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Remove ceiling fan/light combination replacing with a light and remove 1 of 2 switches that controlled the ceiling fan I am replacing a ceiling fan/light kit combination with a light fixture. The ceiling fan is controlled by 2 switches; one for light on/off and one for the fan on/off + 3 speed control. My desired end result is 1 switch to control a new light (replacing that switch with a dimmer switch). At the switch box: Switch on the left (light control) has red/black/ground Switch on the right (fan control) has 2 black wires; one was wired to the black lead on the switch (marked with blue tape in the picture) and the other to the red lead on the switch. At the ceiling fan: The wires are connected as what appears to be normal (no image attached): Red to fan blue White to fan white Black to fan black Ground to fan ground Yes; both switches function as expected controlling the light on/off and fan on/off/speed. Questions What switch should be used for the new light? The previous fan light control or the previous fan speed control? Doesn't matter to me which one to remove; I plan to use a blank for that. Based upon the response to question 1, what wires to use for connecting the new light (red to lights' black, white to lights' white OR black to lights' black, white to lights' white OR something else)? Knowing that I want to remove the extra switch, do I just cap those unused wires off or do they need to be otherwise connected? Thank you for helping me out! <Q> It looks like you have a pretty "normal" setup: Black <S> (hot) & white (neutral) come in from the panel. <S> Black (switched hot), red (switched hot) and white (neutral) go from the box to the fan/light. <S> What you should find, but is not 100% clear from the picture, is a wire nut connecting three black wires - incoming from the panel, light switch, fan switch. <S> Assuming you can find that connection (because if you can't then we need to figure out what is going on before doing anything else): <S> In the switch box Remove the pigtail that used to go to the fan switch. <S> Cap the other black wire from the fan switch - you won't be using it. <S> Use the existing light switch (unless you want to switch a Decora style or a smart switch) - no change needed to that switch in the box. <S> Connect the red wire to the new light's hot (typically black) wire. <S> Connect the white wire to the new light's white (neutral) wire. <S> Connect all grounds together. <S> New light ground may be green or bare. <A> It looks like you've already finished your wiring here. <S> (ignoring, for now, the dimmer). <S> The /3 cable takes fan-switched-hot, light-switched-hot and neutral up to the fan, and they've nicely made the light the red wire; that'll go on the load terminal of your new dimmer. <S> There is 1 neutral bundle back in the box, which makes it easy; keep the existing wires together and add the dimmer's neutral. <S> Normally you don't use tape to secure wire-nuts connecting 2+ wires. <S> If the wires fall out without tape, this is bad technique causing bad connections that will fail and start a fire - don't "cover this up", fix your technique. <S> Different deal when using a wire-nut on 1 wire . <S> They simply can't hang on without tape. <S> You have to use tape! <S> Here in this box, this might leave you with a pigtail to nowhere. <S> You're supposed to remove those. <A> What switch should be used for the new light? <S> It doesn't matter. <S> A switch just "makes" or "breaks" the current carrying (hot) wire to the load, so either pair of <S> hot & switched hot wires will work fine. <S> what wires to use for connecting the new light? <S> Either red to light's black or black to light's black (depending on which pair you used), and white to white. <S> do I just cap those unused wires? <S> The only thing a bit odd about this is your description of the original connections at the fan speed controller; it is not normal to see a white lead coming from a standard switch or speed control.
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In the ceiling box Cap the incoming black wire - this was for the fan and you won't be using it. Yes (except I also tape wire nuts)
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Can this valve be used for water? A water valve cracked today at my house and had to call a plumber. He replaced it with a gas valve (yellow handle). He said he uses gas valves because they are better quality. What he installed looks like this: I did a search based on what's written on it and it's tested up to 30 bars and seems it can be used for water also... but I'm still not 100% sure. Where I live, the water pressure is 3-6 atm in the pipes, depending on how tall the buildings are. Can this be used for water? Are there any disadvantages for using it for water? <Q> It is common/normal for valves to be rated for multiple service types. <S> As such, so long as it is rated/certified/ <S> locally acceptable for the type of service <S> it is in, and rated at or above the operating service pressure of the service <S> it's in, it's fine. <S> Locally, I'd be looking for a "NSF-PW" (National Sanitation Foundation - Potable Water) or one of a number of other more obscure codes indicating suitability for potable water service. <S> If it can also handle gas, I don't care, in water service. <S> The only place I might care about both would be my spare parts collection, where one valve could fix either type of service, if suitably rated for both. <S> If it makes you happier, paint the handle blue, or red, or whatever color you expect it to be. <A> In the US industrial valves are normally marked " W O G " , for water oil, gas. <S> Ninety degree turn ( on- off) valves are usually called cocks. <S> They are not very effective for throttling which is likely why they are not often used for water ( where one might want to adjust flow). <S> I often use them in water when I want an on/off operation. <S> One advantage is that looking at the handle you know if it is open or closed. <A> It could be used for water, but it is unprotected steel and will corrode. <S> That is why water pipe and fittings are usually galvanized or made of corrosion resistant materials like copper and brass.
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In gas service, I care that it can handle gas, and is suitably rated for that service, and I don't care what the water ratings (if any) are.
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Deck screws undetectable and boards are rotting I have a rotten deck, but the previous owners painted it in a Hardrock-type covering making the screws impossible to find. How should I remove the boards with this complication? Do I cut it off with a reciprocating saw or will the coating on the deck just destroy the blades? <Q> The deck screws are most assuredly made of steel which has iron in it. <S> It should be very easy to find the screw locations using a magnet. <S> I have used these inexpensive type of magnetic nail/screw locators on walls and ceilings. <S> I suspect they would work well on your deck as well. <S> (Picture Source: https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-47-400-Magnetic-Stud-Finder/dp/B0000BYD3K ) <A> I use a rare earth magnet, small one, smaller than a dime. <S> When pushing it along an area where screws may be, it will jump ahead to the screw and stop on top of it. <S> Dig out the fist one to identify what type of bit it takes. <S> Be certain you use the proper size. <S> After that is established, you may be able to set the bit over the screw without digging it out and it may displace whatever is over the screw head and engage it well enough to draw out without clearing the head first of finish. <S> It works sometimes, not all the time. <S> You also must know when enough is enough for that technique so the head does not get stripped out so much <S> the bit will not work at all after the screw head is cleared. <S> Maybe a little helpful hint for the magnet, figure a way to attach a string to the magnet so it will not fall in the gaps of the deck boards. <S> Tape may work, or get a magnet with a hole for a screw in the center. <A> Not sure how rotten your rotten deck is, but I had a similar issue, and mine was so far gone that many boards could be removed by hand without removing the screws first. <S> In some cases, I needed to use a pry-bar to get them started. <S> This technique has the added benefit that you don't need to remove the screws, which can take a long time and forces you to work in uncomfortable positions. <S> Assuming you are not intending to save any of your rotten deck boards, that's what I would try first. <A> Then I'd use a small hole saw and draw a depth line on it. <S> Use the hole saw around the screws so the boards are no longer held and can be pried up. <S> Once you've removed all the boards you are left with little pieces of deck and the screws on the surface of the joists. <S> Take a recip saw with a metal cutting blade and then just run it along the surface of the joist to remove each of the circle pieces/screws. <S> The only disadvantage here is that you end up with the screw shaft stuck in the joist, assuming you are re-using the joists for new decking you'll have to avoid the shafts - shouldn't be a huge deal.
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I'd use rare earth magnets to locate the screws.
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How do I make this wiring inside cabinet safer? tl;dr: How do I make this wiring meet code, or at least safer? The pic below is inside one of my kitchen cabinets. Once upon a time the stove was located below these cabinets, and that wire must have run to an exhaust fan (note the metal vent in the pic). The stove had been moved to another spot by the time I bought the house, but the wire is still in the cabinet and still live. When I bought the house the wire (old 2-wire NM, no ground) ran to a light fixture on the underside of the cabinet, but there was no junction box at all. Just exposed pigtails inside the cabinet. I'd like to improve things here, so what can I do, short of running a brand new wire with a ground through the wall? I figure putting the pigtails in an actual junction box would be a good place to start. I plan on staying in the house for a few more years, so I'm more concerned with safety than exactly meeting code. <Q> Old NM cable with no ground may have been "grandfathered" into an existing building, so long as you don't alter it. <S> But that would not apply here because the WAY it was done was never per code. <S> Do you really need a circuit there? <S> I would just find out where it comes from and disconnect it there, then pull it out. <S> If you DO want another circuit there, you can attach new NM cable with a ground to the end of this before pulling it out, then get an "old work box" that can be mounted into the wall properly. <S> An old work box is designed to go into a cut-out in the wall, then has "molly bolt" type fasteners that turn behind the wall and snug up against the back of it to hold the box in place (make sure you put the wire through the KO first!). <S> Once the wire is in there, you can put in a receptacle for a light, fan etc. <A> Sounds like you don't want the wire. <S> First figure out which breaker that circuit is on. <S> Turn off the breaker, see what other things go off. <S> Put a harmonic tracer on the wire, find where it junctions and disconnect it there. <S> Typically fanhoods are on a circuit with other items. <S> Once you have it disconnected in the box <S> you could cut it back to the knock out and push it through so it could never be energized again <S> then you could cut the wire in the cabinet back to where it penetrates the cabinet. <S> Or go with your plan <S> put a box with a cover and wire nuts and leave it live. <A> Be sure the box is secure, the wires is clamped in the box and the caps are left on. <S> As an extra measurement you could even cap them and then run electrical tape around them to ensure the caps won't fall off. <S> Be sure to put a cover over the box when all done. <S> Writing on the cover of what it is can't hurt either. <S> If it is on its own circuit you could even turn the breaker off after this and label in the breaker as well. <A> Meeting your request for safety, and ranked best to worst: <S> Trip and remove the breaker, replacing it with an appropriate position plug (other circuits may be on the breaker, preventing this). <S> (After temporarily tripping breaker): Thread wire into a junction box with a stress-relief connector. <S> Position the box as close to the hole in the wall as possible. <S> Re-cap the wires, wrap with electrical tape. <S> Screw to the wall and affix face plate. <S> (After temporarily tripping breaker) <S> : Wrap a few turns around the wire nuts with electrical tape, then wrap the entire NM from where the outer insulation was stripped away to and including the wire nuts. <S> As others have mentioned, there isn't a code-happy solution here. <S> However, solutions (1)-(3) will pass a home inspection when you sell the home. <S> (4) might not. <S> It will depend on the inspector. <A> Trace these wires back to where they are spliced on the branched and disconnect. <S> Remove if possible and plug holes at boxes or panels where this wire ran.
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Disconnect the wire from wherever it goes (the breaker, an outlet, etc.) and pull it out (it may be stapled, preventing this). There is nothing you can do with old wiring that doesn't meet code that will make it meet code. You may want to find what the local code says about such and follow it. I think just putting it "properly" in a metal box should be sufficient.
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How to clean cement smear from concrete? During a walkway pour some concrete residue smeared on the existing landing pad and entrance (both old concrete) causing a dirty appearance. Is there a way of cleaning a smear of concrete from old concrete slab underneath? <Q> It may act more readily on the newer concrete, but use caution and be prepared to rinse thoroughly if the outcome isn't ideal. <S> If the concrete is very new, try a water rinse along with a wire brush and some elbow grease. <A> A pressure/power washer will help the old concrete look new. <S> Typically, a 3000 PSI or greater power washer is used on concrete. <S> I have one not quite that powerful, but I used a narrow angle on the sprayer and my driveway came out looking many years newer as well as knocked off loose concrete which I think would help you resolve this problem. <A> Best method is prevention. <S> Depending on how the concrete is poured and how much water it has its splash can travel quite far. <S> Cover the neighboring regions, I would say as far as 4 feet away, with a tarp. <S> Even though a thin layer of cement is not supposed to stick, it does sometimes and looks like paint splash. <S> Protect other structures like windows, doors, etc. <S> Some remedies for removing it from concrete <S> 1- Chisel the big pieces off. <S> Wear eye protection. <S> 2- Use a brick an an eraser, <S> (There is also a commercial "concrete brick rub" you can get from hardware stores for 10-20 dollars. <S> It is a hard stone with a handle). <S> 3- Use a pressure washer (as mentioned by UnhandledExcepSean) , wear eye protection. <S> 4- Use muriatic acid, (as mentioned by isherwood) being careful that its vapors are very toxic, be ready to rinse to prevent damage to base concrete or metal. <S> It is not friendly to plants either. <S> You can neutralize it with baking soda, soda ash and lime. <S> Wear protective gloves and eye protection.
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Muriatic acid is the usual way of cleaning up cement-based products.
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Installing propane tank to gas range with strange copper pipe I am replacing a gas range and the gas line that was connected to the previous range doesn't fit into any of the fittings that came with the installation kit or directly into the range (which is how it was setup on the old range). Here are some images I took of the pipe in question and of it next to the tube that, according to the instructions, I am supposed to connect it to. Note: I believe that pipe is connected directly to the propane tank on the outside of the kitchen wall. Why is this like this? Seeing as though I can't find a setup like this anywhere online, is it safe to say that this isn't up to code? What do I need to do to connect this pipe to the range properly? Thanks <Q> I am going to "go out on a limb" as we used to say and tell you that the shiny flex gas line in the bottom picture is used for natural gas only and the copper line is the one for the propane connection. <S> Any time I hooked up a bottled gas device to a bottled gas source the tubing to the appliance was hard piped or done in flexible copper with flare fittings at the connection point. <S> Compression fittings were never allowed. <S> You will probably have to remove that shiny flex piece up to a threaded fitting, and purchase or add the required fittings to adapt the copper tubing to the device (stove). <S> The copper line looks like 3/8" OD or 1/4" ID (they are the same thing). <S> Stoves in my day, could utilize either propane or natural gas with a minimum of adjustments. <S> Yours is probably set up for natural gas. <S> If that is the case, nake sure it is changed or adjusted to the fuel you are using. <S> I hope this helps. <A> Looks like you need a 1/4 " ( copper ) male flare to 1/2 " male NPT. <A> Both ends you show are probably female (you don’t show the detail inside the nut but likely) <S> so you need a coupler. <S> I would suggest you get a qualified gas fitter to check the installation as you have so many concerns.
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To complete the installation, you may need someone that can "flare" the copper tubing (that would be a propane dealer or an HVAC company).
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Mounting TV on a weird wall that has some material between the drywall and stud So I have a strange wall construction in part of my house. I'm mounting an articulating mount, up to 55", in a stud. I took out a cable outlet and box to see the construction because I wasn't finding any studs. Starting from the room it's 1/2" drywall, 3/8" drywall, 1" foam, 2.25" actual length stud, then gap, then I think furring, then masonry exterior. I'm thinking some 4.25" lag bolts into the stud will hold, but it's so bizarre I wanted to double check. <Q> Trying to mount an articulating arm that is designed to mount to a single stud will not stand up mounted to that type of wall construction. <S> Even with long lag bolts there is just too much chance that mount will move around and cut into the drywall, become loose and make a mess of things. <S> What you should be doing is to mount a panel of good quality 3/4" plywood that is large enough to span across at least two studs with three preferred. <S> Make the height of this panel at least three times greater than the arm's mounting bracket. <S> Now you can mount the articulating arm to the plywood surface and be assured of a secure attachment that will stay tight and firm against the wall. <S> If you use flat head screws to mount the plywood they can be countersunk and then spackled over to make a nice flat surface. <A> Noooo cut the wall open to desired size back to stud install 50mm <S> x 50 <S> mm timber across studs u can put some rock wool or kingspan between the timber to replace the thermal board youv removed then screw 15mm ply to the new framing now screw 9mm plasterboard over th ply that will leave you with 5mm for a skimcoat of finnish plaster once done you will have a safe structure for your tv and a wall that looks as it should <A> Frame a square using gauged metal studs. <S> Measure the square box from the outside, then cut plywood (1/2"- 3/4") half an inch shorter than the actual size. <S> Use drywall screws to install plywood.
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Use multiple large screws to mount the plywood into place into each stud. You can sand and paint the plywood to match the wall color and it will hardly be noticable behind the TV. The hollow of the studs must be facing each other.
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How to get a flat-head nail out of a piece of wood? I have a 1/4” (~6 mm) nail that someone put in a wooden bed frame that is 1/2” (12 mm) thick.The wood is hard (not soft) and the nail is flush with the wood in some parts, actually digging into the wood in other parts. How does one get this nail out without damaging the wood too much? The only thing I can think of is to “chisel” around the nail head until I can expose it enough to pull it out. UPDATE: The nail has to come out so I can put a screw in to hold the bed frame together. <Q> This style of nail puller does a good job of pulling out nails that are flush or deeper. <S> It won't leave the original surface completely untouched, as it needs a tiny bit of clearance to get a grip on the nail. <A> Personally, I would use a nail set tool to drive it in a bit and then use wood filler and then sand after it is dry. <S> It will leave a better aesthetic than digging it out. <S> If you must remove it, blunt the tip of a nail and use that to drive the short nail all the way through and pull it from the other side once you get enough to clamp onto to pull it out. <A> I would use a tapered tool to get under the highest edge and use a plate or something to prevent any more damage to the surface while levering it out. <S> Done carefully, you can then use screws with some decorative (brass) washers to cover the damage and perhaps leave a better "look". <S> Something like : source : https://www.amazon.com/Finishing-Washer-Solid-Countersunk-Washers/dp/B07KY2B7LC <A> You can try what's called a "cats paw nail puller". <S> Used carefully, it can minimize the damage done while pulling out the nail. <S> This is a much smaller pry bar than most other pry bars and is geared towards countersunk nails. <S> Instead, and if you have access, you can try prying or hammering the pieces of wood apart. <S> Once you have a gap, you can hammer the wood back together, leaving the gap between the wood and the nail head. <S> You might even be able to completely separate the wood pieces and simply drive the nail out at that point. <S> You can pry and hammer the wood without damaging it if you use a scrap piece between the good wood and your tool, acting as the fulcrum when prying or as the target when hammering. <A> While not pretty, you can always drill nails out (or at least get the head off). <S> Be sure to use a bit made for metal drilling. <A> I think I would try a screw extractor first. <S> It's a tool that has a small, reverse-threaded, tapered screw. <S> First you drill a small hole in the head of the offending screw, and then you screw the extractor's screw into it. <S> I found this tool in the automotive tools section at Sears, and it saved me once when I was working on a car.
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For a smaller screw, and not having a screw extractor, I'd try hammering the other end of the screw with a nail set to see if I could get the head far enough out to grab with Vise Grips.
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A/C blower does not work after a power surge My outside unit works but my inside unit does nit turn on, its a bryant a/c system. On the unit it says the circuit board is built into the blower motor. The transformer buzzes. Can I replace the circuit board without replacing the blower motor? <Q> Which facts are known about that power surge? <S> Lightning stroke, switching activities in the provider's net? <S> If there is a proof of liability, it could be an insurance case. <S> A voltage surge could have destroyed the surge protectors and/or the related fuses. <S> Power has to be disconnected, line capacitors have to be discharged before any work. <S> The exchange of those most probable soldered parts should be no big issue if some basic electr(on)ic knowledge is available. <A> It could be the "start"capacitor , if that motor has one. <A> It occured to me the buzzing noise maybe condensate pump running. <S> NOises can be hard to pinpoint,check this out first.
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I Have not dealt with this exact problem,it could be the blower motor is faulty,a buzzing sound maybe locked bearings or winding fault,can not be more precise with inormation I have,Steve uk engineer best wishes.
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Does "Suitable for use in open fixtures" mean not suitable for closed? Background : I need to replace a couple bulbs in my apartment which are controlled by an "old" dimmer switch, which predates the advent of LED bulbs. My understanding is that I cannot use a dimmable LED bulb here, so I'm going for incandescent. If this is wrong , I will buy LEDs and the rest of this question is irrelevant. (previously it had CFLs, which seemed inappropriate and would flicker) Bulbs : I got "Ecosmart" dimmable incandescent bulbs from Home Depot. 43W ("60W Replacement"). Natural light (I mention this because a similar model with a different light color has very different warnings on the back, including having an internal Halogen (!) which this does not mention, though it still may have for all I know). Fixture : My fixture appears to say "660W 250V". (Does that sound right? I'm in the U.S.) so it sounds like I'm well within limits. It's on the ceiling, and it has a cover that I would describe as white and translucent, and encloses the bulbs completely. The fixture also has a silver sort of surface above the bulbs, presumably to insulate the ceiling from them. I can attach photos of either if desired. My concern is this : Among the warnings on the back of the packaging is "Suitable for use in open fixtures". However it does not say "Insuitable for use in closed fixtures". Should I infer this? Am I in a danger of fire if I use this thing with the cover on? (Guy at Home Depot thought it over and ultimately concluded it should be fine, but I want to double check) Right now I have been using it with the cover off. Thanks! <Q> I think the "660W 250V" reference is to some specific part of the fixture - perhaps the socket. <S> I find it highly unlikely that a US residential fully enclosed fixture would be rated (a) for 660W <S> - that is way too much power = <S> = heat and (b) 250V - the ratings for lighting fixtures (as opposed to switches, timers, etc.) is typically for 120V. <S> I wouldn't put a 40W or 60W (and this is in between) bulb into a totally enclosed fixture like you describe - that just does not sound like a good idea. <S> In a very quick read of the page, I didn't see a reference to a full manual, but it sounds like "open" is code for "not closed". <S> In any case, 43W dimmable incandescent makes no sense at all. <S> Incandescent bulbs are the cheapest in up-front cost. <S> But it doesn't cost much these days to get dimmable LEDs. <S> For example, these Cree bulbs also from Home Depot cost a little more but give you: MUCH lower power consumption - 10W vs. 43W <S> MUCH longer life <S> More light - 815 lumens vs. 600 lumens and specifically list enclosed fixtures . <S> About the only scenario (a bit of a stretch) where it would still make sense to worry only about the up-front cost and not about energy cost or replacement cost (both vastly lower with decent LED bulbs than with incandescent bulbs - lower energy costs and fewer replacements) is a builder who wants to put in everything as cheap as possible for profit. <S> (And even then, putting LED bulbs everywhere would let the builder advertise the "energy efficient home"). <A> The reason a lot of LEDs/CFLs are not okay in enclosed fixtures is that the heat will eventually cook the integrated electronics, causing premature failure. <S> You can visually examine the bulb for any electronics; it should be obvious. <S> That being said, damage to the fixture is also possible. <S> If your home is old at all and uses the standard sockets, the fixture was probably designed to be used with 60W incandescent bulbs, but you should still check. <S> Here, basically make sure the fixture is metal and glass. <S> Any plastic is bad. <S> In the end, of course, I would strongly recommend buying an enclosed-rated LED light. <A> What you're up against is the fixture is only rated for a certain amount of heat (before it puts too much heat on the ceiling and threatens to burn the building down). <S> The lamp should have a sticker or marking indicating maximum safe wattage (in terms of power output of the bulb). <S> This number refers to actual wattage (i.e. 43W) not the nonsense "watt equivalent" number they toss around (60) <S> -- it's high time to stop speaking of "watt equivalent", and state the correct figure -- lumens. <S> However manufacturers don't like lumens, because that means telling the truth. <S> With "watt equivalent <S> " they can fudge the numbers. <S> A 60W bulb should have 800 lumens. <S> There's nothing eco-"smart" about this bulb. <S> It's a bad old incandescent bulb, just with an internal little halogen bulb to get a tiny efficiency gain. <S> It's not even the same color (2700k) as traditional incandescents, if that's what you're into. <S> Meanwhile LED has gotten past its ugly blue infancy, and you can now buy honest 2700k LEDs that don't dazzle and look like incandescents. <S> They're not the cheapest thing in the store, obviously. <S> The 660W/250V rating is a standard rating of the edison socket component and does not apply to the lamp as aa whole.
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Based on the info at Home Depot for this bulb , this appears to be designed for "table lamp, sconce, vanity, pendant" - all of them open. Incandescent and halogen bulbs are generally okay for enclosed fixtures because even though they get a lot hotter, they don't have anything that cares about heat.
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Dimming multiple led light bulbs (parallel or in series) I'd like to install 5 dimmable led bulbs. I'm trying to find how to connect them. But I can't get a clear answer. I can get information of the benefits of wiring leds in series/parallel but none of them mention a dimmer. The question is if I should wire them in series or in parallel? And does this affect what kind of dimmer I need? <Q> Those are light bulbs. <S> You must use a dimmer intended for LED lights. <A> If you are referring to light bulbs which will be fitted to the mains they need to be in parallel. <S> Also, if one of the LEDs were to go, in parallel the rest would still operate hence why most mains equipment are fitted that way. <S> I hope that helps. <A> Mains power is a constant-voltage system. <S> As such, everything is wired in parallel. <S> Constant-current power is not unheard-of in mains wiring, however it is notoriously dangerous and as such, is used in extreme specialty applications and requires special handling <S> - e.g. shorting the output of CC transformers to keep them from trying to create infinite voltage. <S> Transformers don't have crowbar/limiting circuits like electronic supplies do. <S> Series would be a really weird thing to do, and you would need precautions against a device malfunctioning, or worse, the next occupant doing something <S> dangerously moronic <S> because he didn't understand your setup -- the latter reason is why "weird setups that require knowledge to use safely" are prohibited.
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You must connect them in parallel just like you would connect other 240V light bulbs in parallel.
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Lights are flickering on and off after accidentally bumping into light switch During the night, I accidentally bumped into my light switch, jamming it in towards itself. Now, the lights in my room will sometimes flicker on and off very quickly when after turning on the lights. My mother, who has no experience with electrical work, wants to unscrew the light switch cover and see what's going wrong. Is this safe? I'm suggesting that we call an electrician, but she wants to inspect it herself first. <Q> If you aren't completely sure which circuit it is, then either turn them all off, or double-check with a multimeter or non-contact voltage detector. <S> However, most likely you will not be able to see what's wrong with the switch because the damage will be inside the plastic housing. <S> Since basic light switches cost less than $1, I'd recommend just replacing it. <S> It's a simple task that's easy to DIY. <S> Here's one guide , or you can find a dozen others by googling how to change a light switch. <A> When you go to the hardware store for a new one, if you're presented with a choice of switches, buy the slightly more expensive one (sometimes called Preferred ). <S> Most likely you need a 15 Amp switch. <S> Here's a breakdown of what you need to do <S> Turn the light on (it doesn't matter if it's flickering). <S> Now, go to your circuit breaker. <S> Flip breakers one at a time until the light turns off (if you're lucky it will be labeled, but that's pretty rare) <S> Remove the face plate. <S> If you want to be sure it's off, use a contactless detector to verify the wires <S> are not hot (unlikely since the light is off). <S> Unscrew the switch from the box and pull it out towards you. <S> You should see 3 wires attached (one will be bare). <S> If you have more than three wires it might be best to stop and consult an electrician <S> Unscrew the three screws on the sides of the old switch (one ground, one hot and one <S> switched hot) <S> (attaches to the green screw on your new switch). <S> Make sure you get these connections tight Screw the switch into the box <S> Flip the breaker and test to make sure the switch works. <S> Replace <S> the face plate cover <S> If replacing the switch does not fix the issue, you might want an electrician, but it sounds like the switch is the culprit so this should fix the problem. <A> My qualifications; Retired C-10 (electrical contractor)A wire is loose, or switch is bad. <S> In most cases, if it arcs with the "box" or neutral or ground it will trip the breaker. <S> It is supposed to trip the breaker is the better way to state this. <S> If you don't want to call an electrician (my suggestion) then do the following- <S> Turn off ALL breakers in the house panel at the MAIN, not sub-panels. <S> If you don't know what that is, call an electrician. <S> Take a tester, most hardware stores will have these (see pix). <S> All you have to do is touch around the switch in the box, make sure no electricity is on. <S> Note- <S> there could be other wires coming through the box that is not on the same breaker. <S> If you don't have a tester or want to buy one. <S> Call an electrician. <S> No electricity, proceed. <S> Pull the switch carefully forward. <S> If the wiring is really old. <S> If the wiring is fairly new, great proceed to pull the switch out as far as you can. <S> Take white tape mark the wires where they screw into the switch; "top" "bottom" or Line and Load. <S> Electricity should be off before you do this. <S> If you see more than two wires on the switch. <S> Call an electrician - you are dealing with three or four-way or a digital timer. <S> You may see a GREEN wire soldered on the switch, it's supposed to be connected to the box as a ground. <S> In residential (mostly) green and neutral tie to the same panel bus. <S> Is ground important? <S> YES <S> and if it's not tied to the box, call an electrician <S> Ok now unscrew the wires on older switches or find a small tool to slide into the wire release on the back of the switch. <S> If you don't understand what I am saying, call an Electrian. <S> Now replace the switch with a new one and reverse this process. <S> Word of Caution most fires in homes are caused by faulty wiring practices or cooking- is it worth your life not to call an electrician. <S> Just saying. <S> Be safe and replacing a switch seems easy till it's not. <S> Peace Respect <S> Forward
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Removing the cover to look at the switch is safe IF you first turn off power to the circuit at the breaker panel. Call an electrician, messing with old dried out wire is an art. Screw the wires onto the new switch. I tend to agree with Nate: switches are cheap so replacement is the best course of action. For simplicity, try to keep them in the same location, but only the ground (bare) wire has to go in the same location
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Why is water being consumed when my shutoff valve is closed? I have a shutoff valve in the crawlspace that operates just the four outside hose faucets. Heard the water rushing last year and sure enough the water meter at the road was reflecting water usage when we weren't using anything in the house. I replaced the existing shutoff valve and it will shutoff the water to those outside faucets, but if I open it up the water is still rushing somewhere and the water meter shows usage. I have been everywhere in the crawlspace, inside the house, and the attic but can find no water coming out anywhere. The outside faucets will show a normal flow of water when I turn each on individually if I open up the valve, but no leaks to be found. Any ideas? Do I need a different shutoff valve (I am using a standard one with the red circular shutoff handle)? Any thoughts would be appreciated. I let it go until now since we weren't here for months, in case you were wondering. <Q> It's clearly NOT the shutoff valve - water is going somewhere, and the valve is shutting it off. <S> So it's doing it's job. <S> There has to be a pipe, or a branch off a pipe that is going somewhere and running water, after that valve, from what you have described. <S> Typically where water is heard and the water meter is spinning <S> but you don't see any <S> , it's going into a drain somewhere - <S> why anything tied to the "outside faucet shutoff under the house" would do that, I surely don't know, unless it is irrigation or pool related - my usual suspect inside the house (because I had one that did this occasionally, and when it kept doing it every so often after I cleaned the valves to stop it each time, finally replaced it) is a water softener, but that seems highly unlikely here. <S> Depending strongly on the pipe layout, you might get an indication of which branch is most suspect by measuring the pressure at each outside faucet. <S> Not guaranteed, but possibly one will be considerably lower than the others, and that would be the one to double-check the pipe to, for any branches you may have missed. <S> Not to mention that you'd notice it not filling with the shutoff closed. <A> To help narrow down where the leak is, you could gently heat up the various pipes (a hair dryer would work well for this). <S> Turn the the water is on, and feel which one gets colder in temperature as water goes through it, as the incoming water is probably cooler than the ambient air in your crawl space. <S> It may take a few iterations to find which of the outside faucets have a leak, but this at least would help you narrow it down a bit to at least a specific branch of your outside faucet plumbing. <A> If all your faucets are closed. <S> I find a dowel is a good tool to listen for water movement, press the dowel to the ground then to your ear, move and listen again <S> I have narrowed my search for a leaking water main from 100' to less than 2' by using this method. <S> I have even found broken pipes under concrete , kind of like a stethoscope. <S> I have found leaks in galvanized, copper and PVC in the ground.
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Many times under ground pipes have rusted, or corroded or cracked and the water is going into the earth. Toilets are the other usual one, but they tend to be more obvious as far as being seen/heard misbehaving.
