Installing security camera outdoors My friend is planning on installing some security cameras on the outside of his house and I'll be helping him. I have a few questions:

How do we avoid drilling through wires and pipes? Is there a rule-of-thumb for were these are normally located in the walls?
Should we use a long drill-bit to go all the way through to the inside?
What is an easy way to route cables (data and power) from the outside into the inside of the house?
Are plain old wood screws good enough to mount the camera securely to the outside? Or should we use something extra for mounting?

We've never done this before, so any advice is appreciated.

There are some common spots for an outdoor security camera, soffit, overhang, upper wall. Yes, it's important to watch out for the hidden cables or wires hidden buried in the wall. Here is a useful guide that you could look into when you are installing the camera outside https://www.securitycameraking.com/securityinfo/cctv-installation-and-wiring-options/

For outdoor mounting, secure the camera by using screws are common and useful.


Using metal paint can as cover for non-IC rated recessed lights Do you think using a 1 gallon metal paint bucket as a barrier in the attic over 3" non-IC rated recessed lighting will cause any heat problems?

I've been looking for ways to keep the blown in insulation away from my recessed cans that will also allow me to seal and insulate over them and thought this would be a cheap way to go. It seems safer to me than plastic or a hand made foam board box. I plan to use fire-rated caulking around the perimeter of the can to seal it to the attic floor and make it air tight. I'll probably slap some HVAC mastic on the can's seams for good measure and then insulate directly over the paint bucket.

Yes to causing heat problems, No to using a closed cover.

There is a 3" distance spec around such covers (to the sides), but the top must remain open for non-ic fixtures (to vent their heat).


Air conditional protection in winter My house has a air conditioner,I am not sure I should call it furnace or air conditioner. it works as a air conditioner in summer but work as a heater in winter.

Today I found the condensing unit (the part outside the house) actually doesn't spin during heating process, so I am thinking about if we need to add some plastic to protect snow/rain into it.

But I am not sure weather the heating process need the condensing unit air or not.Should I just cover a plastic bag onto condensing unit in winter?

Personally, I've never known of anyone to cover their outdoor a/c equipment. A quick Google found most saying no and a few saying yes...conditionally. This page summarizes their opinion as:

  Should you cover your air conditioner in the winter?  Probably not,
  but it’s worth a thought during hails and heavy winter storms.  Your
  air conditioner is one of your most expensive investments, so take
  care of it and service it properly.  I will say, one last time, that
  covering your air conditioner in the winter is not a necessary
  precaution in most cases.

It's worth pointing out, however, that they seem to be a heating and air company in California.

This page, which is a company in Wisconsin notes:

  In my opinion, it's best to leave the A/C unit uncovered. In the
  spring, our company handles more repairs for units that were covered
  during the winter.

..that's a compelling thought.

But you do have a valid concern with respect to seasonal maintenance. It would be wise to do some research on seasonal maintenance for outside compressors going into the Spring, prior to their return to use after a winter hiatus. I imagine checking for and cleaning away any debris at the least.


Should I insulate an attic that's over an open porch? I have a 6ft (approx. 2m) wide porch at the front of my house.  The space above the porch opens into the attic, like this:

Diagram of porch/attic/house goes here http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/7585/diyquestion.png

I'm adding insulation -- R-38 fiberglass batting -- in the attic; do I need to insulate the space above the porch too?

Is the porch heated?  If not, then don't bother.

The purpose of insulation is not to keep the attic warm, but to keep the house warm (or cool).  You actually want the attic to stay relatively close to the outside temperature to prevent ice problems in the winter or overheating in the summer.


Fill leakage gaps/holes in AC condenser cabinet? Is the condenser unit engineered to be optimal with a leaky cabinet? Any reason not to pimp it up, blocking air leaks?

While I was troubleshooting my 12+ yo Carrier AC this morning, I vacuumed out needles and debris that had built up on the floor of the condenser cabinet, and noticed that the cabinet is a bit leaky, with passages that allow air to bypass the condenser.  Examples are the gaps between the condenser coil/radiator and it's cabinet, and several unused OEM holes, and several un-grommeted in-use holes.

https://i.imgur.com/ionfIb7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HjtpeMr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fd5WlK9.jpg

FWIW, the canine pee pee corrosion blocks 10-15% of the condenser.

On another note, unless best-practices have changed, I will put some pipe insulation inside the cabinet around the low-temp low pressure refrigerant line.

Should I insulate air conditioner coolant pipes?

The only thing that doing what you suggest would do is theoretically lower the head pressure. When I service air conditioners often times I have my gauge hoses sticking through the door so there was about a 3/4” gap all around the door. I felt that this would raise the head pressure so I taped all around the door. What I found is that it made no difference. My general recommendation is don’t mess with the factory engineering, it can cause unintended consequences and best case it will do nothing. That condenser coil on the other hand is likely costing you quite a bit of efficiency.


How can i unscrew free bolt? I have wrongly inserted a nut into a wrong place. Now i want to take them out but drill wont unscrew it as the nut is free, neither would L-key. How can i take it out?

You could try using some wire cutters. Squeeze the wire cutter blades under the head of the bolt. Use a screw gun with the right bit and spin the bolt, at the same time work the wire cutter under the head and use the cutters to help pull up the bolt.


Mounting WLAN router, switch, 2 Raspberry Pis and a power strip Hardware I would like to mount

Router: AVM FRITZ!Box 7590
Switch: Netgear GS116E-200PES 16-Port
2 * Raspberry Pis (3 & 4)
various CAT.7 cables
Powerstrip
??? (ideas are welcome, should be related to router)

The switch may be a bit oversized. It comes from my old apartment where I had a LAN port in every corner in every room. I still would like to continue use it in case I'm moving to a new apartment where it can be put to good use.

I want to mount it on a wood board and place the board on a wall. That wood board can be put and removed from the wall (so no permanent install) in case I'm moving to a new apartment I can just take the wood board with me instead of rewiring everything again.

My questions:

How thick should the wood be?
What kind of screws should I buy? (How big and how deep?)
For the wall mounting:

How do I create the "hooks" so I can mount it on the wall and remove it from the wall? Like when you are hanging up pictures. Which "hooks" should I get?

Cable management:

What do I buy for cable management?

What do I need to pay attention to?

Risk of fire due to hardware's close proximity to wood?
Bad idea, because ... ? Do this instead?
...

I've seen a nice DIY article about such project before but I lost the article. Answers with links to those articles are also welcome.
I'm a novice at home improvement and would like to start with something small like this.

1/2" plywood would be fine.  If the hardware has keyhole mounting holes, I'd get 1/2" pan head screws for that.  Get whatever size would fit the keyhole.  Disclaimer: YMMV, IMHO there's no fire risk, despite all the hardware, there's very little power actually being drawn, so I wouldn't worry about that.

Command (brand) hooks are usually the go-to for attaching things to walls without damaging the surface, but you are probably above the limit for what they can hold.  A small picture hook would probably do, although would leave a small hole.


In touch up painting, do you have to worry about the border between the existing paint and the newly touched up area? If you have a perfectly painted wall (primed and then two coats of paint).  And it has dried for weeks...

If you then painted/touch up a portion of that same wall with the same paint from the same bucket, will this area seem darker?  (Note: The area that needs to be touched up has spackle and/or joint compound on it.)

Or should that part of the wall essentially be the same color.

I guess another way to ask this question is, if the wall is nicely painted, and then you paint on more coats on select parts of the wall, will those parts look darker?

In theory it should look the same right? Because the 2 coats would make the wall the pure color of the paint...and then adding a 3rd coat should not make it darker because the 3rd coat should just dry to the same color right?

The touch up area probably won't be markedly different from the rest of the wall. It's already got 2 coats, it's the same can of paint and it's only been a few weeks.

The difference between 1 coat and 2 coats of paint is usually fairly significant, but adding a third coat usually doesn't make a noticeable difference.


Can PEX be used for the trunk Currently I have a length of galvanized steel pipe (3/4") from the water meter, which is feeding the main trunk (3/4" copper).  The water pressure in the house is very low, and I suspect it is due to restrictive buildup in the galvanized pipe.

I have enough 3/4 PEX left over from another project, but was wondering if I can replace the galvanized pipe with PEX (from a code compliance stand point)?

In most PEX systems that I've seen, the manifold is fed by copper. So I'm not sure if there are some codes that prevent PEX from being connected to the water main, or if there is some other reason this is done.

I would like to avoid buying copper pipe if I can, since I already have the PEX.  I live in New York (the state, not the city).

I have seen PEX used in this application. I also see PVC feed lines for Water supply in many jobs. As far as PEX, brands my differ a little, but the standard is 100psi at 180F
 160psi at 74F.  Most public water supplies range around 50 to 70 PSI, and this is cold water.  Check local codes, but I think you will be fine with proper connectors.


Breaker Short Circuiting Edit....
Ok so found the issue and this won't be an easy fix. If you know some tricks/tips let me know. Looks like the black wire coming from the breaker panel to the first outlet had a nick in it and was in contact with the ground wire in the receptacle. This shouldn't have been a big issue, that's why the breaker is there but when I asked my wife originally to turn the breaker back on she apparently held it to the on position and looks like that fried the wire as I have continuity between black and ground now on that wire. How does one replace an entire section of wire going through the house with the least amount of work/carnage to repair?

Hopefully someone can help here. I am in the middle of a reno and replaced 4 outlets and 1 light switch in one room. Everything was working prior to turning the breaker off to switch these out. I swapped out the old for new and now cannot turn the breaker back on. It pops and lights up if I try to switch it to on.
I pulled the outlets and light switch out of their receptacle, checked connections making sure black to copper and white to silver and tried again thinking something was grounding out inside one of the boxes. Same result at the breaker.
Next I went and removed all the outlets and the switch leaving the wires extended out from the receptacle and away from each other, planning to then reinstall one at a time until I found which one was causing the trip. Here's where it gets weird, I'm still getting the same result when I try to turn the breaker back on. Anyone have any idea what is going on??

