texts:
I will relate all information that I can possibly give as I have no idea how to even diagnose this issue.

I live in a hot, dry country with 240V supply. The house I just bought here, has it's lights wired through 2 separate 10A circuit breakers. For some reason earth leakage was bypassed for the lights when I bought the house. A electrician rewired the entire lights circuit and made sure that earth leakage is not bypassed anymore.

After the rewiring we started to have a weird issue. The main earth leakage circuit breaker trips randomly.

With randomly I mean that I am unable to detect a pattern.

Times between this happening have been 1 week, 1 week, 4 weeks, 2 weeks and 2 days.
2 times it was raining at other times it was dry and hot.
Once it happened in the morning while other times it happened in the afternoon.
3 times it happened without ANY lights being on.

When this happens, I am unable to reset the earth leakage breaker unless I switch off one of the lights breakers. (Always the same breaker)
If I try to reset the breaker without switching off the lights breaker earth leakage trips again.

None of the lights have any timer functionality. They are all just light switches connected to standard lights. (Some LED)

The only odd wiring is a 2-way switch for a bedroom.

Now comes the weird part. After the breaker trips I need to wait several hours (more than 3 hours each time, usually overnight), and then everything is fine again. I can reset all breakers and everything works as it should, until the issue happens again some days or weeks later.

Has anyone had a similar issue? Any suggestions on diagnosing the issue would be appreciated.


texts: Create new patio door in basement by cutting concrete

texts:
My basement has about 2.5 ft of concrete along the wall. The reason is that the outside is a slope/hill and that 2.5" depth is just dirt. I like to install a patio door to my backyard 60x80 which is a typical size. My question is if I cut the concrete in the bottom of the wall, what do I have to consider?

My picture below:

For example, do I need to build a concrete foundation underneath and extend it out by digging the clearance area outside? How do I deal with the king stud (just two 2x4 enough?) and how is the requirement for header?


texts: Trying to find window manufacturer from sticker on vinyl window

texts: I have a bottom sash of a vinyl window with some broken glass and need to replace it.  There are several stickers and markings on the window, but I am not able to figure out who manufactured the window.  I've attached pictures of the stickers/markings that I found.  Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Is it safe to keep using this 30amp safety breaker for water heater?

texts:
First of all this is the technical data written on the heater:

I've been using the following connection for my water heater for 2 years before the switch key got molten as shown in the following two pictures ( The heater was always left in the socket and we used the switch key for turning the heater on/off ):

Now, I called for an electrician and he replaced that connection with a breaker of 30 Ampere.
As far as I know, A heater like this won't use more than 7 ampere, so I believe it's better to replace it with 15 ampere or something like this.

My question is:

Am I correct that this breaker isn't functional ?

Can this connection cause any damage if I didn't change it ?

EDIT:

This is the main breaker of the home

EDIT 2:
The water heater is connected to that C20 breaker with some 7 bulbs of 16 watt each and some times we connect 2000 watt device, so this whole circuit uses about 16.4 Amp. The main circuit breaker of 20A is perfect in my opinion, but still want a perfect connection for the heater itself.
Now:
What connection is better ?

The old connection but with replacing that 30A switch-breaker with 10A one ?
The new connection as it was, not grounded because no ground sockets in Egypt.
Something else is better ?


texts: I just purchased a new house that has the oven in the island in the middle of the kitchen.  Not the stove, just the oven.  But there are no electrical outlets on the island.  Can the oven electrical be tapped to supply power to an outlet or will I have to run a new electrical line to its own breaker?


texts: How can I repair heavy hardwood scraping?

texts:
We're moving out of our apartment and we need to repair the hardwood floor of our apartment for the next tenant that lives here.

Apologies as I cannot take a picture of the floor at the moment. I will try to describe the damage as best I can.

It is an oaken hardwood floor.  For a year and a half I have had a single coffee table with wooden legs placed between our two workstations in the center of the floor.  Every day or so, I or my wife will push the coffee table away to give ourselves more room on our side, and inevitably scrape away at the wooden floor beneath. This has resulted in a spot of scraping about as large as my hand (maybe a little smaller).

I'm not sure if we should use wood putty to fill in the area affected, since it's pretty substantial scraping (our TV is on this coffee table, so the damage is a little enhanced), or if we should just use a bit of sandpaper and finish/varnish on the floor.


texts: Is it legal to have 100 amp main and have a total of 185 amp breakers on one side and 140 on the other?  My daughter had a fire in her attic and was told the main didn't match the load.


texts:
I'm having a new concrete floor poured in. its going to be 4 inches.

The drywall that will be in contact with the cement is green board(moisture resistant).

Will that be ok? or should I cut the bottom 6 inches of drywall and put pressure treated boards?


texts: Can I apply caulk over exterior wood filler?

texts:
I am re-caulking trim that is over T-111 siding over my window that faces the brunt force of winds and rain in the Pacific Northwest.
There were leaks over the window that appeared to be coming in through this joint.
The original caulking was OSI QUAD and has been hellacious to remove.  It takes strands of siding with it and specks of it are still embedded in spots.  Have been using dental tools to remove. If there is even a small area where the new caulk wont stick, the project is doomed.
I am worried about the gaps in the T-111 that go behind the trim and am wondering if I filled the gaps and smoothed the wood surface with Elmers carpenter wood filler (interior/exterior) or some other type of glue whether I could apply caulk (planning on using Big Stretch) once the wood filler cured.
Advice would be appreciated.


texts: Toilet code - 15" from baseboard heater?

texts: I am remodeling my small bathroom. I know code is for the center of the toliet drain to be 15" from a wall or vanity. There is going to be a baseboard heater on the side of my toliet. Do I have to be 15" from that, or can i go 15" from the wall?


texts: Adding recessed lights to existing non-recessed lights

texts:
I have a living room/dining room area that each only have 1 light - see photo.  The light over the table in controlled by its own switch, and the ceiling fan/light is controlled by another switch at another area.

I would like to add some recessed lighting to both zones. I'm thinking 4 in dining table area and 4-6 in the living room area.

How do I run the wiring in each case? I would think that I would disconnect existing light, make new holes for new recessed light and pull existing wire back to the closest hole to light switch, then try to run all 4 recessed light and existing dome light in series.

I have not done this before and have watched a ton of videos, read on the forums, etc, but still not sure how to best do this project. Looking for any advice you all might be able to share.


texts:
So I have picked up woodworking as a hobby and find myself becoming pressed for space in the garage.  I looked in the attic and this is the layout:
Is it possible to remove these angled supports and put in another vertical or something to give me better access to lay some plywood out so I can slide boxes towards the front of the garage?  Could I just do it to the left side maybe or could I do it to both sides?  I'm not entirely sure how the structural side of this works so I am trying to find information to help me decide if this is a possibility or not.


texts: Im installing hardwood floor, and the mositure level readings are staying divergent between flooring and subfloor, what should i do?

texts: I've watched some you tube videos, and bought a $100 wood moisture reader. Apparently my birch hardwood (which currently reads 6%) should be within 2% of the moisture level of my subfloor (currently sitting at 12%) in order to proceed with my naildown installation. However after a couple days, nothing is changing. Any ideas what could be the reason?


texts: Replacing light fixture from 2 wires and ground to 2 wires only

texts: I want to change a chandelier with 2 wires and ground to a small 2 wire with no ground light. Is this safe and possible? It is also on a three way switch..


texts: Can i paint over this semi sanded gloss door?

texts:
The door has been painted with white oil-based wood gloss paint over the past 15-20 years (See first image). In the past, I would just paint over it which worked fine the few times I did it.
Now I want to switch from gloss to satinwood paint, I've brought Dulux trade satinwood white. From my research, I understand it's not possible to just paint on top of the current gloss paint so I started to sand down the door. See before and after image:

Do I need to sand the door down 100% where the is no paint left?
Can I just sand down the first layer so the gloss paint is semi removed and then paint over it?


texts: Can I sheetrock over styrofoam on a garage ceiling?

texts:
I am buying a home with a detached garage that the original owner insulated.  The garage is probably 25 years old. At the time of construction, 1" expanded foam was nailed directly to the rafters to insulate the ceiling.  Over time, the foam has shrunk (and deteriorated to some degree) leaving 1/2 - 1" gaps around all the seams and is not sufficient any longer.  The attic is vented properly.

I would like to re-insulate the ceiling with standard blown-in fiberglass or cellulose.  I would also like to sheetrock the ceiling to provide a better finish.

Can I install the sheetrock over the existing styrofoam and then blow in the insulation in the attic?


texts:
I'm drywalling around a window.  The window has a 12" deep "frame", which I plan to drywall on the sides and the top, and then make a wooden sill on the bottom.  The problem is that the top of the frame's framing is about .5" below the room's finished ceiling.  When the "ceiling" of the window frame gets drywalled, it will be about 1" below the room's ceiling.

The question is - how do I make this 1" "drop" look good? I could just cut a really narrow piece of drywall, but I feel like having a 1" 90 degree "step" at the top of the window will look kind of tacky.  I've thought about adding a bull nose bead, but it might be a really snug fit and tough to attach the top side of it.  I've also looked at various molding at my hardware store, but none of it is as narrow as 1" - most of it starts at around 2-2.5" wide.

Any ideas?


texts: Question about new inverter for solar power system

texts:
I am new to this community so I hope this is the right place.

I am looking into buying a new inverter for my off grid cabin running from solar. I would like to purchase THIS 3000w inverter. My question is... in the unlikely event that I run this at its full 3000w  capacity, what is the draw from my 12v battery bank in either amp hours or watt hrs. Thanks in advance.


texts:
I just moved to into a house and was trying to wire a new USB receptacle to an receptacle that is controlled by a switch. The old receptacle has the brass tab broken and the red wire is wired to the top brass terminal. The USB receptacle has only two terminal screws, so there's no way to wire the red wire to the switch. My question is, can I wire the USB receptacle to this outlet box without the red wire? Should I just nut/tape it off?

I do have a switch can controls overhead light, so I don't really need the switch to control that receptacle.


texts: How should I hang a 35 lb pool table light from my ceiling?

texts:
I recently purchased a used pool table and light from an auction. I didn't realize how heavy the lighting fixture was until after I got it home. There are three glass refraction globes that weight 8 pounds each. The total weight of the lighting is about 35 pounds. There are three metal hanging chains on the main rod to hang from.

