GFCI breaker if it's one of those; remembering NEC 2020 once adopted will require GFCI on 240V receps, and it's already adopted in MA with several more states coming July 1).

Now, you wire it as you have drawn it, except the one white wire goes to the white wire for the light.

3. Kirchhoff's Law.

Kirchhoff made the stupid mistake of using a duplex breaker to feed a multi-wire branch circuit.  As a result, both AC sources are in-phase with each other.  Both are "high" at the same time, and there is zero volts between them.

So of course the 240V loads completely failed.  Not only that, Kirchhoff's 120V loads are overloading the neutral wire.  You can laugh when Kirchhoff's house burns down.

Seriously, that simulator sucks. I gather it's made for electronics, not real mains electrical.

Assuming the simulator is capable of this, it would probably be better to draw the AC source as a single 240V center-tap transformer.  Which is what it is actually.

See also the way you drew neutral with a ground symbol.  Ground never handles current except during fault conditions. The return path is the neutral which is individually wired and not a backplane.  It handles only its own circuit's return current, no sharing.

Ground is a backplane.

* Feel free to use brown, red, orange, yellow, pink, blue or purple tape instead.  You cannot use gray, white or green as those are reserved for neutral, neutral and ground respectively.


Stacking two 6x6 posts for two story deck We are having our two story deck fixed. The deck is built on the downward sloping side of a hill and the footings were failing. The footings were replaced with much larger tube-formed footings.

When the contractor installed the new posts, he actually cut off the old posts (approximately 20'-22' lengths) at the halfway point and put new posts (vertically of course) under the old/existing posts. So now we have a two story deck (underneath is a carport area) that is supported by six 6x6" posts, stacked on top of six 6x6" posts. This just looks wrong and dangerous.

Is it acceptable to stack posts on top of one another to create a total height of 20'+ for the purposes of deck construction and support? If so, how should the posts be secured to one another?

You’re right, vertical splices in posts need special attention, especially 1) when the posts are 20-22’ long, 2) when they support decks or spaces where people can gather, 3) where cars can impose “extra” load on old existing footings, and 4) lateral displacement depending on seismic activity or seasonal ground movement, 5) how square the two cuts are made at the splice.

1) When posts are 20-22’ long they tend to buckle when over loaded. This is called the “slenderness ratio” and depends on the species and grade of wood. (AND because it’s outdoors I suspect it’s pressure treated.) A typical 20’ 6x6 of spruce-Pine-fir (SPF) can support about 8,000 lbs. depending on its grade. (I’m assuming a middle grade of No. 1 and better, but not a “Select” or a “Dense Select”.) Likewise, a 22’ 6x6 of the same species and grade will support about 7,000 lbs. I’m also assuming the posts are braced in BOTH directions at the 20’ or 22’ splice. If not, it’s a hinge a a bigger problem develops because it becomes a 30’ post...or whatever the existing post adds onto its length.

2) When a post supports decks and other “living” spaces we take extra precautions. Depending on the size of your deck, you could easily overload the post at your next birthday party when the gang starts singing Happy Birthday and jumping up and down. We use 100 lbs. per square foot to calculate the load, but the Code allows 40 PSF. The Code allows an increase in stress (strength) for impact loads, which your party would qualify for, but there’s a reduction for pressure treated posts too.

3) We also worry about adding additional loads to existing footings that have “always been just fine”. You now have a carport and the weight of that car on the soil can make the existing footing settle or tip (lean).

4) If you live in a seismically active area there are special considerations that must be met. I doubt you do, because you say there are independent footings. If you lived in S. California or another active area you wouldn’t have independent footings. (If I’m wrong, I’d get that looked at immediately.) Remember, the post needs to be braced in both directions.

5) Finally, to answer your original question: “can posts be stacked and how should they be connected “. Yes, they can be connected and they should have an adequate connection. The Code does not stipulate how they’re connected, but says it needs to be adequate. If the two ends are not cut perfectly “square” and there is jumping on the post, it could “slide” past the other post, especially if it’s a little wet. (When I cut a 6x6 with my skillsaw I have to turn it a couple of times to cut all the way through. It’s never a perfect cut. Did you have skilled workmen you trust?)

That “sliding” load can be calculated if we know the load on the post. Short of that I would not trust wood 2x6 side blocks nailed into the 6x6’s for a connection. (Someone said blocks on two sides would be ok. I think not because the nailing could be in withdrawal. That’s bad. At a minimum I’d use blocks on 4 sides.)

