Will my plan work to temporarily power an irrigation pump? Parents are rebuilding a house and we need to keep running the irrigation pump to keep the 2 acres of St. Augustine grass alive.
The pump is 5HP single phase Starite DSeries DMG) and the manual says it pulls about 28 amps full load.
Originally the line was 2 gauge aluminum running from the panel inside the house down the 200 ft to the pump.  We now need another 160 ft to reach the construction temporary panel setup.
We have 200 ft of an 8 gauge 3 conductor wire that was used to power an RV with 50 amp service,
Question is, I'm wondering if its safe enough "for now" to use that 8 gauge copper 3 conductor to reach the 2 gauge aluminum cut off point.
So basically I hook up the 8 gauge copper, running 160 ft, to the 2 gauge aluminum (using appropriate AlCu connectors)
Connection would be:

Construction service panel
35 Amp double pole breaker
#8 Cu 2 conductor+G [160ft]
#2 Al 2 conductor+G [200ft]
5hp 220V irrigation pump using 28 amps

This is only temporary, and will get a proper code compliant solution put in once final inspection is due.

This will be no problem with those wire sizes.
160’ of copper#8 with 28 amps is 2.58%
200’ of aluminum #2 will be 2.13%
So a total voltage drop of 4.71% this is below the NEC recommended 5%.
Note the actual voltage drop at startup will be higher but a standard water pump should be fine with class 10 overloads (standard fuses and breakers are usually ~ class 10 or can handle motor starting currents 3-5x there rating for 10 seconds.
I would bet that pump will be to speed in 1 second with that wire possibly 2 seconds but well below the trip value. So it should work.


Choosing a Bathroom Faucets Replacement First off, I just want to start off by saying i'm a total novice when it comes to faucets. We've had the same bathroom faucets in our house for the last 30 years. And most of them are in terrible shape.

After researching for the last couple of days online. A couple of straight forward questions have constantly come across my mind.

Everything we have in our house is chromed. But I've noticed that chrome faucets are cheaper than Brushed Nickel and Bronze faucets. Why?
Do Chrome faucets simply get mass produced more than the others? Or are they more likely to deteriorate over time?
I've also noticed that there are faucets that sell for as little as $65-80 and others sell for $500! Are the materials being used really that different? What exactly determines this drastic range in price?

what types of faucets should I avoid no matter what? And Why?

Chrome is probably the most durable & is the cheapest manufacturing process. Brushed nickel has a Satin type of finish rather than chrome's mirror finish & bronze is outright dark. The look you're after is really the only concern for finishes & all will hold up very long to wipe off cleaning no problem.

As far low-quality goes I'd stay away from the cheapest faucets which are usually plastic. Typically, the best way to tell this beyond a box or website description is by the mounting or underside's large threaded tube(s) being plastic. But some plastic faucets have begun to put a brass tube(s) on for the mounting so be wary.

Medium to Highest quality is brass to stainless steel & they're noticeably heavier than the plastic faucets. Medium quality brass is what you've had for 30-years & is quite good & good for water purity. Brass or stainless steel will be the faucet's underside threaded tube(s).

I personally prefer Single Handle faucets everywhere as the faucet can be left in the last position for the most comfort & convenience. Two-handles (typically 4-inch spread, measure yours) are fine but in either case look for Ceramic Disc valves to enjoy the best maintenance free longevity. I've had exceedingly good results with the American Standard & Vigo brands for baths & pretty much just Vigo for kitchens.

Finally, you'll need to decide if you want a Full-Kit to replace your sink drain & pop-up stopper. A problem you will run into is connecting the new faucet(s) to the plumbing & you'll need a plumber to install his/her recommended faucet(s) or the faucet(s) you've purchased. The new faucets use "Sold Separately" stainless steel braided flexible lines where you probably have rigid or hard lines now.

The conversion is best done by finally swapping-out your old shut-off valves under the sink (if you have any) for new Quarter-Turn Ball Valve types (you don't want anything else & there is nothing better nor comparable) that will allow the new connection lines to install easily.

Happy shopping & try to choose 2 or 3 faucets for the plumber to readily allocate if they obtain them.


How to run wires through a wall with existing wall wiring? (Tight Spaces) So I have a coaxial cable that I need to run from my TV to my sound system and there are already holes in the wall with wires from the last home owner. I've already tried using fishtape to run the cable through but there are too many twists and turns in the route. Are there any other options that I can explore to wire the cable through?

their are times I will cut a hole for an old work box, drill from the attic down or from the crawl space up (attic down is easier as you can see the 2x4) drop a string with a small 2oz fishing weight,  hook wire on and pull up, then do the same at the location of your sound system , install an old work box in each location these are the boxes that have wings that pull them tight to the sheetrock, or a low voltage ring that snaps in place and you fold the metal tabs around the sheetrock, then put a coax cover plate and it looks very profesional.


Do new wire runs in an existing ceiling need to be stapled down? I've heard some people say that code requires wiring in the wall to be stapled to framing every so often (how often?), but when you are doing a remodel, is that necessary?

I have a two story house, and would like to remove one standard dome light on the first floor ceiling and replace it with 6 recessed lights.  There is about 12" of empty space between the floors, and it seems easy enough to run the wire from light to light without cutting any drywall except for the 4-5" holes required for the lights. However, there's no way I'd be able to staple the wiring down.  It's just going to be loose in the ceiling, running through a small hole in the I joists every once in a while.

They sell "remodel" light cans that are made specifically so you only have to cut a hole big enough for them to fit in, so this seems like a common job.  What am I missing and how can I do this job in the most correct way?

This is in Dallas, TX, single family residence.

If you are not removing more drywall than needed for the new recessed lights, then no per 334.30(B)(1) (assuming you are using NM cable). There are similar clauses for other flexible cable assemblies (e.g. AC/MC).
However, if you are removing drywall as part of the remodel and have access to the studs, then you do need to secure and support according the remainder of 334.30 (or similar clauses for other cable types).

From NFPA-70:2014 (a.k.a. 2014 NEC):
334.30 Securing and Supporting Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be supported and secured by staples, cable ties, straps, hangers, or similar ﬁttings designed and installed so as not to damage the cable, at intervals not exceeding 1.4 m (4 1⁄2 ft) and within 300 mm (12 in.) of every outlet box. junction box, cabinet, or ﬁtting. Flat cables shall not be stapled on edge. Sections of cable protected from physical damage by raceway shall not be required to be secured within the raceway.
(A) Horizontal Runs Through Holes and Notches. In other than vertical runs, cables installed in accordance with 300.4 shall be considered to be supported and secured where such support does not exceed 1.4-m (4 1⁄2-ft) intervals and the nonmetallic-sheathed cable is securely fastened in place by an approved means within 300 mm (12 in.) of each box, cabinet, conduit body, or other nonmetallicsheathed cable termination.
FPN: See 314.17(C) for support where nonmetallic boxes are used
334.30(B) Unsupported Cables. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be permitted to be unsupported where the cable:
(1) Is ﬁshed between access points through concealed spaces in ﬁnished buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable.
(2) Is not more than 1.4 m (4 1 ⁄2 ft) from the last point of cable support to the point of connection to a luminaire or other piece > of electrical equipment and the cable and point of connection are > within an accessible ceiling


Can I attach 2x4s to the studs in order to mount my TV? I have a tv wall mount that can be installed into studs 16" apart.  However id like to use it on a wall with studs 24" apart.

I'm thinking of drilling 2x4's into the studs and then attaching the mount to them.  Will this be a safe approach?

This is actually one of the most often recommended approaches to solving this problem. If you're up for a bit of drywall work. You could cut open the wall a bit, and install the 2x4s between the studs.

For a quick fix, bolting 2x4s to the studs on the outside of the wall should work just fine. If you paint the 2x4s the same color as the wall, it might help to blend them in a bit.

Another option is to try and find a mount that accommodates 24" stud spacing, though this may not be an option if you already have a mount you want to use.


Can I mix tie dye into wall paint? Can you mix white wall paint and tie dye you use for clothes? I want to paint my walls different colors but the only thing I have is white paint and found some tie dye you use for clothes and it's permanent so I was thinking you could do it. That should work, right?

Not a hard no but you may want to reconsider for a few reasons:

As @dandavis pointed out - the compounds may not work well together.  This could cause long term negative effects.  OTOH it might not.
The hand mixing of paint will take a lot of mixing to get it even.  However, if you're going for a tie-die look this might work in your favor (but probably not)
All paint is sold as white - the paint store will happily, for free (usually) make it whatever color you like at no charge and mix it for you.


Confused by Dimmer Wiring I have a light on a dimmer that flickers so I was going to remove the dimmer and put a regular single pole switch. I've changed switches before so I'm familiar with changing switches when the power goes to the switch or the power goes to the light. I was a bit confused by what's going on when I turned off the power, opened the switch and saw the following (image included):

Two 14/2 cables coming into switch box:

Two blacks from both cables are twisted together with yellow nut
Two grounds from both cables are twisted together. The first red from the dimmer is taped to the grounds (behind the orange nut on the left)
The second red coming from dimmer is unused and still has the sticker saying not to remove.
White from one cable is twisted to black from dimmer (orange nut on right)
White from other cable is twisted to green from dimmer (orange nut on left)

One 14/2 cable coming into the light fixture:

Black wire from cable attached to black wire on light fixture
White wire from cable attached to white wire on light fixture

Thanks for any help figuring this out!

Oh dear, some dim bulb wired this dimmer upside down and backwards

Whoever installed this dimmer clearly hasn't a clue, because they wired it in a way that's been forbidden for the past almost-a-century now!  In particular, they put the dimmer in the neutral side of the circuit, instead of the hot side, where it belongs.  The NEC prohibits this in section 404.2(B):

  (B) Grounded Conductors. Switches or circuit breakers shall
  not disconnect the grounded conductor of a circuit.

  Exception: A switch or circuit breaker shall be permitted to disconnect a
  grounded circuit conductor where all circuit conductors are disconnected simultaneously, or where the device is arranged so that the grounded
  conductor cannot be disconnected until all the ungrounded conductors
  of the circuit have been disconnected.

