Storing an Old Sump or Ejector Pump for Later Use I recently replaced my functioning, but of unknown age, ejector pump. After washing it, I'd now like to store it so that it could be pulled out in case of an emergency. I'm considering putting it in a bucket of water (along with a few ounces of bleach, to hopefully keep the water from getting nasty over time) and closing it with a suitable lid.  This way, everything stays wet and there's less chance of it corroding while in storage.  There are no guarantees, of course, it will work if I ever pull it back out - but a potential emergency pump is better than no possible emergency pump.
My question is: has anyone else stored their old pump "wet"?  If so, any suggestions /tips? Any alternative approaches? I'm slightly concerned about adding bleach (which could be somehow reactive), but can't think of a better additive to keep the water from fouling.

I've never stored an ejector pump "wet" but if I wanted to do that, I'd store it in a 50-50 mix of distilled water and standard green automotive antifreeze. The antifreeze contains rust inhibitors. I've personally stored a large diesel engine with a cast iron block for five years after flushing and filling it with 50-50 green antifreeze, and at the end of that time the fluid came out perfectly clean. No rust at all. And the antifreeze won't hurt rubber parts like bleach would.
It might be good to run the pump for a few moments after immersing it to make sure all the air is pumped out of it.


Can I use any DIY hubs with Lutron Caseta? I'm interested in the Lutron Caseta (or frankly any other wifi compatible dimmer switch that works with LEDs). But I'm NOT interested in adding YAPH (Yet Another Proprietary Hub) to my already overloaded network. I already run a server or two on my network full time. So I would love to be able to "emulate" the hub from my server. Anyone done this or heard about others doing this?

The Lutron Caséta Wireless product line isn't the best line for your needs. Yes, you will need a Lutron Smart Bridge or a Lutron Smart Bridge Pro to communicate with your Caséta Wireless devices. It is made to be end user friendly (idiot proof) to the point of not being DIY automation friendly.

Lutron hasn't published their API software publicly, but there is a PDF of their intergration protocol available. This PDF outlines Lutron's five product families that are their professional residential/commercial solutions (QS Standalone / Quantum / RadioRA 2 / HomeWorks QS / myRoom plus), and explains how to connect and send automation commands over ethernet (TCP/IP) or serial (RS-232) to each of them. Unfortunately, you'll still need to purchase a proprietary Lutron Integration Access Point for whichever product line you choose. The Integration Access Point is necessary to transmit the TCP/IP or RS-232 communications from your computer to the wireline or RF frequency the Lutron device can communicate on, but it's not as bad as adding another proprietary smart hub that tries to run everything in your house for you.

If you absolutely don't want to add another proprietary hub or don't want to limit yourself to a specific brand, then it might be better to go with a brand/protocol that easily communicates with your computer and isn't brand specific. A product that uses Z-Wave, X10, or Zigbee might be better for you, and should be supported longer than any of Lutron's lines.


Question about outswing door on attached toolshed I have a toolshed attached to my garage with an outswing door. The door appears to be screwed into the moulding instead of the stud. Is this typical for an outswing door (see photos)?

Photo album

I'd planned to install a deadbolt and some security hinges to make it slightly more difficult to break into. However, all that seems moot if the moulding could just be popped out with a prybar.

Granted it's not a security door or anything so someone could easily break through the door if they wanted to.

To summarize: Is this hung correctly? Can I install a deadbolt with it hung this way?

Sometimes sheds just are not built like standard construction.  You are right that the door is mostly hung on what appears to be brick molding.  If you want real strength from the hinges and the latch side of the door, setting it back into the opening where you can grab studs is going to be your best bet.  Having the door inset a bit also makes prying attacks a little harder (not much, but something) but the main goal is to get all of the hinge screws and latch plate screws into a structural member.

On the plus side, it looks like the stop molding is just nailed onto the door casing rather than being a single piece of casing with an integrated stop, so moving the door back into the opening might be a little easier.


Humidity setting for vacant house What should the humidity  be set at a vacant house in Minnesota January through May

If you are going to spend a bunch of money on HVAC for a vacant house, 50% (or "between 40 and 60%")

Else, drain the plumbing, put RV antifreeze in the sink and toilet traps, turn off the furnace and let the humidity be what it is. Far less costly for 5 months.


How to prepare stud wall for PVC shower panels I've recently removed the tiles from my bathroom wall, and the plasterboards all come off too.  So I'm left with a stud wall and no covering.

I plan to fit pvc panelling (polypanel).  How should I prepare the walls?

Stick the polypanel straight on the stud work
Put up normal plasterboard and stick straight to that
Put up normal plasterboard, plaster it, then stick to that
Put up something else?

You should install cementboard, then mount the panels to that.


How to remove old A/C piping in my house? When I had my new A/C installed I moved it to the other side of my house (right next to the furnace), so now I have a bunch of old copper piping running about 30 feet from one corner of my house to the other.

My question - is this trivial to remove? Do I just need pipe cutters or is there a better way to do it?  Here is a photo:

I mainly want to do this as my basement is small and there are quite large drop ceilings ONLY because of this pipe, I want to remove the drop ceiling entirely. See here:

And are there any risks? I assume nothing is in either pipe and I could just cut/remove them.

If the refrigerant has been removed, this is an easy task.  I'd assume the refrigerant was recovered when the old condensing unit was removed, but I only know what you've told us.

If there's no refrigerant in the lines, simply cut them out any way you like. Take the copper to the local scrap yard, and you can pay yourself for the work.

If the refrigerant is still in the lines, you'll have to have it recovered by an HVAC technician.


Why are 2"x4"'s really 1.5"x3.5"? Just curious as to the reasoning, is it a spec, or is it simply 'backwards compatibility'?

The 2x4 refers to the rough-cut green wood: it shrinks during drying, then the dried wood is planed smooth, so the finished lumber is supposed to end up at 1.5"x3.5".  While it doesn't really shrink that much, the mills get more usable finished 2x4's from a given tree if they cut them slightly smaller to begin with.

Here's the Wikipedia article about it.


How to fight with mold on wall and ceiling connection on last floor I live in a 4 store old (from about 1930's) building. Occasionally (in autumn, winter or spring) all gable walls have mold/mould/fungus in the wall and ceiling connection. Under my flat there's only roof (no other floors or attic).

Wall is facing east, it's standard brick wall with no special insulation. Plaster is partially already shattered and off.

How to fight with that mold?

EDIT: I bought hygrometer and it shows 70% @ 22°C, and i peak even 82% (at night in bedroom)

Depending on where you live and the rights as a renter, this seems like something that should be taken up with the building owner. You can certainly attempt mitigation, but from personal and anecdotal experience, mold growth that shows up in living areas, is usually a sign of much worse mold behind those visible surfaces.

Often times this would require mold mitigation up to and including removal of interior drywall/plaster, removal and treatment of mold growing on the internals of the structure, added ventilation and treatment of the problems causing mold growth, and the reinstallation of mold/mildew resistant materials.

This sounds like a bigger job than just removing the superficial presence.

Remember, just because you cannot see the mold, does not mean that it is not affecting your health or your property

I encourage you to take this seriously and have this issue corrected.


Can a surface mount Spa Panel be recess mounted in drywall and 2x4 wall? My city uses 2011 NEC.
I would like to install a 125 Amp rated Spa Panel as a subpanel directly below my 200 Amp main circuit breaker panel to be able to use two 50 Amp GFI circuits. I already have this Spa Panel with a breaker and would like to use it:
http://www.midwestelectric.com/products/spa-panels/spa-panels-0
My main circuit breaker panel is flush mounted in a drywalled 2x4 wall. The spa panel has an open knockout in the top that would align perfectly with a knockout in the bottom of my main panel. I would use a piece of straight conduit to connect the two panels.
My question is:
Can the spa panel be recessed/flush-mounted in the wall or is it required that it be surfaced mounted to the wall?
The reason I want it to be recessed/flush-mounted is so I can use a simple straight piece of conduit to connect the two panels. Surface mounting would require using flex conduit that would poke through the drywall. Also, the spa panel is hanging off the wall in a high traffic area vs. a clean out-of-the-way flush mount.
This is a picture of what I currently have that I'm not happy with. The conduit body at the bottom goes into the front of a junction box (does NEC allow that?) and the junction box has a piece of straight conduit up to the bottom of the main panel in the wall you can't see.

If surface mounting is required, I'll do something like this with flex conduit.

You are treating a "spa panel" as something special when it really isn't.  Considering this is indoors, you can get away with a standard indoor breaker enclosure (NEMA 1) instead of the weatherproof (NEMA 3R) "spa panel" box.  In addition, the spa panel looks to be designed solely for surface (not flush) mounting -- flush mounting may cause issues with the door, for instance.

I would get a standard 125A main lug indoor panel (your existing spa panel uses GE THQLs, so get a GE panel if you wish to reuse the breakers from the spa box) and configure it as a subpanel instead -- while your current setup complies with Code insofar as you're able to get access to the junction box with the conduit body hanging off the front, I agree that it is a rather ugly kludge.


Flexible hose to connect to 2" PVC I'm setting up a dust collection system in my woodshop. It has lines that I mounted to the wall of 2" outer diameter PVC. I'm trying to connect one end of it to a flexible hose to use as a hand vacuum.

Common vacuum hose sizes close to this range seem to be 1 7/8" and 2 1/2".

I've found some rubber couplings that can connect to the 2" PVC, but the only options for sizes on the other end seem to be 1 1/2", 2", 3", etc.

Where can I find a proper 2" to 1 7/8" rubber coupling? Or a 2" to 1 1/2" coupling? Or is my best bet to just try to use the 2" to 2" coupling and connect it to the 1 7/8" hose?

There are several workshop specific brick-n-mortar stores out there that also sell online. Two that come to mind are Rockler and Woodcraft. Both sell what you are looking for. Both also have solutions for the static buildup that Ed was describing. I personally use flexible hose that has a wire built into it that is grounded. My system is a 3" PVC pipe around the garage. There are gates in several locations where I can attach the flexible hose. The gates are grounded. Get yourself a free catalog from both places. Rockler and Woodcraft are pretty pricey but they have items that you will not find anywhere else.