Without knowing your exact circumstances, I’d prefer a steel connection with braces in both directions at the splice points. You could use something like Simpson ECCLQ. It’s not perfect, but it allows braces in both directions.

https://www.mudsupply.com/Simpson-ECCLRQ666SDS-p/909200801.htm?gclid=CjwKCAjwssD0BRBIEiwA-JP5rIXNWlhsWWIz4wEdUUQ_3SGkclQJnV6f7cRuEyGWCSqWmELi9uIOnRoCRVMQAvD_BwE

Remember, you just created a HINGE. You need to brace it so it doesn’t move.


Do I need soffit vents and can I add them without taking the roof apart? Last year, we re-roofed out 83-year old house. We removed the 3-layer cedar/asphalt shingles and laid plywood decking, 30# paper, ice-barrier and 26-gauge metal roofing. As far as ventilation, we just figured that whatever the house already had, must have been working well, so why add anything extra? There was no mold or humidity damage. Now I am not sure. Any advice?

The attic was converted to an upstairs years ago, so the only true "attic" space is the peak and the eaves area (4'H x 6'W triangle), connected by about a foot depth of air space up the roof. The roof is a 2/3 grade, pretty steep. The insulation is foam board above the ceilings, with the interior otherwise open between insulation and plywood decking. Ventilation is two 8" roof vents and a 12" turbine set about a foot down from the peak. We declined to use a ridge vent while roofing because the winds in our area are so bad, neighbors said they had rain forced down their ridge vents. Not sure what sq. ft. our attic space is, but the lower floor is only 800ft.

If we Do need soffit vents, can they be added easily from the outside, without tearing off roofing? The metal roof, with such a steep grade, is pretty slick, and it would be a beast to redo.

The best and easiest solution is unfortunately no longer possible without removing and reinstalling the metal roofing: you vent above the sheathing and below the metal roof. The way you would do this is by installing the metal roof on vertical eave-to-ridge battens, with a metal ridge vent piece at the ridge. This way, all the ventilation is on the outside and you don't have to worry about complicated interactions with your finished attic.


How do I turn off the power to my programable thermostat? I am installing a new programable thermostat.  In trying to cut power to the old one I have tried a couple of things but not sure I have done enough to cut all power.  One, I shut off the furnace breaker.  Two, there is a switch in the attic on the furnace.  I have turned it off as well.  My problem is that the digital read out and back light are still on on the unit.

See if you can open the old unit and check for batteries.  Many of them have them in case of a power failure.  If you also have another air conditioning unit, you will want to throw the breaker or pull the fuse for it as well.  My system at my old house had two fuse boxes mounted outside the unit as well as another breaker in the box where the main power came in.  I definitely had a unique setup, but I'm sure there are others just as unique.

I hope that helps!


Can I attach a chandelier light fixture to a ceiling fan? I would like to attach my mother's small, vintage chandelier to a small fan that is light kit adaptable. My son is a licensed electrician. Is it impractical to ask him to attach the chandelier to the fan? It's for our granddaughters' bedroom.

Is it impractical to ask him to attach the chandelier to the fan?

No more so than asking strangers on the internet. Probably far less so since he can get his hands on the fan and the chandelier to address the points below.
Some points to consider:

How much does the chandelier weigh in comparison to the light kit designed for the fan?

Weigh the existing light kit (if there is one), or look up online to find the light kit appropriate for the fan. If the weight isn't listed, contact the manufacturer and ask.
Ceiling fans are already heavy, adding the extra weight of the chandelier could bring the whole thing down on your granddaughter's head. Not good.

Will the chandelier's ceiling mount match the size of the fan kit mount?

It might be possible to make an adapter, but since ceiling fans vibrate a lot when they run, this needs to be a very secure mount.

Are you willing to have an antique chandelier modified to fit the fan's mounting?

It may take drilling additional holes in the chandelier to make it fit to the fan, whether directly or through an intermediary mounting adapter.

How low will the chandelier hang once it's attached to the bottom of the fan?

Your granddaughter may not bump her head on it (yet), but her parents might.
Shiny, dangley things are very attractive to younger kids (up to the age of, oh, say 12 or so) and are likely to be viewed as play things, not respected as antiques.