Furthermore, they managed to abuse the safety ground as a neutral (a working current return path) and the neutral as a half-hearted grounding attempt, giving this setup even more zap potential than it normally would have!

Getting this fixed

The first step in fixing this is to turn the breaker off, remove the errant dimmer from the circuit, and use a multimeter to check for continuity between the white wire that the dimmer's green wire was connected to and the bare wires in the circuit.  If you don't have continuity there, the feed for this box will need to be reworked due to the neutral having gone bad.

If you do have both a good neutral and a good ground going back to the panel, though, we can move on with fixing this then.  To get this into a proper state, we need to undo the dodgy tape-splice on the grounds and replace it with a proper wirenut, incorporating the green ground wire from the dimmer into this redone splice, then remove the wirenut from the two black hots and use a new wirenut to splice the white neutrals together.  Once that's done, one of the black wires from the wall gets nutted to the black wire on the dimmer, and the other black wire on the wall gets nutted to the un-taped red wire on the dimmer.  At that point, you can button things up, turn the power back on at the breaker, and enjoy your dimmer without having to worry about any shocking moments, during lightbulb changing or otherwise!


Compensate inadequate exhaust vents for whole house fan by installing a power vent in attic? I would like to install a whole house fan in my 2400 sf house. However, with only three 1 ft x 2 ft gable vents, I'm looking at an NFVA of only 3 sf of exhaust vent when taking into consideration that they are screened!

I'm assuming that I would need ~10 air exchanges per hour to get a "breeze effect with the fan turned on. However, I would need an additional 4sf of exhaust vent: 3500cfm/500cfm/sf = 7sf - 3sf existing exhaust vent.

I currently have 1.17sf of soffit intake vents (84 3" holes under eaves) vs 6sf exhaust vents(3 gable vents). Since these vents should actually be same ratio, by adding 4sf of additional exhaust vents, the ratio would be even more skewed!

The Quiet Cool website suggested that an attic power vent could be run in tandem with a whole house fan and eliminate the need for additional exhaust vents to be installed on the roof. With that said, would this be the best solution for my dilemma?

Below is a picture indicating the type house ventilating fan I am considering

It sounds like you’re trying to cool your house without increasing your air conditioner size (or add air conditioning) by 1) adding air movement in your house, and 2) lower the air temperature in your attic, which could be “heating” your house.

Yes, adding air movement (even warm air) will give you the feeling of cooling. That’s why sitting in front of a fan feels cool. However, that air needs to blow across your skin to be effective. (I think you’ll need to get in your shorts and wear short sleeves. )
Stagnant air in the attic will heat up throughout a warm day, so increasing the air movement in the attic is probably good.

However, your notion about “intake vents” and “exhaust vents” is not quite correct. Actually, the small 3” round vents in the eaves are not just “intake vents”...they’re “exhaust vents” too. Your house (especially where you live) has a windward and leeward side. This creates positive air pressure and negative air pressure on your house. Openings (vents) allow air in and out. Generally, we like these openings balanced. That is to say about equal sized.

However, the Code has established minimum sizes to prevent moisture condensation...not for cooling requirements.

The minimum amount of venting by Code is 1/150th the area for CROSS VENTILATION or 1/300th the area if you have cross ventilation AND between 40% and 50% the area is located not more that 3’ below the ridge. (See IRC R806)

It sounds like your attic ventilation meets this requirement. (A 2400 s.f. House will require 2400/300=8 s.f. and you have about 4 s.f. Ridge vents. I know you think you have 3 s.f., but I think you’ve compensated too much for the screening in the vents.) (BTW, I think you have 4.1 s.f. of venting from the 3” holes not 1.17s.f. that you think you have. Did I do that right?)

In summary,

I think you have adequate attic ventilation and increasing it will give you a minor benefit
power venting your living space can help, but you’ll need to sit close to the fan.

Alternate idea: In Hawaii and the Caribbean, they remove the exterior walls and rely on the tradewinds. Now, you probably can’t remove your walls, but you live where there is plenty of wind. Can you enlarge windows/doors to capture these winds? If not, then add a fan...but provide the same amount of “intake” as “outlet” available.


How do I get my fluorescent 4-tube under-cabinet lights to come on reliably? How do I get my fluorescent 4-tube under-cabinet lights to come on reliably?

When they have been on a while and just been turned off they will reliably come on again immediately with no flicker.  When they have been off for a while, they will not come on reliably.  I plug and unplug repeatedly and will sometimes get a flash of light, sometimes not.  Finally one of the times I replug, the lights will all suddenly come on with no flicker. Once on they stay on fine.

This has gradually gotten worse so that now often I cannot get them to come on at all. These were working fine and have not been disturbed except that the power went off when they were on.  They never come on when I leave them plugged in -- only when just plugged in. Other things work fine in that outlet and the same problem occurs if I plug the lights into other outlets.  I have replaced the plug, cutting off the last bit of wire coming into the plug. These are at room temperature (70-71 degrees.) This is an expensive unit with wood ends that match the cabinets so I would prefer not to replace the unit.

This is urgent as it is the sole lighting for indoor bonsai trees which are starting to lose leaves from lack of this light.  (I've tried moving them elsewhere temporarily but they are valuable and very sensitive and need their watering recalibrated for the temporary location's conditions and meanwhile they are declining.  I want to put them back in their permanent location as soon as I can.)

It sounds like you may need to replace the ballast.  They do age and eventually do need to be replaced, though not nearly as frequently as the tubes themselves.


30amp power cord to 20amp breaker? I am converting a cargo trailer into a camping trailer, including wiring it to have power from and RV hookup.  The most common RV hookup is a 30amp.  Since i don't really need the 30amp power, my plan is to run the 30amp power cord to a load center with a couple 20amp breakers, then run 12/2 wire to 20amp receptacles and light switches.

Does that sound correct?  Am i missing something that would make this setup dangerous in any way?

I don’t know if you ever got a proper answer.
Yes putting 2 20 amp breakers on a 30 amp service is fine. You will trip the 30 amp main if you draw more than 30 for any length of time.
We over subscribe breaker panels all the time you should plan on your peak load being 80% by code but you can have more total breakers than the service rating.


What type of insulation has the highest R value per inch? I am trying to find the best insulation for my apartment. The limitation is that space between the drywall and the ceiling is 1/2". I live on the top floor of my building.

Last time I checked, polyisocyanurate has the best insulation value per inch (R-6.5) of all the conventional building insulation products, and it is available in 1/2" sheets.


Dimmer with ungrounded box I have a new Legrand dimmer switch. It has a connection for a ground.
However the box it needs to go into appears not to be grounded.
The dimmer is model LSCL453P.  The load is an LED light about 30 watts.  This is not in an office (not bathroom or kitchen).  The switch cover is plastic.
The voltage between the two wires is about 100V AC. The voltage between one wire (left in the picture) and the box is about 50V AC. The voltage between the other wire and the box is about 40V AC.

Is it going to work ok if I just connect the two wires?
Is that going to be any less safe than the alternative of just putting back the old on-off switch?

Edit:  Some more investigating, it seems that the box is at about 40 volts AC relative to ground.  So the basic premise of the question ( that the box is not grounded) is correct, but not in the way I assumed (i.e. that the box is not electrically connected to anything else in the world).  I fear this has gone beyond a DIY project and calls for on site help from a qualified electrician.
Another edit. Putting an ammeter between the box and a trusted ground gives 0.2mA at about 40V.   Resistance between the box and a trusted ground is very high. So I'm fairly sure the 40V is a parasitic voltage caused by capacitative coupling (and maybe some inductive coupling too) between the BX armour and the hot wire running through it. Likewise, past a certain point everything else on that circuit that should be grounded isn't. So now I'm back to where I started. The box simply isn't grounded. The lesson for me is to check both the voltage and amperage against a trusted ground.  Just for safety's sake, not to mention getting the dimmer to work, I'm going to ensure that everything that should be grounded is.

If it's there, the switch will pick up ground via its mounting screws.
The rule of grounding is if there's a metal  box, the wiring must ground to the box as its first priority. Ground to the box first, only then have pigtail grounds to receps and switches if they're needed (which they're not on switches; certain receps need that).
Keep in mind, some modern dimmers require a ground to perform properly.  They have gotten permission from UL to use ground as a current return, because their device inherently will be leaking too little current to possibly matter, and has internal safeguards so no foreseeable damage or failure will cause more.  The upshot is that if ground is no good, the device might not function.
I agree that it looks like metal conduit or possibly AC cable, which provides a ground path to the box. (and again the rule is "must ground the box first").


Must I remove asbestos from my heating vents? I've got an old house with some asbestos tape on the heating vents, and some old floor tiles which are asbestos suspects as well; duct cleaning firms won't do cleaning on the vents with the tape present. Do I really need to call in the space suit guys to get rid of it? If I just cover it with new foil tape, will that encapsulate it safely?  Should I just rip it off myself?

It's not really that serious in most cases. In tile or siding, it isn't a hazard unless it is broken down, generating dust that you are breathing. Even then, a lot of tile is like 1% asbestos. If you can get it up without breaking it too much, you're basically fine.

Pipe insulation that is soft is more of a problem. You can probably do it yourself if it's a small amount. It may very well be illegal though. Get a respirator like this http://www.amazon.com/MSA-Safety-Works-817664-Respirator/dp/B0009XW3ZS, take a heavy plastic bag, tape it around the insulation so it's mostly sealed, and then spray it down with water so it's saturated and won't generate dust. Then remove it, dousing with water as needed. Seal it up in the bag and dispose of it lawfully.

I was an asbestos abatement hygienist for 3 summers, and I took airborne fiber readings of thousands of hours of removal being done. Although negative air containment systems were in place on those jobs, I had probably 10 concerning readings out of thousands.

Asbestos is like smoking cigarettes in my opinion. One day isn't going to hurt you. Every day for 5 years will hurt you.


Is my detached garage ceiling capable of handling the load of drywall and insulation? I'm looking to drywall and insulate my detached 3 car garage that measures 40' x 25'. The ceiling joists are 4' OC and I've realized thay may be a problem.
The previous owner contracted a garage contruction company to build this detached garage in May of 2000. I've recently been researching and have figured out that I will definitely need to add strapping or some way to ensure that the drywall won't sag.
Main question is: Is this construction capable of bearing the weight of the drywall and insulation?

