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Mold in my bathroom is spraying bleach and painting over with Kilz enough? I live in an apartment and I noticed what I believe to be mold growing on my bathroom ceiling. I have a daughter with asthma and I now know it's the cause of her constant coughing since we moved here. The maintenance guys came in said they fixed the leak from upstairs, treated the wall/ceiling, painted over with Kilz, and stated nothing further was needed. Am I wrong in feeling like this didn't solve the issue? I went myself and bought a moisture tester at Lowes to monitor the leak from an overflowing toilet from upstairs. This was two weeks prior to seeing the mold, because they shrugged it off as no big deal. I'm seeing mixed answers here on what to clean with and I was told the black mold is the worst and can cause a lot of respiratory issues. The way I see it it's in the drywall and if it's black it's been there awhile we've lived here for just at a month. To me they are not solving the issue only painting over it just to cover it. Help this single mom of 3 to know what's best for her 3 kids, one with asthma that can't stop coughing. <Q> It depends. <S> It depends on the type of mold. <S> It depends on how many treatments they applied. <S> Bleach is not sufficient or approved for mold remediation. <S> You may need to use something like MoldStat and even then you may need to take additional steps. <S> If the infestation was bad enough you probably could replace the affected drywall section (and, while doing so, treat the lumber behind it). <S> It sounds like you live in a communal building like a condo or apartment. <S> If a leak from your neighbor caused a mold problem in your unit then your association likely has a legal obligation to hire licensed mold remediation specialists. <S> I would raise it concern immediately with your management company. <S> You are not responsible for damages caused by your neighbor's leaks. <S> If you are concerned, have a professional mold agency deal with the problem. <A> As someone who has had their health severely compromised by mold exposure, I can give you a piece of sound advice: MOVE. <S> NOW. <S> From speaking with numerous industrial hygienists, I have come to learn that neither KILLZ nor bleach effectively remove mold. <S> Walls and ceilings most likely need to be removed in a negative pressure environment. <S> Regular maintenance people typically have zero real knowledge about mold, although they often claim to know everything. <S> Unscrupulous and inhumane property owners may lie to you, and your family, as they do not want to take responsibility for the consequences of their negligence. <S> Since the people responsible for keeping your home safe have a history of "shrugging off" the problem, and are just covering up the mold, there is a very real chance that your home has not been properly maintained. <S> Moving is a pain. <S> Suffering from mold-related symptoms for years is a much, much greater pain. <S> Trust me. <S> Mold can be a very hazardous substance. <S> Mold exposure can result in severe long-term illness. <S> Move now. <S> Insist on getting your deposit back. <S> Hire a lawyer if you can. <S> There is a reason your daughter can't stop coughing, and it's likely the mold. <A> If you are renting you should call the local health department for more information about a second opinion. <S> Small quantities of mold can be remediated with something like kilz. <S> But the source of the mold generation must be removed also.
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Testing a mold sample is the only way to identify the specific type of mold. It depends on the severity of the infestation. Suggest that if action is not taken that you will contact the ombudsman. Your neighbor has insurance and/or the association has insurance.
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What is the neatest way to run power to Somfy motorized window blinds? I have several Somfy RTS motorized window blinds installed. Right now they just have electric cables attached to them that could be tacked to the wall, but I'd rather have the cabling completely hidden. What is the best way to achieve this? Could their power cabling be run through the wall and connected to the nearest power outlet, behind the scenes? I'd rather not have the power plug visible at all. Here are a couple of photos of the setup: <Q> From there you can hide all the wiring. <S> You CANNOT bury that cord from the motor. <S> You can use a flush box with a grommet or strain relief in the cover. <S> Installation manual <A> In the end, the best way to solve this was to request replacement Somfy motors with longer cords. <S> The factory can supply them at any length, and they arrived within a week. <S> I have now had them installed and there was no junction box needed, since there is no join in the cable behind the wall. <S> There is now no visible cable whatsoever. <S> I hope this is helpful to others who run into the same issue. <A> The way we installed them incredibly clean was the have the blinds mounted on the wall above the window alcove (not inside the cove as you did).
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The outlet is generally in line with where the blinds are and their "closed" state leaves them open enough to cover the outlets. If it's anything like this motorized shade it looks like you have to bring the cord into a box.
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Is there a good reason NOT to reuse the power cord when replacing my electric range/oven? I'm going to replace my house's original 1970's electric stove (oven+range). I'm pretty sure the store is going to try to sell me a power cord for an extra $20, which isn't a big deal but I'd rather spend the money on something else if there's no safety concern. Assuming the old cord is still working fine and the insulation appears to be intact, is there a good reason why I should buy a new cord, vs. reusing the old stove's power cord? <Q> A nearly 40 year old power cord is going to be nasty. <S> Dust, grease, possibly cracked insulation internally, possibly asbestos insulation if the "original" cord was itself recycled. <S> All are fine unless you disturb the cord. <S> Pulling the stove out disturbs the cord. <S> Pulling out a stove is a fairly major operation, I would take the opportunity to completely clean under it and update whatever I could. <S> Open your breaker panel and check the stove wires (they'll be the biggest ones). <S> Still soft and flexible? <S> New receptacle. <S> A stove is your house's biggest power consumer. <S> Maybe you don't mind a 40 year old cord handling all that power; how do you feel about a 60 year old cord? <S> That's the old cord in another 20 years. <S> If the original cord was recycled itself, it is now 60 years old and will be 80 when you retire. <A> No idea what your paying for the new range <S> but I would think another $20 for a new cord would be a safe investment. <S> Just be sure to check your existing receptacle. <S> Based on your stated age of you old range <S> it is likely you only have a receptacle with 3 prongs. <S> Two hots and a neutral but no ground. <S> All codes and manufacturers now require grounds. <S> Be sure to read your warranty as it's possible the manufacturer's warranty will be voided if not properly grounded. <S> This will require not only that new $20 cord but new receptacle and 3 wire with ground from the receptacle to your breaker panel. <A> Your connectors will look slightly different, since they are probably -50 instead of -30, that number being the amp rating. <S> 40 years ago, grounding was relatively new, and it was "par for the course" to fake up ground protection for stoves and dryers by using the neutral instead. <S> Most existing houses didn't have grounds, just 3 wires, and forcing everyone to rewire would kill stove and dryer sales - not economically (politically) possible. <S> The rationale was that neutral connects to ground in the main panel, and dryers and stoves are rarely unplugged. <S> The user will get shocked from a 120V leg, through the clock mechanism or bulb filament, through the user, to the sink or whatever they may be touching. <S> People have died of this. <S> NEMA 10 is still legal if your home already has one, to allow new stoves and dryers to be sold into older homes... obviously safety cannot be allowed to slow down appliance sales. <S> Some cities override this. <S> Every new appliance is built to accept a NEMA 14 cord, or if necessary a NEMA 10. <S> This is why they want to sell you a cord: they don't know which you need. <S> If it's NEMA 14, you're all set. <S> If it's NEMA 10, it's worth popping the receptacle cover off and seeing if there are four wires. <S> If there are, change to NEMA 14. <S> Otherwise consider rewiring - it's legal to add only the ground wire, routed any practical route - it doesn't have to stay with the conductors. <A> As long as nothing is burned or melted on the plug end, and provided it is appropriate for the application <S> (amperage wise) you should be fine reusing the old cord. <A> Personally... <S> New! <S> Especially as you know it is at least 40 years old. <S> Irrespective of how well things are looked after they degrade over time <S> and I don't think I'd sleep well at night knowing there is a potential issue just waiting for the most inopportune moment to rear <S> it's ugly head.
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The problem is, if that neutral connection is severed for any reason, the 120V loads in the stove (i.e. the oven light) will lift the neutral to 120V. A big reason: the old cord (and receptacle) may be obsolete and dangerous. Changing the receptacle would be a decision based on it's current condition (one crack -> replace; any green copper -> replace) and the state of the wires. For many years, NEMA 14 has been mandatory in new work.
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Is it okay that framing in houses is sloppy? I've been watching people do framing on residential homes for a while; both in person and on videos. The framing is very "sloppy" compared to watching a craftsman build a cabinet, for example. The cuts are choppy, edges don't always butt tight, wood splintered from nail guns is ignored, etc... I assume builders don't worry about all of the minor details because they're moving quickly, working with lower quality materials, and because most framing is hidden behind drywall, roofing materials, etc... What I'm trying to understand if this is, in fact, an okay thing to do? Are there any advantages to building a house like a master carpenter would build a quality piece of furniture? Are there any disadvantages or problems that creep up from this quality of construction? <Q> Ten years ago I would have said getting any fussier than what you see average framing crews doing would be a waste of time. <S> But in 2009(10?) I was involved in a project that had the framing done by a local Amish community. <S> Hand planes, old timey plum bobs, brace and bits, the works. <S> They didn't spend the time that we, the cabinet and trim guys, spend on our fit and finish (it would take a century to build a house to that level of exactitude), but they were much more conscientious about compensating for the defects found in modern building materials than what we were used to seeing. <S> The difference it made when it came time to set our cabinets, hang trim, etc. <S> etc. <S> etc. was unbelievable. <S> You could have gone around that house with a fine tooth comb and not found anything out of plum, level, bulged, sagging, crooked or otherwise wanged up by more than an 1/8 of an inch, and that is no exaggeration. <S> To put this in perspective, well let's put it this way: we usually have to add 1/2" scribes to all of our end panels and so forth just in case the framers were having a particularly bad day. <S> It might have taken them longer to do their part, but the labor saved down the road <S> was well worth it. <S> The trick is knowing where to spend your extra time/effort up front so that it pays dividends down the road. <A> Framing is structural, not cosmetic. <S> So wood splinters and rough cuts are not an issue as long as they are carrying the load above and provide a good nailing surface at the correct locations. <S> The part of the home you see, drywall (particularly the mudding), cabinets, flooring, etc, is where you make sure it looks good for appearance, but those looks don't make a difference in the structural support of the house. <S> Edit: I will agree with others that there are key points that framers need to focus on. <S> That includes all of the walls being perfectly plumb and floors being level, particularly near doors and windows. <S> It also means that the crowns on studs should all face the same direction to avoid wavy walls. <S> And you want your straightest studs in the corners, near doors and windows, and around cabinets or other built-in parts of the home where it counts. <S> Getting this right may not be obvious to the naked eye during the framing, but these mistakes are difficult to correct later in the construction process. <S> To me, the difference between a good builder and an amateur is knowing what details count and which will get covered over in drywall and trim. <S> Some people will spend 15 minutes rasping the edge of a drywall cut to get the fit within 1/8" only to cover over the gap with a 2" piece of trim. <S> And I've also seen them forget to get nailers up at every corner, only to give the drywall installers a headache when they discover there's nothing to attach one side to. <A> In the UK, house construction is divided into separate stages "first fix" and "second fix" first-fix includes carpentry that the eventual occupier of the house won't see. <S> For example the woodwork inside stud-walls. <S> It is expected and normal that this isn't finished to the standard you would expect of a second-fix carpenter and not to the standard you would expect of a joiner or cabinet-maker. <S> Some saw-makers sell "first-fix saws" and "second-fix saws" . <S> First-fix saws have fewer teeth per inch and cut faster but leave a rougher cut edge. <S> This distinction between visible and hidden work is probably similar where you live, though terminology will differ. <A> There is okay sloppy, and there is bad sloppy. <S> For example, if you don't crown your joists correctly, your floor will be a bit wavy. <S> If you don't choose good studs for your kitchen, it will be harder to hang cabinets and they won't look as good. <S> Neither of these violate building code, but you can notice them if you pay attention. <S> Taking a bit of extra care in rough carpentry makes the finish work go a lot nicer. <S> But unfortunately, most workers are paid by how much they get done, not by how well they do it. <S> Pros can't generally do rough carpentry with cabinet-level quality as it is not economical to do so. <S> This is a significant advantage of doing it yourself.
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Bad sloppy has an impact on the finish of the house.
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How do I get acceptable water pressure when using two faucets on my 1/2" water main? I have a 1/2" water main entry, and if I open water in 2-3 places in the house, the water pressure is very low. How can I fix this? <Q> 1/2" is a very small "main" - the only truly functional approach would be to upgrade it to a larger main. <S> the stored water runs out and you are back to what the main can supply. <A> A pressure tank system would largely resolve the issue, if correctly sized, and if the rest of the plumbing in the house was larger than 1/2". <S> Unfortunately if the main is only 1/2, then it's likely that the rest of your house is also plumbed at 1/2", which means that even with creative placement of the pressure tank you'll still likely have the problem. <S> So you're looking at upgrading your interior plumbing at least a little bit <S> , convert some of the 1/2" piping that serves as the main trunk to the other pipes to 3/4", and either using a pressure tank or upgrading your service feed to 3/4". <S> If you choose to use a pressure tank, and your home only has one shower, then you'll probably get reasonable volume using a 40 gallon pressure tank. <S> This will give you enough water to shower or bathe with 20+ gallons, while others use a few gallons from each of your other faucets. <S> Again, this won't work if your interior plumbing is also just 1/2". <S> If you have two or more showers that might run simultaneously and for long periods of time, you'll want a larger pressure tank. <S> Just upgrading the piping without also upgrading the service or adding a pressure tank won't fix the problem, nor will upgrading the service or getting a pressure tank without upgrading your piping. <S> You'll have to upgrade the piping either way, and then figure out how to increase volume. <S> If you're only concerned about the faucets, though, and not about the showers then you can put smaller pressure tanks under the faucets for the cold water line. <S> A 2-3 gallon pressure tank at each affected faucet would go a long way to increasing apparent pressure and providing the desired volume. <S> Spreading pressure tanks around like this removes the need to upgrade the plumbing, which could reduce the cost. <S> Another option is to replace your faucets with low-flow variety for the bathroom faucets. <S> These can fulfill the needs of the bathroom with less water volume and conserve the water pressure. <S> Older faucets, particularly those without aerators, use a large volume of water, but you don't need that much for hand washing and other hygiene needs in the bathroom. <A> It's not a pressure issue, but a volume issue. <S> If you're on city water, then a water service from the meter to the house in 1"or 3/4" depending on the distance is in order. <S> The main line under the house should be 3/4 and the branches will be 1/2. <S> If it's on a community system, a pressure tank won't help, a jet pump would be the answer. <S> But until you solve the volume issue with bigger lines, you won't fix anything.
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If your multiple-water use scenarios are of short duration, you could get some benefit from placing a pressure tank (as used in well pump systems) in the house to provide a few gallons of buffering, but after a few gallons (variable with size of tank and variation in pressure)
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Best way to remove textured wall (joint compound)? What I'm working with: There's a lot to take down. I know skim coating is an option, but I don't think that will work well due to the nature of the texture (it's not knocked down). <Q> Think about 1/4 inch drywall . <S> It can be glued or screwed up and is much easier, faster and neater than trying to take the existing finish down to smooth. <S> You do need to deal with seams and edges at the baseboard, but it is still faster an easier. <S> Links are for illustration only and not an endorsement of products or sources. <A> I have heard of an old Wall-paper installers trick, but have never done it myself. <S> You take some joint compound and thin it down so that it can be put on with a smooth roller. <S> You then roll it onto the wall. <S> After three or so coats (let dry between coats), viola - the wall is smooth. <S> Like I said, I have never tried it myself. <S> But maybe someone else here has. <A> I would pat the ceiling with fire hot wet sponges (have used paint rollers too) and then scrape off as much as you can. <S> Then you skim the ceiling. <S> I have both used @BrianK's method of rolling and have just used a long putty knife. <S> They both have their good/bad points. <S> Rolling a ceiling is an absolute mess so you would have to tarp everything. <S> For a beginner I would go this route. <S> The roller method may take several applications while skimming maybe just one. <S> After either method you will be doing a ton of sanding. <S> Might as well move everything out... <S> Getting texture off ceilings isn't hard, it is hard cleaning up and prepping.
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For someone experienced - I have two drywall guys that could skim all the ceilings in 1200 sq/ft house in 3 hours.
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Can I mount an over the range microwave in a cabinet? I have a kitchen configuration with an existing countertop microwave built into a cabinet above an in wall oven. The microwave I'd like to replace it with (Whirlpool Gold) happens to be an over the range model. Is it OK if I use an over the range model in a cabinet? Reading the installation instructions it's hard to tell since they talk about ventilation, but I'm guessing that ventilation is for the stove below (which won't exist here). <Q> Microwaves do require ventilation - there are typically cooling fans and airflow is required for them. <S> Many "countertop" models include specifications for required ventilation when mounted in a cabinet. <S> If the "over the range" model you are considering also has a "range hood" function that might call for more ventilation, but even if not using that function some ventilation is required. <S> I would suggest calling the manufacturer's technical support line and asking questions - I'd also suggest at least considering another model more suited to your actual use scheme, if it is one that includes a "range hood" function that would be of no use in your desired location. <A> In almost all cases you can do this. <S> The difference between the microwave models is more about the mounting and how the front looks. <S> There are basically three general types. <S> Your typical countertop microwave which some people just stick in cabinets - which is fine given that the electrical is done right. <S> The you have your over the range which usually have two extra functions - an undercarriage with range venting and lighting, and simple mounting brackets on the top. <S> Then you have your cabinet or built-in models. <S> These are the least sold and usually cost a bit more because they have a nice mounting plate in front. <S> In your particular case my "problem" would be the undercarriage. <S> These microwaves are generally not made for sitting on their bottoms which have a fan and lights and usually a plastic casing. <S> This casing may break or crack over time. <S> I don't see an "issue" with doing this - although I would simply double check by calling Whirlpool - <S> but I wouldn't do this unless I was 100% certain that the bottom of that microwave wouldn't be damaged because of movement and rubbing. <S> Also I can't see how this aesthetically looks the best of the three options. <A> We just did this with a GE Artistry microwave we had over our daughter's range. <S> We bought the GE Artistry fan/hood to install over the range. <S> We used the Ikea Sektion cabinets. <S> We installed a 36" wide "over the fridge" cabinet and installed the plug inside the cabinet. <S> (cut a hole for the plug to be threaded through bottom of cabinet) <S> We then mounted 2 x 4's on the wall under the cabinet and then the bracket that came with the microwave. <S> (this was done since the Sektion cabinets are 15" deep) <S> The microwave was installed to the bottom of the top cabinet, just like you would if it were over the range. <S> We then customized another 36" "over the fridge" cabinet around the microwave. <S> We placed the 30" wide microwave to one side and left a small space on one side for cook books. <S> We cut out squares on the bottom of the second cabinet for the fan and the light just in case someone turned them on. <S> We put a piece of trim just under the microwave and on bottom of cabinet so you cannot see under the microwave in the cabinet. <S> The door sticks out just beyond the 15" deep cabinet. <S> We used Ikea side panels to cover the seam of the two cabinets. <S> Other side had the wall covering the cabinets. <S> I called GE about the installation <S> and she said this was a fine way to install the microwave, although they did not recommend alterations to their directions in installation booklet. <S> The microwave has air circulation when installed this way. <S> It looks very nice. <S> I don't think this could have been done with a 12" deep cabinet. <S> It would not be deep enough for microwave.
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Any ventilation space that you currently have should be adequate for whatever you get.
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how can I drill a 1/2" diameter, 1/2" deep hole in 3/4" particle board? I need to drill a couple of holes in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet to fit it with IKEA Akurum legs . I thought of using a 1/2" spade drill bit but its' narrow end - the tip of the spear so to speak - protrudes too far and would drill through the 3/4" board before the 1/2" diameter cylinder could reach 1/2" depth. <Q> Forstner bits (as mentioned by @keshlam) have much less of a protruding point, and would do an adequate job of drilling a 1/2" hole without poking though the remaining 1/4" If you pick them up cheaply (bucket-o-bits at the flea market or yard sale) you can also grind off most of the point on a spade bit - start the hole with the normal "long-point" version, then change to one with the point severely shortened. <S> In the event that you want a truly flat-bottomed hole (which does not seem essential here), and if you happen to have the tools (buying them for the sake of making holes for cabinet legs is not economically sensible) a 1/2" plunge (or "end-cutting") <S> router bit <S> and and a plunge router will get you a totally flat-bottomed 1/2" hole 1/2" deep (if you set the plunge depth to 1/2", and hold or clamp the thing firmly in place <S> so you son't cut a slot.) <A> Use a standard 1/2 inch twist bit. <S> These bits like to jump around a bit until they bite the wood. <S> To to make it easier, start with a good depression for the bit to start in. <S> For smaller bits, I usually just use a punch (if you don't have one, a nail will work) to make a small dent in the wood. <S> For larger, I like to use a smaller bit to get a hole started. <S> As for depth, if your drill doesn't have a depth stop (sometimes they have a mount in the body or handle for a rod to be attached) you can always use a piece of tape wrapped around the drill bit at the correct depth. <A> Carefully chop the posts on the Akrum down by 1/4" using a band saw or a dremel. <S> Now drill a 3/8ths deep 1/2" hole using either a twist drill or a spade drill. <S> Dip the Akrum in a bit of epoxy or wood glue and install it. <S> This will provide the same centering and strength, but will minimize the likelihood of drilling through the cabinet, or (worst-case) of making the hole too short and having the weight of the cabinet fall on the post rather than on the rectangular structure around it.
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As a practical concern, given the comments that you made, it doesn't seem that if you drill the hole all the way through anything bad will happen, except that you'll have some surface imperfections on the floor of the cabinet. For a half inch, I would probably go with a 3/16 bit.
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Toilet Water Shoots upwards When Flushed like a volcano erupting This issue is with an American Standard single piece toilet. I just changed the 'fill valve' and since then the toilet water erupts shoot upwards, making a mess. The amount of water shooting upwards is very little but enough to reach the toilet seat. The Toilet does not seem to be plugged. I talked to the plumber about this, and he suggested using the 'SNAKE' to clear any blockages. <Q> Water probably isn't "shooting upwards", but rather not draining fast enough based on the inflow of water. <S> With a toilet, you want to use a toilet auger instead of a snake as it is designed to get around the bend without damaging the finish of your toilet. <S> If you want to confirm its a draining issue, try pouring a bucket of water into the toilet. <S> It should drain almost instantly without the level increasing. <S> If it doesn't, it's clogged. <A> If the proper amount of water is not delivered to the toilet, it can splash. <S> I experienced splashing of water with an Eljer toilet when the rubber fill hose was not properly clipped into the (vertical) overflow tube. <S> Also, make sure that the new valve is adjusted to close at the proper tank water level. <S> Another possibility is that the drain is blocked. <S> If this is the case, the drain needs to be cleared. <S> There are special toilet augers designed not to scratch your toilet's finish, though sometimes it may be easier to remove the toilet, clean the drain, replace the wax gasket, and reinstall the toilet. <A> I had a similar problem of water splashing out of the toilet bowl when it was flushed. <S> This began to happen after I replaced the fill valve. <S> Based on the information here I checked the placement of the refill tube coming off the fill valve. <S> The refill tube had come loose from the overflow tube and just hung down into the water of the tank. <S> I reconnected it to the top of the overflow tube (in my case there is an obvious place for it on the rim of the overflow tube although sometimes there is a plastic clip to hold the refill tube in place over the overflow tube) and the water in the bowl once more flows smoothly without splashing. <S> Thanks for the question and responses.
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Per your plumber, it is probably partially clogged.
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Can I use #10 wire instead of #12 when wiring a new house? I am wiring a new house. I bought a boat load of new Romex wire size 10, 12, and 14. I've used all my 12 and 14; is it alright to use the number 10 in place of number 12? <Q> Yes, since #10 wire can handle more amperage than #12, #10 wire would be a suitable substitute for #12. <A> Is it safe to pigtail from 10 gauge down to 12 gauge? <S> Yes, as long as you are not exceeding the power limits of the 12 gauge wiring or the receptacles. <S> For those who may need a simple example, we do this all of the time - <S> The house itself receives power from 0 gauge wire into the distribution box, and from there we put in an appropriate sized breaker, and use 12 gauge or 14 gauge wiring from there on in. <S> Is it recommended? <S> Not by a long shot, especially for a whole house job. <S> You are not saving time OR money by cobbling 10 gauge into 12 gauge. <S> More boxes, <S> More wire nuts, more effort: Pigtailing to proper connection sizes means more than doubling the size of each junction box or it will require two boxes instead of one, as well as needing twice as many wire nuts. <S> Your code inspectors may not like it: <S> You normally need a "pre-install" inspection, which has the raw runs (without receptacles installed) exposed. <S> They may red flag these junctions, making you pull off each one and reinspect, then reconnect them all and reinspect, then install receptacles and switches and inspect. <S> Also, not sure how your inspection forms get filled out, but doubling the number of boxes to be inspected may become a problem, including additional fees . <S> Again, definitely not worth the headache. <S> The best answer is to return 10 gauge and run the recommended sizes for the runs. <S> Many places will take back the wire, as long as it looks unused. <S> They can put it back on the wire spools and resell it at a higher price for custom lengths. <A> It wont hurt a thing, but it's a pain. <S> (To run) <S> Return it for smaller, and have some $ left over for fixtures.
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However, since #10 is larger and less flexible than #12, you may have a wiring device or junction box space issue. Use for longest runs first. If you cant return it, I would use it on outlets/receptacles not lights.
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Best way to air seal, vapor seal, and insulate exterior wall in old house? I have a 90-year old house in Seattle. Exterior walls are constructed as follows: lath and plaster, uninsulated 2x4 stud bays, plank sheathing, cedar clapboard, 1" foil-faced styrofoam, vinyl siding. The house leaks like a sieve, and costs a mint to heat. I can't seem to find consensus on how to approach updating and weatherizing a house like this, though. What's the best way to seal the drafts, add insulation, and manage any moisture moving through the wall? Ideally, I'd like to keep the existing lath and plaster as most of it is in decent shape. I would like to ditch the vinyl and re-side with clapboard. <Q> Provided you don't have knob-and-tube wiring, this one is easy. <S> Remove the vinyl siding, cut holes through the EPS foam and the sheathing at the top of each stud bay, and inject dense-packed cellulose into the empty stud bays. <S> Should be pretty cheap and help a ton. <S> I wouldn't use retrofit-style non-expanding foam. <S> It'll be more expensive, highly flammable, and some people have allergic reactions to it once it's installed. <S> Then add as much additional EPS foam over the existing stuff as you want. <S> XPS foam, Polyiso foam, or rigid mineral wool will also do fine. <S> Then install 3/4" thick vertical furring strips (usually 1x3s) over that exterior insulation to form a drainage channel (important since you're in a rainy climate), and then nail your new siding of choice to the furring strips. <S> If you do have knob-and-tube wiring, you need to keep the stud bays empty until you have it entirely replaced with modern cable. <A> If you're going to rip off the siding, then insulate from the outside. <S> Follow the recommendation of the foam insulation manufacturer for how to finish the outside before you install your vinyl siding. <S> Another good alternative is to blow in loose insulation. <S> Since you're removing the siding, it will be easy to do. <S> Then you can wrap the outside in a vapor barrier before you install new siding. <A> The best solution would be to fill the 2x4 cavities with foam. <S> This could be done either by filling each cavity from the top or by removing the siding. <S> You have to be careful to use the correct foam (non-expanding) <S> if you are going to fill the wall cavity without removing the siding. <S> As long as you have well insulated windows/doors, you will realize super low heating/cooling bills and be blown-away by the superior performance/comfort of this type of insulating system. <S> Don't let the seemingly low R value of the spray foam affect your decision. <S> The overall performance is not only in R-value but also in the incredible bonding of the product which eliminates air infiltration. <A> I live in Canada in a cold climate,I was always told that if you're going to install vapor barrier in your walls,it is best to install it on the inside portion of the walls and allow the outside cavity to breathe as you have to allow moisture and condensation to disperse from the walls. <S> I am currently renovating my home after having major mold mildew and condensation issues. <S> I have worked for various construction companies and we never installed vapor barrier on the outside walls. <S> You won't know until the demolition is done. <S> All depends on your budget and timeline as well. <S> Good Luck.
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If it were my house, I would remove the clapboard and sheathing, then spray in expanding foam. We always installed plywood or OSB and a rigid insulation,such as Styrofoam or reflective fiberglass panels, on the exterior and fiberglass batts and vapor barrier on the interior to eliminate condensation issues. There are many companies that sell non-expanding foam kits and here's a link as an example of such a product: http://www.sprayfoamkit.com/for-contractors/filling-existing-walls You may have to take your walls down to bare studs and address all problems,such as knob and tube wiring,lack of insulation or any other issues found.
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Closing off heating ducts We have a natural gas furnace that currently heats our entire 2400 square foot home. We plan on putting in a rental suite in the basement which will require closing up all the duct work into the suite space. That means that the furnace will be heating up 36% less space. Is there anything we can do to keep our furnace from self-destructing? <Q> Unless the second unit is insulated, you'll probably just end up heating it anyways. <A> You certainly could have someone come out and rebalance your furnace ducts to compensate for the lower airflow. <S> However, if you are in the (very common) position of thinking that closing off ducts "strains your furnace blower <S> " you happen to have it exactly backwards (and you have lots of company) <S> - closing off ducts in fact reduces the load on your furnace blower (and opening them up increases it.) <S> Counterintuitive but true. <S> So your furnace should not be self-destructing, even if you don't have it rebalanced. <S> Some time in the past I posted another answer about this with references. <A> It's more likely to short cycle from over-heating due to insufficient airflow. <S> Overheating will contribute to premature over-temp limit switch failure. <S> Short cycling puts a little more hurt on everything that has to start and stop. <S> I wouldn't worry unless you notice it acting funny; cannot reach set temp, continually starts and stops (keeps reigniting) before reaching set temp. <S> A solution would be to manually vary the gas value; cut the gas back some. <S> Short cycles will happen less and the furnace will put out a properly downsized amount of BTU's. <S> Watch the flame through the little window while you play with the valve (not to much, I doubt your basement required 36% of your furnace's output). <S> Anecdote: <S> You have a very airtight home if a single furnace can heat your 2400sf. <S> A house that size borderline requires dual split systems anyway. <S> I lived in a 1700sf apartment that had a 150k BTU furnace which could barely keep up. <S> I think your furnace will actually like this change and will certainly need to run less once someone is heating the basement for you. <S> Unsolicited advice: It would be best to disconnect the runs from the plenum chamber, instead of just capping them at their end points (where the tenant might also decide to uncap them) for greater efficiency. <S> Bear in mind that you will need access to your unit and the tenant needs access to their breaker panel.
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I'm not sure where you got the idea that your furnace will self-destruct if you don't run it as much, but it's not going to. Also, the suite itself needs two means of egress, as do any bedrooms (windows with a minimum net clear opening of 5.7 sq count as one).
