texts: How do I stop lights from flashing when I turn on my table saw?

texts:
I just installed a hanging fixture for two 40W T-12 fluorescent bulbs over my table saw. If I power up the saw when the lights are on, they flash off and come right back on (after the usual flickering). The saw is 1.75HP, 110V, 14A, and the circuit is 20A.

The receptacle currently powers the table saw from one outlet and a 1.5HP dust collector and the light fixture plugged into a power strip from the other outlet.

I know there is a big draw on the house's power when I turn on the saw, but this is a pain. Can I plug a UPS or other voltage-stabilizing device in front of the lights and dust collector to make this go away? Should I plug all the devices into a UPS? Or, should I deal with it and stop whining?

Thanks!


texts: Dishwasher still running cold despite heating element and thermostat replacement

texts:
Beko DW603
I’ve replaced both the heating element and the thermostat with new parts. It’s still not heating. Looking online I’ve not been able to find what else could be causing the problem and what else I can do ? Thanks

OK. So I took the dishwasher apart again. I tested the old and new heating element with a multimeter and it was ok. Thermostat ok too. So I am thinking it’s the PCB which holds the relay switch. Is that a fair assessment?


texts:
I am working on renovating my dining room and while tearing out drywall I found a diagonal cut-in brace which is running from the front of the house along side an exterior wall.

I am trying to remove the wall so the entry door and the dining room entrance is a flat wall.

Here is a picture of what currently exists:

Can I cut the bottom of the cut-in brace or is there another way that I could frame out the front section to keep the added support for the exterior wall?


texts: How to build a secret bookcase door in a cased opening?

texts:
I'm looking to build a secret bookcase door to a room that is currently just has cased opening entry.  The opening is roughly 82" x 80" and my thought process would be to have two doors that would both open out since opening in would be over carpet and opening out is over tile and lower.
I think I have most of it figured out except for the flooring...  I have some experience with woodwork in general, but not in a "house construction" sense.  The hinges I plan to use need to be attached at the top and bottom of the opening.  Top should be easy as after ripping off the trim, I'm expecting it to be fairly straightforward to attach it to the stud wall (to be covered with trim again later).  However, the base of the opening is tile and I'm not sure how to proceed here.  The hinge I have is supposed to fasten into the floor, sandwiching itself between the bottom of the door and the floor.  Can I fasten a 2x4 or something similar straight through the tile (there should be typical subfloor below, as this is above the basement)?  Do I need to tear the tile out?  Is it important that whatever board I fasten the hinge to be fastened directly into floor studs?
I'm open to any other ideas as well if there is an easier way to go about this.  I originally thought about using hinges on the side of the door, but I struggled to find any that would be both strong enough and suit the purpose for a hidden book case door.
Edit: Here's pictures of the instructions for the hinge I want to use:


texts: Can I cut off the 2 fuse from the wire & connect a new one with normal soldering?

texts:
I have a connector wire from rice cooker, which is faulty.
It consists of 2 fuses sefuse sf139e 142c 10a connected by some funny looking connector.
Please refer to the image here:

Either 1 of both fuses are blown. Before I order a new fuse, can I:

Cut off both fuses
Solder a new fuses with a normal wiring?

Can the normal soldering wire withstand the high temperature current?
Or am I better off to buy a new rice cooker to be at a safe side?


texts: Upgrading apartment: GFCI/AFCI breakers and wires

texts:
I'm making plans to replace electrical wiring (new wires) and breaker in my apartment. I live in New York city (for code purposes).
My breakers are rated as 20 A, NOT GFCI/AFCI.
I have some outlets in the living area that are GFCI.
I read that in wet areas (kitchen/bath) it is required to have GFCI/AFCI outlets. I also read that stacking GFCI/AFCI protection is not safer, and some would leave them stacked with breaker, some would replace them with regular (non GFCI/AFCI) outlets.

PS: doing it with a certified electrician, of course! But I want to be informed, so here are my questions:

Upgrading the current breaker with AFCI/GFCI breaker is the way to go, correct? I don't see a reason to not upgrade it. Is there a situation where it is not recommended?
Is there any recent technology I should consider during this upgrade? I read a little about smart power monitor that is installed in the breaker.
Considering the breakers will be converted to dual (GFCI + AFCI) protection, do I still need GFCI/AFCI outlets in wet areas? I would say no because everything is already covered by the breaker, but maybe the code still requires it for some reason.
Considering the breakers will be converted to dual (GFCI + AFCI) protection, would it be OK to leave one or two GFCI/AFCI outlets in place, or it is recommended to replace them with regular outlets since breaker will already be GFCI/AFCI?
My conduits are narrow (old). I rewired two places already. A solid wire is very hard to pass. A stranded is much easier. Would it be OK to use stranded in the whole apartment (living, kitchen, bath, etc.)?
I will try to organize the breakers. Currently there is one breaker switching off lights and outlets in different (nearby) areas, I'd like to separate to have better control. Also, one dedicated breaker for the air conditioner. In case a conduit doesn't exit, is NM-B (Romex) cable an acceptable solution here? It seems to me it would require less work to install than a conduit.
If I want to create new outlets in the bathroom (small bathroom), what would be the recommended procedure: break the wall and use NM-B cable? break the wall and install conduit? not break the wall and just use a wire cover with a waterproof cable like NM-B? This would be for a new outlet near the sink (shaving, etc.) and near the toilet for future electric bidet installation.
Looking up online, I only find THHN stranded. I could not find THWN stranded wires. Why? It seems manufacturers might be using THHN even though they are also waterproof.

Thanks for helping!


texts: Suggested power-tool and attachments to remove rust from a BBQ pit

texts: Please suggest a good cordless power-tool and the appropriate wheels/attachments to do a good job of removing the rust from this BBQ pit? Please include links to the specific items if possible.


texts: How can I connect 2AWG cable to my 100A panel?

texts:
I have bought a gazebo (closed) that will serve as a studio and I want to place it on the edge of a wood that is approximately 400 feet from my house.

I was planning to run underground wiring from my existing electrical panel (if it isn't exorbitantly expensive) to a sub panel in the gazebo. We've determined that I will need 40 amp in the gazebo. I looked at the Southwire voltage drop calculator and it looks like I would need a 2 awg wire which I'm not sure could be wired to the existing  100A panel in my house- it is huge! Would I need a sub-panel on this end too?

In addition, I'm not sure whether I shouldn't change the existing panel in my house to a new 200A panel - it is a Westinghouse, from what era, I have no idea - I can't find any serial number on it. I have attached a picture below.

The run will go through a former local gravel 'pit', actually a hill that was levelled in the 50's, so it is pretty gravelly. It then runs into an area that is quite clayish and not terribly stable - there is a bit of creep on the surface. I assume the best way would be in conduit. I would like to allow for future capacity, should I make an addition on the gazebo, though I will be limited by municipal restrictions, because my land is in a 'panoramic corridor' facing the sea. So my maximum out-building area permitted is 400 sq. ft., one storey and I am not allowed municipal water nor sewage services.

All to say that the additional electrical requirements would be for a workshop (tools or, if I dream, a kiln? - that would require some serious electricity) So, given this and the size of the wire(s)that I need now, I would have to oversize the conduit for future wiring. Does one leave a feeder wire in the cable to feed future wires? How deep does one have to bury the conduit? Foundations here are at 4'-6'' - it freezes. Also, people sometimes drive onto my old gravel pit with their trucks so I guess I would have to take that into account.

Maybe a silly question, but we have a serious population of voles that devour roots and create a network of tunnels - I suppose they wouldn't have an appetite for plastic.. Would be grateful for any feedback you may have. This is really a great forum!


texts:
I recently demo'd a bathroom that was using a "rustic farmhouse" galvanized shelving unit.  I took this unit off and was hoping to re-install.  Ideally, the elbows would thread in so when they are tight, they are exactly 90-degrees upright, making the shelf level (pic 1 + 2).  The problem is... they don't.   If I tighten them to the point where they would support any weight (pic 3 + 4),  they are going in complete opposite directions and will not work.

It used to be 90 degrees.... I can't figure out for the life of me how they did it.

Is there some sort of discrete nut or washer or something I can use to tighten these and still determine the angle?  Am I using a glue/adhesive of some sort?  What's the trick here?


texts: How wide should I make my game-room if I want to fit a "full-size" pool table in it?

texts: I'm starting to look at finishing my basement, and am playing with a couple different layouts. I definitely want to put a pool table down there - and later sell the house with this being one of the big selling points.  Length shouldn't be an issue, but how wide does my room need to be to properly fit a full-size pool table and comfortably play on it?


texts: How do I remove calcification from a screw head?

texts:
I have two screws holding on the metal disc covering the shower drain.  Neither appears to be stripped.  I would like to remove these screws to clean out the drain.

The problem is that the screwdriver won't go into the slots.  I think there's some calcium buildup on the screw heads.  I tried lightly scratching it with my screwdriver, but the stuff is really on there.  I don't want to strip the screws by forcing too hard.

Is there a quick way to dissolve the calcium off the screw heads?  Hoping that I don't need to go out and buy a jug of CLR for something so small.


texts: Any way to mount a ceiling fan using a rectangular "wall" box?

texts:
I was replacing a ceiling fan in a newly purchased home, and I discovered that the previous fan was mounted to a rectangular "wall" box. The box is attached laterally to a ceiling joist in a converted garage. There is some trim wood to give the ceiling joist an exposed beam look, and I do not believe that there is enough space for a standard ceiling box. The joist is not centered with respect to the trim, so mounting directly beneath the joist is not ideal.
I attempted to use the existing box, but the threading stripped as I put in the second screw. Now I'm questioning whether this box was even appropriate in the first place.
Is there any way to mount the fan to a box that will fit in this space? My first thought is to replace the box and add support via a brace to the joist or by securing a piece of wood above both the joist and the box.
If mounting to the box itself won't work, can I secure the fan to the joist via a bracket or supporting wood, and simply house the wiring in an adjacent rectangular box?
The location is Texas, USA.

View of the electrical box from above the joist.

