Can I integrate a 4800W heater into my current garage electrical setup? I seem to need too many circuits I have a garage subpanel with 6 spaces.  They are currently consumed by the following circuits:

One for lighting.
One for a few 120V outlets.
Two for a 20A 240V circuit for a well pump.
Two for a 20A 240V circuit for a saw.

Now I just acquired a 4800W shop heater with a 6-30P plug, so apparently I now need a 30A 240V circuit.
Am I practically able to avoid running another circuit?  The options I can imagine off the top of my head are:

Wire up a new single circuit outlet for the heater.  However, I'd like to avoid installing a new panel if at all practically possible.
Tear out the 20A circuit I ran (not a big deal) and run a new 30A circuit.  Install an identical plug on my saw so that I can use the outlet for either the saw or the heater.
Get ride of the heater and buy something that works with what I've currently got.  However, it appears to me that all heaters of this type use the same plug, so I'm not sure if this is possible.

There is one way you could do this without a panel replacement that would be safe - whether or not it would be "to code" I'll leave up to the peanut gallery.  (who I am sure will not like this answer at all)
Tear out your 20A circuit and replace it with a 30A with a 30A receptacle.  Not only replace the plug on the saw - but replace the entire CORD on the saw with a 30A cord and terminate the cord in a "motor controller switch" mounted on the saw that has properly rated overload heaters in it that are sized for the current draw of the motor at 240v  (which is likely to be around 6-7 amps if it's a table saw like I'm thinking)  Then run the regular cord from the motor controller/switch to the motor.
Building codes don't cover internal appliance wiring and of course the moment you modify the saw (by replacing the cord) you are no longer covered by UL or any of the other certifications and you are letting the manufacturer off the hook should the saw burn the place to the ground.  But, it is "safe" (as safe as any saw can be - which isn't much) since the motor controller switch protection is no worse than a breaker (and probably better)  And considering the number of tool manufacturers who have bit the dust over the last 2 decades there's a good chance your saws manufacturer isn't around to sue anyway even if you didn't modify it and it burned the place to the ground.
I have a shop full of older metal woodworking tools made in an era where the prevailing wisdom was something along the lines of "we don't need no steenking ground wires" and were all, in their day "to code" so I tend to take "code" with a bit of suspicion.


How do you cool a concrete home? I have a large backyard and it has a structure that's basically the size of a small home. It is made out of concrete blocks and cement floors. So it has poor insulation and it has a low, exposed roof. So the structure gets very very warm in the summer even when its reasonably cool outside. The temperature difference between the inside and outside can easily be 10 degrees or more.

What are some of the ways that I can cool/ventilate this type of structure? Is it an A/C unit? Or maybe some exhaust fans to take out the hot air? Or bring the cooler air in?

There are many options, but concrete is very dense and makes a great heatsink.

You can try insulating and air-conditioning the inside, but this approach is costly, energy-intensive and overall wasteful.

If you have room, I suggest planting a deciduous tree between the building and the path of the sun.  During the warm season, the trees leaves will shade the building and keep it from warming during the day.

In winter, the tree will shed it leaves and allow the sun to heat the building naturally.

Great method, but not always practical due to lack of room, etc.

A third method would be to plant vines on the sun-ward side of the house.  This will also keep the sun off the walls and help cut down on solar heating.


How do I insulate exterior basement wall? Working from scratch with a bare wall. What do I do? 3 hardware stores have told me 3 different things. We have very cold winters here. Looking for cheapest and highest R value. contractor next door says 2 layers ridged R5, overlapping and taped...2x4s...then gypsum board. He says I don't need a vapor barrier.

Best place to go for this sort of information is buildingscience.com. This set of documents on basements will have lots of useful guidance.


How can I deep clean grout in my kitchen? I've tried homemade recipes with baking soda and lemon juice. I've also tried store bought cleaner/repair stuff. So far, it's still dingy.

Anyone know of a powerful (and somewhat safe) product that can get the grout back to what it use to be so I can reseal it?

Mild Sulfamic acid (I've bought it at Home Depot years ago) and wear gloves.


Door hardware need to replace I need to replace this door hardware but not sure how or where to search. I have checked eBay but  there are so many and hard to know what one for sure will work . Any help would be great.

Just go to any hardware store or one of the big box stores (orange or blue) and they will fix you up.


How to verify water-feed entry-point into 2nd floor? BACKGROUND
A 2nd story living quarters is perched atop of a ground floor office.
There is high certainty based on history and observations that there is a slab leak: assume this is the case for this question.  It is desirable to find the water feed into the upstairs (entry point for a bypass).
PRECEDENT
There is a very similar second office / apartment configuration that has a copper pipe, that comes out of the slab, travels behind an office wall vertically and bridges and provides water to the 2nd floor:

The above photo is for the second office. The pipe in question is all copper. It was verified (by cutting the PVC pipe) that the small PVC pipe is the water-feed for a 'sister' location.
EFFORTS
A visual inspection was performed to find the water feed for said apartment: a copper pipe candidate is thought to be the the water-feed.

The goal is to confirm that it is the water feed without cutting the pipe.
QUESTIONS
What tests can be performed on said candidate copper pipe to confirm that it is the water feed?  Tests that are simple, easy, can be performed without elaborate tools (especially avoiding cutting) are appreciated.  Thank you

with all the water off heat the pipe at one location then turn the water on and see if the heat moves in response to this.
the heat is going to move slowly by conduction with the water off, so it may take a few tries to get a definate answer.  you could perhaps measure how fast the hot spot cools, with and without water flow.


Can I add a sub-panel near the main disconnect outside my house? I have an outside main disconnect of 125 amp and a inside main panel. The disconnect panel outside has an extra space that will accept a dual pole breaker. What I would like to do is add a sub-panel outside to run more circuits to my garage where I have to move a washer and dryer. There is no room in the attic where the old main panel is to run new wire, so it would be easier to run from the outside up into the attic into my garage which is attached to the house.

Can this be done and if so what size breaker and sub panel should I go with?

You can do it -- you'll need a subpanel loadcenter in a NEMA 3R enclosure, though, as well as watertight conduit/raceway and fittings for the outdoor runs, which will be done using THWN in the conduits.

You will want to put a 30A 2pole for the dryer and a 20A GFCI for the laundry outlets, as well as a spare 20A breaker (if you want a lighting circuit there, or an extra laundry outlet circuit) in your subpanel, which does not need a main breaker of its own, so it can be a four-slot NEMA 3R loadcenter, such as an Eaton BR48L125RP with a GBK10 ground bar in it, as the neutral and ground will be on separate, isolated bars in the subpanel.

As to the feeder breaker, the NEC calls for 1500VA for the laundry outlet circuit (220.52(B)) and a minimum of 5000VA (a 20A dryer) or the wattage of the dryer (whichever is higher) for an electric dryer load (220.54).  Assuming your dryer pulls the full 30A (7500VA) and you have 1500VA of laundry circuit load, this yields 9000VA or 37.5A, which requires a 40A feeder breaker in the main panel, and 8AWG THWN for the feeder wires.  In reality, your dryer can't sit there and pull 30A continuously without tripping your breaker, so this is a conservative calculation.


How can I vent a portable air conditioner when there's no window? My shop does not have central air and does not have operable windows.  There is a steel door in the back and cinderblock walls.  My landlord is against me cutting a venting hole in either the steel door or the wall...any wonderful ideas, anyone, for how I can use a portable air conditioner here...it was murder here last summer!!!

Do you have a budget in mind for adding the ac? You can use a water-cooled unit, but plan to spend $1500 and up. These units can be hooked up to a water supply (sink, garden hose, etc.) and drained back to a sink, outside, or wherever is available.

The heat from the air is transferred to the water - much like a geothermal ac or heat pump works. We use these a lot in restaurant food storage rooms and for portable ac's at public events.

The so-called vent-less ac units work by dripping cool water over a screen in front of a fan. The humidity becomes unbearable and people will feel very uncomfortable quickly. Avoid these systems entirely.


What is the best board to install behind a glue up tub surround? I would think it would make sense to install a waterproof board like GoBoard or DensShield behind a fiberglass tub surround, but I can’t find an adhesive that specifically states that it is compatible with these products. I’m hesitant to use greenboard when for not much more money I can have a waterproof wall. Cement board is a pain to work with and liquid nails gets mixed reviews adhering to it.

Most use standard drywall. If you feel better using dens shield or another WP drywall that would be fine tub surround adhesive must be used to avoid discoloring bleed through on the surround. Two adhesive makers indicate they will work well. Honestly if they will bond to ceramic tile they will bond to most anything.

From the manufacturer:

  Liquid Nails LN715-10oz Tub Surround and Shower Wall Adhesive is a durable construction adhesive that provides an exceptional waterproof bond under extreme conditions. LN715 Tub Surround and Shower Wall is recommended for bonding most plastic and fiberglass tub and shower surrounds to drywall, plywood, greenboard, cement backerboard, and ceramic tiles

And another manufacturer

  Loctite PowerGrab 10 fl. oz. Tub Surround Adhesive with low odor, low VOC and easy water cleanup is an ideal interior construction adhesive. It is designed to bond most plastic surround tubs to waterproof drywall, wood, sanded tile board and ceramic tile.


How to mount a 12V transformer for indoor lighting I'm installing 12V lighting in my basement in the exposed joists.  I bought this LET-75 transformer to run them, but I'm not sure how to mount it.  There are no mounting holes of any kind, for one thing.  Also, unlike a doorbell transformer, there is no obvious way to mount it so the 120V wires are inside a panel/box and the 12V wire are outside the box.
What's the solution here?  Putting the whole thing in a junction box seems like a heat issue.  I guess I could zip tie it to something and run the 120V wires into a fitting on a box, but they will be non-shielded going between.