I need to hang this above my pool table. The ceiling height shouldn't be an issue, but I'm worried about the weight. I have access to the attic, as it's going in my house. I was thinking about placing some 2x4's across the joists in the ceiling and then using some threaded rods to extend down past the ceiling. I assume I can find some hooks or something to screw onto the ends of the threaded rods. Then I can use the chains on the light to hang on the hooks.

I'm really not sure what the best approach is for hanging this light. If anyone can point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated. I don't want to make large holes in my ceiling. I also want to damage my ceiling or cause sagging.

EDIT: Adding photo. I should also note that, I already have one electric box mounted in the ceiling (with power), but it is not centered to the pool table. It's about 3 ft away. I was thinking of running the power to the current box. Maybe I should just mount a new fixture and move the existing power to it.

EDIT 2: I may be missing some mounting parts.


texts: How do I fill in the grooves in wood paneling in order to paint over it?

texts:
Most of my house has wood paneling instead of drywall.  I want to fill in the grooves to give my walls a smooth look (drywalling the house is not in the budget).  Based on the recommendation of a book, I've tried using spackle.  The problem is it shrinks too much and then cracks later, plus sanding creates a ton of dust.

Is there another product I can try that would work better than spackle?


texts: What does it mean when an AFCI breaker indicator is 1/4 white?

texts:
My renters are complaing that the breaker for the master bather and bedroom keeps tripping.  They say the trip is random.  I tested all the plugs and GFCI plug in the bathroom.  Everything passed with my GFCI tester.  The house had a unwelcome rat for a few weeks and could have chewed a wire, really hope not.

The only odd thing I can see is the breaker shows 1/4 white on the arch fault indicator.

Could that be the issue?


texts: I am changing the light fixtures and I got stuck. The wires coming from the wall are Red (was connected at the bottom of old switch), Blue (was connected at the top) and Copper (was connected with a screw). The switch I now have is plastic and does not have a place to connect the copper wire. It also has 3 ports - L1, L2 and L. Which wire do I connect to which port?


texts: water is seeping out from under tub and soaking wood floor

texts: Could there be enough condensation under a metal tub to make it have visible water coming from under tub and soaking into floor boards?


texts: Just wrapping up my porcelain tile install on my 32x60 shower. I am installing framed sliding shower doors and was researching ahead for that. There are 3 screws installed in each vertical side. The screws provided are 1/8"x1 1/2". The instructions say to use the anchors provided, however when framing out for my shower, I installed studs right where these are going to go. What's the best way to go about doing this and are these screws sufficient? Obviously I won't be anchoring with the studs. 1 1/2" will barely make it through the track, tile, and Hardiebacker. I'm assuming these are meant to be used due to the anchors, so I should look for something longer? Also, I suppose I should predrill 3/8" holes through the ceramic with a diamond bit, huh?


texts: Outdoor lighting: use 12V transformer or 220 V mains? And use RCD or not?

texts:
I wish to install some outdoor lighting for meat poultry (they need lights on 24/7 so they can eat 24/7).  I've done some minor electrical work, even installing a circuit, but I'm a beginner.

First some background:  this is in a developing country (Philippines) and aesthetics are not needed, so the wires will be above ground (anyway the ground is very wet).

No code of any sort exists.  The only concern is safety.  I've done some electrical work, in theory ("Thevenin equivalent circuit", lol) and in practice (installing an AC with circuit breaker, dishwasher, etc, in the USA), but am hardly an expert.

Here is my plan:

Refer to the diagram embedded herein:  Some of this had been built, some of it is proposed.  Apologies for my artwork.

Blue is neutral wire (-), Red is hot (+), green is ground.  220V is the mains power supply in the Philippines.  You will note I installed on my own an "earth" circuit (ground) downstream of the main circuit box.  This is because in the Philippines, as is common in developing countries, they don't have ground wires.  So I installed one myself and much to my surprise it seems to work (or so it is implied by my multimeter, it might be a false sense of security however, but let's assume it works).

A = main circuit box.  It has an old fashioned 'pull throw switch' and two 30 Amp fuses that blow once and have to be replaced.  It is NOT connected to ground.

B = a junction box that I made, connected to a homemade ground

C = standard three-wire cable, connected to a three wire (+, -, grd) outlet.

D = two wire light bulb fixtures, THAT WILL BE EXPOSED TO RAIN OUTDOORS, electrically connected to the outlet in C.  I will try and keep these bulbs dry, but they are ordinary light fixtures.  Sorry but I cannot get outdoor light fixtures, and note that only two wires (hot, neutral, no ground) go to these light bulbs.

My questions:

1) will I risk electrocution if the lightbulbs collect condensation (it rains hard here)?  Probably.  But won't the ground stop any real damage to anybody who happens to be standing close to these bulbs?  Keep in mind that there's no ground wire at the bulbs, only at the outlet junction which is five (5) meters away from the bulbs.  How do you ground a lightbulb anyway?  All the fixtures have but two terminals, (+,-), no ground.  I've seen some fancy outdoor bulb holders made of metal so I guess you would connect a ground wire to the metal?
Anyway, if there's a short, won't the fuses at the main circuit box "A" melt/trip/blow?

2) at arrow "E", do I need to install, in series, a "RCD" (Residual Circuit Device)?  I am not even sure they sell them here in the provinces of the Philippines; maybe there's one for sale in Manila I can have a friend mail to me.  What good is an RCD here?  I suppose to detect any short at the lightbulbs?  Do I have the RCD placed correctly, downstream of the junction box B?  Or does it matter (probably it does not matter, it can be upstream of box B?)

3) Last but not least, should I forget using 'mains' 220 V power for wet terrain, outdoor lights, and try something safer like LED 12 volt transformer lights?  Of course that's an easy answer, but I prefer answers to 1-2 first before this 'obvious' easy answer.  Also please resist the temptation to say: 'hire a certified electrician in your area', because in my area in the middle of nowhere there's no certified anything, or rather I'm about as qualified as the next guy (lol).

Diagram:


texts: Paint color with same codes do not match

texts:
I ran out of paint after the first coat.  I had the paint custom made to match a specific color.  I still had the numbers/code so I thought it would be easy to match. The sample the store put on top of the can sure looked like it would match, however after the paint dried it wasn't close to the sample on the can.  I was expecting a burgundy, but instead it dried a pinkish color.

I double/triple checked that the numbers on the new can does indeed match the colors on the old can.  The sample they put on top of the can does look correct, so I do not think that the store mixed the paint incorrectly.  The paint is Sherwin Williams Satin, Deep Base from Lowes.

What can I do differently to help make the paint match better when I repaint next time?

Unfortunately I did not take a picture when it was completely dry.  However it did not change much in color.

This is the color I was expecting:

This is the color I ended up with:


texts: Correct crimping tool for these sleeves? Are these the correct sleeves?

texts:
I recently bought these aluminum sleeves for 3/16" wire, and this crimper tool. They will be used with this 1/8" wire coated to 3/16"

I started using it today, and it seems the tool is too small. I pressed as hard  as I could, and not even a dent on the sleeve. Either that or the sleeve is way too hard.

Two questions:

For 1/8" wire coated to 3/16", are these the correct aluminum sleeves? I bought 3/16" sleeves because the wire is technically 3/16" (with the vinyl coating).
What crimping tool should I use for these sleeves? I will only be using it for this project, so I don't want to spend a lot. I've already spent too much as it is.

For 1/8" wire coated to 3/16", is there a more inexpensive alternative to these aluminum sleeves?


texts: Replacing three way switches with insteon

texts:
Replacing 2 three way switches that control a group of recessed lighting with Smart Insteon switches. As background, Insteon switches require a neutral and don't use travellers since there 3 ways connect wirelessly.

Normally the hot(s) get connected to the Insteon black, and the red (load) get's attached to the light in one box and capped in the other box. And both get attached to ground and neutral. With this set of neutrals it seems a bit different since one of the switches already seems to have a white wire attached and the other switch has a screw that is attached to two wires. Tried attaching based on what made the most sense but neither switched powered on.

Can someone help suggest which current wires match up with the news switches, since what worked for the rest of the house doesn't work for these.


texts:
We noticed water dripping down the wall below the toilet on the 2nd floor. I assumed it was a leak in the wax ring, especially because the toilet had become slightly loose and rocked slightly when sat on. So I pulled the toilet and replaced the wax ring and secured the toilet down tightly. It still leaked after being flushed. I then replaced the wax ring with a "Sani-seal" silicon toilet gasket. It still leaked after being flushed. So I tried reseating the toilet on the silicon gasket again, with the same result.

I then feared that the cast-iron closet bend had a crack or hole in it, because it does look corroded inside, and does have an indentation that I can see that could possibly let water through. I can't see or access the outside of the closet bend without tearing up the floor or the ceiling below it.

The curious thing is that when I pour a bucket of water straight down the pipe, I see no leakage. Similarly, when I reinstall the toilet and bucket-flush it (with a big bucket of water, pouring quickly), it still doesn't leak. It only leaks when I flush the toilet normally. It doesn't seem like it has anything to do with the supply line - just to be sure, I turned on the disconnected toilet supply line and filled up a bucket, and that did not produce a leak.

My question is, where would this leak be coming from if it only happens when I flush the toilet normally, but not when I bucket-flush it? Could it be that there is a hole in the closet bend that the water only reaches when it has the right type of momentum from being flushed?

Thanks for reading.


texts: Idea to seal (prevent water) in the gap between marble floor and fixed shower glass panel

texts:
I have a marble piece, and on top of that I have a sliding glass door (one sliding and one fixed).
The issue is that between the floor (marble) and the fixed glass panel there is a gap of 1/4 inch where water is escaping to the other side of the shower.
I thought about the following solutions in order of effectiveness:

Silicone: don't want to use, because it's too hard to remove later in case of any maintenance (will get stuck/leave residue on glass and marble).
Flashing/vinyl seal: would be my best option for now because it allows easy removal if needed, but in my opinion it looks ugly (plastic and marble together...).

