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Can anyone tell me what this little white box on my outlet is? Recently bought a house that's about 40 years old. The previous owner was clearly very fond of doing the wiring himself and has left me some idiosyncrasies to work out. One is this box in one of my bedrooms. No idea what it is, or is supposed to do but I see extra wires coming straight out of the sheet rock on the bottom of it. Can anyone tell me what it is? <Q> Conveniently, it still had the UPC barcode label and you captured it quite clearly in the picture. <S> A search at <S> upcdatabase.com shows that it is: Description <S> Brinks Home Security System AC Power AdaptorSize <S> / <S> Weight 5x3x3 <S> , 12 ounces Issuing Country United States <S> A Google Search for that UPC brings up a number of hits, including on at Parts Express that shows the following specs: Universal UB1640W 16.5 VAC 40 <S> VA Plug-In <S> 16.5 VCurrent Capacity 2400 mACenter/ <S> Tip Polarity AC Plug Input Voltage 110~120 <S> VAC <S> So, it appears to be a low voltage 16.5 VAC transformer that is (or at least was) <S> Looks like the screw on top is meant to screw into the outlet for semi-permanent installation. <A> A transformer to reduce the house current to low voltage, to power something. <S> It can be for any number of things. <S> If it goes into the wall, check the other side, there is a chance the wire comes straight through. <A> This is a transformer or DC power supply. <S> Odds are that this was installed years ago by the telephone company to power land-line telephones with light-up dials ("princess" phones). <S> This was well before LED lighting that pulled small-enough power to run right off of the power from the central office.
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Wall Transformer AC Output Voltage Of course, it's possible that it was re-purposed for something else like low voltage lighting, a doorbell, or who knows what it may be used for. a part of a home security system.
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1/4" male compression end on inline water filter to 3/8" male compression (fine threads) I have 2 faucets at my kitchen sink: one for regular water stuff and the 2nd for drinking water. Lines running from the drinking water faucet are 3/8" female compression.My ecopure inline water filter has 1/4" male compression (un-removable), at both ends. I refuse to use any other inline water filter as I have tried several and only this 5 year ecopure removes all the odors/tastes. ecopure changed the connections a few years ago. I've figured out how to run from the kitchen sink cold water supply/shut-off valve (3/8" x 3/8" x 1/4" tee & 1/4" line), but cannot find a 1/4" female compression to 3/8" male compression adapter. I can attach a 1/4" female compression line but will then need a 1/4" male compression to 3/8" male compression. Any help is appreciated as I have been searching for a month now. <Q> http://www.amazon.com/LASCO-17-6759-4-Inch-Compression-Adapter/dp/B008E5CFC4/ <S> It will screw onto the female 3/8" compression on the drinking water faucet and allow you to connect a 1/4" compression line to it (from the filter). <S> This is one of the most commonly sold compression adapter at Home Depot, so anyone in plumbing should be able to point you to it (if you're in the US... <S> I'm sure Lowes and others sell it to. <S> Quite common. <A> heres the link for the fitting you will need http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ITPFJ72?keywords=3%2F8%20x%201%2F4%20compression%20fitting&qid=1445559798&ref_=sr_1_5&sr=8-5 <A> I had a similar situation, and I ended up making my own adapter from a few parts. <S> I had a 3/8" push connector on my filter, and a piece of 3/8" tube. <S> I had to attach that 3/8" tube, to a 1/4" male compression end on the faucet. <S> Parts: <S> 1/4" compression nut, ferrule, and sleeve. <S> 1/4" tube. <S> 3/8" x 1/4" <S> plastic O.D. x O.D. coupling Assembly Cut a short piece of 1/4" tubing (~1"). <S> Push one end of the 1/4" tube into the coupling. <S> Put compression nut and ferrule on, and sleeve in other end of 1/4" tube. <S> Push one end of the 3/8" tube into the coupling. <S> Connect 1/4" compression nut to faucet. <S> Push other end of 3/8" tube into push connector on filter. <S> Finished Adapter <S> This exact adapter might not work for you, but you should be able to bodge something together with parts from the local hardware or home improvement store.
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Since it seems that you already have the lines, I think all you need is a compression adapter fitting like this:
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removing deposits from the toilet bowl I've had tenants that I guess used the toilet but never flushed. Anyways, I'm unable to remove the yellow/brown deposits from the bowl, they seem to be really hard rock-like formations - I've ended up destroying the bristles on the brush while scrubbing. What could I use to remove these deposits? <Q> It's essentially an external kidney stone. <S> The biofilm can prevent or slow the acid from getting to the underlying stony material, and it tends to have a layered structure. <S> Vinegar works, but slowly. <S> Citric acid should work better (it's a stronger acid) but can be harder to find. <S> Muriatic (aka hydrochloric) makes me a bit uncomfortable, personally, but there are commercial toilet cleaners that contain it. <S> Be sure to use gloves and goggles if you opt for the stronger stuff. <A> There is debate over using Muraitic Acid ( http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klean-Strip-1-gal-Green-Muriatic-Acid-GKGM75006/202690263 ) which is typically what I've seen for intense deposit build ups in toilets. <A> Yeah, removing those type of stains can be difficult (I've replaced toilets due to customers not being able to remove them!). <S> The fastest (but not the easiest) solution I've found is not the most pleasant. <S> After bailing out most of the water from the bowl (leave some standing water to facilitate removal of stain) <S> don some latex or protective gloves. <S> Purchase <S> a pumice stone usually sold at hardware stores. <S> If the stain is extensive or thick it would be wise to have more than one available. <S> Start scrubbing. <S> The pumice (igneous lava rock) scrapes and erodes the encrusted stain without damaging the porcelain layer of the toilet. <S> The pumice is light-weight and will seemingly disappear as it is pressed onto the surface. <S> Usually two pieces will completely remove the problem. <S> here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Pumice-HDW-12-Pumie-Scouring-Stick/dp/B0082D0FCA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1445615917&sr=8-7&keywords=pumice+stone
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There is apparently a recommendation from someone to use a Pumice stone and hand scrub it. You can use various types of acid - sometimes a alternating approach of chlorine bleach (by itself) to kill the biofilm that's exposed and acid (by itself) to remove the "more or less limestone" is beneficial.
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Best way to make a hole in concrete wall So my house has concrete walls and ceilings. There a few places i would need to remove some large holes like for vents or light fixtures. I was looking at a concrete hole saw which seems to be a good idea but im not sure it would last or what kind of drill to attach it too. Any ideas. <Q> Menards and other places rent core drills for large holes in concrete. <S> Easiest way is to call Diamond Drilling or a similar company and have them come out and drill all your holes for a few hundred dollars. <S> Unless you want to buy a Hilti DD100 and the bits which will cost you way more than hundreds. <S> Edit: <S> Sorry I just re-read your post. <S> If you want to cut bigger holes then you need diamond concrete saw blades for a standard circular saw. <S> They will wear down so you could start with 1 or 2 and see how far that gets you. <S> Depends on how many holes you want to make. <S> Hopefully they are available in Ecuador. <S> Or you could order one like this . <S> Then you will need a sledgehammer, wedges, chisels, and lots of muscle. <S> Good luck! <A> For a hole larger than 1" I'd probably use some sort of air hammer to chisel through the concrete. <S> If you come across rebar you could chisel around it and then cut it out with a hacksaw blade. <A> The diamond core drilling bits like you linked will go through concrete and rebar, but it will need water to go through rebar. <S> The rebar will heat up the bit and ruin the diamond without water cooling. <S> They are made for use with a special drill, a core drilling rig, which usually has a 5/8" threaded attachment (like a grinder) rather than a chuck like a drill. <S> It's not a simple setup or procedure. <S> I wish I knew and easy way to get through concrete with rebar, but I don't think there is one. <S> These core rigs sell because they're what work, if there was an easier way they wouldn't make them!
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If you're drilling into concrete you'll need an hammer drill and some impact bits. The equipment and the bits are expensive.
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Cutting out shapes inside cement board I need to cut out a shape (rectangular opening) inside a cement board. Was wondering if it can be done with a jigsaw and a special blade once I have pilot holes drilled in each corner. <Q> There is no real experience needed when cutting an opening in cement board. <S> I've seen openings for faucet handles created with nothing more than a well placed hammer strike (one hit each hole!). <S> I've drilled perforations with a masonry bit for a single shower valve. <S> Oscillating tools with a carbide blade work. <S> The primitive method is to cut the mesh with a utility knife and then force the board to break along the cut line. <S> For a triangle cut not along an edge, mark the outline with a pencil, and drill a 3/8 inch hole at each of the 3 points. <S> With an aggressive saw blade follow the lines to each 3/8 inch hole. <S> If the edges are to jagged smooth with a rasp or a whet stone. <A> Grab a spray bottle with water to control the dust. <S> It's a bit primitive but works well.. <S> Good luck! <A> Yes, it can be done... <S> Personally, I would avoid high speed cutting tools, and simply use a drywall knife. <S> It works very well. <S> Leave one of the 4 edges uncut to simply score with a utility knife (as usual) to snap it. <S> I've done this on several cement boards, and it works much better (imho) and without any dust.
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I've cut out pieces in the middle of cement boards starting with a well placed whole saw drill bit for an opening, and following up that area with a sawzall shortblade for the actual shape. What ever tool you have available will suffice.
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Distance between floor and breaker panel? How far off the floor should my circuit breaker box be? I'm changing from a 100 to a 200 amp. The lead in wires are underground and come into the bottom of box making them too short to connect. <Q> 240.24 Location in or on Premises. <S> (A) Accessibility. <S> Overcurrent devices shall be readily accessible and shall be installed so that the center of the grip of the operating handle of the switch or circuit breaker, when in its highest position, is not more than 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in.) <S> above the floor or working platform... <S> So for a main breaker panel, where the main breaker is at the top. <S> The center of the main breaker handle, cannot be higher than 6' 7". <S> Check with the local building department, as they may have a minimum height. <S> Practically speaking, you'll want it at a comfortable height to work in. <S> You're not going to want to sit, or kneel on the floor while working in the panel. <A> You say you are replacing a 100A panel with a 200A, but the wires won't reach??? <S> It is almost a certainty that you will need to replace the wires. <S> It is extremely unlikely that they originally ran wire large enough for a 200A service, yet only installed a 100A panel. <S> Also, with pretty much all new main-breaker panels, the breaker can be mounted top or bottom, meaning there is no such thing as an "upside down" panel. <A> You should check if your new panel (or return it and buy a new panel that) can have the main at the bottom. <S> My 200 amp panel (Sq D QO - evidently "convertible") is labeled/listed for both directions. <S> My habit-following electrician <S> (I do many things, but hired a pro for the main service connection) was about to complicate life considerably by trying to put them at the top when I pointed out that not only could they be installed main-on-bottom, but the customer wanted them that way <S> ;-) <S> and it simplified the installation considerably, since power was entering at the bottom. <S> On that particular panel there's no potential confusion about "where's the main", since it's 4 times the size of a regular breaker and extends across both rows of regular breakers. <S> You might look on top first, but you'd see it on the bottom right quick. <S> You'd still have to respect the 79" height to the center of the last row of regular breakers (which are the top with the main on the bottom.)
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I don't think there's a minimum height, but there's a maximum height for breaker handles. Having the main breaker on the bottom will make for a cleaner and simpler installation where the feeders come in the bottom.
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Can new wall go over tile floor? Looking at moving my laundry upstairs, and the right answer is to combine two adjacent closets to get the width and move one of their walls a foot or two into the kitchen to get the depth. The kitchen floor is 10-inch-square tiles. It would be sort of nice if that continued on into the laundry closet. I do have a full bundle of spare tiles in the basement. Question: Could/should I plan on the new wall coming in on top of the existing tiles (presumably having to drill to secure the footer without shattering them), or should I plan on removing the ones under the footer and fitting cut pieces back in afterward? <Q> Whether or not you want to do that, is up to your personal preference. <A> It seems to me that it depends a lot on the type of tiles. <S> It <S> they are a ceramic or stone tile <S> then definitely remove then. <S> I would say the same for any type of brittle old tile that would have a tendency to shatter if hammered on or having nails pounded into it. <S> Another consideration is the possible future replacement of the flooring. <S> If it would end up being a major pain to trim the old flooring up to the base of the wall it is probably best to cut it now than to put it off to some future time. <A> Tile the entire area then erect partition walls (usually metal studs) over the tile. <S> Drill and screw at the grout joints for easy repair later. <S> Way easier than cutting in tile and way easier to change later. <A> As long as you get the fastener through the tile and into your substrate (plywood or concrete) you should be fine. <S> Don't count on your tile to hold the wall.
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The " correct " way to do it, is to remove or cut the tile where the wall will go. I do this all the time for partition walls.
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Applying drywall tape - to score or not to score? I've recently been introduced to drywall repair methods that depend on substrates such as tape and metallic mesh. One technique I've seen for the mesh was to score (i.e., make a surface cut with a utility knife) the drywall around the area and rip off a layer of paper and paint, with the goal of making an indention that can be filled flush with joint compound. Makes sense. Now, for drywall tape alone, I've seen a few videos on YouTube where they don't make a recess on the drywall. I guess the drywall repair tape is pretty thin. Also, a friend told me that drywall gets most of its structural strength from the paper and that ripping it is not a good idea. So my question is, if you're just using paper tape to fix a drywall problem, should you create an indention by scoring, or just use the tape alone? <Q> Tape alone; no cutting the paper. <S> Your friend is correct that much of the strength comes from the paper facing. <S> Check out the videos that have you feathering out the joint with a 10 or 12 inch knife. <A> <A> It is best not to damage the drywall skin in any way. <S> Even when you are securing the panel with fasteners you should only be dimpling the paper and not puncturing the surface. <S> Drywall tape, fiberglass or paper, is applied to seams because they increase the strength of the joint compound and decreases the chance of the joint splitting or cracking if there is any movement in the framing. <S> I would guess the video you viewed may have been one showing how to speed installation. <S> Most tape jobs you will apply a minimum of two layers of compound (if you are good), but three is the norm. <S> The idea is to progressively feather the next coat so as to make the slightly proud taped joint less noticeable. <S> Quality jobs don't take shortcuts.
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As you can easily feel if you play with some drywall scraps, the paper is the strength - so don't cut it unless you are cutting the drywall.
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Safest electric cable to use in insulated walls and attics, fire prevention Is there any standard out there in terms of ranking residential electrical cable options for fire safety, specifically in enclosed and/or insulated spaces? I've read that old knob & tube is actually very safe, if undamaged, due to the distance between the wires. What about as compared to NM, or armored cable (MC), or NM-in-conduit? I'm new to this stuff, so I apologize if my terminology/usage is incorrect... (We have knob & tube in our walls and attic, and I'm wondering if having an electrician replace some of it, in areas where we want various electrical and insulation changes/upgrades, is actually going to reduce fire safety.) <Q> Metal conduit is considered " noncombustible ", which means if there's a fire, it shouldn't burn. <S> However, if the wires/cables inside the conduit produce heat, the conduit does nothing to prevent the transfer of that heat (aside from possibly spreading it out). <S> Therefore, it does nothing to prevent fires. <S> Though it may reduce toxic fumes, and will not become a fuel in the event of a fire. <S> If you're looking to reduce the risk of a fire being started by the electrical system. <S> You should be looking at circuit breakers and other similar devices protecting the wires, not so much the wires themselves. <S> If you can accurately detect potential fire hazards as they happen, and take steps to reduce and/or eliminate them. <S> The wires themselves don't matter much. <S> If you're really concerned about electrical fires, installing larger wires than are required can help. <S> Larger wires will be able to dissipate more heat, and therefore will be less likely to start a fire (when properly protected). <S> For example, using 12 AWG conductors on 15 ampere circuits, will provide the protection device additional time to respond to a hazard. <S> Increasing the number of circuits, can reduce the tendency to overload the circuits, thus reducing one fire hazard. <S> If you have a room where a lot of equipment will be plugged in, consider installing two or three general receptacle circuits instead of one. <A> NM-in-conduit is a bad idea on several fronts. <S> Hard to pull, abysmal fill, etc. <S> THN, THW etc. are appropriate in conduit. <S> XHHW-2 seems like the highest temp in common insulation (teflon, and fiberglass sleeves go higher, but I've never seen those outside of laboratory equipment.) <S> When looking for "fire paranoia" and electrical code, Chicago is the default, and they appear (on a quick web search) to favor conduit, only. <S> Elsewise, consider that the US national electrical code is published by the national fire prevention association. <S> But when feeling paranoid about it, follow Chicago. <A> I replace old electric especially knob-and-tube whenever I get the chance. <S> It's easy to romanticize about "old and solid" but in reality, while the knobs and tubes may be reliable, the wire insulation is far from it. <S> The last time I remodeled and found knob-and-tube <S> I also found burnt spots in the blown-in insulation where one conductor's insulation had cracked and it arced between the conductor and the exterior stucco. <S> If you're at all concerned about safety, don't tolerate outdated wiring.
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Installing and maintaining high quality short-circuit, overload, overcurrent, arc-fault, and ground-fault devices will reduce fire hazards. Not upgrading your ungrounded, elderly knob and tube does not seem like the best approach, to me.
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Hanging picture on a very hard concrete wall Situation: Appartment in a panel building. Very hard concrete walls -- all, thick or thin. No plastic hooks (like these on alibaba that usually work for people around do not work for me, the little nails band when hammered in, and so does the larger nail. So far, I have been hammer-drilling everything, even a hook/nail/screw for the clock, drilling 5mm hole and using wall plugs. However, this is very inconvenient (dusty, I have to borrow the hammer drill from my family every time and it's not a cheap thing, I get big holes in the wall if I remove any picture or alike). Is there any other option? I thought that maybe a small hole could be created at an angle and then a small nail inserted. If the hole had 2mm in diameter and the nail had 2.2mm in diameter, it could work. However, I have no idea how to create such a small hole. Or something like that... Any suggestions are welcome. <Q> Try using some 3M Command strips . <S> For hooks, you can use something like these (it uses the same adhesive. <S> These are available at Target, Walmart and most similar retail outlets. <S> These come off the walls easily if/ <S> when you move and instead of leaving behind a bunch of large holes, they leave the walls clean which will help you get any security deposit back. <S> It sounds like these will be convenient in your case too. <S> The hooks come in a variety of colors including white, clear and brushed nickel. <A> There are nails made for concrete. <S> However it can be hard to find small ones. <S> I have had no luck with the bigger ones, and I never see small masonry nails for sale. <S> However, the nails on these little coax clips, which are available at most hardware stores - are usually pretty easy to drive. <S> Suggestion, don't try holding it with your fingers, you'll smash them for sure. <S> Hold the plastic part with needle-nose pliers or something and hammer in the clip. <S> You could try using the clip to hold the wire, or you could cut the plastic off and drive the nail in a little further for more strength. <S> I've only used these things as cable clamps - no idea <S> how well they'll work for pictures - experiment and see how it works for you. <A> No concrete hard enough with a standard Hammer Drill with a masonry bit . <S> With the plastic anchor in place, you now have a screw-friendly hole. <S> Unfortunately, this is the only reliable solution. <A> I have faced this problem before. <S> Several years ago, I remember resorting to use of a hammer drill as well. <S> Well I'm in a new place at the moment and didn't want to resort to that. <S> Just wanted to use the tools and screws I have on hand. <S> In my case, the plaster is 1 cm thick, so I could only make the hole about 10 mm deep before hitting concrete. <S> I drilled through the plaster with a Dremel bit (about 2mm wide). <S> I love this tool, I use it for drilling and cutting all kinds of stuff. <S> When the bit hit the concrete it would go no further. <S> I ended up cutting a 30 mm wood screw, and its companion raw plug in half, i.e. the top half of the screw ended up measuring about 15 mm in length. <S> I cut the screw by pinching it with plyers (top left), and then hitting the plyers with a hammer (while the plyers and screw were in a paper bag - to stop the two halfs flying off somewhere). <S> I was then able to firmly secure the top half of the wood screw into the bottom half of the rawplug. <S> I only needed the screw to protrude a few mm from the wall, enough to hang the string on the back of a wood carving measuring about 62 X 32 cm X 1cm . <S> It seems fairly secure. <S> Hope this helps! <A> I live in a concrete hi-rise and there is just one interior wall in my living room and kitchen which is concrete..... <S> and I have always used a device I buy from Dollar Stores! - <S> yes Dollar Stores. <S> You can also buy them on Ebay and Amazon. <S> They are hooks that come in different sizes from very small to very large - they are cheap as well. <S> There is a hook at the top and a is round under that with small special (I guess) nails - usually 2 or 4. <S> They're specially made for concrete and work SO well. <S> Because they are so cheap I recommend you buy a bunch and be very careful to hammer in straight and don't hammer your hand. <S> If you mess one up you'll know, so just try another. <S> For a large picture I usually use 3. <S> When you take them down you can hardly see where they were. <S> Want your security deposit back? <S> ------don't start drilling holes!. <S> Hope that helps.
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Just drill a hole, then use one of those cheap plastic wall anchors . I have hung pictures larger than 22 inches with the command strips and hang my (very large) on the 3M command hooks every day.
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Drywall mudding tape wet under and over So, I am new to the drywalling thing and I went to tape/mud a few butt joints, but my process was to put mud on the joint, then put the tape over, but then instead of letting that first mud undercoat dry, I put another coat of mud over top and then let that all dry for 24 hours. I am using the pre-mixed mud, btw. Am I going to run into major / minor problems on the joints that I have done this way? I didn't get an bubbles so far. I just don't know if I need to rip out all the work that I have done on these. <Q> But hopefully you used the regular setting-type joint compound on the first coat with the tape because it has an adhesive quality to bond the tape. <S> Lightweight compound or "easy sand <S> " does not <S> and that's why it's easier to sand between coats, as it has no adhesive in it. <S> First, with a new 3.5 gallon of mud you'll want to add about an inch of water (it will sit on top of the mud) to the bucket. <S> Use the appropriate mixer and mix thoroughly until smooth with no lumps. <S> Put mud on the joint (wide enough to cover the tape width), place your tape over the top and lightly press it in with your fingers flat. <S> Using your 6" taping knife (putty knife) start at the very top near ceiling and run over the top of the tape embedding it flush against the surface, you will have quite a bit of mud squeeze out of the sides from underneath, and you can use some of it to go back over the top if you like, but keep it VERY minimal. <S> You are going to put a total of 3 coats of mud on. <S> Don't make the mistake of trying to cover it all in the first coat. <S> Remember, the objective is to not see the joint at the end, so don't use too much mud on your coats or you can end up with a big mess and a very ugly wall. <S> Each coat you put on should be wider than the previous; knife sizes for the novice might be a 6" first, 10" second and a 12" for the last coat. <S> Remember, it's easy to add more later than sanding off too much. <A> No, I do the same thing occasionally, if the situation calls for it. <S> The work will look better with a minimum of 3 applications of joint compound (letting each layer dry completely. <S> If you feel compelled or hurried to apply 2 layers consecutively than it would be wise to make sure to: 1) press your tape fully into the pre-applied joint compound. <S> Try to press all but a miniscule layer of joint compound from under the tape (and be certain of no air pockets). <S> 2) with no waiting and using a 4-6 inch drywall knife, spread the first layer over the tape. <S> Load the knife and starting at the top or bottom, hold the knife at a 35-45 degree angle and spread the compound until its gone. <S> Reload and repeat until the tape is covered with about a 4-6 inch swath of compound. <S> Make a final pass with the knife over the still wet compound to blend all the applications into one. <S> 3) Load a 10-12 inch knife with compound and repeat the process as in 2. <S> Let set over night (or longer) and lightly sand with 80 and than 120 grit sandpaper. <S> You will probably need to touch-up some areas with compound. <A> There's no problem applying the first two coats in rapid secession, in fact that's how most pros do it. <S> Applying too thick of a coat, leads to excess sanding. <S> While over tooling the mud, can lead to tearing or bunching of the paper tape.
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Amateurs may find it difficult, as they may apply too thick a coat, or tool the mud too much. You have listed the process correctly, and if you're new at this, then yes use pre-mixed joint compound (mud).
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Confused about wiring outside light fixture with multiple switched wires I am trying to replace an outside motion detector light fixture that was removed before I bought the house and the only things left were the plastic base in the eave and electrical taped wires shoved through it. I pulled everything apart and have 2 separate 14/2 wires and neither is always live from the panel according to my non-contact voltage tester, both are switched and only live when flipped on at the switch inside the house. Well I tried wiring up 1 set of black and white wires and just taping off the other to see if that would work but no luck. I'm not sure why there would be 2 sets of switched black and white wires. I'm assuming I'm wiring something wrong and its not a bad fixture but that's always a possibility. Anyone seen this configuration before and have any ideas? <Q> I replaced the light switch itself and <S> the only thing in the box were the 2 wires connected to the old switch and the ground wire <S> Since there is only 2 wires in the switch box, that means the switch is at the end of the line. <S> So to fix this light, you just need to wire it like this diagram: <S> To figure out which cable coming in to the light box is from the breaker and which is from the switch, hook the light directly to one cable and ignore the other cable. <S> Turn the breaker on. <S> If the light comes on, then that cable is coming from the breaker. <A> Could this be part of a 3 way switch, another switch in a different location?that <S> could be the reason for 2 sets and why not working with 1 set removed (wires)one easy way to tell: pull the switch if it has 3 electrical connections (possibly a 4th as a ground) it is a 3 way <S> then we would need to see what the voltages are with the different positions to help hook them up <A> Non-contact testers are not the most reliable as induction from a nearby hot wire can bleed off causing a false reading. <S> It is also possible, though not as common, to get false readings even when using expensive digital multi-meters because of a bad smart switch. <S> Then when a load is drawn, the bad tap opens up cutting off the voltage. <S> These types of problems usually requires some expertise in troubleshooting, and often the electrician may just end up pulling a entire new circuit.
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Also, a bad tap in a junction box could very well be letting just enough voltage to pass, giving a false reading.
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Flood prevention in laundry closet I recently bought a house with the laundry closet upstairs. The washer and dryer were conveyed to us by the sellers. The washer does not have a drain pan underneath it, and as far as I can see, the laundry room does not have a floor drain. I'm planning to have a drain pan placed under the washer, but I don't think I will install a floor drain as this will require substantial plumbing work (the laundry closet is in the middle of the house). What else can I do to prevent water damage from supply hose leaks in the absence of a floor drain? I'm thinking of installing the Floodstop automatic shut-off valves, and wondering if anyone has experience with this or better suggestions. A product like Floodstop will not prevent leakages from the drain hose. Do I need to be concerned about significant water damage from a detached/leaking drain hose? The washer I have is an LG Direct Drive front load one, so it minimizes the water it holds at any point in a cycle. If I do need to be concerned about drain hose leakage, what solutions are available to prevent it? Thank you,Fijoy <Q> I'm adding this as answer because I really think this is a solution that will work for you, even though as written, I really can't call it a duplicate. <S> Check out this question and related answers: <S> How can I turn off the power to an outlet if a water alarm is triggered? <S> This will minimize any damage from a broken drain line since the machine will stop pumping water when the power is cut off. <A> There are products that can automatically open and close the water lines to the washing machine when it senses that the washer is turned on or off. <S> They tend to also included a leak sensor as well to protect if a leak occurs when operating. <S> Example: <S> http://www.watts.com/pages/_products_details.asp?pid=3427 <S> They also have retrofit versions: http://media.wattswater.com/1911452.pdf <A> The Floodstop valves shut the water supply when the sensor gets wet. <S> If the sensor is in a spot that gets wet when the drain hoses leak, it will work. <S> So a sensor would definitely go in the drain pan. <S> That would trip whenever water accumulated in the drain pan. <S> If you're concerned about hose leaks, you could add another sensor to the floodstop ($20) and position that one under the hoses.
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The basic idea is to get a device that cuts power to the washer if water is detected.
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How to rip out inground pool's steel walls? Planning a major house project for next spring. My wife and I decided to fill in our inground pool. Previous owners built it, but not sure when (could be anywhere from late 1970s to early 2000s, literally). A few concerns: How can I tell (right now - for planning purposes) what the walls of the pool are made of? I've heard they could be steel, polymer or even some other heavy duty composites... If they are steel, ideally I'd like to scrap them for cash, which would help pay for the whole project. Any rough ideas as to what kind of steel inground pool walls are made of, and how much steel I might be looking at (ballpark)? My pool is a 20' x 30' rectangle that's 4' at the shallow end and 8' at the deep end. Any rough idea as to what tools/processes safely remove these walls? I imagine they look something like the pic below, and that I'd have to jackhammer away the concrete on top of them and then dig them out on the backside. And then probably either (a) use an angle grinder ( gauge/size? ) to buck them up into portable chunks, or (b) perhaps they can be dismantled/unscrewed so I can avoid all that cutting. BTW, this is a DIY project, no contractors! Thanks in advance for any-and-all guidance/steering! <Q> If, as seems far more likely to me, the pool is gunite or fiberglass, all you need to do is break up the top rim deep enough that it won't affect future uses (lawn, garden, etc) of that area, and fill it in - unless you are expanding the house into the area. <S> 8 foot deep holes/trenches are distinctly hazardous to be in - if the dirt collapses, it can kill you. <S> Either use digging equipment that keeps you out of the hole, or dig it very wide/sloped. <S> If it's actually steel, you'll want a 9" angle grinder to make short work of cutting it up, or a 4" if you find a 9" too much to handle. <S> The 9" is faster but requires more effort to control. <S> Investigate tool rental, and get double eye protection <S> (facemask and goggles) and a cheap set of welding leathers so you don't set your clothes on fire. <S> Grinder sparks hurt, and set fires if there's any fuel for them to hide in. <A> Sounds like you have a vinyl pool. <S> The aluminum walls are bolted together. <S> The base of the walls where the A or X frames are should be concrete, <S> probably 6-12" deep. <S> So to remove them, you'd first have to dig down to the concrete, breakup the concrete, and then unbolt the frames and remove them. <S> I will tell you that by hand this is a LOT of work. <S> Frankly, it's not realistic to do on your own without serious equipment. <S> A backhoe would make quick work of it, but on your own with a jack hammer and a screw driver, you will be out there for weeks. <S> I had a pool installed this summer and one of the panels had to be replaced. <S> It took the installer almost an entire day to do it. <S> 99% of that time was getting it out. <S> I think most people would just fill it in as-is. <S> Removing the frame doesn't really do much for you at the end of the day. <A> If it is steel, rent a small track hoe. <S> You can try cutting pieces out a bit at a time, but you will still need to dig out the structural steel behind the walls. <S> Doing this with a hand grinder will be grueling. <S> My dad and I ripped out my steel pool from the 80's and the track hoe saved us oodles of work. <S> I used it to push the concrete and dirt from around the pool into the bottom as well.
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I'd personally be surprised if they were steel, but a magnet should be handy for verifying that they are not (or are.) If you are in full destructo-mindset and not going to change your mind over the winter, drilling hole(s) and looking at what comes out of the drilled hole (and what you see looking in the drilled hole) can also be very diagnostic. The walls are most likely aluminum, but might be some type of polymer - though that is unlikely as its relatively new and expensive.
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Is there a way to make toilet porcelain dirt and stain resistant? I'm sure this problem is present all around the world as toilet brushes are ubiquitous in every toilet I've ever been to. But this is the 21st century, there must be a better solution! Is there a smart way to make porcelain non-sticky? How do I get rid of the toilet brush once and for good? <Q> What you would need is a product that will apply a "hydrophobic" coating to your toilet. <S> Hydrophobic means that it will repel water, and make it very difficult for anything to stick to the surface. <S> This would reduce the amount of effort required to keep a toilet clean. <S> At this point, there are not many products on the market with these properties which are available to consumers. <S> So far I have only been able to locate one of these products. <S> The following is not a product endorsement. <S> I do not have any affiliation with the manufacturer, and am only listing an example. <S> I have also not tried this product myself, but there are videos online of this in action, and it appears to be very effective at repelling water. <S> http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/neverwet/neverwet-kit/ <A> In fact, it has been done . <S> I've seen these urinals in several locations. <S> The idea is that they are treated so the urine all goes down the drain with no water at all. <S> They still need to be regularly cleaned because of all the random stuff people put in urinals, but they almost eliminate water usage and are still very sanitary. <S> Hopefully we aren't very far away from seeing this technology in standard residential toilets to make them cleaner (but not necessarily remove water from the equation). <A> Since the toilet is porous in nature, even some of the new ones do not have a coating on them. <S> I have purchased more expensive toilets and with there special coating no sticking takes place or very very little. <S> For example, Toto has proprietary glazes that are options on many of its toilets (called Sanagloss or CeFiONtect) that do this.
