Should building a new house include considerations about radon? By chance I saw that there are a lot of radon questions here and it got me thinking:

Do I need to concern myself with potential radon levels when planning to build a new house? My question is based on long-term health considerations, and not so much any legal requirements. I plan to live there the next many decades.

Construction-wise, I have these specs:

For cost reasons, the house would be built without a basement (just a concrete-slab foundation) and without those cool newfangled active-ventilation systems.
Local laws require the house to be certified airtight.
There will be floor heating, so no radiators to create natural convection.
There will be a gas furnace that is independent of room air, so no air exchange there either.

I've read that radon seeps through the house from below, and the house need to be ventilated in order to get rid of the radon. Does this apply only if you have a basement, or always to the lowest floor in a building, or to every room in the building? What is the principle here?

I don't know what the radon levels would be in my area (Vienna, Austria), nor how to find out about this.

You should consider, but not invest now. Wait and test, before treating. Small design changes now, can make implementing a fix later, easier.

Radon is everywhere, to some level. If you have higher levels of radon, then you need to be concerned with the rate that fresh air is exchanged in your home. Houses are much tighter today, so be more aware with a new house.

Many factors affect where radon collects. Do you heat with wood? That moves air around your woods stove. Do you have leaky windows? That exchanges small amounts of air all over the house.

To get a general sense, ask a few neighbors if they have tested for radon. On the other hand, I have rock under my house, while my neighbor has sand, so things can vary quickly. You could call a few local excavators, or well drillers, as they are likely to have a guess. Fill (the dirt and stone under your lawn) gets moved around so much, that you can't rely on historical or nearby testing.

Your local building inspector is probably going to be your best resource. And since you're going to be seeing that person alot anyway, you might as well make contact.

Let's say you have a concrete slab, with stone under it. Whether or not this is a basement doesn't matter. Your builder will put a layer of plastic under that, to keep out the "rising damp", and it may help limit radon. It would be a simple thing to ask for 8 feet or so, of perforated pipe, capped, to be placed under the slab. In the middle, have a 90 with a pipe come up through the concrete into your house. Cap it for now. $20. When you test later, it may be enough to stick a bath fan on it, and pipe the air outside. Cold ground air is simply piped outside, and radon may not collect.

If you are putting in ducts for heating/cooling, ask about how an HRV could be attached. I think this is the ventilation you were thinking of (heat recovery ventilator). The HRV is about $1k, and could be bought later. The ductwork is hard to do later.

In addition to air quality, you may also want to check on radon levels in your water, if you have a well.

Cost reduction is good. Basements are often incorrectly drained, so can be damp and harbor mold. On the other hand, if you put in good drainage, basements are cheap square footage. You might consider reducing closets and rooms and keeping the basement.


Can you screw roof metal directly to OSB between rafters? I'm building a 14x16 tiny house and doing a metal roof. It's a slanted/skillion roof and the rafters are running down from the tall end to the lower end on 16" centers with no cross braces. I'm questioning whether I need to add 2x4s in between all of the rafters or not. The OSB won't be a problem because 4' will always break in the middle of a rafter, but I don't think the metal will always break directly on top of the rafters where I need to screw. Is it okay if some of the screws going into the metal just go through the OSB? Will it have adequate holding power? And should I be concerned about leaking? The rubber for the screws should obviously stop leaking but I'm curious if it's normal to do it this way or not.

Thanks.

No, you do not need to screw into solid lumber (joists, stripping,etc.).

You’ll want to follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions, but here is a major metal roofing manufacturer’ installation chart for screws into plywood, OSB board, and 2 x lumber for wind uplift, which is on page 14:

http://pdf.lowes.com/installationguides/716702706866_install.pdf

As you can see, the thinnest material they recommend is 1/2” (7/16”) OSB board at 9” on center up to 24” on center.

Be sure to follow their instructions in order to obtain the warranty.


Removing potentially load bearing wall We're looking a taking out a wall between the kitchen & living room that is likely load bearing. The wall between the living room & kitchen is an extension of a hallway that runs the length of the house with the peak of the roof & main floor girder running parallel down the centerline of the hallway across the entire house. There is no support directly under the wall. The only support is the main girder 12 inches away, which is supported by floor jacks on concrete pads. The it has a truss roof, and the ceiling joists meet about 12 inches to one side of the wall (again over the center line of the hallway). We've consulted with several experienced DIYers, a general contractor, and a design engineer, and no one can agree on if it's load bearing, and what approach to take to remove the wall. Since then, we've had the general contractor remove the sheet rock on one side of the wall and discovered a diagonal board across the wall (accidentally cutting the electrical in the process - but that's a different issue). It's a fairly small house - 928 square feet, and the wall in question is about 13 feet long. Any ideas on if this is load bearing, and what approach to take if it is?

You say this house "has a truss roof".  If the house truly has a truss roof, the only load bearing wall is at each end of the truss.  But you contradict yourself when you say “the ceiling joists meet about 12 inches to one side of the wall”.  The bottom cord of a truss (what the ceiling dry wall attaches to on truss construction) would be either one piece or spliced.  They also would likely be 2x4 construction on a house that small.  When you say the ceiling joists meet about 12 inches from the wall, I assume you mean that they overlap each other at that point.  I would dearly hope that both ceiling joists reach all the way to the top plate of the wall in question.  If not, and the fact that you say the wall is not directly supported to the building foundation, it looks like poor construction practice and not meeting whatever code is in place at your location.

I just finished removing a wall very similar to what you have described.  But my wall was directly in the center of the house, parallel with the roof peak, and directly over the center beam of the house.  My wife wanted a smooth ceiling, (no header), so the support had to be done in the attic.  I ran the calculations for a 22’ span and found out that a span that long is totally impractical.  So I put a column at 13’ from one end, which I used as a pipe chase for the kitchen sink vent.  With only a 13' span, I was able to use two, 1¾” by 11¼ “ LVLs in each direction from the new column that I shimmed so they were a little more than ¾” apart.  Each other end was in a wall so I was able to add 2x4s as a support and block the space between the basement beam and the subfloor so that the load was transferred down to the foundation.  I also had to check that the resulting point load from these new columns did not overload the basement beam.  I then fabricated some steel “hangers” from 4” channel and ¾” threaded rod to catch the two ceiling joists that overlapped the old wall.  The two lapped ceiling joists nested perfectly in the 4" channel, and the threaded rod slipped between the two LVLs to above a top ¼” plate that spanned the twin LVLs allowed a firm bolted connection.  The ceiling joists were shimmed as required to keep the ceiling level.

So I agree with Jimmy Fix-it on the inadequacy of a 4"x8" for a 13’ span.  You don’t say where you are, north or south.  If you are south, you don’t have a huge snow load to worry about.  But I would spend the money and engage an engineer to evaluate the current design situation, as any changes you do could exasperate the problem.


How do I use an air speed meter to measure air flow volume? I can buy a Vane Anemometer cheaply but a  Air Flow meter (with a cone) costs a lot more.

Can I just make my own cone?

What issues should I expect if I add a cone to a Vane Anemometer?

How do I convert the readings into liters per second?

Damnit ... the one formula that we had to use for every problem in fluid dynamics, and our professor made us derive everything from it ...

  sum of ( area * flow rate in  * density )
- sum of ( area * flow rate out * density )
= change in mass

Effectively, for your problem, volume of air flow is going to be

sum of ( wind speed * area of the opening )

I say 'sum of', but it's really an integral as the speed's not going to be constant across the whole opening.  The cone just forces the air to a smaller area so there's not as much variance, and it's of a fixed area to make the calculations easier.

I'd estimate it by looking at the opening as a 4x4 grid, and taking 16 air speeds, one for each grid cell, average them, then multiply by the opening size, and converting to dm^3/s  (as a liter is a cube 0.1m per side).  Or convert to m^3/s, then multiply by 1000.


After cable replacement, Craftsman garage door won't "close", moves a few inches down, then back to further than it started I have a Craftsman automatic garage door that came with the house. A few days ago, my wife informed me that the garage door was "making funny noises". Since we'd just gotten home late at night, and she mentioned it after we'd headed off to bed, I figured I'd check it out in the morning. Well, the next morning, she got into the car, hit the button, and the cable snapped. It had worked its way off of the pulley and had frayed and finally snapped (this had probably been going on for some time, explaining the noise). I disengaged the safety latch to raise and lower the door manually until I could get a replacement cable.

Well, I got the cable and installed it, but it's still not working. When I push the button, the trolley moves forward about three inches, stops, then moves backwards to the restraining bolt and stops. Right now, the cable is not connected to the door itself, as it's got the trolley too far back to connect. I loosened the chain using the bolts and we tried it again. It again moved the trolley forward a few inches, then just kept pulling it back until it was at the farthest position. The chain from the trolley to the sprocket is taut and the trolley is pulled back too far to hook into the door (normally, it would do so when it moved down to the door, but it's not getting that far).

Things which I've considered:

The sensors - I cleaned them off and verified that they're lighting up fine. I also tried raising the door manually as far as it could go to verify that the lowered door wasn't somehow tripping them.
The chain - I considered the possibility that I messed something up when putting the chain back on (it had fallen off of the sprocket after the cable snapped. But I think that this is simply the position that it wound up in after attempting to reel in the cable after it snapped, there in the upper position.
The cable - I checked to be sure the cable wasn't catching on Anything. It is a little bit long at this point, but that end of the cable goes towards the motor anyhow, and it's not catching on anything.

I'm pretty close to just calling a repair guy, but I figured to see if I'm missing anything obvious. This garage door was working before the cable snapped and I tried replacing it.

I have solved the issue. I unplugged the machine and moved the trolley to the end of the rail, as would be done during installation, and then let the door run. The trolley acted just as it ought to and my garage door is opening and closing, saving me a ton of money on a garage door mechanic. I am assuming, at this time, that the chain slipped up when the cable snapped, or that somehow the unit "reset" itself to thinking that the trolley was at the end.