It's not approved for use in AC wiring
See the backslanted RU?  That means the power supply is only RU-Recognized as a component of some future product that will then be UL-Listed.
You are not allowed to install RU-Recognized things in house wiring.  You can only install UL-Listed things.
An RU-Recognized thing can be converted to a UL-Listed thing by packaging it in an enclosure that conforms to the UL White Book and sending it off to UL for approval along with labeling and instructions. One challenge you would need to resolve is how to put the mains wires inside the box and the low-voltage wires outside the box.  Note most UL-listed 24V thermostat transformers do exactly that, mounting in a knockout or as a junction box lid, and providing terminals on the correct side.
As you grind through the UL Listing process, UL will notice that your active component is RU-Recognized, and they will not tear it down and do their usual testing suite, since they already have. That is the value/purpose of RU.
Typically this module would be part of a luminaire (light fixture) and the luminaire would be UL Listed in  the usual way.
Other than that, you can go to the final arbiter of approval: your local electrical inspector, and ask them if they will approve some sort of mounting method.


How can I lock a sliding door that doesn't have a door lock? I don't know if this question constitutes a home improvement or life hack but I'll ask here first. We live downstairs for my wife's parents in Japan. My wife's mother occasional invades downstairs. She changes around things- this infuriates my somewhat control-freak wife. Is there a device that I buy on the internet that allow a sliding door to be locked? Its a double sliding door with no internals of Japanese design- more robust that those paper doors but essential light weight wood on the wood runner with no bearings. I need non-permanent- no modifications to either door or wall. Just need to provide some resistance to entry. Its an internal door. Because there are two sliding doors- I envision perhaps a Z connection- A L with an end- the gap between the doors is 5mm- and small lock to lock the doors together. Have you seen something like that? We have a decent a hardware store at last near home but no tools.

You can cut a stick to lay in the track where the door slides, that's an old trick.  You can also drill a vertical hole in the track, say an inch deep, and drop a 2" nail in there, to block the door from sliding open, similar idea.

They make little clamp on sliding window locks

that might work.


Air comming in from door side I'll try to be the more specific possible but please consider I usually talk French.
I'm not the owner of the place I live, I'm renting it. So something like changing a door is not something I considier that I should change if something goes bad with it. Especially when one of the main prupose of a door is not meet; stopping cold air from coming in. But the owner don't want to change it (waste of time talking with him anyway ; "Costs too much." he'll say - I literally hear him saying it).
So I was wondering how could I fix the fact that yes, my exterior door is closing correctly, but there's a huge and quite considerable amount of air entering by where the metalic piece from my door went into the wall hole.

Note: It's not my door, it's an example. Mine have a door lock about 2 inches over the handle.

The general fix for air leaking around a door is known in the US as "weatherstripping".

Image from: http://www.energyconscious.com/m-d-building-products-door-weather-stripping-white-17-63628.html

It comes in several shapes and sizes, but the basic idea is to fill a gap with a compressible foam that will close an irregular gap and keep air out.  It's good practice to put it all the way around a door.


How can I make a 240 volt 4 wire to 3 wire extension/adapter cord? I have an existing 240 outlet wired into the wall of my shop. It's there to run a phase converter that I use about 2 hours a week. I want to use this circuit to run a 240 window air conditioner when the phase converter is off.

The air conditioner arrived today and has only 3 conductors on the power cord. I looked up the configuration and determined that it's a 240v 15 amp set up.

I want to make a short extension cord, about 6 ft, to connect the 3 conductor plug from the AC to the 4 conductor 240v wall receptacle. The wall side would be an 4 conductor plug that fits the receptacle. The AC side would be a 3 conductor receptacle that fits the end of the AC power cord. So my extension cord would only be 3 conductor (no ground) going into the 4 conductor wall receptacle.

I've spent enough time around electricians to know how to connect wires and such safely. Just not sure if omitting the ground will work. The manufacturer of the AC apparently thinks so or they would not have made it with only 3 conductors.

To do this properly, You'll likely have to run a new circuit.  Since you haven't posted the make, model, or nameplates of the equipment, it's impossible to say for sure if these two devices can be on the same circuit. If they can, the solution is to extend the circuit using approved methods and materials. If they can't, the solution is to run a new circuit.
As for making an extension cord, that's not the best option.  Extension cords are for temporary use only, and should not be used in place of permanent wiring.

WARNING:
Using an extension/adapter cord like this is dangerous, and can lead to loss of property and/or life. This is a theoretical device, that should never exist.  DO NOT make, use, or even think about a device like this.

 If you're dead set on making and extension/adapter, you'll want to use proper sized conductors and protect the cable from physical damage.

 Since you're plugging it into a 50 ampere circuit, you'll have to size the conductors to be able to carry 50 amperes. This is not typically the way it's done, but this is not a typical solution.  If the A/C overloads, you don't want the cord bursting into flames. So since the overcurrent device is set to 50 amperes, you'll have to have appropriately sized conductors.

 A safer option would be to build a smaller overcurrent device in to the adapter, to protect the cord and A/C unit. In this case you'd have 50 ampere conductors attached to a NEMA 14-50 plug, with the other end of the conductors connected to some form of 30 ampere overcurrent protection. Then from the 30 ampere overcurrent protection, you'd run 30 ampere conductors to a NEMA 6-15 receptacle. Then you could plug the A/C into the 6-15 receptacle.

WARNING:
Using an extension/adapter cord like this is dangerous, and can lead to loss of property and/or life. This is a theoretical device, that should never exist.  DO NOT make, use, or even think about a device like this.
The safest option would be to install a new panel, and have it being fed by the conductors that are currently feeding the 14-50 receptacle.  Then you can branch to each of the devices from the panel, using proper methods and materials.


Bathroom lights go off and come back on after a few minutes My bathroom light from time to time goes off after being on for a few minutes then comes back on then goes off again. When I flip the switch for the light nothing happens and I have to wait for the light to come back on. Does anyone have a solution to this? Getting tired of the horror movie lights...

if you have LED bulbs in a globe with no airflow, they can overheat. Many have a thermal shutdown feature that will turn off the LEDs if they get too hot. Once they cool down, the controller allows them to turn on again. This explains why flipping the power does nothing: they are still too hot.

Try a lower wattage bulb, a more expensive bulb, or a decorative tungsten bulb.


What to do about hot neutral in switch? The light switch only controls a ceiling fixture. But, the cable powering the switch also powers 2 grounded outlets. The neutral wire on the switch is live/hot. The black wire is not. Right now all the 3 white wires are wire nutted together, thus making the white wires live on the two outlets and the light fixture. What to do?

It's confusing when you say "The neutral wire on the switch is live/hot.", since typically there are no "neutral" wires connected to switches. Is it possible that the white wire from the cable is used as a switched "hot"? Wire color does not dictate purpose, how it's connected does.

If this is not the case. You'll have to locate the point in the circuit where the "hot" and "neutral" are swapped, and correct the problem. You'll then have to inspect the entire circuit, and insure it's wired properly.


Is there a name for PVC pipe that's approx 1/2" ID and 5/8" OD? I have a PVC pipe that supplies water to a valve, and then goes to my toilet. It's approx 1/2" inner diameter, and 5/8" outer diameter; it's stamped on the outside of the pipe that it is 1/2". The standard run of the mill PVC 1/2" that is "Schedule 40" is about 0.8" outer diameter, but is also stamped 1/2"

The valve fitting seems to fit the 5/8" outer diameter one and the valve is labeled for 1/8" nom., and of course then would not fit standard Schedule 40 1/2". Can someone clarify the difference? Is there some sort of PVC pipe type I do not know of?

It's not PVC, it's either PB or PEX, which are sized similar to copper tubing. They normally are connected with barbed fittings with compression rings but compression fittings with metal inserts also can be used.


Is turning the heater off in absence cheaper than holding a low temperature? Winter is coming and I live in a badly insulated flat in Germany. Outside temperatures are around 0°C at the moment. When I'm absent for a weekend, should I turn the central heating off entirely and let the flat cool down to outside temperature, or should I hold the inside temperature at, say, 15°C? The former will save money because the heater is off, the latter will save money because the difference to my comfortable temperature is lower. Which option is cheaper? How does the result change with longer absence?

Is there a way to calculate this?

Lower the thermostat when you will not be in the room. Better to get a programmable thermostat which will allow you to set when the heat goes on for a weekly schedule. Smart phone apps have this kind of wireless control for heating, too. As Aloysius commented on, thermostat shouldn't be so low that pipes freeze and burst.


Short run of propane to stove and tankless WH I have a small stove with a propane conversion kit and a 3gpm propane tankless water heater. This is for a small MIL suite ~650 sqft. Both the stove and the water heater are on the same exterior wall, about 6ft apart.  The wall has no windows or other openings. I want to place 2 20lb BBQ tanks outside on that wall. I've been searching for information about connecting a changeover valve like used in RVs to them.  From there, a short run of black pipe, through the wall to street elbows and a shut-off valve at each appliance. Both appliances have 1/2" connections.  I can't seem to find specific information about connecting the tanks to the black pipe. What do I use?  I am going to have this pressure tested and inspected after I'm done.

What I ended up getting was a hose with a regulator.  On the other end was a 3/8" flare female.  I found a 3/8" flare male to 1/2" MIP (Male iron pipe).  I used a 1/2" coupling to a 3" nipple to a tee.  From there it went to each of the 1/2" nipples through the wall, to a street elbow, and finally to a gas shutoff valve.  This is the basic setup now.  I'll have to order a changeover for the 2nd tank.

street elbow => shutoff         street elbow => shutoff
|              ---------        |
|                wall           |
|              ---------        |
|__________________Tee__________|
                    |
                    |
              1/2" coupling
                    |
        3/8" male flare to 1/2" MIP
Regulator with hose 5/8" female to 3/8" female
              propane tank


Can I safely spot seal drywall after sanding I have recently removed wallpaper and sanded the walls in one of our bedrooms. I then applied an oil based pigmented sealer to 1 of the walls before realizing some other imperfections are present on that wall.

