What are the pros and cons of UV window film? I have just finished renovating my house and am now considering adding UV film to some of my windows (those that catch the most sun). On paper, they sound like a great solution as they reduce the heat entering the house and furniture fading but I have not had any experience with them. I would hate to see my house looking like those crappy cars with the window tint full of bubbles.

Does anyone have any practical experience with window tinting? Are they good? What issues do I need to be aware of?

I live in Melbourne (Aus) so summers hit 40 degrees but winters rarely drop below 5 degrees.

Followup:
We ended up getting film on a few windows just to see how it would go. On one glass door, we added a film the the minimum reflectivity and it does cut down the heat significantly without changing the night time view too much.

On our upstairs bedroom windows, we added privacy film. During daytime, these windows look like mirrors from the outside but remain clear(ish) from the inside. They add a strong blue tinge to the inside light. Once you hit twilight, the situation reverses and you get no view outside at all. The film also shows a subtle, oily sort of pattern all over it. We thought this would go away over time - it has not.

We had the film professionally installed. Even for a pro, it was a full day job. The cost was very reasonable, especially compared to the cost of the curtains.

Follow-up to the follow-up:
We have external awnings added to our house on some of the windows that did not have film. The awnings are pretty thick but you can still see through them. We have found the awnings to do a much better job that the film. We have just been through a summer with quite a few low 40s days (C). We have two windows on the same wall, 2 metres apart.  The door with the film still lets through a lot of heat whereas the window with the awning blocks most of the heat and still lets though enough light that we don't need to turn the lights on during the day.

This is not meant to be a complete answer, but might help with your understanding of it. My understanding of the physics of windows is as follows -

Nearly all radiation (visible, UV, infrared, every other type too) that travels from outside the house into the house and is absorbed (not reflected back out again) is converted into heat. I would expect that exceptions (such as the energy from UV light causing a chemical change, such as when it fades your couch, or waves that induce a current in a conductor) are relatively negligible.

This means any radiation that can be reflected from the window to prevent it entering the house reduces the heat load. Also, if the radiation is absorbed into the window glass (eg through tinting it), then some of the heat from the window glass will be lost to the outside (through both conductance/convection and some radiated heat) which is an additional benefit.

A heated window pane would like lose more heat to the outside than the inside because the wind would help keep the temperature difference between the glass and the adjacent outside air larger than the temperature difference between the glass and the inside air.


How to connect a "safety overflow switch" to "turn off a wall outlet"? I have a "Little Giant" condensate pump VCMX-20 model. This pump comes with a "safety switch". The pump turns on when the water level gets to 1.2 inches. The "safety switch" will "do something" when the water level reaches 2.2 inches.

Right now I don't have the "safety switch" connected... because I don't know how to connect the "safety switch". I want to connect the "safety switch" to turn off a wall outlet (used by a dehumidifier).

The manual is pretty short when describing the "safety switch":

  Safety switch: The safety overflow switch should be connected to a
  ClassII low voltage circuit. To control a thermostatic circuit the COM
  and NO connections from the safety switch are to be wired in series
  with the low voltage thermostat circuit to shut down the heating/AC
  circuit. The COM and NC switch contacts may be used to actuate a
  low-voltage alarm circuit (connected in series) if the heating/cooling
  system can not be disrupted. The safety switch comes from the factory
  with leads connected to the COM and NO switch terminals.

  NOTE: When
  installing or replacing the safety switch, make sure that it is
  positioned between the two ribs on the motor cover (Figure 5).

  For
  hook-up of NC circuits see Figure 5.

The "safety switch" has two wires hanging out.

I opened up the "safety switch" because the wires aren't labeled and found out there is:

one wire labeled "NO"
one wire labeled "COM"
one connector labeled "NC" without a wire

How do you connect the "safety overflow switch" wires to turn off a wall outlet??

The manual says to connect the "safety switch" to a "class-II low voltage" device. So maybe there is a "class-II voltage" device that controls the "wall outlet plug".

You just need a relay that includes an integral 24V transformer.  There are several of those on the market.  By "market" I mean the market of products intended and listed for use in mains electrical; the ones I'm thinking of mount in a 1/2" knockout in a junction box.

You would probably want to move the safety switch wire to the NC position so that it contacts until an overflow.  That way if it becomes disconnected it will fail safe.


What is involved in DIY swimming pool maintenance? We moved into a new house last year and when cleaning out the pool shed last weekend I stumbled across a report that was done by a business that handles swimming pool maintenance.

It checked different chemical levels and recommended adding certain chemicals.

I am assuming that the different things that need to be checked for swimming pools (pH etc.) and the different types of chemicals (chlorine, algacide) that should be used on a regular basis are finite.

I've never owned a swimming pool before and I have done a reasonable job of keeping it clean and clear, but would appreciate some advice on:

What are the different things I should be testing the water for regularly?
What chemicals should I be using to keep the water clean, prevent sickness and ensure the pump is working?
With the pool pump and filter, is it necessary to run this x hours a day to cycle the water through the filter even if the water appears reasonably clean?

In my experience, most horror stories of pool maintenance are usually the result of neglect, or not paying attention to the instructions.  It's not that hard, but expect to spend an average of 10-15min per day checking on your pool, adding chlorine, clearing out leaves in the skimmer, etc.  Also, once a week, expect to spend some extra time brushing/vacuuming the pool and cleaning the filter.

As a first time pool owner, the simplest thing you can do is pick up a free pamphlet on pool care.  Follow the instructions in the pamphlet, and make sure you stay on top of it.  My Wal-Mart usually has pamphlets by HTH Pools next to their chemicals.

Start by getting a test strip kit.  You dip the strip in the water and compare the colored pads against a chart.  Pretty easy (unless you get into a fight with your wife about the shade of orange of the pH pad).

Make sure you pick a good test kit, which measures several properties of the water (should measure pH, stabilizer/CYA, alkalinity, hardness, chlorine).  Cheaper ones will only measure a few properties.

Measure your pool every day or so.  If the levels are off, adjust them by adding the appropriate chemicals.  Just follow the instructions on the container.  Most any chemical you need can be found at your local pool store, or Wal-Mart.  Beyond that, I'm not going to repeat what you would find in the pamphlet. (Did you get one yet?)

One bit of advice that wasn't in a pamphlet:  If you buy "stabilized" chlorine products, they will raise the level of stabilizer/CYA in the pool.  If your CYA levels are already high enough, the stabilized product can push your levels over the top.  If you aren't sure if the product is stabilized, look for the words Dichlor or Trichlor in the ingredients.  Un-stabilized chlorine is usually Calcium Hypochlorite or Sodium Hypochlorite.

Beyond the chemicals, there will be some "mechanical" maintenance/care:

Dirt, pollen, and algae will naturally collect in all the crevices  of your pool, so use a pool brush to break it up.  Regular churning of the water (from brushing or swimming) will give the filter an opportunity to suck up the debris before it settles.
You will need a vacuum (manual or automatic) to suck up non-floating debris.  48 hours before vacuuming, shock the pool to make sure any algae is dead.  24 hours before vacuuming, add some clarifier to make the algae and dirt settle on the bottom (where the vac will get it).
Make sure your filter is clean.  There should be a pressure gauge on the filter that will indicate when too much crud has built up in it (pressure levels will go up).  At that point, you need to clean it.  Some filters are cleaned by backwashing.  Others have a cartridge that needs to be changed.  The filter should come with some instructions on how to care for it.
Check the strainer baskets in your skimmer and pool pump.  Larger debris like leaves and large bugs will collect there.  Periodically shut off your pump and scoop the crap out.
A plugged filter or strainer basket will strain your pump, and maybe cause a burst hose (very bad).  So, keep the water path clear.
If you have cold winters, make sure you follow the instructions on winterizing the equipment.  I disconnect my pump and bring it indoors every year.


Why would you ever use oil paint on new work? Background: a large steel door at our office was recently painted with an oil-based paint, and we spent the day suffering through the fumes that permeated practically every space in the building.

What are the advantages of using oil-based paint over a zero-VOC latex enamel? Does it key better to steel (the door was primed; I'm not sure with what)? Is it more durable? What other advantages does it have over other options?

Enamel paints hold better, are MUCH harder than latex, and will stand up to a lot more abuse. You can also use harsher cleaning methods on them.


There is no GFCI outlet in my basement, and circuit breaker reset won't work Half of our basement outlets went out, and flipping the switch at the circuit breaker (multiple times) did not work. The affected rooms are fully underground and the likelihood of moisture is high. There is no GFCI outlet on this circuit (the basement was wired by a handyman who did not have it professionally inspected/certified/whatever).

How do we fix this? Obviously we need to install a GFCI outlet, but what will get the electricity back on in the meantime? I'm a clueless housewife, so please go easy on me.

If the entire circuit is on one breaker, the problem is not likely to be at the panel. I can imagine two possibilities:

A connection at an outlet is loose and failing. Take a guess at which outlet is the last working one upstream of the problem. With the breaker switched off, open the box and check the connections.
Damage to the wiring has occurred due to rodents, impact, corrosion, etc. This might be more difficult to diagnose if the walls are finished. You might use continuity testing to check the individual conductors. Again, switch off the breaker first.

A third less likely possibility is that there are two "home runs" connected at the breaker, and one has come loose. If that was the case, however, you'd probably see intermittent failure of the rest of the circuit as well.


Connecting 2 GFCI Breakers to 2 Hot Leads and 1 Common So I just bought my first house and in lieu of changing loads of outlets in the kitchen for GFCI outlets I went with two 20A GFCI breakers. Upon going to install the breakers I found that the cable which feeds to my kitchen contains 2 hot conductors and 1 grounded ("neutral") conductor.

Is there any way I can connect both GFCI breakers to this cable? I tried splitting the neutral between both breakers and found that they both immediately trip.

You need to install a 20 ampere double pole GFCI breaker, instead of two single pole breakers.