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I put 2-stroke fuel in my 4-stroke mower and now it won't start My first time doing the lawn. Trying to help. Now I can't get it to start. <Q> Remove the air filter and spray a small blast of starting fluid into the carburetor. <S> It should run for a second or two. <S> If it does then the problem is the gas is most likely old/bad. <S> If it doesn't run for even a split second then you're not getting any spark which means you have an ignition problem which is most likely a fouled spark plug. <A> Not likely the problem ; it has a little oil in the same gasoline ; you may see a little blue smoke when it is running. <S> When I have been short on gas , I have added at least 50 % 2 cycle gas to my 4 cycle mower to finish the lawn. <A> I've burned off old gas and even 2-cycle in a 4-cycle motor. <S> Some tips I've found to help with this <S> Buy some pre-mix stabilized 4-cycle gas (sold in home improvement stores next to the 2-cycle pre-mix). <S> It typically has better detergents than pump gas and can help you get a bad motor started again <S> Clean your spark plug. <S> Take it off the mower and clean it with a wire brush. <S> This sometimes helps to get a better spark going <S> If you have a push primer, try doing a LOT of priming to get the newer gas into the chamber. <S> Otherwise, just keep trying to crank it. <A> It might not have started anyway this season. <S> Petrol left in the carb. <S> degrades and crystallises, so even with the right fuel, it won't start. <S> If, however, all the fuel from last year was drained out/ run till dry, it'll be the oil in the two-stroke petrol oiling up the spark plug. <S> Which will have to be removed, cleaned and dried. <S> With extremem care!
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Two stroke mix carefully drained, new petrol put in, and if possible, drain not just the tank but the carb also.
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How does a temperature regulator with a single wire work? In my office building we have a heating dial that has a single wire coming out of it. The wire is connected to some simple mechanical gadget that is in turn connected to the radiator. When the dial is turned, the gadget presses a knob on the radiator. The single metal (aluminium?) wire very thin (1mm), I don't think there is air or another wire inside it. I believe there have to be 2 wires to pass electrical current. How does it transfer turn from dial into the gadget? <Q> It's almost certainly capillary tubing with a fluid inside it. <A> Pneumatic controls were the state of the art in building management systems for decades, but hardly anyone uses it any longer because 20 years ago people started using what's called Direct Digital Control (DDC) systems. <S> Older buildings however are often not retrofitted with DDC until the old pneumatic system finally fails completely, owners will keep using it to avoid the expense of changing. <S> But DDC systems are more accurate and can often be justified by looking at energy savings. <S> It's just that some people are resistant to spending money now even if it will save money in the long run. <A> Try this; GOOGLE, Danfoss radiator valves or Honeywell thermostatic radiator valves and see if any of these valves and controllers are similar to the device that you are referencing. <S> The ones with a remote type wall thermostat or controller have a thin metal wire that has a liquid inside. <S> These devices are used to control the heat in a water or steam heating system.
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Older HVAC systems often used a pneumatic control system, so that would be a small air tube that is transmitting a change in static air pressure based on the position of your knob to a controller somewhere that interprets that change and sends signals to valves that control the flow of hot water or steam to your radiator.
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Need advice if this wiring is okay (adding outlet into a run) If I didn't live remotely and I could hire an electrician I would, but it's not an option where I live. So any help you can give, I really appreciate. Thank you. My existing wiring in my water closet has a light in the middle of a run, the wiring looks like this: I have the need to add an outlet for a water filter (uses minimal power) Is it okay to drop in an outlet into the run, before or after the light? Example wiring scenarios: or before the light: <Q> I can't tell if you are in cable or conduit. <S> Conduit is plastic or metal pipe with wires loosely added. <S> If you have an inline conduit, and you want to add a box, that is easily done. <S> However you have to pull out the wires before you begin. <S> I use this "run thru and follow it" technique when a box is getting crowded. <S> If your existing conduit is metal, stay in metal . <S> If you have cable, then you need to install 2 boxes, make good use of the existing cable run, and install new cable between the 2 boxes. <S> Alternately you can replace all the cable between the new box and the next existing box down the line. <S> The reason for this in both cases is that you need to have considerable length of wire at the box. <S> You cannot "runt" it with an inch of slack on each wire and the wire nuts crammed into the back of the box. <S> What you want is 9-10" of length on each wire. <S> The legal bare minimum is 6" past the end of the cable clamp or pipe, plus 3" beyond the wall surface, but the legal minimum is cramped to work in. <A> Where are you in the world ? <S> In the U.S. lights don't require GFCI , but everything else does, if in the U.S. you can have a light there <S> but it requires a wet or damp listing. <S> Not sure on your side of the pond from the text. <A> An outlet in a bathroom has to be on its own dedicated 20 amp circuit, but this is its lighting circuit, so <S> I think it's ok (?) <S> either way (assuming those aren't one and the same already). <S> Run a new leg from the light's box, because if you splice into a conduit, the wires wont be long enough (per code), or you'll have to run a bit of new wire to replace some of the old, and some for the new run. <S> And unless you have a wire-in-conduit conduit cutter, likely you'll have to replace the whole run from both directions. <S> Or have to pull 'em all out, which is silly. <S> Just do a new run from the closest box. <A> Since this is a dedicated outlet for a dedicated appliance, having it on the lighting circuit should be OK, but with caveats Under the NEC, an outlet intended to serve the bathroom at large either needs to be on a 20A circuit dedicated to that bathroom, or on a 20A circuit dedicated to bathroom receptacles. <S> However, to maximize the chance it will be acceptable, I would use a single receptacle instead of a duplex receptacle; that way, it's less likely someone will see it as a general-purpose receptacle outlet.
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When you put the wires back in, you will find they are too short for all you need to do, so you will need to either replace parts of the wire runs, or have the existing wire-run run right through your new box without stopping , then add an additional set of wires to the next box up or down. However, since you are installing something for the sake of fitting a specific appliance, tapping it from the lighting circuit stands a decent chance of being acceptable to the local Code inspectors. Cable is a stiff but flexible plastic jacket with several wires very tightly wrapped.
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Should the magnesium rod be removed from a water heater if a softener is used? Our water heater is less than 3 years old and I am starting to hear small particles bouncing around inside what the thing is heating up. Our old water heater never did this and was 22 years old both were gas and we have a water softener. I thought I remembered that they took out the magnesium rod on the original one since we had a softener. Is this true? Could that be the problem? <Q> If you go to a local plumbing & heating shop, many have a "cut out" of the inside of a water heater. <S> That may give you an idea of what's going on, as well as asking the dealer about the clicks & ticks..... <A> Likely the sound you hear is "bumping"; boiling in debris on the bottom of the heater. <S> A steam bubble forms in the debris then collapses. <S> The debris provides an insulating layer to prevent hot water from rising naturally by convection. <S> Flushing the heater should reduce the problem. <S> There is a valve at the bottom of the tank for flushing . <S> The heater information probably recommends occasional flushing. <S> I turn down the thermostat , connect a hose to the bottom valve , run it outside and open the valve for a minute. <A> Safe levels of drinking water are supposedly between 6 and 8.5 PH. <S> Ideally you would want between 7 and 7.5, which is almost completely neutral, not being strongly alkaline or acidic. <S> If the PH is within these ranges, it should greatly reduce the amount of wear and tear on your plumbing system. <S> The water softener may be releasing too much salt into the system which is making the water be too alkaline. <S> Alkaline water can act as an electrolyte and form a low grade battery when it reacts with the magnesium anode. <S> Removing the anode may stop the reaction, but could also shorten the lifespan of the tank. <S> The anode may need to be replaced on a regular basis to prevent the tank from corrosion. <S> The PH of the water needs to be determined to see what adjustments, if any need to be made to the softener. <S> It most likely is way too high, which is causing problems with your tank. <S> I also suggest that you also inspect the anode to see what state it is in. <S> It most likely will need to be replaced.
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The "bouncing around" that sounds like particles inside your heater is the expansion or contraction of the copper piped inside your heater.
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Repair Ceiling Hole for Round old work ceiling box I am replacing an old light that was above my sink and the box was so brittle it broke and I could not mount the new light. I removed the "new work" box and the drywall around it crumbled. Now the hole is too large for a new work box. Any ways to fix this? Really hoping I do not have to have someone come and repair a large section of drywall in my ceiling. Thank you <Q> Likely too late to be of use to OP, but for others who may come looking. <S> Look what's up there? <S> Lath? <S> Joists? <S> Cut a nice rectangular wallboard patch larger than the hole. <S> Trace its outline on the ceiling. <S> Remove plaster within the outline <S> so patch can fit in snugly. <S> Ensure that opening is wide enough to access a joist to which box can now be affixed. <S> Install box. <S> Cut opening in patch to allow sufficient access into box. <S> Attach patch - now a rectangular frame - to ceiling structure. <S> Apply joint compound and finish <S> I'm in the midst of a repair where I'm stripping plaster off lath and will then glue and screw my patch in place. <S> I can update once I'm done. <A> That light fixture was too close to the wall anyway. <S> There are boxes that can be screwed right into the joist from below the ceiling (look for Madison Electric Products Fan and Fixture 1-Gang Gray Polycarbonate New Work/Old Work Standard Ceiling Fan Ceiling Electrical Box). <A> Your box should be mounted to that and not really have anything to do with the drywall. <S> Mix <S> a little mud up, probably a thicker consistency for the ceiling, and mash it around the edges to fill in the gaps after the box is installed. <S> so I wouldn't even bother patching it. <A> They make a octagon box ,that has a bracket to mount to the box. <S> Also code states ,only a 1/8 gap may only be around box . <S> Fix the drywall around box, and look for a light with a bigger mounting base. <S> The base will help cover the repair ,if it does not blend in well
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Patch the old hole with a self-sticking drywall patch, then mount a new box to the joist about 8" further away from the wall. And honestly, your new light is likely to cover up the edges of that hole anyway It looks like there's a joist running alongside the hole, as I would expect.
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Running romex in 20" attic space using pipe hangers My drywall ceiling is attached to 2x6 joists 16" OC. Then, a 10" air gap above these joists are the 2x6 rafters 32" OC, for my flat roof just above. Even though the home is 1955, I have knob & tube throughout this attic space which I'd like to replace. Also, I'd like to improve the current insulation which is blown-in cellulose only about 4" deep (you can see the ceiling joists if I pop my head up). I'm thinking of installing some 3" pipe hangers such as below, on the underside of the rafters, to help with running 12/2 NM-B romex cables for now and in the future. I'd put one above the light fixture and one near the attic access hatch (for each room). QUESTIONS: Is there a better/standard option rather than these pipe hangers toaccomplish my goal? Am I overthinking this and I should just let the romex be buriedby the new/additional blown-in insulation? Pic of my "attic" Footnote: The new wire which replaces the k&t will be run from the basement below, where the main panel is, and only switch-to-light wires will be in the attic. And I'll leave the old k&t in place, but disconnected. Footnote 2: I'm very tempted to completely rip off the ceiling drywall and do batt insulation or spray foam, but I fear the cost/time will be prohibitive. <Q> As mentioned in a comment, those are not listed to be used for electrical cables. <S> If you are just running one cable in one run, just use regular NM cable staples like these: If you are running multiple cables and would like to save some time, you can use "stackers" like these: <S> If you added another 2x4 to the side of the members that run perpendicular to your joists, you could also just use that as a raceway and run your cables in there. <S> Edit: To answer the second part of your question, it will be fine for the cables to be in the blow-in insulation. <S> If you think you will be doing lots of work up there and changing things around later, you might to have the cable up higher <S> so you can find them easier later. <S> But that is personal preference. <S> You may also want to look at this question , it goes over the requirements for additional protection if the cables are in an accessible attic (vs one without access). <A> If you want future-proof, run conduit <S> You simply need to comply with conduit rules, which can be a bit tricky since it's not normal to run cables through conduit. <S> Four cables (circuits) per conduit, no more. <S> It's a pain to pull it through. <S> Individual THHN wires are much easier, but you're not allowed to unjacket cable to run it through conduit. <S> (the inner wires aren't rated for it/tough enough). <S> Very large conduit. <S> When running cable through conduit, it counts the same as a wire of the larger (wider) dimension, i.e. 0.4" diameter for #12-2 NM-B. <S> So something like 1-1/4" conduit should be good for most stuff <S> (two or more #10s might exceed it, as might wide, narrow UF). <S> If you need the gory details, look at the width (wider dimension) of the cable (wireandcableyourway.com has that detail), and punch that into a conduit fill calculator, as a "custom wire size". <S> For "number of wires", put the number of cables. <S> That is fine, but it isn't technically "wiring in conduit". <S> That means for instance you can't use THHN individual wires. <A> I'd go with a "stacker" or "tree" style of NM holder <S> If I was trying to provision for the future in your situation, but a full conduit system (vs. cables in conduit) was out of the question, then I would use a "stacker" or "tree" style of NM holder that nails to the bottom of the joist and spaces the cables apart in its clips, such as the Bridgeport <S> NMWH-43 depicted below.
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If you don't do conduit all the way from panel to destination , then you are simply using conduit as a cable protection method. (P.S. a short space under a flat roof, like yours, is called a cockloft much of the time)
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Is it safe to clamp an angle grinder and bring the work to the tool? I’ve got a hand-held angle grinder (Makita LXT, 5”).I’m using a wire brush in it to finish a long thin bit of steel (rectangular profile, about 3ft long, 5x15mm tapering to 5x5mm - it’s a sword blade, but it’s not sharp, so that’s probably not relevant) It’s proving difficult to clamp the workpiece as it’s very thin. (Before everyone suggests ways to clamp it - I’ve got a metalwork vice, but I’ve not got anywhere to fit it outside where I use the grinder, so I’m using g-clamps. Also clamping round the part I’m working on means the grinder is mainly in contact with the clamp, which wastes effort and makes controlling the grinder harder. It’s difficult to grind beyond where it’s clamped as it resonates. So the most effective method has been clamping either side of the part I’m working on, but this is difficult). I think it’d be easier if the grinder was fixed, and I brought the work piece to the grinder - I’d be able to hold it either side of the part I’m working on, and to feel the movement of the workpiece and compensate. However, I’m conscious that this isn’t what the tool was designed for, but I know bench grinders do exist (I don’t have a bench grinder), and I think they give more control (which i presume is why they’re used for sharpening knives etc). Is this approach safe? If so, are there any precautions I should take? <Q> I do not think anyone should recommend that someone try clamping an angle grinder to a table rather than buying the correct entry-level tool (a bench grinder). <S> The jig likely requires wood or steel working tools where you would have already had a bench grinder in your shop for years before buying the tools required to make a jig to clamp an angle grinder. <S> To outline the risks: Basically, if the grinder comes loose while you are working with your fingers next to it, then your fingers are instantly a mangled mess either by the blade or by getting them crushed in the spindle. <A> I have a cheap angle grinder, and clamping it would be a pain. <S> However, it came with a screw-in handle and holes on 3 sides. <S> I have quite often put the grinder up against some other surface (my welding table, or a set of metal sawhorses I have) <S> that has a convenient hole, screwed the handle through the hole, and then tightened the crap out of it. <S> It never comes loose <S> and I've never had any issue with it moving. <S> (The entire sawhorse walking around is a different issue.) <A> Safe? <S> Probably not the safest. <S> Should you do this? <S> Probably not, and if you do, do it at your own risk. <S> I don't know what grinder you have, but the biggest risk here is to have something caught in the wire brush, like your clothes. <S> To be safer, you should use a grinder that the ON button has to be held down in order for the grinder to work, rather than a SWITCH that stays ON or OFF. <S> This way, you can clamp the button as well for example, so in case the grinder falls, or perhaps even moves, it shuts OFF. <S> If you have to do something stupid, you have to think it through as much as possible. <S> That being said, I have done this. <S> Its one of those things you do because you have to but would never recommend to anyone. <A> Since you ask about precautions: If you mount the grinder get some heavy leather gloves, I have lost skin a few times even with gloves on while using a bench grinder when the wire wheel grabbed the part and pulled my hand into the wheel , if I would not have had gloves on the damage would have been severe. <S> The biggest problem is you won't have a platform to support the blade, it still may be workable just make sure not to let the leading edge of the piece get caught in the wheel only work the bottom 1/2 surface , flip and then the half, turn end for end and repeat, don't use much force and keep your hands away from the wire wheel. <S> These are the precautions I try to observe on a wire wheel in a bench grinder. <A> Is it safe? <S> No, not really. <S> Have I done it myself? <S> (Didn't have a bench grinder on hand) <S> Though not recommended, if you are going to do this be careful. <S> Wear some thick leather gloves in case something does slip loose. <S> I used my welding gloves. <S> (I shouldn't need to mention eye protection) <S> Mind how much pressure you're putting behind your work piece on the grinder as to not dislodge it from the vise. <S> That grinder could be spinning from 10-15k rpm and would make your skin look quite messy.
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While clamping an angle grinder to a table could probably be done, the effort and skill required to make a clamping jig that reliably holds an angle grinder in place is high and the risks of doing it wrong are even higher. Yes, as a metal worker in the army.
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Concrete or mud pad below two layers of tile in bathroom. Not sure what it is and whether to demo it? I recently started renovating one of our bathrooms. After removing a few tiles there was a second layer of tile beneath. Below the second set was a concrete/mortar base that is ~1.5 inches thick and has broken in a few places to reveal sand inside. According to my research this is an older style of base for laying tiles. The house is from the early 60s so that lines up. However I have not found much info beyond that. I am wondering whether I can put tile back down on top of it and how. Additionally there are a few cracks where the top came off while removing tile and revealing the sand beneath. Most are small but one is larger. Would this require a complete demo of the mud base? Can I patch it with concrete or something similar? The big hole is by my kids step stool in bottom right, it is about 5-6 inches at it's longest. <Q> it is probably old mud that was used back in the days, now we remove the old mud and build it back up with the concrete board to where you need it to be, screw it down and glue your tile down. <A> I'd just rip it all out, lay down some new floor sheathing then cement board on top of that. <S> Slap your mortar down and start sticking tile. <S> It might sound like a bit more work than just patching a few holes <S> but you already have the floor ripped up may as well finish the modern approach. <S> From the pics, it's hard to see a 1.5" depth in that stuff. <S> If the rest of the floor feels solid, I think you could get away with just patching it with your thinset to level it out if you really don't want to do the extra demo work. <S> Given the thickness, maybe even smooth out the spots and let it sit a day or so before starting to lay the tile. <A> The mud bed is usually a cement and sand mixture. <S> If it is mostly stable, you can fill it in with thin-set or grout. <S> Although, if the hole is a half inch deep or more you will want to use a solid patch, cut to fit in the hole.
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Clean the hole, coat the bottom with thin-set, insert solid patch ( tile, cement board, etc.), Flash over with thinset, let dry before installing tile. if it is really Sandy and crumbling, I would recommend removing it.
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Are These Ceiling Stains From Cigarette Smoke? We purchased a home recently and there is a lot of discoloration on the ceiling of the living room. Can someone tell me based on the photo below, if you can tell what would have caused these stains? The prior residents were chain smokers so I'm figuring that's in but I don't understand why the staining wouldn't be consistent. I had planned to just paint over them but wanted to run it by, hopefully someone with more stain experience that could tell me it's not some kind of water stain or mold before I did so. Could someone out there help me based on this photo? Thanks! <Q> My grand parents smoked in there home for years, when my grandfather passed we painted the house so my grandmother could sell it, a long story short washing with tsp trisodium phosphate, and painting the brown tar made it through the paint 3x coated we ended up repainting with a schellac based sealer then repainting this finally solved the bleed through problem. <S> You will want to seal the surface not just prime zinsser makes one that I have used since then many times with no bleed through. <A> If above it is a roof or a bathroom, I'd wait to see if it gets any worse. <S> Then I'd paint it, after fixing the roof or the bathroom. <S> It doesn't matter what it's from unless it's a continuing issue. <S> What's up with that far corner...? <S> Bad siding? <S> Roof leak? <S> (clean the gutters while you're up there ;) <A> The ceiling may not even been painted. <S> Look for that. <S> Seen guys do popcorn ceiling with paint added . <S> Spray on and a second coat never put on. <S> And the old owners let it go. <S> It may never had a good primer and they added sprayed on unprimed drywall. <S> Or if that has a vapor problem. <S> No plastic or insulation upside down paper should be facing heated area. <S> Not paper facing up. <S> Is that a one floor house or attic above? <S> Does not look like water stains at all, would look much worse. <S> And you seem to post a lot about cigarette smoke. <S> They would be brown or tea stained the whole way. <S> Feel the walls - you can feel the tar on them. <S> And they may have put in new carpet and left old pad, seen it done.
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If I saw new work on the roof/siding, I'd roll the dice and just go ahead and paint. Rugs and carpet pad takes on smoke.
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Replace Circuit Breaker on Split Bus Panel I want to add a 50 amp 220V circuit breaker to my split bus panel to supply a welder. I have two options. One option is to use the empty slot (blue arrow) or replace the spare 220v breaker that is currently not doing anything (red arrow). If I understand correctly, both options will keep me in compliance with the 6 throw rule. The "problem" is that both option are above the split (dashed green line) and are always hot because I don't have a main disconnect. My questions are (1) how do I replace these circuit breakers safely and which option would be better (red arrow or blue arrow). Thanks. <Q> 6 of one, half dozen of the other on the red or blue arrow issue. <S> You can plug a breaker in hot (assuming you know the proper safety precautions). <S> I would probably swap out the unused one, just because the panel cover would not need to be altered (I'm lazy). <S> If you are uncomfortable working on live equipment, you can ask the utility to disconnect you (pull the meter). <S> Generally that means they come out and do it one day, then come back and put it back in the next day. <S> SOMETIMES you get lucky and they do it faster, but you can't count on it, so be prepared to have no power for a day. <S> If you have one of the new "Smart Meters", they often have a remote disconnect capability so the utility simply sends it a signal to disconnect or reconnect, so it can be just minutes. <A> It really dose not matter as they are both connected to the service. <S> The way I have always worked on panels is to always turn the breaker OFF prior to removal or installing. <S> Many modern machine controll center "buckets" require the breaker to be OFF to install or pull the bucket. <S> I have seen breaker contacts melt where the breaker was not turned off and the electrician kept trying to snap it in, he ended up ruining that breaker and that position on the panel. <S> I have never had a problem with the breaker turned off. <S> As far as the comment on the single pole in the top it is still only 6 <S> so it would be legal as long as the top right is left unused. <A> I would insert a breaker in the top of a split bus panel with the new breaker off. <S> Then connect the two wires, then replace the dead front and only then turn on the breaker. <A> With either position, you have two choices With a "rule of six" service panel like this, you have two options for installing/replacing breakers in the service section: <S> Work it "hot" as Ed Beal describes, with <S> the breaker-under-installation turned OFF as <S> bus stabs/breaker jaws are not load break rated. <S> Likewise, if you are removing a breaker from the service section, you will need to turn it OFF before removing it. <S> This is the safer approach, provided you can tolerate the power outage for the duration of course. <S> It's also surprisingly practical: in today's smart-metered age, most electrical utilities will cut power to your house during business hours without charge. <S> Simply call your utility on their customer service number during normal working hours and they should be able to walk you through the process. <S> Other issues <S> The presence of the single-pole breaker in the service section is fine for the moment as you are not exceeding the six-throw limit on service disconnecting means, even with the added welder breaker. <S> However, as far as I know, Siemens (ITE/Gould) breakers were never labeled to accept two wires under a lug, so that double tap on the 20A single pole breaker needs to be fixed. <S> Simply turn off the breaker in question, remove the wires from it, install a short length of #12 wire on the breaker to serve as a pigtail, wirenut the two wires you removed from it to the pigtail, and turn it back on again. <S> (Anyone who complains about wirenuts in panels should go read the current version of NEC 312.8(A) as it was rewritten to dispel prior confusion on the subject.)
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You could check the breaker with a VOM before inserting it to insure that it is truly off. Have your utility cut power to your house for the duration of the work.
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How to move building material, including large timbers, onto my property? I'm trying to build a small house on my rural property. I'm trying to use a building kit, which is delivered normally by a series of 18-wheelers. It includes large timbers, such as six 6x8 x 14ft treated posts (over 140 lb each) and dozens of 2x10s 10 feet long and longer. Plus pallets of roofing steel. And I'm only one person - having someone to help isn't impossible, but it may be difficult. I'm up a roughly half mile gravel private road and a 250 yard gravel driveway, the latter being kind of hilly, narrow, and winding. There's no chance that the 18-wheeler will go up the driveway, and it may not go down the private road. My assets include a 4x4 pickup truck with lumber racks and some block and tackle type equipment. I also can potentially rent heavy equipment, though that has difficulties. I was thinking possibly something like this might be practical: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200673741_200673741 <Q> I would get a flatbed trailer. <S> The rig from northern tool is great for logs but your metal roofing won't work with that and usually when I have roofing delivery it is 20' sheets <S> so a pickup is not the best choice either because of the length, however a flatbed trailer can handle both lumber, and the metal roofing. <S> I made side boards for my flatbed and have hauled loads of bark mulch saving delivery costs. <S> As a possible future use for the trailer, or sell it once the house is finished. <A> I have move Material just like this for the same reason when building using a truck and trailer are a farm Tractor and trailer, on some jobs I have used a helicopter. <A> "A series of 18-wheelers" sounds like a significant amount of material to be moved. <S> The loaders can be equipped with pallet forks and the mini-ex can be equipped with a thumb or lift objects with a sling. <S> All of these can be used for hauling heavy building materials directly, or they could be used to transfer the materials from the delivery truck to your own trailer and then from your trailer around the construction site. <S> Equipment pricing varies regionally and seasonally, but you may be able to find something suitable for US$15k-$20k (used). <S> The equipment could be resold when the job is done.. but be prepared that you may fall in love and want to keep it. <S> ;-) <S> In a rural area it wouldn't be surprising for one of your neighbors to already have such equipment; you might also consider negotiating for their assistance.
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If you can afford to float the money seriously consider buying some compact equipment such as a skid loader, a regular front-end loader, or a mini excavator.
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How to size a whole house fan? I'm in the middle of a home addition and am thinking about adding a whole house fan. The finished size of the house will be about 2000 square feet - approx 1500 on the main level, and 500 on a lower level. I'm currently looking at the Quiet Cool Line of fans. My question: How do I size the fan? Is the relevant number to use the total square (really cubic footage, but the marketing material usually uses square) footage of the house, or just the upstairs square footage? Seemingly it would just be the upstairs square footage, since the downstairs warm air would be rising anyway. Or is there some other criteria I should be using? <Q> When I sized the ventilation (with heat recovery) for the house we built, I used numbers based on the replacement rates for the activities in each room combined with the number of people. <S> So, bedrooms tend to have the lower requirements, kitchens etc highest. <S> We had extraction in kitchen / bathroom and input in bedroom / living areas etc <S> The unit we fitted, that was designed to run 24/7, was a unit <S> 2ft * 2ft * 1ft deep. <S> We also took the opportunity to bring the inlet air underground for 100 feet to help mitigate the summer high and winter low temperatures of the air. <S> We used this supplier : https://www.stiebel-eltron.com/en/home/products-solutions/information-engineering/ventilation-systems.html <S> Have a look at this link as that will give some relevant values: Room air changes <S> Once you have the total amount of air to move, then you can work out the amount per hour and from that the fan size needed. <A> I did this about 40 years ago <S> and it worked quite well. <S> I "GOOGLED" Graingers and got these model numbers: <S> Fan- <S> Item # 1LXN7 30" 2 speed belt drive fan and Item 4C225 a 30 inch blow open multi louver vent. <S> A 24" would have been too small and a 36" would have been too large. <S> This fan worked well for me until we got whole house A/C. <S> We still used the fan in the milder months. <S> Hope this helps. <A> You might to look at an ERV or HRV depending on your climate. <S> One of the best is the Zehnder. <S> The passive house standard where you build a really good airtight house and rely on mechanical ventilation recommends a total house ACH of .33. <S> As other posters mentioned the rates vary between the rooms. <S> To properly figure out the ACH as you've noted you use cubic feet (square feet likely assumes average ceiling heights and will probably get you close enough that the fan works). <S> ERV/HRV has the added benefit of capturing the conditioned nature of your air and recovering 90% it <S> but they are more expensive and harder to install. <S> If you want something cheap and easy go with your whole house fan. <A> The guidelines I've seen (Dayton?) figure the cubic footage of the living area of the house (sum of all room & hallway height <S> * width * ceiling height) <S> , then multiply that by 30 (assuming an air change every 30 minutes), divide by 60. <S> That will give you a suggested CFM capacity for the fan. <S> It'll be most effective if you can have air intake at the lowest level and at the extreme ends of the house on the larger upper level. <S> Also check your attic ventilation to make sure the air can get out. <S> Divide the fan CFM rating by 750 to get <S> sq ft of net free vent area (NFVA) needed. <S> If your attic is ventilated to the 1:150 standard, that's probably enough. <S> If it's ventilated to the 1:300 standard, or less, you'll need to look at adding more. <S> The Quiet Cool fans are very quiet, but very expensive. <S> A much cheaper way to get the same effect is to suspend the fan from the roof joists on nylon webbing (at least 18-24", preferably 1.5x blade diameter or more below the roof deck), then use rubber backed carpet to make a tunnel from the fan to the ceiling louver. <S> (Make sure to seal it airtight at both ends to draw air from the house, not from the attic.) <S> This isolates the fan so it doesn't vibrate the interior walls and ceiling. <S> Doing this cut the noise directly under my fan from 92db to 65db, quiet enough I can have a quiet conversation directly under it and can't hear it at all from 2 rooms away. <A> Having had 4 whole house fans, I would say the most important factor is noise; a belt drive is the most practical way to reduce noise. <S> I presently have a 24" belt drive which I always use on "Lo" speed for a 2500 sq ft house giving very high air flow, so size is not very important. <S> Another fallacy is central location ; my fan is in a corner of the house and air flow is easily controlled by opening windows in various locations. <S> My first fan was a Hunter which was excellent, I don't remember the names of the others so, not much difference as long as they are belt drive.
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As others have suggested, if you're going for a high efficiency, airtight house an ERV/HRV would be better, but if your house is at least 10-15 years old it probably leaks enough that a house fan would be more cost effective. In my previous house which was about the same size as yours I installed a whole house fan that I bought from Graingers.
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Fridge started intermittently tripping GFCI after fan motor replacement Our fridge showed symptoms of evaporator fan motor dying. The bottom of the fridge was cold but the air was not circulating in the freezer and fridge. Then the water dispenser stopped working. I was about to give up but after an overnight shutdown, the water dispenser started working. I realized that the cold bottom of the freezer must have frozen the water lines. I had more confidence that the evaporator fan motor is faulty. The fridge is side-by-side Fisher & Paykel that came with the house, never again! When I opened inside of the freezer, I realized that there has been a previous repair of the evaporator fan motor. It was one of those hermetically sealed ones with no ground connection. When I opened sealed plastic casing, the circuitry inside was burned with a terrible smell! The replacement fan motor has three connections including a ground connection tab. Before putting in the new motor, I measured the resistance between the two terminals and then the ground vs two terminals. The ground connection was open as expected. Since the previous motor had no ground connection, I split the green ground wire going to the chassis of the freezer and connected that to the ground of the motor. The fridge is working now in terms of cooling but it has tripped the GFCI twice within the last 16 hours. We had no GFCI issues before. Some current must be leaking to the ground possibly from inductive loading from the fan. Any suggestions? How critical is to ground the fan motor? The fan motor chassis is practically isolated, it's not touching any metal parts. Thanks. Update: It's been ~30 hours since the fridge last tripped the GFCI! It tripped the GFCI twice before after five and twelve hours after the fix. The fridge was at room temperature after the fix. So maybe there was something related to the fan motor while the fridge was working continually to get to the target temperature. Maybe condensation build up created a path for some charges find their way to the ground connection. <Q> Most of the refer fan motors I have replaced have been shaded pole, the coil on 1 side, these are fairly safe because if the motor freezes up (pun intended) they do not overheat like some motors do. <S> Without a ground if there is a problem the fan may have 120v on its metal parts but <S> if it is isolated I don't see a problem, I have seen shaded pole motors produce enough EMF or kickback that would trip a GFCI in some cases changing brands solved the problem, I am lucky my state allows for fridges to Not have GFCI , so if changing brands did not work I put in a non GFCI outlet. <A> Remove Fridge From GFCI <S> Tell you the fire pump story. <S> Doofus maintained a fire pump, and said "Wow, this $100,000 Cat engine doesn't have any protection against low coolant, low oil, etc.!" <S> So Doofus added that A fire started, and $200 million in inventory went up in smoke. <S> "What happened, Doofus!" <S> He proudly declared that he saved the company $100,000, because the engine didn't destroy itself putting out the fire. <S> GFCIs on refrigerators are exactly like that . <S> A GFCI trip on a fridge can spoil food and make people sick . <S> Some say the chef should notice, hired hired $12/hour " <S> care"givers <S> feed children and elderly people whatever food they find in the fridge without ever tasting it. <S> Or the fridge is on a shared circuit where someone may have reset it because something else also tripped, and never noticed the fridge is on there too. <S> The food rechills, and nobody's the wiser that bacteria has run rampant. <S> GFCI on a fridge is useless. <S> You're not going to knock a refrigerator in the sink. <S> You're not going to get zapped by touching its chassis <S> (it's grounded ). <S> It'd be nigh impossible for curious fingers to get anywhere near the electrical apparatus in the bottom back. <S> There is nothing electrically exposed. <S> There is no earthly reason for GFCI on a fridge, and in fact, Code exempts refrigerators even in places everything else needs GFCI, like basements and garages. <S> So get that fridge off GFCI right now. <A> This is a common problem with fridges. <S> Condensation forms on surfaces that allows for leakage current sufficient to trip a GFCI. <S> that's probably why your old one didn't have a ground connection <S> , it was probably "double insulated" so it was not required. <S> Are you in the US? <S> (use of the term "GFCI" usually means US or Canada). <S> In the US, if you have an outlet behind the fridge dedicated to only the fridge and is not accessible to countertops etc., you are not required to have a GFCI on it. <S> I don't know if it's the same in Canada.