Alright. You have a short in the circuit wiring which was probably caused by switching out the receptacles and switch. That means there is a good chance there is a nicked wire inside one of the boxes and it is making contact with either the ground, neutral or even another hot wire (highly unlikely since you don't have two breakers tripping). You need to examine your wires in the boxes for any burn marks or nicks. Since you are tripping with all of the devices removed, I would start where the circuit begins.

If that doesn't work you may need to get a continuity tester and begin to "ring out" your wiring to see if you can find which part of the circuit is shorting.

PS - I didn't ask if the devices were daisy chained or connected through the devices. If they are daisy chained you need to disconnect and separate the splices before you start testing. In short break it into small individual pieces and find the piece that doesn't work.

PSS If you do have to break apart the splices don't forget to mark or identify all of your conductors.

Good luck and stay safe.


Restore tennis court I currently own a property in Edinburgh, UK with what used to be a tennis court. It is depicted here:

What would be the cheapest way to convert this back into a tennis court?

Pressure-wash away the moss.
Assess the integrity of the concrete. If it's sound, carry on. If not, abandon the project as there's no "cheapest" way of restoring it.
Acid etch the concrete to make it completely clean for recoating.
Skim any divots with vinyl repair compound to make them flat.
Commission a court finisher to apply the appropriate court coating and paint the lines. Alternatively, roll or spray a suitable court paint yourself.

Disclaimer: I've never restored a tennis court, nor have I perfected the overhand serve. Or even tried. Either thing.


Moulding descriptions have a 2-3 letter acronym in their description (eg. LWM, WM, WG) - what do they stand for? If you look at many varieties of moulding available at Home Depot, you get descriptions like:

WM 376 -11/16 in. x 2-1/4 in. Primed Finger-Jointed Door and Window Casing Moulding

Any idea what these WM letters mean (eg. LWM, WM, WG)? I have a few bad guesses:

I thought the WM might be "Window Moulding" - but WM can be used in crown moulding and other non window related uses.

I thought the WM stood for Woodgrain Millwork, but Alexandria moulding also has the WM.

I thought the M in LWM and WM was for the MDF, but sometimes the MDF pieces don't have either of the 3 common acronyms.

I thought the WG might stand for Wood Grain but many WG boards can be made from MDF.

Thanks for clarifying your motivation behind asking. If your goal was to learn a universal nomenclature of moldings, I was bringing bad news:

My 25 years of directly related experience has uncovered no such uniformity. The only way to clearly and universally designate moldings is by function.size, and description of profile. For less common items and large orders, a builder is wise to approve full scale rendering or physical sample.

Alpha designations for moldings [in my area] are unique to the mill that cut them. If commonality exists beyond that, it goes unnoticed, especially in the field. There are a few numbers that are widely repeated, though I haven't found anyone that knows their origin; even  at the big stores, you'll find "356" and "444" casing.

in a given locale, it's usually understood what is expected to be in a house, and it's reflected in the limited variety of locally available stock. A deviation would simply be specified by its difference, e.g., "flat" casing; "3 bead" screen. As is typical in trade terminology, there will also be some regional variations in common terms. Around here you'd hear "speed base" to refer to the contractor grade mdf ogee baseboard.

Overall sizes are pretty standard (though called on both nominally and diminsionally), as are some shapes (though sometimes described instead of named). Basic crown molding are 2⅝", 3⅝", 4⅝", etc." Colonial "(traditional) or *cove" . Typical baseboard is 3½", 4½", 5½", etc "Ogee". Perhaps it's "base with cap".Casings are 2¼", 3¼", 4¼,, and may be called by "flat", "2-step"/"3 step,." Shelf edge", or nosing, is screen mold, "flat", "2-bead", or "3-bead".

Of course, all of this is period relevant, both in terms of style and nomenclature. Not long ago, "base and case" was interchangeably used to trim "doors and floors".

Anyone in the business of dealing with these products should be able to communicate through description using basic profile features such as cove, bead, shoulder, flat, thumbnail, etc. Additionally, some shapes have several variations, like the Ogee. They're based on academically recognized architecture styles.

These are just some examples. Should be  at least as clear as mud! I know it doesn't answer your specific question (as I don't know that it has an answer), hopefully  it is  helpful in some capacity.

Im always interested to learn the experience of others. Perhaps we might find some evidence of a more universal rsal commonality!


How can I unjam a garbage disposal that the allen wrench doesn't fix? I have a jammed garbage disposal that makes the humming noise and trips the breaker if I leave it on too long.  However, the manual unsticking method doesn't seem to help.

I've done some research and haven't found much beyond "use the allen wrench and try to unstick whatever is jamming the disposal," however I have done so and it seems to turn somewhat freely.

Every so often I can get it to spin by itself for a second, but then it immediately resumes humming.  I can't see anything trapped, and as I mentioned it seems to turn fairly freely when I use the wrench.

What else can I try, short of replacing the unit?

Based on your description, I don't think the problem is a jam. More likely the windings in the motor are bad or there is a bad contact in the motor. Because of the design of most domestic garbage disposals, you can't open the motor housing to fix these problems. Therefore your only option is to replace it.


I have an old light fixture in my bathroom with no visible screws; how do I remove it from the ceiling? I'd like to replace an old, rusted light fixture on the bathroom ceiling.  Unfortunately, I have no idea how it's actually held up to the ceiling.  There are no screws on the sides, but there are holes.  When I put my finger in to feel for a screw, it seems to only be insulation.  I read that it may be spring-loaded?  The whole thing does move; I can spin it counter-clockwise and clockwise, but I'm afraid to keep spinning.  Is this how it comes down?  Any tips are appreciated!

The nut in the center on the hollow shaft is the way the fixture is held in place that is called a hickey, yes there are multiple terms in electrical language the other electrical hickey is a pipe bender.


Can Someone Help Me Identify This Switch? I have a Swaby 5200 pump in my home, and I am hoping that someone out there might be able to suggest a replacement switch part number – or at least point me in the right direction.

Pump model: 5200
Serial number: E1228
Size: 2

The switch appears to be a double-pole, single-throw type. It has markings that indicate it might be a Tyco switch, but the only markings I can see on it are K395 and 0606 – neither of which come up in Tyco’s catalog. The switch attaches to the float’s rod with a cotter pin (split pin).
Here are photos of the switch (don't judge me for the duct tape residue; I would have never used duct tape on an electrical switch like this! It was the previous owners!).

I am getting radio silence from the manufacturer of the pump, hence my desperate post here. Based on the advice I received when I bought the home, the mechanical components of this pump have many years of life left (the pump is regularly greased and maintained), and so I would really prefer to replace this switch vs. replacing the whole unit.
By the way, the existing switch appears to be "sticking" and not flipping to the on position when it should. This results in the pump not running, and the water backing up and eventually flooding the floor drain. Luckily I have water alarms and have been home to manually restart the pump... but this is not exactly sustainable.
EDIT 2018-Dec-17: I received a response from Swaby today. They are offering to sell me a replacement switch directly (it can be picked up from their Chicago office, or they can arrange to ship from their Houston facility). I will update with a formal answer once I have this resolved.
EDIT 2020-06-27: Wow, quite some time has passed. Sorry, all. I did obtain a replacement switch from Swaby BUT it was a significantly different switch. Replacement switch pictures and information are below. To install this new switch, I had to rework the electric, so it wasn't a job for the faint of heart.
Replacement switch kit (Swaby K-395) instructions:

Kit contents:

Kit includes the Square D Class 9036 Type DG Float Switch, which is significantly different than the Tyco switch pictured originally:

Here's the kicker: after I did all this work, I was still having problems. It turns out that the float had rusted through and was no longer exerting enough upward force on the switch. We ended up replacing the whole unit with a submerged pump.

Hey for anyone who hits with with an actual switch problem.
I've fixed many a switch, by taking it apart, buffing and cleaning the contacts and adding a bit of dialectic grease.
This might not make a switch new, but it sure gets 'em working for a good long time.


How can I reduce temperature of a hot water tap without adjusting the boiler? I'm probably asking for trouble with this question, but here goes....
I had tenants complaining of a luke warm shower and discovered that their boiler hot water temperature was set to about 50º.
The shower has a thermostatic valve and has no separate power control. As expected the mix was coming out about 38º. The manual says that at least +10º is required in the hot supply and that they recommend 60º. (Meaning that for a 43º shower they'll need at least 53º at the boiler, but higher in reality to get some power).
However, the bathroom sink has separate cold and hot taps (no mixer) which means they are at risk of scalding themselves. This is why they turned the boiler down.
Is there a way - without fitting an electric shower and without replacing the bathroom taps - to have the shower temperature up as required, but keep the wash basin safe?
Aside: Previously I had a thermostatic valve with a power handle, but tenants turned it up full blast and then complained it was cold. I figured prioritising the temperature was a better route as long as the power was acceptable.

You can install a standalone tempering valve on the line to the sink, or (probably a larger one) on the line to "everything but the shower" which would protect the kitchen sink as well, for instance.


Best tool for removing small area of thinset? I need to do a temporary fix for a sinking toilet. I'm trying to find the right tool to remove a small area of tile, adhesive, and thinset. The layers of flooring are:

old floor
1/4" plywood
cement board (at least I think it is -- I can't really see it)
thinset
tile adhesive
9" square 1/4" ceramic tile

This only needs to last for about 6 months, so my plan is to:

take out the toilet
remove the 4 tiles around the waste pipe
chisel out the cement, thinset, and adhesive
cover the area with an 18" square piece of plywood
replace the toilet

My question is: what would you use to chisel out the cement, thinset, and adhesive? I'd rent a demolition hammer, but I'm pretty sure that will wreck more than just 4 tiles worth. I've considered a hammer drill, a rotary hammer, or a chisel and a drilling hammer (i.e. manual), but I'm not sure if those are strong enough.