How fragile is the chandelier?

Ceiling fans vibrate a lot and this could cause damage to the chandelier.

Does the chandelier have a lot of dangling glass bits?

Ceiling fans vibrate a lot and this could cause a lot of annoying noise.

Was the ceiling fan mounted to a properly secured, ceiling-fan rated box in the first place?

As was pointed out by J... in his (now deleted) comment, ceiling fans are often retro-fitted into regular ceiling light fixtures and are somewhat precarious to begin with. The extra weight may just cause the box to part company from its mooring.
While your electrician son is looking things over to assess the practicality of this modification, he should ensure the fan is mounted in a proper box that's properly attached, just as an added security measure to ensure the fan and granddaughter don't meet in an unplanned and unpleasant way.

Since your son is an electrician, he should be fully qualified to make the determination if this is doable electrically (can't imagine that bit would be difficult at all), and would, I'd imagine, be able to manage some sort of mounting adapter as necessary.
You and the granddaughter's parents (no indication if the electrician is her father or uncle) will need to assess the other points to determine if this is the proper time and method for passing a family heirloom on to the next generation.


Is my window air conditioner cooling properly? I am renting a place where the only air conditioner is a window unit mounted in the wall in the main living area.  The space in that main room is about 325 sq ft, and it has a 9 ft ceiling on average. The unit is a Frigidaire FAS182H2A1.  It looks like it was manufactured in 1999, but I can't recognize any other useful specs on the partially worn labels.  So, I don't know what its BTU rating is, and I couldn't seem to find the manual online.

Earlier in the spring, I felt it wasn't cooling well, and I took off the front panel to see that it was caked with about 1/8" of dust and pet hair from previous tenants. The landlord removed this, but the aluminum fins were still clogged with gunk. I tried the only thing that our local Home Depot had for this which was an aerosol can of foaming cleaner, so I sprayed and scrubbed for a couple days.  It looks a lot better, but I am not certain the fins are really cleaned out. The air conditioner is still occasionally spitting out what looks like chunks of dried black gunk that has been displaced from between the fins.

Last week it was about 95 degrees F outside, and after several hours of this thing being turned on to its max level, the room cooled down to about 81 degrees (with all doors to other rooms closed). I used a thermometer I had to measure the temperature of the air coming out of the unit, which was between 67 and 68 degrees.

It's only getting hotter outside (ugh), so I'd like to try to do something about this. So, here are my actual questions:

How much cooling should I expect from this unit?
Is it properly sized for the space?
Is there anything I can do to improve its performance?

According to this, the Frigidaire FAS182H2A1 is an 18000 BTU device.
http://www.appliancepartsnationwide.com/FAS182H2A1/53279.htm

That's pretty powerful if working properly. The government suggests 8000 BTU for 325 SF.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized

Check your outside coils too and clean if needed. If that is not a problem it could be something internal. Some examples:

partial clog in your expansion valve.
low freon level

If cleaning the outside coils doesn't work, I do not expect repair to be practical. You can buy a new 10,000 BTU unit from Home Depot for $300. It would be reasonable to ask the owner to pay for it.


Light switch tripping hoping to get your feedback on what could be going wrong here. Hope you can understand my diagram. When switch 2 is flipper on it trips the breaker. In the light 2 jbox there is no light installed yet but I connected the wires together in anticipation and this is when I found the issue. There are also grounds and they are all connected to the light plate and not touching any other wires. Any ideas what could be going haywire?

Derrick

Here's the problem.  The cable between light 2 and S2 is what's called a switch loop.  Switch loops don't have neutral.  They have always-hot and switched-hot. These are the two wires you connect to a switch.

If you want to wire by colors, switched hot is usually red.  You're seeing white because the store doesn't sell Romex in black-red.  The installer was forced to use stock black-white.  There's an exception to the rule allowing white wires to be used for hots in this case (however, it also says you must remark the wires by wrapping them with electrical tape or other method). So get some red electrical tape and mark both ends of the white wire as red.

You never attach neutral to a plain switch, this would result in a short when the switch is turned on.

The white wire in a switch loop is not neutral.

Switches get always-hot and switched-hot... and not neutral.

Lamps get switched-hot and neutral. They can't use always-hot because then you wouldn't be able to switch it.    You would never splice switched-hot and neutral together, as it would be a short when the switch is turned on.