What do I do with the unused wire for ceiling fan installation? I recently replaced my bedroom ceiling fan with a newer ceiling fan and with the old fan I could:

Use one switch on the wall to turn on/off the light
Use the other switch on the wall to turn on/off the fan

The new fan came with a remote and the remote and the chains are the only way I can turn the fan and the light on and off.  This ONLY works, however, when one particular wall switches is on.

During the installation, coming from my ceiling I had a black, white, and red wire.  My instructions didn't include anything about connecting the red wire, so I just put a wire tie on it and proceeded.  I now think this was connected to the wall switches.

My basic questions are:

Should I have ignored the red wire?
What is the red wire for and why was it left out of the instructions?
Why did I loose functionality with a newer fan (i.e. why can't I turn the lights and fan on/off via the switches on the wall?)
When I turn on the lights, why does it make an brief buzz sound?
If I turn on the light from the chain I cannot turn it on/off because the light will turn off immediately.  I can only turn on and off via the remote.  Why?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm a complete noob at this.

The red wire is the ungrounded (hot) conductor from one switch, while the black wire is the ungrounded (hot) conductor from the other switch.  In the original installation one switch would energize the red wire causing the fan to come on, while the other would energize the black turning on the light.

With the new fixture, both the fan and light functionality are controlled by the remote. Because of this, the fixture only requires a single ungrounded (hot) conductor to operate.  These types of fixtures are good for situations where a switch is not present/desired, but may be awkward when a switch is present.  As you've noticed, the fixture only operates when the switch is in the on position. The other switch in this situation would do nothing, since nothing is connected to the wire that it energizes.

With this fixture you only require a single ungrounded (hot) conductor, because the remote routes power to either the fan, the light, or both depending on the setting.  The additional wire can be capped using a twist-on wire connector, or other approved method.

If you'd like to get the functionality you previously had, you'll likely have to bypass the remote on the fixture.  However, this is an atypical installation, and requires special knowledge.  This type of installation should only be performed by an experienced DIYer.

The original wiring looked something like this...

The wiring with the remote unit looks something like this...

As you can see in the new wiring, the remote unit controls the current to the fan and light. Because of this, the second switched ungrounded (hot) conductor is not required.


Can I add a 30 amp breaker to a sub panel being fed from a 50 amp breaker I have 100 amp service panel that feeds a sub panel with a 50 amp breaker. In the sub panel, there are currently five 15 amp breakers that feed three rooms worth of lights and two outdoor outlets used to run 2 Christmas light controllers. All lights are LED and there is a celling fan on one of the breakers. I need to add a 30 amp breaker for an electric in-wall oven. Can I put this breaker in my sub panel, or should/must I make room in the main panel for this breaker?

Assuming you've got 6 gauge wire feeding the sub panel, you should be fine. As long as you aren't pulling more than 50 amps through that sub panel at once, you don't need to worry about over loading the panel. That's what the 50 amp breaker is there for.


Best Paint For Imperfections I have minor imperfections in my fixer upper. Don't intend on re-drywalling.

What's the best way to re-paint & cover imperfections?

Paint basically does not cover imperfections at all.

Even with fairly "thick" (high viscosity paint), I would guess it would take at least three coats to even get a thumbtack hole filled in, and you'd probably still be able to see an indentation in the wall.

Depending on the size and nature of the "imperfection", you might be able to use spackle or skim coat. There are some primers on the market that can supposedly cover very small imperfections (like a scratch from sanding) but I'd be skeptical of that.

You can't cut corners here. It takes practice (and early on, lots of time and patience) to be good at applying it. You'll have to sand it afterwards. Use a flashlight and shine at an angle across the wall, and fix any bumps, ridges, etc before you prime or paint (it's significantly harder to fix after painting as you're basically starting the process over).


How can I install craftsman-style door casing where it interferes with hinges? I'm planning on updating the casing (ranch style currently) on several door frames in my house to a craftsman style and I'm not sure how the trim will fit near the hinges.
Right now the reveal (R in the picture) between the edge of the and the casing is just about 1/4", maybe 1/16" - 1/32" under. The edges of the hinges are just about even with casing, sometimes overlapping by ~1/32". The center of the hinge pin comes out from the outer face of the jamb 9/16" (D in the picture).
If I put the craftsman trim up with the same 1/4" reveal it will be very close to the hinges, just about touching really. If I use 9/16" thick trim it should have a little clearance from the hinges because of the radius on the trim. But I think I may use something a little thicker than 9/16" so it comes out from the baseboard trim a little on the bottom, in which case the door casing would be right up next to the hinge.
Is there a typical way to work this out? The only way I really see is to have a larger reveal.

The simple answer is that you adjust the reveal to accommodate your hinges. Whether you do this just on the hinge side or all the way around is up to you. It looks like you'll want to paint the jambs before installing the casing anyway, so it shouldn't be an aesthetic problem. Sand down the paint ridge a bit so it doesn't show.
It shouldn't take more than an extra 1/16" to clear the hinges, and even if the casing is against the hinge you're unlikely to have problems.
I absolutely would not carve out for the hinges. This looks amateurish and sloppy, in my opinion, as though you failed to plan well.
Of course, you could always replace your hinges--modern ones tend to have smaller barrels, but I think that's unnecessary. It's also often more hassle than it sounds since screw patterns and leaf size are not standardized.


What is this spongy grout? I had a contractor do some tile work on my house and I noticed the grout is sort of spongy and soft. It doesn't feel like the grout around the rest of my tiles. Anyone know what this could be? Is there such a thing as soft grout?

If it's at a joint between two planes (e.g. wall and floor or inside corner), then it can be colored or even sanded caulk. Using grout in a corner results in cracking as the structure moves, so caulk is recommended for those joints.

Otherwise, you may have an acrylic grout additive to increase flexibility and reduce cracking.


How can I safely have 2x 7kw/32amp electrical vehicle chargers connected to my consumer unit? (UK) We've ordered two electric vehicles, and we're entitled to two home charge points, as shown here:

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-saving-products/electric-vehicles

The charge points are now 7kw/32amp (up from 3kw/16amp), so if we have two in use at the same time, that's 64amps!(?).

When I spoke to British Gas, they said 2x7kw chargers should be fine if we have "two 100amp isolators", and if we don't, this is something that could be done (at a price) and I should speak to an electrician.

Before I do, I want to make sure I understand exactly what's required.. By "two 100amp isolators" I presume he's referring to the things we have two of here marked "RCD Controlled Circuits" (both rated 80amp).

Totals for the two sides here are:

Left: 6+6+16+32 = 60amps
Right: 6+16+32+32 = 86amps

"Water Heater" presumably refers to the immersion heater that will hopefully never need to be used. We have no electric shower. Oven ("Cooker", 32amp) is electric though hobs are gas.

What's the best way we can connect two 32amp EV chargers here?

The most important thing to check is probably the size of the main supply fuse on your incoming feed. Between 60 and 100 amps is typical for a domestic supply. If you have a 60 amp fuse, I'd be very wary of trying to run two chargers at 7KW each simultaneously.

The other thing to consider is the actual consumption of the chargers that will be connected. Just because the supply point is rated to 7KW, doesn't mean that the charger will actually draw that.

You don't need to accommodate the full current capacity of all the breakers because you're unlikely to be using everything that you possibly can at any one time, but if your peak load exceed the main fuse, you have a problem.

Personally, I'd be very tempted to have nothing further to do with British Gas and approach a local electrician about the work. If their electrical work is priced like their plumbing, it'll be very expensive. (And I wouldn't be surprised if they subcontract it out anyway).


Why can't my radiator heat up my bedroom? My living room, 3.3m x 4.4m, is easily heated up by a double  panel, double fin radiator.

My bedroom on the otherhand (2.7m x 3.9m) struggles to be heated by double panel, single fin radiator. It was originally a single panel radiator which was replaced to address the lack of heat.

Both rooms are exposed on 2 sides, and the living room has also has a glass balcony door.

Originally a single panel radiator was on the bedroom internal wall, when installing the double panel radiator, it was installed under the window to improve convection.

For good measure I attached some radiator foils behind all the radiators although it hasn't resulted in a noticeable improvement.

The living room curtains rest on a shelf that protrudes ever so slightly over the radiator (less than an inch) and is directly above it. Same for the bedroom, but the shelf is about 20cm higher than the radiator.

I'm struggling to understand why the bedroom is struggling to be heated up. The radiator will be boiling hot to touch yet this isn't translating into a warmer room. The flat generally has poor insulation due to concrete walls but I have no issues heating up the living room.

EDIT - pictures: http://imgur.com/a/mJIoU

Further info:

I did a few checks using a thermal leak detector (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Decker-TLD100-Thermal-Detector/dp/B0044R87BE) and had the following findings.

Aiming the detector at the middle of the rad towards the top, I got a living room reading of 57.3C and a bedroom reading of 55.9C. I pointed it at the window away from an area above the rad and got a reading in the living room of 16.1C and bedroom 12.3C.

I think the difference can possibly be explained by the fact the living room had a balcony so the windows are not as exposed as much to the elements.

Using the same device and incense sticks, I've previously hunted around for draughts and did the 'classic' check using paper between the window and the frame to test the strength of the grip between the two (paper didn't slide out at all).

The thermostat is branded Salus and it turned up to max. Hot air is definitely emanating from the top

That radiator certainly looks big enough to heat the room you describe.

The windows -- Maybe the living room window is better insulated than the bedroom window. You may be able to feel the difference by resting your hand on the glass. Also, the living room drapes may be better insulators than the bedroom curtains.

Drafts -- You can use a joss stick or a punk stick to detect drafts, and to monitor the convection in both rooms. You will have to sit still for a minute to let the eddy currents from your moving around to die down.

With concrete construction, any cold drafts would likely come in around the ceiling, or around the window. Also check switch and outlet plates.

Convection -- When a radiator is under a window, the downdraft from the window fights with the updraft from the radiator. Usually one or the other wins out, so there is circulation throughout the room. Maybe in your case they almost balance.