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You can treat your toilet like the windshield of your car with a coating of rain-x or similar product that repels water, or as others state a sealant or silicone-like coating that will close the porous surface of the toilet.
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Need to move concrete slabs to backyard I am building a pizza oven for the backyard and part of the build instructions said to build three concrete slabs (2 that are 47" x 20" x 5.5" and another that is 47" x 29.5" x 5.5"). It asks you to pour the slabs on a flat surface like a garage floor. I poured them on my garage floors without thinking how the heck I was going to get them to the back yard and up on top of the CMU base that is 5 courses high (so a little over 42 inches high). I have to get them through a fence gate (when removed it leaves a 33" wide clearance side to side. I was thinking an engine hoist would be great but the orientation of the legs I think would be too wide to get through the gate fence. My next idea was to construct an A frame to lift it onto a sled to transport it to the back and then use the A frame equipped with a chain fall to bring it higher. What do you guys think about that approach or do you have another? I believe the two smaller slabs to be about 450lbs each and the bigger slab to be close to 800lbs. <Q> 10 stout men to tip the slabs on edge, then log rollers, Egyptian style. <S> Maybe a bit of ramp to get them up to their final resting place. <A> 155 pounds per cubic foot seems a typical number for concrete. <S> A cubic foot is 12x12x12 inches, or 1,728 cubic inches. <S> Your larger slab comes to 7,625.75 ci and should be right about 684 lbs. <S> Your smaller slabs should be about 464 lbs each. <S> If they have not cured for a month or so, they will be weak/fragile as well as heavy. <S> So you might want to think about it for a month while they cure and get stronger. <S> Water them occasionally (and no, I'm not kidding.) <S> I'd aim for a dolly, with the slab loaded so the dolly can roll through the gate. <S> Otherwise a 3 or 4 wheel cart. <S> A tall (long handled) dolly will give you a leverage advantage. <S> Wedges and jacks to lift the slab off the garage floor so the dolly can be slid under it (flat) to load. <S> Have someone ready to chock the wheels if there are any slopes involved. <S> Rollers are another option, but can be hard to manage without a crew to keep knocking them straight and running the ones from the back up to the front. <S> You'll need a hard path (wooden planks or plywood) over the grass for those to work. <S> You may also need that, depending what the tires are, if you use a dolly or cart. <S> Engine hoist still makes sense for lifting them up (can pass through gate in pieces) or there are a variety of other strategies - but I'd rent (or buy one if you have other uses) <S> an engine hoist for the simplicity and reliability of it. <A> This is a tough one. <S> but I don't see that getting through the 33" gate. <S> I think you need something that's low and narrow. <S> A strong metal platform truck might work, the hard part would be wrestling the blocks onto the platform. <S> You probably also have to lay plywood on the ground ahead of the truck, I imagine the wheels would dig right into the ground. <S> (I've never seen one of these with outdoor type wheels.) <S> If you used two 8' pieces of plywood, cut narrow enough to get through the gates, you could swap them around and go 8' at a stretch. <S> You could even build a palette for the blocks if that's easier. <S> If there is any kind of slope at all, you'll have to be careful these don't get away from you. <S> Lowering it or raising it with a winch or a come-along might be the way to go, keeping a board chock just downhill of the wheels just in case. <A> I'd definitely second the pallet truck suggestion. <S> I've got three and they can all handle 2000kgs <S> (4400lbs) <S> so weight is no problem. <S> Use a pair of bars on wood packers to get it up off the floor until you can get trolley jacks underneath it. <S> then run the pallet truck under it and lower the jacks. <S> Just set up some planks or 3/4" plywood (as long as there are no big dips in the route) for the solid wheels to run on. <S> I use these to lift steel beams up to ceiling level and they are super easy, super safe and very easy to manipulate, even under heavy load. <S> They are available to hire here in the UK. <S> Genie is the common brand here. <S> http://www.concordlifting.co.uk/product/genie-lift-genie-machines-genie-superlift/ . <S> Hopefully there is something similar close to you? <S> Also I second the waiting. <S> Unreinforced concrete is very prone to cracking under tension. <S> Month minimum. <S> Be a great story for the grandkids... <A> I had a granite boulder carved that weighed about that much, with an inscription as a memorial that needed to be placed. <S> I used an engine hoist to lift it onto my truck from a paved parking lot, then carried it all to the site near a woods edge where it was to be set <S> just so-so. <S> I made a wood gangway to use the hoist to get it to its final resting place, it was precarious, scary at times, but i was slow and deliberate, and got it done. <S> The gangway was only about 10 ft long. <S> I kept it as low as possible and watched carefully how it swung on the very short chain I had it lifted up by. <A> Cut the sections in half (or thirds) so that they are somewhat manageable. <S> Once on site they can be mortared together with refractory cement. <S> Also if you can construct a skid made from 3/4 CDX plywood for the bed and some timber framing, it should be relatively simple to tow the blocks with a vehicle. <A> I wonder what the outcome was from the original poster. <S> I found this question when faced with pretty much the same situation myself, with 3 slabs to move and lift onto cinder block platform. <S> My slabs were 47" x 18.5" x 5.5", so a little lighter. <S> About 430 LBs each. <S> I ended up just getting a bunch of a big strong guys and we carried them over and into place, after using a pry bar to repeatedly raise the slabs to get under them with boards and make the initial lift easy. <S> Four guys did the job, one at each corner. <S> Plenty of room for extra hands.
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A palette jack might be a better bet, it would probably be fairly easy to use a lever to get some wood under the center of the block to raise it high enough to lift with the palette jack. I think using a vehicle would be best Getting it up on the top I'd use a 'material lift'.
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Home tool for making wood edge slots? I have some planks and would like to make a wooden plate. So far I've seen this done by connecting the planks together but they've always had these prepared edges which hopefully the two images will describe better. What is the tool used to do this job? <Q> The usual way would be to cut the grooves with a table saw and a dado set, and cut the floating tenon on the table saw as well, but for small stuff, biscuit joinery works much the same way. <S> You could also cut the groove with a router table. <S> (It would be hard to cut the groove on the edge with a router without a router table unless it's a BIG piece of wood.) <A> I use a low-tech method called "biscuits," where you insert small, lenticular pieces of wood instead of the long spline. <S> " <S> Porter Cable makes a good one. <S> It's not fine woodworking, but I'm very happy with results I've gotten by this method. <A> Unless you have a table saw and want to shell out bucks for a dado set I would not attempt this. <S> Even with good equipment it would take skill to make a joint like that. <S> I suggest using angle irons. <S> Much simpler. <A> Depending on the length of the horizontal piece, a router might be the best tool. <S> If the work piece is too long, it will be difficult to stand it on edge to run on a table saw (or router table for that matter). <S> A handheld router has the advantage that you can lay the work piece down, and run the router along the edge of the work piece. <S> Clamping the work piece vertically, then running the router along the edge, would also be an option. <S> Using a router to cut a groove in the end grain of a plank, could lead to chipping and terrible results. <S> Depending on the width of the groove, and the species of wood. <S> A router may not be an option. <S> You'll want to make a jig; or use a guide, as doing this freehand is not going to end well. <S> Depending on the application, biscuit; or possibly even dowel, joinery could be used.
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You need a "biscuit cutter," also known as a "plate joiner.
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How does old wood furnace work? My mother in law has an old wood furnace in her workshop. It obviously is different than the typical wood stove you see. Does anyone have one of these? Or can anyone explain the theory behind its operation? The top part is what has me slightly confused. It seems like the smoke would come out the front of it as well as the back. Also, are they efficient? Burn good? <Q> I have never seen or used one of these in person, but there is some information about this stove type sparsely spread around the internet. <S> I understand they are roughly 1940s vintage. <S> Consider this photo of a competing Wards model: <S> Ash tray is the bottom door. <S> Coal is added through the middle door and air inlet is controlled at the middle door and/or bottom door. <S> The top end is a heat exchanger that circulates flue gas to the center dome, then to the front part of the doughnut, around the sides, to the back, past a manual balancing damper at the flue connection and then up the chimney. <S> The manual balancing damper at the flue would be needed to manage airflow in concert with the intake. <S> I believe the front door on the dome is there for cleaning and remains closed during normal operation. <S> This stove is not likely to be efficient by today's standards because it is not equipped with a secondary burn chamber. <A> I have one like the one in the bottom photo that I use in my shop. <S> It works great with firewood. <S> I would like to find some more information about it, like where and when it was made. <S> It has k-12 42 cast on the front. <A> That looks a lot like an "octopus" furnace, missing all of it's sheet metal. <S> It would have had a large "drum" around it. <S> they worked by convection. <S> Also known as a gravity warm air furnace sometimes. <S> My house originally had one. <A> I have something like this in my shop. <S> Different maker but <S> very similar. <S> It could burn wood, coal, or oil. <S> Mine was made by Williamson metal company, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1933. <S> It works great with wood. <S> I have a fire going right now <S> so my dogs have a warm place to go. <S> It would have had some metal rings and sheetmetal to create a space around the furnace, leaving the access to the feed and clean out doors open. <S> It would have looked like an octopus with duct running to different areas of the basement, going to the different registers of the house. <S> Most likely the ducting would have been covered in asbestos, long before the dangers were known. <S> I fell in love with the design and was thrilled to have a chance to own one. <S> I have only seen a salesman model of my stove and a few old advertisements. <S> I wish I knew more about the reasoning of the design of the register on top. <S> The top front opening is a clean out for the "donut".
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I think that might be an old coal burner with a dome heat exchanger on top (also known as a radiator).
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How can I hang this Moroccan Tray? I just inherited this large 39" Moroccan tray (weighs about 15 lbs) from my parents and want to hang it on our wall. It does not have any hardware on the back so I'm trying to figure out what I can do without glueing or attaching anything to it in fear of damaging the tray. Any ideas? Our wall is dry wall and there is one off-centered stud where we want to hang it. <Q> A very large plate hanger? <S> But I think it would be hard to find a plate hanger in the 40 inch size range. <S> In the picture above you would need one twice the size of the one on the left. <S> But making one isn't that hard. <S> Its two bent wires and some plastic padding with the bent wires connected with tension element commonly a spring but picture wire and a tensioner could be used instead. <A> If I were to want to display this item I would make a small "shelf" that attached to the one stud and into the drywall at its ends. <S> This could be made out of some nice wood and stained and polished as an accent to existing decor or it could be made out of simple pine that was sanded and painted to match the wall. <S> This small "shelf" would hold the weight of the item. <S> A cross section of the shelf would look like this: <S> At two locations near the top on the left and right side you would install an L-shaped finger bracket that would help to hold the plate to the wall and keep it from rolling from side to side. <S> The finger brackets could be fashioned from clear Plexiglas of could be a brass metal bracket covered with a piece of clear tubing to protect the plate. <S> Since these two brackets carry no weight they can be simply be mounted to the drywall using an appropriate drywall anchor. <S> Position the bracket such that the mounting screws are hidden behind the plate. <S> I envision a bracket that looks something like this but possibly with a narrower notch. <A> Amazing, I inherited the identical plate. <S> Must be some interesting history behind them. <S> Anyway I just drilled a couple small holes in it and used common frame hanging d-ring hardware. <S> Cover the sheet metal screw heads with some appropriately colored nail polish, done. <A> An experienced metal worker would be able to attach those without much of an issue. <S> The process should be reversible, however, it may have a negative effect on the value. <S> I would do more research to see what the value was before making any modifications to it. <A> 3 (or 4, but 3 is sufficient) of this type of anchor (ignore the screw), since you need to hold in drywall with a poorly located stud (these things are typically rated 50 lbs or more each) <S> 3 of this type of hook (an L-Hook), in a size to mate with the anchors. <S> Pad with plastic tubing if you feel the need, or find pre-plastic-coated versions. <S> Mount two hooks on the wall at the 4 and 8 O'clock positions on an imaginary clock face, hooks pointing in. <S> Mount one hook at the 12 O-clock position, hook pointing up or sideways. <S> Insert plate, turn hook to point down (which is also in). <S> You do need to accurately position the holes, and you need hooks that are long enough to catch the rim of the plate when it's flat on the wall. <S> Otherwise, go with @Dan D.'s hanger suggestion. <A> Thanks for all of your help! <S> I ended up taking it to a metal sculpture artist who was able to add on a brass ring to the back. <A> I have a few myself..and a friend who has 7 of various sizes. <S> She hung hers with plate hangers. <S> She modified the ones for the largest plates. <S> Also, If you youtube, there is a video of an artist that hangs a large copper plate with a specialized hanging device... <S> but this would require the welded wire on the back.good luck!
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You could solder on some brass "D" rings and wire it similar to the way you would hang a picture.
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Copper failing under the house I am in a 10 year old house. Custom built, very nice home. Twice in the last year, have encountered a leak under the slab. History The first time about a year ago, I agreed to have the lines rerouted overhead in attic with PEX. Worked fine. This month, another leak happened in the other end of the house, again, the hot water side. The House The house was on a circulating pump that ran 24/7. We are on hard water that has a high pH factor out of the tap. The Plan I am going to have the entire house re-routed with PEX in the attic. We are in a fairly cold climate (Oklahoma) but the attic is well insulated and we are going to have them insulate the pex. I don't want to jack hammer up the floor every six months because it is an expensive wood floor, and tile in some areas. Here's my question(s): Would the running water from the pump create more friction in the copper pipes thus creating a breakdown in the copper? Should I just re-route the HOT Water? The cold water line has yet to fail, and I would have to tear out some tiled shower walls where the outdoor faucets are, and prefer not to have to rebuild the showers, however, if the cold water is intent on failing soon, might as well replace both at the same time. <Q> when conduit or plumbing is covered in concrete <S> it must be insulated from the cements high alkalinity, otherwise the metal will corrode and eventually fail. <S> I don't believe the circulating pump has any detrimental effect on your copper pipe. <S> Although it should be on a thermostat so it only works when needed. <S> What I've noticed alot more in recent years is the quality of copper pipe (most imported from overseas) has become much lower. <S> This and a high pH level could be why the copper is failing. <S> If you are going to replace any damaged pipes it would be wise to re-route the pipes in the concrete to be safe. <A> Depending on the makeup of the concrete, e.g. if fly ash is used, there can be a chemical reaction that degrades the copper. <S> That said, 10 years is awfully fast for copper to fail in concrete. <S> Perhaps there's been frost damage, or some other cause. <S> The only other theory that comes to mind is the recirculation pump could have caused an static electric charge buildup that accelerated any chemical reaction, but that's honestly a wild guess. <S> As others have hinted, get a good look at the pipe and have an expert determine why it's failing if you want to know for sure. <S> Regardless, PEX run from above is a much better option for maintainability. <S> If possible, don't have any insulation between the pipe and ceiling to maximize the warmth from the home. <S> That's the advice that was given to me on a project that had sprinkler lines (apartment building) running through the attic. <S> Even if it were to freeze in the attic, without any joints, the PEX is unlikely to burst. <S> It's more work now, but less work than doing two separate jobs should the cold fail later, and it means all future work would only need to deal with one type of pipe instead of mixing and matching parts and tools for different systems. <A> Whether or not you reroute everything or just the hot water (your post says"I am going to have the entire house re-routed", which makes part of your question confusing), you need to install a thermostat on your pump so it only runs when needed. <S> You should also install a switch to shut the pump down whenever you are away for a significant amount of time. <S> If investigation reveals shoddy materials and/or workmanship, you should definitely replace the cold water side as well.
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A continuously running circulation pump along with high mineral content water, if combined with cheap thin walled copper pipe (Type-M, look for red manufacturing stamp) and poor installation technique (failure to ensure smooth flow by reaming/deburring pipe) could very well lead to internal erosion failure in 10 years. To minimize the freezing risk in cold climates, run the insulation over top of the pipes, forming a "tent" of warmer air around the pipe. This is getting into an opinion, but if it was my home, I'd convert all the water lines, and not just the hot lines. PEX when installed properly is the better alternative than copper.
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Wood Trim that has Come Loose I have a thin strip of wood trim on the inside of a bedroom door frame that needs repairing (it's loose). What should I try first? <Q> My best suggestion from personal experience and opinion, is to stay away from adhesives. <S> Mechanical fasteners (nearly) always have a method of removal that doesn't destroy the things it's fastening. <S> You can pull a common nail, back out a screw, or punch through a finish screw. <S> In my house I've had similar things happen, and it's usually due to the wood expanding or contracting in such a way that the finish nail has pulled through the wood and is no longer mechanically squeezing the top piece to the substrate. <S> I prefer "panel nails" for this kind of work, so long as they aren't too long. <S> Their ringed shanks tend to hold well. <S> If you can locate studs or other timber behind your trim, I especially like specialty "finishing screws" with counter threaded shanks near the head to minimize that "swollen" area around the head. <A> If the piece has been attached to the wall with fasteners try tapping it back in place and adding 1 or 2 6 penny finish nails. <S> If that isn't possible than try using wood glue by applying glue to each of the damaged pieces. <S> Bring the pieces together and if possible clamp the piece in place while the glue is drying and/or fasten to wall with finish nails. <S> Wipe up any oozed-out glue with a damp rag before it dries. <S> After a few hours lightly sand and paint. <A> Based on your description it sounds like it's the door stop molding. <S> It's a thin piece of trim that goes around the sides and top inside of the door frame that the door presses against when closed so it doesn't swing all the way through. <S> Common size is about 1-1/4" wide by 3/8 to 1/2" thick. <S> It's common for these to come loose over time especially if it's installed so that the door hits it when it's latched closed. <S> Also if someone falls against it or kicks the door from the inside when closed. <S> Close the door <S> so it latches, press the trim back in place and hold it. <S> Make sure the door continues to open, close and latch properly. <S> Should be about a 1/16" gap between the closed door and door stop. <S> Take a pencil and mark the door jamb (the wider board that the door stop sits on) where the door stop trim rests up against it. <S> That way you won't push it too forward to interfere with the latch or leave it too far back to create a gap. <S> Grab a hammer and some 2d finish nails (or 1" long 16 or 18 gauge nails if you have a finish or brad nailer or smallest size it takes around that size) and use them to attach the trim to the door jamb. <S> You don't need very big or long nails. <S> The only thing you're nailing into is the 3/4" thick door jamb behind the door stop.
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A few (2-3) well placed, ringed finish nails would go a long way.
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Precautions in connecting high voltage source to a relay? I want to use the following relay to control a 220V AC electrical device. The device may be an oven or a heating plate which I think should draw a less than 10A current (but the current should still be quite large). I think I should cut the "live" wire of the electrical device and insert the 2 cut wire parts into the relay, while the "neutral" wire should be left unchanged. And then enclose the relay with a plastic box to protect it from touch by anyone. As I have only some experience with small current electronics but have no experience in handling large current devices. I want to know that should I use "Heat-shrink tube" when connecting the cut "live" wires into the relay pins ? If yes, which type/model of "Heat-shrink tube" should I use for an enough protection ? Moreover, is there any online tutorial/example for connecting large current device to a relay in a safe manner ? Thanks for any suggestion. EDIT : After some googling, I find that there are two youtube videos that show the use of this kind of SONGLE relay to switch some 120V AC light blubs. They are located here and here . Although this kind of relay seems do well on short term high voltage/current AC switching, safety concerns (e.g. overheat, etc) about its long term usage are still under question. <Q> the Idea you have is good , but the components although "rated" for 10 amps really will not hold up long at that level. <S> I usually only load these small relays at 50% and as low as 10% if it has a short cycle time. <S> the problem is contacts in the mechanicial ones will soon stick and overheat your hot plate , The electronic ones the solid state relays internally short untill the junction is blown apart but usually dammaging the divice they are driving.as for plastic it melts, maybe a plastic liner in a metal box or standoffs in metal but use caution it will probably work for a while <S> but when it fails thats when things get ugly <A> A relay has two sides, primary and secondary, coil and contacts. <S> Each side is rated for the voltages and currents that it can handle. <S> The stamping on this one looks like it's saying that it can handle 10 amps at 250V on the secondary side. <S> (I am skeptical...) <S> But you'd have to refer to the literature / documentation to determine that for sure. <S> Likewise the oven / hot plate will be marked for it's current requirements, you can verify this in operation by testing with a meter. <S> I think most will draw more than 10 amps. <S> The wiring would be stripped and clamped in the screw terminals. <S> The enclosure that houses the relay and wiring should be rated / listed for the purpose, there should be strain relief for the cables entering / exiting, the wiring should be properly sized and rated, the wiring and strain relief should also be properly listed / reated, <S> etc. <S> Just my opinion, this looks like an accident looking for a place to happen, and 240V can kill you or burn down your house, so <S> I'd ask for some live, in-person, qualified help with this. <A> The tube is used for insulating bare wires. <S> What you have is already too much insulation, you need to strip a bit of it. <S> You got the live wire part right. <S> Perhaps what you wanted to mean is a crimp connector <S> , that is a small copper or brass tube you slip over bare end of a stranded wire and then crimp with specialized pilers. <S> This is indeed used to secure a multi-stranded wire in a connector, as the screw alone tend to push the strands aside rather than tightening them safely. <S> This applies only if you're using flexible stranded wire, as solid wire does not present this kind of problem. <S> Some types of screw terminals are designed for stranded wire <S> so you don't need to treat tips of the wire. <S> I agree with batsplatsterson and Ed Beal - <S> any relay smaller than a pack of cigarettes is unlikely to reliably switch a serious heating equipment. <S> I would personally use this USB-driven relay to drive a big, fat, mains-driven contactor - one able to switch several kWs of an oven reliably. <A> There are three terminals: <S> live closed open <S> It is not clear from the picture which is which. <S> You need to hook up the plug end of hotplate 'hot' wire to the live terminal, and the other cut end to the 'open' end. <S> Try this with a battery first if you don't have a wiring diagram. <S> These will work, but you'd be better off with a solid state relay, especially if you plan on switching it on and off rapidly. <S> The clicking sounds can be quite annoying as well. <S> Also, please see this response on how to connect the stranded wire to the terminal block: https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/29861/tinning-wires-that-will-be-screwed-in-to-a-chocolate-block-terminal-strip
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You'd want to strip it just long enough that it makes solid contact in the screw terminal, without bare wire sticking out. I've run these on hot plates and for electric motors. You should not use "Heat-shrink tube".
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Why are there so many 220v circuits/breakers in my house's electrical panel? We noticed during our home inspection the main panel has only six general lighting circuits and seven 220v circuits/breakers.There were only two areas where 220 outlets would be used. Why would they have so many 220v breakers? Is this normal or cause any problems/safety issues? <Q> By " 220 breakers ", I'm going to assume you mean double pole breakers. <S> It's also difficult to speculate without actually seeing the panel, or being on site. <S> But here are some thoughts. <S> Just because a double pole breaker is used, doesn't necessarily mean it's feeding a 240 volt circuit. <S> In some areas, it's common to use double pole breaker to feed multiwire branch circuits. <S> This is likely the case if you see a bunch of 15, and/or 20 ampere double pole breakers. <S> It could also be that electricity, is the common fuel source in your area. <S> Having all electric appliances, can make the double pole breaker total jump quite a bit. <A> Things that take 220 (actually 240, for the most part in the US system) and don't always have outlets - electric water heaters, electric stove/range/oven, electric resistance heat (typically but not always electric baseboard), air conditioner, heat pump and feeds to subpanels. <S> And, of course, MWBCs (Multi-Wire Branch Circuits) which have 120V outlets. <S> A multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC) is commonly used to provide the code-required two 20 amp circuits to a kitchen countertop area, though they can be used in other places. <S> Typically wires are red, white, and black, plus a bare ground wire. <S> The circuit (if an MWBC) will be fed from two side-by side breakers - they should be tied together or a dual-pole breaker under current code, but some older installs will have non-tied breakers. <S> There is 120V between red and white, 120V between black and white, and 240V between red and black. <S> If both red and black are connected to an outlet on the hot (brass) side, the tab between the halves of a duplex outlet must be broken - we get the occasional <S> "I replaced an outlet and the breaker (sometimes evene the main breaker) tripped as soon as I turned it back on" stories that are frequently from not removing that tab on a MWBC. <S> To the extent that there are loads on both "sides" of the circuit, current in the neutral wire is reduced to only the difference between the loads - so if one side has loads operating that are 7.5A, and the other has loads operating that are 9.5A, the one hot carries 7.5A, the other hot carries 9.5A and the neutral only carries the difference - 2A. <A> Electric baseboard heaters are a common reason for "lots" of double breakers.
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Which means the double pole breakers could be feeding two 120 volt circuits, instead of a single 240 volt circuit. For example you might have electric dryer, electric range, electric heat, electric hot water, electric A/C, water treatment equipment, secondary panel(s), etc.
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What did I drill into? I used a 3/32 drill bit for a pilot hole into my dry wall, directly in between 2 wooden studs that were about 32 inches apart, and about 18 inches from the ceiling (of a 1 story house). I mistakenly thought that there was another stud there because the magnetic stud finder was picking something up there. I immediately hit metal behind the drywall, and when I ran my magnetic stud finder along this line, I realized that almost the entire length of this vertical line was metal. What did I hit, and do I need to open the drywall to see if I caused any damage to anything important? <Q> If the magnetic stud finder is showing response across a good part of the stud cavity then there is probably a metal duct in the wall. <S> This could be a stove hood vent, a dryer vent or a heating duct. <S> Since the first two examples would be pretty rare to use iron pipe <S> I would put biggest odds on a gas pipe. <S> There is another possibility that you ran into a metal electrical conduit. <A> One possibility not mentioned, there may be wires behind the plate if they were not able to locate them far enough back the plate prevents the wires from being damaged by nails, screws ect,,, the plates are usually galvanized steel if that is the case. <A> Bought a new house and was hanging TV's and pictures. <S> I use a stud finder and then measure. <S> Hit something hard and like a idiot put more pressure on it <S> (STOP)...went thru a 2" gas line. <S> Square on...could not have done a better job with a drill press looking at the thing. <S> Silver lining was after the plumber came and did the repairs the 10 psi pressure test showed 4 small leaks elsewhere <S> and he also found badly kinked SS flex line to stove. <S> So $$$, lesson learned, and the the fire dept knows where my house is.
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If the magnetic finder is showing just a narrow range near where you drilled the hole then the item in the wall might be a metal pipe such as a sewer vent stack, an iron water pipe or an iron gas pipe. Found what I thought was another stud and drilled with a new 3/32 cobalt drill bit for a pilot hole.
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Can I Connect RGBW LED Strips With LAN Cable? I'm in the process of remodeling my kitchen. I plan to install RGBW led strips on the top of the upper cabinets, below upper cabinets and below ground cabinets. I have to close off any wall holes and paint the whole thing tomorrow and my RGBW wire still hasn't arrived (ordered online). Now the thing is that the range hood will divide the upper cabinets and there is no way to run a wire from one side to the other without it being visible after I tile up that wall tomorrow. The only solution is to run the wire behind the tiles, but that has to be done now and I still don't have the 5 wire cable at hand, but I do have some spare LAN cable. Do you think it will be okay if I put a LAN cable in the wall now behind the tiles and then connect the two LED strip parts with it instead of a RGBW 5-wire cable? <Q> Past few weeks I have really come to appreciate the benefits of cable pull string. <S> A nylon string used to help pull cables. <S> You can drill the holes in the walls, cover them up and then when you get your cable, tie and tape it on one end, then pull from the other. <S> Just make sure you make the holes big enough to pass the flat ribbon RGBW cable through along with the knots. <S> If you don't have cable pull string, you can get it at most hardware stores and the big box stores. <S> You can also just use any strong string or twine you have. <S> If you have UTP cable you can put that in temporarily then use it as a pull cord <S> but it's not as strong as the pull string. <S> That shouldn't be a problem for a small run like you're describing if it doesn't have a lot of sharp bends. <S> The problem with running UTP is that it's normally 24 gauge and even though it might just be a temporary fix, temporary can sometimes be a very long time as long as everything appears to be working and you have other things to do. <S> So it's thinner than the usually 22 gauge RGBW cable conductors. <S> According to this table on wire properties 22 gauge wire can handle up to 0.92 amps for power transmission and 24 gauge wire only 0.577 amps. <S> If you know how many amps your light setup will use then you can make a safe decision. <S> When you have to use a different wire it's better to go with a larger size than a smaller size. <S> You can get 5 conductor thermostat wire most places and that's generally 18 gauge. <S> 18 gauge wire can handle up to 2.9 amps for power transmission <S> so it's the safer choice. <A> Assuming only low-voltage goes through that wire: <S> You only need to worry about the voltage drop in these thin wires. <S> It depends on the length of the cable, voltage, and the total Ampers that go through that cable. <S> Since CAT5 cable is 24 AWG, you can calculate the voltage drop, for example using this calculator (substitute your own numbers): <S> Say, your RGB LEDs run on 12V, and each color runs 24W max, and the cable length is 20feet: <S> each strand will have 24W/12V=2A max, and the voltage drop will be, according to that calculator, 2V. <S> So your LEDs will get a bit dimmer (get only 10V out of 12V), but probably will still be bright enough. <A> what is the voltage of the strips you are using, low voltage ones like the 24v ones may work but remember the wire is listed as communications cable not power.if <S> they are the 120v style <S> no (the insulation wont hold up over time).
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I would personally just make the holes, pass some string, leaving plenty on each end to tie and grab, then install the cable when you get it.
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Would a second layer of housewrap cause problems? The siding company is having to redo the installation of my siding. I know the wrap underneath the siding that will be removed will end up having lots of holes after the planks are removed. The installer is planning to put up HardieWrap . I originally had paid extra (5 years ago) to have them install Dow Weathermate Plus house wrap. The installer is paying for all of the materials this time. Would it cause a breathability problem to double wrap a house? How does HardieWrap compare to other products on the market? They said they can put the new wrap over the Weather mate Plus or tear it off. I am concerned about a breathability problem if I let them install it over the top of the other wrap, but I don't have confidence in the new product because it is fairly new on the market and I cannot find much information on it comparing it to other products like DuPont Tyvek . I was just told that the company has already ordered the materials and is coming this Tues. What is the recommendation on HardieWrap? I know their siding has a great reputation, but is their wrap adequately tested? <Q> Housewrap is "breathable" by design so you won't trap moisture anywhere. <S> Regardless of how many layers you have, it's critically important to make sure your windows and doors are properly flashed to the outermost layer slash the one with the most integrity. <S> When the installers complete this work, don't let them get away without re-flashing all your windows and doors to the new layer of housewrap. <A> Hardie products are good quality in general. <S> As a long-time builder and carpenter I'd have no concerns about using it (in accordance with their literature). <S> Here's a study that seems to indicate that two layers of housewrap should be the standard. <S> To me, that says that adding a second layer won't cause problems. <S> That said, they're disparate products, and it can't be said for certain how they'll react to each other. <S> I'd consider giving Hardie a call and asking them about it. <A> Dupont specifically says that covering old Tyvek with TYVEK is ok. <S> I think the verbiage was "as long as it's Tyvek". <S> Could be covering tail, but worth heeding, IMO.
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There is no problem with doing this. You could build a wall with ten layers of housewrap and it would be more durable, not less.