My LED strip lights just went boom, how to diagnose? I live in a rented house (in singapore), where the master bedroom alone is fitted with a pair of LED strip lights, and about a month back, when we tried to turn it on, it went a (soft) boom, and hasnt turned on since.

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of event and have any idea how to fix? The owner consulted an electrician who wants SGD250 to replace the whole thing..

The odd thing is everything is duplicated, so I am not sure if both simultaneously went bust or is it something else that is common that I am not seeing.

My other concern is that if we go ahead with the replacement, it might just go boom again, this particular light has been in place for 6 months only..

Typically, LED lights are Diodes which are sensitive to polarity (+ vs -) you can blow them if you connect incorrectly or if you over-power the circuit. Other than that, a LED strip is typically quite robust.

My guess is that the power source has blown, (since the leds will require a DC input. You can check this by connecting a 12v battery directly to the LED strip (do you have access to the led wires?)


How to flatten an uneven plank subfloor when the existing planks can't be removed? The upper-floor master bedroom in my c. 1700 house has a plank floor laid across the joists which is quite old, if not original. The planks were apparently once 1/2", but in some areas of the room they're worn down to 3/8", and even 1/4' in a few places. (There are knots which are proud by 2 or 3mm. It's kind of amazing to see that amount of wear on interior wood, but I suppose it's an imperceptible amount of wear per annum over three centuries.) The plank floor is wavy both across the planks and along them, though much more along them---there's maybe a 30mm difference between the highest and lowest points along the planks and about half that across them. This is in a room which is about 5m square.

I discovered just how wavy and thin the planks were after taking up the carpet in preparation for putting down a hardwood floor.

Constraints and observations:

I can't remove the existing planks, for historic preservation reasons. (The house is Grade II Listed).
I don't have a lot of extra height to give up, as the ceiling is already rather low.
The existing planks are too thin in places to use them without covering them.
The plaster and lath ceiling of the room below is attached directly to the underside of the planks.

I'd still like to lay a hardwood floor. The thinness and unevenness of the existing planks appears to rule out nailing the hardwood directly to them.  If I could remove the existing planks and lay plywood across the joists I'd have a planar surface to work with, but I can't remove the existing planks.

How can I make this work?

Though the ceiling height is a constraint I would recommend laying down 3/8" 8'x 4'plywood sheets and shimming them up to level.  Lay the hardwood floor on top of that.


What should I do with leftover sulfuric acid from a sump pump battery backup? In our new house, we found that a previous owner installed a sump pump battery backup unit, which is nice. The battery in the system is like a car battery, but it's the kind where you initially add sulfuric acid to, and then periodically top off with distilled water.

However, the owner left behind the container of leftover sulfuric acid. The manual for the battery system says to never add more acid to the battery, only water.

So, what should I do with this acid?

Is it dangerous to keep in the basement? Will it emit bad vapor?
Can I keep it in case I need more if I buy a new battery in 5 years?
Should I dispose of it? How?

If you can not find someone to take care of the acid for you, it is possible for you to dispose of it yourself.  this page which references batterycouncil.org which most discreetly describes the process outlined here that states:

Gather together all the acid you need to dispose of and put on some sort of concrete pad. The high acidity may harm grass and soil, so try to do this in your driveway or on the patio outside. If you have batteries to dispose of, pour the acid out of the battery into a plastic container that will not break down in acid. If you are unsure, pour just a little in the container and see if there is any reaction before emptying the whole battery.
Use rubber gloves and goggles anytime you are dealing with highly concentrated acids. Acid is harmful to the skin if exposed and especially to the eyes. If concentrated acid touches the skin, thoroughly wash the skin for five to ten minutes and then sprinkle with baking soda to neutralize any remaining acid.
Fill a larger container half full of water. Slowly add some of the acid that needs to be disposed of and stir gently. Slowly add the baking soda, one tablespoon at time. The solution in the container will bubble and foam as the baking soda neutralizes the acid. Continue to stir as you add each tablespoon full. Once the bubbling and foaming is complete, test the solution by adding another teaspoon of the baking soda with stirring to see if any more reaction occurs.. When the reaction is complete, wash the solution down the drain and refill the container half way with water.
Neutralize all the acid in the same manner as Step 3. Pour the neutralized acid down the drain. Follow the neutralized acid with lots of water. Continue to run the hose for five minutes after you are done and then turn off the water.


Styrofaom insulation for floor joists I have an old wood home raised several feet off the ground on brick pillars. At this point you can see the ground through some of the floors. I'm wondering if it would be effective to insulate the floor by putting foam panels across the joists to create an insulated air space (not looking for great insulation, just an improvement). Would there be a moisture concern? It is a waterfront home (on a bay, mildly salty). Am also considering skirting to enclose the area.

That's one approach, but you might do better from a thermal standpoint to use fiberglass batts and housewrap. You could then lay 3/8" plywood over it all and not have to skirt it.

If you use foam, I'd tape the seams to create a better air/moisture barrier.


How to minimize waterback flow mess when cutting an in-service pipe The photograph is in the ceiling of the first floor under the home.  If the shark-bite is disconnected, a significant amount of water will flow from upstairs to downstairs.  Any clever way of preventing a mess with the water in the first floor is also appreciated.  Thank you

I use dry ice on metal plumbing when the service valve is not functional or not in the area. Grocery stores have had dry ice in several states I have lived some times you have to ask and it is sold by the pound.
I use a hammer and screwdriver to break some chunks off and a cloth to hold the dry ice in place. I pack around the pipe for 1-2” and hold it in place for a few minutes then cut the pipe. Or in your case remove the shark bite.
The dry ice may last up to an hour depending on how tight you pack it around the pipe and how thick. I have used this method for years with great results much cheaper and faster than a commercial unit to freeze the pipe.
Caution instant frostbite if you touch the dry ice. I use heavy welding gloves but any well insulated gloves will probably work.
The “smoke” coming off dry ice is just carbon dioxide (the fizz in soda is carbon dioxide) it’s non toxic but fresh air is needed, just keep the door open if it’s in a small closet.
Last the left over dry ice can be fun at home wrap in newspapers to help it last longer and put in a cooler, you can put it in water and it makes a neat smoke again non toxic, I have used chunks like ice cubes in punch bowls for a special brew of Hawaiian Punch the kids love because of the smoke.
I am sure there are other instructions using dry ice on line with photos but I have done this for almost 50 years and never broken a metal pipe it works best on copper.


How do I build an on grade foundation for a shed? After asking a couple of questions about what type of foundation to place an 8x10 vinyl shed, I am now ready to build an on grade foundation.  Can someone point me to detailed instructions for how to do this.  I've googled and can't find anything that goes into depth.  I'd be willing to buy a book if that's what I need to do.  My specific questions are:

how far apart should the blocks be?
how do I build the wooden frame?
how do I put the plywood on top?

update:  I found this http://www.usleisureoutdoor.com/storage-shed-platform.html

how do I attach the wood to my concrete blocks?

This looks to be an excellent tutorial: http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/firm-foundation-backyard-shed.aspx


Tub re-glazed and re-caulked, drippy residue from caulking I recently had my bathtub re-glazed and re-caulked by a company that specializes in this.  The tub was re-caulked 3 days after it was re-glazed by the specialist.  Everything looked ok.  We waited about 30 hours until we used the shower after it was re-caulked (the person who did it said "24 hours").  Now I am noticing a drippy residue (which appears to be the caulking) where the caulking was applied.  What went wrong here and what can I do?

I have seen this happen just once before - a caulk that never seemed to cure. It just stayed runny, even when given multiple days to do so at room temperature. My guess is the caulk was old or stored under conditions that caused it to fail to cure, or perhaps it was simply a bad batch from the manufacturer. Regardless of the reason, clean it out, and redo the caulking job.


Converting KFDD500ESS Dual Fuel Range from 4 wire to 3 wire plug EDIT
Thank you for the information.  It doesn’t look like I was lucky enough to have a ground lurking behind the outlet.  Our breaker box is located approximately 40ft from the receptacle with a difficult to reach attic space (vaulted ceiling) between the two.  I’m not aware of any 50amp capable grounds that could be tied into any closer.  What would be a fair price for an electrician performing the work needed to get a 4-wire receptacle installed?  Just looking for ballparks.

ORIGINAL
We recently purchased a KFDD500ESS Dual Fuel Range which came with a 4 wire power cord.  Our house was built back in the 70's, and we only have a 3 wire outlet.  I'd like to remove the 4 wire power cord and install a 3 wire power cord, however I have a few concerns.

Based on my research, it looks like most ranges allow for this by allowing for a copper grounding strap that connects between the ground screw and the neutral terminal.  However, the manual for this range doesn't say anything about it, and I do not see evidence of a grounding strap (which typically must be removed for a 4 wire configuration).

Would it be safe to take a thin length of copper and have it act as a grounding strap, connecting the ground screw to the neutral with the strap, then using a 3 wire cord?  Similar to the grounding strap here:  https://www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/WB02T10067/0022/364.html

When it comes to the type of 3 wire cord, the manual states "This range is manufactured with a 4-wire power supply cord rated at 240 volts, 40 amps, rated at 194°F (90°C) and investigated for use with this range."  Should I get a 3 wire cord rated for 40 amp or 50 amp?  Is there a negative to getting one rated for 50 amp?

Here's some reference materials for the range, and some pictures:

Installation Guide:  https://www.kitchenaid.com/content/dam/global/documents/201508/installation-instructions-W10694070-RevC.pdf

Product Page:  https://www.kitchenaid.com/major-appliances/ranges/dual-fuel-ranges/p.30-inch-5-burner-dual-fuel-double-oven-convection-range.kfdd500ess.html

If the range does not have instructions for wiring with a 3-wire plug with hot1-hot2-neutral, then improvising would be out of the question, both for actual safety and for satisfying the code.