Any other options I could consider that will not interfere with the current look, and will be effective and not so hard to remove later when/if needed?

Thank you.


texts: Is a 100A breaker adequate for a garage subpanel?

texts:
I am a DIYer and want to do this project on my own. I do have a licensed electrician that I can fall back on, and will use at the end of the project to check it, but I'd really like to do this. I've wired my second floor, but have not done this type of project before.

From what I understand at this point, I'd like to use a 100 amp subpanel in a detached garage that is approximately 90' away (15' of which is outside) from the 200amp main panel. I believe that I need 6/3 wire with conduit at least 18" underground.

Is a 100amp breaker in the main panel sufficient?  I want to run a fridge, A/C, multiple power tools, an electric range, a HE heater, along with other general household items.

I understand I'll need a grounding rod that's at least 8 feet (Garage used to have electricity, so I assume there is one somewhere, but can't find it). How do you get this driven so far into the ground?

Where does the wire (#6, I believe) from the grounding rod connect in the subpanel?

Once I have the panel set up, I'm good. I just need to get this in before winter.

Thank you for all your help.


texts: I've had this electric space heater for probably about twenty years.  Its one of those long and thin ones that does not have a fan.  It is a convectron by slant fin model cve 1500.  The plug is two prong and from what I can see completely made of metal (except for the cord and knob).  I use it everyday in my finished basement and it has served me well.  I'm not worried about fire since I'm always right there but I am concerned about electric shock.  Am I underestimating my risk?  Am I overestimating it?


texts: Screw Shell on light bulb burnt / black after light bulb died

texts:
Should I be concerned that the candelabra on a decorative incandescent bulb was blackened / burnt after the light bulb died?

Bulb is hanging from an open air kitchen chandelier. lt created a terrible smell like burnt plastic after it died


texts: ive been told i have low results of asbestos in my ceiling

texts: Ive been told there are a diffrent results of asbestos ie low medium or high , ive been living with a huge hole on my sitting room ceiling for seven weeks with parts of it falling daily  as a result ive been picking this up with my bare hands , ive now been told its only dangerous if you handle it , ive bee told its a low result and wont effect me or my children but i have been handling it as shards have fallen and ive picked it up


texts: Using "interior" door lever on an exterior door

texts:
I'm replacing the doorknob on my front door; I like the look of this lever, but it's described as

For use on interior doors requiring no locking functionality, such as hallway or closet doors.

(emphasis mine)
I have a deadbolt, so don't feel the need to spend the extra $30 on the locking variant which is described as

For use on exterior doors where keyed entry and security is needed.

As far as I can tell the materials are the same and I should be okay using the non-locking lever. Obviously it depends on the product, but generally speaking is "for use on interior doors" just a recommendation based on security needs? Or is there some reason I should get the locking model?


texts: Can I split my electrical mains in two so I can have an independent meter in my outhouse?

texts: Can I have my electricity supply split into two, so that I can have an independent meter in my outhouse, from my existing supply?


texts:
Looking to install a C-wire for my power stealing nest. I have 5 wires up at the thermostat and same at the boiler. I am using red and white at the thermostat however it looks like blue and white it’s being used at the boiler. enter image description here
See below.

enter image description here


texts: Please help me understand my HVAC wiring

texts:
I'm trying to replace an old thermostat with a WiFi one that requires a C wire to power it. When I opened the panel on the air handler 1 (where I'd like to connect the thermostat to), there's no wire at the C terminal (from the cable running to TS), however it looks like there's an extra wire in the cable running to the thermostat which I hope I should be able to use for the C connection. I'm seeing something strange (at least seem strange to me) with the way the whole system is wired. We have two zone cooling and heating. Two air handlers in the house and two AC units outside. The boiler has two zone valves controlling the heat. Everything works as it should - ie everything works independently when turned on separately and together when turned on together. The equipment is relatively new (the house is 12 years old). I believe I accounted for all the cables. Based on the diagram, I'm not sure I understand the connections between TS2 and AH2, specifically why there are no connections between Y and W terminals. Comparing to TS1<->AH1 a call for cool and heat would activate the air handler, which in turn would active the outside unit or the boiler, but there are no such connections from TS2->AH2.

 Does this make sense or am I missing another cable somewhere. Note that on the AH2 terminal there are wires connected to the Y and W terminals, however as far as I see, they're part of the cable going to TS2 and they're simply not connected there.


texts: Is there code that states there must be a sheet of plastic between vinyl siding and the house sheathing?

texts:
I'm the president of a 20-condo association and several residents have been complaining of water coming in and destroying their drywall.  The water is coming in at the exact same place in all units and the residents claim they didn't have this problem until we had a company replace all of our siding a few years back.

The owner of the company who did the siding said that we need to caulk around the J channels to keep the water from coming in.  I had a company come out and look at it and they said that the problem is that there's no layer of plastic wrapping between the siding and sheathing.  He said different counties/cities/states have different codes for siding installation.

Is there indeed a code for this type of thing?  Where would I look to find this specific code for my area?  What keywords should I be looking out for?


texts: physical connections to a standby generator

texts:
I'm helping my son build a house and he wanted a whole house standby generator.  I did the research and found a 14,000 watt Kohler generator and service rated transfer switch the most highly rated. It will be fueled by propane. The generator will be mounted to a concrete pad near the house. 2 underground conduits will connect the transfer switch to the generator (one for low voltage signal/control, the other for power).

I know how to do the electrical connections.  My simple question is what's best practice for type of conduit above ground? The underground conduit will be stubbed off right next to the pad. I'm thinking of extending it via typical PVC and entrance ells into the generator, but wondering if flexible, rain tight conduit might be better.   I wish we could have come up underneath the generator, but the Kohler install instructions literally say to drill a hole in the "dog house" cover for the power and control. There isn't room to come up under the generator.


texts:
So I'm planning on wiring in three 240v cove heaters in my master bedroom and bathroom (on two separate thermostats).  I've read through the manufacturer installation instructions, as well as information regarding the NEC standards for installation, and I just want to make sure I have everything correct.

Here's my diagram of what I'm planning on doing.

I had a couple questions in addition to this.  I haven't found anything saying that 240v heater circuits need AFCI/GFCI breakers, is there a requirement for these in this circumstance?  If not, would it be a good idea, or is it completely unnecessary?

Second, the cove heaters stick out about 1" from the wall, meaning the cable has an air gap to cross.  I know there's a requirement to protect the cable from physical damage, but the manufacturer says not to use plastic conduit.  Would this limit me to rigid/semi-rigid metallic conduit?  Is there a way to clean this up to look a little nicer?

Thank you all for your assistance.

Edit1: More pictures


texts: Do I need to remove the oxide coating from steel before painting?

texts: I have some hollow section steel beams that I want to paint. They are covered in black greasy substance that I think is black oxide and oil. I can degrease it, but do I need to remove the oxide? I've tried to google this, but all i find is the description of what this oxide is and its purpose.


texts: Light Switch Replacement; 2 black wires, 2 attached white wires?

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I'm trying to replacement my bathroom's light switch with a combo switch and outlet. It looks like this:

However when I opened up my light box I had two black wires and two white wires. The two white wires are connected together while the two black are connected to the old switch. On the box of the switch/outlet, it says it's not to be used to replace a switch with only two wires present. Can I still use this outlet? Where do I connect what? Do I leave the two connected white wires alone?


texts: Kenmore portable dishwasher is neither heating nor washing

texts:
My Kenmore portable dishwasher -- model 66517482N710, <2y/o I believe -- is not working.  When I turn it on, it drains, fills, then pauses for a while (10-20 minutes, or maybe more?) then just drains and fills again, pauses, etc.. no wash cycle is initiated.

Am I wrong, or should the heating element kick in after or during the filling stage to heat the water a little more?  I think our house water is about 120 F or thereabouts.  I open the door when filling is done, and it doesn't seem as if the element is hot, though I'm not positive.

I've tested continuity of the heating element and thermostat-- both okay.  Next thought: is it a control board or program issue?  Should I test the control board next.. and if so, any guidance on how to approach it?  Test voltage to these components?

I haven't looked at the pump yet to see if there's any damage or obstruction.. thought since the heating element may not be coming on either that maybe a control board issue is more likely.  But being inexperienced at this, I'm open to ideas and guidance!

EDIT: I've been staring at the wiring diagram, and also opened up the controller tonight, and took photos of both (below):

I'm new to deciphering wiring diagrams, but it looks to me like the section of the diagram I captured shows the heating element is in a circuit with the wash pump/motor.  The other photo shows the two light blue wires from the wash pump disconnected from the controller.

So.. seems to me the small open circles on the wiring diagram are terminals where you can do tests.  I'm not sure yet how best to approach this testing.  The dashed line that turns a corner and cuts the view in my photo in half is part of a box that is labeled "Electronic Control," so everything inside it is inside the controller.. and maybe I can't really access that stuff, such as the fuse that's near where the light blue L1 wire exits the controller to the wash motor/pump.

Would I test combinations of the P5 terminals (there are two) with the P4 terminals (four of those)?  I'm thinking I could trace the light blue wires back to the wash pump motor itself and maybe test that for continuity too?  Working on a plan here, and open to guidance.

Thanks.


texts: Filling in gaps between pavers with a caulk-like material?

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I was walking home the other day and came across a group of workers installing pavers for a driveway.  The thing that caught my attention was one guy who was filling in the gaps (about 3/8 to 1/2 inch) between the pavers with a caulk gun loaded with a tube that contained some kind of tan material.

I've used sanded caulk before, but only indoors.  I'm assuming that this is something similar, but designed for a slightly harsher environment.

What was this material, and what are the advantages and disadvantages to using this to fill the gaps between pavers?


texts: using C clamp on ceiling beam to avoid screw holes - will it hold?

texts:
Trying to install LED panel lights on a loft ceiling. There's a ridge beam I can attach them to, but I'd like to avoid putting in screw holes if possible (this is a condo that has shared structural beams).

I was thinking of welding a steel c clamp made of 2"x 1", 1/16" thick tube that would be press fitted against the beam, with double sided VHB tape in between to further secure it.

I plan on having 2 clamps for each panel, so the downward force is ~2 kg. Obviously, my main concern is will this hold up safely over the years?