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If your circuit is wired with one GFCI device protecting a whole string of outlets, and the fridge is at the end of the string, it may be necessary to fit independent GFCI receptacles at each location (except the fridge), using LINE terminals only and leaving the warning tape on the LOAD terminals.
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What Kind of Wooden Beam is this My wife and I recently purchased our first home. We'd like to make a flattened area in our backyard (which is somewhat sloped) for a firepit.My thinking was to dig out a shallow area and fill it with gravel, then place the firepit on top (similar to the picture above)What I'm unsure of is how to safely contain the gravel without it spilling over. I was imagining some kind of retaining wall thing. This picture clued me in on these wooden beams, which I like the look of and I would expect are less expensive than building a stone retaining wall (probably more practical too). The Question: What are the wooden beams called in this picture? Bonus Question(s): Do you see any issue with using these wooden beams to contain the gravel? Would you expect these Beams to last several years or would you expect them to deteriorate quickly? Any insights would be greatly appreciated. BTW, if my question needs to be edited in someway, let me know and I'll edit it ASAP. <Q> "Landscape Timber" or, sometimes, "used railroad tie" - but "landscape timber" is what you'll find at most typical lumber suppliers. <S> They will typically last several years - if well pressure-treated, longer. <S> It's hard to know if they are really well pressure-treated until they start failing <S> and you look at a calendar to figure out how long it's been. <S> Concrete "fake stone" retaining wall blocks will last longer, generally speaking. <S> So which costs less depends on how long a time you are considering when judging the total cost. <S> You probably want a geotextile fabric layer between the soil and the gravel to keep the gravel from migrating into the soil over time. <A> The answer is RAILROAD TIES. <S> The railroad will change the ties on a regular basis. <S> They are impregnated with creosote and as a result they are very heavy . <S> In Alaska the railroad will give the old ones away for free occasionally. <S> I have built retaining walls with them. <S> For the purpose of your fire pit area they are cheap and they work, if you do not care about the creosote. <S> Some are in better shape then others. <S> Treated 6x6 or even 4x6 timbers would also work. <S> There are more options for this <S> then i care to list here. <A> Those are railroad ties <S> They are used in the track bed of railroad track. <S> They are typically either 6"x8" or 7"x9", and 8' long (your photo does a good job of hiding the joints). <S> They weigh 150-200 pounds. <S> They are heavily laden with creosote preservative, so you won't be doing any organic gardening near them... <S> And using them in a sandbox or around kids is questionable. <S> They will have a mottled appearance from transferring the weight of railroad trains onto the jagged 2" cut stone ballast used in track beds. <A> Residential Developer-railroad ties.... <S> these are used all across the US for this and other secondary purposes. <S> You will not find these at box suppliers like HD or Lowes.
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The timbers in your photo are Railroad Ties.
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How to isolate heat from oven towards refrigerator? While trying to take minor steps towards reducing the electricity consumption at our home, on an online forum (sorry can't recall the original source) I read that if the oven and the fridge are close to each other, the heat from the oven will make the fridge work harder and therefore use more energy -- this make immediate sense to me! At home we have a setup where these two devices are close to each other, and there is no good isolation from the oven towards the fridge. What is the best way that I can isolate the heat radiating from the oven? I thought of using styrofoam between the two devices, other suggestions included a big metal (steel) plate? Any other alternatives? What's best? <Q> Consider, though, how long the payback would be to the investment ROI): how often does the oven run, how much does it raise the temperature of the side of the 'fridge, and how much does electricity cost? <S> From the environmental standpoint, consider the energy used in fabricating a sheet of aluminum, and how much energy is saved. <S> For safety, do not apply insulation in a manner that would cause more heat to accumulate on a wall behind or next to the oven. <A> I would NOT recommend anything that melts, burns or gives off nauseous gases. <S> Like Styrofoam. <S> If you feel you need to do something like this I would recommend something like a welding blanket. <S> They are fairly inexpensive and can be found in most hardware stores that have welding supplies. <S> Now all you have to do is figure out how to frame it up to fit between you appliances. <S> Another material could be fiberglass insulation with fire resistant backing. <S> Regardless, I am hoping this helps to point you in the right direction, good luck. <A> I think the stovetop will be more of an issue than the oven, as the element is exposed directly to the fridge. <S> You can try touching the side of the fridge when the oven is on, and when the stovetop is on to compare. <S> I would recommend preferring the burners on the side of the stovetop away from the fridge; this is a simple improvement that doesn't cost money. <S> As for more permanent solutions, I don't think there's any good ones. <S> You may be able to move cabinets around depending on your exact setup, but probably not. <S> (Cabinets can be unattached then moved, but countertops can't be easily split, plus you need connections for the stove, and an outlet for the fridge.)
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A metal sheet, suspended between the surface of the stove and the fridge, would be safest, simplest and cheapest.
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Can I use a Sharkbite on a running pressurized pipe? My main water shutoff valve no longer turns, and getting the city to come and shut water off at the curb is a bureaucratic hassle. I'd therefore like to install a valve without being able to shut off the water to the house. My thought is to cut the pipe downstream from the existing valve and install a new valve there, then use the new valve as the shutoff for the house. Is it possible to install a Sharkbite (or other push-to-connect) valve on a pipe that is fully running? I assume I'd get pretty wet, but is there any reason why this wouldn't get the job done? The water line into the house is 3/4-inch copper. <Q> Assuming this is inside your house, don't even think about it unless you are prepared to clean up the mess from water a couple of inches deep on the floor (and getting into the rest of the house under the doors, etc), and spray all over the walls. <S> If you have never tried this before, expect the jet of water to knock things out of your hands, so the job takes even longer while you are wading around in the flood trying to retrieve them! <S> You don't say what country you are in, but in the UK you should be able to find the shut-off valve on the curb and close it yourself. <S> It's not clear why you need a contractor to do it for you. <A> If you have access to a length of pipe prior to where you want to fit that connector <S> then there are systems available to freeze a section of pipe. <S> But you have to make sure no water is used downstream while you are trying to freeze that section (usually 6 or so inches) <S> otherwise it keeps moving warmer water into the section you are trying to freeze... <A> I'd say no, not a chance in my opinion. <S> City water pressure will flood you and spray hard once you cut that pipe. <S> You need the water shut off. <S> From my experience with much lower pressure fitting failures and unsuccessfully trying to push a fitting back on to a running pipe. <A> If you can let the water run through the pipe while you press in the fitting. <S> First install a valve on the fitting you want to install, leave the valve open so the water runs through. <S> Push the fitting on then shut off the valve you had previously installed. <A> There are 3 possible solutions that you can choose from. <S> You can opt for as @solar mike said and freeze the line. <S> I used shaved dry ice in a towel wrapped around the pipe. <S> this method is great but you must use caution to protect your self from the extremely cold dry ice. <S> It can give you frost bite almost instantly. <S> If you know someone that has done this ask him for help. <S> They also sell freeze kits that can be purchased. <S> The 2nd way is to just cut the line and install a valve that you can shut off once you shove it onto the line. <S> This will make a big mess and could flood your home if something goes wrong. <S> I have also done this many times using compression ball valves or gate valves. <S> I did this once at a college and me and the "head of maintenance" got very wet and it made quite a mess. <S> #3 solution, go buy a curb box wrench and turn the water off yourself. <S> However, if any thing breaks it will probably be at your expense. <A> I watched a water dept tech change the main ball valve at our meter. <S> He had a special internal closure device (v.i.) that allowed doing this without a geyser. <S> He said the device will not always work and techs must be able to change the valve with the water on, but it is difficult. <S> He said whichever way it is done, if something goes wrong a heavy metal part can be propelled out with tremendous speed, and this has happened. <S> EDIT IIRC the internal closure device worked like this: <S> With the city valve in the closed position the device is fastened to the stub pipe on the valve and then the valve is opened. <S> The device has a plunger that can be driven through the now open city ball valve into the pipe beyond and then expanded against the walls of the pipe. <S> The city valve can then be replaced with a new one and the process reversed. <S> I asked what would happen if the internal closure device suddenly gave way <S> and he replied that it had happened and the part was later found in an alley 120 ft away. <A> You can buy a water main shut off key and turn it off yourself. <S> You need to find the access port, it will be somewhere between the street and your house in the lawn or yard covering. <S> It a usually about a 4inch round metal cover. <S> It has and odd shape nut, <S> ( 5 sided i believe ) so a normal wrench or socket will not work on it. <S> Channel lock pliers or vise grips may work. <S> This guy made a key <S> but i have seen them at home depot. <S> The possibility probability for not being able to get the sharkbite on while the water is running is a concern. <S> If you can not get it on then you have full city water pressure pumping water into your house. <A> There are ways to interrupt a live water pipe, but they are complex. <S> Essentially you have to construct a bypass with a shutoff, then pinch the main line. <S> Trust me, you don't want to go there if you don't have to. <S> They are usually pretty simple to operate after you dig up the asphalt that some jerk has plastered over the valve plate. <S> Barring that, try using an anti seize agent on your house valve, and if that doesn't work, then try a propane torch. <S> You ever seen the underside of a car? <S> It's a rust palace. <S> Guess how mechanics get bolts to function on those crap Japanese cars that have every single nut and bolt <S> rusted tight? <S> Propane torch.
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I would first just try to shut the city valve yourself. I have done this many times and it works as long as no water is being used in the house until the line freezes.
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While drilling into kitchen wall, hit a wire - any advice? While fixing the extractor hood yesterday, I accidently hit a wire when drilling and exposed the copper. The wires are too tight to get some kind of a box in there and putting an electrical tape may be too fiddley. Any advice will be greatly appreciated even if you believe hiring a tradesman is a better option. See the pictures attached: Edit: after repair by the pro: <Q> Obviously, safety considerations like isolating that circuit are paramount, and note that even if that circuit's breaker is off, then the neutral touching earth can still trip the Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker... <S> Find the socket / box that that wire goes to, disconnect it, then pull it out from the other end (which you need to find - either in the roof space or under the upstairs floor) then replace it. <S> If the copper has been damaged then just covering over with tape may not be safe. <S> Looking at the plastic cover, this looks like you are in the UK. <S> You can hope that the wire is not totally trapped somewhere... <A> Given the size and location of the wire, It looks like you hit the range feed which may draw upto 50 amps. <S> Such high current applications require greater care in making connections such as splices. <S> in general there are two safe approaches to repairing this damage. <S> A cheaper variation if local code allows hidden splices is to cut the damaged location in the wire and crimp slice (with a good crimper, probably hydraulic given the wire size). <S> The other option is to put in a splice box with a splice rated for the current. <S> I do not recommend just repairing the insulation as you have damaged the copper and ranges are a high current appliance. <S> By the way you are quite fortunate not to have started a fire as if you had hit both wires . <S> . . <A> Insulated crimped connections are allowed in the UK, and considered maintenance-free so they can be concealed. <S> A proper ratchet crimper is essential. <S> The whole should then be wrapped in self-amalgamating tape. <A> A DIY repair may be possible, though ugly, even if the wires are trapped so you cannot pull through any extra length or a replacement length of cable. <S> Join Live to Live, Neutral to Neutral and Earth to Earth using screw connectors and short pieces of wire to bridge the gap. <S> The bridging wire must be the same gauge as the cable ... <S> easiest source is a bit of offcut cable, probably 2.5mm, and <S> the screw connectors must be rated for 30A if that's a ring main. <S> Put an informative label inside the lid to help anybody wondering what the heck it is, and screw the lid on. <S> You now have an accessible junction box as required by the rules, that looks like an old socket box that's been blanked off. <S> THe lesson for the future is to invest in a buried cable detector device, and to always use it before drilling holes in walls. <S> These detectors aren't expensive. <S> , compared to calling out an electrician....
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The easiest but most expensive (since you have conduit and assuming that it is continuous) is to pull the wire out, repair the conduit and pull new wire. Attach a 1-gang box to the wall in exactly the right place so you can cut the cable and bend the ends upwards into that box from below on opposite sides.
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A surge protector for an AC split unit powered by a Siemens EQ Loadcenter Late last summer my 4 year old AC unit fried its mainboard and the company which installed it originally came to service it. They suggested that the reason could be a surge, as they had a rash of calls in my area. This season I wanted to install a surge protector and did some googling to find a few, which install into the breaker slot on the loadcenter. Do they replace a breaker? Or, if they do not, where should the breaker be then? <Q> Surge protectors come in a wide variety of form-factors, and you don't even need to protect your whole house, you can protect particular circuits. <S> That is decided by where you place the protector. <S> The problem with "surge protectors in a circuit-breaker form factor" is that breakers do not interchange across brands . <S> You cannot put Brand X breaker in Brand Y panel, unless Brand X has specifically built that breaker for Brand Y panels and UL has tested and classified it for that use. <S> So you are probably better off using a "goes in a knockout" type suppressor. <S> This will let you use anyone's brand and a common $10 breaker, instead of paying a big premium for one specifically for your panel. <S> You can install this anywhere - it can go on its very own 2-pole breaker, where it'll protect the whole house. <S> Or you can install it out at the air conditioner shutoff switch (if it's wet rated). <S> If you install it at the air conditioner, it will better protect the air conditioner (and the house from the air conditioner's own spikes) and <S> less well protect the rest of the house from external spikes. <S> That's because long wire runs tend to weaken spikes also. <S> By putting the spike suppressor at the air conditioner, the suppressor spends less of its bandwidth/capacity fighting surges that wouldn't make it to the A/C anyway, and 100% of its capacity on ones likely to affect the A/C. Internal spikes are a thing. <S> You can have one of your appliances damaging another, and large motor-driven appliances are a major culprit. <S> Putting the spike suppressor near the air conditioner means it will "catch" any spikes from the A/C unit before they get near the rest of the house. <S> It will also do a better job protecting A/C electronics from A/C motor spikes! <S> However a suppressor at the A/C unit will do a lesser job of protecting your computer from external power spikes, obviously, since the long cable run will dampen its ability to neutralize those spikes. <S> Nothing says you can't install as many surge suppressors as you please, so you can fit 1 at the A/C unit and 1 in the main panel. <A> In answer to your question Eaton makes a surge protector that fits into 2 full slots in your loadcenter. <S> It can either replace two breakers or it can fit into slots that are currently just spaces. <S> They also make a combination surge protector which allows you not to lose any breaker spaces. <S> See below for specification. <S> http://www.eaton.com/Eaton/ProductsServices/Electrical/ProductsandServices/Residential/SurgeProtection/TypeCHandBRCircuitBreakerSurgeProtectiveDevices/index.htm <S> Good luck <A> I don't know that I would want a surge protector inside my load center. <S> Most of the ones I have installed have a feed from a double pole breaker and are housed in there own enclosure. <S> I have seen the modules actually catch fire with large spikes, this is the reason I would not want to see them inside the load center. <S> Since you have had large spikes I would recommend a large unit outside the breaker panel. <A> Install a whole house surge suppressor in the main panel and then add additional protection for sensitive electronics with uninterruptible power supply which acts as a gap between the incoming power and the sensitive electronics. <S> The problem is that there's a loss in these devices because you're converting the power basically across a series of transformers and that actual loss cost real money. <S> You need to decide if that cost is recuperated with the purchase of the additional equipment or the random voltage/current spikes are worth dealing with.
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The reason I would not recommend a surge protector inside the load center because almost all of them are metal oxide varistors , These break down and dump over voltage spikes to ground.
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How would you join two twin beds? I've got two twin beds "joined". There are basically four independent components: two mattresses and two bed bases. They are pretty uncomfortable to sleep on. They shift as I move at night. They aren't fixed in any way. I was thinking of connecting them by a strap. Something like this , but not that fancy. It would help to solve the upper part. The lower one would still be free and detached. Do you have any idea how to make this thing stable and interconnected? Thank you in advance. Update: It's a rented apartment, and I am not supposed to sell things or change them significantly. I don't wanna buy new furniture. <Q> What <S> I would actually do: <S> For sale: two twin beds. <S> Want to buy or trade: one (double, queen, king) bed. <S> It's the simple solution, it's the right solution, it gets rid of the fundamental problem at a fundamental level. <S> Your pictures do not inform about the bedframes very well. <S> Standard iron frames could be easily conjoined with hose clamps, or bolts, or u-bolts. <S> At the upper level, I vaguely recall some sort of T-pad being sold for the center joint, and it helps immensely if you put on a mattress pad that fits over both beds, as well as sheets that do the same. <A> I have that same arrangement. <S> When you strap the mattresses together, the frames will not move any more. <S> The frames only move because when you get an arm or leg in the crack between them the mattresses move apart, then the frames stay with them. <S> Solving the mattress issue solves the frame issue. <S> I just went to a fabric store and bought two long pieces of webbing strap. <S> They sell buckles there too and I buckle them together. <S> You could do it with one long strap, but I thought it would be easier with two. <S> I'm not sure I was right about that though. <A> Tie the adjoining legs together with thin rope or thick string?
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You can get that strap and cover, but the cover is a pain when you8 go to change the sheets (if you use the twin fitted sheets like I do). Wooden frames can be screwed or bolted if you don't mind putting some holes in them.
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Dimmer switch not connected to ground I know just the basics of electricity and am trying to replace an older dimmer switch that broke with a new very similar switch. The old switch is not connected to ground. The new switch has the green ground wire. I also see a couple of additional connections inside the junction box but can't tell what they are for. I would appreciate help with (see pictures below):1. Any idea what the other connections are for (black is for the switch, what are the white and copper colored ones for)?2. Do I need to connect the ground wire to anything? If yes, to what? Thanks! Old connections: New switch: <Q> You need to add the green wire from the dimmer to this bundle in the wirenut. <S> The white wires are probably the neutral, providing a return from the lamp to your electrical panel. <S> If you had a smart switch that needed a neutral connection, you would connect there. <S> Note: this comments assume you are in North America. <S> Different countries use different insulation color conventions. <S> Thanks, @Clonkex, for the reminder. <A> Any idea what the other connections are for? <S> In most household voltage alternating current (AC) circuits <S> the white is the grounded neutral conductor ; these are current carrying conductors (normally attached to a load along with the "hot/black" wire) and there is no reason for you to disturb them... <S> The bare copper conductors are most likely grounding conductors ; you should attach the green wire on the new dimmer to these. <A> The bare copper wires with the orange wire nut are the ground. <S> You should remove the orange wire nut and add the green wire to that connection. <S> You may need a larger wire nut to handle three wires. <A> This is obviously a North American installation. <S> This is nms cable. <S> Connect blk to blk and tie the green to the bare copper wiring. <S> PLEASE determine circuit breaker and turn off power. <S> Nuff said!
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The bare copper wires are the ground (grounds are either green or bare wires).
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Making a ridge for a tile roof - Any cheap way? I'm making a shed, with a roof made of cement tiles. I'm trying to be as cheap as possible, but still making it as nice as I can. Most materials are salvaged from here or there, or bought second-hand. I managed to find exactly the tiles model I wanted, for cheap, but it is very difficult to find the corresponding ridge tiles this way. And those are very expensive if I buy them new (to get the 11 ridge tiles I need, I'll have to pay more than the price I paid for the ~140 standard tiles I got - call me stingy, but that annoys me). So, I was wondering if there were any cheap way to solve this. Here are some options I was considering: Making a dome all along the ridge, just with cement mortar. But I'm afraid it will crack. And it will probably be a bit difficult to have a nice-looking result. Using different kind of tiles. I can easily find some standard curved-shape clay tiles ( something like this ) for cheap, and seal them with cement. To me, it looks similar to the ridge tiles, but I'm not sure it can be used as such. Something else? Here is the details of what I currently have: And, for information, a link to the documentation of the tile model I used (sorry, it's in French). <Q> Third way would be casting your own. <A> It seems that, since the standard tiles are cheap and available, you could use a circular saw with a masonry blade and cut those; leaving just the half-round part. <S> Then you could start at each end, placing them toward the middle of the ridge, each one resting on the end of the one before to give a bit of slope. <S> Each half-round piece would have to overhang the roof tiles of course, which might mean moving those up farther toward the ridge. <S> You might consider drilling to provide a way to nail/spike them down, or consider using mortar to set them. <S> The center seam could be capped/covered with a short one mortared down. <S> I do not see sheathing or roof paper... <S> wouldn't it be a good idea to cover the roof with a sheathing (plywood or OSB) covered with waterproof paper, then attach the cleats and tiles? <A> I've never done this myself, but I have seen many roofs like this is South America where tiles are turned long ways and placed along the ridge. <S> I'm not sure what the width of the tiles are, but just cut them to the width that covers the 12cm gap. <S> The edges of the ridge tiles should rest on top of the other tiles. <S> I'm no artist, but maybe this drawing will help explain what I mean. <S> Edit: <S> This is one photo I found. <S> This has a single 1/2 oval shape, but they are common in multiple 1/2 ovals as well.
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I think standard half-round tiles, if large enough, would be your best bet, other than "having saved all this money on the roof tiles, I can afford to put on the correct ridge tiles, even if it feels like a lot of money, comparatively."
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Trying to wire a water heater to a breaker box I connected the black and red wires to a double 30 amp breaker . What do I do with the white and ground wires? <Q> Call an electrician, if you're asking these questions you don't have the basic knowledge required to complete this safely and properly. <S> Without additional details it's literally impossible to provide guidance to you. <S> There's many variables here such as if this is a standard main panel vs a sub panel and the type of water heater you're installing. <S> You also didn't include the wiring gauge you're using or the input voltage from the utility (120V , 230V, 240V). <S> Dangerous and improper wiring kills over 500 people every year in the US <S> , don't be one of them. <A> I'm assuming you've turned off the panel first. <S> It sounds like you might have hooked up the breaker first (I've seen some crazy folks hook the breaker up and then attach it to a live bus... which I really don't recommend). <S> On the off chance you didn't cut power first, you have to cut it now. <S> Your neutral bar will not de-energize otherwise <S> and there's enough there to give you a serious shock.. <S> Your box should have both a neutral and ground bus in them. <S> Look for where the other white and bare wires are going to. <S> There's a small chance they go to the same bus, but that's not normal. <S> If they go to the same bus, hook them both to it. <A> If the breaker is one with a white pigtail then the white wire goes into the neutral terminal and the pigtail to the neutral bus where all the other white wires are going. <S> Otherwise the white goes to the neutral bus. <S> The bare wire goes to the ground bus where all the other bare wires are going.
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If it is a main panel then ground and neutral bus will be bonded to each other and it is acceptable to put both on the same bus.
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Range hood vents into attic space My house was built in 1976. I recently replaced the range hood and discovered that the piece of rectangular ducting that runs inside the cabinet is not connected to the outlet vent on the outside of the house. It effectively vents into the attic space under the roof. That attic space is not used for anything, and in fact it is not even accessible. My contractor quoted 650$ to install the duct, which is not surprising given the difficulty accessing that space. What are the pros and cons to installing the duct vs. leaving it as is? Out of curiosity, was it considered a standard practice in the 70's to skip a 10-foot section of ducting and let the cooking fumes dissipate in an attic space? <Q> Regardless of if this was ever standard, it's a bad idea. <S> I lived in a 60's built house and the dryer vented under the house from a hole in the floor. <S> The lint and moisture issues there were pretty bad to say the least. <S> The same issue is happening in your attic (crawlspace?). <S> The moisture in the exhausted air can cause problems for sure. <S> The air can also contain grease and other contaminants that will build up and cause... general grossness. <S> It's true that if you don't use the hood very much, it might not be a big deal, but if you want to to be done right, it needs to be in a duct from the hood, all the way until it exists the house through a wall or the roof. <A> Not standard and never should be ducted into a confined space. <S> The duct should exit the home with the shortest possible path and least bends possible, the contractor should of course have the proper license and insurance and the signed contract should specify the completion date and penalties for cost and time overruns. <A> Why not block up your vent further up if you have access, and run a new duct venting to an adjacent wall?
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Gross grease aside, the humidity from your cooking will migrate into your attic space and condense, potentially causing moisture damage or mould, especially if your attic isn't vented. Whatever you do, do not vent into an attic space under any circumstance.
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How to raise an old footing? I have an old deck taken down and the old footing is 3" above the ground but the building code requires 6". Do you have any ideal to increase the height of the footing without replacing it? Thanks a million. <Q> I do not know how big they are but one idea is to use a hammer drill and a masonry bit to drill 4 holes in a square pattern about 6 to 8 inches deep, not too close to the sides <S> (three holes would work for a smaller footer diameter). <S> Place a piece of rebar long enough to make a 6 to 8 inch addition into each hole and wire them <S> so they do not move around. <S> I do not think i would add just 3 inches as that may not hold up, go for at least a 6 to 8 inch gain. <S> I would grind the tops of the old footers, rough them up or create voids and ridges , and prime them with a concrete patching primer. <S> The rebar is doing the holding but the primer will help make a good bonded seal between old and new to keep out water. <S> Place a sonotube <S> the same size as the old footer around the old footer (if they are round) or build a form around them if they are square. <S> The form should be about an inch higher than the tops of the rebar. <S> Make sure the rebar will not interfere with post brackets you intend to use. <S> Now you can pour new concrete and add post brackets. <A> Check a local hardware store for concrete deck blocks or deck piers. <S> They're a pyramid-shaped solid concrete block, about 6-8" tall, usually with grooves in the top for horizontal 2-by-x lumber and 4x4 posts. <A> You may be able to re-use the existing footing at the same 3” above ground level, if you use the pressure treatment that is rated for “ground contact”. <S> Also, the “grandfather clause” is in reference to “repairing/maintenance” of building issues based on their value. <S> Your situation falls within that “clause”. <S> BTW, you may not need a building permit either... <S> I’d ask your building department.
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I’d check with your local building department.
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Rough up moldings for repainting I need to rough up the paint on moldings, for example around a door, so they can be primed and repainted. The door molding has crevices and small curves, so it is not obvious how to roughen the surface without damaging it. I can potentially remove the old paint, but that would be a lot more work. <Q> From what I know it will depend on what sort of paint is already on it, sheen, how dirty it is, etc. will determine how much prep work will be needed. <S> I'm no where near being a pro <S> but this is what I generally do. <S> Plus of these type of sanding sponges is that they conform to the molding contour. <S> Fill in gouges, holes, etc. <S> with wood putty, unless going for that rustic look, let dry and <S> then re-sand these areas. <S> Clean, prime and then paint. <S> Be sure to use high quality brushes and paint. <S> Makes a huge difference in the final results. <S> I used to go the cheap route <S> and then I tried with higher quality brushes and paint and noticed a significant difference in the final results. <S> I've often just ignored crevices I couldn't get into with either the sponge sanders or regular sand paper. <S> May be a tool specific for it or something a pro can advise on. <A> I have found in the past that a really good washing of painted surfaces with very hot water and TSP (trisodium phosphate) will both clean off any dirt and oil grime on the painted surfaces and remove the surface shine of the paint. <S> Make sure to rinse thoroughly and wear arm length rubber gloves when using TSP. <S> You could also try a wire brush or coarse sandpaper. <A> For latex paint you can sand it with 100-150 grit to remove any shine, wipe with a damp cloth to remove dust, and paint. <S> If there's a chance of grease (i.e. in a kitchen), a TSP wash and rinse can help remove the grease for better adhesion.
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I will wipe down the surface with mineral spirits and then use a fine sanding sponge and give the molding a light sanding to knock down any irregularities.
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Why is part of my GFCI circuit dead after a short-circuit? I was charging my electric golf cart off the GFCI on the side of the house. It tripped and would not reset. I found out I had a bad cord that was shorting it self out. This is were the puzzle begins. I pulled the receptacle from the wall and this is how it was wired. Two white wires pig tailed together; one of the white wires had black magic marker on it. These both ran to the brass screw on the outlet. Two black wires pig tailed together wired to the silver screw The ground wire was hooked up correctly to the green screw but also marked with black magic marker. The receptacle had started to melt. I now have no power from that receptacle onward to the rest of the receptacles, the overhead light or fan which is controlled by a three way switch does not work either. The wires at the switch do not use a 3 wire cable as a feeder, they use black and white wires. I do not now know what to do to correct the problem that this presents. <Q> Wait, you have white wires on the brass screws and black on the silver screws? <S> Are you sure this is correct because black "hot" should be on the brass screw and white neutral should be on the silver screws. <S> I did purchase a home in Ohio that was wired backwards 100% <S> but I would be checking the wiring, did you check the circuit breaker? <S> A short hot to neutral won't trip a GFCI, but will trip the breaker. <A> That would explain why you have no power to anything else despite everything being wired on the "Line" side of the receptacle instead of part on "Load". <S> Check your breaker panel for anything tripped. <S> Keep in mind that with many breakers it is not really obvious when it has tripped. <S> If you can't find anything tripped (and if you are not sure, just turn a breaker all the way Off and then back On), post a picture of the panel. <S> As far as why the receptacle melted rather than simply "tripped", a short in the cord would not be a ground fault (which would trip extremely quickly) but rather be a normal over-current situation. <S> As long as hot == <S> neutral, the GFCI won't trip and you are relying on the circuit breaker in the panel to protect you. <S> That circuit breaker might be relatively slow to trip, depending on many factors. <S> At the same time, the GFCI is going to be overly sensitive to an overcurrent situation because of the sensitive electronics included in it. <S> It shouldn't melt, but that is not so surprising. <S> As far as the black markings on a white & ground wire, I suspect that was someone's way of trying to distinguish between the "in" and "out" sets of wires. <S> Based on additional information in comments , it appears that there are some receptacles on the circuit that are still working but nothing "after" the melted GFCI is working. <S> Based on the description that the wires are pigtailed to the "Line" side rather than working off of "Load": Disconnect the pigtails from the GFCI to eliminate that from having any effect (not sure how it would, but just in case - and that GFCI needs to be replaced anyway). <S> Check <S> the last working receptacle. <S> You may find that the wires heading to the melted GFCI show signs of melting/arcing/burning. <S> If those wires are backstab connections then moving to screws may help. <S> If not, try replacing that receptacle and see if that resolves the problem. <A> Forget for a minute that the receptacle is a GFCI. <S> It's common for overloads to damage outlets <S> That's all that is happening here. <S> The upstream socket melted because it had a poor connection that was subject to spot overheating and/or series arcing. <S> That is what melted it. <S> This was a pre-existing wiring defect, which was exposed by the overload. <S> The GFCI became internally damaged due to the overcurrent, and that's why it won't hold. <S> GFCI's aren't overload detectors, nor are they arc-fault detectors nor any other kind of electrical oops detector. <S> As long as the short did not include a ground fault, it won't trip.
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It sounds like the short caused the receptacle to melt and then tripped the breaker for the circuit. The matching black wire might be marked with a black marker too, but that wouldn't be so obvious :-) GFCI is a red herring here.