View of the fan mounting hardware below the cosmetic wood.


texts: Is this a gas leak from back the back of my oven and is it dangerous?

texts:
https://youtu.be/FQXYIAQ7ywA

This is a video of the gas connection on the back of my oven. I covered the connection with soap water. It is bubbling. I do not smell any gas. Is this a problem and is it dangerous?


texts: No hot water after installing shower: could this connection be the cause?

texts:
After installing this new shower valve, the cold water is working fine, and the hot water is not. Cold should be on the right, hot on the left. The left connection did not have enough length of pipe, and thus you can see that between the elbow and the compression fitting, there's no bare pipe (there is pipe in there, but perhaps not enough).

My next plan is to detach this, and add some pipe. But before I do, is this a valid reason for the hot water not coming through?


texts: Need help wiring and design/layout questions

texts:
I am installing a 60 amp outdoor sub-panel 600+ feet away from the 200 amp main service panel.  Here is what I am doing based on my requirements:

Run a 2-2-2-4 Aluminum underground feeder to this 60 AMP panel and breaking this distance with two Quazite (Underground junction) boxes.

I have 24 light post, 12 on each side of the driveway, and 6 outlets, 3 on each side of the driveway. The Quazite boxes will help to run wires to each light and electrical outlets.

I will have 3 120V pumps (8 amps each), Gate opener, Lights and outlets hooked to this sub panel.

My questions:

Is the 2-2-2-4 Aluminum underground feeder good enough for the distance of 600 feet?
Should I run one straight feeder or break it in the Quazite boxes?


texts:
I have a very small cast iron radiator which works great, but when really cold temperature hits outside, it is not enough to heat that particular room (and it is on the third floor so 2nd zone is not an option now).

I want to add baseboard radiator to run along the side of the wall next to cast iron radiator. Given that small radiator is sufficient 80% of the time, I would like to be able to shut off baseboard one and turn it on only when needed.

How can I connect both?  And what type of shut off valve to use for baseboard one?


texts: How to calculate size of electrical service?

texts: I know that more goes into it than just the size of my mains (wire gauge, etc). but from the below image, would this generally mean that I have 200 amp service or 100 amp?


texts: Fireblocking a balloon framed house lead to rot in the walls?

texts:
Conditions:  Balloon framed construction, house built in 1930, Southern Connecticut region
Does installing a fire-stop or Fireblocking where the sill plate and rim joist meet, block airflow and promote rot in the walls where moisture may get trapped?

I have heard conflicting views as this may have become code in some areas, yet will create the risk of future rot in the walls.

I own a 1930 Tudor influenced , 2 story colonial in Connecticut.  It was built using Balloon Framing construction, which left open voids on all sides, from basement to attic.  I recently framed-in the basement and finished it as a living space.  I inserted pink insulation in the “Balloon” cavities as far as I could reach above the sill plate, and closed the balloon voids with panels of drywall, to create a fire stop and minimalize heat escape.  I am not sure if this will stagnate the airflow and promote rot in the walls of my home, or if there will still be enough airflow to let moisture out of the balloon voids behind the walls?  Thoughts? Suggestions?


texts: Is it ok to put a plug on a light fitting?

texts:
I want to put some extra lighting in my workshop but don't have much to spend so am looking to do it all myself if possible. I'm looking to use led battens, similar to this one or this, but not exactly sure at the moment (or I may use simple pendant and ceiling rose fitting).

My plan is use wire this onto a plug (3A fuse) with flex cable which I can route from the socket to the ceiling.

Would this work and is it safe? When I have a bit more time and money in a few months i will look to get an electrician to properly add it to the lighting circuit. So this would be a semi temporary solution. Does this sound ok? Thanks for any advice you may have.


texts:
Recently I came across a product called a clothes sanitizer.
Is this just marketing or is there a difference between clothes detergents vs clothes sanitizers?
Are clothes sanitizers more effective at killing viruses (think Covid) or is detergent just as good?


texts:
I have a cement wall that has been chipped a little:

What can happen to this wall over time? Will this deteriorate if left as is?

In short: do you think it's important to fix this ASAP or this can wait?

Also if it's necessary to fix it ASAP, how would one go about it?

Thanks


texts: Cabinet hinge broke, what are my options?

texts:
One of my kitchen cabinet's hinges broke. Luckily I found a replacement part on the original manufacturer's website (#50 90-degree hinge).

However it's $33 and not the exact same dimensions, so I'd need to drill out the hole to make it larger.

Should I just buy them, or are there other options that might be better? Perhaps different hinges, or an alternate seller?


texts: How do I fix a squeaky floor below my carpet?

texts: I have a squealy floor below my carpet on the 2nd floor of my house.  It sounds like the subfloor under the carpet is moving up and down a little and makes this awful load squeak when I step down on this specific location.  It can be reproduced at will.


texts: How to stop water seaping inbetween concrete slabs

texts:
I have two slabs in a Home Office converted from a garage.

The regular garage slab and another which is about 6 inch higher than the garage one. The lower one has a wall between the two except for a large door. This wall is seated on a 2x4 timber planks.

When there is very heavy rain, water seeps under that timber in the doorway into the lower garage floor.

I see it seeping in and wondered how I could stop it.

We are on a slight slope down toward the office and have clay just one meter below. I guess it is the water preessure below that is causing it.

Thanks.

oz


texts: Mineral wool on top of fiberglass. Density and compression

texts: A while back I asked about adding my 1.5" thick pieces of mineral wool insulation batts ontop of my 12" thick fiberglass I am installing in my attic.  As I have began doing this, I am seeing that the fiberglass is so fluffy that throwing on the 1.5" thick batts weighs the fiberglass down an inch or more.  There is no way this insulation will not settle if it squishes that easily.  Am I doing more harm than good with the extra layer?  This 12" insulation is 10" at best.


texts:
I have a double-bowl, stainless steel kitchen sink mounted to a granite countertop, with a faucet with a pull-out spray head (pictured).

The faucet is no longer tightly mounted, so it wobbles back and forth. I'd like to tighten it. Unfortunately, it's not obvious to me how to tighten it. Here's a picture of the underside:

There aren't any obvious screws. All I can guess is that the nut around that brass threaded pipe is how to tighten it? Is tightening that the right way to go? And do you think I can get it tight enough just with that? Or should I expect to have to do something extra (plumber's putty?)?


texts: Can I control a bathroom extractor fan independently from the light?

texts:
My bathroom extractor timer fan works fine except that I have to have the lights on when it is in use. I have 2 windows in the bathroom and feel it is a waste of energy to have the lights on in order to use the fan. Is there a way that I can rewire just to switch the fan on as and when I need it? (I have a light switch and a separate fan isolator switch, both linked.)

My light switch has an L1, common and earth. My fan switch has L1, L2, and N. with L1 being permanent live. When I operate the light switch L2 also becomes live and the fan operates.


texts: Do they make storm doors without glass? I need a storm door for insulation and is located on a dark side of my home. It would be added security without glass.


texts: How do I repair a dresser with the side falling off?

texts:
My kids have a dresser and somehow they have managed to pull the sides partially off. (In all fairness, it could have simply been an age issue – the sides were originally stapled on and it is 20 years old). I've tried using a couple of screws to hold it together, but they aren't managing to hold it as tightly as I would like.

The design is pretty basic. There is an interior structure which allows drawers to move in, but the sides actually hold the channels for the drawers.


texts: Can a built-in grill sit on granite, or does it need to be in a stainless steel jacket?

texts:
I bought a built-in grill for my outdoor kitchen, and I'm scratching my head now that it is time to install it. I have read that it is important not to set the grill up on flammable materials, that make sense, but does it need to be one of those SS jackets? I was thinking about having the countertop guy install granite all the way around, would that work if it sat on granite?

Also, how critical is it to have ventilation ports around the grill? I didn't know I "needed" them until they were briefly mentioned in the manual, not sure if they are essential, or nice to have.


texts: Connect a lamp wire to one wire or three

texts: A lamp fell off the ceiling and is hanging from one wire. Which wire connector to reconnect it to? There are four wires coming from the ceiling, three of which go into one wire connector and one to the other (see picture). The wire connector with three wires has one wire going out to the lamp. The wire connector with one wire from the ceiling is disconnected from anything. Should I take the wire connector off the three wires and reconnect the one loose wire from the lamp to one of these, or connect the loose wire from the lamp to the single loose wire from the ceiling?


texts: How strong should the air current from my heat pump be, and is there a way to adjust the power myself?

texts:
I've had a heatpump installed this spring. And it really feels like the air strength is not enough to circulate the hot hair around. So the temperature is unequal around the house, like floors being cold while the chest is fine.
My SO was the one that was there when they installed it, and of what I've heard, on normal power, the drapes were flying off, so they toned it down. I really wonder if the installer had it at 5/10, but since it was requested to tone it down he put it to the minimal 1/10.
So how strong should the air current be (if I put my hand on the air exit, for instance, or some other general test that shows its decent enough) and if it's too low, how can I adjust the power myself?


texts: Can a gas safety check be carried out when the boiler will not light?

texts:
My gas safety check is due and my landlord has said it has to be done on Saturday

I've had issues with the boiler not lighting for a long time, but usually if it is left for a while it will eventually work, however, since before Christmas is has gotten worse and now would go off for days.

It has now been off for two days and I can't seem to get it to come back on, we have no heating or hot water and I can't afford to get a plumber out until I get paid next week.

The gas check was due months ago and when I threatened to report him if it wasn't done the landlord said he will evict me if it is not done this weekend as I am preventing him from carrying out the check. (I've told him they can come any week day as I only work weekends, but his plumber friend will only do it on a Saturday)

With the boiler not lighting it obviously can't be tested, it's the only gas appliance I have, so there is just that and the gas meter to check.

I'm really panicking as I don't want to be evicted, it's not exactly my fault that the boiler isn't working.

I've told the landlord about the problems with it but he doesn't care and said he can't see a problem and if I want to call someone out it's my choice and responsibility to pay for.

It was off for five days over Christmas but when the landlord finally returned my calls it had started working again so he refused to send someone to look at a 'perfectly working boiler'.

It's a combi boiler by the way and the fault with it is that it says 'flame loss'.
I have tried reseting it and all of the advice I can find online but nothing works and it won't ignite.