This drawing shows the problem.  Joining switched-hot to neutral up in the light box is causing the short when the light is turned on.

How do you tell if a white wire is in-use as a switched-hot? By following the wires and seeing if it

has black/colored tape (now required)
is one of only 2 conductors in a switch loop (therefore it must)
is landed on a non-smartswitch
is  spliced into a group of hots
goes directly to a lamp but there's another wire known to be neutral
lights up a voltage detector when the switch is on.  This can be a problem if the switch is broken.   To make this last one easier, best practice is to use the white as the always-hot, and the black for the switched-hot.


Can I add a utility sink which utilizes the existing water and drain lines for my washer? I want to stack the two Kenmore appliances with a stacking kit I can hopefully find at Sears.  I know I will have to partially block the window as well as remove the shelves on the left.

The reason is I want to install a utility sink near to them that can use the washer's water supplies and drain outlet.

I will replace the existing water lines. How can I connect the sink supplies to the utility sink faucet and the sink's drain to the plastic pipe in which the washer drain hose is connected?

You can definitely utilize the existing water and drain lines for this; here is a video from This Old House where they do exactly that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-tUGX3M6zY

Your case will probably be easier since it's not in the basement.  Richard in the video re-routes some of the copper plumbing there - I'm not experienced enough to tell whether you can avoid that, but I imagine you should be able to get a splitter like this:

What you do for the drain is use a Y-fitting:

You will also need a couple other pieces; watch the video and it will show them.

Good luck!


how to attach gutter when there is an additional trim board on fascia? This question could be slightly misleading because I am not 100% sure of the terminology.  I am replacing an old gutter - see existing installation below.

My understanding (from this article) is that I should attach gutter flashing underneath the shingles and have it (the flashing) come over the back edge of the gutter.  However, my roof already has a drip edge installed (not gutter flashing), and it also has a small trim board attached to the fascia; this trim board is tucked underneath the drip edge.  Also, the gutter is spaced off of the fascia by a bunch of little spacer blocks - this creates a gap between the gutter and the fascia board.

My question: is there any reason I shouldn't remove the spacer blocks and attach the new gutter directly to the fascia board?  If I did that, I don't think that if I installed gutter flashing it would reach all the way down to the gutter, but considering that the drip edge would be hanging out over the gutter about an inch (the width of the little fascia trim board, plus the drip edge itself), I am wondering if I might be okay without adding actual gutter flashing...

Or, would it be better somehow to attach the gutter such that either the existing drip edge comes over the back edge of the gutter or add a piece of gutter flashing that extends down over the back edge of the gutter?

p.s.  Can you tell me what that trim board on the fascia is called?  That trim goes all the way around my entire roof-line (you can see it on the sloped edge as well), and I bet there's a term for it that I'm unaware of.

Here's a view from the front

Well I can tell you term for the 1X on the angled portion of the roof, it is rake mold. Most rake molds have a bit more elaborate profile, but there is no rule saying it can't be a simple piece of 1X.
The term for the same piece running horizontally might be eave mold, but I have never heard or used it in all my years. This may have been a call made by the installing carpenter, for the idea of keeping things consistent, what is on the rakes, is also at the drip edge.

The blocks are there to keep the gutter from hanging at an angle under the roof edge so the rain does not over shoot the gutter, since it is fastened to the projecting 1X.  If it was lowered, to eliminate the blocks, the rain when heavy enough, would shoot over the gutter, only light rains would be caught. If you are using aluminum gutters, you will need fasteners only 24-30 inches apart, unless you have heavy snow loads sliding off the roof, then you may need the fasteners every 16 inches. These blocks would only be needed at each fastener location. The composition roof may not let the snow slide, but the roof has a pretty high pitch.


What is the largest size an opening can be in a load bearing wall without a beam install I have a 20 foot load bearing wall.  How many openings can I have in the wall and how wide can they be?

If you don't touch the load bearing elements (the vertical studs) you can make all the holes you want.

Once you need to cut one of the load bearing studs you will need to make sure the load that it carried is properly redistributed.


Is it safe to remove/trim jack studs to make a door opening wider? We purchased a very expensive (at least for us 5,000+) entry door pair as replacement for an existing single door and sidelights.  Today when the door contractor came to install the doors the opening was too small by 3/4 of an inch (the door contractor had measured for the doors prior to purchasing, these were custom made doors and are fiberglass that look like wood with full light beveled glass).