Will I run into any issues (color problems when applying top coat) if I sand back the affected area, apply filler, then sand and re apply pigmented sealer to that spot alone? Or will I need to re-seal the whole wall in 1 run

Should not have any problems, as the repaired surface will be the same composition as the rest of the wall.

The fact that you did the whole wall once is the best way to prevent "shiners" at the spot of repair, as long as the new sealer extends into what was done before.


Wiring 3 wire well pump to 4 wire supply 220v pump.

Old pump has 4 wires, RWBG
At the well head the supply has RWBground
Old pump use Green on ground.

New pump is black, black and green

Ok, 2 black supply lines go to Black and Red (Yes they have 240 between them)  But does my green connect to the neutral line (white) or to the bare ground wire.

Old pump is a 38 yr old franklin.

New pump is a Grundfos SQE series.

Neutral is not needed here as the pump is 240V only with no N connection.  Connect the green to ground and you should be all set.


How can I prevent a bathroom fan from vibrating? I am replacing the ventilation fan in our master bathroom this weekend.  The previous one (about 12 years old) developed such a vibration over time that it managed to undo the bolt holding the glass cover on, causing it to fall and shatter.  I haven't removed the fan yet, but it appears to be securely fastened either to the joists or to a mounting kit (it's an 8 inch box, and I'm guessing the joists are farther than that), so I don't think it's just a matter of the whole thing coming loose.  Is there anything I can do while installing the new fan to prevent similar vibrations from occurring?

Fan vibration is mostly a matter of fan quality (which unfortunately is not as simple as price, though it's sometimes related.) Bearings and how well the fan blades are balanced are the main influences.

You can also switch to an inline duct fan located away from the bathroom - any vibration would be non-local to the bathroom, at least, and as a general (but not utterly definite) rule an inline fan may be of better quality than most ceiling-type fans.


How can I find a leak in underground plumbing? We moved into a home a couple years ago that was 1600 sq ft from a 3700 sq ft home. We were shocked that the power bill here was about 30% more than the big house but I suspected a water leak somewhere at the time. We cant find anything but we tried to dig a hole in the yard that filled with water... so we dug into the sand layer hoping it was ground water that would dissipate into sand but it just got worse... and our power bill is now up another 27%. We dug up a few pipes around the hole looking for leaks and cant find them. We don't know what to do? No one around here... well drillers plumbers excavators knows what to do? We are on a well and have all electric everything including a water pump type heating and cooling system. We did turn off the water last night and the power to the water pump and found that over a couple hours time we lost all the water in our reserve tank. Does this sound like a leak to you?? Please PLEASE help us!? We have exposed pipes now and they will freeze this hole is not drying up and we can sump pump the water out but if it is leaking water we don't want to pay to pump water out that isn't ground water. We have of course given up on the root cellar idea but we cant just fill in the hole... it wont likely dry and we need to find the source of the water somehow or at least verify that its not a leak and its just ground water or an underground spring!!

We did turn off the water last night and the power to the water pump and found that over a couple hours time we lost all the water in our reserve tank. Does this sound like a leak to you?

Maybe.  Was the reservoir tank cut off (like with a valve) from draining back down the well?  If there is a check valve, is it in good working order?  If not, it is hard to say whether the reservoir fed a leak or just emptied back into the well.

To more definitively indicate if well water is causing the observed ground water, turn off the pump, close all the water valves (to prevent water flowing out of the pump house) and wait.  Observe the ground water level every hour or two—maybe put in a stake or stick in the hole to better track it.  Does the water go down?  If so, a leak seems likely.

Leak detection

Doing a standard pipe pressure test would indicate quickly and conclusively identify whether there is a leak anywhere.  It requires containing the pipe under test by closing valves or disconnecting and capping pipe, adding a gauge or other measuring device, and pressurizing the pipe, perhaps with a bicycle tire pump—a gas pipe pressure testing gauge has an air valve for this purpose; I haven't seen anything directly comparable for water pipes.  Then just wait and watch.  The pressure should remain, dropping no more than 5% per hour.  (In my experience, temporary caps and a gauge for leak testing are the source of most pressure testing leaks.  Generously apply plumbers tape.)

Finding a leak

If a leak is detected, then there are several choices to fix it find it and fix it.  Which you choose depends on the specific situation, your budget, and your patience:

dig up all the pipe to inspect for leaks
abandon the existing pipe and install new
Sherlock Holmes

The first two are self-explanatory.  The third involves looking for clues.  Can you isolate part of the system—the hot water portion is an easy and obvious example—and see if leak continues?  Maybe there is another portion:  outdoor faucets, sprinkler system, barn, etc. which can be individually cut off from the main system.

A leak is most likely to develop at a pipe joint and the location of joints are reasonably predictable.  If the pipe is PVC for example, it usually comes in 10 foot lengths (at least in the U.S.—but if it is freezing where you are, probably you are south of the equator so some other length—3 m?—applies), so you only need dig a hole every pipe joint to check—at least with good luck.

Also consider any recent changes if it got worse:  Has a fence post been installed or did a tree fall?  Dig around there for to look for pipe.


What is the easiest and most cost effective way to turn a 1 bedroom apartment into 2 bedrooms? Obviously, I could build a full wall with insulation, etc.; however, this might not even be allowed, and even if it is, there are a variety of factors why it is not ideal like the time to build it and it is not very cost effective. Further, if I ever moved, removing an entire wall is no easy task.

What are some good ways to build a room into a 2 bedroom apartment, which has walls and doesn't bleed sound and has a door? I'm wondering if there is a better way besides framing out an entire wall.

Electrical isn't an issue because I just won't put any outlets or anything onto the dividing wall(s). No need to make things more complicated than they need to be.

I think the greatest factors when choosing how to do it, is:

sound penetration (as soundproof as possible, maybe use some green glue
wall stability (has to be sturdy enough so that falling into it won't knock it down! And so you can hang things up on it)
ease of removing/portability if I decide to move
privacy - I want my apartment mate to feel safe and secure

Where I live, a 2 bedroom BEGINS AT $2,000 (up to $20,000). So instead of spending all my paychecks on rent, I thought maybe a 1 bedroom could be a better option. I just don't want to rent "my couch" to an apartment mate. I want to be very fair and give them their own room.

Unless your existing room already happens to have two doors then the project that you propose is never going to get any where because the project is more than trying to build some divider wall.

Trying to cut an additional doorway into the room is just not something you can freely do to a property that you happen to be renting.

Additionally the requirements you have placed on the performance of the divider wall would require that you build in a good solid wall. This is simply not something you can do to a property that you are renting.


Are five conductor wire runs (two neutrals) for two circuits still considered a "multi-wire circuit" for code purposes? Typically, a multi-wire circuit run has two hots on separate legs, a shared neutral and a shared ground. There are very specific rules (NEC 210.4) about these types of circuits to ensure that the neutral does not become overloaded (if the hots are accidentally place on the same phase) among other considerations.

Given that many locations now require arc-fault circuit breakers, which require dedicated neutrals anyway, running two circuits in one piece of Romex would take five conductors, and only the ground would be shared.

In this case, is the run still considered a multi-wire circuit for NEC purposes?

For example:

Do both hots have to be on separate legs since there are dedicated neutrals? Do they need to be on a two-pole breaker with a single pull so both hots are powered on at the same time?

If they are not considered multi-wire, are there any other specific rules that apply to these?

(NEC 2014 is relevant in my jurisdiction).

In this case, is the run still considered a multi-wire circuit for NEC purposes?

Short answer: No

Here is the relevant Code definition:

  Branch Circuit, Multiwire. A branch circuit that consists of two or more ungrounded conductors that have a voltage between them, and a grounded conductor that has equal voltage between it and each ungrounded conductor of the circuit and that is connected to the neutral or grounded conductor of the system.

Since you would have two hots and two neutrals they are now separate branch circuits. They do not have to be on a two pole breaker or have a handle tie since they do not share a neutral. They do not have to be on opposing hot legs, they can both be on the black (left) or red (right) feeder bus.

Good luck and stay safe!


What options are available for ventilation above a stove? We are taking out our cabinets  above our stove area, to create an open plan to the dinette area on other side of counter. Can we have a ceiling mounted fan above stove? (flush with the ceiling) What options are there?

OK, my understanding is that you have a stove on a section of counter that doesn't have a wall immediately behind it. This could result in a "peninsula" design, or an outright "island".

Either way, what you want is an "island-mount vent hood". They're designed to install in the ceiling instead of against a wall, for stoves that are out in the middle of a kitchen layout for whatever reason.

Now, most of these vent hoods will have some drop from the ceiling. This is because the further away the fume hood is, the larger it has to be in order to catch the rising steam/smoke from whatever's on the stove. You generally want between 3 and 4 feet clearance between the stove and hood, with a minimum of 30" required by most building codes. With a standard 36" countertop and an 8ft ceiling, a flush-mounted vent hood would be about 5 1/2' from the surface of the stove, which is a bit high. A 9' ceiling would put the hood over 6' off the stove surface.

So, while there are designs that minimize the profile of the hood, and you can usually install them high enough that they're above eye level (though I'm 6', and most installations I've seen have been at or below my eye level), I don't think a ceiling mount will be feasible, as you will need a commercial-size hood to have the area necessary to catch the column of smoke at that height.


2 White Neutral Wires But Need Only One I'm trying to install this new Smart Switch I purchased from Amazon.

According to the instructions, I need a neutral connection.
A short white neutral wire is included in a box as well.

The next photo shows the current configuration with my old switch.
As you can see, there are

2 black hot wires
1 copper ground wire

AND

2 unused white neutral wires.

I'm wondering if I can just randomly pick one of the two neutrals and directly connect it to the new switch.

OR

Do I need to use the short neutral that came with the new switch and do something with it (if so, specific instructions are appreciated)

Do I need to use the short neutral that came with the new switch

Yes.