Thanks.


texts: Are those hooks usable for hanging coats and hats?

texts:
I'm not sure whether this is the right site to ask for design of everyday things like this. I have found the following solution quite appealing and simplistic, however I have doubts whether it would be effective for hanging coats. I have impression coats can often fall down.

Particularly, comparing to traditional hooks, which also seem to store more: both hats and coats.

Can the first solution be designed in such a way, it is still simple but more functional?


texts:
I have a mosaic floor which caught mold from rotten food some time ago. Here is the floor which is ok (with and without flash).

And here is the damaged floor after the "polishing". I tried to do with diamond polishing pads of grits 400,800.

As you can see the result is no good. The polish is insufficient. Even the bulk imperfections and discoloration from the mold damage haven't been taken out although I have polished thoroughly with good pressure. Should I have tried lower grit than 400,or bring a professional to do the whole room?(I'm trying to do only the part which got damaged)


texts: How to attach a new 2x4 wall frame's top plate to a concrete load bearing ceiling beam?

texts:
I have a concrete beam that extends throughout my apartment. The concrete beam comes down about 30cm from the ceiling. I would like to build a wall underneath the beam, running along the beam.
I plan to build the wall out of wood framing. I am wondering how best to make sure the wall is stable by attaching it to the ceiling. The wall will extend from one structural load bearing pillar to another load bearing pillar, running underneath, along the beam.
Is it safe to drill holes and put screws through the top plate and into the concrete beam?
How else could we make sure it's stable?
Thanks!


texts: What makes good deck footing substrate on clay soil?

texts:
We are building a raised deck on clay type soil. The deck will surround the entirety of the house with the intention it will still be standing 20-30 years. The deck will be raised about 5 ft to meet the house.
We used EZ-tubes on the house for footing that were dug about 2 feet deep. For the deck we were thinking about using 6x6 pressure treated piers for simplicity.
I am wondering what type of recommended substrate would be most effective in a intensive clay soil. I was thinking either heavy gravel or poured concrete.
Any recommendations or positive experiences with longevity in this type of decking/substrate would be very helpful.


texts: How to repair this shower/bathroom wall for bathroom remodel.

texts:
I have a nasty bathroom downstairs. It looks like the previous owners built it over a floor drain, not entirely sure if this is a good thing or not (not even sure if that's what they did but see attached photos for the washer height knobs).

Obvious water damage behind the shower area. Needs to be gutted and rebuilt.

I just don't exactly know where to start or what are the obvious noob mistake that will cost me later.

I'm comfortable with soldering, drywall, tiling,etc. I've never built a  wall or frame before so I probably need the most guidance there.

Any help is appreciated. Good books or other references would be awesome.

Specific question: Are there any specific issues that might cause bigger problems later on (from first answer full stud replacement vs patch) when I repair/replace this wall?

Photos:

Click for larger view


texts: Furnace + boiler in a closet with top open to the attic

texts:
I have a furnace and boiler (both gas) in one closet whose floor has a vent at the bottom and the top is completely open to the attic. The attic has blown in cellulose insulation and it falls in this closet when there is work done there.
Is this normal or can I partly cover the top with drywall leaving some opening? Any advise on this is highly appreciated.
1600 sq ft house
The boiler and furnace exhaust are channeled into the chimney.


texts: Using two 30amp circuits to supply one range

texts: My old range from the 1970s has two 30A circuits coming to it.  New ranges all use a single 40A circuit.  Can I join the two sets of wires into a single 60A breaker?  The circuits would be joined at both ends to a new 60A wiring, one to range and one to new breaker.


texts: How to block airflow under an interior door over carpet

texts:
I have an air conditioned bedroom. I'd like to prevent heat from entering thru the door. I got door seals for the sides the top of the door, but I can't figure out a good solution for the bottom of the door.

The door is above carpet, so I'm not sure if a vinyl door bottom intended for an outside-facing door is appropriate.

I also saw some "draft stoppers" that go on the bottom of the door, but they are visually conspicuous and have mixed reviews.

Any suggestions? Please remember that this is an indoor door over a carpeted floor.

The gap is quite big:


texts:
Most everyone's heard about piles of oily/greasy rags igniting.  Linseed oil seems to be a popular culprit for it, but I've also recently heard claims of common automotive oil being involved.  I've run across a couple recommendations, but I have no idea if there are any better ways to handle them.  Also wondering if there's a certain threshold as to quantity of material required for them to ignite.  Is it a problem just with natural oils, or are synthetics also involved?

Recommendations I'm aware of include:

Seal rags in side a metal bucket (with lid).
Allow rags to dry (spread out), then throw out normally.

The metal bucket sounds good, but what happens when you have to transfer them into a trash bag?  Spreading them out to dry seems unproductive, especially with synthetic auto oil which never seems to dry.

I've experimented with putting a pile of synthetic auto oil soaked rags in a plastic bag (worst case scenario based on my reading) and not only did they NOT catch on fire, but there was no detectable increase in temperature.  I've seen so much conjecture on this important topic, hopefully there are people on hear that can bring some science to bear on the problem!  :-)


texts: Is there any value in using higher interrupting current rating breakers in a residential loadcenter?

texts:
Current production residential/light commercial breaker lines are available in multiple interrupting capacity ratings -- this rating is how much current the breaker can safely interrupt without blowing itself to bits from the effects of the arc inside.  For instance, the Siemens breakers come in 10kA, 22kA, and 65kA, while Eaton BRs come in 10kA, 22kA, and 42kA with a few available in 65kA as well.

This is useful in commercial work, where larger services and feeders can deliver higher fault currents than the 10kA typically standard for residential and light commercial services.  However, would installing more robust (i.e. higher interrupting rating) breakers deliver an advantage in longevity even if a 10kA breaker could handle the maximum prospective fault currents available from the service?  Or should I simply get 10kAIC branch breakers as the higher ratings are more cost without any benefit if you don't need them?


texts: Can I take the cover off my fusebox to attach an energy monitor?

texts:
I have bought an Energy Monitor to track our electricity usage (hard times...).  I now need to put the sensor on one of the cables either next to the fusebox or the meter.  Unfortunately I cannot access any cables surrounding the meter as it is all secured either behind cable protectors or the walls in our flat's lobby.  That leaves me with access to only the fusebox within our flat.

My question is this, I cannot see any cables surrounding the fusebox but I can see two screws on the cover - is it safe to take these off to see if I can access a cable inside to place the sensor around?

I hope this is the right place to ask.  We have lived here for quite a few years but nobody seems to understand our boiler and I would like to track our energy usage as we are on Economy 10 but seem to be using 70% On-peak energy and only 30% Off-peak..even with an economy 10 boiler and the dishwasher/dryer/washing machine etc going on during the off-peak times..  It's almost £200 a month for 2 people in a small flat and we are energy conscious.


texts: Air filter recommendations to filter dust mites

texts:
I recently found out I am allergic to dust mites.  I have taken some steps to reduce my exposure to dust mites in my apartment, but now that it is summer and I live in a high-humidity area, my allergy has been particularly bothering me.

I am looking for a stand-alone air filter system to purchase that will filter dust mites.  My apartment does not have any sort of central air system, so the only air filtration that currently occurs is the very large-holed filters in my two window AC units.  This, obviously, only catches large dust.

I'm seeing a lot of HEPA filter options online, but since dust mites are rather large compared to what HEPA filters normally filter (~100 microns vs. ~1 micron), I don't think I need a filter that is at HEPA level to filter to filter the dust mites themselves, though obviously filtering their food source (dust) would help.

Employing a UV air purifier is not an option as the air that comes out can be a migraine trigger for my wife.  (Air filters that have UV purifiers that can be turned off are fine.)

The largest room in my house is 14'x17', with about 8.5' tall ceilings (about 2000 cf).  Assume very limited exchange between this room and the other rooms of my house and that this room is the only one I want to filter air for.  Given that money is a limiting factor for this, so I am looking for filter options that are less than ~$100 (and the cheaper, the better, as long as the filter does a reasonably good job), what recommendations do you have for air filter systems:

for just filtering the dust mites (~100 microns)?
that are HEPA and can filter the dust?

(if there is a better SE than DIY for this question, let me know)


texts: ok to put these two water heaters on a sub-panel?

texts: I have a sub-panel, with currently only a single conventional water heater connected (4500 watt non-simultaneous).  The sub-panel is protected by a 50amp double-pole breaker in the main panel, wired with 6ga Romex.  The water heater is wired with 10ga Romex, protected by a 30amp breaker in the sub-panel.   So far, so good.   However, I want to add a 5700 watt tankless water heater to the sub-panel; it also requires a 30amp breaker (and 10ga wire).   Is this ok ?  All wiring is sufficient to the size breaker protecting it, so it should be safe.   And we know it's ok for breakers in a panel to sum up to more than the main breaker for that panel (e.g. all the breakers in a main panel typically far exceed the panel's overall rating).  But the total wattage (should the tankless be activated while the main one is heating) would be 10.2kw, or 42.5 amps at 240v.   That seems to be cutting it close for the 50amp breaker protecting the main panel, so I'm wondering if I'm likely to see it trip.   Also don't want to violate code, even though this work will not be inspected.


texts: Where do you cut drywall if you need to remove it but still want to easily put it back up?

texts:
I want to pull a section of drywall down, but then put it back up again later. I'm having a hard time deciding where to cut.
I think ideally, I could cut exactly down the center of a stud so that I could screw it back in. But there will already be screws down the center of the stud and it may be hard to find the exact center. Also a lot harder to make the actual cut since the stud is behind it.
It might be easier to cut along the edge of the stud, but then when putting it back in, there's nothing to screw into, unless I add some additional backing.
Last idea was to cut significantly in from the studs and just put it back in place kind of like a hole, hoping the mud will hold it in place.


texts: Lower Sanitary T in Wall for new lower sink

texts:
I have a question, I need to lower the Sanitary T due to new sink being lower and garbage disposal out being lower then the wall out. Luckily the pipe is vertical in wall. The old T that you see in picture, is 2 inch coming from basement, 2 inch to kitchen sink and then 1.5 inch up to upstairs bathroom sink.
My new sink is lower and is only a single drain now instead of a dual sink.