And, of course, the other (implicit) question is always: is this even a good idea?

Thank you!

For a small job like this I would use a hammer and a hand chisel like this Make sure to use safety glasses it is wild how far some of the chips can fly. I would inspect the Joist's on both sides of the toilet if the area has rot these may need to be repaired and part of the cause for the sinking. If you would like a new hammer drill most 1/2" models will work quite well in this application without the heavy impact of a hammer and chisel (home models).


Can insulation touch the roof sheathing in a sloped garage roof without soffit vents? I am beginning to install fiberglass insulation in my garage and want know if I have done the ceiling wrong. The issue is that the insulation touches the roof sheathing in the sloped area below that I marked in yellow. There are no soffit vents at the bottom of the sloped area. There are two triangular gable vents (one pictured, one on the other end) as well as a roof ridge vent. Do I need to remove the insulation I have installed and staple rafter vents to separate the insulation from the roof sheathing, or are they not needed in this area there aren't any soffit vents? Thank you.

With a ridge vent you need space for air flow so move the insulation or add more vents .


Can the Distance of a Subpanel affect Outlet Tester Results I got help with wiring my cabin here:
Requesting Evaluation of Power Plan at Rural Cabin

and here: Cabin Wiring Plan Revisited

I also put a follow up comment there, but now I'm not sure that was the right place to ask this, since others may have the same question.

So, the sub panel is about 300ft away from the main panel and is wired with 2 hots and a neutral plus ground, and the neutral is not bonded to ground at the subpanel, and is bonded at the main panel. This is brand new, the PoCo just turned on the power and installed their meter yesterday.

I have a little commercial electric tester, this one: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stop-Shock-GFCI-Outlet-Circuit-Tester-CE-HGT6120/204501748

When I plug it into the outlet the middle indicator goes green & the outer lights off ... then after about a half-second goes to where only the right red light is on.

Could the distance be affecting the tester?

I am tempted to disconnect my subpanel ground and bond the neutral and test it again.

Thanks in advance!

The distance from the panel should not affect tester results for any reasonable value of distance and wire size.  Yours are reasonable.

Even if the distances were outrageous, it should still ring out properly if the tester is the only load.  E=IR, and if I is very small, E is small for almost any purchasable value of R.

That tester is a mystery

Standard 3-lamp testers simply put a neon light between each pin on the plug.   The legends are useless (I call them "magic 8-ball"), but they are an easy way to make 3 lamp tests at once.  You can identify this type because 2 lights on is "good" and a third red light coming on is "bad".

This particular one has an onboard microcomputer.  Most unfortunately, the computer is intervening between the wires and the lights, which means you are only looking at the simple computer's interpretation of what it sees.  Even worse, they have chosen to bring its indicators out to three lights, which fools people into thinking it's a 3-light tester.

Obviously the marketers of this device want to fool you, and think they are doing you some great favor of giving you a better circuit analyzer.   They are not.  They have only succeeded in making the legend problem even worse.  Now we must spend extra time reverse-engineering why the computer thinks the ground is bad.   This is a waste of time.

I myself would exploit Home Depot's ample returns policy and then acquire a quality voltmeter, 2-prong neon tester, or simple 3-light tester.  One that is made in my home country.


replacing compression shutoff valve I am replacing the compression-style water shutoff valves. When I cut off the old compression sleeves with a hacksaw, I found that the location of the old sleeves were slightly compressed. Is it ok to put the new sleeves on the same spot? Or, should I put it in a different location -- possibly ahead of the old marks?

Thanks in advance,

When replacing fittings that had compression rings I have found it most reliable to cut off the old tubing with a tubing cutter near the old ring and then reassemble with new ring on a fresh tubing surface. This is usually feasible because the tubing is typically a flexible type and extra length is not a problem.

In some cases it is feasible to just replace the valve itself with the same type of valve and just reuse the previous compression ring and compression nut. But watch for leaks and be prepared to use the approach in the first paragraph instead.

For rigid tubing my preference is always to use copper and sweat soldered connections. These can be easily re-soldered if needed for replacements if the proper cleanup of the reused connection is done and proper flux is applied.


Handle of my faucet is calcined My faucet is becoming way calcined and it is getting sticky when I try to rotate it in order to open the water.

How should I proceed in order to make it less sticky as when I bought them?

The photo appears to be of a very old, possibly nickel-plated brass fixture with the plating worn off and a significant copper-based corrosion process ongoing.
I doubt that you'll find any quick fix here as you'll either need to replace it entirely or completely disassemble it, remove all corrosion from it, re-plate it as appropriate, and replace all of its worn parts before it will work as new again.
I'm sure you can find some articles online about this process. Cleaning off the corrosion is likely to be easy enough. I'd start with a product such as CLR or similar that is sold where you live. That, plus some steel wool, should yield a cleaned-up surface. Plating takes special equipment and while it can be done yourself, if you want nice results you should find a local shop that does this.


Low pressure with shallow sand point, increased pressure tank to 86 gallon, how do I use more of the water in the tank before the pump turns on? I have had really low water pressure. I have a 3 year old Sta-rite 1/2 hp jet pump and a 30' deep, 12 fixtures and a house built 12 years ago.

I get about 3 mins of decent pressure then the pump kicks in and the pressure drops considerably. I was told going from a 20 gal pressure tank to a larger tank would give a longer duration of decent pressure. I installed an 86 gal tank, and it did almost nothing, better pressure but for the same amount of time. I spent over $450 installing the new tank..How do I fix this?

It was a pre charged unit, I didn't install or change the pressure switch, the piping is cpvc after the pressure tank, bronze from the pump, galv from the point to the pump

Water storage in a pressure tank is a function of what pressures it swings between as well as size. The most storage for a "common" setting is at "20PSI on / 40PSI off" - for the usual pressure switch that has a fixed 20 PSI differential, water storage reduces as you move to 30/50, 40/60, 50/70. A setting lower than 20/40 is not normally used. One 86 gallon tank I'm looking at has a capacity of 31.8 gallons liquid at 20/40, which shrinks to 23.2 at 40/60. The 20 gallon tank in the same series is 7.4 and 5.4 gallons at the same pressures, so something is clearly wrong with your installation if you have no increase in capacity.

Since you mention better pressure, I see one of two possibilites -

You (or a plumber) altered your pressure switch setting as well as changing the tank.
You bought a tank that was pre-charged to a pressure above your lower working pressure and did not adjust it when installing on your system.

In the latter case, the tank stores essentially no water below the pre-charge pressure, so it will run out and pressure will drop precipitously - but what water is stored will be at a higher pressure. This would match up with your perception that the pressure drops as the pump kicks on.

To resolve - Set your pressure switch to 20 on, 40 off, assuming it is the typical 20PSI differential, adjustable setpoint switch. Turn the pump breaker off when adjusting the switch, as the mechanical and electrical parts are often under the same cover.

With the system turned off and water drained, set the air pressure on the tank to 18 PSI (2 PSI below the cut-in, if you decided to change the setting to something other than 20/40.)

Or - simply record what the pressures are when your pump starts and stops - then drain the system and set the pressure tank air pressure to 2 PSI below the start point. It seems unlikely that your pressure switch is so far mal-adjusted that you'd see no capacity increase, so I'm leaning to an over-pressurised tank as the most likely situation for the conditions you describe.

Incidentally, if you have not discarded the 20 gallon tank and it's still in good condition, you can connect it to the system for additional capacity.


wiring for an oldish house I have 4 wires (red,black,bare,white) from the ceiling. From my new light fixture I have 3 wires (black,green,white). Which two switches for the light. I wired it black and red to black from fixture, white to white, and green to bare. And my light will not turn off. What did I do wrong? Power is good, checked with a fluke meter.

Both the black and red are likely ungrounded (hot) conductors. However, one or both of them are likely switched.   That is, one or both of them are energized only when a switch is closed.

Test the wires with your meter, and determine which one is controlled by the switch. Once you figure that out, connect only that wire to the black wire on the fixture.  Cap the other wire off, and tuck it safely away inside the box.


Drilling hole for latch bolt with regular tools? I need to drill the hole where the door latch will go, but I don't have a specialized tool for this. I only have a few spade bits (plus some regular bits), but they're all smaller than the latch.

What tools can I use to drill that hole in the door?

Thanks.

For that you will want the right bit. Using the wrong size, and trying to ream it out the full depth you need, can easily ruin the door. Even with experience, it would be difficult. An installer would know not to try what you are asking. Get the right size bit. A cheap spade/paddle bit will do fine.


Filling gap between drywall and stairs I have a large gap between my drywall and stairs - my question is, how much of a gap is acceptable for carpet to be applied on the stairs? I have about a 1-1x1/8 inch gap between the stair edge and the wall.

You're meant to install a skirtboard along the wall, cut to fit the stairs.
Here's a picture from Building Stairs by Andy Engel (I feel like he should hire me to market his book with how often I recommend it to people) showing installing a skirtboard onto the wall.


How to frame a wall around existing exterior door Framing a basement.  I have a an exterior door that is set in the poured foundation.  I'm building my wall that runs parallel to foundation that has the existing door and is ~2-4" from the foundation.  How do I frame this opening?  Of particular concern, if I from perpendicular from the wall to the in-swing door, it would seem that I wouldn't be able to open the door more than 85-90 degrees.

Edit: added pictures for more clarity

Edit 2: Added diagram of proposed layout (minus solution)

Edit 3. Added new diagram

Edit 4. 4th times a charm

Thanks for the picture & diagram updates, your initial question was a little unclear to me. You'll have to move the door in order for it to open more than 90-degrees & to flat upon the wall.

Move the door, its jamb & threshold inside to be flush with the new stud wall's drywall finished surface elevation for a full door swing. Then, extend the door jamb (sides & top) out to the exterior wall & re-apply the exterior trim. This provides a good exterior recess & overhang to protect the door & threshold from weather & spiders will love it.