The real mystery is, of course, why the convection in the living room is so different from that in the bedroom. With patience and joss stick smoke you may be able to see what is really happening.

A remedy -- In my house I had a similar problem. I solved it by adding a room fan, on its lowest setting, to move air over the radiator. My bedroom went from uninhabitable to toasty. If you have any kind of fan or blower on hand, try experimenting with blowing against the wall below the radiator to assist the natural convection.

If this works I would suggest two small (5 inch or 8 inch dia) table rotary fans placed on the floor, about 4 inches from the baseboard, blowing toward the radiator. I would rewire the fans in series for lower speed, but that's just me.


How to replace bathroom fan? For about two years now, two of my bathroom fans have not worked and I haven't gotten around to changing them. But I am wondering the best way to replace it. The current fan/light I have installed is round like this

but my new fan looks like

I don't have easy access to the attic. Just looking for some advice on how to attach the new fan and the best way to create the new sized opening for the new fan.

If you have to do this from below then you need to remove a large section of drywall such that you can secure the metal housing for the fan to supports.  Once you need to cut a large section of drywall you might as well mark the joists and cut back to 1/2 the width of the closest joist and remove from one joist to the other, for the other dimension whatever makes sense and add some nailing edges.

Ultimately you'll need to tape, mud, sand 4 edges and buy a full sheet of drywall.  A little extra length to the taping isn't going to change much.  You'll also need to paint for this kind of thing you might as well paint the whole ceiling.

Since you've indicated there is an attic above depending on your climate you'll have to patch or install vapor barrier and do a good air sealing especially in a bathroom.


Will I get more pests/insects if my neighbor sprays and I don't? Had a pest control company come by today. To be honest this is about the 5th one, and I am tired of them trying to sell me their services. In all actuality we don't have that many pests/bugs.

They tried to sell me today on the fact that they are spraying homes on both sides of me, and because of that, I will probably see a huge increase in the number of bugs if I don't spray. I'm not worried, I can spray myself. But I prefer not to because we have an organic vegetable/fruit garden in our backyard.

Their logic makes some sense, but at the same time it doesn't. Does spraying kill the bugs that are currently there, or does it drive them away? Will I really see an increase in bugs? If I spray what should I spray with that is organic?

Pests (and all living things I suppose) tend to populate their environment to capacity.  If any action drives them to seek new territory, and that territory is already at capacity, then any population spike will only be temporary.  Population dynamics is a complex topic and no real-world system is inherently stable or predictable, so take this with a grain of salt.  But I'm pretty sure the pest control company is just giving you a sales pitch.

As for "orgainic" sprays, you'll have to be specific about the type of bug you are spraying for.


How do I stop mold growth on greenboard behind my shower wall? We have greenboard behind our shower wall.  There are signs of mold growth on it.

Can it be cleaned up with a bleach solution and then painted with RedGard?

No

You are trying to seal the wrong side.

There is a reason greenboard is no longer IRC code approved for tile in wet locations  without waterproofing.  Its because its NOT waterproof, and neither is grout.  You can improve grout's water shedding on vertical surfaces with the better sealers.

The Redguard (2 coats, at right angles) must be between the tile and the greenboard.

Other waterproof membranes would also work, (Kerdi or Nobleflex for sheet, Hydroban for liquid)

You must fix the source of the water intrusion to have a hope of saving this wall from demolition.  Mold will stop growing if the moisture is removed.


How do I fix or finish a partially sanded wood floor In my home office (it was a bedroom before and will be one in the future) I have a wooden floor (not laminate) and I have an office chair with plastic wheels on it. Over a number of years these plastic wheels have "sanded" the varnish/finish off the wood and I'm now at the point that I want to repair this.
Is it possible for me to paint something over this section of floor to make it look like (or almost like) the rest of the floor. If so, what would that something be?

A "wipe on" polyurethane might get you most of the way there, depending upon how perfect you want to get it.   Lightly sand the damaged area to make sure there are no sharp edges or rough spots. Then with a lint free cloth, wipe on some (it'll take a few coats) and see if you like it.   If good enough, great, if not, and you really want it right, you'll have to sand the entire floor to bare wood and re-finish it all.


Hot water recirculation I have installed a Grundfos UP pump with built-in timer, aquastat, and check valve. It does provide hot water at the tap sooner, but when the water is being used, such as during a shower, cold water is bleeding into the hot water. The return line is tapped into a 3/4" line near the kitchen, then brought back to the water heater. It connects to the top of the pump, which is connected to a tee in the water heater drain.
It seems the pump is allowing cold water to siphon back into the hot water line, even though there is a check valve in the pump to prevent this. I'm thinking of adding another check valve at the inlet side of the pump, but don't know if it will make a difference. Any ideas are welcome.

If you are (as is common) "returning" via a cold water supply line, rather than a dedicated recirculation line, I think you need a check valve where the hot recirculation joins the cold line, not just at the pump.

Otherwise the cold can backfeed from the cold water line to the hot loop when the hot water is run, without the check valve at the pump being involved. All the system designs which use the cold water line as a return typically have the pump located at the point of joining the hot to the cold, NOT at the water heater, so that the check valve in the pump works for this application.

If you have a dedicated return line, and it has a check valve in the pump, that should be sufficient, and you should complain to the supplier of the pump if the check valve is not working.


Connecting AWG 1 Wires What is the best way to connect two AWG 1 wire together especially when it is the main feeder before the main panel?

You can't just wire it manually or even use wire nuts.

Are there special lugs where you can wire them together with plastic housing (not the ground lugs where it is all exposed steel and so dangerous as it would be put in panel).

Something that is breaker like that pass through AWG 1 and has capacity of at least 125A?

Insulated lug connectors made by Polaris, Burndy, and others are what you're looking for:

They are expensive but if you follow the directions to the letter they are not hard to use.


How do I pour concrete in an existing garage? My garage had extremely poor flooring. I've removed it and dug down 11". I plan to use a plate compactor on the dirt, add 4" of crushed rock, compact that, add 2" of sand, wet that, wait for it to dry out, cover it with plastic sheeting, and then I'm ready for the concrete layer.

Thing is, I don't know how to make a flat, high quality concrete pour inside. If I'm outside I can add forms around the slab and use a flat 2x4 or 2x6 to even the surface.

My garage is 25' x 20' and has a small stairway I'm not removing as a bonus obstacle.

How do I pour inside for best results and a flat surface?

Sometimes hiring pros is the best option.

There are various approaches to the problem. You can set screed guides/rails that you first use to get it flat, then pull and fill in the void they leave. Some are designed to be left in place as expansion joints.

You can use a dense foam insulation around the edge of the slab and use that to guide your screeding.

You can attach 2x4 to the walls above your desired surface and use a screed with an offset guide that rides on the raised 2x4.


Legal water heater replacement I'm looking to replace my water heater. I currently have a 15 year old 40 gallon gas water heater, and it's time to go. I had several quotes from local plumbers, and choked at the prices. I'm going to go with a 50 gallon Rheem from Home Depot, and am going to do it myself, and I want to do it legally, to code, and inspected.

I have a good deal of experience with plumbing and electrical installation (copper pipe soldering, 110V and 220V electrical, etc), and want to do this the right way.

The heater sits in the basement on a concrete slab, in the utility room, which is near the floor drain. The current water heater does not have a pan, but I'm planning on installing one, and routing the output drain from the pan to the floor drain (with an air gap). I'm planning on doing the same with the relief valve off of the water heater, keeping the two drain lines separated, and running both to the floor drain (keeping that all important air gap between the end of the drain pipes and the floor drain opening).

Anyway, I've been looking through the county's website (I live in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado) and have requested an account to get a permit. The county directs me to the universal plumbing code. I was able to obtain a copy of it, and started reading through it, and it seems extremely vague. I'm not sure what codes I need to observe for installation of a replacement water heater.

One thing that I will be testing for is the in-flow water pressure for the house from the city. If that is too high (over 80 PSI), I'll need to install a pressure regulator, which, as I understand in my county is another permit. If I need to put the pressure regulator in, I'll need to also add an expansion chamber to the cold-water side of the water heater, as the additional pressure from heat expansion can no longer be relieved to the city, as it's now a closed system.

The cold water inlet to the existing water heater already has a shut-off ball valve that only cuts the water to the heater, which is one thing I've been reading about.

So, this leads to a few questions.

Where's a really good place to get a summary of the codes that I need to worry about (other than the universal plumbing code, which I can refer to for specific code details)?
What pitfalls should I expect while doing this myself?

Finally, I noticed that a lot of the new Rheem heaters at Home Depot are WiFi enabled. This sounds really cool on the surface. Does anyone have experience and can comment on them? What about the fact that the water heater has a 110V powered igniter instead of a pilot light?

You should make two phone calls.  The first to your local building department, which should be able to answer all your code related questions. They may even have a handout or other documentation, that outlines the requirements of replacing a water heater.

The second call should be to a local Rheem dealer, or directly to Rheem. They will be able to answer any questions you have about the equipment.

Some things to watch out for:

Make sure you drain the old tank completely, as water can be quite heavy.
When draining the tank, make sure you open the hot valves at fixtures. This will allow all the water to drain back to the tank.
When opening valves at fixtures, watch out for mixing valves. These can accidentally backflow cold water through the hot water pipes, which would lead to an undrainable tank.
If you have to install an expansion tank, make sure you charge it properly.
Make sure you know where to dispose of the old tank, as some municipal garbage collectors will not take water tanks.


What could be causing the copper green smells in my house when the furnace turns on? We just re-did the rotting siding on my t1-11 sided fireplace. We replaced siding and covered it with hardi-plank. The problem is, when my furnace turns on, air is pulled from the fire place and the whole living room smells like copper green. This was one week ago. Now I am very sick, can not go to work, have a doctors appointment tomorrow morning. I am wondering if this smell can be what is making me sick?, or is it a return on my colitis? I am weak, tired dizzy, headachey, and in much digestive distress. Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

If by Copper-Green you mean any of the copper-naphthalene wood preservatives out there used to prevent wood rot, and it was applied to the studding, etc. that supports this fireplace shell:

These products are not to be used within living spaces or in construction where the fumes will be pulled into the living space.