Should i put a 2 inch to basement, 1.5 inch to kitchen sink and 1.5 inch to upstairs or still do 2 inch to basement, 2 inch to kitchen sink and 1.5 inch upstairs.
How is it best to glue these new pipe fittings together if there is not much play to them. To ensure enough of pipe gets into the fitting. (Glue the New T First), then use a hard coupling 1.5 inch to the old 1.5 inch to upstairs?


texts: I have a Siemens 200 amp main service panel in my basement.  The main service lines are two black and one black with a yellow stripe going to the neutral bar.  The grounding bar is attached to a ground cable through the bottom of the box to a rod in the basement floor.  All the circuits in this box are 240v/double pole 2-wire breakers (it services another 200 amp panel on the main floor), There are NO wire connections to the neutral bar at all so it appears to me it is not grounded.  I want to install a whole house surge protector in the panel but it's my understanding it must be connected to a grounded neutral bus bar. Do I simply install a jumper from the ground to the neutral bar?


texts: Is my plan to drain foundation wall water reasonable?

texts:
I am in the process of building out my basement and see that I have water in the cinder block walls.  I have a plan but I don't know if it will work and that is why I am posting this in the hope that someone who knows may respond.

I want to first drain the water by drilling drain holes in the blocks about 4" above the floor.  I would then drill another small hole at or as close to floor level as possible to drain all the water out.  Then I would seal the bottom hole and pump in something like self leveling cement which would fill the cavity up to the upper drain hole thus preventing water from pooling below that level.

I would then install 1/2" pvc pipe in each drain hole and seal around the pipes.  Using a 45 degree fitting turning down and connecting to a 3/4" pvc pipe running the length of the wall just above the floor and sloped to a sump at the far end.

My purpose for using this method is that when my basement was built, the builder poured the slab and footing at the same time and then build the cinder block walls on top of the slab unlike what I see where a foundation base is poured. walls build on it and the floor poured inside the walls. My other purpose is that I can do this myself, otherwise, I would have to spend considerable money to have the basement floor dug up.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.


texts: Cool bulbs into a min 90C fixture with 60C wiring

texts:
I bought a light fixture that has a min 90°C warning.  The wiring leading up to the fixture is NM (60°C wire).  I was wondering if an easy workaround to this would be to install a newer, more energy efficient light bulb to keep the temperature of the wire down.

Is this a viable solution to this problem? The next option is to replace the last 2 feet of NM with wiring that is certified to 90°C.


texts: Temporary window treatment options? (shades, blinds, curtains)

texts:
I have a sitting room-turned-guest room, and with summer going into full bore the room brightens up too early in the day for sound sleep. It has become a problem. The room has several large windows currently with translucent cellular shades (I think that's the right term. One piece blinds, corrugated) and they are not dark enough.
What would be a good temporary solution to this problem? I don't want anything permanent fixed on the wall. What kind of curtains or shades or blinds or shutters can be used over the existing cellular shades? There is no protruding window frames. The windows look like these (my shades are thinner and more translucent)

One row of windows rounds a corner like these


texts: What size ceiling joists and rafters should I use for a 14' span?

texts:
I'm going to build a single story addition to my home with a width of 14ft. I plan on using ceiling joists every 16" but I'm not sure which size to get. The roof will be asphalt shingles and the attic will not be required to hold storage. I've looked at span charts for both rafters and ceiling joists but I'm not sure of the dead load, live load and deflection limit. Another factor is ground snow load. My location is Northern Virginia.

What size joists and rafters should I use? I'm guessing 2"x6" for both.


texts: How do I fit roof sheathing to an odd shape, such as a triangle?

texts: I want to cut a Scalene triangle: A triangle with no congruent sides out of plywood to fill in an open space in the roof sheathing. I can't trace it from underneath; there are trusses in the way.


texts: What does the 16" in "16-Inch Full Ext Drawer" refer to?

texts:
I'm building a project that involves sliding drawers. I'm shopping for drawer slides and I'm not sure what the 16" in the title below refers to?

Does it mean the drawer hardware is 16 inches closed?  Like the length of the track closed is 16 inches?  Or does that mean that I can pull it out of the box 16 inches?

  16-Inch Full Ext Drawer Slide 100-Pound Capacity Side Mount


texts: can a bathroom or kitchen exhaust airt through a vent placed in the outter edge of the soffit and pointing down and out

texts: Can a bathroom or kitchen range vent out through a vent-unit placed on the outter-edge of a soffit if it is pointing down and away from the house?


texts: How can I refinish a basement concrete floor?

texts:
The basement concrete floor pictured has traces of red paint, a beige mesh, the concrete itself, and a top blue-gray layer of paint.

Does refinishing the floor require reapplying the red and the beige sublayers? What is the use of the mesh? Is it necessary? And if they're unnecessary, will any blue-gray latex paint do, or is some special formula needed?


texts:
Is there a minimum distance needed between a retaining wall and a home?

I've seen many homes with a sloped back yard, such that there is a 6' high above ground retaining wall between the backyard and the rear of the home, usually with a distance of 3-5' between home and wall.   I often wonder if the home could be built out back to basically incorporate the retaining wall as part of the building structure.


texts: How to manually control HVAC without thermostat?

texts:
I would like to create a solution (Probably with Arduino) to control my AC remotelly.

Opening my thermostat and doing some tests I got these values bellow:

Blue (C) - Neutral (AC)
Red (R) - Phase 28v (AC)

Just Fan
    - Green (G) 28v

AC On Running
    - Green (G) 28v
    - Yellow (Y) 28v
    - Orange (O/B) 28v

AC On Not Running
    - Orange (O/B) 28v
    - Yellow (Y) 0v

Heat On Running
    - Green (G) 28v
    - Yellow (Y) 28v
    - Orange (O/B) 0v

Heat On Not Running
    - All 0v

Orange (O/B)
    - If high (28v) is cold mode
    - If low (0v) is heat mode

Yellow (Y)
    - If high with Green (G), AC is running (cold or heat)
    - If low with Green (G) high, just fan is running
    - If low with Green (G) low, AC is off

My thermostat:

Is it possible to control my AC just joining these wires

For example:

Join green and red wires and just fan turns on.

Thank you and sorry any english mistake.


texts: .5 inch copper pipe leaking at slab, .75 inch pipe from water heater enters

texts:
Pictured are pipes entering my slab in the wall behind my water heater.  The wall has cellulose insulation in it, so I can't see, but my best guess is that there is a manifold in the wall there. The leaking pipe in question exits about 20 feet away, but is a half inch pipe, these are 3/4".

Should I be looking for a secondary manifold, or could there just be a reducer or tee in the slab?  My stepdad taught me not to put fittings under concrete, but I can't say it's never been done.  The house was custom built in 1983, so I have no experience with the conventions and code s of the time, being born in 85.

I want to simply cut and cap the leaking pipe before it enters the slab. It's just stubbed out on the other end.

My plan: Place a shark bite hose fitting on the end of the leaking pipe, run a house out the window. Turn on the water heater, and crack the valve and see which pipe heats up.

At that point, I will cut the water, cut that pipe, put a valve on it, shut the valve and turn on the water again. If any taps are missing hot water, I can run a new PEX drop to those fixtures.


texts: Can I have 2 45 degree angles in my wall from drain to vent?

texts: Can I have 2  45 degree angles with a 8 inch piece of 2inch  to my bathroom sink? The drain pipe is over to far to be in side my vanity. The the clean out and vent pipe will go strait up threw my roof from there.


texts: Is "don't mix data and power cables" and "don't loop power cables" still valid nowadays?

texts:
There are two sayings I keep hearing when talking about wiring e.g. home cinema or computer hardware;

Don't wrap data/network cables and power cables up in the same loop because the power cables will mess up the streams of your data cables
Don't loop power cables because it can produce an induction effect.

I'm interested in whether these two theses are still valid with the current coating and shielding of modern day data/network and power cables.

So, when I wire my home cinema and the power cables lie next to the data cables, will that cause any effect on the quality of video/audio I am likely to perceive?

And is wrapping three or four meters of power cables in a coil actually in any way dangerous, seeing how thick the coating and shielding is on them?

How else should you manage the power cables that are too long to just let them lie around? Maybe a different wrapping/looping technique?


texts:
I have a question regarding the cellar floor of my 1950s house in germany.
It has a concrete floor. In one room there are a lot of cracks in it. They are meters long, but only a few mm wide.
When there are very heavy rainfalls and / or heavy snow melt, these cracks are wet. (Happens approximately once a year) The water presses up from down the foundation.
This never was a big issue, because after some days it is always dry again. However now this particular room should be renovated as a hobby-room. Among other things I want to lay out a PVC coating.
Now if I would lay the PVC coating above these cracks, it would most likely start to mould under it, when the moisture comes.
So my question is...
Can I somehow repair / seal these cracks, so the moisture stays away?


texts: Buzzing sound from ceiling light fixture. Can the source of the problem be the dimmer?

texts:
I have a buzzing sound coming from in ceiling light fixtures.
The fixtures are Liton LH1499IC (https://liton.com/ic-double-wall-housing-51083.html)

These fixtures are connected to a dimmer switch
Buzzing from the fixtures gets worse over time (as the light stays on)
Buzzing gets worse with full brightness
Buzzing gets worse if I completely remove the bulb but have the dimmer ON
Buzzing 100% comes from the fixture itself and not the bulb, I can hear it from inside the fixture and as mentioned, if the bulb is completly removed the fixture buzzes worse
Bulbs are 12V 50W which is what the fixture says to use.  I tried changing to 12V 30W and 5W just to see what happens and the buzzing actually got much worse with the 5W as well

My first thought was to buy new fixtures and replace the old ones, but looking at the picture of that fixture it looks like its going to be alot of work (i've never replaced light fixtures before).
Next thought was could there be a relationship to the dimmer switch?
To be clear, the dimmer has no sound or buzzing whatsoever.  But is it possible the wrong dimmer switch is connected and that is creating a buzz downstream at the fixture?
Dimmer is Lutron SLV-600P (https://www.lutron.com/en-US/Products/Pages/StandAloneControls/Dimmers-Switches/SkylarkDimmer/ModelNumbers.aspx)

120 V / 600 VA (450 W)
I have 4 light fixtures connected to it, those are 12V, 50W each. MR-16

Bulbs are Osram 12V 50W MR-16 base bulbs
Is there any rule of thumb I can use in determining if the correct dimmer switch is paired to the correct fixture, or does it not matter?  I'm essentially both hoping and wondering there is an easier solution to this problem then changing the fixtures
As you can tell, I'm a total noob.
Any help is much appreciated!


texts: Encasing electrical outlet behind a panel above overhead microwave

texts:
My remodeling contractor has installed an overhead microwave.  The electrical outlet is no longer in a cabinet above the microwave.  He has taken the limited space above the microwave ( about 8 inches of clearance) and has the electrical outlet encased inside with a panel across the top of the microwave.