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My lennox furnace has no filter I searched for 30 minutes, and I could not find the furnace filter, is it possible to install/build a filter slot? my whole family got allergy after turning on heater this winter. Thank you! Lennox 80mgf4-75a https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/50982191/IMG_1425.JPG <Q> I have a Lennox too <S> and I hate the filter situation with a fury of 1000 suns: <S> It's just sitting in the furnace against the return duct - previous owner <S> left a VERY dirty one taped with aluminum tape that took me a long time to peel. <S> I've been using masking tape. <S> One of these days I'll find time to fabricate a filter box to sit between the return duct and the furnace. <S> So, I'm guessing from your pictures that you'd be in the same situation - inside the furnace, against the mastic'ed duct. <A> Look for the large grill where blower air is pulled in from the house; if the grill has small latches and hinge tabs, where it can swing open, it is probably designed to have a slim furnace filter installed behind the grill. <A> Yes it would be possible to install a filter. <S> You would need some sheet metal and know-how, or you might get lucky and find something pre-made. <S> You might also consider getting your ducts cleaned to help reduce the dust.
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Modern residential systems frequently have the filter located at the return-air grill. A qualified HVAC technician could make one easily.
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Unblock a drain after using too much baking soda I had a smelly drain in my bathroom after moving into a new house. I tried baking soda and vinegar but the smell remained. I decided to poor the rest of the box of baking soda down the drain and let it sit for a while. I followed it by warm vinegar and hot water...and now I have a blocked drain which I never had to begin with! Please help! How do I unblock it? <Q> A weak acid is the way to deal with a plug of baking soda. <S> It'll turn the plug material into CO2 and a soluble sodium salt of the acid. <S> It'll take quite a bit of acid to deal with a pound of bicarb though, 84 grams is 5.4 moles of the stuff. <S> Regular vinegar runs at 5% acid strength, that's abot 200 grams per gallon, 3.3 moles. <S> So you'd need abot 1.6 gallons to deal with a pound of impacted bicarb. <S> A single gallon might do the trick though, as all you need to do is destabilize the plug, at which point the rest will wash through. <S> Citric acid would be a nice choice. <S> It's easy to get, but with a molecular mass of 192, and a price around $6 for 200 grams (~1 mol), it's too expensive. <S> Finally, if your plumbing will take it, and you're comfortable around strong acids, hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid) would do the job. <S> Muriatic can be had cheap at any good hardware store. <S> Since it comes at a concentration of about 10 molar, it'll only take about 500 ml to take care of a pound of bicarb. <S> At full strength, it'll foam and heat and boil while acting on the carbonate, so dilute with at least a gallon of water first to keep things manageable; and only try this approach if you're OK with working with around nasty, smelly, dangerous, irritating chemicals. <S> Trying to use lye, Drano or some other basic drain cleaner on this problem is a futile pursuit. <S> Bicarb responds to acids , not bases. <A> I strongly advise against pouring gallons of Draino and equivalents down the drain - you can try the recommended dose once and if it doesn't work - get a snake. <S> I recently battled a really nasty clog which resisted everything - except for a snake. <S> Since it's in the bathroom, you will probably be dealing with lots of hair and soap gunk, which is difficult for the chemicals to chew through anyway. <S> If you have access to a trap or cleanout, feed the auger through that. <S> Now, the key advice about the snake is spend a bit of money on a thicker cable and get an auto-feeding snake. <S> It will make it so much easier for you. <S> After a lot of swearing, banging my head under the sink, and finally kinking a cheapo auger <S> I bought this one from Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-Kwik-Spin-41348/203203829 <S> Don't be tempted to get a power-drill snake, as those are overkill and can hurt you. <S> If all else fails and you can't unclog it, remember that it's OK to give up and call a pro. <S> P.S. Soda & vinegar are great for maintaining drains regularly, but if you skip doing it, gunk will build up and you risk dislodging it next time you use soda. <S> Ask me how I know. <A> Baking soda powder will turn into a cement like mass and completely clog everything it settles in. <S> I had a family member dump about three cups down the kitchen sink this summer <S> and I ended up having to replace the trap, tailpiece and dishwasher drain inflow. <S> In this case, it was set up so hard that a snake couldn't even budge it. <S> If that's the case, it's plumber time. <S> And next time you use it, do not pour washing soda powder down the drain. <S> It must be mixed thoroughly in solution, completely dissolved in water so it will flush through the system. <A> Try a plunger first and with persistence. <S> If that doesn't work, snake it. <S> I don't think you'll solve this by pouring chemicals in there, and the potential for "collateral damage" (and not to mention, safety concerns) with having a pipe full of chemicals is worth the extra effort involved in the mechanical solutions. <A> Try a plunger or a snake. <S> More hot water might also help, if you can get it to the drain (possibly sponge out the water currently in the basin.) <S> Those rarely work well in any case, IMPE. <S> Try pulling out the stopper - <S> in many cases there's a buildup of hair, and things that collected on the hair, trapped in the lower part of the stopper. <A> Did the house sit empty for a while before you moved in? <S> Could be the trap dried out and your smelling sewer gas. <S> Just using the drain would fix that. <S> Since you dumped so much powder in there I'd just put a bucket under the trap to catch stuff and remove the trap to clean it out if it's the sink and it's easy to get to. <S> The "J" portion under the sink is designed to keep a slug of water in it after the sink drains to keep you from smelling sewer gas. <S> If it's the bath tub a cheap plastic snake or a real one might loosen up the plug of baking powder. <S> In the future if drains clog try the plunger 1st. <S> If not try a little draino. <S> Any off brand is the same stuff and will eat hair which is usually what clogs the drain. <S> A screen in the tub will keep end of soap bars out of the trap. <S> Plumbers love the vinegar, lemon in the garbage disposal, bleach in the toilet etc. <S> They know they'll eventually get a call to repair the damage. <S> Bleach kills the flapper rubber etc in the tank. <S> Lemon rind in the garbage disposal rots the metal.
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Adding more chemicals to the drain is probably not going to help at this point, and will make dealing with the backed up water more dangerous if you use typical "drain cleaners" on it.
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Why did my freezer stop freezing after being unplugged for several days? We lost our electricity for about a week. I unplugged the upright freezer so it wouldn't get a surge when power came back on. Food removed, no ice build up. When I plugged it back in it chilled nicely, but didn't freeze. What kind of problem am I looking at? <Q> Freezers are not really designed to freeze things (at least not an entire freezer full of unfrozen things), they're designed to keep things frozen. <S> They're also designed to work with stuff in them, and will likely not be as effective when empty. <S> From your question, it sounds like you're running an empty freezer, and waiting for it to get cold. <S> This will likely never happen. <S> Put some frozen stuff in there, and monitor it for a bit to insure it's keeping the stuff frozen. <S> If it is, put the rest of the stuff in. <S> If not, you'll have to investigate further. <A> This is just a guess because you don't have a lot of info <S> but I am guessing your freezer plug <S> was never undone and that you have some ice build up causing the freezing overall. <S> I would unplug, open freezer, take out defrost plug, and leave sit for a day or two. <S> Put drain plug back in, shut the door, and see if it freezes. <A> When I plugged it back in it chilled nicely, but didn't freeze. <S> I'm not sure what you mean by "It didn't freeze". <S> Are you indicating that you left some water in there for 48 hours and the water didn't freeze, or a freezer thermometer placed in there for several hours after the compressor stopped running read above 0C (32F), or <S> just that you held your hand in there and it didn't feel as cold as a winter day? <S> If you just waved your hand around inside, or felt the insides of the freezer, chances are good that you simply aren't a good indicator of freezing. <S> Place a plastic container half full of water into the freezer for 24 hours. <S> Don't open the freezer during that time - it's trying to freeze water through simple convection currents inside the freezer (with a little contact at the base of the container) <S> and it's going to take a long time. <S> But an empty freezer has no thermal mass to absorb all that extra heat you suddenly add, and the heat moves slowly, so even once you find that the thermometer or container of water is frozen after 24 hours, you'll find that until you fill the freezer with other goods you will experience poor freezing conditions. <S> In fact, while mostly empty, every time you open the door you will lose the vast majority of the "cold" you've saved inside the freezer as the air is exchanged for warm, humid air. <S> So use a freezer thermometer or container of water, give it a long time, and you should find that it's working as intended. <S> Then add already frozen goods to it as fast as you like, but only add room temperature goods a few a day until the freezer is mostly full of frozen items. <A> I would get a thermometer and see what the temperature is reading on the gauge. <S> You can also get a bowl of water and see if it freezes. <S> It may be your defrost timer, relay on your compressor, etc. <S> First things first...Need to see what temperature it is maintaining. <S> Hope this Helped Tim <A> Mini freezers have a control button where you take it and reset the thermal coupling <S> take it all the way down to zero plug it in then run it up to Max placing some type ice tray of water. <S> David in for at least 24 hours if it's freezing or trying to freeze in 24 hours it is working. <S> But even your freezer has a controller but not just a plug. <S> Find that control button set it down and reset it.
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When a freezer is full of frozen goods, things freeze faster because the items around them - already frozen - are absorbing some of their heat, and the freezer itself merely needs to take a little heat out throughout the day to make up for the heat gained by the one item.
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Hardie Board Subfloor—Thinset or No? I'm remodeling the bathroom in my house that was built in the 1930s. I stripped out the old flooring down to the 1x8 wood planks (about 1/4" between each). I have 1/4" Hardie Board to put down in preparation for tile and I'm a little confused on how I should do this. Some resources I've found have said to lay down mortar first, then screw the board into the floor. Other resources have said that you can just screw it into the floor in appropriate locations. Others yet have recommended laying down plywood first, then Hardie Board, then tile. I'm really not sure what to do here. The wood floor outside of the bathroom is only about 3/4" higher than the plank subfloor in the bathroom. I'm concerned about ending up with a bathroom floor that's considerably higher than my wood floors. Thanks for your help. <Q> The installation manual for HardieBacker suggests to embed it in thin-set and it should be installed over plywood. <S> Thus I would suggest removing the current wood planks flooring, install a 3/4" outdoor grade plywood, thinset and then your HardieBacker (screwed down). <S> All of this is to prevent as much movement in your substrate and avoid cracks in your tiles and in your grout. <S> Here is the link to the installation guide: http://www.jameshardie.com/d2w/installation/hardiebacker-us-en.pdf <A> I have done several tile floors by just screwing the hardie board down and then laying thinset and tile right on top. <S> I only just heard recently that some people recommend that you should lay down thinset under your hardie board. <S> Since you are putting down hardie board on boards with small gaps, I would not recommend trying to put down thinset under it. <S> It will make an enormous mess under the house (or whatever is under your bathroom). <S> It is also more likely to make the floor uneven since it is hard to level thinset that is separated by gaps. <A> I normally would use 1/2" HB for this. <S> However there is a lot that goes into making flooring calculations <S> so you might be OK with 1/4 <S> " (but I would go with 1/2"). <S> You will just screw the HB into the planks with backer screws. <S> Try not (don't) screw into the joists below the planks. <S> This should be pretty easy since you have 1/4" view holes in between each. <S> You do not need to tape or thinset. <A> After that I would use a thin layer of thinset under the hardiboard (per its installation instructions) and also screw it using the hardi-screws. <S> Install the backer tape as you tile
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I suggest you lay down plywood over the planks with subfloor glue and decking screws. The thinset you use for tiles will cover any gaps (and gaps don't need to be filled). Give the HB about 1/4" on the outer edges between the wall and about 1/8" between each other.
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splicing a 25 pair telephone riser I have a phone riser in my apartment (25 copper pair, originally but only 18 left going past my floor) carrying Verizon phone service. I have to move it over 3' to a different wall, so that means splicing in a new segment, a "bridge", which goes under the floor to a different wall up that wall into the ceiling and back to the place in the ceiling where the riser exits. Verizon won't be doing this work because they want $6000 to do it (and even at that price it will take 8 to 10 weeks to get done). I have a 25 pair 22 awg plenum and I'm going to get some 3G UR2 to make each of the 72 connections. (18 pair x 2 wire x 2 splice locations). I have a few questions (is that allowed)? 1) I can't tell if the existing wiring (probably installed at lest 30 years ago) is 22 AWG or 24 AWG. Will there be any problem if I use 22 AWG and the existing wire is 24? Some tenants above me may be using DSL of course. 2) If I use the UR2, I have to cut each conductor and then crimp the two connections - this means the circuit will be dead momentarily. Alternatively, I could use a double run/tap connector and connect the entire "bridge" section first then cut the middle out. So there are two questions here: a) Is this kind of connection "as good" as the UR2 which has the gel inside? I really don't want to cause service problems and have Verizon poking around. and b) once I complete the bridge but before I cut the short piece out there will be two "paths" for each conductor. Will this cause problems while the job is in progress? <Q> Firstly, I don't know what your specific situation is, but it sounds like what you're trying to do might be illegal. <S> You're potentially messing with people's emergency services (911 access) and Verizon might own the cable you're trying to mess with. <S> I used to work on telecom and have done cutovers on live copper. <S> It's easy; much easier, but dirtier, than fiber. <S> Using a temporary connection while cutting over is standard practice. <S> The gel inside the UR2 (icky-pic) is to keep water out, not act as a conductor, so the vampire clips are just as good in the temporary situation. <S> I encourage you to check the law on this. <S> If you don't have permission and licensing then even if you're not caught in the act and Verizon later finds out someone illegally performed the exact thing you already got a quote for... <S> Well, it's still illegal and they have a damn good idea who did it. <A> A few things: You're relocating what I assume is an old 66-block. <S> You cannot "splice" the wires. <S> So your solution must be to add another block elsewhere to reroute the wires and "hiding" the current block? <S> It will be fine to use 22AWG rather than the current 24AWG <S> It is probably ok for the POTS network to have parallel conduction paths in your described situation. <S> This might cause issues with the DSL lines (but I suspect not) because you'll be adding capacitance... but the old lines in your building are probably garbage anyway so the existing network can handle these capacitance changes. <S> I think it would be better to just disconnect them as quickly as possible the reconnect them elsewhere just to avoid the risk of mixing up splices. <S> The Verizon technician is not a lawyer. <S> You may not get caught. <S> You might even do a better install job than the Verizon technician <S> but that doesn't mean your municipal regulations allow you do relocating shared service lines. <S> Frankly I'm surprised that the block is in the interior space of your apartment. <S> That means you could take a butt-set and use your neighbors' phone lines... <S> I struggle to see how its relocation could possibly be your responsibility unless its explicitly spelled out in your tenancy agreement? <A> It's fairly simple, but a bit tedious, and a single splice is about 2 feet long. <S> Basically, you take off the outer jacket, split the 25 pairs into the 5 groups of 5 pairs that are inside, then make sure you've matched up with the pairs on the mating cable. <S> You want to, if at all possible, have opposite "ends" of the two cables so that the ends are mirror images in terms of pair layout. <S> Then you start to splice. <S> The reason it takes about two feet is that you stagger the splices. <S> Each individual wire splice in a group of 5 pair (10 wires) is offset an inch or two from the adjacent splices (meaning you cut the wires to matching lengths. <S> You solder the wires together, without taping ( <S> since the splices are staggered there's no contact between wires), then tape over the whole 5-pair group at once. <S> Repeat for the other 4 groups.
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Moving to a larger gauge wire is not ideal, mainly because splicing it together could be less reliable (the UR2 is designed for the same gauge wire), but otherwise will not cause any issues. What you're doing could absolutely be illegal. We used some vampire clip jumpers (AKA ABN (Angled Bed-of-Nails) clips) to make a temporary bridge, cut out the old, made a new splice in the middle. But, I'll assume you've worked this out somehow, and take no responsibility for your actions. I did this once, on a 25-pair cable, back when I worked in the campus TV studio in college. If someone is talking on the phone during the cutover they will probably hear something, but should not be too disrupted. You need to keep them in the block.
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Is baseboard important? (and 3 choices for trim on wall-to-floor transition) I'm pulling out wall-to-wall carpet and installing solid hardwood floor. I am also removing the old baseboard and repairing the bottom of the wall with drywall compound to take out any weird ridges the old baseboard may have left. The way I see it I have 3 choices for edging the floor: Install the hardwood floor first, then install the baseboard over that. Install the baseboard first, all the way down to the subfloor. Then install the hardwood floor. Then install shoe molding. Install the hardwood first, then install just shoe molding over that - no baseboard. 3 seems the easiest. Any drawbacks? <Q> Baseboards provide a useful function in a house. <S> They are not purely aesthetic. <S> They protect the bottom of the drywall from being damaged, they build a stopping point for dirt, they keep drywall/paint from being damaged by feet (shoes). <S> Anyone buying a house with drywall walls would expect some sort of minimal baseboard. <S> Shoe molding has three issues. <S> It isn't big enough to protect anything, since you need a gap between drywall and flooring it would be very hard to install, and then since you have this gap the shoe molding will surely get pushed into it, since it is usually flimsy. <S> If you cut out bottom of drywall so that the drywall depth acts as expansion gap for wood, you don't need shoe molding. <S> Note: <S> Think about what type of house you have when you put up molding and what you have in each room. <S> If this is every single room and you have a nice house I would at the very least put up 4"+ baseboards. <S> There is usually very little difference in price and installation and staining/painting <S> isn't really any harder. <S> If you want cheap and fast go with the primed pine from the big boxes. <S> These usually take one quick coat of paint and good to go. <A> Traditionally in my area is hardwood, then baseboard and shoe molding. <S> For sure I would put down the floor first. <S> Otherwise whatever baseboard you put in can't be changed out easily, if it's wedged between the wall and the baseboard. <S> Maybe google it and look at photos, pick what you like best. <A> The "correct way" to install this is (in this order) to install the drywall, paint, install baseboard, install flooring, finish baseboard and flooring (assuming it's not tile or carpet), install shoe molding. <S> The drywall should not touch the floor. <S> The baseboard both protects the drywall and hides this gap (which is there to allow for expansion). <S> Wood floors expand and contract and that's the reason for the shoe molding. <S> Some people say, "oh you just use that to hide mistakes". <S> While it can be for that, there are going to be gaps at different times of the year, regardless of how good a craftsman the installer is. <S> Shoe molding also allows you to easily remove just the shoe molding, replace the floor, and then just re-install shoe molding without damaging the wall. <A> It's just a matter of aesthetics. <S> Shoe moulding with no baseboard isn't really considered very nice, but there's certainly no reason it won't work, as long as the shoe moulding you choose is wide enough to cover the expansion gap you leave between the wall and the flooring. <S> However, there's no reason you have to throw away the old baseboard if there's nothing wrong with it. <S> You would follow #1, remove the old baseboard with care, and then simply re-install it after your flooring is in. <A> I prefer baseboards with no shoe molding. <S> I think it looks cleaner. <S> I believe that show molding is usually installed when adding flooring later. <S> It may be when carpet is replaced or when a flooring guy comes in later during new construction. <S> Baseboards are usually thick enough to cover any expansion gap for the floor.
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Install your floors and sit you baseboards on top of flooring.
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How can I make a sunken electrical outlet line up with an outlet cover? I recently replaced drywall in my bathroom but made the mistake of not checking to see if the existing electrical outlet boxes lined up properly. The result is that the electrical outlet box (and more importantly the receptacle itself) are sunken in about 1/4 inch and don't line up correctly with the outlet cover wall plate. At this point the drywall is already set so I can't (or more accurately, don't want to) tear down the drywall. Is there some sort of product that I can safely use as a spacer to have the outlet stick out an extra amount of space from the electrical box? I'll try to get a picture or two up soon... <Q> If you use a spacer the inset must be equal to or less than 1/4 of an inch to be NEC compliant. <S> See this question for relevant information: <S> How do I extend outlets after installing a backsplash? <S> Personally, I would just get a box extender like the one in the answer to the question above. <S> They are fairly cheap and better by design (in my opinion). <A> I have used a plastic spacer from a Mechano set on the screws that holds the receptacle in the work box. <S> They look like this although the one in the picture is not the same size. <A> Code says that the box can't be recessed further than 1/4", so you're right at that limit. <S> If they're recessed at all and the material exposed in the recess is combustible (wood, paper on insulation, etc.), then you have to use box extenders so that there isn't a gap. <S> In any case, box extenders would be another way to get everything lined up nicely.
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That one was about 1/4 inch by 1/4 round. If the boxes are recessed further than that, then legally speaking you have to use box extenders.
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Why won't this 3/8 male connector for a natural gas dryer fit a 3/8 female connector? First off, I changed the Natural Gas orifice to a factory ordered LP orifice, I am not just trying to hook up a LP line to a natural gas dryer without setting the dryer up correctly for LP. My problem is that the female end LP line, professionally installed, does not fit my dryer male connection. The fitting is so close, it feels like it will thread but just doesn't. I am seeing stuff online about a flare end to a threaded end Is there anything I am doing wrong, or is my dryer female not the 3/8" I am thinking it is? The instructions for my dryer says it is 3/8": I added some images to assist with my question: <Q> You need a 3/8" female NPT x 3/8" male flare thread adapter. <S> Any good hardware store or plumbing shop. <A> The short pipe you show is a section of tapered NPT black iron pipe. <S> The section of corrugated pipe is most likely designed to connect to a flared pipe with straight threads. <S> The required two adapters should have been sold with the pipe because it has to be matched to the particular flare shape in order to make a leak-proof connection. <S> Pipe dope should NOT be applied to the threads of the flare connection. <S> If you don't have them, but a new corrugated pipe with the required adapters. <S> You may have damaged the existing threads by using the wrong connection. <S> Also, the style of pipe you show is not the type of pipe <S> I'm familiar with in the USA for gas piping. <S> I use single-walled corrugated steel pipe, not pipe with braided stainless steel like you've shown. <S> What you show is more similar to what I'd expect for tubes in outside temporary LP applications. <S> As always, the connections should be leak-checked after assembly. <A> And the female may not be 3/8' <S> ' it may be 1/2'' <S> and then you just need a NPT 3/8 to flare 1/2. <A> I just experienced the same issue with a new dryer. <S> The normal adapter did not want to screw onto the pipe thread coming out of the back of the dryer. <S> Having worked with plumbing for many years something just did not look right about the threads on the pipe coming out of the dryer. <S> I carefully measured the thread depth with a special caliper. <S> Sure enough the threads were not cut deep enough. <S> The number of threads per inch was proper <S> so I used a pipe die and cut the threads to the proper depth. <S> BINGO, the adapter fit just the way it should and the new dryer is working properly. <S> I have elected to not mention the brand of the dryer <S> but it is my understanding that many different brands use parts made by the same supplier. <S> SHAME on the supplier for such POOR Quality Control. <S> Buyer BEWARE!!
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As a sidenote, there should not be pipe dope inside the pipe, the dope should only be on the threads. You need an adapter that goes from NPT to flare. It would be best if all possibly damaged sections of pipe are replaced with new pipe.
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Are my outlets unsafe? Some (but not all) of the electrical outlets in my kitchen look like this: (I don't know what this kind of outlet is called.) One of those outlets is where I plug in my toaster oven. In the last 6 months, I've had two toaster ovens die (become unusable at any outlet) while plugged in there. The first time, the toaster oven was old, but the second time it was a new one of a reputable brand. Also, the LED at that outlet is now off, pushing the buttons does nothing, and the outlet provides no power. I have only a vague idea that these outlets have circuit breakers for safety. It seems like the one with the LED out needs repair. But I'm concerned about the significance of the toaster dying. Should I be worried about my wiring? Might I have a safety issue here? <Q> No. <S> A toaster oven is (mostly) just a resister. <S> You'd have to see a large surge to kill a toaster oven. <S> I don't think any other electrical malfunction would kill it. <S> Your outlet is probably fine, and I think you're suffering from bad luck. <A> You can check the voltage with a multimeter or a device like a Kill-a-watt meter, which is also useful for checking power consumption. <S> In the US, the nominal voltage is 120V, give or take some tolerance. <S> I would say anything over 125V is probably worth looking into (you could call your electric company for more information about what the voltage should be in your area). <S> If you did have a voltage problem in your house, you would probably notice old-fashioned incandescent bulbs burning out faster as well (if you still have any, replace them with with LEDs!). <A> I don't know whether you own the property or not <S> but there are these devices that you plug into the outlet that have a color code to let you know if you have any faults with that outlet (as in problems with the wiring). <S> See if this will help, otherwise call an electrician. <S> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-GCFI-Receptacle-Tester-RT200/203195019 <S> The above is for a GFCI tester which is the type of outlet you have a picture of. <S> They are cheap and very easy to read. <S> The one above is about $8, and a new GFCI usually runs around $12. <S> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-SmartLockPro-15-Amp-GFCI-Duplex-Outlet-with-Red-Black-Buttons-White-R72-N7599-0RW/203425810 <S> Detects wiring configurations and indicates: correct wiring, open ground, reverse polarity, open hot, open neutral, hot/ground reversed. <S> RT200 also works on GFI outlets and confirms operation of the ground fault Does not indicate quality of ground, multiple hot wires, combinations of defects, reversal of grounded and grounding conductors <S> Light sequence indicates correct/incorrect wiring <S> These receptacle testers are used to troubleshoot 120V AC grounded outlets
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I wonder if the voltage in your house is too high and causing the toaster ovens to burn out.
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Can I put a LED tube in a high frequency ballast fixture without removing the ballast? To replace my old fluorescent tube lamp I bought a LED tube. The old fixture was one with an electrical ballast and without an additional starter as shown below. I read that I was supposed to bypass the ballast completely, as LED tubes don't need them any more. Regardless, I wanted to test whether the tube would work without removing the ballast first and put it in, but nothing happened when I turned it on. Later I tried the tube again in a different fixture with a LED starter and to my surprise it didn't turn on in that fixture either, while it had turned on just fine earlier. Did I break the LED tube by not removing the ballast first or was it impossible to begin with? <Q> The packaging of your LED tube should specifically state whether or not it is supposed to use a ballast. <S> If you connected a no-ballast tube to a ballasted socket, yes, it is possible that you fried the circuits. <S> See also the answer to https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/95491/is-it-more-energy-efficient-to-remove-the-ballast-by-using-led-tube <A> There are LED retrofit tubes that do not require ballast removal. <S> Here is an example: http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/iif/2013/12/philips-delivers-led-based-t8-tubes-that-work-with-existing-ballasts.html <S> Ballasts can typically put out 300-600 volts on the secondary side, so something deigned to run on 120V will not last long. <A> As my experience in lighting specially LED , you can connect the LED tube light with the fixture and the ballast is connected no problems at all .
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If you installed an LED tube that requires ballast removal into a fixture with the ballast still wired in you almost certainly did kill the LED tube.
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Can I convert a 240V dryer to 120V? I have a stackable washer dryer combo. The dryer works on 240V and the washer works 120V, but they have 1 control panel. I don't have 240V in my new apartment, and am hoping to have the power cord switched to a 120V. I have read that this process involves: getting a 3 wire 120 cord-set of at least 14 gauge and a 14 gauge jumper wire. connect neutral to neutral terminal black to black terminal ground to ground terminal and jumper wire from neutral to red I have no experience with electronics and don`t plan on doing this myself, I had an electrician come look at it for me but he has never done it before, my question is: Does this look correct, can he or (most likely another electrician) do this? I know it won't be code, I just need to know if it's possible. <Q> Switching out the cord is easy, but that does not make it a 110V dryer. <S> It's probably not possible to convert to 110V, although you'd have to find a user manual or contact the manufacturer to confirm. <S> And even if you could, it would probably draw more power than a standard residential 110V outlet could supply. <S> The only way to do this is to run a 220V outlet for the dryer. <S> Do you rent or own this apartment? <S> What country are you in? <S> Most US service is 220V, even if all of the outlets are 110V. <A> Bear in mind that 110v gives it roughly the same power as a hair dryer, so even if this were possible, I wouldn't recommend it, as it can take 2 hours for the clothes to dry. <S> Assuming that your apartment has 220v service at the panel, if you can find two outlets on opposite legs (i.e. 180 degrees out of phase) there is a commercial product that will give you a 220v outlet, which you could plug your dryer into. <S> YMMV. <A> This is a fairly complex hack. <S> The dryer needs to work on 1/4 the available power. <S> It was designed for a 240x30 = 7200W supply, and you need it to run on 120x15=1800W supply. <S> So you're asking a lot . <S> You will need to get the schematics and reverse-engineer the washer-dryer. <S> Chances are the "washer" part is easy, as they probably use a commercial-off-the-shelf design made to run on 120V. For the dryer, you'll need to carefully go through each internal circuit and figure out how to make it accept 120V. <S> The heating element is the easiest; simply connect the endpoints to 120V instead of 240V. <S> This will mean the element will see half the voltage, and (thanks to Ohm's Law) 1/4 the power. <S> If you have a small load that insists on being 240V, then you need to use some electronic skill to deal with that. <S> You will also need to make sure all the loads together don't exceed the circuit capacity ( <S> 15A if you are attaching to a common household outlet with 14AWG wire). <S> Watch out that the dryer motor + heater don't exceed that. <S> You might be able to stay under circuit capacity with an interlock to prevent washer and dryer from running simultaneously.
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Some dryers do have the ability to run on either 110v or 220v.
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Should I add wood sheathing to a metal roof car port? I'm making a carport that is about 10 feet wide with 2x6's for the "roof frame" and 4x6 posts. I was going to use a medal roof using tin I think. Do I first need to put down wood sheathing? Or can I attach the medal directly to the 2x6's? I think the UNDERSIDE would look better seeing the medal but I also don't want to have it blow away. <Q> The only thing that will come with this is the possibility of rot and the loosening of your metal sheet connections. <S> However plywood does offer structural support to your roof so you may have to add a few crosses and make sure you have a good screw schedule on the tin sheets. <A> Unless you mean something out of the ordinary, you probably need at least "purlins" to support the metal between the 2x6 rafters. <S> If you could provide a sketch of your proposed framing scheme it might help. <S> With typical rafter spacing that might mean a 2x4 laid flat every 1-3 feet or so (depending on what the roofing metal can "self-support" across, roof loadings, etc.) <S> Normal metal roofing has no structural strength to speak of if simply attached to rafters in the direction where water drains properly. <S> If attached to rafters in the direction it has strength, it tends to leak because water pools in-between the ribs. <S> Plywood sheathing can serve the same function as purlins do, but normally costs a bit more. <S> If, in fact, your proposed framing is one where you are using 2x6 as purlins, then you should not need additional wood. <A> You can go with or without wood substrate. <S> For heated spaces it is hightly recommended to use wood sheeting, ventilate the attic space, and use breathable synthetic underlayment. <S> Do not use vapor barrier under metal, as it will trap moisture and cause rot. <S> Good luck
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I would not add plywood under the metal. If it's a car port and you are using R-Panel, putting metal on purlins is sufficient.