COOK STOVE INSULATOR hello i want to create a stove which uses briquettes or wood for cooking at my remote house which has no access to gas nor electricity. So currently i am looking for an affordable insulator so as to attain less heat loss. Can you suggest any insulator.

Conceptually what you are looking for is likely Fire Bricks depending on your location you might be able to get them from lowes, amazon etc.

That being said, all cooking indoors should be done inside a well vented stove, and there are many commercially available wood stoves that allow you to cook on the top easily.


Sub Panel Grounding method I encountered a condition where a sub panel' s Neutral wirings are on both Neutral bar and Grounding bar, at a 1960' s home, with wirings are Romex and flex conduits. Subject sub panel served as the main service panel in the past,  However, it was converted into a sub panel when a 200A was installed and Upgraded electrical work and additions were done over the years since early 1990. Although The pictures are NOT the best, however I supplemented with description on the pictures.   My concern is related to Neutral wirings on both Neutral and Grounding bars, thus, possibly a risk of creating a path,  Further. there are only two #12 bare copper wirings connected to a bond screw which connects to the grounding bar, with no additional ground wires visible at the sub panel.

The bigger problem is multi-wire branch circuits

Looking at the subpanel, I see 32 "circuits" in use, and I only count 15 neutrals.  And pretty much every other hot wire is red.

This is, without a doubt, a multi-wire branch circuit or MWBC.  Now, these are not a defect if done properly - but they are very vulnerable to being done wrong, and that's when they set your neutral wire on fire.

There will be a red, black and white all in the same cable.  The red and black must be put on opposite "poles" in the panel, and  they must measure 240V between them.

However, we also see a ton of double-stuff breakers - breakers designed to squeeze 2 circuits into 1 space.  These are super vulnerable to being done wrong with MWBCs.  If red+black from the same cable are landed on the same breaker, (which seems like a natural thing to do right?) that will cause the problem.

That doesn't mean the person did... but there's plenty here that makes me nervous  Suffice it to say, the MWBCs should be checked for correctness, and placed on handle-tied (quadplex) breakers as modern Code requires.  (the handle-tied breakers force you to "think correctly" about the MWBC phasing).

Also, I have my suspicions that some of these breakers are the wrong type for this panel, I could be wrong.  I've never seen BR breakers with no writing on them and no colored handle.

I also don't like how they're all 20s.  Are all those wires really #12 copper wire?  Any #14 Cu or #12 Al, and that breaker needs to be 15A.

Lack of neutral-ground separation

First, what I see here looks a lot like 2 neutral bars.  How do you tell the difference?  Well first, the steel frame of the service panel is always grounded.  Some bars stand up on insulators, others do not.  Bars which are non-insulated and bolted direct to the panel steel are always ground bars.  Ones stood up on insulators can go either way.

I also see a strap connecting the 2 neutral bars - note it goes left to right just below the second row of breakers.  That leads me to believe both are neutral bars, and that makes sense - if this panel were maxed out with double-stuffed single circuits, you'd need all those for neutrals!  (you can't double-tap 2 neutrals on 1 screw).

So where do grounds get attached?  Accessory ground bars that you pay extra (like $6 extra) for. These bolt directly to the metal frame, and like I said, that means they can only be ground bars.

When we look at the panel in this light, I see only neutrals on the neutral bar.  In fact, I see precious few grounds at all! It's possible this panel predates the common use of ground wires.  Or a mad installer simply cut them all off.

The lack of grounds is another issue.

You should certainly identify the maker of the panel and go get accessory ground bars for that panel (an electrical supply house who deals in that company or its successor can help identify the right ground bar).  Using the intended brand means the ground bars will line up on the pre-drilled holes, for easy installation.

I'm not into brand loyalty, but competitor breakers are not physically compatible - they seem to fit, but they don't.


Multi-layer insulation for private houses? Space vehicles and military systems use an advanced technology called multi-layer insulation(MLI) to manage thermal conditions. It is very expensive.

Are there MLI systems that are available for use in private homes?

No. The product in question has been designed for applications where low weight and resistance to radiant heat transfer are the dominant goals, and justify a high price. Residential construction involves different goals (resistance primarily to conduction and convection; low cost; ease of installation and retrofitting), so the product's high price is unjustifiable.

The closest residential equivalent would be sheets of foil-faced polyiso--installed correctly of course, with the foil facing an airspace of 1" or greater.


How many holes can a masonry drill bit make? Please excuse my ignorance, I'm fairly new to DIY.

I keep reading how masonry drill bits wear down quickly. As I'm preparing for a day of serious hammer drilling dozens of holes into concrete walls at a remote location, I'm wondering how many drill bits I need to bring. How many holes can a single masonry drill bit realistically be expected to make before needing replacement?

I have searched the web and YouTube for all kinds of phrases and terms, but can't seem to find any quality assessments the same way as for example screwdriver bits are often tested.

I realize the answer relies heavily on the quality of the bit, proper usage, etc. But I really have no idea right now. I'm intending to buy Irwin SpeedHammer bits, which I believe are a reasonable quality. I will try to prevent bits from getting too hot.

Should I expect 10 holes? 100? 1000?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

I can't give an exhaustive scientific answer, but I have plenty of hammerdrilling experience, both with SDS bits and smooth shank bits. I have a Bosch Bulldog and seeing that you'll be drilling for hours into concrete, would strongly encourage you to be using this or some other SDS handling tool:

It depends on the diameter of your bit and how deep each hole is - I have drilled hundreds of holes with my half inch SDS bit without any sign of weakening (though moderate wear on the tip is apparent). But whether SDS or smooth shank, a 3/16" bit such as is used for drilling for 1/4" masonry lags can be expected to drill, oh, my best guess is maybe 200 3-inch holes before becoming significantly dull (breaking is almost always user error). This is assuming concrete without foreign objects.

Perhaps due to your remote location, you are stuck with a non-SDS battery hammerdrill. Those Irwin bits should work okay in that case, just at least twice as slow as the SDS system (which is why I would really encourage you to get your hands on the SDS drill).

In the final analysis, I would calculate one bit per hundred holes if you're using 3/16" bits. You will probably break some.


How to keep rats away from wires? I live in a shop house, my below unit is rented to a restaurant, and hence rats are not uncommon in my house or my ceiling.

But for the purpose of this question, I just want to know how can I keep the rats away from wires/cables on my ceiling? My shop house suffered electricity outage a few times because the rats were chewing away the wires-- and electric short-circuiting themselves in the process.

I am thinking about calling pest control, but before that, I want to know whether is there any DIY solution or not.

Commercially available traps or a pellet gun are a couple DIY options.

However, if you have a restaurant below you that has rats I would call the health department or your equivalent. The restaurant should pay for the pest removal not you.

Good luck!


How do I eject a bit from a Wiha 38600 screwdriver? I just bought this overpriced Wiha 386 screwdriver. It takes a 1/4 bit. It also has a "retaining ring." I put a bit in it, and everything went great. But.. how do I get the bit out of it?

I know it sounds stupid, but I can't figure out how to get the bit ouf of this screwdriver. What's the trick. This has to be a German joke of some sort. The screwdriver is titled, "Wiha 38600 Bit Holder 1/4" with Retaining Ring, Flexible Shaft."

Pull it straight out the opposite way it went in. The retaining ring is a spring steel circle of round wire that is split on one side. The diameter of the circle is very slightly smaller than the distance around the points of the 1/4" hex bit:

The ring is inserted so that it floats inside of a groove around the inside end of the driver tool socket.

When a bit is first inserted into the tool socket the rounded fillet on the back end of the 1/4" hex bit is designed to allow the ring in the groove to expand out around the hex bit.

Just as the bit reaches its full insertion depth the ring is allowed to drop into a series of notches that are machined into the corners of the bit all the way around:

This is what helps to keep the bit from falling out of the tool socket. Sometimes with a new tool where the ring has not been exercised much it can clamp into the grooves extra hard. Another factor is that some hex bits have deeper notches which may also enhance the grab the ring has on the bit.

The normal thing to deal with this situation is that the insertion and removal of bits needs to be done a few times to relax the spring steel ring some. At first it may be necessary to use a pair of pliers to extract the bit. A small amount of lubricant could help too.....but it is not recommended for several usage scenarios. One example is if the tool is being used around raw unfinished wood the lubricant can stain the wood in an undesirable manner.

Note that not all hex bits have the retainer ring grooves. The retainer ring can still help keep such bits from falling out of the tool socket but the retention is based purely on the friction against the bit as opposed to the snap action of the notches on the bit.


Energy Audit (WellHome) We recently had an energy audit done by WellHome, a new division of Masco, which is a manufacturer of many types of home/building fixtures and services.

They seemed to do a very thorough job, using high-tech equipment including thermal imaging which showed significant heat infiltration (I live in Austin, TX) in the places I'd expect.  Air leakage was 1900CFM50 which they said was somewhat high but not outrageous.  After reviewing the printed report I generally agreed with their findings.

The cost of the audit was reasonable ($49) and included no obligation to use them for remediation, although the report included a list of suggested remediation items and none of the prices looked out of line.  In fact the cost for replacing the windows with double-pane argon-filled vinly-frame units was quite a bit less than I expected.  This was the highest cost item ($9000) but was the lowest suggested priority because according to the report there's more effective "low-hanging fruit".  There was no sales pressure at all.

Based on our specific audit, they will "guarantee" a 23% energy savings. Based on a year's worth of utility bills we spend about $1600/year on heating/cooling (is that low?), due to having already picked the really low-hanging fruit (CFLs, conservative thermostat settings), Assuming that they can deliver the savings, it would only amount to about $370/year for a $20000 investment, which clearly makes no sense financially unless it contributes significantly to the equity.

The question: Is this worth considering at all for reasons other than pure enviromental altruism?

Note: I would have used better tags but with less than 150 rep I can't create the tag
"energy-audit".