Is this safe?  Certainly not practical in my mind.  Should I ever have microwave repair needed, I will have to dismantle his carpentry work to get inside the space to the outlet.


texts: Putting a sub panel for a home office/bedroom?

texts:
Recently, our neighborhood had a power outage for a few days. Causing my office/bedroom to lose power completely which was a bit of an inconvenience.

Out of curiosity, I began googling about integrating a portable generator into a home. By creating an inlet and integrating it into your circuit panel, you could have it power your home without having a mess of extension cords everywhere.

Now my current electrical panel is a mess, and something I would not want to touch/nor get into. I have done some wiring inside my home to add a few receptacles, so I am not completely clueless to working with electrical. I was curious if I could reroute all the wiring for my office/bedroom into a sub panel that would connect to my main circuit breaker panel however with a inlet ran to this sub panel so that in the event of a power outage, I can power this one room.

I am not very knowledgeable of electrical codes, and am pretty overwhelmed by them honestly.

For better understanding, I drew up a little diagram.


texts: How to connect steel posts to build a shelf unit?

texts:
The posts or conduit needs to be galvanized as I'm using this for growing herbs.

Im not sure if I would have to get this welded or if theres a simpler way to put something like this together. (fittings possibly?)

Im considering 1/2" to 1" for thickness for conduit, or 1 1/2" galvanized fence posts.

Thanks!


texts: Can Hi-rib cementing be used to level a second story floor?

texts: Is it advisable to use the hi rib cementing style to correct the whole un level wooden second floor area? It is not level from between 1 to 2 and 3/4 inches in certain areas.


texts: Why would there be a 50 amp plug on a 30 amp appliance?

texts:
I have an old conveyor dryer, which my office purchased used some time ago, just sitting in storage. The dryer is for silk screen t-shirts and has a large heating element and a variable speed conveyor that runs underneath, rather like a small pizza oven. I'm interested in getting it running, but I'm perplexed about the plug and circuit requirements.

The panel on the side of the dryer indicates that the full load amp is 30 amps. So why would the plug be a NEMA 14-50R, which handles 50 amps?

All the 220 outlets on the building have 30 amp breakers and run 10 gauge wire. Will I need to have someone install new breakers and run 8 gauge just for this dryer even though it says it won't pull more than 30 amps?


texts: Will this supply list work for a 60 amp service?

texts:
I'm installing a 60 amp inside sub-panel roughly 65 feet total distance from the 200 amp main to my guest house. I will be encasing into 1" pvc conduit direct burial at 24" depth and with two 90 degree elbows.

The panel being used is a GE Model# TLM812SCUD1K 125-Amp Main Lug Load Center 8-Space 16-Circuit,
with a GE Model# TGK12CP Load Center Ground Bar Kit.
I will be using a GE Q-line-Thql Model# THQL2160 60-Amp 2-Pole Standard Trip Circuit Breaker.
The wire will be SIM pull-6-AWG Stranded White Copper THHN Wire 65 feet for neutral,
SIM pull 6-AWG Stranded Black Copper THHN Wire 130 feet for the hots and
SIM pull-10-AWG Stranded Green Copper THHN Wire- 65 feet for the equipment ground.

It will be used for lighting and outlets in a 1,224 ft area. Thanks in advance.


texts: Should all my home's GFCI outlets be connected to a GFCI breaker?

texts: My house has all of the GFCI outlets (approx 7 outlets/ 2 bathrooms, kitchen, and shed) running to a single GFCI breaker. Is this a proper setup for GFCI? I'm looking for a solution to keep the breaker from tripping when several devices are pulling power at once.


texts: Inexpensive ways to cool the house as a renter

texts: I am renting a house with a few other people. The house is fairly old and the leasing company refuses to do any expensive renovation and it would be inconvenient to everybody living in the house anyways. My room has a connection to the attic, and unfortunately there is no attic fan in the attic so there is hot air that pushes downward. The living room also has high ceilings. We've already applied curtains to the windows, but are there any particular ways we can cool down the house that isn't particularly expensive?


texts: How can I touch up the paint on crown molding where I inadvertently applied wall paint?

texts:
I've painted the drywall and even though I carefully put the paint tape around the ceiling molding, I still made some marks on it. So I tried to remove it after with a damp/wet cloth, it didn't help though.

The molding is white colored, so I guess I don't need to repaint it all together but just touch it. Am I right?

Can I just dip a piece of cloth in a well stirred paint and then simply buff it over the marked spots on the moldings?

I'm newbie :-)

Thanks for feedback!


texts: What glue to stick polycarbonate and glass together?

texts:
I am searching for strong glue that

Bonds polycarbonate to glass
Is cold and hot weather resistant (approximately -50 to 50)
Is transparent
Optional: Would ideally bond glass if it was broken like PVB

I already searched that some blends of silicone and polyurethane adhesives are used to bond those two together, but I don't know about the cold weather resistance.


texts:
I just bought a new home and I'm trying to figure out what this tool is for:
Any ideas?
I think it's for something in the bathroom, but I'm at a loss as to what.


texts: Is this 2 way light switch wired dangerously?

texts:
One of the switches in this 2 way setup has been acting up, I popped it off to replace it and it's wired like this:

The only configuration I know of that is like this is the Carter system. Is this definitely Carter or could it be something else? If it is Carter then how bad is that, does it need rewiring?

Here's a shot of the wires entering the wall, in case that helps:


texts: Does someone have any good resources or guides on how to determine basement framing layout? I bought the house with a half basement finished, but would like to complete the other half and possibly redo this half, so wanted to see if someone has used some good software or websites before.


texts: Can IC-rated recessed lights come in contact with sheet plastic?

texts:
I'm installing low-profile (slim) recessed LED IC-rated lights in my living room that has a drop ceiling. Above the area that one of the lights will go is a plastic sheet seemingly filled with old lathe and plaster (no idea why). I can't tell how much garbage is actually up there so would rather just leave the plastic alone.

Is there any problem with pushing the recessed lights into the hole right up against the plastic sheet? I know IC-rated means that it can come in contact with insulation - what I'm not sure about is how IC-rated fixtures differ across other materials.


texts: Is there such thing as secondary lint traps for rectangular dryer ducts?

texts:
I have been searching online for a couple weeks now without any luck.
There are plenty of secondary lint traps that install along a run of standard 4” rigid metal duct. I’m looking for a secondary lint trap that I can install in my rectangular rigid metal dryer duct that runs from my laundry room up to my attic and out through the roof. This duct runs behind my laundry room wall, and I’m hoping to cut into this duct to install the lint trap so that it’s right in front of your face if you’re standing at the dryer. Trying to avoid the “out of sight, out of mind” problem.
As you know, venting up and out through the roof is a bad idea, mainly because the vent is out of sight (there’s a much greater chance of dangerous lint buildup, leading to fire, etc.). So...if there were another way for me to vent the dryer, I would have done it.
Right now, the dryer is venting into the garage. That’s where my home’s previous owner vented it after the upward vent got clogged. Even with the garage door open, there’s a LOT of moisture collecting in the garage. It’s not ideal, but I’d rather not exhaust upward without that lint trap in place.
I’m looking for rectangular because I don’t see much room to replace the rectangular duct with standard round 4” rigid metal duct. The wall has 2x4 studs, so 4” duct won’t fit. And building that wall out another 2” from top to bottom also seems infeasible because the wall has what appears to be a metal sheet immediately behind the drywall. I can even see this metal sheet running all the way up to the top of the drywall (I can see it from the attic).
Thanks for any leads you have on a rectangular lint trap. I appreciate it!


texts: Can I relocate my electric water heater under a basement window?

texts: I am currently making floor plans for my finished basement in Ohio. I had a pipe near a frost free spigot rupture two years ago but that was because of a faulty washer. Is relocating the water heater under a window a problem? Would the pipes be more susceptible to freezing near the glass of the window?  Would I need to make sure I had heat from the furnace warming that utility/storage area?


texts: How long will Douglas fir planks last if left untreated outside, not directly exposed to weather, but some moisture occaisionally

texts:
I have to replace some bad plywood underneath a roof overhang. I have some Douglas pine planks left over from another project, that I like to use.
The (painted) plywood currently in place lasted 55 years, but is starting to fall apart in some places.
It was actually directly in view until about 20 years ago, when it was covered with vinyl siding.
(Previous owner of the house decided to cover it with siding as he didn't want to re-paint it every couple of years.)
The siding is stapled to the plywood and because of the bad plywood the staples are coming loose.
The spots were the plywood is bad are all due to water damage. Occasional overflow of a gutter, caused some water to penetrate inside the overhang of the roof and get into the plywood.
This happens 2 or 3 times a year when we have excessive rainfall that the gutters can't cope with.
Otherwise, underneath the overhang, weather won't reach it. Just regular humidity which is typically 40-70% here.
The plywood lasted quite long in that same spot, so I'm thinking the exposure can't be that bad.
As I have not much time to do the job (need to rent a boom-lift to work on it, which gets very expensive, real quick) I'm looking for a short-cut.
My idea is to take the siding of, rip out the plywood, replace with the Douglas planks and simply put the siding back up.
As the Douglas planks are not in view I don't need to paint them, which saves a lot of time.
Obviously I will seal the ingress point of the water from the gutters as best as possible, but I can't 100% prevent some of it getting to the wood eventually. There is plenty of wind around the house so if things get wet it will dry quickly.
Can I expect Douglas fir planks used like this to last 20 to 30 years?
I'm not worried about the looks of it. Just the structural integrity of the planks.


texts: How to hoist hot tub out of surrounding deck?