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What can cause a never-frozen indoor copper drain pipe to crack? The 1-1/2" copper waste pipe than runs from our kitchen just up and cracked two days ago along its length, and for no apparent reason. The crack is in a section of pipe that runs vertically through the kitchen floor down into the basement, where it connects to an angled length of pipe (two 45-degree elbows) and then a section of pipe that connects to cast iron sewer pipe (lead and oakum seal). I would venture to say that this cracked pipe is from the 1970s (when former owners remodeled the kitchen) and that the section of copper pipe (which didn't crack) going into the cast iron hub dates from around 1948-49, when the house was built. Could the crack have been the result of twisting forces when the pipe connection was made to the garbage disposal beneath the sink? Or does copper waste pipe just eventually give out, perhaps because of corrosion over a period of 50 years? <Q> That's almost certainly a manufacturing defect and likely to be pending failure wherever that batch of pipe was used. <S> That is not a natural crack, nor a corrosion crack <S> , it's too straight and uniform. <S> Typical "natural" cracks look like: <S> Possible ways it could have formed: <S> There was a defect/contamination in the extrusion die for that batch of pipe, propagating weakness down the length of pipe as it was extruded. <S> The pipe was rolled rather than extruded and then poorly joined (trying to make it look seamless). <S> Something/someone else uniformly scored the length of the pipe before it was installed. <S> Then after some years of thermal cycles and possibly mild corrosion, a crack formed and rapidly propagated along the rest of the weak line. <A> Copper does erode over time through mechanical wear and chemical corrosion. <S> My guess is that it simply got thin enough that thermal stresses popped the weld (or the extrusion resulted in a thin side, causing a very straight crack). <S> I'd put in plastic and be happy. <A> Back in the 1970's the company that I worked for ran into a slew of copper tubing sizes through 3" that was manufactured with a defect that weakened the whole length of the copper. <S> Since the copper was new the supplier replaced all the tubing (pipe) that was installed. <S> This could be a similar problem. <S> As "Isherwood" said, just replace it with plastic. <S> I have to add this one comment; it turned out that the copper tubing was foreign made in a newer factory using a questionable process. <S> That is what we were told at a later date. <A> Having worked with brass chrome, my personal bet is it just got old. <S> I wanted to teach my son how to use a wrench and when he went to crank off the old nut, the pipe shattered like an eggshell. <S> Yours looks like a a small crack just gave way, which doesn't surprise me at all. <S> These older pipes are not terribly thick either (the cast iron drains look to be just fine). <S> Cut off the old pipe and use a compression coupler (like a Fernco ) to make the transition to PVC. <A> I'll just throw one more thing into the mix. <S> You say it was connected to a garbage disposal <S> so I'm thinking that vibration, over time, might have either caused the problem or made an existing defect in the pipe worse. <S> In the end, though, the advice to replace it with plastic and move on is good. <A> It looks like it was thinned by corrosion until any stress opened it. <S> Ammonia and <S> it's compounds are notorious for attacking copper alloys ; Ammonia cracks brass not copper, but corrodes copper quickly. <S> Maybe a previous owner liked to use ammonia for cleaning in the sink. <S> That is why brass flex-tubes are not permitted for gas service, ammonia cleaners are common in kitchens and utility rooms and they will stress corrosion crack brasses rapidly. <S> The answer is still replace with plastic. <A> The environment and any known history are clearly clues, however I tend to think of the copper refining process, a "manufacturing defect" someone mentioned. <S> Impurities quite possibly. <S> Is it similarly split in other places in the house of similar or different ambient environment. <S> If isolated, replace and watch. <S> Not to tough a job for someone with plumbing skills I would think. <S> Tougher for me, I deal with wood. <S> Not too much call for a carpenter in the plumbing trade. <A> My vote is a defect in the forming die caused a stress concentration. <S> Stress corrosion cracking appeared here from residual built-in forming stresses. <S> Was there evidence that the crack had been growing for a long time (mold or similar at/around the failed location)? <S> The fact that two different pipe sections (likely cut from the same "mother" pipe) failed in similar fashions would, in my opinion, point to something not really dependent on the part's stress environment (other than the built in forming stress), since that external load would cause different stresses at different locations in the pipe. <A> Being made of copper caused it. <S> Copper is a completely unsuitable material for a pipe which will be handling waste water, which will contain all sorts of substances that will chemically (corrosion) and physically wear away at it.
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A corrosive environment and the residual forming stress propagated the crack along said stress concentration. I would inspect the entire property for more such pipe and replace any that was found.
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Feasibility of using 18V batteries to power AC tools I have a few (working) 18V batteries (Makita, LXT) and I would like to be able to power some AC (220V) power tools with them. Many of the AC power tools have electronic control and simply applying DC to them would not achieve anything good, probably. Is it feasible to connect these batteries (series, parallel) and use an inverter to output a decent 220V AC output? Is there some other way to use them to power existing AC power tools? <Q> It's possible but not as easy as stringing them into an inverter. <S> DeWalt makes a device for this purpose in their 20v line. https://www.dewalt.com/products/gear-and-equipment/generators-and-portable-power/1800-watt-portable-power-station-and-simultaneous-battery-charger/dcb1800b <A> Forget the inverter. <S> 99% of portable power tools use what's called a "Universal Motor" which is actually a DC motor that does its own internal rectifying of an AC input. <S> So you can feed DC directly into that type of motor. <S> If it is a 230V rated tool, you need for the voltage to be approx. <S> 330VDC <S> so with 18V batteries, that is 19 of them in series. <S> Do you have that many? <S> If you were not referring to portable power tools, that will not work, bench power tools usually use traditional AC Induction Motors. <A> I'm perfectly fearless about proposing bold solutions... <S> but this is NOT <S> one yyou want to pursue. <S> Unless you aim to rewind the motors, stacking batteries means you'd be pumping 230ish volts DC into the motor. <S> DC at such voltages is like the honey badger of electricity: rather badly behaved stuff. <S> It will more seriously shock you. <S> And if it starts arcing , it can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with, it doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear, and it absolutely will not stop, ever, until the fire is engaged enough to burn up the contacts. <S> That URL is only 600 volts, and you're already at 230. <S> Danger Will Robinson! <A> Almost certainly not. <S> Even if you did find one suited for the odd voltage input, the capacity of portable power tool batteries will quickly be exhausted, even if you have "a few" - and paralleling those few can cause problems with the batteries - the weakest one gets lower than the others and the others try to charge it - depending where the battery protection circuitry is, you either kill the battery as the internal protection goes off, or you get battery flambe (likely just the boring dead case with a major brand like Makita.)
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Virtually all inverters are set up for 12/24/48V input, none of which you are going to get from stacking 18V batteries.
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How do I get 150F water to the dishwasher? I have read in a maintenance manual that the ideal temperature for incoming water to a dishwasher is 150F. In my house, the hot water heater is currently set to 135F and it cools on traveling around the house, so the typical faucet temperature is around 120F. I have considered up the temperature of the water heater to 150F, but in that case it is recommended to have a thermostatic valve reduce the temperature to 120F, which would be no better than what is happening now as far as the dishwasher is concerned. I could boost the water heater temperature to 155F which would result in 150F water reaching the dishwasher, however, then all the faucets would also have 150F hot water, which is pretty hot. The only way I see around this is to create a special hot water line that goes to the dishwasher and clothes washer that comes directly from the water heater and put the water heater at 155F, then put a valve on the water supplies to all the rest of the house. Is this is the "proper" solution, or is there another way to get the right temperature to the appliances? <Q> You don't. <S> Let the dishwasher do it for you. <S> I have read in a maintenance manual that the ideal temperature for incoming water to a dishwasher is 150F. <S> Was it a maintenance manual for your actual dishwasher ? <S> If not, I would ignore random advice (no better than advice from some stranger on the internet...). <S> This avoids exactly the problem you mentioned - water hot enough to clean effectively and to sanitize dishes is also hot enough to quickly burn people. <S> Some dishwashers (I think typically European models) are even designed to run with cold water - heating water from cold to <S> very hot as needed, not just hot to very hot . <S> That being said, I would recommend connecting your dishwasher to the hot water line rather than the cold water line, unless your manufacturer specifically recommends otherwise, because: Electric heat is generally more expensive than natural gas or other forms of heating. <S> If your main water heater is electric then any heating by the dishwasher will cost the same as your main water heater, and if your main water heater is something else then any heating by the dishwasher will cost more. <S> I can't see any normal scenario where using your dishwasher to heat from cold to hot will actually save any money. <S> If your dishwasher runs some cycles without heating the water to very hot <S> (e.g., perhaps a regular rinse cycle as opposed the main wash cycle or a final sanitary rinse cycle) then using hot water instead of cold water will be much more effective. <A> If your dishwasher is already connected to the hot water line you can get a few degrees hotter water by insulating the water line. <S> The greater the distance from the water heater, the greater impact this will have. <A> An on-demand water heater is perfect for this <S> The key is to regulate the rate-of-flow down quite low, so you can get sufficient temperature rise without having to provision a huge amount of electrical service. <S> Regardless, this is like trying to air-condition a gazebo. <S> The dishwasher itself - box, pumps and racks - has a lot of thermal mass, to say nothing of the dishes! <S> Preheating the water to 150F will do precious little when it equalizes with all that other thermal mass. <S> (Remember the water volume in a dishwasher is not high; it doesn't fill with water like a washing machine). <S> It really depends on the dishwasher's internal heater, which needs either high current, or time.
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Most dishwashers now automatically heat water as needed to the necessary temperature for optimum performance.
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Can I cool my south facing wall by spraying it with water? I've been researching options for cooling a south facing exterior wall on my house. One thing I've been thinking about is what if I just spray the wall with water and let it evaporate? The wall is wood siding, 1.5 stories. I say 1.5 stories because the top story is a bonus room over a garage. On the bottom story is a 3 car garage (two garage doors). The idea is not to use misters, because I'm not trying to cool the air, but to use something like drip micro sprinklers to wet the whole surface of my south facing wall (maybe mounted under the eaves pointing at an angle downwards). The sprayers would turn on for x seconds, then turn off to allow time for the water to evaporate and cool the house. This would repeat on some interval (maybe based on the temperature of the wall). Apart from the cost of the water, do you see any issues with this plan? I've considered the mineral deposit problem, I'm hoping I can just put an extra calcium filter on there? Update After doing more research, apparently this is known as "Spray Cooling", and not "Evaporative Cooling", because what we are cooling is what we are spraying down, instead of cooling air through evaporation. I've found several published papers on the application of this in manufacturing, electronics , etc... Papers like this one, Spray Cooling Using Multiple Nozzles: Visualizationand Wall Heat Transfer Measurements , have some interesting charts showing the cooling curves based on temperature. Then I came across someone with a slightly similar idea to me, 1977 Patent US4175703A, "Spray cooling system for gable roof". From the patent: Periodically, the valve is operated whereupon water is forced through the pierced holes in the pipe and sprayed as a sheet of water in an overlapping pattern directly from the pipe onto the building roof. Thereupon solar heat evaporates the water upon the roof absorbing some 8500 BTUs of heat in the process for each gallon of water employed. .... they have not met with any marketed degree of acceptance in the residential building market. Probably the foremost reason for lack of success here is attributed to the absence of system aesthetics. :) Update 2 I finally found a few DIY examples online. These are for roof cooling, which is what I'm starting to lean towards. I think that continually spraying down wood siding might not be the best option... https://www.builditsolar.com/Experimental/RoofCooling.htm . <Q> There are mathematic formulas for how much water will be needed to cool a specified surface area by some number of degrees and they are not simple. <S> The wiki article on this has some good information . <S> It would be good to get some idea how much water will be needed before heading down that road. <S> Before I went that direction <S> I'd look into something that is a one time cost vs. a recurring cost: <S> Planting trees to create shade. <S> Awnings - there are a variety of types. <S> Some have the ability to retract and deploy based on the time of day. <S> Reflective coatings on windows Vertical trellis (linked as an example, not an endorsement) <S> Build a porch with a roof Or some combination of the above. <A> This is not a well-known practice around here, so there's not going to be a lot of battle-test advice to be given. <S> Therefore, you should figure it out yourself. <S> Here's a possible way to do that. <S> Get an infrared heat thermometer, non-contact, then measure the temp of the outside sunny wall and the inside wall. <S> If there's little in/out difference, it's a good candidate for your method, or at least further testing. <S> If so, proceed to hose down the wall with a spray hose, nothing fancy, until it's good and soaked and rinsed for a few mins with cold water; as cold as your water can reasonably get the wall. <S> Read the outside wall temp again. <S> Now some math. <S> Take the difference between the two outside readings and divide it by the difference between the first-round outside and inside measurements, (out1-out2) / <S> (out1-in1). <S> Basically; how much improvement versus how much heat leaks into the room. <S> If that number is less than 2, it's probably not worth it. <S> The higher that number is, the better your result will be. <S> I would image that if that number is something like 4 or 5, then you should see the inner wall temp drop shortly after even just the test spray. <A> Evaporative cooling on a wood wall will lessen the useful life of the wood siding. <S> You will also need to think about foundation damage when all that water drips down in a way the house wasn’t designed to accommodate. <S> If cooling the bonus room is your goal, evaporative cooling the wall won’t help much with that, because the air you’ve cooled is outside the room (whether you’re misting or dripping the water, evaporative cooling still works by cooling the air, not the surface.) <S> Instead, focus on reducing solar gain through the windows and giving the hot air at the ceiling someplace to exit. <S> South-facing windows are prime candidates for well-designed awnings, and here is a calculator for designing one: https://susdesign.com/tools.php <A> Paint the wall white <S> My preferred paint supplier offers a paint with 91% albedo (reflectivity). <S> It results in the roof ( <S> and below it) being significantly cooler. <S> You might think "My wall is already white- <S> ish <S> because basically all architectural coatings are pastels"... <S> but no. <S> Near-white colors don't have nearly the albedo of white. <S> Even their other "white" colors like "cloud white" have an albedo in the mid 80's. <S> It falls off fast. <S> So have the "reflectivity" conversation with your paint supplier. <S> (they won't know the word "albedo"). <S> You want their whitest paint, and if you pick their highest-reflectivity 3 white paints, there will be some difference between them. <S> If your paint supplier can't talk about reflectivity, get a better paint supplier. <S> This is not a new problem, and is a standard strategy in reducing A/C load. <S> While you're at it, paint the roof white. <S> Same reason. <S> Evaporative cooling will work, and you don't even need to stop the flow periodically to allow evaporation - it will evaporate perfectly well mid-flow. <S> In fact, I would make a point to <S> not let it dry out, because if you do, you will get mineral buildup like crazy and very quickly. <S> Ideally, use demineralized water, but that will require a solar still or collecting rainwater. <S> Separate from minerals, you will have a problem with the water damaging everything, which is the reason not to do it . <S> Another thing that would work is a screen that places the wall in shade. <A> Have you gotten insulation set up yet? <S> I say this because the wall in question is a garage wall. <S> Garages usually get no or minimal insulation because they are not intended for people to live in. <S> However, you have a room above the garage, which (especially if it was added after the fact) makes this assumption invalid. <S> Don't forget about the garage door, either. <S> If the garage gets hotter than outside during the summer, adding automatic ventilation could also help.
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Evaporative cooling is less effective in places with high humidity. Painting the wall white, or a very light color. There are both insulated doors, as well as retrofit kits to assist with this.
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Smooth a badly damaged wall My goal: Get a wall smooth enough for wallpaper without replacing the wall My situation I have a wall that's been patched about 100 times in the last 50 years or so. I can't say why (I live in NYC), there's zero record on what the wall has gone through, but given that it's a top floor apartment, I'll go ahead and say past roof problems caused most of the damage, the rest would've been the work of previous tenants. The wall is made up of what looks and feels like a sandy plaster/mortar mix or old cement board (Can't confirm lathing but some areas might have a steel diamond mesh lathe) under drywall. My idea: The only way I can think of fixing this without completely redoing the wall (trying to avoid garnering any/much attention from the landlord or going through the next 3 months with management just for approval) is to chisel the really bad parts off either with a normal chisel tool, or use a saw blade or spiral drill bit if it takes too long (Whichever turns out works best), then follow the same process used to set veneer stone outdoors, just drywall instead of stone... Ex: https://youtu.be/YPfjBmjnJSE?t=234 Anyone ever gone through a situation like this? maybe you know a particular type of mortar best for this operation (if you have any suggestions other than "regular"). I've had to do some unusual restoration work in the past, but this is a first for me. <Q> Drywall. <S> Thin (1/4 inch is available) drywall. <S> It can be screwed to the subsurface or glued if there is not easy access to wood or steel framing. <S> Tape the seams and the edges, a few coates of joint compound, and it is smooth sailing. <S> This is not structural, just a solid surface for paint or wallpaper. <A> Alternative idea: since this sounds like a rental where you might be obliged to reverse changes, how about sheets of 1/4" plywood that have been wallpapered? <S> Don't try to hide the joints -- make them a feature. <S> Attach with either J-channel or modest blobs of adhesive. <S> Maybe a picture rail at the top to hide the joint. <S> On your way out, if you have to yank everything down, you'll only have a little bit of patch and paint to get your deposit back. <A> Aww man. <S> I think your idea of mesh and mortar might help for levelling but it might be difficult to mount a fresh sheet of drywall without it following the contours of the existing mess. <S> it might never look right. <S> I'd think a more rough stucco texture might hide more blemishes once it is more leveled. <S> The other idea would be to work in some organic features like plants/planters and go for a more natural stone type of look.
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If the subsurface is not level enough, a few shims, also glued to the wall should let you get a fairly flat surface. Re-coating the wall might be the best idea but unless you are a pro
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Plastic-on-plastic lubricant that wont leave a residue? I am working on an outdoor LED lighting project where I'm making my own rope lights to hold up to the elements. I am using waterproof LED strips which are surrounded in a plastic "jelly-like" material and I am enclosing them in clear, plastic tubing. This means that I intend to slide the LED strips inside the plastic tubing and it's a slow go because I'm getting plastic-on-plastic rubbing. To put this in context, the strips are 6 feet long and about 3/8" wide and I'm putting them in tubing with a 1/2" inner diameter. So, I think I need some sort of lubricant to make sliding them in easier but I also need it to not leave a residue so that it won't interfere with the clarity of the tubing and wont affect the electronics of the LED strips. Any suggestions? <Q> Polydimethylsiloxane meets almost all your requirements. <S> PDMS is non-conductive, optically clear, inert, non toxic, non flammable, and extremely slippery. <S> It's typically an ingredient in silicone oil, but you can probably buy it separately somewhere too. <S> Other than PDMS, mineral oil would also work. <S> Much easier to get too. <S> There will definitely be reside, if you want to call it that though. <S> Neither substance will evaporate, so it's going to be there forever. <S> On the other hand, that property will help you disassemble them if you need to repair it in the future. <S> Maybe just use as little as possible? <S> Probably just on the contact surfaces. <A> Perhaps: Wrap them in paper or cloth, insert, pull paper or cloth out while holding the lights in place. <S> Perhaps drywall tape, thinking about fairly sturdy paper in long strips? <S> Might try a vacuum cleaner to "suck" the strips into place - the air passing though the tube might help move things along, wiggling the strip to break the plastic-to-plastic contact as it rushes through. <A> Try doing it horizontally, with the LEDs facing up . <S> Generally in that type, the waterproofing is a "half-dome" arrangement. <S> The flat bottom has no or little plastic. <S> This seems almost silly, as the troublesome plastic is waterproofing. <S> The other option is to use non-waterproofed LED strips where the LEDs are directly exposed to the elements. <S> Then, do a super good job of sealing the tubes, and call it "done". <S> For bonus points, inject inert nitrogen or other canned gas into the tube before the final seal, to displace (humid) air and prevent condensation. <A> I've used ordinary laundry detergent, the liquid form, to pull wiring through small diameter plastic conduit. <S> You can easily test the viability of this answer by applying a dilute solution to the tubing and to the LED strip. <S> You should notice a reduction in friction while pushing the strip into the tubing, first without soapy solution, then with the solution applied. <S> Having a pull line will make things easier, especially if you have four or more hands. <S> All four hands need not be on one body, of course. <S> One person pulls, the other pushes (always helps!) <S> while yet another applies continuous soap solution at the entry point. <S> The soap will not leave much residue and should not affect the illumination overmuch. <S> If it is critical to remove the soap, a hose will slosh through the tubing once the LEDs are in place. <A> Klein Tools makes a wire pulling lubricant called Premium Synthetic Clear Lubricant which makes it easier to pull plastic covered wires through plastic or metal conduits. <S> It's crystal clear and the liquid component in it evaporates after a time. <S> It's widely available in U.S. home improvement stores and electricians' supply houses. <S> Current price is under $10 per quart.
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Or, since the lights are waterproof, use some distilled water - not the greatest lubricant, but no residue once you dry it out, and not incompatible with the materials. Cloth might be less prone to rip and leave a chunk inside the tube, but you have a fair amount of clearance so paper might work if you are careful and use sturdy paper.
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Exposed wire in ceiling light Was changing the two dead light bulbs and a piece fell off than noticed the wire became exposed. Is this something I can fix as a diy and how dangerous to use the light. <Q> There's definitely a water-ingress problem here (or was). <S> That green corrosion on the copper wires is very severe. <S> So your much bigger problem is structural damage to the building (or black mold) due to <S> what else the water has been up to. <S> However in the meantime, those loose wires are dangerous, and the remaining visible bare wire is probably shot. <S> Even if the sockets were replaceable, it doesn't look like there's enough wire length left to splice to them. <S> So the fixture is shot . <S> That way you can upgrade to LED and save a ton off your electric bill. <S> If swapping a fixture is too much for you, any competent handyman can handle the task. <S> To give you a sense of the difficulty, most towns that require permits <S> don't require a permit for "swapping a light fixture", as it is considered to be a trivial repair by electrical standards. <A> This fixture is definitely due for full replacement. <S> The wire ends at the ceramic bulb sockets are typically riveted to the socket with the bulb contacts. <S> There is not a practical way to clean up and reattach the wires to the socket. <S> A completely new fixture of this type is not so expensive as to break the bank account <S> so it should be the first level choice. <S> In addition the current fixture shows a lot of rust on the threaded piece in the center and on the tabs which hold the sockets. <S> Lastly if you are set on a real DIY repair it is possible to remove the bulb sockets on this fixture. <S> You would have to remove the nut that secures the socket to the tab bent down from the main plate of the fixture. <S> It is possible to get replacement sockets of this type that have the attached wire pigtails. <S> You may have to search around for a good old fashioned lamp store to find the replacement parts. <S> Do not be surprised if the cost of the replacement parts comes close to the new fixture cost at a big box store. <S> Please heed the safety advice given in the other answer here. <A> You may want to closely inspect the connections as this shows signs of corrosion and other parts may be damaged as well. <S> But you may be able to reconnect that wire, after cleaning it up or cutting off the end and stripping the insulation off to expose some fresh copper. <S> If you don't feel comfortable with this type of work, call in a professional.
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Turn OFF the circuit-breaker that controls this light and take the fixture down for repair or replacement. When you buy a new fixture - we're not talking a lot of money here - either buy a pure-LED fixture that does not have replaceable bulbs (this will be more money), or buy one that is open on the sides and allows airflow to the bulbs. It is DEFINITELY dangerous to keep using this fixture as-is. This indicates other problems of moisture being present which will have to be addressed.
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Can screwing too far (about 1.5 inches) into a stud can weaken it? I put up some IKEA cabinets (using their suspension rail ). I used a 5mm (#10) x 50mm (2 inch). Minus the drywall and rail it probably went in about 35-40mm (1.5 inch) into the stud. After all was said and done, I realized that the screws didn't need to be that long (or thick). I understand now that by using longer screws it increases the chance to hit wires or pipes running through a stud. However, I don't think there are any pipes or wires in the wall where I drilled. Given that I didn't hit any pipes or wires, is there any concern that the larger screws I used could weaken the stud or foundation? <Q> Only a small fraction of the stud is necessary for the bearing strength of the wall. <S> Every plumbing and electrical run in your house goes through much larger holes drilled through studs. <S> If your cabinet is solid, your stud is fine. <A> As long as you didn't split the stud, I don't think it's an issue. <S> I recently used #8 x 2.5" screws (longer than what you used) for hanging trim and picture rail. <S> I used #10 x 3" (going 2.25" into the stud) to hang a heavy duty clothing rack with no issues. <A> A hole in a stud can be 1 1/4 inches from the edge of the wood. <S> That means you have a minimum of 1 1/4 of wood to drill into safely. <S> Any less than that and a nail plate is used to protect the wires or pipes. <S> However, most people don't run wires or pipes through eye level holes specifically for the reason of future items being hung. <S> I personally either go through the cieling or behind baseboards, but about waist high seems to be a common practice as well. <S> Eye level is definitely not common. <S> Your screws are basically at max capacity. <S> Splitting would be the only concern. <S> As long as they are centered and you didn't go crazy, like 1 screw every 4 inches.
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As far as structurally sound, your fine.
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Should my sump pump be running when the water level is below the pump? i am a new home owner and i have concerns about my sump pump. it has been working properly until today. it was making strange sounds this morning so i took the cover off. the water level is below the sump pump, which i have never seen before but yet the pump comes on periodically. Is there a problem with the float, which is cylindrical and attached to the pvc piping? Should the water level be covering the sump pump at all times [IT IS AN OLDER METAL ONE}? <Q> The obvious response that I should get out of the way here is, find and check your manual to be sure; <S> I believe the opening for the sump pump has to be submerged. <S> I don't think there's an issue if the inlet is submerged but the top of the pump isn't, for example. <S> However if the water level isn't up to the opening for your pump, and it's not able to draw water in, the pump should not be running. <S> Air getting into your pump while the pump running can contribute to the pump burning itself out. <A> Almost all pumps require water to cool and lubricate the shaft seal. <S> Some pumps can be damaged in as little as 30 seconds without proper water levels. <S> So I would actuate the float up and down (move the switch or wiggle it to see if it is stuck) <S> this may free it up but if it keeps cycling on and off with no water it is probably overheating and the internal thermal overload is trying to keep the pump from melting down. <A> Get rid of your mechanical switch. <S> Go with a HC6000v2, it has two sensors that you place at the activation and de-activation point and they are easy to adjust. <S> To your question, as long as the pump can pull water and is not sucking air you are good. <S> I typically try to have the pump operate for as long as possible as the pumps are rated for so many activations so preventing it from going on as often will extend the life of the pump. <S> https://www.amazon.com/HC6000-Hi-Lo-Controller-Float-Switch/dp/B006AU4L4U
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To me it sounds like the float switch is stuck in the on position and the pump is overheating and shutting down.
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Is it safe to use two single-pole breakers for a 240 V circuit? I recently had an electrician come out and replace my electric panel. He seemed very knowledgeable and overall appears to have done a good job, even went through and labelled most of the panel... Except for three breakers at the bottom of the panel. One of these breakers is for the pool lights and an outlet near the pool, so he put a GFCI on it and it works fine, but it wasn't labelled... The other two breakers above it, I found out, are actually two single pole breakers that I believe are both used for a pool pump that uses 240 V, and it should have a double pole breaker installed . I think one of these single pole breakers is providing one leg of the circuit and the other breaker is providing the other leg... This seems unsafe to me. If someone were to mistakenly leave one of these two breakers off, but the other on, the pool pump definitely doesn't run, but it seems there could be some kind of danger here. Could it cause an electric shock somewhere (in general), or is it just dangerous in the sense that someone might think the circuit is off and go play with wires that might actually be live? <Q> You are correct. <S> The issues at hand are common maintenance shutoff (to solve the problem of which you speak) and common trip (to entirely remove power from a device with a problem). <S> Go to an electrical supply house that deals in your panel/breaker type, and obtain a proper, listed handle-tie . <S> Proper, listed handle ties can be hard to find, especially on a Sunday. <S> If the circuit serves a 120/240V device (which takes 2 hots and neutral), then common trip is mandatory. <S> Go to any hardware store and obtain a 2-pole breaker appropriate for your panel. <S> While you're at it, make sure they didn't slip you an alien breaker: a breaker not UL-listed or UL-classified for that panel. <S> For instance if they slipped Homeline breakers into your Siemens panel, a Siemens handle-tie won't fit those breakers, now is the time to fix that. <S> Also, while you're labeling, put "GFCI protected" on any outlet fed off that GFCI. <S> That's a code requirement most people overlook, causing home inspectors to "write them up". <A> You are correct that a 240 volt circuit with separate breakers on each leg is a hazard for future maintainers. <S> You should call the electrician and talk to him about it. <S> You don't have to start by insisting that he come back, just ask him to tell you everything he remembers about the installation. <S> If you can't reach an agreement with the electrician, you can probably install the double breaker yourself. <A> At a minimum there should be a handle tie if it truly is a 240 V feed. <S> For a modern panel, in some cases, the handle ties cost 1/2 of what a brand new breaker costs in these cases. <S> I prefer using a double pole breaker and now you have a couple of spare single poles. <S> But yes, the handles should be tied with a listed tie or a double pole breaker is the code compliant method. <A> In addition to what others have mentioned, if there are two separate single-pole circuits, it's possible some future electrician might move one of the circuits, unaware they are both part of the same 240 V, and mistakenly shift the breaker down a spot. <S> This will put both breakers on the same phase, and cause problems for your 240 V outlet. <S> However, are you sure your pool pump is actually 240 V? <S> Is it possible <S> the electrician was just running two completely unrelated circuits through the thicker cable? <S> Maybe the pump is really just 120 V?
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An adequate substitute for a handle-tie is a 2-pole breaker. If the circuit serves a device that uses only 240V and does not supply neutral, then common maintenance shutoff will suffice. If he didn't have a reason for leaving the separate single pole breakers, or if you disagree with his reason, ask him to come back and finish the job properly. This is something that a reasonably cautious homeowner can safely do.
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What kind of floor covering is this? I saw this on the inside of a classroom and I'm curious as to what kind of flooring this is: <Q> My guess (without being able to feel it) is vinyl sheet flooring, ugly pattern made to appear like crushed stone I guess... <A> It looks like Terrazzo flooring. <S> It is defined as a composite material poured in place or precast, consisting of marble chips and/or other aggregates combined within a binder material, which is ground and polished to a beautiful finish. <S> Terrazzo today covers a limitless array of colors, and is known for being durable, sustainable, and flexible enough to accommodate designs from very simple and classic to extremely intricate and complex. <S> From the royal palaces and serene bath houses of ancient times to today’s international airports, hospitals, and schools, terrazzo is a flooring canvas with infinite possibilities. <S> Of course it has been replicated by vinyl flooring manufacturers and some very old Linoleum was hard to distinguish from the real thing. <S> If you look closely at edges yiu may see evidence that it is a sheet type floor <S> but if no seams can be identified and this is an older commercial building most likely it is Terrazzo <A> Unless you have walked on it/touched it <S> then you can't say for certain. <S> Agree with the other posters especially with edging, it looks too shiny to be anything made from concrete <S> (even polished+resin coating isn't that shiny). <S> It's probably Lino or another 'plastic' floor perhaps Acrylic. <A> One that hasn't been mentioned, but is common in schools/laboratories, is "epoxy/color-chip" flooring, which is seamless, cast/painted-in-place. <S> The clear coats may be epoxy or polyurethane, or one of each. <S> The colored chips (need not be colored, but usually are) give some texture to the floor to make it less slippery.
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A base layer (usually colored), chips of colored plastic scattered, a clear top coat over all. Terrazzo is one of the oldest and most versatile sustainable flooring options.
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Kids locked the door Then tried to open it without the knob...any advice that won’t cost me a door? I really can’t afford another door right now and I need this bathroom... can ya help a fella out? <Q> Take a screwdriver and put in in the hole on the left. <S> That should give you enough leverage to retract the latch and open the door. <S> Replacing the doorknob is a pretty simple DIY job. <S> Though you want to avoid the knob that can be pushed closed while locked to avoid a repeat. <A> Here, I turned the exposure way, way up <S> so you can see the components clearly. <S> The hole on the left is for the doorknob assembly to go through; it isn't anything. <S> Other than that, though, something in there moves to release the latch . <S> I suspect the silver bars in the middle move to the left, but poke around and you'll figure it out. <S> It may take a considerable amount of force. <A> The lowest cost thing to do here is to remove the part of the old latch that comes out through the edge of the door. <S> Then replace with a similar new door knob assembly. <S> These are pretty standard so it should be relatively easy to install the knob unit.