EDIT: One commenter suggested this question looks like a sales-pitch.  On re-reading, I can see that my tone is quite positive, which I guess reflects my feeling about the process. However, I will categorically state that I have no connection to Masco or WellHome (no idea how I can prove it, however :-)

As you'd need to maintain those $370/year savings for 54 years to gain any return on your investment you do need to consider other factors.

As you point out - you need to work out if it significantly increase the value of your home. Another side to this though is would it make your house significantly easier to sell? In a buyers market if you can offer things that others can't - full insulation, double glazing etc. then you might find a buyer more quickly and one willing to meet your asking price.
Pure environmental altruism is, by definition, impossible to put a figure on. Only you can decide whether $20,000 is an "investment" you want to make.

Finally, something that has just occurred to me. By doing this work you might get ahead of any future legislation requiring you to fit double glazing, extra draught-proofing etc. So if you can afford it now you won't have to make the investment later when you might not be able to afford it or when prices go up because there's more demand. The downside to this is that future laws might be stricter or have tighter limits which would mean that you still need to do some work.


Is there a standard height and depth for stairs? Is there a standard (or a standard range for) the height and depth of each step in a flight of stairs?

If your answer refers to your building code, please say where you live.

The general rule (in the US) is 7-11 (a 7 inch rise and 11 inch run) (17.78cm-27.94cm).  More exactly, no more than 7 3/4 inches (19.7cm) for the riser (vertical) and a minimum of 10 inches (25.4cm) for the tread (horizontal or step).  You can find some more information here as well on other stair-related dimensions.

To calculate if the steps will be within the Building Codes specs :  2 times the step riser height + 1 tread width equals between 24 and 25 in inches (60.96cm and 63.5cm).

example:  (2 x 7.5") + 10 = 25 (2 x 19.05cm + 10 = 48.1cm)


Can I Make a 14-3 cable Using Two 14-2s? I have an existing overhead light with a single light switch in my hallway.  I would like to add a second light switch, but I don't have any 14-3 cable.  Can I simply run two sets of 14-2 cable, and essentially ignore two of the six wires, or is that a terrible idea for reasons I don't understand?

Absolutely not.

All conductors in the circuit must travel together in the same cable (i.e. sheath or jacket) or raceway (i.e. conduit), NEC 300.3.  It would only be legal to use two sets of 14-2 if they were in conduit.

The reason for this is inductive heating occurring between the cables.

Anyway, you need 14-4

You want to run three conductors: 2 messengers and a common.  That's the old way of doing it, and it's not legal anymore, because now you must provide a true neutral wire to each switch location.  That means 2 messengers, a common, and a neutral.  Get 14-4 or 14-2-2 from a proper electrical supply house, not the local bigbox.

Beat the Christmas rush: go smart-switch

The reason for mandatory neutral is the smart-switch revolution (or to be more precise, the hokey, dangerous things people to do cheat a neutral when they don't find one). Instead of fighting, you can just go with it.

Use a smart switch at the primary location, then use a smart-switch remote at the secondary location.  Some of them communicate via wireless or power line signaling, so you don't even need a datacomm wire.  Simple 14-2 will do it.  Others are entirely battery operated and don't need any wires run at all.


White stain on grout between tiles. How to clean? I have black matte finish shower tiles with black grout. I have scrubbed the tiles and grout with a 1:2:1 peroxide:baking soda:dish soap ratio.
Tile and grout cleaned up and all soap scum removed but white residue is left behind on some of the grout areas. All tiles and grout were scrubbed and rinsed twice before drying.
This shower sat unused for multiple years and had been temporarily caulked in places prior to this cleaning. I have noticed there is water under the tiles that seeps up when stepped on as well.
Any ideas what this could be?

To clean grout, I would start with a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda, in a 2:1 or weaker ratio.  Apply the mixture to the grout lines, let it sit, gently scrub with a soft bristle brush (old tooth brushes, for example), then rinse with clean water.  Repeat if necessary.
If that doesn't work, you then might want to try some of the more powerful commercial products.


Why would turning off a ceiling fan via a wall switch causes 3 seconds of TV signal loss? Wall "A" has a switch that controls the light on the ceiling fan.
Wall "B" has an outlet used by TV and cable box.
Wall "C" has a switch that controls the light on the ceiling fan - alongside a switch controlling just the ceiling fan.

(There are other outlets in the room and, at least, two other rooms on this circuit but I haven't noticed any connection between those and this issue.)

When TV and ceiling fan are on, turning OFF the fan causes the TV to go black and silent for about three seconds before recovering. The TV's power indicator light stays on during the outage.

The house is 18 yrs. old. I've lived here 15 and this just started in the last 2-3 months.

If anyone recognizes the problem and can offer a remedy, I would be very appreciative.

It's possible that the coils in the fan create flyback voltage that has nowhere to go so it radiates as EMF. Ensure that the fan is connected to ground to rule this out or fix the issue.


How can I remove paint splatters from sealed decorative concrete deck? I have a custom concrete pation & pool deck that is textured / painted to look like wood. It is also sealed. Recently I had the coping on my pool fixed and the guy did a great job but left quite a bit of paint stains & splatter around the pool.

What would be the best way to remove these? I am going to try to pressure wash this weekend but should I be using paint thinner? Can that be used on a sealed concrete deck without damaging it?

This will only work if there's a handful of splatters

Well technically if you've got unlimited time you could do this with an unlimited number of splatters.

What you do is get a icecube and a small chisel or something similar. You  hold the icecube on the paint splatter for a few seconds and then pry it up with your chisel or tap at it.

Since it's winter here it wouldn't work but if you're doing work around your pool I'm assuming you're in a southern climate. I've never tried it on very fine overspray but on splatters it works quite well and is very gentle on the surface underneath.

If it doesn't work on fine overspray and that's what you're trying to remove you could try Goof Off on a mildly damp cloth and with a light but rapid wiping motion see if you can get the paint off. * be very careful as Goof Off is very aggressive, test in a small inconspicuous place first* Goof Off evaporates extremely quickly and you would have to reapply a small amount frequently.


Can I remove this closet? I have a closet in the middle of my house on the first floor I would like to get rid of. I am concerned it could be load bearing since it is in the middle of the house. But there isn't only that closet there is also a half-bath. I am removing just the closet and keep the half bath where it is.
In my picture the part I wanna remove is marked in red. I have also attached more pics to give you fuller ideas of the layout.

The walls themselves are probably not load-bearing but there may be a post that supports a beam or a beam junction.
The best way to proceed is to hire an engineer before making such a substantial alteration. My bet is, there is sooner a post than a whole wall that bears the load. And, if I wanted to do further homework before hiring a professional, I would look at the orientation of the joists. The walls that are parallel to your joists are unlikely to be load-bearing. Ones that are perpendicular, may be. Both of those wall types may be hiding a post inside. To determine joist direction, remove one of the two ceiling air returns or vents you have there and you will likely reveal the joists. This will save you making unnecessary holes in the wall at this point.
One important heads-up:
I just did a renovation in my house where I opened up a kitchen and living room and I am talking from my experience. I ended up leaving the post in a small wall that I left alone and the plan still looks very open, however, leaving the post was the least of my problems.
The walls I removed were full of electric wiring, HVAC ducts, and even a natural gas pipe. Luckily there was no water plumbing as it would have complicated things even more. It is likely that the builders used these walls as an easy way to route all these things between the levels of your house.
As you confirm the "demolitability" of that wall, be prepared to plan for possibly routing electric, HVAC, and other things that can complicate things immensely depending on how much you are willing to demolish in the process. In my case, I had to run a few new cables all the way from the basement, as the existing wire wouldn't reach to where I wanted it and I would no longer have a room for Jbox either. I had to reroute HVAC ducts under the floor and above the ceiling (in the attic space). If you have access to look under your floor and above the ceiling, you will gain a better understanding of what you are dealing with.
I don't mean to discourage you, it maybe completely DIY-doable (I did and I had no prior experience in the project as involved as this), and you may have a very easy case. Just be prepared for these things as you plan. Ask a lot of questions here before you assume and after your own research. If you think through and plan well, you will likely come up with some creative ways to go around obstacles and still stay to the code. Folks here are amazing and I couldn't have done all this that easily if I hadn't had their help (thanks folks!)
Here is a before-after of the things I had to deal with in just ONE wall.

Here is another where non-load-bearing wall concealed a load-bearing post, as well as ducts.


Best way to drill square tubing (Without drill press) When drilling all the way through square tubing, I often snap my drill bits.
If it’s not possible to drill from the other side, is it better to drill a slightly bigger hole first followed by a smaller hole?

If I have to drill square tubing with a hand operated electric drill I will use a square and mark a line all the way around the four sides of the tubing at the location along the length where the hole is to be located. Then mark the center locations of the holes on the two faces of the tubing on opposite sides.

Then use a center punch to dimple the center mark for the holes on both sides. Next step is to drill a small diameter pilot hole, one from each side, at the center punch locations.

Now you are ready to drill the finished hole size with the appropriate sized drill bit. The pilot hole helps to guide the larger sized drill bit. Drill each hole separately from its side.

Using careful marking and measurements this technique is the best way to get the two holes aligned nicely across from each other. It removes the worry of the angled drill bit not making the hole in the second side in the right place. It eliminates the possibility of an angled drill bit binding in the first drilled hole and breaking. And finally it gives you the benefit of the pilot hole on the second side which you do not get when trying to drill the second hole from the inside of the tubing.


How to quickly add soap to counter soap dispenser? I've got granite counters with your basic top mounted soap dispenser.  It really takes a half hour to get all of the soap into it.  Unscrewing it is a HUGE pain and is faster but messy.  Any way to make this process quicker?

Get a plastic funnel and glue a drinking straw to the inside of the spout. This will let the air out while it fills.

Or, buy another under-sink bottle. You can fill that bottle quickly, then turn it upside down and put it in the hole. Just let it sit until empty.


Does drywall "wear out"? House was built in 1983, in the US midwest.

We have a problem with things pulling out of the drywall.  Yesterday my closet shelving pulled out of the drywall (8 anchors at once).  The main bathroom has had 5 of the screw-in metal anchors pull out, from high-demand uses like the toilet paper holder or washcloth ring.  It's pretty much a guarantee that if we don't hit a stud, the item will eventually fall down.