Will the clamp or beam deform over time (creep). Unlikely for steel, since it's no where near the melting point, but what about the wood?

Will shrinkage due to temperature or cycling cause it to become too loose?


texts: I have a new 24'-24' wood structure detached garage on a concrete slab. I installed a 30 amp sub panel with 4 - #10 gauge THHN wire through conduit. Two hots, a neutral and ground going back to the Main panel. The neutral and ground are separated at the sub panel, do I need a grounding rod even though  I am grounding back at the Main panel?  If so am I supposed to attach the ground copper wire to the very small ground buss bar inside that sub-panel, and what size wire?


texts: Curtain drain in the crawl space - Part 3

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I've dug out a trench around the perimeter of my crawl space. Then I planned the next steps. I took a week off but I'd like to finish this project next weekend.

I'm going to put a 4" perforated pipe.  But my question is about the necessity of backfilling.

The trench is as low as the bottom of the footing, at least a foot deep from the top of the dirt and about a foot and a half wide.  We kinda had to dig wide for us to be able to walk.  But now I can see how this may have been an overkill since I have to fill it with gravel.  That's going to be a lot of gravel!  Something like 250 ft3!

So the question is do I really need all that gravel?  Do I need any at all?  Can't I just put a pipe wrapped in garden fabric?

I'm also considering using NDS EZ-Drain although it's quite expensive at $45/10'.  If I use that, it's not going to fill the trench.  So again do I need to backfill with gravel?

What's the purpose of the gravel in general?  I can understand how gravel is better than soil to allow the water to flow, but isn't an empty space even better?


texts: Replacing toilet shut-off valve and need to turn off water; Need to turn gas water heater to pilot?

texts:
I'm replacing a toilet shut-off valve (clean water flowing into tank) on the first floor of my (100-year old) home. I'm reading that I need to shut off the water, then drain the lines, before making the repair. This toilet is on the 1st floor of a 2 story home, with the water heater in the basement. For example, here it says:

Shut off the water at the main shutoff valve. If you have a gas water
heater, turn the knob to the 'pilot' position. Shut off the circuit
breakers to an electric water heater. Then open a faucet on the lowest
level of your house and another faucet on an upper level to drain the
pipes. Then disconnect the supply tube from the shutoff valve. Replace
the valve.

We have a gas water heater in the basement. My impression, though it may be wrong, is that if I shut off the water in the house, I also need to shut off the boiler such that it doesn't empty out and try to heat air, creating pressure and possibly an explosion. I could be wrong about this, and strangely enough I'm having trouble finding advice or readings.
My plan is to open the faucets on the floor below the floor with the toilet I'm changing in order to drain the system.
My question is: do I need to set the water heater to pilot, in order to avoid the dangerous scenario outlined above? Doing anything to our water heater makes me a bit nervous.
I've found a lot of advice on how to replace a toilet shut-off valve, but surprisingly little on this specific and incredibly common scenario.


texts: Attaching a heavy item to a 'powdery' external wall

texts:
I have a house in the UK built circa 1870. The external walls are London brick in Flemish bond I think, and are in a single layer (no cavity wall construction). At some point many tens of years ago, a larder was built alongside the house (so the previously external wall of the house forms the inside wall of the larder). Behind this wall is a fireplace and chimneys. Now it is an internal wall, it has about half an inch of plaster on it, which appears to be directly affixed in some way (as opposed to using plaster board - I think that's 'dry wall' in the US).

(I've simplified this slightly so you get the picture. It may be that the larder (in a slightly different form) was original. However, the wall is certainly load-bearing - it supports the external wall to all the floors above - and where internally you get to the larder there a huge internal lintel or joist.)

Some years ago I attempted to attach an old (much loved) thing for hanging coats to this inside wall. The thing for hanging coats is essentially a plank of wood, about 3/4" thick, 4" high, and 6 ft long, with a number of coat hooks along its length. It has 5 holes in it for mounting screws.

My strategy was simply to drill into the wall using a masonry bit and hammer drill, and mount the 'coat thing' flush against the wall with screws and wall plugs / rawl plugs. I used a 6.5mm drill bit, and screws about 3.5 inches long (so about 2.75 inches was in the wall when done). A brief amount of investigation showed the wall was powdery, even an inch or more, by which I mean that even going into the brick, rather than drilling a clean hole as one would normally expect, the brick appeared friable. I'd used the longest screws I felt prudent (what I don't want to do is go through the back of the chimney lining), though I may have been over conservative.

It sort of worked, but the coats are heavy, and every year it came out the wall another few millimeters, and finally fell off a few days ago. I now have the task of remounting it.

What's the best way to do this? Would longer screws actually help? What's the best way of working out the usable thickness of the wall? Why is the brick so friable in the first place? Is this likely to be result of the chimney behind?

I've added a badly drawn picture below.


texts:
My family is building a new home and the weather hasn't been cooperating. We have two big concerns that we have brought to the builder. We are looking for some advice regarding these concerns.

Concern #1 - The basement was poured in early June, it has since been sitting open and has had several feet of water sitting in it. There is potential to have more water sitting, as they aren't planning on framing until Aug. 10th. Therefore, the basement will have sat open, with standing water for nearly 8 weeks. The basement has poured walls, that is the extent of our knowledge on the concrete. The concern is how the sitting water may affect the basement in the future.

Concern # 2 - At the beginning of July, the trusses were delivered. They are not protected from the weather. By the time they begin building, they will have sat exposed for 5 weeks. Again, what is the potential damage?

Facts to bring to the builder in reference to these concerns?

Thank you!
MI


texts: Can Arrow brads (BN1810) be used in Stanley staple/brad guns (like TR250)?

texts:
Staples seem to be widely interchangeable among stapler brands, in terms of the compatibility that is listed on the box, but brad nails are more specific.

If we are to believe the packaging, Arrow BN1810 nails (5/8", 18 gauge) can only be used in a few Arrow guns, whereas a Stanley TR250 calls specifically for model SWKBN625 brads: also 5/8" long, 18 gauge.

How different are these, and are they really not interchangeable? Do they have some key dimensions that are different?


texts: How to trim an exterior door to fit new flooring

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I am putting in new hardwood flooring and the level of my floor was raised a good 1.5". As a result I had to cut all my door and jambs, which was fine for the interior doors. I naively took the saw to my porch and front door and saw sparks fly. I assume there is some metal in there or something. How can I take off like an inch off the bottom of these reinforced doors?

Thanks in advance.


texts: What should we do about asbestos tape on heat ducts?

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My daughter just had a home inspection of a home from 1900 and there was asbestos tape noted on the seams of the duct work. What should we do?

And I am assuming it is not only on the visible ducts.  What is the danger with ducts between the walls that can't be seen, and what should we do about it?


texts: Attaching a heavy plastic object - of which I can't access the inside - to the side of an office table

texts:
I have a wooden table in my studio and need to attach to its side a Lenovo Laptop docking station (2 kg, 3.5 lbs), to which then I want to plug and unplug my Lenovo T450s laptop (2 kg, 3.5 lbs) to save space.

The total weight is about 4 kg, or 7 lbs.

The docking station is made of plastic and I tried to access its inside so to place some nuts from the inside. Unfortunately, it's quite complicated and I desisted.

I tried with lots of 3M Command hooks, and they lasted one day before detaching.

I then tried multiple attempts by sawing a piece of wood, screwing it to the side of the table, and using a fair amount of high-temp glue using a glue gun to attach the docking station to the piece of wood. The piece of wood is solid to the desk, but after 1 day the docking station detaches.

I would like to try using something similar to nuts and bolts, but in a way that I don't require to access it from the inside. Is there anything like that? Or is there a better solution?


texts:
I am installing a 125 amp panel in my garage. We have 360 amp service to the meter, split into two, 200 amp on for the house and the other for the garage.

My question is what qauge/type cable do I need from my split panel to the 125 amp panel that is 75 feet away.


texts: Wood siding rests on concrete pad. What are the alternatives?

texts:
In several areas around this house (a ranch on slab), the clapboard siding comes right to concrete walkways, resulting in peeling and rot.
Short of ripping out the concrete, is there a less destructive solution?
Further, how could this ever pass for responsible construction?


texts: Just bought this house with a pool and notice some water leaking from this thing. Would anyone know what this is? I have called the pool guys and a plumber who are coming in next week to take a look.


texts: How to troubleshoot a leak in an Aprilaire humidifier?

texts:
An Aprilaire 600M humidifier attached to my HVAC vent is leaking very slowly, about 2 ounces per day.  I have not seen it leak but the leak is coming out near the exhaust at the bottom of the plastic insert (see first pic below).
This is what I have tried.

Inspect the housing for cracks
Make sure the plastic insert is seated properly
Pour water into into plastic insert to see if it is leaking
Pour water into the pipe where it exits the humidifier to be sure the exit piping is not clogged.
Change the water panel

I noticed some white crumbly stuff at the bottom of the humidifier (see second pic below)
What else can I do to prevent the leak?
Thanks.
UPDATE

I opened the humidifier cover and turned up the humidistat so that I could see what was happening when the water flowed.  I saw water dripping at the bottom corner, originating about 1/2 up the side. (see third pic below)

I slipped in a thin wooden shim so the panel was not leaning against the holder (the tray) and the drip stopped.  (See fourth pic below.)

I do not see how to put in the panel so it does not lean against the tray.  Any help would be appreciated.


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


texts: Do I need soffit vents and can I add them without taking the roof apart?

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Last year, we re-roofed out 83-year old house. We removed the 3-layer cedar/asphalt shingles and laid plywood decking, 30# paper, ice-barrier and 26-gauge metal roofing. As far as ventilation, we just figured that whatever the house already had, must have been working well, so why add anything extra? There was no mold or humidity damage. Now I am not sure. Any advice?

The attic was converted to an upstairs years ago, so the only true "attic" space is the peak and the eaves area (4'H x 6'W triangle), connected by about a foot depth of air space up the roof. The roof is a 2/3 grade, pretty steep. The insulation is foam board above the ceilings, with the interior otherwise open between insulation and plywood decking. Ventilation is two 8" roof vents and a 12" turbine set about a foot down from the peak. We declined to use a ridge vent while roofing because the winds in our area are so bad, neighbors said they had rain forced down their ridge vents. Not sure what sq. ft. our attic space is, but the lower floor is only 800ft.