No, you would need to reframe the ceiling with timbers that are continuous and rated to bear the load of a ceiling, rather than simple rafter ties.
Timbers that are butted together like that are in tension - their job is to stop the roof from spreading outwards. Adding the weight of quite a significant amount of drywall underneath would make them sag potentially dangerously.
Here's a relevant example of U.S. building code:

Ceiling joists shall be continuous or securely joined where they meet over interior partitions and fastened to adjacent rafters in accordance with Tables 2308.10.4.1 and 2304.9.1 to provide a continuous rafter tie across the building where such joists are parallel to the rafters. Ceiling joists shall have a bearing surface of not less than 11/2 inches (38 mm) on the top plate at each end.

Because the secure join in this case is not over an interior partition, they are not to code as ceiling joists.
The walls also look like they might be too thin to support the weight of all the additional joisting and the ceiling itself too, although it's hard to tell that from the photos (they're probably fine, but do check).
Alternative ceiling options
As you shouldn't use those rafter ties as load bearers, here's some options for how the ceiling can potentially work instead:

A warm roof:

Warm roofs have the insulation either above (ideal) or between the rafters. It's really (really) important that there is no air gap between the insulation and the outside roof deck, and that you control moisture with an effective continuous moisture barrier. This type of roof is beneficial here though as the weight is directed down through the walls, rather than on the rafter ties. This would mean you end up with an open roof space (i.e. your existing rafter ties would be visible).

A suspended ceiling

A ceiling suspended from the rafters (not the rafter ties) would also direct its weight through the rafters and down the walls. Plenty of decorative options with these, but given their common usage in office buildings have a certain feel attached to them which isn't for everybody.

Insert additional joists

Use additional lightweight continuous joists (such as engineered I-joists) and only attach the ceiling to them if at all possible. Keeping the weight down, using metal or PVC ceiling boards would still allow for insulation above.


How to install a flush ceiling light with a poorly placed hole I just removed a very old and broken florescent lighting fixture and was hoping to replace it with a flush LED fixture. This is what I found after I removed the old lighting:

As you can see, the hole landed right on a floor joist at an intersection. I am fairly new to electrical work and have not encountered a fixture without an electrical box. What is the recommend way of handling this? Should I put a box on the side of the joist and then find an alternate way of mounting the light?

EDIT:

Just wanted to share the solution I used given below as the correct answer. A shallow pan box. Not sure if this is ceiling fan safe or not, but I am just putting up a light, so I think this will work good. 4 holes were provided, but I believe just to make it easier to hit the joist. I would have used all 4 for extra weight, but hit a nail.

IMHO, (but that's opinion, and everybody has one...) the quick and easy fix for this half-fast (not up to code) job is to mount a round box in the hole and use a fixture or trim ring that hides the protruding box. And then look at the rest of the wiring, becasue it's probably not the only code violation.

Otherwise, for a better fix, patch the hole and put a new hole in a better place, then have fun matching the ceiling texture job - not that it's impossible, just that it's one of those things that's out of most people's comfort zone, but really you should actually have fun with it. Play with mud until you can make that sort of pattern and have at it. Don't be afraid to make a big hole to work in - if you're patching 4 inches of textured drywall, 4 square feet is barely a blip more effort, and it gives you the opportunity to use "new work" rather than "old work" fixtures/boxes.


Want to build a trap door in the guest bedroom for easier furnace access I own an 80 year old house. The furnace is located about 40 feet from the crawl space access through some very tight fits. Changing the filter is a very uncomfortable 30 minutes.

What do I have to worry about if I install a trap door in the floor of my guest bedroom for easier access? I assume there's some structural integrity issues I need to keep in mind? The floor is hardwood.

I agree with @ecnerwal about planning for the future.

If that's too big a plan, and as an alternative to cutting a whole new access hatch, you might just do some light excavating between your access and the filter to turn 30 minutes of misery into 10 minutes of misery. If your dirt is horrible clay, rent a light jackhammer with a shovel attachment.

Having said that, if you still want a hole in your guest bedroom floor, the closet is an ideal place for it, but of course your floor joists might not cooperate.

Wherever you end up putting the hatch, the basic plan would look like this to me:

figure out if you have enough space between the joists to make a reasonable hatch. 24" would be the minimum I'd consider. If your floor joists are on 16" centers, you'll have to put headers (doubles of whatever the floor joists are) at each end of the hole and cut out the middle joist. (If you google, "headers for skylight", you'll get good images of what I'm on about.)
drill holes from below in opposite corners, close to the inside of the joists as you can, to mark 2 of your corners. Then, from above, drill the other 2 corners of the rectangle perpendicular/parallel to the flooring. Hopefully, these holes make a rectangle that's also approximately perpendicular/parallel to your joists. The underlying idea is that you really want your hole to be as close to the joists as possible without going over the joists themselves. If you need to cheat, make the hole smaller and still cut parallel to the finish floor. You'll need to add extra support later, but that's not a big deal.
make a note of the thickness of your finish floor and subfloor combined.
mark the rectangle 1/2" smaller on each side from the drill holes. (Masking tape and a marker might make the line easier to see.)
assuming you're competent plunge cutting with a circular saw, set the depth of cut to just a hair deeper than your combined floor thickness and go ahead and cut. Don't let the saw kerf go past the confines of the rectangle. (Don't use your favorite circular saw blade -- you'll probably hit nails. Which reminds me to mention eye/ear protection.)
finish the corners with a jigsaw, reciprocating saw, or oscillating tool.
if the subfloor of the bit you've cut out is in good condition, it can stay. Otherwise, get some 3/4" plywood and cut it a bit smaller than the hole. Either way, attach the hardwood by screwing through from the underside.
if you have joists on 16" centers, now is the time to cut the middle joist and install headers. Cut the middle joist 1-1/2" back from the edge of the hole so that the headers will be half in and half out with respect to the sides of the hole. (Reciprocating saw would be the weapon of choice for this, as you'll be able to cut the joist almost all the way without too much damage to the subfloor. Jigsaw would be next best, but that would involve some chisel work.) Hopefully the existing floor joists are between flush and 3/4" of the sides of the hole.
if needed, headers should be double thickness of whatever the existing floor joist is. If your joists are actual 8", then doubled 2x8s are close enough. Don't make the headers much smaller, though. Use double joist hangers (4 in total) to connect the headers to the existing joists. Use a single joist hanger (2 in total) to connect the old joist to the back of the headers.
now you need to add material for the hatch cover to sit on. 2x4s can run down the length of the old joists. Make them flush with the top of your joist. 4 or 5 3" screws per side seems about right. If you're re-using your subfloor, the height will be perfect. If you substituted some ply, then you'll have to shim on top to get the floor level right. If there's not at least 3/4" of the hatch cover bearing on this support, add another layer.
for the hatch cover support that is perpendicular to the joists, either your new header will do or you'll run a 2x4 on the flat, half in and half out of the hole. Attach it well to the joists at both ends and screw up into the subfloor. (But don't expect the subfloor screws to be very good.) This might need shimming like the others.
add a handle of some description to your hatch. Commercial ones exist, though a very basic one is to drop a long (6-8") timber bolt (distinct from a carriage bolt in that there's no square section under the head) through a slightly oversized hole. Put a nut right at the end and you'll have a bolt that usually falls down into the hole and can be picked up when needed.
add trim around the hatch cover (like a thin door casing), throw it on the hole and you're done.

Whew! After all that, I'm guessing that a bit of digging sounds pretty good. Don't hesitate to comment if anything needs clarification.


Is it permissible to install a low-voltage fixture over an existing ceiling box? I inherited an installation of several wired AC smoke detectors. They're three-wire units (AC hot/neutral, plus an interconnect wire). At some point a previous installer removed one of the detectors, kept the wires in the ceiling box joined to prevent interruption to the other detectors, and replaced the unit with a 2-wire 12 VDC smoke detector monitored by an alarm panel:

The wires inside the ceiling box are live. The 12V wire goes around the outside of the box directly into the attic -- the DC and AC lines aren't technically in the same box. However they are in front of each other, and I'm not sure if they're too close.

Per the NEC, is there any violation here? The safest thing I can think to do is put a round cover over the box, move the 12 VDC wire a foot or two over, and install the detector in its own separate spot.

You're overthinking it

All you need here is some insulating means to separate the 120V circuit from the 12V circuit -- while they don't make box barriers in the configuration you're after, a non-metallic cover plate of the appropriate size will do just as well provided you can route the cable around it.  You'll need to use slightly longer screws than what came in the box, though, as you'll have to mount the smoke detector base through the cover plate holes and into the box mounting holes.


Diagnosing doorbell transformer If my multimeter consistently reads 19.9 to 20 volts ac when testing outbound current on a 16V doorbell transformer, is that too much voltage? The reading at the switch-button (with switch removed) is the same.  The wires at the switch-button had been shorted together when we weren't home, and we returned to an electrical odor originating we think in the area where chime is located.  I am trying to determine where the damage is in the circuit. If 20 volts is within the norm on the transformer then probably my chime is broken. If 20 volts is too much, then my transformer probably needs replacing.

Replace the chime, the coil is toast from the shorted wires when you weren’t home.

Open circuit voltage with the circuit at rest being 19-20 is nothing to worry about.   (a doorbell is a momentary load device, the circuit is at rest 99.99% of the time.  I avoided other terms like "open" and "closed" to describe the circut but based on your comment still confused.)


switching half an outlet gregmac's terrific, detailed replies here prompt a question for me. I have a switch mid-circuit that will control half of the next outlet downstream. There is one more outlet after that one, and it's the terminus of the circuit. After I've added the 3-wire romex between the switch and the second-to-last outlet, can I go back to 2-wire from that outlet to the last one?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

Yes! I do that all the time. I use my own "standard" conventions:

Use the red wire for the "switched hot", black for "always hot".
Make it the top half of the receptacle that is switched.
Mark the switched half of the receptacle with a dot or something, to show it is switched.


How to extend existing circuit 5 ft I would like to use my garage lighting circuit for my garage door opener but I need to extend it 5 feet.