Without the range installed it is not that difficult to remove the receptacle and put in a 4-wire 50-A receptacle (NEMA 14-50). You can fit a 40-A or a 50-A breaker depending on what the wire allows, but can fit a 40-A breaker even with #6 wire. You would add a #8 or #6 copper ground wire (to match the existing conductors) going back to the panel. Or if it is available, connect by tap onto the  heavy, uninsulated ground in your attic that goes back to the panel. Use a split bolt connector to tap. The added ground does not have to follow the route of the existing conductor.

First examine the contents of the box. Of course, shut off the breaker, then pull out the existing 3-wire receptacle and see what size wire you have. How many conductors do you have? Probably just three, but maybe you'd get lucky and find an unused ground coiled up in the box.

NEMA 14-50

EDIT

You should at this point contact your local electrical code enforcement and ask them about the approach outlined above. If this is allowed, then it would not be dead easy to fish a ground down into the wall and into the existing box. Someone here would have to tell you the practicalities on how to do it. What may happen here is that you will learn from the experts here what is a reasonable arrangement, and if you have never done this before and need it done without delay, then you might have to hire an electrician, but at least you would have in mind your instructions to the electrician.


If metal expands when heated, how does heating a bolt loosen it? If you're having trouble removing a stuck bolt, common advice is to heat the bolt up.  But if metal expands when heated, wouldn't heating up the bolt just make it harder to remove? How does heating the bolt get it unstuck?

The answer is surprisingly simple: the bolt expands, but the nut expands more.

What is happening here is good old thermal expansion:

The bolt is heated and expands outwards, its radius increasing
The nut is heated and... expands outwards, its radius increasing

Now, since the nut's radius is slightly greater than the bolt's, and since the increase is proportional to the rest length, the nut expands a little more.

Iron has a thermal coefficient in the 10-5 / K ballpark. It means that for each 1 K increase in temperature you have an increase in size of 10-5: a 1 m rod becomes 1.00001 m long.

If your bolt has r = 1.5 mm, and the nut has R = 1.501 mm, what happens is temperature is increased of 500 K? Well:

r = 1.5*(1+500*10-5) mm = 1.5075 mm
R = 1.501*(1+500*10-5) mm = 1.508505 mm

As you can see, before heating R - r = 1 μm, while after R - r ≈ 1.001 μm. It increased!

Please note my numbers are quite wild and used just to make an example. I am sure that I got the starting values wrong, but I hope they help to get the message across anyway.


Connect 2 heating controllers to one boiler I have 2 heating systems:

Drayton Wiser with 2 zones (to use for radiators and hot water)
Heatmiser UH8-RF (to use for 3 zoned underfloor heating)

And I have one boiler for the whole house.

I want to connect both systems to the boiler.

My options:

Connect both of them to the boiler so that they can switch it on according to each own's programming. Is this possible?
This would be ideal because it's the most straightforward but I do not know if this is possible and/or safe.
Connect the Drayton to the boiler and use one of its zones to turn the hot water on. This has only the problem that the 2 system must be in sync or I risk to burn the underfloor heating pump if it goes on while the hot water valve feeding the secondary system is closed.

Any Ideas? Suggestions?

You can use two relays (or even diodes) so that each controller can fire the boiler without any backfeed issue between the controllers.

I would use two relays personally as they are easy to replace.

Make sure the relays are rated on both sides for the voltages used - what the boiler needs and what the controllers supply...


Does a 20 amp GFCI outlet on a 15 amp circuit pose an inherent danger? I'll start by acknowledging that I know this violates NEC. As I understand it, the reason that a 20 amp outlet can't be connected to a 15 amp circuit is that someone could potentially connect a 20 amp device, overload the circuit, and cause a fire. That makes sense.
Now, here's the question. Suppose all you have on hand is a 20 amp GFCI and you need to replace an outlet on a 15 amp circuit. (You will get a correct 15 amp outlet eventually, but you don't have it right now.) This circuit is on your own, private property - no one else will use it but you. You also don't own any 20 amp devices, so there is zero chance of one being connected to the circuit. (For sake of discussion, exclude situations like forgetting you did this, contractors using the circuit, sale of the property to an unaware party, etc. I acknowledge those are more good reasons for the NEC rule.)
Does connecting the 20 amp GFCI to the 15 amp circuit pose a danger just by its existence? That is, will it pose some risk just by being connected to the circuit, even if unused, or only used for 15 amp devices? Or, is it only potentially dangerous, because someone could connect something to it that they shouldn't?

First off, connecting a 20 Amp load to a 15 Amp circuit will overload the circuit but shouldn't cause a fire because the 15 Amp breaker will trip.
A 20 amp GFCI doesn't pose any threat just by being there. The threat comes from people thinking it's on a 20 amp circuit and loading it as such.... which will trip a 15 Amp breaker.


How to attach a drawer without screwing? In my rented flat, I have a kitchen table that has a gap beneath it with another surface underneath, as shown in the picture (it is open on both sides)
I would like to put a drawer in this gap for cutlery etc. (it is about 80 cm wide, 60 cm deep and 10 cm high).
While an option is to screw drawer runners on both sides, I unfortunately cannot do that because I can't damage the table.
Is there any alternative to insert a drawer, other than just laying it in the gap.

Easy:
Make a box that is about the size of the space.  The front should fit fairly close.  The box itself should have about 1/4" spacing all around it.  That's 1/2" narrower than the opening and 1/2 shorter than the opening is tall.
On the back side pieces put felt furniture glides top and bottom. On the front put them on the bottom of the space.
In use the front of the drawer rides on the felts at the front of the space.  The back of the drawer rides on either set of felts depending on the combination of upward force (most of us lift a drawer while pulling it) and the amount of drawer in the space.
When you move, set a hot water bottle on the felt for 20 minutes.  It should peel off easily.  If there is adhesive residue try goo-gone, or mineral spirits.
The glides I'm referring to are 1/8 to 3/16" thick made of beige felt.  One side is adhesive with a protective paper on it.


No power or lights in bathroom The power is out in both of my bath rooms I checked.The breaker box nothing was  flipped. The lights won't turn on in either bath room an the outlet's don't have power. But I have power in the rest of the house I don't have power to GFCI in the kitchen I opened it up an checked it with the voltage reader I have  there no power to either of the GFCI top set of wires the one in the bath room or the kitchen but I do have power to the bottom set of wires

1 - "nothing was flipped" is not always clear. Sometimes a breaker can trip without being obvious. If you know which breakers power the bathroom circuits, flip those all the way off/on and see if that fixes the problem.

2 - Check the bathroom outlets. If any of them have a GFCI then press the Reset button. The outlets for the bathrooms may be sharing a circuit, all protected by one GFCI, and while lighting generally is on a separate circuit, it may be connected too.


How can I stop exhaust fan vent condensation problems? So, our bathroom fan leaks when it is cold. In the attic, the PVC pipe connected to the exhaust is uninsulated, and frosted --  shock!

So, my question is, what is the best way to fix this? Do I cut the PVC pipe, and run an insulated wrapper around it? Or would there still be issues?

Should I leave some sag in a section of the insulation I add so that any moisture will drip there, and later evaporate?

I'm kind of wondering if I am overlooking something as the other ducts are insulated. Of course, they don't leak.

Here is a picture of the situation in the attic:

It's a near certainty to be the insulated flex duct. For the sake of discussion, insulation will help quite a bit, but some drip back is inevitable due to the configuration. Condensation will happen. Bathroom exhaust has a very high dew point. As soon as it hits a surface colder than dew point, condensation happens.

With insulation, condensation will occur much higher up, but it will happen. Then it runs back down the duct to drip out of the fan into the room. The only solution is to not vent straight up. The duct should turn to horizontal as soon as possible after leaving the fan. The remaining duct should slope slightly away from the fan to eliminate drip back. If possible, the duct can be exhausted out a nearby sidewall. If the roof exhaust is the only option, the duct could be configured to have a type of drip loop where water can collect instead of running out of the fan. Hopefully any water collected would evaporate before much can accumulate.

You might consider placing a very small drip hole at the lowest point, and let condensation drip out of the duct into a more suitable container from which it can evaporate.


Reduce risk of harm from electric storm in hot tub in covered area TL;DR we have a hot tub in a covered area outside and want to take measures to mitigate against harm to us or the electrics if a storm strikes us unawares. (We’d get straight out of course.)
What measures can I take to reduce the risk of harm?
More context / background:
We have built a pergola which is a simple wooden structure at the end of a high-walled garden. The wooden roof with corrugated plastic on top spans between the end garden wall and four posts, and clears the side walls by a couple of inches. It is mostly dry except for the side walls (driving rain comes in but is managed by drains under decking floor). We have run some cables under the roof and around the outside for mains lighting and data (external grade lighting, wireless, some automation sensors) terminated in suitably protected IP rated boxes.
Inside the pergola is a jacuzzi style hot tub made from acrylic. It is powered from a consumer unit and 32A mains isolator located in a brick-built cupboard within the pergola, of course this was carefully designed to be dry at all times. 240V mains is fed from the house, the underground wire is suitably protected SWA. We have other appliances (fridge etc) in the covered area.
In London we have fair weather: rainy sometimes but very rarely do we have electric storms. My point is that if there is an electric storm we won’t be expecting it, it may happen once every two years. I understand the hot tub must not be used in an electric storm, but we use it regularly during rainy periods under the dry pergola.
There is a small chance that we may be in the hot tub when a storm strikes, likewise it could be in the night time and I would therefore not be able to turn off the feed to the pergola to protect equipment.
I have also run 4x CAT6 external cable to the area and installed wireless. I mention this in case these incoming cables can be protected.
What measures can I take to protect the wiring, the equipment, and us, from an unexpected electric storm?

As I read your question, you're looking for protection against a lightening strike during a very rare electrical storm. I'm going to assume you're looking for personal protection more than full on protection for your house/electronics/etc - things can be replaced, people, not so much, but that protection for the things would be a definite bonus.