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How can I install a switch to power a bathroom TV off safely and discreetly? Firstly, I'll start by saying that I have no electrical skills apart from basic changing a socket skills... I have a small bathroom that I've decided to put a waterproof TV in. The TV is going to go in the centre of a stud frame attached to a brick wall. The wall has been boarded and will eventually be tiled. This is at the end of the bathroom, opposite the bath and sink with the wires already having been embedded behind the boarded stud frame. The plan is to put the power adaptor for the TV in the loft above, running from a power outlet that I had wired up there, as I wanted to have the ability to switch the power to the TV on and off, so that the TV isn't left constantly receiving power fed into it (to avoid the possibly of heating it up and being damaged after a few years). I'm planning to put some kind of switch to the right of the TV, that would allow me to do this. My brother reckons this would be ok and so under his instruction, I've placed 2 2.5 T&E cables running behind the stud frame, that reach between where we intend to put the switch and the power socket in the loft. The plan is to insert the extra link of a switched fused spur (3A) between the loft power outlet to the TV power adaptor and place this switched fused spur in the bathroom, inserted flush in the tile wall. As far as I can see by the diagrams I've looked at, the TV is going to be in the Outside Zone (not zones, 0, 1 or 2) so I could probably use a normal (non IP rated) switch but I would ideally like to use a waterproof switch, to prevent any chance of anyone with wet hands getting more than they bargained for when all they want to watch is Corrie! I've considered using a PIR but didn't want to go this route as my Mrs will use the bath and possibly not move much whilst watching TV, so I don't want her to splash about to get the thing to come back on again. I've looked around on the net and the only waterproof switches I've see are for external use and look quite tough... I'd be happy with a small switch if possible. I've seen options like these: A sensor switch that sits behind a wall and you just hold your hand near the tile to switch on or off - looked a bit pricey but I don't know what I'd need to incorporate this: http://www.sensor.co.uk/switches/bathroom_switch/ The Aquadesign and System Design IP 44 switches by Merten that are waterproof light switches - I can't see them anywhere to actually buy The Clipsal switch - again, can't see this to buy anywhere apart from in Australia The questions I have are:Is the use of a switched fused spur safe to do like this?Do I need (is it best) to use a switched fuse spur or is there some other way to go about this?Would a simple cover to go over a normal switch suffice, such as this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bathroom-Switch-Protector-Plastic-Waterproof/dp/B007VCTMS6 ? To give a clearer idea of the environment, I've attached a photo so you can see where this is currently up to... The tile wall will be finished in the same red tiles that are at the bottom and as there is white in the room, I'd like the switch to be discreet if possible to fit the room as it stands i.e. no industrial grey external switches. Any suggestions, answers, etc will be gratefully received. Please feel free to ask me anything else if what I've written isn't clear. Thanks in advance. Del <Q> You could go the route of having no switches in the bathroom, and only a plug and switch upstairs Loft. <S> Step 1 <S> : Get a standby plug adapter, which will shut off power to the TV when its in standby mode. <S> this will reduce electrical risk, fire and save power. <S> - the unit has an infra-red reset switch, so when it senses your remote IR beam, it will energise the TV up again. <S> That way, all you need to do, is turn the TV off when you are done. <S> and don't think about it anymore. <S> Step 2 <S> :You can actually look at the new Samsung Smart TV's with motion sensor on/off switches. <S> all you need to do is wave your hand near the Samsung logo and the TV Will switch on/off... <A> So it's been ages since this question was first asked <S> and I've only just managed to get round to wiring this up. <S> I went for an infra-red motion sensor switch . <S> This has been placed up in the loft, with the motion sensor placed discretely under the frame in which the TV sits, so that it is out of sight. <S> It works really well, with the TV not just going into standby mode when the sensor detects motion, but coming on fully. <S> The only thing left for me to do really is add an additional speaker in the ceiling, which I'll do in due course as the built in speakers in the TV are very tinny, but for now, this is complete. <S> Here is a photo of the wall with the TV on: Thanks for your answers and in particular, the answer by @Hightower proved to be the most useful as it reminded me of the setup I have in my other bathroom on my cabinet, that illuminated with LED lights, as the swipe of hand over the sensor at the side of it. <A> I am also remodeling our bathroom and have placed the on/off switch next to the light switch which is outside the bathroom door as you enter. <S> I guess the other way would be to use a normal corded isolation switch mounted on the ceiling. <S> Good luck <S> ( I am also not a qualified electrician but do have a friendly one who checks what is done and would recommend same. )
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The actual switch unit is in the loft space and is wired such that when activated, the power to the TV DC adaptor is powered on and the TV then comes on.
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How does an illuminated switch light up without a neutral There are some illuminated switches that operate without a neutral. For a lamp that is lit when the switch is ON, I can envision a circuit diagram that has the switch lamp in series with the switched circuit. But this would create significant additional resistance in the current flowing through the line to the main load. If the switch is parallel to the line, virtually no current should flow since the resistance to the lamp is so much higher than the completed switch circuit. For switch lamps lit in the OFF position, a switch lamp in series would allow a trickle of current through the actual load, causing a dim glow in a fixture or some current in a motor. This seems wrong. How do no-neutral illuminated switches work? <Q> They DO pass current through the switch and light at all times - just a few mA. <S> The indicator is wired in parallel to the switch contacts. <S> For most types of bulbs its not enough for the light to turn on. <S> However with modern LED light bulbs these types of switches (as well as dimmers, and home automation switches) <S> that dont use the neutral can cause the LED bulb to turn on enough to be noticable or flicker. <A> I believe some of these have a neon bulb in parallel with the switch. <S> This means they draw a small amount of current through any light-bulb the switch controls - <S> however this is too small a current to produce any light in the light-bulb. <S> A textured polycarbonate moulding designed to allow the glow of the two integral neons to be seen at almost any angle. <S> Easy to install as an addition to existing locations. <S> 250Vac <S> Double neons provide 360 degree visible glow around frontplate Green glow is visible to naked eye <S> One or two-way switch wiring <A> <A> I have never looked at a design schematic but do know this. <S> I have seen them fail and on the load side. <S> I had 60 VAC on the load side when off and 120 VAC when on. <S> Removed the switch and the continuity between states show rock solid, 0 ohms off and infinite ohms with a standard Fluke meter. <S> Of course I didn't meg the thing for <S> I don't own an insulator tester or megger, work provides them and for far more important failures. <S> The LED kitchen lights it provided power to was either dim or fully illuminated. <S> I won't deal with a Light Emitting Diode failure at that level, fail on, and just went to Menards and bought a swith without illumantion.
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From what I've seen, they pass a small current through the switch (and light), and that current is sufficient to power the illuminated switch light.
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Need advice to prevent runoff water from going into neighbor's yard I'm looking for some advice on what I can do to prevent runoff water from going into my neighbor's yard. I am an auto detailer so I am constantly washing cars in my driveway. The neighbor also parks his truck and RV camper in the dirt section of the yard. Here is a picture so you can see what I am talking about. :-) <Q> ..Your driveway would be the cracked concrete slab to the left, I assume? <S> If the picture is not misleading, there appears to be some slope towards the street. <S> If so, rent a concrete saw or buy a concrete blade for a saw you own (but unless you own a water-cooled saw, a rental saw that is water-cooled will generally do a better job, faster) and cut a bunch of grooves 1/2" (or so) deep leading to the curb/gutter at streetside. <S> That may be all you need to do, or you may need to make some sort of raised edging at the right side of the driveway. <S> That would probably best suit the area if formed from concrete, but something like a rubber glue-down garage door bottom seal (the type that's stuck to the floor, not the type that's stuck to the door) might be quicker and cheaper, until it dies in the sun and needs to be replaced. <A> depending on your runoff, that should solve the problem. <S> unless you want to go with the above solution and build a mound, which may or may not be a better solution depending on the way the water runs, i.e. you dont really want the water to pool on your side. <A> Epoxy a bunch of bricks and/or pressure treated 2x4s to the driveway. <S> The climate is super-dry, and because of the pitch of your driveway and the amount of water on it, you only really need to contain about a 1/2' high wall of water, and it doesn't matter if it leaks a bit as long as most of the water is directed down the drain. <A> This isn't exactly what you asked for, but here's an idea: buy another hose and attach it to your existing hose; wash the cars in the parking lane on the street instead of your driveway.
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You could offer to install a trenchdrain into your neighbours sand. For the truly cheap, laying out a bunch of pressure treated 2x4s along the edge is likely to work; put them back in the house when you are done.
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Plugs won't stay in wall receptacle We bought a new house 25 years ago. The wall plug receptacles never from day one would hold a plug. Are they defective or are there springs missing that would keep them in place? Can they be adjusted or do I need to replace them all? All my receptacles have the third prong opening for ground. <Q> Residential grade receptacles from that era are/were total junk. <S> If you can, I would definitely get "spec-grade" receptacles. <S> These are commercial duty devices that are MUCH better than resi grade stuff. <S> Also, I agree, you will most likely have to install TR, or tamper-resistant, receptacles, which is not necessarily a bad thing. <S> For a 25 year old home most areas requiring GFI protection will already have it, but you will have to add them in some areas like protecting all kitchen counter receptacles. <S> They don't all need to be GFI devices, just GFI protected. <S> Please ask if you are not sure of the requirements. <A> Replace them. <S> There's no way to adjust them. <S> This is a common problem with receptacles, when they're worn they don't hold plugs as well. <S> GFCI receptacles may be required in some areas as well. <A> Replace the wall sockets if at all possible. <S> Until then, here's what I do. <S> (I should mention I'm in the USA.) <S> Either approach will help the prongs make stronger contact with the sockets. <S> Try a little bending at first, then more until you're happy with the result. <S> If they're solid prongs, then you probably want to bend them slightly in. <S> I've done this a fair amount, particularly with brand new plugs that seem to slide out at the slightest provocation. <S> Multi-piece prongs seem to handle the torque a little better. <S> These are the prongs with two flat pieces side by side. <S> With those you can sometimes insert a flat screwdriver between the pieces and twist a little. <S> This will convert the flat prong to a fat prong. <S> (I think this was the point of the multi-piece prongs. <S> It may be the advice on them that got me into hacking plugs.) <S> If you end up bending the prongs too much for easy plugging, there are tricks for that, too. <S> Say the prongs have to be bent very close together for a snug fit, but end up being too close together to slide in easily. <S> Just angle the plug to put in one prong at at time, then push to the side to ease the other prong in. <S> In fact, if this is a problem then bending the plugs outward can make insertion easier. <S> Be VERY CAREFUL in any case. <S> And be prepared to replace plugs after breaking them. <S> Good luck. <S> Let us know how it goes. <A> Kill the breaker and verify it's dead before doing the work. <S> Bending your plugs to get around a worn socket is at best a temporary solution and at worst a fire hazard. <S> A lose connection will have a higher resistance which causes heat. <S> They're cheap. <S> Note US based answer.
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On the plug, either bend the prongs in/out, or apply some torque to them to make them slant. Depending on your location, you may be required to install tamper resistant receptacles in most living areas. Definitely replace as many as you can. Replace them with new ones they're likely cheaper by the box than individually at big box stores. It's just worn out and not safe. It would be a good idea to get one of those neon socket testers while you're there that verify the hot and neutral are on the right side of the socket and the ground is actually grounded.
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Are there any health concerns with using copper green wood preservative indoors? So we had a roof leak and water was slowly dripping through the exterior wall and drywall. It had been going on for years, but until recently it became noticeably during a heavy rainfall when the water dripped through the drywall. So my contractor came out and fixed the roof leak and replaced the drywall and insulation. However underneath the drywall my contractor used Copper Green Wood Preservative (contains 10% copper naphthalene), as he claimed would help maintain the wood since it had been getting wet for years. When he sprayed the Wood Preservative there was a noticeable strong odor, which he said would go away. It has been a three days since he sprayed the internal wall with Wood Preservative. I researched online that this product is supposed to be only used for exterior use only. Is there any way I can mitigate this issue. I am thinking about calling my contractor back and having the dry wall removed and re-installing a new one with painting an odor remover primer behind the drywall and adding HVAC tape. Let me know if it is worth the extra money I put into this? Also just curious if I leave it as it is, is there any concerns I should have like side effects on health issues for using this product indoors? <Q> 2) <S> It will not really do any good. <S> That product is similar to many traditional wood preservatives that utilize copper napthenate to treat wood before it is exposed to moisture. <S> Putting it on after the fact is arguably useless. <S> It is commonly used for wood that will be left outside without a protective finish. <S> Pressure-treated lumber is treated with copper napthenate, that's why it is green. <S> 3) <S> The stuff is smelly, and covering it up before it was dry (if that's what he did) will prolong the drying time. <S> The product "carrier" is mineral spirits (paint thinner); oil-based paints using paint thinner or turpentine as a carrier solvent have been used indoors for a long time. <S> The "danger" to you is likely minimal. <S> The TLV (Threshold Limit Value; which is how much an average worker can be exposed during an 8-hour work day with no respiratory protection and no significant health effect) is 500 PPM (parts per million) for <S> Green Products Co. Copper Green. <S> Without a detection device to measure you can't really assess your exposure level, but opening a window nearby to provide ventilation will significantly reduce the concentration. <S> You will have to make a "trouble vs. gain" decision on whether to have it ripped out. <S> Opening the wall and providing ventilation to ensure it dries would fix the issue. <S> Once dry, there would be no real reason to further "seal" over it unless irritating odors persist. <S> Material Safety Data Sheet <A> I have the same problem. <S> I called the company and they asked me to do the following. <S> But you can confirm. <S> clean up the area where copper green was applied using paint thinner or acetone or dawn dish soap. <S> This may help remove the oil. <S> Use kilz primer max. <S> Prime wood with that. <S> In future use greens clear as it is good for interior use and its odorless. <A> I used it inside but during temperatures when I could have the windows open and attic fan running for 2 or 3 days solid. <S> Especially when applying it you want serious ventilation in that area. <S> The smell dropped significantly after 72 hours of drying, but the odor still lingered a week later. <S> Once the copper green was dry to the touch, i brushed over it with minwax oil based poly. <S> That had a huge impact on masking the lingering odor. <S> After two days of the poly drying, the smell was completely gone. <S> This process is not something you can do in a few days and slap new drywall up. <S> You need to open up the affected area, let it dry out, apply the copper green and let it fully dry, apply a sealant and let it dry, then you're ready to put things back together. <A> I had a contractor place it over a wood that had been leaked on. <S> He stripped the wet part off and painted a large area with copper green. <S> It was near my bedroom <S> and I couldn't stand the smell. <S> There days after he applied it I ended up in the ER with a severe lung infection called pleurisy. <S> I had to have them rip out all the drywall they applied it to and put in new. <S> They painted it with a sealant. <S> My recommendation is NEVER use it inside! <A> Just a thought on preserving the with copper green. <S> Apply and let it stay outdoor for a while til the smell drops. <A> Ideally, Copper Napthenate is for exterior use, while Borates for interior use. <S> Borates are colorless, odorless and non-toxic, but being water soluble, unsuitable for exterior use, or for exterior wall studs where roof leaks may cause leaching of the material when wet. <S> Borates and Copper Napthenate can be used on previously damaged wood, at which point further damage is prevented.
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Your contractor should not have sprayed that stuff inside your wall for a number of reasons: 1) it says on the label that it is for exterior use only. Some people are more sensitive than others. Other than the smell that dissipates over time, the copper napthenate will be fine inside the wall.
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How to repair an electric outlet which died while running a carpet cleaner? I ran a carpet cleaner in my condo for the first time in a bedroom and the outlet and lights died. Then I went to the living room and ran the cleaner and the outlet died too. But I was able to use two other outlets in the room with no problems. I went to the breaker box and all the switches are in the same position. None looked like it was tripped (see photo below). I turned off a breaker switch which said bedrooms. None of the bedrooms went dark. That's weird. How to fix the dead outlets? I understand that a breaker switch controls the power to a section of the condo. So what does it mean when only an outlet is dead in a room where the rest of the outlets and lights in the room are OK? These are regular outlets which don't have a reset button. Do some type of outlets have fuses in them? I am guessing the carpet cleaner uses a lot of power and it did something. <Q> The breaker on the bottom right (with the green tab on it) looks tripped. <S> They will move to center position without doing much else. <S> Turn it all the way off and then all the way back on. <S> Then look for gfci receptacles and make sure to reset all you can find. <A> The breaker on right side (Second to bottom) is tripped. <S> I am not sure if the green is a sticker on it or a little notification window, but regardless, take note on how it is in the center position. <S> This means that it has tripped. <S> To reset the breaker, slide it to the right firmly, wait 2 seconds, then slide it to the left. <S> Power should now be restored! <A> The breaker with the green test button is an AFCI, or arc-fault, breaker, and it IS tripped. <S> A carpet cleaner, much like a vacuum, can have a very "dirty" running motor. <S> This is a classic culprit in nuisance tripping AFCI breakers.
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If that does not work: turn ALL your breakers all the way off and then all the way on to make sure all are reset. If you try to slide it to the left, it will just pop back to the center again. Meaning the brushes tend to spark a lot.
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If walls and floors aren't exactly perpendicular, which side should I align tile with? I'm getting ready to tile my bathroom floor and tub surround. Our house is older (about 45 years old) and the walls/floors aren't exactly perpendicular. With that in mind, I'm wondering if I should align the tile to be exactly level with the floor/tub or align them so they're exactly level with the wall side (and slant slightly against the base). Apologies if this doesn't make sense. I'll try to get some pictures up but the difference isn't major here so it might not be noticeable in a wide angle picture. <Q> I think what you're saying is that the walls and the tub are not perpendicular and that you are going to tile the wall. <S> You want to know whether you should match a wall or the tub. <S> In situations like this my recommendation is usually to tile in a diamond pattern or to use smaller or subway or mosaic tiles <S> such that long, contiguous grout lines are not obvious. <S> However, if you are going to have long contiguous grout lines I would start by leveling them to the tub and the ceiling, possibly splitting the difference. <S> Consider that a grout line that get slightly wider or narrower as it progresses is less obvious than a tile line that slants upwards or downwards dramatically. <A> If it isn't too difficult, dry lay the length and width of the room with spacers to understand your best focal point. <S> Usually the first full tile starts at the threshold, which customarily for a bathroom is marble. <S> Ideally, as you are planning on using the same tile vertically as well as on the floor, you can compromise on the spacing and use a ⅜" grout joint for uniformity. <S> Too avoid elongated runs of grout leading the eye to discern inconsistencies in homes of character, or those with walls and floors that aren't perpendicular, try one of the following patterns. <S> Source <S> No matter the tile size, the enemy of your circumstances is the eye, however your approach to your solution should be tailored to your tile size. <S> Lastly, avoid slivers of tile anywhere, by planning to split the difference. <S> Hope it helps. <A> Clarity in description would help. <S> How that works out in reality is dependent on the size of both the tiles and the non-parallelism. <S> IMPE, some sort of diamond-blade cutoff tool beats the snot out of tile nippers, score and break, etc. <S> for getting decent edge cuts. <A> It's all aesthetics. <S> Common strategy is to lay it out so that cut tiles and uneven lines are situated in less notable places that do not naturally catch the eye. <S> An example would be to use cut tiles on both sides of a wall or floor to avoid a line of narrow-cut tiles, which looks bad. <A> I always plan my bathroom around the first row of tiles above the tub. <S> Everything else plays off of that. <S> These are the tiles that will be most noticeable and most susceptible to issues. <S> I will always put whole piece vertically speaking in this first row. <S> From there I work my way up, out, and out and down. <S> If I notice that I am going to have a sliver at the top or it is greatly uneven I will do one of these things: start slightly veering my grout lines to match ceiling <S> throw in a different style of tile <S> so I don't have to use small pieces at the top <S> (so if I have some large tiles my throw a couple rows of mosaics in) <S> I generally don't care if I have larger tiles that I have to slightly slant at the top. <S> This never looks bad and really only the installer notices. <S> If the slant is really bad I will simply stop and cap the tiles a foot from the ceiling. <S> I have tiles A LOT of tubs and have never cut a tile vertically and generally all of my horizontals are hidden in the corners.
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With a floor that is not enclosed by parallel walls, the usual approach is to center the tiles (start from a chalk line in the center of the floor) so that there's a cut-tile on either side of the floor, and cut to fit the walls as they are.
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Water entering into fireplace during rain I recently observed water is coming in the fireplace during the rain. Although it is about a drop per second or so, it is can easily fill up a small pan during a stormy and rainy day. I don't think this is normal. I have a flue cap at the top of my chimney. Is this normal behavior? Also what can the possible causes of it be? <Q> Mine <S> just a few months ago <S> and I had to secure it with extra screws. <S> I would check that first. <S> If it is only coming inside the chimney it really has to be top of the cap or that you need caulking around the base of your cap. <A> Flue cap is not waterproof, especially in wind. <S> I am talking from experience. <S> We have two chimneys, one with regular flue cap: and the other with a directionalflue cap similar to this: From my experience, the directional version works much better, but requires some maintenance, like occasional lubricating (like once a year is more than enough). <A> During heavy rain with wind, that sounds normal because water is getting in the side of the cap. <S> If a smoke can come out then water can get in as well
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It sounds like your chimney cap top might have flew off for that much water to come in.
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Device to detect where heat or cold air is escaping or entering a structure I would like to lower my environmental impact and reduce my energy bills by reducing areas where air might be entering or exiting my home. What type of device can be used to detect where heat or cool air is escaping or entering a home? I would prefer the device be inexpensive, if possible. <Q> A thermal imaging gun will show you all the hot and cold spots inside your house, but they are very expensive. <S> What I did was <S> I purchased a infrared thermometer gun at my local harbor freight. <S> It cost about $15.00 <S> Then I went around took all the temperatures throughout the house. <S> I found in my basement the rim joists were not insulated, I also found my attic hatch was not insulated. <S> After doing that and caulking the windows, the cost for the insulation and caulk paid for itself the first winter. <A> <A> I have a FLIR camera. <S> It's awesome, but it's expensive and not necessarily the best tool for detecting air leaks. <S> An IR camera is too slow; you won't use it unless you have more dedication than most. <S> What you want is a fog machine. <S> Turn it on inside the house, close all the windows but one, and put a box fan in that window blowing air into the house. <S> This will pressurize the house and force the fog outside. <S> You go outside and see where the fog is coming from. <S> For an even more spectacular effect, get colored fog juice.
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A FLIR (infrared) or thermal imager is still the best way; you can rent them pretty easy and cheap, even at Home Depot http://www.flir.com/homedepot/
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Wooden bed sidebar to headboard screws loose, wobbly joints What can I do to fix my bed? The screws go through the headboard and footboard into the side bars, but the whole thing is loose. When I get into bed it's all fine as I have pushed the headboard up against the wall, but when I wake up the top of the headboard is about 6-8" away from the wall. I have tried to tighten the screws, but they just keep turning, so I take it they are just loose.Would getting steel braces that screw onto the leg and sidebar angle on all four legs solve the problem? It's quite a chunky pine bed with corner posts and knicker rail on the footboard.Thank you. <Q> I'd think using the bolt designed for exactly this job would be the way to fix this, rather than following a poor design choice by whoever built the bed. <S> The bedframe to rail job is what they were designed to do (though they have other uses, once you are aware of them.) <S> Further detail - OK, those are "modern" bed bolts, for some reason I more easily found images of "old" style bed bolts with normal square nuts, which are a huge pain to actually use in a wooden bedframe than this "modern" style bed bolt pictured above. <A> It sounds like the wood surrounding the screw has been stripped out. <S> The best way to fix this is as follows: <S> Measure the location of the existing hole centers from fixedreference points, like the distance from the base of the leg and thedistance in from the side. <S> Tap in a section of dowel coated in wood glue with a mallet. <S> It should be a tight fit. <S> Wipe off excess glue. <S> Let the glue dry the proper amount of time specified for working strength. <S> Trim off any protruding amount of the dowel with a sharp chisel. <S> Drive screws into pilots. <S> For the proper pilot hole size, you can use a reference chart like this one . <S> Note that they're different for hardwoods and softwoods. <S> If you want the headboard to stay on longer this time, you may want to consider using hardwood dowels. <A> Both of the above are great solutions, but would require tools you may not have. <S> For very little money and time, you can try simply replacing the current Screws with slightly wider and longer ones. <S> Take one of the current Screws with you to the hardware store, and describe the problem to them. <S> They will help you find the right size.... <S> Just one size wider should work perfectly.
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Drill out the holes to a common dowel size that's larger than thescrew diameter. Bed Bolts are machine bolts (metal to metal threads) that mate with a cylindrical "nut" that goes into a drilled cross hole in the side rail. Re-drill a pilot hole for the wood screws in the same place, referencing the measurements you took for the original holes.
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standalone pump options for leaky below-grade room A friend of mine runs a martial arts studio where his concrete-floored office in the back is slightly below grade and floods every time it rains. I assume that a proper solution would presumably involve re-leveling the floor to slope towards a central point, and then placing a drain at that low point. But the chance of this happening is zero-- it's a rental space and very low-budget and the landlord is not going to do anything. So it's up to my friend to figure out a solution. Today the solution is mop and bucket. Not good. Are there standalone pumps that can be left on the floor that will suck up standing water? I assume a big difference between a standalone pump and a "drop in a hole" sump pump is that the standalone one has to be heavy enough on the bottom so that it won't tip over easily. There's not that much water-- probably 10 gallons/hr in the heaviest storms, much less under normal conditions. It doesn't need to be perfect, just needs to prevent flooding so he can get through a 90-minute class without mop duty. Got ideas? <Q> First off, your friend should definitely talk to his landlord about the flooding. <S> Even if the landlord won't address it, it's possible your friend could be held liable for water damage from the flooding if he doesn't notify the landlord. <S> There are two big differences between the pump you need here and a normal sump pump. <S> The first is that it won't be run submerged; most sump pumps (and many other kinds of pumps) need to be run submerged to prevent overheating. <S> Second is that it needs to be able to suck up very shallow water, which generally means it needs to be self priming as well as needing a specially designed inlet and float valve. <S> Pumps designed for that kind of task are typically called a "puddle pump". <A> Keep it simple, buy a wet/dry shop vac and suck up the water with it occasionally. <S> Cost you about $60. <A> It's best if you can figure out where the water is coming from and try to stop it. <S> A lot of times you can solve these sorts of problems easily and cheaply from the outside. <S> Check the gutters and downspouts to make sure they are clear and divert the water at least 6' from the building. <S> If there are paved areas around the perimeter, repair any cracks. <S> You said that the office was slightly below grade, is there a stairwell leading to it outside? <S> Is there a drain in the stairwell that might need to be cleared? <S> Could you put an awning over it? <S> Digging a hole through the slab to put in a sump pump isn't cheap and probably not something you'd want to do for a rental unless the landlord will reimburse the costs. <S> You can get switches that detect water that will turn on pumps that don't need to be in a sump. <S> Those types of pumps usually leave a small amount of water behind. <S> 1/8" or 1/4" <S> depending on the model. <S> The wet/dry vac Jimmy Fix-It recommended is probably going to be the cheapest/easiest option. <S> Just need to keep items up off the floor in the areas prone to flooding to keep them from getting wet. <S> You can prop furniture up on bricks and/or cinderblocks in those areas. <A> The proper solution would be drainage tiles around the foundation of the exterior walls and proper grading, this way the water would never enter the space in the first place. <S> However, digging up the exterior of the house often isn't a viable option, so <S> the next best thing would be an interior French drain that drains into a sump pit, along with a sump pump to remove the water when it reaches the appropriate level. <S> This would actually be easier than removing and re-leveling the entire floor since you only need to remove the perimeter of the floor.
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You also have to figure out how you're going to get the water out of the building which may involve drilling a hole in addition to plumbing. Make sure the ground is properly sloped around the outside.
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how to hook up 2 thermostats in series? I have a tenant on the 1st floor who controls the thermostat. It's constantly on 80 and the 2nd floor is dying from the heat. Can I install a 2nd thermostat in the basement and limit the heat output? <Q> For example if thermostat 1 is set to 80, and thermostat 2 is set to 75. <S> When the temperature drops below 78, thermostat 1 will close and call for heat. <S> However, the heating will not come on. <S> When the temperature drops below 73, thermostat 2 will close and call for heat. <S> At this point the heating will come on, and will stay on until thermostat 2 is satisfied. <S> In a situation like this, thermostat 1 will never be satisfied, and will always be calling for heat. <S> You'll basically be bypassing thermostat 1. <S> So the temperature near thermostat 2 will be comfortable, while the temperature near thermostat 1 will likely be somewhere less than 80. <S> Keep in mind, however, if the user of thermostat 1 figures out what you've done. <S> They could turn their thermostat way down, and the heating would never come on. <A> That would give you full independent control within each space. <S> Nothing else is likely to do so, I think. <A> The sensors are in series to the one thermostat. <A> Assuming they are basic, analog/mechanical thermostats then yes, you can wire as many in series as you want. <S> Heating will continue until the room with the lowest-set thermostat reaches that temperature. <S> However, you must consider the whole-building heating process as just putting a 'stat in a random location could easily make the problem worse. <S> It sounds like putting one in the second floor would be a better solution.
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If you install two thermostats in series, they'll both have to be calling for heat for the heating to come on. You can install two sensors and remove the thermostat to an area of your control. The best (but not cheap) answer would be to make the two units separate heating zones, installing dampers (if forced-hot-air) or additional pumps and loops (if forced-hot-water) to direct heat only to the thermostat which is calling for it.
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Can I install laminate next to tile without using T-moulding? I'm installing laminate flooring in a bedroom next to a tiled hallway. I'm planning to have a standard expansion gap all the way around the room, but I'm stuck on how to do the doorway. I know the standard approach is to use T-moulding, but whoever did the original floors in my house just used a thin metal divider between the engineered hardwood floors and the tile. I'd like to be able to install the laminate the same way without a gap for just the length of the doorway. The room is 10' x 11'. Am I going to run into problems? I haven't noticed any expansion issues with the engineered hardwood floors, and they seem to be blocked in on several sides by these transitions. The living room has a 17' wide section with no expansion gap between doorways on either side. If it matters, the house is on a slab. <Q> Manufacturers require expansion around the entire perimeter of your floating floor. <S> If you don't care, fly at er. <S> You may or may not end up with issues. <S> It still overlaps the laminate, offering a warranty approved solution. <S> Last week I had to deny a warranty claim by a builder who butted all his floating engineered hardwood tight to tile. <S> The flooring started to squeak a couple months after completion. <S> Badly. <S> Sorry "builder". <S> He was out a substantial sum. <S> Your 10x11 room may survive unscathed. <A> You could leave a very small expansion gap.. <S> 1/8, then fill that with a color matched flexible caulk, pergo makes color matches to each floor they sell <S> , I'm sure other brands do aswell.. <S> then you can avoid transitions, and still leave expansion gap <S> I'm sure your project is done, but maybe this can help others in future projects (for the record, I would always recommend transitions) <A> Well, it's been over a year with no expansion issues or buckling at all, so it looks like I got away with no expansion gap in front of the door. <S> Note that this may not be the case for all installations, but it was for mine. <S> Some other factors that I imagine played a role: <S> The annual humidity extremes in my city are 90%/66% morning/afternoon during August, and 78%/62% during March. <S> I installed at the beginning of January, which averages 81%/69%. <S> The instructions on the flooring said the maximum width I could install without an expansion gap was 20'. <S> I was very careful to leave the full recommended 3/8" gap on the far side of the room opposite the door. <S> As RossInstalls mentioned, I did void my warranty by installing this manner, but I was fairly confident I wouldn't run into problems, mainly due to the middle point I list above.