The lighting circuit is 14/2 wire but I have 12/2 wire.

Should I buy a 6 foot piece of 14/2 wire or could I use the 12/2 wire for that length?

You can use #12 to extend a 15-A circuit wired with #14.


French Drain with rubber mulch? I've got a soggy sideyard, which is more or less a textbook example of where you would build a french drain.

My issue is this: thanks to the way the yard / house / street / etc are all arranged, getting a sufficient amount of 1/4" rock into the back would be a heck of a project.

So, a  thought occurs: there's that rubber mulch stuff, which is made of rubber blobs of about the right size, costs about the same, and it's light enough that I could get all I need into the back in an afternoon by myself.

Has anyone ever tried using rubber mulch instead of rocks?  Did it work?  Should I just suck it up and go with rock?

I assume you are talking about this.

I have seen this product used twice before in this type of application.I have never used it in a french drain, however, I packed some into the end of a downspout so the water wouldn't drill a hole into the ground.

I have also seen it used as a substitute for rock in a drainage ditch along the outside wall of a house. Months later they wound that the rubber was compacting under its own weight and the weight of the dirt above it and began to lose its functionality and actually prevented water from leaving the area. The surface area is too great along lateral edges,(it lays flat) so it begins to clog up.

I assume that your question steams from worrying about the difference between rock and rubber. In your case I would NOT use the rubber because the rubber mulch could settle in the drain and block up the pipe, especially if the mulch is longer than it is wider. I'd use rock. It won't bend or flex, plus it's proven.


Why does this sink gurgle? This is the drain and vent for a pair of kitchen sinks, one directly above the other (2 separate apartments). (The larger pipe to the far right is a roof drain that doesn't join until underground.) Under some unknown set of circumstances, the lower sink gurgles loudly. (The upstairs unit does have a retrofitted dishwasher.)

How should I go about troubleshooting? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

I think the most likely cause is that waste water from the upper sink is being forced up into the vent pipe for the lower sink.

The water descends without much restriction for about nine feet and accumulates enough kinetic energy to escape its intended path through the junction of the two drains. Some of it splashes into the lower drain and some into the vent pipe. This pushes air in through the lower sink p-trap, and then, when the flood abates and the water flows back out of the lower drain and vent, it pulls air out through the lower sink p-trap.

The root cause of all this is that the join between the two sink drains is much too close to the lower sink. See the left half of the diagram below:

You can eliminate the problem by repositioning the join between the drains to a lower location. See the right half of the diagram for one way to do this.

If you decide not to change the drains because it's a lot of trouble just to get rid of an annoying gurgling, you have my sympathy. Just run some water in the lower sink after each time it gurgles, to make sure the p-trap is filled.

However -- if you are smelling sewer gas in the lower apartment, then you must call in a professional plumber to change the drains.


Strange Wire in Bathroom Wiring I was recently working on some wiring in my bathroom, and I noticed a 3rd load wire that I couldn't quite explain.

There were 4 Black Wires coming in (with 4 corresponding White Neutral wires). One of the Black wires was for the light, one was for the fan, one was the source (hot) wire, and there was a 4th one that I couldn't figure out.

What was really weird, is that the 4th wire seemed to be hooked directly to the source/hot wire. The entire setup was like this:

Switch 1 toggled fan
Switch 2 toggled light

Black/Hot/Middle -------> Top of switch 1 via Screw (middle of the wire was stripped, wrapped around screw and continued to switch 2)
Black/Mystery/End ------> Top of switch 1 via Insert
Black/Fan/End ----------> Bottom of switch 1 via Insert
Black/Hot/End ----------> Top of switch 2 via Insert
Black/Light/End --------> Bottom of switch 2 via Insert

If that list doesn't make sense, I can try and make a better diagram. Really I'm just trying to figure out what that last black wire was for, and why it was directly wired to the source line.

Thanks for any help/advice!

This is an onward feed to some other stuff somewhere else in the house

While in the US, bathroom receptacles need to be on a dedicated bathroom receptacle circuit (that can feed any number of bathrooms), with the exception that you can feed both receptacles and lights for a bathroom off a circuit that services only that bathroom, there is no such requirement generally for bathroom lighting.  In other words, once the dedicated bathroom receptacle circuit is provided, the bathroom lights can be on a general lighting branch circuit. So, you'll want to put that "mystery" wire back with the incoming always-hot feed, lest you wind up inadvertently disabling some lights or outlets somewhere else in the house.


2000 Hotsprings Sovereign Will not heat My 2000 Hotsprings Sovereign will not heat at all.

Work Performed:

Installed all new filters.
Installed new 1.5kw/6kw replacement heater.
Unhooked all hoses to make sure of no air locks.
Circulation pump working properly with great flow coming from outlet in bottom of spa.
Jet pump works great.

Further troubleshooting performed:

Unhooked the heater from relay box and have 240 volts across both connections.
Check ohms on heater with a reading of 10.4 ohms. Heater checks OK.
Unhooked both thermistors with power off and T-Stat thermistor reads 9.9k Ohms and the Hi-limit thermistor reads 8.6K ohms.

I saw where ohms on thermistors should be around 10K. Higher if colder and lower if hotter. Ambient temp here today was 76 deg.

The Lowest digital reading on control panel is 80 deg. If I leave it at 80 the green light comes on "READY". When I turn it to 81 deg or higher, the light goes out. (it won't heat at all).

Any ideas?

I'm copying the OP's comment which described the resolution as an answer:

I looked at everything and saw one of the jumpers on the relay box
that feeds the heater wire was a little loose and had some burnt
plastic on the wire connector so I made a new jumper with new
connectors with proper gauge wire and VIOLA the heater is working.
Unbelievable that's all it was hopefully. It was hidden and hard see
with it being so close to the other jumpers. I did order new
thermistors because they are cheap and have never been replaced since
new in 2000.
Donnie Sharpless Sep 14 '17 at 22:19


How do I clean sealant/silicone from a glass mirror? I did a poor job of applying silicone sealant to the seam between a glass mirror and the splash back below it. I need to clean-up the smears that I got onto the mirror and the splash-back. How do I do this?

Wait until it dries and use a razor blade to scrape it off.


Source of periodic buzzing noise in the walls Just moved in to a new place and I've noticed during the quiet of the night when trying to sleep that there is this periodic electrical sounding buzz, sort of like the hum of my subwoofer if I leave it on with no audio input.

I've timed its frequency, and the sound persists for 1 min 25 seconds every time, and then switches off for about 1 min 15 seconds.

It isn't only at night either; it's just that noises of the day usually drown it out. It seems to persist all day.

Anyone had experience with something like this and could help me identify the source? I can't quite locate the exact source of it, but it sounds like it may be coming from the place above me.

Thanks!

My only experience with unknown buzzing sounds was when a tenant complained of similar sounds. Upon investigating I discovered a honey bee colony had made a nest inside the board and batten wall. I was fortunate enough to find an apiarist (bee keeper) that relocated the bees to his orchard for free.


How can I run a new sub-panel directly from the meter base? Large house with attached garage.  Overhead wires come to meter located at rear of garage....then running along-side 2 sides of house at great distance electrical & cable runs through an underground conduit to ultimately arrive at its final underground point to enter full basement & large main electrical panel.

We want to add a couple electrical appliances to studio located above garage...a great distance from main panel. Therefore, we want to know/confirm whether we need a particular electrical part to safely create a new service directly off meter box, coming into rear of garage, to then create a small sub-panel to service some new/additional electrical needs directly above garage in finished studio.  We thought this would be easier than running new home runs all the way back to main panel in basement on opposite end of residential structure.

Please advise how we might do that & any other helpful info & guidance.  Thank You!

By modern code in the US you will need a disconnect outside, then both panels could be fed from that. Putting the disconnect close to the meter would be the easiest way and a disconnect that has or can accommodate double lugs to feed the other panel.


Should the support structure for a kitchen island be built on top of tiles? I'm currently remodeling my kitchen, and I'm going to have a 9'x40" granite island in the new kitchen.  There will be only two 33" wide base cabinets under the granite top, one on each end.  The two base cabinets definitely will not have enough strength to hold the heavy weight of the granite top.

My contractor is going to build a support structure to support the weight of the 108"x40" granite top.  He laid a cement board on top of the subfloor in the kitchen, then tiled (porcelain) the entire kitchen.  He is planning to build the support structure on top of the tiles, but I'm not sure this is the right method.

Is building the support structure for the granite on top of the tiles the proper way to do the job, or should the support structure be built on top of the subfloor, or the cement board?

No.
The tile beneath the pony wall should be removed.

One of the things that a thinset and tile underlayment do is decouple the tile from the subfloor beneath it. By contrast, you explicitly want the pony wall supporting the slab to be coupled to the subfloor.

Then the pony wall should be secured both to the subfloor and the cabinets against it.

The sub-counter (I recommend using MDF) should then be a single piece attached directly to the cabinets and the pony wall.


Help identifying thermostatic mixer (shower temperature control) I have the following valve in my shower.

I thought it was a Grohe, but after contacting their support - it seems it is not.

There is something wrong with the valve, not letting us decrease the temperature.

I need to disassemble the unit to find the problem. However, I can't figure out how to get the thing apart. Many units have a small allen key on the underside, this one does not. It was purchased in 2002, in Canada.

I have already tried removing the wall plate, but it was blocked by the knob for complete removal, and clearly the knob needs to come off in some way.

If someone can identify the unit, that would help me find the manual.
Alternatively general advice on disassembling these types of things.

After shutting off the water, try adjusting the knob to the open position to see if there's a hidden screw.  Otherwise, there may be a cap that just pops off with the right pressure and often with the careful use of a blade (I usually try with a putty knife first before moving down to sharper tools).


Two 20 amps GFCI outlets used for kitchen back splash Is this properly connected or need to be changed?
Note: Bare ground wire connected to both A and B metal boxes and to green screws on outlets A and B

Wired used from main Panel to both A and B outlet is 12awg/3 with ground, Red, Black, white and bare ground.