I live in the Midwest US. 99.999% of the electrical storms we get (and we get a lot of 'em) come with rumbling thunder from distant lightening long before we get any strikes anywhere near us. When you hear the thunder, party's over - get out and move inside. NOW! Watch the show from a window if you want to watch. (I'll often watch distant lightening from our covered, generally dry front porch, it can be quite spectacular! But, once it starts getting close, I head inside.)

Some "pop-up thunderstorms" do happen. Those are the 0.001% not covered above. Just get out as quickly as possible and head inside.
If a strike really does come out of nowhere and hits your house/pergola/hot tub, there's really not much you can do about it.

Install a properly grounded/earthed lightning rod on the top of the house/highest point around. A proper lightning rod (system, more than one rod may be necessary) will most likely attract most of the strikes that come near your house and will properly dissipate the charge into the ground instead of you, your house and your electric devices.


Is this paint lead based? In my cellar there’s a thin layer of crumbling paint directly on brick.

I am concerned that it might be lead based, and I need a better mask than a cheap dust mask. The house is old, Victorian (early 1900s by my estimate). The paint is slightly grey/green in some places, and whiter in others.

You can't tell by looks - get a lead testing kit.

If you knew for sure that the paint was 100 years old that would significantly increase the chances of it being lead-based. But it could be that the wall was originally bare brick and painted relatively recently.


Why must all outlets share a ground conduit? I was reading this answer in my quest to see how possible adding grounds to my existing knob and tube house would be, and was suprised by:

  Are you asking if it's OK to run a separate ground wire from the existing? The answer is no; all your wires have to be in the same conduit

I am far from an electrician, so I can't see what the problem is in having two outlets grounded independently. What is the danger?

If you're talking about the equipment grounding conductor, and not the grounded (neutral) conductor, then they may not have to "share" the same equipment grounding conductor.
This answer contains all the code references, if you want to give it a read.  If your area has adopted the 2014 version of the National Electrical Code, you can share an equipment grounding conductor from another branch circuit, as long as both circuits originate from the same enclosure.

250.130(C) Nongrounding Receptacle Replacement or Branch Circuit Extensions. The equipment grounding conductor of a grounding-type receptacle or a branch-circuit extension shall be permitted to be connected to any of the following:
(4) To an equipment grounding conductor that is part of another branch circuit that originates from the enclosure where the branch circuit for the receptacle or branch circuit originates


Old drain clogged with a lot of ceiling spackle The man that fixed the ceiling over our tub cleaned his tools, pan, buckets in the little tiny bathroom sink. Now the drain is clogged and the area below is too small for my husband to get into. Because it was left empty so long the stuff in the sink has really hardened.

My question is -  Is there some type of something that I can put in it that

won't cause more damage
won't cause an explosion
won't kill the man who lives in the basement.

There's a good chance the clog is in the trap right under the sink. Someone should try to remove it and clean it out. If it's not the trap, get a cheap drain snake and run it down the drain with the trap off.
I'm not sure any of the drain cleaners would work on spackle.
Good luck.


Can someone tell me where to connect the white, black and ground wires from my new light fixture to these existing wires. . This is what I'm looking at  I'm just lost as what to connect to what

First, we do not do splicing in open space like this.  All these cables need to terminate in a proper junction box, with cable clamps attaching the cable to the junction box, clamping the undamaged full cable, not individual wires.  If you can't find a junction box big enough, get two or more steel junction boxes and an EMT nipple or short length of EMT conduit with adapters to connect them.   One of these boxes can be the lamp junction box itself.  The lamp must also attach to a junction box embedded in the ceiling.

Here's what I see.  I could be wrong.

There are three Romex cables running through the area, but with no connections.  They have nothing to do with it and can be forgotten about.

The top and left cables go to 3-way switches.   Any system of 3-way switches has two wires which are travelers.  The travelers are interchangeable.  The travelers can be any colors, but in these two cables, they are red and black in both cables.  I would run, not walk, to the nearest home improvement store and get a 5-pack of colored electrical tape, and mark all 4 of those wires with yellow tape, to designate them as travelers.  You won't be dealing with them again.

The ground wires are ground wires. They all go together and done.

From here we have two possibilities.

Single lamp, power provided here.

In this scenario the right cable is the power supply.

The flopping around loose white wire from the left cable is actually switched-hot. My preference is to mark switched-hot wires with red tape.  This goes to the lamp hot wire (black or brown).

The flopping around white wire coming from the right cable is the actual neutral.  Lamp neutral (white or light blue) goes there.

Dual lamps, power from leftside switch.

In this scenario the right cable goes to another lamp controlled with this one.

There should be a bundle of actual neutral wires.  Thing is, all the wires in this bundle will be white.  You see 2 loose white wires, and of course the white from the lamp itself.  Those had been a bundle, but were disassembled. They all go together in the neutral bundle.

Now the only wires we haven't accounted for are the white from the top cable and the black from the right cable.  I assume that bundle is switched-hot and the right cable heads off to another light.  I prefer to mark these with red tape.  Attach your lamp's hot wire to this bundle.


How to join a vertical and horizontal pole? 2 years ago I built a desk with 1/2" galvanized steel pipe legs. Silly me did not think of the stability of the table during planning and I built it with 4 free standing legs, the legs are not connected together. This resulted in a table that is not completely stable and sways with a good push.
The legs are the perfect height and I'd like to avoid making additional cuts to fit tee couplings to connect them.
So my question: How do I connect the middle of a vertical pole to the end of a horizontal pole?
I can't think of the words for this type of connector but I'm thinking of something like this clamp I saw. Any other ideas are also appreciated

Image is from an electronic drum set assembly instructions. I remember the clamp from when I was a kid. Not sure the exact site.

"Structural pipe fittings" seems to be the most common generic term for that.  Note that it may be difficult to find a lot of selection of 1/2" hardware, because the typical use for this stuff is constructing railings, and railings need to be thicker than that, but there's probably some 1/2" stuff out there.  McMaster has some options that might work for you here.  Other search terms for similar types of pipe clamps that may work for you are "kee klamp" and "cheeseburough".


How do I adjust a Delta bathroom faucet that has a scald guard? I have a new Delta faucet but the water temperature is too low. The handle actually doesn't even turn all the way to "hot", there's something preventing it from turning the entire way.

Is there a way to adjust the faucet so I can get hotter water?

This is a feature of the faucet called "scald guard" that you can set to prevent overly hot water from burning people. I have a new construction and I found that the default setting was a bit overkill, so I adjusted it.

You only need a small hex key (size?) to adjust the scald guard. Before you begin make sure you close the bathtub drain or put something over the shower drain, the screw is very small!

There's a tiny screw at the bottom of the faucet:

Unscrew this and then remove the handle, you should see the plastic assembly. Take note of the circular piece, you need to slide this off in order to adjust the faucet:

Now you're ready to adjust it. Note the triangular plastic bit that is at the "4 oclock" position. As noted on the plastic part itself, turning it counter clockwise let's the handle turn more towards hot, and clockwise turns it colder. The circle thing is in there with saw teeth, so you just can't turn it, you need to pull it out, turn it, and then push it back in. I moved mine to be closer to the "2 oclock" position:

Now you can slip the circular plastic piece back on, then the handle, and then the small hex screw again to finish it off (basically go in reverse order). Your faucet should now be able to turn to the hotter position.

Adjust to your liking; also be cognizant of safety, the thing is there for a reason, and the plastic bit will prevent you from adjusting it too far towards hot. My personal set up is a little bit hotter for our master shower and bath, but not as much in our guest bathroom since there might be kids, etc.


how to hardwire an exterior rope light properly? Update: As suggested in answer by Ecnerwal, I am changing the question a little bit.  Instead of asking what type of rope light this is, I am now asking what would be the proper way to bring this "up to snuff"?  I would like an exterior LED rope light here, controlled by an indoor light switch.

Original post below:

This rope light is outside and is hardwired to a switch that is inside.  It appears to have two wires inside it, but the connection that you see is the only info I have to go from.

I want to purchase an LED rope light and attach it, but the various ones I have tried (bought from Home Depot) did not fit this connection.  Would the best approach be simply to snip this connection off and then attach whichever rope I buy to the wire?  My concern is making sure to have a weatherproof connection.  I also don't have a lot of extra wire to play with.

The distance between the two black dots in the photo below is ~3/16".  The diameter (measured in the direction through the black dots) is ~7/16".  The measurement perpendicular to that (vertical in the bottom photo) is 3/8" - this is a little less because the end of the plug isn't perfectly round but rather has a flat edge on the bottom.  It's a little hard to see in this photo unless you look closely.

Well, this installation certainly does not appear to be in any way NEC compliant - it would appear that the power cord for the current rope lighting was simply run into the wall (where it is not listed to be) and caulked (and if hardwired, had its plug snipped off, and likely has stranded wire connected to terminals only listed for solid wire.)

The connector is no doubt proprietary to the maker of the rope lights and probably also to the era of the particular rope lights, rather than being anything standard.

I would suggest replacing the entirety of this travesty with something a bit more up to snuff.

Based on a quick look at a few LED rope light products, all of which seem to be of the "plug in" type, I would suggest replacing the "cord out the wall" with a properly wired outside outlet, GFCI or on a GFCI-protected circuit, in an outside box, with "in-use cover" to accommodate a plug in connection. If you find an LED-rope light (or power connector for same) that is actually designed for hardwire connections, you could skip the outlet and just have a junction box for the connection, but the circuit should still be GFCI protected. Since you want this controlled by a switch, make it a switched outlet that connects to the switch in question.

If that's more than you feel comfortable doing, hire an electrician - it should be a fairly small, straightforward job.


Options for a remote-controlled bathroom exhaust fan/light? A friend of ours has a "toilet room" with one switch that controls both the light and the exhaust fan. He'd like to be able to control the fan and the light separately, but without having to run three-conductor NM-B, possibly remove and replace drywall, etc. What can I do about this? My Google-fu is failing me. I'm handy enough that I could probably figure out a way to wire in some solenoids and remote-control them; however, I'd rather not cobble something together, especially since this wouldn't be at our own place. Thanks!