If we Do need soffit vents, can they be added easily from the outside, without tearing off roofing? The metal roof, with such a steep grade, is pretty slick, and it would be a beast to redo.


texts: When to use drop ears + nipples, and when to not?

texts:
So I know enough to use brass when using nipples on water supply lines (especially if they consist of copper and copper fittings). However it isn't clear to me when it is best to use nipples and when it isn't.

I've seen sink installations using nipples and many with copper just poking out of the wall. Same with toilets and other fixtures. So what is the convention for when to install drop ears with nipples and when to just tee or elbow the copper out of the wall (and does the UPC have any bearing on this area)?

Is it purely aesthetic or are there practical reasons?


texts: Can I use metal knockout for additional NM cable?

texts:
My can light junction box has 2 black clamps for NM cables and there are 3 metal knockout holes on 3 sides of junction box. (Picture shows one of these 3 knockouts).
Given the location of LINE wire and can light locations in celling, can I attach 3 NM (romex) cables with one can light ? Can light junction box has only 2 clamps , but can I use knockout hole ( metal) for 3rd cable? All cables are NM cables
1 LINE cable (through Knockout holes)
2 cables connecting to 2 other can lights. ( Through black clamps)
Take a look at diagram with red color can in question.


texts: What are some easy non-expensive ways to clean a toilet?

texts:
In particular, the exterior of a toilet.

My parents tell me to wipe the outside and surrounding floor of the toilet with a diaper several times (and then to wash the diaper with water in the sink several times). I'm really not sure if this is the most time-efficient way to clean the exterior of a toilet, and I'm not sure if it's the cleanest way to clean the exterior of a toilet either. Plus, the sink might get clogged with all the debris.

Something eco-friendly would be preferable if possible though.


texts: What's a good way to customize or recess a lightswitch?

texts:
I saw this etsy project:

Working Arcade Light Switch

And while it's pretty cool, I'm not huge into arcade or fighting games, so I was going to make my own, and change the buttons.

How would be a good and easy way to do that?

I don't want to make my own switch, but rather, reuse an existing switch. I don't want to modify the internals of a switch, because I want to leave safety mechanisms in tact.

My first thought would be to use a "decorative" switch and replace or cover the button mechanism, but the biggest problem with that is that the switch sticks out too far to be easily covered by the wall plate. So, I'm thinking I want to recess the switch somehow, and I might be able to manage something by bending the metal part the screws screw into, but I'm not sure that's a good option, and feels quite hackish.

Any suggestions?

Update: I think that everyone misunderstands my request? I don't want to open up the light switch. I want to change the appearance of the system.

Thought experiment: Let's say I really like chocolate bars, so I want to make a chocolate bar light switch. I want to follow all the UL rules.

Glue a plastic chocolate bar to a rocker light switch. I look at it from the front, and it looks great, covered the switch. but I look at it from the side, and I can still see the light switch, I don't like the look of it (because I want to hide the light switch).
I measure the amount the chocolate bar sticks above the wall. Let's say that's 1 inch.
I take a jig saw, and cut out all the sheet rock that would be covered by the chocolate bar.
I remove the switch, electrical box, and move all in-wall wiring aside for the time being.
I then remove 1 inch (or the amount discovered in step 2) of the stud the electrical box was attached to, everywhere that is now exposed by the sheet rock.
I reattach the electrical box, now 1 inch more recessed than it was before (presume there's still room, because it's a big wall)
Re attach the wiring, and put the switch back into the electrical box.

Voila, I now have a chocolate bar lightswitch, and it looks the way I want. Did I violate any UL rules? Or otherwise do anything an electrician would say is a bad idea? I don't think so. If so, please let me know which step is wrong. I could do all of this, but step 5 is an annoying step, (as is step 3). Can I avoid any of those steps and recess the light switch in another way?


texts: Metal object encountered when drilling into wall above radiator

texts:
I was drilling through the wall (above the radiator, but not above any pipes or sockets) and hit something metal. I have drilled a tiny hole in that metal plate.
It's not copper, looks silver.
What is this? Can't identify what it could be


texts:
I have a very rusted 4 x 4 deck standoff:
Is it possible to retrofit this post without having to move the entire post? I was hoping I could jack up the deck and cut the bolt off and then make new holes (securing the standoff to the concrete with 1/2" sleeve anchors) without having to move anything.
I found this
product, but it appears to be specifically for fences. Does something like this exist for decks? I want to make sure everything is up to code.
link to full size image


texts: How would you vent my basement bathroom fan?

texts:
I have a basement bathroom basically smack dab in the middle of the basement.  The joists run from front-to-back of house.  So going out either side is not an option.  Going out the front is not an option because I will hit a slab porch.  So my ways out are back or up.

Going up entails going 4 feet doing a 90 up and then out the attic.  Going out the back - there is already duct work in the joist run the fan is on.  It is an unfinished laundry/storage room and would be about 15 feet total.

So I guess my options are go under duct work (sticking below joist a couple inches but still 7 feet up) and out back, do a couple 90s to move to joist over (going under joist temporarily then back up) and out the back, or going 5 feet over then 90 through the main floor then out the attic.

The attic would be a long run - 5 feet, plus 10 feet to get to attic, plus 15 feet to get to soffit.  To the back of the house would be 15-20 feet total.

Also I have thought about buying one of those no vent out machines that slowly releases humidity to laundry area.  The basement/house is dry and could use moisture.  Anything is in play!


texts:
I want to take out my dish washer but there is a screw that I don't know how to unscrew.
I can't get the screwdriver straight on the screw head, only at an angle.
Any advise would be appreciated.


texts: There's a difference between hot/neutral AC lines in a plug, but does it matter?

texts:
Saw the good answer to this question:
Is there a difference between the two conductors in 120VAC wiring?

But I'm wondering as a followup, since the two primary prongs in an AC mains plug are different, why (in many plug configurations) are you allowed to insert the plug in either direction? Is there ever a case where the appliance cares which line is "hot" and which is "neutral"? Is there ever a case where it's important enough not to screw up?


texts:
I'm looking for ideas on what might cause the very deep hum I hear in my house when it's quiet. It's been present 24/7 for many years. When I'm alone in the house and nothing is turned on it's actually loud enough to be annoying, but it's not loud enough to record on my phone.

I live in a semi-rural residential neighborhood with no industry within miles. I can turn off my main breaker and the noise still present, so I assume it's not coming from inside my house. I'm 2 to 3 miles from an Interstate highway. Most of the time when I'm outside I cannot hear road noise from the highway. We have county water but no natural gas or sewer. It's slightly louder in my basement. It's not louder near where the water pipe enters the house.


texts: Mid door knob installation door shut and can’t open

texts: I got as far as putting in anti-rotation block and screwing in latch when door was pushed closed and now I cannot open it up in order to complete the privacy door knob installation.  Luckily I was not inside the bathroom. But now door is stuck and I cannot open it back up to complete the install. Argh.


texts:
I'm trying to clean the drain on the bathtub, but I'm not sure how to detach it, mainly I'm not quite sure what is the model.
It looks a lot like Geberit 151.550, but it's a little bit different. I got the manual on Geberit site, and I could remove the plastic cover, but the screw is very different (it should be a PH 2, but instead looks like a regular screw). I tried to turn it and it was impossible at the point I had some doubts if this is really a screw (photo included below). The daisy-like cover is different too, so I'm clueless (photo also below).
Do you know how can I detach it?
Thank you!
Daisy-like cover:

Detail of the screw inside:


texts: Fixing wall mounted towel rail to plasterboard wall

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I have a narrow ensuite and so am looking for a space saving towel rail solution, such as this.

Unfortunately, I believe the studs in my wall or located such that one is within my shower and the next is in the middle of the gap between the shower and sink where I would like to affix the towel rail.

Are there any plasterboard fixings that would be suitable to achieve this in order to hold to bath sheets and possibly a hand towel? I believe the two strongest are drill in and toggle?

Am I asking too much of my wall?

Thanks

Edit: Or are these better? What is everyone's thoughts on GripIt Anchors?


texts:
I have an external wooden deck, and the area underneath it always has moisture which makes it an unusable area.

I'm assuming the moisture is because it is shaded almost all the time from the house and trees.

The area underneath the deck is mostly dirt with some old gravel.

Not thinking the price (yet), what are my options?

Can I place concrete, or stones? Or because of the moisture it could be a problem?

Or, is it best to add gravel to see if the moisture goes away?

Any other ideas?


texts: How to wire GCFI's with 2 Hots and a single Neutral

texts:
I'm getting my house that was built in 1978 ready to sell. I'd tried adding GFCI's in the kitchen. I have an L shaped counter. I have 3 outlets on one wall and 2 outlets on the other. The long wall used to have a frig to the right of the sink. This outlet box has 1 Bk, 1 Red and 1 White coming from the basement. Bk is connected the Circuit Breaker in slot 1 and Red is connected to Circuit Breaker in slot 2. Black and White connect to the duplex outlet. The Bk and White then go to another box towards the left. The Red is wire nutted and goes up the same pipe as the Bk and White.

This 2nd box; with the same 3 wires has another duplex outlet and a switch for the sink light. This 2nd duplex is also connected to the Bk wire. These same 3 wires also go to the left and land in another box on the other side of the sink. This 3rd box also contains another duplex outlet connected to the Bk wire. The Red is again nutted in box 2 and box 3.

So, I replaced the duplex outlet in box 1 with a GFCI. I used the Bk and White wire from breaker 1 and connected to the Line side. I used the load to feed box 2. When I turned the light on it tripped the GFCI. Putting a circuit tester in the outlet in box 3 also tripped the GFCI.

Looking closer, I noticed the light switch was connected to the Red wire from breaker 2. So I moved the switch to the hot on the duplex outlet. The light now works. Using a circuit tester, the GFCI and duplexes on both sides of the sink check good.