Additionally, since your door will now be mounted to your interior stud wall instead of the very & completely solid foundation wall. You'll want to solidify the stud wall & attach it to the door's existing framing with a toe-nailed or toe-screwed 2x4 bridging connector. This will also assist greatly with the jamb extensions & their seamless alignment.


Why won't my garage door remote work unless I push the button to turn off the light first? If I trip the sensor by driving the car outside, the light goes on. The remote won't work. If I then go in the garage and push the button to turn on the light and then leave the garage without tripping the sensor, the remote functions normally.

This is a Chamberlain Lift Master using a Clicker remote. The problem started recently after 15 years of faultless service. The EMF idea suggested in comments sounded great, but didn't pan out. I tried a new battery, but no luck there. In short, when the door opener light is on, the remote won't work. When it's off, the remote works fine.

CFL bulbs used in the opener cause signal blockage until fully lit. I don't know why but while the CFL bulb is flickering the signal gets blocked.  After the bulb warms up, and stops flickering (about 30-60 seconds) your garage door remote should work fine. This can be tested easily enough. Does the remote open your door when you just get home and open door? Door opened because the light was off.  But when you are leaving the garage, you use wall switch to open the door and can't close it by remote while trying to drive away.  That's because the CFL bulb is still warming up after you just opened the door to leave. Easy solution is to change out CFL bulb with incandescent light (old style bulb with filament).  I've heard that LED lights do this too, but my hunch is that some folks think CFLs are LEDs and are calling them by the wrong name. LEDs are instantly on and quite expensive, while CFLs flicker until warmed up and purchase price is pretty low.
So change to incandescent in Door Opener and happy motoring. Appliance bulbs are perfect for Garage door Openers.


House electric arrangement mystery I have two devices that started to work constantly. That is I can't turn them off. They just run all the time. The switches don't do anything.

The two devices are the the ventilator and air-exchanger in the bathroom:

And there are two twiches that control them (respectively):

Now to the amazing part.

When you switch off the circuit break for the ventilator in the ceiling (the circuit break for the on/off switch), then the ventilator stop running but the air-exchanger still continues to run.

When you turn off the circuit break for the air-exchanger, the air exchanger stops running and the ventilator in the bathroom is now controllable with the on/off switch.

So my conclusion is that the controller for the air-exchanger is broken. And that the air-exchanger is hooked up to the bathroom-fan to control it too.

What bothers me is that why the fan stops when I turn off the break for the on/off switch? I mean if we agree that the air-exchanger has control over the fan too, why disconnecting the on/off switch stops the ventilator?

When the circuit-break for the air-exchanger is off, the ventilator is controller by the simple on/off switch.

| CB air-ex | CB vent | Swch Vent  || Vent  | Air-ex |
| ON        | ON      | ON         || ON    | ON     |
| ON        | ON      | OFF        || ON    | ON     |

That's ^ obvious. As I said the devices run constantly. The "switch" for the air-ex never does anything at all. It's not even included in the table.

| CB air-ex | CB vent | Swch Vent  || Vent  | Air-ex |
| OFF       | ON      | ON         || ON    | OFF    |
| OFF       | ON      | OFF        || OFF   | OFF    |

When the CB air-ex is off, the control comes back to the on/off switch. So now you think that the "priority" controls is the air-exchange. Okay. See this:

| CB air-ex | CB vent | Swch Vent  || Vent  | Air-ex |
| ON        | OFF     | ON         || OFF   | ON     |
| ON        | OFF     | OFF        || OFF   | ON     |

If you turn off the CB to the ON/OFF switch, the ventilator is off.

So why, when the CB vent is off the vent is off, but when the on/off switch is off, the vent is on?

Thanks kindly in advance for your thoughts and comments.

P.S. This started after the house got hit by lightening.

Turn off the breaker for the 3 switches and remove the cover and see if the wiring is burnt. The switch is likely shorted in the on position so only cutting power at the breaker will de-energize the circuit. And since switches are controlling the wrong things but in the same switch box there is likely wiring fused together somewhere. Follow your nose


Old-style electrical conduit connector? See photos.   I'm having trouble finding this on the internet.   Looks like it's some kind of compression connector for EMT conduit, with dimples.  The conduit is 3/4"

What is this style of connector called?
Is there an easy/right way to remove it?

Those are indenter type EMT fittings, they were popular in the 1960s.  There was a special crimp tool that crimped that dimple into the fitting and pipe.  They aren't commonly used but are still in the catalogs.

They are difficult to impossible to take off unless you can drill out all four dimples.


Bosch washing machine - replaced motor brushes, motor now "fizzes" The drum in my Bosch Serie 8 washing machine stopped turning recently and after a bit of internet research it sounded like the motor brushes had worn down. I bought new "official" (allegedly) brushes from a reputable website and replaced them - the old ones were definitely worn down to nothing compared to the new ones so I figured that would solve the problem.
However, having put it all back together again, the motor is only turning intermittently in short stutters, makes an electrical fizzing sound when it turns, and gives off a faint burning smell like underneath the scalectrix cars I had as a kid.
I'm pretty sure I put the brushes in the right way round and reconnected everything correctly, but there's obviously something wrong somewhere.
Other relevant info:
I can't upload a video with sound, but here's an animated gif in case it helps:

The first time I turned it on and started a simple "rinse" cycle there was a flash inside the drum and it blew the RCD for the kitchen sockets where the washing machine is plugged in

I reset the RCD and tried again, and it's now doing the stuttering movement and fizzing thing

It happily draws water into the machine - it's just the motor / drum not turning properly

Is this possibly a problem with the new brushes, or my fitting of them? Or should I play it safe and just replace the whole machine?
Any help / pointers welcome...

Unplug the machine , hopefully you did not fry the motor , let it cool down!
First remove the brushes, both of them and rotate the motor while looking at the armature, there should be even segments all the way around this is the commutator it should be a even chocolate brown in color. If any of the segments are missing the motor is toast.
All the segments there hopefully not two badly burned
you may need to seat the brushes it sounds like the cup to the brush was not correct (common) or they were installed 90 degrees out. So only the points were touching the com.
Large motors we seat the brushes with some emery around the com, small motors I will check the fit even the highest quality brush may have a different cup or diameter com. So the brush arcs, the other thing that can happen is the brush is to tight in the holder it should slide all the way in without pressure needed or once in it should fall out if pointed down, if snug a quick pass over some emery cloth or 400+ sandpaper will quickly reduce the size.
If the brush fit to the commutator is bad enough damage to the com can ruin the motor.
When you pull the brushes examine them for burns.
Arc marks in the center on each side is evidence of the brush in 90 out.
Burns on only 1 brush across the entire brush point to over sized not in contact.
If there are divots in the com that is a higher level of repair than you may the ability to do.
When brushed motors are running properly there should be a fine line of arcs at the edge of the brush that move or dance back and forth.
The big flash and the rcd tripping may point to a non repairable problem for DIY. But checking the com and brush seating is the first step.


Connecting Common Wire to Control Board I have a heat pump and want to add a thermostat that requires a common wire.  I have read through many threads that show how to add a wire but I already have a few extra in the bundle so its not so much as running a new wire but where to connect it on the control board.

I have attached a picture and highlighted an area where I think it might go but wanted to check here prior as to ensure I don't mess something up.

Use the terminal block below the control board

The terminal block below the control board on your system, with the brown and yellow wires connected to it, is the distribution point for 24VAC common (X on your system wiring diagram) in your system.  Simply crimp a 1/4" (6.3mm) female quick-connect suitable for 18AWG wire (red color code) onto the end of the wire you want to use and slide it onto one of the tabs on the terminal block. If you need to extend the C wire, you can use a piece of 18AWG TFFN/AWM wirenutted onto the C wire in the thermostat cable, with the quick disconnect crimped on the other end.


How to adhere drywall to cinder block I have just purchased a home which I will be renovating prior to moving in. The house was built in 1950 and has cinder block ex/interior walls. I have an area going into the hallway which attaches to an addition which is 2x4 wood framed walls. The stick framing is flush with the block wall. The previous owner adhered plain wood paneling directly to the block wall and, of course, nailed the paneling to the wood section.

Is it OK to adhere x" drywall to the interior block wall? There are no signs of complications with the original install. The owner was an anal architect; he dated the install 1987.

The other side of the wall is in the kitchen which I plan to mount 1 or 2x furring strips to accommodate electrical/gas in the wall. This wall will consist of a range, hood, and cabinetry.

If it is not recommended, can anyone suggest a thin covering for the wood framed area so I can texture to match the adjoining section?

Yes you can set drywall directly to the block wall. If it intersects with an exterior wall that is exposed to the weather, I would place a layer of poly of out of the intersecting corner, if accessible, out no more than 2', 18" would probably be better, vertically to prevent any moisture coming through the block and getting into the sheetrock. Use drywall clips to hold the corner, so no nails go through the plastic. If it does not, ignore this recommendation.

To mount the drywall use a glue in the large tubes, you will go through a lot. Blob on golf ball sized portions of glue on an approx. 16"X16" grid. Set your drywall onto that and secure directly into the block with drywall nails. that is if they pass the test.

To test your nails drive a few drywall nails into the face of the block before you start your drywall install. Do not nail in the joints, the mortar is much denser. On true cinder block, not slag block, (slag block is a newer process ) I have run 1 1/4" drywall screws right into the block, that may do what you need right away. Other nails to try just to hold the sheetrock long enough for the glue to grip are roofing nails. Find one of theses that is suitable for your install.

After you sort out which fasteners to use, hold the sheetrock tight to the wall in the place you want to nail or screw. Set your fastener, some help here would be beneficial and set a few more before you move down the sheet to add more. The amount of fasteners needed will be only enough to hold the sheet flat, the glue will do the rest.