2 devices, 1 switch, 0 problems

If you don't mind having to operate your switch in a slightly funky way, a Functional Devices HLF3 can be wired to control the fan and the light from a single wall switch.


Installing Ceiling Fan, Weird Double Switch Install EDIT: Nevermind, I figured it out.  I just rewired the switches to that one isn't even connected and the other is connected properly and it works great.

My house was built back in the 70's and has had some renovations but we are new owners.  I am trying to replace the ceiling fan (something I have done multiple times previously with no issues) but I hit a bit of a snag due to the dual switch.  In this room there is a switch for the fan and another for the light.  The fan I am installing only has black, white, and ground wires because it is controlled via a remote control.  In the ceiling, there are only three wires, white, black, and ground.  Apparently these are not functioning as I would imagine due to the dual switch since when I installed things normally (white to white, black to black, green to ground) nothing happened.

I tried installing just a basic light that I have that only has white and black wires to diagnose the issue and finally I got it to turn on when I put the white to white and black to the ground.  This makes me guess whoever wired the switches did so in a way that the ground wire is essentially being used as a neutral which I imagine is not the proper way to do things. Since I have no need for a dual switch I assume it would be best to just go back to a single but this is about the extent of my electrician knowledge and it isn't something I want to just guess with.

Here are some pictures of the switches, I will explain everything that is happening with the wires below but sometimes a picture is a lot better.

[![][1]][1]

So the three wires coming from the ceiling are coming in on the right side.  The black ceiling wire is going to the top right spot on the right switch.  The white ceiling wire is going to the top right spot on the left switch.  The ceiling ground is connected to two white wires going behind the left switch (goes to a spot where one says + and the other says N).

The bottom right spots on both switches are connected by a small black wire.  On the bottom right spot of the right switch there is another black wire going to two other black wires and a red one that go behind the left switch same as the two white wires that accompany the ground from the ceiling.

Any ideas?  Can I install the fan as is or is that a bad situation?  Is the best solution to just get rid of one switch and convert things to how it should be setup with one switch in the first place?  If so how would I correct the wiring?

What I ended up doing was completely disconnecting the left light switch and rewiring the right switch.  I took the ground wire from the ceiling and disconnected it from the neutral connection and grounded it to the box.  Then I took what should be the neutral wire from the ceiling and hooked it up where the ground wire was improperly wired.  I left the hot wire connected to the light switch.  Now all three wires in the ceiling are operating as they should and I just have a dead light switch that I didn't need anyways.  I would prefer to not have that there still but I don't think it is worth the effort to remove it entirely.


How to connect a horizontal metal carport roof to a shingle roof? This junction, see photo, is currently leaking inside... a lot.
I guess the question is how to connect a horizontal metal carport roof to a shingle roof.
I am thinking some sort of flashing will be required here.
Does anyone  know the correct way, if there is one, to connect these two roofs?

The trouble is the metal roof's profile. It would be easier if it were smooth (flat).
My instinct tell's me that it would be best to tuck a strip of 30 weight felt or rolled roofing under each roof rake (edge). Starting at the bottom by sliding 4 inches of the underlayment (felt) under the asphalt shingles and the metal roof. This will close the gap at the seam of the (2) roofs. Overlap each row by 2-4 inches.
Next you can either extend the metal roof onto the asphalt roof (if you have some). Overlap each roof with 24 inch length's and secure it as normal to the metal roof.
Or you can simply glob some roof patch down the length of the roof seam and press in a fiberglass mat followed by either metal flashing that is 4 inches past the seam on either roof (and nailed/screwed to each roof) or a strip of mineral roofing (rolled roofing).
The rolled roofing can be adhered to both roofs with rolled roofing cement which essentially glues it to the roofs surface. It should be nailed also.


Is there a way to use timer switchers and dimmers that were designed for incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs? I have an older light timer that controls my porch light. It draws a small amount of current to keep running by feeding a small amount of current through the bulb all the time. In the days of incandescent bulbs, the current the switch used would flow through the filament, not being enough to heat the filament to make light.

The problem is that this doesn't work with LED bulbs. The small amount of current is enough to power the bulb up, but not enough for it to power up fully. This in-between state causes the bulbs to die fairly quickly.

This is the second dimmer/timer I've dealt with that does this.

I measured that the switch draws about 0.1A. I'm wondering if there is something like this socket extender that has a ~1000Ω resistor between the hot and neutral which would allow current to power the switch without killing my LED bulbs?

This is not something I am going to DIY directly, but I am curious if there is any solution for my situation.

(Note the bulb which is off is partly unscrewed and not connected)

You'd think a dimmer would just lower the voltage.  Nope. That'd be a variac, and would make the dimmer weigh about 20 pounds.   Actually, old dimmers use one of a couple of "hacks" to dim cheaply, at the cost of doing really weird things to the AC power waveform.  These methods are extremely optimized for incandescent bulbs only.  (This happens at the cost of power factor and adding a lot of line noise to your house's electrical system.  if you were to hook a 120V-rated speaker to your power line, you wouldn't hear the perfect sinewave hum, you'd hear a crunchy bunch of noise, and not the pretty MBV kind. Your other equipment doesn't really like this.)

However, the LED screw-in-bulb manufacturers are perfectly aware of these obsolete dimming techniques.  It is possible, though not exactly "free", to build an LED that can

dim
"read the tea leaves" of the weird waveform to determine what brightness the dimmer is trying to make
include a circuit to actively allow the current leakage that old "neutral-less" dimmers require

This ability is not free.  The cheapie manufacturers hedge for price, hard, and big-box sellers like Home Depot and Walmart really pin their providers to the wall to shave every fraction of a penny. So you bet those features are not included in run-of-the-mill bargain price bulbs as many consumers prefer.

Use quality bulbs engineered for this use

On the other hand, upscale vendors know there's a need and have labored to fill it.  Again not a thing you'll find at the Dollar General.  But if you deal with a Tier 1 supplier like GE (who has built a lightbulb or two in their history), Sylvania, Philips, Cree... so basically the Phoebus Cartel plus Cree... you will find plenty of LEDs that will do the job.

You may find them from Tier 2 vendors also, one of my faves being Ikea, whose quality is unearthly good for the price point. I don't count LoA, Utilitech and Feit, they fall in the last category IME and I have the dead bulbs to prove it.

Remember the bulbs you need should not be as cheap as the bottom shelf grab-candy. If they are, they're cutting too many corners.  Playing nice with old dimmers is a hard problem and the builders need their price to make a quality product.

As far as those Tier Fell off a truck in Shenzhen vendors like you find in the old Dollar General, stop buying from them. Those products are specifically designed to sell to suckers.


Goodman Model GPC1242H41CA Blowing Low volt fuse ONLY when heat is turned on Good Afternoon from Florida!! I have a two year old Goodman Model GPC1242H41CA package unit that has heat strips, I had a short that eneded up causing me to replace the transformer and the control board. I ended up replacing the thermostat and wires as well and now the AC side works perfect but when it is changed to heat it blows the 3 amp low volt fuse and heat will not work. I replace the fuse and turn it back on to heat and it again blows the fuse....I dont understand why the cool works fine but the heat is blowing the fuse. I have checked the heat strips and nothing is broken or touching anywhere so I am kind of at a loss right now and could use some advice. Thanks!!!!!!

My guess is there is a short in either the W wire or in one of the heating components. If it happens immediately it is probably in the W wire. If it goes for a while it is probably in one of the components and when that component is energized the fuse blows. Try disconnecting the thermostat wires from the unit and jump R to W. If it works your problem is in the thermostat or thermostat wires. If it stil blows the problem is in the unit itself. They do make things called poppers that are basically circuit breakers instead of fuses that fit where automotive fuses go. Saves a lot on fuses when not sure where the problem is.


Should I put insulation in a shower wall if it's NOT an exterior wall? I know that I should put insulation in a shower wall if it's an exterior wall, but what about if it's just an interior wall? Is there still a benefit to doing this?

Yes, I would always insulate bathroom walls.  Bathrooms often have separate heat to keep them at a warmer temperature than the rest of the house so it's good to have the thermal insulation.

Just as important, it will also provide some acoustical insulation.


Trying to place an outlet plate flat to the wall My wife bought a wall switch/outlet plate, and I immediately realized that normal plates are convex, a bit of gap for the screws holding the outlets to the electrical box.
I am thinking I can leave the screws off, and instead bend back the metal tabs at the top and bottom of the switches, burying them in plaster. That's probably not ideal, and I'd like to know the right way to do this. Just screwing the new plate on shows an ugly gap to the wall.

Edit - below shows the tabs I plan to bend. The middle hole normally holds the screw that goes to the electrical box. The seller was no help. Strange they make stuff like this. This November will be 28 years (we've been married) my wife hasn't been happy, I doubt this will change anything.

Responding to request for another image. This is the back of the plate, the front is mirror. The back is smooth, i.e. flat. Which begs the question - Doesn't the designer see that wall plates have a bit of space for the screws?

JACK is talking about the drywall ears on the corner, which are designed to catch the edge of the drywall to hold the switch flush to the drywall.  That is because boxes are often sunk a bit into the drywall, because in new construction, boxes are installed before the drywall.  So the ability to install the box a bit "deep" gives the builder some tolerance to work with.
Anyway, if the box is sunk, you can take advantage of that, as JACK says.  Now first, you can try simply bending the drywall ears just right so the switch sits a little lower.   If you've already broken them off, do not leave the switch to float -- use shims to hold the switch at the right height.
Or, try other varieties of screw, such as a countersunk (aka flathead) or oval/pan head. The thread is #6-32. Don't change threadings; you will gore up the threads on the box, and then nothing will work.
Regardless, you must follow any instructions or labeling on the cover (NEC 110.3(B)).  The instructions are part of what UL approved when they approved the cover.