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How can I mount a speaker on the ceiling? I want to this heavy bookshelf speaker on my ceiling as a center-channel, preferably horizontally, as it's above my projection screen. I want to angle it roughly 20 degrees downward so that it's properly aimed at a listener sitting on a couch about ten feet away. It's 11 x 8.2 x 14.8 inches ; 16.1 pounds. It has no bracket mounting holes, and I'd prefer not to screw into the cabinet, but will do so if necessary. Wall mounted brackets are not going to work, because the screen is in front of a bay window. <Q> Shelf is dead easy. <S> Your basic shelf with a lip on the front edge <S> so the speaker does not slide off, as beautiful as you like or as ugly as you don't is really up to you. <S> Perhaps some felt to protect the speaker. <S> 4 threaded rods or chains, 8 hooks (if using chains) 16 nuts and 8 washers if using threaded rod. <S> Best option with threaded rod is to place a board in the attic above the framing and run the rods through the ceiling and through it (now you'll tell me you don't have an attic...) but lag screws with a machine screw threaded part are available, and can be screwed into the framing and have a barrel nut added to join to threaded rod. <S> The angle is achieved by making the back chains or rods shorter than the front ones. <S> Hooks for chains should go into framing. <A> Use para-cord or wire rope or other strong cordage to create large loops with which to lasso and cradle the speaker unit. <S> Using knots and/or small cable clamps you can configure the loops so that the speaker is oriented at the angle needed. <S> Attach to ceiling hooks of appropriate type for the weight of the unit. <S> I did exactly this in my early days bachelor pad. <S> Would be kinda like this pic: <A> Needing to screw into the speaker cabinets is almost inevitable. <S> What should work is either a low-profile projector mount, such as this ; <S> Or alternately this heavy duty wall mount , but mounted to the ceiling and long side of the speaker instead of the wall and back side of the speaker. <S> This bracket would work similarly. <S> People were searching for solutions to the identical problem in this 2011 AVS Forum thread . <A> What is the distance between the walls located on the sides of your screen? <S> You can try to do something similar shown in the drawing below. <S> You do not need to make new holes on the speakers. <S> As I see from the picture you provided above, there are screws that hold the case. <S> So, replace them with the longer ones if it is necessary and use those points for mounting the speaker. <S> The red lines represent ropes, wires etc. <S> Using lightweight chain will make the mounting of speakers very easy. <S> You just have to put the screws through one of the chain and screw it to the case. <S> Anyway, I do not recommend hanging or even putting speakers on a desk or something. <S> I found out that they give the best sound when they are on the ground. <S> Good Luck
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If you are willing to screw into the speaker, put 3-4 hooks on it and hang it with chains directly.
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Are there residential light switches that don't have a arc upon toggleing I am looking for residential switches that don't arc when toggeled <Q> This is inherent in a switch. <S> You can use a heavy duty, or "spec-grade", switch that has a much more solid and distinct switch mechanism. <S> This may at least mask the arcing. <S> May I ask why you are looking for this? <A> If this is not for an explosive atmosphere, you could use a wall switch from those X10 home control systems. <S> I am guessing they still have a small low voltage arc that would make them unsafe for explosive atmospheres <S> but there is no arc in the 110v path. <A> In contrast to the traditional analog based toggle switches that do arc, Lutron's electronic Maestro® products do NOT arc. <S> However, the style comes only in the "decor" style and not the traditional toggle. <S> As with most electronic switches and dimmers, many require a neutral at the switch location junction box. <S> Keep that in mind before starting any major renovations Also keep in mind that Lutron electronic switches require a minimum of 40 watts with LEDs <A> It is not the switch that make the arc, it is the load. <S> With electromechanical switches, you're unable to eliminate electrical arc except if you use specific load. <S> I have checked that with a led light 4W lamp which have no inrush current <S> I have no arc at make and break contact.
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No, you will not find a typical wall switch that totally eliminates the little arc when switching a load.
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Prevent dead animals in basement window wells How can I prevent animals from dying in my basement window wells? The wells are about two feet deep and have a clear plastic covers over them. The covers don't fit tightly and critters seem to get in. I just removed: 15 garter snake carcasses 1 live garter snake 2 Snake skins 4 dead rodents 1 live frog 2 dead frogs 3 dead lizards or salamanders Many of them had clearly been there for years -- many of the remains were skeletal or desiccated. Here is a picture of one of the window wells (hammer for scale): I'd like to prevent this problem in the future. I'm thinking that I could: Seal the window wells better (how?) Provide a stick or ladder that would allow critters to exit without getting stuck and dying Use repellant Which of those options should I pursue, or is there something better? <Q> I think I finally found a solution. <S> I had tried chicken wire, and it was moderately helpful... <S> apparently, frogs couldn’t use it. <S> well! <S> I was skeptical but was willing to try anything. <S> I’m not sure how it works so well, but it is apparently the solution. <S> Here’s what I did: <S> I purchased a package of black (to match the window well) pool noodles. <S> I didn’t want to create a place for mice to live and chew into the noodle, so I got ones that were dense... ones that had the smallest “hole” on the inside. <S> I measured and cut so the noodles fit very snuggly onto the rim of the window well without any gaps. <S> I literally wedged the noodles in on the sides... <S> they are really snug. <S> When I finished, I realized there was still a gap between the window <S> well <S> and the cover <S> , so I eventually bought some rope caulk to fill in the gaps. <S> But when I finally got the time to add the rope caulk, I noticed that there was not a single critter in the window wells, not even bugs. <S> So, I didn’t add the rope caulk and have had no problems since adding the pool noodles, about 4 months ago. <S> We have had warm temperatures and now frost in the evenings (hence the icy edges in the pics), and still no critters. <S> Save the frogs! :-) <A> In my experience, sealing the window wells is only temporary- <S> its pretty hard to outsmart nature, especially over time. <S> Instead, provide an escape route . <S> For critters (with legs), lining your window wells with (vertical) chicken wire provides them sufficient traction to crawl up and out. <S> I have cast concrete window wells (~1.5' deep) and this seems to work with frogs. <S> No experience with rodents (that I know of) <S> but I imagine it would apply. <S> You can also angle the chicken wire slightly (in from the vertical walls) but this creates space behind it where animals are likely to become further entrapped. <S> No experience with snakes <S> but you might consider an angled pole/branch/ramp for them to escape? <S> This works for critters too, but restricts view and is an eyesore. <S> However, I imagine this is less effective, as it is the sole means of escape. <S> Still, probably the only escape structure for snakes... <S> I think repellent is a promising idea <S> but I cant offer sound advice. <S> Also consider what is attracting them. <S> I suspect (for frogs and snakes at least) <S> they are attracted to the heat absorbed by the rock bottom during sunlight. <S> You might validate this by comparing death tolls of shaded window wells to sunlit window wells. <S> One last word: Probably obvious, but don't enclose the top (to deter entrance) and build an escape route, as the enclosure will prevent their successful escape! <S> Good Luck. <A> I have this same problem and to make things more difficult, the well plastic cover is halfway under my front porch <S> so I'm unable to remove it. <S> What I did for an immediate escape route (2 a.m.) was to put my birdcage ladder in at an angle and clothespin a hand towel at the top and bottom which also propped open the plastic cover a bit. <S> The mouse that was trapped was able to climb out. <S> I will be making something more stable and permanent like a piece of board that I can attach a piece of carpet to and put hooks on the top to secure it to the top of the window well. <S> I've realized it makes me feel better to allow an escape route rather than find (and smell) <S> a carcass in my window <S> well or even more upsetting to have to watch a live mouse struggle trying to get out. <S> Plus it just drives my cat nuts trying to scratch her way to the mouse. <A> Screen the wells so the critters don't get into them in the first place? <S> (Though you may be denying shelter to a feral cat by doing so.) <A> I would cover the opening with chicken wire or simply open the window so the critters don't get trapped. <S> On the plus side of option number two, sometimes dinner will come to you.
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So, I bought some pool noodles and cut them to secure around the top of the window well, and there have been no more critters in the window I tried angling tree branches for critters to crawl out on, but that didn’t work for frogs, either.
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Best tool and blade to cut 8" pvc This is my first post. I need to cut 1' pieces of pvc sewer pipe for a few projects. The pipe will range from 4" to 15" diameter high density sewage (and perhaps fire-rated industrial pipe). I've researched at length all options from grinders, jigsaws, circulars, and reciprocating. I have a table saw for precision finishing at home, but I need a BATTERY POWERED option to simply chop 20-foot pipes into 1 foot cylinders to transport them from the factory yard to my house (I don't have a truck). So clean lines aren't crucial, but a tool with good battery economy and ease of use is preferable. Any input would be greatly appreciated, as I am relatively new to tools, but will be using them for this project a great deal. I would ideally like a tool that could also be used for lengthwise cuts of these 1-foot pvc cylinders, as I will need to cut all pieces into half-pipes, lengthwise. Tonight I bought this black & decker 20v lithium combo kit for $229.00 at Rona (circular saw, and reciprocating saw, with drill, two batteries, charger, work light, one circle blade, and one recip blade). Am I on the right track? I've heard mounting the circular blade backwards is better for pvc. Oh, and don't say use a hacksaw; I would be there for hours, and I only have 20 minutes in the pipe manufacturing yard, as they are kind enough to give me industrial scraps for free. THANK YOU!!! <Q> If you have limited time onsite I would not spend a lot of time making 20 cuts, regardless of the method. <S> Just cut them into 5 foot lengths or whatever you need to get them in your car and finish up at home. <S> I think you will be pushing the battery life of even a high-end lithium set making so many cuts through large pipes. <A> If you are going to use a reciprocating saw, use a blade designed to cut metal, as they have smaller teeth. <S> Your best bet is a handsaw, not a hacksaw; the arbor won't clear. <S> A jig made up to help you cut them with a handsaw would be ideal. <S> The " professional tool " for cutting large plastic pipe looks a lot like a basic handsaw to me... <S> 20 minutes is plenty of time; handsaws are only as slow as their user. <S> I would show up with both though, which ever one I don't plan on using is the backup option. <A> The blades in the link are the best blades I have used. <S> They are strong and fast cutting. <S> Use the wood cutting blades. <S> The pipe will most likely be Schedule 40 which has a wall almost 1/4" thick, plenty thick enough so the tooth spacing will not rip out chunks, small chips <S> yes, but cutting fast and quick as you said does not need to be neat this time around. <A> A suggestion, I don't know if this would work out or not, you'd have to experiment ... <S> Rip the pipe lengthwise with the circular saw first, flip it over and rip it again - now you have your half pipes. <S> Stack those, and cut them with the reciprocating saw or the hand saw. <S> It will be easier to handle. <S> You'll get a lot more done if you bring something to hold the pipe while you cut it, don't forget about that. <S> I agree with the suggestion to use a hand saw, but get a BIG one. <S> Even if you're not very fast with it, it will be faster than the power tools once the battery dies.
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I've got some good experience using reciprocating saws, and I'd like to think that I'd be able to make acceptably 'straight' cuts, but there's no way they'll all be perfect. A 12" blade on the reciprocating saw.
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What is this digging tool called? A plumber came out to my house yesterday and had this tool on his arsenal which was basically a 3 or 4 ft long thin (1/2") fiberglass pole with a metal tip on the bottom and a handle on top which makes it look like the letter T. Here's a quick sketch of it I made in paint: He used it to help find the cleanout for the waste line before digging by pushing this tool into the ground. I think it would be a handy tool to have, but cannot put a name to it that works in search queries. What is this tool called? <Q> Sounds like a non-conductive soil probe . <A> When a clean out, septic lid, or any other objects general, but not exact location is known many plumbers will use (as OrganicLawnDIY has stated) <S> what is referred to as a "soil probe" or a "soil recovery probe". <S> [1]: <S> https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=soil%20probe <S> Shaped like an upper case 'T', the 1/2 inch diameter shaft is about 48 inches long and ends with a tapered point for easy penetration into the earth. <S> The better built ones are constructed from stainless steel so as not to be affected by rust. <S> To use the probe you grasp the handle and directing your body weight over the shaft, force the point into the earth with a slight twisting motion. <S> The part that must be learned is sensing (by hearing and feeling) <S> when the point comes into contact with the sought-after object. <S> Usually a dull or hollow sound will be heard through the ground and the probe point will rebound slightly off a PVC or ABS pipe. <A> you just push it into the ground and feel the resistance. <S> When I was in industrial, maintenance, I made my own out of a deep valve water key.
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This is called a probe.
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Groutable vinyl tile in a laundry room. Is it a bad idea? I'm going to put new vinyl tiles on top of old sheet vinyl floor, in a laundry room. My wife wants to use what's called Luxury Vinyl Tiles, which have a rounded edge and are groutable. There are grouts like Fusion Pro which specifically mention vinyl tiles as a suitable tile type. However, my fear is, that because the floor does not have a cement board on it, and it is prone to frequent vibrations from the washing machine, the grout will fail quite soon (will crack, become loose, etc.) Do these polymer-based grouts have some flex in them, or is grouting vinyl a totally bad idea? I know I can install these tiles without any grout, but my wife prefers the grouted look. <Q> Answering my own question. <S> Called Custom, they told us that even though these grouts are more flexible than concrete-based products, they still need a stiff subfloor like for a real ceramic tile, or the warranty will be void. <S> So <S> yeah, groutable vinyl tile in my laundry room is it a bad idea. <A> I will do you one more to add to your answer. <S> First the vinyl is much more apt to get damaged or move than tile <S> (think moving an appliance across this floor - the vinyl will move if the corner of a fridge pushes on it). <S> So at that point why would it make sense to use vinyl instead of a stone or tile with grout? <S> This seems more like a marketing technique than a viable solution. <A> I have seen two vinyl grouted floors done and they are beautiful- <S> if you do not bend down and touch it you would never know the benefit <S> : it is warmer; when things drop they are not as likely to break, and if you follow the same steps as ceramic tile (clean flat floor or sub floor) it will last, and has!
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Taking a permanent solution like grout and putting something like vinyl next to it just seems like a terrible idea.
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How effective to use zinc strip to prevent roof moss I live in Seattle. My 6 years old composite shingles start to grow moss this year. I read one post on YouTube that you can use a long zinc strip placed on top of your roof to prevent moss. I am wondering how effective it is. Another post mentioned that one strip can stop moss growing for about 15 feed down, so I need a few more strips to make whole roof protected. Any thoughts and experiences? <Q> Yes, it works - although most recommendations I've seen prefer zinc to copper (both more effective and cheaper). <S> In fact, you see it all the time on older roofs underneath galvanized roof fixtures. <S> For example, my neighbor's house: <S> Copper does the same thing, although in that case it would be copper oxide washing down the roof. <S> Note that if the house is brick, you should go with the zinc - copper oxides react with periclase in bricks and can cause damage. <S> If you want some more reading, there's a short piece on the Oregon State website. <A> I have a similar moss problem on my roof in the Berkshires, MA. <S> I believe pennies are roughly 97.5% zinc. <S> This seemed to work for a while but over time the pennies fell off or blew away whenever I cleared the roof of pine needles. <S> I will try the zinc strip under the shingle approach. <S> Thanks. <A> I live across the water from Seattle. <S> I've seen several houses around here with zinc strips. <S> They also have moss on the roof. <S> I think there's no stopping moss in this climate on composite shingles. <A> 3M Scotchguard on shingles seems to work. <S> here
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Basically, each rain washes metalic zinc down the roof and basically prevents any growth and lasts for decades. Based on some online recommendations I placed a bunch of pennies on the roof - half under several shingles.
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Low voltage fuse blowing in furnace I have an outside A/C compressor and indoor furnace fan combo in the attic. The unit was off and the 3 amp fuse was blown. I replaced the fuse and used the thermostat to turn the fan on followed by the heater then the A/C. I let the unit run the A/C. After a while the A/C turned off. I checked and the furnace was off, fuse blown and thermostat was asking for cool. I do not know if the fuse blew during operation, shutdown, or when the next request for cool happened.I checked the wires leading to the outside unit. They show open when disconnected and 20.8 ohms when connected to the contactor. The wires leading from the thermostat to the furnace show open until fan, heat or A/C is selected and they show continuity as expected.The volts across the red and green terminals shows 27 volts. The transformer is showing 120 in and 27 out. My first reaction is to replace the contactor on the outside unit, but that 27 volts is interesting to me because the schematic and Xformer say 24 volts. Update Performed the following tests. Disconnected the wires to the outside unit and ran the fan for a few hours no issues. There are 3 wires going from the furnace to the outside unit. White wire goes to 1 terminal of the contactor relay. Red and green wires were tied together and attached to the other terminal. On the furnace outside white is tied to yellow, outside green is tied to blue. Outside red was disconnected and loose on furnace. I disconnected red from green outside and put a wire nut on it. Measured the voltage on the relay of 27 volts. The resistance without wires is 16 ohms. Ran the A/C briefly without issue. Running the A/C today without 240 to see in the contactor heats up. The furnace is a Lennox gas heater model number G40UH-36A-070-15. The outside A/C is a Lennox 13ACD-036-230-02. I went ahead and ordered a new relay because it is pretty cheap. It should arrive by this weekend. What should I do next to troubleshoot this? <Q> Edit: <S> I concede that the answer to this problem depends on some specifics that are lacking. <S> If the fuse is the automotive blade type as Mazura pointed out, then fast acting is the only option for those and the problem lies elsewhere. <S> Electrical contactors do draw relatively high current until the contacts seat into the closed position, so I also have to agree that a sticky A/C contactor could blow the fuse even if the contactor coil is actually good. <S> To test if the contactor is sticking, I would turn off the outdoor disconnect to the compressor and open the condenser access panel for inspection. <S> Turn the thermostat to "cool" and watch the contactor pull in. <S> If the contactor action is sluggish, that could cause the problem. <S> With power to the compressor turned off at the disconnect, this test could be performed repeatedly. <A> Set the fan to 'on' and have someone monitor the furnace blower. <S> Go outside and hold the AC contacter down for as long as you're willing to. <S> If the furnace blower never trips out, then it is that contacter getting hot and drawing an over current. <S> Otherwise, happy hunting; that's my two cents. <S> You could also try toggling the fan to 'on' a bunch of times and see if that does it (could be a hard start after all; old motor/bearings). <S> I guess if you want to freeze your unit and check that contacter at the same time (without anyone having to stand there) pull the power feed to the blower motor (from its clips on the control board) and call for AC. <S> If it never trips out, it was the blower motor. <A> Check all of the wires where they pass through metal. <S> The metal may have worn through the insulation on the wire, causing an intermittent short. <S> Also, inspect the wires anywhere the outer insulation is stripped back. <S> It's pretty easy to damage the inner insulation when stripping off the outer, which could also lead to an intermittent short. <A> So the problem ended up being the contactor on the outside unit. <S> How I went about troubleshooting the problem was to disconnect the outside from high voltage power. <S> Then I turned on the thermostat and allowed it to cycle a few times over the course of 2 days. <S> The fan would come on as expected and the fuse never blew. <S> I ordered a new contactor and installed it. <S> Luckily the temperature in Houston was in the 80's in December <S> so I tested the A/C with the new unit in it. <S> No fuses blew. <S> It is worth noting that the old contactor showed a little oxidation and the points on it were burnt somewhat. <A> Check your reversing valve!! <S> Was havingg the same problem. <S> Reversing valve is stuck. <S> Good luck. <S> A little more on the cost side.
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If it does blow out, then it's somewhere between the control board, that contacter, or the thermostat and its wires (have fun ;). If the OP fuse is a glass cartridge style, then it is likely that a slow blow (MDL type or similar) is required in place of the fast acting automotive type.
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Can I convert door slab from LH inswing to RH inswing I like my current wooden front door a great deal, but it's hinged to swing inward to the right, and traffic flow (getting a bike into the mud room, for example) would be a lot easier if it swung in to the left. Problem is, the latch edge of the door is beveled the standard 15 degrees to permit closing with a smaller gap, whereas the hinge edge is square. And I can't flip the door top-to-bottom/left-to-right to move that bevel; its design has a clear "up"... if I rotate it only on the other axis the latch edge will be bevelled the wrong way, definitely not an improvement. Best solutions I've come up with so far involve keeping the door in its current orientation, swapping hardware (requires disguising the old lock borings; I have an idea for that), bevelling what used to be the hinge side... and maybe, if I can't get away with just letting the hinge absorb the angle difference, applying a wedge or wedges to re-square it. How insane am I? Should I try without changing the bevels first? Or should I not try at all, get a new front door, and try to find a good home for this one? <Q> If your door jamb has a tight gap already, this trick will work much better. <S> And I just read that pretty much everybody has the same answer, but I got sketches... <S> Do not take the rebevel out to the edges completely, rebevel everything, save 1/4" of the original edge. <A> Trying to re-work the existing door including the hiding of the old bored holes seems like it would a lot of work for a second rate kludge job. <S> I can see two avenues of reasonable approach here... <S> If the current door's inside can be swapped to be the outside (including the adjustment of the different finishes that may be on the outside versus the inside) then I would consider flipping the door, re-beveling the latch side of door edge and installing a new jamb or re-working the existing jamb to deal with the now slightly narrower door. <A> Other than the finishes being on the wrong side, as Mike points out, I don't see a problem (unless I'm missing something, and my drawing is wrong). <S> All you have to do is turn the hinges and the latch around on the door, move the strike in the jamb, and make new mortises on the other side. <S> The only hard part is this bevel you're talking about, but at least it will be on the strike side still, just backwards. <S> However, I can't say any door I've dealt with was beveled (before it was hung). <S> That usually gets done sometime in the future to keep it working IME - that must be one nice door! <S> Once it's hung again, then you can see if need to re-bevel it. <S> That is, unless it's super tight, then you might want to plane it from the get go. <S> I'd re-bevel the door and use weather stripping if necessary, before I'd fill old bore holes.
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If the door cannot be flipped then I would go for an all new door and jamb and have it installed in the orientation that suits your needs.
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how to build a basement under house I want to build a basement room under existing concrete deck how do I support deck while digging out beneath? It drops off vertically would dig from that side. soft dirt. How to do this safely. thank you <Q> Consequences for doing this wrong include being buried alive or the destruction of your house. <S> I suggest you contact a professional to discuss the project. <A> A slab on grade is designed for continuous support by the soil underneath it. <S> It is NOT designed to span ANY distance. <S> It simply cannot be done safely and to code. <S> (Caveat - I'm sure a competent engineer could make it work, but the costs would be greater than demolishing and rebuilding.) <A> You likely don't. <S> Instead, you'd tear out your deck/patio, dig a new hole, pour a new foundation, then build a new structure on top. <S> You can retrofit houses with basements by lifting the entire house off the ground and then excavating below, but that'd be overkill for a deck/patio. <S> Cheaper/safer to just remove it first, and rebuild a proper structure from the ground up. <A> This would be a massive job for an engineer let alone a motivated homeowner. <S> Ideally you should have heavy earthmoving equipment at you disposal. <S> If you are adamant about undertaking this job you must install steel I-beams (girders) under the concrete slab. <S> The girders should be supported on either end by a cribbage of heavy timbers that are located away from the slab (this will allow space to work). <S> You will need to install several of these supports along the length of the slab. <S> Once the supports are in place and carrying the load of the concrete you can excavate the soil. <S> Next setup the forms for the foundation and pour the concrete. <S> Once cured you lay the cinder block walls to the height of the slab. <S> This is a very general and elementary instruction to give you an idea of the work involved. <S> You must consult with people in your area knowledgeable and experienced with this type of difficult and laborious work. <S> To start, check in you locality for 'building movers' or 'commercial contractors'. <S> They should be able to give you reliable answers based on experience. <A> The other answers cover the safety. <S> I just want to point out it is a really really dumb idea money wise. <S> It will cost you double to triple the amount of money to do everything below this slab than "anywhere else". <S> What will be the flooring <S> , how big is the room, will it have two exits, where is the plumbing or electricity?
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There is no safe way to do with you are asking without being or hiring a structural engineer.
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Can I have a 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp circuit with a 20 amp GFCI I'm installing a few new outlets in my unfinished basement and what I have currently is a 20 amp circuit and I have a 20 amp GFCI outlet hooked on to that. I'm looking to add another standard 15 amp outlet off the 20 amp GFCI. I know you can do 15 amp outlets on a 20 amp circuit but what I'm wondering is it ok to have a 15 amp outlet along with a 20 amp outlet on the same 20 amp circuit as I would want the 20 amp GFCI outlet to provide protection to the 15 amp outlet. Thanks <Q> This is legal and will work fine. <S> But you do need to use #12 wire because the circuit is protected by the 20 amp breaker. <S> (you can add more if needed.)I say this because the GFCI outlet is 1 device and the 15 A outlet is the 2nd. <S> If there were only a single 15 amp outlet, it would not be code. <S> But with 2 or more, it is ok. <S> NEC 210-21.b1 <A> If a GFCI device is rated for 20 Amps, that just means that under normal use, it can take up to a 20 Amp load. <S> The Ground Fault part of the GFCI is to detect and prevent a current (Amps), which is strong enough to severely injure a human, from going to ground. <S> If you put a paperclip in the short prong side of an outlet, the GFCI should protect your life (but don't try it). <S> A GFCI device is supposed to detect and interrupt a current as small as 6 mA. <S> See here for more info about GFCIs. <S> The normal operating load of a GFCI device is always much, much greater than the fault detection part of the GFCI device. <S> 15 or 20 Amps, makes no difference. <S> Your 20 AMP GFCI will fully protect your 15 Amp outlet. <A> <A> As user107621 indicates, it may not be the best idea, even if it is allowed by code. <S> Granted the primary way this happens is by overloading the receptacle, but in receptacle-sparse rooms this becomes more likely because people will use taps and cheap power strips (with no or ineffective overcurrent protection) to plug in all the devices required of modern living. <S> That said, I rewired my living room to 2014 code (there were only 2 ungrounded outlets in a ~200sqft space, and they weren't even on the same breaker - idk how anyone puts up with that) and used a 20A breaker <S> so I could reliably run a space heater without tripping the breaker, but used 15A tamper-proof receptacles because they were notably cheaper in a 10 pack than buying single 20A. <S> But I also complied with the requirement to have a receptacle every 6ft of wall space <S> (actually every 4ft where possible, because it happened to be simpler that way), which significantly reduces the chances of anyone deciding to do that. <A> Assuming you use 12 gauge wire to the new outlet, the only significant problem would be the possibility of overloading the 15A outlet. <S> Suppose something something goes wrong with something plugged into it <S> and it starts drawing 18A. <S> The 15A outlet itself is now carrying 18A, and in theory could overheat, melt, burn, etc. <S> Wouldn't everything be simpler and more obvious if the new outlet were also rated at 20A?
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Homeowner - I had a 15 amp outlet ( more than 1) connected to a 20 amp GFI, the 15 amp out burned up and still did not trip the 20 amp breaker, not a good idea to have the mix even if allowed, it could have burned more than the plastic outlet and wire... Normally this would trip the panel breaker, but in this case the panel breaker and the GFCI both think it is fine, and the wiring can handle it, so the situation will continue uninterrupted.
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Is 12-gauge wire adequate to run into between a 7000 watt generator and circuit box? I have a Briggs and Stratton model 040301A stand-alone generator I bought used I'm trying to figure out what gauge wire I use to feed my circuit box. When I took it apart it had a black and a red wire plugged into its terminal and they were 12 gauge wire it also had a white pig tail looks like gauge 8 wire twistid to the generators red and black lead. And it has a negative ground block that you would put the ground wire in and tighten it down. This generator has a 30 amp breaker on it but it is rated for 50 amps. Is the 12 gauge wire big enough to run into my circuit box? This unit is only powering a garage that I do not have any power to I am using this generator as my power source. Please help <Q> No, 12 AWG conductors are not large enough for 30 amperes. <S> Powering a structure is a complex task, which would require more details than can be provided in a short form Q&A site like this. <S> If you need help with a small portion of this project, you might find help here. <S> As for planning the entire project, this is not the place for that. <A> Ok since you have no power to your garrage this is simillar to the wiring you have done, 30A takes #10 wire, but you said your system was capable of 50 <S> so I would go to #8, make sure to bond your ground to the green wire /frame of the generator, and for added safety a ground rod would be a good idea, if you said you have a breaker pannel wire <S> the 2 hots to the mains the ground and neutral to the respective terminals, If you ever run power to the garrage the generator will have to me removed or a transfer switch installed to prevent the generator backfeeding the service that could kill someone, and burn your generator up <A> Breakers protect wires from overheating. <S> If you want to use the 12ga. <S> wire you already have on-hand, downgrade the breaker to 20A. To keep the 30A breaker, use 10 gauge or larger wire. <S> If you want to future-proof and allow for 50A, then use either 8-gauge or 6-gauge depending on the wire type and environmental factors . <S> Your electrical supply house will know more. <S> I know you're not asking, <S> but if you're installing a sub-panel, think about a future in which you bring power from the house or utility service, and work to code so you don't have to rework later. <A> Yes a transfer switch will be the best option for you sir if you can install one just remember to follow electrical codes. <S> And check to see if your generator needs a equipment ground and not just a service ground. <S> And a transfer switch that will separate the neutral from the / utility provider and the generator is also a better idea this way it will prevent any energy that was placed on the neutral from going back to the utility company and electric someone while they work on the lines
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My advice would be to hire a local licensed Electrician, even if only for the planning part of the project.
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How can I test if my powertool is getting enough electricity? Suppose I bring a powertool over to a community center (or a relative's home) to volunteer on a project. How can I determine if my tool is getting enough electricity (supposing other loads on the circuit are constant)? <Q> The most basic test: If the tool isn't struggling -- if the motor is maintaining its normal speed under load -- it's getting enough power for practical purposes. <S> If it does run into trouble, taking some load off it by cutting more slowly might help. <S> But in a normal building, since you aren't going to be travelling with anything huge, the odds of your needing more than 15A are low unless you're running multiple larger tools <S> and/or there are other loads on the same circuit -- in which case, as @jack said, the breaker for that circuit should blow to keep wires from becoming a fire hazard. <S> (Normally. <S> I've seen some wierdities in buildings with archaic wiring, such as a circuit that dropped from nominal 120V to something closer to 90V whenever someone used the photocopier. <S> Still not sure how that passed inspection, but it did, repeatedly.) <A> The tool is designed to operate at a particular range of voltages, such as 110-130 V. <S> If the provided voltage is in that range, then it will be getting "enough electricity". <S> If supplied with a lower voltage, the motor could be damaged. <S> The most direct way to test this is by using a volt meter. <S> I'd suggest using an in-line voltmeter such as the Kill-A-Watt. <S> The tool should be plugged directly into the meter. <S> It will report the voltage being supplied to the tool. <S> But, tools will usually not use their maximum current unless something weird happens, such as a locked motor. <S> So, while this is a reasonable test, it may not be 100% conclusive. <S> The kill-a-watt will also report the current being used, so that could be used to extrapolate the line voltage during the maximum-current situation. <S> There is a device to do this measurement for you, perhaps in a safer way: a "power analyzer" device. <S> These present a load (such as 10 amps) momentarily, and report the resistance of your power supply wires. <S> Knowing the resistance and the amount of current your tool uses will let you calculate a voltage drop (multiply them together: V=I*R). <S> Subtract that from your un-loaded power supply voltage to get a minimum expected voltage under load. <S> Ensure this value is in the input range of your tool. <S> Somewhat related is another question: Will the power supply catch on fire? <S> Fires can be caused by bad electrical connections heating up (or sparking). <S> These conditions cannot be reliably detected, but you can do a few things to minimize the risk: make sure that your supply resistance (as measured by a power analzer) is small and ensure that your circuit breaker works. <S> Note that AFCI circuit breakers also help to guard against fire risk (though I've seen read many opinions only that say they are useless). <A> It would overload the circuit and trip the breaker or blow the fuse. <S> The biggest killer of tools is running them on an extension cord that is not heavy enough to carry the load the tool needs. <A> "I'm pretty sure that the voltage at the business end of an under-gauge extension cord would measure the same as the voltage at the wall outlet. <S> " You are wrong on this. <S> If you see a noticeable voltage drop while the cord is under load (tool is on and pulling "max" current) then the wire resistance is too high. <S> "I've long known that a powertool can be damaged by operating the powertool off of a long, small gauge, say 16 gauge, extension cor" Is also pretty much wrong. <S> Roughly speaking ( https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/39387/how-are-current-and-voltage-related-to-torque-and-speed-of-a-brushless-motor ) speed is related to voltage and torque to current. <S> If Voltage is too low, an internal fan might not be very effective (if it directly geared off the drive of the tool) and the tool will be ineffective. <S> If somehow you can't pull enough current than the tool will be ineffective. <S> What I suspect you mean by "can be damaged by" is more along the lines of "I drove my tool too hard because I wasn't paying attention or was impatient" for the conditions. <A> The easiest way to tell is by the sound it is making when you are operating it. <S> If it sounds different than normal you can assume something is wrong with the power supply you are trying to use. <S> If the breaker trips when you operate it you can safely assume it is pulling more power than available. <S> Both of these conditions are common to contractors sharing generators and extension cords of dubious quality on jobsites. <S> I have yet to see either of these conditions damage a tool though. <A> Most hand tools use universal motors. <S> They will run on any voltage up to their rating except that they will run slower and with less power. <S> A long small gauge extension cord just means the tool gets lower voltage and therefore less power. <S> It will not damage the motor. <S> Google and read up on universal motors in hand tools. <S> They can run on either AC or DC and speed control is easy with a variable resistor to change the voltage going to the motor.