(if so, specific instructions are appreciated)

The best instructions you should follow are those of the manufacturor of that switch.
But generally here's what you do.

Remove the orange wire cap and add one end of the short neutral that came with the switch you bought.  (It's called a pigtail btw)
Connect the other end of that pigtail to the neutral terminal of the smart switch.
Take the two black wires out of the old switch, and use a volt meter to determine which one is live when the breaker is on.
Label it line, or 'from panel' if you want to be extra nice.
Connect tha live black wire to the 'line' side of the smart switch.
Connect the dead black one to the 'load' side of the smart switch.

This diagram shows the general idea.  Ignore the shape of the hole in the wall.  Also your switch doesn't have wires coming out of it it sounds, or you'd probably have a red one for the switched load.


Floor lamp w/five adjustable lamps Calls for 60W max incandescent bulbs.  Salesman sold me A19 Dimmable LED Gen Purpose 60W replacement/uses only 6.5W.  Is this safe? This is not a dimmable light.

The light bulbs suggested by the salesman will operate at full intensity, as you've indicated that the fixture does not include dimming features. At full intensity and 6.5 watts per bulb, you are well under the safe maximum noted in your first line.

You are safe by a substantial factor.


How can I find out if I can add a bedroom to my home without violating any rules/ordinances? I think I heard somewhere when I bought my home that we weren't allowed to add any permanent (concrete foundation) fixtures on my property, such as a shed on a concrete foundation.  Well, adding a bedroom to my home would do exactly this, does anyone know who I can contact to find out if this is even allowed?  Such as maybe an official city agency of some sort?

Building regulations are generally controlled by either

the municipality (city/town/township/village) if you live in one, or
the county

Start with the first. Most often there is a planning or zoning office that regulates both commercial and residential construction.

Or you could consult a local builder and ask him or her what permissions you need (but double check any answer that you get; some unscrupulous builders will say you don't need any, and post construction, you may have a problem).


What are these extra wires behind my thermostat? I an hoping to install a new thermostat that requires a C wire. I pulled off my old thermostat, an old round dial type, and it was of course only connected to four wires. The four wires are the only wires in their sheath, but there is another set of 3 wires that were just hanging loose in the wall. I'm guessing they won't help me connect my thermostat, but I'm curious what exactly they are?

They are very old wires with cloth sheathing. My guess is the house did not originally have air conditioning and they needed one more wire so they just pulled an entirely new cable. If you were really curious you would have to trace them out to either the attic or crawl space. I would bet the other end is dangling near your furnace if they didn’t move it when installing air conditioning.


How to move these disposal discharge connections? I will need to replace my 10+ year old garbage disposal (How to repair a slow leak in sink food disposal, at discharge).  The mfg help line says the model 17 I have is obsolete and the replacement is the InSinkErator 76944, Cover Control Plus Garbage Disposal
But the recommended replacement is 2.5" wider and 2" taller than the old one.

The existing discharge piping seems very sturdy but may be hard to reuse because there is NOT enough room for the new larger model without relocating that sturdy piping.  (See photos below.)

What might be the easiest (or best) way for me to modify the existing piping to accommodate the new, larger disposal? Should I try to use/reuse the 2" metal disposal piping, by moving or modifying it as needed, or replace it with 2" flexible discharge tube like this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/InSinkErator-Flexible-Discharge-Tube-2-in-White-Plastic-Garbage-Disposal-Discharge-Tube/1269327

Will connecting new plastic tube into the wall be easy, since there is a threaded connection (it seems from the first photo), or is that threaded connection likely to be hard to remove since it is old and so close to the wall?  In any case, what is the name of the adapter I need to connect the 2" plastic discharge tube to the 2" threaded connection in the wall?

How much of a U shape is needed in the discharge and could that U be made of flexible tubing?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. (Plumbing is not my thing.)

OK, If you have to remove the copper piping, start with the trap, the "u" thing, which you need to re install with the new piping. Turn the two brass nuts counterclockwise to remove them from the down pipe and the main drain. The threaded fitting  at the wall should be able to be removed by turning it counterclockwise with a 12 or 14" pipe wrench. The problem is you might not be able to turn it unless you cut the pipe in half, between the 90 and 45 degree bends. It will depend on the clearances. If you can modify this to make it work, it would be to your advantage. Even try calling your appliance person and see about the size of a 1/2 HP disposal.
This will be tricky if you're not a plumbing person.


Mounting box slightly offset in ceiling: is there an offset mounting bracket that I can use to mount ceiling fan? We're having a new house built, and yesterday we went to check out the progress. They've finished drywalling and sheetrock mudding and we noticed that the electrician installed one box off center. We've already had a very long back and forth with the electrician and the builder over numerous issues, so we're trying to limit our complaints at this time. Is there some sort of a bracket I can buy and mount a flush mount ceiling fan off center to cover this up?

Another thought we had was to maybe rather than a ceiling fan, get some type of a wide light fixture and mount it off center.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

It looks off set I agree, however we cannot see if there is any structure above that required the shift.what I do see is that it looks to be attached to the joist, I am not sure why it is not centered like the one on the far end of the photo unless there there was structure in that locarion, but shifts in lighting like this make it look like low quality work. If there is nothing in the way it should be able to be shifted on the same joists.


What's required to wire a repurposed cooktop in my shed? A friend gave me a stovetop that was separate from the oven which burnt out.The two pieces were inserted into cabinets .I want to hook up the stove top in my shed for cooking. Its the type that has all the knobs built into the top.The problem is that theres only two wires plus a bare ground coming out of it.How do I hook this up?

You don't say what region of the world you're in, but that's commonly referred to as a "cooktop" in the US, distinct from an electric range. (which is a standalone appliance that includes the oven.)

But both cooktops and ranges can have "3-wire" hookups in older units, where more modern appliances will now use 4-wire hookups, which adds neutral as the fourth conductor. Two of the three wires are hot, and the third is the ground. With 4-wire hookups, a neutral is also included.

If that is what you have, it requires 240volt (in the US) power. Do you have that in your shed? You would need to hook the two hot leads up to an appropriately sized dual-pole breaker, red to one pole and black to the other, ground to ground.


What options are there for door stops away from a wall? I have a number of doors in different situations where opening the door fully will hit various things, in all cases I don't have a wall behind the door to fix a normal stop to.

The only solution I can currently think of are the stops you screw in the floor, but they would be a trip hazard.  I assume using those floor stops near the hinge would be a bad idea because it would wrench the hinges?

What other options are there for preventing a door opening too far?

For what it's worth these are the different situations:

Door corner collides with sloping ceiling when open 135deg
Door face collides with kitchen cupboard knob at 90 deg
Door edge collides with bookcase at 150 deg

I'd look at hinge stops, and use them in pairs (or even triples). They apply a large force to the hinge screws and the door skin, so using multiples distributes the load.

For reference only.

If your doors are very heavy, consider a closer as recommended by Ed Beal.


Trying to make a 3AA battery case I have requirement to create a device which works on 3AA battery and uses a small enclosure. When all the items are put inside the enclosure, only about 31x31x60 space is left.
So all the readily available 3xAA battery case were out. They are mostly linear and are of sizes 57x48x20 or so. I have the metal contacts needed to create the battery holder:

The idea I have is to make something like this:

The case would be open from top side, and would have side walls and bottom wall. Its almost like a "U" shaped case. The easiest way to prototype this  would be to get acrylic sheet cut but once the walls are all made, I've the next step to "fasten" the metal spring contacts. I have following options:

Araldite
Make another thin wall parallel to the end of the U shaped side wall, to "hold" the plates.
Make holes made on the metal spring contacts and then screw them via m1.5/m2 to the U wall.

In terms of ease, 1>3>2. However I dont know if option 1 to glue using araldite is going to work well - will it cause any leakage current to go higher (I doubt, just double checking). And I'm not too sure if araldite is stable and strong enough for this metal/acrylic bonding for 3-4 years life. Option 3 is definitely a possiblity but asthetically not pleasing. And option 2 is lot of extra work, but would just work.
Please let me know what you guys think.

I've used 3xAA to D battery adapters for powering devices. The enclosure is professional in appearance and permits one to attach wiring as needed, or to use single contact attachments in the same manner as that of a D battery.

The image above is from Amazon but there are many sources of adapters of this nature.
It's easier to find AAA mini-flashlights, so I'm using this as an example only. I've opened up the cheap/free flashlight and soldered wires to the housing to create a 3xAAA enclosure with convenient power switch. You didn't ask for such a mechanism, but it was referenced in the comments and is a valid solution if you can locate a 3xAA flashlight, otherwise, the adapter provides an off-the-shelf solution to your objective.


Does the smell of paint linger or penetrate other materials? My girlfriend is away for the weekend, I and I want to suprise her by doing some painting and some shelfmaking.

The wall I want to paint is a in a rather small room, with a lot of old screw holes that I'm going to fix and paint over (the whole wall) before mounting the shelf.

The problem is that the room is filled with a lot of cloth and stuff, and the room does not have direct ventilation to fresh air (no window).

Will the smell of paint stick to the clothes?

No - the smell of new paint fades away over time.  It won't stick to clothes any longer than it emanates from the painted surface.

I hope you're using latex paint and not oil - as the smell fades away much faster.


Can I install a bidet seat/washlet without a tank? I'm interested in adding a washlet to my toilet seat (like this one for example https://www.brondell.com/swash-300-bidet-toilet-seat/) but I'm not sure if I can do so given that my toilet doesn't have a water tank above it.

Here is a photo of where the toilet connects to the wall:

Yes.

The bidets use a T which is installed between the water supply to the toilet and the fill value on the tank.  You have neither the fill valve or the typical toilet water supply.

You should be able to go from the hose bib with the red handle to a 3/8" female adapter that would then allow the bidet supply to connect.