Main Load Center for subpanel Can a main load center box with no main breaker be used as a sub panel in a detached garage.  Was told to run a #2 copper since it was about 150 ft away from the house.

Don't  scrimp on panels

One thing we constantly preach here is to get plenty of extra spaces.  Oh, you can install a 4-space panel, hook up your lights, saw, dust collector and general sockets, mission accomplished... And then boom, wife wants an EV.  There's a planer but it's 240v.  The inspector comes by and says your 4 circuits need AFCI, but you used double-stuffs.  Changing panels is a nightmare, and the cost difference to a much larger panel is a few latte's.  Maybe a pizza.  So we say "go big or go home". Nobody ever complained about too many extra spaces.

(And by the way, panels that say "24 spaces 48 circuits", that's a lie. These days Code will almost never let you use the double-stuff breakers needed to get to 48, so that panel is effectively 24.)

An outbuilding requires a main shutoff switch

A panel with a main breaker is just a cheap, compact way to provide that shutoff switch.  You can also use an accessory shutoff switch that is in a separate enclosure.

Don't bother trying to coordinate the trip rating of this "shutoff switch" breaker with the actual supply breaker in the main panel. That must be sized to protect the wire to the subpanel.  For the breaker in the subpanel, size doesn't matter. If it is too big, that's fine. If it is too small, it protects the subpanel itself.

Trying to get the local "main" breaker to trip first is a lost cause, unless you use a shunt breaker and some sort of local smart equipment that will fire the shunt trip on a more restrictive -- gahhh, that would be hard to build.

You may be able to make this panel have a main breaker.

Some panels allow Backfeeding -- that's where you fit a breaker with a special tiedown kit, and feed the power into the screws where you normally take the load.  Since it's AC power, the breaker doesn't actually care which way power flows.

Traditionally one puts a backfeed main breaker in the upper left corner.


Can I use a floating wood floor in a half bath? Will a floating wood floor work well in a half bath?  If so I have another question.  Should the toilet flange go over the floor or should the floor be cut around it?  Thanks.

If your bathroom is used mostly by responsible adults, there's no reason for concern. Plenty of kitchens (including my own) have wood floors. The rare splash should be wiped up, and a strategically placed rug can provide more protection.

Floating floors usually go around the flange.


What does this answer about old residential home grounding mean? If you do not have a ground wire installed with the other wires do not hook up the ground wire without knowing how the wires were carried to the box. If the house is wired with flexible metallic tubing (flex) your grounding the fixture can create an extremely hazardous situation. Older homes are sometimes wired this way. I have run into this situation a lot in my field work. Untrained electricians think any ground is a safe ground. This is not true. Grounding was required starting in 1962.

From: Can I safely ground a light fixture if the ceiling box has two hot and one neutral wire (no ground wire)

What the heck is that suppose to mean.

Is he saying that you shouldn't ground a metallic box (i.e. run a EGC from the panel or another EGC at another box) that has MC cable

  flexible metallic tubing (flex)

going to it if it didn't carry a EGC with it because if it was in contact with combustibles (e.g. studs, lathe & plaster, etc.) and the box became shorted it could start a fire.

Don't rely on MC as a ground

What he is saying is that it's not reliable to count on the metal jacket of MC (metal armored cable) as the ground.

In other words, for grounding purposes, treat MC exactly like it is NM.  If there's a ground wire inside the MC, that is an acceptable grounding path.  Otherwise treat the cable and boxes relying on it as ungrounded.

Retrofit your heart out

Go ahead and retrofit grounds if you want to.  The post is saying since MC armor is not a valid grounding path, you will want to retrofit a ground in parallel.   Keep in mind the ground retrofit rules have eased since that post.

When retrofitting grounds, think first about your biggest loads, because once you lay the thickest ground wire, it can also serve as a ground path for any other circuit(s) which require that size or smaller.  For instance when running your oven's ground, stop in a couple other junction boxes and use them as a hub for other grounds you are retrofitting.  That way you don't need to do a home run for every circuit.  The concept is that ground doesn't normally flow current, and it's rather unlikely for 2 circuits to develop a bolted ground fault at the same time.


Should I redo the shower pan liner? I've been working with a local plumbing company on a few large bathroom projects and they've done some things really well and some things poorly, and on a few cases, I've jumped in to just make the fixes myself rather than deal with them. In this case, they did the shower pan liner, but as shown, they actually cut the sheet around the bolts. They also just GOBBED sealant all over, including filling the weep holes and channels. It didn't drain from them at all till I took it apart cleaned them - it drains very well now. However, I have concerns about whether or not it was sealed really well underneath or if it's a long term issue that's pending. I have to pull part of it down anyways since they didn't get it flush in the corners (!), so I'm wondering if it's worth spending the 50 bucks to just do it myself. It's an oatey drain.

I'm leaning towards just doing it again, but I don't know - does the rubber being cut so far back indicate an issue or am I being uptight?

Thanks.

Since it's going to be your own shower and there are a few things bugging you about it I think it's worth the 50 bucks to do it over and fix the things you are concerned with. If you don't, and you're anything like me, it will be nagging you forever that you didn't fix it. Enjoy your new shower either way.


What kind of drain rod do I need to get around this bend? Had to have this drain unblocked professionally the other day, because I don't have the right kit. It blocks yearly, and so I'd like to be able to sort this myself.

The problem is, that the drain pipe goes in the direction of the arrow, away from the wall as shown in the picture below. My drain rods are not flexible enough to get around the corner with the wall being where it is, but the professional I got in the other day seemed to have a thinner, more flexible type of drain rod.

I searched on line, but could only find standard rods. Is there a particular name for this type of rod that might help me to source one?

(I'm in the UK if that's relevant)

Thanks

Not sure where you're from, but here in the US we'd use a plumber's snake (also known as a "drain auger", or simply "snake", or "auger") to clear the drain.  A snake is quite flexible, and should have no problem getting into that drain. You might, however, have to remove the drain cover to get the snake in (depending on the size of the snake).

"Handheld-Drain-Auger" by Pgdp123 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons


Drywall ceiling crack emanating from/near the outside corner of two interior drywall walls I have determined that this is not a foundation problem (the cracks have existed for at least two years without getting worse, other than in the winter they open up just a little. No other foundation issues,such as, exterior or interior wall cracks, wood flooring or tile cracks, etc). Crack1 runs about 4' somewhat diagonally from the corner of walls 1a and 1b; i.e. the drywall sheet is cracked. Crack2 appears about 6" from the corner of walls 2a and 2b and runs about 6' perpendicular to wall 2a, along the seem of two drywall sheets. I read an article some time ago (that I now cannot find) that discussed how to brace/structurally support the corner of 2 interior walls and adjacent ceiling joists to prevent drywall ceiling cracks at or near the corner of the 2 walls. Any master carpenter or drywall pro out there who can advise me would be greatly appreciated.

Could be a problem with the structure in the ceiling, or a problem with how the drywall was attached to structure. An imperfect but easy first attempt might be to add some screws into structure near the cracks, then patch with compound and tape. If cracks appear again after a couple of years, you have a structural issue and probably need to rip out the existing drywall to address that. If not, the likely cause was either some initial settling of the house.


What is the thing called that is located in this shower door frame? I need help finding this part of a shower door. What is it called? It prevents water from going outside of the shower. Thanks

That appears to be a seal on the edge of the door gutter/track.  From your photo we can't readily determine if that's the upper or lower edge, and whether it is the inside or outside edge.  It may make a difference when you attempt to identify the proper replacement part, assuming you don't have to replace the entire track.


Does an extension cord from 2 to 3 prongs have any benefits? If you're plugging a device with a 2-prong plug into an extension cord that has 3 prongs on the other end, does that give it the grounding benefit of the third prong?

No. If the two prong device is fairly modern, it is sufficiently insulated in its design so that it does not need a separate grounding line (these devices were often referred to as double insulated). It means that the designer has ensured that it is highly unlikely that a consumer can come in contact with a hot lead in the device.

Many modern devices are polarized (one of the prongs is wider than the other) to ensure that the correct part of the device is connected to the hot side of the circuit. This helps ensure safety.

For all of these type devices, a two wire/prong extension cord is adequate, assuming it is rated for the wattage being drawn. This is a function of both the amperage of the tool and the length of the run.

When you plug a two prong device into a three prong extension cord, the device is not connected in any way to the ground wire in the cord.  There is no downside in this arrangement, but a two wire/prong extension would do the same thing.

There are older two prong devices that do not have adequate grounding and pose some risk if the device is damaged during use, for example some older metal bodied electric drills. Unfortunately, using a three wire extension will offer no greater protection when used with a two prong appliance.

While we are at it, let us rail against the three prong-to-two-prong adapter. These units are intended to allow you to plug a three prong device into an older  two prong outlet, and proper usage requires that you attach the grounding tab to the center screw in that outlet, bonding the adapter ground to the frame of the outlet body. This is often neglected. Much worse is the use of these adapters to connect a three prong device to a two wire/prong extension and no grounding is even attempted since none is possible. Even when used properly it may be "grounded" to an outlet that doesn't have a ground, and may actually be shorted to one of the current carrying conductors.
Throw these damn electrocution hazards away.


Would mold eventually just die by itself if its environment was made uninhabitable? I decided to move my noisy server farm into my basement. I enhanced the ventilation somewhat with 500CFM intake/exhaust fans and in combination with the heat coming off the farm, the room is now a cozy ~30C with around 25% humidity.

Anyways, the basement also has a mold problem. It has exposed limestone walls with mortar between the stones and half of its 2 walls are pretty much covered with the mold (mostly the mortar, stones not so much).

Its been that way since I moved into the house and I've considered getting rid of the mold but there hasn't been any real need for it. Several days after I moved in the servers though, I noticed that the moldy/mildewy smell was pretty much gone.