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The cost of a new door knob assembly can be quite low, especially if you are not needing the highest quality..
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Should 24" deck joist spacing be reduced to 16"? I just tore off the old decking from my cabin's deck. The joists are set 24" on center as opposed to the 16" on center that were in the specs. Should I take all the joists out and replace all of them, or add a new joist between each existing joist? The deck is about 12 years old and some of the joists have to be replaced due to rot. <Q> The wider spacing is less rigid, you may feel a little flex as you walk. <S> I do not like the flex <S> so I used 16" centers. <S> Also , if you use 2 X decking instead of the recommended 5/4"decking, it will be more rigid and last longer. <S> My 2X decking is 20+ years old in good shape in a warm ,wet location; I have replaced about 5% because of rot ( under planters). <A> We design from the top down and build from the bottom up. <S> For 5/4 material I’d use a 16” spacing. <S> For 2x material (1 1/2” thick) <S> I’d use 24” spacing for plastic decking boards and 36” spacing for Cedar, Redwood and pressure treated boards. <S> The size of the joists will be determined by the span of the joists. <S> We’d need more info to determine that... <A> as opposed to the 16" on center that were in the specs" ?? <S> Someone did not follow specs ?? <S> Since you have to replace some of the joists <S> then you might as well take them all out and do it right this time with treated joists. <S> ( 16" OC, unless you want 12" OC) <S> If you take them all out to start over then that gives you a chance to inspect the quality of all the other components to make sure any problems are addressed. <S> NOTE: <S> The word “right” in the phrase “do it right” is referring to Alaska Man <S> ’s <S> opinion of what right is for deck joist spacing. <S> No other participants were harmed in anyway in the formation of this opinion.
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So, depending on what type decking you use, you can the decide what size and spacing of joists to use.
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Mystery Plastic cap/pipe in front yard Can someone please identify the purpose of this covered plastic pipe in my front yard. I can provide further details as necessary. I thought it was a drain clean-out, but the plumber disagreed. In the back yard, there is a clean-out for the combined sewer/storm line. Photos attached with cap on/off. <Q> The cap is called a "popup emitter" and is used to cap a drain line. <S> When there is water pressure the center part <S> "pops" up and allows the water to flow. <S> It looks as though it may be clogged up. <S> Popup Emitter <A> My neighbor has caps that look just like yours and were installed by an exterminator company. <A> Get your garden hose and run water through any water drain lines in your back yard. <S> If your downspouts go into buried drain lines, your basement sump, etc. <S> Then watch and see if water comes out of this drain end. <S> One other option is that you have a buried french drain back there that runs to this drain end. <S> In that case, the garden hose trick wouldn't help. <S> Hard to tell from the pic, but you can put a shop vac on it and try to suck out as much of the debris and standing water as possible. <S> See if it fills back up by itself, which in that case may suggest it's from the water table under ground (french drain). <A> Thanks for all the responses. <S> I'm fairly certain it is indeed a cleanout pipe for downspout drain <S> line(s). <S> There are two downspouts in the front area of the property--one on the side of the house (same side) but the drain pipe bends to the front, and another downspout in the front (that was since abandoned/covered at ground level by previous owner). <S> I believe possibly both pipes connect with a Y-connection and then drain at the curb. <S> There is an opening at the curb on my side of the property line which is roughly in line following the downspouts and cleanout pipe. <S> The downspouts at the rear of the house seem to feed into the sewer/storm line. <S> The plumber who was clearing my rear storm/sewer line thought it had to do with irrigation/sprinklers (but never pulled cap).
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Perhaps it's from a downspout or a sump pump. I would check with your neighbors and see if they may have the same things in their yards.
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How to laser-level close to a surface Many self-leveling lasers, including my Bosch GCL 2-160, have a limitation when used to level a ceiling or a floor: the horizontal laser beam often cannot get within several inches of the ceiling or floor due to where the laser emerges from the device. This really slows things down for me when trying to grind down a high spot in a concrete floor, or trying to shim the ceiling strapping. My workaround typically involves getting the laser as close as possible to the surface I'm trying to level, and then using a tape measure to sample the distance from the laser to the surface at a bazillion different locations. Are there any devices or techniques to make this less painful? <Q> A good ol' scrap block of two-by does nicely. <S> This doesn't work for ceilings, of course, but hopefully you have fewer points to measure in that case. <S> You'd have to use something with a suction cup or magnet otherwise. <A> That's actually the way one normally does such things, and has been since before there were lasers, other than one normally uses a rod rather than a tape for more consistent results. <S> You establish a reference plane (Generally not going to any great lengths to try and get it super-close to the surface you are working), measure in a grid, and mark high spots for grinding (and/or low spots for filling.) <S> During the work you may use a marked stick rather than a graduated rod, where the stick is marked for the distance from the reference plane you are trying to achieve, so no math is needed, just a check against the stick to see if you are at the mark yet. <S> For typical floor or ground work, I generally keep the reference plane up around 30 inches, so I don't have to crouch way down to check, I can just bend over a bit and clearly see the mark. <S> Putting it inches off the floor would be painfully annoying to work with, IMHO. <A> Use a 2x2 of any suitable height. <S> Pre-drill a hole in it <S> (so it doesn't split), then screw in a lag screw about half its thread length. <S> The lag screw goes down, to touch the surface being measured. <S> Then mark a line on the 2x2 at the appropriate height <S> so the laser hits it right on the mark. <S> If you find your mark is not quite in the right place, turn the lag screw in or out until it is. <S> If the laser is near the floor, you can also use it as a pass/fail, because either the laser will hit the bottom of the 2x2 (high enough), or it will not (too low). <A> Are there any devices or techniques to make this less painful? <S> Yes. <S> I have built myself one <S> (it took me several attempts), but it depends on how your laser works. <S> Mine is basically a cylinder (blue) with a rotating head on top (it can also be rotated 90° but I rarely need that), with three bubble levels on the sides and screws (green) to adjust it. <S> I place it on the floor, adjust it until it's level and then a small rotating head (red) reflects a laser ray all around, creating a flat "plane" at about 10 cm from the ground, which as you say is really awkward (why they didn't think to put the rotating head below is beyond me). <S> What I did is I took a Plexiglass disc (fuchsia), with the legs drilling through, so that it's flat against the cylinder and coplanar with the laser. <S> A second disc is mounted on top with three clear Plexiglass columns. <S> All around the upper disc are several small mirrors at an angle of 45°, that reflect the laser down. <S> And the second disk also holds several small mirrors that reflect the laser horizontally. <S> My "laser plane" is now about one millimeter from the ground. <S> Actually it's no longer a plane, I have two "fan" interleaved planes at about 10 cm distance. <S> (I have long hoped to find two sections of conic chromed steel cylinder with an angle of 45°, or two steel dishes or bowls with 45° sides, to replace the mirrors with a continuous construction (thus getting a whole plane at ground level instead of two "sliced" planes), but wasn't able to find them anywhere. <S> I've also thought I could try and build myself one with thermoplastics, but for my needs, the small mirrors are enough. <S> The only drawback is that now it's difficult to reach the adjustment screws with my fingers, and I now need a screwdriver). <A> I don't know about yours, but on mine you can turn off self-leveling . <S> With it on, make two marks. <S> Turn it off and then align it where you want it, equidistant from the two marks. <S> This takes some trial and error. <S> Use a tripod. <S> Adjust where the laser is thrown by moving the feet ever so slightly. <A> It shoots dual lasers specifically to level out floors. <S> This video shows it in use and also shows it compared to the Reference level technique at the 2min mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dBgheQYjhY
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Just set your laser 1-1/2" above your slab height and kick the block around as you work. If you've got money to burn (or do like I did and pick one up at a flea market for a great price), Bosch makes the GSL 2 floor laser.
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Is it possible for a sump pump pail to be too deep? I have my 2006 built home on the market. A prospective buyer is asking whether our sump hole is too deep? Is there such a thing as too deep and what are the ramifications? <Q> NOTE: <S> While I agree that NORMALLY the depth of the sump pit itself is not a factor <S> it IS a part of the "lift" for the pump. <S> This specific question is about an unusually deep sump pit. <S> So it would be foolish to just say, "it doesn't matter how deep the pit is" because it DOES matter, in this case at least! <S> Yes, there is a limit on how high a particular sump pump can raise the water up a pipe. <S> It's called the "head" and the problem is that the closer you get to the head limit, the lower the pumping capacity of the pump is. <S> Here is a link to the Wayne company site, which is a major pump maker: Wayne Pumps Data <S> If you have the manual for your pump (probably too much to ask for) you will probably find the spec in there. <S> If you know its make/model, it could probably be looked up. <S> But the key thing is that the TOTAL height from the bottom of the sump pit to the highest point in the outlet pipe must be less than the head specification. <S> Most home-use sump pumps have a head of at least 10'. <A> I disagree with the answer by jwh20. <S> I haven’t seen a sump that is too deep. <S> On the other hand I have seen many that needed to be deeper. <S> If you have too small of a pump that can be a problem <S> but that is a pump problem not the sump. <S> A larger sump can be set up to cycle less often extending the life of the pump. <S> So can they be too deep? <S> NO. <S> Can your pump be too small? <S> Yes. <A> I live near a lake in the early spring, snow melt time. <S> the sump is set to keep basement dry. <S> Any lower pump runs 24 /7 <S> and I pump the lake. <S> any higher floor gets wet. <S> Pump has lift of ten feet, and I put in a simple back flow flapper <S> so it does not go on off with water in the eight foot, two inch line. <S> Been in at least fifteen years,check it all the time never failed and have a back up in case it does. <S> deeper is not always the way.
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The depth of the pump is what ever is needed.
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Can 2 light bulbs of 120V in series be used on 230V AC? I'm considering to buy full spectrum incandescent bulbs in the US, to be used here in Europe. Here these types of bulbs are rare, since it's mostly LED these days. First I thought I needed to step down the voltage, for instance with a travel converter for the US market. But someone made a side remark to switch it in series. I know a 120V bulb on 230V mains would instantly burn out. But from high school experiments I vaguely remember the series layout might actually work: put 2 bulbs in series and the 230V would be half: 115V. But what about the current? Questions: Would 2 bulbs rated 120V/150W in series on 230V mains work? Would they glow (almost) equally bright as 2 bulbs rated 230V/150W in a parallel layout? Would it work with a dimmer? <Q> It is possible, as long as they use the same power (or resistance). <S> However, it comes at a risk. <S> If one of the bulbs uses less power (for whatever reason, maybe damaged/end of light ... see Ferrybig's remark below for a good reason), the other uses more, and will break (faster), so it's not a perfect solution. <S> Because of P = <S> V <S> * I <= <S> > <S> 150 <S> = 110 <S> * I, <S> I = 1.36 A for two bulbs, which is 0.68 A per bulb. <S> For the 220V way: P <S> = V * I <= <S> > <S> 150 <S> = 220 <S> * I, I = <S> 0.68 <S> A per bulb. <A> Yes, that should work fine. <S> Back in the day, Christmas lights were 6 or 12V lights in series and there were thousands of those sold each year. <S> A slight caveat is that typically the threaded portion of the socket is connected to neutral. <S> The second light bulb will have voltage on the threaded part of the socket, so you should take precautions to make sure it cannot be touched. <S> Another slight caveat is that technically the 120 and 230V sockets are different. <S> The American socket is called E26 and the European socket is called E27. <S> However they are so close that in practice the bulbs seem to interchange just fine. <S> I am in the USA and purchased a number of 230V 100W light bulbs. <S> We have about 135 volts in our house (normal is 120-125 <S> but our transformer is a little different). <S> I use them as night lights in the kids' room and in the bathroom. <S> The bulbs I have came from Croatia <S> I believe. <S> If your goal is purely to get incandescent light bulbs which are not available in the store anymore, there may be options to get 230V bulbs sent through the mail. <S> Good luck! <A> I feel that it is not a good idea as a standard practice. <S> But conceptually, it would be fine to use two 120V filament type light bulbs in series on a 230V system. <S> I have done it before, briefly, and the bulbs appeared pretty normal. <S> So feel free to experiment. <S> But in the long run, maybe the bulbs would not share voltage equally and one will fail prematurely. <S> Not sure. <S> Yes, the brightness would be close to 2 230V bulbs in parallel. <S> Yes, it would work with a dimmer. <S> NOTE: <S> This answer applies to filament-type bulbs (incandescent bulbs). <S> It would not be a good idea to put LED bulbs or fluorescent bulbs in series because their internal electronics are not designed for that. <S> NOTE 2 <S> : I am not sure this is a big deal. <S> Usually on a light bulb, the center conductor is "hot" and the outer, more touch-able conductor is "neutral". <S> In series in a 230V system, one of the bulbs will have the center hot, and the outside at high voltage (half of "hot," or 115V). <S> You could argue this is the tinyest bit more dangerous than standard 120V systems and bulbs. <S> But as long as you don't touch either conductor it should be OK. <A> In theory, if it's really no electronics bulbs, you can do this. <S> The lifetime of the bulbs may be lower as they need not divide the power equally as they age, and larger power means larger wear. <S> Unless something goes wrong. <S> Still, it's very likely against the electricity code in any European country, as your bulb is a device rated probably for 100--120 V, so it can never be connected to 220/230V mains. <S> And there are good reasons for this as there are safety issues: <S> Imagine you (or anyone else that happens to be staying in your house, even just for a visit) replaces the bulb with a 220V one, or even a 120V one with different wattage. <S> Then you will expose one of bulbs to >120V, and they were not rated for this. <S> Second, you should not wire this yourself and a certified electrician should never be willing to do anything like this. <S> Also note that if you had an accident, the insurance company would likely claim you responsible as in their point of view, you would have been simply messing up. <S> You are solving the wrong problem. <S> Just invest into some high quality LED bulbs, they need not be expensive. <S> You can get 600-lumen CRI 80 LED bulbs for as low as EUR 2. <S> Is it really worth messing up with the electricity? <A> This depends on the bulbs being equal; if they're not, one will burn out first. <S> However, given the Code violation and the general difficulty, I think you're barking up the wrong tree. <S> Fluorescent technology has gotten absolutely fantastic in its sunset years, and there's no problem getting full-spectrum fluorescent tubes at any color temperature you desire. <S> The light is higher quality than is possible with LED (really). <S> The tube doesn't need to be compatible with one mains voltage or the other; that's the ballast's job. <S> And two things are true about ballasts. <S> First, you can get native European ballasts for standard fluorescent sizes. <S> Second, modern North American ballasts are multi-voltage compatible from 110-277 volts, and 230V is in their midrange. <S> It's also vastly more efficient, with lumen efficiency near LED, so the additional up-front cost will be paid by your reduced electric bill. <S> You can also explore LED options, but there's an ocean of fair-medium quality out there, and top quality LED is still pretty hard-to-find and boutique priced.
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Yes, it's not Code legal (because the shell of the upper bulb socket will be hot), but it will work. In practise, yes, it will work and will do what you expect.
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Cracks in new house slab foundation, how serious? I am in the process of building a new home in North Carolina. This is slab based foundation house. The slab was poured in mid March when the temperatures were around 40-50 F. Now during the pre-drywall inspection I found that there were a number of cracks in the slab all over. In one area specific area of the slab there are few big cracks. There are also cracks in the garage and the front patio as well. Should I be concerned about these cracks? Is this a sign for any underlying big problem? Please help. <Q> Unfortunately that looks very unusual to me. <S> I think you need a civilengineering consultant. <S> It will cost something but saying "some guys on the internet said it looked bad " is worth nothing. <S> And maybe the conclusions will be good. <A> Yes, I think the cracks are structural and will be a problem in the future. <S> The crack is near a “control joint”, which is used to control expansion and contraction. <S> The control joints are spaced appropriately and doing their job, unless the contractor did not stop the reinforcing steel through the control joint. <S> There is obviously a heavy load coming down on the foundation near these cracks (see the built-up column of 4 - 2x’s) and is probably contributing to the settlement (movement). <S> If you look closely, the slab is poured with the exterior foundation system. <S> I’d keep a journal and place marks on the floor <S> every 4’ along the cracks. <S> Then I’d number the marks, measure the marks, and photograph the marks. <S> The cracks are small, because it’s new concrete. <S> As the house ages a year or so and goes through a winter season and has furniture moved in, those cracks will enlarge. <S> I’d notify the contractor in writing that it’s unacceptable and you will be maintaining a journal. <A> I see a few problems in the construction photo you added: 1) wire mesh in slab, 2) <S> wrong supports that are too far apart for wire mesh, 3) <S> wire mesh laying on ground (vapor barrier), 4) lack of rebar in perimeter footing, 5) thickened edge of slab without proper amount of rebar, <S> 6) no protection of vapor barrier. <S> 7) reinforcing extends through control joints. <S> 1) <S> Wire mesh is not appropriate for slabs. <S> There is a recommended ratio of reinforcing steel to quantity of concrete. <S> You can obtain this with rebar, but not wire mesh. <S> (That mesh is standard #4x#4/6x6 which is too small.) <S> 2) Supports are too far apart and allow the mesh to sag and lay on the ground. <S> 3) <S> When mesh lays on the ground it is located in the wrong position in the slab. <S> Reinforcing should be in the middle of the slab or in the upper half of the slab. <S> When the concrete is poured thx contractor will have a person “hook” the mesh and try to pull it up into position. <S> They can’t. <S> It merely deforms the mesh and creates a small loop. <S> You can’t move mesh through the concrete. <S> 4) <S> Some rebar appears in the footing adjacent to the other building. <S> However, there is none in the other footings. <S> The contractor may tell you that it just hasn’t been installed yet when the picture was taken. <S> Not true. <S> Rebar is installed prior to installing mesh. <S> The mesh will just be in the way of installing rebar. <S> 5) <S> When a slab is thickened at the edge (perimeter), additional rebar is required. <S> There is none. <S> 6) <S> If you have moisture problems on your slab in the future, it’s because there is no protection between the vapor barrier and the wire mesh. <S> (Usually there is a 2” layer of sand placed on the vapor barrier to protect it from getting holes punctured in it.) <S> When the concrete is placed, the workers will walk all over the area creating puncture holes from the wire mesh. <S> 7) Wire mesh runs through control joints. <S> This defeats the purpose of the control joints (does not allow proper expansion and contraction.) <S> Please let us know outcome. <A> First I will say there are 2 types of concrete, type one has cracks and type 2 will crack later. <S> Your cracks are kind of unusual because the built in crack lines are not far away, I am wondering about the quality of the pour was this an area that required some hand backfilling? <S> I ask because of the discoloring an possible grind marks. <S> With possibly a slight concern in this area I probably not be worried because the rebar or steel mesh will keep it from moving and all concrete slabs will crack over time. <A> One additional suggestion would be to conduct a radon gas test to understand the levels at your specific property. <S> DIY tests are not very expensive, and even professional tests by licensed testers are
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The slab is not independent, so any movement in the foundation will affect the slab.
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Neutral and ground connected to one bus bar in subpanel; should I change? At my house, there is a subpanel that serves a pool area, served by one 30 amp 240v circuit. The panel, which I think was installed about 30 years ago, has just one bus bar that the neutrals and grounds are both connected to. The service neutral and ground wires are connected to the bus bar at opposite ends. This gives the appearance that the neutral current is run through both the neutral and ground wires back to the main panel, which I know is the wrong way to install a subpanel. Now, I've had this house for more than ten years and never had any problems with this, but I'm wondering, should I change this, or am I just misunderstanding the layout of the panel? This is the only breaker box I ever recall seeing with just one bus bar, and I'm wondering if there is something to it that I am missing. If not, I'm assuming the thing to do would be to purchase a new bus bar, install it in the panel, and run all the grounds (or neutrals) to it, and use it to separate the ground and neutral currents, right? EDIT: Here are photos of the box. Can anyone identify the make and model of the box? Note that some of the circuits have been disconnected from the breakers in the interior shot of the box due to the fact that I am doing some work. (There were some other things that were not installed properly that I am in the process of fixing). The main ground is the green wire on the far left. <Q> You or a contractor should go out and purchase a second bus and separate the conductors. <S> I can also say that your situation is not uncommon in the industry. <S> This subpanel was probably installed by the pool company and whoever installed it had limited experience. <S> The question most people ask is, is it safe? <S> The only answer I can give someone without a seminar, is that it is less safe the way it is and it does violate the NEC. <S> So you have discovered it and it should be corrected. <A> Get a PK7GTA and clean this mess up <S> Your panel appears to be a Square-D QO612L100RB (of unknown series, though). <S> With the feeder breaker off, you'll need to remove all the ground wires (bare and green) from the neutral bar, remove the green bonding screw from said neutral bar, install the new ground bar, fix the dodgy splices on the bare ground wires with some wirenuts, and attach the ground wires to the new ground bar. <A> Given that it serves a pool area, you really, really , really want GFCI protection: it's cheap liability insurance. <S> That can be either as a 2-pole GFCI feed breaker in the main panel replacing this with a "hot tub" subpanel that includes a GFCI main (but finding a 6-8 space hot tub panel will be hard), or GFCI breakers in each slot (which will preclude use of the double-stuff breaker in space 5, since GFCIs/AFCIs are not available in double-stuff). <S> I prefer the first solution, because it protects all the wires in this subpanel. <S> Make sure there is a deadfront for this panel (i.e. the plate that covers the wires but leaves the breakers exposed). <S> If there isn't, see if your friendly neighborhood Square D dealer can sell you one, or just replace the subpanel altogether. <S> (That doesn't look like it'd be a particularly hard job, given the small wire connections and mostly flexible conduit). <S> If you get a "QO" family subpanel you can reuse the breakers. <S> You could also think about getting one with more spaces; that one is stuffed and starting to be "double" stuffed :) <S> Also, plug the empty knockout holes with knockout covers. <S> Deters weather and curious fingers. <S> On the conduit run in the lower right, it appears the red, white and ground wires are individual wires. <S> Regardless, they are too short, and the run should be replaced unless you can liberate a lot of length from the far end. <S> If the lower right pipe has two cables , it is grossly overfilled. <S> See if you can replace one or both cables with THHN wire for the segment which is in conduit. <S> Also I see Romex cable in there; it's not outdoor rated and needs to be replaced with individual wires (if all in conduit) or UF (which is outdoor rated). <S> Lastly, given the number of faults I see above (and others discuss), I would treat everything about this installation as suspect, and go over it all carefully. <S> Notably, make sure the breaker on the feeder wire is appropriately sized for the feeder wire.
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You are correct in your assumption that your neutral and grounding conductor must be separated in subpanels per the NEC which only allows neutrals and grounds to be attached on the same bus in the Main Panel with a main circuit breaker. The correct grounding bar for your panel is a Square-D PK7GTA; this should be pretty easy to find at any electrical supply house that carries the Square-D product line, and shouldn't cost more than $10.
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Requirement for splicing neutrals in a switch I am going to install 4 LED downlights on a 3-way switch. My plan is to do panel-switch-switch-lights... similar to this image I will be using THHN inside conduit from panel to first switch, and from first switch to second switch. My question is do I need to splice the neutral in the first switch box, or can I just make it a continuous run from panel - through first switch box - spliced to NM-B in second switch box? Alternatively, is it good practice to splice here (provides future capability) or bad practice (unnecessary point of failure)? <Q> If your splices are failing, that is a technique problem. <S> A competent wire-nut splice should be reliable. <S> It doesn't matter legally, you can either leave zero spare length, 18" of spare length <S> so you can splice to it if needed, or actually fit a splice. <S> You always have the option of running a replacement wire if needed since it's conduit -- that's why it's legal. <A> To me the choices are equally acceptable. <S> I don't see either as a good or bad practice. <S> As long as a good splice is made it will last indefinitely. <S> And sometimes I like less clutter in the box. <A> That's assuming there isn't a junction box in the middle somewhere that might someday be a 4-way; then you'd need the travelers too. <S> Fishing a fifth wire down an EMT with four wires in it already can be tough. <S> Even if the client doesn't ask for it, when running a lighting circuit I run it as half of a MWBC. <S> The other half is for me when I come back to do something else <S> and I need power from there. <S> Those loops and the, easy to do now, extra wire can save the next guy a whole lot of work.
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For total future-proofing, run and loop an extra live wire as well . I'd leave loops of everything except the travelers in each box, especially if the incoming was at the light, where power would have to be brought through all of them anyway.
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How should I repair the cracks in my ceiling before painting? I want to repaint my ceiling, but I can’t quite tell what’s going on. Is there a layer of drywall? Plaster? What should I do if I just want to repaint? <Q> You have two main issues: 1) crack length of room, and 2) top coat and brown coat separating from scratch coat. <S> 1) <S> When we see cracks running in the middle of a room <S> , it’s usually from undersized ceiling framing. <S> Lumber bends most at the center of a span. <S> If the lumber is undersized, it will deflect excessively and thus cause a crack in brittle materials like: plaster, ceramic tile, etc. <S> You’ll probably need to sister an additional joist next to the existing joists.) <S> Before you fix the crack and paint, I’d suggest you verify the ceiling framing is adequate. <S> (There are span tables on the internet that can tell you what size lumber should be used to carry the existing plaster plus any additional plaster (or gypsum board) <S> repairs... <S> or you can ask on this forum giving span, spacing of existing joists, any loads above ceiling, etc.) <S> 2) Plaster is generally a 3 step process. <S> Each layer requires the new layer to bond to the previous layer. <S> Looking at the missing piece, it appears the plaster separating is about 3/8” to 1/2” thick. <S> That means the brown coat (about 3/8” thick) and finish coat (about 1/8” thick) is separating from the scratch coat. <S> There is no easy way to repair this problem without removing the brown coat and finish coat. <S> (You can’t just nail it back up because it’ll continue cracking and separating and it will be very uneven.) <S> Often people choose to remove the worst areas and then install gypsum board over the entire ceiling. <S> However, that adds a great deal of load, but you may need to reinforce the existing ceiling joists anyway. <A> Your plaster has failed, and is extensive. <S> As a rule, even a small crack will show after painting. <S> Paint tends to "magnify" imperfections. <S> The structure has settled and you can't just repaint it. <S> Get a pro to come in and fix it or, it will show <S> and, it will get worse. <A> From the big chunk that is missing I would say plaster, but not the first time as it looks like there is another level under that one. <S> In the 70’s my dad remodeled many Victorians in the SF north Bay Area of CA. <S> Even featured in sunset magazine not sure of the year, we would strip the old woodlath and plaster to the studs and Sheetrock then heavy mud to look like old plaster. <S> The tough ones were from the 30-40’s with expanded metal and mortar but these crack but never drop a section as your photo shows. <S> Depending on the area I have found 3 types of studs from your era, Redwood , no rot and easy to rip and strip old plaster, <S> Fir mid level nails pull out most of the time but break off close to the coast, not two bad, Oak framing , this is just about impossible to pull a old nail or drive a new one or screw without a pilot hole being drilled first. <S> They each have pros and cons and depending on the zone the home was built can be great advantages at this age, if 2 layers there ways to fill the hole but cracks will come back from what I have seen unless structural and multi layer problems are repaired.
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Filling cracks will give some time but it will crack again unless not reenforced with mesh paper tape won’t last as well in my experience.
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How many wires should be in a new thermostat cable? When roughing in thermostat wire, how many pair wire would you use to cover most thermostats? I'm asking because keep seeing questions about C wire and wifi. <Q> If you're building a new building and having new HVAC installed, I would simply put 1/2" conduit in the wall and be done. <S> That way, you let the installer run the wire they need. <S> I don't know that I would do this without at least consulting an HVAC installer to see where they would put the unit and the air return (typically the thermostat is as near the return as possible). <S> If you're going to just pre-run wire and dictate where the return will be and the HVAC unit will sit, I would run 18/5 wire if you know you will have a AC + gas heat, and 18/8 if you know you will have a heat pump (if you're in doubt, more will not hurt). <S> Your most basic setup on most modern units needs 4 control wires plus the fifth blue "C" wire that provides power to the thermostat. <S> It won't cover anything elaborate like a heat pump, but your greatest risk would be the installer uses your wire to pull the wire they actually need. <A> However when you get into heat pump and multistage systems, just throw an 8 in there - it's readily available and not that much more expensive. <S> You're not going to get very many latté's with the cost savings from using 4-wire. <A> I'd use 20/8 which is pretty standard today. <S> That will cover anything up to a 2-stage heat pump system. <S> I'm not sure how WiFi factors in here. <S> An smart/electronic thermostat like a Nest does support WiFi but not between the HVAC unit and the thermostat.
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For traditional Heat + Fan + AC systems, you need 4 for the system to work at all , and 5 if you want to support the C wire for smart 'stats.
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Why are 3-way center-off wall switched so rare / expensive? I'm looking for a switch to mount in an upstairs hallway that will control an attic/roof ventilation fan. The switch will select whether I want the attic thermostat to control the fan, vs manual-on, vs off (fan will not come on). The price for something like this (center-off, constant-contact (not momentary), single-pole double-throw aka "3-way") whether toggle-style or flat (Decora or similar) is upwards of $50 - $70. Or I can get a plate-mounted SPDT center-off paddle-style switch (something you'd expect to see in an airplane cockpit) for under $10. I could swear I've seen these 3-way center-off switches in the past. Why so rare and expensive now? <Q> Simply lay two common switches right next to each other. <S> One is SPST and turns the whole caboodle on and off. <S> The other is a plain 3-way which selects between "always" or "thermostatic" - common goes to the switched-hot off the SPST, one traveler goes straight to the fan, and the other traveler feeds the thermostat. <S> You'll need /3 <S> cable between the switches and thermostat, or between switches and fan if the thermostat is on a spur. <S> If you only have a 1-gang space, you can get dual 3-way switches -- you bridge both commons to each other. <S> On the top switch, one of the "on/off" travelers is disused and the other goes to supply. <S> The other option is to do the thermostat wiring in 24V low voltage, then you can use any switch you please. <S> NEC 110.2. <A> , power to the common lug then in the top position it could be on , middle off, bottom thermostat, I’ve done things like this using a blank cover and drilling a hole for bat style switch, and use a dremel tool with cutoff disks to make the square hole for a rocker style switch. <S> Added. <S> Since there was a question thrown out about listing I did a simple web search for single pole double throw , 3 position switches. <S> 2vlu3 came up and is U.L. Listed 20amp 125v 2 horsepower 11$, 2gm91-78 15a 3/4 horse power rated 125v also came up 6$ and is listed, both are on-off-on this is what op asked for if the switch “state” has a (on)-off-on the brackets ( ) signify momentary some of the switches you could see the listing stamps but <S> the descriptions had them listed also, both of these just happen to be on the granger site so they are out there, and they are listed if purchased through quality companies (not overseas junk). <S> digit key may be less expensive <S> I saw they had the same model and brand <S> but there descriptions were not complete. <S> There are dozens of them out there <S> some may be double pole double throw no big deal you just don’t use 1 side, most vent fans are fractional horse power and these both are horsepower rated. <S> Code states <S> if not horsepower rated or general use switches the required rating is 2x the FLA (full load amperage) of the motor for switches <S> NEC 430.109.C.1. <S> I saw some as cheap as ~4.50 but already had 2 examples that were listed. <S> A little search probably took less time than questions about listing <S> but I do this all the time. <A> Use a Functional Devices SIB02S <S> As it turns out, the need for an enclosed, UL listed, SPDT, maintained, center-off switch rated for branch-circuit and pilot duty isn't all that rare, and Functional Devices actually makes such a product, complete with industrial-style Hand-Off-Auto labeling: <S> the SIB02S. <S> While the form factor is a bit odd <S> (it's a switch in a plastic box with a nipple on it, so <S> mounting it may require a bit of help from some conduit parts), it is available through a variety of vendors for a good price (around $10 at the time of this writing), and is rated for 20A @ <S> 120V resistive, or a 1HP motor load @ <S> 120V <S> , so it should be adequate to switch your vent fan. <A> The Leviton 5685 or 5686 (not sure what is difference between them) is what I would choose if price/availability were not an issue. <S> Home Depot (USA) has this listed for $48 USD ($64 CAD). <S> I'm looking for a 1-gang solution. <S> I think what I will do is use a Leviton 5634 ($18 CAD, dual SPST) and wire the top switch to apply power direct to the fan motor, and the bottom will apply power to the thermostat switch (the other side of the thermostat will go to the motor). <S> The thermostat is mechanical (bimetal) and can't see it having a problem in this configuration. <A> You could use the standard 1-way to select 'on or off' and the 2 way to select 'auto' or 'manual'. <S> P1 of 2W >> <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> THERMOSTAT <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> LINE <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> 1W <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> >> <S> > center of 2W FAN <S> >>> <S> > <S> >neutral P2 of 2W >> <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> > <S> >> <S> > <S> 1W: <S> 1-WAY SWITCH2W: 2-WAY SWITCH
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Of course, if your AHJ (local inspector) approves switching mains power with an electronics-tier switch which lacks a UL listing or has a ЯU electronic component listing, then you can use it. A normal switch + a 2-way (3-way for US) will do the trick: I would use a bat handle or a rocker that has 3 positions, these are what you want in the 10$ range Just make sure the switch you purchase is rated for the load and you will be fine. The SIB02S is not aesthetically appropriate for this location. Home Depot (Canada, where i am) does not carry this switch.