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You should pay attention to the voltage while the tool is being used.
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How to strip sheath off outdoor cable? I am looking for a way to remove the protective sheath from a length of multicore mains electrical cable. It's rated for outdoor use and is VERY strong. Without butchering my fingers; trying to fine cut it with a utility knife and without cutting into the hot wire insulation (and exposing the bare copper) in the process. I've already made 4 such errors and inflicted 2 knife cuts. <Q> After you clamp down on the cable you just have to pull a lot harder than on NM to break the last bits of sheathing that go around the ground. <S> I have something similar to this: Image from Home Depot, does not constitute a recommendation for the vendor, the manufacturer, or the model pictured. <A> Stripping UF is a bear. <S> The usual NM strippers won't work for me, you'll nick the wires. <S> Luckily, there is a stripper made for the task: <S> Ideal Industries <S> UF Stripper 45-235 <S> Unfortunately, it isn't cheap. <S> Costs less than losing a finger though. <A> I'm a little unsure as to why you're doing a lot of stripping on wire <S> you apparently want to keep using, but no matter. <S> I use an olfa brand knife (box cutter with a blade you can extend a variable distance) with the blade out 1/16". <S> You can grip the nose of the knife between thumb and forefinger and use your fingers to ride the crown of the wire. <S> Try to set the wire on something solid so your other hand isn't in the way. <S> Once you've scored the sheathing, you can usually pull it apart either by hand or with pliers.
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I've usually had good luck with a decent quality wire stripper with NM sheathing cutters.
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Cement board or plywood for stuccoing over I have a former window I want to close and stucco over. I did the framing already. Was wondering if I should use a cement board or 1/2" OSB or plywood with wire mesh as substrate to stucco over (to match the surrounding). If cement board is the way to go, should I still use wire mesh nonetheless? <Q> You can use any of those materials, or none of those. <S> Waterproof paper (properly installed such that water is prevented from penetrating the repair seams) and wire mesh alone, with no substrate, may be just fine. <S> An important part of the job that you do not mention (and is not apparent in your picture) is the waterproof paper/membrane. <A> The important part is breaking out the old stucco to create a rough edge, and expose the wire to tie into. <S> Sheath what you have with wood. <S> Slip new paper (two layers of grade D in the USA), under the old, and wire. <S> Now an alternative is to cut cement board in the shape of the old window and caulk the edges. <S> But here you'd want to recess the cement board to make an architectural statement, as it would not be possible to hide the repair. <S> Ask yourself what happens if (when) water gets into that space. <S> Consider a weep screed for the bottom. <A> Looking at your photo it appears that you have at least 3/4 inch of depth from the stud edge to the existing stucco surface. <S> If you install 1/2 inch cement board over 30 # felt you just need to float a 1/4 inch finish coat. <S> And Bryce is correct about creating a rough edge to finish the new stucco too. <S> It make the repair less obvious and less chance of any hairline cracks appearing.
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The simplest way to stucco the opening is to use cement board only because you'd be saving several steps by not having to apply each successive layer.
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Can insulation foam expand around window framing and cause warping? I was just wondering if insulation foam (I used regular Great Stuff from HD) can expand in dry conditions around a window (frame) and cause warping and damage to the window up to and including breakage. <Q> I have personally seen it bow "trimmer" studs in a framed window opening. <S> Breakage would likely be caused by users messing with/forcing the out of plumb/square/true window? <A> From experience, yes it can cause windows, doors, etc. <S> to stick because the pressure pushes the frame closer to the door or sash. <S> I just completed the finish work in a house and had to use my sawzall like a rasp around window frames to relieve the pressure before I could put the trim on them. <S> I am not sure if the stuff can generate enough force to actually do damage though. <A> I have seen it warp a window frame to the point that makes it difficult to operate, but, I have not seen it expand to the point <S> it breaks a window. <A> Indeed it can, aggressively. <S> So if you are using it to install door frames, for example, wedge a piece of wood the required size in the doorway while it expands. <S> Several pieces of wood. <S> You need helpers. <A> I came across a YouTuber a while back who had some filler foam damage a door of his, so he did some back yard pressure tests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j33cbyXUVs <S> He ended up with 90lbs of pressure against his bathroom scale after 5 days of the foam setting. <S> It's not exactly the most refined experiment, but 90lbs is pretty startling. <A> Yes, definitely. <S> As others have stated some detail oriented builders will actually use wood blocking in windows with deep integral jambs to prevent warping of the jambs as the foam sets up. <S> I had issues with some settling and had the marvin reps out for a set of sliders,they basically told me that they have so many issues with it that they see that they recommend installing a bead of foam as a vapor barrier toward the exterior of the space between the jamb and the framing, and then stuffing the remainder of the space with scraps of loose fiberglass batts.
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It could easily warp, bow, or move a window frame itself. Note: you can buy "low expansion" foam specifically designed to avoid this issue.
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Damp patch on the chimney wall I have a problem with condensation on the wall between my living room and the chimney and I would be grateful for suggestions as to how to tackle this. Some background: when I bought my house the fireplaces had been removed and the chimneys capped. The chimneys have a vent on the outside wall, and as far as I can tell the chimneys are dry inside. This was fine by me, but after a few years in the house I redecorated and removed the several layers of old wallpaper on the living room walls and just painted the walls - no wallpaper. Ever since then, if the weather turns warm and humid, especially after a cold spell (it rarely happens in summer), I get condensation on the wall where the chimney flue runs. This is really quite bad and produces a very noticable damp patch. I'm pretty certain this is just condensation. I think the inside of the chimney gets cold because it's vented to the outside air, and because the wall between my room and the flue is only one brick thick the inside wall gets cold too. Add damp air and you get condensation on the cold bit of the wall. I believe it's condensation because it doesn't happen when it rains or at all in the summer, only when the weather turns humid after it has been cold. Living as I do in the North-West of the UK that basically means any time in winter when a warm weather front blows in from the Atlantic! I suspect that it didn't happen before I redecorated because the several layers of old wallpaper were acting as an insulating layer so the inside surface didn't get cold enough for condensation to form. At the moment I deal with it by just turning up the heating, which dries the wall pretty quickly. However it would be nice to have a proper solution but I have no idea what the solution would be. Maybe I should put some thick wallpaper on the wall to insulate it, as it was before I redecorated? Or maybe block off the outside vents and put vents on the inside wall so the air in the chimney doesn't get cold? I did wonder if the entire chimney could just be filled up with the stuff they use for cavity wall insulation, though I suspect that's a silly idea :-) Response to comment: Here is my attempt to illustrate what is happening: The damp forms inside the house on the wall between the inside of the house and the inside of the chimney. <Q> ...This is one school of thought: seal the chimney to prevent air flow. <S> By preventing air flow, you also prevent the flow of moisture the air carries with it, and the formation of condensation on the colder, interior face of the flue. <S> FYI, the insulation you push up into the flue works simply because it blocks the flow of air; insulation 'warms' nothing. <S> What it does is slow heat transfer from warmer to cooler areas. <S> The second school of thought is to increase air flow. <S> The theory is that, with constant air flow, moisture that settles on the inner surfaces of the flue will be evaporated. <S> For this system to work, the flue has to pull in dryer, ambient air from a lower floor; this requires creating an opening below the damp area. <S> This is the preferred method in Britain, for example. <S> Incidently, houses built in the US Northeast throughout the 1800s had just such an air circulation system built into their exterior walls. <S> In old houses, you have a cavity between the brick and the plaster walls and that cavity extends from the basement to the attic. <S> Air in the attic is heated and exits, creating a partial vacuum which draws air in the cavity upwards. <S> As the air is drawn upwards through the wall, it is heated, which increases its capacity to absorb moisture. <S> This wicking system removes moisture from the inside surface of the brickwork and prevents moisture setting into the lathe. <A> If the chimney is no longer in use, but even if there is the slightest chance that years from now you or your children's children wanted to make it functional again, you should reconsider filling the stack with insulating material. <S> It's possibly the easiest fix and maybe the least costly, but not the only way. <S> Similar to what you noted about the wallpaper, installing rigid foam insulation covered by drywall would work. <S> The ideal fix would be to close off the vent in the chimney to stop air movement. <A> If you can wipe moisture off the wall with your fingers, then you can safely say that the moisture is condensate. <S> If not, then the moisture is coming from the other side of the wall, but make sure that the wall paint isn't just absorbing the moisture. <S> We have this problem with bathroom walls in winter: Steamy shower vapor condenses on cold walls where it beads up, causing rivulets to run down the wall. <S> This condensate was serious enough to bubble up the paint until we repainted using exterior-grade paint. <S> You can solve the condensate problem by, as others have said, sealing off the vent and maybe also insulating the top of the (metal?) <S> chimney flue. <S> Your chimney is a large thermal mass that doesn't respond to temperature changes as easily as your interior rooms: it's cold when the house is warm, and vice versa. <S> Because the problem is a "cold chimney/warm house", you may also want to paint the chimney dark so that sunlight will at least play some role in keeping the interior chimney space warm enough to prevent a cold interior wall....unless the chimney faces north. <A> I agree with ojait. <S> But, I might try simple first. <S> Your idea of blocking the vent should be the first attempt at a remedy & done just for winter. <S> Crawlspace vents have this ability to just be flipped closed & it's a common practice for crawlspace owners to shut the vents in the winter because of your same issue. <S> The chimney would then be heated by the house during the winter. <S> Otherwise, I'd get rid of the chimney entirely. <S> It's serving no purpose, has maybe been the cause of settlement cracks & other issues, is creating a possible future structural problem & its waterproofing at the roof will eventually fail to then cause further & much bigger problems. <S> If a fireplace is desired in the future by anyone, then the Direct Vent Fireplace insert models can be installed through any & every type of wall & don't allow the home's heating or cooling to be dumped outside.
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You can also add insulation behind the problem wall, within the chimney.
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How to create a hidden plug for PVC pipe I'm working on building a semi-permanent set of full-size soccer goals. Full-size in this case means 6' x 18'. Because of the size and spans, I'm planning on using 1.5" PVC pipe and fittings. And in order to help keep the goals from tipping over from strong winds, I plan on adding 25-50 lbs of sand in the base support tube for each goal. While not to size, this picture gives a good idea of the general layout for the goals. The sand will go in the longer, horizontal pipe that is on the ground. Normally, this would be a fairly straightforward project. The challenge is that I want to make sure the sand remains in the bottom pipe. Unfortunately, I can't rely upon the wonderfully consistent draw of gravity as the goals are meant to be taken apart and taken off of the field during the winter. And I don't want the sand spilling out when the goals are disassembled. The goals are meant to last for at least 5-10 years, and the hope is that by storing them during the winter they'll have a better chance at lasting that long. I'll be disassembling the goals the first few years, but will eventually pass that task along to someone else. My initial thought had been to install a concealed plug of some sort on the inside of the pipe. So after adding the sand to the bottom pipe, I would plug it and keep the sand from getting out. I added a red line to this example image to give a better idea. My problem is that I couldn't find anything at the local hardware store that would serve as an inline plug like that. I checked a number of fittings from other pipe dimensions, but they weren't fitting. My question(s): Are there any general guidelines for knowing which pipes or fittings can slip inside a different dimension of pipe. For example, is the outer diameter of a 1" fitting supposed to fit within the inside diameter of a 1.5" pipe? If so, what type or size of fitting should I look at in order to create this interior plug? Is there a better approach to solving this type of a problem? Would a different type of material slip inside of the 1.5" pipe more readily / consistently? <Q> Given all the ideas, the obvious solution would seem to be don't use sand. <S> Instead, fill the bottom pipe with cement. <S> Or fill it mostly with gravel with a few inches of cement or silicone sealant to hold the gravel in place. <A> Two ideas... <S> Fill the pipe with sand, and then use an expandable foam like "Great Stuff" to fill the last several inches of the pipe. <S> The polyurethane foam should stick well to the inside of the PVC, and the sand will not be able to pass through. <S> A standard coupler has a lip in the middle to stop the pipe from sliding all the way through. <S> Cut a disk of metal or other sturdy material that will fit inside the coupling and put it against that lip. <A> If the hardware store lacks a rubber stopper section, try a homebrew supply store, unless you happen to have a handy source of lab supplies. <S> Some size of rubber stopper will jam-fit nicely - probably an #8 or #8.5. <S> But I sincerely doubt that the material and size will work. <S> 4" schedule 80 will flop when 18 feet long - 1-1/2 <S> " schedule 40 will act like a wet noodle, or darn near to it. <S> Judging by the noise a standard 6x6" (roughly) square-tube aluminum goal frame makes when struck by a ball, I'd expect this to break frequently. <S> If the budget does not permit standard goals you might do better to look at wood. <A> If you plugged the inside of 1 1/2 inch <S> Tee fitting (S x FPT x S) and installed one on each side of the horizontal legs you could than tighten a thread 1 1/2 inch plug to access the sand. <S> To seal one end of the Slip hub of the tee: insert and epoxy an appropriate shaped disc (flashing metal, rubber gasket stock?).
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Gluing the coupling onto your pipe will lock that disk in place and create a seal for the sand.
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What diameter PVC conduit should I bury under my front yard? I'd like to run two 20A circuits to the other side of my front yard. I'll be using 12AWG THWN conductors, over a length of about 20 feet through PVC conduit buried at a depth of 18 inches. What diameter conduit is appropriate for my application? <Q> Code defines minimum sizes, based on fill percentage. <S> Anyone who has ever pulled a conduit at/near maximum fill % (40 for 3 or more wires in conduit longer than 24") can tell you it's not fun to do. <S> You have a short run across the yard, so the conduit expense is not a huge factor. <S> In general, the conduit expense is always much, much less than the trench to put it in expense. <S> 80 <S> at any of the ones near me, other than the odd sweep) it is far more robust than schedule 40. <S> I would also use 1 inch - not because "code says you need it" (it does not) <S> but because it is somewhat stronger and provides considerably more room than you require - and more room makes pulling wires easier. <S> It also means you don't really have to define exactly what you are doing (so the absolute minimum size you need can be specified) because it's more than large enough for considerably more than you have stated no matter how you do what you've stated. <S> I would <S> (but you don't need to) put in a second 1" conduit while the trench was there, if there was the remotest chance on the face of the planet that I might ever want to run phone, network (perhaps an outside wireless access point), garage door opener or any other sort of low voltage wiring to the location. <S> See cost of conduit .vs. <S> cost of trench again. <S> But it's your call. <S> Finally, don't skip the "buried electric line below" warning tape in the top 6 inches of fill for the trench. <S> Digsafe won't know your private line is there, so they won't mark it. <A> You could do two 20 ampere circuits, or one 20 and one 15 ampere circuit. <S> If you do two 20, you could run a multi-wire branch circuit, which would save you a wire. <S> Since you're using conduit underground, you'll have to use wire rated for wet locations. <S> You'll probably want 12 AWG THWN wires for 20 amperes, or 14 AWG THWN wires for 15 amperes. <S> You'll need white or gray wire for the grounded (neutral) conductor(s), green for grounding, and black, red, blue, etc. <S> for ungrounded (hot) conductors. <S> If you're sure you'll never want to run any more circuits through the conduit, 1/2" schedule 80 PVC will fit six 12 AWG THWN conductors. <S> That should be plenty for your two circuits, even if you opt not to have a MWBC. <S> If you might run more circuits, or you want an easier pull, you could install 3/4" schedule 80 PVC. <S> If the circuits are 20 amperes or less, and are GFCI protected, you only have to bury the conduit 12". <S> Keep in mind that this is a very broad overview, as you haven't provided much detail in your question. <A> According to table 1, in chapter 9 of the national electric code, either schedule 40 or 80, 1/2" pvc is sufficient. <S> However in practice I never use anything smaller than 3/4" conduit underground unless I absolutely have to. <A> I know this is supposed to be an answer to the conduit but have you considered running UF <S> wire(since your digging 18" underground anyway) and do away with the conduit and elbows and glue.
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I would use schedule 80 PVC for a job like this; while it will mean finding your local electrical supply unless you have the oddest home cheapo I've never met (never seen sch. You'll want to bury the conduit 18" deep, and provide GFCI protection for the circuits (most likely via GFCI breaker(s)). Larger also meets code (by exceeding it.)
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How to manage leaves? The location is wooded Georgia suburbs on roughly an acre with lots of oak and a smattering of pine trees. There isn't much yard; a couple hundred square feet of grass with leaves three to six inches deep. And there's a 300 foot driveway I've been leaf blowing and accumulating the leaves off to the sides. One to two feet of paved surface has been reclaimed on each side of the driveway from years of damp leaves gathering. The landlord said I can put the leaves in a depression near the driveway. Its volume is such that a full dump truck of material might not fill it. My questions are: 1) What techniques work to move lots of large leaves 100 feet? Right now, I begin work near the pit and move 3 or 4 feet at a time with the leaf blower. 2) Is it safe to leave a dump-truck sized pile of leaves in "the pit"? 3) Any concerns or life-experience observations about dealing with the 2 to 4 inches of rotting leaves I am removing from the driveway edges? Update: Answer chosen based on direct applicability; I'm trying to preserve the existing grass and keep the people areas tidy. Even with the mountain of leaves I'm moving there is 10x more leaves several inches deep covering the rest of the wooded area on the property. The pic shows me about 1/5 done. I laid a bar on the edge of the tarp to help loading it. The bar is from a weight lifting set and holds the edge of tarp in place while I used the broom to push leaves in. Then I'd use the leaf blower to sweep the rest of the leaves in. Once the top layers of leaves were removed, I was using the leaf blower more like a hair dryer. Note in foreground the brick. The leaves are 2x to 3x the height of bricks used to line the yard. The "pit" is 80 or 90 feet from where the pic was taken and is now practically full. The roughly 10,000 sq ft area of the lawn took about 6 hours to clear. The leaves surely were there for more than 1 season, as the bottom layer was starting to decay and was clinging mightily to the earth. <Q> I have a very similar yard as yours. <S> I too went through this process my first few years living at the house. <S> Paid for people to haul leaves away and such. <S> After a few more years of honing the process it is really simple. <S> Identify good areas for leaves to end up. <S> For me it is depressions near the driveway, the street, and right next to the large trees. <S> Rake leaves out of hard to reach places or rake to the point that it makes doing step 3 easier. <S> Start away from your target areas. <S> Mulch your leaves and spit them out towards your target areas. <S> You will have to inch your way with the lawnmower to the target areas back and forth. <S> Yes you will leave deposits in your yard <S> but unless you are leaving huge amounts these will only enhance your grassy areas. <S> (For some parts of the yard you may need to rake leaves to grass or to driveway - yes I mow my driveway!) <S> Use blower to better disperse clippings. <S> An example here is 50% of my front yard clippings go to street. <S> The first 8-10 feet of yard near the street obviously contain more clippings on them. <S> I use the blower to get them to the street. <S> Then when in the street I use the blower to disperse the clippings. <S> On day one I might have a 1 foot mound of clippings near my edge. <S> After a few days of blowing a little of the clippings at a time... clippings gone, happy neighbors. <S> The blower breaks apart the clippings piles. <S> Any plan to not mulch the leaves is futile in my opinion. <S> My way is raking maybe for 2-3 hours twice a year, lawnmower 5-6 times times an hour, and blower 5-6 times times 20 mins. <S> I was spending 10x that my first few years trying to move leaves or bag leaves or send them to a compost. <S> Even putting them on a tarp and burning them took forever. <A> A modern approach is to do nothing: <S> Don't rake your leaves, scientists say <S> (Warning: autoplay video). <S> The National Wildlife Federation is encouraging people to leave the leaves. <S> On its website, the NWF says dry, dead leaves are important habitats for all kinds of critters, reports KING. <S> Butterflies, salamanders, chipmunks, box turtles, toads, shrews, earthworms, and other creatures live, lay eggs in or eat from leaves, according to NWF's plea with the public to let the leaves stay where gravity left them. <S> One big benefit is you won't end up annoying your neighbors with the leaf blower. <A> In the past I have moved a very large volume of leaves to the edge of a property. <S> We were able to significantly shorten the amount of work required by raking the leaves onto a giant tarp. <S> Once the tarp could hold no more leaves we would drag the tarp to the location we wanted to dump them. <S> Although the piles looked very large they weighed very little and two people could easily move them. <A> In my experience... <S> There's no good way to move a large volume of leaves. <S> If your leaf blower is working stick to it. <S> If you have a friend with some spare time buy them a case of beer to come help you :) <S> There's nothing inherently wrong with it. <S> They may smell some as they rot but they're not going to do anything seriously dangerious (burst into flame, etc.) <S> Rotting leaves can be incredibly slippery. <S> Even if the top layer isn't rotting layers below may be and you can still slip on them. <S> It's not a huge risk <S> but I've definitely wiped out before from walking on rotten leaves. <A> I have a similar situation where I live. <S> I don't have a large lawn and I have many 60+ foot tall trees surrounding my house. <S> I found there to be two suitable options for leaf removal (based on my personal experience). <S> A leaf blower and rake are your best friend (not to mention having friends with rakes as well). <S> I use the leaf blower for sidewalks and areas on my driveway with minimal leafs. <S> The leaf blower becomes less efficient once they become more piled up. <S> At this point, I use a wide shop broom to push the piles where I want them to go. <S> As for the lawn, I found that using a rake is the fastest and most efficient method of leaf removal (albeit more physical effort than, say, holding a leaf blower). <S> I typically just rake the leaves into the wood-line and let them decompose over winter on their own. <S> Once the tarp is full of leaves, you can just pull the tarp to a new location such as a pit or trailer. <A> I won't beat around the bush ! <S> The best thing to use for moving leaves is a descent pressure washer. <S> Sure it takes a little bit more to set up, sure it is not as mind-numbing as a leaf blower, but guaranteed to move 3x as much, 3x as far, and 3x faster <S> while leaving driveways, gutters, mailboxes, carports, decking, sidewalks, street drains, all squeaky clean. <S> End Of Story! <S> Unfortunately, a decent pressure washer may run you between $400-$600. <S> However, it is worthwhile investment with many, many labor saving uses. <S> What to do with those leaves? <S> I live within a city that picks up the leaves for the city residents. <S> But for those who don't have that luxury maybe designate a spot on the property line less visible to the street.
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If you don't want to have leaves bordering your wood-line, A nice and easy method for removing the leaves to a different location would be to get a large tarp and blow/rake the leaves onto that.
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Supporting sliding ladder rail from sides of small closet? I'd like to build a rolling ladder for my tall office closet using a kit. However, the shelving is metal ClosetMaid/Elfa-style and can't support a rod for the ladder to slide along. My thought is to instead use a closet rod with supports on the left and right walls . Can this be feasible and safe? What other options might I have? <Q> I'd put ledgers on the walls to the left and right of the shelves. <S> By this <S> I mean a board running horizontally the entire length of the wall, screwed in at the studs. <S> This will give you something with some strength and stability to attach to. <S> You could run a steel pipe across from ledger to ledger, attached to the ledgers with floor flanges. <S> I can say I have used 1" pipe and floor flanges this way for chinup bars many times and they held up well. <S> The weak point of the pipe is the threaded part, if it shears off it will be at the threads near the floor flange. <S> If you want to be safe, run a 1" dowel inside the pipe. <S> Even if the metal cracks, it's not going anywhere. <S> If the pipe is not sufficient, you could run a board across from ledger to ledger, just like a joist - you might even use joist hangers to fasten it to the ledgers. <S> That would give you the surface the ready made rolling ladder kits want. <S> Joist hangers are made to carry weight vertically, not horizontally, but I think they'd be strong enough for this purpose. <S> If you want something stronger in the horizontal direction, that's easy enough to work out. <A> Try a good woodworking supply house. <S> Don't expect it to be cheap, but a few hundred should do it. <A> It looks like your closet is around 6' across and perhaps 12' tall. <S> With that narrow a space, how about having the ladder lean diagonally across the front of the shelves (e.g. top-left to bottom-right in your picture)? <S> You could have a hanger or ledger board across the wall to the left of the shelves, with the top of the ladder hooked over the board and running down and right, sloped to the 12 degrees cited by @OrganicLawnDIY. <S> If necessary, you could put a second board across the wall to the right of the shelves so you could run the ladder the other way. <S> Bonus points for putting a third board higher up so that you could hang the ladder vertically from when not in use.
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Kits are available for constructing sliding ladders; I plan to set ip one or two in my library.
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Are all rectangular outlets, switches, and plates the same dimensions and interchangeable? Do I need to make sure my switches, plates, and outlets are from the same manufacturer or can I mix and match? I'm referring to the rectangular decora-style and wasn't sure if there'd be slight differences in size between brands. Some examples: Leviton Decora switch Cooper Wiring wall plate Emerson fan control Lutron outlet Are these all the same dimensions? <Q> Yes, all "Decora" style devices share the same cover plate opening, within a couple of thousandths of an inch (+/-.005" or so). <S> GFCI receptacles also fit this description, as well as many dimmers, timers and "smart switches". <S> For instance the opening on a Hubbell plate is 1.312"x2.625" , while these Leviton are slightly different, but all within a reasonable spec to be called the same. <A> Yes and no. <S> The boxes, outlets, and switches are standard sizes. <S> Except that ceiling boxes, ceiling fan boxes, audio wiring boxes, etc. are different sizes than boxes for outlets and switches. <S> Those are normally interchangeable between manufacturers. <S> The only exception which comes to mind is that dimmer switches may require a larger than normal box for heat dissipation. <S> (Sorry, I am not trying to be funny.) <S> Most are designed for artistic effect to provide a larger work of art. <S> These don't seem to be standard sizes, but are interchangeable unless replacing a larger one with a slightly smaller one exposes some unpainted wall. <S> My experience includes cover plates sold by Paris street vendors as well as U.S. electrical supply stores. <A> The standard dimensions are for the switch itself which will include the hole for the switch and the ability to be screwed on the top and bottom of the switch. <S> This has no effect unless you are putting the outlet in a really tight space. <S> Other than the look of the outlets probably a thing to really think about is how flexible they are. <S> The metal ones generally aren't very flexible but since they don't really break, they can provide a good solution if wall isn't perfect. <S> Then there are some manufacturers that have rigid plastic. <S> These are generally crap and have to be on a perfect wall or they have issues. <S> And then you have the higher priced poly/plastic blends that bend into place without breaking.
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Cover plates generally are the same size if they are the "standard size". As for the outer edges of the plates these are pretty close but actually can differ by as much as 1/4". But there are also oversize plates and jumbo plates which are handy if the sheetrock does not butt close to the box.
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Paint and mold prevention Which application produces the best results, with respect to mold prevention: An all-in-one paint with primer Apply plain primer, then regular paint Is using either process better for mold and mildew prevention? I haven't tried it yet, and will be waiting until spring. <Q> This is a bit of a broad question. <S> Better at what? <S> On what surfaces? <S> Paint/primer combos are just high build paints with good hiding abilities. <S> If you're painting over a new drywall one coat of paint and primer doesn't seem to give good results. <S> You can use the first coat of paint/primer as the primer coat <S> but why use a $30 per gallon paint/primer as the primer coat when a $10/gal PVA primer (or more savings in 5 gallon buckets) has been doing that job reliably for years. <S> Painting over bare wood? <S> Most good latex primers won't seal the wood to prevent tannins from knots bleeding through <S> so I wouldn't count on a latex based paint/primer to do much better. <S> There are specific primers that work well in these situations. <S> If you're concerned about inhibiting mold you should first look to correct that conditions that are favorable to mold growth. <S> Up until recently paints could only inhibit the growth of mold on their surface but now there's a mold killing primer made by Zinsser who I believe was the first company that was addressing mold/mildew concerns in their paints and additive products. <S> Personally I would use traditional means of killing mold first and possibly use that primer for some extra piece of mind. <S> Going over oil based paint with latex or a high gloss sheen with flat? <S> These are applications where you should get better performance with a primer that works well for those applications. <S> Paint/primer products work well for going over already painted surfaces where you just want to change the color of an interior surface. <S> The high build will make covering the old color more effective and you could possibly get away with just one coat. <S> I personally always like to do two coats though. <S> Primer is not a single product. <S> There are many different types of primers suited for different situations. <S> If you want the best results choose the right primer for your specific application. <S> In some cases the primer will be cheaper than an extra coat of paint/primer, in others the primer may be the same cost or more expensive but will give you better results for that specific application. <A> The only sure way to identify a high quality paint is to read the label. <S> Specifically look at the contents or ingredients. <S> It should state a percentage of "binders" or "resins". <S> The more the better. <S> Another easy to tell sign of a good paint is by how long the manufacturer guarantees it to last for. <S> The types of paints advertised as "one coat" or "paint and prime" are relatively new to the paint scene. <S> They contain a heavier amount of pigments and resins and are priced accordingly. <S> They can be a true time saver when compared to the 2 coat process of applying primer and than a finish coat. <S> But remember unless you are drastically changing the wall color any good paint will cover in one coat. <S> For mold prevention most supply stores will have an additive (ask for a mildewcide) in a small packet that prevents mold growth on the paint. <A> Most high quality paints have a bio-inhibiting additive in there already, and putting in aftermarket additives is discouraged by many paint manufacturers (and often voids the warranty). <S> You will have the best results if you: <S> Properly prepare the surface. <S> Use a high quality paint <S> : look for percentage of "total solids"- higher is better (this is pigment and resins) vs. percentage of solvents- <S> lower is better (for latex paint we are talking about water ). <S> Glossy paints will generally work better against mold and mildew. <S> Use high quality applicators . <S> I personally do <S> not use it <S> , I can't tell you why <S> , I guess I just think it's a gimmick and don't trust it yet.
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Nobody has enough experience with the paint/primer combination products to give you a good opinion on durability and longevity vs. normal primer then paint technique.
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How to figure out router bit radius I want to match the existing radius on my stairs trim, but I'm unsure what size rounding over bit I need to get. I measured the arc of the radius the best I could with a flexible tape measure and it's about 9/16". I did the math and that equates to a 0.6" radius, which is close to 5/8". Perhaps I'm not measuring correctly. Is there a common radius for 3/4" board? <Q> First, setup a lamp shinning on the rounded edge. <S> Get two rulers, place one perpendicular the vertical side of the stair and the other perpendicular the horizontal side. <S> That’s the radius! <S> The idea is you are making a small carpenters square (image below), so you see the radius of the circle. <S> The light shinning from behind should make it easier to see where the gap between a ruler and the stair starts. <A> There are a brazillion router bit roundover sizes. <S> From somewhere with a gentle return policy, buy the one you think you need plus sizes above and below. <S> Or if you're going to a brick+mortar, you could create a profile template (stiff cardboard) of your stair and compare it with what's on the shelf. <A> You could get a better measurement with a profile tool. <A> I used a compass and traced a 1/2" radius on a cereal box and cut it out. <S> It matches almost exactly so it's 1/2" radius. <A> Well, what I would do is grab my collection of router bits and hold a likely suspect next to the step to see if that bit matches. <S> If it was routed in the U.S. by a U.S. craftsman, it is probably one of these four bits which can be obtained for $20 (for the set).
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Then line rulers up flush to each other, say at the 4” mark, you should be able to get a measurement of where the gap starts (from both directions).