How to determine if wall can handle TV weight I just moved into a new apartment and I’m working through getting settled in. I want to hang a TV over the fireplace (see pic) but I’m not sure if the wall can handle it. The TV and mount weigh 70lbs total. I will screw the mount into studs that are in the wall over the fireplace but I’m not sure how it’s supported around the fireplace.

What should I look for on this wall to make sure this wall can handle the weight?

As long as you're placing your bolts for the TV mount into to the wall studs, or if it is brick into a secure hole in the brick the weight will be no problem. If you just put the screws into the drywall, it will not be very secure.


How can I pull single phase 120V from a 3 wire two phase 240V drop? I want to run a couple of 110 volt plugs from a box that has 240 volts. I understand that I can't just use one of the two hots and wire both the neutral and ground to the 240V neutral.

My question is, what about if I use a second, new ground rod to create a ground, and then just use one of the 240V hot wires and it's neutral return?  Is that safe/legal?

THANKS!
Dave

Ground rods are no substitute for ground wires

Because at the risk of stating the obvious, dirt doesn't conduct electricity very well.

Further, electricity wants to get back to source, not earth.  Natural electricity like lightning and ESD, their source is the earth.  They are extremely high voltage, and so the poor conductance of dirt isn't really a problem for them.

However human-generated electricity is extremely low voltage (by Nature's standards, anyway) and it simply will not move effectively through dirt.  That's why ground wires must be fitted as well.  The purpose of the safety ground wire is to return (to source; i.e. the ground bar back at the main panel via its equipotential bond) any fault current due to malfunctioning equipment etc.

That is excessively important for water areas like a pool.

Electrical drownings happen every day, and are especially horrifying because it also kills rescuers - until about the second or third arrives and realizes "oh, something is killing rescuers, don't dive in".  Every time, the problem is traced back to a faulty or just obsolete installation like yours.  And the firemen shake their head and go "I can't believe anyone allowed / continued this in service this way".

Neutral is not ground

Some people think it is, because they see them tied back at the panel.  Some particularly awful installers even put the neutral and ground wire on the same screw in the neutral bar, making it seem particularly pointless.  No, it's serious business.  Location is everything.  Why does a classic torque wrench have the big beam and the separate little stick? The big bar bends, the little bar doesn't.  That doesn't begin to describe what ground is all about.

But make sure the pool pump's "neutral" is actually neutral, and not safety ground.  Neutral is a white wire.  If the wiring was done with SE cable (ancient and unlikely) and it has braided bare wires around 2 black conductors, that also is neutral. Any other bare wire is ground.

Do not tie ground to neutral anywhere except the main panel.

Get that pool pump on a GFCI breaker. Now.

I know you're thinking "GFCI is a 120V receptacle" and "GFCI breaker" seems like "Ford cupcake".  But first, never use the LOAD lines except for one purpose. And the one purpose is that any GFCI device can protect other outlets downline.   That's what GFCI breakers do - they protect the entire downline - the entire circuit.  It must be a GFCI breaker because it's 240V.   And yeah, that's an expensive beast.

At this point, the pool pump is rendered safe, even though it doesn't have a ground wire.  Any leakage current will snap the GFCI.  (mind you if it's leaking already, that means the trip will be instant, but on the upside it may have saved a life).

At that point, you will be able to do your plan - attach a 3-prong PLAIN receptacle to pool pump hot and neutral, connect the ground wire to nothing, and label the receptacle like this:

 GFCI Protected
 No Equipment Ground
 Reset at breaker

Yeah, it's perfectly legal to have a grounded recep with no ground, if it's labeled just like that (third line optional).

There are some other rules about putting 15/20A 120V receptacles on circuits like this, but I'm not too worried about them because they're not 5-alarm shocking safety issues.  They include

can't put receptacles on a circuit where hardwired loads account for 50% of breaker trip (put the pool pump on a NEMA 6 receptacle tee hee!)
can only put common 15A/120V receps on a 15A or 20A breaker

You can solve both of these by fitting a subpanel here.  However go ahead and feed the subpanel from the GFCI breaker.  That way you are better protected and only need one of them.

You can retrofit ground if you really want to

It's perfectly possible to retrofit a ground wire to the circuit.  However I wouldn't make that a priority, since the GFCI breaker back in the panel will do all your heavy lifting for you.  With a ground wire, you improve the odds of preventing an electrical drowning, with a GFCI breaker you pretty much set the odds to zero.


How to repair leaking blower / air exchanger in attic? Earlier this summer I went up into my attic to retrieve something, and was surprised to feel a cool draft.  I discovered that a gap had developed between two portions of the big metal box that distributes cold (or hot) air throughout my house. (This box apparently contains both the blower, and the gas heater.)  From the first picture below, you can see that a wire-mesh fabric had been pasted down with this white stuff that eventually cured to form a seal.  But over time the seal here broke.  In fact, it looks like some settling may have occurred, and the unit shifted about a centimeter to the right.  (This is at what I'll call the "far left end" of the air exchanger.)

This was installed about 2 years ago, when my previous unit died. The installers placed it on some styrofoam blocks, which are themselves sitting on a sheet of plywood.  However, at the far right-- the opposite end from the broken seal-- they missed the plywood; there the styrofoam blocks are sitting on top of blown-in insulation, which is pretty much worthless as a foundation.  (See second picture.)  However, this overhang of weight is so small-- it itself is just a styrofoam duct junction-- that I doubt that it caused the shift.  (There are styrofoam blocks every 12 inches or so for the entire length of the unit.)

So, my question is: is this something that an inexperienced DIYer should tackle, or is there any reason why it would be best left to a professional?  And if it is reasonable to DIY, what is that white material that failed?  Should I buy more of it, or go with something else?

Yes, you can fix it.  First, fix the support for the unit.

The white stuff is a duct sealant.  You can find it at pretty much any big box store in the furnace aisle.  However, rather than messing with that - after you fix the support of the duct work and get it re-aligned, you can seal the gap with aluminum tape.  Not "duct" or "duck" tape - that's not actually meant for ducts.  You want the aluminum foil tape.  Simply apply to completely cover the gap and press down on the tape everywhere with a rubbing motion in order to ensure a good seal.


Use less water with concrete water reducer? Reading up on concrete water reducer additives, it says it "reduces water by 5% - 10%".  I assume this actually means that it reduces the required amount of water?  I.e. I would mix in less water, correct?

This would also decrease the amount of shrinkage that occurs during curing, correct?

Maybe this should be its own question, but will it be odd to communicate to a concrete contractor my desire for very low water content and request water reducer be used?  Will they get annoyed at me dictating these details?  I have read alot of professionals griping about other contractors adding too much water to make the concrete easier to work.  I am looking to do a monolithic cast in place pool 16'x32' and plan to do forms+rebar but contract the pour. I am aware these days most pools use shotcrete/gunite which avoid shrinkage cracking due to much lower water content.  The gunite guys around here want $40,000 to do a pool so thats out of the question for me. So trying to do a monolithic pour and take every precaution I can against shrinkage cracking. I reallize theres other contributors to cracking but dont want to ramble on.

How can I ensure the concrete contractor mixed in the water reducer and used less water? I know I can do a slump test onsite, but the water reducer acting as a plasticizer will mean that the cincrete with less water+plasticizer will have same slump as concrete with more water and no plasticizer,  AFAIK.

You might want to contract a civil engineer to help keep the concrete people honest. If your engineer provides them with mix specification and makes test cylinders from each load, that should keep them on their toes (even if you don't follow though with testing the cylinders - they don't know if you will or you won't, so they have to assume you will - which they will be far more likely to assume if you have a site engineer and/or technician overseeing the pour and taking samples, rather than you trying to do that yourself.) If you have proper cylinders made by a certified technician and properly cured, you also have the option of hanging onto them and only paying for testing in the event that you have a failure of the pool and need to find out of the concrete was, in fact, up to snuff. Your engineer might also be able to offer you valuable advice that could either save you money or make your project more prone to succeed. They are not free, but they are often quite reasonably affordable, especially when considered as part of an expensive project.

The linked document also mentions measuring air content, which is generally how most "water reducers" work (adding additional air bubbles, which make the concrete flow better without as much water - and they have other, mostly beneficial effects.) So that's one way to verify that the water reducer has been used, rather than more water added. Again, this is probably best done by a technician with the proper tools, hired for the day via your engineer - and would be part of making test cylinders anyway.


Troubleshooting a running toilet My toilet has a slow but continual trickle of water running from the rim into the bowl. I presumed this was a misaligned float but when I pulled it up to its maximum height, the flow didn't even stop.

Looking it up it seems that the "flapper" is the most common cause of this problem. However I'm not a plumber and I can't map any of the diagrams of photos I've seen with my actually toilet fixture. Here it is

How do I make sense of this plumbing and find out what's causing the leak into the toilet?

Since you have a push-button toilet, you don't have what would traditionally be considered a "flapper".  Flush-arm toilets have a hinged rubber stopper that's attached by chain to the flush lever, which opens when you rotate the handle.

I am not a plumber - this information I've been able to find by using Google and generally understanding how toilets work

Your toilet has a valve in that big cylinder on the right that acts in the same manner, being pulled up in different degrees when you push one of the two buttons.  Underneath the bell-shaped bit at the bottom, I'd expect to find a gasket that keeps water from trickling into the bowl.  Possibly the gasket is worn or bits of debris have gotten stuck under it, allowing some water to escape.

There's also the possibility that the gasket that seals the hole when the valve is closed is similarly worn in a way to allow some water past it when it's closed.  Either way, turn off the water to your toilet and empty the tank (flushing usually works), then take out the right-hand part and see if you can determine where water is getting past the seals.  I'm not overly familiar with this type of toilet, so I don't know if the seals can be serviced by themselves or if you need to buy a whole new flush mechanism.

The other half is your float and water inlet, you shouldn't need to worry about that if you've ruled it out as the culprit.