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Should I insulate metal duct work in basement? I have a balloon frame house with an unfinished basement. The air handler and furnace are in the basement too. Last fall, we had the duct work removed because it was wrapped in asbestos tape that was deteriorating. We DIYed the replacement just like the previous, except I used some online tools to make some airflow calculations and made one of the returns bigger. 100% of the duct work is metal box or round pipe, and every seam from the plenum to each register boot is well sealed with mastic. We did not insulate anything, because the laundry and a couple work benches and a video game area are down there, and we decided some radiant heat from the ducts would be nice, but I have since read that we should have insulated the supply ducts to help control condensation. Also, I learned that insulating ducts is required in an unconditioned space, and I think my unfinished basement with no HVAC registers meets this definition. This is going to be our first cooling season with the new work, though we haven't noticed any condensation yet, so... Does code require to insulate the supply ducts in this space? If so, how does one insulate big square trunk duct? (All the tutorials/materials I see are for 6" round) Could we turn this into a "conditioned space" simply by adding a register in the unfinished basement? <Q> They make insulation that is like a foil and fiberglass blanket that you wrap square ducts with, if you are in a high humidity area you may find the duct will sweat if not insulated because your ductwork close to the air handler will be 20-30 degrees lower than the room temp causing the condensation. <S> I might wait and see. <S> Just google duct insulation and you will see the different types. <A> Insulation is the best way. <S> And if not needed ,close vent. <S> open when needed. <S> They even have vents that are hooked up and keep room at the temp you want. <A> Such devices include, sheet metal duct, flex duct, aluminum flex duct and any and all others. <S> The purpose is to retain heat and air with minimal loss thereby reducing energy usage. <S> Failure to comply is punishable with a $2,000 fine and or 30 days of detention..."
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Yes code requires all devices " used in the conveyance of heat or cold air be properly sealed, insulated and protected. Add a outlet vent to area.
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Where do I find 4-4-4-6 direct bury copper cable? Installing a 100 amp subpanel approximately 160 feet from my main panel to a new garage. 4-4-4-6 copper I understand will be more than sufficient for a 240v/60 amp load at the subpanel and have less than 3% voltage drop. The problem I am having is finding 4-4-4-6 copper cable anywhere on line. I prefer copper to aluminum. I can find 4-4-4-6 SER, but as I understand it SER is not to be direct buried. Any direction on a place to order the copper cable, or advice on other substitutes is appreciated. <Q> That choice of copper wire is going to be even more expensive when the inspector makes you rip it out and replace it with the 3-3-3-5 you should be using. <S> You need to use the 75C column in 310.15b16 and can't use the 83% bonus derate on subpanels. <S> There's an urban myth that 4Cu/2Al is allowable on 100A, that was due to a misunderstanding of the applicability of 310.15b7, which in fact only applies to service entrances that serve the entire dwelling unit. <S> E.g. from meter to weatherhead or from main shutoff to main panel. <S> NOT subpanels. <S> I agree SER is not made for direct burial. <S> I concur that at this distance, 3Cu or 1Al will contain voltage drop to <3% at 60A. <S> Expect about 4% at a full 100A, which I wouldn't lose any sleep over. <S> You are correct not to design for 3% at breaker trip current. <S> Regardless expect to spend $5-7 per foot for #3Cu and about $1.60-$2.00/foot for #1Al. <S> The price you will really pay is decided by your local electrical supply house, at least the one willing to carry oddball cable like this. <S> The size isn't oddball, the use of copper when just about anyone else would use aluminum is oddball. <S> Some houses in the 1970s had a problem with 15/20A circuits using powerline grade aluminum (AA-1350). <S> But there is nothing wrong with aluminum feeder at #4 size and up, even the obsolete AA-1350 alloys proved reliable. <S> Regardless, out of an abundance of caution, AA-1350 was outlawed and a new alloy, AA-8000, was invented specifically for household wiring. <S> The lugs will be aluminum, which means aluminum feeder does not introduce a "dissimilar metal" issue - <S> but copper does! <S> Ironically. <S> Given your desire for copper, you are probably better off laying conduit e.g. sched. <S> 80 PVC, and running individual copper wires (THWN or XHHW) therein. <S> They definitely make those in copper. <S> The downside is theft risk, but it's a lot harder to steal buried cable. <A> It's unlikely anyone makes or carries such a thing in copper. <S> By the time you get to cables this big, most people are going SER. <S> Not only is that a lot easier to find, it gives you exactly what you're looking for. <A> I believe you can use USE-2 (Underground Service Entrance) wire for this purpose. <S> You would need to get individual wires instead of a cable, but otherwise it's the same. <S> See 2017 NEC Article 338 for the rules about using it. <S> One source is here; you can probably find others as well now that you know the right keyword to look for. <S> I've never bought from them <S> so it's not a recommendation <S> , it's just the first place I found. <S> https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/xlp-use-2-rhh-rhw-2/ <S> Note that you would almost certainly be better off using aluminum wires at this size. <S> Most of the problems with aluminum come from connecting it to copper, but the lugs on your panelboards and breakers will be aluminum anyway, so that's a non-issue in this application.
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Your best bet is to buy 4 gauge THHN and bury it in conduit (can't be direct buried).
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How to clean a domestic air conditioner How do I clean the inside of a domestic air conditioner? Can I spray water to the coil (after the filters are off) or water will make coil to get rust? <Q> The coil gets water (condensate from the air) on it all the time in use, so putting water on it should not affect it. <S> How effective that will be in cleaning <S> it is another issue, and "where else you get water" while spraying it could be a problem, but as to your question, " No, the coil is perfectly fine being wet, happens all the time. " <A> There are commercial spray cans of cleaning liquid for evaporator coils. <S> I have used some and it seemed to work , but I do not remember the name. <S> Our coil lasted 22+ years before apparently dying . <S> Any coils I have seen are aluminum <S> so they do not "rust". <S> If you have red rust , it is coming from the galvanized steel water collection pan . <A> After a few years, this area tends to fill with massive quantities of mold. <S> I sprayed mine out in the tub. <S> You might do better taking the thing outside and using a hose. <S> It is very important not to penetrate the electronics with water. <S> I was careful, and the unit survived, cooling better than ever.
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In addition to coils, I sprayed mine clean with water, take the cooling unit out of its housing so you can get at the area where water pools on the bottom of the unit. If you soak the push-button pad you may end up with an expensive and over-large paper weight on your hands.
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How should I fasten window trim molding when I reinstall it? I posted previously in regards to an exterior window trim issue I discovered, where the previous home owner did not put any waterproofing around the window. I have since waterproofed around the windows using foam and silicone. However, the silicone is exposed and I would like to cover it with trim again (now that it is properly? sealed). Is there anything I should keep in mind prior to putting on trim again? I was just going to brad nail it on, and maybe silicone between the trim and window. --- UPDATE --- So I decided to just not use trim. I stuffed backing rod in the gaps around the window, and siliconed the heck out of everything. These windows are now completely water tight. I am now going to put the highest quality paintable caulk I can find on the silicone then paint. As mentioned, the trim really only makes the problem worse by catching water and such. Thanks everyone for all the helpful comments and critiques! <Q> First off, don't use wood trim. <S> Vinyl trim is easy to find and it won't rot. <S> Second, you can use an air nailer if you can avoid the window. <S> Caulk will cover the holes. <S> I would suggest using galvanized nails. <S> If you don't feel comfortable, or you don't own an air nailer, the next best option is construction adhesive. <S> If you went vinyl trim MAKE SURE THE ADHESIVE SUPPORTS VINYL. <S> If you don't, it may eat the trim instead. <S> Make sure it's outdoor as well. <S> The catch with adhesive is it will make future repairs harder. <S> Third, get a good outdoor grade caulk. <S> It will prevent water intrusion <A> If wood trim is what you have than use it. <S> Pre -cut trim to fit prime and paint all surfaces on bare wood. <S> Add couple coats finish paint let it all dry. <S> Nail <S> it screw it what ever you choose. <S> If nailing in trim on the ends drill holes <S> so trim wont split. <S> you can open and close the window so window wont break and molding not making it not work. <S> Apply more caulking,let dry. <S> I would put two more coats of paint on. <S> Should last along time. <S> There was a comment about the molding holding water. <S> And i see the same. <S> Was this part of the window, or some one just added own trim? <S> It does look like it acts like a dam. <S> Im not getting into caulk debate, Ask a real painter. <A> The window or windows appear to be replacement windows. <S> The installer should have never installed a piece at the bottom,and cut the side trim to fit to the sill. <S> The bottom sill is most likely sloped to allow water to drain off and placing the quarter round, or any trim would create a dam to allow the water to back up to the inside of the house. <S> The trim on the outside should be removed the rest of the way, seal the joint between the window and jamb with caulk and backer rod if needed and install new trim fully back primed, cut ends too. <S> Set the new trim in place with galvanized nails, 1 1/2" will do, while the caulk is still wet so it "beds in" using a high grade water based caulk to make the oozy mess easier to clean up with a sponge and a 5 gallon bucket of water. <S> The bottom should be caulked only, wiped in flush and smooth with the same damp sponge that cleans the excess caulk, squeezing it out really hard to keep the sponge drip free. <S> Silicone although it has its uses, such as places that do not need painting, to me is highly rated. <S> Many new caulks are out there that perform very well and can be painted over. <S> Perhaps if the new caulk will stick to the silicone, it can be "colored in" with the same white caulk that is used around the perimeter trim.
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Apply a small bead of caulk before putting on mold ,this really helps called back caulking.
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What is this part called and where can I buy it? So I replaced the weather stripping on all of my very old windows yesterday. The windows are sash windows. In the process I unfortunately broke two of the spring-loaded things that hold the top part of the window securely into the frame's guides. Here are some photos of both one I didn't break, and the individual disassembled parts: So, my questions are: What is this called? Where can I get replacements? Thank you! <Q> Go to allaboutdoors.com. <S> Guid, or cam sash top, <S> seasonally/white <S> , May be part in white only. <S> Only 3 bucks, buy two or more that price. <S> If not part, tons more to look at. <S> PART <S> # 538009 <A> Use this hardware replacement company There you can upload a photo of the part you need they may be able to identify it. <S> (I have no affiliation with Swisco.com). <A> I have Jeld-Wen windows with a similar mechanism. <S> You slide each (one on each side) towards the center of the window, which then allows you to tilt the window into the house for cleaning. <S> I've seen it called the Tilt Latch, but your brand may be different. <S> As far as the brand- <S> your windows don't look too old. <S> Look in the corners of the glass for an etched brand name and serial number. <S> It can be quite hard to see, so try it with different lighting conditions if at first you don't see it. <S> Mine are in the top left corner of the upper sash. <A> I'd guess Keller Windows Tilt Latch. <S> This part mounts on top of the window to keep it in its track, but allows you to retract it to pivot the windows. <S> Looks extremely similar to part 26-088P on swissco.com <S> https://www.swisco.com/Keller-Pair/pd/Surface-Mounted-Latches-For-Tilt-Windows/26-088P <S> As others have said, you can upload a photo to them and confirm it.
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It is a tilt window latch.
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What are these (utility?) boxes at the side of the house? What are the four boxes in the picture below for? The fat pipe to the left goes up to the electricity meter. I've also included pictures of the two labels I could find. Also, why is there a green plastic rope coming out of the first box? I found the box slightly gaping with the bottom screw missing 1 , and the rubber water seal around the cover a bit ripped where the rope is coming from. When I pull on the rope, there seems to be no resistance as if I could completely pull it out of the box. The fact that the seal is cut up where the rope is makes me think it wasn't supposed to be there in the first place...Should I pull out the rope and fix the seal of the box's cover? 1 I placed a new screw as seen in the picture, so that the box isn't gaping wide open (to rain, insects, etc.)... <Q> There must be wires in them that come from or go to the inside of the house to an out building or ?? . <S> The green cord could be left there for fishing ( pulling ) new wire from one of the ends. <S> Have you seen this green cord near any other electrical fixtures? <S> The covers come off to facilitate fishing the wires, It can be difficult to fish the wires thru many bends, so with this setup, you can pull a length of wire from one direction thru the open body and then pull the remainder as you help feed in to the body to complete the turn, then put the cover back on. <A> These are conduit bodies <S> What you are looking at is a set of PVC electrical conduits that extend underground (maybe to outbuildings or such?) with wiring inside, as well as at least one pull rope (the green rope you see dangling outside one of them) that can be used to add more wire to that conduit. <S> Attached to these conduits coming out of the ground are LB <S> conduit bodies that provide a means of making the tight bend into the wall that's still accessible, so the electrician can make the pull through the underground conduit up to the open body, as the covers come off, then finish the pull from the body to the panel or box the conduit terminates at. <S> This is done as the pulling forces become excessive if a wire pull becomes too long or bendy; the NEC sets a limit of 360° of cumulative bend between pull points for this reason, for that matter. <A> First, get a nice strong magnet and pick through gravel below for that missing screw. <S> Regardless, take that cover off and bring it to a few local electrical supply houses (NOT big-box stores) and see if any of them sell that same PVC conduit body. <S> Obviously you want one that carries that brand of conduit body, so call ahead. <S> It was a huge mistake to leave that rope dangling out of the gasket, as it wrecked the gasket. <S> Most people's tendency is to assume "the last person" was a fool. <S> My rule is assume the last person did that thing for a reason , and you just haven't caught up with the reason yet. <S> At some point in the future you will want something, and with any luck it'll be related and voila . <S> Expect that aged rope to be flimsy as heck. <S> It will have been sitting in water for years. <S> Don't pull wires with it - pull a new rope similar to it, then use that to pull the wires. <S> The water isn't because of the missing screw. <S> no matter how much we try to seal it, or that's the assumption we make. <S> Trying to make conduit actually watertight is a lost cause, unless you go to industrial extremes like pressurizing it to 2 PSI. <S> And there's no reason to bother; wet-rated wire such as THWN-2 or XHHW is rated for 100% water contact. <S> Also by the way, don't use cables in conduit. <S> It's legal, just unnecessarily difficult. <S> Use individual wires (that are wet-rated such as THWN-2 or XHHW). <S> Besides, NM/Romex isn't wet rated). <S> Lastly, if that conduit is anything other than a northern exposure, paint it <S> otherwise UV damage will tear it up. <S> 1) Lightly sand it with a green Scotchbrite pad so the primer will stick, 2) brush an alkyd primer like Kilz Original or Rustoleum 7780 (use an 80 cent cheapie natural bristle brush, it won't clean with water, just throw it away), give it a month to cure, <S> then 3) top with your house's latex paint.
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That is non metallic (PVC) electrical conduit. The rope is in there for future pulling. They may be able to sell you a cover, but which brands they carry will vary. The water is because all underground wiring is 100% under water 100% of the time
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Mounting a pull up bar on hollow concrete block wall I’m trying to mount a Pull-up bar like this one on a hollow concrete block wall. I’m planning on using some concrete sleeve anchors, but I also have seen people anchor some wood planks into the wall and then the pull-up bar through the wood into the concrete wall. Would the concrete sleeve anchors be enough or should I also use wood/something else? The pull up bar needs to support a little bit more than 200 lbs/90 kg (my own weight + maybe a weighted vests). I do not have access to the other side of the wall. <Q> Please be very careful to ensure that there is sufficient block wall above your attachment point to stop the whole wall toppling forward under load. <S> Children have been killed by basketball hoops fixed to brick fascia's above garage doors when they slam-dunked and swung on the hoop. <S> The brick fascia collapsed forward onto the child crushing them. <S> I expect you want at least several feet of wall above your attachment point, even better if the roof is providing good downforce to hold the wall together. <A> The upper and middle sets of the mounting holes will see a considerable amount of the stress on the fastener to be inline with the axis of the fastener in a pull-out direction. <S> If it were me I would investigate using Heavy Duty Tapcon fasteners of a decent diameter (such as 3/8") for the upper sets of mounting holes. <S> This type of fastener requires drilling the proper sized hole into the block wall with a hammer drill and then carefully screwing in the Tapcon bolts. <S> Over tightening Tapcons can strip out the thread and render the fastener to a compromised state. <S> (Make sure to read and fully understand the installation documentation that comes with the Tapcon fasteners). <S> The advantage of using some framing lumber planking wood on the wall that extends from floor to ceiling is that you can install many more Tapcons to hold the wood in place. <S> Additionally construction adhesive can be applied between the planking lumber and the block wall for even more holding power. <S> The planking spreads the stress out over many more concrete blocks making failure much less likely. <S> Then the pullup bar can be fastened to the planking members using normal lag bolts which will have fantastic holding power in the wood itself as long as you install them in properly drilled pilot holes. <S> Make sure to use a lag bolt of at least 3/8 inch diameter. <A> No anchor(s) will work without access to the other side or by filling and reinforcing some of the hollow cells. <S> You have several issues: 1) <S> The force on the top anchors are in withdrawal, 2) <S> The unreinforced cells are not suitable for expansion anchors, 3) <S> The unreinforced masonry could fail 1) <S> The metal brace you are trying to attach “stands out” from the wall 24” or so. <S> When loaded with your weight, this puts a rotation on the metal brace that creates a withdrawal on the top anchors. <S> ( I’m not worried about the bottom anchors, because a piece of wood could be installed to help distribute the load along the wall.) <S> The top anchor (and the middle anchors) will require a significant amount of holding power, (measured in foot-pounds). <S> No company will provide stress values for such rotation, including Simpson: see attached: https://www.buildsite.com/pdf/simpsonanchors/Drop-In-Internally-Threaded-Expansion-Shell-Anchor-Product-Data-1430481.pdf 2) <S> The walls of unreinforced masonry are called “shells”. <S> All masonry anchor manufacturer’s , including Topcon, Simpson, provide stress values for solid reinforced masonry or concrete ONLY. <S> The reason is because as you tighten the expansion anchor, it will crush the masonry material around it. <S> 3) <S> Even if you could get the expansion anchor to hold in the face shell, the entire masonry unit could crack and fail as soon as a load is applied. <S> However, if you are able to get to the other side of the wall, you could place a large flat steel plate on the wall to distribute the load. <S> Or, if you could remove a face shell, you could install rebar in the cell, fill the cells with grout, and install an expansion anchor to the cell. <S> Note: If you look closely at the attached site, you’ll notice Simpson shows an anchor installed EXACTLY between the two hollow cells in a masonry unit. <S> However, there’s no allowable stress for such an installation AND <S> your illustration shows two anchors side-by-side <S> so they both could not fit in such an application anyway.
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Sleeve anchors may work OK for the lower set of the mounting holes where most of the force on the fastener is a sheer stress parallel with the wall surface.
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Will running AC on low fan speed cool room faster? As I understand, the basic function of an indoor air conditioning system is to pass air through cooled surface (tubes) which makes air cooler and hence it reduces room temperature. So my question is, will running AC on low fan speed cool room faster? Since air is slowly circulated around cooling surface and gets more time to exchange heat. <Q> Energy transfer (aka pulling heat out of air) depends on the temperature difference. <S> So you quickly fall into diminishing returns when you try to cool the air down those final 2° when in the same time you can cool the same (warmer) volume of air by 15°. <A> No, the maximum fan speed is the best for AC over the long run. <S> The biggest difference in temperature between the incoming air and the evaporator coil makes the most heat transfer. <S> Also, the extra airflow doesn't make you feel uncomfortable. <S> This is how central air conditioning is set up in homes. <S> In short term if you're going to be sitting in a car and want it cold now, then a slower fan setting will blow colder air, which feels nicer than a lot of slightly cool air. <S> You might be getting confused with heating fans. <S> Too much airflow will make a lot of 80F heat, which will feel colder than slightly less 100F heat. <S> That's why home furnaces typically run the circulation fan slower for heat and faster for AC. <A> , I know on my mini split it auto the fan speed varies based on the load <S> , grand kids start coming in and out it kicks up to a higher fan speed and <S> the compressor loads up or is running at full speed, when the area gets back to target both the fan and compressor slow down, so depending on how your system was set up even a mini split can be different but <S> usually a high speed for AC is the best, more air exchanges less chance of the evaporator icing up.
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I will say it depends, I can agree with both ratchet freak an dotes in part but each system is set up differently, a central system that is not properly insulated a higher air speed may be better
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How do I stop water from building up in toilets and bathtubs? Today, I awoke to water on my bathroom floor. What caused it? My house has a septic tank and two bathrooms, a master bedroom and guest bathroom. The guest bathroom had water on the floor, and the bathtub waspartially filled with water. The water seemed to be clean. Water was spraying from somewhere under the tank. I shut off the water to the toilet. The tank was very low on water, but it filled more later. The master bedroom did not have water on the floor, but the bathtubwas partially filled with water. I flushed thetoilet, and the bowl started filling with water and spilling onto thefloor. Again, all water seemed to be clean. I shut off the water to this toilet, too. Another observation: during the night, I heard occasional sounds, possibly from a flapper, or gurgling, but I did not get up and check the source. <Q> There is a decent probability that your septic tank is full and should be inspected and pumped out. <S> I suggest doing this first since it should be done anyway (after 4+ years) and it is a lot less effort than dismantling your plumbing or running snakes. <A> I used a solution called Liquid Heat, which contains sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, and sodium hypochlorite. <S> It fixed the slow draining. <A> You likely had a clog in the line, which your product dissolved. <S> That still does not mean you are in the clear with regard to your septic tank. <S> Given that you did not know that it must be periodically inspected and pumped out or where the access is, <S> I suggest you act preemptively to locate and mark the access now when there is not emergency.
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Septic service companies can do that for you, but if you wait until it is already full, their charges to come out in the middle of the night on Sunday in the rain will be substantially higher than mid-week on a nice day with plenty of time to schedule it.
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Tape vs corner bead order of installation Where a drywall sheet joint meets an outside corner, is it better to first install the tape over the joint or the metal corner bead? My old drywall finish guy did tape first, I think, but my new guy wants to do corners first. For me it makes sense to to tape first so that the tape is tucked under the bead. <Q> Most tapers place the metal corner bead first . <S> This is primarily because if you were to do any taping first you'd have to wait until that dries to install corner bead. <S> It's also usually best to keep metal bead set snugly to the drywall, with nothing behind it. <S> This allows you to keep it straighter and on plane. <S> It should protrude just slightly on both walls when a straightedge is set against the drywall perpendicular to the bead. <S> There's tape all over the building that's not tucked under anything <S> and it's not an issue. <S> All that said, drywall taping is something of an art and you're free to <S> do what makes sense for you and your project. <S> Just remember the cardinal rule: <S> lighter is better . <S> The pros I've worked with do very little sanding to produce fantastic results, and it's far easier (and less messy) to skim on another coat than to grind down humps. <A> The corner bead that I use is pre taped. <S> Put mud on the wall and push the bead in and work the mud out and over the tape. <S> If using the bare metal anchor with screws then mud and tape. <S> Putting tape under the corner bead will make it bulkier and not have a nice crisp corner. <A> Mechanically attach metal corner bead to the drywall or framing with staples or nails. <S> Next put sticky mesh tape over the metal to drywall transition on each side, then fill will all purpose joint compound, let dry, then put lightweight joint compound over that.
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"Tucking" the tape under the bead does nothing of value. It's a matter of efficiency.
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Why don't I have ground wiring on any of my outlets? My house in California was built in 1989 (I believe) And in the last 5 years I've replaced at least 20 outlets myself (successfully), and noticed there were never any ground wires to connect to the new outlet (Decora style) . The old outlet are exactly the same as the new outlets, the majority of the time. I've read plenty of tutorials that point out that this is possible with older style homes and you simply just screw in the green screw firmly into the receptacle and wire everything back up like it was before. Edit: I forgot to mention that all the outlets are housed in a metal box. But I don't know if the ground wire is connected to metal box because I physically can't see if it is. I guess my question is why don't I have any ground wires? Is this a bad thing? How does not having ground wires affect me as opposed to a newly built home that does have ground wires? Is my house actually grounded, just without the ground wire? For example I know that if you have a string of outlets and they all connect to a GFCI, then they are considered grounded. Correct? The reason I bring this up, is because i'm gearing up to do some electrical work and this keeps nagging at me that I should address this issue before moving forward. Some Hi-Res Images of my breaker and outlet HERE. <Q> Your house is wired using the EMT conduit wiring method. <S> Individual wires are carried inside metal conduit. <S> The conduit is the ground path . <S> Most commercial and industrial buildings look exactly like this. <S> Since they are individual wires, they are able to use any of 11 wire colors to disambiguate circuits, instead of the usual black white red. <S> If you wish to add wires, you'd buy THWN-2 wires, stranded is more flexible but more tricky to put on screws. <S> Switches do not need any further attention to grounding. <S> Lamps and receptacles may need further attention. <S> Look closely at how the yoke (metal frame, notably the top and bottom ears) make contact with the steel box. <S> If all this is true: <S> There is hard face-contact between the yoke and the metal box directly; the yoke is not floating out proud of the metal box connected only by screw threads, and The yoke and metal box are not contaminated by paint, rust or other detritus, and There is not any little little paper/plastic square that would capture the yoke screws, then this clean hard-flush contact is an acceptable ground path. <S> If any of this is insufficient, you must ground the receptacle to the box. <S> Somewhere in the back of the box will be a hole slightly different than the others. <S> It is tapped #10-32 for a ground machine screw (bolt). <S> You can use any 10-32 bolt (machine screw). <S> They sell cute green 10-32 bolts in the hardware store, with or without pigtails pre-attached. <S> Those are perfect. <S> Metal conduit is an excellent wiring method, and I use it whenever I can. <S> You can use existing conduit routes to add circuits (up to 4 per conduit), so it makes it easy to customize your wiring. <S> For instance if you keep tripping breakers in the kitchen, just throw another circuit in alongside the existing one. <S> Even if you're extending, you can use existing conduit for the homerun - there's no need to bust up any more drywall than you absolutely have to. <S> AFCIs were originally invented for problem appliances (one in particular: electric blankets). <S> But they were found to protect all sorts of "NM cable, plastic box, lazy installation" type problems cough backstabs cough , so AFCIs are now required on almost every circuit. <S> EMT doesn't have those problems , so I don't install AFCI on circuits in metal conduit. <S> (except bedrooms, obviously). <A> This evidently is not the case in some other countries. <A> If your house was built in 1989, it would have needed to have ground wires in all of the outlets. <S> The requirement went into effect in the 1968 NEC. <S> Now if your house was built in 1969 (20 years earlier), it might be that in your state, the 1968 NEC was not yet adopted. <S> Some states take a while to adopt changed to the NEC. <S> But not 20 years... <S> Grounding is a safety issue, but because it is a MANDATORY safety issue, many electronic devices rely upon that solid ground connection to eliminate electrical noise (or give it an easy path to ground). <S> In a nutshell if your device has a 3 prong plug, it probably NEEDS the ground connection, if it has a 2 prong plug, it doesn't. <S> A GFCI by the way does NOT "fix" that issue, it just looks at the current flow coming in and going back, and if they are not the same (ostensibly because something is going to ground) <S> it opens the circuit.
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If you have 3 prong outlets but the ground wire is not connected, you have no grounding so not only is it less safe, it is also likely unhealthy for some of your electronics. The conduit is also an NEC approved grounding path, so no separate grounding wire is required for the distribution. Your pictures appear to show metallic conduit carrying the wires to your boxes. Current best practice (and code, so far as I recall) is to attach a grounding pigtail from the box (there is normally a raised bump with a threaded hole for this exact purpose) to the device, rather than depending on the mounting screws as a grounding means.
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Is it possible to control my light and ceiling fan using both wall switches and a remote? I have two wall switches. One controls my ceiling fan and one controls my light. I would like to add a remote into the mix. Ultimately I would like to control my light and fan using both the wall switches and the remote. I want to keep the wall switches hard wired (I.e., not smart switches or wireless). Is this possible? <Q> Lutron has an answer to your question As it turns out, Lutron, at the time of this writing, has just introduced a fan control into their line of Caseta wallbox/remote capable controls. <S> I would use two Caseta controls side by side; namely, a PD-FSQN and a PD-5NE. <S> Note that they both require a neutral wire at the switch box to work ( <S> which may or may not be an issue with your wiring, we'd need photos of the inside of the switch box to know for sure), and rely on wall-mounting hand-held remotes (Caseta controls use Lutron Pico remotes) for multi-way control, if that is acceptable for your application. <A> No. <S> You can't mix-and-match different control methods. <S> because one of them has to be in charge of doing the actual controlling , and so the other one needs to speak its language. <S> The only way that works is if engineering staff has burned the midnight oil doing the technical things necessary for them to share protocols etc. <S> Smart-home technology is becoming the "universal solvent" for this stuff. <S> For instance, you can get a "smart switch" style fan controller + lamp dimmer that controls a conventionally controlled fan, and either sits in a module in the fan rose, or is mounted at the switch location (where it has controls). <S> Then, use an app on your phone for the remote. <S> With-fan remotes have one purpose, and that is to make the fan cheaper. <S> In that sense they are very low-rent - used on the cheapest fans, which includes most fans from the big-box stores. <S> Cheap fans don't get extra features to allow you to increase their versatility like that. <S> Actually, the remotes are flimsy and will likely fail long before the fan does, leaving you scrambling to find a remote from a defunct fan manufacturer. <S> If it's a "house brand" fan from a local big-box store, forget it: this year the supplier is <S> Dees Ees Chunk Export Co. Ltd., and 3 years hence it'll be Wee Low Bydd Fabricators. <S> Naturally their remotes won't talk to each other, and you will be expected to simply trash it and buy another fan. <A> The receiver placed in the fan shroud gets a wireless signal from a battery powered remote. <S> There is one button on the remote for the light which allows dimming. <S> There are four buttons for the fan: off, low med, high. <S> The output of the receiver would then go through each wall switch which would allow the fan and lights to be turned off at the wall. <S> If the wall switches are on, then the remote would control the fans and lights. <S> EDIT <S> The Hunter remote does not require a neutral in the switch box. <S> It was designed to allow a ceiling light controlled by a single wall switch without a neutral in the switch box. <S> There is a plastic caddy for the remote which mounts to the wall switch in such a way that the wall switch can be operated with the remote taken off. <S> This caddy could be mounted directly to the wall.
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The Hunter wireless fan control would work with simple on-off wall switches.