How can I fix the holes caused by anchors pulling out?
Can I reuse the area where the anchors pulled out after fixing it?
How can I prevent further damage?

No, drywall does not wear out. But holding excessive loads on anchors in drywall is a guarantee of failure. Drywall anchors do tolerably well in shear (loads downward, like hanging a picture) and fairly poorly when yanked on/outwards repeatedly. Once they move at all, they will quickly crumble until they come right out. Nor are they at all good for anything more than a small, lightly loaded shelf, and dubious at that.

If there's no stud where you need to support a troublesome load, and especially if you are already looking at repainting due to needed drywall repair, open the wall up more and put blocking between the studs to support the loads, then repair the larger hole by standard drywall repair methods.


How do I fix a counterweighted accordion blind that is stuck? We have accordion style blinds.

These are assisted...meaning that we can raise and lower the blinds just by lifting or pulling down. No need to pull any strings directly.

Now the assist mechanism is not working anymore. The mechanism is at the top of the blinds.

A string enters the mechanism from the right and the left.

I tried to pull on the string to see if I can get the mechanism to release/unwind the string but I had no luck.

Any suggestion from people that know this mechanism? How can I fix it?

This happened to one of our cordless blinds (made by Bali), they were stuck and would not raise or lower. I'm not certain that all types are made the same, but in the Bali blinds at least you can remove the top cover and there are one or more spring tensioned cylinders (for lack of a better term), and the blind cord may be wrapped around one of them incorrectly.

It's not fun, but I had to unspool and respool all of the blind cords until all were wound correctly around their cylinders, which required a surprising amount of force. I'm sure this makes little sense as typed, so here's a youtube video that helped. Your blinds may be a little different if they're from a different manufacturer.

Bali cordless blinds won't go up or down (not my content)


Safest weed killers? Are there any weed killers that aren't endocrine disruptors or carcinogens?

I'm at war with dandelions, but prefer a few dandelions to cancer or reproductive damage, most days.

For a completely pesticide-free way to get rid of dandelions, you'll need one of these.

A bit more work, but if you have as many of them as I do, you'll be able to skip the aerator when you're done.


How can I attach a ledger board to my house? Spring is here so I finally started to take measurements for materials I will need to build a new deck on my recently constructed home. I just realized that this isn't going to be quite so simple as I originally planned.

My house was constructed with engineered I beams and what I believe is an engineered OSB rim joist perpendicular to those (looking from the back of the house). Knowing this I knew that lag screws or even carriage bolts to hold a ledger board would not be sufficient.  Upon my own research it seemed the accepted way to handle this is to take a piece of 2 by into the inside of the I of the joist, and run a carriage bolt, through the ledger board, sheathing, rim joist and finally the added block, and to do this twice, staggered and 16" OC for each joist after that.

My father-in-law who has built several decks and is critical to this DIY project refuses to do this and he has his reasons which I respect and won't get into.

A better plan in his opinion would be something similar to what is described in this article

In the old days when he built decks with his dad, they used to lag and anchor ledger boards to the concrete foundation and then toenail the joists on top. They apparently make special ties now for this purpose that is an improvement on the old toe-nail method. It seems like a much better idea and if I use 2x10 or 2x12 joists then the deck will be pretty much at the bottom of the kitchen door where it needs to be.

Question 1: I assume that if these clips are still being produced that it must be code assuming proper lag screws and spacing have secured the ledger board?

My second complication... assuming I go this route, only 1 deck ledger board will be attached to a poured concrete wall (the garage).  The very back of the house is actually not a poured foundation wall but a 2x6 framed exterior wall with sheathing, and a decorative stone masonry product.

Question 2: If I were to cut away the masonry and lag into the 2x6 studs for the ledger support, would this be a sturdy code compliant ledger board?

And finally, if applicable, if I were to cut away the masonry to mount a ledger board, I would be worried about water possibly penetrating and getting behind the decorative masonry.

Question 3: What is the most appropriate way to prevent water from getting behind my ledger board or the masonry?

Here is a link to my previous question for a quick diagram of the current plan:

What is a good strategy to support this deck?

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and my father in law thinks I am insane for even considering calling the local code guy (he has had some bad experiences with this guy in the past over a septic system and he is convinced the guy is a sadistic monster who likes for people to spend absurd amounts of money on frivolous things).  If I can't find a clear cut answer then I will probably just hire somebody to do this because the aggravation this is causing me is not worth it.

EDIT

On request here is what the back of the house looks like, to the right not in view is the garage.  This is not in a seismically active area.

First off let me quote the American Wood Council PRESCRIPTIVE RESIDENTIAL WOOD DECK CONSTRUCTION GUIDE (which I recommend looking through).

  MANUFACTURED WOOD I-JOIST: Many new homes constructed with wood I-joists include 1" or thicker engineered wood products (EWP) – such
  as oriented strand board (OSB) or structural composite lumber (SCL)
  including laminated veneer lumber (LVL) – as band joists (or rim
  boards) that can support the attachment of a deck.
  However, some older homes might be constructed with band boards that
  are too thin (less than 1") to support a deck. In such cases, a
  free-standing deck or a full plan submission is required.

You asked:

  Question 1: I assume that if these clips are still being produced that it must be code assuming proper lag screws and spacing have secured the ledger board?

Yes.

It doesn't matter how the joists have bearing, whether it is a hanger, ledger, or beam. Just use the appropriate hardware/fasteners for the application.

  Question 2: If I were to cut away the masonry and lag into the 2x6
  studs for the ledger support, would this be a sturdy code compliant
  ledger board?

Back in the "good old days" when homes were balloon-framed they would use let-in ledgers or ribbon boards to support the floor framing (which was also nailed to the studs, though). So, it is doable, but you may need special permission or even engineer's drawings/specs for approval (might also include blocking and extra hardware). Either way, I would say it is not exactly ideal, but at least you could use structural screws like Ledgerloks or GRKs, since they are smaller diameter and self-drilling and not nearly as likely to split the studs.

(balloon-framed, ribbon-board (ledger) and fire-blocking)

  And finally, if applicable, if I were to cut away the masonry to mount
  a ledger board, I would be worried about water possibly penetrating
  and getting behind the decorative masonry.

You would have the same worries doing the same thing when cutting out siding for a ledger. Flashing to the rescue :)

  Question 3: What is the most appropriate way to prevent water from
  getting behind my ledger board or the masonry?

Again, flashing is the most important part (aside from proper fastening). You have to lap the flashing properly with the building paper. Just remember the direction water flows so the surfaces have to lap the same way a shingle would. See image below for a good illustration of proper flashing. You can also read this short article describing some of the flashing material choices.

After all that, I would say your best bet is to verify your rim board thickness and do a normal ledger. The second best option is a free-standing deck.

Just be careful there is a lot of bad advice and information on the internet!


How far away must a woodstove be from walls? I'm thinking of installing a woodstove in my cabin. How far away must I install it from the walls (which are surfaced with wood planks)?  Should I cover the nearby walls with bricks? Is there any other surface which would be better (I have seen sheet metal used in some places)?

In the US, there should be a 36" clearance between any point on the stove and any point on a combustible wall. Shielding should be mounted on non-combustible spacers which allow air circulation behind the shield. UL-listed stoves with attached heat shields may be installed with less clearance according to manufacturer's specifications (you should consult their documentation before purchase).

Reference


Attic Truss Wall, truss on three sides. How do I get electrical in this wall? I'm currently working on wiring my workshop, which has a loft space created using attic truss. By the stairs is a single wall, three sides of which is made up by doubled-up attic truss.  I understand that it's never OK to drill into engineered framing without a note from my mom, doctor, the attorney general, etc.

My question is: how do I get wiring into this wall for a convenience recep, given three sides are entirely truss framing, and the fourth side is open to the room?

Any thoughts? Thank you for your help.

If it's a workshop, then does it matter if it's not pretty? Could you just have the cable in conduits on the surface of the wall, rather than buried in the wall?


Doors have stopped closing due to humidity, how can I close my doors? I have a few doors in my house that will not close at the moment due to humidity and I was wondering what is the smartest course of action would be.

1 door will not close due to expanding past the frame width wise and the other is being caught on the top.

My options as I see it right now are

Sand down door frames
Sand down doors
Rehang doors

I could use some advice.

First things first: Check to make sure the screws in the hinges are all tight. If they are not, you can pack the screw holes with toothpicks and white glue, and once dry, redrill and reset the screws.

Next things next:  Assuming that the hinges of the doors are properly mortised (set into the wood), that the door has not sagged on its hinges (a different question), and that there is no significant bump in the frame, the best bet is probably to trim down the doors and then properly seal them to prevent moisture absorption.

There is supposed to be a gap between the door and the jamb (the broad moldings that face toward the door opening). This gap should be about the thickness of a nickel (but a good bit larger at the bottom) when the door and framing is at its tightest (in high humidity). Doors and their frames shrink and expand naturally, and sealing (with paint/varnish/poly/etc.) is meant to minimize, but not eliminate this shifting. Once you have a sticking point (assuming the hinges haven't shifted much) you need to re-size the door.

Sanding may be sufficent, but you probably need to take off at least 1/16th and preferably 1/8 to solve the problem long term. In most cases it is worth taking the door down so that you can work flat and exert some pressure. Befor taking it down, mark the tight spots with a pencil line run parallel to, and about 1/8 in from the jamb. Then pull the hinge pins and set the door standing on its hinge edge down. If you need to work near the lockset, you may need to pull the latch bolt and its faceplate, or the whole lockset if it is a mortise lock. Either way, you need to remove the door handles and the spindle.

An orbital finish sander may do it, but this may be too slow. Careful use of a belt sander may be preferable. But careful. A plane or Sureform-like tool can remove a fair amount of stock without much risk of serious gouging.

Check the door regularly by resetting it on its hinges. Be generous with your trimming. It is hard to over-trim and you don't want to be doing this again.