From main panel to 1st Outlet A, cut the red wire in the box and connected the end side of the wire from main panel side to Brass screw on line side of outlet, the other end of the red wire capped and taped inside box, the remaining red wire between box A and box B is now (Dead wire.)
White wire cut in box A and connected one end on the silver screw line side of outlet and the other end connected in the hole behind outlet on same line side, (Instead of Pig Tail wire) Is this good not to use pig tail this wire section continues to outlet B and connected on silver screw on line side and now the Black wire connected on brass screw line side and the red end wire also capped and taped in Box B.
In Main Panel I used a Double 20A pole breaker.
On the outlets the LOAD side screws did not use them at all.
Thank you.

If your wiring looks like this.

Then it's basically right.  The only thing I'd change, is to use a pigtail for the neutral, instead of the backstab on the receptacle. In fact, this is required by code (300.13(B)).
Depending on the devices you're using, the backstab terminals may only be rated for use with 14 AWG wire.  In which case, the 12 AWG you're using is too big anyway.

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 3 Wiring Methods
Article 300 General Requirements for Wiring Methods and Materials
300.13 Mechanical and Electrical Continuity — Conductors.
(B) Device Removal. In multiwire branch circuits, the
continuity of a grounded conductor shall not depend on
device connections such as lampholders, receptacles, and
so forth, where the removal of such devices would interrupt
the continuity.


Best way to seal a funky gap on shower door frame I am trying to fix a gap at the shower door frame which I think resutled from previous owner's improper installation/sealing.

As you can see, there is this little gap at the shower door frame. That orange stick was from the hole, part of the unsuccessful sealing attempt from the previous owner, I believe.

The gap is in a very hard to access spot and direct sealing would't fully fill it up. I am wondering if I could apply some waterproof sealing foams on it?

Would these products be the right one I am looking for? Are they waterproof enough to apply on shower door gaps, or it's just general waterproof that can't really be used in shower door frame.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Loctite-12-fl-oz-Tite-Foam-Insulating-Foam-2045981/206310510

http://www.premierbuildingsolutions.net/product/xtrafoam-minimal-expanding-foam-sealant/

Gap doesn't look that big. I would use silicone caulk.


How can I remove a tub spout with a stripped hex bolt/machine screw? I have a slip on tub spout with a stripped hex nut. I need to remove it but I don't think it is wise to use the traditional method (drill into the bolt, hammer in an extractor,etc) put the space is very small.

So, I think the best method is to use snips and cut off the spout, then cut off the plastic seal assembly to remove the hex bolt with a pliers or something.

thoughts? alternatives?

Assuming the inside of the hex nut is stripped so that the allen wrench turns within the nut...

Get a spare allen wrench and a replacement set screw and a small tube of epoxy glue.  Dab the glue on the end of the wrench and insert it into the nut.  Hold in place while the glue sets.  Unscrew the nut.

Discard the now fused nut/wrench combo and replace with new set screw using new allen wrench.


Juicer's food pusher's bottom just sliced off, now it's an empty cylinder I want to fix it because I can't source another one right now - it's Breville JE-95. Anyway, I thought I'd get crafty and try to fix it, doing some plastic welding or gluing of a piece of plastic. I'd trace the shape from the bottom of the pusher, cut it out with a Dremel and combine the 2.

How would I go about the welding and what type of glue would be food-safe enough to be using for this purpose?

If buying the new one is not a viable option for you, then without knowing the exact type of plastic used in the old one, the only "food safe" multi-purpose adhesives will be either a silicone seal type, which is soft and flexible, so may not work under force, or a two part epoxy type hard bond material. That will take longer to cure, but will likely do the job and is what I would recommend.

This is just an example, not an endorsement, although Permabond is a well known company with a decent reputation.
https://www.permabond.com/2015/03/02/food-grade-adhesives-permabond/

It's worth noting however that the likelihood of your finding the Food Safe versions in a local hardware store are low, and the cost is going to be roughly the same as buying the new pusher on-line. So were it me, I would just replace it.


White fiberglass looking material inside fireplace - what is it? I can see this white fiberglass looking material between the top of the aluminum hood inside the fireplace and surrounding metal. Is it dangerous? I am thinking asbestos, or is this fairly normal to put fiberglass in the fireplace like this?

There are many non-asbestos high-temperature fiber insulations (Kaowool, Superwool, rockwool, etc.) - but as with all asbestos questions, you can't tell by looking, so send a sample to a lab if it's of an age where asbestos is possible.
Fiberglass won't take the heat, so it's not that.


How to deal with lath and plaster over top plate of partition wall? I'm renovating a bathroom, and there was lath and plaster on one wall and in the ceiling, which I have ripped out. The problem is that the room was not originally a bathroom, but a bigger room that had been partitioned to form a bathroom and a hallway. The partition wall was put in without removing the lath and plaster underneath it (see pictures). In order to get rid of all the lath and plaster, I would have to dismantle the wall... which would mean renovating 2 rooms - bathroom AND hallway, which I want to avoid doing.

I plan to re-do the walls in the bathroom with mold resistant drywall. So how would I do this? I'm guessing that I should cut (with a recip saw?) the lath as close the partition wall as possible, then add furring strips to the studs and ceiling joists to push the drywall past the level of the lath and plaster. But this is only guesswork.

Any help appreciated.

Like you're guessing, I would cut the lath as close to the partition wall as possible, then put furring strips [if necessary, see comments below] and drywall over it.

To cut the lath, I wouldn't use a reciprocating saw except maybe with a very fine-toothed blade.  Cutting those lathing strips with a reciprocating action is going to flex them back and forth.  That vibration may propagate into the other room, causing the lath to pull away from the plaster from above.  The result would be cracks in the wall/ceiling or falling plaster.

Instead, I would use a circular saw.  Or maybe a circular saw attachment to an angle grinder if you can't hold your regular circular saw up in the air or against the ceiling lath.


What is the difference between a framing hammer and a claw hammer? What is the difference between a framing hammer and a claw hammer? Can they be used interchangeably?

As others have said, a framing hammer is a specialty claw hammer.

So what makes it different?  First, weight.  A framing hammer is typically 20-32 oz, compared with 10-16 oz for a "normal" household claw hammer.  That helps it pound large nails in only a few blows.  Related to that is the much longer handle on a framing hammer.

Second is the face of the head: it's waffled to prevent slipping off the nail head, helping prevent bent nails.  A regular claw hammer will sometimes have a textured face but not nearly as pronounced, and the face may also be smooth.  A regular claw hammer often also has a domed face to allow a skilled hand to sink a nail below the surface with minimal surface damage: that's a feature you won't see on a framing hammer.

Third, the claw is straight since it is optimized for prying boards apart.  A regular claw hammer is optimized for pulling nails.

If you're only building a garage, I'd recommend using your regular hammer rather than buying a framing hammer. (Or best of all, just go rent a nail gun!).  For inexperienced carpenters, the time spent hammering will probably not be what slows you down.  Also, the framing hammer is tiring enough that after a couple hours you may actually be faster with a smaller, regular claw hammer.

If you do get a framing hammer I recommend a lighter one.  You'll work faster when you use it, you won't lose much power over a heavier hammer, and you'll feel much better on the second day.  In 2010 if you hammer enough that a 32oz hammer makes a difference versus a 24oz hammer, you have a nail gun anyhow.


Wood treated with copper green for a vegetable garden I am planning to build an outdoor planter box to grow vegetables.  If I treat the redwood with Copper Green will the vegetables be safe to eat?

No. Here's the msds sheet: MSDS

Among other things, the sheet says:

  Product Restrictions:
  Do not use on any material other than wood. Should not be applied to food or feed surfaces. FOR EXTERIOR USE ONLY (See approved label on product)
  Wood treated with Copper Naphthenate must not be used in construction of beehives.


Access for Shut-Off Valve I am installing a mainline for a residential lawn irrigation system.  I laboriously dug down to the pipe leading to a yard hydrant, three feet deep.  I installed a tee, and on the branch from the tee I installed a PVC ball valve and drain.
To winterize the system I will close the ball valve and purge the pipe downstream  but I will need a way to access this valve from the ground surface.  I propose a three foot length of six inch diameter DWV pipe.
Is this what is commonly done?  (My arm is only so long) should I have used an expensive curb key valve?
Should I use ABS or PVC or whatever I can find?  How should I cap this off?

I decided to install an A.Y. McDonald 6001 series brass stop and waste valve (for example, on Amazon, ASIN B003MXYJOU).  Such units are much more expensive than a common valve, and I was hoping to avoid that expense. However situations like mine are just what they're designed for.
Reading other answers on the site, it is best to prioritize quality and reliability when making plumbing repairs in difficult to access locations.


100 volts measured in fuse socket! Just endured hurricane Irma here in S. FL. FPL finally turned the power on (and off a couple times) after days of outage. Now, one section of my kitchen is out while rest of house is on! checked the associated fuse socket (Yes, I have old fashion fuse box) with multimeter and it's showing 100 V. Checked a couple others and sure enough, they show 120. I assume 100v is not enough to run my fridge and microwave as those are the key appliances that are off. The lights on that fuse are also completely OFF. Any help would be appreciated.

One of your service lines might be low.

Do your incoming lines have correct power (be careful with an open panel)?

Your incoming service line consists of 3 wires - 120V, Neutral, and 120V - you might have 120V on one of those incoming lines and 100V on the other.

Verify this information and if it is low on the incoming line - contact your power company and let them know the line voltage for that line is LOW. As the Hurricane has been there -  there could be several reasons for this - one of which is your transformer - but more likely they have to restore proper power to your power pole/transformer.

EDIT 9-16-2017

Adding info here instead of in comments.

If incoming power is good. Your wiring to the socket could be loose or the socket can be bad. In either case I would replace the socket as loose wires became loose for a reason.

Cut off the main power coming in and replace the socket. The price of a fuse 'socket' is cheap insurance against any potential issues including electrical fire.


How to wire my ceiling fan remote with top and bottom lights There is a black, white and bare wire coming from the ceiling. I have a black and a white wire from one side of the receiver and a black, white, blue, red wire coming out of the other side of the receiver. There is a black, white, blue, red and green wires coming out of the fan. Nothing works.

First, you closely examine the junction box to determine if the box is fan-rated.  If it is not fan-rated, the weight and vibration will tear it out of the ceiling, and you'll have a heavy, spinning fan drop in a guest/kid/mother in law.