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, however your still going to void warranty, the gap won't be enough to honor the warranty, but it's enough to avoid problems in the future (in my opinion) Since my span was only 10', I could easily get away without an expansion gap on one side. Depends on whether or not you want to maintain your warranty. Depending on the height of the tile, I like to use an Edge Mold which butts up to the tile instead of overlapping it.
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Can I connect 12ga wire for a gas range to 10ga wire from the service panel? I am remodeling my kitchen right now. Can I use the existing 10ga line which already been built and used in my house for an electrical range to hook up 14ga or 12ga wire for my new gas range? <Q> As long as you have the right configuration of conductors <S> yes, you can use a wire bigger than necessary. <S> Be sure to change the circuit breaker to match the circuit and receptacle required. <S> Remember, you CANNOT have a "standard" 15 or 20 amp receptacle on a 30A breaker. <A> Be careful,if the circuit had #10 wire it may have a 30 amp breaker. <S> The wire size must be rated for the breaker. <S> You cannot use 14 ga or 12 ga wire on a circuit equipped with a 30 amp breaker. <A> I am guessing that you removed an electric range and installed a gas range and wish to magically transform the 220V outlet into a 110V outlet for the new range?Only if you do the following: change out the breaker which feeds that circuit to one rated for the wire used or end termination -= in this case a 20 amp outlet - which would thus be 20 amp. <S> breaker. <S> And only use one of the hot legs <S> - was it a 4 wire run or three. <S> If it was a three wire run and you use the red line for the neutral and the white for the ground - color code the ends before you hook them up. <S> - maybe even put a little note on tape the next guy that gets in that box and wonders <S> "what the??". <S> but a 30amp breaker will not protect #12 wire.
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Remember the breaker should trip before the wire overheats: 20amp breaker will protect #12 #10, #8 etc.
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Is is safe to deal with wiring after only shutting off the room's fuse, but not the main switch? I think the question title says it all: Given a distribution board in the house (220 VAC), is it enough to shut off only the room's fuses, or must one shut off the main switch for the board before safely touching wires? Does the answer depend in any way on the fuse type? <Q> And here is why you check it before hand, even though you have turned off that room. <S> People get into Junction boxes and re-wire - joining two separate circuits into one - in that case one circuit in the house can be fed from two breakers (as long as they are on the same phase). <S> Always check with testor - and NOT JUST a proximity induction testor - but an actual touch the wires testor. <S> OK. <S> Be safe. <A> You say "that room". <S> Many, many times a room will have some devices on one circuit while others on another circuit. <S> It is pretty rare that rooms are strictly wired so that one circuit distinctly feeds one room. <S> Also, panel directories are not always extremely accurate. <S> So something that says the breaker is for one room might also have other things one it. <S> IMO you should not even pick up a tool or open a box until you are in possession of a decent tester. <A> Yes. <S> Once you shut off the room fuse, no electricity will be going to that room. <S> However it is important to test all connections before working on them <S> so you are positive that they are not powered.
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Again, a tester is the ONLY way to be sure what you are working on is dead. Circuits are not nearly always designated to one room or area.
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Can I splice grounding wires together to reach an old outlet that needs a ground? I have a two prong outlet in my house and there is a ground wire behind it, not connected. The ground wire ends in a junction box halfway to the breaker box. Only the neutral and hot wire continue from there. Can I connect another ground wire and continue it to the breaker box? <Q> As long as the wire is sound and is joined old and new properly, i.e., not just twisted together but secured with a twist lock or crimp connector <S> it meets code and is fine. <S> Consider <S> that the hot and neutral is already joined there so the ground connection does not degrade that circuit and is quite proper. <S> That said - anytime you can replace old wiring with new is a good thing. <S> If you are running a wire from the panel - I would recommend you run entirely new nm or romex cable as far as you can. <A> Yes you can, but the proper thing to do would be to run a whole new cable from the panel to that first box. <S> If you can do it with a ground wire it is not much harder or more expensive to do it right with a new cable. <A> If you have only hot&neutral leaving the breaker panel, and then further on the circuit someone used Romex with ground to extend a circuit, you will need to run additional wire to ensure that the receptacle is truly grounded and not just wired to a ground that goes nowhere. <S> In some areas (check your local codes), a circuit can be grounded to a copper or iron plumbing pipe, using the appropriate clamps and connectors. <S> You can also test the receptacle using one of these guys, once you've got it wired up:
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A ground wire needs to be connected to the ground bar in the breaker panel where the branch circuit originates.
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What should I use to seal around the perimeter of a tile floor? I recently tiled our bathroom floor (nothing fancy - just a 7 x 5 room). In between the tiles, I've used a sanded grout and that's worked nicely but I'm confused on what to use around the perimeter of the floor. There's a gap between the tile floor and the wall - it ranges anywhere from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch. Should I use grout here as well? Or something else? Eventually I'm planning to have a base board so no matter what, the gap won't be seen. Beneath the tile is hardiebacker, moisture resistant paper (two layers, and subfloor. <Q> If all interior walls or, if insulated exterior walls,no need to fill gap with anything. <S> Just get your baseboard moldings up to finish the job <A> You can find a lot of valuable information on tiling information at The Floor Elf <S> He has a summary on grout vs. caulk. <S> The term he uses is "changes in plain" and makes good arguments for using caulk. <S> Since you will be putting down baseboard it wont really be seen so finding a perfect match in color is not an issue. <S> Here is a summary from the article at: Grout or Caulk article <S> Using Caulk at Changes of Plane <S> There are several advantages to using caulk in corners and any other area where there may be a plane change or where tile meets another material such as your bathtub or sink. <S> It will stick to the face of the tile rather than needing a space between the tiles to grab. <S> Caulk is flexible. <S> If there is any movement the caulk is flexible enough to move with it and remain in place. <S> It will not crack out or fall off. <S> Caulk is waterproof – grout is not. <S> Water will collect in corners such as where your tile meets the tub more than it will on the face of the tile. <S> If your caulk does crack out or need to be replaced it is easily done. <S> The only two disadvantages to using caulk instead of grout are <S> You need to periodically remove and replace the caulk. <S> Depending on your choice of grout, you may not be able to find a caulk that matches exactly. <S> The first reason I consider to simply be regular maintenance and the latter is less of a problem since most major grout manufacturers sell matching caulk. <S> When I redid my bathroom floor this site was a tremendous resource. <A> I have tiled my own floors, ran base, wood and tile in one room or another. <S> I have also flushed toilets and had them overflow. <S> The construction of wood framed homes inherently allows for water which naturally seeks the lowest point will find the gaps at the plate line to the underlayment, (and tile!!) <S> all around the perimeter of any bath. <S> To me that has a lot of space to hold a lot of potentially unsavory water, if you want to call it that. <S> Although the expansion and contraction of materials that make up a flooring system in a wood framed house is very small, I have run my tile close enough to the plate, when the drywall is cut high enough. <S> The point I will make, in either situation, I fill the gap with backer rod if it needs it, pushed just below the surface, and place a good grade of caulk over all of it to seal the floor to the wall. <S> I cove the caulk into the corner so the bottom of the drywall is covered in caulk, <S> that way it will not soak up any thing on the floor. <S> To set the wood base, I plane or table saw the lower bottom corner off to make room for the caulk cove that is in place. <S> This may be a little over the top after all of that, but I use caulk set on the bottom edge of my base that I set to seal the base to the floor. <S> This is applied to the base after it is cut and tried in place. <S> I remove it, add caulk, set it and nail with pressure, pushing down. <S> I will not use grout anymore. <S> I did on one job and the tile cracked because of the minor movement of framing I mentioned earlier. <A> I would use a flexible jointing compound such as silicon. <S> It will allow for movement should any expansion/contraction occur, prevent water from lying in the gap between the tiles and wall and does not have to be replaced for at least 20 years.
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Unlike grout you are able to use caulk in a corner where tiles are butted against each other. When the drywall does not allow any room to tuck it under the cut edge I run it close enough to cover the gap with the base, as it should be done anyway. Silicon is available in most colours to match the grout.
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Do I need to caulk where my vinyl siding meets the edge of my windows? To help prevent leaks, I was advised by a contractor that I need to caulk where my vinyl siding meets the edges of my windows. Some research of my own reveals quite a bit of debate over this, a few saying that the caulking will wear out fast because of the expansion/contraction of the siding. Others say that, if the vinyl is installed properly, caulking is a superfluous measure of protection. I am wondering what SE has to say on the matter. <Q> Agreed with the research you found. <S> Most vinyl siding, if installed correctly, will not require caulk at the sides of the windows and doors. <S> Often there is actually a separate vinyl piece installed first at the side of the window that the ends of the siding tuck into. <S> You are supposed to leave a gap at the end of the siding pieces to permit expansion and contraction. <S> This same siding movement is the reason that the siding comes with slotted nail holes. <S> (from the familyhandyman.com web site) <A> Vinyl siding DOES NOT keep water on its front side. <S> NO caulk or installation manner will modify the fact that water gets behind vinyl siding at many seams. <S> This is especially true above every window and door. <S> Vinyl siding is not now, and never was, a means of keeping water away from a home. <S> Vinyl siding protects the water barrier which must be properly installed behind it from harshness. <S> 1) House wrap must be installed from the bottom up (overlapping like shingles so that upper water flows onto the outside of the lower sheet).2) <S> Caulking must be placed between the layers of house wrap at all vertical seams.3) Caulking must exist between the house wrap and the windows. <S> New construction allows the house wrap to be folded around the rough opening, making it easier to create a water tight seam between the window and the house wrap. <S> In a remodeling situation, caulking should be placed between the house wrap the the new aluminum window wrappings. <S> Caulking can be placed behind the J-Channel during installation, sealing the seam between the J-Channel and the house wrap, also sealing the seam between the J-Channel and the window itself. <S> Many vinyl siding installers do not realize the importance of the house wrap (and its job as the sole water barrier) because many people incorrectly believe that vinyl siding keeps the water out. <S> Vinyl siding only protects a water barrier from direct weather abuse (driving rain, wind, sun, sand, etc.). <S> You want the easiest solution. <S> Considering its design, vinyl siding does very well. <S> Although the problem is likely whole house, the worst spots are localized due to wind direction. <S> 1) Take the siding down. <S> 2) <S> Water proof the house. <S> 3) Put the siding back. <A> This sounds like bad advice from the contractor, but it's possible there's a specific problem we can't see over the internet. <S> Typically, to prevent leaks around windows, the window itself is sealed to the house wrap, often with a self sticking rubber flashing. <S> That sort of flashing is installed from the bottom up to ensure all overlaps channel water away from the structure. <S> This is the procedure for new construction windows, so there may be somewhere to caulk around replacement windows. <S> For air leaks, you need weather stripping around the moving parts of the window, and insulation between the window and frame (often minimal-expanding foam designed specifically for windows and doors). <S> Vinyl siding is expected to have some water get behind it <S> so there's nothing to waterproof between the siding and the structure. <S> It should hang loose for expansion/contraction but also overlap to minimize the amount of water that gets behind it.
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Vinyl siding allows fragile house wrap to function as the moisture barrier, keeping all water outside of the house for many years. Inside corners can also intake a lot of water given correct wind.
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Draining washing machine into yard Short and sweet. First, we are on a septic tank. We are in Mississippi. We called a plumber to snake our drain on our washing machine because one load pours gallons of water onto the laundry room, even caused us to have to replace a brand new washing machine. Plumber says the old cast iron pipes have become completely gunked up with black sludge that snaking it does nothing. Recommended someone bring a jetter, stand on the roof and flush out the entire pipe. Note: This pipe connects our washing machine and kitchen sink. If we do nothing, the sink is next. Problem is, the jetter may or may not work. If it does not work, we will have to run new piping. The plumber suggested just have it run into the yard since it is just the washing machine and kitchen sink, not the toilet. Running pipe into the septic tank would require going into the foundation, basically a lot more work and a lot more expense than we can handle. So, is it safe to run the pipe into the yard? Legal? I can't imagine a licensed plumber would tell us to do something that is illegal but you never know. We have children. We are near a lake (hundred yards or less) so that concerns me, too. Any and all advice is welcome. <Q> What you are looking for is the Laundry-To-Landscape system: http://oasisdesign.net/greywater/laundry/ <S> This system works very well and is easy to implement yourself at very low cost. <S> I have implemented it myself and it works perfectly, providing much needed irrigation water to my parched desert yard (not a problem in Mississippi I imagine!). <S> And unless you're washing poopy diapers, laundry is graywater, so it's not a health hazard. <S> You could direct the water to mulched trees, or a gravel-filled trench you could dig. <S> But don't just dump it onto the grass. <A> Anyone who fertilizes their lawn or shrubs is probably adding phosphates to their landscape. <S> I checked my laundry detergent, it says "phosphate free". <S> As for "coliform bacteria" I'm sure the bear, water foul and other wildlife add a thousand times more <S> then my washing machine does. <S> This probably cuts the load on my septic tank in half, if not more. <A> It's not to plumbing code if it's just discharged onto the yard. <S> If used for subsurface irrigation, it can be a compliant greywater system, with the plants acting as a biofilter. <S> The issue being that the Laundry has potential for fecal coliform (of course, if you wash with soap, most of them will be dead, but that's the reasoning, ignoring that soap and <S> bacteria don't get along.) <S> Given the "near-lake" location, one more reason not to. <S> I grew up (happily ignorant of plumbing code, or before that bit was codified) with pretty much the described system (no kitchen sink involved) where the laundry water was usually diverted out the window into the back yard to limit what went into the septic. <S> Nobody died from it, but I would not set it up that way now. <S> Depending how much the "jetting" attempt is going to cost, either just replace the cast iron with PVC, or try jetting and then replace with PVC if it fails. <A> Actually, it is foolish to discharge washing machine water into your septic system, considering the wear and tear it will subject your system to as the single largest depositor to it. <S> Just plumb it outside and use a biodegradable laundry detergent. <S> Of course, a grey water tank and pump would be nice - but not mandatory. <S> Of course, if you live in California, good luck. <A> Most States it is illegal to dump greywater directly on the ground. <S> Also, most States that allow the use of greywater, require that the system be designed and built by a licensed plumber certified by the State in Greywater treatment and disposal systemsl just any ole plumber will not due. <S> Greywater must have a filtration system, and disenfection system; you cannot just run it out of the house onto the ground anywhere ( legally ) that I know of. <S> FYI, per a previous post above, water from the kitchen sink is NOT considered greywater but blackwater.
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I wouldn't put soapy washer water directly into a lake or stream but putting it on the ground, where it will be absorbed, is no different then putting in my septic, ecologically speaking.
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Best way to splice together 20/22 gauge wiring? We have some holiday lights that had wiring snipped it seems and wondering what others have done to permanently splice 22 gauge wiring (fed from 3.5V plug). Update: On one set I have soldered the two segments together via gas stove (yes this worked well and it is one unit unless I break out scissors. Which I guess I will have to do since you need to put on the crimper or whatever connector. Guess I can redo once one of these is already on one side since it has power unit on one end and street light on another. <Q> 3M Scotchlok's would work for this application. <S> They too would require a trip to a store, but the nice part is you don't need to strip the wire as they are self-piercing. <S> They can connect two or three wires, and are filled with a sealant to provide moisture resistance. <S> They are typically used for Telco wiring, but support wire gauge from 26-19AWG. <A> I think @bib's suggestion of a crimp connector is the best way to go. <S> If it was a 120V line outside, you should use a heat shrink crimp connector, but for low voltage this is optional (but still a good idea to prevent corrosion). <S> The only other alternative I can think of that I'd consider is soldering the wires together, and sealing the connection in a piece of heat shrink tubing. <S> Anything short of a crimped or soldered connection is not going to be reliable. <S> Anything that involves electrical tape is... <S> well, at best, a temporary quick-fix. <S> Even the best taping job looks like crap compared to other types of splices. <A> Images and links are for illustration only, not an endorsement of goods or sources. <A> As mentioned, crimp connectors are the way to go. <S> If they will be used outdoors, I suggest either putting some dielectric grease inside the butt connectors or using some kind of sealing heatshrink tubing around the connector to help prevent corrosion.
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Consider crimp connectors While these are best used with a crimping tool, they can be set using a conventional or needlenose plier.
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Old wires in kitchen ceiling seem wrong. Any thoughts? Just bought a new replacement ceiling fan/light for kitchen in house we just bought, which was built in 1912 and has obviously had a wiring update, but many years ago. I switched the wall switch off and snipped the wires leading from the ceiling to the old fixture. The electrical box is brown plastic. The cable coming into the box has a white sheath and a black and a white wire, plus a bare ground, which is bent back into the box but not connected to anything -- just touching air. The black lead, assumedly the hot, is connected to two additional black wires. They are properly wire-screwed, although no electrician's tape was used. The white lead, presumedly the common, is properly wire-screwed to a black wire. (But, again, no tape.) This black wire has a little band (label) around it which reads "0". The two black wires connected to the black lead have bands reading "2" and "3". What do these numbers mean? I used a voltage detector and all three wires caused the detector's light to illuminate and the tone to sound. HOWEVER, However, the black wire connected to the white lead caused the voltage detector to react the strongest. The other two black wires, connected to the black lead, caused lesser reactions by the detector, one a little stronger than the other. The detector is a Sperry 50-1000 volts, $17 pen type from Ace Hardware, The black wire that is connected to the apparently common (white) lead activates the detector from 8". The other two, which come off the black lead, must be in contact with the detector to trigger it. The new light/fan has a black, a white and a blue wire. I've installed several ceiling fan/lights previously, but have never been faced with the slightly clouded wire-color issue, nor with the bent back but not connected ground. Any suggestions? Thans for you help. <Q> They may also correspond to that original electrician's notes on how this was going to be wired. <S> They almost certainly do not mean anything else. <S> The bare safety-ground wire should have been connected to a ground screw on the fixture, at least until you clipped the wires. <S> If wire-nuts are installed properly, they don't need electrical tape to adequately secure and insulate the connections. <S> Unless there's something odd about local code, not being taped is fine. <S> CHECK THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT CAME WITH THE FAN, <S> but GENERALLY SPEAKING, <S> the black/blue/white color coding on fans is that white is neutral, black is hot for one part of the device (eg the fan) and blue is hot for the other part of the device (the light). <S> That permits turning these on and off independently from the wall switches, if the necessary wires and switches have been installed to do so. <S> If you're replacing an existing light that only had a single switched circuit available, both blue and black from the fan get connected to black (hot) from the ceiling, and if you want independent control you use the pull-chain switches on the fan and its light fixture. <S> (If your fan doesn't have a light fixture installed, that can generally be added later quite easily; wiring both hots now means you don't have to open the ceiling again if you decide you do want a light there.) <S> Exception: If you were installing a wireless remote control -- again check the instructions that came with it -- that generally installs between the hot from the ceiling and the two hots to the fan and light, so it can provide independent control even if there's only one hot coming from the wall switch. <A> That brown plastic is likely bakelite which was invented in 1907. <S> It is unlikely it was installed when the house was built: <S> I don't think electrical boxes were much in use until a little later, like the 1920s. <S> Use care around it: <S> it is brittle. <S> The lack of electrical tape (probably) means the work was done sometime after the mid-1950s. <S> Since then it is standard procedure for twist connectors to be relied upon to hold the wires together and insulate. <S> Also, from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s (at least in North America), it was common to ground every electrical box but not provide grounding to most appliances. <S> If you have ever wondered what to do with the wire or lug on the 3 prong adapter, it is meant to be attached to the conductive faceplate screw which is connected indirectly to ground. <S> Your voltage detector could be reacting to noise on the common wire. <S> Repeat the test but make sure all motors, florescent lights, etc. <S> in the dwelling are off. <S> If it were me, I'd get an actual DMM or VOM (volt-ohm meter) and check the voltages to ground directly, as I don't have much faith in non-grounded detectors. <S> It would not hurt to look inside the service (circuit breakers or fuses) panel for loose or missing neutral connections—there could be multiple electrical problems. <S> I agree with keshlam: <S> Open the switch (after shutting off the circuit) and see what wires are there. <S> With both open, it should be clear what is going on. <A> First, thanks for the timely responses and information. <S> I learned much from you all. <S> In the end, I just connected the wires as I mentioned above and everything worked, including the lights. <S> Again, thanks. <A> Black is the HOT or power carrying wire, if you have them, the blue/black wires connect to it, the Big Black wire from the ceiling. <S> They power the fan and lights if you have a light kit. <S> The white or neutral ceiling wire connects to the white wire from the fan housing. <S> The ground or green wires from the fan connect to the green ceiling wire (sometimes its the Bare wire, it just doesnt have a green sheathing, but its the Ground). <S> Im contemplating whether I need both ground wires from the fan connected to the bare wire from the ceiling Ground wire or not, if not <S> Im clipping one off as its in my way big time! <S> I think they just put one on each end to be helpful. <S> Hope this helped.
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The numbers are almost certainly a courtesy from the previous electrician -- odds are that the other end of each wire carries the same number, so if you have all the electrical boxes open you can confirm how things are connected without having to trace everything electrically. Tape can sometimes be helpful, sometimes be an unnecessary nuisance.
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What could cause a flame sensor to stop working so frequently? Over a year ago after a month in our new house, we came back one evening to a cold home and after some googling, I found out that the flame sensor was dirty and the furnace was starting the flame and then quickly puffing it out. I cleaned the flame sensor and everything was normal again for two weeks. The flame sensor would fail every two weeks and every time I would clean it up and put it back in and everything would be okay. This made me very frustrated, so I talked to a number of HVAC stores, and none had any idea what was precipitating the situation. Finally, a lady at one HVAC store told me it was the lint from the laundry drier that happens to be too close to the furnace and that there is nothing that can be done about it if the laundry machines share a room with the furnace in the basement which is in fact the case in my house. Nevertheless, I bought a brand new flame sensor and replaced my sensor. The new sensor held up fine for a month and then failed and needed cleaning and started failing every two weeks after the first cleaning.I am now very frustrated and concerned about what would happen if I was to go on a prolonged vacation in winter. This would specially be a problem since my spouse is not handy and she would simply have to freeze waiting for an HVAC technician if this ever happened while I am away. Is anybody else having the same problem? Is there an easier longer-lasting solution? I should mention that my furnace is high-E newly installed Goodman furnace running on natural gas in mid-western Canada (3 years). <Q> Have you had a gas technician go over your entire combustion system? <S> I strongly suspect that something is not adjusted correctly, and you have excess soot production (lint seems like a red herring, frankly) which is making the sensor "dirty. <S> " <S> It also means you are not burning your gas as efficiently as should be possible. <S> This is almost certainly a problem with combustion, not the sensor. <S> The sensor fouling is a symptom, not a cause. <S> I don't really regard this a great area for DIY - without the right tools, which cost more than most homeowners (including me) will spend, and the right training to go with them, screwing up combustion appliances though self-service is more common than tuning them perfectly. <S> There's also "not creating a giant loophole for your insurance company if the house burns down" as a minor factor in that thinking. <S> Having burners professionally serviced on a yearly basis is a minor expense, comparatively. <S> If (as is commonly the case with high-efficency burners) <S> the furnace has both an air intake from and an exhaust to outside, the dryer lint really can't be the problem. <A> The flame sensor is only as good as the circuit board it plugs in to, that "thinks" about what it's getting. <S> Have you considered that the control board might be goofy? <S> They do go bad, too. <A> After cleaning the flame sensor, checking ground wire, checking exhaust for cracks or blockage and the board connection which did not fix it. <S> We found that the hanger on the exhaust pipe was hung poorly and causing exhaust pipe to droop down which made it hold condensation that ran back into unit which shut the furnace down. <S> Fixed hanger to make exhaust pipe level <S> and it seems to be working now. <A> Could also be that your thermostat is no longer sensing the correct temperature and causing your furnace to remain on longer in the heating cycle than usual. <S> This causes the burner to heat up the flame sensor and cause it to become dirty sooner than just a yearly maintenance. <S> Also, is it a 2-stage induced draft motor? <S> When your furnace comes on initially, does the small motor (induced draft motor) come on loud and really fast? <S> If so, then its immediately starting in 2nd stage which should not happen. <S> This opens up the gas pressure on your gas valve and allowing high burner operation and giving your flame rod more flame and causing it to also become dirty sooner. <A> Phosphates from your washing machine detergent are plating on your flame sensor. <S> Get your combustion air from outside and problem will be solved. <A> By law you should have furnace in big enough area to consume proper air flow. <S> 50 cu ft/1000 hr btu. <S> If your furnace is 80000 btu you need 4000 cu ft of space. <S> Room size <S> X ceiling height is actual cu ft. <S> If you have a hot water heater and dryer in same room you will have to add that btu rating to the calculation. <S> If you don't have 2 pipe furnace and don't have correct spacing it will cause incorrect combustion. <S> Symptoms are usually rusted burners, igniter burns out often, soot on inducer fan, dirty sooty flame sensor often. <S> As far as flame sensor testing a qualified tech can check with a meter DC micro amps output and see if flame sense is sending signal to the board for approval to keep gas valve open. <A> Another possibility of dirty flame sensor often is chemicals near by, cat liter box, and smoking meth in the house. <S> White substance usually noted on flame sensor. <S> This is not a joke...smoking meth incident actually happened with one of my instructors.
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Some sort of blockage of that intake could , however, potentially cause the problem you are having (insufficient air supply causing a rich, sooty flame; soot fouling the sensor.)
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How to seal between sill plate and foundation wall with wide gap? Here is a picture of the top of my uninsulated basement wall. The foundation is poured and from early 1970s. For orientation to the photo: the white in the lower left corner is the vertical face of the wall. The horizontal board is the sill plate. Attached to the sill plate is some mortar. In this photo it has separated from the top of the wall. (Edit: the picture happens to be in a location directly above a basement window, and the mortar has separated from the frame above the window. However, there are places along this wall where the mortar has indeed separated by a fraction of an inch from the poured foundation wall. An eighth to as much as a quarter of an inch, except above windows where it's more like 1/2") I am in the process of insulating the rim joists. I'm using rigid foam board instead of spray foam, and I'm using caulk instead of Great Stuff / expanding spray foam. As part of the job I am trying to seal the gap between the sill plate and the foundation wall. In the places where the mortar has not separated from the wall, it's easy enough to just run caulk along between the mortar and the sill plate. However, where it has separated, I need a better solution. How can I do that? If the gap between the sill plate and the wall was a little smaller, I could just run caulk in it. However, since it's maybe 1/2 an inch, would it be better to shove a narrow strip of wood into the insulation to give the caulk something to adhere to? Or I could cut a narrow strip of wood (say, 1" by 1/4") and staple that to the front of the sill plate in a fashion that covers up the insulation gap and then caulk along where that strip meets the foundation wall and also where it meets the sill plate. Is there a better option you'd recommend? That's my main question, but here are another couple of questions if you have interest or time. Below is a stretch of wall where I removed the mortar that had separated from the top of the wall. You can see that the mortar on the right side of the photo has not separated from the top of the foundation wall. What the heck is the purpose of the nail that is sticking into the sill plate? It was buried in the mortar that I removed. You can see the head of another nail in the mortar in the image above. Seems weird to me...though I have never done this type of work. What is the yellow insulation that is underneath the sill plate called? Why is the gap so tall? I would expect the sill plate to be basically right on top of the foundation wall with only a tiny gap. And what is the purpose of the mortar along the top of the wall in the first place? Is it basically an attempt to stop air infiltration? Edit: as follow-up to a comment I made, here's a picture of an anchor bolt in the sill plate. <Q> The yellow looks like standard spray-foam poly insulation (available under multiple brandnames). <S> It's a compound chemically related to superglue which (a) expands and (b) cures upon contact with moisture. <S> It's reasonably easy to apply and provides a decent air seal, so it's often used to fill cracks around doors/windows/foundations that would otherwise let air leak through. <S> It's a perfectly reasonable gap filler and a moderately decent adhesive... <S> so using it to fill in damaged portions of that mortar wedge seems pretty reasonable to me. <S> But that's a different chemical and tends to be tan rather than yellow. <S> My place had a band of that applied as part of a general air-sealing upgrade shortly after I moved in.) <A> As an answer to a question: how to fill that gap between sill plate and foundation wall? , I would advise to use self-levelling concrete (or whatever You call it). <S> It's most often used to level the floor before putting anything else (if the floor base is concrete and not level or the surface is not 'mild' enough to place a carpet or something. <S> To make it correct do the following: empty all gaps <S> (all 'insulation' and mortar must be taken out), clear <S> the foundation and sill plate surfaces from mortar particles and remnants of the insulation) use simple planks to make shuttering/formwork <S> (top level of future concrete will be like 1-3mm above the bottom of foil under the sill plate) <S> wrap bottom side of sill plate with some kind of continuous foil (water/moisture insulation) lay the self-levelling concrete, be sure that the concrete fills all the space after a week take off the shuttering, make some finishing (if needed) and continue with Your work (if You plan anything more) <S> Additionally, here are some short answers to other questions. <S> Former 'insulation' - most likely, the guy that was making <S> this foundation wall did not his job <S> well, so the top of it wasn't properely levelled; the sill plate is vertical so the gaps emerged; to seal these gaps fiber glass (mineral wool - name of similiar material name in place where I live) was used Former 'mortar' - <S> the fiber glass wasn't enough OR the builder wanted to ensure that 'fiber glass layer' will not be destroyed/frayed/... <S> in any way ---> poured that mortar Nails - as was stated in some comments, these were (most likely) acting like something that will force the mortar to stay in place <S> (think of it as a crude 'mortar reinforcing' to keep it with a sill plate) <S> At the end some explanations: - why self-levelling concrete? <S> - it can bear the loads from sill plate and deliver it to the fountation wall (obviously better than fiber glass...) <S> - why continuous foil under the sill plate? - that will assure that the moisture will not pass to and corrupt the sill plate if the concrete basement wall will be wet (whatever the reason) <A> Remove ALL the mortar throughout. <S> Fill gap with Great Stuff / expanding spray foam. <S> Let cure and then cut off square. <S> Drywall the face of the sill plate to cover the foam for fire safety. <A> I would peel back the onion and take a better pic of the whole wall, you mentioned a window , then I would consider the window potentially leaking to where nails pulled due to warping moisture , peel back the onion and expose the concern.. <S> as for the nail sticking out, it was probably due to laziness and not taking it out and covering it up with mud.. reinforcing the mud probable <S> but then there would be more along the jointmy two cents
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(There's a professional spray-foam sealant/insulation which can be used to achieve a much more serious/durable air seal around the sill/foundation joint.