How can I drill conduit hole through plywood firestop I can't reach? I'm trying to run a 3/4" conduit (1" OD) from unfinished basement utility room A to unfinished utility room B, through the ceiling of finished room C.

There are several floor trusses which are easy to bypass, but about 6 feet from the edge of the wall is a plywood firestop (red) that already has holes for Pex plumbing, black iron gas piping, and ventilation duct. From room A, I can get within about 4 feet of the firestop but I can't reach it to drill a hole.

I spoke with a contractor who said the easy method would be to cut a big piece out of the ceiling of room C, right next to the firestop (green) and then replace it when done - but I don't want to do this if I can avoid it since I won't be able to match the ceiling texture and paint afterward.

Will a flex drill bit extension (50" or so) allow me to drill the 1" hole I need? Is there another easy solution I'm missing that doesn't involve cutting a hole in the ceiling?

When I come across problems like this I go in from the floor boards above. It can be the same amount of work but leaves the finish and colours of the existing ceiling as you mentioned wanting.


Trying to replace and make a 3-way dimmer switch work We are replacing all of the outlets and switches in our house. This one set of lights can be controlled by either a switch or a dimmer that is on another wall. The only problem is the switch has to be turned on for the dimmer to be able to turn the lights on or off. I replaced the switch with a new 3-way switch. I noticed that the old one was also a 3-way. Then I decided to replace the dimmer but there were only 2 wires connected to it. A red and a black. The same black was also connected to another switch in the same box but controls an outside light. I noticed the red wire came out of one cable and the black wire came out of another. I hooked these 2 up to the dimmer, putting the red on the contact with the different colored screw. The light would work with it this way but it still required me to have the switch on the other wall on. I tried to attach the white wire coming out of the same cable as the black but when I flipped the switch, it popped and wouldn't work anymore. I hooked up another dimmer but this time connected the white wire that was in the same cable as the red but then I couldn't get the lights to turn on with the dimmer or the switch. I noticed the black wire that was in the same cable as the red was sitting in there with barely any of the wire stripped. It made me wonder if it may have broke and was some how connected to the old dimmer at one point. I can take pictures and get any other information needed.  The dimmer is a Lutron TGCL-153PH-WH.

The good news -- you can do this.

Contrary to my previous version of the answer (which mixed up which switch was paired with which dimmer), the 3 wire cable between the RH dimmer in the top image and the LH switch in the bottom picture means that you can do this without pulling wire.  Take the black from the 2 wire cable and connect it to the black screw on the dimmer.  Then connect the red and capped off black from the 3 wire cable to the brass screws on the dimmer, and your 3 way switch should work properly.  If it doesn't, post another question linked to this one with a photo of the light box.


Can running both elements of a water heater at the same time increase pressure? Hot water in an aptartment complex where I am the service electrician is running out because they only put 30 gallon heaters in.

Their plumber told the owners to hook up the elements so they run at the same time for quicker recovery.

I know the wire and the 30 amp breaker are not enough to handle that load but the plumber that gave the original advice did not. This leads me to not trust anything he is saying.

Will running both elements simultaneously cause too much pressure and cause the pop off valve to blow sending water all over the apt?

The unit is absolutely NOT designed to run with both elements on. This will void any warranty or safety standards of the unit. For the plumber, or anyone else, to suggest this is ok is EXTREMELY irresponsible.

Besides, while running both elements will heat the water up faster, it will not likely increase volume by much. To increase the volume, you need to......increase the volume. IE: bigger tank.


What are these razor blades called and where can I buy them? I have this razor blade knife that I cannot find replacement blades for. I love the knife but I don't even know what to search for.

What are these blades called and where can I get them?

The metal handle has martor-handy Inox no. 444 Solingen Germany on it.

Thanks to Ed Beal, I looked at the name on the tool. That also led me to take a scouring pad to the blade itself and lo and behold it's a Cartonax 45


GE Lightstick with Hunter Flickers The GE lightstik is my new favorite purchase and installed a few in a Hunter ceiling fan.  When switch on, they exceed my expectations.  However, when the fan is on switched off one of the bulbs will flicker.   I thought that the bulb was faulty so I took it out.  Immediately the one of the other lightstiks took up the flickering behavior.  Similar results when removing any flickering lightstik.

What causes the flickering and can this be resolved? I can not run the fan at night unless the bulbs are disconnected, unless I am willing to put-up with the flickering.  Looking forward to insightful responses.

Even if you only use it at on/off extremes, it's still a dimmer switch.

Early "smart devices" like dimmer switches, motion sensors, etc. have a problem.  They need power to function themselves.  Normally that's gotten from the hot and neutral wires.  However these "smart devices" are meant to replace plain old switches, which are not powered (except by you) and do not need a neutral.   So to power themselves, they leak a small amount of power through the light bulb, even when they're off.  This works with old incandescent bulbs. It doesn't work with the power supply/driver circuits inside CFLs and LEDs, unless the drivers have some extra circuitry to allow for it.

The early dimmers work by pulsing the power to the lamp. Again this works great on incandescents.  But the switching power supply/drivers in CFL/LEDs see this as a power defect and automatically "correct for it", defeating dimming.  This is hard on the LED and hard on the dimmer. Dimming LEDs need special circuits to "reverse engineer" what the dimmer is doing and set an appropriate dim level on the LED.

One way to correct this is to stick one incandescent in among the LEDs. This will become the "preferred" path for that stray power the dimmer is leaking.  You might get away with the same trick using one dimmable LED.

So you have a dimmer, whether you like it or not.  It is leaking power through the bulbs and the non-dimmable LED bulbs do not like that.  You need to figure out what you want to do about either changing the dimmer switch to an on/off switch, or fitting it with compatible bulb(s).


How do you protect romex at the end of an EMT run? Sometimes you need to run a circuit through both protected & unprotected space. For example, you might put a recep in workshop (unfinished walls = unprotected) over a crawlspace (protected).

To protect the wires in the unprotected space, you use a short length of EMT from the crawlspace, through the floor, to the junction box.

While people usually run separate THHN conductors through EMT, in this case it makes sense to use NM through the crawlspace and in to the EMT.

At the jbox, I'd normally use a NM clamp to hold the NM cable, or a set-screw connector to hold the EMT. What connector is appropriate for that end?

At the other end of the EMT, there is no box - just open space. What is the right fitting at that end?

EDIT: I think there are three goals here - clamp the NM cable in place, protect the cable from the sharp edge of the EMT, and secure the EMT to the jbox on one end.

How about an EMT slip on bushing?

This about explains it all.

Catalog Page

EDIT: I think there are three goals here - clamp the NM cable in place, protect the cable from the sharp edge of the EMT, and secure the EMT to the jbox on one end.

I showed you how to protect the romex coming out of the EMT.

To secure the NM cable in place, where you want to clamp the NM in place depends on the box.  If its a plastic box the most of them have their own clamping system.  If it's a metal box then use standard 2 screw connectors, like these:

Staple romex as specified by code:

As for connecting the EMT to box, you probably need a metal box for the knock out.  Use set screw connectors, you sound as if it is inside.

The EMT should be secured to the walls.  You clamps will look like these. If it needs to stand off the wall use the first, which you might need if you don't have an offset,

Pipe Calmp

1 Hole Strap

J-Nail

Many other ways to do all these things also.

The only other thing I can think of is, an EMT connector, a rigid threaded coupling and two screw romex connector.  Romex stapling by code.


How to remove linseed oil from concrete I'm working on a sun room where I have a pt sill on a concrete pad.  The water leaks into the room under the sill.

I was going to silicone the outside where the sill meets the concrete to keep water out.

But I sealed the concrete with boiled linseed oil before doing the silicone.  Now I'm afraid the silicone won't stick and that I need to remove the oil first.

How can I remove the oil?  I've tried brushing on mineral spirits but it doesn't seem to work very well or fast.  I tried a pressure washer but that didn't do anything.

Is there a kind of stripper I can use or will I need to grind/sand the concrete?

Is there another kind of caulk, besides silicone, that I can use?

Here is a picture of what the area looks like:

I've found denatured alcohol is an excellent solution for removing oily and sticky substances. I've used denatured alcohol for decades; it's one of my favorite go-to solutions for sticky situations. (Yes, that was meant to be punny.) I keep some handy in a small bottle (transferred from large can I keep in the garage). Mineral spirits has an oily residue when compared to denatured alcohol which dries quickly and with no discernible residue.

Why not do a test spot? Or simply clean all relevant surfaces with denatured alcohol--you can use it liberally exactly because it dries quickly without leaving any residue--and apply the silicone sealer. Make sure to use clean, lint-free rags. Anything else and you could risk leaving fabric or paper lint behind thus compromising the seal. Water is persistent and insistent--anywhere it can find a way in, it will and it will keep hunting until it does. Use clean sections of the cloth to ensure you're WIPING OFF the oil and not simply smearing it around. Because you've got a big gap, I've read instructions to first 'block' large gaps and then apply the caulk. Not sure what the recommended material is for filling in/blocking the gap (it's generally called a gasket, yes?) so you'd have to research that.

Another option is to use rubber-based product. It's great for keeping water out. I used RedGard (purchased from Home Depot) to retroactively waterproof the floor of a tiled shower where I didn't have the option of installing a membrane (hack contractor job). Four years later and it's still working great. RedGard was relatively expensive, but I only had a small area so it was well worth the cost to ensure a waterproof seal. I'm about to use rubberized caulk (Flex Shot) to close gaps in the door seals to our daughter's car that gets water inside when it rains. I hope it does the job! I'm also using the Henry line of elastomeric products to seal and waterproof our 90 yo metal roof and used their 100% silicone reflective coating (Tropi-Cool). So far, so good. Henry products are available at Home Depot and you can check out their caulks at Henry.com. No, I don't work for Henry nor am I affiliated with any company in anyway. I'm merely sharing my knowledge and experience; that's how I have learned what I know today: Reading information people have taken the time to share, researching the data & options (to death sometimes), and then checking it out for myself.