So just out of curiosity, if I keep this up, would the mold just die by itself in a dry and toasty room? How can I tell when its dead? Would it change color? Its black/brownish right now. I had a dream that it would turn white and I could just vacuum it up like dust, I have weird dreams.

In the right (or wrong, depending on your point of view) environment, mold will die.

So to answer your question, the mold will die with a lack of moisture. However, there is a catch. The spores (seeds) can be preserved, apparently for more years than you and I will be alive.

Molds can come in all kinds of colors, so there is no one answer to the color question.

Also, as this is a basement, by the very nature of basements, it is unlikely you will prevent all moisture from existing or returning in that environment. Basements are typically moist, but your server farm will certainly stifle the molds ability to grow.

Nonetheless, the mold, whatever kind(s) it is, can still be a health hazard, and you are living in a home that probably pulls some air from the basement via wiring holes, furnace, etc. -- With the addition of a server farm there, you now have a continuous circulation of air.

Obviously it is up to you what you do but disturbing mold and making it airborne is more dangerous than leaving it be. Mold remediation can be costly, especially if it turns out its not a breed that poses a health hazard.

Since any mold can pose health hazards, even if just allergy based, perhaps consider getting it cleaned by a pro and take peace of mind that the server farm will stop its growth.


Why do the radiators in my home heating system get extremely hot? I have a standard British heating configuration at home - there is one gas heater that provides hot water both for the boiler (and bathroom etc.) as well as for central heating. There is a small electronic device where you can set if you want to heat the water or run the central heating (it has a timer, etc). The central heating works based on a thermostat in the living room, which shows green when the actual temperature is lower that the set value (hence the heating is working), or red otherwise.

Recently we switched the central heating on for the first time this year, but it didn't work as expected. When the hot water is off everything seems fine. But when the system heats the water up, all the radiators got boiling hot, despite the thermostat showing red all the time. What might have gone wrong? Is it something I could fix myself?

EDIT:
To be more precise I did a test and the results are as follows:(CH - central heating, HW - how water)

HW off, CH off - everything cold [OK]
HW on, CH off - everything is hot [WRONG]
HW off, CH on, temp > thermostat - everything cold [OK]
HW off, CH on, temp < thermostat - everything cold [WRONG]
HW on, CH on, temp > thermostat - everything hot [WRONG]
HW on, CH on, temp < thermostat - everything hot [OK]

So it seems that the hot water switch now operates both HW and CH, and the central heating switch does nothing at all (and thermostat is likewise ignored). Is this something I could fix myself?

A lot depends on the type of system you have. If you have a system or combi boiler, it could be the diverter valve which is faulty. This will be in the boiler itself. If you have a Y-Plan system with a three port valve, it could be the three port valve which is faulty. These are usually found in your airing cupboard or in your loft.


Replace a single wall swich (controls light and fan) with a decora dual switch I have 3 wires coming into a single light switch box. One is from the breaker, one goes to the fan (includes light), and I believe the other wire goes to the next switch in the circuit. The single switch currently turns the fan and light. There are no other switches in this room that control fan and light.
The wiring looks like below. I'm trying to replace the single light switch and install a Decora dual switch so I can control fan and light separately with  existing wiring. Is it possible? If not, can I add a new switch altogether (cutout the single gangbox and install a two gangbox) with the existing wires so I can have separate switches for fan and light? I'm trying to avoid running a new wire.

You don't have enough wires for a double switch
You don't have enough wires in the wall for a double switch, unfortunately.  You'd need a /3 cable (black, red, white, bare) for that, but you only have a /2 cable (black, white, bare), and all the wires in that cable are already spoken for.
Maestro to the rescue!
However, Lutron makes a solution for this problem in their Maestro product line; namely, a fan/light controller that uses powerline signaling to communicate with a canopy receiver module.  You'll want to get a MA-LFQM or MA-LFQHW in the appropriate color (WH for white or LA for light almond, for instance), and install it according to the included instructions.


What should the ratio of crushed rock and sand for a paver patio be? In effort to find a good answer I've been all over the internet looking for an answer to exactly how thick of a layer of crushed rock and how thick of a layer of sand to use for a patio. Or at the very least what the ratio should be.

The difference in answers is enough for me to not be able to make a good choice. Not wanting to have it too thin is my main goal. Seeing as I've already moved 1600 (5 to 8 lb ea), 4"x4"x8") bricks by hand to where the patio is going to be, I'm not really all that worried about moving a ton or so of crushed rock. What's a little more of a workout right? I'm also not trying to skimp. If I need 4 inches of crushed rock, then I'm doing it.

Also because I'm a big user of the SE network, I figured where better to help find an answer to my question. My goal, do it right the first time.

I just completed a 90 square foot patio.  I ended up putting down 4 inches of paver base (crushed concrete), 1 inch of sand, and then the 2 inch patio stones... so I dug down 7 inches all around.  To be honest though, I went deeper than that in some places and ended up having to bring in much more paver base (crushed concrete) than I really needed.  So maybe I have 6 inches of paver base in some areas.  In my opinion, the key was the compacting.  I highly recommend you rent a plate compactor.  You should be able to rent one for less than $100 for 4 hours and it is completely worth it.  You will only use it for 30 minutes but it will make the crushed concrete as solid as rock.

Also one of my neighbors who is a landscaper joked about how far I had dug down... he said I went way too deep and now I can land a helicopter on my new patio.  I tend to agree with him that the 4+ inches of paver base was more than needed but still I am happy with how it all turned out.

Couple other notes:

After compacting the crushed concrete it was smooth and solid.  When you walked on it nothing moved... kind of like walking on concrete.
Lowes/Home Depot sell paver base by the bag but that is much more expensive than having it delivered.  2 tons (approximately 1 cubic yard) of crushed concrete was not enough to cover my 90 square feet to a depth of 4 inches; I probably ended up putting down 3 tons.
Since the patio was positioned next to a concrete sidewalk, I used an 8' 2x4 with a piece of scrap wood nailed to one end which gave me a depth of 3 inches (the sand and paver depth).  Then I pulled the 2x4 back and forth across the area (with another person holding one end on the sidewalk) to level out the paver base before compacting (and to know where the shallow/deep spots were).
I used 1 inch diameter pipes to give me the 1-inch depth for the leveling sand.  Put two pipes down on the compacted paver base parallel to each other and then pour the sand on top.  Then pull a 2x4 over the pipes to level the sand.  Remove the pipes and then fill in the indentation by hand.  Now lay your pavers (or patio stones).
I used polymeric sand to fill the cracks in between the individual patio stones.

Updated with photo for @Chris Marasti-Georg (2013-05-20):


Stucco cracking/polymer additives/AAC I am building with AAC blocks in a tropical country. The usual practice here is to apply a home-made plaster/stucco (cement/sand mixture) to the wall (which here is more typically mortar). However, the recommendations for AAC suggest that a polymer-modified plaster is more appropriate, with the warning that the stucco/plaster is liable to crack.

Any thoughts on this matter?

I have purchased a pre-mixed skim coat plaster product, which I intend to apply to the home-made plaster. But I am not sure if I am setting myself up for trouble by using the normal plaster rather than the expensive pre-mixed product?

Congrats on your choice of materials, FYI. AAC is great stuff, totally appropriate for your climate.

Applying stucco over AAC isn't a fundamentally different process than applying it over mortared block or brick, so if most stuccoed masonry buildings in your area aren't full of cracks, you should feel more at ease. The only real difference that AAC may present a smoother surface, which could lead to worse bonding compared to a rougher brick or block. That's probably why the instructions call for a polymer-modified plaster; the polymer additives make it stickier, to promote superior bonding. The traditional way to promote bonding is with metal lath. However I honestly wouldn't recommend this in your climate since moisture will eventually rust it and the stucco will come off (rusting metal expands, cracking the stucco).

You have three options: obtain a polymer additive and instruct the stucco crew to add it to their stucco mix; hire someone to mechanically roughen up the outer wall surface before the stucco crew arrives; or let them do their normal thing and hope for the best (it will probably be fine).


Where can I find a key for my old locks? My house was build in 1938 and the whole house has these door knobs everywhere. I believe they were made by Dexter. Is there a way to ID them properly and, if so, where can I find someone who makes a key for them?

We bought a home built in the 1870s which was updated in the 1930s. None of the interior doors had keys. Went to a local locksmith and explained the problem. They actually sell a set of common skeleton keys - it was around 5 if my memory serves and under $20. You just keep trying until one works.

Lot cheaper than a house call.


Buying a House On Underground Spring. What to do? My fiancé and I are under contract on a new home which we are concerned it might be built on an underground spring. There are two sump pumps in the house, on opposite corners of the house. Both times we have seen the house was after a few days of no rain. One of the sumps only gets a tiny bit of water from the French drain leading to it. The other sump, there is a visible stream of water from both pipes leading into the hole. Every half hour or so, the pump kicks on and dumps about 3-4 Gallons (wild guess). We are concerned about a) flooding our basement, and b) future foundation issues.

Thing's I've researched:

The water bill is not very high, indicating there is not a leak in the mains.
The neighbors' pumps kick on intermittently also, but not to this extent
It is a 25 year old house, and there is no sign of foundation issues, and very little settling
Also, as a 25 year old house, it has been doing this for as long as any of the neighbors can remember, and do not know of one instance of the basement flooding.
Tried looking on the county website to see if there was an underground stream, but couldn't find anything.
Basement has no smell of mold or anything like that.

So my questions are this:

Is this a red flag / deal breaker? Is this just something we need to keep an eye on, or is there a possibility that the foundation might crumble at any time?
Assuming it is not critical, what precautions should I take? I already plan on buying a water-powered sump pump as backup, and getting a couple alarms for both pumps. The current pump already has a battery backup.
The water looks clear and fresh. What can I do with all this water? Anything productive?