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Fixing cracks in a cinder block wall I have a wall that is cracking in a couple of places. Two important points: This wall is not part of a building, it's like a fence or property boundary wall, but it's made of blocks of some sort, covered up so they look like one continuous surface It's not really so much cracking as it appears to be separation along the joint lines of the blocks. It goes all the way from the front to the back of the block. There are two places in the wall which are cracking and both are near trees, so I'm wondering if the roots could be pushing up the ground under the wall and causing the cracking. None of these trees are on our property, so we can't remove them. One of the set of cracks is occurring near a corner in the wall, and the cracking has formed a stair-step pattern starting about 15 feet from the corner and moving up towards the corner to within about 3 feet. When we purchased the property 3 years ago the previous owners had put expansion foam in the cracks to seal it (the cracking was around 3/4" or less, but within the last few months there was movement and now the cracks are at least double that. My initial thought was to perhaps seal up the sides and pour mortar mix or concrete mix in the opening from the top. However there are a number of problems with this: due to the stair-step nature of the cracking, the mix wouldn't go all the way to the bottom; (but conversely, I don't know how I would force the mix into cracks to make it go all the way through); if the problem is caused by the ground moving it might just crack more as the ground continues to move, possibly in a different location on the fence, and I'm not sure concrete or mortar mix would hold the fence together against such forces anyway. I'm trying to find a solution that will fit in the budget, i.e. I can't afford to have the fence removed to fix the ground and the replaced or something like that. I can afford some raw materials, but all the labor is going to have to be myself. Are there any solutions that will allow me to effectively deal with the problem? <Q> Short answer is: there is no quick fix with any kind of patching material. <S> The trees will eventually destroy the wall. <S> You said the trees are not on your property so you can't remove them. <S> You can however remove any part of them that does come over onto your property including the roots. <S> Replace it with sand or light gravel to increase the drainage and reduce the attraction of organic growth. <S> You can rent a mini-excavator for a few hundred dollars and have the sand delivered for around $100 a dump truck full. <S> Depending on the size of the wall you could get out of it for less than $1000. <S> After excavating, and before backfilling you need to straighten the wall and insert 1/2" re-rod into a core every couple feet and fill it with light concrete mix. <S> This will help to stop the cracking from happening again in the near future and support the wall for backfilling. <S> Let it cure for a week before backfilling. <S> People falsely believe that the mortar between concrete blocks gives them strength, the truth is the mortar is only there to seal the joints. <S> A poorly reinforced block wall is easily pushed in. <S> Sounds like whoever built the wall didn't understand this. <S> Good luck! <A> Try masonary adhesive (the kind they use to bond retaining wall blocks with). <S> Press it into the cracks with a putty knife as far as possible. <S> When dry, that stuff is very tough. <A> Not really fixable. <S> The way masonry works is that it goes up from a foundation. <S> If the foundation is unsound the masonry will crack. <S> Doesn't matter how big the rocks are. <S> The Great Pyramid will crack if something happens to its basement. <S> You cannot repair a crack in masonry by putting gunk into it, you can only hide a crack. <S> Naturally, there are many vendors who sell crack-hiding gunk of various kinds. <S> Crack hiding only works on complete idiots. <S> Anyone with any knowledge will be able to tell there is a crack there. <S> Basically you have a crack and there is nothing you can do except curse the moron who built the wall in the first place. <A> If there's water or a wet spot at the bottom or surrounding the entire crack area it may be due to improper or no drainage. <S> Water will weaken everything & will settle at the grout's indent line as the furthest point & then also walk its way down to the bottom in those channels. <S> If so, then you can dig out the back side (if allowed), install gravel & a drain outlet for a lasting re-pointing. <S> But, if it's tree roots spreading & pushing you can only just keep up with patching the crack until you move out. <S> Caulk will stretch quite a while longer until the crack widens too much & needs another re-fill, re-caulk & re-paint.
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Hydraulic cement would be your best bet in filling the bulk & then caulk over that to hide everything with paint. The only way you can affect a long term fix is to excavate behind the wall removing the offending roots and heavy soil.
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How can I disconnect my water line from the toilet? I'm trying to replace the bits inside my toilet. The water supply line is stuck where it goes into the toilet, The plastic connector seems "glued" to the fill valve assembly. How can I get it off? <Q> If the line is made from solid copper (often chrome plated), it sometimes has a bit of tension in it, making it appear to be stuck to the fixture. <S> Try gently pushing it in different directions while pulling down. <S> If you're not comfortable with the amount of force needed, it may be too much. <S> Consider calling a pro rather than breaking something. <A> Everything stated above both in comment and answer offered by TomG is true, but I think that you really should find the main valve and close it while you are performing any intervention with the pluming. <S> Also if it is metal you can apply some products which help when screws or valves are stuck. <S> If it is plastic, try gently unscrewing it; even if you break it wouldn't cause bigger problems because you have closed the main valve. <A> Worst case you can cut the plastic nut off using a Dremel and a cutoff wheel. <S> It likely isn't glued but if you are having this much trouble getting it off, it's unlikely you will want to reuse it anyways. <S> Same goes for the supply line, new braided lines are cheap so if necessary, just destructively remove it.
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If the line is a flex line, it may be stuck with a bit of mineral buildup; try gently wiggling it back and forth.
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Can I wire 3-way switches so that when they are both in the same orientation the light will be off? I replaced my 3-way switches. Is it possible to have either switch shut the light off, by pulling down on the toggles Either switch does shut the light off, but then one toggle is up, and the other is down. I want both to be down after shutting the light off. If there is a way, can you give a diagram of how to wire it? <Q> There are four possible combinations of two 3-way switches: <S> Both up <S> Both down <S> First up, second down <S> First down, second up <S> Two of these will have the light or fixture on, two will have it off. <S> I prefer #1 and #2 to be "off", with #3 and #4 on. <S> If your light is off for #3 and #4, and you'd prefer it the other way, you can exchange the traveller wires at (only) one of the two switches. <S> The travellers are generally connected to two silver screws, with the common wire on a darker screw. <A> There is no way to achieve what you want with 3-way toggle switches, either thru wiring or physical orientation of the switch. <S> During use they will often be mismatched. <S> The only solution to get them to be uniform and to match the current lights operation is to use a push button type switch, lutron and creston make some nice ones, but they are not cheap. <S> Google Image Search "Lutron Maestro Switch". <A>
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Just mount one switch bottom-up, or invert the two travelers if you can't mechanically 'rotate' the switch.
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Can I shut off the water supply by unplugging the water softener? I have to replace one of the O-Rings in a leaky faucet, and would have to shut off the water valve to said faucet. However, the faucets in my place don't have individual shut off valves, and there is only one main valve. I am hesitant in shutting off the main valve, because it has been known to leak in the past upon re-opening. I have a water softener installed that is fed from the pipe from the main valve, the water softener then feeds the hot water tank and breaks off to feed the rest of the cold water in the house. If I was to shut off the water softener(unplug it) without changing it in bypass mode, would this turn off the cold water supply to the rest of my house? <Q> The power to the softener is only used to run the backwash and recharge cycle. <S> It will continue to operate without power, and will even continue to soften water for a while (though it does eventually need to be recharged, depending on the hardness of your water and how much you use). <S> Certain types of bypasses can be used as shut-off valves. <S> A custom-built one with 3 valves is easy: just close all valves. <S> There's a type with two valves that can also be used: close one (so the valves are in opposite directions). <S> Other types that only have one valve/control handle don't shut off the water flowing through them. <S> Separately, you should have a main-shutoff that is reliable. <S> If you have a leak in your house it will likely cost much more than a valve will. <S> Install a ball (quarter turn) valve, rather than a globe or gate valve -- very reliable, and will easily last at least a couple decades. <A> <A> No, even without power, water will still flow through the water softener.
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You have to shut off the flow of water via a valve. No, the water softener electrical portion just determines when and the frequency of regeneration but it has no effect on whether water will or not pass through the unit
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What pipe/adapter do I need to make this sink connect to this P trap? I'm getting ready to connect a custom vanity to a P-trap and I'm not sure what kind of pipe/connection/adapter I need. The P-trap looks like this: (note that it won't be sticking out that far from the wall. This was just a test shot for example purposes. The sink I'm planning to use looks like this: Here's the bottom view of it: The sink drain hole is approximately 2 inches in diameter. The P-trap pipe diameter is 1.5 inches in diameter. So my question at this point is: What material/component do I need to connect these two? Is there a "drain insert" that's made for this type of thing? Or should I find some sort adapter/coupling to connect the stuff together? How can I connect these two? <Q> In a bathroom, pop-up drain assemblies are common. <S> Here's an image of the drain assembly, with all the parts labeled. <S> (source: naturalhandyman.com ) <S> The tailpiece of the drain assembly, should attach to the trap assembly. <S> If the trap is too low, an extension can be used. <S> When installing the drain, put a bead of plumber's putty around the drain hole of the sink. <S> Then bed the drain flange in the plumber's putty. <S> From below, install the washer and nut, and thread on the tailpiece. <S> When you tighten it down, the excess plumber's putty will squeeze out. <S> Use you finger, or a rag to remove whatever oozes out. <A> The best advice to give you is to contact the manufacturer of this specialty sink. <S> They may very well have had some ideas in mind when the sink design was made. <S> This does not appear to be a simple matter of using a standard bathroom sink drain assembly due to the way the sink overflow is designed. <S> The interior view also implies that a very specific sink stopper assembly is intended to be used with this sink due to the fact that the mating surface for the stopper appears to be built right into the sink. <S> In a more standard sink design the stopper assembly and its mating part(s) are all built into the drain assembly itself. <S> So contact the manufacturer on this one. <A> What you're missing is the drain. <S> Usually this either comes with the faucet or can be bought stand alone. <S> But I do agree with the other answer in that it might be a part specific to this sink.
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You'll need to install a drain assembly.
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Is Switching the Neutral OK? What’s the worst that can happen if i put a switch in the neutral instead of the phase? I just found out that 3 light bulbs sockets in my home are connected this way, it first came to my mind to fix it but then I recalled the flow of current from positive to negative is just a convention since the electrons are charged negatively and they actually flow from N to L so i cant really find an solid excuse to mess with the wiring for the next 2 hrs <Q> No, you don't want to switch the neutral. <S> If those light bulb sockets are a fixed installation in your house (such as a ceiling light as opposed to a table lamp), then that's not good and quite likely not to code. <S> We can't know for sure <S> because you haven't said where this is nor filled in your profile (remember, your profile is a courtesey for us, not really for you). <S> The wiring in your house not being to code is not only potentially unsafe, but can open you up to various liability issues, especially if you ever sell or rent out your house. <S> The hot wire is the one with significant potential on it with respect to ground. <S> Many things are tied to ground, so you can be easily connected to ground depending on what you're touching, like a radiator, water faucet, sink, computer chassis, and other things you might not realize are grounded. <S> The hot wire is therefore dangerous. <S> The neutral wire is connected to ground at the breaker box, which is connected to physical ground nearby. <S> If you switch the hot line and leave the neutral, then the whole device will be at neutral potential. <S> That's OK. <S> If you switch the neutral, then the whole device will be at hot potential. <S> In theory that's OK since all of that is supposed to be insulated. <S> However, stuff happens, and by switching neutral instead of hot you have removed one layer of safety. <A> NO <S> In this situation, electrocution can occur while changing a light blub even with the switch off. <S> Two hours of your life in trade for everyone else's, in their entirety, should be a solid excuse . <S> Fix it. <A> Neutral is very close to ground potential due to being tied to ground at the distribution panel. <S> Live is... live. <S> A connection from neutral to ground will not likely kill you, but a connection from live to ground stands a decent chance of doing so. <S> And more of the circuit is live than neutral if you switch only the neutral, including any electrical devices on the circuit . <A> One of the first things they taught us was to "Always switch the hot". <S> On 240 volt, you switch both hots. <S> With line voltages, they always make the hot parts as small and inaccessible as possible. <S> That is why the hot tab inside a lamp socket is down in the bottom, where it's hard to touch. <S> The same goes for the smaller hot hole in an outlet vs the larger neutral hole. <S> In furnaces, any high voltage terminals are insulated, while the low voltage doesn't need to be. <S> This is why I always use a non-contact voltage indicator, because I never know what traps someone else has set up for me. <A> If the circuit is wired to switch the "hot"; which is the correct way to wire an AC circuit. <S> The only way there should be a voltage potential at the fixture or device, is if the switch is closed. <S> When wired this way, there's always a safe path for current to flow when the circuit is energized. <S> If, however, the "neutral" is switched, there would always be a voltage potential at the fixture or device. <S> A safe path for current to flow only exists when the switch is closed. <S> In this situation you could potentially become the path to ground, especially when the switch is off. <S> You mention electricity flowing from negative to positive, which suggests you're familiar with DC current. <S> With alternating current (AC), "electricity" flows from a higher potential to a lower potential. <A> Fix it. <S> But turn the power off first. <S> I have never seen that before, but every house I have owned or built had the hot and neutral reversed on at least one outlet. <S> Another possible hair burner. <A> As Nick stated in his comment : " What's the worst? <S> " you ask. <S> "Somebody gets electrocuted". <S> What this means is .. <S> So if you are looking to kill someone changing a bulb this is how that is done. <S> FIX IT RIGHT. <S> Not only will you save someone in your family but also someone else who purchases the home from you. <S> As some have said about the code: In the United States it is against the National Electric Code <S> , I believe all states adhere to this code and then adopt more stringent codes <S> but I could be mistaken. <S> I am not sure about how territories of the United States handle this - you will need to check if you are in any of those areas.
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The person CHANGING the light bulb has the possibility of inadvertently touching the lamp threading - the socket being HOT all the time. That is not a good idea.
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furnace blower motor vibration when working hard A few weeks ago my furnace developed a vibration that can be heard throughout the house. If I remove the side panel of the furnace or if I remove the filter, the vibration goes away. My theory is that the fan works fine when it doesn't have to work hard but when pulling air through the filter (which is new) it has to work harder and vibrates. My questions are: does this make sense? And if so, how can I troubleshoot it further? -Edit- the old piece of junk ended up dying yesterday. We are replacing the unit. <Q> Your initial assumption about load on blower due to new filter is valid. <S> Called starving the suction of the blower. <S> If the MERV rating of the filter is too high, this will starve the blower suction and cause any minor vibration in the blower motor/wheel assembly to amplify. <S> In my case the imbalance was due to a failing motor bearing. <A> I read this post last night when one of the blowers in my system started vibrating, shaking the entire house. <S> The comments above encouraged me to look into it myself, and I wanted to share what I've found in my case for the benefit of anyone in a similar situation. <S> In my case, it seems the Installation Instructions were left inside the unit and pages of it got jammed on the blades, causing the imbalance. <S> After I removed these, everything went back to normal. <S> The AC is 6 years old, so these instructions must have been there since the installation, probably taped to a side panel internally. <A> Try putting pressure on random things to isolate the location. <S> Take the top panel off and start there. <S> I'm not sure how you can check the rest if it doesn't do it while you have access open to deaden random things. <S> Try tightening the motor mounts and the blower cage bolts. <S> Then do every screw you can find. <S> A last resort might be shoving toothpicks in between where two pieces of sheet metal meet. <S> If it's the bearings in the cage or the motor there's not much you can do except replace them, assuming you can verify either of these as the culprit. <A> Just as with car wheels, vibrations happen at certain speeds. <S> Putting the filter on, no matter how clean it is, slows the motor down a bit, which just happens to be an rpm where any out-of-balance vibrations show up (in your case). <S> It has been my experience that when there are excess blower vibrations, the cage blower itself has accumulated dirt. <S> They can be in perfect balance, even though coated with dust, till a chunk of dust falls off from one spot, thus throwing the whole thing out of balance. <S> Note: do not disturb any balancing weights that might be attached to the blowercage.
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Newer blower cages only have bolts on the front, the rear rests in a slide; another possibility. Clean the blower with compressed air (after removing it) and see if that helps.
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How to refill a fire extinguisher How do I refill a fire extinguisher in NYC.I went to the fire department and they do not refill them.I bought a new one but if the old one can be refilled, I would use it as a backup. <Q> Look in the phone book under "Fire Extinguishers" or similar. <S> Note that if it is a very small domestic unit it may be cheaper to replace it. <A> The FD will check them, but not test or refill them. <S> You do need a special place that does this for commercial units. <S> Smaller household units cannot be refilled, they must be replaced. <S> Here is info from the NYC FD I found in about 2 seconds with Google: <S> http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/safety/extinguisher/index.shtml <S> They show links to dozens of fire extinguisher service companies. <A> In my area, I belive fire houses will exchange your dead one for a good one. <S> But I'm not sure if they still do this, it's been a number of years since I've done it. <S> If they can't exchange it, they'll at least be able to tell you who can help you.
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In the NYC / Jersey area there should be hundreds of companies that service hand-held extinguishers - everything from hand-pump water cans to stuff that puts out exotic metal fires.
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Can a wifi thermostat to control milivolt operated fireplace? Have a propane gas fireplace, controlled by a hand held remote control thermostat. Wish to install a wall mounted wifi controlled thermostat, heat only. Seems that all available thermostats operate with a 24V system and I have been told that my fireplace requires a milivolt system. How do I resolve this problem. It is a country home which I only visit occasionally during the winter. <Q> No problem. <S> First, the furnace must be designed to have an external millivolt thermostat. <S> A millivolt thermostat is a very simple creature, it has 2 wires going to it, and it shunts those to call for heat. <S> Second, the smart 'stat will need a 24V power supply. <S> This is available from any $15 thermostat transformer, such as many designed to mount in junction box knockouts or on the cover of a junction box. <S> The 24V wires go to R and C on the smart 'stat. <S> It goes without saying, this smart stat will not work with the power out . <S> The smart 'stat cannot directly talk to the millivolt furnace. <S> However since a millivolt 'stat simply shunts the two wires, a relay can be used to shunt those same two wires. <S> The NO contacts of the relay go to those two wires. <S> The coil winding of the relay goes to W and C on the smart 'stat. <S> And that's it. <S> Now one more thing. <S> A wonderful feature of most millivolt furnaces is that they are able to run normally when the AC power is knocked out. <S> It's the difference between shelter in place, or needing a hotel room. <S> * <S> * Now, the smart stat will lose its 24VAC when the AC power fails, so it will not be able to command the relay to turn on. <S> For that reason, leave an analog millivolt stat in parallel with the relay. <S> Set it to 40F <S> so it stays out of the way, then when you need it, you can set it to your desired temp and it will shunt the wires and make the furnace kick. <S> ** Difference between your pipes freezing or not. <S> ( As if anyone would install a millivolt furnace in the snowbelt, ha ha, they are all used in Florida and California of course. <S> You can't even buy them in the snowbelt, nobody carries them and your HVAC guy doesn't know what they are). <A> It IS a millivolt system. <S> It does not require it. <S> You need a thermostat that does not require 24V to operate. <S> I have a Honeywell Lyric that works great and does not require 24V or a C wire. <S> It comes with a replaceable lithium battery. <S> This would need to get wired into your fireplace. <S> There is a gas valve just like a furnace with TT terminals. <S> Are you familiar with this kind of wiring. <S> If not then calling in a pro to wire it is by far your best and safest bet. <A> 24 volt thermostats will not handle millivolt. <S> There is a company that has a millivolt wifi coming . <A> This is a very late answer but anyone with a millivolt, standing pilotgas fireplace can try the LuxGeo wifi programmable thermostat. <S> Use it with the battery option rather than the C hardware option.
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We have a propane millivolt gas fireplace, and it works great; wecan turn the fireplace on/off and program via wifi or thermostat on wall.
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Do I need a junction box for a hardwired stove? I'm replacing my drop-in electric stove with a free-standing electric stove (both are rangetop + oven). The drop-in stove was hardwired and the wiring comes up out of a hole in the floor about 3" from the wall. The old stove was connected to a junction box with 12 gauge wire in flexible conduit, but the junction box was just floating around on the floor behind the cabinets--it wasn't fastened in place on the floor or to the wall. Because the new stove requires 10 gauge or larger wiring and the store wasn't open when I needed to install the new stove, I "temporarily" connected the new stove directly to the really thick wire coming out of the floor (removing the junction box and 12 gauge wiring). Is it acceptable to leave the new stove like this, or must I install a junction box between the stove and the wire that runs to the breaker panel? <Q> You will need to refer to the documentation that came with your new appliance. <S> Is it rated to be connected with a cord an plug or directly wired? <S> To start with you will need to run a new cable of 10 gauge wire and replace the circuit breaker in your panel. <A> I decided that it could be hazardous for the heavy-duty wire from the breaker panel to be allowed to move when the stove is pulled out, because over time the insulation could be worn off at the hole in the floor. <S> I was going to reinstall the junction box and hardwire the stove to it, but my local store doesn't sell 10 ga metal-sheathed electrical cord by the foot, and I would have had to buy a 25-foot coil. <S> As it turned out, a stove receptacle only cost about $6, so I bought and installed a 3-prong stove cord and matching receptacle for less than $30 instead of leaving the stove hardwired with or without a junction box. <A> If the new stove specifies hard wiring do not use a plug. <S> The connection can wear out over time. <S> Dissimilar metals will corrode.
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If the existing wire from the panel is aluminum (it will be really thick) make sure you use approved wire nuts for connecting to copper. Operating the appliance with 12 gauge wire when it is rated more than 20 amps and requires 10 gauge wire violates the manufacturers instructions as well as overloading the circuit.
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How should I finish a basement with a pitched floor? I am building a room in the basement where the slab has a pitch. I have already installed had a foam and magnesium board subfloor and my intention is to have a carpet installed on top of that. The room is about 17 x 10 and the pitch is on the 17 foot length. It is roughly 2 to 2.5 inches lower on one side that the other end. I didn't "fix" the pitch on purpose because it is there to allow any water leaks to flow towards the drain. So what are my options when I finish the walls and install a basement and a carpet in this room. Will I need to live with the slopping floor (which I guess will be most pronounced in the baseboard) or is there a trick to fix this where it is unnoticeable? Is there a "carpet padding shim"? <Q> I would stop and make your floor level before you proceed. <S> Home Depot/Lowes/etc stores in my area sell 2'x2' subfloor 'tiles' that is basically tongue & groove OSB with dimpled foundation membrane on the bottom side. <S> However, you can do this yourself using the foundation membrane and sheets of plywood or OSB. <S> The flooring looks like this: <S> As I see it, you have two choices: Leave your subfloor as is, but install sleepers and plywood or OSB on top (will reduce ceiling height a bit). <S> This is better, in my opinion, because it would allow any water to run downhill instead of being trapped through capillary action. <A> The normal fix for this type of installation is to install treated lumber sleepers that are cut to the slope of the floor to level out the base. <A> I would leave the pitch for your room. <S> I think doing any sort of subfloor is a waste of time if you are laying carpet and could in fact cause long-term issues. <S> As you have already mentioned the baseboards are the only place you will see this. <S> This is actually pretty easy to deal with <S> unless you have cupping, which it sounds like you don't. <S> Throw on another question for how to deal with the baseboards <S> and I will help out there.
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Rip out the subfloor, and install something like the dimpled foundation membrane, then the sleepers and the plywood or OSB. It sounds like you have proceeded beyond the point so this may not be a solution for you unless you look for a similar solution installed over your foam and base material.
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How do I keep the door jamb moulding from pulling away from the wall when hardware is screwed in? Total novice here. My wife wants one of those security door guards (a hinged arm that swings open to a point) on the door. I had bought the hardware, but put it off when the provided screws turned out to be for wood only, unable to penetrate the front door, which was painted metal. I finally got around to buying metal screws. The latch bit went in fine, but when I tried to attach the bolt to the jamb, the moulding started pulling away from the wall. It went back a bit when I finished screwing it in (after a brief panic, thinking that I'd just ruined our door in the start of winter), but not all the way. Is there any trick to keeping the moulding down? Or is this cosmetic and I just need to bridge the gap with a little caulk and paint? Where the jamb moulding is pulling away A section which hasn't yet pulled away a little below The security door guard, in case it's relevant I have since removed the jamb part of the door guard because it only had one screw and we're expecting company later tonight. The jamb is still a little bit off of the wall, enough that the door squeaks up against it when opening. I'm beginning to suspect that the moulding has probably been this close to pulling away for a while now, possibly due to expansion over the years, and I just lucked into it. I think I have some nails downstairs that I can probably use to try to tack it down. I tried wood screws on the jamb after tacking it down with finishing nails and drilling guide holes. No dice. At this point, I think I must be hitting something harder just past in the door. Given the sheet metal screws didn't go through, I'm not sure what to do short of maybe trying concrete screws. <Q> Did you pre-drill the holes for the screws? <S> It seems as though the screws have hit something solid (screw/nail head, etc). <S> Which is causing the molding to be pushed away, instead of the screws penetrating deeper into the wall. <S> This might be a sign that the hardware is only held in place by the molding, which isn't going to be very secure. <S> You'll want to make sure the screws are held securely in the studs, and not simply in the finish materials (drywall, molding, etc.). <A> Reminder: If you want that to provide any real security against kick-in, the "bolt" (I'd call it a hasp, but never mind) needs to be firmly secured not just to the door trim but into the stud behind it. <S> 3" screws are seriously worth considering. <S> In any case, the screws you use for this should have thread stopping a bit before the screw head (with the unthreaded space being at least the thickness of the trim) so they turn freely in the trim and pull it into the wall rather than locking the two into a specific distance from each other. <A> If those screws are only 1" long, then that security latch doesn't give you much security. <S> In order to provide any semblance of security, the screws need to be firmly attached to a stud. <S> It looks like those screws only go into the door jamb, which is probably only 3/4 thick and unable to handle a 3 1/2" screw. <S> If your screws do not have an unthreaded portion on the shank, near the head, then you must firmly press the trim against the door jamb as you turn the screw. <S> Alternatively, you can predrill a hole that's large enough for the screw to slip through. <S> You often see these types of security devices on hotel doors which have steel doors and steel frames, so the screws can be fastened securely. <S> Unfortunately, they don't really provide much benefit to a wood door with a wood frame. <S> (If you already have a good deadbolt, remove a couple of screws from the strike plate (on the door jamb) and replace them with 3 1/2" screws.) <S> Install a peep hole if you want to see who's outside your door.
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I know you've bought and installed this, and your wife wants it, but - instead - I recommend installing a good deadbolt with long screws that go all the way into the wood studs framing the door.
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How can I mount a clock on tiles? My father likes to have a clock in our bathroom. Currently, it looks like this: As you can see the clock is already damaged because we need to move it all the time when we want to open the window. I would like to mount it on the wall, but we have tiles there and cannot drill a hole there. The clock has the usual "hole" to mount it on the wall with a nail: I would like to have something like TESA powerstrips which holds very good, but with a knob on it so that we can easily put the clock on the wall and remove it if the battery runs out. How is something like that called? <Q> You should be able to find a suitable self stick hook of some sort that can hold up the clock. <S> With proper pre-cleaning of the smooth tile surface I would expect a good brand of self stick to stay adhered for a long time. <S> Some folks have suggested energizing the self stick glue on this type of product by painting on a layer of clear nail polish varnish before before sticking it up to the wall. <S> If you do this make sure to let it dry well before using the hook to hold up the clock. <S> Note that if the hook style is a bit to long to accomodate the mounting feature on the back of the clock it is easy to cut off part of the hook tip. <A> I had the same situation. <S> I used velcro mounting pads. <S> They come in different shapes and sizes. <S> You can cut them to fit. <S> They will allow you to remove the clock when the battery needs to be changed. <A> Well first you need to create a sealed backing for the clock or it will rust out in a month. <S> So some plastic and caulk.
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Then you can basically use whatever you want to mount it - glue, silicone, velcro, double sided tape, suction cups....
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My furnace cycles once, then won't ignite again. What could be wrong? My furnace is not working properly. I shut down the whole electricity and also the switch on my furnice and waiting a few minutes to turn all back on. It will heat up the house and turns off automatically when it reaches my desired temperature setting. But when it needs to start back again it will lite up the fire and turn off about 3 times but never turn on. I have to keep resetting to get the heater to turn in. Changed the filter already and I did see a small light turn off and blink 7 times consecutively. <Q> There are many things that could cause the furnace to fail to light, each of which requires its own diagnostics to determine if it is the problem. <S> Since it sounds like you don't know much about furnaces, your best bet would be to contact a local licensed HVAC company. <S> Things that could cause a furnace to fail to ignite include, but are not limited to... Gas off. <S> Electricity off. <S> Clogged burner orifice. <S> Bad flame sensor. <S> Bad pilot assembly. <S> Bad igniter. <S> Bad control board. <S> Bad gas valve. <S> Restricted combustion air supply. <A> Is there a manual that describes the diagnostic code of the flashing light? <S> If not look up your manual online. <S> Likely the control board has failed and you need to get it serviced. <A> My modulating condensing boiler did that for a while. <S> It turned out to be the flame sensor which is nothing more that a bent rod that comes close to but not touching the burner tube. <S> It was only 3/16 inch from the tube <S> but I adjusted it to be 1/8 inch away and has been functioning perfectly for three years. <S> Check your service manual or google your manufacturer/model and download or purchase one.
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A red light flashing 7 times typically means the furnace is in lockout mode, which based on your description seems to be your situation.
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Are bubbles in new exterior paint normal? Not happy with the new exterior paint job - it bubbled immediately, and the initial recommendation from the contractor was "don't pop them". We gave it time to settle, but the issue still hasn't been resolved. I am so disappointed in the appearance. I asked the owner if this: Was satisfactory to him as a professional Met current industry standards Was he prepared to do nothing to remedy the situation? It appears the answer was 'yes' to all. Is it reasonable that I ask again for this to be re-done in the spring when it is warm and dry? Please advise. <Q> Those are very good questions you asked the contractor. <S> The result of the paint job is unacceptable. <S> Besides being unsightly, the paint job will not have the longevity you want or expect, as the bubbles will pop or split on their own, and form a nice little place to hold water against your siding. <A> No, that is not normal, nor satisfactory, nor remotely professional. <S> It probably occurred from excess moisture present before the paint was applied. <S> The solution is more work than simply painting: <S> The blistered paint needs to be stripped, the bare surface prepared thoroughly, including drying—which could be done in winter with a tent and heaters, etc.—and repainting. <S> I suspect the "professional" who did this cut corners in an effort to improve profit. <S> Certainly he is not trying to build a list of satisfied customers. <A> From the looks of the board under the paint, you had bare wood exposed allowing moisture to penetrate. <S> The new paint has sealed the moisture in the wood and has bubbled up in the places where the moisture is trying to escape. <S> The best remedy is to scrape and repaint the siding during a warm dry period so the moisture can come out of the wood and prevent future bubbles from appearing. <A> Moisture. <S> My painters always allow several days after power-washing, and then check with a two prong moisture meter. <A> Paint blister occur for several reasons and (as been mentioned several times) <S> moisture is one of the causes. <S> If the siding had been not allowed to dry properly after power washing, for instance, and immediately covered with paint the moisture would form a blister as it evaporated. <S> Here are some other causes for paint blistering: applying paint in direct sunlight on a hot (+85 degree) day and applying another coat of paint before the first one has dried completely. <S> The solutions to all of these issues is to re-sand the dried paint until blisters are gone and wait for the wood to dry completely. <S> Afterward prime and finish as usual. <S> BTW: the blisters, as you probably now know, won't be resolved by themselves and will need further attention in the way of preparation work to look acceptable. <A> The blisters if when scrapped or popped show the original paint color <S> then you painter did not prep right. <S> If you pop that bubble and it goes all the way down to the wood you are having a falsity from the original primer finally not being able to hold. <S> Houses that have lap siding and that are older. <S> At some point someone caulked all the laps sealing up the spot where moisture from a he inside of the house is suppose to escape. <S> This is why most bubbles pop up on the sunny side of the home and normally around your kitchen or bathroom walls. <S> If you notice the place where he was able to scrape because that paint was failing before the job started and he was able to get to bare wood <S> you are probably not having my any issue. <S> In my home town with the new EPA regulations about lead paint and not being able to sand. <S> People simple can't afford to have there homes heat stripped or replace all there siding. <S> Now if it's new siding and your having bubbles then you are probably 95% it is poorly prepped
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The bubbling is most likely due to painting on a damp surface.