Second, all the grounds go together.  Grounds are green, green/yellow, or bare.  Do ground first, always.

Next, all the neutrals go together.   Neutrals are white or gray in this installation.

Next, you connect the fan control module to the fan as instructed by the instructions.  We can't give you further guidance here; the instructions to the controller and fan tell you what to do.

At this point you will have a black wire left from the fan controller.  You will also have a black wire left from the ceiling.  These go together.


Do I need a vapor barrier for seasonal cottages We have seasonal cottages in Parry Sound. We were wondering if there is a by-law stating that we are required to insulate and vapor barrier all exterior walls?

I would think you would want a vapor barrier, laws or not. A vapor barrier helps keep moisture out of your structure

  A vapor barrier or vapor diffusion retarder is a material that reduces the rate at which water vapor can move through a material. The older term "vapor barrier" is still used even though "vapor diffusion retarder" is more accurate.

This is why it's very difficult to find unfaced rolls of fiberglass for walls. The kraft paper acts as your vapor barrier. If you don't have one, humid air can get into your structure much more easily, where it can then condense. This might not cause water damage, but it can cause the growth of mold, which can make you very sick. Since it seems that Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada is listed as being a humid area, you really need a vapor barrier.

If the main issue is wondering if you have to insulate, that's a different ball of wax. Assuming these are summer structures that are unused in the winter, you might be able to get away with that. Depends a lot on your local codes. If you don't have to insulate, you can probably get away with just using plastic sheeting. 6 mil plastic is sturdy enough to withstand construction, and you should be able to find some pretty easily (here's a good example on Amazon, and it adds termite resistance too). Just put it between your wall and the outside sheeting you're putting up. But I wouldn't skip the vapor barrier, or you'll regret it for sure, especially on a seasonal use cabin where the air is stagnant for long periods.


Is it worth replacing globe valve with ball valve for my main shutoff? I live in a small two story house (row home) with water service entering through the basement.  The bathroom is on the second floor.  Whoever did the  main service line used 1/2 inch copper instead of the propper 3/4 inch, so I don't have ideal pressure. Moreover, the main shutoff valve is a globe valve, which I understand limits flow.  After the valve, the rest of the main line is 3/4 inch pipe.

I don't have a water pressure problem when only one fixture is running, but the pressure drop is noticable when a second fixture is turned on.

Would it be worth it if I replaced the globe valve with a ball valve?  How much difference should I expect in pressure just by replacing the valve?

YES!   I came across a 10:1 flow rate differential between 3/4 ball (25 GPM) and 1/2 globe (2.2 GPM)  There's almost a 50% reduction, just going from 3/4 pipe to 1/2 pipe (I inferred the pipe size flow differential by comparing 1/2" and 3/4" ball valves of the same type here).  Table 2 here Compares 2" ball at 228 and a globe at 44 for a ratio of 5:1, then add in pipe diameter and 10:1 seems reasonable.

Be sure they put in a full port ball valve in bronze with drain (on house side).
Full port has the least flow restriction.  Bronze is safe for potable water, the drain is for future repairs to drain the lines.


Laminate flooring in basement We are planning to lay laminate flooring in our basement and are wondering is there is anything we could lay down first for some warm< or should we put anything down? thanks Joan

Two major considerations for basement flooring are moisture and comfort. Moisture is the primary consideration -- concrete floors are cool and porous and will permit moisture to infiltrate from underneath and condense from above. Obviously, you'll want to keep standing moisture away from wooden floors to prevent damage. There are various methods of doing this, including simple plastic sheeting, rigid foam insulation + 1-2 layers of plywood subfloor, or products using a waterproof dimpled surface to lift the flooring off of the concrete and allowing it to breathe.

The insulation + plywood method would certainly add quite a bit of insulation (+ softness) to the floor. I can speak from experience that having laminate flooring directly on concrete (with or without a water/vapor barrier) does nothing for comfort -- the laminate itself has little R-value and the concrete floor acts like a giant heat sink 24/7/365. So wood + concrete = hard and cold.

So I would strongly recommend adding some type of insulation and subfloor, as part of a system that ensured it remained dry.


Can I connect a second keyless light fixture and control both from one pull-chain? I have an existing light with power from a junction box operated by a pull chain. Can I add a new light and have it operated by the existing pull chain. Would like to have both lights turn on at the same time.

Possible, with a change of fixture

I mean, we are dealing with a 2 dollar lightbulb holder here.

The problem is, we will need to feed the downline light with a) neutral, and b) switched-hot: the electrical point between the switch and the bulb.

On this particular fixture, the switch and socket base are integral, and they don't make that point accessible. At all.

So you'd need to find a model of fixture where they do expose it at a tappable screw.

At that point, neutral would stay where it is, and hot for the downline cable would be placed on the screw.


Do these look like good PVC exhaust and intake termination ends for a new tankless gas heater? I just had a new tankless gas water heater installed, and it seems to be working well. But looking around here, other sites, and my own HVAC system, the terminating ends seem to come out further from the wall.
As per the photo, the down curved 2in pipe is the intake, and the short straight one is the exhaust. This seems like a good way?
Thank you.

I look at that picture ans see loose electrical cables, and damaged lagging on the water pipe,
Is see a messy glue job on the end of the intake, (but some paint will hide that)
I finally see that the penetration through the sheet-metal siding has not been sealed. same as the water pipe...
It doesn't look like a big problem.


Do I need to use a cable connector for the back of a box? I will be mounting a 4”x4” electrical box at the back of an under the sink cabinet. A wire for a garbage disposal will be fed through a hole directly in the back of the box. Another wire will be fed through the side hole from the adjacent dishwasher, and I intend to put a connector there. Do wires feeding from the wall directly into the cabinet and through the back of the box require a cable connector?  I will also be wiring another box for 240v wall oven using #8 cable the same way - thinking same rule would apply. Would it?

Cables require a cable clamp - the clamp can be external to the box (which requires installing the clamp and cable before mounting the box in the case described, unless you have access to the back of the box when mounted) or internal to the box (where it adds to the count for box fill), but you can't just stuff the cable into the box through a bare hole and call it good.
There are two functions of a cable clamp - one is strain relief - if the cable is pulled on, the clamp takes that strain, and the electrical connections of the conductors do not. The other is preventing damage to the insulation from contact with the sharp edges of the hole in the box.
Wires in conduit do not require clamps. Cables require clamps.


How do I disassemble this shower screen without damaging it? I need to remove the shower screen so I can refit some tiles that have failed due to water getting behind them.

As I did not put up the screen I do not know how it fits together, can anyone give me some pointers on how I take it apart.   I can see some screws but it is not clear how I get to all of them with a screw driver.

Corner from top

Corner from inside

End with door

End with fixed glass

It is difficult to be certain, but removal of the screws at the top corners should allow the top crossbar to be removed. There may be other screws that join the sections of the frame, or once the top bar is removed, the side panels may be able to slide out. The tracks against the wall are probably held in by screws hidden under the side panels.

To get to a screw in a tight space like the top corner, you can use an offset screwdriver

You need to be careful in removing the panels. They may be heavy, and significant flexing may lead to breakage.

Links and images are illustrative only and not an endorsement


Poured Cement wall repair and stucco So I live in Ecuador and this house has been forgotten for 15 years. All of the walls are poured cement with stucco on them. This seems to work fine, except at times the water seeps in and ruins the wall and the stucco.

I have removed most of the stucco, but I need to know how to repair the wall itself, as I can see the tiny pebbles that make up the cement itself under the stucco.

Remove all the plaster/stucco that seems unstable. Wash with a mild acid solution to remove salts that have leached to the cement surface with the water penetration (efflorescence). Dampen the area to be patched and cover the exposed surface with matching stucco/plaster material. No attempt at waterproofing from the inside will be effective.


3 hots, 3 neutrals, 3 grounds; so confused We have a 78' rancher here in Texas we just moved into and just replaced all the power receptacles/ outlets. So of them were tricky some of them were straight forward, the room was split up into two circuits but got it figured out. I got to the one light switch in the room to replace it with a rocker switch and it as I disconnected it realized the ground, top, and bottom screw in terminals were all black hot wires. Upon further inspection I found three neutrals screw capped together, and three grounds all screw capped together. I plugged them in what I thought was exactly the same as they were before and it did't work. I decided to grab a pen and paper and keep trap of all the possible combinations and the results to figure out where the problem was. This switch controls the light in the room but also feeds power in to the bathroom right next to it. Here are the results.

Wire 1- Ground, Wire 2- Top, Wire 3- Bottom; Results [Light: No; Bathroom: Yes]

Wire 1- Ground, Wire 2- Bottom, Wire 3- Top; Results [Light: No; Bathroom: Yes]

Wire 2- Ground, Wire 3- Top, Wire 1- Bottom; Results [Light: Yes; Bathroom: No]

Wire 2- Ground, Wire 3- Bottom, Wire 1- Top; Results [Light: Yes; Bathroom: No]

Wire 3- Ground, Wire 1- Top, Wire 2- Bottom; Results [Light: No; Bathroom: No]

Wire 3- Ground, Wire 1- Bottom, Wire 2- Top; Results [Light: No; Bathroom: No]

So that looks like every combination and I couldn't get it to work. I am wondering if it is the switch it self... It is just a standard rocker switch, not a three way.

The next thing I tried was twisting the 3 hots together with a black piggy back to the top screw terminal and twisting the 3 neutrals together with a white piggy back and running that to the bottom screw terminal and left the grounds alone. [Result: Breaker tripped]

Finally I added a copper ground piggyback and twisted it with the 3 other grounds and ran that to the ground screw terminal. [Result: breaker tripped]

So, after all that I am still lost and can't get it to run. For some reason the AC is also on this circuit but it had been running perfectly fine, no trips with the previous switch. My best guess is it is the actual switch but I could use some help from the experts. This is the first day either my wife or I have really done any electrical work and while we figured a lot out, I am really lost here... Any help would be very appreciated, thank you!!!