Update:
To answer some questions, the home is in Maryland (US). There is a slight slope to the road and we are closer to the bottom, though it is so slight, I didn't even notice it until a neighbor pointed it out. It's a suburban area, homes line both sides of the street, spaced roughly 30 feet apart. I don't mind sharing the water with the neighbors...in fact I encourage it. The more water they take, the less I have to figure out where to direct.

You didn't indicate your location or site characteristics (slope, hillside, etc), but the location of the country, even generally could be helpful, but not required.

You indicated the water bill was not high, so it could not be a water leak.  That would only be if the leak was after the meter.  However, the leak could be before the meter and impossible to detect through usage alone.  A few tests to help determine if this is a spring:

Temperature: Spring water would be the average annual temperature (between 56-59°F).  If it is different, turn on the cold tap water and measure it's temperature.  If it is close to the temp of the water in the sump, that is more likely the source. If the water is a different temperature than either of those, it is likely ground water.
Chemical Composition:  Have the water chemistries evaluated and compared to the houses tap water - if they are very similar, the water is likely a leak from the main, and not a spring.  If there is chlorine, that is a dead give-a-way (but it off gasses quickly, so absence is not a complete indication)

If it is, in fact a natural source, then if could be spring or runoff.  Most springs are intermittent to some degree with natural cycles.  Perhaps this is a heavier time or from recent storms that are working their way underground and bumping into an impervious layer of shale that your house was built on top of.  As a home buyer, you only have a point in time reference, and the neighbors may not know the details from the inside of the house as to how often and consistently the pump runs.

You also assumed it is only pumping a few gallons — some sumps hold 15-25 gallons.  If it were built intended to handle the flow you mentioned (~900 gal/day) it likely would have been larger to begin with to run less often.

  Is this a red flag / deal breaker? Is this just something we need to
     keep an eye on, or is there a possibility that the foundation might
     crumble at any time?

If it has been in place for 25 years, I don't think this is a major concern. If it was retrofitted, especially recently, I might have a different opinion.  But this depends on where you live somewhat — is your area composed of a lot of Karst or cave features? Florida for instance is known for its sinkholes and springs are one possible concern with those.

In most areas, however, if the water is directed well, this should not be a concern because the water is directed away from the foundations and out of the house properly.  Consider getting a home inspection & point out your concerns. They may find additional evidence of water damage, remodeling or other evidence of concerns that you could have overlooked.

  Assuming it is not critical, what precautions should I take? I
     already plan on buying a water-powered sump pump as backup, and
     getting a couple alarms for both pumps. The current pump already has
     a battery backup.

Alarms and backups are great. A small, but high-quality generator would be fantastic to keep things running for a longer period if needed.  Make sure it's rated for constant duty.  Be sure to have a plan to allow easy switching from the pump's current electric source to the generator.  You could make this tie-in at the panel or the pump, but be careful not to backfeed into your system.

  The water looks clear and fresh. What can I do with all this water?
     Anything productive?

Do you have gardens?  Make a rain-barrel type system using large holding tanks - plus, you'll see how much water you are actually removing seasonally.  But be careful in planning that whatever you do that your system is able to handle cold weather without freezing up or you risk a damp basement and a blown pump.

But If you really are pumping what you claim (3 gal every 5 min = 960 gal per day) you will likely have limited use for all that water, unless you're in California and will share with your neighbors!

Good luck with the new home!


Bathroom Tile Removal - Underlayment and membrane coming up I'm removing all the tile in a bathroom. While removing though, I believe it's the underlayment is coming up with some of the tiles.  I was wondering what are the reprecussions of this.

Picture:

Does this matter? Can I still lay tile on top of this even though it's coming up?
Can I repair the underlayment? If so, how?

A lot of the articles online for #2 are for water damage. This isn't the case for me.

Thanks,
Justin W.

You need to tile over a solid surface. Needless to say, this stuff doesn't count, so you'll need to remove it. With a wooden subfloor, the preferred tile base is cementboard. Screw it down, mortar the seams, and go to town with your tiles.


Do I need to waterproof the external walls of my house? I have just completed a renovation of my house. Where possible, I am putting decking around it to keep the brickwork dry and ventilated. One wall, however, will have sand and dirt added to build up the land by 30 odd centimetres. Before I so this, should I paint the lower part of the wall in bitumen paint to waterproof it or is that just overkill?

BTW: I am adding sand to protect a number of PVC pipes that run next to the wall.

Here are a couple articles from AskTheBuilder.com.

Exterior Foundation Wall Waterproofing

Foundation Waterproofing

This is one of those things that builders and homeowners usually cheap out on, which in my opinion is a BIG mistake.  Spending the extra money now can save you tons of money later, so do the research and do it right.

I've seen DELTA®-MS used before; but I cannot vouch for it as I have never used it my self, it seems like a good product though.

Here is an article from concretenetwork.com that seems to be very informative, and explains different methods of waterproofing concrete.

I'm not sure how much of this information applies to your particular situation, but it should give you a good idea of some of the products and methods used for waterproofing below grade concrete/brick.


Adding a bathroom fan (and speaker) to end line switch My bathroom has one light fixture controlled by an end-line switch. I want to add a Delta Breez model VFB25ADBT ( that also has a built-in Bluetooth speaker--nifty ) and be able to control lights, fan, and speaker separately from the combination switch pictured.

The hot wire from the electrical panel comes into the light fixture, and there's also an additional run that leaves it and goes to lights/outlets elsewhere in the house.

I have a hunch I need to run some 14/3 but want confirmation before I spend a few hours fishing romex.

Any tips on how to wire all this?

To me it looks like you probably have a  switch leg going from the light to the switch (1 cable with a black and white possibly a ground. That cable the whit should be connected to the hot and the black to the hot for the light when the switch is turned on the black provides the power to the light. If I were making the change I would use “smurf tube” flexible nonmetallic conduit and make the following changes.

All the wires for the circuit have to be in the same cable or to have 3 switches you would need 3 cables , run conduit “smurf tube” and all the wires can be in that conduit.  You said 14 awg wire so I will assume you verified this is a 15 amp circuit. If it is a 20 amp circuit you would need 12 awg.

I would pull 1 black conductor for the feed to the 3 switches, 1 white conductor for the neutral (code requires the neutral even if not needed for future smart switches).
A ground wire only 1 is needed.
Last I would pull 3 red wires (you can use black just label them so you know 1,2,3).
Cap the neutral it’s not needed, put the light on 1, fan on 2 and usb on 3 , connecting the devices in the attic with neutral.

Depending on what code version there may be a way to have a 2nd double switch leg using 14-3 but you need to bring the hot down in this cable also, and return the 2 switched hots and would not have the neutral , there are a few states on older code the only question would they allow this to 1 yoke (3 switches on 1 device it was ok with multi gang boxes and devices and how we did it sometimes prior to needing the neutral.

The first way is modern code the 2nd may be depending on your jurisdiction.


Fire safety with polystyrene I would like to use foil-faced expanded polystyrene boards to insulate my window at night.* That window is located a foot or two above my electric baseboard heater.** To me it seems like this could create a fire hazard, or at least risk deforming the polystyrene.***
Is there anything simple that I could do to mitigate or eliminate this fire/deformation hazard (if any)? I was thinking that maybe I could make a heat-resistant barrier between the heater and the window, or maybe put a flame-retardant material or coating on the polystyrene. But any solution would be welcome.
Also, is there a good way for me to test the extent of the hazard under "normal conditions"? For example, could I put in a shelf as described above, stick a memory thermometer underneath, and monitor the air temperature below it over an extended period to see how hot it gets?
* That may be stupid, feel free to let me know. I will probably set up a separate question about that.
** Which I always run on "low"
*** In the past, this has not been an issue with the plastic (polyolefin?) film that I put around the window.

Why not use Roxul ComfortBoard instead of the polystyrene? It is fire proof.
Alternatively you could make a sandwich with the comfortboard on the roomside and the foil faced EPS on the other.
Are you trying to achieve the highest r-value? what r-value per inch is the foil faced EPS you are considering?  How many inches do you want this removable insulation panel to be?
I'd just go with a pure comfortboard solution and not have any EPS.


Drilling a hole in a dry-wall backed by concrete or plaster? I am trying to mount an LG 55UK6300 tv. I bought the Insignia 47" - 80" Fixed TV Wall Mount, and it comes with 2.75" lag bolts.
I tried drilling the holes as instructed but then my drill won't go any further than 1 to 1.5" into the wall before hitting a hard substance that looks like plaster on top of metal or concrete. I went out and bought a wall stud and it basically detected the entire wall as metal. so I figured I calibrated it wrong which was correct.
So I put the stud next to a wall socket where I knew there'd be no stud or anything. Then I drag it and it would beep where it said studs were,  but drilling there resulted in the same problem. Max depth is 1.0" - 1.5".
So I drilled a larger hole and then took pictures and the results are:

How can I mount the TV in such a wall?
I tried buying Butterfly/Toggle screws but they're too large to insert and anything smaller can't hold the 30lbs or ~14kg that is the TV. Drilling in different spots are the exact same.
(Full set of pictures at https://imgur.com/a/qsZ1PkT )

If the concrete is thick enough you can try using concrete anchors.