They suggested removing or cutting down the jack studs.  I am not comfortable with this.  Is this a good solution? This is a load bearing wall.  I have postponed installation to research this. Advice?

For high priced custom doors, you deserve to get it right.

The king studs are the primary support on the sides of the door (they go all the way up to the top plate.  However, the jack studs are supporting the header over the door and that is supporting the cripple studs over the header.  If this is a load bearing wall, these are all supporting members.

If the jack studs are cut down, they probably need to be cut more than 3/4 inch total to accomodate shims to square the door in the opening. If you take out only 1/2 inch on each side, you have reduced the jack stud by 33%. If this is done in place, you are also stressing the remaining structure of studs, header, etc. in sawing out the excess.

It could be that the overall framing is overengineered enough to survive this assualt, but it is risky, violates most building codes and is a bad way to start a good project.

I would insist that they measure thrice (three times instead of the recommended two) and bring a correctly sized door.

P.S. I had a similar problem with a custom tempered glass shower door that I had waited eight weeks for. They played with cludging it for about a minute and then took it back for a correctly sized piece. It hurts but it is worth it.


What is the best width router bit for cutting ply? I will be using a 1.4KW router that has ¼ inches, 6mm and 8mm collets, and cutting ply using curved templates.    I do not care what the width of the bit is, as I can make my template to match the bit.

A wider bit is stronger; however a wider bit also has to remove more wood, what is the best compromise on bit width?

Rough out the cut with a jig saw (or band saw), followed by a router with a small-diameter large-shank bit for a smooth finish.


Choosing the right machine screw for a threaded hole in a computer monitor mount The SENSE M2488C computer monitor pictured here has 4 machine screw holes at standard spacing around the label on the back of the monitor.

I plan to mount it from a ceiling mount, not on my desk.

I have a ceiling mount bracket with holes of exactly the same spacing. But the screws that came with the ceiling mount bracket are too large in diameter. Meanwhile, the screws that came with the monitor that connect the desk foot to the monitor are too small in diameter.

I can look by eye at the ceiling mount holes and I see that they are threaded for a machine screw of a certain length, diameter, and thread pitch. I cannot afford to try the wrong screws because then I would ruin these built-in holes.

What is the correct way to measure the hole, particularly diameter and thread pitch, so that I can just go to the hardware store and purchase exactly the right machine screws?

You already discovered the answer for your monitor.  I'll leave a general answer for others with a similar question.

The Video Electronics Standards Association has a set of standards for mounting flat panel displays like TVs and computer monitors.  It is usually referred to as simply the VESA Mounting Standard.  Pretty much any modern display that has built-in mounting holes complies with this standard.

The standard defines a hole pattern (usually rectangular, but larger sizes can have more than four holes and there can be a center hole), and screw specification (the screws are metric).  The best explanation I found of the details (outside of the actual standards), is this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Display_Mounting_Interface

The hole pattern and screw specification are based on the display's size and weight.  If you see a rectangular hole pattern and the measurement is consistent with the standard for a display of the size and weight of yours, it's a safe bet that its a VESA mount.  A quick summary of mount dimensions to check against:

(Click on image for more readable size) courtesy http://www.ergotron.com/en-us/support/vesa-standard

A more detailed table, including screw specifications, from Wikipedia:

Notes:

If a screen is heavier or larger than specified in table 1, it should use a larger variant from the table, for instance a 30-in LCD TV weighing more than 50 lb (23 kg) would need to use a part F mount.
The weight limits were unusually chosen as round numbers in kg or lb for different sizes.
The screw lengths for part C, D and E become whole numbers when adding a 2.6 mm thick bracket (which is how the standard describes them).
The screw lengths for part F are minimum / maximum / hole maximum, as in: M6 screws must go at least 9mm in but at most 10mm in, and the hole might not be deeper than 12mm.

The minimum length is important for strength.  The maximum length is also important.  You don't want the screw to force its way into the inside or to bottom out in the threaded insert so that it can't be properly tightened.  Some mounts come with screws that are longer than necessary and then use spacers behind the mount to correct the effective length.  If you use one of those screws as a guide at the hardware store, make sure you have any needed spacers.

There is additional detail, especially for larger sizes, in the Wikipedia article.