Last things last: Once you are certain of the fit, take the door down again and SEAL IT! Prime and paint all expose wood, or stain and topcoat if using clear finish. Let it fully dry. While it is down, check to make sure that both top and bottom of the door are sealed.  This is often the most frequent source of the moisture that causes door to swell.

P.S. I learned these lessons the hard way, having installed several doors on a basement project (read soon to be damp) in winter where the gapping was not quite sufficient and the sealing was less than complete.


Looking for a "lightbulb" that wirelessly controls an electrical outlet To explain the context, I have a lightbulb socket in the ceiling of my apartment, which I do not want to use, and a floor lamp which I do want to use. The light in the ceiling is controlled by a light switch, but no outlets are controlled by any switch.

I'm not sure if such a product exists, but what I would like is something that I can plug into the lightbulb socket (or just wire up like a light fixture), and something that I can plug into my outlet, such that when I use the switch to turn on the light, the outlet is powered on, and when I turn off the light, the outlet is powered off.

Essentially I want a wireless connection between my ceiling light fixture and an electrical outlet on the wall.

I don't want to change the actual wiring in the apartment as:

I'm renting it, I don't own it
It's expensive
I may want to move the lamp in the future

Does something like this exist? Ideally I'm looking for something that will work with European plugs/voltages, but products for other regions would still be helpful.

How about something like this? You plug the switched outlet into the regular outlet and the remote switch operates your new outlet. You can mount the switch where ever you want. These are available at many home stores and Walmarts. They're inexpensive, about $10 to 15 bucks


Where are the wall studs? I'd like to put upright brackets above my sewing table, but I can't seem to locate the studs. The wall is shared with my neighbor in an apartment building. My stud finder was giving me some inconclusive/uneven reads, so I used rare earth magnets to try to locate the studs. The dots indicate where there are nail/screw heads. They are anywhere from 8-12 inches apart horizontally and about 24" apart vertically.

Does this mean there are no studs? Can I drill into what appears to be horizontal studs?

24" apart vertically means there are horizontal metal strips called RC (resilient channels) Channels. They are used in sound walls to keep sound from "traveling" through the wall.

Anchoring into the metal strips will defeat their purpose and they are not great supports.


How to fit an LED transformer / driver In my front room I have 4 wall lights. Each light takes 2 G4 bulbs. I've put some 2.5w dimmable LED bulbs in them and they work fine. However, I want to make them dimmable and currently when I put an LED dimmer switch on the lights just flicker. The only reason I can think this isn't working is because the bulbs need a dimmable LED transformer. There isn't much room in each light fitting in which to put a transformer (5x5x2cm max). There's also barely any room behind the switch.

The only way I can think to do it would be to smash out the knockout box behind the switch and then somehow mount the transformer to the stud wall. Not really sure how I'd achieve that though. Any advice on this would be appreciated.

Some LED's just won't dim, or dim well. If it didn't say dimmable on the package, it probably isn't. G9's are typically 120v, so they shouldn't need a driver unless you bought something that is low voltage (12 or 24v). You may need a better or worse dimmer.

First check with the lamp manufacturer. If they are reputable they will have a list of commonly available Dimmers and the model you should use.

Second check the dimmer doesn't have a minimum load requirement. Many "Smart" dimmers (fade on / fade off / preset types) have a minimum wattage you have to come up to before they will work properly.

If all that pans out, you still could only get a small dimming range. Smaller LED lamps like G9 may only dim about 50% and you may get flickering at it's highest and/or lowest setting.

If there is no suggested dimmer, than try are really cheap slide or dial dimmer. Most cheap LED's were designed to work with the most basic dimmer. If that doesn't work, you may need one of the most expensive ELV type dimmers.

Additionally, some of the better "LED" (aka CL or C-L) dimmers may have trim adjustments to you can limit the dimming slide or dial range to only be responsive to what your lamp can do.


How should I use the ground wire for this welder? So I want to use "ol big red", my trusty arc welder in my new home.  I intend to use the electric range circuit since we have a gas range.  I re-routed the range wire and was about to hook it back up and realized that there is no neutral wire, just a ground.  The ground strands were connected where the neutral should be in the three prong outlet.  Can someone advise on how I should connect it back up?:

The way it was, using the ground as a neutral, leaving the receptacle box ungrounded. (might be difficult to avoid contact between the ground strands and the box)
Use the ground strands to bond the metal receptacle box and leave the neutral disconnected.  I do not believe this welder requires a neutral since it says only "230V" not "110/220V".
both (!?)

I have one of these, and I dug out the manual (printed October 1987). It has a sentence that reads: "The center contact in the receptacle is for the grounding connection. A green wire in the input cable connects this contact to the frame of the welder. This ensures proper grounding of the welder frame when the welder plug is connected to the receptacle". So its just a ground, and the existing neutral wire could be used.


Grounding 200A Main Panel with Changes to Water & Gas Going through an extensive DIY remodel of a "total electric" 60's town-home in Texas.

EXISTING is 200A main panel with neutral bonded to ground consisting of  #6 bare solid Cu to cold feed Cu pipe on HW heater. All plumbing is underground Cu back to meter (approx 70' to meter from HW heater). No other grounding apparent; no rods or UFERS.

REMODEL will:

Add a gas service and incorporate gas appliances wherever possible (largest will be combination gas range + 50A oven)
Use PEX from main water feed throughout (all underground Cu plumbing will be disconnected).

QUESTIONS:

How should the 200A main panel be grounded? (Note its currently 30'
of #6 to the old Cu water line that will run approx 50' under the
slab before it is disconnected)
How (if necessary) should the main
    water meter and entry line be bonded since it will no longer be
    bonded to the panel?
How should the new gas service be bonded?

THANKS!

Grounding Electrode System
You're going to have to install a grounding electrode system. This is typically done by driving two ground rods spaced at least 6' apart, and connecting the rods together using a properly sized bonding jumper.  Then you'll install a properly sized grounding electrode conductor, from one of the ground rods back to the main grounding bus in the main panel.
Bonding Water Piping
You may be able (required) to use the abandoned underground copper pipe as a grounding electrode, if it meets the criteria specified in the code. If the water is supplied to the building through metal pipe, you'll also have to bond the metal supply pipe to the grounding electrode system using a properly sized bonding jumper.
If the plumbing within the building will not be metallic, you don't have to bond it.
Bonding Gas Piping
As for bonding the gas pipe, according to the National Electrical Code, metal piping systems that are "likely to become energized" must be bonded (250.104(B)).  So if you have a gas water heater that has no electrical connection, then you don't have to bond the gas piping.  If you have a gas fired furnace, then it's possible that you'll have to bond the gas piping.
However, the bonding jumper only has to be sized to the rating of the circuit that is likely to energize the piping.  NEC also allows you to bond the piping to the equipment grounding conductor, of the circuit that is likely to energize it.  Which means the gas pipe feeding the furnace, can be bonded to the equipment grounding conductor feeding the furnace.  And if the gas piping is isolated from the furnace electrical (not likely to become energized), you don't have to bond the piping at all.
In the case of the gas/electric range, again you can use the equipment grounding conductor of the circuit feeding the appliance, to bond the gas piping (if required).


Can I remove an interior wall which supports a post under the roof ridge? I want to remove a wall that breaks up the flow in our living room and dining room.  The wall is perpendicular to floor and ceiling joists.

The wall is about 3 feet from a support beam in the floor.

In the attic, the wall has a 2x4 that is attached to the ridge board in the roof.  This is the only board supporting the ridge board in attic.

Can I remove the wall and 2x4 in the attic or do I need to brace the 2x4 in the attic?
Why is there only one 2x4 off the wall?
Was this a support for installing the roof or is this really a supporting member to the roof?

It is highly highly likely that not only is that wall load bearing but it is a crucial loading bearing wall in the house.

Without a lot more pictures and plans I can give you a best guess:

Do not remove the 2x4 in the attic.  I doubt there is much load (there shouldn't be) on it but I bet it was added to strengthen the horizontal forces.
It looks like the two kitchen walls next to the living room are fulfilling the load across the house.  The gap looks like what a decent size doorway would be.  Also the fact that one is a few feet in just looks like a design element.  I would think that those few feet are still within the base for holding the load across the path of the "red" beam.
Which means most likely an architect will suggest running a header across bottom wall all the way across the house - on the same plane not the current plane a few feet away.  This is a considerable distance (from the looks of it) so it will be a big big piece of wood or an i-beam.
You can certainly hide the whole header, but this install will cost you a lot more in either work or money or both.  Or you can integrate part with existing wall and maybe have a post on the outside wall side.  Throw a faux wood cap over the ibeam and the install might be just 2-3k.

Just understand there is a very very small chance you could just knock the wall down.  There is a great chance that if you did you would see issues almost immediately as there is nothing close to this wall and it hold the perpendicular run on it.   This is something that you will have to have an architect look at.  Even if you DIY you will need plans for permits signed off by someone the city inspector trusts.  You knock down this wall and put up a header... don't plan on selling your house without an inspector noticing it and don't plan on your insurance company helping if there are problems.


How do I finish the area around my furnace so it looks nice and isolates noise, but is still accessible? I want to put a TV right in front of my furnace and water heater. I'd like it to look reasonably finished and keep noise from the systems as low as reasonably possible.

I would love to just drywall them in, but obviously need to retain access and air flow.

Is there some way to finish the surface that would look like a wall but be reasonably easy to remove when I need to get at them? The finish level doesn't have to be perfect, but I would love it to be more than an accordion/folding door.

I take it that these are both natural gas fired and both are currently taking their combustion air from the room. It looks like the furnace could be connected to get combustion air from the outside but the PVC tubing is not connected to a tube to draw from outside. I think you should investigate getting this done.

If you box these in to form a heater closet, you must provide vents for air from the room to move into the closet. The adequacy of vents for combustion air is regulated by law and regulations. You must contact your local construction inspection authority and see what they will require for size of a heater closet, access, and venting.

It looks to me like you are possibly not leaving enough clearance on the right side of the water heater.  I have a furnace like this, in a closet, and there is still noise. However, my Carrier NG furnace is 27 years old.