Going around the corner to the left are 2 outlets on ether sides of a stove. This next outlet in line (box 4) has a Red wire for hot. So, I replaced it with a 2nd GFCI. The green light came on and all was fine; until I plugged my circuit tester in. That caused GFCI 1 to trip. Now this 4th box has a Red coming in and a Red going out. It also has the Bk wire nutted. Looking at box 5, I see the outlet has Bk wires and the Red is nutted and going somewhere. It may be going to an outlet near the door where there used to be another counter/island. (New Frig location)

So now I'm lost. I fixed the light problem by putting it on the same circuit as the other outlets. (Using the Bk circuit) I'm thinking this outlet is causing the same issue as the switch when it used the Red. I think GFCI 1 sees a current draw on its neutral and trips whenever I try to use the Red circuit 2. Any suggestions?

This is an old house with #12 solid wire in conduit running into the attic for all of the hops. Please tell me I can fix this without pulling another wire. That looks painful. Will switching from GFCI outlets to breakers buy me anything?

Thanks in advance to any and all who can help.

Bob


texts: How do you wire multiple lights and a split receptacle with an end-of-run switch?

texts:
I want to wire two lights and a split receptacle with an end-of-run switch. Here is the wiring diagram I've come up with:

Have I got this figured out right?


texts: Cover black gas pipe in basement ceiling

texts:
I am remodeling my basement and have a concern about the black steel gas pipe that runs along the ceiling (below the joists). I plan to strap the ceiling, so I could potentially cover the pipe up with drywall, but is this legal? The only thing I can find in the code book is potentially allowing access to the weird "T" intersection in the photos below. We also might just drywall directly up to the pipe but not cover it and leave it exposed and painted white (for a slightly mechanical look).
This is in Maryland (Montgomery County). Any thoughts?

(ps: ignore the badly installed window; this was discovered when we tore down the existing walls)


texts: How large should a return HVAC duct be relative to the size of the supply?

texts:
I have a 4 ton American Standard electric forced air furnace (with no A/C - just heat) with a single speed blower motor, circa 2006.

My supply main trunk is 12"x20".

The return side of the system has not yet been completed. Is there a standard rule of thumb for sizing the return side of the duct system?

EDIT: Ok, clearly this is a more difficult question and answer than I anticipated. Does anyone have a general rule of thumb for the ratio of a single trunk supply to a single trunk return?  i.e. In any given installation should the return/supply ratio be 1:1? Should it never be less than x:1?  Any input would be appreciated.


texts: How can I hang an IKEA Stockholm mirror on a brick wall?

texts:
I found tips for hanging the Stockholm mirror from IKEA using the technique here by Ray Li: https://hackerbits.com/life/how-to-hang-an-ikea-mirror-stockholm/

However, I have a brick wall in the lounge where I want to hang it, so how can I adapt those instructions for my situation?


texts: I was replacing an outlet in my bathroom with a gfci outlet. When I throw on the power, it trips but not only that, it takes out a set of lights over the mirror which are connected to a double switch on the wall. The other switch is fine. What should I be looking for to fix this issue?


texts: Standing water in front of retaining wall okay for wall?

texts:
I built a retaining wall this past summer, and put the proper drainage behind the wall. Due to time, I never got around to handling drainage in front of the wall and in between the pool.

The standing water in front of wall eventually goes away but may take a full day or two. Is this okay for the wall? I have the proper footing, and first row of retaining wall block buried. I tried to grade the area in front so it pitches to the ends, and I'm going to try to dig out and down a little and throw some river rock then dirt, just to relieve some water somewhat.

This past weekend we got about 5 inches of rain, the water was maybe an inch in front of the wall. Worst case, I have a water transfer pump to relocate it, but I'm planning on throwing river rock around it and just leaving it, if it's not going to hurt the wall, and it will eventually go away on its own anyway.

I don't have the energy to dig into the clay and move all that earth for the proper french drain. This summer I already, installed a 100ft french drain in my yard, dug out the pool, installed the 130ft electrical run for the pump, installed the retaining wall, and installed sod. I'm beat; and I have other pressing projects to fulfill, before winter gets here.

Pictures:

1) https://imageshack.us/i/poeZRuvfj

2) https://imageshack.us/my/images

I can live with the water and hopefully the river rock will disguise it, keep it under it until it drains away. I just don't want the footing to eventually shift and collapse the wall.

The foot is your typical footing material crushed stone with fines, and tamped 6 inches or so deep, and then the wall block. The base is 2ft wide, and then gravel on top of it in front and behind the base block. Then on the top in between the pool and wall is sand and gravel mixed, and then I plan to put down landscaping fabric and put river rock all around the pool.


texts: Are there any good ways to manage all the different chargers?

texts:
My workbench is being invaded by chargers!

I have 3 different battery chargers for different power tools, plus a couple of wall warts for simple stuff that plugs in directly.  Some of the chargers have a regular, 110v plug, while others have the typical wall wart to contain the transformer.

Short of replacing all the tools with something that uses a common battery or charging system, are there products available to manage this mess?


texts: Is using epoxy this way on a kitchen sink installation/repair acceptable?

texts:
I had a new quartz countertop installed, and everything looked very nice. But one day washing the sink I saw that some water was getting between the sink and counter top. I thought, no problem, I'll just get some silicone. But in the process I saw that one corner of the sink had this fiberglass "junction" (my guess is that the screw hole got ripped out and instead of fixing that they just glued the corner using fiberglass). This is a new job, and it has a year warranty, and everything seems to be holding fine (I had actually filled up the whole sink with water while I was doing dishes and it seemed to hold up?). But it seems kinda like a botched job. Is this an acceptable repair/installation? Or should I try to request a more "clean" repair/installation?

Edit: added the "normal" fastener on one of the other corners (this is looking at the bottom just in case that isn't clear)


texts: Is it possible to control my light and ceiling fan using both wall switches and a remote?

texts: I have two wall switches. One controls my ceiling fan and one controls my light. I would like to add a remote into the mix. Ultimately I would like to control my light and fan using both the wall switches and the remote. I want to keep the wall switches hard wired (I.e., not smart switches or wireless). Is this possible?


texts: Should I install a wall before or after hardwood floor installation?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Frame or floor planks first?

I am building a small wall between two rooms. The existing flooring was carpet, which I have removed. I plan to install a floating floor (the floor is concrete, on the 4th floor). My question is should I install the channel for the wall directly on the concrete and then build the wall and install the floor around it, or install the flooring first and then build the wall on top?

If it makes a difference, the wall will be small, only about 16"x5"x96"


texts:
I have the following setup with a T with a valve to an above sink water filter.

The line from the T has one steel braided 3/8” line and goes up to the sink as 3/8”. The other is a thin PVC line with a valve that goes to the above sink water filter. I would like to add an Ice Maker 1/4” steel braided line to the mix. I prefer to take advantage of the valve that is used by the above sink water filter. I have been trying to find a 1/4” T, but all ends are male. I can’t find a T with one end female and the other male or a 1/4” coupler. I don’t want to add another supply line nor mess with copper tubing.
What recommendations can you give me?

Other Parts I currently have:


texts: Can I funnel the output of a portable air conditioner to direct it?

texts: I have a portable air conditioner similar to the one in the picture below. I want to direct the output flow through a small duct system to the feet of people sitting on a large table. Can I just tape a large fabric funnel on around the blades of the unit and into my duct system?


texts: Adding back removed 3-way switch from 4-way setup

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I made a terrible mistake. I removed a 3-way switch from a 4 way switch setup without labeling the existing wires. Now the light the switch was attached to doesn't come on. I was going to put a blank in place of the switch but now I just want to put the switch back the way it was. I had just capped the three wires separately. I'm very sure the black and red wires were connected directly to the switch. The white wire probably was somehow twisted with all the other white wires from the other switches.

There is a 4 gang box upstairs with switches in it controlling four different lights. All lights are on the same circuit. All white wires except one are twisted together in this box. One white wire from a 2-wire (leftmost) is not connected to anything and has tape covering the end. I assume power comes in and is hooked into every light there. The switch I tried to remove from this box is a 3-way switch connected with a 3 wire. Downstairs is another 3-way switch connected with a 3 wire. (I assume they are connected together.) Red wire is top left, black is top right and white bottom right. Also downstairs is 4-way switch with two 2-wires coming in, blacks on left whites on right. The light controlled by all three switches is closest to this 4-way switch. There is one 2-wire coming into the light, I presume from the switch close to it. Directly above this 4-way switch is the 4 gang box upstairs.

Is it correct that all I have to to is add another white wire to the removed 3-way switch and twist it and the white wire from the capped white from the 3 wire together with all the other white wires and hook up the same way as the 3-way switch in the basement?


texts: How high should I install an outlet in my bathroom?

texts:
I would like to install a GFCI outlet in my bathroom. I attempted to install it beside our vanity mirror on first the left then the right side, but was unable to due to the construction of the wall, where the studs where placed too closely together. So, I decided to place the outlet on the wall opposite of the sink. My question is, how high from the floor should I place this outlet?

Thanks


texts: Can I pull a common wire off an evaporative cooler transformer relay?

texts:
I have a Nest thermostat currently controlling a LP furnace. The old thermostat didn't have a common wire connected, but there was a an extra wire in the bundle and a common terminal on the furnace control board, so I hooked it up so the Nest would work properly.

I'm getting an evaporative cooler installed soon, and I'd like to be able to control it through my Nest. From some research, it looks like I'll at least need an evaporative cooler transformer relay. One limitation is that this doesn't provide a common wire. I know I currently have a common wire coming from my furnace, but I've read reports that Nest expects it to come from the cooling system and will throw an error if not.

@Tester101 answer about adding a common wire cleared up a lot of things for me, but my question is a little more specific. Since the evaporative cooler transformer relay (see wiring diagram below) does not provide a common wire, I'm wondering if I can pull one off the diode bridge where all the relays connect?


texts: Washing Machine super loud noise at the start

texts:
I currently have front loader washing machine(samsung WF-JT254) and suddenly it started to start making super loud noise when I use it. I tried to record the sound I am getting when I record it on my phone, though its much much louder for real compared to watchin it on a video
https://streamable.com/vgwuid
I would like to seek advice on what should I do with it, I am planning to hire a guy to fix but I need to get your thought if its worth fixing or better to buy a new one. But when I tested it, I think its still usable the only problem is the noise. Note when I tried 'drain' it did the same loud noise.


texts:
I'm changing a looped ceiling rose (LCR) light for a light that only has 3 connections, Live, Neutral and Earth.