Apply caulking to seal up the air gaps that allow air to get in from the external structure.

If any of it is inside the living space, it will need to be ripped out.

If no Copper Naphthalene products were used for wood preservation and rather it's the acrid creosote smell of air being drawn down the chimney despite the damper being closed, then you've got another problem altogether. Your secondary air intake for your furnace is plugged or you are missing one and the negative pressure in the living space is drawing air from wherever it can find ventilation.

Note: Hardi-Plank as produced by James Hardie is a cement board product that needs no preservatives to prevent rot.


How can I attach structure via oval holes in panel struts in a panel van? I am trying to build storage for a panel van. My problem is how to make use of pre-existing holes for attaching bolts to. The loading space in the van has vertical structural beams which have holes that I would like to use to secure the storage. The holes are shaped something like this:

It is not easy to reach behind those holes - basically only via other similar holes some distance apart. Otherwise I might have used a particularly large penny washer and put a bolt through it. The distance behind the holes to the van's external panels is approx 25-35mm depending on location.

Is there a trick that professionals use to attach things to these holes? I presume that's what these holes are for in the first place?

The only alternative I can think of is drilling new holes and using a tap to thread them to accept a bolt directly.

Edit: Thank you for everyone's suggestions/answers. Lots of fresh ideas which I will pick out bits of and combine for my solution. Could not choose an individual answer, so up-voted all helpful contributing answers!

This is sort of a modification of what @FreeMan said, but what I would suggest is you get bolts with flat washers, where the flat washer is less than 20mm diameter so it will fit through the hole. The head of the bolt will need to be smaller than the flat washer (obviously). You will need six pieces total per mounting bolt, including the bolt itself. Put them together in this order: bolt, flat washer, flat washer, (supported structure), flat washer, lock (or split) washer, non-self locking nut. The bolt itself will need to be long enough to accommodate whatever you are going to mount to the vertical structural beams. It would look something like this when put together on the beam:

(NOTE: This is a quick PowerPoint rendering and is not to scale by any means.)

The idea here is to use the bottom half of the washers to grab the wall support. About 1/3 of the washers would be grabbing the wall support, but this will be more than enough to hold it in place. Of course, you'd want to choose the correct length of bolt so it doesn't protrude very far. The lock washer is there so you can tighten the bolt from the nut end without the need for a wrench on the other end, and so it will stay put once it's tightened. If you find that the bolt still moves without a wrench on the other end, you can put a lock washer between the bolt head and the flat washer, but I've found on blind holes like this, if you just hold the threaded end of the bolt with your fingers and use an open ended wrench to turn the nut, the bolt will tighten down without issues. If this is a permanent fixture, you could also put thread locker on the nut to ensure it stays put.

EDIT NOTE: If you are looking for added holding power, move the bolt to the left or right in the hole. This will provide the side and bottom of the hole for something the bolt/washer/nut can hold onto.


How can I finish a ceiling around a propane gas line to fireplace? There is a propane line that goes to our gas fireplace. We want to finish our basement with drywall to the ceiling. What should we do with that line first?
Thanks.

In a case like this you can cove the corner or use crown molding.
Both methods leave the corner open and different sizes are available pre made.
The toughest part with crown molding is the compound bevel cut at the corners. As there is always some waste I cut in my corners and the match things with simpler cuts. Check it out makes a nice upscale look and hides pipe really well.


Why can I not adjust the cutting depth on this router? I just bought a new router (DeWalt 618, changeable fixed/plunge base). It comes with the motor mounted on the fixed base, which is what I planned to use anyway. I opened the locking lever and tried to turn the dial to adjust the depth, but nothing budged. The instructions were no help: in fact, they just added to the puzzle. In this diagram from the manual, the depth adjustment ring is part of the fixed base:

However, in this photo, you can see that the depth adjustment ring on the actual router is part of the motor assembly:

Moreover, the depth adjustment ring is allegedly removable (e.g., if you're planning to attach the plunge base), but I cannot budge it.

Obviously, I don't really care whether the diagram is accurate; I just want to be able to use the router. Is there something I'm missing? Did I buy defective merchandise? What is going on here?

Ok, revised my answer

I found the instructions here and the information is on page two under "Set-up: Fixed and D-Handle Base - ADJUSTING THE DEPTH OF CUT (FIG. 1, 3)"

Occurring to this there is no lock of the black adjustment ring so it should turn somewhat freely, though it might have some resistance so not to move when you don't want it it.

It's very possible that your adjuster (piece B) is stuck. As it is, it is 'bottomed out' at max depth setting and it might have been tightened in this direction too far causing it to be stuck. If you feel save that you won't break it, turn the adjuster in the direction of the grove going away from the power head, this should be obvious. Once unstuck it should turn freely

If this doesn't work, or you don't feel comfortable trying the above, then return it as it's not working as intended.


Existing 3 way switch light - add a light Can I tap a wire to the switch 1 to add a light? the power source is to the light first. I can't run the wire from the ceiling light.

This diagram belongs to do-it-yourself-help.com. The original image can be found here: https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/3-way-switch-wiring-diagrams.html

Looking at your diagram. If you are going to parallel a light by tapping the black conductor and you want it switched with the ceiling light. Then yes you can do that. The problem is where are you going to get a neutral? Does the box for SW1 have a neutral in it?


Secure a 4x4x12 post I do not want to dig a hole in my yard to install 4x4x12
I am thinking to buy 5 Gallon bucket and put the 4x4 in it and fill to the bucket with concrete cement.
Of course I will mix it with water.
I want to mount a bat house on the very top.
Do you think the 4x4 will be stay or the wind will tip it over?

Fine for wind - bat houses are small and the surface area of the post and house is also small.
You or someone else could push it over though.  A single post isn't very strong laterally.
Why not dig the hole, it would be exponentially stronger.


Microwave Sparking and several outlets not working I live in a 1986 Mobile Home.  Gradually, over time, several outlets have quit working on me.  In the kitchen, when I went to use my old microwave, it sparked and made a loud crackle, but no breakers have popped.  I threw the old M/W away, as I thought that was the problem, but it wasn't.  Even the new one does the same so I know it's now an electrical problem.  Any suggestions, please?  Thank You

Sounds like the receptacles are just wearing out, and the spring contacts have gone weak so that they don't grip the pin properly. If your microwave is sparking at the socket, this would tend to reinforce this idea.

If the receptacle contacts are not gripping the pin properly, there is a chance they will arc when current is drawn (as you have seen). Replacing the receptacles is the only way forward, I would think. All of them, even the ones which are still working.


what size of beam should I use to replace 3 2x8 that is 16 feet? What is the equivalent of a 3 2x8, 16 feet? I would like to use one beam (for decorative effect) instead of the 2x8s since the beam will be exposed.  This will go up in my dining room ceiling.

If the cost of one beam is costly, I may just have the 2x8s tucked up in the ceiling joist using hangers.

That's an extremely long span for 2x8s, even tripled. Do you know whether there was ever an intermediate post? Most would suggest that you have a engineer look over your situation. Existing framing isn't always a good indicator of what to use.

At any rate, a pair of 1-3/4" microlam (or laminated veneer lumber--LVL) beams will almost certainly suffice. The only question is what the height needs to be for your load.


Sealing a Garage door during hurricane flooding In 2016, hurricane Irma caused flooding of 8 inches into the garage.  Thankfully the flooding did not go into the interior of the house.  Hurricane Dorian is imminent: I do not expect to be able to keep out 12+ inches of water, but if I can keep out 8 inches with a small time / cost investment that would make sense.

Is there any history to show that polyurethane foam (marketed by Dow as "Great Stuff") applied to the garage door gaps (maybe in conjunction with a tarp) would buy / confer a degree of flood resistance?

I don't know that there's a practical way to do this (at least, not in a way that doesn't impede future use of the door). If you don't care about the door (or at least would consider some door repair as an acceptable result), I would suggest the following

Buy some really good outdoor caulk (mineral spirit cleanup) and caulk the sides, bottom and first panel breaks from the bottom. Be liberal and make sure you cover all the joints in their entirety (this will take a fair amount of caulk)
Sandbag in front of the door 18"

The major caveat here is that 12-15" of standing water (let alone wind driven water) is going to be hard to keep out entirely, especially with something not designed to be waterproof. Expanding foam isn't really a good choice here because, while it is waterproof, it's also porous, and only deigned to prevent incidental water exposure, not standing water. With sandbags and caulk you might stand a chance, but it's far from certain.

As to cleanup, you'll have to cut the caulk and scrape the door clean, which will almost certainly damage the paint/finish of the door and maybe the outside frame. Be prepared to repaint the entire door after doing this.


LED light is on when it should not be I have 3 12v LED under cabinet lights that I plan to install. The final install goal is to have the line power (120v) controlled by a pre-installed light switch (1-way) which currently operates 4 pot lights above my kitchen sink. This means one switch will control 3 LED lights and 4 pot lights. I haven't gotten that far though, has I have hit a bump in the road. I removed the AC adapter module board from the wall adapter, so that I can discretely install it in the junction box with the switch and soldered two leads onto the board for attaching to the switch. I then terminated the soldered leads to the switch L to the hot wire and N to the switched wire, before I had the chance to test the operation my LED light turned on right away, but my 4 pot lights were off, I flipped the switch and the LED shut off and the pot lights turned on. I then reversed my two soldered leads, but it didn't make a difference. I'm not sure if this is common for LED lights, or if it is maybe some sort of electrical component on the module board that somehow only conducts to the load when the line has no power, but that doesn't make sense because its meant to plug into a wall socket, which is always live.

Why is my LED on when switched off but off when switched on?

What you have done is connected the LED lights in parallel to the switch. This way, when the switch is on, the LEDs are shorted out and power flows to the pot lights. When the switch is off, you end up effectively with the LEDs and the pot lights in series. Because the LEDs are so low power, the power flows through the pot lights without giving them enough power to visibly light.