texts:
I need to raise a hot tub out of the deck in our back yard to address a critter problem (rodents have been living underneath so I need to clean it and critter-proof it.) The deck seems to have been built around the hot tub and it doesn't seem possible to disassemble the deck in a non-destructive way, so I'd like to hoist the hot tub directly upwards. Currently there is 23" of hot tub above the deck and 20" below the deck, resting on concrete. There is maybe 2" of clearance between the sides of the hot tub and the deck.
What I have in mind is to build a gantry crane similar to this gentleman's, rent two half-ton chain hoists to hang from the crane on either side of the hot tub, then raise it up and support it with wood braces or cinder blocks while I work on it, or possibly flip it on its side on top of the deck. Afterwards I would use the hoists to lower it back into place.
Because I'm hoping not to have to do this again, I'd like to avoid investing too much in disposable lumber and hardware. I was thinking of using 4x4s for the vertical posts, 2x6s for the horizontal support at the top, and 2x4s for the diagonal supports. To secure these pieces together I would use lag bolts with washers and nuts.
Does this plan make sense? I have fairly limited woodworking experience. What size of bolts would be sufficient? I was thinking 1/2" but they are somewhat expensive and I expect may be overkill. Here are a couple drawings of what I have in mind (front and side view):

Edit 1:
Here is a photo of the hot tub with some of the surrounding deck boards removed:

I am guessing the hot tub weighs something like 800 lbs, plus or minus 200.
The double 2x6 support resting on top of the tub in the picture above was slid out of the hangers built in to the deck; I imagine it was built that way to allow for easy access to the motor on that side. The other joists surrounding the tub are not easily removable. If I'm unable to lift the tub out I think I would need to disassemble and rebuild that entire portion of the deck which is about 14x14' including several steps.
To connect the tub to the hoist I was thinking of using screw eyes in the wood at the base of the tub. I haven't really figured that part out yet, so my drawing is a bit misleading.
Another consideration: I don't know if I will be successful at critter-proofing the thing on my first attempt, which is partly why I'd like to build a reusable crane in case I need to do this again 6 months from now (as opposed to destroying and rebuilding the deck multiple times)
Edit 2:
Some more photos:


texts: Wiring new ceiling fan with only one hot wire and a remote

texts: What happens if I connected the two hot wires that were powering a ceiling fan and light together when replacing with a new ceiling fan with remote that had only one hot wired. I put all three in one cap. Is this dangerous?


texts: How can I connect a sub-panel to an unused 60A breaker in another panel?

texts: So I have a contractor installing a gas furnace where I used to have an electric furnace. I am ending up with a 60a circuit that is not needed anymore. I want to take that circuit and install a subpanel so I can run two or more 15 or 20a circuits off it. Should be able to do that no problem. But where I am confused is instead of having a black and red wire I have a black a white and a bare wire. How do I wire that into my panel?


texts: Is there any issue with the neutral and ground being connected in this panel?

texts:
The picture below shows the electrical panel in a single-family detached home that my wife and I are in the process of purchasing. The home inspector flagged an issue here with the neutral and ground wires being connected on the same bus bars (left and right), suggesting that neutrals and grounds should be separate and (electrically) insulated from each other.

The seller had his building engineer (not a certified electrician) look at it and claims that they cannot separate neutral and ground because the two bus bars are electrically connected through the back of the panel. (A bit difficult to see in the picture, I have not been able to verify myself yet.)

The house was built in 1988 and was inspected at that time. It is located in Maryland, USA. This is the only panel in the home, and it is in the unfinished part of the basement near where I see the service entering the home on the outside. As far as we know, there have not been any issues with the electrical since then.

What should we do? Is this a real safety concern? If you had to (and it is proper to) separate neutral and ground here, how would you do it?

I have done some research on my own, but I am not an electrician. I see most advice is that it's always a good idea to separate neutral and ground except where they connect at the "main service panel". I'm not sure if this is the main service panel or not. I've read some other advice that some systems are designed to have neutral and ground electrically connected like this and it would be a bad idea to separate them in that case. Any help is much appreciated!

May be related to these other questions:

Bonding Neutral and ground in a service panel

Main Panel with separated neutral and ground

Separating neutral and ground in panel

Electrical panel ground issue

Update 2019-10-25:

I was able to get into the house today and get a lot more pictures. This appears to be the main panel: I do not see any other breakers/switches between here and where the service enters the house. There also appears to be a screw bonding the neutral bus bar to the encasement (just to the right of the bus bar on the left). I gather that this satisfies the two conditions specified in Retired Master Electrician's answer below. Here are more detailed pictures of the panel:


texts:
I'm in the process of refurbing our sash windows. The top and bottom sashes of most of the windows in the house are out of alignment. Photo attached.

There's a 1 inch overlap of the meeting rails. This makes locking the windows and fitting draught proofing difficult.

Were the windows built like this for a reason or is there some movement in the windows causing this?

Should I leave this as is when refurbing the windows or remove some of the frame from the top and bottom sashes to they are flush?


texts: How to extend shelf life of already opened one-component silicone sealant or glue?

texts:
I know silicone for two things: its properties and its ability to harden when still in the tube, before use. Virtually everyone using it knows that after a while, it is necessary to cut the tip to remove the hardened part.

How can I extend its life before application? The number of available silicon types makes them very interesting, if they were usable a couple of years after opening (something basically every liquid glue allows).

Is the hardening happening only on the tip, or also on the back, the part pushed inside with the gun?

Do silicone variants with solvent and the ones without solvent (for example http://www.pattex.nl/dhz/producten/100-procent/100%25%20Universal.html I couldn't find one in English) work and harden the same way? Do they use humidity, light, oxygen, ... to cure?


texts: What diameter pipe should I run from a septic pump up hill (3 meter head ) to my septic tank?

texts: what diameter pipe should I run from a septic pump up hill (3 meter head ) to my septic tank please


texts: Can I put 6” recessed cans into 7” holes?

texts: I want to replace these 7” speaker holes with recessed lighting. Are there any issues with using 6” cans and have a 0,5” border opening? I’ll be using the new-construction cans to nail to the wood instead of the remodel version so anchoring isn’t a problem. Also will be using 8” trims. Would dust from the attic be a problem? Or something else an issue?


texts: Can I use a 2x8 for a ceiling joist and rafters on a 16' span?

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I'm planning an addition which will be 16' wide by 27 feet long overall. the roof will span the 16' dimension. my question is, if there is no plan to use the space above the ceiling for storage or occupancy, can I have a clear span of 16 feet with no supporting beam. Again, this is the roof. My guess is that I would use 2x8's for the rafter ties/ceiling joist, and also 2x8's for the rafters. There would be interior framing inside the addition, but there would be an area of about 15 x 16 that would be clear. The pitch of the roof would be about a 4 pitch.

Edit:

Thanks for the responses,

Yes the ridge will be centered on the 16' span. I don't want to use trusses if I don't have to since I will be doing basically all the work myself, and building them in place is easier for me. Also, I am matching the pitch of a small existing part of the house that will be removed and tying the new addition into the main building. In essence, I want to make the new addition fit the existing house / siding, not have to modify the existing building to fit a truss. I know I could get them close, but I'd rather do it myself. Also trusses would be more expensive.

My real question is can the room I'm building be clear of support beams. The ceiling joist would span the 16', and basically hold only sheetrock/insulation/wire for weight. the raters above would form the tops sides of the triangle and support the roof load. I do live in CT, where we can have a lot of snow (or not). I would assume that if there was a lot of load on the roof, the load would tend to push the ridge down and the walls out (and down), and put the ceiling joist in tension.


texts: Possible Electrical Short After Drywall Installation

texts: I just finished tearing my office down to the studs, insulating, and then having drywall installed. The crew did the drywall install today. I have a light switch which is a dimmer that powers 4 "cans" AKA recessed lights. After the drywall install I flipped the switch and the lights came on with a loud POP noise. I turned the switch off and then on again. This time nothing happened for about 5 seconds and then the lights came on. I turned the light off and on about 50 more times and now it always works but there's a low hum that did not exist before. I suspect an electrical short situation was created during the drywall install but I'm not much of an electrician. Where should I look for problems and how should I solve this? Will my house possibly burn down?


texts: I have a Craftsman 113.298031 tablesaw. Recently it has started making a whining sound and the blade is easily bogged down.   Previously the blade bogged down without the noise and I had to tighten the belt. This seems different. I took the belt off and the motor seems to run well by itself. I suspect bearings on the blade assembly but haven't taken it apart yet. Any suggestions before I get started? Likely just lube? Might need new bearings?  Thanks for anything you can do to shorten the repair process.


texts: how do i tell if my prefab fireplace is rated for wood?

texts:
i live in a condo building with 9 units. for all intents and purposes they're townhomes (i.e. each one is two stories tall with a fireplace on the first floor and a flue at the roof). the building itself is a converted factory, that was gut/rehabbed in the late 80s.

my fireplace has a gas log in it. it also has a fully functional flue. my neighbors have identical looking fireplaces that are wood burning (that is to say they don't have a readily apparent gas line, and they burn wood in them).

is there any way to tell whether my firebox is rated differently? did a previous owner just prefer the gas log and go that way, or are my neighbors flaunting fire risk and unsafely converting under-rated fireboxes (or their predecessors, rather)?


texts:
I have a shed in my backyard about 200ft from the house. I would like to run electrical to the shed to install 2 or 3 power outlets, and two LED lights for the inside.

Currently from the house to about 50ft from the house there is an exterior power outlet on a pole (no light on the pole, just the outlet). The line from the circuit breaker is completely dedicated to this one outlet the whole way -- currently no forks or splices. It is a 12 gauge UF-B wire run connected to a 20 amp gfci breaker. It is not in conduit and looks about 2 to 2.5 feet deep.

I am wondering if I can continue the line from the power outlet 50ft from the house on more 12 gauge UF-B for another 150ft to the shed -- which will have 2 or 3 power outlets and two LED lights for the inside. Or I am wondering if it would be required for me to have a dedicated line and a subpanel in the shed -- and maybe heavier wire.

Thanks!


texts: Cleaning Edwardian tiles found under more recent tiles

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We removed some river-pebble-effect tiles in our hall, and found period (1910ish) tiles underneath.

We have an area of about 2m², still with lots of the adhesive from the overlaid tiles.