The looped ceiling rose has 3 different metal parts that the wires go into, like this:

I want to put a flush light up and wandering if its safe to put the terminal block up through the hole in ceiling or do I have to get junction box


texts: How can I make a switch activate two circuits, when both are normally switched independently?

texts:
In my garage I have two lighting circuits with two separate switches in the same junction box.
Total, on both switched circuits, I have 16 recessed lights, each is a 15w LED. One switch is an occupancy sensor and turns on 6 of them. The other switch turns on the remaining 10.
The idea is that sufficient lighting turns on automatically when I enter the garage. But if I'm working on some project I want more lights so I turn on the second switch for full lighting.
You can imagine if I'm working under a car or something that the occupancy light will turn off (and I flail around to activate it again). What I want is for the second switch to turn on all the lights, even if the occupancy isn't triggered.
How can I wire this?
I have one line to the junction box. The box has two switches and two load wires. One load with 6 cans, the other with 10 cans.


texts: Encapsulating a cottage crawlspace built on bedrock

texts:
I own a 3 season cottage that is built on concrete posts that are embedded into the bedrock. I would like to use the cottage in winter and I was thinking that encapsulating the crawlspace under the cottage is probably the best option.

I am looking for some reference material on all the steps that I would need to do to make sure that the water system is usable in the winter.

My thinking was to:
Pour concrete footing between the existing concrete posts around the exterior of the crawlspace. I was thinking about using ICF forms to do that.
Then I would construct 2” x 4” walls on top of the footings.
The walls would then be insulated and I would add vinyl siding to the exterior walls.
Once that is complete, I can add vapour barrier directly on the bedrock floor.
Then I would add a baseboard heater to keep the area at a minimum temperature of 7 degree celcius

Any thoughts on my steps. Am I missing something? Am I making this more complicated than I need to?


texts: Any thoughts as to what these wires might be? Red/black/orange-ish/yellow.

texts:
New house. In the front closet, right next to the front door, there's a low voltage junction box with (seemingly) two sets of wires—red, black, orangey, and yellow.

I've tested them and there doesn't seem to be any voltage passing through. On a hunch, I tried connecting them, thinking maybe it was a doorbell or something. Nothing happened

I taped the ends up and was just about to shrug it off and cover them, but not knowing what it is nags at me.

Any thoughts?


texts:
Wanting to move a kitchen sink from a wet wall to an exterior wall, under a window.  Isn't this the hope of every kitchen remodeler, to be looking out a window while standing in front of a sink?

My plumber's opinion is that my windows will not accommodate the 42" height above fixtures code requirement for venting (excerpted below).

I'm confused by this requirement, as the "kitchen sink under a window" pattern seems so common.  I'm able to change the window's geometry but I'd prefer not to sacrifice the light the window provides.  Are there workarounds I should know about?

18-29-905.5  Height above fixtures. A connection between a vent pipe and a vent stack or stack vent shall be made at least 6 inches (150 mm) above the flood level rim of the highest fixture served by the vent, and 42 inches (1067 mm) minimum above finished floor. Horizontal vent pipes forming branch vents, relief vents or loop vents shall be at least 6 inches (150 mm) above the flood level rim of the highest fixture served and 42 inches (1067 mm) above finished floor.


texts: What do I use to mount a heavy framed mirror to a stud wall?

texts:
I recently got my grubby hands on a beautiful, but extremely heavy, 4' x 7' framed wall mirror; it probably weighs around 100lbs, if not a little more.

I know what (exterior) wall to mount it on, exactly where the mount-points are, and have already installed two wood screws (2" long) into the studs. The mirror came with a pre-installed wire, and I'm hoping that these two screws would be stable enough to hold the mirror.

When we tried actually installing the mirror, we tipped it onto one screw, and tried to pivot the rest of the mirror onto the second screw. In the 10 or 15minutes that this process took, I observed the first screw start to tilt downward a little bit. Didn't want to take chances with such a heavy object, and stopped the entire process.

Here's my questions:
01. What specific hook or other fastener can I use to safely hang this mirror?
02. Will just two such fasteners suffice, or should I use more?
03. Should I remove the mirror's wire and use just the D-rings that it came with?
04. If I use #03 above, what method should I use, considering that there aren't any studs close to the D-ring mount points?

Thank you!


texts:
I have a two bedroom cape with 14-3 running to the second floor where it splits. I noticed at the panel some time much later that  the two 15 amp breakers that power up the individual rooms, are separated by a 20 amp breaker that feeds a designated circuit. The 14-3 neutral is carrying the return load of both 15 amp circuits from the same leg.

The electrician was qualified and licensed. Shouldn't he have moved the two 15 amp circuit breakers together so that they would be pulling from separate legs? I am trying to better understand this.


texts: What should I do with my leaking chimney?

texts: We have a brick chimney on the side of our 110 year old, 2 story house.  We aren't going to use the fireplace - we have a ventless insert we are going to use.  The chimney leaks terribly.  We are thinking about taking it down to just above roof level and stuccoing the rest of it, plus adding flashing to the sides where it joins the house.  Is this a workable solution? We don't really want to remove the entire chimney - it "fits" with the age of our house.


texts: Is it safe to flush a high pressure toilet that hasn't been flushed in > 3 years?

texts:
The short version is that I have a high-pressure toilet that hasn't been flushed in more than three years. According to my previous tenant, there is a leak in the rubber gasket between the tank area and the seat area. However when I told my tenant to get it fixed and send me the bill, she apparently just decided to not use the toilet in this bathroom and use a different one in the apartment. I would like to verify that the problem actually exists before I go out and replace the toilet. (It's a discontinued model, so I'd rather have something new that I can easily find parts for.)

If this had been a normal toilet I wouldn't be concerned about flushing it because I can just open the reservoir, make sure there's sufficient water, and just do it. But high pressure toilets are kind of scary and I have no idea how they work. As far as I know, the only potential issue is the leaky gasket.

Is there any danger to just flushing the toilet? Is there something I should do first? (I opened the reservoir area and it looks alien with a plastic self-contained canister or something, so I wouldn't know where to start.)


texts: What is the proper and best way to drain and vent this bathroom?

texts:
The green lines are existing vent for shower.
The black lines are proposed bathroom sink drain and p-trap.
The red lines are option 1 for vent for bathroom sink.
The blue lines are option 2 for vent for bathroom sink.
All pipes are 2 inches.

Since the existing horizontal vent for the shower(green lines) are not 6 in. above FLR (flood level rim) of the sink I believe the red or blue lines are required. Is one option better than the other or violate code?


texts:
I replaced the valve stems in my bathtub yesterday. When screwing in both the cold and diverter stems, they slowly got tighter and tighter as I went (as expected). However, with the hot stem there wasn't much resistance until I basically hit the end of the threads. I wasn't too worried except that when I turned the water back on, there was a small leak on the hot side at the seat. We're talking 1 drop every 30 seconds. I tightened it up more (didn't want to turn that much) and that seemed to fix it but I'm a little concerned it might come back.

Obviously, I'm not a pro, but why is did the hot side stem screw in differently than the cold side? Because it was hot and the metal had expanded? And does that have anything to do with the leak? And most of all, should I do something about this like put some teflon tape on the hot side threads?

Here is a photo of where the water was dripping:

It's the very back part of the valve stem where you screw it over the valve body inside the wall. Here is the same point on the old stem:


texts: What are these metal tags attached to my poured concrete basement wall?

texts: What are these metal pieces attached to my basement poured concrete walls? They are about 2x2 with holes and were pressed into some kind of goop. These walls were poured in 1979. Can I remove them?


texts: Subpanel installation breaker size: is it big enough?

texts:
I have a 220v 15amp compressor and 220v 15amp pressure washer. I have an attached garage that doesn't have 220v service. My main panel is full. I've installed a sub panel in the garage.

Feeding it I have #6/3. At the main panel I have installed a subpanel and have one 60 amp 2 pole breaker for for the garage subpanel (essentially daisy chaining the panels). Being that my main panel is full I needed to make room on the main. There is a dual pole 30 amp breaker for our steam shower steam generator. I plan to move that circuit to the subpanel and install a 60 amp breaker dual pole to feed the sub.

So I have two subs daisy chained off the main: 60 amp dual pole breaker on main >>>>> sub 1(circuit 1: 30 amp 2 pole steam gen circuit 2: 60 amp breaker 2 pole to Garage sub) >>>>> sub 2(circuit 1: 15 amp dual pole for compressor circuit 2: 15 amp 2 pole for pressure washer).

My question is: Is the breaker for sub 1 off the main big enough? 60 amp is the biggest stab-lok NC breaker - going to 100 amp would require a NA breaker which is bigger in physical size and require some panel reconfiguring.


texts: When does it make sense to use a grout pen?

texts:
I have a tile shower that is functional, but has some undesirable things about it:

The tile is white but much of the grout has become stained dark
There are areas where the grout has started eroding

The shower could use a remodel but it might be 5 years before I can make that happen. My question is this: If I go over all the grout with a grout pen, how long can I expect it to last? Will it prevent eroding grout from eroding further (at least for a year or two)? What are the downsides to using grout pen?

Thanks for any advice!


texts: very fine solenoid wires won't burn from AC source?

texts:
I've seen tiny solenoid electromagnet (that is the solenoid used to open contacts inside a GFCI receptacle) with very fine wire used in the winding.. won't it burn if exposed directly to 120v ac power at each end?

How is the winding computed?


texts:
I have a ceiling fan that when I turn on with my remote the light will come on as well as the fan.
However, with the remote I can control the light off or on but the fan, even on zero, continues to run and will not turn off. (remote settings for fan are 0 - 1 - 2 - 3.)


texts: How to cut pipe squarely using an angle grinder

texts:
I am trying to build a simple bench using wood and steel for the frame. The frame is made of square steel tube (25 mm, 1.5 mm wall thickness) which has to be cut to length. I have recently purchased an angle grinder (meaning I am a complete beginner with it) and using a cutting disk was able to easily cut through the tube. However, although the cross cut was straight, the cut in the vertical direction always seemed to lean outwards. I removed the excess material using a grinding disk (fortunately the cut had excess material).