Check your switch box to see if there is a neutral wire there (probably white if you’re in the US). If so, you can connect the LED driver between that and one side of the switch. If you don’t have a neutral wire there, you’ll need to run a cable from a pot light to the LED driver. Connect it in parallel with the pot light.

One more comment. I’m assuming that the LED driver board is not designed to be in a junction box. Doing what you’re doing is probably against the electrical code (at least in the US) and could be dangerous, especially if the board shorts out to the box. If this causes a fire, your insurance may have grounds to not pay, or at least to drop you afterwards.


Duct Cleaning: Is Duct Sealer Necessary, Non-Toxic? A professional contractor is cleaning AC Ducts, and after he scrubs the ducts, he wants to apply an acrylic duct sealer and de-odorizer. The container of the duct sealer has minimal lableing and does not even display any active ingredients. All it says is Acrylic Duct Sealer in an otherwise non-descript container.

Is an acrylic duct sealer necessary at all and if so, will it contaminate the air flowing through the ducts?

It depends (but likely no).
IMO, duct cleaning does have it's place in today's world (pet hair/allergen reduction for example).  However, it likely only needs done once every 10-15 years in most cases.
Duct sealer is basically like the sealant you can put in a bicycle tube to fix a leak except that since ducts aren't a completely closed system like a tube, it will either dry (sealing) or be evacuated when the process is complete.  Its also airborne instead of a sludge/goop since it needs to travel large distances.  It will travel through the ducts and seal any small gaps in corners of ducts or along the seams.  The intent is to reduce air loss into what would be presumably the structure of your house (inside walls and ceilings) by making sure everything that goes in (at the furnace/ac blower) comes out an open vent.
The following is what my HVAC installer (not the sales man) told me when they installed my new heat pump.  Unless your home was designed to be air-tight (with the appropriate filtration/recirculation systems in place to bring in fresh air), there is little to no gain to be had by sealing your ducts.  If you were going to retrofit an existing non-airtight home to be airtight, my guess is that the duct work would need to be mostly replaced anyway (especially returns since they frequently run between joists with no actual ductwork in places) and even if you didn't replace the ductwork, sealing the existing ducts would be near the bottom of the to-do list.  Lastly, They probably didn't tell you this but depending on the ductwork in place, it may take more than one application to actually seal the holes since the sealer, will seal only very small gaps and you will have to build up layers.  No idea if the price you were quoted assumed a single application or if they quote for a "complete job".
Since I declined the service, I didn't ask about the contents of the sealer itself but there is mention of this (that it is pretty much an unknown) in the EPA document below.

Here is a link to the EPA document that another answer mentioned:
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned
The first sentence is:

Knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages, so a blanket recommendation cannot be offered as to whether you should have your air ducts in your home cleaned.

There are two sections of that document that apply directly to your question:

Should chemical biocides be applied to the inside of air ducts?

And

Do sealants prevent the release of dust and dirt particles into the air?
Manufacturers of products marketed to coat and encapsulate duct surfaces claim that these sealants prevent dust and dirt particles inside air ducts from being released into the air. As with biocides, a sealant is often applied by spraying it into the operating duct system. Laboratory tests indicate that materials introduced in this manner tend not to completely coat the duct surface. Application of sealants may also affect the acoustical (noise) and fire retarding characteristics of fiber glass lined or constructed ducts and may invalidate the manufacturer's warranty.
Questions about the safety, effectiveness and overall desirability of sealants remain. For example, little is known about the potential toxicity of these products under typical use conditions or in the event they catch fire.
In addition, sealants have yet to be evaluated for their resistance to deterioration over time which could add particles to the duct air.


Dealing with woodworms I am dealing with woodworms at home and I am looking for an effective method to contain their spreading and eliminate them from my furniture.
I would just like that they chose another place to build up their home, that should not be my flat!!!

The woodworms are in my furniture since 5 years more or less. I have at least 5 wooden pieces of furniture occupied by woodworms. They are mostly chairs, a showcase and a chest. I figured out that they were woodworms because of the sawdust and the little holes left in the wood.
What happens is that these tiny animals move from a piece to another and every year a different piece of forniture is contaminated.

I did not call a pest control and I had ever dealt the situation on my own. What I did since now it has been to inject a solvent with a syringe inside the holes in order to kill the eggs that they supposedly laid down inside the hole.

However now I am a little bit worried because in this season (spring) they are growing up a lot and spreading in my house and because they started getting inside 3 uncontaminated wooden doors I care a lot about.

Now my request is the following: could someone suggest me some effective methods to prevent their spreading?
I know it may sound strange, but does someone know the habits of these little animals? Or does someone knows a useful book or guide to face against them?

I am able to contain the emergency injecting the solvent in the holes, but I definitely cannot figure out how and where they lay down the eggs. This could be very useful because I would be able to prevent them dig their hole.
Indeed I understood that the big hole we can see in the wood is the exit hole, while the entrance hole is a tiny one, almost not visible unaided eye.

Thank you to everyone!

I believe you should contact a licensed exterminator.
My experience with hard to reach burrowing insects or worms  was  dealt with by  an exterminator who has access to products we do not.
For example we have had problems with carpenter bees which travelled long distances through the beams.
With a puff of  some powder"  which the creature carries back to the queen,
they were eliminated.
(we had also tried many things ourselves with no luck)


Pros and cons of plastic/gravel shed bases vs concrete base I'm going to have a 10x8ft shed installed in my back garden. I'm wondering if I should pay someone to put in a concrete slab base or use one of those interlocking gravel filled bases you can get.

I've searched around the web and can't seem to find much information about the pros and cons of using one of the plastic bases - the pros are that I can install this myself and it'll probably be cheaper. Obviously concrete will be stronger, but would it make much difference? I'm not going to putting any really heavy equipment in the shed, but at the same time I want it to last at least 15 years (same as shed warranty).

Perhaps someone with some experience can help here (I have none).

Plastic base example product

I would definitely recommend gravel for the primary reason that it will drain moisture away from the shed more quickly than concrete.
As far as the plastic grid+gravel method, I don't really have firsthand experience with that style of foundation; I'm more familiar with installing a treated wood perimeter filled with compacted gravel to place the shed on. There's a pretty good how-to guide at https://www.siteprep.com/how-to-install-a-gravel-shed-foundation/ and they have a video guide embedded as well.


What are my options to replace a sliding glass door screen? I have a sliding glass door off my kitchen which used to have a screen on it (the screen slid on a track just outside of the glass doors).  When I moved into my house the screen that was there was a replacement screen (I do not think it was the original) which quickly ripped (the screen that was there just was not made for 4 kids 6 years and under).  I tried another replacement screen from Home Depot this spring and although the screen itself did not rip, it just did not fit perfectly, would not slide smoothly, and got bent and went in the garbage in about 2 weeks.

I would try another replacement but it would need to be something better than what I got at Home Depot last.  And I would go to the door manufacturer but the name on the glass is Guardian and I have not been able to find them.

UPDATE (2011-09-18): The patio door is an American Craftsman by Andersen sold at the Home Depot.  See my answer for more info.

Guardian is the manufacturer of the glass itself, but not the door assembly.  See http://www.guardian.com/en/na/gd_002563.html

I think the key to finding the proper sliding screen is going to be finding out the manufacturer of the assembly.  Have you looked all around the door frame for a nameplate?


How to fix this one and is it a moisture problem? I wonder how to fix this moisture and I am not even sure if it is moisture. Please advise.

I'm pretty sure that's from water damage.

First step is to figure out where the water came from, and make sure that whatever happened doesn't happen again. Maybe there was/is a leak underneath the sink that seeped out of the cabinet and into the drywall?

Once you've done that, fix the water damage. If the drywall really got soaked, you may have to replace it. Poke that spot with your finger - if it feels soft, cut out the damaged section and replace it (there are many tutorials online on fixing drywall). But if it feels solid, then just paint over the stained area with a sealer (Kilz, for example), and then a top-coat to match the existing wall color.


Would a wall mounted TV count as an appliance for the purposes of tamper resistance outlet code requirements? I was reading this review on Amazon for a recessed outlet where someone points out that it isn't tamper resistant and, as such, is worthless.  There is a discussion between the rater and other people (including a Leviton rep) about this comment.  Someone points out that there is an exception for when there's an appliance that isn't easily moved in the way of the outlet.  There's also an exception if it is mounted 6 (or is it 5.5) feet high.  Contrary to what the Leviton rep suggests, most people do not mount there TV 6 feet high so that exception goes out the window very quickly.  On the other hand, it would be extremely difficult for a toddler to get their fingers in the outlet behind a mounted TV so I would think the TV blocking the outlet should qualify for the exception.  However, I don't think many people, in everyday language, would call a TV an appliance so I was wondering how this would shake out.

This could be a tricky one, as it depends on what you consider an "appliance", and how you define "dedicated space".

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 4 Equipment for General Use
Article 406 Receptacles, Cord Connectors, and Attachment Plugs (Caps)
406.12 Tamper Resistant Receptacles.
(A) Dwelling Units. In all areas specified in 210.52, all nonlocking-type 125-volt, 15-and 20-ampere receptacles shall be listed tamper-resistant receptacles.
Exception to (A), (B), and (C): Receptacles in the following locations shall not be required to be tamper-resistant:
(1) Receptacles located more than 1.7 m (5 1⁄2 ft) above the floor.
(3) A single receptacle or a duplex receptacle for two appliances located within dedicated space for each appliance that, in normal use, is not easily moved from one place to another and that is cord-and-plug connected in accordance with 400.7(A)(6), (A)(7), or (A)(8).

Easy peasy if the receptacle is 5 1/2' above the floor.  A bit confusing otherwise.  First you have to decide if a TV meets the NEC definition of an appliance.

Appliance. Utilization equipment, generally other than industrial, that is normally built in standardized sizes or types and is installed or connected as a unit to perform one or more functions such as clothes washing, air conditioning, food mixing, deep frying, and so forth.