The VESA mount screws are likely to be different from those used to attach a stand for desktop or tabletop use.  Note that, particularly for larger displays, the display manufacturer is allowed to choose screws different from the standard.  If they do, they must provide the screws with the display, in which case you need to use the display manufacturer's screws in lieu of those supplied by the mount manufacturer and should have a sample.

If the display came with screws and you no longer have them, you might find a reference to their size in the product documentation or might be able to find the information online (or check with the manufacturer's customer support).  Otherwise, it's trial and error for the thread (for an initial estimate, you can compare the hole diameter of the threaded insert to a chart of screw dimensions).  I would refer to the VESA spec for the screw length, and verify that the threaded hole accommodates that length.


What is the most solid way to mount floating shelves? I want to install a series of floating shelves to hold mostly books and some other heavy items in my living room.

I found this on Instructables where one use expansion bolt and 6mm thread bar for what seems like a very solid setup. I was wondering if the expansion bolt could be used in the wall studs as my walls are way too thin oterwise.

I also found this post here where one recommend to use Z-clip. Yet I am not sure how much weight a 12 inch deep shelve could hold which such a mount. How can I mount heavy stuff on wooden studs?

What do you think is the most robust choice?

I would consider using a "french cleat". This is a technique where you cut a board into two pieces using a 45 degree angle. I used this to mount some cabinets and they are incredibly strong. It just depends on whether you can adapt that to the shelf you have. Good luck.


Recessed Can Light Not Working I have 2 recessed can lights that are controlled from the same wall switch.  I replaced both with LED bulbs.  After several months, in one of the lights the bulb would go off and on intermittently.  I replaced the bulb with the same result.  After about 3 weeks of this pattern the bulb will not work at all.  The other fixture on the line has had no issues.

It sounds like the the center contact has loosened up in the fixture, with the power off pry the contact up a little and that may solve the problem. There are usually temp sensors in can lights but since changing the bulb made it work for a while I would check the center contact on the fixture. LED's usually will not produce enough heat to trip the thermal sensor. It could be a loose connection in the wiring, but again, since changing the bulb made it work, check the center contact.


4 outlets and 2 switches not working Yesterday morning I woke up and had 4 outlets and 2 switches not working. I tested the outlets and have 0 ACV. The breaker shows 120 ACV. Took all the outlets apart and noticed one had over heated on the hot wires so I replaced that outlet. The rest are still good. Reset the breaker and still nothing. I am out of ideas

Thanks

You've already started in the right direction by testing the outlets and the breaker. You have verified that there is power, you just need to continue to isolate the problem. There are two common things that might be wrong. First test the outlets not working if you haven't already hot to neutral and hot to ground. You may have a loose neutral also.

Next you need to find the other outlets and junction boxes on that same circuit. You can do this by turning off the breaker and finding all of the outlets not working under this scenario. Try and mentally visualize the outlet closest to the outlets not working. You are looking for a loose, burnt or broken connection in the boxes prior to the outage. See picture for clarification.

Do you see what I am trying to get at? If you do find the problem and while you have the boxes open you might as well go ahead and pigtail the outlets. That way you only have one outlet stop working and that will make it easier to locate. See picture.

Good Luck.


Which type of mortar or cement to set electrical box? I have cut out two holes for 4", metal electrical boxes to be set in to the exterior walls of an old block and stucco garage.  I need to secure the boxes by setting them in either concrete or mortar, but am unsure what type of product to use. Would a plain old Quikrete - their basic concrete mix - work for this?  Or should I use some kind of mortar mix?  I was about to use the common Quikrete simply because I already have some, but then noticed on the package that it said it should be applied a minimum of 2" thick.  I don't have that kind of space around the boxes, so I thought maybe that was the wrong product for the project.  I also happen to have some old thinset for tiling.  May be past its prime, but might work for this?  Of course, I'm not opposed to buying whatever the right thing is if neither of these are it.

Any help would be appreciated.

they make specific boxes for masonry.  these are sealed a bit better than a typically 4 inch square.  you can get these in single gang, up to almost anything multi gang or gangable (single gang that join to other single gang to make what you need)  You must use rated wire or conduit with compression connectors for this application as well.