*** Correction all existing wiring and new piggybacks are 12ga

Your switch is fine

The switch is fine -- it just needs to be wired correctly.  Keep the neutrals nutted together, and pigtail the ground to the switch's ground terminal (I have no clue why a black wire got landed on a ground screw in the previous configuration, but it was clearly wrong).  (You can strip your existing 12AWG white pigtail bare and reuse it for pigtailing the ground, BTW.)  Then take the feed (3) and the bathroom (2) black (hot) wires and nut them together to your black pigtail, which lands on one switch hot screw.  Finally, land the remaining black wire on the other hot screw.


How to wire a portable generator to a irrigation pump I have a portable gas generator that I want to connect to a 1hp, 240 volt irrigation pump. The pump is out in a field and not connected in any way to power at the house. I want to use a twist lock extension cord from the Generator to the pump. The generator has a floating neutral. Do I need to bond the neutral and ground wire in the extension cord together? Thanks

Your pump doesn't use neutral.  So there's no need or reason to modify anything.

Regardless... You would never modify an extension cord like that, because then it'd be dangerous to use anyplace else.  If you must violate Code, you can do it more sanely by getting a NEMA 5-20 plug, and jumper it internally neutral to ground with a #12 wire, and just plug it into the generator in an unused 5-20 socket.

A 5-20 plug looks like a common 5-15 but with a sideways neutral.  The beauty of it is the generator will take it, but few other sockets will.


How can I thicken a fluid? And sticky The particular fluid is ant bait. I'm not sure of its ingredients. It's gel like but too watery. I want to smear gobs of it onto a vertical surface.

Silica microballoons work nicely for epoxy.

For ant bait, probably cornstarch.


How do I patch a hole in the slab under a kitchen island? This is one step further than How do I remove musty smell in coat closet?.

There was a sewage backflow under my kitchen island :( I fixed that problem, but now there's a musty smell in one of the island's drawers.

I removed the built-in stove so I can see the sewage and the subfloor, broke one slab and removed 2 buckets of sand beneath the subfloor around the sewage pipe where the dampness had been. I've now been airing it for a week (I also put a small heater there).

NOW: do I just put new sand, and put the stove back in? Or would you also cover the subfloor hole with a thin layer of cement?

Or is there something else that you would try?

My answer from this question will work for your situation
How should I finish around this hole in my slab?

Starting at the lowest level:

vapor barrier (6 mil polyethelene plastic)
if you have cold winter, you can optioally add an insulation layer: 1" or more of XPS insulation
Something to cover the plastic (or insulation).  Pea gravel is nice for removability.  Concrete will prevent anything from burrowing (in or out)


Should a twisted copper pipe be replaced? While replacing a hot water tank I foolishly twisted the out pipe by losing my grip on the wrench.

The copper pipe twisted, so I twisted it back gently, but it now has a kink in it. Is this likely to suddenly split open? As it is the outflow pipe for the hot water it will become hot.

I've cut the water, and will be away for a week, so is this something I should get a plumber to look at urgently?

Any input welcome.

I agree with Wayfaring... You probably haven't structurally weakened the pipe, but you have created a flow restriction.  If you can live with that, then so be it.

But since it's on the hot side, it's very simple to isolate.  Why not just turn off the valve to the water heater and replace the damaged section?


Dry Lining Wall - Should I stagger the joints in this project? I have 5 sheets of 8' x 4' sheet rock laminated insulation to affix inside a bedroom - the wall to which I am affixing is a cavity brick wall built in the 1990's. The internal height is just under 8'. The easiest thing for me to do would be to place the sheets vertically and not stagger any joints.

Is there any benefit or need to start making things more difficult and placing the sheets horizontally and staggering the joints?

The purpose of staggered joints, is to provide  additional support and rigidity, to the the framing members below - as well as make it easier to keep a uniform surface, over any uneven framing.

Your wall should be fine, with all sheets hung vertical, on appropriately spaced furring strips.


What is the proper method to creating butcher block for a computer workstation? I've been looking into creating my own custom computer workstation and for the top I wanted to create butcher block but I am needing it pretty thick to be able to hold the weight of servers, monitors, and laptops I am working on.  I am using pipe underneath to support the top  so that will effect how thick the wood will be, such as this:

After several weeks of research I have seen a variety of methods used from:

Just glue
Pin Nailing and gluing
Pocket Jig

With all the weight of the hardware I dont want the wood to bow and I will be running supports in the center as such:

Image from this tutorial

So my questions are:

What wood should I use and how thick for a 36" x 84" table?
What is the best method to build the tops?

I did see some butcher block at IKEA but sadly I dont have an IKEA near me.

I honestly have to recommend that you buy the work bench top pre-built. You can buy these for about the same cost of the raw material itself. The ready built ones are beautiful, nicely sanded and sealed with rounded edges. Look for work bench tops at certain online business supply places. Tops can be found that are about 1.75 inches thick which are very sturdy. A typical top is 60x30 inches in size.

As I recall the IKEA ones are way thinner. Maybe 1.00 or at most 1.25 inches thick.

A web search will turn up many sources. One name to keep an eye out for would be ULINE.


Cover screws for panel do not fit I got a 125Amp panel (Siemens) for installation, and found that the cover screws included did not fit. I later found that my sheet metal screws, fit perfectly. Are there any NEC guidelines against this?

That self tapping screw is a code violation and I know several inspectors that will fail a home owner and an electrician for not using load center cover screws.

The load center screws have a larger head and almost always have a #2 square / slotted head , I got hammered many years ago and even stock several different brands as they are different.

Many of these screws are self forming NOT self tapping. Code specified self forming 2 threads in contact, yes self forming are tough to put in the first time but believe me that is a red flag for inspectors in my area.

I believe 1 brand has corse threads but it is a large head with a slotted / #2 square drive and is ok because it is according to the mfg directions. Self tappers do not.


How can I clean tile debris from the bottom of my pool? After changing tiles, I have lots of tile/thinset debris on the bottom of the concrete pool.

Robot cleaner does not pick it up, since they are too heavy for it.

I did try to manually vacuum it by placing a hose into a skimmer. While a suction from a skimmer is ok, and it does pick up some of it, the system (pool pvc pipes) get clogged with tile debris, which tells me it is not the right way to go.

Did some diving and cleaning manually, but it just too much to clean by hand.

I can see that there are autonomous vacuum cleaners such as this, but not sure they are going to do any better than my dolphin..

What are the other things I can try, or maybe I am missing something and there are known ways to do it which I have not tried without clogging the pool system?

You have two choices:

Drain Pool and it hit with a scooper, shop vac, and broom.  If refilling it isn't a big deal this is definitely the fastest way by far.
Buy something like a pool leaf eater .  You will still have to scoop out the big stuff.  I have used a simple plastic dust pan to do this.  This process will keep you swimming but could take 10 vacuums over the course of a few weeks to get everything out.


Touch Lamps & Static Electricity We have 6 identical table lamps in our home that are touch lamps.  We have used them for three years. One evening recently my husband touched the lamp on his bedside table and there was a small static electricity shock. Afterwards the lamp would not turn on and off by touching it any more. Occasionally if we really beat on the side of the lamp it might turn on the lowest setting, so it's not completely dead. But it won't turn on easily or predictably. We moved that lamp to my side of the bed (since I seem to occasionally be able to get it to come on) and moved my "good" lamp to his side. Within a week, the same thing happened to him again. And the second lamp doesn't come on at all now.  So.....I can purchase a new set of lamps just like the old ones, but how do we keep this from happening again?  We have a phone charger plugged into the other half of the same outlet, and it seems to work fine, so I don't think the outlet is the problem. Also, just as another piece of information, my husband wears a fitbit-type bracelet. Could this be causing any problems? We are not in a dry climate and have not experienced any other static electricity shocks in our home at this time.

Here is a link to our lamps.  https://www.amazon.com/D%C3%A9cor-Therapy-MP1991-Control-Lampsbronze/dp/B06XC6Q5SJ/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4GX6AQWX1Z7X42T4FEQP

Electronic devices are subject to damage by electrostatic discharge (ESD). Walking across a carpeted floor can create a potential of 25,000 volts. To estimate the voltage, note how far a spark jumps from a finger to a grounded object, e.g. a wall-switch screw): a rough guide is ~1,000 V/mm or ~25,000 V/inch.

That said, reputable manufacturers include ESD protection to thousands of volts and high pulse currents in consumer electronics. Though you can protect the device by reducing nearby ESD (using antistatic spray on carpets, room humidifiers, etc.), a well-made capacitance switch should not fail from a small spark. You might try a different brand of touch-control lamp. [The ones I use have lasted through about five years of cold, dry winters with many finger-to-lamp sparks. ouch]


Turn on one light, when another is turned off I just bought a bathroom fan which needs a seperate wire to control the fan, light, nighlight and humidity control. Each one is designed to be wired to a separate switch, not an ideal design. I'm trying to find a way to control them without switching out to a bigger gang box. I hoped to add the light to my current light circuit, and somehow setup the nightlight to turn on/off inversely with the main lights. So when the main lights are on, the nightlight is off. Any ideas?

Sorry if this has been asked before. In searching I mainly found issues on poorly wired three way switches.

A three-way, or single pole double throw (SPDT), switch should be able to do what you want.

Connect the ungrounded (hot) line feeding the switch, to the common terminal on the three-way switch.
Connect the ungrounded (hot) line feeding the main light, to one of the switched terminals on the three-way switch.
Connect the ungrounded (hot) line feeding the nightlight, to the other switched terminal on the three-way switch.
Connect the grounded (neutral) line feeding the switch, to the grounded (neutral) feeding the lights.
Connect all the grounding conductors together, including a ground to the switch and the box (if it's metal).

When the switch is in one position, the main light will be on. When the switch is toggled the other way, the night light will be on.

Crappy diagram of three-way controlling two lights


Can I use a 16 gauge nail gun for framing lumber? Can I safely use a Bostich 16 gauge nail gun to toenail stud grade 2x4s? The nail head is stationary at 90 degrees.

The project: bay window seating. Issue: front rail & plate supported by doubled 2x4s every 16” to 18” - 45* nailing with a 90* nailer head?? Thanks all!

A 16ga nailer is considered a finish nailer, and really isn't meant for joining 2x4s.  They are primarily used to attach 3/4" boards in the form of trim to studs or other materials.  The small diameter nail just doesn't have the holding strength to make framing  for a bench or anything else like that.