Here's something I found when asking RedGard chat support if they had a caulk version. They didn't, but sent this link: http://www.custombuildingproducts.com/TDS/TDS-100.pdf

Hope this helps.


240 v. Problems to the other garage I have an electrical issue. I have a garage that is about 150 ft from the main house. Electric has been fine since we’ve moved in 10 hrs ago  but now there is very little power (enough to turn on led light on a 18 v battery charger) .
The power is supplied from the main breaker box in the house where I have a 60 amp breaker that feeds the 2 main lines to the breaker box in the garage listed.  I’ve Installed a new breaker in both boxes and tested the power. I have 244 volt coming in to the lines at the house and only 1 of the lines have power at the garage one has 121V and the other has 5V.
I’ve switched the lines at the breaker in the house. (figuring it would switch which line had 121V and which one has 5 Vin it).
After switching at house side and going to the garage, I TESTED THE LINES AND THEY WERE THE SAME AS BEFORE I SWITCHED THE LINES !
I am out of ideas, any advice would be appreciated.

Open hot in the garage feeder
What you are seeing points to a break, or open, in one of the hot wires going from the main panel to the garage.  With the all-too-common setup of a directly buried cable, this isn't all that uncommon a failure mode.  I'd first turn the breaker going to the garage off and undo and redo the terminations on both ends of the cable with an inch-pound torque wrench set as per the labeling on the devices.  If retorquing the connections doesn't fix the issue, then I'd be suspecting a broken underground wire, say due to a rodent chewing it.  An electrician might be able to locate the break with special tools, but otherwise, it requires replacing the feeder outright, preferably with individual wires in a buried conduit, which isn't as likely to get gnawed to bits.


How to hang a canvas wall art with wooden frame? My wife bought a canvas wall art with wooden frame online (pic below), and it was shipped without any metal string or hooks for hanging. How do I hang it? What accessories do I need to buy to do so?

In the picture hanging kit are eyelets with threads.  Screw one eyelet into each of the vertical frame members a few inches below the top.  String the wire from the kit between the two eyelets.  Then nail one of the hooks from the kit into your wall and hang the picture by placing the wire on the hook.


fridge gets too cold, freezer too warm I've got an old school "up and down" fridge.
It freezes food in the fridge, regardless of what I set the thermostat to.
The freezer seems a bit on the warm side, ice cream seems very easy to scoop.
So basically veggies are freezing in the fridge, but it is dripping water down from the freezer at the same time.
It does do some refrigerating (and it does shut off eventually if I let it run).  So condenser system seems fine.
whirlpool w8txnwfwq00

Common recommendations seem to be "make sure the thermostat isn't set to coldest" then "replace the thermostat" "replace the thermostat control board" "replace the main board"
In my case I don't have any control boards, that I know of.
I replaced the thermostat with a used one, same issue.  Replaced it with a "like new" one and the problem went away.
All 3 thermostat stills "tested fine" (it clicked on and off if frozen or heated).
Theory: the thermostat was "going out" so it would basically over cool, then wait too long before beginning to cool again.  Too wide of a range, as it were.  So the freezer would all melt before it would kick in again.  Then it would overcool again...


Why does my GFCI outlet trip when a vacuum is plugged in downstream? Whenever I plug my vacuum into the downstream outlet the GFCI trips. I suspect the GFCI is at least 15 years old and the vacuum

GFCI breakers do wear out, but before you go out and buy a new one, do you have any other GFCI circuits in the house that you can try with the vacuum?  That would help isolate the issue to the breaker vs. the vacuum itself.


Can I use a transformer to run a 120V/60Hz appliance on a 220V/50Hz electrical system? I live in a country where the electrical supply is 220V/50Hz.

I would like to buy a electric grill in Canada, where the supply is 120V/60Hz.

Can I run this appliance using a transformer? The appliance consists mainly of heating elements and dial to set the temperature, although one model has a digital temperature indicator screen.

Yes, you could buy and install a step-down transformer.  However, heating appliances use a lot of power (an electric grill might use 900–1500 watts) and the corresponding transformer will likely be as much as the price of the appliance.  Here are some which might do.  Notice that a 1500 watt transformer weighs 18 pounds (8 kg)!  The transformer should be rated at least twice the nominal load of the heating device to handle the cold start power curve.

If you are in an area with unstable voltage, a regulated transformer would provide some protection against under and over voltage.  See these.

It is certainly better to buy an appliance which adapts to different voltages—which is easy with most electronic gizmos like computers and cell phone chargers—or is made specifically for 240 V.


Need help with choosing primer What kind of primer should I use on my kitchen walls that I scraped clean of old texture?  I put a number of gouges in the dry wall. Is that bad?

The kind or brand of primer does not matter much.  Most products perform equally well or equally poor.  The biggest payoff is in the prep-work.  Even the "best" primer cannot adhere well to a wall that is covered with sanding dust or loose texture.  Wipe and vacuum everything.  Otherwise your nicely painted work might easily peel off with just the tip of your thumb.

If you have visited the paint section recently, you have probably seen that the price of primer and other paint products vary a lot.  Usually that's just marketing at work.  The exception however is Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content.  These are the things that the State of California has found to cause harmful health effects.  So-called "low" VOC products have less than 50 g/L, whereas "Green" products typically have zero.

Unless you are painting  specialized work (nautical, plastics, automotive), or if you have a particular health concern (pregnant mothers), there is really no need to go with anything other than the cheap stuff.


Mitigating an out of plumb foundation wall My wife and I bought a house (built in 1985, Atlanta GA suburbs) with a fully finished basement that recently had a hot water heater leak that ruined the laminate floor.  This disaster actually was helpful because after pulling up the floor, we had several days of rain which revealed some water infiltration through the block wall that we wouldn't have seen if the flooring hadn't been removed.  We have been in touch with a basement waterproofing company and are working with them on that issue.

The previous owner had mentioned that she had an insurance claim due to freezing pipes that flooded the basement.  She also mentioned that the insurance company's contractor had installed some steel beams behind two of the walls.  None of this could be seen however, since the basement was fully finished.  Now that the floor and baseboard is gone, I was curious so I cut open a stud cavity to a height of about 4 feet and had a look.  There are indeed steel posts (4"square) as you can see in this picture:

The posts are 8 ft or so apart and you can see in the image that pressure treated 2x4 material has been cut and positioned as shimming between the presumably plumb post and the out of plumb concrete block wall.  This post has a shim that starts out about 1-1/2" thick and tapers down to 1/8" (guess) which over the 8ft of the wall works out to about a 0.8 degree angle.

The posts are bolted into the slab and the block wall via welded L brackets.  I suspect that they tie into the framing above as well but I could not see that far.

My question is whether or not this is a common method of mitigating a leaning foundation wall and if not, what can be done to correct the problem.

This is a very good mitigating method for a leaning basement wall.   The lean isn't really an issue.  It is the buckling that is costly.  As long as these prevent buckling they are doing their job.

Some notes:

whether these are 4', 6', 8' or 20' apart is surely determined by an engineer at the site or a company using best practice for foundation type and area.  Every 8' feet seems about the norm.
from the picture it looks like cinder block (or some sort of block) foundation.  Note that you can still have buckling between the piers but I would tell you that this should be something that happens in far future, not all of a sudden and possibly never.
the tell-tale signs that the wall is still failing is water.  You should get cracks before anything severe happens.  Also the wall may be more prone to cracks (not a lot more) due to it not having the ability to drift.
make sure that water isn't hitting this wall from the outside.  Your yard should be graded well and no water coming directly off the roof.

I have mentioned before that I have flipped a fair share of houses, and a lot with foundation issues.  I would be extremely happy with the treatment of this wall.  I don't think the foundation is a huge red flag either.  This is certainly something you should watch though.  What caused this foundation to lean?  Was it the soil?  Improper footers?   Issues with the outside of the house?  You need to investigate this a bit more because you need to figure out if the rest of the walls will fail or if you can help mitigate the issue yourself.  So it seems to be fixed right but what can you do to make sure the wall isn't feeling pressure still?


Screw placement to tighten and eliminate squeaks and popping I am installing some pre made,stick on adhesive carpeted stair tread covers and want to run some screws in before to tighten up and eliminate some squeaks and popping from the top since I have no access to underside....but I cant find a single screw or nail head to use as a guide for were to run screws in....I can figure out were for the front screws that will go into the riser....but on the sides and back edge is were I need a suggestion? I dont wanna just start runnin screws in and guessing,cause if the screw doesnt grab anything underneath its pointless? I appreciate any advice.

Gotta look at different ways to build step structure/risers. Get an idea of the different methods... 90 percent of the time the stringers are made from cutout 2X12's.  One on either side next to the edge and one in the middle. A stud finder is cheap and valuable.  Once you figure out the skeleton of your stair construction you will be able to do all of them. If you are covering your steps who cares about extra holes?  Shoot there are cool screws that pull the connecting wood towards the top wood...arghhh.  Can not believe I can't remember the name...we use 'Power Pro' .  Oh well, ask at your contractor supply store.  I would heartily recommend NOT using stick on carpeting for your treads!!


Installing a drainable waterline to garage, draining into sump for winter months So, My utility room shares a common wall with my unheated garage. I've been toying around with the idea of running some pex out there to have a spigot in my garage. I'm wondering if I need to attach a drainage valve* to let the line drain off during the winter (Except when in use). The easiest way to handle this water would be to put a drain valve in the line, with the drainage line leading to the sump pit that is almost directly below the manifold.

Based on the fact that both the sump and water heater are sitting at a slightly lower level than the rest of the floor, so the heater will drain off into the sump if it starts leaking, I'm going to guess the sump is equipped to handle a sudden influx of water, probably more than would be in the approximately 5 ft of pex leading to the garage.