Wall Receptacle Outlet is getting hot! Help I can use some help understanding why an outlet receptacle is getting hot, and if its being overloaded or if the wires are possibly compromised now from being overloaded multiple times.
I have a 12-2 circuit coming directly from the main panel to (3) 20amp regular wall outlets. They are linked in a 1-2-3 outlet chain where the main line from the breaker box goes to outlet 1, and then between outlet 1-2, and then outlet 2-3.  The wire used is 12-2 romex (Yellow plastic coated wire with White/Black/Ground).
Outlet receptacle #1 is the one that runs hot, outlet #2 and #3 do not.
I originally had them linked like this:

But after I felt it was hot, I switched to linking them like this:

The purpose of this circuit is for window air conditioners. Each air conditioner runs at around 400+ watts once the compressor is running. However one of the air conditioner does surge more than the others on start up. This was supposed to be a temporary setup and the idea was that only 1 AC would be running on the circuit at any given time, but my Central Air is having issues so I'm now relying on this circuit to run at least 2 window units, sometimes 3.
I had a laser printer plugged into outlet #1 and I did not realize it at first, so I am assuming it possibly surged too much energy while the other 2 outlets were running 2 small air conditioner units. The laser printer only runs for about a minute, but I know it pulls a solid 500+ watts and it may surge energy heavily. Outlet #1 had started to melt a bit on the hot side when the receptacle was acting as the pass through to outlet #2 and this is how I realized there was a major issue going on in this circuit. The laser printer absolutely caused the initial issue and power draw that may have compromised the wires.
Outlet #1 has been getting about 5+ Fahrenheit degrees hotter than the ambient temperature in the room.  Its been super hot in that room this summer getting to about 88F to 90F, so the testing the wall (and directly on the wires inside of the outlet box) with an IR thermometer can show it being as high as 95F. This is concerning since I thought there should never be any heat in an outlet or wire unless it is being overloaded.
Using a calculation of:
20A x 120V = 2400 watts and with a rule of using around 75%-80% of the circuits max capacity puts us around usable 1800-2000 watts on that circuit. This is NOT taking into account compressor surge when the compressor kicks on.
My connections are tight and done well. I am using the screw terminal, and I have nice and tight connections that are  wire nut capped and taped.
The circuit breaker at the panel has never tripped during all of this.
HELP!
Am I simply overloading this circuit? Could I have compromised the wire/coating if there was a steady draw on this circuit for too long, and many surges of the laser printer while the air conditioners were already running? The temperature of the outlet/wires is very concerning and I'm considering if I should fish a new line to replace the line between outlet #1 and #2, or further.  I plan to call an electrician and I've stopped using outlet #1 in the circuit but I'm curious to hear what it can be so I know what to expect, or I can make some changes sooner than later.
All feedback welcome.

First of all, your assumption that "there should never be any heat in an outlet or wire unless it is being overloaded" isn't strictly true -- there should never be excessive heat, enough to melt the insulation or catch nearby materials on fire, but some temperature rise in wiring is inevitable due to physics.  95F, (or 35C) isn't all that concerning, since even the cheapest mains wiring is rated to handle 60C.  So it's probably not currently a safety issue, but it'd be good to address anyway.
Second, how old are the outlets themselves?  Since you've properly wired everything with side screws and pigtails, the next most likely place to be generating heat is a bad connection between the blades of the plugs, and of the outlets.  This can be due to a dirty or corroded plug, but more commonly it's due to the springs inside the outlet that hold the connection firm wearing out over time.  Since new high quality outlets are only a few dollars, I'd recommend just replacing all of them that are not in good condition (i.e. that their internal springs still hold two-prong plugs firmly).  If the plug blades on your devices are slightly corroded but otherwise in good condition, you can usually remove the corrosion with a bit of sandpaper.


Repaint/refinish worn fridge handle My fridge handle is worn to the point that the foam is exposed and it can't be wiped clean. How can I refinish it with a durable finish? I'm assuming anything with a solvent would destroy the foam.

Using you model number you can order an exact replacement handle from the manufacturer.


Do stairs need to be the same height after landing? I have set of stairs that leads from the main floor to the basement.  A little over half way down there is a landing (typical L-shape).  I'm looking to put in an insulated subfloor in my basement, which could raise the floor height quite a bit.  If I did so, I might have to change the bottom set of stairs.  I was thinking of cutting new stringers, which would allow my steps to all be of uniform height, but that would make the risers on the bottom set of stairs differ from the upper set. I have 6 steps, and if I were to put in a 3 1/4" sub-floor [1"XPS + 2x4 (1.5") sleepers + 3/4" plywood/OSB], that'd change the riser height by more than 3/8".  Is this a problem?