Sure, I guess.
Next, you have to determine if the receptacle is located within the dedicated space for the TV. This is made difficult, as NEC doesn't define "dedicated space" well.

110.27(E)(1)(a) Dedicated Electrical Space. The space equal to the width and depth of the equipment and extending from the floor to a height of 1.8 m (6 ft) above the equipment or to the structural ceiling, whichever is lower...
110.27(E)(2)(b) Dedicated Equipment Space. The space equal to the width and depth of the equipment and extending from grade to a height of 1.8 m (6 ft) above the equipment, shall be dedicated to the electrical installation.

Based on these definitions, I'd say the receptacle is likely not within the dedicated space for the appliance.
tl;dr
Unless there's a local ammendment to the code that makes it more clear, I'd say this is a judgement call for the Authority Having Jurisdiction. For the price difference between a TR receptacle and non TR receptacle, I'd probably just install a TR receptacle.


Bathroom Fan Leaking/Dripping Can you help some frustrated new home owners? Our 14 month old new home is leaking this brown liquid into our bathroom. This almost exclusively happens after a snowfall and it starts to melt. We get over 2 cups of the liquid shown in the attachments. I hope we can get to the bottom of this. enter image description here

You have a roof leak that is dripping either directly onto the fan assembly or onto or into the vent tubing. Probably the leak is around a roof penetration, but we had one due to a defect in the roof decking right above the fan. Water dripped onto the fan assembly, through it, and into the bathroom.

EDIT
Another possibility is condensation of water in the tubing connected to the outlet of the fan. The tubing is in the cold attic and so water vapor will condense on the walls of the tubing conducting the exhausted air to the outside. If there is a lot of condensate in the tubing when the fan is turned off, and if the routing of the tubing is level and upward then this would drain down into the fan assembly unless there is a drain to catch it and conduct it away.


Dehumidifying without an air-conditioner First the details - This is a second home and we're here around 1-3 weekends a month. The house is a raised ranch style log house in the Southern Berkshires (MA) - a cold, rainy, damp place.
The basement / lower level is partly under the ground level and partly above. It gets pretty damp in the spring, summer and fall. Last weekend it was 82% RH in the basement as the dehumidifier had failed.
I replaced the dehumidifier and it's all well in the basement floor / lower level now and close to the 50% RH I've set on the dehumidifier which drains continuously into a drainage pipe.
The upper level unfortunately still has 70% RH. There is no air-conditioning and no house exhaust fan.
In the winter, the heat (electric) keeps the humidity fairly low and there is no issue.

How do I reduce the RH levels in the upper level of the house? When we're at the house, if it gets hot, we open the skylights and turn on the fan - this cools the living space but the RH level is still around 70%. Outside RH is in the 50%-60% range in spring, summer.

The humidifier works well in the basement.  Two ideas:

If the humidifier's capacity is adequate and the basement is connected to the HVAC system (vents and a return, and ductwork shared with the main floor), run just the HVAC fan continuously to circulate the house air and let the dehumidifier dry the air for the whole house.
Otherwise, get a second dehumidifier for the upper level.  I see  isherwood commented a similar idea while I was writing this.  If you can set the dehumidifier on a counter next to a sink, you're in business, just like the basement.  If you don't have convenient counter space, you could set up some type of surface next to the sink that is higher than the sink and run a discharge hose into the sink.  If that isn't a good option (sink height is typically higher than normal table height), you can still do it using a condensate pump.

You don't describe the exact setup for getting the water into the drain in the basement.  Dehumidifiers typically have the ability to connect a hose to the collection tray.  Use adapters to connect a piece of vinyl tubing to that tray drain.

Run that tubing into a condensate pump (http://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing-Pumps-Utility-Pumps-Condensate-Removal-Pumps/N-5yc1vZbqoh).  You will need to raise the dehumidifier so the collection tray drain is higher than the input hole in the condensate pump and keep the tubing short enough so it is a straight shot and doesn't dip a lot lower (set the dehumidifier on a small stand or table).  Run the condensate pump discharge to a sink.

I've done that in an enclosed crawl space connected to a basement and it works well for unattended, long-term use.


How to remove plastic junction box Does anyone know how to remove this type of junction box from the ceiling from underneath?

It probably has wings with framing nails in them, like this:

You can either try sliding a saw through the gap outside the box and cutting the wings off, or you can cut up and remove the box a piece at a time. That's more difficult with plastic than with fiber, so be prepared for a battle. A rotary tool with a spiral cutter would work well.

If you're patching the drywall anyway, just put a block of wood in the box and drive it upward with a hammer.


How to identify make/model of a wardrobe? We moved into a new flat which was sold to us with some wardrobes. We thought: "Cool! Less furniture to buy." After some time, we realised we wanted an extra shelf here, an extra hanger there, etc. Sound simple: Just go to the local furniture shop (e.g., IKEA, Jysk, Mio, whatever) and buy the furniture component you need.

Soon we realised that furniture is like phone charger plugs: Even for a simple item like a shelf, there are endless variations of width, depth, side hole placement, which makes it impossible to mix furniture components, even coming from the same make, unless they are part of the exact same system.

We could just dump all wardrobes and start anew, but that would be super-wasteful.

Is there a way to identify what make/model a wardrobe is?

Ikea usually has very distinctive structure, and usually "Ikea" stamped somewhere.  I don't have much experience with Jysk or Mio, but as far as I remember their furniture is more of the generic type.

BUT even for Ikea this is not that simple, they don't sell single shelves and their systems tend to slightly change over time.

Hangers are simple enough, you could probably find something generic in Krauta or bauhaus. Shelves are a little more challenging but you can always use generic shelf brackets and cut a piece of wood in with same color and thickness.


remove single pole switch that control outlet I have a light switch (single pole) in my dining room that controls an outlet. I want to separate the switch from the outlet while still providing power to the outlet. The switch I would like to use to control new light fixture being installed in the room.

The switch box has 2 switches in it one to the outlet and one to my upstairs hall lights (3-way switch) How can this be done and what is the red wire for?

Currently all neutral are wired together and grounds (bare) are the same. There are 4  circuits going into the box from what I can see.

Leave the 3-way switch alone!

Colors don't mean half as much as you'd like.  Actually, they are there to distinguish wires in cable.  Only ground has a reserved "color", though if present, neutral must be on white.

The red wire is nothing but a pigtail, it could be purple for all it matters.  People tend to make pigtails with any old bit of scrap they have lying around.

Actually on this switch, both the screw and the backstab are in use, which is sloppy but it means the black backstabbed wire and the red pigtail are connected.  So all of these are connected together:

the black wire going to the backstab on that plain switch
the red pigtail going from that wire nut to the plain switch
the black wire going from that wire nut to the wall
the black wire going from that wire nut to the smart switch.

I would rend the wire out of that backstab and put it under the wire nut, as this will make the wiring easier to understand.  And also because the backstab and screw method is bad, and also because backstabs are lousy in the first place.

So now, the clump of blacks (and red pigtail) are almost certainly the supply hot coming into this box.

Now it becomes clear: the solitary black wire on the switch is the switched-hot wire going to the receptacle.

You can take it from here, I trust.


Adding sub panel - detached building This is the first one I've done and want to make sure it's correct..

200amp in the house
110amp breaker to subpanel
2/0 aluminum wire 140' URD
4 bare copper ground less than 6'
8' aluminum ground rod

Since this panel is independently grounded do I need to bond the neutral and ground bars?

Also is there any additional grounding needed?

Thank you!

Update 1

The detached building is a covered patio with a 10'x10' room on one side.. This is going to be used for entertaining purposes only.  We are putting a hot tub and a mini fridge on the patio. There will be 1 ceiling fan,12 lights and 10 general use outlets..

You will need a ground wire running back to the house.    Since you have upsized the wire beyond bare minimum, a fudge factor gets applied to the required grounding wire size, so the required size is #6Cu or #4Al.  If it is aluminum, it must be in an insulated jacket; copper can be bare. The ground rod is not enough.

You always need the ground wire back to main.  Because it is an outbuilding, you also need an 8 foot ground rod.  In fact 1 ground rod is not enough unless you have done a resistance test and confirmed <25 ohms.  If you have not, you need 2 ground rods.  None of these are a replacement for a ground wire because a 25-ohm ground cannot return enough current to trip a breaker.  (At 120V, 25 ohms won't flow more than 5 amps, which will certainly not trip any breakers.)  Dirt is a very poor conductor of electricity, which is why we mine copper :) The reason for ground rods is equipotential bonding and ESD discharge, not fault-current return.

That subpanel is awfully, Very Tiny small.  You are going to use up those 8 spaces faster than you can blink, and will end up with a huge surplus of wire capacity you can't use for lack of fitting breakers.  On this forum we very forcefully recommend using "huge" (by your standards) panels, because bigger panels are cheap and regrets are expensive.  Also because modern AFCI requirements makes double-stuffing breakers no longer possible.

Nothing sucks worse than having to hork-a-dork something, or change a panel, because the last guy installed too small a panel, saving the price of a couple pizzas on a $1000++ project.  I sure hope he enjoyed that pizza.  Given the amp service (150A fully credited), get a 24 bare minimum.  ThreePhaseEel and myself would fit at least a 30, having dealt with full panels too many times.

The subpanel need a master shutoff switch before it.  The best/cheapest way to get that is to use a panel that has a main breaker.  The size of the main breaker does not matter, since you're only using it as a shutoff switch.  But it's a waste if the subpanel's main breaker is smaller than the feeder wire's capacity; and that feeder wire is good for as high as 150A. (135A textbook, then round up to next breaker size).

So you will definitely be replacing that subpanel.  If you have any aspirations to put this outbuilding on its own generator, I recommend Siemens.  Regardless, a generator here cannot backfeed the house, because it is then impossible to interlock with utility power.

That circuit breaker most likely needs to be AFCI, GFCI or both.  This will be true of most of the breakers in the panel.  So if your plan was to rely on the "8 space 16 circuit" marketing of the panel, that 2n circuits number is a blatant lie.  That relies on double-stuff breakers, which are not made in AFCI/GFCI, so you can't hardly use them anywhere.