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What is the purpose of the rear end of a roofing hammer? I am referring to this kind of hammer, also known as a roofing hammer. I understand that the flat end is intended to act as a normal hammer, and the sharp end is intended to pierce holes through roofing slate, to aid in fastening (perhaps by nails) However, what is the purpose of the non-sharp protrusion from the rear (non-hammer) end? In other words, why is the roofing hammer's rear end asymmetric? -edit- I found another roofing hammer, which clearly has the two rear protrusions offset from one another, so it is unlikely to be for the purpose of being a nail claw. Anyone has experience with one of those, then? <Q> One reason for the offset design for the type of roofing hammer that you showed it that it can be used to guide or tap the roof covering piece into place. <S> The point slid under the shingle being applied with the offset step at the edge of the shingle the hammer head would be adjusted till it is even with the previous course of shingles. <S> Some types of roofing hammers have an adaptation of this idea to allow for an adjustable shingle exposure. <A> It's a roofing hammer specifically for slate roofing. <S> You can pry the tile with the spike and pull the nails with the claw. <S> Yours appears to be the "Freund" style. <A> Your picture does not show it particularly well, but I believe that you have a claw (for pulling nails) formed by the "stub" and a protrusion from one side of the "spike" on the illustrated hammer. <S> Here's a half-decent picture from a slate supply place.
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The type of hammer with the offset spike end can be used as a shingle tab exposure guide.
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How to fix a tap where the handle has fallen off I have the following tap / faucet: As you can see, it's seen better days. The handle of it was composed of four plastic interlocking pieces which have, piece by piece, broken off. We're due to get a new kitchen soon, so I don't want to spend any money on it at this stage. My initial thought was to replace the tap, but it's part of an enclosed unit where I physically can't get to the underside of it. I visited a local DIY shop, and he suggested this: This sounded like a brilliant idea. Apparently the concept being that you simply unscrew the top of the tap, remove the cylinder and replace it with this. Having unscrewed the screw that is visible in the above picture, it appears to be effectively impossible to remove the top of this tap. So, my question is broadly, how can I rectify this without changing the tap? Firstly, am I correct in assuming I should be able to simply slide to top section of this tap off once the screw is removed (I've tried WD40 and a good bit of force, but it's not coming)? Secondly, assuming that this isn't possible, is there such a thing as a "glove" that simply slides over the top (the tap works okay, it's just hard to turn off and on)? <Q> From my point of view (image is very small and poorly illuminated) you face a hexagonal ending of the shaft, when looking at the top of the tap. <S> My first try was to get a wrench socket, which fits the hexagonal stub. <S> It may be difficult to find a matching wrench socket small enough to fit into the housing of the tap, but you could take a cheap one and grind the outer diameter down until it fits. <S> then you screw it down with a matching screw and insert a short t-handle. <S> Alternatively you may fix a valve handle to it via a sqare axis reaching from your wrench socket into the handle. <S> Update <S> there's another way to make place for a wrench socket (assuming there's a wrench socket fitting the hexagon, but not the inner diameter). <S> The wrench socket — again — can be fixated by a matching screw and some washers on the tap to prevent it from popping out. <A> Take a considerably better picture than that (with a ruler in the pictures so sizes can be judged accurately), and possibly a clay impression of the place the handle goes, and shop for a replacement tap handle. <S> I suspect the screw in your picture <S> is just to hold the handle on. <A> I suspect the round outer part above the water spout turns. <S> However, it may be impossible to remove. <S> Would probably be easier and less frustrating just to replace the tap. <S> (Sorry.)
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You could saw off the upper rim of the tap surrounding the hexagonal stub of the shaft, so you can place the wrench socket on it, without having to grind its outer diameter down, which is undoubtedly the harder work to do.
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Can I remove the framed wall on the outside of my basement? I have a 20 year old house (which is a basic colonial box). The basement has a standard poured concrete exterior wall. Against the concrete exterior wall, they framed a standard wood 2 x 4 wall, filled the bays with fiberglass insulation and covered it all with a plastic sheet, which I guess is a moisture barrier of sorts. I would like to rip out the insulation and framed wall and replace it all with foam boards (DOW Thermax). My question is, how do I know that the framed wall is not load bearing in any way? I'm 99.9% sure from what I've read that it's the concrete wall holding up the house and the framed wall is just there to hold the insulation in place and possibly to add sheetrock to in the future. I know that people might be nervous to answer questions about load bearing walls. I'm just looking for some general advice rather than a definitive answer. EDIT: Here's a photo of the rim joist area. The framed wall at the front is the one I'd like to remove. From the answer below, it sounds like the joists are indeed sitting on the concrete wall. EDIT 2: Somebody commented that I have no insulation in the rim joist. I actually pulled out the fiberglass to take this photo. I then replaced it with a block of 2" XPS foam board and used spray foam around the edge. I luckily have access to a thermal imager from my employer, so I took some images. Here's an image of no insulation (lots of heat loss): Here's the original fiberglass. It does a good job, though there are some obvious cold spots from air leakage: Here's the new 2" of XPS with spray foam around the perimeter. It also does a good job and it's more even. However, I'm surprised that there are still cold spots around the edge. It was tough to maneuver the spray foam gun in the tight area and I may not have done the best job: Finally, here's a side by side of a fiberglass next to XPS: Overall, I'm not sure there's a big enough improvement to warrant the cost. I think I could do a better job with the spray foam and a second piece of foam would obviously improve things. Aesthetically, I do like the clean look of the foam boards. Getting back to the original question, here's a photo of the framed wall with the fiberglass insulation. Again, the fiberglass does a decent job, but there are some cold spots. <Q> The 2x4 wall is certainly not load bearing in terms of the floor joists, etc. <S> The floor joists will be supported by the concrete walls, and possibly by a beam or wall somewhere along the span. <S> If the ceiling isn't finished you can likely see for yourself that the ends of the joists extend out over the concrete wall. <S> If a mid-span wall is supporting the joists, it should have a double top plate, and king studs around doors and such. <S> Otherwise, it is likely just a non load-bearing dividing wall. <S> You can also measure the joist depth and length and compare to span tables to see if a mid-span wall is likely to be load bearing. <S> If you have TJI joists (OSB web with laminated top and bottom) it may be a little more difficult to identify your joist. <S> If you have a suspended ceiling or such, it may be involved with this wall. <S> And you might have wiring or plumbing in it. <S> But it's not holding up the house. <A> The simple answer - you can be sure by looking at it. <S> You need to be able to see up between the joists where they go over the concrete wall. <S> There should be a sill plate on top of the concrete wall, and then the joists should sit on that. <S> If so, the concrete is supporting the joists. <A> Where are you located? <S> Unless you are in an extremely cold climate what you are suggesting is a waste of money. <S> I noticed that you said you wanted to change the insulation (which I doubt gives you a noticeable difference <S> yet you have no insulation over the header in between your joists. <S> About 70-80% of your heat loss in a basement is happening right there. <S> Don't spend money on making the 20% a tad better. <S> Fix the real problem.
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Since the wall in question is right next to the concrete outer wall, it won't be supporting the joists.
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Can you use casing molding for baseboard molding? I am curious if there are any reasons not to use a casing molding (typically used for doors or windows) as base molding along the floor? The casing molding is made out of pine which seems to be used for a lot of base molding as well. The casing molding appears to be thicker (11/16" instead of 1/2" or 9/16"). They distinguish them on the sites that sell them, so that's why I ask the question. The casing molding is thicker (which could help with any large flooring gaps left by floating floor) and is a bit cheaper. Casing molding: Base molding: <Q> As others have pointed out, it really is a style choice and nothing prevents you from switching the two. <S> But one thing not pointed out and you probably didn't notice, is the edge that meets the floor. <S> For baseboards, the bottom edge is square, where casing typically round the edges (which will not make as nice of a transition from the molding to the floor if installing over wood or tile). <A> If you use a gloss or semi-gloss finish, you can probably wipe dust up pretty easily. <S> But a flat or matte paint or finish will make it harder to clean fine dust off a more complex molding profile. <S> The casing doesn't get as much dust when installed vertically in a doorway. <A> It's purely a stylistic choice. <S> Trim is decorative. <S> If you're buying it based on it being thicker and needing to cover gaps in your floating floor, you installed the floor wrong...
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There's no real issue with it, except only that the more complex the profile, the harder it is to clean.
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Fixing ceramic tile that have a large ceramic chip off How do I fix ceramic tile that have a large ceramic chipped off. (the size is around 5 cm width and 3 cm height). Overall, the whole tile is still intact except that part of the top layer, which is the ceramic material, was chipped off. Please enlighten me. Thank you. <Q> Patch it with porcelain crack repair. <S> Or for just a color match, and if it's not in a high traffic area, believe it or not I've had a lot of success using crayon: lots of color choices <S> and it's not permanent, so you can try different colors until something works. <S> If you work it into the repair well enough it will stay better than you expect. <S> I did this over a year ago in our living room, it's really hard to see a repair was made there <S> and I haven't had to re-color it. <A> I will assume you do not have additional matching tile. <S> Take a small sample of existing tile and head to the nearest drug store I.e walgreens or cvs. <S> Purchase nail polish that matches the tile color. <S> Nail polish is hard when dry and it covers nicely. <S> I have done this many times for clients and they were very satisfied with the results. <A> If you have the chip, you can try super gluing it back on. <S> Or you can try looking for some craft enamel paint that is a close match to hide the chip. <S> Otherwise there is no repair method that I know of short of replacing the damaged tile. <S> And if this is in a high traffic area, this might be your only option. <A> If you don't, then your best bet would be to chisel out the entire tile and replace it. <S> This assumes that you have some extras remaining, or you can find one that will look good as an accent tile there. <S> It may be difficult matching the grout though. <A> Try a porcelain repair compound such as this one: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homax-White-Porcelain-Chip-Fix-2164/203086992 <S> They can be used to repair chips in porcelain/ceramic coated sinks, tubs, etc. <S> a wall or floor tile should be repairable with it as well.
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As diceless suggested, if you have the chip, you can probably glue it back in.
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What can I use to rigidly hang a lot of flat/paper artwork on a wall? I have dozens of pieces of unframed artwork. I would like to hang them on the wall, in a way that is somewhat easy to rearrange. I'd like them to line up horizontally, and to be against the wall so they don't swing/flap as much when the room's ceiling fan is on. I have in mind to simply buy a long piece of wood and glue a few dozen tiny clothes pins to it. I'm hoping there is some better / nicer / easier solution. <Q> The magnetic wall paint can be top-coated with a single coat of whatever colour you want. <S> There are a number of paints from different manufactures to choose from, some with better reviews than others. <S> It seems multiple coats are needed, but other people report success. <S> Strong magnets are a must. <S> I have not used this myself, but I have seen it used in a number of design magazines, etc. <A> Ikea sells a curtain wire with clips that works well to hang artwork on. <S> Use weights at the bottom of the artwork to keep it steady. <S> Or if all the pieces are the same size, use a second wire at the bottom. <S> http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60075295/ <A> Take inspiration from what professional art galleries use - they often have a slot in the wall that little hooks slide into. <S> These hooks are connected with thin wire with hooks at the end for hanging the art work. <S> But you don't want to make a slot in your wall - too messy and too much work. <S> What I had planned on doing at one time was to fasten a small piece of wood, say 1"x2" to the wall. <S> Hammer small nails into the top at regular intervals. <S> Paint all of this (wood and nails) <S> the wall colour, so it blends in. <S> This solution is almost invisible, is not limited to light weight art pieces, and (very important!) is cheap and easy! <S> As a bonus, it will only leave a couple of small holes in the wall if you screw the 1x2 strapping into the studs.
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Buy some fishing line and make a loop at the top to go over the nail and then tie a hook at the other end. You could try painting it with a magnetic paint and use those strong small earth magnetics to hold the art up.
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What could be causing condensation on attic pipes? My son just bought a new house in Calvary, Alberta. The last few nights have been approximately -30 °C (-22 °F). When he was cleaning his second floor guest bathroom, he noticed a stain on the ceiling of the main floor directly under that bathroom. He called the builder right away and their plumber looked and said the stain is caused by condensation on a pipe in the unfinished attic space thawing and dripping down the pipes. My son lives alone and works full time so he is not there running the water and steaming up the house a lot. Would there have been any reason to run a pipe through an unheated attic in a new build in cold weather? Should they be looking for bigger problems like incorrect insulation or leak in envelope? <Q> What kind of pipes are in the attic space? <S> There should not be any water pipes <S> otherwise you have a risk of burst pipes. <S> It sounds like there is a problem with the vapour barrier having gaping holes and missing or insufficient insulation. <S> A common problem with attic fans is that the ductwork is cold and when the fan is switched on for showering, then the humidity condenses in the ductwork and can run back inside the fan housing. <S> This doesn't sound like excess moisture -- to me <S> that would mean a lot of moisture on the windows, for example. <A> -30 C is really cold and typically very dry - <S> I don't see how this could be condensation next- who runs a water pipe in an attic? <S> why would you run a water pipe in an attic? <S> Is we saying they ran a hot air conduit through the attic? <S> even if he did- cold air is dry <S> so there is no condensation. <S> but that is in the conduit. <S> earlier poster is right on the vent pipes- <S> if you were in warmer weather I would expect a leak around the vent boot - very common - especially in weather as extreme as yours. <S> But at -30 - don't think so. <S> if you have a leak on the main floor- under a bathroom- Occam's razor says the leak is from the bathroom. <S> You now know the builder's character by his response. <S> Tell your builder you are going to consult a lawyer - then do it. <S> My experience with these types of builders is they need their arm twisted. <A> It sounds like further investigation is required to be certain about the cause of the problem. <S> For example, is the stain wet or dry - was it caused by a one-time water spill or is it a continuing problem. <S> An unbiased third party like a home inspection company could provide assistance by using an infrared camera to "see" the temperature difference between wet and dry ceiling. <S> Or a remote video probe could be inserted through a small hole in the ceiling to see what is above the stain. <S> I also have a new home in Calgary and have not had problems with condensation on vent pipes.
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Interior heated air might have condensation in the hot air conduit- Start communicating in writing and keep a copy and a log of every time you talk to him.
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How do I stop the black sludge coming from our bathroom faucets? I have a black looking sludge dripping from our bathroom faucets. What can be done to stop this? <Q> Have the water lab tested for bacterial content at your water source and at the faucets where the sludge is dripping out. <S> E. Coli means your water source is contaminated. <S> If you're running PEX, black bioslime in certain brands is a known issue. <S> Flush with Hydrogen Peroxide as Chlorine does absolutely nothing to the bioslime. <S> Also, high magnesium content can cause black staining, but not the goo. <S> Another thing to check for is bacteria contaminated sediment filters if you have them. <S> If this has happened you will need to remove the filter elements and attempt to clear the systemic infection. <S> In the case of a biofilm contamination event, it's a multi step process to clear the biofilm. <S> Completely empty the water system, blow out with air, allow to dry to break down the biofilm. <S> Flush with Hydrogen Peroxide then Phosphoric acid. <S> Flush with a Hypoclorite solution. <S> Flush with clean water. <S> Test for bacteria. <A> Never heard of black sludge. <S> Perhaps your faucet is old and corroding and you are seeing the result of the corrosion. <A> Black sulfur is yet another potential cause, but probably not if it's isolated to those faucets (plus the stink would be a big clue, as it smells like rotten eggs.) <S> I don't miss that house/ <S> well; If not used for a while it would spew black goo for the first 20 minutes when the water started up. <A> If the sludge is around the valve handles rather than coming from the tap, the valves may have old-fashioned packing that is due for replacement. <S> (Packing provies a water seal at the handle opening.)
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Flush with a detergent to wash the biofilm residue out.
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How can I install a motion sensor for a closet light? I am a total noob when it come to house fixing stuff. I want to add some more lighting to my closet.Rather than place a small light bulb with the switch on my closet, I want the light to turn on automatically using some kind of sensor. I know that I have to buy a light bulb, and a motion detector I am not sure how to set up the sensor to trigger the lightbulb.Can someone please give me some advice on that ? Thanks. <Q> You didn't say if you already had lighting in your closet or not. <S> If you don't, I would suggest buying a stick-up (battery-operated) <S> LED light with a motion sensor. <S> (In my area, most retailers have several models like this.) <S> Most interior motion sensors are combined with a switch, so if you don't want a switch then you may be out of luck. <A> Here are ten of the better rated LED lighting units available today, some utilizing touch/tap to power on and others with motion-detection. <S> SUMMARY - 10 Affordable & Easy Ways to Add Lighting to a Closet Without Wiring <S> Mr. Beams Indoor/Outdoor <S> Motion-Sensing LED <S> Ceiling Light - $19.99 <S> Wireless Motion Sensor Light - 10 Super-Bright LED - <S> $6.57 <S> Sierra Tools Battery-Operated Ceiling/Wall Light with Remote - $32.95 <S> Utilitech Battery Powered Cabinet LED Puck Light Kit - $11.98 Sylvania LED Silver Light Flute Horizontal Light Stick - $11.97 Hipe 8 LED <S> Motion-Detecting Light - $39.98 <S> Megabrite Wireless Motion Sensor LED Lights - $29.37 <S> HDE Motion-Detecting LED <S> Light w/ IR Radial Sensor - $7.06 <A> If you have one nearby then I think you should have a look at Ikea. <S> I understand they use an infrared sensor of some sort to detect the proximity of the door. <S> Links are for Ireland, but I'm sure you can find the same for your local store. <S> Here is the selection of lighting they offer http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/categories/departments/bedroom/bedroom_integrated_lighting/ <S> This one, may be of interest as it has integrated sensors, http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/00267626/ <S> This might be an earlier model, but there are lots of discussions and youtube videos online for reference.h-ttp://leothoughts.blogspot.ie/2013/01/another-sensor-light-ikea-komplement.html Hope <S> you find what you are looking for. <A> Most people find that a switch that activates when the closet door opens is simpler, easier, and more efficient than what you are describing.
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Automatic Motion-sensing Night Light - $13.99 Superbrite Touch Light - $7.98 Wireless They have a range of affordable low voltage LED lighting systems many of which have integrated sensors which turn on/off the light when a door is opened/closed
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Trouble finding studs in garage I have a new house, and the garage shares a wall with an interior wall... trying to hang a pull up bar on it, so I need to find the studs. I took pictures of the house as it was being built, but all of the earliest ones show the garage wall covered in plywood. On top of the plywood is a layer of drywall. I tried using the Zircon i520 but it fails to pick up anything, except right around the tape joints. My magnetic stud finder shows a couple of hits within 1/4" of each other at the same spot at the Zircon, so I drilled three test holes around the area and only managed to hit nothing. Is there anything I can do to make this possible? Strangely, I stuck a screwdriver in the hole that I had drilled and it went in 7" until the insulation started to make that difficult. I thought that the studs were only 3.5" deep. <Q> If the drywall was hung on top of plywood with nails or screws there's a decent chance those won't align with the studs, which is why your magnetic studfinder could lead you astray. <S> The plywood has to be anchored to studs, and those should be 16" on-center. <S> So you only have to find one as a reference point. <S> As an alternative to opening enough of the wall to probe for a stud you can use the fact that the plywood anchors are magnetic and roughly 16" on center, combined with the existing holes that failed to find a stud, to map out likely stud locations. <A> Possible the garage doesn't have vertical studs? <S> An alternative construction method is large corner posts with horizontal supports to hold the walls up. <S> If you search horizontally you will never find anything. <S> Go 24 inches up or down <S> and there it is. <S> (one place I worked drilled test holes for nearly 10 feet horizontally searching for supports). <A> Find a socket. <S> Should be a stud on either side. <S> Locate that stud then measure 16".
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If this is how your garage is made you have a problem - the structural posts are too far back to be useful, the lumber behind the wall is not strong enough to support much more than the walls.
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My dishwasher water line is frozen. Can I manually put in hot water in the dishwasher to run it? My dishwasher freezes up during these bitter cold (-25 degree nights, -5 degree highs in the day) spells. I have a heater in the empty space beside it where a cupboard goes but there is none. But even after 3 days it still won't allow the water in. Can I manually put water (if so, how many gallons???) in it & press start? I do not want to destroy my dishwasher. I put in only clean dishes, I use it for sanitizing them essentially (my drain is fine, I did check it to see if it needed cleaning just as a precaution). I cannot pull out the dishwasher nor have a professional come in. I need a cheap easy fix until the weather warms up. (Besides take them all out & wash by hand-which is what I plan to do the rest of winter. Electric heater costs too much.) It has done this each Winter during extreme cold spells since I moved here to Wyoming so I'm certain it is a frozen water line, not the dishwasher itself. <Q> I am the original person who wrote this. <S> My dishwasher is in the corner of the kitchen. <S> Someone once remodeled the kitchen & took out the door that use to be there. <S> Unfortunately they didn't insulate the wall they replaced it with. <S> As a result that corner of this house gets really cold. <S> I have tried using a small heater in the enclosed space next to the dishwasher but that didn't resolve the problem. <S> I've also used a hairdryer under it; still no luck. <S> It doesn't leak anywhere which always amazes me. <S> For 8 years now the dishwasher doesn't work once it gets bitter cold here in Wyoming, but works fine starting in late Spring. <S> So I wanted to know if I could just put in hot water when the proper cycle arose? <S> My dishwasher is now 10 years olds <S> so I decided, "What the heck? <S> Worse outcome: buy a new dishwasher". <S> No one had an answer <S> so I decided this year to just do it. <S> I put in 1 1/2 gallons for the pre-wash, wash & rinse cycles. <S> This required being in the kitchen the entire time <S> so I didn't miss a cycle. <S> WORKED FINE in my Kenmore dishwasher. <S> Hope others have the same luck. <S> I don't use my dishwasher but <S> once every 3 weeks or so <S> (I hand wash a lot) & I was recently told I should use it every week. <S> Something about them sitting isn't good. <S> So I'll try that also & see if that prevents it from 'freezing up' <S> (I'm still keeping the little heater next to it on too.) <A> Many dishwashers allow you to specify the dry-cycle without going through the wash cycle. <S> This enables the heating element but just heats the air inside of the machine. <S> On my dishwasher this produces a lot of heat. <S> I would try running the dry-cycle ONLY and the heat may be enough to radiate into and thaw the pipe. <A> No this won't work. <S> You'll probably end up burning out the pump since the dishwasher will still try to pump water into it. <S> Also, if your water line is frozen, your drain might also be frozen. <A> Your best bet is to get your hair drier out and try to thaw the lines. <S> Chances are that if the drain is frozen, so are other lines that water would flow through. <S> I suggest you take off the bottom panel of the washer and put some heat under the dishwasher. <S> It is time consuming depending on how frozen it is, but way cheaper than replacing the pump motor. <S> Good luck. <A> If you can manage it, I would try to either submerge the line in warm water or pour hot water over it. <S> A hair-dryer isn't going to transfer enough heat to the line. <S> Another option that might work is to take heating pad (the used to make these, not sure if they still do due to the fire risk) and wrap it around the line. <S> You should have the insulation fixed as soon as you can. <S> You've been lucky so far that this hasn't flooded your house. <A> Old thread, but a solution. <S> I actually have a similar issue, but for different reasons (the flexible portion of waterline touches the wall which is an exterior wall). <S> Putting hot water in the pan does not help if the water line is frozen. <S> I have to remove the plastic panel at the very bottom of the dishwasher covering the motor (easy) and open up the dishwasher door to keep it from becoming a fridge. <S> I also open the cabinet door next to it where the main water line feeds it. <S> It freezes only during the overnight when the house temp drops and outside is less than 10. <S> heat, to the water line, is what helps (the flexible part of the water line is hard to get to and actually touches the wall. <S> I keep on meaning to pull it out and put a piece of foam or something but always forget until it happens again). <S> Blow dryer helps or an electric heater pointing towards the freeze point. <S> Warm air flow. <S> When this happened my heater element did trigger in the dishwasher itself (referring to another post in this thread) but the heat was in the wrong place.
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If you have a little space heater you could put that near it to help warm that area up too.
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How do you avoid brush strokes in satin finish when painting around casings? I bought some satin finish paint for my walls (Sherwin Super Paint) (for the color I wanted, my only other choice was flat, and I didn't want a flat finish). The problem is that because I used a roller for the big surfaces, and a paint brush for the edge work around casings, it's very easy to notice the sheen difference when the light catches the wall at certain angles. I thought I had feathered out the paint sufficiently, but that seems to have made it worse. I did the edge work with the brush after the roller work had dried. What technique should I use to ensure I end up with an even sheen on the wall, even right up to the casing? <Q> Putting on paint with a roller adds a texture to the paint as you may have noticed. <S> This is controllable to some extent by the choice of roller used. <S> Cutting in around windows and ceiling corners almost always wants to be done before doing the roller work. <S> (The professional painters I have seen painting at the place I work always do it that way too). <S> After the cut in painting has dried then you do the roller work and allow the roller to come up as close to the corners as you can without getting too close. <S> This allows the roller texture to cover over the cut in painting. <S> Using a pad painter or foam brush as recommended in another answer here has good merit toward reducing the brush marks. <S> However a brush, especially one with a beveled angle edge, gives a lot more control over the painting in corners and along ceilings than you can get with a typical foam brush. <A> As a professional painter the answer is the cut in painting is done first, then when rolling the walls you roll over the edge of the cut in to blend in it. <S> When applying an eggshell or satin finish paint on walls it is important to roll back over the cut in while the paint is still wet, this is called rolling wet on wet. <S> Otherwise if you let the cut in dry, not only are the brush strokes very visible, but the cut in and the rolling may have different tones to their color. <S> Also it is best two always apply tow coats of paint to get the best tone and finish of the color especially if you are changing colors. <S> I only apply one coat if I am painting the same color as the existing color over fairly clean walls. <S> The big box stores may advertise one coat coverage but that is deceptive and really false advertising. <A> Rolling (the walls) over a wet "cut in" edge will help blend in the brush marks up to a certain point. <S> The roller can only go just so close to the ceiling and etc. <S> Although it takes much longer, I immediately roll over my brush lines, in the same direction AS the brush lines, with a very small 3" roller to blend in the lines. <S> The type of roller I use for this allows me to blend within a fraction of an inch to the ceiling or wherever the cut line is that I am blending. <S> One typically would not suggest rolling horizontal such as blending in the brush line on wall to ceiling and above doors and window casing since rolling the walls will be done vertically but it does blend in better than vertical cut lines from a brush. <A> The primary reasons for unacceptable brush marks are: Poor quality paint Poor quality brush <S> The paint you used is decent quality, make sure you use a high quality applicator. <S> As for the sheen issue, follow the advice of @Michael Karas and always <S> do your "cut-in" brush work first, then roll up as close to the molding as possible to cover the brush work. <S> In the end, you are likely to be the only person to notice (I see my own mistakes daily when nobody else does... unless I point them out). <S> I am slowly learning that "good enough" is OK. <A> You can use a small sized roller to paint over the edges immidiately after you cut them so they'll not show lines. <S> Most of these things nobody really sees them, except for professionals, so they don't need to be 100% perfect except if it's an highclass job
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I have found that planning for multiple coats of the cut in painting and the putting on each coat in a light manner will greatly reduce brush marks as opposed to getting over exuberant with the paint.
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Why wouldn't other receptacles work after I changed a receptacle? One of my outlets was getting very hot so I took it apart, cleaned it because it was very very dirty and changed the outlets. It stopped getting hot and the tester said it was correct but now the other outlets do not work at all. Why? <Q> Most likely the outlet was part of a chain of outlets - so there would be at least 2 cables of 3 wires each (hot, neutral and ground). <S> All of the hots need to be connected together and to the outlet. <S> Same for the neutral and ground. <S> Often this is done by using the screws on the outlet itself - connecting BOTH hot wires to the two screws for hot. <S> Only connect one wire per screw. <S> If you connected it exactly the same way as it was before it should work. <S> Did you break off the little tabs between the sets of screws? <S> Were they broken off on the old one? <S> Make sure they are the same. <A> Either you disconnected something unintentionally, or you shorted something and blew a fuse/popped the circuit breaker. <S> Without seeing exactly what you did, and preferably how you did it, I don't think there's much more we can tell you. <A> Turn off the circuit, pull the outlet out and make sure all the connections are good. <S> Besides the ground, there are two pairs of wires: one pair provides power and the other goes off to the next outlet or switch.
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If the replaced outlet is working, then it is because the other outlets were chained onto the replaced one, but they are not reconnected.
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On a true 60 amp 240 volt circuit will each side of the breaker carry more than 30 amps if required? If my distribution panel on my boat is wired 240 v 60 amps max and there are many 120 v 15 a circuits, if one side of the 120 v panel starts to draw more than 30 a, will the breaker compensate by adding amps from the low usage side of the panel ? to a max of 60 amps <Q> No, that's not at all how it works. <S> This feeder will provide 60A @ 240V. <S> That is 60A on each leg of the panel, <S> NOT 30A on each. <S> The 60A is available, you use what you need up to roughly 60A, again, on each leg. <S> A residential panel will be hard pressed to be fully balanced, or greatly imbalanced, due to the transient nature of usage. <A> Depends on how the panel is wired. <S> Domestic North American panels have each side wired in an A-B-A-B arrangement, so all the circuits on the left side do draw from both feeds. <S> But each (electrical) side is still independent, so you cannot draw more than the master breaker's rating on either bus. <S> 240V / <S> 60A usually means you have <S> 2 x 120v feeds, each one up to 60A. <S> The only connection between the two sides is the bar across the main breaker which ensures both sides go off if one side is overloaded. <S> You will need a clamp-on ammeter to do this effectively, but they are not expensive. <S> And before you ask, removing the main breaker tie bar is not recommended. <S> If you have zero 240V connections (no double breakers) then it is electrically fine to remove the tie bar. <S> Wether local electrical codes allow it is another question. <A> No, you would overload one leg and the circuit breaker would trip. <S> There is no self-balancing. <S> You should balance the load for average use. <S> Obviously it is impossible to keep balanced 100% of the time as you use different devices.