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Ceramic tiles on concrete walls Can I put ceramic tiles right on my poured basement walls ? I want to put a shower in and tile the walls floor and cieling. Should I put a false wall and tile over it or can I put ceramic right on the concrete? <Q> However, if you're building a shower, it's critically important that you have a waterproof membrane separating the finish materials (tile) from the structure (concrete walls and cement backboard on any framed walls you build). <S> I suggest painting the walls with Redgard, a sort of paintable rubber. <S> You paint the floor, too. <S> Then you tile over that. <A> Yes, concrete is the perfect base for adhering tile to. <S> As long as it is sound and sturdy. <S> Also check for plumb (not as critical). <S> As iLikeDirt answered , steps should be taken to prevent moisture from migrating into the wood framing (Via the concrete walls). <S> Sealing them, as he suggested works well. <S> The concrete wall should have a vapor barrier already installed under it, but a second is good insurance. <A> This is exactly what they do in China. <S> A worker used generous amounts of concrete applied directly to the back of the tile and then set in place. <S> This was in the kitchen area. <S> For the bathroom I believe they put a plastic membrane in place first for waterproofing.
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You can definitely put tiles right on the concrete wall.
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How do I remove dried latex paint from clothing? How do you remove dried latex paint out of clothes? It has been there for several days. I haven't really tried anything yet because didn't want to make it worse. <Q> I find that rubbing alcohol works quite well as a solvent for dried latex paint. <S> Soak and rub. <A> My experience is limited to cotton clothing (T-shirts). <S> (US "latex") wall paint, acrylic putty, gypsum and cement plaster. <S> Honestly, I was extremely surprised regular detergent can remove all that. <S> I suspect it's because cotton has a "puff" on its surface that gets removed (or turned into lint) by the washing cycle, together with whatever is stuck to it. <S> With some lint-free artificial fibers, a simple machine wash might not work so well. <S> I have a relative who paints [paintings] with artist grade acrylics, and she says that those don't come off clothes well in the washing machine, so I suspect paint grade/type matter as well. <A> Mötsenböcker's LIFT OFF Latex Paint Remover should work, and is readily available in North American big box stores and Amazon. <S> From their instructions: <S> For Washables Test for colorfastness by spraying an inconspicuous area. <S> Spray paint spot thoroughly <S> ; wait at least 60 seconds. <S> Agitate if necessary (the back end of a tooth brush works well).Repeat if necessary. <S> Launder as fabric recommendations allow. <A> I tried every solution I could find on online. <S> Nothing worked. <S> Finally, on a whim and out of desperation, I squirted on some Goof Off. <S> It took only very minimal effort with a toothbrush to remove the paint completely. <A> Soap + HOT water can work sometimes. <S> Hot water can break down latex paint. <S> I would always try this before moving to stronger solvents.
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Rather surprisingly, a simple machine wash with regular detergent removed a mixture of acrylic I suspect a lot depends on the fiber of the clothing in question and probably the paint as well.
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Can I run these appliances with 25A I'm looking to lease a floor of a building for office purposes but the building owner has placed a cap on current to 25Amp due to limited current available. I'm no expert but he has consulted a professional in the area and after figuring out the important stuff, this is the final requirement that he has agreed to: 10 laptops (with external keyboard and mouse) one external monitor 2 air conditioners (9000btu and 13000 btu) 2 fans 2 air coolers 1 mini fridge 1 router for internet lights misc such as phone charging, etc. I understand current consumption will vary depending on the product but based on your expert knowledge is this combination doable with 25amp or is it going to be a stretch? Also this is in high humidity (90%) , generally hot weather (30c) and this is on 240v supply (not sure if this matters). Your expert opinion will be very much appreciated. <Q> You have not provided enough information to get a detailed look but we can play with some estimates. <S> I am using watts for power consumption, which we will use to calculate amps at the end: <S> Some of the items we can guess pretty well: 10 laptops (80 watts each) 800 watts1 external monitor 100 watts9kBTU air conditioner 1000 watts13kBTU air conditioner 1400 watts2 fans (50 watts each) 100 watts1 mini fridge 400 wattsinternet router 20 watts <S> That adds up to 3820 watts, or around 16 amps @ 240V. <S> The other items are harder to know. <S> Lighting depends HUGELY on the amount of space you're trying to light and the type of bulbs. <S> A small office lit with LEDs may use only 100 watts, but a large space using old-fashioned incandescent bulbs will use much much more. <S> Also, I have no idea <S> what an air cooler is <S> so it's hard to get a value for that. <S> And obviously your "misc" category could include anything... <S> But I would say as a rough cut that 25 amps is probably enough, assuming you don't blow your power budget on lighting. <A> If you have all those devices running at the same time it will be tight. <S> laptops typically take between 1-2A so will leave you with little to play with. <A> First there is not enough information, second this land lizard is a joke! <S> I don't think dedicated monitors count at all if flat screen <S> not old school crt's when the laptop is closed the monitor turns off. <S> 2 AC units <S> this is a total crap shoot because some models with a very high energy rating (seer) can produce more cooling with a higher BTU rating , 2 fans, what size <S> I have some 36" maybe larger in my barn that pull more than some AC units (gotta keep show horses cool). <S> Mini fridge again <S> a crap shoot is this a 18" square dorm unit or something smaller than a full size unit, a router and phone charger <S> are you kidding me <S> 1 ea 100w lightbulb pulls more than both of these combined, lights, if you really want this place and want to make a point a couple of high wattage incandescent or halogen will draw more than 20+ LED lamps, what a crock.
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A lot will depend on the individual power requirements for each device, without that information it is not really possible to know for sure.
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Heat Pump - emergency electric strips - how controlled? I have a recently installed combination of a Goodman electric package unit, and an ecobee smart thermostat. This morning with the outdoor temp at 36, I was surprised when I peered out the window and saw that my compressor fan was not running (which told me my house was being heated by the electric heat strips in the unit rather than the compressor). I was surprised because the thermostat was set up to only run the heat strips if the outdoor temp was below 35, and the stat itself was claiming an outdoor temp of 36. Now I am wondering if the goodman package unit has a thermostat of it's own that switches over to electric heat strip at a certain temp. Since mid to upper 30's is such a common overnight temp around here during the winter, this could make a big difference in my power usage. Just a few degrees one way or the other would change the percentage of my heating that was with the heat pump by a large margin. I did some googling and can't find any detailed technical info about Goodman products on line. Just very basic stuff. They don't provide ANY tech support to customers, only through dealers. argh. <Q> Being that you are only talking about 1 degree difference I would think it is possible that the tstat began the heating cycle while the outdoor temp was at 35 and rose to 36 mid cycle. <S> Also, it's been 10+ years since I have been involved with Goodman, but they used to have a timer on the defrost control board so that if the unit ran for 30 ~ 120 minutes it would shutdown the heatpump and bring on the backup heat strip. <S> The timing is set via a small dial on the defrost control board. <S> I believe that the default value is 90. <S> At 36° ambient temp, depending on the outdoor relative humidity, your heatpump certainly could have been running long enough to exceed that time. <A> Unless you happened to look at the unit during the defrost cycle (which lasts only a few minutes), your thermostat is probably miswired or configured incorrectly. <S> There could be an outdoor thermostat tied into the heat strip control, but usually that disables the heat strips when 35F or warmer outside and is not for cutting off the compressor. <S> Even in a unit equipped with a low ambient compressor cut off, the cut off should not engage until below 20F or so. <S> Post the model number of the Goodman condenser and a photo of wiring to the thermostat if you want more comments. <A> On some units the condenser fan can cycle to maintain certain pressures. <S> Not seeing the fan running does not necessarily mean that the compressor is not running. <S> Or it could be in defrost.
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If your winter temperature rarely goes below the 20s at night, it is doubtful the unit is equipped with a low ambient compressor cut off at all. The heat pump should be running with outdoor at 35F, whether or not the heat strips are on.
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How can I anchor something in the gaps between the bricks or rocks of a fireplace without damaging the masonry? I want to hang fireplace tools next to my fireplace without damaging the stone work. I don't want to drill into it. The stones have mortar between them with gaps about half an inch wide: I have nearly half an inch of depth to work with: I would like to be able to put some sort of tension screw between those rocks that I could then hang something on. My plan is to use two such locations and use them to anchor a row of hooks on a board. All in all, it would have to hold about 20 pounds of fireplace tools. Despite spending a bunch of time on Google, I wasn't able to find any hardware that would suit my needs. The closest I could come up with are "cap nuts" which I might be able to tighten in place if I put something rubbery on the end first: What kind of hardware should I be looking for and how does it work? <Q> Adding an answer because it would have been quite a long comment... <S> I knew I had seen "brick clips" before, <S> but I'm not sure either style would work for you. <S> This kind is made to "hug" the top and bottom of a standard brick, so probably will not work for you, but <S> at least you know it's available... <S> There's also this style that has little "ears" that you use to wedge it into the horzontal mortar lines. <S> These could work, but I'm not sure they will support the weight of tools, and may easily pull out. <S> I've only seen them used for Christmas decorations. <S> My goal here is to show you what I've seen, so maybe you can use them as search points for something that will work. <A> You can drill a hole and use a standard masonry screw such as Tapcons: <A> You might be able to use a rock climbing cam to hold it in place. <S> A picture of one is below. <S> Since you are screwing into the mortar, and not the stone, then you can easily patch over the hole later if you want to remove it. <A> You can use a climbing nut: <S> But if I were you, I'd probably just epoxy a metal bar directly to both stones and screw a hook into it. <S> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nut_(climbing)
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With the large gaps in between the stones, you can also drill into the mortar using a masonry bit and attach the tools with a masonry screw.
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What sort of driver works the center screw in this hinge? This door does not like to latch; to latch it I must pull sharply up on the doorknob. So I see a shim in my future. I suppose I need to unscrew the bottom hinge, but what sort of screw-driver does that strange square hole? (Alternatively, would I just shim on the door side?) <Q> Sorry, but that is nothing more than a stripped out Phillips screw. <S> I'd say drilling it out is your easiest bet. <A> Sometimes", you can get or grind a blade screwdriver whose tip is exactly as wide as the Phillips cross. <S> Remove all the other screws, insert the blade tip into two of the remaining tips of the cross, push on the back of the hinge to get some extraction force going, and turn the screwdriver until some of the screw head is protruding. <S> Continue to work the screw out this way, or alternately grab the protruding head with pliers. <S> Another trick is to remove all the other screws, and, with gently increasing force, pry the back of the hinge until the wood gives way and the screw comes out. <S> Then repair the hole with white glue and a dowel, or a few chips of wood, or even a plastic expansion anchor or molly bolt <A> sears, has a driver set I have used several times <S> it was <S> 12$ for 3 sizeshere is a link hope that is allowed: http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-3-pc-screw-out-174-damaged-screw/p-00952154000P?sid=IDxCMDFx20140801x001&KPID=00952154000 <S> there have been a few times I had to drill out the head then use vice grips to grab the shaft and unscrew that way where I did not want to move a hinge. <S> Another cool thing to have for screw removal is a small set of lefthanded drill bits, some times when drilling the head they bite in and back the screw out, but they are harder to find and more expensive than the set I got from sears <A> As others have said, it's a stripped Phillips Screw. <S> What's not quite so clear is why it's there. <S> My guess is that someone fitted a brass screw (as opposed to the others which do seem to be steel, at any rate their heads are smaller) in that position, with a power-screwdriver. <S> Then, realising it was proud and stopped the door closing, they tried to remove it, but being brass and soft it stripped out, so they left it.
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I agree it is a stripped Phillips screw head, and that the head should be drilled off, the hinge removed, and then the remaining screw shaft unscrewed with a pair of pliers. "
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Why do many construction projects leave so many nails behind? I just had a significant amount of work done on my house and the contractors left lots of nails scattered around my yard. I have a two-part question: Is this typical? If it's typical, why is it the case? Is it just the cost of doing business? Or could contractors be more careful? <Q> Sadly, from my experience, not many workers do. <S> Cost of the nails versus the time needed to pick them up, it is cheaper to leave them. <S> I would call and let the contractor know you are not content with the nails everywhere, see if any action is taken. <A> There are a bunch of different ways that nails wind up on the ground, and none of them are really avoidable. <S> They fall out of nail pouches, they'll kick out and go flying if you hit them wrong with a hammer or double fire with a nailer, crowbars send them flying, etc., etc., etc. <S> On top of this, individual nails are really hard to find in the grass, even if you know where to look. <S> I'll usually run a magnetic nail sweeper around when I'm done, but not everyone does that <S> and they won't get all of them. <S> If it's a bunch of them and they're easily visible, I'd mention it to the contractor, but ending a large job with a completely nail-free yard is very unlikely. <A> It's fairly typical. <S> Nails get dropped, nails are struck poorly and go flying. <S> Nails are not hugely expensive (modern era - supposedly in the era that they were hand-made one at a time, folks would burn down old houses for the nails, though I am dubious that that is an accurate claim.) <S> Carpenters are fairly expensive and not fond of playing janitor. <S> If the crew has a less expensive person who is supposed to clean up, it's still hard to find every lost nail. <S> So long as they don't end up standing on their heads they generally rust quietly away after a few years without causing problems. <S> If you prefer to get more, you can hire someone to use a very strong magnet to sweep the area - but even a very strong magnet won't pull in nails from several inches away, so the ground-sweeping operation needs to be very thorough to come close to getting them all. <S> You can rent "magnetic sweepers" that roll along and cover a fairly wide swath, but they work best on hard surfaces, not grass. <S> I use a few hard drive magnets taped to a discarded golf club ;-)
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Yes it is typical, but a conscientious contractor will pick them up with a magnet or not let them drop to begin with.
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Do I have to periodically pour water down my basement floor drain to maintain the p-trap water seal? There is a sewer smell coming from my basement. There are only a couple entries to the sewer in the basement: A laundry sink that acts as the drain for a water softener (which regenerates every few days), and a floor drain. I suspect that the floor drain is eventually evaporating the water in the p-trap, and I'm getting sewer gasses coming up. I've poured a bucket of water down the drain and it seemed like it helped, but it's difficult to tell, probably because the air in the basement doesn't get replaced much. Is this a known problem? I can think of a few solution if so. Pour water down occasionally. Seal the drain or put a valve in it somehow - although this doesn't seem like a bright idea in case the sewer line between the drain and the city sewer has a blockage. Cover the drain with something to keep the gasses from coming up, but should the sewer have a blockage, the cover will move out of the way or float. <Q> You can use something like the non-toxic RV antifreeze which evaporates more slowly than water; Or wash the basement floor occasionally. <S> A touch of mineral oil (the stuff sold for putting in people) may help to prevent evaporation by forming a surface film, but don't overdo that. <A> I'm having a floor drain installed, and the plumber included a "trap primer" whichputs a little water into the floor drain trap whenever the water pressure in thewater pipes changes. <S> When you flush a toilet or turn on the shower bath, thewater pressure changes, and the trap primer adds a bit of water to the trap. <S> Note that waterless urinal fixtures would have a similar problem. <S> With no waterentering the trap, the trap is filled with urine, which would smell. <S> The solutionis to have a fluid that floats on the urine, blocking smell. <S> Kohler sellswaterless urinal sealing fluid. <A> If you are not using the drain at all, I've heard of people poring oil down to replace the water as oil dosn't evaporate. <S> Obviously use an oil safe for the system (not motor oil) and something that won't smell when it gets rancid. <S> I suspect the cheapest vegetable oil you can find would work. <S> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_primer#Other_solutions has some good suggestions. <A> I had something similar last year after movie into a new house. <S> Long story short, the smell traced to a dirty trap in an upstairs shower. <S> I used a soapy paint roller to scrub the drain. <A> The basement drains in my house would also become dry allowing sewer gas to emanate and foul the air. <S> To alleviate the noxious and malodorous gas <S> I have written on my weekly chore list to "run water in all traps". <S> I've found this to be a successful way to stop the stench from the drain.
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The fluid also slows evaporation from the trap.
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Should I use 14/2 Romex or Armored Cable between plaster attic ceiling and exterior roof? I am running wire for some recessed lights in my finished attic. It is a typical gable roof; the interior is plastered with 2x6 joists. Im curious to know if running Romex in the ceiling between the joists is ok. There is the occasional nail coming through the roof and wondering if this could be an issue. Also, if we ever put a new roof on the house, there could be a stray nail that nicks the Romex. The other alternative is Armored Cable which would be a huge pain... <Q> The National Electrical Code requires you to maintain 1 ¼" spacing back from the edges of framing members. <S> *300.4 Protection Against Physical Damage. <S> Where sub- ject to physical damage, conductors, raceways, and cables shall be protected. <S> (A) Cables and Raceways Through Wood Members. <S> (1) Bored Holes. <S> In both exposed and concealed locations, where a cable or raceway-type wiring method is installed through bored holes in joists, rafters, or wood members, holes shall be bored so that the edge of the hole is not less than 32 mm (1 ¼") from the nearest edge of the wood member. <S> Where this distance cannot be maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration by screws or nails by a steel plate(s) or bushing(s), at least 1.6 mm (1/16" in.) <S> thick, and of appropriate length and width installed to cover the area of the wiring. <S> Exception <S> No. 1: Steel plates shall not be required to protect rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, rigid nonmetallic conduit, or electrical metallic tubing. <S> Exception <S> No. <S> 2: A listed and marked steel plate less than <S> 1.6 mm (1/16" in.) <S> thick that provides equal or better protec- <S> tion against nail or screw penetration shall be permitted. <S> So if you drill through the center of your 2x6" rafters you are complying with the NEC. <S> But if a responsible, licensed, insured roofer is hired they should use the proper length nails and there shouldn't be any threat to you cables. <S> If you really want to overbuild it use rigid pipe and wire and rest easy when the roofers come. <A> You can argue that NM is less likely to get damaged in old work where you're fishing it unsupported behind an existing wall. <S> Since it isn't stapled down inside the wall, a nail is more likely to push it around than penetrate it. <S> Personally I'd use MC cable for the reasons you mention. <S> I think anyone would agree that there's less chance of dangerous arcing than with NM, even if it's a longshot with NM. <S> MC isn't really so hard to work with. <S> Hardest part might be upgrading to metal boxes where it ties in to existing cabling, if you have plastic boxes. <S> There's always wiremold... <A> When I add lights like this it depends on the insulation , if it is insulated <S> and I have to remove plaster <S> I will staple NM on the side in the middle of the rafterseven older 2x4" construction <S> this meets code <S> if I have to drill I use the center in most cases or a steel plate to protect the wires if less than 1-1/4" from either edge of the 2x4 / 2x6 with the wires centered <S> no insulation we usually punch holes and use old work boxes wire is free to move arround <S> this is not as good of an install as the wire is not stapled and the boxes are only held in with "wings" to the sheetrock/ plaster but on remodels they have never red tagged a job like this <A> i wouldn't even run mc cable up above the trusses, if that's even what he's talking about. <S> who knows. <S> i can't think of any reason whatsoever to use mc cable up there.
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However, if you are worried about future damage to your wiring from roofers, you could use armored cable. unless he is talking about running romex above the trusses in between batting, like if the roof isnt sheeted, then as long as he nails it 1&1/4" away from any surface that will get nailed: use romex! I have never put a nail through NM or been called back when contractors did the finish work for a dammaged wire. mc cable isn't even rated for being subject to physical damage, like flex is.
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Should I smooth out or apply knockdown texture after popcorn ceiling removal? I am removing non-asbestos popcorn ceilings on a 2200 sqft house. All walls in the house are knockdown texture. After the popcorn comes off, I can either smooth out the drywall or apply knockdown texture to match the walls. Either way I don't really have a preference. My question is how do these two compare in terms of cost, labor, and skill required ? Assume that all specialty tools would need to be purchased/rented and the entire interior will be repainted after. Also, if I smooth out the ceilings, will it look unusual with the knockdown walls? <Q> If you're approaching this from a diy perspective, smooth ceilings require more skill and are more time consuming, as the mud job has to be better. <S> (Think 2/3 coats with sanding between.) <S> The mud job under texture can be a little more rough and still produce decent results. <S> (Chances are you could do one touch up coat after scraping and be done.) <S> Texture requires 1/2 day rental of a compressor, hopper, and mixing drill. <S> The rest of the necessary tools are similar. <S> Texture isn't hard to shoot, but you will need to plastic off all walls/floor. <S> (Do this before you start the rental clock ticking.) <S> One of the joys of texture is that if you do a really crappy job, you take it off before it dries and do over. <S> So, long story short, texture easier and faster but slightly more expensive in terms of pure outlay. <S> (But not if time is money -- then it's much cheaper.) <S> If you opted for smooth ceilings with textured walls, that'd look fine. <A> If you remove the popcorn texture with as few gouges and mars as possible than a smooth ceiling is the faster and least costly. <S> Of course this is completely dependent on your skills with repairing and patching drywall. <S> The extra step taken to apply a knockdown texture (which is a challenging task) will add to the total investment for the job when compared to skim coating. <S> Skim coating the ceiling is patching and filling any irregularities so that it's appearance is uniform and smooth. <S> It is not a substantial difference in labor and materials, approximately less than half if texture is removed attentively. <S> Lastly, having a contrasting (smooth) ceiling finish, although completely subjective, is perfectly acceptable in any style motif. <A> You would not be losing anything, by trying to skim one room, as a trial. <S> Skimming will take a lot more time, to get acceptable results, but is not impossible - I've done it - the hard part is all of the sanding, and moving your lights around. <S> Not a job for someone with neck problems - you will get sore from all of the looking up. <S> In most cases, the original finish under the texture, will be of low quality (rough sanded only), and may show through, once you start scraping off the texture. <S> Any kind of texture, will go on much more quickly than skimming (no sanding), but not necessarily be cheaper (more mud). <S> For a knockdown, it helps to have a helper, to roll on the base, while you knock or stomp/knock. <S> You could stomp right out of the bucket too, but it won't hide as much, or be as easy to keep consistent (thick/thin... water content as it cures, etc).
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Conversely, if the ceiling has many divots and uneven sections than applying a textured knockdown would be faster because it would hide these imperfections that add to the labor of skimming coat them.
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Converting 120v wiring to low voltage I have four 120v spot lights in front of my house, they are connected to two light sensors (2 on each sensor) I would like to convert these to low voltage LED's. What do I need to make the conversion. Do I have to convert each light or can I just convert at the sensor box for each 2 light system? I have a good working knowledge of the sensor boxes, and have changed the 120v to 120v sensors and light fixtures in the past. I am tired of them burning out so quickly and want to get something that will last a year or more and I am told the LED lighting will save on my electric bill. <Q> No sense converting to low voltage, just wasting money. <S> Instead just use LED outdoor rated bulbs. <S> But a few things to consider... <S> Assuming the sockets are not damaged and the sensors are rated for LED, the quick fix would be to replace the flood lights with outdoor rated PAR38 reflector LEDs. <A> You could do convert your wiring, and I think when the market and the NEC catches up, that will be the way to go. <S> But right now, it seems like the way to go is using an LED fixture, which runs off 120V and does the conversion within the fixture, Random LED flood light fixture or LED bulbs, which to the high to low conversion within the bulb, Big box store's outdoor led floods page <A> To me the easyest way is to keep your 120V sensor and install outdoor fixtures with the LED lamp that has the electronics in it. <S> If you go low voltage then you you will have to add a weather proof box for the powersupply that is powered from the sensor then a fixture and LED. <S> your power bill will be lower in both cases and many of the LED's have life spans of 10K-20K hours burn time. <S> temp really dosent bother them <S> I mention this as CFL wont start below 20 deg F <S> and they burn up trying. <S> some times just get close to freezing and they have a hard time, I converted 2 elderly clients over to LED several years ago that I used to change thier driveway lights almost yearly, I think out of 50 I have had to replace 3 (1 got run over LOL) and they are instant on at full brightness not minutes like metal halide or CFL
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If you don't know if the sensors support LEDs and/or if the sockets are good then you might consider just replacing both flood light kits, sensors and all and using the above mentioned bulbs.
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How to refinish indoor window molding wood? The window molding in my house feels very "rough," for lack of a better word. The house is 25 years old. I assume this is from the sun beating down on the finish and wearing it down over the years, since the trim that is not in direct sunlight (like the top of the window molding) has held up much better. The damage ranges, depending on which room you're in. Some moldings appear as if the stain has evaporated away. Some moldings have black discoloration in the corners (What is this?). Only one molding is in good shape. The unfinished wood attracts a lot of dust. The moldings all have a perpetual layer of dust. When you dust it, more dust comes out and I can never really seem to get all of it out. As someone with allergies, this is terrible, and this is actually the main reason I am trying to repair it. Here are photos (it's kind of hard to see what I'm talking about just by looking, which is why I took a bunch of photos): (Notice how the vertical wood (on the right hand side) is much smoother and shinier than the horizontal wood in the following photo): Kitchen window (it has a lighter stain, like butterscotch): Here's the black stuff I mentioned earlier: Here is the only window molding in the house that feels totally smooth and looks great. I don't know why this one hasn't deteriorated like the others just a few feet away from it. Maybe it's the figurines... My first question: Can a newbie handle this project? If it is easy enough for a beginner, how should I go about doing this? Please be as specific as possible...for example, instead of saying "sandpaper" please tell me what grit sandpaper to use. Assume I know nothing. Thanks in advance. <Q> If it was older, rubbing it with fine steel wool and some finishing oil can make a beat finish look pretty good, though way short of refinishing. <S> At 25 years old, it was probably sealed with polyurethane, which doesn't rub up as well. <S> Still, it's worth a try. <S> I doubt it will make it worse, but still try it on a limited area first to be safe. <S> For the oil, there are many to choose from, <S> one that no purist would approve of but works pretty good is Scott's Liquid Gold. <S> Since this method doesn't add any sealer or color, it won't make refinishing any harder if you have to bite the bullet. <A> You have three choices: <S> Refinish them in place, remove them from the wall and refinish on the workbench, or do part one way and part tHe other. <S> You can do a much better job with less effort if you dismount the trim and refinish the pieces elsewhere. <S> That does require learning how toto carefully take the trim off the wAll. <S> Not hard if you're careful and patient, but easier after you've done it the first few times. <S> For me, the trick was learning to use wedges to pull the pieces free relatively gently. <S> Doing it in place means sanding into corners and working at awkward angles, but is also quite doable. <S> Try not to let the finish bridge gaps and adhere pieces to each other, or they'll be a bit harder to remove if/when that becomes necessary... <S> but unlike finishing a frame-and-panel door, nothing's likely to split if finish gets where it shouldn't be. <S> Remember to have fun. <A> The dark discoloration in the corners looks like water came through at some point, check the outside of the window for damaged or missing glazing putty or weatherstrip material and repair as necessary (seal with exterior caulking, maybe?). <S> For the wood, I would start with 220 grit sandpaper and give the entire frame and trim a quick sanding. <S> Then get a small can of wood stain and stain the whole thing, this will blend and improve the appearance of the discolored areas. <S> Then use a high quality water-based gloss varnish and coat using a good paintbrush. <S> It will look much better when you are done and the gloss finish will make it easy to clean and dust in the future.
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Refinishing it by stripping / sanding off the existing finish, restaining and resealing, would look great but a lot of work.
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Threads in brass floor lamp post have been stripped. No longer twists and stays in place. How can I fix the threads? I have a floor lamp that comes in sections that you twist to screw together. the threads on one section have become stripped and the sections no longer stay together. Is there a way I can fix these threads at home instead of throwing the whole lamp out? <Q> If there are any remnants of the stripped threads that you can feel, you might try wrapping some plumber's teflon tape, or other vinyl tape around them several times, and see if they will screw tight with the tape on. <S> You might need only one wrap, if the tape is thick. <A> If I am reading this right, it isn't a screw that's stripped, it's the main tubular shaft of the floor lamp that screws together. <S> Using epoxy might be strong enough but you might need electrical continuity in that shaft for grounding purposes. <S> Once in a while that works. <S> You could re-tap the threads, or cut off half an inch and re-tap the tubing, but you have to have the right size tap, and that's not something you probably have laying around the house. <S> A plumber might, a machine shop would. <A> You could remove the screws, fill the holes with jb weld, durhams putty, or a similar material, then when is dry, drill out smaller holes in the filler material and use screws to fit those holes. <S> Or skip that and just use screws a tiiiiiny bit bigger than the stripped holes so they still dig in. <A> OMG... <S> I fully get how trivial thus is, but FINALLY <S> my favorite floor lamp is straight. <S> I bought the lamp almost 20 yrs ago. <S> The house it was bought for has been GONE over a decade. <S> The lamp is a stupid relic, but it's my fav. <S> So withbthat said, one of the threaded sections was stripped out and wouldn't support top. <S> Hubby had put 2 support brackets, but still was "off." <S> After I'd gotten tired of looking at the jacked up lamp, it got moved aside. <S> I grabbed the teflon tape. <S> Tried that, but not "quite" enough. <S> Found electrical tape and DONE! <S> I haven't seen it like this in YEARS! <S> Now to add the antlers to jazz it up for the cabin.
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Depending on how mangled the threads are, you may be able to clean them up with a small sharp file.
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Turn off water heater as well during winter? If I am going on vacation for an extended period during winter (it occasionally gets below freezing here), should I turn off water valve AND the gas water heater or just turn off the main water valve?I am seeing a lot of people advising to close the main water valve but leaving the gas water heater on "pilot" or "low". I am worried because what if a water line bursts and drains the water out of the water heater? Wouldn't it damage the water heater?Please advise.Thank you,RK. <Q> Ideally.. <S> Turn the power/gas off to the water heater. <S> Remove the water from the entire building, including the water heater, toilet tanks and water supply lines. <S> Pour RV antifreeze into every waste trap, including the toilet bowls. <S> The building is now winterized and your safe even if the heat goes off. <S> If the heat goes off and you haven't removed all the water, you will probably pay for it. <A> some water heaters will burn the elements out if the water is off of corse this electric, If you turn the water off the safest thing to do is turn the gas valve to pilot then the burner cannot come on , and you dont have to worry about gas leask that althow are extreemly rare can happen. <S> with the pilot burning that is not a concern,, this is what most land loards do when properties are unoccupied.saving $ also <A> You should winterize the system. <S> Drain and purge the pipes and water heater as well as add rv antifreeze " pink" to the lines. <S> I pour a few cups in all drains. <S> A warm water heater will not keep water in pipes warm without circulation and will cause pipes to burst if cold enough to freeze and expand the water sitting in the pipes.
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Turn off the water to the building.
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How do I remove or cut a sewer pipe at edge of our basement slab? What's the best way to remove the unused sewer / storm-drain pipe in the attached picture? It's coming up through the edge of our basement slab where it meets the foundation wall? We want to remove it b/c we're finishing the basement and would like to frame as close to the foundation wall as possible (i.e. the pipe's gotta go & we won't need to use it again). NOTE: we're having an internal french drain system put in in a few weeks, so they'll be digging up the edge of the basement slab (about 1' width all around the basement to put in the french drain & waterproof the foundation walls). Should we remove ourselves first somehow or wait and coordinate with waterproofers? <Q> You are thinking about this way too much. <S> If you aren't using it anymore and the concrete is coming up the people doing the french drains <S> won't think twice about taking care of it for you (for free) if they are reputable. <S> It is literally one whack with a sledge hammer that they will have available. <S> There is no use sawing through it or whatever if it is going <S> bye <S> bye. <S> They will simply remove it as they would the concrete around it. <S> Cast iron doesn't do well with a hammer. <S> The PVC on the other side can be cut with any kind of saw. <A> You can flush cut pipe with a reciprocating saw and a long blade: It might be hard to get all the way to the wall with this method. <S> They make a special blade just for flush cuts: <S> and although it will go through nails in wood, I don't know if it will cut that pipe. <S> There are other gadgets and adapters out there for flush cuts with recip saws though. <S> There are also hacksaws made for flush cutting that you could use to finish the cut, or do the whole thing if you're patient and have the juice to do it old school. <S> There are other options, using a grinder, etc. <S> As far as plugging the pipe, that's another issue - make sure you plan this ahead, make sure you have enough material under there to do it. <S> As far as the french drain people - it always makes sense to me, to ask before - it will be hard work cutting this pipe, but a lot harder to un-cut it if they have some issue. <A> do the sawzall routine with a long metal blade. <S> push it down onto the cement to cut it off flush (exactly as shown in top pic). <S> cast iron pipe should be no sweat (bad pun for plumbers!) <A> I'd definitely talk to the waterproofers. <S> They'll be cutting concrete; surely they'll have experience dealing with cast iron pipes (and they'll have to deal with the leftover portion of the pipe in the slab). <A> This type of pipe is called soil pipe or some say cast iron & PVC pipe connected to it. <S> The PVC removal should be no problem as well as the cast iron pipe. <S> Simply take a hammer and break the pipe flush with the concrete. <S> this pipe looks like once it enters the concrete, it probably is crossing the top of footer. <S> If this is the case then when workers expose the pip further demo can take place, but do not leave pipe unplugged. <S> This can result into a problem if it enter a septic tank. <A> For anyone looking to re-use their pipe, go rent a cast iron (soil) pipe cutter. <S> It will not get it all the way down to the floor though: ~1" will be left proud. <S> However, you'll need more room around the pipe than what this appears to have, to get the chain around it. <S> They also work amazingly well on clay pipe.