Is this the typical way of using an angle grinder to make cuts? Am I doing something wrong? And how do I get more precise cuts?


texts: How can I use a standard prehung interior door on 2x6 studs?

texts:
We framed in a bathroom in our metal barn. To allow plenty of room for installation and for added strength we used 2x6s.

Is it possible to adjust a standard prehing door to fit?


texts: Can I use 10 gauge to first distribution point, then 12?

texts:
Can I replace 12 gauge line to attic with 10 gauge when distributed wires will remain 12 gauge. Can I then increase Circuit breaker amps as each distributed line handles little amperage and only short main line to circuit board may have higher amperage. Changing wire from board to attic distribution point is easily done.
Would this be Code?
Would this endanger House insurance?
Dan B.


texts:
I recently bought a house and decided to put a ceiling fan in the master bedroom.  There was no light fixture when I got there, but there was wiring and a switch, so I figured it was fine.  Installed the light fixture, tried to turn it on, nothing.  Opened up the switch box and found there to be one cable coming in and one cable coming out, and as far as I can tell, not going anywhere (for the rest if this post, I just ignore this cable)
.  Went into the attic and found that the wiring leading to the light receptacle is simply disconnected.  So I fed it down to the light switch box and wired it in the logical manner.  Connected the whites, connected the grounds to the box, connected the black from the house to the bottom of the switch, and the black from the light fixture to the top.  Still nothing.  Using a voltage tester, I found that the white wire leading into the box is hot, but unmarked (weird).  So I switched the white and black coming from the house into the box.  It is now hooked up in the following way: both grounds connected to box, hot white from house going to bottom of switch, black to fan going into top of switch, black from house connected to white from fan.  The light is still not working.  When I have the switch on and the fan's light string on, a non contact voltage tester detects voltage at the light bulbs and at the neutral wire coming from the fan.  All other electric in the room is working, and the switch does not appear to be wired in series with the sockets.  Help!  I'm an amateur (obviously) and I'm out of my depth.


texts:
I would like to build a really small (~1.5 x 1.5 m2) alpine garden with a water stream in my garden. There is already a plastic pond there, 0.35 m deep and 0.6 m in diameter, from the previous owners, which I am actually going to cover. I have a baby daughter and don't want her to fall into water one day. I need to select the correct pump for the project.

I've read that ideally I should pump the complete volume of water each hour. The pond volume is just below 100 l, and I was unable to find an outdoor pump with the flow rating below roughly 400 l/h. So I am wondering:

Can a pump be actually too powerful for a given task (not in the sense of wasting money, but in terms of creating a ridiculously powerful flow, spitting water all around the place etc?
Can I somehow regulate the actual flow once the pump is in the pond, to make the stream look natural?
The pump I have found is rated for the maximum height of 0.7 m. Can I rely on this value if I want the alpine garden to be 0.6 m high (from the water level), or do I need some safety factor and thus an even more powerful pump?


texts: Can a buried electric line cross a buried sewer line?

texts: What are the code requirements for crossing a buried electric line (from meter to panel) with a sewage line?


texts: What kind of roof flashing is this and is it up to code?

texts:
This is in NJ. Roof was recently done and I've never seen this anywhere else. Looks like aluminum screwed in on both sides and the front. It's a very steep pitch. Either 10/12 or 12/12.

Any idea what this is? Is this some sort of hack/short cut? What can you tell me about this if anything?


texts:
Goal: optimize placement of PIR (passive infrared) sensors in 80 foot hallway.

I would like to experiment with the placement of sensors by temporarily affixing them to the ceiling and test to ensure proper \ maximum coverage.

Question: Is there a clever method to temporarily affix sensors to the ceiling?  The plan is to screw them into the ceiling once optimal placement has been identified.


texts: One of the outdoor garage lights in continuously flashing when turned on. Why? The other on the same circuit is not!

texts:
I have the traditional two light at the left and at the right of my garage door. The are on the same circuit with the porch light that has a PIR sensor (turns on when move is detected).

So it is power source-->switch--Porch light--first light--second light

In the evening when we turn these lights on from inside the first light is flashing  like those on the police cars :-), it keeps doing that for a while (can't say how long, it is not a regular interval) and then it stops flashing and it is solid on. Sometimes the same light turn off and stays like that

What could be the reason for this?


texts: How do I determine how much water is in my water heater's tank?

texts: We are in S. Texas experiencing record breaking cold weather. Have had hot water since this began. Today, third day into double digit temps, city announced broken water pipes and water boil notice. Water pressure out of tap is almost nonexistent. No water at all out of hot taps. Turn off heater?   I know nothing about hot water heaters. Just don’t want it to explode if it contains no water and continues to heat empty. Gas heater. Below freezing weather still in forecast. Heater located in garage. How does one know how much water is in the tank?


texts: Can I add USB outlets to bath/hall lighting circuit box (not GFCI)?

texts:
My bathroom, inside near door, has a 2-gang box, containing 2 light switches, powering combination ceiling light and fan. This box is fed by hallway lighting circuit, and the work box is not covered by GFCI.

The changes I want to make are:

Exchange both switches with a "2 horizontal switch" device, freeing up a gang (example: Leviton 5634-W)
Install a USB-ONLY outlet (example: Leviton USB4P)

My question is whether this change is "to code" (NEC)? I am in Northeast USA (NH).

For completeness: My bathroom electrical outlets ARE on a different circuit, in a different work box, and yes that is protected by GFCI.

The question is about adding a USB "outlet" to an area that normally requires all outlets to be GFI. My understanding is what I plan would be OK because these are low-voltage.


texts: Increase fan speed (wiring) on Bryant Legacy Furnace

texts: I have a two story house. The second floor gets hot even with the AC going. Right now, with no AC running and the thermostat set to “fan on”, the blower is set up to run at low speed. Since it’s a 3 speed blower, I’d like to rewire the fan to the high speed tap to help cool the house off. My question is, on the control board, the AC you is using the high speed tap. Can I just splice my red fan wire right into the grey cool tap or is that going to cause problems? My furnace is the Bryant Legacy 915sb42060e17a.


texts: Do I need exterior grade cables or conduit to run wire in an enclosed soffit?

texts:
I'm looking to add some lights on motion detectors (un-switched) and security cameras under the eaves of our house.  I know standard romex is often used in attics, but the soffits seem like they might be more exposed to weather.  Our soffits are enclosed, like so: (picture from wikipedia.org)

So, do I need to protect any wires which reach into the soffit, such as would power the pictured light?  Or should I use wire rated for exterior use?  I'm also plotting some Cat 5e runs of a similar nature, should those be protected/exterior as well?


texts: Can a ½ inch water pipe supply enough pressure for a shower head and body sprayers?

texts:
I have a ½" water supply feeding my shower currently.  We're currently doing a remodel and would like to install a shower system (shower head and three body sprayers).

Can I use the current supply to feed it?  Or would I need a larger supply for branching to two different sets of controls?  As a reference, we're considering the following system.

For a little more detail, this shower is on the second floor with a 3/4 inch to ½ inch conversion in the crawlspace right before it goes up the wall to the shower.  And this ½ supply is solely dedicated to the shower.


texts: How to clean a calcified bathtub outlet that I can't dismantle?

texts:
Because the tap water in our area is extremely heavy in calcium, our faucet filters calcify quickly. I regularly remove all the faucet filters in the apartment and soak them in vinegar overnight, but the filters in the bathtub are so encrusted that I can't remove them.

The bathtub has three regular faucet filters in a row that are thoroughly calcified - so much that the amount of water passing through is not enough to trigger the hot-water heater to turn on, thus resulting in cold bath water :-(

How can I de-calcify these filters without removing them? Or what can I do to remove them without destroying the bathtub inlet?

It doesn't help that the tub's filters are very inaccessible so I can't get a proper hold on them with any tools. I'm also afraid that the plastic parts might be damaged.

front view:

view from below:


texts: I'm confused and hope you can help.  I thought ANY primer - I just bought five gallons of Kilz latex primer - could be used over old oil-based paint and then a new coat of latex paint applied successfully.  Today, per Home Depot recommendation I bought a gallon of the oil-based Kilz for a couple of small jobs.  I thought I'd read that latex primer over oil-based paint is just fine.  Please help.


texts: What kind of screws/bolts do I need to mount a heavy TV mount?

texts:
I have wooden studs, and this (pretty heavy) metal tv mount. The slits it has for attaching to the wall are 5/16" or maybe 6/16" tall.

I bought 1/4" and 5/16" bolts and some washers to go with them, but when I tried to screw them in, I wasn't able to get them to screw in to the holes I had drilled (started at 3/16", then 4/16", then I did 5/16" and the bolts did not seem securely in). I was either unable to ratchet them in or they went in and were feeling loose.

There appears to be about a full inch of drywall (or some material) before the stud, too.

I've seen self-drilling screws, but I feel a screw would not be adequate.

Are bolts the right thing to use here? And if yes, how do I find the right size for the bolts and for the holes?


texts:
If either of these breakers are on, both of these wires have power. I believe that makes this a multi-wire branch circuit and that, configured thusly, this is a multifeed and that that is dangerous. Is that right?
Background:
I bought this house three years ago and am trying to untangle some electrical problems that came with it. Learning as I go. I did not wire this panel -- I bought it this way.
Explanation:
Using my voltage detector pen, I can determine that if either of these breakers is on, both of these wires have power. Also, I traced the wires up to where they exit the box in a cable, and although it's hard to see so I can't be 100% sure, I'm 99% sure that they are part of the same 3-wire cable. Using the pen again, if either of these breakers is on, the cable registers voltage.
My research suggests that this is a multi-wire branch circuit and would be OK except that the two breakers should be on different buses, which these are not. I'm just hoping to confirm that understanding so I can see about fixing it.
Thank you for any insights!


texts:
How do you wire this fan?

This is the fan, D2E146-HT65-14 / 455w
The spec sheet of the fan,

And this is the cord for it.

As the spec sheet states, the 1 to 4 wires are the speeds, so do I need to have a controller wired into it? Or can I just wire wire number 4 and disregard the rest, as I want the maximum speed?