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If you have nuisance tripping of the main breaker you can very easily rearrange the circuits to balance the load.
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Grounding a receptacle when there is no ground wire? I am replacing old receptacles with new tamper-proof ones. I opened one in my basement and realized it wasn't currently grounded, the electrical housing is a real mess and has a copper "ground" wire going across it in the back with no way to connect it to the receptacle. So, how do you ground something in this case? 1) Buy some wire at hardware store, cut the ground wire, attach the 2 cut ends and the purchased wire together with a wire connector (marrette)? 2) Buy some wire at hardware store and just connect the ground on the receptacle to the electrical housing? What are my options?(wish I could post a picture) <Q> A self-grounding outlet should be labeled as such when you buy them. <S> If not labeled, you can tell one if it has a thin copper wire or brass tab (see picture) running across one of the screw holes that attach it to the outlet box. <S> These outlets, so long as you have a grounded metal box, provide a safety ground by "bonding" the outlet to the box. <S> Leave the bare copper wires twisted and screwed to the back of the box. <S> As far as connecting the black and white wires, I always use 'pigtails'. <S> Make two 6 inch lengths of wire (pigtails), one white and one black. <S> The black wire is "hot" and attaches to the outlet's brass screw. <S> The white wire is "neutral" and attaches to the outlet's silver <S> colored screw. <S> Connecting the wires in the box with a wire nut reduces the risk of continuity failures, and helps to preserve the length of the wire in the box if you have to remove the outlet in the future. <A> Safety first - shut off the breaker or remove the fuse. <S> You need a piece of bare copper wire, 14 gauge. <S> You can either strip insulation off some wire you have laying around, or else cut off a piece of ground wire. <S> Securely fasten (twist) <S> the new ground wire to the wire that is fastened to the box, and secure with a wire nut (marrette). <S> Connect the black wire (hot) to the brass screw and the white wire (neutral) to the silver screw. <A> GFCI outlets are a code-legal way to upgrade non-grounded outlets, and are a good investment.
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Attach one end of the pigtails to the outlet screws, and then attach the other end to the wires in the box using a wire nut. Use self-grounding outlets.
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What could be causing my new GFCI receptacle to keep tripping? An electrician installed an outlet on a circuit inside my garage that is connected to an exterior spotlight. The spotlight has a sensor that automatically turns it on at dusk and off at dawn. There is an interior switch between the outlet and the light that controls the light only. The switch has to be on for the spotlight to respond to the sensor. I was told it would be a good idea replace the regular outlet with a GFI outlet before the Holidays since I connect the Christmas lights there. Everything was fine until I removed the Christmas lights. Now when I turn on the interior switch (it was off to allow the Christmas lights to be worked with a timer plugged into the outlet) to allow the spotlight to work with the light sensor, the GFI outlet goes off! Possibly of note: prior to putting in the GFI outlet there were no problems and the washer/dryer are on the same circuit. Is it possible the circuit is overloaded? The outdoor spotlight is 10 years old. Could replacing it with a modern light that requires less power make a difference? <Q> The washer and dryer are on the same circuit? <S> It must be a gas dryer? <S> I'd think that you would want to see about splitting this out on its own circuit if you can. <S> The drum motors in the washer or dryer could be the culprit. <S> GFCI only requires a 0.005A difference in current between the hot and neutral legs to trip. <S> Your GFCI outlet might be defective or over-sensitive. <S> There could be a small/intermittent short to ground in your outdoor spotlight fixture? <S> Maybe the lamp itself is defective and causing enough fluctuation to trip the GFCI. <S> Do you have a moisture problem in the outdoor spotlight, perhaps? <A> The circuit might be overloaded, but that could not be tripping the GFCI. <S> I assume the GFCI outlet was installed downstream from the washer/dryer so that they are not protected by the GFCI. <S> You can confirm this by pressing TEST on the GFCI and see if the washer/dryer still have power. <S> The outdoor spotlight is probably damp, causing enough current leakage to trip the GFCI. <S> If it was switched off for a few weeks over Christmas, moisture might have accumulated. <S> Remove the spotlight bulb. <S> Does it still trip? <S> Does it still trip? <S> With the breaker off, remove the spotlight fixture from its box, disconnect the black wire, and wrap some tape around the exposed conductor on the "power" side. <S> Turn on the breaker. <S> Does the GFCI still trip? <S> If YES, call the electrician. <S> If NO, remove the spotlight unit, take it indoors and put it in a warm place to dry out for a day. <S> Then reinstall and try again. <A> It's quite possible that the wiring going to the outside light (which would be an "additional circuit" you want to protect) is wired to the "line" terminals instead of the "load" terminals, and the power to the GFCI is wired to the "line" terminals. <S> IF wired correctly it won't do this. <S> It's also possible to bypass the GFCI for the light outside, BEFORE the GFCI, or the feed to the light simply connected to the "line" terminals (but this will give no ground fault protection to the outside light.) <S> I've seen this repeatedly. <S> See the diagram below <S> "Here are the instructions for connecting in a 2-wire scenario. <S> " in the following post: How do I install a GFCI receptacle with two hot wires and common neutral?
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GFCI's can easily be wired incorrectly, even by an electrician. With the bulb still out, dry the socket and surrounding area with a hairdryer.
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How do I fill in holes in a fire door? I removed a piece of door hardware I'd screwed into the metal firedoor we have on the front of the house. Now, I have two holes in the door. The only advice I've found is this guy who seems to default to "buy this product I'm suggesting". I'm mainly looking for something cosmetic, but I also want to make the door as safe as possible. The hole is only on one side of the door, the inside. One of the other methods he mentioned was to simply put a screw in and either grind it down or just paint it over. Would that work? <Q> If you could dimple in the metal around the hole so that you leave enough metal for screw threads to engage then you can install a flat head sheet metal screw that has threads right up to the head. <S> This strategy in the best case would recess the screw head enough so that you could use some high temperature epoxy to fill in over the screw head. <S> In the less than optimum case the screw head may stick out above the surface in which case you would have to go ahead and grind it down to flush or more so that you can the fill the area around and over the screw head. <S> If the metal door has a wood core behind where holes are located you may be able to countersink and dimple the area around the hole so that a flat head screw will fit up to the surface. <S> In this case a longer screw could be threaded into the wooden core inside the metal door. <S> If there is no real chance to get a screw threads to engage in the metal cladding of the door or into some door core material then the problem of plugging the hole with a metal piece becomes a bit more complicated. <S> For a very small hole in the size of say 1/8 inch it would seem to me that a high temperature epoxy may be the best thing. <S> Just fill it, let it harden and then sand to level. <S> Note that when using the filler it would really be best to sand down to bare metal near the hole. <S> The epoxy will adhere better to bare roughened bare metal than it would to paint surface. <A> Fire barrier sealant/filler by 3M might do the trick. <S> I've used it when I've drilled holes in studs for running wire or pipe that are required to be solid for fire-barrier purposes. <S> This is good enough for the inspectors. <S> It hardens well enough to paint. <A> I just want to make sure I understand the situation. <S> You have a fire-rated door at the front of the house with a small screw hole on the interior <S> - does this mean it is an exterior door? <S> Fire-rated doors are usually used to separate two areas of a building to slow down the spread of any fire, e.g. separate garage from living space. <S> If you are using the fire-rated door as an exterior door, then you are not really benefiting from the fire-rating (maybe it was chosen for the higher security that might be afforded by such a door). <S> In this case, you don't need to worry about the repair meeting the fire-rating. <S> I think you recognize this as you said you were "mainly looking for something cosmetic". <S> There are many ways to make a cosmetic repair, so the first thing is to assess what tools and skills you have. <S> For example, do you have a grinder? <S> If so, would you have the skill to be able to grind a screw head down smooth? <S> It is a change in texture that makes patches visible. <S> For example, most painted drywall has a bit of an "orange peel" texture, but patches are quite smooth. <S> If you want your patch to completely disappear, take care in giving your patch the same texture as the rest of the door when you prime it for painting (and please paint the whole door, not just the patch). <S> I don't have a new repair technique to add to the excellent suggestions above, but I would put them in the following order of difficulty - starting with easy: <S> Just paint alone. <S> Con: might not hide the hole, risk of drips... <S> Put in a dap of toothpaste or drywall compound, smooth with finger, then paint. <S> Con: <S> Patch material might rust. <S> Patch with bondo, then paint. <S> Probably the best option to get a really good finish. <S> (I would go with this one myself.) <S> Con: Would have to take door off and lay flat to apply patch material otherwise it would run. <S> Install screw and grind flat. <S> Con: a lot of work for no significant benefit. <S> Plus would probably want to take door off for ease of repair. <A> Regarding Mark's comment - exterior doors may be fire rated per the IBC depending on the proximity of the building in question to adjacent properties and the property line. <S> As a fire rated door, NFPA 80 limits the proper repair methodology to using either a steel fastener that completely fills the hole, or by filling the hole with the same material as the door. <S> This would imply welding, though some AHJs will accept a listed fire door caulk as a suitable substitute. <A> j-b weld will go to 450 degrees - if you can pop the hinge pins and lay the door flay it would be easier to apply. <S> Bondo is cosmetic - (auto body filler) ... <S> good for 180 degrees. <S> BTW - your screw idea seems just fine. <S> If its hollow a rivet is an option.
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Patch with other more liquidy material such as epoxy, jb-weld, etc, then paint.
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How can I clear a blockage caused by the previous owner flushing grout down the toilet? The previous owner of our house tiled the main bathroom before selling the house and flushed the grouting down the toilet. This caused the pipes to become blocked. We've had to break down some of the wall downstairs, cut open the pipes and try to remove the hardened grout, however, it seems that some of the grouting went below floor level and hardened there. For the minute, we've closed the family bathroom until we decide how to fix it! We are on a tight budget and not hugely experienced DIYers. <Q> This is really a comment but <S> too long - I am not sure of your exact situation but normally if something like this happens you call your real estate agent, police, and bank. <S> You need to file a police report, your real estate agent needs to get a hold of seller's agent (who is ultimately responsible in most states), and you need to talk to bank about freezing any money if you can. <S> It might be too late for this <S> but I don't know. <S> But whatever it is the previous home owner (if can be proven) has committed a criminal act. <S> Not taking action right away hurts your case. <S> There is no magic to get rid of stuff like grout in pipes. <S> First any serious chemical I might suggest may damage the pipes. <S> Second I am not even sure it is grout in your pipes - it could be various types of cement or thinset too... <S> Then I am not sure to what extent the material got in. <S> This could go all the way to the street which may cost a lot of money - I have seen a similar scenario run home owner 15K done cheaply. <S> Also most insurance <S> companies don't cover criminal acts that aren't reported. <S> But the issue you have here is that this probably happened before you officially had insurance (that is why I mentioned getting agents involved). <S> If you have some sort of new home owner's insurance that might cover it <S> but they will basically be going after the previous owner for you. <S> Right now you need to file a report, take a TON of pictures and video and have a plumber come out. <S> You can't start hacking everything up or you are making it worse. <S> The plumber will be able to scope the line to see what the extent of damage there is ($200-300 tops). <S> The last thing you want to do is repair something incorrectly or cause more damage (overflow) and have it blamed on something you have done. <A> This is a tough one. <S> Depending on where you live and the age of the house means theres different code. <S> What is the pipe made out of. <S> Cast is code here in Chicago. <S> Access the pipes first. <S> You may even be able to rent one at Home Depot or where ever. <S> Take notes on where in the pipe is affected. <S> More than likely your going to have to R&R (Remove and Replace) <S> the pipe... <S> no rodder will knock that off cast iron pipe that's for sure.. <A> When it's accessible it seems sugar is a an option to weaken set grout. <S> This suggestion is not based on any experience - just a guess at what i would try.
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If there is flow in the under floor pipe i would try some warm water and a sack of sugar - followed by some pressure or emptying of a bath tub after some work time.
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Is it safe to shave off 1/8" from a load-bearing stud? I am trying to install a small metal media cabinet in a load-bearing wall in my basement, but unfortunately the cabinet is about 1/8" too wide to fit between the studs. Is it safe to shave off a small amount from one of the studs so that the cabinet fits? <Q> If trimming a small amount 1/8" - 1/4" off a stud in a load bearing wall is the ONLY option, then I would do that PLUS install another stud directly beside the cut one, and fasten them together -- this is called "sistering". <S> Good luck! :) <A> It depends how wide the studs themselves are. <S> Is it a pre-built cabinet? <S> A better approach, if feasible would be to adapt the cabinet itself. <S> Trying to trim wall studs is tricky unless you're making only the smallest of cuts. <A> First we don't really know if this wall is load bearing or not. <S> If the house was built in the US 50 years ago and it is a basement with poured concrete then the chances of having a wooden fabricated load bearing wall are slim - <S> it happens but not very likely. <S> Second <S> all you have to do to answer your question - if it is a load bearing wall - is look above the middle of the two studs in question. <S> If I were in your situation (and it were load bearing) <S> I would simply tap one of the 2x4s over until I had room (shaving an installed 2x4 sounds like a lot more work than tapping one over) and then throw up a sister 2x4 on each side. <S> If it weren't load bearing <S> I would just tap one of the 2x4s over.
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If there is not a direct load point (pole or beam ending) between them above the two 2x4s then there is little/no consequence in making such a minimal move since the weight should be dispersed evenly through wall or at the very least past your 2x4s in question.
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Minimum number of recessed lights for 29x13 room I know the "standard rules" say one light every 4 to 6 feet... But what would be the minimum I can get away with using canned lights for a room that is about 29x13. I previously went my way with recessed lights in our kitchen, installing just two lights for a 10x9 space, and after a year of using it to cook I am happy with the amount of light. So by my own rules 6 lights should be enough. FYI, the ceiling will be a couple of inches over 8' and this is for a basement room with a 6 foot walkout door. <Q> I have a basement room with almost the exact dimensions. <S> You walk in the basement from stairs and basement starts in almost a corner (3/4 basement) <S> and then you walk almost the width of the house and it is about 14 feet wide. <S> I have 4 cans <S> right when you get in the basement on one switch by basement door and then a square zone of 4 in the back of the room on a dual switch (dimmed and turned off and on from the first corner and then the complete other side of the room which is a small hallway) and then another zone of 4 in the front with the same dual switch set up. <S> Is 12 too many in the area. <S> Considering that I am using 65W bulbs... no. <S> With all 12 on <S> at once the basement is well lit. <S> If I take one bulb out from any light, there is some dead space. <S> Also my basement has fully drywalled white ceilings and a bright light grey for the walls. <S> If I had any sort of texture or darker colors then less light. <S> Would I have gone less? <S> No way. <S> Honestly I don't want to have to buy lamps and stuff for your basement. <S> I also like to be able to see things. <S> When it is lit, it doesn't feel like a basement at all. <S> Everything has a dimmer and the 12 lights are split three ways <S> so I don't ever feel like I have extra lights either. <S> I could have gone 16 easy too (2 more on the back two zones). <S> So my answer is 12-16. <S> I have 4 at entrance which is on the most, <S> then 4 by TV which is on the least (or if it is on it is really dim), and 4 by sitting area which is used when people are reading or doing homework. <S> An extra pot light is $20, 30 mins, plus a minor amount of time when drywalling. <A> That is a big room to be done in all recessed all on one switch. <S> I'd break it up into switched groups or areas. <S> Use your judgement as to how many. <S> I would probably do more than you, like 8 or even 12, but it is your room and you need to be happy with it. <A> The amount of light should be determined by the use of the space. <S> Unwelcoming (and unused) basements are usually dungeon-like (too dark). <S> Use multiple switches or dimmers to can control how bright the room is. <S> Another option is to use wall sconces. <S> Some considerations for you: <S> The brain can easily detect small changes in pattern, so make sure that the floor joists above would allow you to have the lights evenly distributed according to your plan. <S> Halogen PAR 20 bulbs can be warm if you have low ceilings. <S> Fortunately, affordable LED PAR 20 bulbs are readily available now. <S> It's better to put in enough lights than too few, and then regret it. <S> Just do it right. <S> My basement is about 20'x24' and I have two switches controlling two banks of 12 pot lights <S> (PAR 20 are 50 W bulbs) arranged in 3x4 grid. <S> It took a bit of figuring to get the right spacing because of the ductwork, floor joists etc. <S> The bank on the tv side has a dimmer. <S> I am very happy with the level of lighting, and am gradually switching the bulbs over to LED as they need replacement. <S> My ceiling is about 7' tall, so I don't get as much of a beam spread as you would with your 8' ceilings. <S> If you're concerned with heat or energy usage, use LED bulbs. <S> If you do use LED bulbs, make sure your dimmer is compatible (not all dimmers are compatible with LED bulbs). <S> If concerned about cost, an extra switch is cheaper than a dimmer, particularly if you are using LED bulbs.
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Also you have to think how the room will be used. For your situation, I would recommend 12 pot lights in a 3 x 4 grid. If you are doing this yourself both the cost and time are minimal to add extras.
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How to control the level of water in the toilet bowl? Recently purchased a home and one of the toilet bowls has very little water in it, so when you do #2 it always hits the bowl and makes a mess... How can you control/set the amount of water the bowl contains so I can raise/increase it a little bit? <Q> If the level in the tank is also extremely low it could be that the fill valve is adjusted way too low, thus not allowing enough water into the bowl from the refill tube. <S> The level in the bowl has nothing to do with the plumbing, it has to do with the design of the bowl. <S> The track of the drain has an up "trap" and then down to the drain, so the water will only raise as high as the up trap then spill over into the drain. <S> Here is a visual: <A> There is usually a small, flexible tube clipped to the overflow tube that adds water to the bowl while the tank is filling (marked as refill tube on Speedy Petey's diagram). <S> If this comes loose or gets pinched, the water level in the bowl well be too low. <A> Found this on Kohler's website. <S> It worked like a charm ] 1 <A> Generally, this isn't something that can be adjusted, but something inherent in the design of the bowl, in some cases to intentionally reduce the amount of water required to flush.
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The water level in the bowl is down to the plumbing - specifically, the height before the drop into the foul drain.
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Why is a gas furnace vented but a gas dryer is not? I live in a house in Ohio and I have four appliances powered by natural gas : furnace, water heater, dryer, and kitchen range. Of these, only the furnace and water heater are vented to the outside of the house (chimney stack). In this context, venting refers to a flue that directs combustion byproducts outside the house as opposed to a vent for waste water or the vent that directs hot air and lint away from the dryer. While I am no building contractor, I have been in quite a few houses in my life and I have always seen this same configuration when it comes to appliances powered by natural gas here in the U.S. Aside from "because code says so" is there a reason why furnaces and water heaters require venting while dryers and ranges do not? Are there cases where building code may allow not venting furnaces or water heaters, or require venting for dryers or ranges? <Q> Your oven doesn't vent out mostly for sake of having limited combustion. <S> There are ventless heaters available. <S> However you run it, though, any natural gas burning device will create water vapor and carbon dioxide. <S> If it malfunctions, you also risk it producing carbon monoxide. <S> Stoves and ovens get by because they have relatively low BTU output and in a residential setting relatively low use. <S> In a commercial setting, you'd achieve exterior venting with a ventilation hood. <S> When you get to devices with higher output such as a clothes dryer or furnace, you really want that out of the house. <S> The impracticality of venting your stove, though, outweighs the relatively small amount of downside. <A> This appears to be a simple misunderstanding of how a gas dryer works. <S> The gas dryer creates heat by burning air and the gas together, then blowing the heated air and combustion mixture through the clothes and then out the dryer vent. <S> In other words, the combustion gases are vented to the outside, per code, along with the moisture from the clothing. <S> Since most gases used in a household setting are clean burning, there is no noticable "smoke" residue left in the clothes, but the product of combustion goes through the clothes with the rest of the air it heated, and then out the vent. <S> If you use a gas with significant byproducts, you would find residue on your clothing. <S> Gas dryers are not permitted to vent indoors for this reason. <S> In this context, venting refers to a flue that directs combustion byproducts outside the house as opposed to a vent for waste water or the vent that directs hot air and lint away from the dryer. <S> In this context, the vent that directs combustion products is the vent that directs hot air and lint. <S> They are one and the same for gas dryers. <A> Byproducts of combustion of natural gas are carbon dioxide and water vapour. <S> Unfortunately natural gas isn't pure methane, it has other components (called condensates by the petroleum industry). <S> You can see these other components by watching a burning gas flame - methane burns blue, other components burn yellow, orange, red, etc. <S> These other components contribute to indoor pollutants. <S> Overall, it's a matter of volume, or amount of gas burned <S> every day:- furnace is 100,000 BTU or more- HWT is <S> 40,000 BTU and up- stove burner is 3,000-7,000 BTU ("power burners" could be up to 12,000 BTUs) <S> Besides the volume of gas that is burned by the appliance, the HWT and furnace tend to run for longer periods every day. <S> Besides exhaust venting, building codes also require combustion air source for these appliances. <A> All gas dryers must vent outside or carbon monoxide would build possibly killing you. <S> Since electric ones don't produce CO, some people vent them indoors for heat but the moisture could cause mold in the vented area. <S> So, vent all driers outside to be safe.
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Your gas dryer vents its combustion products outside along with the moisture from your clothes, so it is vented to the outside.
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Building a ledger for indoor use with with some cut to size 2 by 4s, should I stain or paint them? I'm builduig a ledger for indoor use (to support a work surface) with with some 2 by 4s cut to size, my question is, should I stain or paint them to protect them? for spills etc, or is staining indoor wood purely for cosmetic reasons? <Q> A true wood stain does not build a "film" on the surface. <S> It only changes the color of the porous wood fiber near the surface. <S> You will want a film-forming finish if your goal is to make it easier to clean up spilled liquids. <S> A paint will do this, but if you want to preserve the look of the wood, then 1 to 3 coats of a polyurethane based finish will also work well. <S> Polyurethane is a clear, durable finish that is resistant to many chemicals and also to normal wear and tear. <A> It doesn't matter unless the room is going to have an extreme amount of humidity, temperature changes, or was subject to a lot of chemicals. <S> What you are worried about with a ledger is warping or the bolts rusting. <A> Stain or paint - whatever suits your fancy, or colour scheme. :)
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If I wanted to protect a piece of wood from elements I would use an oil based primer and paint as I would use in a bathroom.
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What should I use to hang a coat hook on a brick wall? I have purchased several of these iron coat hooks : However, they do not come with any kind of screws. I will be hanging them on a (brick + plaster) party wall of my terraced property (UK). I believe my options are to use either of the following: Rawl plugs Masonry self-tapping screws However I am only aware of the latter due to googling for a solution, and I am unsure if either come in sizes suitable for my needs (The screw holes are 4mm in diameter, I am not sure how deep I should drill) So my question is what should I use to attach these to the wall? <Q> You'll need a masonry bit and hammer drill to get a hole in brick. <S> However it may be easier to screw the hooks to a piece of wood and mount the wood to the wall. <S> With a nice routed edge on the wood that can look really nice. <S> To mount the wood you can use normal masonry anchors. <A> If these are only for coats I would glue them up with construction adhesive or silicone. <A> It's a coat hook - it doesn't hold that much weight, and all the force is shear force, not pulling force. <S> So pretty much anything will work. <S> Simple plastic anchors with screws will work just fine. <S> (Never heard of rawl plugs but google says that that's the same thing as a plastic anchor.) <S> I would not use those - if you don't get the hole perfect they won't hold. <S> You have to keep the drill very straight and not let it shake and enlarge the hole. <S> A potential problem: If the plaster is thick make sure the screws are long enough. <S> Do you have a hammer drill? <S> You'll need one. <S> Practice first on some non-visible concrete or masonry. <S> It can be hard to drill straight, and not drift from your target with one.
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Masonry screws are a real pain to use if you are not a pro.
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Can I safely run 595 watts of lights with a 600 watt dimmer switch? I have 7 85-watt lights (a total of 595 watts) that I want to control using a 600-watt dimmer switch. Is that too close to be safe? What if I remove one of the lights? <Q> This depends on the manufacturer's statements. <S> Typically switch devices are rated for their expected normal device load. <S> Here's what one manufacturer said on their website : Electronic low-voltage transformers also dissipate some heat. <S> These inefficiencies are small enough to be accounted for in the dimmer rating. <S> A Lutron ELV dimmer UL listed for 600 W can be loaded with a full 600 W lamp load. <S> If ganged with other dimmers, standard derating rules apply. <S> If you have a separate transformer from the lights, however, (such as a magnetic transformer as opposed to a number of CFL light bulbs) then you need to consider the load of the transformer too. <A> Personally I always go up a size in dimmer if I am that close to the limit. <S> Will it work, absolutely. <S> Will it fail sooner at that high of a load, most likely. <S> Will it get very hot, definitely. <S> Will it be dangerous, no, not really. <A> Although you'll probably get away with it, it's not a good idea. <S> The 85W lamp rating is probably worse than 10% accurate, so you could easily go over the 600W. I advise you to remove one light or get a more powerful dimmer. <A> There are several factors at work here, all of which make 600 watts of incandescent lighting require a 1000+ <S> watt dimmer: <S> Most dimmers people choose (initially) are as cheaply made as possible. <S> Since it is a dimmer, there is a probability that it will not be set to 100% all the time. <S> An 80% (of fully on ) <S> dim setting will make the switch (and lights) <S> last much longer than 100% <S> When first turned on, incandescent lights have a high "inrush current" which is 2 to 10 times more than their fully heated current. <S> This alone is probably why most dimmers don't last a year. <S> If the dimmer is not engineered to force soft starting (as was typical of all 1970s dimmers), many (if not most) users operate the switch such as to start at the 100% setting. <S> Have you considered splitting up the lights? <S> Dividing them into two or three circuits, perhaps geographically, to allow use of cheap dimmers and also provide more lighting control. <A> Most would actually handle well over 600 watts but would (supposedly) fail quicker. <S> I don't see the concern at all. <S> Your worry should be in the product not you failing to follow the directions. <S> [Although I can't see any manufacturer admitting that there 600 watt dimmer is rated for 500 watts] <A> In my experience with SCRs or TRIACs (The "chip" dimmers usually use), the wattage rating is under "perfect" conditions (i.e. the area where the device is mounted says at "room temperature"). <S> Now hopefully because they are in a commercial device they have been de-rated appropriately, but I have seen more than a few devices where the chip spec's were copied to the device spec without appropriate de-rating. <S> TL;DR, I personally would go with a 1000 Watt dimmer, but a 600 should work. <A> Short answer is if it's rated at 600w incandescent load and you have a 600w incandescent load and it was installed properly you're good. <S> Longer answer, the warmer any electronic device runs, the shorter <S> it's life. <S> btw i <S> it's next to or between another dimmer in a ganged box <S> it's probably now rated for 500 or 400 watts it should be marked. <S> Depending on how it was made (and when it was made) it'll either get hotter when it's turned all the way up or <S> when it's dimmed. <S> They are not all the same in this respect. <A> I agree the 600 Watt is not big enough <S> , We need a 20% buffer for continuous loads in any circuit, for example 48 va transformer with 24 volt secondary is "good" for 2 amps, however that is with zero cushion, in reality a 24 volt transformer at 48 va may sakely handle only 1.6 amps.
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If a dimmer switch is rated for 600 watts it will handle 600 watts. It might handle the rated load, but not for long. Wiring heat loss, etc. should be negligible enough to ignore. If it is ganged with other dimmers then derating forces you to. This maximizes the wear rate on the electronics from the starting inrush current. If this doesn't ease your mind you will need to call the manufacturer.
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Should I replace ALL the fuses in plugs? In certain countries (for example the UK), plugs have fuses in them.In most cases, this is a stand 13 A fuse. My question: If I know that a device (to which the plug is attached) won't draw even a single Amp of power (or maybe 2amps but definitely less than 3): Shall I replace the fuse inside the plug with a lesser one? for example: a 3 amp fuse. <Q> Originally, in the UK after BS1363 was introduced, there were 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 13A fuses but nowadays mostly 3,5 and 13 are used/available. <S> The plug fuse is to protect the wire between plug and appliance, it is not primarily intended to protect the appliance (which can have it's own fuse or other protections). <S> So the choice of fuse principally depends on the diameter of the wires between plug and appliance. <S> However there is nothing wrong with choosing a lower fuse capacity that will also protect the appliance to some degree. <A> Should you? <S> No, of course not. <S> Most electronics should already have a suitable fuse installed. <S> In some things (kettle leads, extension cables) <S> these fuses are rated high because the end load is unknown. <S> Can you reduce them? <S> Sure. <S> If you feel something requires extra protection from surges or feel it has been incorrectly rated, you can lower the fuse to the current <S> you think it's going to draw. <S> But many things (especially those with motors) naturally surge so picking too low a fuse rating will result in you changing fuses a lot. <S> But I wouldn't recommend anybody run around their house changing out all their fuses. <S> If you're really worried, it's might be better to reconfigure your circuits to have more, lower rated mains rings instead of (as many properties have) one or two high rated circuits. <S> Separate the kitchen out and break it down by floor. <S> Getting this right usually results in a total rewire and occasionally needs tweaking <S> but it's good sense to limit total power to some parts of a house ( <S> beyond a lazy electician's 32A "ah, screw it, this'll do" breaker). <A> The purpose of fuses is not to protect your appliances. <S> The purpose of fuses is to keep your wiring from starting a fire and burning down your house. <S> By reducing the amperage of your fuse you are simply setting yourself up for more headaches and costs from un-necessarily blown fuses.
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If your wiring is up to code the fuse will blow long before the wiring has an issue.