How urgently should this joist be looked at by a pro? I recently purchased a fixer upper built in the 1930s in MA. The basement ceiling had lathe and plaster I removed so I can shove some insulation in. The removal has revealed a few joists in bad shape, and that they are notched. Apart from the three concerning joists, all the other ones are in pristine condition and all the bridges are intact.
The three joists are each concerning in different ways.
Joist #1 has been bored perpendicularly to fit a toilet (that I've removed). There's abviously some water staining there as well which will no longer be an issue. I think what I need here is to sister the joist locally:

joist #2 has a hairline split all the way through, but only on one side. The end of it is attached to a beam in a really funny way. I'm on the fence on whether this needs sistering or not, thoughts?:

Finally, joist #3, the one I'm most concerned about is cracked in two spots. One of the spots is cracked where there's a big knot. I'm pretty sure it shouldn't have been used in the first place because of the size of the knot. I think I need a pro to come and sister it the entire length:
the first crack where the knot is:

The second crack further down:

So my question is, what kind of professional should I look to hire -- I know I need a carpenter, but do I need a structural engineer to come and look at it, or should I look for a carpenter that specializes in framing, or is this rather run-of-the-mill and any experienced carpenter will be able to do the job well?
Thanks! -Matt

I would get a General contractor, if you can’t drive a couple of nails or screws.
As far as urgent , probably not at all urgent.
I would want some joists hangers on the ones hanging down and only toe nailed.
the long horizontal split no worries there if you want sister if not every house has those.
The last one with the knot and split maybe sister but it probably has been like this for decades.
Do you need someone else to do the work NO.
Every old home I have worked on has very similar things that because of the quality of the wood is not a problem.
Horizontal splits I don’t even think about if the split runs at an angle in the center of a joist sure sister it. A simple car Jack to put a bit of upwards pressure then nail or screw the sistered board to the split one, if you can extend the new board ~3’ past the break out point.  Don’t push up too hard or you can create other problems.
These are easy repairs and based on taking down the old plaster you probably have the skills necessary to reenforce your areas of concern.


When refinishing a hardwood floor do you need to strip off all of the old varnish? I’m refinishing my hardwood floors and some of the old varnish isn’t coming off.
Before we apply a water based polyurethane do we need to remove all the old varnish or can some of it stay? Our floors are oak.

You can test to be sure, but patchy leftover finish is likely to affect the uniformity of your new finish. It's generally considered best practice to completely remove the old finish.


How can I run a line under a cement sidewalk What's a good way run a length of 2" PVC underground from one side of the porch to the other. I'd use it as a culvert to route a garden hose in the long term.

The cement step and walk are 4' wide.  The step is 7"x16", or about 3 cubic ft, or about 450 lbs.  The house was built in the early 1940s in SW Washington state.  There is an irregular 1/2" gap between the step and the base of the porch suggesting it is not attached to the porch.

Rather than trench underneath the walk or step, I was thinking of rolling back the 4 ft wide step 90 degrees, digging a trench, laying the PVC, covering the PVC with sand, then rolling the step back.

Or rent a cement saw and cut off 2" of cement walk where it abuts the step and is cracked anyway, lay the hose (no PVC), lay sand, then fit a piece of PT 2x lumber ripped to fit.

What is your suggestion?

Unless you want to get into concrete repair here and need an excuse, dig a 5-6 foot long pit on one side of the sidewalk, and a 1 foot long pit on the other side. Drop pipe into the 5-6 foot long pit, hammer in. Run a hose up it and flush the dirt out (probably not continuously - it's easy to overdo) and drive some more. When it pops out on the far side you are done. Won't work if you hit a big rock. Cut the turf off neatly so you can patch the hole in the lawn when you are done, or just do it in the flowerbed and put the plants and mulch back.


Best easy way to partition a room I'm looking for a simple way to partition an area in my garage to be a TV/Game room for the kids.
I don't want to build a "real" permanent room. But I would like it to have, as much as possible, a nice cozy feel to it.
The first level I was looking at was just getting some partitions like this the picture below. Any idea for something more appropriate would be welcomed.

Well, if you want a bit more permanence, take a look at this site. It's an Ikea hack on a PAX to divide a room with sliding "doors". I like the site anyway, it's useful and between it and this there isn't anything you can't build.

Essentially, this guy used huge sliding doors to section off parts of his studio apartment, and the huge benefit was that he could close some parts off and open others to rearrange the room, like closing off the bed room when he had company.


How to fix a house window that falls out? Two sets of windows on the second floor of our house fall out, due to too much space between the window and frame area.  It's tight enough at the corners of the frame area, but not in the middle.  In fact, I'm able to pull both windows right out with little trouble.

Here are some photos:

I'd love to hear suggestions on how I'd be able to fix.  Would I be able to take off the top white flashing material and add some wood/shims?  Or is the best option to add smaller pieces of wood to the top of the windows themselves to extend them upward?  As the window frame seems taller in the middle (that's the really loose area), I'm thinking adding some shim material to the frame under the white part might be best.

Do products exist out there, to help with this kind of scenario?

There doesn't appear to be too much holding them in at the best of times. Unless you want to replace the entire window you should look at getting the top and bottom sills (or whatever they're called where you are) straight. From your description I would say that there is a pretty significant difference in the opening when measured at the edges and the middle. That shouldn't be the case at all.

Remove the trim from at least the top and bottom of the window frame and shim the top and bottom as required until you have a nice even distance all the way across. Then replace the trim and touch up the paintwork as required.


Safely mounting television or shelves above breaker box I am looking to wall mount a television above the breaker box in my garage.  It would either be this or storage shelving.  Either way, I would like to have an idea of whether this can be done safely and up to code.  From what I gather, I need:

to turn off the main switch to the panel
to be dead sure of the stud locations and make sure I am drilling wood all the way
still be wary of the main line coming in to the panel
the television to be 6 1/2 feet off of the ground

Am I missing anything? Should I just accept that this is dead space on my wall?

Code isn't really relevant unless you were to block access to the panel (within 3 feet in front). Just don't hit any wires. Use screws that penetrate no more than about 1-1/4" into the lumber. All wires should be deeper than that.
To respond to the hand-wringing about mount integrity...

A 5/16" screw (properly piloted) into framing an inch will hold hundreds of lbs. of force without issue.
Four of them will hold a horse. If you're still worried, use six. Most mounts have extra space where you can drill more holes.
Mount manufacturers over-spec their kits for liability (damage and injury) and to protect their reputations. That doesn't mean you need to go so deep.


Help on Vinyl floors I had a new vinyl floor put around 8 months ago. There is a square in the middle where it has damaged the floor. It is in the middle of the kitchen floor. Is there anything I can do to make this look better without having to replace the whole floor?

If, by "a square" you mean that you have rigid vinyl tile flooring (that typically comes in 12"x12" squares) you can pull up and replace a single tile (or have that done, depending on your preference.)

If you have sheet-type vinyl flooring where one piece covers the whole floor, you either need to accept some new seams or replace the whole thing.

Or put a rug over the damaged area ;-)


Which electrical box to use for old-work outdoor light fixture and vinyl siding mounting block? I have a garage which already has vinyl siding on it but the inside is unfinished and accessible. I would like to add an exterior wall lantern.

The vinyl mounting block I purchased looks like this and it is entirely hollow inside (does not contain any sort of structure behind what you see).

The light fixture I've purchased is just a standard wall lantern with a round base similar to this:

I would like help understanding which electrical junction box is needed behind this and how it should be installed. In order for the light to have any structure holding it up, I believe the junction box will need to be extend past the siding to the front surface of the mounting block. Is this correct? How do I approach this setup?

Use a mounting block with a built-in box

The simplest solution to this problem is to use a siding mounting block with a builtin pancake box, such as an Arlington 8141 (the correct part number depends on the lap depth of your siding, the 8141 is what's used with a 1/2" lap) or equivalent.


Bridge across tax ditch I am trying to find the right board combination for a bridge.  Need to build a 20’ bridge across a ditch for Kawasaki mule or atv ; example will 4 2x12’s support 1500 pound load

I am also exploring building an ATV bridge.
If you are at all uncertain, it is worth consulting an engineer about these things and/or drastically over-engineering for safety. And beware of trusting random people (like me!) on the internet. That being said, a few comments:

It is easy to find calculations/examples online of the "weight that can be borne by a 2x something beam". Many of these are focused however on an evenly distributed load, e.g. snow on a deck or many people having a party above. That is different from the situation of weight supported by a single point.

The crucial element is the maximum bending moment your beams can support versus the bending moment induced by your proposed load. For a beam fixed at both ends, the bending moment is P x L / 4 for a single weight P at the middle, and P x L / 8 for an evenly distributed weight load, across a beam of length L attached at both ends. So it's proportional to the length, and a point mass of 1/2 of the evenly distributed load can be supported. More details can be found at https://www.awc.org/pdf/codes-standards/publications/wsdd/AWC-WSDD1986-ViewOnly-0301.pdf

The actual "strength" of the wood is determined by the allowable fiber stress, in psi. There's a range of figures out there for that. I would expect it depends on the specific material, e.g. SPF vs PT vs whatever you have on hand. The calculation at https://www.hunker.com/12484662/how-to-calculate-load-bearing-beams , which I have not verified, gives a ballpark allowable stress of 1132 psi. For a single 12' 2x12 (which is actually 1.5 x 11.25 inches) this comes out to a maximum allowable point weight of ~1000 lbs (at the midpoint).

If it's 1000 lbs for a 12' 2x12, it would be (12/20) times that for a 20', so about 600 lbs. Four of those would then carry 2400 lbs. I would find this inadequate in your situation, first because I'd want more of a safety margin (not sure how much to trust the 1132!), but also since you want to carry not only the 1500 lb UTV, but also likely 2-4 people, maybe a cargo in the back, and/or pulling a (full) ATV trailer...

If 20' is your span, to get the above capacities you need to attach the beams on solid bridge abutments on either side. The capacity of boards just lying there will be less, not only since they could slip, but because the forces are different (if the end is not attached, your ATV in the middle is not benefitting from longitudinally stretching the wood). In particular, is this covered in your 20', or does it mean you actually need, say, 28'?

Are 2x12s of the needed length available, and at a tolerable price, where you are? Where I am, up to 16' is easy, beyond that is much trickier. If you need to construct a beam from shorter boards, you're in a whole new ballgame (doable, by doubling up, glueing and nailing/screwing, and staggering the joins, but a much bigger project.)

With all this in mind, in my own slightly worse situation (I need to span 25' bank-to-bank, plus abutments) I've decided to hold out until I find a pair of used steel beams the right length; which is why also why I haven't fully verified the above numbers (but sharing in case useful to you and/or others.)