Removing thinset from durarock backer board My husband and I have a huge issue right now. Some guy messed up our tile job completely, so we are removing it all and replacing it ourselves (should have done it ourselves in the first place). The tiles all popped up in whole pieces- the “contractor” did not back butter the tiles. Instead, he put all the thinset on the backer board that we just recently put down ourselves with screws (and taped and mortared the seams). Now all of the thinset is stuck to the backer board. We need to use this backer board again. How the heck do we take this stuff off? It’s really thick !! We’re talking about 320 sq ft....
Would it be okay if we sanded some of it down and then poured a self leveler over it? Please say yes....
Thank you!

For a small area, a grinder with a silicon carbide wheel will clean thinset off, but it is real messy.  For your 320 sq ft area, it could be done, but I would be inclined to pull the backerboard up.

Was the backerboard thinset to underlayment plywood or something like that?

If height is not an issue, you might consider thinsetting new backerboard to the existing, after using a grinder to level out the high spots.

Sorry I cannot offer a more definitive solution; you are in a hard spot.


Proper wiring for irrigation pump I'm attempting to reconnect an outdoor irrigation pump and I'm unsure which wires should connect to which terminals (labeled L1 and L2) in the pressure switch. The pump is a Myers HJ100S and the power is supplied by a 20A/250V three-prong plug with white, red, black, and bare copper wires.
Here is an image showing the setup. On my pump the connector on the left is labeled L1 and the one on the right is labeled L2.

I know where the grounding wire connects, but I'm not used to working with 240V. I believe that black and red are hot and white is neutral. Which wire(s) should be connected to each terminal?

The two power leads would be your black wire and your red wire. they'd go to your L1 and L2.  The white wire, neutral is probably only used if running the pump at 120V.


How can I easily and accurately perform a small-scale landscape survey? Summary
Is there any equipment that I can rent 'inexpensively' (less than $400) that would allow 1-2 people to accurately (+/- 6") capture the topography of hilly terrain of perhaps 250' on a side in an afternoon?
Details
My wife and I are about to embark upon a redesign of the landscape around our home in the mountains. Our lot started out on what's generally a 1:3 slope, and this has (of course) been changed in many interesting ways during building. There are small hills, patios, semi-flattened areas followed by large falloffs.
As part of our designing, we want to capture exactly what the landscape looks like now, digitally. (Then we'll sculpt in the computer what we want, taking into account existing boundaries and surrounding contours, and see roughly how much dirt we need or will need to remove.)
We performed a "ghetto" survey this weekend with strings and poles, roughly sampling a grid of elevations every 10'. The results we got produced a reasonable-looking representation of the terrain. However, the 10' sampling was a bit too coarse for my tastes and—more importantly—we were only able to sample about 1/4 of the area we need before our measuring poles weren't tall enough or we ran out of reference objects.
So... What hardware exists that I can rent to make this task easier? Ideally, I'd like to take a pole, walk all over the property, and every few feet stick it on the ground, press a button, hear it go "beep!" and have it record an XYZ sample that is accurate within +/- 6". After doing this for a couple hours I'd plug it into the computer and download some DEM, CSV, or other accessible data of all the points in a non-proprietary format.
It looks like Trimble offers some neat gadgets in this arena, and I see that some companies rent this sort of gear out, but as I'm not a landscape survey engineer professional, I cannot figure out exactly which, if any, products meet my needs.
Can someone who knows this product space please help suggest what I should be looking for?

Option #1:

Find a few objects (house, trees, etc.) that, together, allow at least one of them to be level line-of sight from anywhere in the yard.

Tape a laser pointer on the end of a level (taped so you can use the level as a sort of monopod resting on the ground).

Move around the yard, hold the level level, and point the laser at one of the objects. 3a. Have someone at the object use a measuring tape to record the measurement. 3b. Subtract the length of your level.

Once you have all of your measurements, figure out the elevation offsets of the objects in relation to one another and offset measurements against them accordingly.

For example, in this diagram from Practical Engineering's YouTube on land-surveying, the human can be replaced with a level with a laser-pointer on the top. Then "measured height" is the measurement at your object (step 3a); the "eye line height" is the height of your spirit-level (step 3b); subtract the spirit-level from your measured height to get the the "relative height" (step 4)

Option #2:
Use a photogrammetry program like PhotoModeler (http://www.photomodeler.com/) to combine photographs taken using a tripod and a digital camera from different vantage points. Of course, these apps are incredibly expensive, probably cost more than the gadgets you mentioned. Unless you happen to already own a license to one of the AutoCAD products that gives you access to AutoDesk's photogrammetry app, ImageModeler 2009 (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=11390028&siteID=123112).


Block view, but allow sunlight from windows I live in a rental property where some of the rooms (living room, and bedroom) are situated right next to the street.

I would like to block the view from the street so people looking in can't easily see the insides of my apartment - it's ok if people looking into the room from the street you can see the outline/shadow of people who are inside. I have some pull-down blinds (similar to http://made2style.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/dsc_03271.jpg) which can block the view but these also prevent the sunlight from coming into the rooms. Ideally I could block the view but allow some sunlight to still pass through.

Any suggestions on how to go about doing this? As I am just renting I'm looking for a simple solution - perhaps some kind of screen which I can temporarily prop up against the window?

Static-cling (clean window, apply with water and a supplied squeegee, no actual adhesive, peels off when you leave without a fight) "stained glass" plastic films are available. They look pretty much as good or bad as you make them look, which is mostly a matter of how carefully you cut the edges. I did a bathroom over with them this spring, and it's a huge improvement over the blinds it used to have. The particular version/brand I used was "ArtScape" and it was found most affordably via Amazon, though HD does carry some of the patterns, but at a higher price.


How to replace facia boards? What are the essential steps to replacing facia boards without destroying the existing shingle roofing?

shirlock homes is correct.  The facia boards should be underneath the drip edge and it will not be affected.  I would go slow removing the facia boards in case the roofer inadvertently nailed the drip edge to the facia.  The steps are simple:

Remove facia using a cats paw or similar tool and a hammer.
Remove all nails and/or screws that might get in the way of new facia.
Replace any of the facia boards behind it that need replaced making sure to end each board on a rafter or truss.
Cut facia and nail it up with galvanized nails, (usually 2 every 16"-20") pushing up gently on the shingles and drip edge to move them out of the way.  If you have any angled pieces then a speed square is a must.  How to use one would require a whole nother question and answers.
Put a dab of caulk on every nail head and every seam on the facia.
Paint.


how do i prevent rot on a porch? i don't understand why there have to be gaps between deck boards but not porch boards. our porch boards got rotted from rain water settling between them and needless to say there were no gaps when it was built. i had applied non-slip paint but i don't think it was painted when it was built and i don't think there were any gaps between the boards. i don't know how the boards could fit so snugly against each other or how the builder knew that water wouldn't settle between them.

If built properly, a porch floor slopes away from the house, and (being a porch) is also covered by a roof, so it should only get incidental blowing rain, not the full brunt of every storm. The slope (1/8" per foot, 1 inch in 8 feet) ensures that any water that lands on the porch drains off of it.
It's also common to oil (linseed oil) or paint the boards as well.


Is my Nest thermostat wired correctly? I've been having issues like the heat pump not heating.  Now that it's hot outside, my A/C isn't working. Can someone tell me if my Nest thermostat is even wired correctly?

If it helps any, here is how the original one was wired and it worked just fine.

Here are things to check first:
- Check the 220V breaker serving the heat pump.
- Check the over-pressure valve breaker on the heat pump.


Will the water heater be damaged if its turn off and on? Is it ok to turn off water heater when no one is home or using the water?

I'd advise against turning off and on the water tank daily. For the physical tank and parts, a hot water heater turns on and off frequently during it's operation and won't suffer any damage from the switching, with the possible exception of the controls themselves. The bigger concern is large temperature swings by leaving it off for long periods of time and then reheating the water.

Turning off a hot water heater and allowing it to cool to 32 to 42 °C (90 to 108 °F) can allow pathogens to grow. See this question and answer for more details about ideal water heater temperature settings.

Turning a cold tank on, if your system has a one way "check valve" preventing back flow of water into the municipal system, can result in a large pressure increase. That dramatic swing can overload the capabilities of a small expansion tank if you have one, and cause valves to fail in your home. The failing valves will be seen as dripping fixtures, running toilets, or a leaking TPR valve on the water tank itself.

For a vacation home where the tank is turned off for several months, I wouldn't have these concerns. The tank is typically allowed to cool well between the lower limit for pathogens, and the water lines often have air in them from being drained or are being run to purge the stale water, which allows for the expansion as the water heater turns back on.


Acrylic shower base with tile bench? Is there any reason not to use a prefab acrylic shower base with tile walls and a tile bench?  I get that tile walls and a prefab acrylic base are a common combo, but I don't see anyone adding a tile bench.

My thinking is we're remodeling both bathrooms in our house while living in it. We just finished the first one and just did the best things and spent the most time and money. We'd like this one to go quick and cheap. It's an odd sized space, so I'm still going to do a tile shower, but I'd like to avoid constructing the base. There's a place nearby selling acrylic  bases for only $25 which will beat both the cost and time of making a custom shower pan.

This is one of the only pictures I was able to find on the internet that looked like the combo I'm thinking of-- tile walls & bench with acrylic base (or maybe this is stone or something but you get the idea):

Where the bench meets the base it's the same as where the wall meets the base. so there's not going to be a problem there.


Would a ducted heat pump lose a lot of effeciency if the ducts are installed in an open crawlspace? Currently I use a woodstove to heat my place (no ducts).  I am thinking about installing an air-to-air ducted heat pump to heat my place.  I am trying to figure out what are the important factors (in addition to the cost) I should investigate before approaching a pro.
The winter months here (comox valley, bc. canada) are normally between 0-9 C degrees, but there are days/nights when it dips bellow zero sometimes down to -7C.
Heat efficiency - open crawlspace
My crawlspace has vents (basically holes) to allow for air circulation (to avoid moisture build up) - so it is cold in winter.  If I do install a ducted heat pump, the ducts would be in the crawlspace.  I was reading that the air coming out of a heat pump is not that hot to start with (25-45 C degrees).  So, I was wondering, by the time the heat comes out of the ducts, it may not be warm enough to actually heat the house efficiently.  Is this something I should be worried about?  Do you have any experience with a similiar situation?