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A chisel could come in handy to finish demo, then put something down in pipe to keep mix from falling to bottom of pipe and pour expanding concrete or rock hard putty in the pipe.
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Installing a exterior light in existing vinyl siding My house is a 50's cape which originally had clapboard siding. The previous owner put a layer of rigid foam over the clapboard, then vinyl siding. As far as I can tell, from looking at the wall stack-up from the bottom I see: 1) 3/4 tongue and groove sheathing 2) An unidentified, ~3/4 wood material 3) Clapboard 4) Rigid foam 5) Tripple 3" Vinyl Besides the foam I couldn't really tell you where, if anywhere, there is some sort of moister barrier. Now I'd like to install a new exterior light. Which means that I need a box, and some sort of mounting block. I know that normally I would begin be installing the box recessed into the sheathing, then installing a two piece vinyl mounting block. Something like this image from hammerzone.com (minus the electrical box): However it seems like this method isn't going to work in my case. Additionally it is my understanding that you cannot assume there is no moister behind your vinyl, that's why there is normally a moisture barrier. So in that case I really don't understand how this method would prevent moisture, which may have already gotten behind the vinyl, from getting into the electrical box. I realize that I could cut the box in, then use a mounting block designed for retrofitting, like this one: But in that case I am really not sure how moisture would be prevented from entering the electrical box. So my question is: how do I do this right? <Q> You said: <S> So in that case I really don't understand how this method would prevent moisture, which may have already gotten behind the vinyl, from getting into the electrical box. <S> You are correct in your assessment, the siding is not waterproof or even moisture proof. <S> Water will get behind the siding, hence the reason for underlayment or house wrap. <S> The code just requires you to use a weather resistant / tamper resistant receptacle and an in use cover if it will be exposed to the weather. <S> If it is under a porch or patio you can use a old style spring cover like a Bell box cover. <S> The terminals and connections in this box will probably corrode and need replacing before anything inside the house but should last for 10 years or so depending on your location and the weather. <S> If you want it as water/moisture proof as possible then install an all plastic solid device box with PVC nipple attached with a PVC connector to a junction box inside of the house. <S> Then wire it with THHN/THWN wire instead of NM cable. <S> Then use an in-use cover with a gasket and the aforementioned weather resistant / tamper resistant receptacle. <S> That should keep the inside of the box pretty dry. <S> Good Luck! <S> Happy Thursday! <A> As an experiment I decided to fix an incorrectly installed dryer vent on the side of the house before doing the electrical box. <S> I am fairly confident that this is a reasonably good way to install a vinyl mounting block and that replacing the dryer vent block with an electrical box style block will work fine. <S> Then, I slid new tyvek behind the old tarpaper about 8" and taped the seems: I then installed the mounting block with the top end cut under the tyvek as shown in this video. <S> I forgot to take my own picture: <S> https://youtu.be/XWUDjpIWZVA?t=1m9s <S> End result: <A> Silicone caulk can take care of the worries you have. <S> Pay particular attention to top and sides.
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Electrical boxes cut into siding will not be waterproof or moisture proof either. First, I removed the old siding and cut out the damaged tar paper: Do not skimp on the amount of caulk you use before and after the installation of fixture.
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How to determine (not estimate) starting amperage of a motor? I want to buy an inverter-generator to run my Trane heating system in case of a power outage. The Trane is on a 20 amp circuit. The sticker says it needs a minimum of a 15.2 amp circuit. My question is, how do I determine (not estimate) the surge amperage of the 1 hp blower motor in my Trane heating system? The inverter generators I have seen have max outputs of 2,000, 3,000, or 4,000 watts. I am trying to figure out if any of these will run my heating system. It seems the critical issue is the starting current of the 1 hp motor. How might I go about measuring the starting current of my heating system? Update: My HVAC 1 hp fan motor is constantly running- on low if not providing heat and on high if it is providing heat. Based on that, it seems to me that I need to use the in-rush amperage, since the theoretical calculations are all not relevant to my situation. Thanks. <Q> The startup load will be high for a split second, then drop down to a steady load. <S> Use Ohms Law to calculate the wattage. <S> Watts/Voltage = <S> Current <S> As mentioned in my comment, the invertors peak load is a good indication of the invertors motor starting current. <S> Edit <S> To get the most accurate motor startup load readings from your meter, you may need to use one that supports "in-rush" readings. <S> Meters like the Fluke 374, 375 and 376 support "in-rush" readings. <S> Edit 2 <S> I did some digging around and found the formula to calculate inrush current. <S> Take the NEMA assigned letter to your motor, in which case yours is letter B, and plug that into this equation: <S> Iinrush=(code letter value <S> X horse power <S> x 1000) /( √3 X Voltage) <S> You can ignore the square root of 3 if your voltage source is single phase . <S> in-rush = <S> 3.54 <S> x 1HP x 1000 / <S> 120V = <S> 29.5 Amps Bottom line is your invertor needs a surge rating of at least 4000 Watts 4000 / 120 = 33 Amps <S> NEMA Motor Letter Table <A> The startup current for most correctly operating blower motors is low (usually less then 200% full load amperage), so the OP's concern should not be much of an issue. <S> If it is a premium efficiency system it might use an ECM motor, which is electronically managed and also has a low startup current. <S> If one cares to measure it oneself, no special inrush meter is needed. <S> Almost any clamp-on amp meter will do because blower motor startup is rather slow, typically taking several seconds. <A> A good rule of thumb for small motor loads is to multiply the max over current protection device by 1.25%. <S> This will give you a good idea of what size of generated power or amperes needed to over come in inrush of current needed. <S> 1.25 <S> x 15.2= 19amperes. <S> A source of power generated should follow the formulas stated in the calculations shown in other answers shown. <S> "foot note: a 4500 watt 120/240 volt generator will handle the surge of the unit current. <S> If you want to power up any other devices or lights , a larger wattage source is needed.
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Measuring the startup load is as easy as using a clamp on meter and turning the air handler on and off.
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Can an electrical breaker panel be mounted on an exterior wall? Can an electrical breaker panel be inserted on an exterior wall, inside the house, or is it required that it is on an interior wall, inside the house? <Q> They are almost always on an exterior wall. <S> In some areas they are on the outside of the exterior wall - outside your house. <S> Most inspectors would tell you that a garage (interior or exterior wall) or in the basement exterior (right where the line comes in) are the two best locations. <S> If you are having questions on where your panel should be your local city building inspector will surely give you a couple minutes. <A> The National Electric Code only requires the fist disconnecting means to be either on the outside of the building or within the closeset point of entrance. <S> In Chattanooga our inspectors have adopted the requirement that the service disconnecting means that is inside that it cannot be over 5ft from the entrance of said cable or wires. <S> If your service entrance wires are buried and come in the building in the middle of of the structure it shall be no further than 5ft to disconnecting means. <A> Here in Canada (Ontario and Manitoba) I have never seen a service panel mounted on the outside of a house. <S> I would think this is self-evidently undesirable, as any random person walking by outside could wreak havoc, from merely switching off some circuits to stealing breakers or even opening the panel and disturbing the wiring. <S> Also, needing to go outside in -40˚C weather to diagnose a tripped breaker is no picnic. <S> It is, however, common, to have the meter base on the outside of the house, feeding a service panel on the inside of the house.
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The service panel must be close to the meter base in many municipalities, although some allow longer runs of suitably-sized conduit to carry load-side service conductors from the meter base to a service panel inside the house, which is done if the meter base is located on the outside wall of a garage, for example.
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Where should the ground wire go at a light switch with no ground screw? I am going through some basic electrical stuff in a house that had some pro and some amateur work done. Some of the things I've been working on (e.g. light switches) have been wired correctly (breaking the hot wire only) but the ground wire was simply cut short at the romex and remained unused. I assume this was done because the switch had no ground screw.However, it seems to me that the ground should remain intact--maybe wire-nutted to the other ground wire(s). Your thoughts? Thank you. <Q> If you have a metal box then it should be grounded. <S> That has been in the NEC forever. <S> Since 2008 or 2011 (can't remember) <S> light switches have been required to be grounded but if your house was built before that then you are not required to bring it up to code. <S> It is grandfathered, otherwise all homeowners would have to make changes every time the code changes. <S> However, it is never a bad thing to bring things up to current code if you want. <S> And yes if you have multiple ground wires in a box they should all be connected together. <S> Happy Day! <A> If it's a light switch that doesn't need grounding, then the wire end should simply be terminated. <S> In the UK that'd be in a connector block, in the US <S> I believe a wire nut is more common. <S> (If there were two ground wires in the switch box, then they may need connecting for ground continuity. <S> But if there's only one, then it's a spur, and hence no continuity needed.) <A> Should you take and replace the switches, then purchase switches with ground screws. <S> If you have a plastic j-box then you should try to splice the bare wire and connect it to the switch.
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At a light switch, it is likely that the ground wire is a spur, i.e. it is only there to ground the light switch should the light switch need it.
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Removing Caulk from Quartz bathroom countertop My contractor used white silicon caulk on my quartz tri-colored brand new bathroom countertop, smearing it in a wide swath on all the seams where backsplash meets the countertop. My quartz countertop is black, brown, and tan spots on a vanilla background. This pure white caulk looks hideous. Want to know how to remove the caulk and does it even need caulking since the backsplash was sealed underneath where it sits on the countertop - there are no gaps. The new bathroom sink was caulked with a clear silicon that doesn't show. Shouldn't the quartz seams look nearly invisible? The countertop has only been in a week. I don't want to scratch the quartz. What can I do to take off the caulk and remedy this? <Q> Once pure silicone is cured there are no cleaners or solvents, that I'm aware of (maybe an acid), to remove or dissolve it. <S> With your thumb or pointer finger apply pressure on the wayward silicone smear pushing back and forth. <S> If the bead is thin the friction that is created by your digit will start peeling it off the surface. <S> The alternative is to very cautiously slice the sealer off with a single edged blade. <S> Be alert, even though quartz is a fairly hard mineral a sharp edge can still nick the surface. <S> Keep the blade angle low; 25-30 degrees and push with easy short strokes. <S> Depending on the countertop composition, silicone is used frequently as an adhesive and a sealer. <S> Its color is usually matched to the most prominent color of the countertop. <S> For a neat and discreet caulk bead, blue painters tape can be placed as a protective border so that any caulking that spreads beyond the intended area will be removed with the tape. <A> I would suggest denatured alcohol along with a very sharp chisel with no nicks in it. <S> Drown the caulk with the alcohol and let it set for a good hour. <S> After that gently use your chisel to slide along the base of the backsplash. <S> Your fingernails are really good for scratching out the silicone after the alcohol has penetrating it. <S> Once cleaned out I would purchase a clear silicone or even a translucent caulk which you can probably buy online. <S> Home Depot will definitely have clear silicone. <S> Cut the tip at a 45 degree angle and make the opening in the tip around 1/8 inch hole. <S> Caulk 8 inch portions at a time and use the denatured alcohol to get it off your hands. <S> Denatured alcohol won't hurt your quarts but you may want some gloves for your hands <S> but it's hard to caulk with rubber gloves. <S> Honestly I would have the contractor clean it up. <S> To me that is unacceptable installation of your quartz top. <S> They should know what the appropriate caulk is to use. <A> Simply cut the silicone off with a razor blade. <S> Or, coat the area with GranQuartz 413 granite sealer. <S> Once this has softened the silicone carefully scrape it off. <S> 0000 steel wool and paper towels will finish the job. <A> Carefully remove the bulk of the old silicone caulk by any of the mechanical methods mentioned in the other answers; I personally prefer using a razor blade. <S> Then apply some Goo Gone to the remaining caulk; don't try to pour it on as it is rather runny stuff. <S> You don't need to use a lot, just make sure the entire joint line is wetted. <S> Let the Goo Gone sit for about 15 minutes. <S> It will not completely dissolve the residual silicone, but it will soften it to the point that you can scrub or scrape it off fairly easily. <S> Repeat if necessary. <S> For tubs and showers, I scrub the joint using a small piece of the gentlest Scotch-Brite (the white stuff) soaked in Goo Gone and have not noticed any objectionable abrasion marks, but be careful. <S> A piece of paper towel and some elbow grease should also work. <S> Make sure all of the old caulk is gone; new caulk of any kind will not adhere properly to a surface left contaminated with old cured silicone.
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I use isopropyl alcohol to clean off the Goo Gone and then wait until the joint is completely dry before re-caulking. I've had very good success removing dried silicone that had not been applied carefully by "pushing" it off the surface.
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Load capacity of 2x4s spaced 16" We are trying to finish an above garage attic space as a playroom (since the ceiling will be slanted - 7' to 4' headroom). The "room" is 25' x 8' and currently has 2x4s that are 16" apart. My current place is to double up on the 2x4s by sistering them before putting a 23/32" plywood subfloor, topped with a light laminate or vinyl floor. Is that a good plan? We don't intend to put any significant amount of furniture in here. <Q> I don't think those rafter ties will work for support. <S> The width of the room isn't what's important so much as the span from support to support. <S> If one end of the span is supported by a beam up the middle of the garage, that probably wasn't sized to support a floor either. <S> It's doable (almost everything is) <S> but it isn't as simple as doubling up the 2x4's. <A> You need to do the math. <S> Check out this free calculator or consult floor joist span tables for what you are doing. <S> This calculator shows 2x4's limited to 5'8" span for eastern white pine. <S> Also the type of lumber is important. <S> http://www.awc.org/codes-standards/calculators-software/spancalc <S> What <S> you plan to do with the room is not relevant. <S> If you build something, someday you will be gone and someone else will use it. <S> That is why we have codes and engineering standards <S> so it is built safe the first time. <S> You don't want it to collapse with your family in there. <S> They are worth the extra time and money. <S> Span tables or the referenced calculator include standard dead load and live load weights per square foot and standard deflections for floor joists to keep the floor from flexing too much as you walk across it. <S> Good luck and Happy Monday! <A> I built a porch with a 2x4 floor with 3/4" OSB for flooring. <S> 24" OC. <S> I criss crossed 2x4s underneath as "beams" in which I placed concrete blocks underneath. <S> It held up my massively heavy wood stove and a stack of wood logs for two years. <S> Add the fact that a lot of traffic went through there. <S> When I took down the porch, I checked to see if there was any drop. <S> The porch had not moved a mm. <S> I believe 2x4 construction is under estimated because it isn't practical in terms of traditional construction codes. <S> But with proper bracing and support, you would be surprised at what can be done. <S> Thats why they invented I Joists. <S> Less wood can do the job if done right. <S> And you don't need an engineer.
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You'd also have to have the attachments to the top plate of the walls adequate to support the weight of the floor. I can't imagine a garage layout that would have a span short enough to make with 2x4's, even sistered.
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Why do fence panels turn grey? Looking from my upstairs window i can see almost my entire streets back gardens.Almost all of them have greyish wooden fencing panels, but i'm sure this asn' by choice. what caused this so i can avoid it in the future? <Q> The dulling of wood fibers occurs if the fence boards are left un-sealed or bare for several seasons. <S> The greyish white tone that develops is mostly due to the bombardment of U.V rays from the sun. <S> Without protection the wood fibers become dry and bleached. <S> With the proper wood sealer and maintenance you can extend the life that a wood fence lasts for many years. <S> If the fence is frequently subject to water (as when a sprinkler soaks it) the minerals in the water can tint the wood white when the water evaporates. <A> If you have an issue with that natural process you will be painting, staining or varnishing your fence a lot/frequently to prevent it. <A> Seems to be the fashion these days to leave wood to weather. <S> Once upon a time we couldn't give teak garden furniture away because of resistance to the yearly ritual of scraping, sanding and oiling. <S> Nowadays folks just leave them to weather to a 'lovely' silver grey and everyone is happy; paying good money for neglected furniture...
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Exposed wood weathers - wood that is dry tends to weather brown, wood that gets wet weathers gray (you can get a delightful brown/gray transition on the sides of a barn where the upper part is kept dry by the eaves and the lower part gets wetted.) It is possible that some of your neighbors decided that a natural patina of weathered grey looks appropriate on their fence boards.
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Can I install a sink that drains into this floor drain? I would like to install a sink in my basement but the only drain that is close to it is being used for the HVAC. Can I use this existing drain for the sink as well? This is roughly how the drain is currently setup/used. <Q> You have to ask your local building inspectors. <S> Some places allow grey water drainage into their overflow drain but most don't. <S> Also you would be require to secure the PVC to the floor in some way. <S> I personally don't see an issue with it. <S> There is no real downside other than it looking slightly ghetto. <S> Most inspectors would just tell owner to set it up after they pass inspection - hence most cities won't recognize it as finished plumbing. <S> Will it work though, sure as long as you are not sending a ton of mud or crap down your sink. <A> No. <S> You cannot do that. <S> It is against all rules of common sense, the national building codes of Canada and the US, and almost surely against the local plumbing ordinances you have. <S> A sink needs to be connected to your sanitary sewer. <S> The floor drain will be connected to your storm sewer. <S> If you are in an older home, where they are shared, you could do it, but you will have to excavate the floor and make the connection sub-slab with rigid connections and not flexible hose or pipe. <S> If you don't do it properly, you could end up having a flood in the basement, or having sewage or storm water or both coming into the basement and not having any way out. <A> Floor drains often go to small sumps for diffusion into the soil, since they're just intended to handle occasional spills. <S> For more volume, or for anything you wouldn't want your back-yard garden soaking up, you really want a proper drain connection. <S> (The pipe is for condensate, which is fairly clean and fairly small amounts.)
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One of the problems you will have is if your sewer backs up it will back up into your sink drain. This isn't a huge deal but could get messy.
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Should I repair floor joists that have cracks or holes? The floor joists in my unfinished basement of a 1950s house have nails that the previous owner probably used to hang items on. Many of the nails have caused the floor joists to split. I've been removing the nails because I'm not hanging stuff from the ceiling. Should I bother to repair the joists or fill in the nail holes? If so, what should be used? <Q> Nail holes in a joist wouldn't concern me unless it affected a significant proportion of the joist. <S> You can safely drill a hole 1/3 of the width of the joist in the middle for running wiring. <S> Cracking or sagging that is allowing the home to go out of level/plumb is a concern. <S> It's best to get a structural engineer to evaluate this problem. <S> You would first remove any blocking that's interfering with the new joist, jack up any low points on the old joist until things are level, install the new joist <S> so each end is supported, glue and bolt the new joist to the original joist, install new blocking, and remove the jacks. <A> the photo you have in your post is a joist failure. <S> plain and simple. <S> the nails are coincidental or related, but not relevant. <S> cracks like that in the joist are not abnormal, but they do need to be repaired. <S> they often happen at knots, checks or notches/cuts in a joist. <S> however, when the crack is along the lower edge of the joist and running longitudinally down the joist, the joist is failing. <S> it usually starts with one, and then the adjacent ones fail trying to take the load from the initial one. <S> you need to sister it with a new joist and/or support both sides of the failed joist with a post. <A> This joist can be repaired using a joist repair plate. <S> These are made from structural steel and they have holes in them <S> so you can lag bolt them into the framing member to reinforce it. <S> I haven't been able to find a good image of one, but it will be similar to this. <S> The one pictured is not properly sized for your needs, and the construction doesn't appear to be heavy enough either, but you will get the idea. <S> You most likely would have to have one custom fabricated. <S> To install it, you would need to jack the joist back in place and place temporary supports on both sides of the area to be repaired. <S> Then slide the plate into place and attach it with bolts. <S> This crack doesn't appear to be very serious, so you could probably fix it on your own. <S> If you see more signs of failing joists, you should consult an engineer to assess the issue.
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The standard solution is to sister a second joist next to the failing one, and possibly add some support columns to a footing in the floor.
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How to install hydronic radiant heat over concrete slab I'm trying to figure out the most ideal way to install hydronic radiant heat in my basement over the existing concrete slab. I've looked at several products for heat distribution, like Warmboard, before settling on this: http://radiantengineering.com/tfinu I'm trying to figure out the ideal way to install it with the minimal loss of height. I was provided a sample of the aluminum fin and its height measured to just under 3/4". In their brochures and pictures, the fins are shown attached downward but I'm thinking it may be better to face them upward. I'm also planning to go with an engineered hardwood floor atop. My current best guess to the ideal way of doing this is to first start with a 6 mil poly sheet as a vapor barrier. Next, get ~1/2" OSB boards and cut 1/4" dado grooves 8" OC where the fins will be placed and make a floating subfloor out of it. Next, I'd cut the same kind of 1/2" OSB into sections just under 8" in width and place them in between the groves. This should provide enough height for the fins to fit in. Finally, I'll use 1" screws (still figuring out that part) to fasten the fins to the two layers of OSB. I've attached a quick and dirty picture to illustrate what I mean (screws are not to scale). I'm hoping someone could chime and provide some feedback to this approach. Or am I totally missing something really obvious here? I don't want to lay the PEX down and pour concrete over it because that goes into a whole other topic about thermal mass and heat loss. Thanks <Q> From Radiant Engineering, thanks for discussing our ThermoFin U product. <S> The preferred method is to install the plates with the fins down. <S> For a ThermoFin U installation on concrete, you would build a surface to be able to screw the plates into by first putting down a layer of Atlas Rboard®, recommended 1/2", which you should be able to get from your local building supplier. <S> A Google search on Atlas Rboard® will bring up their site and the product info. <S> On top of the Rboard® you would put down a layer of plywood. <S> The fasteners will hold best if you can use 3/8" plywood. <S> It will work with 1/2" plywood if necessary. <S> Keep in mind that you want the heat energy to be going into the plywood sleepers and the finish floor, which is why we recommend the Rboard®. <S> The energy without the layer of insulation will be drawn into the concrete, and the response time would be longer in heating the floor. <S> Heating up the mass of concrete is not necessarily a good thing when you want the entire surface floor to be warmed. <S> See the PDF multipage spec sheet that is linked on the U-fin page of our site. <S> You are making a sandwich of aluminum and plywood to evenly heat the structure and provide a friendly surface for the flooring installation. <S> You can call or email us for more help. <S> We also have routed 180 degree return bends for the PEX tubing when using ThermoFin U. <A> assuming you are going to put a finished floor over top of all of this, you are going to have to add another layer on top of the radiators to subfloor it. <S> this is going to add another 1/2" or so, 5/8" really. <S> so your total floor height is going to be 1.625" <S> or so, before you put your flooring on. <S> you could easily pour a concrete floor at this thickness if you use use fiber reinforced mpa30 or higher concrete (air entrained or not). <S> to minimize thickness, you can use foil insulation liner to act as a thermal reflector. <S> just lay it on the old slab prior to pouring the new concrete. <S> concrete will be cheaper to install than OSB, be more stable and have far higher thermal mass (which will take longer to warm up but will radiate the heat longer so its actually more efficient from a heating/cooling cycle perspective) <S> however, I tell this fact customers all the time. <S> 1 1.5kw electric space heater costs 15cents to run for an hour. <S> even if you left it running 24 hours a day for 4 months (the typical heating season), it would only cost you $400 to heat that space for that period of time. <S> you will spend 5 times that just to do the work you are talking about, not to mention you will still have to pay to fire the boiler to heat the water to run through the radiant floor. <S> its usually way more cost effective to add 3.5" foam insulation throughout the whole height of the basement wall. <S> you will almost always save more money conserving the heat you already have then you will trying to put more heat into a space. <S> and it will be more comfortable. <A> I am in a similar situation and was thinking along the same idea of using OSB. <S> Depending on the part of the country you live, the basement floor slab will usually be a fairly constant 50 to 56 degrees. <S> Factors which could alter this would be half basements or high enough altitudes that you are sitting on permafrost. <S> Another factor is walk out basements. <S> My idea is to put a thin (1/4") reflective insulator over my vapor barrier, then use 7/16" OSB in 2 layers <S> Most engineered plank can go directly over that and will bridge the PEX without a problem. <S> This will end up being about a 1-1/2 loss of ceiling height While it would be nice to be able to do a 1-1/2 layer of concrete with the tubing in the concrete, it is just cost prohibitive in certain areas. <S> In my area, it is $1,500 just to get the concrete truck and pumper to my site. <S> With the concrete on insulating board, and an engineered plank floor on top of that, the ceiling height loss will be closer to 2-1/2". <S> This results in a greater reduction of square foot value of that space for resale purposes - another important consideration. <S> The expert recommended possibly looking at using a portable heater in your space, due to the cost vs in-floor heat. <S> This might be a good solution. <S> Made me recall a house we had with a partial garden basement. <S> I ripped thin strips of plastic 1/4" thick, adhered them to the concrete floor, then over the top with a vapor barrier and 3/4 OSB, then carpet over that. <S> The house was in Colorado at 5,800 ft altitude. <S> I would occasionally use a space heater, but it was generally very comfortable. <S> Another solution might be to forgo the in-floor heat, but still put a vapor barrier and thin insulation with the 1/2" OSB with engineered floor on top, then install hot water baseboard heat around the perimeter.
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The ThermoFin U heat transfer plates are easier to install if the fins are down against the subfloor and plywood sleepers on the fins.
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Can I use 3/4" gravel to grade land away from my basement wall? There's a portion of concrete slab that slopes towards the basement wall of my house. It is winter already so I can't really pour concrete, but I do have several bags of 3/4" gravel (crushed stone) in my backyard. Can I use it to grade the land away from my basement walls? Won't it just allow water to go through, making it pointless to use? <Q> Won't it just allow water to go through, making it pointless to use? <S> You said it. <S> Start by checking your downspouts to make sure they direct roof water runoff away from your house. <A> Why not pour the concrete anyway? <S> It won't set properly but it will still shed water. <S> Spread about 4" of your crushed stone on top to protect it. <S> I had this same problem <S> and I used clay from another part of my property, sloped 1/10 away from the foundation. <S> I covered with stone to hold it in place. <A> 3/4" gravel is typically a free draining rock freely allow water to travel rather than limit water penetration. <S> If the rock you have is clean (no sand/powder mixed in), then it will easily drain water though. <S> Cut a hole 8" wide, drop a perforated plastic pipe down to the bottom, cover with your clean rock. <S> If you are able to put weedblock/filter fabric into the hole before anything else it may make a difference down the line to keeping the drain from clogging. <A> Gravel wont do anything at all. <S> Plastic can be used on top of the gravel to act as a barrier, but water will get under and around it. <S> If you don't want to pour concrete and tarp it/put straw on it, you can use clay. <S> It is hard to spread, dig and level, but a little water works well to soften it up. <S> Then just smooth it out like you are working with concrete and then cover it with plastic. <S> The clay is non-porous so it will let far less water in. <S> However, its just a temporary fix. <S> You will be far happier if you just smash out the old concrete and pour a new slab. <S> Sometimes a quick fix costs you more than just doing it right.
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This type of rock would be be useful if you wanted to add a french drain to ensure the water drops away from the house.
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Mineral wool on top of fiberglass. Density and compression A while back I asked about adding my 1.5" thick pieces of mineral wool insulation batts ontop of my 12" thick fiberglass I am installing in my attic. As I have began doing this, I am seeing that the fiberglass is so fluffy that throwing on the 1.5" thick batts weighs the fiberglass down an inch or more. There is no way this insulation will not settle if it squishes that easily. Am I doing more harm than good with the extra layer? This 12" insulation is 10" at best. <Q> Even though the fiberglass is getting slightly compacted by the mineral wool on top; the minor R-value that may be lost to compaction is easily outweighed by the increased R-value of the extra mineral wool. <S> Just to be sure the mineral wool is being installed at right angle to the fiberglass? <A> You are correct, the R value of any material depends on many things, but with fiber type insulation, the internal dead airspaces are critical. <S> If you have a 12" insulation that has been compressed to 10", you have lost 2/12 of your R value, or about 17%. <S> The coefficient of thermal conductivity hasn't changed for the material (glass, stone, etc), but the CTC of the trapped air has because there is less of the air in the insulation. <S> If you started with an R30 and you lose 17%, you are down to an R25. <S> This will decrease over time as well as the insulation compresses with age. <S> As long as the mineral wool insulation is higher than R5, you are winning. <S> However, for a 1.5" batt of mineral wool insulation like Roxul or something similar, you probably are less than that <S> (but it does depend on the specific thermal insulative characteristics of your actual material. <S> You would be much further ahead to add a dense Styrofoam like SM. <S> It is light and you could put the individual sheets on little risers (lumber, strips of foam, etc) above the ceiling joists to ensure a seamless foam barrier and prevent future settling and thus compression of the fiberglass batts below. <A> As Personal says, the value of batt insulation is primarily in the air. <S> So compressing definitely affects the R-value. <S> Fiberglass batt insulation has an R-value of 3.14 per inch. <S> 12" will give you about 38 for an R-value. <S> 10" will give you about 32. <S> Mineral wool gives you about the same R-value. <S> So, yes, you are likely doing more harm than good or...at best, no harm at all but just adding time and money...by going from 12" of insulation to 11.5".
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The only adjustment that could be made (and it is a laborious one) is to increase the height of the joists so they are above the fiberglass and support the mineral wool.
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Polyurethane on hardwood floor dilemma We were on our third coat of water based polyurethane on my hardwood floor and ran out. I went and grabbed a can and when I started putting it on I noticed a difference. It was oil based. The area now looks completely different. It's like a 4 by 6 foot area. Should I try to sand it off? We've come so far, I would have to hire a professional at this point. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! <Q> You have a few options: <S> Don't put any more Brand B on. <S> Go get more Brand A and finish the rest of the floor. <S> After it has all cured, place a 5' x 7' area rug over the Brand B area. <S> Continue with Brand B over the rest of the floor. <S> Yes, it will look different than you originally expected, but at least it will seem like it is supposed to be that way. <S> Who knows? <S> In time you may prefer the accidental finish. <S> Rent a floor sander and either strip off the Brand B area, or the whole floor. <S> With the former, you could get lucky and be able to re-polyurethane the one section to match. <S> If so, stop. <S> But odds are <S> you'll never get it to look seamless. <S> So either use one of the methods above, or strip the whole floor. <A> how large is the room that the bad section is in? <S> if its small, just redo the whole room. <S> even if you hire it out, its only going to cost you $3-$5 <S> /sq ft. <S> if you want to do just the section, with no dust, but spend way more time, try this. <S> 1) strip the finish down to the bare wood with acetone and lots of paper towel. <S> wear a VOC rated respirator. <S> work small sections and be liberal with the acetone and the scrubbing. <S> have a fire extinguisher handy and only use a spray bottle to apply the acetone (that way <S> if you have a fire, it will be small compared to pouring buckets of the stuff on). <S> you can use a stiff bristle brush in the direction of the grain. <S> it will be slow, but it does work on all latex and most alkyd polyurethanes. <S> if it wont come off, you may have to use MEK or methylene chloride, but these are bad chemicals and need special handling precautions. <S> strip the area of the wrong material right back to on top of the correct topcoat. <S> do not tape anything yet to mask an area off (the acetone can migrate under the tape and strip the tape line, or worse, fuse the tape adhesive to the topcoat.2) <S> tape off the area. <S> restain the exposed areas. <S> usually the pores in the wood that are still closed off with urethane are lightened by the acetone, and the new pores that open up from the acetones use absorb less stain than sanded pores do, so the whole thing just kind of balances out. <S> if its new stain, just match its general depth of colour as best you can. <S> if its old stain, go lighter as stains tend to darken over time. <S> if there is no stain on the floor of any kind, just continue.3) <S> topcoat with the correct top coating NB - matching wood colours and stains is an art that takes years to master. <S> wood species vary wildly in how they react to this process and results are up to you. <S> test spotting areas is a great idea. <S> once you have a protocol that works, just start again and redo the whole area to match the test area that worked. <A> Based on your description, the oil based poly is not compatible with the water based you started with. <S> I read that an equal mix of lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol will do the trick to remove the poly without damaging the stain. <S> The recommendation was to mix the two and apply it to the area with a paintbrush. <S> Let it soak for a few seconds and scrub the area with fine steel wool. <S> Then wipe the area clean with a cloth, and then wash it all off with a mild wood cleaner and let it dry. <S> After doing that, lightly sand the area with fine sandpaper, being careful not to sand into the stain. <S> This step is necessary to smooth out any bumps of old poly left over. <S> Since you already had applied a couple of coats of water based poly, there should be a layer of water based poly that will protect the floor while you do this. <S> After the oil based poly has been removed, then you can go ahead and reapply the water based poly. <S> You may need to do additional sanding to feather in the finish to the rest of the floor. <S> After a few new coats of poly, it should blend in with the rest of the floor. <S> Try to have a slight overlap between the good area and the area you are refinishing. <S> If the finish still doesn't match exactly, you could apply one last coat of poly over the entire floor. <A> Wait for the oil-based sealer to harden and than using an orbital sander with 150 grit paper sand the area of oil-based sealer. <S> Sand until the sealer becomes opaque than change grit to 220 and sand until the area is level with the water-based sealed floor. <S> Vacuum any dust wipe with a damp towel, let dry and continue sealing as before (using the water-based sealer). <S> Don't try to dissolve the sealer with solvents. <S> You are just going to make a huge mess.