Otherwise the tiles appear to be in fairly good condition.

How do we remove the adhesive from the top of the tiles?

What's the best way to clean them?


texts: Can a plumbing vent pipe be vented horizontally?

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I live in NYC and I have a plumbing vent pipe which vents through the roof.  The vent pipe however has some "angled" pipes which bring it out into a small section of a bedroom to avoid going through the header between the ceiling and the attic floor, the house is balloon framing. The vent pipe then runs back up into the attic where it vents through the roof. The stack is 12 inches to the right of a window.  I have two questions.
1. Can I cut the pipe 7 or 8 inches above the window and vent the pipe to the back of the house? There are no other openings other than the window.
2. If I can, how do I close off the roof opening, I don't want to take the roof apart, just close off the vent pipe to prevent water or birds from getting in.
Thank you to all who respond.


texts: Why do electrical devices use such small wire?

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I know that it is unwise to use 14 awg wire on a 20 amp circuit and that 12 gauge should be used because the larger wire can handle the larger load, right?  Then how come when I open up a night light (that can be plugged into a 15A or 20A circuit) I find tiny wire (18 gauge?) coming directly off the plug pin to power a little LED bulb?

In other words, why can electrical devices use such tiny wires inside if they're on a regular 15A or 20A circuit?


texts: Is aluminum Underground Service Entrance cable safe for a 200 ampere service?

texts: I am upgrading my power to 200 amps. My electrician wants to use 4/0 aluminum wire (instead of copper wire) from the meter loop, to the service panel located inside my mobile home. Is aluminum a safe choice?


texts: Do I need to "protect" low voltage cables that are run through an insulated wall?

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I'm planning to run speaker cables from a new outlet at an uninsulated wall to a new outlet at an insulated wall.  I've already run Cat5e and coaxial cable to the uninsulated wall, and am comfortable with the process.  However I have a concern with the similar task of running cable through an insulated wall.

Other than installing a low-voltage box at the outlet, do I need to protect the cable that will snake through the wall/insulation in any way?  I have a concern that the cables and their slack will pose a fire hazard since they will either run through the insulation or between the insulation and drywall in an untidy fashion (i.e. not secured to joists/studs for new work).  Should I run the cables through a plastic tube/conduit for extra safety?

The speaker cable is CL2-rated, so perhaps my concern is unwarranted.


texts: Can I power A/C and furanance from two different services?

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[I combined a duplex (with separate electric service) into a single unit. It still has two electric services and they're small.]

I learned from another question that I should not try to merge two different main services from the power company into one panel.

So I tried to reallocate my AC to the other power panel for the other service. The AC won't turn on after that. Do I need to move the furnace to the same power panel? Any other possible reason the furnace won't turn on? It used to work just fine, before I moved the AC power line to a different power panel.


texts: possible to have too much soffit intake venting for roof/attic?

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Is it possible to have too much soffit intake? Currently my simple gable roof on a ranch home has 8 RVO38 vents but NO soffit intake vents (terrible!). Of course the attic space runs incredibly hot and is not doing me any favors. I need to get the venting improved pronto.

The soffit boards sag and have signs of water damage from previous owner's overflowing gutters, so I wanted to replace them with some t&g cedar and put in a continuous soffit vent. If that didn't help attic venting I would have a ridgeline vent installed. Would it potentially be bad to give myself all that soffit venting or could I try that and see if it is adequate before going to a ridgeline vent?


texts: oak chair remains sticky after using formbys refininisher

texts: I am refinishing an oak chair, after using formby's refinisher, 90% of the chair is smooth and clean, however, the back slats (in this case, round) are still sticky to the touch.  I have cleaned and cleaned and used steel wool and a tacky cloth after, however they remain sticky.  any ideas.  thanks


texts:
I have some sort of artisanal, metal, top oriented, window that essentially serves as a light well (but the room is almost completey dark, the main door is covered by a curtain because my girl friend don't like the fact she can be seen from people outside, even if the door isn't connected directly to a street).

This window, which occasionaly leaks water when it rains a lot, is just plainly put down on this metal architecture, which is rusted despite its paint.

Apparently, before we moved in the apartment something like 8 months ago, somebody seems to have removed the joint, which would been quite big or flexible.

What kind of joint do I have to buy, or is there some way I could craft one (I know I can't possibly craft one, but I can still do something now before I buy it).

Here is the window:


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I have an old pressurized hot water cylinder and I am trying to change the sacrificial anode however the local plumbing stores seem to only have anodes for models they currently sell and also I'm unsure how to work out what I need - for all I know one from a different brand may work but I don't know how to express the measurement.
I removed the anode from the tank and measured the diameter across the threads. It came to 41.25 mm ( not sure how to express that in inches ) ... but I don't know if this is the correct thing to measure - some stuff I've read even seem to suggest going by the size of the hex head which doesn't make much sense to me.

How would find what "size" I'm looking for and is there any such thing as a generic  anode or something standardized that would fit this tank, even with some kind of adapter. I spent a long time trying to get the original manufactured ACV to tell me anything useful and I feel I've exhausted everything I can on that front, including talking to their local suppliers
Any help no matter how sparse would be welcomed, thanks. There are already signs of rust and if I dont get a new anode in the tank it will be lost no doubt

I also wondered about the last resort idea of just dumping bits of magnesium via the anode opening into the bottom of the tank - would this not achieve the same result - I know I wouldn't be able to see if the anode needed replacement but at least I'd get an anode in the tank

Anode goes in from the side - it's a 300 litre ACV tank aprox 6' by 3'

Tank Details
- 500litre pressurised cylinder
- model number is B 50 DSF/E
- year: 2004

Here are some images of the anode


texts: How to join hardwood rows from two rooms at doorway?

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Imagine I have two rooms connected by a doorway (no door). You start setting hardwood in both of them independently but at the same side. After X rows of hardwood, you will reach the doorway from either room and then you will need to join the two independently started sets of rows.

The problem is, except for of some geometrically perfect house and 100% perfect row setting with no gaps, it is highly unlikely that the row sets from the two room will line up so that, when they do, you can join them with a single piece.

One solution I was thinking of is to introduce some kind of divider WHICH I WANT TO BE FLUSH WITH THE FLOOR (so no aluminum dividers), which would delimit the two row sets and eliminate the need to have them line up. Is there something like a 6" wide maple (which is what my flooring is) threshold that is 3/4" thick so that it is flush with the floor and looks like a projection of the doorway jamb on the floor?

If such a piece is unavailable, I was thinking to makeshift my own out of 3 strips of hardwood where the one in the center would be whole (tongue and groove), and the two facing out would have the tongue and the groove respectively ripped off so as to join the center piece but be square at the edges where they would be meeting rows of regular hardwood on either end.

Yet another thing to do would be to not start room 2 until I reach the doorway from room 1, then set one binding strip and work back room 2 from there but that would involve rotating the tongue-groove position which is moderately PIA but it can be done with spline and wood glue (done it once already, don't ask me why).


texts: Is it OK to apply a coat of one brand of paint over a coat of another brand?

texts: I was wondering if it makes much different to use two different brands of paint (of the same color and sheen) when painting two coats.  For example, if I have some Behr in semi-gloss left and it is enough for one coat and then buy more of Glidden, also semi-gloss, because it is cheaper, to do the second coat.


texts:
I live in an older home (built in 1929) in NJ and one of bedrooms has yellowing showing around all the crown molding. The room is below the attic and the attic is insulated above the ceiling. I don’t think it is a water leakage issue. I don’t notice this issue in the other two bedrooms which also have crown molding.

What causes this yellowing?
How to I get rid of it and prevent it from coming back?

Thank you for your help!


texts: Solid white power cord. How can I tell the difference between hot, neutral and ground?

texts: I am trying to hook up a 4 foot fluorescent light and I cannot tell the difference between hot, neutral and ground because the wires are not marked. There are no lines, no colors, nothing but solid white. I have never encountered an electrical wire like this one. Usually the wire functions are indicated by red, black, white and green but this one doesn't have that. Can anyone help?


texts: So I ran into this issue that seems quite gross that it was located inside the furdown in the bathroom, which was becoming layered in gross dust, hair and crap that gets sucked up. We removed it as part of a remodel. The problem is that there is wood studs that would block the air duct from going directly. What configuration has worked to have the return in the wall? thank you. DO we have to cut the studs ? Brace?


texts: Add a c-wire to 25+ year old Rheem furnace

texts:
I've looked at just about every post on adding a C-wire to power a WiFi thermostat but remain uncertain on how to proceed.  The current installation on a Rheem RGAC-080A is two wire as here:

XFMR - White -> Thermostat - Red -> Valve TH terminal, Valve TR terminal to silver Honeywell box (capacitor?) -> XFMR

(Tried to take a photo but it's too dark to be informative.)

I can run 3-wire from the thermostat to the furnace and reproduce the Red & White connections.  But where does the third wire go?  Valve TR?

Thanks.

Edit:


texts: Why does hot water only last a couple minutes?

texts:
She has an electric water heather. There IS hot water in the tank. When we open a faucet it acts normal, gradually getting hot, but that only lasts for a couple of minutes, then it gets cold. A friend thinks there is a crossed pipe, but I can't get my head around that. Any ideas?

The tank is new, and she had the same problem with the old tank. I replaced the elements and thermostats on the old one before I replaced it, same result.


texts: For planning purposes I am trying to figure out my plumbing under the slab. Can I safely assume that this is the right setup?

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I am trying to guess if it is possible to relocate the blue pipe to the right of the vertical one
This is the basement, concrete slab. I can't quite figure out the plumbing for the main drain and I am not sure if I will break the concrete above it.
It is essential for me before starting the work, to know that what I want is possible and there is enough room to install the horizontal blue pipe above the horizontal grey drain

I am tying to move the yellow pipe in the picture below in the position where the vertical red pipe is
The red pipe is what I am planning to install, the yellow is what I am planning to remove

Suggestion by ecnerwal

Here are the real distances for the existing pipes in the basement
16" for the fist to the left vertical black line in the picture (the sink I am relocation and whose pipes are discussed here as a possible replacement for the lower section of the yellow pipe)
4' for the second one.
I also highlighted the contour of what appears to be where the opened  the floor to install these
to the left you can see the clean outs of the soil stack and the dry vent (1.5") this is the yellow pipe I am trying to relocate

And here is the updated Sketchup model including Ecnerwal's changes
The bath tub will rotate 90 degrees counter clock wise and will be replaced by a shower pan
The sink will move to the south of the picture in the corner where the bath tub ends


texts: 230V Single phase connection for 2 HP Table saw to the breakers in the panel

texts:
For the 230V is the connection to the panel breakers made to L1 and L2 plus ground? This being two breakers side by side.