Fiberglass insulation on the outgoing duct might make a difference in sound level.


Cable lighting keeps fusing I have low power cable lighting fitted in my kitchen, 2 cables running in parallel with suspended spots.  It has run fine for 8 years then the other day it blew when switching on.  I looked at the transformer and there was a blown fuse so I replaced that and it worked.

It worked for about 8 hours then, again when switching on it blew again.
I replaced the fuse again, this is a small fuse on the transformer itself. Swapped the bulbs over to LED (from halogen), cleaned the cables to make sure nothing was arcing across from one to another.  Then the same happened again it worked for some hours then blew when turning on at the switch.

What I need to know what is likely to be triggering this? I don't understand why it works for a number of hours and then goes. I would expect if it is overloaded or something it would go immediately.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Is the power source a simple transformer or a switch mode power supply?  Changing the bulbs from halogen to led should greatly reduce the current draw so I doubt the lights are the cause.  If you have a power supply, a cap or other component inside it may have aged and changed tolerance enough to cause an internal overload... the power supply went bad.


Why do our windows collect condensation? All of our windows vapour. They have been replaced about ~10 years ago.

From outside the house got ~10 cm dryvit. The house was built out of "grey silicon" bricks.

We have heating with Co-firing, with buffer tank.

We always heat up every room, every time.

Question: what could the cause of the vapouring be?

UPDATE: maybe the windows are out of argon? or never had any? how do I know?

UPDATE#2: The water is inside the house, I can touch it with my finger.

In a nutshell, the cause is excess humidity indoors when it is cold outside. Your windows are not defective, but they are not the kind of super-high-performance windows that would be warm enough not to attract condensation. You should investigate sources of moisture indoors. Usually houses are dry in the winter, not wet, so this is a bit unusual. Do you use a humidifier? If so, turn it down.


How to connect USB Charger outlet I am trying to replace my old outlet that could be operated by a switch on a wall with new one that have USB Charger build in. I've bought TopGreener TU2154A.

When I was removing old one I've noticed it has to 2 hot wires (red and orange) connected to 2 screws on one side that are separated and one neutral (grey).

How can I connect it to this new outlet that only has 3 screws of hot, neutral and ground?

Use a volt meter to find out which of the two hots is switched and which is not.

Use a wire nut to cap the one you don't want to use, and push it back into the box.

Install the usb outlet per its instructions.  If you don't have a ground wire to connect to it, hopefully the outlet box itself is metal and grounded.  If not, then you probably don't need to worry about grounding the usb outlet.


CO detector starts beeping every morning at 6am My 2-years old CO detector (small, wall-mounted device with battery, no other power source) started beeping every morning for at least few minutes, sending sharp chirps once every 10 sec. It starts around 6am.

I don't see any visible fire or cooking in my apartment or outside. I've read that it might mean end of battery/detector life, temperature change, or poltergeist. Are these the most common reasons?

I will replace battery to check for some of it.

UPDATE: Changed battery, chirping went away

If your CO detector were actually detecting CO, it would not chirp.  It would sound a continuous, and very, VERY loud alarm you would definitely recognize.

The chirping is a universal (as far as I know) method for indicating that it's time to change the battery.  This is true for CO and smoke detectors.


How to install an electronic door lock? How can I install an electronic door lock ? Can an electronic door lock be installed on any door ?

I am fixing to purchase an apartment in Australia and it will come with a "Solid Core door with Deadlocks" for the front door. I just want to make sure I get a secure locking mechanism on my front door (as well as never to remember if I forgot my keys), thats why I am leaning towards the keypad lock things. I am missing HomeDepot

Installation instructions depend on the exact model of "electronic door lock" you purchase.

Most of the low-cost/self-contained units install into a standard cylindrical-lock bore (ie, in place of the normal knobset and/or deadbolt), occasionally with another hole or two to anchor them firmly in place. That's an easy retrofit.

Commercial-type units, where the electronics is separate from the door hardware, are more complicated.


Do i have to cut my vanity for my sink trap? I happened to get a new vanity cabinet for a slight bathroom refresh and upon installing it I noticed that the vanity shelf is in the way of the trap.
Is there a way to buy a different p trap so I don't have to cut the vanity shelf, Or is it the best option at this point?
Do I have to cut this vanity cabinet shelf?

If your shelf is not removable, that  appears to be the case, then you will need  to cut a space out in the shelf wide enough to accommodate the plumbing.
A  Jig-saw will be the best tool for the job.

Is there a way to buy a different p trap so I don't have to cut the
vanity shelf, Or is it the best option at this point?

No, the P-trap is a standard size, The only other option is to cut open the wall and reconfigure the pipe in the wall,  move the sanitary  tee up.(but you have limited space to move it up because of the height of the sink tail piece.)
I believe that cutting the vanity is the best option.


joining two 190x35mm to make one 190x70mm Intended use - rafter.
Would be two joined boards be as strong as one of a larger size?
Minimum requirement is 140x45mm, maximum 190x70mm. I have timber 190x35mm. If I use two boards side by side, giving me 190x70mm, is this combination as strong as a single board 190x70mm or at least as one 140x45?

What are good ways to join such boards? Glue, nails, bolts, straps? Is there a technical term for this? I had difficulty searching for information, as most material found is for joining on a wrong side, ex making longer or wider boards, while I want thicker.

Size in mm is the actual size of dry finished timber.

What you have sounds very much like what we Americans would call a 2" x 8" (nominal size, actual size: 1.5" x 7.5" - yeah, we're weird that way...).

What you're proposing is making a 4" x 8" (70x190mm) out of it by nailing the two pieces together. That's not only perfectly acceptable, it's very commonly done for use as a header over a door or window*.  Usually, one puts columns (across the short dimension) of 2 or 3 framing nails (16d, ~0.131", 3.3mm)  through the two boards every 6-8" (150-200mm) apart (along the long dimension).

Yes, this is very doable under US code and is very acceptable - it is probably acceptable under your local codes as well. You'd have to check your local building codes to confirm and to see if they have any specific requirements for nailing/screwing patterns and fastener sizes.

*For use as a header in a standard wall thickness, we also have to include a piece of 1/2" (12mm) thick plywood to make the header the same thickness as a standard 2x4" wall stud so that the finished surfaces are the same distance apart. This may or may not impact your situation.


Can I use mylar sheets to keep my roof cool? I have a flat concrete roof with brick tiles on it and a thin layer of cement plaster on top of that. The roof gets near constant sunlight during the summer days, and hence it gets very warm, enough that it burns to walk bare footed. The home is built so that roof is the largest exposed surface and any walls are mostly shaded. There is no attic nor any insulation beneath the roof, and adding insulation is not currently feasible. Shading the roof with natural shade is also not feasible.

I was researching ways to keep the home cool and came across the idea of painting the roof white to reflect off most of the sunlight. However given that the roof has dirt and flaking plaster, doing a proper paint job would require a lot of effort in cleaning and scraping and so I've put if off till now.

Today however I came across these rolls of mylar sheet, and I am thinking I could lay these down like a carpet on my roof (weighed down by a brick every few feet) and they would do what white paint is supposed to do, with the added benefit that I could remove them during winter, and they seem cheaper upfront.

My question is

would this even work
is this better or would white paint be the better option

would this even work?

It would be moderately effective at reflecting sunlight but would not be durable.

Thin sheets are likely to get torn in high winds, if the wind gets under the sheets, your bricks are likely to be moved around. Worst case strips of mylar sheeting get blown across the neighbourhood and in really high winds an occasional brick gets thrown off the roof. If there's an unexpected storm at 4 a.m just before the normal onset of winter do you want to be climbing the roof in darkness to put away your mylar sheeting?

  is this better or would white paint be the better option

White paint would probably require less maintenance.


How long to let a concrete walkway cure I poured a concrete walkway in my back yard three days ago, and I've kept it wet, under plastic since then. Today, I removed the forms, packed sand around the edges (because I had a pile laying around, and to make weeding easier), wet it thoroughly and put the plastic back on. I know that 28 days is the standard for 99% strength, but my plan is to cure it for 7 days. [We're expecting a week of rain in a few days, so curing will continue then without my help.]

Given the time and cost of this project (relative to just making a gravel path), and what I've read about the importance of curing concrete, it makes perfect sense to me to cover it and just let it do its thing for a while.

My question: Am I babying this walkway too much, or more than normal? Every person I've mentioned the wet/plastic treatment to has questioned me, as though it is somehow unusual or unnecessary.

[My process, in case it is relevant: I used 3 inches of compacted 3/4 minus gravel, steel mesh elevated a few inches above the gravel, and poured 4 inches of 3500 psi concrete. I edged it and added expansion grooves every 5 feet.]

That's built as solid as my parents' driveway. As a walkway, I'd say it's solid and probably ready for use now, but curing it for the additional 4 days could make it more durable and less likely to chip and spall later.

A friend's neighbor poured a 3" thick dog run, then let his dog on it the next day. He later poured an additional 3" slab of the same construction, but kept it wet for 10 days. The fresh slab cracked and chipped within 2 years. The cured slab didn't show a mark even 5 years later.


How do you varnish a laminate kitchen worktop? The laminate workshop is looking a bit dull, would like to use Danish oil or similar, will it work on laminate surfaces?

No. Laminate is meant to be impervious to liquids and oil finishes require the ability to soak into the surface.

Theoretically, you could apply a varnish (probably polyurethane)to the surface, but most laminate surfaces resist adhesion, so it may flake off on the sound sections and stick to the scarred areas.

You probably could sand down the surface to give it tooth and better adhesion for poly, but I think you would be better off just doing a light sanding and polishing.  If that is not enough think abut a new surface. Maybe a new piece of laminate.

It all depends on what kind of surface you want and the intended uses.


Is there a name for a duplex outlet that takes eight wires, plus ground? In my home (built around 1970), I found a bizarre outlet when replacing the dated old ones. The front is your standard duplex, but on the back there are holes for 8 wires (4 hot, 4 neutral) plus the ground. Into the box, there are 4 pairs. Is there a name for this type of outlet, so I can try to find a replacement? I don't want to try to jam them all together in a standard outlet and create a hazard!