Separate ground bar; good choice.  Neutral must be isolated from ground in a subpanel.  When people think of bonding them in a subpanel, I worry that they failed to run a separate ground wire along with the conductors, but you say you ran a #4Cu which is excellent.  #8 would be required for 100A wire, but you fit 150A wire so #6.  #4 is more than is required and will assure rapid main-breaker trip should that be necessary.


How can I tap an unused well for outdoor watering? I own the lot next to our house. We had a well drilled, thinking we would build there. Plans changed and now it just sits. The plan now is to plant about 100 trees. Is there a way to tap that well for a year-round outdoor water source?
Can you set up a pump/ outdoor spigot without a pressure tank?
There is no structure there of any kind but I can get electric to the site.

Update:
The newly dug well is 250' but there is actually an old hand dug well with an old hand pump on it. I don't know it's depth but obviously will be shallow. I do know that it takes 18 pumps on the handle and you have water. Maybe that would be the more appropriate for this application. I was hoping to keep this simple and the concrete vault isn't simple. We do have a tractor with a back hoe though, so that makes it all easier.

If you are fundamentally opposed to (or trying to avoid paying taxes on) an aboveground structure, you could bury a vault to put at least a small pressure tank in. With use of a "constant pressure valve" or a variable-speed "constant pressure pump" you can get away with quite a small pressure tank (2-5 gallons) but you really can't run a pump without any pressure tank, at least not remotely efficiently (you could, I suppose, put a pressure-relief valve in the line at the top of the well, and run without a pressure tank - the excess pressure would recycle water down the well, but that's a terrible waste of power...)

If you really need water in the winter, bury the whole thing below frost line - one common method is to use 4 or 6 foot diameter concrete well tile (as used for shallow dug wells) placed over/around the drilled well casing to provide the frost-free vault - you can insulate the top and sides for better effectiveness. While you have a backhoe in to dig for that and the power line, dig some trenches below frost line to where you want to have hose spigots, and put "frost-free hydrants" at each one (they have a valve at the bottom, and leak away the water in the upright pipe between uses.) Might as well have the backhoe dig 100 holes for trees while you have it, too.

If not fundamentally opposed to a structure, an aboveground structure (small toolshed for the orchard) above the wellhead might be a less expensive approach, unless the local taxing authority makes it an expensive approach after all (that can happen, and is best to be aware of when deciding.)  The area with the pressure tank can be heavily insulated and electrically heated to 45F or so if you really need water to hoses in freezing weather, or you can drain the whole system in the fall and start it up again in the spring if you don't really need to use water from hoses in the winter.


Where to get the semi gloss black paper that is used to cover particle board furniture So, I have a cheepo corner computer desk that has served me well over the years. To accommodate a gaming keypad, I widened the keyboard tray. I made the new tray out of particle board and it's shape isn't bad, unfortunately it's uncovered and could look better. If possible, I'd like to use the same type of paper they used for the desk, or something similar if I could find it. Problem is, I have no idea of where to find it, or even what the technical term for it is.

The stuff on the furniture doesn't even try to look like wood, it's just a semi glossy black material. It's very thin, and tends to peel of when wet.

If anyone knows what this is called, or where I could get some, i'd greatly appreciate it.

Most factory furniture is covered in a thermal foil resin paper. It's not something you can purchase or work with as a consumer. You could probably make a pretty close match by covering the piece with some matte black laminate which is pretty easy to work with and will hold up much better than the desk itself. A counter top maker would probably sell you a remnant on the cheap.


How to deal with seasonal expansion and contraction of wood indoors? Some doors in my apartment are subject to seasonal changes, similar to what is described here. I made adjustments: shimmed some hinges, shaved off some material here and there with a planer, and the doors now close reasonably well. But the door moldings have quite a bit of seasonal play. There are gaps in the miter joints  that show up in  the winter and almost disappear in the summer.

I also installed two interior doors last summer. The way the doors open and close do not exhibit any seasonal variation, probably because I used screws to install door casings. I also filled the gaps behind the jambs with foam. The whole assembly is therefore very rigid. But the molding is again problematic. In a couple of places there are now gaps, very distracting because they appear as a black tear in the white paint.

What should I do to mitigate this? I am tempted to caulk the gaps and repaint, but I am not sure if this is a good idea: come summer time, the planks will expand and might pop out, or bend, or push other parts out of place. I also considered filling gaps with wood glue mixed with saw dust.

Is there a general recipe to avoid these type of problems in the first place?

Jack's answer is completely correct. I will simplify the answer with some easy advice.  Use some acrylic painter's caulk in a caulking gun, never use a silicon based product in this situation. When you cut the tip, only cut off enough to leave about an 1/8 inch opening at the tip. You want to push out a very thin bead of caulk that can be "pushed" into the offending gaps. Smooth the caulk with a wet finger or damp cloth. This will remove excess caulk and/or push it into the gaps at the same time. This type of caulk is water soluble so clean up is easy.  Let the caulk dry as prescribed on the product tube before painting. Hint:  I have found that Dap painter caulk dries and stays very white as opposed to Liquid Nails brand that seems to have a more yellowish color when cured.  If you are going to paint, the cured color won't matter.


Upgrade bathroom light and separate exhaust fan I Have a small bathroom and it has a light that is separate from the exhaust fan. I want to upgrade it to a light and fan combo. Can this be done easily without having to go into the attic? I currently have the original exhaust fan from when the house was built in 1966. I already have three light switches in the bathroom.

Old school: probably not, unless the guy who wired that ceiling was generous with the wire.

Cool new tech: Yes.  They make electronic switch controls which are designed to solve a different problem:  "I want a light AND fan, but my bathroom is wired for a light only."   This consists of a smart switch that goes in the site of the regular switch, and an electronic control module that sits in the fan housing.

Now, I'm guessing your old fan has a vent - that is to say, a pipe leading from the top/back of the fan to the great outdoors. That will be a consideration.  Which is to say, if your fan/light combo is going where the fan was, that's not a worry.  But otherwise, you will need to be up in the attic reconfiguring that pipe... and while you're up there, you might as well rearrange the wiring to your preference also.


Will I be able to match the paint on peeling cabinets reasonably well? The paint on the cabinets surrounding our kitchen sink are peeling terribly.  The other cabinets are in reasonably good condition.  We are hoping to remodel the kitchen in the next couple of years, so I don’t want to spend a ton of money repainting/refinishing all of our cabinets.  I would love to just repaint the few that are peeling.

A few questions regarding how to best go about this:

Will A paint shop be able to match the paint color and finish (I.e. semi-gloss? Etc)?
Can I sand them by hand?  What grit sand paper should I use?  Will a need to sand all the existing paint off the cabinets that are peeling?  Or just where they are peeling?
Should I use a primer?  If so any recommendations?
How noticeable will brush marks be?  Should I go the extra mile and rent a spray painter?

Thank you all very much!!

Not perfectly, but if you make good choices about which panels to paint it won't be conspicuous.
Yes, but I'd limit sanding to the rough edges of the paint left behind after scraping the loose material away. If your cabinets aren't solid wood you risk damaging the veneer and creating a fuzzy appearance.
Absolutely. That's the only reliable way to get a good paint bond. Use a high-quality primer with excellent adhesion.
That will depend on you. Follow common best practices and it will look just fine. You can also use a foam brush if you don't want any grain at all.


How many 240V wires per hole in studs? Background: New construction, 2x6 load bearing wall that will contain insulation, installing individual cooktop modules in the kitchen and the run from the breaker box is 40'. There are 4 cooktop modules (these are Miele combisets if you are curious what I mean by cooktop modules) each requiring 240V and a 15A circuit. I am a little confused by 334.80 and 310.15 of NEC code. My County does not impose additional requirements other than the NEC.

My plan: I would like to run (4) 14/2 cables from the breaker box to the cooktop destination using the neutral wire as a second hot wire (black-striping them at the ends).

Question: what is the correct way to route the cables from the breaker box to the cooktop(s)? All 4 in 1-inch stud holes? Two cables each in two 3/4" stud holes? Each cable in its own 1/2" stud hole throughout the 2x6 studs? Also, given that these cables will be carrying 240v, if I combine cables in stud holes, will they be derated and would it be smart to switch to using 12/2 wire instead of the 14/2?

You're in the clear, as described

For 310.15(B)(3)(a), this boils down to a very simple rule for circuits 15-30 amps:  No more than four.*   So you're G2G for any of your plans.   You could even run all 4 of these in conduit (as individual wires please...**)

Also look to see if the instructions allow 2 cooktops on a 30A circuit.

However... plan for the future

You have the walls open and easy access.  Now is the time for provision for the future.  And this is expensive, high-end stuff, so I don't want to hear about chintzing out :)  Do it right, now.

Between ranges and ovens, ONE of your cables needs to be ready for 50A w/ neutral -- so a 6/3 cable.  And another of your cables needs be 30A-ready -- so a 10/3 or 10/2 cable; I recommend 10/3 because it makes you more stupid-proof.

Why? Because that makes you ready for a future installation of more pedestrian fare: either a 50A range+oven, or separate range and oven of 30A each.

You really don't want to be 10 years down the road, modernizing to a different setup, and discover the only thing in the walls is a bunch of #14.

Different deal in conduit.  With conduit it is very easy to change wires, so just go ahead and pull #14.  You can easily swap it out for different wires later. 1/2" conduit should suffice. (since you can use #8 for 50A).

* Why?  First, in split-phase (not 3-phase), all circuits have exactly 2 conductors that matter to the 310.15(B)(3)(a). Four circuits means 8 conductors means a 30% derate.  This derate is off the 90C column for NM-B and UF-B and most other wires.  Separate to that, NEC 240.4(B) already has statutory limits on #14-#10 wires, and those limits amount to 30%-ish derate. off the 90C numbers.

** And the way you color-code four 240V circuit in conduit is circuit 1: Black x2.... circuit 2: brown x2...  Circuit 3: red x2... Circuit 4: blue x2.  Or whatever. It's perfectly fine for both hots to be the same color.