You would need a framing nailer for that job, but they are big, loud, and not unlike firing a gun into the boards.  They are heavy and have a lot of kick.

What I would suggest is an impact driver and 2 1/2" or 3" decking screws.  A normal drill needs a lot of force from the user to drive a long screw, but impact drivers make the job easier.  If it still takes more force than you can apply, you can pre-drill the holes before screwing.  For screwing at an angle (like toe nailing), pre-drilling makes it much easier.  In fact, if you're ok with pre-drilling every hole, a standard drill might not be too hard for you to use.

Impact Driver Example

There are many brands, and I chose the above at random.  You can pay more or less so shop around.  You don't need anything heavy duty.


How do I renforce a cardboard antenna for outside use? I bought Mohu Releaf cardboard antenna. It works much better outside than inside. Mohu explicitly advises against outdoor use of its indoor models, yet I wrapped it in a plastic bag and hung it out of window.  It looks a bit shabby so I am looking for ways to improve both the look and protection against elements.
I tried placing antenna between window glasses yet it gets less channels than outside. I have a big outside antenna, again it gets less channels.

Dimensions: 9″ x 11.5″
Effect of elements on Leaf antennas
http://mohu.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/4000026474-can-i-use-my-leaf-curve-antenna-outside-or-in-an-attic-
Releaf model
https://releaf.gomohu.com/#specs
Update. I used it in a plastic bag to reduce deterioration yet eventually bought Winegard Elite on a sale, now have a few channels more. May be will use the leaf  with bedroom television.

At the risk that it might alter the properties of the cardboard in some way that might matter at radio-frequencies, I'd slather it in epoxy resin for waterproofing and follow up with a coat or two of spar varnish for UV protection.


New slide in oven install I’m Installing a new slide in GE Gas oven and the gas line is located higher on the wall than usual.
This is forcing the oven forward an extra inch.
Can I remove back plate so the oven sits more flush with  the wall and safely operate the oven?

No, don't screw with the appliance, you'll kill your warranty when they send out a repairman...very likely with appliances today.
Your best approach would be to put an elbow on the gas line and send the line along the wall rather than straight out of it. If there isn't currently a shut-off valve behind the oven, then install one...unless the shut-off elsewhere is VERY easily accessible and ALWAYS clear.


Who is the manufacturer of this shower faucet brand? Does anyone know who is the manufacturer of this brand?
I need it in order to buy the appropriate diverter.

Extracted the image of the logo from the picture and edited a bit to get this.

Google search of the image revealed this.

Which led to this.

http://www.jb-products.com/


How to hide angle between two uneven drywall panels What is the best way to hide the joint between two drywall sheets (the framing is off on old house). Should I try and create a smooth rounded surface with drywall compound by building up both sides of the joint?
I'm working on the bottom side (of this drawing). It's old work, so Iwould like to avoid pulling down and changing the framing. Included from a comment.

You don't have a lot of options with your situation; you said:

Working on the bottom side. And it's not new work, so would like to avoid pulling down and changing the framing

The only thing to do is float it out, which like you were getting at means you build up mud on the face away from the point to make the point itself less conspicuous. Look up how to float out a high drywall joint or high spot on youtube and you'll find what you're looking for. Basically, you build up two lesser high-spots a ways out from the problem spot, one each side of the joint.
If you are up for it, blend into a heavier texture in the area. You don't want the area to pop out because of some crazy heavy texture, but a little heavier and it plays less noticeable with the eye.
Don't plane the drywall or shave it or anything like that. Once you compromise the paper, the gyp core will start to fail and ding easily and crumble out and then you'll be trying to shape it with hot mud or just replacing the boards anyway.
If you could get at the framing, you could adjust the plane of the stud in various ways or you can add joints in the field that help adjust the plane.
Good luck!


Wiring for Light switch in sump pump room The builder of my townhome allocated a "room" underneath my stairs to the basement and dug out the sump pump pit. There is a small door leading into the room and they drywalled all the wall and ceiling.

I have wired a dedicated 20AMP circuit (single outlet) for the pump with a 20AMP GFCI breaker.

My questions are:

Is a light required for this "room" / space? My understanding is YES as it is a space which may require service (pump).
Can the light be run off the circuit for the pump? Or does the pump need to be on its own circuit and I need to find another source for the light?
And if I need to provide another source for the light I assume as long as I do not put the light over the sump pit, the source providing power to the light does not need to be GFCI?

Thank you.

NEC 210.70 Lighting Outlets Required  210.70(3) Storage or Equipment Spaces ...control shall be at the usual point of entry to these spaces...The lighting outlet shall be at or near the equipment..
A sump isn't specified as needing a dedicated circuit, but circuit ampacity, location of disconnecting means, and manufacturer instructions would come into play for the exact pump installed. If the sump is considered NEC 210.23(2) Utilization Equipment Fastened in Place it can't exceed 50% of the branch circuit rating of a shared circuit. Otherwise if not fastened in place then a cord connected plug is limited by NEMA and NEC 210.21(B)(2) to 12A on 15A plug and 16 on a 20A so circuit capacity to add lighting could be assumed adequate. AHJ interpretation could come into play.
If your installation or circuit ampacity requires a dedicated circuit for the sump, then Section 210.8 which specifies most of the locations GFCI protect is needed applies to receptacles not lighting outlets (at least through NEC 2017).


How to wire new switch I'm trying to insert a motion switch and am not positive on the connections I need to make. I'm trying to replace SWITCH A. Switch A was previously part of a simple 3-way setup, but now is just a dumb switch directly to the light. The way the red line is used is definitely giving me pause. Please see the specs below:

The 2 blacks From the switch go to the red and orange.
Doesn’t matter clip the reds straighten and use a wire nut to combine the 3 wires. Then black to orange with a wire nut.
The white on the switch goes to that group of whites
If you have a white on the switch, last the green to the ground or bare copper.
That it was a 3 way doesn’t matter if the other switch was removed and you have an always hot.


Run HVAC fan throughout the day for comfort At my old house, we replaced the HVAC with a high efficiency unit that came with a thermostat that would blow, say, 50% to 70% of the time for air movement to increase comfort level. I'm not sure but I think I recall that it was a variable speed fan that did that for a milder air flow.

My son just bought his first house and installed a programmable thermostat that allows him to do the same thing so I suggested he let the main blower run 50% of the time to see if it increases comfort of the house.

My question is whether there are any issues with letting the main blower do that as far as wear and tear on it. He seems to think the house feels more comfortable and that the AC hasn't needed to kick on. My only other issue with the idea is the main blower is noisier than the one in my high efficiency unit.

Is there any cause for concern with this?

Continuous fan operation equalizes temperature and humidity between different areas of the home, and particularly between levels (where convection results in higher upstairs temperatures). It's also the case that even minor airflow helps a person feel cooler by enhancing evaporation on the skin. It's a good practice to reduce cooling costs because the compressor won't need to run as much for a given comfort level.

Sure, there's some wear to the fan bearings incurred, but fan startup is hard on the fan, so there's benefit from fewer startup cycles as well. I don't see how fan speed is particularly important except with respect to noise, should that be a concern.


What device allows me to recover a hot wire from two travellers coming from a 3-way switch? At some spot (call it, say, S1) I have a 3-way switch with two incoming travellers from another 3-way switch downstairs (say, S2) and for some reason I cannot easily rewire things between S1 and S2.

I would need a (full) hot wire at S1 and there is none. So I thought: in theory, at any moment in time, exactly one of the two travellers is hot. Is there some device that I could wire at the end of the two travellers at S1 that would recover a permanent hot wire, switching automatically from one traveller or the other?

This is S1. The two black wires are the travelers, the two white wires go to two separate lamps (and are bridged).

This can be done with a relay. Some people would delight in a technical solution, while others would not want a non-standard lashup in their house.

Here is one way, using a mains-voltage SPDT relay that is a common industrial catalog item.

The activating coil is connected between one of the travelers and the neutral. The normally-open terminal is connected to that same traveler, while the normally-closed terminal is connected to the other traveler. The always-hot may then be drawn from the relay common terminal.

Unfortunately this kind of relay wastes a small amount of power (the holding current) when one of the travelers is hot.

Added in response to comments: A bistable relay does not require a holding current. These are harder to find, and probably will not fit into a residential junction box. If you can find one, you will probably also find instructions for wiring it for your application.

But just in case you find one at a garage sale and the instructions are missing, here is a way to use a bistable DPDT to do what you want.


West facing master bedroom getting hot from afternoon sun I am renting a townhouse where the master bedroom is always getting way hotter than the rest of the house. It's the only room on the top floor on the west side of the house and only has one window on the west facing wall. The downstairs is fine as the trees outside shade that part of the house, however they have been pruned a while ago and they have never grown tall enough again to shade the second floor of the townhouse.

I was hoping someone here would be able to help me reduce the heat that this room gets without having to do anything to drastic as we are only renting.

Thanks

Rather than go full mobile-home park and start boarding (or foiling) up the windows, they do make window film specifically for this:

Gila Heat Block Film (just one example)

That film might be enough to fix the problem, and if you install it carefully, management will probably not care if you leave it in place when you move.  If that alone doesn't block enough heat, you can also get "blackout" shades made of heavy, light blocking fabric.  If you don't want curtains, a light blocking roll-up shade is another option, and basic models can be very inexpensive:


Laying T&G ply sub-floor over existing 1/2" ply sub-floor. What underlayment should i use between the layers? I am remodeling my master suite.  The original floor was 1/2" play (randomly sized pieces looks like offcuts) with OSB over the ply.  When we pulled the OSB up, the builder had tarpaper between the two layers.  I am not a fan of tarpaper or OSB.  We will be putting T&G ply down.  What should we use between the layers of ply? FYI, we will be screwing the new layer down and then carpet.

Nothing. If you fasten the new layer well there's no need for it. Multiple layers of wood subfloor are commonly used without internal bonding or buffering.

If you're worried about sound due to movement of the random sheets, zigzag a 1/8" bead of construction adhesive over the original plywood to bond it to the new and help span any voids due to flatness issues.