The original outlet says max 15 amps, 125v. Please see pictures below.

EDIT: Replaced front pic with sharper image, added pics of hot and neutral sides.

Leviton has a useful web page for device lookup here. Using that, you can find the replacement receptacle is a Leviton 5252. Most shopping sites (like amazon) don't show the back, but a Google image search with that model number does show several pictures of the back.


Install in a series - Electric heating thermostats, wireless communicating, 3000W for an Manufactured home/RV The instructions on the Sinopé GT125-K2 Starter states, "the thermostat must be installed in series". A series meaning the "L1" (hot line in) connects to another outlet on a circuit line? What risks are assumed if the unit isn't installed on a series? Is there a best practice for a non series approach? The unit seems to work well on a dedicated line, no issues so far.

They mean the switch must always be wired in series with the load. Otherwise, If the switch were in parallel, turning it on would produce a short circuit. The short circuit would be a very bad thing which will (hopefully) trip the circuit breaker and damage the contacts of the thermostat from the large fault current.

The only thing to remember is systems with 240V heat must have double pole thermostats. The reason is here in North America (USA, Mexico, Canada), both hot leads for 240V are live with respect to ground. The thermostat must disconnect both lines when off so the heater is not live when off.


2 blue wires on furnace Today I was trying to put in my smart thermostat and have had no luck. My old thermostat (pictured below) did not have a C wire connected but did have the wire behind the old thermostat.

After the power not coming on to my new Smart thermostat, I checked the furnace to make sure the blue wire was hooked up to the furnace. To my surprise, there were two blue wires that I found. There was a wire "pack" that had all the wires bundled together (including a blue wire) but that blue wire wasn't connected to anything. On the other hand, there was another lone blue wire that was connected to the furnace. It seemed odd to me that the blue wire including in the bundled wires wasn't connected, and a random other blue one was. Any thoughts on this? Any help is appreciated!

The blue wire at the furnace is likely feeding an airconditioner relay or something that was added later to the furnace.  The unconnected blue wire in the "bundle" needs to go to the c terminal so both of them are connected there.


What problems could be caused by putting mains water in to the pipe from a shared water tank? I'm having a boiler replaced and have chosen a combi boiler. One of the benefits is mains water pressure hot and cold water where previously I had low pressure coming from a tank. The boiler is in place and the hot water is plumbed and the pressure is fine, but putting the mains to the cold taps in the bathroom is a problem.

I'm the top flat of three storeys (ground floor; first floor; my floor) and there is a large water tank in the loft which serves the block. Due to access restrictions and the way the place was built the pipes go up in to the loft and then down in to the bathroom. We are going to do the same with a new mains pipe to the bathroom. However, we can't just drop a new mains pipe down in to the bathroom unless we rip the bathroom out because the pipes go to the mixer behind the tiling and we can't see a way to drop a new pipe down. It's a bathroom that is less than 5 years old so I'm loathe to start ripping it apart.

Could we cut the tank pipe and put the mains through it? This would give me and any other flats mains pressure for our cold taps in the bathrooms. Is there something that could go wrong with this?

Is the tank sealed? If it's open, you still won't get mains water pressure through the tank.

The other option would be to just bypass the tank - ie cut the pipes in and out of the tank and put a piece of pipe in to connect the pipes together.

Here in the UK, it's not usual (and might even be against the water regulations) to have a tank directly connected to mains supply. You need to have an air gap to stop water being able to syphon back into the mains. You might be able to achieve this with a check valve to stop backflow.

Basically, you don't want water from the tank getting back into the mains, as the tank water could be (or become) contaminated.


What kind of stone makes the most porous fill? (french drain) I need to create some drainage in the form of some dry wells and french drains. What kind of stone will maximize the porosity to get good water flow?

I originally thought just ordinary gravel, but a builder told me that "river stone" whatever that is, would be way more porous and have much greater flow.

You are looking at 'void fraction'  Anything of mixed sizes has a smaller void fraction because the little guys snuggle into the spaces left by the big ones.

If all the rocks passed through a 2" screen and not a 1.5" screen they are close to the same size.  Doesn't matter much if they are round or jagged.

It also doesn't matter much what size they are, at least until you get down to sand size.  Sand runs about 30% void.  So does big rock.  But a mix of sand and big rock will end up with sand filling 70% of the voids in the big rock.  so you get 30% of 30% void = 9%.

You will lose some volume over the years from debris infiltrating in.  If you can come up with a scheme to trap debris at the surface, this is easy to fix.  E.g. Stop your fill 1 foot from the surface, put down filter fabric, and put a more rock on top of it.  Now, if it starts acting slow, take off the top foot, wash the gravel, put down new filter fabric, replace.


What can I use to adequately insulate round rigid metal ducts? I'm installing properly sealed round metal ducts in my unconditioned attic for heating and cooling. I've probably got 100' total of 6" duct to cover.  I'm trying to achieve an R-8 insulation value, but the big box stores only sell R-6 Frost King wraps.  Can I use un-faced insulation batts (that you use in the attic), and then wrap a foil layer around it? Any other suggestions?

Owens Corning's 3" Type 75 SOFTR® Duct Wrap FRK, touts and installed R-value of 8.3.

If it's not in-stock at your local big box store, they should be able to order it for you.

I am in no way affiliated with Owens Corning, and do not recommend or endorse the use of any of their products or services.


Why has my shower head stopped spraying? The shower head in my master shower just suddenly stopped spraying. Now the water just comes out, but not in a spray. I know that's not very clear, but I don't know how to describe it. Its pretty old, but has always worked great. How can I tell if its the shower head, or a valve, which is what my husband thinks

Most shower heads are easy to unscrew. If you can do so, take it off, examine the head and see how much flow you have with no head in place. Don't unscrew the supply tube inside the wall! Unscrew the shower head from the supply tube.

When you screw it back on, usually you don't need pipe dope or Teflon tape on the threads because the usual head has a rubber seal that the end of the supply tube presses on. Over time the seal may be hardened and lose the ability to seal.

Does this head have a knob to change the spray pattern?


What year did the NEC (US) require all new construction switches and outlets to have ground screws? I just opened up the garbage disposal switch in my condo built in 1977 in the US. I believe this is the original switch, and therefore I will be replacing it right away with a new switch that has a ground screw. And of course, I will connect the grounding wire (see photo) to the ground screw. I consider it odd that the building has grounding wire, but that the switch has no ground screw. I have already replaced four light switches that had no ground screw in my condo.This is what begs the question.

Technically it happened about the same time that UL started listing non-metallic boxes for residential use. When the boxes ("handy" boxes) were steel, any device body was grounded by virtue of the mounting screws. Once the boxes became non-conductive, the devices that REQUIRED grounding needed to have grounding screws. When I started as an electrician in the mid 70s, the code stated that for metallic boxes, you had to ground to the box but for non-metallic boxes (at that time they were still "bakelite"), you had to ground devices that "required grounding". That is still the way it reads to this day (250.148).

"One or more equipment grounding
conductors brought into a nonmetallic outlet box shall
be arranged such that a connection can be made to any
fitting or device in that box requiring grounding."

The tricky part was, when did switches start "requiring" a grounding screw? That changed only when UL started requiring ground screws on switches, some time around 2010. When there was no ground screw, there was no "required" grounding.


Where can I find a cheap diamond stone-cutting blade for my Dremel Multi-Max? I'm getting ready to place laminate flooring in a room with a brick fireplace.  As per Mike's recommendation here, I'd like to use my Dremel Multi-Max tool to cut a space in the base of our brick mantle for the laminate boards to fit under (giving it a cleaner look). .

The only problem now is that the stone-cutting blades I've seen at Home Depot are a bit pricey ($25 - $35 for a single blade).  Is there anywhere I could find the blades for a cheaper price? Are there alternate blades I can use from different manufacturers? Or does it have to be made by Dremel?  I would assume that the connection type is proprietary in design and only dremel blades will fit on dremel tools.

This online store has them for $15.90 each, and claims to be compatible with Dremel Multi-Max.

EDIT: Taking shirlock's advice in mind, the right tool for the job can make all the difference. I did a bit of searching, and DeWalt has an angle grinder for pretty cheap - only 4x the cost of the multimax blade! Ryobi has one for about half that price too.

Masonry wheels for it are fairly cheap as well. (Although shipping will get you - might want to go to HD or Lowe's for these.)


How to wire AC motor I salvaged an squirrel cage blower from an old freestanding air conditioner that I'd like to repurpose as a vent fan. The issue is, I'm not familiar with how to wire up an AC motor. I'm more use to DC where there's red and black and Bob's your uncle.

Two questions. First, given the attached picture of the wiring diagram, how do I hook it up.

Second, the pile of junk I pulled it from is still on the side of the road. Are there any additional pieces, starters, capacitors, that I should go back and try to salvage along with it.

---edits---

Okay, I went back to the side of the road and managed to score the control board with the caps on it. My theory is that the big silver trash can looking one is for the honking compressor motor, and the smaller black one is for the blower motor. On the board, there's a big 30A relay that looks like it could handle a compressor sized motor, and the two smaller 10A relays that are labeled "FAN".

... Okay I was just about to ask if people agreed with me that the smaller black cap goes to the fan motor when I noticed that the motor plate has written on it 15uF/250V which exactly matches the rating of the small black cap. Mystery solved.

Now the question is what to do with the 60uF trash can cap? You know I have been troubled by squirrels on the bird feeder...

Well, you want the capacitor, if it's not attached already/still.

Attaches to the two black wires per the diagram.

Blue to line neutral Red to line hot for high speed Yellow to line hot for low speed. So perhaps you want a switch for that.


How to diagnose a broken Aprilaire humidifier (Model 600)? I have an Aprilaire Humidifier Model 600 (or maybe 600M) mounted on my furnace. The humidifier  is not turning on (i.e. letting water flow over the filter) when the furnace is on.

The below images show:

The control dial with the faceplate on.
The control dial with the faceplace off.
The housing that contains the filter.
The water solenoid.