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What happens to foam insulation board after you pour concrete slab? I plan on making a garage out of a large carport, and I've watched and I understood how to properly insulate a new concrete slab. 4 inches of gravel, vapor barrier, 2 inch foam board, 2 inches of sand and then 4-6 inches of poured concrete with mesh rebar in it. My question is, how in the world will 2 inch foam board support all the concrete? Especially when I park both my trucks on top of it! Won't it crush in some parts and be uneven underground. Why does it make a good base? <Q> By way of example, the pink Owens-Corning FOAMULAR 250 product and the blue DOW STYROFOAM Brand SM product rated for 25 and 30 psi compressive strength respectively. <S> If weight is distributed and applied evenly a square foot of FOAMULAR 250 could support 25 <S> *12 <S> *12=3600 pounds at its limit while the STYROFOAM could support 4320 pounds. <S> A footnote in the data sheet qualifies this as "at yield or 10% deflection, whichever occurs first." <S> The weight of concrete varies but 150 pounds per cubic foot is a common approximation. <S> Then a square foot of concrete, half a foot thick, should weigh about 75 pounds. <S> That leaves at least 3500 pounds of weight carrying capacity before the foam below the concrete would fail. <S> The weight of a vehicle sits on the contact patch of its tires. <S> If we consider a hypothetical 8000 pound pickup truck with 70% of its weight on the front tires, that's 2800 pounds per tire. <S> (Maybe a 70/30 distribution of weight is extreme; I don't know.) <S> The tire contact patch is much smaller than the square foot we've been thinking about, so it would seem that the load might be too concentrated and would crush the foam. <S> Indeed if the tire rolled directly over the foam it likely would be crushed. <S> Fortunately the reinforced concrete does a pretty good job of spreading the load. <S> The weight on that tire contact patch is spread over a larger area of foam and it all works out. <S> On a related note, enormous foam blocks can be used instead of soil as fill in construction projects like bridge abutments, roadways, etc. <S> See Geofoam . <A> When we designed the insulation for the base of our property we specified an 8” thickness of a particular grade of foam board. <S> The builder ordered a different board and we had to check to see if it was sufficiently strong - luckily it was... <A> XPS and EPS rigid insulation is used under concrete slabs. <S> They both come in various rated compressive strengths from 10 psi to about 80 psi. <S> Say you use an average (and relatively inexpensive) rating of 40 psi, then the insulation will support: 40 psi x 8” wide tire x 12” long tire print = 3,840 lbs. <S> at each tire. <S> (Total load supported would be: 3,840 lbs. <S> x 4 tires = 15,360 lbs. ) <S> Actually, the maximum load would be significantly more, because the load would be transferred through the slab at a 45 degree angle. <S> So, the actual “footprint “ on the insulation would be about double the area... <S> thus double the allowable load. <S> Here’s a site that explains the use of rigid insulation under slabs. <S> https://www.concreteconstruction.net/how-to/site-prep/choosing-between-eps-and-xps-rigid-insulation_o <S> There is some logic to not using insulation, unless the garage is being heated. <S> BTW, I don’t recommend the use of wire mesh in garage slabs. <S> They make them crack.
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Foam insulation is designed with a loading value per unit area and as long as that loading is not exceeded it will not deform.
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Using new lumber in an old wall with larger lumber dimensions I am trying to widen the doorway to a room in a house that was build in 1905. the framing is 16 on center, however the lumber is wider than a standard 2x4. by about a 1/2 inch. (the actual dimensions of the wood are 2x4). I can position the jackstuds so that they are flush with the wall of the room, but that would leave a gap on the other side. How should I handle this? Should I rip a 2x6 to fit? EDIT: the wall is load bearing <Q> I had a house built in 1910, I had the same problem. <S> I was able to find rough cut lumber for interior framing work, but for anything exposed, I had to mill down larger boards. <A> <A> Frame with 2x4, add a filler strip. <S> The filler strip to make walls flush or same thickness. <S> Way cheaper than wasting a 2x6. <S> You can not find #2 rated framing stock full 2 inch by 4 inch. <S> Or if you can reuse some of the old lumber. <S> Apply a new header . <S> They should make it, but they do not.
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You may have to rip a larger board, but you might be able to find "rough cut" lumber at some yards. You either rip a 2x6 or you stagger frame 2x4s by butting them to one side then the other. If the wall isn't load bearing it doesn't really matter. Rough lumber does not have the #2 rating for frame work.
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Drainage issue, water causing foul odor in home I live in an apartment building where the building is built on a concrete slab. There is NO overhead drain pipes or gutters and the water pools up along the side of the building next to my living room and bedroom areas. Management does not seem interested in fixing the issue and nothing I have tried inside has helped with the odor. It is worse after rain and in the evenings when it is damp outside. It is causing me some serious issues with nausea since I am sensitive to smells anyhow. Is there ANYTHING that I can use to put alongside the outside of the building where it pools and goes under the slab to remove the smell? Lime, chemical ? if so what??? I am desperate to clear this up, as I can NOT afford to move, but am willing to do whatever needed. Any and all ideas are welcome.. Thank you <Q> What is the geology of the area you are in. <S> I am assuming the ground is fairly flat since you imply the water outside is causing the inside to have a smell. <S> Dig a pit, put filter fabric to line the pit and fill it with rock, then put the grass back on top. <S> This gives the water an easy place to drain away - depending on how much water and how quickly water drains through soil back into the aquifer it could help. <S> Do you have carpets? <S> What is your flooring type over the concrete? <A> (Rain will cause septic tanks to overflow, or cause waste to spew out a broken pipe, etc. <S> and could flood to the surface.) <S> If it tests positive, I’d give it to your landlord. <S> If he refuses to do anything, I’d give the results to the local DEQ office, health department, etc. <S> If it tests negative, then I’d contact a local geologist, perhaps at a nearby college, to see if there is something in the soil that smells when it rains. <A> In a comment, you mentioned that the apartments were built on top of a "swamp area". <S> Swamps smell like, well, swamps. <S> When it rains it's bringing up the smells from the swamp land below and the wetlands nearby. <S> It's not that the apartment management isn't willing to do anything about it, there isn't anything they <S> can do about it. <S> Unfortunately, you're going to have to move away from the source of the odors or talk the city/county/environmental groups into paving over the wetlands, and good luck with that.
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I’d guess there is a sewage problem that occurs when it rains. If you have access to the ground / yard, you could dig a rock pit. Instead of you trying to fix the problem, I’d take a small glass jar, clean and sterilize it, take a sample, give it to a local lab (you can contact the DEQ or local sanitary department for name and address of suitable lab), and then have them test for “fecal matter”.
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Header requirements for basement egress window I have poured concrete foundation walls and I am adding an egress to my basement wall. I'm cutting a hole 3' width by 4' in height, about 44 inches from the floor and about 12" from the top of the foundation wall. The wall is load bearing. It is a 2 story house. The roof slope towards the foundational wall. I was told since I have a monolithic pour, I don't require a header, but it seems strange with cutting 3x4 hole that I wouldn't. If one is required, should I use 2x8's for header supported by 2x8's as jacks? <Q> There are a couple of issues: 1) is the window going to be an egress window in a sleeping area? , and 2) structural concerns. <S> 1) <S> If the window is going to be used as an egress window, then the opening in the window must be 5.0 square feet and the width must be a minimum of 20” clear opening, the height must be a minimum 24” high and the opening must be a maximum of 44” off the floor. <S> If it needs to be a minimum of 20” wide, a slider will require a rough opening of about 48” wide. <S> 2) <S> Structurally with two floors, roof and concrete wall resting on your new header, you’ll need at least 4 - 2x6 header on 1 - 2x6 trimmer at each end for a 4’ wide window, unless you have a point load above it (large post), refrigerator, or waterbeds. <S> If you stay with your 3’ wide opening, you could use 3 - 2x6’s. <A> I did one in a very similar situation <S> but I cut the opening 4' wide <S> x 3' tall and my opening went all the way to the bottom of the joists. <S> The 2x10 joists that supported the main floor used to rest on the piece that I removed and the wall was load bearing as the roof sloped to that side of the house. <S> One 2x8 on each jamb side of the window opening supported the header. <A> You do need a header. <S> Its size will be predicated on the width of your house, though, so you haven't provided sufficient information to answer your question. <S> If you live in a municipality operating under the IRC (International Residential Code), which you probably do, then check out the IRC's Table R602.7(1) over at https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2015/chapter-6-wall-construction .
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If you ever put a pullout couch or bed in that basement, you’d better have a window that meets those requirements or a door that opens directly to the exterior. My structural engineer approved 2x6s for the header - I used (5)2x6s as the header for the window to maximize the vertical height available.
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Is it possible to store air compressor filled without damage from water? I'd like to keep my air compressor filled for quick tire top-offs, like at gas stations. The manual says to empty the tank after 4 hours. How do gas stations avoid draining this often? Is it possible with a consumer compressor? <Q> Pressure tanks are usually steel, steel is somewhat flexible, it stretches a bit when filled, if the tank is left full it can shorten the life of the tank, <S> I used to have a small scuba shop and did tank inspections as required annually, with hydrostatic testing every 5 years , <S> the recommended pressure for long term storage for all tanks was 500 psi <S> this is for tanks that range from 2200-3500 <S> psi working pressure. <S> I once purchased 4 steel tanks that had been sitting for close to 15 years at 3300 <S> psi <S> they were 3000 psi tanks <S> , I dumped the air and had them hydrostaticly tested in fact all 4 tanks passed by enough to get the + rating that allowed them to get the 10% over fill. <S> After that I did not pay much attention to that guide line but did tell my students the guideline and my experience <S> so Can it be left full sure it may shorten the life of the tank , just make sure to blow the water out of the tank prior to letting it sit full of air. <A> That statement means after four hours of run time . <S> Storing air doesn't cause water accumulation. <S> I'd drain it every few months if you only use it occasionally. <S> The fact of the matter is that there will always be water in it, and when it rusts out you can't do much about it. <S> Industrial compressors have air drying mechanisms upstream of the intake air, so they mostly eliminate the problem. <S> Either that or they drain them nightly. <A> Automatic blowdowns <S> This taps the bottom of the tank where water would accumulate. <S> At intervals, it blows some air out of the tank. <S> PSHHHHHT! <S> This ejects most of the water and some air. <S> This operates at time intervals, when the compressor cycles on or off, or when water is detected. <S> Your electric bill will not like this <S> It will cycle randomly at all hours.
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In real world practice, compressors are not leakproof.
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Use rainwater to partly supply a sprinkler irrigation system? I'd like to start capturing rainwater and using it to help supply the irrigation system I already have. It's a standard Rainbird sprinkler system that runs on full pressure water supplied by the city. From what I've read, I'd probably need a pump to get the rain water pressure to be high enough to use for the sprinklers. I won't be able to store nearly enough rainwater to run the sprinklers entirely off of rain water. I think I'd be lucky to be able to store enough for one watering. So what I'm stuck on is: is there anyway to plumb this so that the sprinklers would run on rainwater when it's available, but back-off to the regular domestic water when that runs out? Or supply it from both sources so that the domestic water continues to provide water after the rainwater runs out? Is there some sort of Y-fitting that is able to give one supply priority? Or maybe it could be done with some check valves? Or something totally different? Edit: The answers so far involve building a rainwater only supply system, and then using a float to add utility water to the tank when it's almost empty. I'd prefer not to do that since it would seem to put more stress on the pump and increase the risk of flood if the float valve fails. <Q> This would also allow you to maintain an airgap between potable and non-potable water sources. <S> You're losing the free water pressure from the city water, but you already will need a pump large enough to handle the unpressurized rain water so you're using the pump for both water sources. <S> Also hook up a 24 VAC electric operated water solenoid valve that is controlled by your irrigation controller that shuts off the city water to the float valve to make sure that if the float valve gets stuck open that the water won't flow if the irrigation system is off. <S> Maybe getting a 120 VAC one would be better if you make it operated by the same control that turns your pump on and off, instead of with your irrigation controller zones. <S> Typically that would be called a master valve in an irrigation system, but this is a little different but mostly the same idea. <A> That's not a problem. <S> You simply build a rainwater irrigation system that works 100% on rainwater. <S> You can use common farm tanks, which are often available cheap. <S> Now, what happens if it runs out of rainwater? <S> You have a switch that operates when the tank is nearly empty. <S> Figure out the water level where the tank will be sucking air, and position the switch 1/2” above that. <S> The switch operates a magnet valve that refills the tank with utility water. <S> A couple of important points here. <S> First, utility water should not fill the tank. <S> It only needs to stay 1/2” above the tank sucking dry. <S> In a perfect world, if your irrigation exhausts the rainwater supply and you need to draw utility water, you want to finish the irrigation with the tank essentially empty. <S> That way there is room to catch all the rainwater you can get. <S> Second, you absolutely must have an air-gap between the utility supply and everything else. <S> Imagine the water pressure fails and the valve is open, and suction is drawn on the utility pipe, it must be impossible for anything but air to draw up into the supply pipe. <S> For instance that means the spigot must be above the top of the tank. <A> I believe your public treated water supplier would not allow a connection between pipes connected to their system and pipes carrying harvested rain water. <S> f. Cross-Connection Control Connections between potable and non-potable water systems are not permitted. <S> The OWASA ordinance and State regulations require an air gap between potable and non-potable water distribution lines. <S> If a potable back-up without an air gap is deemed necessary and is acceptable to UNC-CH Facilities and EHS, then an application for a site-specific alternative crossconnection measure must be submitted to NCDENR DEH Public Water Supply. <S> Non-potable water design <A> A few questions to consider before building your system. <S> What are you watering a garden or a lawn? <S> How many gallons can you retain from your collection system? <S> If you are watering a garden what is the distance from your system to the garden and what is the vertical change? <S> If you are trying to water your lawn and supplement the pressurized supply from the city with rain water, the previous posts are right that this would be cost prohibitive. <S> However, if you are trying to water a garden you could always use a gravity system and a drip hose which would work fine. <S> I built on my previous property, which worked quite well. <S> Good luck!
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Simplest 100% legal way would be to make it use rain water directly from storage containers, and then a float valve that fills the rain barrel with city water if the water level gets below a certain level.
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Connect two pipes that do not line up Not a plumbing whiz, so I thought I'd pose my issue here. I have a 12in Shark bite sillcock that runs through my brick foundation for an outdoor hose. Once inside, it connects to the existing copper line, which is immediately to the right. Problem is that the sillcock is a bit too long. The faucet sticks out about two inches from the brick foundation. Obviously, if I try to push it closer towards the foundation it puts pressure on the copper line. Is there anyway to work around this? My only thought would be to take the sillcock out, buy a shorter one, and install it with just enough copper line on the end to enter the basement. But would that defeat the purpose of the "frost-proof" sillcock? <Q> Change/turn the T fitting 90 degrees <S> so it's directing the water perpendicularly away from the wall <S> , then 90 degree elbow towards the faucet, then 90 again. <A> Go out and buy a piece of PEX pipe (or flexible copper, but pex is easier). <S> Aim the 90 degree L on the sillcock upwards. <S> Connect the pex up and put a loop in it and have it connect back to the ball valve. <S> Anchor the PEX to the wall. <S> This will also help your sillcock survive freezing temps. <A> Any way looks like you did it, and used shark bite fittings. <S> Now it looks like you replace the t fitting,add a 90 fitting. <S> Replace the ball valve (install so water shuts off ,and you drain sillcock. <S> And maybe a coupling to reuse sillcock. <A> Why not just replace that "frost proof" sillcock with a new one of the correct length. <S> By the way, in the picture the 1st fitting appears to be black iron which should not be used on a domestic water system. <S> Make sure that you seal the outside wall access hole to keep out the freezing cold weather.
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Push the sillcock all the way into the wall and anchor it there. Seems like ball valve is wrong, you should be able to shut off water and open the little drain to let the water out off the sillcock for the winter. Simplest cheapest hacky thing I can think of: Disconnect copper pipe between the sillcock and the ball valve.
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Flooring durable for German shepherd I have a particle board subfloor with a crawlspace underneath, I need suggestions for any kind of flooring (except carpet) that will be durable for a 83 pound German shepherd. <Q> <A> While I've only had it for a few months, I haven't noticed any scratches from my 70lb dog. <S> Additional benefits: <S> Can often be cheaper than hardwood (though current economic tariffs may affect this). <S> Is far more renewable than hardwood (Oak - 50+ years, Bamboo - 7 years) <S> I also considered tile, which my in-laws have. <S> They have a 120lb leonberger. <S> Their floors have held up perfectly so far. <A> Now, I didn't use this exact colour, but I did use this line. <S> I will be putting more down in my living room and dining room (probably this weekend). <S> I have put it in our family room, which we use quite heavily. <S> It worked well for me and my family (2 kids 3 and under in addition to my 120lb dog). <S> I imagine it would be fine for you. <A> You could go with laminate flooring. <S> Laminate flooring is rated by "wear level": AC1 - Residential use with moderate traffic. <S> For example, a bedroom AC2 - Residential use with general traffic. <S> AC4 - Commercial use with general traffic. <S> This would be suitable for a general office <S> AC5 - Commercial use with heavy traffic. <S> For example, a public building or mall. <S> I've seen recommendations for AC3 or greater to help reduce the risk of nail damage. <S> AC4 wasn't a lot more expensive than AC3, but had fewer styles available. <A> Your first option is tile or stone flooring which is very durable and easy to clean. <S> Bamboo flooring is also a good option because it gives you the look of natural wood but is pretty sturdy, scratch and stain resistant as well. <S> Luxury vinyl flooring is another option and a cheaper alternative for tile/stone flooring. <S> It is also pet-friendly and water-resistant.
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Full-strand bamboo flooring is far denser than traditional hardwood, and it can look just as natural and nice (in my opinion). For example, a living room AC3 - Residential use with heavy traffic or commercial settings with moderate traffic. Ceramic or porcelain tile is just about dog-proof. and it has held up just fine with my 120lb Goldendoodle, who drags his feet... Definitely water and stain-resistant. This rating should work well in any residential room, or maybe a small office. I had some dog nail damage near the front door in some hardwood flooring and replaced it with AC4 laminate and haven't had any issues. I used this product Pergo Flooring
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Method for setting 6' wood fence posts in clay soil Background Currently in the process if planning/designing a privacy fence after recently removing the old posts from the ground. I'm now at a point that you might call analysis paralysis involving determining the "best" method for setting my wood fence posts into the ground using a method that will, at least, not unnecessarily speed the deterioration of the wood posts. Other posts I of course have looked at this post and actually bought the recommended book, yet I'm still on the fence about what method to use. The fact this post is almost 10 years old also adds to my hesitation. This post brings up a good point about water more or less osmoting, or trickling to the area of least resistance when using crushed gravel in a area of high clay content. My plans I'm in Columbus, OH, with fairly clay like soil. It will be a 6' privacy fence, generally half board on board pattern with the other half consisting of custom made 1x2's to form a lattice. It could potentially be a little on the heavier side as the lattice will be framed using PT 2x4 lumber. here is an image of my design so far. Posts will be buried at least 32" below grade (frost line), potentially deeper, using PT 4x4x10' posts, likely 6x6 posts when supporting gates. My options Concrete was the original plan until searches brought up the many disadvantages or anecdotes ranging from premature rot due to the porous concrete attracting water, wood shrinking and thereby letting water enter between the wood/concrete intersection, etc. Some say that the 6" or so of gravel you throw at the bottom of the posthole is there to allow for the concrete to drain. Others say it will simply act as a low resistance refuge for water to collect. Crushed gravel/paver base became the next plan as I saw many posts vouch for the strength of using this stuff over concrete, even comparing its holding strength to concrete. This would also allow for easy post removal/replacement also quite a bit cheaper. On the other hand, the gravel will be coarser than the clay/dirt around it and potentially also suffer from unnecessarily collecting water. Dirt simply backfilling with the original dirt seems to simply be the easiest solution at this point and is what I'm now leaning towards doing. The original posts seemed not to suffer from unnecessarily fast rotting, and they were simply backfilled with dirt. Surveying the neighborhood fences (all quite old) shows they are all back filled with dirt. Summary I'm hoping for some new insights to point me in the right direction! Seems to be a simple topic that perhaps I'm overthinking. Maybe there are better methods I also have not mentioned? Perhaps the best method is simply concreting the very bottom 10" of the post hole and then backfilling with dirt? <Q> It doesn't much matter. <S> The Simpson post base listed by @Dotes will work fine, but it's probably more expensive than just digging a hole and filling it with concrete. <S> Something like a Metpost just banged into the ground will probably be easiest to put up, but it is very hard to get the posts exactly vertical (by the time you have fitted the post, it is too late to adjust the angle of the spike). <S> A wooden post set in concrete will eventually rot, but it would last 20 years in the UK, and Ohio looks like it gets colder in the winter and dryer in the summer than the UK. <S> I wouldn't worry about it. <A> The best way I've seen designed is using a Simpson MPBZ Moment Post Base embedded in the concrete footing, with the 4x4 or 6x6 post on top of it. <S> I think it's pretty new, and Simpson isn't pushing them on us, so people haven't seen them around much. <S> It's great because none of the wood post is below the ground, so you won't have the potential problems you're trying to prevent. <S> It's the only post base they have that doesn't require the top of the post to be supported. <S> This post base even has a built-in 1" standoff to keep the wood post away from direct water and concrete contact. <A> In clay soil it will not matter what kind support, the one with a hole in the bottom crushed rock or concrete all of them will be surrounded by a media that holds water. <S> I grew up on the west cost in an area known for its clay soil (general Vallejo’s adobe house is still there). <S> By adding additional preservatives the posts last longer, crushed rock will also work but remember the post will be sitting in a pool of water. <S> With concrete make sure the concrete is above the ground level and sloped away from the post if below the ground level the water will puddle at the surface and all the air and bugs will shorten the life of the post.
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The best longest lasting method would be to treat the posts yourself by soaking in a wood preservative for a few days then let dry, after that embed in concrete, concrete will keep the air out and dirt and critters from getting to the wood but the preservative will retard rot.
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Getting UPS Power from One Room to Another I’d like to run power from a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) in ROOM A to where a work computer is used in ROOM B. I was thinking of installing an outlet box in ROOM A near where the UPS is plugged in, then run wire under the house to another outlet in the other room. That way I could just plug the UPS power out into the receptacle in ROOM A and the computer into the outlet in ROOM B on the other side of the house. Of course this line would not be connected to a circuit breaker, only from outlet to outlet. I want to run the UPS to be available for use in both rooms, that’s the reason for the additional line. Would there be any problems with this from a code perspective?Would it require traditional wiring and hardware (e.g. Romex, outlet boxes) to accomplish it? <Q> You need an inlet in Room A, not an outlet <S> you're doing it wrong !). <S> From there, you can use a suitable chapter 3 wiring method (assuming the crawlspace is not wet, NM/Romex will do; use UF aka "outdoor Romex" <S> instead if it is wet/damp, though) to connect the inlet box in Room A to an ordinary box+receptacle in Room B. <A> In addition to whatever other code issues involved in setting up a power "inlet" in Room A (as opposed to the normal receptacle = "outlet"), at a minimum you would need to use approved wiring methods to get from Room A to Room B. <S> That means Romex properly installed - i.e., protected from damage, securely attached, etc. <S> - or wires in conduit. <S> As noted in another answer, regular Romex may not even be an option if the cable actually runs "under" the house as opposed to "through the basement". <S> It means real junction boxes on both ends. <S> It means a lot of work - for relatively little benefit. <S> My recommendation is "anything else". <S> That includes: <S> If the UPS is relatively small (that's $ and capacity, which basically go together), just get a second UPS for Room B <S> and you're done. <S> If the UPS is relatively large then you could run a heavy duty extension cord. <S> That isn't ideal - extension cords are supposed to be for temporary use. <S> But indoors (at least no problems with weather and wild animals, etc.) <S> and with a heavy duty UL-listed cord - e.g., 12 or even 10 AWG instead of the cheap 14 or 16 AWG that you find in the dollar stores - it would run just fine. <S> But any time you use an extension cord you have to be aware of any possibility of damage - the cables buried inside your walls are safe, the cords outside your walls can be damaged by: kids, pets, furniture (e.g., rolling chairs), doors (I've seen people put extension cords under a door and not think about how it can get into the edge of the door and then get pinched with every open/close), etc. <S> There are reasons extension cords are not supposed to be used for a permanent installation - but it is better than a non-compliant "permanent" installation. <A> Yes. <S> You are allowed to use standard practices for in-wall wiring to build a "runt circuit" that goes A to B to C to D and does not actually go to any service panel. <S> You fit standard outlets in all locations but exactly one. <S> Since there are no other inlets, you fit one inlet capable of taking an extension cord. <S> Every circuit needs some number of outlets and exactly one inlet. <S> Normally the inlet is direct wiring to the service panel, but not today. <A> To use a UPS located in one room for equipment located in another room, you need a UPS designed to be hardwired. <S> This is called a Structured Wiring UPS, and they are typically prohibitively expensive. <S> They have internal wiring connections that an electrician would connect circuit breakers and then outlets to. <S> They do not have normal outlets on them that you're used to seeing on a UPS. <S> An extension cord plugged into a normal UPS <S> is the most you can do, and even that is against code if it's always going to be connected that way instead of just temporarily. <S> Putting outlets in the wall and connecting them to a normal UPS is not allowed as far a I know.
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You'll need an outlet box with an inlet in it in Room A so that you can plug the output of the UPS into it with a proper cord (read: if you have to do weird crap to your cord to plug the output of the UPS into the wall, stop , because that's a sign If for some reason you want to have 2 possible inlets, you still install one inlet and simply move it as needed. I have a feeling you will find this to be quite a bit more involved than you originally expected.
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Extremely loud pop inside apartment building, half the outlets (on the same curcuit) wont work in my apartment There was an extremely loud pop somewhere above my apartment in my building. Over the next few minutes a strong smell started coming through the AC, random lights would flicker then cut out, and items would stop working all together (night lights, child monitor etc.). this happened throughout the building. i was told it was a power outage by our power company, however, i have never been in an outage where random outlets would work/not work that were on the same circuit in the breaker box. some lights/outlets would be constantly browning out while others were not (also on the same circuit). resetting breakers did nothing, resetting outlets did nothing. i unplugged everything and waited outside until the issues were resolved. everything started to work again about 2 hours later. I was just curious if i should be worried about anything because the housing authority had no answers and the power company just said it was a power outage. But there was a very loud pop (borderline small explosion) sound and a burning smell in my AC. thanks for any help <Q> Did you happen to notice if the transformer on the utility pole nearest to your house now looks shiny and brand new? <S> From your description, it sounds like it blew. <S> When this happens, for a few moments the voltage coming into your house could theoretically be anything (up to the high voltage side supply, usually several kilovolts), as the various windings within the transformer melt and short together. <S> Given that, it would be wise to check that all your devices are still functioning properly. <S> If not, check to see if your homeowners or renters insurance (if any) covers this. <S> You mentioned that some outlets were working fine while others were browning out -- how did you determine that? <S> If you're just going by which devices stopped working or dimmed/slowed down <S> , that's not a reliable indicator, since many modern electronics with switching power supplies will continue functioning even on very reduced voltages, but other devices will not. <A> My initial assumption was also an outside transformer. <S> However, if you did not see one being repaired, combined with the fact that you mentioned that this is a large complex and you heard/smelled it, it could have been a transformer or upstream breaker on-site. <S> Based on what you described, light bulbs dimming, electronics failing completely, it sounds like the root cause would be reduced voltage. <S> Electronics with decent transformers can handle small power swings but will quickly fail if they cannot provide the minimum voltage for the circuit. <S> LED's and CFL's have drivers which will need a minimum voltage to function at all. <S> On the other hand incandescent light bulbs can run (poorly) on only a few volts. <S> The fact that the noise sounded like it was coming from upstairs weird. <S> My best guess is one of your neighbors was drawing a lot of current which somehow bypassed the main, which caused a leg of a transformer to fail. <S> Here is one theory, but it is only one possibility, but definitely not the only one. <S> I used to live in a Philly row home in a shady neighborhood and something very similar happened twice while I lived there. <S> The second time I found out what happened when a house 4 doors down caught on fire. <S> The junkies were attempting to "jump the box" meaning removing the meter from the socket and bridge the gap to get free power. <A> It's exactly what it says on the tin, a power outage. <S> Since you are in an apartment complex, it's not your job to get the power company out, but you are welcome to call them. <S> However in the US, power comes in two "poles" and a neutral. <S> What has gone out matters. <S> Check <S> large 240V loads like water heater, range, and installed air conditioner. <S> If they work great, you have lost neutral. <S> It is very important you unplug all 120V loads at once, and not plug them in again until power is restored. <S> They will have random voltages between 0V and 240V, and that will fry equipment! <S> Turn off the 240V appliances and and do not use them. <S> Half <S> your 120V appliances will now be out. <S> They will come back when power comes back.
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If the appliance barely works or doesn't work, and turning on a large appliance makes your dead outlets come back to life, then you lost a "pole". The fact that you didn't get good answers from the housing authority supports this, but usually this is only possible in places where meters are located in-near the home and not on the ground floor in a common area.
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How can I remove material from this wood beam? I am trying to mount a roller shade in between two wood beams on my porch. The problem is that the beams are a hair too close together to accommodate mounting the shade. I am trying to remove a small amount of material (~1/4") from the side of each wood beam, about 3 inches deep. I've illustrated the problem on this picture. I'm unsure which tool or approach would be best to complete this job. I've considered a few ideas: A straight router cut with a guide on the outside could do it, but the depth of cut I need extends past the capacity of most routers. I suppose I could hammer it out with a chisel but it would take a lot of effort. Another idea I considered was using a power planer to shave off material in large passes, but that approach poses problems considering I'm trying to remove material to a specific depth. Anyone have suggestions? <Q> What about trimming the roller shade? <S> Most shades are meant to be trimmed, since manufacturers can't make every single size. <A> Trimming the roller shade is obviously the right answer, but just in case somebody has a similar problem where it isn't the right answer: <S> Don't try and create a router cut 3½" deep and ¼" wide - create <S> one 3½" <S> wide and ¼" deep. <S> No router will have a problem with that. <S> Probably easiest to clamp a piece of scrap to the outside of the beam, and then just cut the (wide, shallow) groove out. <S> (This does assume that you can remove the insect screen before cutting the wood out.) <S> This will, of course, not cut the bits at end. <S> For those, you will need to get as close as possible with the router, and then finish off with a chisel (or a variety of chisels). <A> If you really want to cut that rebate, you could use a hand-held circular saw, you'll probably need one with an 8" or bigger blade to get the depth, to get a straight cut fix a staight-edge for the foot of the saw to follow.finish with chisels or an oscillating blade tool.
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See if you can pop off one of the ends, and then cut the rolled-up shade with a utility knife or something similar.
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pigtailed aluminum replacing regular receptacle to GFI Need to replace a receptacle closest to panel that has a light and another receptacle inline. All are aluminum. They have alumiconns on them (purple) pigtailed. Need to replace sink receptacle with GFI receptacle. The non-gfi receptacle has a white wire connected to the bottom left side and a black to the bottom right side. I think black goes to (line) top right gold on gfi and white to (load) bottom left silver screw. Is this correct? I live in florida, I am using a Leviton 15amp GFTRI-RKW gfi. <Q> Almost everything in mains is done in hot-neutral pairs. <S> GFCIs are no exception. <S> These would be your two pigtails. <S> That's why it has warning tape on it. <S> You do not seem to know what that feature is, which is fine; simply don't use it. <S> Use an AFCI+GFCI breaker instead <S> Some people say install a GFCI breaker which protects the whole circuit. <S> It's true, it'll be cheaper than GFCI receptacles at every socket or 4 alumiconns for doing it in this box. <S> but think bigger . <S> Arc Fault protection (AFCI) is absolutely perfect for protecting aluminum wiring. <S> It detects the thing that is most worrisome. <S> AFCI has to be installed at the breaker because it protects the wires. <S> They make combination AFCI+GFCI breakers that cost only $10 more than a GFCI breaker. <S> That is the thing to use. <A> So long as you only need GFCI at the one outlet, and not the rest, you can install a GFCI here on the pigtails, connecting to the LINE terminals (only) White (neutral) to Silver and Black (hot) to Brass. <S> LOAD are not used. <S> You cannot GFCI protect the rest of the outlets that follow without (inferring from what you have written about "closest to panel" yet only having one set of pigtails) having the aluminum wires that are evidently all joined to one copper pigtail separated and re-joined to two copper pigtails, where one set would come from the panel (line) and the others would go on to the devices that follow (load.) <A> Gfci should be placed at the point power comes in,that will be the line on the gfci. <S> Black brass, white silver,ground to ground green screw. <S> Then load out feeds light, and other outlet, load out. <S> Black brass ,white to silver, and ground to green screw. <S> In the box should be stickers that go on plate,to the other outlet add sticker . <S> May want to edit your question, a bit . <S> If you only need that one outlet gfci, then hook up to the line side and only that will be gfci protected.