OR

Two L1 connections and ground? Breakers on opposite sides of the panel.


texts: What if I actually WANTED to use a solar (skylight) tube to help heat a room? (WANTED because some folks have reported unwanted heat coming down the shaft to be a problem in the summer.) It struck me that a Fresnel lens on the roof --- that could be manually adjusted from the kitchen two stories below --- could be used to aim light and heat down the shaft.  If the shaft were a mirroring tube (as someone suggested already, of stainless steel) inside an unused chimney, the heat and light coming down would hit the hearth below and possibly warm those stones which would then radiate --- if they were the right kind of stones. The stainless steel tube and the chimney itself would be a safeguard against fire.


texts:
I would like to build a deer skinning pole, about 8 ft tall. Here is my simple design:

My questions are:

How deep should I set the pressure treated 4x4 in the concrete base to be able to safely support approx. 200 lb load ?
Which diameter cylindrical form should I use for the concrete base? Is 12" sufficient or should I go bigger?


texts: I have a Panasonic cu-g125ke AC unit which trips the circuit breaker 30 seconds after its's powered on. I have searched the manuals for what to do but it says: contact a dealer in your area. The problem here is that there is no authorized dealer in my area... A non-authorized one could not find a solution. So, I thought I'd take action and search for errors on the devices (indoor, outdoor) in order to replace broken parts, but don't know how to do it. Suggestions are welcome!


texts: Do smoke detectors have to be hard wired in New Jersey?

texts: I'm rebuilding after a fire, and I need to know if the new smoke/co detectors need to be hard wired.


texts: Why does my new furnace vibrate and smell like burnt oil?

texts:
I just had a new Furnace installed (Goodman GCES960804CN) along with an evap coil
(CE48D44210L004) and AC condenser (GSX140481) on Jan. 9th 2020 by professionals. Everything is new equipment and the air filter has been changed.

Now when i run the furnace it's making a vibration noise after it finishes its cycle, along with a burning oil smell. This happens randomly so its hard to make it happen when the HVAC person is here so that I can show him the vibrating noise and oil burning smell. Some days i can run the furnace for 6 hours without the noise and smell - other times it happens after it finishes its cycle.

Originally I figured it was overheating and the unit was shutting itself off to protect itself. But then it started happening early in the morning when the furnace was not in use through out the night. So it couldn't be from over-heating.
Some small facts - the House is 1700sf two-story home. There are 9 vents. The old unit was a 3.5 ton unit and the new furnace is a 4 ton unit.

Can a few of you experts help me solve this issue?


texts: Thermostat set at 65 - Furnace went to 90 - possible causes?

texts:
Oil furnace. Honeywell programmable thermostat (not WiFi-battery operated). Heat set as always at 65 degrees F with auto fan.  No changes to settings whatsoever.  Had been working fine all winter.

Yesterday, Cold day <20 degrees F and extremely windy. Not home all day (12 hours) - when returned, house was 90 degrees and furnace was blasting. Thermostat was still set at 65 - but temp on thermostat read 90. Turned thermostat off - furnace stayed on.  Turned breaker to get furnace to shut down. Off all night.

This morning - house temp 63F - turned furnace off at switch, then turned breaker back on, then turned furnace switch to on.   Turned thermostat back on - still set the same at 65F with auto fan.

Has worked fine so far all day (??).  Even when turning thermostat off and back on or changing temps - seems to be communicating fine.  Furnace goes off with thermostat and back on and stays at whatever temp is set. What could have happened?

Afraid to leave house again unless I shut the heat completely off.  Used up almost 1/2 tank of heating oil with what happened yesterday. Could whatever the cause have been start a fire?  I know that my chimney needs a repair at the top and is also missing a cap. I also have been finding mice in the kitchen that I've been dealing with - but no sign of them in the area of the furnace that I know of or in the wall where the thermostat is. What are the different options that could have caused this so that I can hopefully prevent it from happening again?


texts: What does this answer about old residential home grounding mean?

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

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

What the heck is that suppose to mean.

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

  flexible metallic tubing (flex)

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


texts: I would like to better understand the physics behind plumbing vents. Why are they necessary? Does air pass in through the vent? If so, when? Does air pass out through the vent? Is so, when? What would happen if I didn't have a vent?


texts: Ideas for levelling partial flooring for kitchen furniture

texts:
My kitchen flooring consists of a click-type wood floor laid on top of an old vinyl layer, which again rests on concrete. After tearing down the previous owner's kitchen, I learned that the cabinets, stove and sink rested on the concrete and had none of the wood (or vinyl) flooring underneath them. The new kitchen furniture will cover all the now exposed concrete, as well as parts of the wood not covered by the old furniture. The furniture to be installed has some adjustability for uneven flooring, but not enough for the approximately 3 cm difference between the concrete and the wood.

I'd rather not re-lay the entire floor, if I can avoid it. The wood is in great condition, and I'm not sure I could find the exact same type to simply complete it. It also feels like a waste of money to floor an area that will be fully hidden by kitchen furniture. To me, the obviously simplest way to prepare for the new furniture seems to be lay down wooden boards approximately 3 cm thick for the legs of the new furniture to stand on. I am, however, afraid that perhaps the wood will compress very differently from the wood floor, causing problems. Is this a legitimate worry? Does anyone have any ideas on how I should procede? Should I perhaps use floor planks of a similary type as used for the floor instead of just simple wooden boards?

I hope I've been sufficiently clear in my description, and that someone has some tips for me.

Below is a sketch of the kitchen.

Brown: wood floor.
Grey: exposed concrete approximately 3 cm below wood floor.
Transparent red: extent of kitchen furniture to be installed.
Black outline: illustration of the wood board suggestion described above.


texts: How to wire A/C Thermostat given different wiring conventions

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I've just moved to a new apartment in which I'd like to replace the current central A/C thermostat with a new one with WIFI control. I hope it's possible! I have basic diy electric skills but no knowledge in Air conditioners.

Current Thermostat

The current thermostat has only two switches (beside the temperature knob) :

Cool / Off / Heat
Low / Med / High fan speed

The wiring of my current thermostat is as follows :

L1-~
L2-0
COMP
R.V
LOW
MED
HIGH

If I understand it correctly, the LOW, MED, HIGH are for fan control,

the L1-~, L2-0 are for line and neutral

andR.V, COMP are for 24V from the unit and for the compressor.

There's another loose wire connected to nothing.

New Thermostat

In the product I wish to buy, there's a different wiring diagram, in which the I don't understand which wire goes where.

7 Live Wire
6 Valve OFF - for three-wire electric valve and fan coil
5 Valve ON  - for two-wire electric valve and fan coil
4 Low
3 Medium
2 High
1 Neutral

Matching Between the Thermostats

I've figured out the Low Med High should be the same, however I'm not sure about the L and N wires and I definitely have no clue what is the Valve ON/OFF terminals are. So far this is my match between the two diagrams

Old        New
L1-~   ->  Live Wire
L2-0   ->  Neutral
COMP   ->  ?????
R.V    ->  ?????
LOW    ->  Low
MED    ->  Med
HIGH   ->  High

Here are the diagrams from the product's documentation:

Finally, the questions :

Are these thermostats compatible?
How to wire the new one to my A/C?
What are the Valve wires?

If there's a solution, a diagram would be much appreciated! If I'm just a noob with no clue and this is not possible, please be gentle :)


texts: Power Pole ground to iron grill connector

texts:
This is my utility pole ground wire:

My service entrance has no ground.

I need to connect the ground wire from the pole directly to the service panel iron grill housing to protect it in case live wire touches it. But iron can rust even if I use a split bolt connector. How best to connect wire from grill to the pole ground? After I sandpaper the iron grill 10mm square bar portion, is there any paint that is anti-rust but conductive so the iron won't rust?


texts: Can I remove perpendicular ceiling joists in porch

texts:
I have porch attached to the exterior wall of the house roof is pitched away from the house:

I am in the process of gutting it and want a vaulted ceiling. There are ceiling joists running perpendicular to the rafters (i.e. from side to side, parallel with wall of house). Because the roof is not pitched in that direction, i assume these do not form any part of the structure and can be safely removed. Is this a correct assumption?


texts: Why am I getting 50V at a light when the switch is off?

texts:
I am trying to put in a switch and a light it controls in a storage building and this is how I wired it.

Click for larger view

When I checked the wiring it registered 120V when the switch was on, and right around 50V when the switch was off.  Why would power still be getting to the light (I'm guessing there is a problem with the switch) and why would it only be 50V?  Oh, and where everything branches off at the beginning I have a junction box there where all of the wires are joined there.


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I have recently uncovered an old (and presumably original circa 1930) hardwood floor in the hallway of my house. Over the past couple of weeks I have been cleaning and sanding it in order to re-varnish (or most likely wax) it.

I have not been taking any special precautions about when sanding the floor, over and above using a face mask, gloves. It was my understanding that old paint used to have lead in it, but that old varnish didn't. Is this the case?

Is it likely that there is lead in the varnish of my old 1930's hardwood floor?


texts: How can I combine two wall switches into one?

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As you can see in the picture the top switch doesn’t work at all. The bottom switch is the one that actually works.

How can I change this 2 switches to just 1 - when I would buy a brand new one

Please help on this!!!


texts: Indoor vs outdoor fire safety training for kids

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I want to train my two sons on how to use a fire extinguisher.

It's pretty wet this time of year in the northwest, so I was considering making a fire in our fireplace inside, and having them take turns using the extinguisher.... But could this cause a big mess inside? Or lots of smoke? etc...

If the indoor solution is no good, I think I'll have to wait for a dry night to dig a hole and make a fire in the yard (or buy a metal platform for fires).

Any advice is appreciated.