The best way to secure utility sink legs to concrete floor I have a utility sink with metal legs which was never anchored when installed and would like to anchor it to the cement floor. Don't want to go to the expense of using Tapcon screws. Thanks for your help.

Get good light to the area.  Make sure floor is very clean and dry.  Buy one tube of 100% clear silicone caulk with gun. Lift each leg individually, stick the tip of the calk tube under the foot and dispense a liberal dose of the calk product directly between the foot and the floor. Let foot rest in puddle.  Repeat for all four legs.  Do not disturb for 24-hours.


How can I remove a Carpet from concrete stuck down with black mastic/bitumen I'm currently on restoring a property in the UK. The house was originally a Care Home built in 1987, and was built using standard commercial techniques at the time.

The issue I'm having is, at the time they laid this non-slip, easy clean carpet down directly onto the concrete floor and have stuck it using black mastic (believe its bitumen). Everything I've read is people struggling to get the glue off the floor after removing the carpet. The problem I'm having is even getting the carpet to budge. Currently we are using a hammer and chisel to get the stuff up. You can see below what this is like.

Does anyone have a better suggestion for trying to get this up? Will using chemicals work with the carpet still down?

I've had to do this in the past in a very similar situation. We used a 'diamond' cone angle grinder wheel, like this:

Image of one in use:

The first step was to pull off as much material by hand or with a scraper / flat shovel, so we were mainly grinding only through the adhesive. The grinder literally takes off a very thin layer of concrete so the strength of the adhesive bond was not a problem.

These cup wheels aren't cheap but you should be able to rent an equivalent tool locally (at least, that is true here in the US). There are also walk-behind grinders which work on the same principle, maybe that would be a good choice though I have not used one.

Angle grinders have some definite safety issues to be aware of which I would absolutely advise reading about if its an unfamiliar tool (even if it isn't). One of them is that this method produces a ton of fine dust. We rigged up a plastic shroud attached to a vacuum around the head of our grinder and that worked really well to contain the dust. (Again, this is where a rental tool might be well worth it if that feature is available).


Why is the non-contact voltage detector beeping over large area of a wall? Before drilling a wall (drywall at the surface; not sure what's beneath) separating the bathroom from the corridor, I took a multimeter with a non-contact voltage (NCV) detector to check that the location where I want to drill doesn't have wires underneath.

To my surprise, the NCV beeped for... the entire wall. (Note: for other walls, the NCV beeps only in locations where there are wires inside, i.e. above the outlets or switches up to the ceiling, or sometimes to the left or right of them.)

If I cut the power for the whole apartment, NCV stops beeping. It also stops beeping when I turn off at the service panel just the items labeled “bathroom” and “lights,” however, if I turn off just one of the two, beeping continues.

What could be a possible explanation for that? What could it mean in terms of safety issues?

Note: there was a practically identical question asked before, but the answer which was provided doesn't apply in my case. The multimeter is quite new (bought a few months ago), the batteries should be quite new as well (haven't used the multimeter that much since I bought it).

Comments are not helpful either: I doubt there are metal profiles in the wall, given the location of the wall and how thin it is. If there is water, this could be, I suppose, a troublesome thing. The detector is indeed triggered when in direct contact with the skin, but not within a few millimeters. When I check the wall, I keep the multimeter at a few millimeters as well.

You have an extremely sensitive digital non-contact voltage detector. Buy an analog one and you'll reduce the amount of false positives.

Your current one is obviously detecting AC voltage in the wall, it's just too sensitive.

If you don't know the difference, basically just get one that doesn't beep.


Why is 2-3 volts on 120 v circuit that is not connected I see 2-3 volts on a 120 volt circuit that is not connected to a breaker.

Disconnected  wires are a radio antenna. They pick up all sorts of junk which high impedance DVMs can see because they are so sensitive.   Mind you, on AC mode your meter doesn't only look for 60Hz, though crosstalk between parallel wires is a common source.

Plug an incandescent night light into the circuit.  I bet the phantom voltage instantly goes away, and the night light does not light.


After 1 year, how much gap between members is acceptable in light framing? Many of the connections between various members (rafters, collar ties, joists, studs) in the attic of a newly constructed small barn (~1 car garage) have grown over the past year.   In short, the nails are not keeping the members together.

How much separation is to be expected?  At what separation is fixing them advisable?  What method?

Context photos have been removed as they're detracting from the question I'm asking.

I don’t see any pictures, but fastening boards together is based on: 1) shear loading, and 2) withdrawal loading.

1) Shear loading is based on a.) thickness of fastener, b.) lumber species, and c.) support of fastener.

Obviously, a.) the larger the fastener and b.) the denser the wood species, the more secure the joint connection. ALSO, c.) if the fastener is cantilevered, it’s shear strength is greatly reduced and the bending capacity of the fastener becomes a factor. Generally we consider the fastener’s shear “fully developed” if it’s not cantilevered more than 1 1/2 times the fastener’s (nail, screw, or bolt) diameter. When it exceeds the 1 1/2 diameter it can reduce the strength of the connection by as much as one-half.

If it exceeds the magic 1 1/2 diameter we then worry about withdrawal.

So, if the fastener has too big of gap or if the fastener is not fully penetrating into the adjacent member, then it is not “fully developed”.  However, seldom do we calculate the withdrawal of fasteners.

So, if you’re worried about boards separating and the joint is weakened for shear loading, you need to determine if the connection needs to be at or near “full developed” strength. I doubt it is, especially in residential construction, because residential construction is way over designed.

If this has occurred over a short period of time (less than a year) I’d recommend that it be “monitored “.  When we monitor a structural condition we install control points, such as strips of Formica (that won’t shrink or grow) with marks that can be photographed and documented. Keep a journal on a REGULAR basis, like monthly. Document outside temperature, inside temperature, humidity, etc.


Why does my shower switch keep burning out? I have a Mira Shower 10.8 kW.

My switch is a 45A switch.  I have a 50A fuse for the shower.  The shower uses 10mm2 cable.

9 months ago the switch sparked and refused to turn off and the fuse tripped.  Opening up the switch, the cables were black and burnt.  I replaced the switch.  9 months on and it's happened again.

I know you're probably supposed to cut the cable and expose copper but I have no length left so I'll have to clean it with a wire brush and replace the switch.

Why does this keep happening though?

Mira seems to be based in the UK, so I'm assuming a 230V electrical mains.

Just taking the nominal figures for power and voltage gives: 10.8kW / 230V = 46.96A.  If you look at the worst case mains voltage (230V - 10% = 207V), you could actually be drawing over 52A.

So, if your shower is drawing as much power as it's rated for (say if the incoming water is very cold, or it's a cold day and you've got the water temperature turned up), a 45A switch is actually underrated for the job it's doing.  I'd recommend replacing it with a heftier switch.


Crack in concrete floor slab I recently pulled up carpet/padding and discovered a foundation crack. It looks to be larger on one end. It appears to be slightly horizontal, about less than 1/2 inch at it's largest end. The foundation is poured concrete, no basement. The house was built back in 2009 and is located in FL. There are no recorded sinkholes in the area. It's the only crack in the house and seems to be localized to one side. I've noticed a slight tilt in the door frame (that's always been there) located next to the crack.
My question is: Is this something to be concerned about? Do I need to call a company to come in and evaluate it, or should I just keep an eye on it?

This is typical and poses no danger.  It's just a superficial crack in the floor slab.  I suspect if you remove more carpeting, you'll find more.
The biggest concern is that sometimes insects (like ants) can find their way up through these and start invading your home.  I'd seal it with some silicone caulk to prevent insect infiltration.
Other than that, as long as it doesn't start opening up more you should be OK.


is it OK to lay an engineered wood floor that is 27' long without putting a T-joint in the middle to avoid buckling? I am installing an engineered wood floor (bamboo).  My LR/DR is 27' long.  The installer said I ned to put in a T-joint transition between the LR and DR, at the 18' mark, to avoid buckling.  I am concerned about a bump in the middle of the floor, and my wife says no way.  Do I need to do this? I am installing the floor parallel to the long side of the room.

In my own personal experience of this, the floor is capable of enormous movement,
even if you undercut at the skirtings. Avoid long, expanses without expansion joints if possible. My floor used to rise, like a small hill, then open into canyons, dependent on the change in the weather and humidity. Remember too, being on edge, it's strong enough to push a wall down!


size breaker and wire to used on a car lift Can someone tell me the breaker size and wire size to use on this car lift?

Here is a picture of the data plate:

15A/14AWG would suffice,  but you'll get more general usefulness out of the circuit if you run 12 AWG.

Also, in many commercial locations, 12 AWG is the minimum allowed.


How do I keep my outdoor trash cans from blowing away in the wind? I have two trash cans that sit on the side of my house. What can I do to keep them from blowing away due to the wind, when they are empty? I've tried bungee cording them together but they then just blow away as a couple. I have concrete block so I thought I could maybe attach hooks and use bungee cords to secure them to the house.

I've seen some houses near me have a sort of cage for them -- looks like a little fenced-off area on the side of the house, with the trash cans in there, and can swing open in front to get the trash cans out.

If it's really windy, you might need to add a top to it, so the trash cans can't lift out in high winds.


Are suspended ceilings common in residential buildings? Are suspended ceiling common in houses, rather then offices? If we to comparing with drywall ceiling:

Are there more strict requirements for suspended ceiling?
Are there more possible safety issues with suspended ceilings? (E.g. electrical wiring, vent grids, vents)
Installation -- it looks to me that it is much easier to install suspended ceiling tiles by a single person, than installing/coating/taping heavy drywall sheets. But there might be some catches as well?

In the US, it's often done in basements.  You're right in that it's relatively simple and light weight construction techniques.
Typically builders finish the ceilings in the rest of the house.  But finishing a basement with such material allows one potential future access to utility wires/pipes/ducts that would otherwise be exposed, and the ability to establish a ceiling height that takes into account any utilities that drop below the joists.