*I'm thinking of using a valve like this, if it exists, while I'm assuming it does. If such a valve exists, I'd love to know it's name

Open
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Water Flow -- >                          --- To Garage --->
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          |  To  |
                          | Sump |
                          |      |

Closed
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Water Flow (blocked)- >|      <-- Line to garage drains back into sump -
---------------------------      ------------------------------------------
                          |  ||  |
                          |  ||  |
                          |  VV  |

You could use a valve with a built in drain like this.

Or put in two valves. One to shut off the main supply ahead of the sump and one to drain into the sump.

Good luck!


Hole suddenly opened in the sink siphon? Which substance can damage a pipe to the point of opening a hole in the trap?  I used two times that i remember Drano® Max Gel in the past 4 years

I believe you are talking about the p trap or U bend. The old metal drain lines do wear out because of acids in food, I know  many years back I bought a place that looked good but the chrome plating was all that was left on some of the pipe it developed a small leak when I went to pull it it crumbled like an eggshell. Most of the modern drain cleaners won’t harm pipes. If the cleaner has acid that is a different story and the will damage pipes to tell the truth 2 times is probably not enough for even acid based to cause the problem, things like tomatoes and citrus have more acid in them than drano which is usually a strong base and is great at dissolving organic but really doesn’t hurt pipes.  If the pipes are a shiny silver color they are probably chrome plated brass this is very common and what I have had crumble.


Crooked light switches in loose electrical box needs fixing I recently replaced 2 rocker switches in an existing electrical box and they are both crooked (inward) and look like garbage. They also don't feel that nice as they are indented and not flush, so honestly they don't function all that great either. It's a problem specific to this electrical switch outlet box. I've tried every adjustment I can think of, but nothing has worked. I tried:

Making sure the copper wiring attached wasn't pulling the switch to 1 side
Making sure the screws mounting the switch were tight but not over-tightened
Checked both switches to make sure tabs were flat and not bent

I did notice the electrical box is loose in the wall and torqued a bit and not flush with the wall. The system of tightening the switches which pulls on the drywall and should pull the box forward isn't quite working well either. The drywall starts to press in and almost get destroyed before the electrical box pulls flush. The box is the type mounted with nails on the top and bottom (I can see them and a little rusted). I can move the box around say 1/4 to 1/2" with my fingers.
I would guess that people that do this type of work as a trade have specific practices on the 'right' way to fix this and something that doesn't break code. Here are the things I'm guessing might fix it:

Add some type of shim behind the light switch flanges to help make the mount truly flush as maybe the drywall is soft and from the pictures a bit worn away
Use spacers like washers behind the switch to pull it out and more flush (I'm not sure if that's a bad practice or against code)
Call a drywall and electrical contractor to cut open the drywall, remove and replace with a new electrical box, and repair the drywall (I really hope not as that's expensive, but if that's the only way to fix, then that's what will have to be done).
Some other proper way to fix I haven't considered

How can I get these switches to mount flush and protrude correctly from the light switch cover please?
EDIT: The 1st picture shows the torqued switches fully tightened and installed. The 2nd picture was taken after I had loosed the screws on the switches. I probably should have used a different picture or clarified. That picture is to show the drywall to electrical box condition for helping show the bare parts. When fully installed those switch mount screws are fully tightened and pressed on the drywall.

OK, Those tabs are not up against the drywall. Press the switches in hard until the tabs are against the drywall and then tighten the screws. Then get a two gang switch cover with the four screws that will aid in getting the switches lined up correctly. You can loosen the screws holding the switches to the box a bit if it helps line them up with the new cover. That cover plate you have is useless.


Why does the live wire terminal say 450V? I have three wall light fixtures that need to be wired in. There are two terminals - one is marked 450V, the other just has the manufacturer's name. I'm assuming the 450V terminal is for the live wire, but why does it say 450? The mains voltage here is 230. Is 450 the maximum potential difference the light can be safely exposed to?

Look at the tires on your car.   See the codes? One of them is a speed rating (such as 220 kph).   Obviously you don't need to drive that fast.  The tires will still work if you go slower.  That's just how fast the tires are rated for.

Same thing here.  The wires are rated for up to 450V.


Adding a C wire to a new Honeywell WIfi Thermostat I am trying to install a new Honeywell touchscreen WIFI thermostat and need to add a C wire to my terminal inside the furnace (using the help found at How can I add a "C" wire to my thermostat?). BUT.. I have a white wire that runs from the A/C unit outside that is connected to the C terminal on the furnace. If I run an 18/5 wire from the terminal to the thermostat, will this cause a problem or a short? I'm completely lost as to why there is a C wire running from the terminal outside to the A/C relay. I do not want to move the green wire as Honeywell suggests and lose the power to operate my blower manually.

There should be no problem connecting the C wire from your thermostat to the C terminal in the furnace. Take a look at this diagram, which is a rough approximation of your system.

Notice the cable going to the condensing unit has a red wire connected to the Y terminal in the furnace, and a white wire attached to the C terminal.  When the thermostat calls for COOL, it does so by energizing the Y terminal (connecting R to Y). This provides power to the coil of the contactor, which allows it to close the contacts and turn the condensing unit on. The other side of the contactor coil is connected to the C terminal, as to provide a complete circuit.

You'll notice in the first image that two relays in the furnace, the thermostat, and the contactor coil all connect to the same leg of the transformer. This is because the thermostat basically works like a switch, connecting the R wire to the C wire through control circuitry. Anything that needs 24VAC power, will be connected to both legs of the transformer.


Do I really need screw piles for a Yurt platform? I am evaluating different options for a 24 foot diameter Yurt platform. This will be a round platform elevated between 5 and 6 feet, with 18 anchorage points. I am hesitating between options for my "foundation". The options:

Concrete deck blocks
Screw piles
Sonotubes

The expense of sonotubes or screw piles will dramatically increase the costs of the project. My feeling is that I can simply build the platform on concrete deck blocks. If the platform shifts I should be able to jack it and dig out or fill in as needed. I am wondering if anyone can make a compelling case for a deeper anchorage?

As for the local environment, I live on the Gaspé peninsula, about 600 m above sea level. We have a six month winter here, which means annual shifts in the soil as it freezes and thaws. The soil at my site is high in lime content, absent of clay deposits, and very rocky, Past 6 feet, I am told it is about 75% or more rock, but the actual bedrock is considered unreachable.

Many structures in my area are built on floating concrete slab.

I am not a structural engineer, but I would not recommend using concrete deck blocks to hold up your entire home.

These blocks are not great for freestanding structures because they aren't anchored to the ground. Heavy winds may be able to get underneath the yurt and blow it over. The soil below could also rapidly change and cause part of your supports to sink or heave and cause damage to your home. Decks typically are mounted to a building and the blocks are there just to carry some of the weight. I would be very wary of using these alone.

You could try to keep jacking it up over time and level it with blocks, but that would not be very pleasant, especially if it had to be done in the Winter when it was below freezing. If there was a lot of snow on the ground, you may not even be able to get to the footings at all, and you would have to wait until Spring.

I think sonotubes would be your best option. There are some types of sonotubes which have a "bell" at the bottom which make them virtually impossible to pull out of the ground. The extra weight on the bottom means that they are much less likely to move. They use these in areas where it would be impossible or at least very impractical to anchor directly to bedrock. You would just need to make sure that the tube is deep enough to get below the frost line and wide enough in diameter to support your home.

You could also use a combination of sonotubes and a concrete slab. The slab would give you some additional dry storage below the yurt. You could then use skirting to enclose the gap between the yurt and the slab to prevent animals from getting in as well as allowing you to insulate the floor.

I'm not sure how feasible it would be to install helical piles because of how rocky the soil is. They typically are installed in soil which is too soft to support traditional concrete footings.


Should I notch deck posts? My neighbor's elevated deck is supported by 2 6x6 posts connected by 2 2x10 boards. The posts are notched so that the 2 boards are sitting side by side in the notch and are bolted to the post (L shaped notch at the top of the post).

I had someone give me an estimate for replacing my deck and he also said that they'll notch the posts so that they weight is not carried only on the bolts.

To me that sounds wrong. Isn't that weakening the posts?

I'm thinking of building the deck myself and I was going to have the boards run on both sides of the posts, held by bolts and nuts. Maybe a metal plate of some sort to re-enforce? Something like those plate you see on steel bridges?

Any suggestions?

The deck builder is correct. Notching the upright provides a shelf for transferring the weight of the horizontal members onto the uprights.

I'd rather spend my time on a deck supported by thick posts instead of a certain number of galvanized carriage bolts.


Why doesn't my pressure tank fill as expected? I have a shallow well (1 hp pump) that feeds into a tank, and then travels another 200 feet to the house. If I turn on the pump, the tank does not fill up with water. If I let the air out of the tank it will fill properly. The gauge on the tank holds steady at 28 lbs of pressure.

I have a new pressure switch [30-50], and the new check valve never loses pressure. The prime gauges both read about 6 lbs with pump running.

Can anyone tell me if the problem is the tank, or is there something else I should pay attention to?

6 PSI amounts to 15 or 16 vertical feet rise, at most. 200 feet sideways and 15 feet up, not 200 feet up.

As such, I'd have to say your pump appears to be in need of service or replacement, based on what can be gleaned from what you've written. No water is going into the tank because the pump is evidently unable to make 30 lbs of pressure, much less 50. 6 PSI is not a functional well pump.

You described this as a shallow well pump - is it in fact a jet pump (recirculating, 2 pipes to the well), or is it in fact a straight shallow well pump (pure suction, one pipe to the well, less than 27 feet to the water surface)? A jet pump introduces a few more things that could be screwed up.

If you are facing replacement and it's a jet pump, I'd strongly suggest moving to  submersible, as they are much more efficient than jets, (you could replace a 1 hp jet with a 1/2 or 3/4 submersible and pump more water in most cases) and with today's technology, also more reliable.