If flex ducting is used it comes pre insulated.
If you decide to install a split system make sure it can handle that level of cold.
Yes, some can but they are high end units.
If you need “emergency heat” or supplemental electric it gets much more expensive to run.
I find when you look at the added cost of installing ducting a “mini split” is a better choice. Mini splits have the outside unit but then run lines inside the home.
Each room or zone has its own heat /cooling unit.
Each room or zone can be controlled separately. The cost of ducting can pay for several separate inside units and you wont have the air cooling in the ducts even if insulated.
Mini’s can be cheaper to operate because they are not heating dead air space and if 1 room or zone is not needed to be heated or cooled turn it off and the outside unit slows down drawing less power or cycling for older technology.
What ever you decide make sure your unit can operate to the -7 range, I believe the best one I put in can function to -5 but some can go to -15. They are not as efficient at these extremes in any split system but depending on the brand / model they can do the job. they go into defrost mode more often.


How to stop water seepage in an elevator pit? I have a home with an elevator pit that sits below grade in an area with a high water table.  Whenever I get a heavy rain or high tide the elevator pit fills with about 30 gallons of water.  I did notice a crack in the concrete between the side wall and the pit floor.

Question:  What is the best way to seal the concrete and the crack to prevent continued water seepage?

...which is to say, you need a sump pump, because you will NEVER reliably stop it from the inside, and there's not likely to be any way you can gain access to the outside of the pit to waterproof it properly - and "properly" does indeed mean "from the outside." If you cannot waterproof from the outside, all you can do is pump it away, in any basement (other than hillside ones where sometimes you can just pipe it away, but that evidently would let the tide in more effectively for your situation.)

You can TRY painting things on the walls and caulking cracks or filling them with hydraulic cement, but hydrostatic pressure usually wins and the leak returns.


garage light with two hots and one neutral I was in the process of replacing a 23-year old fluorescent tubelight fixture in my garage with a similar (physical) size LED fixture.  When I opened up the light, I found that from the ceiling box there were three wires (none of which was a ground wire) coming out.  Picture shown below.

Two of these (left and middle) were combined with a wire from the fixture using a twist connector.  And another one from the box (right) was connected to another wire from the fixture.

When I turned the mains back, I find that the wires on the two extremes were both hot wires and the one in the middle is a neutral.  And, both these hot wires are both hot even when the switch (the one that operated the fluorescent lamp) is turned off.

About a foot away on the ceiling is the plug to my garage door opener.  When I removed the light fixture, the garage door opener stopped working and in fact that plug does not have power.

I did a quick test -- connected the hot (right) and neutral (middle) to the new LED fixture and it works perfectly.  The hot on the left was just capped.  The garage door plug did not get power.

QUESTION -- should I connect it back the way it was (description above) and are these connections making sense?  Why is a neutral and a live being connected here?

It's not a live wire at all.  It's a neutral.  This part of the circuit doesn't just serve the light.  It also carries power (hot and neutral) onward to other loads.

The always-hot is carried from wherever (switch, perhaps?) on the black wires tucked in the back there.

The switched-hot is carried on the red wire, obviously you want the lamp to take its hot from the switch, so it isn't on 24x7.

The neutral wires brought

Neutral from supply
Neutral onward to other points of use
Neutral to the lamp

You only connected neutral from supply to the lamp, so neutral was severed to the  onward points.

Electrical current flows in loops.  Power is going out the hot wire to those onward points of use, but then is unable to return via the neutral you severed.

You see "hot" because electrons are queued up there waiting to return via neutral. This is normal when a neutral is disconnected; it's one reason neutrals need to be treated as hot wires from a safety POV.


Propane tank sizes peddled by various local providers At my house, the previous owner was a huge fan of propane. I've got gas lines running to the main floor fireplace, a basement fireplace, kitchen and the deck. All I ever use and have hooked up is the main floor fireplace, and even that only during winter time.
The previous guy had a massive 500 gallon tank in the back, since I have no use for that much and I wanted to avoid renting it, I opted out for a smaller, 100 pounder.
The problem is, the 100 pound tank doesn't work, it feels like there are so many pipes around the house, even with the taps closed at the edges, there isn't enough pressure and I need a larger tank just for the sake of getting the pressure to power a single small fireplace.
Another supplier said that because of the freezing winter temperatures, 100lb tanks aren't usable and I need at least 420lb because in the smaller tank, in cold weather, the propane wouldn't vapourize, so while 100lb is enough to provide the pressure, it wouldn't work anyhow.
Since I've run into some not-quite-honest providers around here before, I'd love some real input on what to do here.
My plan right now is to simply disconnect all the gas pipes at the source and install a new  pipe only for the fireplace I want to use, and stay with the 100lb tank.
Any ideas and solutions are of course welcome

Propane is stored and shipped as a liquid under pressure. That makes it convenient to store and ship a usable amount without needing very high pressures.
The pressure in a propane tank is a function of temperature.
When you use propane, the liquified gas in the tank boils. As it boils, it takes the heat needed to vaporize the liquid (latent heat of vaporization, from chemistry class) from the air around the tank. In summertime it's not uncommon to see frost forming on a 20lb tank attached to a barbecue grill.
So, the pressure in the tank drops as the liquid in the tank cools, until it can get more heat from the air.
Thus, when you want to use a fireplace (it's cold out) that happens ot be the worst time to place a heavy draw on a small tank. The tank gets cold, the pressure drops until it cannot supply the pressure required, it gives up.
Your disused connections, if not leaking, have no effect whatever on this.
Your best bet if you don't like renting a tank is to purchase a tank, and the best bet for that is to have it (correctly and to code) buried, where it will be warmer than it would sitting out in the air during winter weather.
Otherwise, you need to have a large enough tank that the rate of gas use does not overcome the ability of that size tank to supply gas at a particular outdoor temperature. Even with a buried tank, the rate of gas use must not be too great for the size of the tank, or it will still self-chill and fail to provide adequate pressure.
You can also manifold multiple smaller tanks (so if you are really dedicated to 100 lb tanks, you could gang 4 or 5 of them together rather than have a 420 lb single tank, if your local supplier, who does not appear to be dishonest, is estimating correctly for your local conditions.)


Best way to get 20 amps to outdoor office 150' from breaker box I'm having a little trouble figuring out the best way to get power to a backyard office. The office will be 8'x12' and sits about 40' from the house. The problem is the breaker box is on the opposite side of the house. I figure it's about 150' total of wire after going through the attic and up/down the walls etc.
The office will have a computer, lights, window a/c, and a small space heater. I will be burying the wire in pvc conduit from the house to the office. I think 20 amps will be plenty. I am in south Texas so a small space heater running on low will be about all I need.
So what would be the best approach: Do I run 8/3 to a small 240v subpanel on the opposite side of the house (about 100' of wire away) with a 30 amp double pole breaker at the main panel, then just run 120 to the office by putting a 20amp breaker at the subpanel and run 12/2 direct bury to the office?
Or do I run 240 all the way to the office with a subpanel there?
I was originally thinking maybe I would just run a 110v line the whole 150' to the office but the wire size calculators show I would need a #6 wire that far so maybe that's not a good idea.
All I need is 20 amps out in the office but not sure what the best way is to get it there. Any advice is appreciated!
EDIT:
Thanks for all the great detailed responses, I feel like I am taking info from all of them to create my solution so wish I could mark them all as "the answer"!

Run 2-2-2-4 MH feeder from the panel to the office.
The reason is the distance and very severe voltage drop on 120V circuits.  Normally I'm pretty slack about voltage drop.  However 200' at 120V is so bad even I have to stand up and take notice.
And it isn't even a case of 1 wire size bump (to 10/2)... that might work at 100' but at 200', just off the cuff I can tell you that you'll need a second bump to 8/2.
And now we get into a costing problem.  8/2 UF-B is $1.28/foot.   Well, heck.  2-2-2-4 MH feeder is $1.27/foot.  Why are we putting in 40A/120V cable when we can put in 90A/240V cable for less money?  It simply doesn't make any sense!
Of course you can't land #2Al wire on a 120V receptacle (can't land #8 either)... so the cheapest solution for landing #2 on a recep is just running a subpanel.

Use a 60A feed breaker (the wire is good for 90A but 60A is the cheapest breaker that'll take #2 wire).
The subpanel needs a disconnect switch (being an outbuilding).  I would select a 12-space or larger subpanel that is convertible to main-breaker (don't convert it yet).
I would simply connect the feeder wires to the subpanel's main lugs and install ONE 20A/240V breaker ($10).  That will serve as the main disconnect since it is the only breaker.  You can power up to two 120V/20A circuits off of that.
Voltage drop will simply be a non-factor for a 120V/20A load.
Later on, if you want to grow that into a real subpanel, you simply retrofit the main breaker and install as many breakers as you please.
At 200', voltage drop at 240V isn't a big deal.  You're allowed to plan to use up to 72A on that circuit, and at 72A you'll have 3.52% voltage drop.  That's no big deal.
So yeah, if you want to install seven 2000W Cadet heaters to make the building warm up real fast, go for it.


Is it better to remove existing floor before placing new one I have an existing marble floor in my kitchen in my house that is 40 years old. I am planning to put tiles there. Is it better to remove the marble floor and then place the tiles, or should I put the tiles over the marble floor.

That is a common question from my customers over the years. Although it is usually better to start from a solid base of hardi-backer or concrete board subfloor, tile can be laid over an existing floor if some condition are met.