According to the International Residential Code (IRC), the 3/8" variance only applies to a "flight of stairs" not the entire "stairway".

  International Residential Code 2009

  Chapter 3 - Building Planning

  Section 311 Means of Egress

  R311.7 Stairways.

  R311.7.4.1 Riser height. The maximum riser height shall be 73/4 inches (196 mm). The riser shall be measured vertically between leading edges of the adjacent treads. The greatest riser height within any flight of stairs shall not exceed the smallest by more than 3/8 inch (9.5 mm).

Looking at the definition of stairway and flight, you can see that the the 3/8" variance only applies to individual flights of stairs, and not the entire stairway.

  Chapter 2 - Definitions

  Section 202 Definitions

  Stairway. One or more flights of stairs, either exterior or interior, with the necessary landings and
  platforms connecting them, to form a continuous and uninterrupted passage from one level to another.

  Flight. A continuous run of rectangular treads or winders or combination thereof from one landing to another.

However, you may find that changing the riser height by too much within a stairway could lead to a tripping hazard.  As you travel up/down the stairs, your body gets used to the step height.  If midway through the stairway the step height changes, you may become temporarily disoriented and potentially trip or misstep.


Why do I sometimes get noise and no water from my kitchen faucet? Kitchen faucet sometimes water comes out and then sometimes it trickles out or nothing comes out at all.  Took off aerator and water came out without any noise.Put in new aerator and now have same problem with no water sometimes or
very little water flow.

Anyone have an idea of what the issue is?  This faucet is a one handle

faucet

It appears that the problem returns after a new aerator is installed. I would put in a water filter. If you are handy you can put a whole house filter on the main water supply ( or hire a plumber ) or just a point of use filter under you sink but you would need two, one for each hot and cold.

Original answer: You can purchase new aerators for some faucets. You can also take yours off and soak in in a lime dissolving solution. You can actually take some of them apart and clean the different screens and parts with the solution and toothbrush but you need to record exactly how they all fit together to put it back in proper working order.

  P.S. do not brush your teeth with the toothbrush afterwards unless you have lime deposits on you teeth. :)


Can you mix 12/2 and 10/2 wire on a 20 amp circuit? I used to have a 10/2 220 line that went from my panel to my hot water heater.

I have since taken the electric hot water heater out and replaced it with a oil fired unit.
The installers unhooked the wire from the breakers, but left the 10/2 in the finished ceiling.

The old electric water heater was near my workshop.  I would like to use the 10/2 wire that is already run (with a new 20A breaker, of course) to get a new 20A circuit to my shop.

However, once the 10/2 line gets to the first plug, can I just run 12/2 to a couple other outlets?  I think it is OK because the 10/2 is big enough to carry the 20A and the 12/2 is also big enough.  I'm just not sure if mixing 10/2 and 12/2 is to code or not?

So it would be Panel -> 20A breaker -> 10/2 -> outlet -> 12/2 -> outlet -> 12/2 -> outlet.

There is nothing in the code that restricts mixing wire sizes, as long as the smallest wire meets the minimum allowed by ratings of terminations selected from 310.16 and minimum sizes in 240.4.

If fact in commercial work where circuits feed areas that are sometimes 100' or more from an electrical panel it is standard procedure to run those "homeruns" with the next larger size wire to reduce the voltage loss created by resistance of the wire, then the distribution to device locations is done with minimum allowed size.


Schlage lock used indoors jammed I used an outdoor Schlage lock as an indoor passage lock. Somehow the lock is Jammed and I'm down to do I use a sledge or call a locksmith. The key wont turn. We took the molding off and have access to the latch and deadlock. I've tried to push the latch open with several objects but no luck so far. Any ideas would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance.tt7iy

Since you have a straight shot at the latch because you removed the molding, use a reciprocating saw and just cut the latch. Then you can replace the lock set.


Are there any special considerations for installing laminate on a 2nd floor? I have installed a lot of laminate in 1st floor rooms, with concrete subfloors. No issues there. Now I'm installing in a second floor bedroom in a townhouse. Before I rip up carpet Im checking to see if there are any special considerations to consider for 2nd floor installations.

I know this question is a little broad so I'm up for edits to make more specific.

Utilize a high rated sound barrier to cancel noise.