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Can I lean a ladder against tempered glass without damaging the window? We are building, and just now after the windows have been installed is that I realised they are really high up. The window is made of tempered glass 8mm thick, 3.5 m wide, 2.5 m high and starts at 3.5 meters above the ground, so it is 6 m at its highest point. I was thinking about putting a ladder against the window when I was going to clean it, but I'm not sure if tempered glass can withstand the pressure of ladder and someone climbing it for cleaning. <Q> Even if the windows were super thick, it wouldn't be strong enough to handle the pressure exerted by a properly positioned ladder. <S> A ladder is supposed to be sloped 25%, like this: With someone standing near the top of the ladder, that means roughly 20% of his weight is directed as lateral force, directly into the wall or window, conveyed by the points of the corners. <S> That could easily be hundreds of PSI, enough to crack almost any glass. <S> That force is temporarily multiplied as each step is taken with something like acceleration and deceleration <S> (this is the basics of physics kinematics, F = ma ). <S> Wrapping the corners of the ladder with something soft (like a thick towel) would greatly reduce the pressure by spreading its force over a much larger contact area. <S> However, the same total force is still applied, and that could well exceed the loading limit of the glass or its frame. <S> If the window breaks and the ladder moves, will that make you fall off? <S> Will sharp, heavy pieces of glass fall onto you or be blasted into your face and eyes? <S> Will you fall onto a window shard still held vertical in the frame? <S> Lean <S> the ladder beside the window Get a longer ladder which can rest on the wall above the window With climbing gear, belay yourself from above Rent scaffolding, a cherry picker, or a self-supporting ladder like an A-frame or orchard ladder. <A> Don't do it. <S> Put the ladder above the window, then clean by putting your arms through the rungs. <S> Shouldn't the windows have a way to tilt them inward and clean from inside the house? <S> Most every modern window I've seen has a way to do that. <S> You may want to get a ladder stabilizer: <A> Either use a A frame ladder or a squeegee on a pole. <S> I personally wouldn't trust my health on the structural strength of glass. <A> Get a combo sponge / squeegee on an extendable pole. <S> They work very well. <S> You attach these to a garden hose for water. <S> They easily can spray a nice and vigorous soapy stream or water at the windows over 20 feet (like 6 meters) high. <S> Normally the surfactants that are in the cleaning soap allow the water to run off the window and leave it clear when you switch the sprayer to rinse mode. <S> I use these spray cleaners to clean 2nd floor windows <S> and then if there are particularly difficult spots I'll work with the sponge on the pole. <S> Then re-spray the window with the spray. <S> The squeegee can come into play if there is stray water remaining. <A> I know that this does not exactly answer you question, but here is an alternate option to your probable problem <S> :I would get a water fed window cleaning pole squeegee . <S> pros: <S> the chance that the window breaks and that you possibly hurt yourself AND need to buy a new window is way smaller. <A> I wouldn't do it, you're just asking for trouble especially with such a larger window that will likely flex with the pressure. <S> In any event, how would you clean the entire window if a ladder is leaning against them?
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It is also possible to get these window washing soap bottles that have an integrated sprayer mechanism. Leaning against glass is a high risk, low benefit undertaking. You wont need to go up and down the ladder. It seems to me that it is safer, since you stay on the ground. There are many solutions which are easy, painless, and relatively inexpensive:
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Rewiring a house, breaker panel and all, while living in the house Our current home (mid-50s ranch in the Midwest US -- my AHJ has adopted the 2011 NEC save for the AFCI requirements, btw) is in good shape, save for the electrical wiring, which is a major bodge job. Some of the previous owners (this house was an O/O that recently became a rental unit, we are the first tenants though) thought it was a good idea to replace all the outlets with grounded outlets without hooking up their grounds to anything, for starters. The original 1950s fuse box is still present (no pennies that I know of, but there may be some overfusing going on as there are 30A fuses on 120V circuits in the box, and there's also a decrepit Edison-base thermal breaker roaming around there), and worse yet, the A/C installer decided it was OK to stick a 40A double pole breaker in a standard square junction box without a cover plate -- heaven only knows how he tapped it out of the main panel! Given that the ideal way to fix this situation likely involves rewiring (the house is wired with NM save for the garage and basement which have conduit, and the garbage disposal which is some type of AC or MC and also happens to be the one outlet that is properly earthed) the whole kit and kaboodle atop replacing the main panel (the location is too high up on the wall it's on to be Code compliant!), how can this job be staged so that we don't have to move out of the house while it's going on? BTW: our W/H is gas and our furnace is gas with electric ignition, but the dryer and range are both electric. The NM is cloth-covered (appears to be original to the house), btw. <Q> You want to rewire just because of a lack of ground? <S> Don't. <S> It's too expensive. <S> Just replace the outlets with GFCI's (AKA RCD), they come with a sticker that says "No Equipment Ground", put that on there. <S> Make sure you trace the wires <S> so you don't have two GFCI's in a chain. <S> You can replace the fuse box in one day with circuit breakers. <S> I did it once overnight while the homeowners (relatives of mine) slept. <S> I used a car battery for light. <S> (Before the days of LED's.) <S> Or better yet, use GFCI breakers, then get a ton of stickers for all the outlets (GFCI stickers, and No Ground stickers). <A> Rewiring a house takes about a week, give or take, if the electricians have free reign. <S> If they have to tiptoe around the occupants it could take a lot longer. <S> The best way to find out is to have a few electricians do a walk-through and give you a quote. <S> (E.g. if the original box is 60A, you would feed it from a 60A double-pole breaker in the new panel). <S> The panel upgrade could probably be completed in a day (with the cooperation of your electric company, who will need to cut power to the house and maybe run new wires). <S> Then any new circuits can be run off the new live panel. <S> But I have no idea if that is up to code or would pass inspection. <S> I suppose in theory you are supposed to get an inspection before any new or rewired circuit goes live, which might make moving the circuits one-by-one prohibitive. <S> You may decide it's easier to stay with friends/family/motel for a week instead of dragging the process out for a while. <S> Also note that rewiring a house will put a lot of holes in the drywall, which is somewhat messy and will need to be patched / painted when it's all over. <S> P.S. <S> - if you are renting, this is probably all speculative, right? <A> Another option, I'd consider using GFCI dead faces at the head of each circuit near the existing fuse panel rather than using GFCI receptacles. <S> This is probably a lot less trouble because you don't have to trace the first receptacle in each circuit. <S> You may be able to lay everything out on the wall so that these junction boxes make the eventual service upgrade a little easier. <S> More importantly though, the old cable may be a bit brittle and the insulation may crumble when you're working with it. <S> Cramming the GFCIs in the existing outlet boxes ... bad things could happen. <S> They've already been disrupted once when the receptacles were upgraded to 3-prong. <S> At that point you can at least tolerate the situation until June when there's a lot more daylight and <S> temperatures are comfortable, I'd much rather tackle this in June. <S> Me, in a rental - I'd be done at that point, beyond that it would be the landlady's dime. <A> If you are renting, then it is the landlord's responsibility. <S> Most municipalities have pretty strict rules on rental property. <S> They usually require that it meets all applicable building codes. <S> If your house is not up to the code that is required you should first discuss this with your landlord and ask what their plan is to correct it. <S> All that being said let me say a couple things about older homes: Many older homes are wired with old-style cloth covered NM cable. <S> This wiring functions adequately and safely and is not required to be replaced just because it is old. <S> The absence of a ground was standard in the 50's and is not required to be changed. <S> All buildings are grandfathered and are not required to be "brought up to code" unless a major remodel is undertaken or unless the rental authority (or some other authority) requires it. <S> The requirements for the replacement of non-grounded receptacles is covered in Article 406.4(D)(2) of the 2011 code. <S> If you are worried about a lack of ground at your receptacles you can easily protect them by replacing the breaker with a GFCI breaker. <S> See 406.4(D)(2)c. <S> No rewiring of the home is necessary. <S> Happy Turkey Week!
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The way I've seen upgrading a house's electrical service with minimal disruption is to add a new breaker panel next to the original fuse box and then attach the original fuse box as a sub panel. If you do not get a satisfactory resolution with you landlord you can then file a complaint with your local rental authority.
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Does the toilet flange need to be bolted? I am replacing the toilet in my house, and after removing the old toilet, I can see that the flange is not bolted to the floor. Also, it sits up off the finished floor about a quarter inch. Do I need to add any supports underneath to fill the gap, and do I need to drill holes and bolt it down to the subfloor before installing the new toilet? <Q> The bottom of the flange needs to be sitting flush with (or not more than 1/8" above) <S> the finished floor or else the toilet will rock. <S> Dry fit the toilet to make sure it doesn't rock. <S> If it does rock, use shims to prevent rocking - just tightening the bolts probably will not stop the rocking but will risk cracking the toilet or breaking the flange. <A> We would usually screw it down during the rough in. <S> Having said that I personally see nothing wrong with cementing it to the exit pipe below. <S> Although not my first choice I have seen installs last many many years without screwing in the flange. <S> For example for basement bathrooms I would just attach the flange via cement. <S> Also if you have the PVC cemented together the screws are really doing nothing, other than backing up the cement in case of failure. <A> Closet (toilet) flanges must be 1/4" above a finished floor. <S> This is so the wax ring seals properly to the flange and the hub on the toilet. <S> If a proper seal is not achieved it will result in leaking. <S> If the flange is lower than or flush with the floor they make foam rings that cover the distance for a proper seal. <S> The foam seal will also seal in the case of your rocking toilet issue, and although it is not recommended and usually against code for wax rings, you can stack the foam seals. <A> If your pipe is already installed with a flange and studs, it's probably attached correctly. <S> A sub floor was probably installed during the last remodeling. <S> You just need to check for rot around the pipe flange. <A> Should be flush to the finished floor and bolted down. <S> That's what all the holes are for in the flange. <S> Screws are fine. <S> If it's floating shim it with something suitable for damp locations, not because of leaks, but because it's a bathroom and bathrooms get wet. <S> Use a new wax ring attached to the bottom of the bowl and carefully lower it on center.
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The flange should be fastened to the floor.
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White lithium safe to lubricate a dryer? My dryer is squeaking something fierce. It is a GE gas dryer, approximately 10 years old (model DBB3300GA2WW, U.S.). The noise is so bad that with it being in the corner of the basement, and me being on the first floor with multiple closed doors between us, it is still loud and annoying. The noise repeats itself approximately every 1.25 seconds, which is the rotational period of the drum as opposed to the motor or impeller which are the other two parts that frequently are at fault for noise issues. Today I replaced the drum bearing after googling indicated that it is the first part to wear out and cause excessive noise. While I had the drum removed I also lubricated the motor pulley and the tension pulley with silicone . I turned it on, and the loud squeaking immediately came back. The noise will stop every once in a while for a few seconds, then come back again. I have had good success with white lithium grease in automotive applications, not surprising given it is designed for metal-on-metal lubrication. However, I am unsure if this would be a good idea to use in the dryer. Is white lithium grease safe to use in a dryer? My two concerns: The dryer gets hot, captain obvious. The spray can states to keep it away from heat, however, it reads that the can should be kept away from heat, not the grease after application. Will the heat in a dryer ignite or otherwise cause problems with the grease? The metal parts in the bearing assembly are right behind the diffuser, meaning that hot air is being pushed past them and into the drum. If I spray white lithium grease on those parts, is it feasible that the hot air blowing past them will dislodge some of the grease and cook it into my clothing as it dries? Does it even make sense to use white lithium on the bearing assembly since it is plastic on metal? NB: I am not asking for general advice on how to stop dryer squeaking, that is too broad. My concerns are specific to applying white lithium grease to dryers to stop the squeaking, specifically the safety as it relates to heat and getting it in clothing. Also, links are to the specific products I own/used. <Q> I think you have or had same problem I am having which is not a bearing at all. <S> I came here looking for the same answer <S> you were about the silicone due to the amount of time it takes to deliver parts and the fact that the family is going crazy. <A> Mine was stuck, humming and not running when I pressed the start button. <S> I just added some duralube (just a few drops) to my drum rides, and that seemed to do the trick. <A> From the little I've seen on this topic, white lithium should be well suited to temps in the average dryer (below 250F, approx). <S> It's ignition point is quite high about 500F), so the worst that will happen is it'll melt onto the clothes. <S> http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/340/high-temperature-grease
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I can't answer definitively, but I think you're on the right track. It is the glides (small plastic strips) that the outter drum rides on have either dried out or in my case 1 is missing. If it were me, I'd apply a light coat of lithium on the bearings in question and give it a try.
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Replacing shower head - thread sticking out of wall is too long I'm retrofitting a new showerhead to an old shower. The old showerhead had an escutcheon plate, the new showerhead doesn't. The result is that the new showerhead sits 10mm off the tiled wall of the shower. The bit of threaded pipe sticking out of the wall, sticks out by 20mm. I have measured the internal depth of the screwed part of the showerhead, and it is only 10mm deep. Do I simply need to hacksaw off 10mm of the screwed pipe coming out of the wall, or is there some better way of fixing this? Edit: Cutting the pipe back 10mm worked fine. I did encounter a problem when installing the wall fitting ('wall elbow'). When screwed down fully, flush to the wall, the outlet fitting on the wall elbow pointed to the left. This is against manufacturer's recommendation as the hose to the handpiece needs to hang straight down. I tried to forcefully turn the wall elbow to the correct, outlet-down position, but wasn't able to do this without applying excessive force. I ended up unscrewing the fitting one turn, so the wall-elbow's outlet pointed down as recommended. This left a small gap behind the fitting which I used silicone caulking to seal up. I left a small gap in the silicone at the 6-o-clock position on the fitting, which should allow any trapped water to drain out. <Q> It is really hard to tell from the picture. <S> Is the pipe from the wall threaded all the way down to below the tile surface? <S> If the answer is no then I would be concerned that if you were to saw off 10mm of the threaded pipe coming out of the wall that you may have one or two problems. <S> You could be left with so few threads that it will be hard to seal the threaded joint without a leak. <S> The new shower head attachment could bottom out on the threaded portion of the pipe and still not be tight to the tile surface. <S> + <S> + Edit <S> + <S> + <S> Based on the comment left by the OP I would fully agree that the extending pipe can be cut to a shorter length. <S> As a matter of fact, when looking closely at the provided picture it is easy to see that this pipe has already been cut from a previous install. <S> When cutting off a threaded item like this there should be some post cutting dressing of the first thread using a file. <S> The tapering down of the leading edge of the first thread and a general beveling all the way around the outside corner will greatly ease installation of the mating shower head assembly. <S> It the sawing leaves any sharp edge or burrs on the inside corner of the pipe <S> those should also be removed. <S> When cutting off this pipe to the requisite 8 to 10mm protrusion it will be best done using a hand tool such as a good quality hack saw with a new fine toothed blade. <S> I would recommend taping some cereal box type cardboard to the tiles before starting the work in order to prevent the hack saw from rubbing on the tile and grout lines and leaving metal markings which can be hard to clean away. <S> It may also be suggested to wear some of the thin hand forming gloves similar to "Gorilla Gloves" to avoid getting skinned up hands working in close to the wall. <A> Looks like this is already solved, but here's another possible approach. <S> These fittings often consist of a drop <S> ear <S> brass elbow like this: <S> You could get yourself an internal pipe wrench, unthread the nipple, and replace it with one half an inch (12 mm) shorter. <S> This is how I've done it and seen it done. <S> What's behind your walls may differ, so buyer beware. <A> Not an expert, but I suspect using a hacksaw is going to be the safest way without potentially damaging the tiles. <S> May take some elbow grease though!
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The part you see sticking out out of the wall is simply a brass nipple threaded into the elbow:
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Can I take the cover off my fusebox to attach an energy monitor? I have bought an Energy Monitor to track our electricity usage (hard times...). I now need to put the sensor on one of the cables either next to the fusebox or the meter. Unfortunately I cannot access any cables surrounding the meter as it is all secured either behind cable protectors or the walls in our flat's lobby. That leaves me with access to only the fusebox within our flat. My question is this, I cannot see any cables surrounding the fusebox but I can see two screws on the cover - is it safe to take these off to see if I can access a cable inside to place the sensor around? I hope this is the right place to ask. We have lived here for quite a few years but nobody seems to understand our boiler and I would like to track our energy usage as we are on Economy 10 but seem to be using 70% On-peak energy and only 30% Off-peak..even with an economy 10 boiler and the dishwasher/dryer/washing machine etc going on during the off-peak times.. It's almost £200 a month for 2 people in a small flat and we are energy conscious. <Q> I would find some way to attach the measuring clamp around the live feed near the meter. <S> It used to look like <S> this Mine is a bit unusual in that the supply is three-phase rather than the more usual single-phase but the general layout is the same. <S> At bottom left is the incoming unmetered supply terminated at 100A (230V) supply fuses. <S> You are not permitted to touch these. <S> Neutral and Live (usually one but three in my case) wires feed the meter. <S> You can see the after-meter live wire (marked with red tape) disappears off into the wall at top left. <S> There should always be enough room to attach a current sensing clamp over that wire. <S> Inside my house, on the opposite side of the same wall, is a separate wall-mounted "consumer unit" inside a cupboard. <S> These are often called a fuse-box although these distribution panels now contain miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) rather than fuses. <S> and I would advise against opening up the panel to find the incoming live feed. <S> The current-sense clamps supplied with energy monitors are intended to be used in the exterior meter box. <A> Before unscrewing any screws on the fusebox, turn off the electricity! <A> If you at all worried about making such a connection it would be best to call a qualified electrician, or power box expert (or what ever you might call that type of person on your side of the pond). <S> Placing an amp clamp over the single main insulated wire might be enough with possibly just some small error amount.
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The wires are very stiff but you should be able to move them enough to attach a typical clamp around the live wire safely. But even before doing that make sure you've got a torch handy, 'cos fuseboxes are invariably in dark places (a head-torch is useful). My house, as many do, has an external wall-box flush-mounted into an external brick wall. There is no way to attach a current sensing clamp here You would need to isolate the supply into the building and there is no facility for householders to do this - I believe you are expected to contact the electricity supply company if you need to isolate anything before the main switch on the consumer unit.
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Is it possible that I could have a 240V circuit with no circuit breaker? Is it possible to put in an electrical circuit without any way to interrupt the circuit? I tried to work on a 240V outlet, and it wasn't marked in the breaker box. I threw every breaker, and that outlet remained hot. For that matter, there's not a master breaker, either. <Q> If there's no main breaker, then there is probably another breaker box somewhere, possibly in the same enclosure as the meter. <S> Also, it's possible that the panel you are looking at does not have a main breaker at the top; it could be one of the breakers mixed in with the branch circuit breakers. <S> If you can, post a picture of your breaker panel with the cover removed so we can see the wiring inside. <A> There HAS to be a way to shut it off. <S> Thing is, yes, there is a way to hack a job like this so bad that there is no breaker. <S> If not then someone catastrophically messed up. <S> Are you 100% sure there is not another panel or disconnect somewhere? <A> No breaker and no master switch in the breaker box would be against code in my jurisdiction. <S> There must be a way to shut off power to the circuit without your electrical company having to shut it off. <S> What is your jurisdiction?
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There should be a breaker or fuse somewhere, even if there is no single main.
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Why do I have 5 wire in my wall socket? I am renovating my cellar. The electrician wired the room a couple of years ago and until now i´ve not had the money or time to finish it off. I was looking at the wiring for the wall sockets today and realized that for every box there is at least 8 wires stuffed into it separated into 2 groups of wires. 1 group of wires has 5 colours...brown, black, grey, green/yellow and blue, the other group had green/yellow, blue and brown. I mostly have double sockets so this setup is then repeated for the second socket next to it. How do I install the socket...what is grey? My wall socket has only 3 input holes...so what do I do? Thanks for any advice. <Q> Do NOT touch the 3 hot wires together. <S> From what I have heard, unlike the US, Germany provides full 3 phase power to residences. <S> That means those three hot wires are each 120 degrees out of phase with each other, so touching them will create a short circuit. <S> If you use a multimeter to measure the voltage from one to the other, you should see somewhere around 200 volts, and 220 between any one of them and neutral/ground. <S> Regular outlets in Europe are 220 volts, so they are only wired to one of the three phases, and neutral. <S> Different outlets should each use a different phase so the load is roughly balanced between the phases. <A> If you're Europe, those are the standard colours for 3 phase wiring. <S> It may be the electrician had some spare and used that instead. <S> I'd suggest testing the black and grey wires aren't live (and insulate them off), and continue to use the brown as live, blue as neutral and green/yellow as earth. <A> What country and what type of service do you have? <S> You can find basic info about coloring schemes here . <S> The important rules (for the US) are: hot=black (and connects to the bronze <S> colored terminal on the outlet), neutral=white, and neutral-green (or green/yellow). <S> There are several main reasons why there can be more than 3 wires: <S> outlets are cascaded, i.e. there is an incoming and an outgoing wire with 3 conductors each, one continuing to the next wall box) <S> there can be a switched circuit and an always-on circuit (where one incoming wire is connected to a wall switch as opposed to a direct connection to the circuit breaker) there could also be a separate circuit for an appliance like a washer/dryer/fridge/oven - you will find it in the service box based on colors there could be a separate circuit connected to a GFI switch Check for these things by locating the wires, based on colors, in other wall boxes for outlets and switches, or in the service panel. <S> ps: <S> ok, now that we know you are in Germany, much of what I said does not apply (about colors and GFI, which is not optional and not distributed in Europe). <S> But the basic process for identifying each wire remains the same.
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You are correct - only 3 wires are needed for a basic wall outlet (hot, neutral, ground). Colors can mean different things in different regions, and the electrician may or may not have follow standard color schemes. But regardless, you should be able to figure out what the wires do by tracing them back to the source.
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LED vs. CFL Bulbs on Modified Sine Wave Inverter I have been installing solar electric lighting systems in schools in Haiti for several years now using CFLs. I have been thinking about installing LED bulbs instead. I am using a DC to AC modified sine wave inverter at 60 Hz, 120 volt, 1750 watts. Will the LEDs work as well as the CFLs do now? <Q> If you do choose to use AC you will have to convert it back to DC before the LED can use it, which commercial LEDs do automatically as part of the package. <S> I would suggest you don't use commercial LED's with an Edison base bulb, instead get special purpose LED's that run directly on DC. <S> They are cheaper and simpler. <S> Does the DC voltage vary? <S> That might complicate things. <A> I don't see a reason to retrofit your previous installs with LEDs unless they are trying to squeeze just a little more power out of the system (energy savings won't do you any good unless you need the energy for something else). <S> There is the possibility that choosing LEDs when the CFLs need replacing would reduce long term costs, but there is no advantage to throwing out the working CFLs. <S> You might look at the cost/benefit of using DC LED lighting on future installs. <S> With LEDs on DC, you'd save energy (both the energy the light consumes and the inverter losses) so might be able to meet needs with fewer panels and a smaller inverter. <S> Even if initial costs are higher, the long life of the LED's might tip the balance. <A> I'm a solar installer in Spain and I am finding the cheap AC/DC compact converters within LED light bulbs designed for AC use are causing high harmonic interference with the main system inverter, causing the inverter to run much hotter and sometimes burn out the diodes on the power board. <S> I would stick with CFL low energy bulbs (although they also have AC/DC compact converters they don't seem to have the same effect) for safety and reliability reasons. <S> More of a problem for high frequency inverters than low frequency.
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It will work better - you don't even need the inverter, run the LEDs directly from the DC, they will like it much better than AC, and you will save power.
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Can I connect my water heater pan drain to the building waste drain? (CPC) This question is relative to the California Plumbing Code (CPC), specifically the Sacramento area. I'm doing some remodeling of a bathroom where the water heater pan drain line comes across the ceiling a bit lower than I can allow because I'm replacing a drop ceiling with hard and I'd like to get it up higher than where the pipe exits the exterior wall. The drain is running parallel to the wet wall of the bathroom and therefore I have access to the building sewage drain system. Is it okay, per the above codes, to connect the water heater drain pan to the building waste system? I've found an inspection checklist which says... Drain-Pan shall be required when a water heater and/or tank is installed in a location where it could cause damage; in case of failure/leak to floor, sub-floor, drywall. Drain pan shall be installed with a minimum ¾” drain outlet and discharge that drains to the exterior of the building or an approved location. (2013 CPC Section 508.4) ...so being that the heater itself is in the attic space I have to follow this rule. But when it says (emphasis mine)... "that drains to the exterior of the building or an approved location ." ...I'm not able to find where in the code it defines approved locations. Can anyone shed some light on this issue please? <Q> An Approved location that I'm aware of is like a Floor Drain. <S> Though Ariel is Correct, you would need an Air Gap. <S> So the pipe would have a 1" min Gap to the Drain so that any back flow of water could not touch the exit pipe. <S> The Main issue here is keeping the sewer gases in the system and not outside. <S> This is what the p-Trap is for. <S> Its a water barrier to prevent sewer gases from escaping the system. <S> The Water Heater Drain pan does not typically have water and any p-Trap installed in that line would not have any water in it to fill the p-Trap. <S> My HVAC system is in the Attic <S> and it sits in a large drain pan <S> so if the AC leaks water will drain out. <S> They plumbed the 3/4" PVC drain to a Soffit vent over a window. <S> The purpose for the over the window was it would be obvious to someone that there was a leak. <S> Hope that helps. <A> Your local Building Commissioner, should be more than happy, to answer this question. <A> I believe you could tie into the vent as long as you increase the pan drain size to min. 1 1/4" and install a trap seal primer. <S> other option would be to run the pipe into the crawlspace (if present) and tie into a floor drain trap. <S> otherwise you need to discharge it indirectly with an air gap
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In most cases, a trapped drain pan is fine, but a pressurized relief valve is not - as it could disrupt other houshold traps and/or blast high pressure/high temperature water, down the drain, and back up another trap, if not permanently damage parts of the sewer lines.
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replace stud that has vent pipe through it I had some water damage in my bathroom and a few of the studs are rotted. I am assuming they need to be replaced. The problem is these studs have a plumbing vent pipe drilled through the middle of them. How would I go about putting new ones in? Is there a way to do this without cutting vent pipe? <Q> Why do you need to replace the stud? <S> Unless it has rotted, you do not need to replace a stud with water damage. <S> Removed the damaged drywall and any other wet items and let the wood dry out before replacing the drywall. <S> If this is inside the bathroom, be sure you are using the right type of product. <S> You would not use regular drywall in a shower or bath area, you would use cement board or something similar. <A> You can notch a non-load bearing stud out by 40% (1 7/16 inches for a 2x4). <S> S <S> if you're willing to fudge a 16th you could accommodate a 1 1/2" pipe. <S> I'd probably put a strap across the notch - nail guard at minimum. <S> If it's bigger then that, you'll likely have to bore it out - you can go to 60% (2 1/8 inches in a 2x4) in a non-load bearing wall. <S> Load bearing walls are significantly restricted by comparison. <S> https://engineering.purdue.edu/~jliu/courses/CE479/extras/Notching_&_Boring_Guide_A11.pdf <A> Also, replacing with wood just leaves you vulnerable the next time the same thing happens. <S> The advantage of steel is that it is thin, so it is easy to work around any existing piping. <S> Note that there also in-line gizmos you can use, like this:
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If you leave a damp stud in the wall you are asking for mold. Need a picture to see what is going on, but in general the best procedure is probably to take out the studs and put in some kind of steel support.
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What is the danger of reversing the polarity while connecting a dishwasher to the electrical service? What is the DANGER, if any, of connecting the white neutral line of the dishwasher, to to black hot line at the power source--- and of course similarly connecting the black hot line of the dishwasher, to the white neutral line at the power source. Now I would not do this, but a fellow at the store said it would not make any difference. In either case the copper wire would go to the green ground screw. I seem to remember from somewhere that if the wiring were to be reversed as mentioned above, that a person touching both the dishwasher and maybe a sink or ground of some sort, that they could possibly get a big jolt of electricity. <Q> Reversing "polarity" * (swapping the hot and grounded/neutral wires) presents no danger to the equipment on an AC circuit. <S> In terms of electrical properties, the conductors are the same. <S> The current switches direction 50 or 60 times each second, and the equipment simply cannot tell the difference between the two conductors. <S> Here's an interesting article in the Electrical Engineering Times about neutral wire myths. <S> Safety to humans is a different matter. <S> In most of the world, common household current is single phase power, with a “hot” conductor carrying line current, and a grounded “neutral” conductor carrying the return current (120V in North America, 230V in Europe, 100V in Japan, etc.). <S> In North America, the single phase is actually 240V split into two 120V legs, and there is no neutral if you use 240V, but let’s sort of ignore that for now. <S> The hot/line conductor is dangerous if you touch it, while the grounded neutral is normally safe. <S> If a device or appliance uses a single-pole on/off switch, so it only breaks one conductor, then it’s dangerous to switch the neutral. <S> If you switch the hot conductor, it de-energizes <S> all the wiring in the appliance. <S> However; if you switch the neutral, it leaves all of the wiring in the appliance energized. <S> If you touch it, or if there’s a fault and you touch the appliance housing, you could be electrocuted even if the appliance's power switch is off. <S> If an appliance has a two-pole on/off switch, then it will break both conductors at the same time. <S> Consequently, no matter which order you connect the wires in, throwing the switch off will completely de-energize the appliance. <S> * Polarity: <S> this term is not terribly accurate. <S> It's "polarity" in the sense that the hot conductor on a hot/neutral circuit is connected to one pole or the other of the smaller coil in the transformer outside (the neutral is connected to the center of the coil, not to either pole). <S> But there's no such thing as a correct direction for current to flow on an AC circuit, since AC current changes direction constantly. <S> So this is not like the positive/negative polarity of DC current from a battery. <A> Electrical appliances usually switch only the hot wire when turning on and off. <S> So if the wires were swapped then if the appliance was off then a fault may cause the chassis of the machine to become hot if improperly grounded. <S> If it was properly grounded it would result in a higher current to the ground wire. <A> That really depends and I am assuming you are in the USA, but most of it holds for elsewhere too. <S> In order to obtain 230V, you have 3 wires + ground, 2 are 'hot', 1 is neutral. <S> You can switch the two hots around if you have a 230V dryer, not a problem. <S> You cannot switch ground to a non-ground or neutral to a non-neutral. <S> Neutral is generally connected (bridged) to your ground in the breaker panel(s). <S> If you 'switch' neutral and a hot, your devices will still work but the 'hot' line will continue to be present in your device even after you shut it off. <S> Eg. <S> an exposed heating element or a light bulb socket would have it's "hot" on the wire even after you turn the device off. <S> If you or someone else completes the path between your new 'hot' and the ground, that could have a potentially lethal interaction. <S> Some very cheap, home made/repaired or very old devices may also connect ground and neutral together at the device (many people make that mistake since it is bonded in the breaker box, they think it can be bonded anywhere). <A> Swapping the hot and neutral wires on an appliance creates a risk for a "switched neutral". <S> Typically, appliances switch the hot conductor to turn the appliance on and off. <S> With the neutral switched, motors, elements, and other parts of the appliance may be energized from the hot wire. <S> The external chassis of the appliance should be connected to the ground rather than the hot, so what you're really looking at are the electrical components within the appliance. <S> And if you complete the circuit from from any of these parts of the appliance to the ground, it will short out or electrocute you. <S> The highest risk that comes to mind in a dishwasher is the exposed heating element in the bottom, especially with water and a nearby sink involved. <S> If a path can be formed, through your body, from the heating element to a ground like the copper pipes in the sink, you will be shocked. <S> Note, this entirely depends on the internal wiring of the dishwasher, it's possible they switched both the hot and neutral on exposed parts like this. <S> And with AC current, the wire color indicates hot and neutral, rather than the polarity which many think of with DC power.
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If you miswire your outlet, you may connect hot to ground (short circuit) when connecting said device.
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