The existing floor must be sound, with absolutely no loose or compromised sections. If your marble floor is real stone and solidly adhered to the subfloor, it can be a good base for new tile.

You need to have clearance for the extra height of the new tile. Consider things like door jams, cabinets and appliance clearances. (especially the dish washer)

Your existing floor needs to be flat without humps and ridges.

Confirm that the marble surface will hold embossing and/or tile mortar. High polished marble surfaces may not be a good base unless dulled and embossed. Any and all sealers and wax must be removed. any grout lines should be leveled to tile, not recessed.

As always, if there is any doubt about using an existing floor as a base, consult an expert for an evaluation before proceeding. Tile over a firm, solid can work well, but if the existing floor is not really solid, you will be wasting a lot of time and money.  If there is any question, remove it, put down a good base and start fresh.


AFCI breaker trips when GFCI receptable's test button is pressed I have 2 bathrooms that have a total of 3 outlets from the same power source. When I press the test button on one of GFCI outlet, it will not only cut off its own power but it will also trip the AFCI breaker. Is this normal? It is rather inconvenient because I have to go to the main panel at night to reset it.

I will post an answer as I believe others will run into similar problem.

The issue is that the wiring has neutral wires from multiple circuits connected together. While this works with older breakers. It will not work with newer AFCI breaker. The solution is to clean up the wiring such that the hot and neutral pairs are isolated to individual breakers and not mixed with other breakers.


GFCI outlet shape for 20 amp vs 15 amp circuit - what does the little line on the outlet mean? My contractor recently added a 20-Amp circuit to my kitchen while he was remodeling it. He explained that the circuit was 20-Amp, and the non-GFCI outlets he installed all have the little horizontal line on the side, which I always thought was the designator for a 20-Amp outlet and 20-Amp circuit.  That is, I thought that the “little extra line” is used to plug in a 20-Amp device which has a different plug configuration from a 15-Amp.

And I even found answers here and here that confirm what I always thought: if it has the line it is 20-Amp, and if it doesn’t it is 15-Amp.

But I noticed my contractor installed a couple of GFCIs that don’t have the extra line on the side of the plug.  I mentioned this to him, and he explained that the GFCI outlets he installed really were 20-Amp outlets, they just don’t have that extra line.

I thought he was trying to save a few bucks by installing a 15-Amp outlet and assumed I wouldn’t know or notice, but he quickly reassured me by pulling off the plate cover and showing me the side of the outlet where it was stamped in the plastic “20 Amp.”  So now I’m confused.  What does the little line on the outlet mean?  Is there a difference between a 20 Amp outlet with or without the extra line?

BTW, in trying to research this question before posting, I discovered that even if he had installed 15-Amp outlets on a 20-Amp circuit, it would have still been code, as answered by these questions:

20 Amp Circuit with 15 Amp outlets
Can a 20 amp GFCI outlet be daisy chained to 15 amp outlets
Is using 15 amp components on a 20 amp breaker against code?

I live in the USA, for purposes of wiring codes and outlet types related to this question.

Update

I took apart the outlet again and see both the 20 Amp the contractor pointed out originally, plus a 15 Amp on the other side.  I agree with the answer that this is a 15 Amp receptacle with a 20 Amp pass through.

A receptacle without that horizontal slot is only rated to supply 15 amps to a device that's plugged into it. GFCIs are no exception to this. That "20 Amps" stamp is likely stating the receptacle's pass-through rating, or the amount of current it can supply to sockets downstream of it.

There are GFCI devices with that horizontal slot available, which will supply 20 amps to attached devices, and can be found online with a quick Google for "20 amp GFCI receptacle".

You cannot plug a 20 amp device directly into any receptacle without that horizontal bar, be it a regular receptacle, or a GFCI.


Is this "ice damming"? The north-north-west side of our house has a 2 foot soffit/overhang. This morning we notice that the vinyl siding of this wall is covered with icicles. It looks like water is somehow getting into the bottom metal runs of the soffit and travelling from the gutter end towards the wall and then dripping down the wall.

We are in upstate NY so we have had a lot of snow and there is a 3 to 4 inch block of ice coming out the top of the gutter.

Is this ice damming? How concerned should I be if the attic or the inside of the exterior wall in question shows no water getting inside the house?

Here are some pictures

Even if you are absolutely sure there is no water leaking into the attic you still have a problem. I am guessing that the water is getting pushed up and under the drip edge. It is migrating under the soffit trim and dripping out where it meets the siding. Potentially the water may get behind the siding if it builds up far enough. There are a variety of methods for dealing with the ice. Try to remove as much of the snow as you safely can. Melt the ice with an ice melt product that doesn't contain rock salt. If the roof is higher than you are comfortable working on you can buy ice melt in a block form that can be thrown onto the roof from the ground. You can also throw pantyhose filled with ice melt onto the roof. All the ice doesn't need to be removed you just need several channels that run from the eave toward the ridge to allow the water to drain from under the ice.


How do I fill a hole under a sidewalk? The sidewalk leading up to my front door developed what looked like a sink hole under it about a year ago.  Since then, an animal of some kind has made the hole even bigger and it now runs as a tunnel under my pathway.

QUESTION:
How to I fill this hole most effectively?  Obviously it would be great if I could do it cheaply and without busting up the sidewalk.

CONCERNS:
I like in Omaha, NE.  We have extreme winters and summers.  I thought about pouring concrete into the hole, but I'm concerned that it would expand under the sidewalk and cause buckling and cracking.  I also thought about filling it with just dirt and sand, but I'm concerned that I won't be able to get the hole filled directly under the middle of the sidewalk, thus not supporting the weight load put in the walkway.

Fill the hole with concrete.  Concrete doesn't expand in the cold -- you're probably thinking of frost heave, which is where moisture in the soil freezes and expands, disturbing whatever's above it.  If your sidewalk hasn't heaved by now, then the addition of new concrete below it isn't going to change anything.

Filling the hole with dirt or sand may in fact cause the heaving you're concerned about though -- I can imagine a situation where you're unable to properly compact the dirt underneath the sidewalk, creating a nice loosely-filled pocket for water to sit in and freeze.


How do I rewire an old light fixture? I have an old pendant light fixture with a ceramic bulb socket that needs new wiring (the old cloth covered wires are falling apart). There is a copper colored screw and a silver colored screw in the ceramic socket that the wires connected to. Can you help me to know which wires go to which in the junction box in the ceiling? Do I just attach new wires to the screws?

Yes, just replace the wires. Even if you reverse the connections, the light will work. For safety's sake, make every effort to connect the wires properly. The silver screw should be connected to the neutral house wiring, white in US and Canada and blue or black nearly everywhere else. Try to confirm the silver screw connects to the outer metal sheath of the socket, the part with the threads. The yellow colored screw connects to the switched power of the house wiring and the center contact in the socket. The switched power house wire color is usually black or red in US and Canada and brown or some other color everywhere else. Just do not attempt to connect any wire with green (may be striped with yellow) or no insulation to either of these screws. Green or bare is for equipment grounding purposes and should be bonded to any metal components that do not carry current.

Strip the insulation from the wire ends no longer than necessary. Try to arrange the wire under the screw head to wrap almost full circle with no overlap. Wrap it in the direction of tightening the screw so the wrap is drawn tighter when tightening the screw. This only applies to binding post screws. If there is a separate hole for the wire and the screw acts like a set screw, then disregard this part. Replicate the connection methods used previously in the junction box, typically either wire nuts or set screw strips.

But please - whatever you do, turn the power off first!


Can you use aluminum foil around gap at floor of hot water tank then seal? Fairly big gap at floor around pipes of hot water tank.  For mice prevention I read some where you could fill gap with aluminum foil then seal.  Is this correct.  If so what kind of sealant should be used?   Need help right away.  Not sure but I think they might be chewing the insulation. Right now I’m using cotton balls soaked in Peppermint Oil, undiluted, in small glass containers (3) around the hot water tank.  I did find 1 mouse that came through a gap around an electrical outlet.  Had Peppermint Oil placed on floor under the outlet. The mouse died within 15 minutes.  Haven’t seen any more but that’s not to say there may be more.  What can I use to seal around the electrical outlet. I’ve got it covered with duct tape now.  I’m elderly and disabled and live alone with my dog.  I’ve been doing minor repairs myself but these 2 situations I have no idea what to do other than keep using Peppermint Oil which, by the way, I have sitting all around the house in strategic places such as doors, windows, under beds and furniture, behind fridge washer dryer stove, cabinets drawers, shelves high and low, all corners and especially under kitchen and bathroom plumbing. I’m a little paranoid about ants and other creepy crawlers as well as mice.

I think your best bet would be to get a can of spray foam sealant. It expands to tightly seal gaps. It's very easy to use and you can get it just about everywhere. It won't smell as good as your peppermint oil but will probably do a better, more permanent job. Good luck.


Wire nut use safety/legality with dangling cord? Im getting a new light fixture installed and the electrician has decided to use wire nuts from the fixture box on the roof, to the ground (with the cord dangling in the center of the room)to power work lights on the ground. Im located in Canada, I was wondering if someone could tell me about the legality of such a setup? It seems rather dangerous to me as the weight of the cable is hanging off the wire nuts and if they come loose it may short.
If not legal, pointing me to the appropriate electrical code/source of information would be appreciated

The weight of the fixture is not allowed to be applied to the electrical cable no matter what, so how it is connected is irrelevant so long as it is legal, and wire nuts are legal. "What if" scenarios are too numerous to be practical in covering them all. But if the fixture IS hanging only by the wirenutted electrical connections (no chain or steel cable to bear the weight), then yes, that would be illegal.
That said, I'm having a hard time envisioning the setup you describe; work lights on the ground powered from a ceiling mounted light fixture? There are no wall receptacles anywhere? THAT (no wall receptacles in a room) is more likely a violation in and of itself. If this is all just temporary power during construction, most inspectors are fairly lenient that way, but if it's something permanent, it sounds like a serious problem for reasons having nothing to do with wire nuts.