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The only sensible way to fix it would be to remove the oil based poly without disturbing the stain below it. I believe if you look at the directions on the can it will state to sand between coats if more that 24 hours has elapsed, so sanding a sealed floor won't harm it.
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Why did they hammer nails in half way and bent them over to secure supports? In my 1950s house they hammered nails in half way and bent them over to secure the supports to the beam. Why was this technique used? <Q> The nail heads aren't big enough for the holes. <S> At that time carpenters didn't enjoy the vast array of fasteners and installation tools that we do today, so they may have used what was available at the moment. <S> It did the job, right? <S> ~ <S> or ~ <S> The carpenter had intended to replace them with lag screws and forgot. <S> ~ <S> or ~ <S> There's something sensitive to puncture behind the surface of that lumber. <S> It looks like a standard beam, but it's hard to say from my house. <A> The nails mostly hold the post in position until the overall weight of the building bears down a lot of pressure on the post. <S> At that point it is mostly friction between the upper post plate and the beam that holds the post in position. <A> in my judgement, bending the nails halfway secures better the support then hammering the nails entirely. <S> why is this? <S> because the surface of half of the nail's length is larger than the surface of the nail's head. <S> it's all about the contact surface between the nail and the supports. <S> suppose someone tries to pull the pipe. <S> what would keep the bean in place? <S> the nails; the larger the contact surface of the nails , the better the pipe is kept in place for the same pulling Force being distributed over a larger nail Surface, this results in a smaller Pressure, thus reducing the chances that the nails break; in fact, there is no need for someone to pull the pipe; its the pipe's own weight that acts as a force towards the nails. <S> there is also a second factor that keeps the pipe fixed, apart from the nail's contact surface with the supports: how deep the nails went into the wood. <S> Perhaps the ratio 1:1 (half of the nail into the wood, half outside) seemed to be a reasonable compromise. <S> ideally, a large part of the nail should go into the wood, and a large part should remain outside as well. <S> so a compromise has to be made. <S> what would be the perfect ratio is a complicated question, the answer depending on the friction between wood and nail, and the pulling forces that are expected to act on the pipe, and ,further, on the nails.
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Because it is easy to remove the nails if required to move the post.
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HVAC supply vent noise: how to eliminate the whistling wind tunnel? Every time the heat turns on (rented house), we are getting choked with too much dry hot air in our small room. When I try to close the supply vent it produces a really loud whistling noise. I either lose sleep because of the noise, or because of the dry heat blast. When I close the vent enough to have heat levels acceptable, it is like trying to sleep in a whistling wind tunnel. I believe there is too much air coming out of all the vents, frankly, but I am not the owner of the house, so would like a simple DIY solution involving filters, or a new vent, or something else I could install. I could just cover the vent with foil, effectively disabling that vent (I cannot turn off the heat in the entire house, as other rooms need it). Is that safe, and more importantly, is there a better solution? <Q> Forget any suggestions for restricting the airflow at the grille. <S> The proper way to control airflow in ductwork is with an in-line damper which is placed as far up line as possible in the trunk or branch without affecting any duct <S> drops that don't need the airflow restricted. <S> The reason for this is efficiency and noise. <S> I'm writing this from my phone, but I'm going to attempt to include photos. <A> I'm not an A/C expert, so someone might have a more correct solution, but I have dealt with this before. <S> If the problem goes away when the upstairs and downstairs are on at the same time, then there is only one unit with a set of diverters (dampers) that close off one section of the house. <S> In that case, you (or someone...) might be able to adjust the downstairs damper to never fully close, or to somehow always pass some amount of air, reducing the pressure in the upstairs ducts. <S> If you always have a problem upstairs there are probably two units, and it sounds like the one for the upstairs area is over-sized for the number of vents. <S> This doesn't have a quick fix. <S> Some blowers can be rewired to reduce their speed, but the A/C coil and heating elements require a certain air speed to work properly, so that might not even be an option. <S> Closing off one vent in a system that already has too much pressure runs the risk of tearing open a seam in the ducting. <S> That's bad because the problem might seem fixed, but you're dumping a lot of energy (money) into the attic. <S> Increasing the size or quantity of the vents is an option, but again, not an easy one. <S> Finally, one "solution" that I used in a similar situation - remove the vent completely in other rooms. <S> It will increase the air flow in those rooms and should reduce the pressure enough in the problem room to stop the whistling. <A> here is a really simply DIY fix. <S> assuming the register is something like a standard 4 x 10. <S> go and get yourself 2 foam sponges, cut to width and place into the floor register below the grate. <S> the foam should act as an acoustical damper for the whistling you were hearing, and even though the air that gets through will be going faster, an thus might be louder, you can experiment with different shapes cut into the edges of the opening to introduce turbulence to slow down the flow further. <S> entirely theoretical, but very similar to something I once worked on. <A> Most furnaces have blower motors with multiple taps to adjust the speed. <S> Selecting a lower blower speed to reduce noise and increase comfort is usually no more complicated than changing the connection of a single wire, however anyone who does this must confirm that the supply air is not hotter than 130F after making this change. <A> I had one vent that was making whining noise in a back bedroom . <S> I bought $6 car door edge strip (has a U profile shape) and put it on the sealing edge of my vent and it stopped the noise. <S> It was enough to stop the resonance and natural frequency of the vent grill.
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by trimming them to length, you can tune the amount of air flowing past them, effectively choking the pipe off or reducing the flow to where your room is comfortable. This should be something the Landlord can handle.
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Need copper to ground electrical box I need to ground my switches by connecting the grounding wires from switches onto an electrical twist nut and pig tailing it it to the box. Does Home Depot or other stores sell little pieces of copper to complete the pig tail or do I need to buy a big roll of copper? Does the gauge of the copper matter? <Q> Grounding tails are available (thanks @batsplatsterson), but you could also buy some copper wire; either on a reel or by the foot, and make your own. <S> As a quick rule of thumb, you should use the same size grounding conductor, as the largest ungrounded (hot) conductor used in that circuit. <S> So you're probably looking at using 14, or 12 AWG wire for switches. <S> You'll want to use either bare copper, or green insulated wire. <S> Some will argue one way or the other about connecting solid to stranded, stranded to stranded, solid to solid, stranded to screw terminals, solid to screw terminals, etc. <S> In reality, if done properly, it really makes no difference. <S> Follow the manufacturer's documentation on all the equipment you're using, and you should have no problems. <S> As for the actual procedure of grounding the switches and box. <S> Connect a short length of grounding wire to the ground terminal of each switch/device in the box. <S> Using an adequate connector, connect together the grounding wire from the box, the switches/devices, and all other grounding conductors in the box. <A> You may need to use what is called a "greenie". <S> It is a wire nut with a hole in the normally closed end to allow for a single wire to pass through for connecting to the ground screw. <S> These are sold at Lowes and HD. <A> You should match the gauge of the ground to the wires you are pigtailing. <S> Your local home improvement store will carry single stranded THHN wire which you can use to make pigtails with. <S> Green wire is coded as ground in the US. <S> In your case, it is probably better to just buy it in bulk and make your own. <A> Is the pigtail the easiest way to ground the switch? <S> I'd say so, if there's a threaded hole available, and it's a properly grounded metal box . <S> These pigtails from Ideal Industries: <S> pigtails <S> bond your box to whatever you terminate that stripped end on. <S> If you attach the pigtail with its ground screw into a threaded hole in a metal box, and terminate the stripped end of the pigtail on the ground terminal on your switch, <S> AND the box is grounded , then you've grounded the switch. <S> (If it's not a metal box, you can't ground the switch this way.) <S> How can you tell if the box is grounded? <S> If you see a ground wire from one of the incoming wires attached with a ground screw or ground clip, it's probably OK - <S> it depends on that ground wire being properly connected back to the panel. <S> If it's a plastic box, or there's no hole available for the ground screw, or etc. <S> , you will need a plan B. <S> Maybe there are other ground wires in the box bound up in a wire nut. <S> You could add your pigtail to the switch ground terminal to that bunch. <S> Wirenuts are fine, but the push in connectors are more straightforward to use. <S> Beyond that - as long as there is some ground wire <S> in there, there's a way to get everything grounded, but it's hard to say what's the way to go without seeing it. <A> Some devices, like Leviton M52-RS115-2WM (found through Home Depot web site a moment ago), have a little brass springy piece connecting the device yoke to the mounting screw at one end. <S> When this brass bit is present the ground can be terminated just to the conductive junction box. <S> The brass piece ensures good-enough contact from the box, through the mounting screw, to the device. <S> The usual ground screw is also present on the yoke and would be used in case a non-conductive box is used, the brass piece is damaged, installer preference, etc.
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Connect a short length of grounding wire to the metal box, using a screw in the threaded hole in the back of the box. They probably also sell premade pigtails which are made out of THHN wire that have crimped on terminals. Find out what gauge wire you are working with and buy some green THHN wire of the same gauge. Solid or stranded makes no difference, as long as it's the proper size. It is usually available both by the foot, and in different sized spools.
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Yard Vac only runs on full choke My Parents gave me a Craftsman Yard Vac (Model No. 247.770550) that they hadn't used in a few years. The tank had been empty, but mice had made a nest around the engine. I chased the mice away and fueled up and it worked fine. I cleaned it up for winter, removed a few dead mice and their nest, put some sta-bil in the tank and ran the engine for 10 min. This fall it would not start, I replaced the spark plug, air filter, oil and gasoline (this time with TruFuel). I also took off the housing and cleaned out the rest of the mouse nest. Still no luck. I then decided to clean out the carburetor, it was pretty dirty. I replaced the pin & seat, bowl gasket, and the sealing washer and cleaned everything with carb spray, a paper clip, and a toothbrush. The Vac now starts but will only run with the choke fully on, and will die after ~2 minutes. I'll add that after reassembling i had gas leaking all around the carb, i tightened the main jet bolt and it stopped. Also, after using the vac for a little while i had another gas leak out the carb where the air filter hole is (this was after it sat for 5 min), but this stopped quickly. <Q> I just "refurbished" a pressure washer that had set for a while. <S> I cleaned the carb and got it to where it would start, but it would only run with the choke on. <S> Through some online research and trial and error, I determined that when choked, the fuel takes a different route through the carb. <S> I had to remove the main jet and associated parts, soak them in carb cleaner for a while and clean all holes with a wire much finer than a paper clip. <S> I could only find carb cleaner in a spray can, and I didn't want to purchase a whole gallon of chem-dip, so I just used the spray can to fill the bottom of a glass jar which worked fine. <S> Once that was done it ran better, but only for a few minutes. <S> On a hunch, I tried running it for a while with the gas cap off, and it worked. <S> Turned out the vent hole in the cap was plugged by a spider or who knows what. <S> After widening the hole a bit, it ran for the rest of the day. <S> Forgot <S> to mention: Don't get carb cleaner on any of the rubber seals. <S> It makes them expand, and when they dry they will shrink back to shape, but it's bad for the rubber. <S> Not the most exact answer, but hope it helps! <A> Check your bowl float port , it may have debris lodged in it that is hard to see. <S> After soaking in cleaner use compressed air, not metal probes, to remove residual cleaner and crystalized fuel. <S> The carb may or may not have fuel adjustments (probably not if you live in California <S> and it was purchased after 1990). <S> If they do check the ends of the needles, they should not be blunted or have burrs, but be smooth and tapered. <S> The fuel leaks could indicate the float is stuck(likely) or at the wrong level(possibly) or the gasket needs replacing and bolts need tightening. <S> And check that your gas cap (if vented) is unobstructed. <S> Keep us posted. <A> You can purchase a aftermarket carburetor for it on Amazon for about $15. <S> I had a similar problem with my craftsman mower and did exactly this. <S> You need to find the manual for your machine online to confirm the part number. <S> Mine used a Briggs and Stratton part <S> # 499059 .
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Don't use gasket sealer at the carburetor throat as it poses a danger of clogging intake. Purchase some "Chem-Dip", remove the carburetor and break it down to single parts, put aside all plastic parts and soak all metal parts as per directions.
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How can I stop our duct work "pinging" at night? I'm in Canada, and our home is a bit older, ~20 years, and the duct work seems to be making a rather loud "pinging" noise at night. I assume this is due to colder weather in general, and the hot air from the furnace heating the duct work up. The noise, however, does bother my wife, and I'm looking for some advice on how to resolve this. (Currently earplugs are an option we use at times :) )As I'm a heavier sleeper, it doesn't really bother me though I have heard it. It's not audible during day; there is too much other noise masking it, so I hope that helps understand how "loud" it is. I never really noticed this in previous houses, so I'm curious as to how "normal" this is, and if there are any "simple" methods for fixing the issue?(I don't really want to call in somebody to replace all the ductwork.) Is there something simple I can do to reduce this pinging?Is there some simpler task I can hire somebody to do to identify the "problem area" and fix/repair it? <Q> sometimes ductwork under pressure and heat can experience a sudden deformation commonly referred to as oilcanning. <S> this is where large rectangular pieces of box ducts have stiffening ribs formed into them to prevent deflection under pressure. <S> if a particular panel is installed in just the right (or wrong) way, it can temporarily flex when it warms up. <S> its usually coincident with a loud ping as described. <S> it generally repeats <S> when the heating cycle ends, it cools down and it returns to its original shape. <S> if you can find the specific duct portion that's doing it, you can stop it by gluing a damping plate (piece of plywood or steel) to the outside face of the offending duct panel. <A> I'm dealing with the same problem in our "new" (1992 vintage) home. <S> Long duct runs expand and contract with conditioning cycles. <S> In places where the duct is held tightly against the home's framing or other objects, sudden slipping results in pops or squeaks. <S> It may help to have several people on hand to more quickly locate the problem, as it may stop making noise once things are up to operating temperature. <A> There are all kinds of special sounds absorbers for ducts. <S> They are not the lightweight acoustic egg crate shaped foam, but very heavy and somewhat flexible, but not springy. <S> They lower the Q Factor of the sheet metal. <S> McMaster sells them: <S> http://www.mcmaster.com/#sound-control-duct-silencers/=zyyku7 <S> The same page also has sound control coatings that work by the same principle, you can find them in any car store for dampening cars. <A> If you have spots that "oil can" in and out. <S> You can get some light gauge angle metal. <S> L shaped lengths. <S> Trim them to the width of the duct. <S> Pre drill a few holes in them. <S> Attach with sheet metal screws across the spot that is flexing in and out. <S> My cold air return was doing this. <S> One angle on each side of the long vertical run to the furnace solved the problem. <S> My first temporary fix was a couple pieces of 2x4 held tight with a cargo strap. <S> Keeping the sheet metal bowed inward. <A> We had a kind of rubber inserted between the brackets and ducts which helped a lot.
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Solutions generally involve either 1) securing the duct more effectively at the contact point so it can't move against the lumber, 2) loosening the attachments so it can move with less noise, or 3) lubricating the contact points with something like wax to allow freer sliding. To make location and diagnosis easier, allow the home to cool for a bit by turning off the furnace, then run it and listen.
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Get electricity to outlet behind wall mounted TV I want to install a recessed outlet behind my TV but I am not sure how to get electricity to the outlet. There is an outlet at the bottom of the wall, below the TV. Can I run a Romex 14/2 wire from that outlet up the wall to the newly installed outlet behind the TV? I ordered a Arlington Industries Inc. TVBR255KGC-1 but after taking it out of the box I realized how big it is and does not fit in the middle opening of my wall mount hardware. I could put it below, or above the hardware, if I have to. But it's big and ugly. EDIT: My breaker box is in a tight spot but I was able to get my camera in there and take some pictures. It's a 15 amp break that controls the outlet at the bottom of the wall. Picture of the breaker where you can see (barely) that's a 15 amp breaker (third one down from the top): Picture of left side of receptacle: Picture of right side of receptacle: The wires attached to the receptacle are not color coated, but the screws are. Which is white, and which is black? Can I attach my 14/2 wire to those screws and run it up the wall to the outlet I install behind the TV? <Q> If it's a 15 ampere circuit (the breaker protecting the circuit is 15 amp), then you can use 14/2 with ground between the boxes. <S> If it's a 20 ampere circuit, you'll have to use 12/2 with ground. <S> Run appropriately sized cable between the upper and lower box. <S> Connect the wires at the existing box (black to black, white to white, green/bare to green/bare). <S> If you didn't already buy a receptacle for the new box, surge receptacles are available. <S> Installing a surge receptacle behind the TV, would mean you don't have to try and fit a surge strip back there. <S> The side of the new box that's not enclosed, can be used to route data/AV cables down to cable boxes and such. <S> Update <S> The insulation on the wires appears to be old and worn, but it is clear that one is white and one is not. <S> Not to mention, the white is attached to the silver colored screw, while the not white is attached to the brass colored screw. <S> Since there's no grounding conductor. <S> You should replace the old receptacle with a GFCI receptacle. <S> To do this: Connect the white wire from the old receptacle (the one attached to the silver screw), to the silver LINE terminal on the new GFCI receptacle. <S> Connect the not white wire from the old receptacle (the one attached to the brass screw), to the brass LINE terminal on the new GFCI receptacle. <S> Connect the white wire leading to the new upper receptacle, to the silver LOAD terminal on the GFCI. <S> Connect the black wire leading to the new upper receptacle, to the brass LOAD terminal on the GFCI. <S> Place <S> the "GFCI Protected", and "No Equipment Ground" stickers on the cover plate of the upper receptacle. <A> that is a double gang box <S> I think you want a single gang recessed old work box. <S> You can run 14-2 from your original outlet if the breaker is 15A. <A> You might want the Arlington kit after all. <S> The kit recesses the plug on the power cord, so it doesn't stick out, allowing for a more flush mount. <S> The one side of the kit gives you a path for your HDMI cable to your cable TV box or whatever. <S> The bridge arrangement lets you plug into a surge strip. <S> If you put an outlet behind the wall, you have to put a surge strip back there too. <A> No one is going to see behind your TV, so who cares how it looks? <S> I'm assuming the recessed outlet is to keep your TV as close to the wall as possible, so a single gang recessed box for the power and then either a standard faceplate (you can use a spade bit on a blank cover) or simply running your low voltage wiring directly out of your wall with no gang should be fine because - again <S> no one will see it - it's covered by your TV. <S> If you change TVs you can always switch to the double-gang later or install a second gang for the low voltage wiring. <S> To get power up or down the wall, you will want to use fish tape or fish stix . <S> Run the fish tape up or down the wall and then tape the wire to the fish tape with electrical tape (be sure to use a generous amount - you don't want it to come off in the wall) and then pull the wire back through. <S> If you choose to come down from the top, you will need to get into the attic and locate the top plate. <S> It is a couple of 2x4s stacked on top of each other and an interruption in the sheet rock by a 2x4 will indicate the top of the wall. <S> Drill though the 2x4 with a spade bit and then run your wire down the wall and enjoy a good movie!
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Connect the wires in the new box to the receptacle (black to brass, white to silver, and green/bare to ground). It looks like it is a double width gang to allow you to run both your low-voltage and high-voltage wiring to the same box. While it might be big and ugly, if you are sure your TV is going to stay there, your best bet is probably to put the box above or below the TV mounting bracket. If the breaker is 20A you will need to use 12-2 wire Aside from that, it's a fairly simply install. Place the "No Equipment Ground" sticker on the GFCI receptacle cover plate. If you position the kit right you won't see it behind the TV.
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How to get cable staples to stick in the wall In my family room, I've used cable staples (like the ones pictured below) to fasten speaker wire along the wall at the top of the baseboards. There are hardwood floors in this room. Not all of them fastened so securely, which wasn't a problem at first… and then we got a puppy, who bumps into them, and then tries to eat them once they fall out. How can I get them to stay in the wall better, without limiting myself to inserting them over studs (as I sometimes need them more closely spaced than that) or inserting them into the baseboards, which I'd rather not poke so many holes into. <Q> Nail in clips just will not hold in drywall. <S> Even over studs, the nails are typically too short to get good penetration. <S> Nail clips and stapes can still work (barely) in drywall if they are used up high where they will not be touched. <S> I would instead recommend and adhesive clip option. <S> The Command Clips linked also have the advantage of coming off the wall cleanly if you ever need them to. <S> It's a little more expensive, but with no exposed wire, it becomes very puppy-proof. <A> The routine I found works best when a customer insisted that I use this particular wire clip, is to replace the nail with one of the same gauge, but a longer length. <S> I only replaced the clips that fell on a stud. <S> I also found if I sunk the nail partly so the clip could be swiveled and then re-positioned over the wire, I didn't fumble the clip. <S> Also, if you hold the clip with needle-nose pliers the clip nail will be hammered more than your finger nail. <A> As was suggested above, you can put the speaker wire under the baseboards, or if you are really feeling like a project, you could try running the speaker inside of the wall (if it is an interior wall). <S> It involves a trip to the attic and some fish tape, but is the neatest/most secure way. <S> If you do not have room under the baseboards, you will need to remove them first, put down the speaker wire and then nail the baseboards back on.
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Another good option is adhesive wire mold that covers the entire length of the cord.
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Adding a switch to a light circuit I have a workshop with a single switch that turns on and off two sets of lights. The first set is a row of spots and the second, at the other end of the room, is a fluorescent strip light. The wiring to the lighting is part accessible and runs on the top of wooden beams from which the lights are attached. The switch is fixed in a wall. Is it possible to put a second switch in that will turn off the spots? So I have the original switch that turns all on and off and then a secondary switch (mounted on the beam where the wiring is accessible) that turns on/off the spots and leaves the strip light on? <Q> There are a couple of ways to do what you want. <S> The gist is basically intersecting the spot light but allowing the power to not be interrupted when the existing switch is turned on. <S> Simple enough. <S> I've added two possible scenarios of how it might be wired. <S> The spare neutral is required by code, but only if the ceiling is closed off and not accessible. <S> It can be capped or taped off inside the switch box. <A> Is it possible? <S> - yes, it's just rewiring. <S> Is it easy? <S> - Well that depends on how it's wired currently. <S> There will be a supply wire that brings in the "live" feed. <S> From here, the live will go to the current switch, and a switched-live will go from the current switch to the lights, in parallel-wiring . <S> What you need is for there to be a switched-live wire which runs to all of the spots, but not to the strip light. <S> In my linked picture for parallel wiring, if the spots are on the right, then the wire in the top right would match this description. <S> All you need to do is cut this switched-live, to put an additional switch on it. <S> With this setup: If current switch is "off", all lights are off <S> If current switch is "on" and new switch is "on", all lights are on If current switch is "on" and new switch is "off", only strip light is on <S> I believe this is what you were aiming for. <A> In brief, all you need to do is put a simple on-off switch in series with the spots. <S> You should put the new on-off switch on the hot wire. <S> There are many webpages that tell you how to find the hot wire, such as: http://www.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_find_the_hot_wire_on_a_light_switch <S> If you put the on-off switch on the neutral wire by mistake, nothing terrible will happen, but you don't want to do that because you will be creating wiring that will be confusing to the next owner and somewhat less safe.
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The existing switch will then control power to the spots and the fluorescent but if the new switch is off, the power will not get to the spots.
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Drilling a hole as near as possible to a corner I want to run a few new wires through my apartment, and for that I need to drill some holes through the walls (10-20mm diameter). Due to aesthetic considerations and cable bent radius I want them ideally to be right in the corner at the ceiling. Unfortunately my drill has a size and this allows me to get not nearer to the wall than maybe 7cm. Is there any method/trick for drilling a hole ideally directly in the corner of a ceiling? <Q> A flexible drill bit should do the trick. <A> With reference to possibly encountering nails comment from above Two adjacent rooms with a shared upper corner by the ceiling specifies a T wall layout as shown here: <S> When you go to drill a hole in the very upper corner of the room you will be drilling through the upper top plate (and possibly into a part of the lower top plate depending upon the thickness of the ceiling drywall and the diameter of the hole being drilled. <S> I have shown the typical locations where 16d spikes are placed to nail in the two top plate 2x4s. <S> On the first top plate there will be at least two nails into the top of each stud. <S> As a minimum you take the risk of running into the right most two spikes as shown in the center part of the diagram. <S> Note that drywall is also screwed or nailed along its edges and in the corners. <A> 12" extension is easy to find. <S> Use multiples to get the bit straighter.
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The second top plate will be nailed near its ends as shown. We use a bit extensions to get the drill farther away so we can drill with more flexibility. You also run the risk there being a drywall fastener in that upper corner on either side.
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How do I rewire a switched receptacle and make it permanently hot I have a light switch that controls the top half and bottom half of a nearby receptacle. How do I disconnect this switch and make both halves of the receptacle permanently hot? There are other receptacles on the same circuit located to the left and right of my switched receptacle. The light switch and receptacle are wired as shown: I am installing recessed lights and want to run that circuit to this switch location and replace the switch with a dimmer to control the recessed lights. <Q> The 2 black wires are piggy-backed, indicating that one is the incoming hot and the other is the hot to other device(s). <S> The red appears to be the switched hot supplying the receptacle in question, so... <S> Turn off the power at the circuit breaker/fuse panel first! <S> The red wire supplying current to the receptacle will now be an un-switched hot. <A> I am installing recessed lights and want to run that circuit to this switch location and replace the switch with a dimmer to control the recessed lights. <S> What you need to do is create a parallel circuit. <S> As always, turn off the circuit breaker for that switch before any changes! <S> For the outlet to be a permanently on, non-switch circuit, you need to bypass the switch. <S> As @JimmyFix <S> -It has said, you need to tie the Red wire and the Black Wires (Live) together. <S> That Red wire goes to the Outlets. <S> The White wire provides the Neutral return from the outlet. <S> For the recessed lights you are installing, you will need to connect the Black Wires (Live) to the Switch, and run a new wire (In most home electrical code it should be Red) to the ceiling for the new recessed lights. <S> The return Neutral wire from the lights will need to be tied to the existing White wires in the Switch box. <S> Appropriately sized Wire Nuts/Twist Caps should be used. <A> The other answer will work but this is easier and the right way. <S> In your outlet box there is 2 black wires in wire nut, this is your constant hot going to other outlets. <S> Remove red wire from outletRemove wire nut from black wires and connect to outlet were red wire was and other black wire above it. <S> Red wire going to switch is not needed now. <S> Cap at both ends or snip wire on both ends.
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Then disconnect all the wires from the switch and connect them together with an appropriately sized twist-on wire connector, except for the ground, which simply terminates at the box.
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How do I read the markings printed on the outside of electric wires? In my recessed lighting project, I finished roughing-in the Romex copper wires and I was about to connect the recessed lighting wires when I noticed the wires from the lights are of a silver-colored metal. I read somewhere that connecting two different kinds of metal wires, particularly if it's aluminum to copper, will require special connectors. I’m trying to determine what kind of metal is in my recessed lighting wires. Can anyone help me to understand the markings printed on the recessed lighting wires? I think it says: TAIFULONG E204798 ЯU AWM 3321 VW-1 IBAWG 150°C 600V FENG TAI ELECTRONIC To connect my Romex wire to my recessed light, can I use the connectors shown below? <Q> TAIFULONG E204798 FU AWM 3321 <S> VW-1 IBAWG 150 <S> °C 600V FENG TAI ELECTRONIC. <S> First, TAIFULONG is the cable brand. <S> E204798 <S> I do not know. <S> The FU is actually “ЯU”, the symbol for the Underwriters Laboratories Recognized Component Mark : <S> These are <S> Marks consumers rarely see because they are specifically used on component parts that are part of a larger product or system. <S> These components may have restrictions on their performance or may be incomplete in construction. <S> The component recognition marking is found on a wide range of products, including some switches, power supplies, printed wiring boards, some kinds of industrial control equipment and thousands of other products. <S> AWM indicated Underwriters Lab Appliance Wiring Material : <S> UL offers a broad and comprehensive certification program for appliance wiring material (AWM). <S> This program enables manufacturers to demonstrate compliance in an objective and credible fashion, while enabling thousands of OEMs to source safer, compliant products. <S> 3321 indicates a specific AWM rating. <S> Appliance Wiring Material Style Number Designations: <S> 3000–3999: <S> Single conductor, thermosetting-insulated wire. <S> Thermoset wire insulation BURNS, compared to thermoplastic insulation, which melts and reforms. <S> The specifics of the rating I do not have. <S> VW-1 indicates extra flame testing rating: <S> Where a greater degree of flame retardancy is desired, over that required for all wire & cable, this Vertical Wire flame test can be imposed. <S> This is an optional flame rating, and products meeting the test may carry the additional marking "VW-1." <S> The IBAWG is actually 18 AWG . <S> This means 18 Gauge Wire, according to the American Wire Gauge standard (aka the Brown & Sharpe wire gauge). <S> This is the wire Size. <S> Typical house mains internal wiring is 12~14 AWG, depending on current needs. <S> 16 and 18 AWG is often for appliance cord wire and low voltage wire systems. <S> 150°C is the Insulation breakdown temperature. <S> It will melt/burn at 150 degrees Celsius. <S> Normal temperatures will not exceed this for household in-wall wiring. <S> 600V is the Insulation breakdown voltage. <S> Any voltage meeting or exceeding this will result in no insulation. <S> That's bad. <S> Feng Tai Electronic is the Manufacturer. <A> What you have is stranded <S> #18ga tinned copper wire at the lights. <S> This is completely typical of this type of light. <S> Connecting that to #12 or #14 household wiring with the proper sized wire connector (wire nut or otherwise) is absolutely fine and SOP in the industry. <S> I'm not sure where you go <S> the incorrect information say this is not a good idea. <S> The connectors you show are a wire-nut and a push-in connector. <S> The yellow wire nut would be the perfect size for connecting these two wires. <S> Some times you will have two cables in a light box so you will have two larger wires and one fixture wire for each color. <S> In this case you may want to go with a tan or red wire nut. <S> On the package for each one there will be a chart for the wire range the connector will fit. <S> If I am not mistaken push-in connectors will not work with stranded wire that small. <S> You would need to twist and then tin the bundle, which is not at all worth the effort considering the ease of use of a simple wire nut. <A> Your second question, To connect my Romex wire to my recessed light, can I use the connectors shown below? <S> is unrelated to the first, hence the second answer. <S> Typical house hold wiring standards have designated the color Yellow for a range of AWG sizes. <S> Specifically for Twist On Wire <S> Nuts : <S> Yellow, Minimum <S> : 2 conductors AWG 18 + 1 conductor AWG 14; <S> Maximum: 2 conductors AWG 14 + 1 conductor AWG 10 <S> Typically, a Yellow Twist connector can accept a single or pair of wire between 10 AWG and 18 AWG. <S> The <S> Push-In connector varies. <S> In both cases, you simply want to match your wire size, in AWG, to the connector you need. <S> DO NOT OVER STUFF. <S> If you need to tie too many small size wires, you may want to go the next size up (American Wire Gauge is reversed, small numbers are bigger wires). <S> If the cap is Loose, it is too big and/or small . <S> The cap should be tight on the wires.