The control dial has three wire pairs connected to it:

One pair goes to the furance to get 24V AC power. I've confirmed this has power when the furnance is on.
One pair goes to the solenoid and passes on the 24V AC. I've confirmed when the control knob is moved to "Test" (and the furnace is on) that the solenoid opens and water flows to the filter. So the "water side" of the humidifier works.
One pair goes to an ourdoor temperature sensor mounted in the housing of my air conditioner unit. I ohm tested the temp sensor and got nothing. So I replaced the temp sensor with an Aprilaire Model 8052 sensor.

I thought for sure that replacing the temp sensor would resolve my problem. But after two days of running with the new sensor (and setting the control knob to "6"), a humidity sensor in my house hasn't really moved from 46%.
As mentioned, when I turn the knob to Test I can hear the solenoid open and see water flow. But when the knob is at 6 and the furnace is on, I never hear the solenoid get activated.

What other steps can I take to diagnose the problem? I've always ohm tested the temp sensor out at the air conditioner. So I could try testing it at the control panel I suppose. The other possibility is that some electronics in the control panel have gone bad.

It's likely functioning properly. A setting of 6, probably correlates to 40% relative humidity. According to the Owners Manual

  Your Aprilaire Automatic Humidifier, is a high precision system that will
  accurately maintain the relative humidity in your home to a maximum of
  45% RH and a minimum of 10% RH.

If the home is at a higher relative humidity, the unit should not come on.


Is there a way to sound proof my basement while I've got part of the ceiling open? We had a header beam installed in our basement.  The floor joists are exposed for 1ft (~30cm) on both sides for the length of the beam.

The basement is an apartment, so I'd like to add some sound-proofing between the floors.

Is there something similar to attic blow-in insulation where they could shove a large hose to the end and slowly retract it to give a bit of a sound cushion?

See my answer here about methodologies and techniques for soundproofing: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/11238/3450


What do-it-yourself cautionary tales do you have? I'm curious what sort of cautionary tales everyone has come across (or experienced themselves).

For instance, my dad used to work on live wires all the time — until he was putting a stove in (220V if you don't know) and touched two wires together. The spark flew off and hit his glasses and melted about halfway through the lens. He still works on live 110V, but he always turns off the 220 circuit now.

What about you? Any (hopefully just-as-happy) shocking experiences you folks have had?

I once had a tenant who lived next door in our duplex and thought she could hook up her own gas drier.  Smelled gas one day and couldn't find where it was coming from, so I knocked on her door.  Walked in and the whole place reeked of gas.

Checked the drier, and sure enough, the supply line was barely even screwed on.  Asked her about it and got one of those "Yeah, it's been like that for a while now, was going to ask you about that" kind of responses.  Lucky it didn't take out the whole neighborhood.


Should I add outlets inside my cabinets for LED lighting? I'm replacing my kitchen cabinets.
I'm planning on having two independent runs of LED strips: under the wall cabinets and toe kicks.
I'm also considering lights inside some cabinets such as the lazy susan and drawers.
LED strips under wall cabinets and toe kicks will have separated ZigBee controllers (basically a remote control) so no switch is needed, only power (12v) at the beginning of the strip.
For the cabinets with interior light I will have to leave a low voltage (12V) wire in there somewhere so I can later install a small LED strip and a door switch.
I was wondering how people wire these lights while keeping everything hidden, up to code and maintainable.
Is it done by adding outlets inside the cabinets? If yes, is it code compliant (I'm in Florida) and are there restrictions regarding the position of the outlet within the cabinet?
This is what the kitchen looks like and I marked the place where I believe is my starting point (whether with high or low voltage).

EDITED 12/02/2020
Based on feedback, looks like it is against code to power the new outlets from the appliance ones, so here is a new idea.
There are 4 light switches on that wall for all lights in the kitchen and family room, I have neutral and hot from two different circuits (kitchen lights and family room lights). Maybe I can power this outlet from the kitchen lights circuit?
Also, if I have the power supplies and controllers in the cabinet above the fridge (which is dead space anyway - too high) and can run the 12V wires exposed behind the fridge, that can end up being really easy to maintain.
The updated plan.

Thoughts?

Your first plan was indeed no good...
As I and others pointed out in the comments, your initial plan to tap power for undercabinet lighting from a kitchen countertop receptacle was a blatant violation of NEC 210.52(B):

(B) Small Appliances.
(1) Receptacle Outlets Served. In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the
two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits
required by 210.11(C)(1) shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by 210.52(A), all countertop outlets covered
by 210.52(C), and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.
Exception No. 1: In addition to the required receptacles specified by
210.52, switched receptacles supplied from a general-purpose branch
circuit as defined in 210.70(A)(1), Exception No. 1, shall be permitted.
Exception No. 2: In addition to the required receptacles specified by
210.52, a receptacle outlet to serve a specific appliance shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual branch circuit rated 15 amperes
or greater.
(2) No Other Outlets. The two or more small-appliance
branch circuits specified in 210.52(B)(1) shall have no other
outlets.
Exception No. 1: A receptacle installed solely for the electrical supply to
and support of an electric clock in any of the rooms specified in
210.52(B)(1).
Exception No. 2: Receptacles installed to provide power for supplemental equipment and lighting on gas-fired ranges, ovens, or counter-mounted cooking units.
(3) Kitchen Receptacle Requirements. Receptacles installed
in a kitchen to serve countertop surfaces shall be supplied by
not fewer than two small-appliance branch circuits, either or
both of which shall also be permitted to supply receptacle
outlets in the same kitchen and in other rooms specified in
210.52(B)(1). Additional small-appliance branch circuits shall
be permitted to supply receptacle outlets in the kitchen and
other rooms specified in 210.52(B)(1). No small-appliance
branch circuit shall serve more than one kitchen.

Your revised plan will work though
The good news is that moving the undercabinet light outlet to a lighting branch circuit works just fine under the NEC, as there are no requirements for dedicated branch circuits to serve lighting in a dwelling unit, only receptacles.  My personal preference would be to use the kitchen lighting branch circuit to keep things logical for the next person who has to touch this, but there is no law that prohibits the kitchen undercabinet lights from going on the same branch circuit as the living room lights.


Hot and neutral lines from separate meters I live in Jordan. We have a 380Vp-p, star, 4-wire, earthed neutral connection to the building. We get 220V to the apartment (from one of the phases). I have recently installed an EV charging station for my car (13A charging current.) The electrician connected the station's hot wire from the building service line (used for elevator and lighting). But, for some reason, he could not return the neutral wire to the same meter. Instead, he connected it to my apartment's neutral which is connected to a different meter.

Is this configuration safe? Does it cause problems in billing?

In the U.S.A. this would be a major code violation, as I commented.

I have multiple 2500kva transformers feeding different areas of my plant, 2 are close enough that I thought I would see what would happen if I hooked this configuration up pulling 20+ amps into my load. using the trip curve for the breaker I set it at 25 amps no problem, after about 3 minutes it tripped.
 What I did notice was that it spiked my monitor for a phase imbalance.  If I would have loaded it any further I would have shut down the transformer that I returned the neutral side.

This is set for 100 amps so I am not sure why a 25 amp load gave me the first warning level. the meter only showed minor leakage and that is normal for this size system. Now I can say it is dangerous coming from different systems.

I thought I might see a mild increase in leakage from the transformer supplying the power but my equipment did not record this. I did also see on the recorded data oscillations of voltage across the load.  this is a liquid load (brine type) rated at 1000 amps so it did not even get warm enough to boil. Boiling will cause oscillations.

With this information, I believe this could damage the electronics in the charger especially as the load changes on the transformer that connects to the neutral.  So I still think this crazy and unsafe.


Power related question about LED strip lighting I'm putting in some LED strips in my ceiling, but I'm really not sure how to play it.

The total length required is 20mtrs, running in a near perfect square. At the moment, I have one power outlet I can use.

I can't seem to find any 20mtr rolls; only rolls totalling 20mtrs (e.g. 4x5mtr), but as they all run from the same power source, it won't cover the 20mtrs required.

Am I best to maybe get another outlet on the opposite corner installed, and run 2x5mtr from each corner? I'm sure this is a dumb question, but could I run an extension through the roof to the opposite corner and do the same thing (in an attempt to save $)?

Not sure the level of problem you are taking on here.
Most "bare" LED strips you can pick up these days are DC based, and you need to add a AC to DC power supply that provides the voltage (12 or 24v) and current required by your strips.  First you need to find those requirements and pick a supply.

Next, you can daisy chain these strips together, soldering low voltage wires from one to the next,  to get all the way around your room, though I wouldn't recommend that.  The problem is that the copper in the strips is not very thick, and there will be a voltage drop over the length of the strip, so the end LEDs will be dimmer than the first.

A better plan would be to feed them from the center out.  A even better plan is to run a separate set of wires from the power supply to each strip. The number of wires will vary depending on if the strips are single color, multi, or RGB.


Do I seal just the grout lines or the whole granite tile surface area? i have just installed granite tiles in my entryway and was reading the sealer instructions . Do i just seal grout lines or the entire surface area?

With natural stone I seal everything. With glazed tiles I usually only seal the grout lines because the tile glaze is a sealer so putting additional sealer won’t add protection and in some cases can change the color or surface shine of the tile.

So glazed and porcelain I do the grout lines natural stone I seal the stone & grout because both are porous.


What are some good ways to identify cracks that bedroom insects come from? I know that there are some thermal sensors to detect where heat fluxes are highest (which could identify cracks). But are there other solutions too?

Seeing cracks on the walls or ceiling is fairly obvious, but the common hidden gaps that let insects in are usually hidden from sight.  They are usually around light fixture electrical boxes and under moldings around windows or exterior doors.

The best way to stop these unwanted pests is to remove device covers and light canopies and caulk around the electrical boxes.  A thin carefully applied bead of painter's (latex) caulk (do not use silicone caulk because it can't be painted) can seal up gaps around window and door moldings.

Not only will you close up places for bugs to get in, but you will help stop outside air from entering the room, thus lowering with your heating and AC costs.