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Any connector you buy will list the wire size it is suited for.
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What is the proper way to prevent water infiltration between exterior stairs and wall My house has a full flight of poured concrete stairs (covered with decorative stone) that runs parallel to (and butts up against) an exterior wall. The interior wall had water stains at the basebord, some distortion in the laminate floor near the baseboard and the distinct odor of damp, decaying wood. I pulled the baseboard off and cut away the drywall 12 inches up for the entire length of the wall. The sill plate is damp and one stud at the bottom of the stairway shows signs of rot or termite damage. The insulation was damp at the ends but not at the 12 inch mark. Currently, there is nothing between the poured concrete for the stairway and the studs. No plywood sheathing, no plastic, nothing. It looks like at some point in the past there was something there. Two of the studs have scraps of plastic sheet between them and the sill plate. I cannot tell if the plastic sheet was on the interior or exterior side of the studs. On the exterior side of the studs near the top end of the stairs there is plywood sheathing about 12 inches wide, but broken off in a ragged edge. It is waterlogged. My best guess is that there was/is a leak between the stairs and wall near the upper end of the stairs. The water is flowing down the concrete and then running along the sill plate toward the corner of the wall. At some point in the past the interior wall was removed and the plastic sheeting and plywood sheathing were ripped out and then the interior wall was restored. Obviously, this is not the right solution. My question is two-fold: If this were new construction, how would one construct a stairway parallel to an exterior wall. How can the wall as currently constructed be repaired such that water infiltration cannot occur in the future. <Q> When concrete is poured so that it will be in contact with a wood part of the building allowances should be employed so that moisture is prevented from becoming trapped and is able to escape quickly. <S> The wood wall that abuts to the concrete stairs should have been isolated with a vapor barrier. <S> The most commonly and easiest to use would be 30 lb. <S> roofing felt tacked along the stair/wall face. <S> Metal flashing and self-sticking flashing would also prevent water from contacting the wall. <S> Repairing the concrete from contacting the studs is difficult. <S> If there was any space between the surfaces a barrier could be retro-fitted. <S> I'm not sure how feasible it would be to start cutting back the edge of the steps to create a space for repairing the wall? <S> If you could that would enable the installation of treated lumber and water shields (flashing and felt). <S> If not than all that can be done is to silicone caulk the wall/concrete joint, but water will still get in through the concrete by condensing. <A> As you seem to already know, you have a real mess on your hands. <S> The answer to question 1 is that the wall would first be built properly, with wood sheathing, a water-resistive barrier of tar paper or Tyvek, and a scratch coat of stucco. <S> Then the staircase's structure would be bolted through the wall into the studs and the decorative stone would be mortared to the scratch coat of stucco around the staircase. <S> Then brown and/or and color coats of stucco would be applied over the remainder of the scratch coat. <S> The answer to question 2 is as follows: <S> Contact a structural engineer and and arrange for <S> all the wood in the area to be safely and completely removed without compromising the structure. <S> Then I would paint the concrete visible from the interior with RedGard. <S> After that, I would build a plywood panel that fits in the area, cover it with standard tar paper, and tip it up into place against the RedGard-painted concrete and the stucco on all sides of it. <S> After that, You can install new studs in the wall and re-drywall. <S> Needless to say, this is probably not going to be a DIY job <S> and I encourage you to hire a professional and get a building permit. <S> I'll also mention that if the rest of the structure is built the same way--stucco over studs with no sheathing or water-resistive barrier--then you have a building that was fundamentally built wrong <S> and you might want to explore the possibility of removing all the stucco and installing proper wall sheathing and a water-resistive barrier. <S> If that's not an option, paint all of the stucco with mineral-based sealer such as sodium silicate or potassium silicate. <S> Apply several layers. <S> Resist the urge or advice to use latex paint or other polymer-based masonry sealers , as they are not vapor-permeable and any water that gets inside will be trapped and rot the wood. <S> If the stucco is already painted with latex paint, removal is your only practical option. <A> As you seem to already know, you have a real mess on your hands. <S> Indeed. <S> You almost certainly need a permit to do the work detailed in the other answers. <S> A structural engineer is a must. <S> Sorry.
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With such an assembly, water in the concrete will be prevented from entering the interior by the vapor-barrier RedGard paint, and any that does make it inside for some reason will hit the tar paper and drain away from the interior. An isolation or expansion joint would have helped any water that did find a way in to eventually evaporate.
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Difficulty attaching 2x4s to poured concrete wall We are novice DIYers attempting to finish our garage walls in a 10 year old Ryan Home with a poured concrete foundation. I had planned to lay the 2x4s flat against the wall, meaning I need a fastener of 1.5" for the lumber and additional length for the concrete. Initially I purchased a Ryobi hammer drill and two packs of Tapcon 2 1/4" concrete anchors which came with a drill bit. We were able to drill one hole with difficulty and the bit was burnt out by the time our second hole was barely started. I tried drilling several different places in case I was hitting reinforcement. At this point I was concerned I had done something wrong and damaged the bit. I stopped at Ace hardware and asked their advice and they weren't sure what was causing the problem. They recommended I try a powder nail gun, which I purchased along with Ramset 3" pins and yellow loads (listed as 4/5 power, the strongest Ace had). When I tried this the nail was still protruding 3/4" from the wood, which means that it made it less than 3/4" into the concrete. This has led me to believe that there is some sort of reinforcement in the wall or in the way the concrete was mixed that is causing problems. Is there something special about some concrete walls that needs to be taken into account and worked around when finishing them out? What could cause the standard methods of securing lumber to concrete to fail like this? Should I simply try again with the same powder load and a 2 1/2" pin? EDIT Given the difficulty in getting through the concrete, would it work to treat it more like an interior wall and completely frame it on the floor, then lay the whole thing against the wall? That would allow the 2x4s to provide structural support against each other instead of the wall, minimizing the concrete anchors I need. It would also address issues with the concrete wall not being completely flat. Or would that not be a good idea? <Q> Also if you don't have <S> a Slotted-Drill-Sytem (SDS) Hammer drill then all you have is a drill that wants to be a hammer drill when it grows up. <S> I have one of the Milwaukee's like that and had the same problems until I dropped some money and bought a Bosch SDS. <S> I wanted a Hilti but the price was a little high for a homeowner. <S> Hilti is all our contractors buy for a good reason. <S> They are the best. <S> The Bosch I bought is a good runner up though. <S> Makes a ½" hole 3" deep in solid concrete in about 45 seconds. <S> You could still use the semi-hammer drill but get your self some good carbide tipped drill bits and pack a lunch. <S> Good luck! <A> easy solution that we use all the time. <S> get yourself a powder actuated gun (you will have a much easier time if you get a strip load gun instead of a single load gun). <S> use 3" pins and red loads. <S> just make sure <S> when you pull the trigger, you have a good amount of force on the gun (so it can't kick back at you). <S> this should set your 3" pins almost flush. <S> if your concrete is super hard (for whatever reason), just hit it a second time with the gun. <S> its seems dangerous, but we have put probably 10,000 loads through each one of our guns, 10% are probably second hits. <S> no problem. <S> if you would like a tip - strap the furring afterwards with 3/4 ply ripped at 3", with shims between the furring and the strapping. <S> this will give you a perfectly flat wall with wider attachement points for all the drywall. <S> much easier to make the joints line up in the drywall. <A> Concrete can be adjusted with modifiers and admixtures to change or increase its performance. <S> I don't think that its density can be increased to the point that a masonry bit can't drill more than 2-3 holes before becoming useless. <S> As you noted, rebar would dull the bit easily. <S> Also, if thee hole depth is over 3/4 inches, withdraw the bit occasionally to remove concrete dust that can plug-up the hole. <S> Every so often you will find that the bit, although relatively new, isn't advancing. <S> Rather than burn the carbide off the drill tip relocate the hole. <S> If you are using 1/4 inch concrete screws and the designated 3/16 inch bit, start the hole with a cheap masonry bit a size smaller and save the pricey TapCon bit for the second pass. <A> We usually cannot get minimum embedment without breaking the head off even when using a properly sized SDS bit on an SDS hammer drill. <S> They work great in softer materials though. <S> We recommend the powered actuated gun with 3" nails. <S> The Ramset .22 cal does not come in a red load any more (I cannot find it). <S> We use a yellow load as a primary and a green load as a secondary, usually always needing both loads. <S> Or buy a .27 cal which probably does not have the same problem as the .22. <S> Our .22 cal gun is almost dead so we can buy a .27 cal. <S> Framing a wall instead of scabbing 2x4s to the concrete definitely saves time and makes things easier at the expense of 2.5" <S> +/- <S> depth lost. <S> This is definitely a good route to take. <S> As a note, use pressure treated wood anywhere wood touches concrete.
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The drill bits that come with the screws are junk. I found when drilling for TapCon screws is to let the bit set the pace and not to exert a lot of force, but enough to keep the bit working. We have found Tapcons extremely problematic in concrete.
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Rewire polarized power receptacle that is installed backwards The extension of the house I just bought seems to have the US 120V recpeticals wired backwards. The large blade tests hot and the small blade tests neutral. This and a bunch of other issues where found during the home inspection. Given some of the craziness in the house, I am a little worried that there is more to it than simply being wired backwards. In addition to my general wariness, I have tried plugging in a number of things and none of them work. I guess I have two questions. What typical device in a house should work in an incorrectly polarized outlet? Can I simply turn off the power and flip the wires? <Q> Sometimes, HIRE AN ELECTRICIAN is the right answer, especially considering you are wary of other electrical issues. <S> Sounds like they had some handyman or hack wire up this addition. <S> I wonder what else is wrong structurally? <A> What typical device in a house should work in an incorrectly polarized outlet? <S> Any standard lamp should still work. <S> The screwshell will now be "hot" and the center tab will be neutral. <S> Can I simply turn off the power and flip the wires? <S> It sounds like you might have to rewire several outlets. <S> But by all means the first thing to do would be to turn off the circuit. <S> Good luck! <A> If hot and neutral are reversed and something within the device shorts to ground, none of the current will be flowing through the fuse or circuit breaker, so it won't be able to provide any protection. <S> Further, if too much current flows through the device from hot to neutral so the fuse/breaker does pop, it will still leave the device electrically connected to line potential. <S> While it's possible construct fuses or circuit breakers so than an excessive amount of current in either will disconnect both, such fuses and breakers are more expensive than units that only have to protect one or the other (note that it's important that the neutral not have a fuse, breaker, switch, or other disconnection device unless it is interlocked to ensure that the neutral wire will not disconnect without also disconnecting the hot wire; simply using separate breakers on hot and neutral is thus not a solution). <A> I think pretty much any device will work in an incorrect neutral/hot-swapped outlet. <S> There are a number of safety features that are possible with a polarized plug but under normal circumstances the appliance can't tell which lead is hot and which is neutral, only that they are 120V apart. <S> (I assume you are talking exclusively about 120V outlets... <S> for 240V outlets <S> things are very different and swapping the neutral and one of the hot conductors is likely to fry the appliance.) <S> EDIT : I'm not saying that it's no big deal to swap the hot and neutral; you will be defeating several safety devices and potentially exposing yourself to electrocution. <S> But for testing purposes, virtually everything should function fine either way.
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The most important device that won't work with a mis-wired outlet is a hot-side fuse or circuit breaker. Certainly any device that has a non-polarized plug will be totally fine.
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Primer and paint for radiators I need to repaint a part of my radiator. I have already sanded the tarnished area with a grinder and a flapdisk but not the whole area (half of a fin) I'm getting ready to refinish, IOW most of the area still has paint but I removed it where it looked ugly (some burn marks). Should I use an oil based primer (as I think that's best for metal) over the whole area and then just regular indoor paint? <Q> this is the best system to paint anything from plastic to stainless steel Don't deviate or skip any steps. <S> 1.clean thoroughly with acetone or MEK. <S> 2.mechanically abrade with 180-240 grit (higher for smoother finish, but <S> less lifespan, coarser for rougher finish but better adhesion) sandpaper 3.wipe again with acetone or MEK <S> 4.rust convert any surface rust (on steel only) with 3M marhyde or corroseal rust converter 5.prime with any UMA primer like XIM400 <S> 6.paint with devthane 379 aliphatic urethane enamel. <S> Done! <A> The easiest way to prepare and paint your radiators is to: 1) scrape off any loose or flaking paint with a scraper. 2) starting with an 80 grit and working through to 120 grit sand any rust off and feather any paint edges smooth. <S> 3) wipe the surface with a mineral spirit or paint thinner to remove any contaminates. <S> 4) spray surface with an appropriate High heat spray paint in a can using partial overlapping strokes. <S> Let each application dry as per instructions on label. <S> No need for primer. <S> And any brand will do. <S> Some popular and quality names are Rustoleum, Krylon and Ace Brand spray paints. <S> If there is hard to reach rust that can't be removed consider using a rust neutralizer. <S> Spray this on any rusty areas and it will halt the rust from spreading while it turns it to a black color. <S> It is now primed and ready for paint. <A> I just did about 10 radiators in a house. <S> I had mine sandblasted completely to remove everything, but if you're just getting rid of the rust that works too. <S> Mine had layers and layers of paint from over the years that started chipping. <S> If you don't paint soon after sanding, it can start rusting again from the moisture in the atmosphere. <S> You go through a lot of paint though, but I didn't have a sprayer at the time. <S> I recommend spraying over brushing unless you aren't too worried about getting the nooks and crannies.
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I went to Lowe's and got Rustoleum White Gloss Protective Enamel ( here ) and sprayed mine, it worked like a charm.
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How to remove the handles from this faucet My bathroom faucet is leaking around the base of my right handle. With previous faucets I've been able to use a set screw to loosen the handle and replace the washer. With these, though, I can't seem to pop off the faucet handle. Does anyone know how to remove this handle? Does anyone know the brand of this faucet? Update -- Nov 29th I've already tried to get those cap ends off. I tried to use some pliers and unscrew them, but couldn't remove it. I tried taking a small flat head and popping off the ends. Still nothing. It doesn't seem like the come off. I also tried unscrewing the handles, but they just don't see to turn for me. Also there is definitely no set screw on the handles. I've searched all around the faucet and found nothing indicating a set screw. <Q> I have THE EXACT faucet. <S> There is NO screw. <S> JUST PULL UP! <S> May have to do a slight pry on the base <S> but that is what it is, no screws. <A> If the end caps don't come off, and there isn't a set screw, try simply pulling up (or taking a flat head <S> screw driver with a towel so you don't scratch the faucet, and prying up). <S> I'd recommend shutting off the water underneath the sink first (just in case). <S> If that doesn't work look underneath for some type of odd contraption to hold them on, but that would be a terrible design. <A> I know this is a bit old but if anyone else needs this information, the handles do pry off. <S> I have this exact same faucet and I could not figure it out. <S> I tried to pry them off <S> but I did not want to use too much force without being sure. <S> I removed the entire faucet from the sink and brought it into Home Depot. <S> An employee was able to pry it off with a screw driver. <S> In the end he offered me a new faucet at a discount. <S> Since I already had it off, I jumped at the chance and just got a new one instead of repairing the old one. <A> This is what worked for me. <S> I used a 3 inch scraper blade and a hammer. <S> I very gently tapped that thin, tapered scraper blade between the bottom of the escutcheon (the bell-like part between the handle and the sink) just enough to loosen it a bit. <S> I then was able to unscrew (counter-clockwise <S> ) the escutcheon with the handle attached. <S> Note that the escutcheon is made of plastic, so be gentle. <S> Also, the handle is screwed to the escutcheon by a screw that is located at the inside top of the escutcheon. <S> So, pulling on the handle will not work. <A> I have one similar <S> however there are 2 little caps above the stem. <S> I removed them thinking I'd see an allen screw, but there was none <S> so I forced it off with a nail puller and discovered there was a phillips screw that held it on (really hard to see down that hole). <S> So if there are caps on top, try a small phillips head first! <S> Hope <S> this helps someone. <A> I have THE EXACT faucet also. <S> There is NO screw. <S> JUST PULL UP! <S> May have to do a slight pry on the base but that is what it is, no screws. <S> Try pulling up and pry at last resort. <S> If you do pry be sure and pad <S> so you don't scratch or damage the surface of the faucet. <S> (Turn off the inlet lines in case something goes terribly wrong!) <A> sometimes, you take the end cap off of the handle, remove the screw. <S> remove the handle (threaded or slide-on fit). <S> then there is a little port for a set screw or just a metal pin that secures it to the top of the valve core upper spline. <A> They may either pry off or unscrew. <S> Then the handles themselves appear to be screwed on. <S> I'm not positive this will allow you access to the washers, but from the photo those parts can be removed. <A> I had one fairly similar that came off by grabbing the widest part of the "bell" with padded channellock pliers, and turning counter clockwise. <S> Unscrewing that part subtly lifts up on the upper part of the handle, and pops it off. <S> Brute force did not actually work, so if you've tried brute force and are stymied, try unscrewing the wide part.
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It looks as if the end caps are removable, the buttons on the very end of each handle.
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Hanging pictures/mirrors to drywalls without leaving big holes What are the best methods (screws, hooks, etc) to hang heavy objects (such as huge mirrors and framed pictures) on drywalls while doing the less possible damage ? I don't mind drilling holes in the drywalls, but since I have tons of stuff to hang, it would be nice to avoid leaving enormeous holes everywhere in the apartment. For example, I got these two 17lbs & 10lbs framed paintings that I hanged using these hooks , but sadly this left a pretty big hole in the wall when I chose to move the paintings elsewhere. Thanks! <Q> If the objects can be hung (hanged?) <S> in close proximity to each other and at the same height attaching a board to the wall first to which the objects can be attached to would decrease the amount of openings left by individual fasteners. <S> This is rarely the case though. <S> For each object that is fairly light weight (1-5 pounds) <S> They range in size to accommodate a variety of weights and the nail used to fasten them to the wall is miniscule compared to other wall anchors. <S> For heavier objects try to secure them to the framing behind the wall surface (to the wall studs). <S> Use an appropriate length screw drilled on a slight upward angle. <S> It will leave a small opening also that can be easily filled with patching compound. <A> you can use a monkey hook. <S> they work really well for items that are heavy. <S> just use multiple hooks for heavier items http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=52367&cat=3,40914,50630,52367 <A> I cannot tell how big the hole was left from the anchors in your link, but I have had great luck with large mirrors and hangings using "molly" anchors along with a substantial metal hook and picture wire. <S> These hold a lot of weight in drywall yet are easy to cover with just a small dab of spackle. <S> The key is to just tap them under the paper surface of the drywall when patching. <A> To hang lots of things, with the least amount of damage. <S> You might want to consider picture rail molding. <S> It's a molding run around the room, where pictures can be hung from using wire/string/rods/etc. <S> It has the advantage that it can be securely fastened to the framing, and allows lots of things to hang with minimal damage to the wall.
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any wall anchor will do, but the ones that leave the smallest openings are the nail and hook-type picture hangers.
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Low pressure in shower of tub/shower combo I have a tub shower combo where the tub and the shower have separate taps but I believe share the same water lines. The tub part has tons of pressure but the shower has hardly any. I've recently fixed the cold water tap on the shower, it was leaking and needed new o rings, this restored a little bit of pressure. Would a new shower head help? Could it just be a gravity issue? <Q> You'll always have less water volume out of the shower head, than you do from the tub spout. <S> But if the flow out of the head has reduced over time, it's likely due to mineral deposits. <A> Hard water deposits can wreak havoc on the metal faucets and plumbing in your home. <S> Mineral deposits are just that the dissolved salts from calcium and magnesium. <S> They build up over time on surfaces continually in contact with water. <S> Remove the showerhead and let it soak over night in a container of white vinegar. <S> For faster results soak in a store bought brand of hard water dissolver (CLR and Lime-Away). <S> It is possible that the tub and shower have dedicated lines. <S> I don't see a diverter valve which would indicate the two are connected. <A> Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. <S> I would give you 1 ups but don't have the reputation to do so. <S> I unscrewed the big bolt that holds the shower head assembly to the wall and found a busted up piece of some kind of ring and a red thing that looks like a flow constrictor. <S> I now have very good water pressure.
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Try replacing/cleaning the shower head extension (the bit between the shower arm and the head), as they sometimes have screens/restrictions that get gunked up.
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How to locate septic lid in yard I have a septic system in my backyard, but I don't know where the lid is. Is there a way to locate it based on the pipes or other method? I think it's under the lawn somewhere. The reason I want to find it? You can save about $50 if you dig up the lid before getting the septic pumped. <Q> Use a soil probe. <S> Commonly used item for plumbers and landscapers: <A> Look for a cleanout. <S> That's a pipe sticking up out of the ground with a plug. <S> That might give you a general idea where the tank is or at least what side of the house its on. <S> The tank will usually be a short distance from the cleanout. <S> See if there are plans that were filed with the local government when the house was built. <S> For example, mine are with the local county building department. <S> I haven't had this done, but it sounds high tech. <S> If you live in an area with snow and your tank isn't buried too deep, you might see the snow melting above the tank. <S> If your tank hasn't been pumped in a while, its probably a good idea to get it cleaned out. <S> An experienced septic technician can usually locate it. <S> They will probably charge extra for locating and digging it up. <S> For me, it was an extra $50 if I didn't dig it up myself. <S> The soil probe is not a bad idea. <S> Try to narrow down the area its in first. <A> Our previous tank was down 8 feet, so probing and metal detectors would not have worked. <S> I had the "as built" from the builder. <S> The local authority should have it on file. <S> Once you have it found and pumped you should have a riser installed so the cover is no more than a foot deep. <S> My septic company put one in and then only had to peel the lawn back to pump the tank.
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There are services that use a flushable electronic transmitter that can then be found with a receiver.
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Why is the coiled white wire on a GFCI circuit breaker smaller than the branch circuit neutral? I just recently installed a 50A two pole GFCI circuit breaker that was part of a 240VAC spa panel . For 50A I was using 6 AWG wires. When connecting up this type breaker you connect the two poles of the breaker to the two hot load connections and then the neutral wire of the load also connects to the "white" marked terminal of the two pole breaker. From the breaker there is a short coiled white wire that gets connected to the neutral bus bar in the electrical box. I noticed that the coiled wire is decidedly smaller gauge that the #6 AWG wires I was using for the circuit connections. From a guess without measuring the size I would say it was 10 AWG. So here is my question. This coiled wire will be asked to carry the neutral current from the load back to the neutral bus bar. Why is it not a wire normally rated for 50A? <Q> The size of wire required to carry a certain amount of current is primarily affected by two things: <S> How much power one can afford to waste in the form of voltage drop per unit length of wire. <S> The greater the power one can afford to waste per unit length, the smaller a wire one can use by this criterion. <S> How much power one can dissipate per unit length without the wire getting unacceptably hot. <S> The more heat can be carried away, or the greater the acceptable temperature rise, the smaller a wire one can use by this criterion. <S> Normal current-carrying figures assume a conductor wrapped in a protective outer jacket and then buried in material that is thermally non-conductive but flammable. <S> Further, if a wire is short, the allowable voltage drop per unit length will generally be much higher than it would with a longer wire. <S> Thus, the normal factors which limit allowable currents as a function of size, or compel minimum wire sizes as a function of current, are less applicable for short wires in a box than they would be for longer wires in a wall. <A> It is likely #8 wire. <S> Why this is allowed is not clear. <S> #8cu THHN IS rated for 50A, but #8 NM cable is not. <S> It is most likely that this wire is rated 75 deg C so it is fine for 50A. <S> Also, the neutral is only carrying the 120V loads, and even then only the imbalance, which on a hot tub are definitely far less than the full load amperage draw since the heavy loads, such as the heaters, are 240v. <A> I believe there are different ratings by AWG for chassis wiring and power distribution, since length is a big part of ampacity. <S> I'd figure the NEC would have to do with power distribution ampacity, the UL listing would deal more with chassis wiring. <S> This jumper would be chassis wiring. <S> The neutral is only going to carry the imbalance of the 120v loads but worst case if all the loads are on one leg, it could carry the full load. <A> The breaker, baring a factory-installed conductor, is UL approved for its intentional usage. <S> The code refers to such as "tapped conductors" and in the field they are known as pig-tails. <S> While there are a lot of rules about tapped conductors, there is nothing specific about a GFCI double pole breaker in general that I can find For comparison purposes ONLY here is a code article about tapped conductors. <S> II. <S> Branch-Circuit Ratings 210.19 Conductors — Minimum Ampacity and Size A (4) <S> Other Loads. <S> Branch-circuit conductors that supply loads other than those specified in 210.2 and other than cooking appliances as covered in 210.19( A)( 3) shall have an ampacity sufficient for the loads served and shall not be smaller than 14 AWG. <S> Exception <S> No. <S> 1: Tap conductors shall have an ampacity sufficient for the load served. <S> In addition, they shall have an ampacity of not less than 15 for circuits rated less than 40 amperes and <S> not less than 20 for circuits rated at 40 or 50 amperes and only where these tap conductors supply any of the following loads: (a) Individual lampholders or luminaires with taps extending not longer than 450 mm (18 in.) <S> beyond any portion of the lampholder or luminaire. <S> (b) <S> A luminaire having tap conductors as provided in 410.117. <S> (c) <S> Individual outlets, other than receptacle outlets, with taps <S> not over 450 mm ( 18 in. ) <S> long. <S> (d) Infrared lamp industrial heating appliances. <S> (e) Nonheating leads of deicing and snow-melting cables and mats.
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A wire in free air within a breaker box would be able to get rid of heat far more effectively than one in an insulated wall, and less likely to ignite anything nearby.
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How to PROPERLY test that your smoke detectors work? I installed two new smoke detectors in my house a few months ago and have been testing them using the 'test' buttons. Today I decided to give them a more realistic test by placing a burning and then extinguished match underneath them. To my surprise neither was activated. Thinking this may not have been enough to trigger a modern smoke detector I then removed them from the wall and placed them above a large saucepan of burning paper for around 3 minutes. There was lots of smoke and the flames were only inches below the smoke detectors. Yet again, neither detector sounded an alarm. I contacted the manufacturer, and they say that this is 'normal' and that their smoke detectors are 'burned toast proof'. To me this sounds like BS. If 3 minutes sitting directly above flames and plumes of smoke is not considered enough to set the alarm off then just how alight would my house have to be before I was alerted? So, how should I properly test these smoke detectors in a way that the manufacturer cannot simply brush off? <Q> Proper test methods depend on type, as there are different technologies employed depending on model. <S> Some use a photo-sensitive element to "see" smoke, others use a radioactive element to detect products of combustion (even invisible ones), others "see" flames with an infrared detector and others detect heat. <S> You should test them exactly according to manufacturer's instructions and if they do not perform then replace them immediately. <S> Like any other consumer product, you should deal with the seller and/or supplier and manufacturer for grievances related to defective products. <S> Exercise your right not to buy crap products <S> and you will end up with reliable smoke/fire/CO detectors. <A> Not enough information. <S> Are they photoelectric or ionization type, or combo? <S> Ionization alarms generally respond more slowly to smoldering fires, and photoelectric alarms are a bit less sensitive to small amounts of particles that cause false alarms (like bacon smoke or shower steam). <S> Also various manufacturers may produce alarms of various sensitivities. <S> The "burnt toast proof" claim is fairly reasonable, esp. <S> for a photoelectric alarm, or a reduced sensitivity ionization alarm. <S> In any case there are only two valid tests: <S> According to manufacturer's instructions, or light your house on fire. <S> You will not be able to accurately test your smoke alarm using your own home-brewed methods as there are many different types of fires, and you cannot test all possibilities or know which type of fire may actually start in your home. <S> It is unlikely that any results of such a test will represent the actual behavior of the alarm in a fire (for better or worse). <S> If you are not confident in your smoke detector then it is reasonable to buy a new one from a different manufacturer. <S> It's all kind of all over the place, <S> anyways (or, some less panicky relevant info ). <S> My Kidde combo alarm trips just from sawdust from my table saw 20 feet away, but I want that sensitivity as I keep it in a room with a lot of flammable material. <S> My kitchen photoelectric alarm, same manufacturer, doesn't register unless I'm actually burning something for a while, or cooking with a lot of smoke, e.g. it doesn't care about a little bit of bacon but searing a steak gets it every time. <S> I chose these alarm types on purpose. <S> I guess it's also obligatory to point out that even the best, most accurate smoke alarm on the planet won't do you much good if it's not the correct type for the situation and/or not placed in an effective location. <A> I can't vouch for them, but there are aerosol cans of some sort of mist sold specifically for the purpose of testing smoke detectors. <S> Theoretically, following their instructions should give you a better test of the smoke detector. <S> Doing better than that probably requires a real test setup capable of producing a precisely calibrated mist or smoke. <A> Simple Testing For ionization and photoelectric smoke detectors <S> you can purchase aerosol sprays that provide the combustion products and particles typical to a residential or commercial fire which should exercise your smoke detector. <S> To do this properly, you also need an enclosure so that the concentration of particles is sufficient to trigger the alarm. <S> You can simply point and spray, but you'll end up using a significant amount of the testing aerosol per detector to trigger it. <S> Aerosol test sprays are available for CO alarms as well. <S> If you need to test such devices, contact the manufacturer for testing instructions. <S> UL Testing UL 217 defines the requirements and test methods for UL listed smoke alarms. <S> Section 38 gives a complete description of the test method, which is not easily summarized. <S> If you want to find out if your smoke alarms meet UL requirements you can read UL 217 and follow the instructions to replicate their testing. <S> UL 217 (1993) <A> I would not trust an alarm I cannot test with real fire and smoke. <S> Detector should detect fire while it is small, before whole house is in fire. <S> We have perhaps 30 years old ionization detectors. <S> Currently one of those seems to be on the table instead of near the roof. <S> It has again reacted to small amount of smoke coming from oven. <S> I guess those would react to a warm breeze from the oven door, if placed above it. <S> (If oven is not absolutely clean, it could produce very small amount of smoke.) <S> Occasional false alarm is not too bad. <S> These do not alarm without some smoke source. <S> Of course there should not be alarm every time oven door is opened. <A> They are designed to be tested by depressing the button; that's all you need to do. <S> If they're ten years old, they should be replaced.
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Lighting a fire or using aerosol spray near them will coat their sensors with smoke or other particles, and they might not work properly after that. Always read and follow the manufacturer's recommendations for purpose and placement. Heat rise detectors and other more specialized alarms require different testing techniques. Testing this is not too difficult. An enclosure and integrated dispensing device, such as the Solo 330, will allow you to test multiple detectors with one can of aerosol:
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Is it advisable to run a snow blower on a non-GFCI receptacle? Is it advisable to run a snow blower on a non-GFCI receptacle? After all, while using the machine I will always be wearing mittens and boots. Would these not provide sufficient safety? <Q> NSIS. <S> If there isn't a GFCI receptacle available, you can use a portable GFCI on whatever receptacle is available. <A> No, mittens and gloves don't provide adequate safety (insulation) because they get wet and sometimes they slip off or <S> we take them off; or sometimes you might accidentally touch the unit with an un-insulated body part. <S> It is advisable to use a GFCI protected power source. <A> This is a rather subjective question considering the array of risk factors and variance in individual tolerance for risk. <S> Most modern electrical tools are double-insulated. <S> This implies a secondary grounding mechanism in case of short to the chassis or housing of the tool. <S> That said, freak incidents do occur, and the possibility exists for you to be shocked. <S> Seeing as you're standing in a sea of frozen water when doing snow removal, it's not accurate to assume that you're fully insulated. <S> Melting snow and sweat can easily provide paths for conductivity. <S> I suggest a GFCI outlet, but I'd personally not be deterred from doing the job should one be unavailable.
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A GFCI receptacle will certainly provide more protection than mittens and boots.
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