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Now you have gfci that also gfcis other outlet and light. Given that pigtailing copper to aluminum in a listed manner may be expensive to have done, probably cheaper to leave as is and use an additional GFCI if needed, or use a GFCI breaker to protect the whole circuit at the panel. LINE has 2 terminals, brass and silver, and is used by a hot/neutral pair - both black and white wires go to it. LOAD is used not at all, unless you intend to use the particular feature it supports, and you know exactly what you're doing.
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How can I protect this exterior outlet from water and prevent smoke leakage to the interior? I have an exterior outlet in a carport that I want to protect from water and smoke. Water: Rain cannot reach this outlet. I am only concerned about accidental water sprays from either the hose nozzle or from a bad tap/hose connection spraying water backwards. This is my first idea : Smoke: This is in a carport so exhaust fumes are present. People also smoke in this area. Behind this wall is the basement and sometimes a strong smoke smell is present. I'm guessing the gaps around the outlet are contributing to this. What would you recommend to address these two issues? <Q> Let's start with the harder one here <S> Smoke <S> It looks like there's a gap in the stone to the left of the outlet. <S> I would at least try to fill it with something (maybe caulk if you want the simplest route). <S> Once that is done, examine the box under the cover. <S> Make sure you don't see any other intrusion points for air. <S> The good news is any exterior rated cover should have closed-cell foam to seal the cover itself to the outlet and box. <S> Water <S> The outlet is within 3 feet of a water source, so you're required to have a wet location cover here. <S> The in-use cover you linked would work just fine. <A> Remove outlet, seal all air gaps. <S> Maybe have fan outside to blow smoke away. <A> Sealing air infiltration points should be done whether you have water there or not, to prevent carbon monoxide or other fumes from getting into your house from the carport.
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Also to make sure to seal any other air infiltration points, such as what looks to be an opening where your water spigot comes out of the wall. Install in-use cover seal ,again.
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Slightly extending an opening in plywood I'm trying to fit a slightly larger trash can into an opening in thick (about 1") plywood (see photo). Basically, I need to shave off some material in the corners to make the new can fit. Question is, what is the right way to do it and what tools should be used? So far, I'm thinking about possibly using a hole saw. Or is there a better way? <Q> Correct thing to use in this situation is a rasp -- you are just trying to remove a small amount of material and get it to conform to the existing garbage can. <S> A coarse file would also work, as would a draw knife or spindle shave. <S> I would avoid saws, as it is hard to cut relatively small amounts of material out using a saw. <A> If you get the more expensive hollow ground type of blade for it the cut can be nice and smooth. <S> Jigsaw Picture Source Hollow Ground Jigsaw Blade Picture Source <A> If you do not have an electric jigsaw and you do not want to invest in one, a perfect (and economical) tool for this job would be what is commonly referred to as a keyhole saw . <S> You will be surprised by how often it comes in handy after you own one:
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This seems like an application where a saw like the one pictured below would be ideal.
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Swapping High voltage breakers; change 50amp to 40amp I have 6AWG wiring with a 50amp breaker; no device is yet connected to the circuit. I need to swap the 50amp breaker for a 40amp breaker. I have popped the breaker loose from the bus bar in the panel. Are the red and black wires I need to transfer to the 40amp breaker actually live wires? I'm not going to touch them but rather just wanted to know for peace of mind. <Q> The metal bar that the breaker connects to is hot. <S> The breaker provides power to the connected wires, and cuts power to them when it is off. <S> So, if everything else is working correctly, the wires connected to the breaker do not have any power. <S> The bus bars inside a panel are large and easy to touch, so its best to turn off power to the whole panel when swapping breakers. <S> Cutting off all power also keeps you safe from wiring mistakes that could result in power being fed back into the panel from another, seemingly unrelated breaker. <A> If you rock the breaker out of its snapped down position, the breaker disengages from the bus bars and should be cold. <S> I frequently change CH breakers this way. <S> However, if the breaker is back-fed from a generator or mains, then all bets are off. <S> However back fed breakers are supposed to bolted down! <S> All that said... <S> there is a much easier way to de-energize a wire. <S> Move the breaker's onboard switch to the position marked "Off". <S> On Cutler Hammer CH and BR types, as well as CL types, that should be away from the middle. <S> When 2 breakers are connected side by side, for both to be on, they must be toward each other. <S> If a piece of metal the right size was there, they couldn't both be on at once. <S> That is a very cheap way to do a generator interlock, and they make factory authorized kits that cost as little as $25. <S> These kits also typically strap the breakers to each other, to satisfy the bolt-down requirement. <A> Do not always think power is off,because breaker is off. <S> That breaker could have been fed from another panel. <S> If that was the case,the breaker is off but the conductors still have power. <S> You would need to shut the other breaker down. <S> Always double check for live power,and use a meter to test it. <S> This could save your life. <S> And if you are in doubt shut the main off . <A> The code allows using wire larger than required. <S> It is actually required when wire runs are longer than normal, and has the advantage of lower voltage and power loss when loaded heavily. <S> The code expects up to 3% voltage drop, which represents about 3% wasted power, and stresses AC motors. <S> Motors tend to supply constant power, which requires extra current at the reduced load voltage. <S> If not, a short pigtail is needed before the device.
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While it's possible to not have a main breaker in that panel to cut off all power, there's normally a switch or a breaker in another box that will do it. There can be problems if the wire doesn't fit inside the wire hole of the device, but they will usually accommodate at least a single up-step.
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Found metal while drilling into a stud I hired someone from Amazon Home Services to install a TV wall mount. As the person was drilling holes into studs, he found metal when drilling one of the holes. He wasn't really sure what he was drilling into. But, he drilled through it anyway, and was able to install the screw and then the TV wall mount. My house is a newly built townhouse (2019 construction). Should I be worried about something (water leaks, electrical wires short circuiting)? Thanks,-Ghulam <Q> Unless you know exactly what it is, do not drill through metal in the wall. <S> Ductwork in the wall wouldn't be terrible to drill into, but then trying to use a sheetrock anchor in that hole might not be a great idea. <S> These are easy to identify because they will sit directly behind the drywall. <S> They are thick enough <S> so you can't puncture them by accident, but if you have a drill and are determined, you can drill through it pretty quickly. <S> (Of course you can get lucky and not hit the wire). <S> Plumbing pipe is another common source of metal, but in new construction that has been largely replaced by plastic pipe. <S> Either way if a pipe is drilled, you get pretty immediate feedback that you messed up in the form of a big leak. <A> Thank you all so very much for all your help!! <S> From what I can tell, there is blue pipe passing along the stud, and there was a metal plate on the stud that was protecting it. <S> Luckily, as far as I can tell, the screw didn't go through the pipe. <S> I am not sure whether that's something to be concerned about or not. <S> The pictures that I took are attached. <S> Thanks!! <A> Do not pass this off so easy .Take <S> pics and record. <S> Call and record to company. <S> It may have been a nail or screw, gas line or electric. <S> I cant believe he kept drilling and added screw to hole anyways. <S> Yes a stud finder may have helped. <S> And stuff like that happens. <S> You may be fine now, but maybe not later. <S> You may be able to cut a little hole to inspect. <S> Tv may cover patch.
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If you are drilling into a stud, and you find metal, it could be a nail protector designed to cover pipes and wires that are run through studs. If there is a wire behind the plate, the damage might not be immediate or obvious but the damaged wire could cause issues later. There is some scarring on the pipe. I ended up drilling a few holes close to the original site in question, and passed a camera through it, and took some pictures. There are so many bad things it can be.
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Critique my plan for circuits New addition to house is 576 square feet total - master bedroom, bathroom, walk in closet, house entry foyer, and porch. Here's my plan. 15amp dedicated circuit for fire alarm 20amp dedicated circuit for bathroom receptacles 20amp circuit for rest of outlets in addition 20amp circuit for 2 outdoor outlets on porch. I will be plugging mycamper into these sometimes 15amp circuit for all lights. will include: 2 recessed lights on porch,ceiling fan on porch, 2 wall sconces on porch, ceiling fan inbedroom, 5 recessed lights in bedroom, 2 light fixtures in closet,light fixture in foyer, exhuast fan in bath, 6 horizontal lights inbath over mirrors, 1 main light fixture in bath. <Q> I have also been advised to include some lights on the smoke & fire detector circuit, in order to give you some indication if the smoke & fire has gone offline. <S> I found this https://www.electriciantalk.com/f5/smoke-detector-circuit-72368/ which addresses the question. <A> Lights With that many lights, I would split them into two circuits. <S> Bathroom Fan <S> I recommend a separate 20A circuit for the bath fan. <S> That will allow you to upgrade to a heater/fan combination later without running new wires. <S> You can combine that with some of the bathroom lights, though I would not combine it with "all" the bathroom lights so that you don't lose all the lights if there is a problem with that circuit. <A> Bathroom circuits. <S> Make it two per bathroom. <S> The ladies of the house will thank you! <A> Move some of the lights to the fire alarm circuit. <S> It lightens the load of the other lighting circuit and you then have an incentive to keep it on rather than just turning it off at the breaker and or possibly not noticing that the breaker tripped without you knowing. <S> Whether you can do this depends on local code though.
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That way if there is a problem with a light fixture tripping a breaker, or even just to be able to work on a fixture safely by turning off a breaker, you are not totally in the dark. I believe Ed Beal's comment about 760.41.b refers to dedicated fire alarm panels, and that residential detectors are considered receptacles. Of course it's always best to check with your local building department for the final say. That way you can use more than one hair appliance at once.
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Does a ground wire to a receptacle box improve safety if appliance only has 2 prongs? If an outlet will only ever have 2 prong devices plugged in is there any safety purpose to have a ground wire added. <Q> You certainly did have the option to fit a 2-prong outlet (NEMA 1-15), which are still sold by competent hardware stores and electrical supply houses for this very reason. <S> By the very fact that you are asking this question, I gather you did not. <S> For instance, I have outlawed 2-prong outlets in our facility because we have gorillas who like to break off ground pins whenever they find a 2-prong socket. <S> No. <S> You must either actually wire the ground <S> so you have a continuous ground of sufficient size all the way back to the main panel <S> (it can merge onto other ground paths, as long as it is wide enough)... <S> Or pursue option #2. <S> Assure that the outlet is downstream of a GFCI device ... and label it "GFCI Protected / No Equipment Ground". <S> The GFCI protective device must protect hot and neutral coming here, and can be anywhere between here and the main panel. <S> The "GFCI Protected" half of the label is not required if the GFCI device is part of the socket itself, with obvious "Test" and "Reset" button. <S> You are not allowed to use the "No Equipment Ground" alone to guard an ungrounded 3-prong socket. <S> You must use GFCI, or use option 1. <S> To revisit "actually wiring the ground" If your house is wired with metal conduit, in most jurisdictions the intact conduit is a legitimate ground path . <S> Your work may be done! <S> Those people really need a copy of NEC 2014 . <S> That document threw open the gauntlet for simpy retrofitting just the ground wire. <S> Of course if the Romex cable is roached, this may be a good time to replace it for that reason. <A> The outlet should be to code and have the ground or earth connection. <S> While you may only ever plug two-prong devices into it, someone else may plug a different device, now or when you no longer have the property, and they could suffer as a result. <S> Do it to code <S> so all are safe. <A> Would I lose sleep over that? <S> No. <S> And there are inexpensive ways to fix that. <S> Whenever a wall is open, bring stuff up to code.
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Since the outlet has a ground pin, it must be protected If you have fit a 3-prong socket, you only have two options. Some people believe that to retrofit a ground wire, they must replace the entire Romex cable. Should you upgrade, yes.
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Is it a problem to leave a sprinkler line through concrete shed footing? I'm in the process of getting an attached shed built in my house (due to HOA restrictions). They seem to be very competent. The contractor is subcontracting the concrete foundation pouring. They have just dug the footing, pre-pour. I have noticed that a water line for the sprinkler system is going to go right through two sides of it and skim the front wall. I have asked about it and they said it should be fine running through the foundation. I'm not terribly worried about the foundation itself from this. But it seems like it might be a concern from a servicing perspective, not moving the line. They will be redirecting the sump line though. Does this sound right to you guys? Just want to double check. Here is what it currently looks like: <Q> People put flexible pipes inside concrete all the time (this is how heated floors are made) <S> you should space it away from the floor and trench mesh so that it does not become a conduit for moisture (from the soil) and oxygen to attack the reinforcing steel If you have more of that line and some elbows now would be a good time to move it. <S> But if you're feeling lazy it doesn't look particularly hard to replace the under-slab section with an external loop at a later date. <S> if needed. <A> Know would be a good time to move it. <S> Ya <S> i would not want that. <S> What about the other pipe ,close to house? <S> No extra holes in the foundation. <S> And easy to repair. <A> Reroute that line out from under the foundation before you pour. <S> If it would leak, it would soak the soil and soften it. <S> This could cause the foundation to sink and get out of level.
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Sprinkler piping is prone to leaking.
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Are individual electric heaters more efficient to operate than an electric boiler? (Edited to provide additional info) My wife is looking to buy an old house (I'm guessing 19th century) that'll need a lot of renovating, including the heating system. Renovation works will include (some) insulation and modernisation of the electric system.Actually the part in which we'll be living seems to have been a farm building; what appear to be the old living quarters are in a small attached house that hasn't seen occupation for at least 40y, from the looks of it. Both are built with local limestone (probably raw-hewn "stones" behind a layer of plaster), meaning there's only so much wall insulation you can install without losing precious internal space. But the obligatory energy-loss assessment is surprisingly good, despite the fact there are no double-glass windows except in the attic (thanks, Velux!). Currently there is a central heating system that runs on fuel oil which also provides the hot water (except in the kitchen), backed up by a fireplace insert (one of those sealed things) in one of the rooms, plus an electric radiator here and there. We're currently in a rented house which also has individual electric heaters. We are used to in-house temperatures that peak at 20°C at most, 18°C being the more usual average; we wouldn't even want it hotter and having to put on 2 extra layers of clothing plus coat before going outside. Most likely we will be wanting to get rid of the fuel boiler, either ASAP after getting the house or in the year or so following the acquisition. A single fuel delivery is around 1000€ which corresponds to about the number of individual electric heaters we'd need. It would also cover much of the price of an electric replacement for the fuel boiler, depending on whether we'd opt for a model that also provides hot sanitary water (we'd want a hot water boiler anyway). I've been reading up on the topic and while electric boilers are clearly the least expensive to buy and install (and maintain) they're apparently the most expensive in use, compared to other energy sources for central heating. I have not found a single text that compares them to a system with individual space heaters. Can anyone here help with that question? In particular, will a central heater burn more energy if you do not heat all rooms all the time (shut off radiators, manually or via a local thermostat)? Will individual heaters heat the room more efficiently for instance because they get hotter (e.g. oil-based ones that are safer and give less dry heat)? Our budget doesn't really allow for other alternatives that are more economic in use (or greener), like those using wood pellets or a heat pump. I know running costs of such systems will be lower in the long run but you have to be able to finance the initial investment. Thanks! <Q> To answer the main question, an electric boiler is exactly as efficient at turning electricity into heat as individual electric heaters. <S> However, individual electric heaters allow per-room heating setups; if you only rarely use a room, you can turn the heat down. <S> However, an oil boiler will almost always be cheaper to run than either, unless you live near a nuclear power plant or dam. <S> (Although an oil delivery is expensive, you don't need oil delivered that often.) <S> However, with this specific property, having a central boiler, plus a fireplace insert, plus individual heaters, tells me that the central boiler is probably not able to keep up with the heat demands of the house. <S> (Side note: relying on a fireplace for heating is a terrible idea. <S> They leak most of their heat to the outside, and add a large draft to the house.) <S> It sounds like the house was made when it was expected that people would wear a sweater while indoors during winter, with the house not being heated to "room temperature". <S> So, the individual heaters were added in order to provide an extra boost, but comfort is still not going to be great, and you'll probably be paying a lot for heating unless you're willing to use the sweater method. <S> My suggestion would be to keep the boiler for now. <S> Those things have a service life, and you might as well let that service life run out. <S> In the meantime, you should upgrade the sealing and insulation of the house to at least close to modern standards. <S> This will increase comfort and decrease heating load. <S> (Side note: <S> some houses have in-ground oil storage. <S> These are expensive to deal with, and you do not want that. <S> Make sure you know where the fuel oil is stored.) <A> TCO <S> I am big on Total Cost of Ownership. <S> In this case, it includes the cost of the equipment and also the ongoing cost of fuel. <S> In many areas, electricity costs quite a bit more than fossil fuels (oil or gas) for heating - both space heating and water heating (and combined like a boiler). <S> Essentially, you have to figure out how much heat you get from 1000€ of fuel oil and how much the equivalent will cost with electric heat. <S> If electricity will also cost 1000€ <S> then the difference is paying it month-by-month instead of a lump sum. <S> If electricity will actually cost you 1500€ then fuel oil starts to make a lot of sense. <S> All electric heating will cost nominally the same. <S> Electricity in, BTUs out. <S> Comfort may vary depending on how the heat is distributed through the house, but the basic cost doesn't vary much. <S> Scotty, We Need More Power! <S> There is also an additional cost to keep in mind if you switch from oil to electric heat and hot water: <S> Upgrading your electric service. <S> An older house designed for oil heat may not have a large enough electric feeder (and panel, etc.) <S> to support full house electric heat and electric hot water. <S> And if you need a meter/feeder/panel upgrade then you may find that you now have to add AFCI, GFCI, etc. <S> to circuits that until now have been grandfathered under old rules. <S> So the cost of installing that inexpensive electric boiler may turn out to be quite significant. <A> If you're renewing the building, I strongly suggest to go heat-pump, unless outside temperatures plum in winter under -15°C for long periods. <S> go with a heatpump-fired storage kind water heater, <S> at least 100L/person because heatpump-only mode is quite slow in heating but with traditional backup elements installed (in case HP engine fail), you could get a boiler with also 'auxiliary heat' inlet and hook it up to thermo-solar panel just not to use EE in summer to heat water. <A> Heat pumps work better when they interchange with groundwater instead of ambient air. <S> Air is very light, so you have to move a Lot of air to interchange with much mass of it. <S> That's why air heat pumps sound like jet engines. <S> For one thing, air is always on the wrong side of your desired temperature, so <S> you’re always having to pump heat "uphill". <S> Imagine <S> the day is 35C and you are trying to air condition to 25C. <S> You have to chill the Freon down to 15C to get it to cool your house's air, and it rises to 25C... <S> then you have to "pump it up" to 40C to get the heat to move into the 35C air. <S> This is inefficient, so you have to move a lot of air. <S> Whereas, you take your 25C warmed Freon and interchange it with 10C ground water. <S> It moves freely. <S> You don't even need Freon and the enthalpy cycle, any coolant would do because you're "pumping downhill". <S> On the other side, you're better off heating from 10C groundwater than -5C air <S> - it's uphill, but less uphill. <S> There's just more heat to extract. <S> If you want to do heat-only and use it for water radiators and household heating, then I guess you'd need a water-water heat pump. <S> But if you can get air radiators, you can do air conditioning.
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If climate is mild air-air heat pump (split system) are the best (cool in summer heat in winter and only in desired rooms), if heating is more important than cooling, underfloor with air-water heat pump will be better (you could pass an icy day running on thermal inertia of the building) For water heating
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Securing base of floor cabinets to concrete I need to install floor cabinets to concrete floor. I see that there is a suitable board on the top of the back of a cabinet to secure the top but was wondering about the base. Should I attach a pressure treated 2x4 to the cocnrete floor 3/4" (thickness of the cabinet) and inside the cabinet so that I can screw the cabinet base to it on the other side? I can see no other way to affix the bottom. Unless the bottom, for some reason (the weight of the counter top) does not need to be secured. <Q> Base wall cabinets are rarely attached to the floor even with wood framing. <S> This assumes proper attachment to the wall. <S> Island or longer peninsula cabinets are a different situation, where bar-top overhangs and narrow widths can leave them unstable. <S> Code may even require anchoring. <S> In those cases, attaching an inner frame of lumber to the concrete as you describe, over which you set the cabinet, makes for a great anchoring base. <S> You can then screw down through the base shelf or through hidden portions of the side walls into the lumber. <A> Use an L bracket. <S> A concrete screw goes in one leg, and a wood screw goes into the other leg. <S> L Angle Bracket <A> I don't prescribe in not attaching the cabinets' fronts to an anchor. <S> I was part of a few remodels where we chose to do this a long while back and honestly I was embarrassed. <S> The cabinets had too much play. <S> Luckily back then it was laminate countertops <S> so it kind of went with the half-assed cabinet install. <S> To do this <S> right you simply do the same thing you do for islands (or any concrete floor). <S> Use 2x4 blocking and shoot nail anchors into the concrete. <S> Do this for each cabinet. <S> So you have a 30" wide cabinet you set down a 2x4 maybe 28" in parallel with the front about 1/4" behind it <S> (do this <S> so you have wiggle room to match fronts). <S> After you have all of the blocking down, shim cabinets if needed screw cabinets together (this is the key - with the front blocking this isn't as needed and can be 2 thin cabinet screws) then screw the front base to the blocking. <S> If your blocking isn't firmly against base make sure the screws are not pulling in the base to the blocking - back them out a couple of turns. <S> and finally trim over the screws on the front base.
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It's just not necessary, as the weight of the cabinets, the continuous counter top, and the support they lend each other when connected prevent unwanted movement.
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Why are corded Drills so different from cordless drills? Typically the difference between the wired and wireless tool should be the wire or lack there off. However the the corded and cordless drills are both quite different from each other in typical design and extra features. Common traits Keyless chuck Clutch for screw driving Light Spirit level 2 speeds Spirit level Screw/Bit holder Common traits - Keyed chuck is more common (Newest models are often keyless though) The hook on top for hanging on belt Usually 1 speed Gear box Usually has a dial on the trigger to adjust speed Button next to trigger to lock trigger Sidehandle and depth stop Why do these 2 tools look so different? My guess would be that when they were designed corded was for industrial use, and cordless started as hobbyist.. and the design has not evolved as fast as the userbase has.. <Q> All of the "cordless" features debuted or were available on corded drills. <S> The biggest factor now is that cordless drills have fallen so far in price that the market for corded is comprised entirely of people who have opted out of cordless. <S> The superior holding power of keyed chucks, depth stops, secondary handles to counter torque, along with the more powerful tool make the corded drill excel at drilling multiple or difficult holes. <S> Other features which have remained on the corded drill are because of its superiority in continuous usage. <S> If you need to use the drill inverted for whatever reason it's easier than holding the trigger with a pinky. <S> Setting the speed via a dial rather than trigger pressure is also preferable there, because you can lock in the slower speed. <S> The keyless chuck and clutch common on cordless drills are more user friendly when it comes to rapid bit changes and driving fasteners. <S> The addition of the clutch necessitates reverse, because "only drives screws" is an awful selling point. <S> Driving screws with a corded drill is easy, but breaking out the key every time you need to drill a pilot hole and getting out a screw driver if you need to back out a screw gets old really quickly. <A> While I don't know for certain <S> I think there are a fair few factors. <S> Corded drills are often older designs, while cordless tools are where the manufacturers are developing new products. <S> As I understand it some countries have placed restrictions on trigger locks which has led them to be generally phased out on most new tool designs. <S> Cordless drills are generally less powerful than a comparable cost/weight corded drill and this was especially true in the early days of cordless drills. <S> I believe this is why cordless drills got screwdriver features, much easier to sell a combo of a crappy underpowered drill with an electric screwdriver than a crappy drill on it's own. <S> On the flip side in the UK at least it's rare to see a corded drill without hammer functionality while you have to go a fair way upmarket to get a cordless hammer drill. <S> Cordless drills have a rather heavy battery and this inevitably changes the weight and balance. <S> The normal arrangement is to put the battery on the opposite side of the handle from the drill body. <S> I suspect this makes the belt clip impractical (though personally I have never seen a drill with a belt clip, maybe that's an American thing). <A> Your list of common traits include several that were not particularly popular or can still be found on various brands. <S> Speed dial (found more often on heavy-duty models; less useful as variable-speed triggers evolved) Belt clip (not as useful on a cordless drill as on a screw gun--see below) <S> Keyed chuck (modern keyless chucks and hex-shanked bits make them mostly obsolete except on heavy-duty models) Trigger lock (detrimental to battery life, so not included with cordless models) Speed gearing (not as important when you're dealing with endless 120v power; <S> more so when using finite battery power of lower voltage) <S> Modern drills often have features that are either successful sales gimmicks (spirit levels) or weren't technically feasible until recent years (LED lighting). <S> Also, screw guns (not regular drills, which the cool kids call screw guns to sound cool), are dedicated tools that incorporate some of these features: <S> Trigger lock Depth stop <A> The simple reason that they look so different is that the corded drill has one bulky item: the motor/gearbox <S> while the cordless item has its motor/gearbox PLUS the battery pack.
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Corded drills normally run the power-train at mains voltage while cordless drills use much lower voltages, that makes implementing fancy controls or extra small electrical features like lights easier on a cordless drill. The trigger lock can be handy if you're using the drill as a grinder, buffer, whatever.
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How to cool tank water in summer? My home is supplied water from a well, that gets stored in a roof-top tank. The problem is that during these summer days (45°C), the stored water heats up and gets scalding hot. Its impossible to shower or to even to wash my hands! I need a solution to this. Is there something like a water chiller which can cool the water as it flows into the house. I know there are whole house tankless water heaters , I basically need something that does the reverse job of that. <Q> An aquarium chiller is meant to cool down a tank of water. <S> You will find different types for different sizes of tanks and how much they need to cool the the tank. <S> However you may get a cheaper cooling effect by simply putting the tank in the shade by for example building a simple shed around it. <S> This will prevent the direct heating from the sun. <A> Is the heat coming from the sun, the outdoor temperature, or the heat from being inside an attic? <S> If it's from the sun, you need to put a roof or something that keeps the sun off the tank. <S> If it's from the outdoor temperature, then you need to insulate the tank. <S> If it's from the heat of being inside an attic, then you need to increase the net free area of the attic/roof intake (usually soffits in the USA) and exhaust vents. <S> Depending on the outdoor temperature, you could install a coil of copper pipe that you run the water through to make the temperature of the water the same as the outdoor air. <S> Set the coil up to run a fan through it, or directly on the least sunny side of your house like a giant radiator. <S> If the outdoor air temp is the problem, then using the ground is your best heatsink. <S> Running a circulation pump through your DIY radiator on a timer might give you better results than trying to run all the water through it as you use it. <S> Best thing would be to just move your tank to the basement. <A> If the water from the well is pumped to your home, why not move the roof tank inside the home or replace it with a bladder tank that is mounted inside your home away from the sun. <S> More information please. <A> If the temp of the water coming out of the well is say 25 C and it is being heated to 45 C in the rooftop tank, then you must not be using much water compared to the volume of the tank. <S> That is, the water in the tank has a long residence time. <S> The simplest solution might be to only fill the tank half full or less <S> so you use the water before it gets too hot. <A> All are great answers <S> A roof for shade is a plus. <S> Walls and insulation, would be the next step. <S> try to use metal, for materials. <S> And paint it silver to reflect heat away. <S> We use a oil based silver on bee hives works great to cool them. <S> They make foil faced foam insulation. <S> The pipe is under ground,so i would not due much with that. <S> If that is not enough. <S> Add a 50 gallon tank in basement to store water. <S> And add to that. <S> if you need to cool more. <S> These are the steps, i would go until it works. <S> Cooling 50 less expensive than whole tank. <A> You could control water 'inlet' of the tank, if so you could keep the tank low, and run the pump to replenish only when you need water, doing so you'll add cold water when water is required, water will mix into the tank arriving cooler. <S> Another thing you can do is to shed the tank itself, so sulight won't hit it directly and water will stay cooler.
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Burying a lot of pipe a few feet underground and running your water through it would remove the heat.
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What do I make of this wiring? I am trying to replace a toilet pull cord switch. Wiring seems unusual in the sense that there are: 2x brown wires 1x brown wire that is live and by itself 1x yellow/green earth no blue wires Those are split over to separate cable sheathes. Connected to the old pull cord switch was:- mirror light- roof light- extraction fan Not sure about the whole setup, this new build was sold like (this is in the UK bu the way) that so I'm guessing some cowboys run out of proper cables and just used whatever was around or I'm missing something important about how wiring is meant to be done, maybe especially in the toilet? Mainly I do not know what to do about not marked neutral wire, right now I am thinking of joining live with live and neutral with those other two brown wires that are not live. <Q> Twin brown & earth is the right cable type for a switch loop. <S> One brown is live from consumer unit, the other is switched live to lights etc Fans often have both a switched live and a permanent live, this allows the fan to continue to run 5 mins after the light etc is switched off. <S> It uses a timer built into the fan. <S> This is better for clearing moist air out and reducing chance of mould. <S> The extra brown wire is probably for that extra permanent non-switched live to the fan. <S> Finding out which brown is which requires using a Cat II or better voltage tester. <A> My best guess is that the single brown and the longest brown were together on the same terminal (the brown being possibly a supply to the next lamp), while the short brown is the switched supply to the lamp. <S> The easy one is the yellow/green as that is the earth connection. <S> Personally, I would use a multimeter and check out exactly what is what and find out which ones go where, even going into the ceiling space to do so. <A> That looks like what we call a switch loop. <S> Power is delivered to the light, and a branch comes off to the switch. <S> In a switch loop, one wire is always hot, and the other wire is switched-hot. <S> Since both wires are hot, it's ideal for them to both use hot colors. <S> So Brown and Brown are appropriate. <S> However, a basic rule is that all related wires must be in the same cable. <S> That loose spare wire is inappropriate. <S> It should not be used. <S> That makes this rather simple. <S> The loose brown wire is a mystery. <S> If a brown wire really is bad, you will need to replace the entire cable. <S> - This is not yet required in the UK, but you might be smart to use three core plus Earth cable, so that you would be able to support smart switches in the future.
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The switch goes between the two brown wires in the same cable. Failures inside a cable are unlikely... but if that happened, or if the last guy thought it'd happened, he may have run the individual wire thinking that is allowed. Safety considerations would mean that I isolate all the lighting circuits at the breaker and use the continuity function on the meter.
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Can I install insulation behind a shower stall that is already in place? I am in the process of renovating my kitchen. I removed everything down to the studs. One of my bathrooms backs up to my kitchen. Once I opened up the wall behind my bathroom shower stall (a fiberglass one piece tub and surround), I see that there is no insulation, drywall, or cement board around my shower stall. It is just sitting in the open on the other side of my kitchen studs. The bathroom is a small 3 fixture bathroom that has 1 exterior wall. This exterior wall is about 10’ long and the foot end of the tub is on the exterior wall. From what I can see, there is no insulation in this exterior wall. This bathroom was remodeled about 20 years ago and they added this stall. I think they removed the insulation only in this area--not the entire length of the wall. This stall does not go all the way to the ceiling so it has drywall from around the top of the shower to the ceiling. Is it possible to put some type of insulation in this void around the stall? I have often said that this bathroom didn't feel as though is was insulated. It is always cold in this bathroom in the winter. I do not want to tear out the shower stall at this point, but am hoping to be able to do something with the access that I have from my open kitchen walls. I do not know anything about vapor barriers or appropriate types of insulation for this situation. <Q> Yes any insulation is going to work .Do <S> the whole bay top to bottom. <S> Paper or foil faced. <S> Vapor barriers face in to house. <S> Foil may work better here little tougher, than paper. <A> There are two issues: 1) <S> yes, you should add insulation, and 2) no, it should not have a vapor barrier. <S> 1) <S> Yes, insulation will help with the temperature comfort level you’re complaining about. <S> It will help to maintain a constant temperature. <S> It will be difficult to install because it’s not very accessible. <S> 2) <S> A vapor barrier should not be installed. <S> That is to say, vapor moves from the warm side to the cool side. <S> As the seasons change, vapor will move through the wall reaching its Dew Point, and turning from a vapor to a solid (water). <S> In fact, poly sheeting can accelerate the problem and is no longer recommend, except in the coldest year-around climates. <S> Here’s an article that explains it better: https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/75130/What-Happens-When-You-Put-a-Plastic-Vapor-Barrier-in-Your-Wall <S> It’s very important to understand this concept for bathrooms with excessive moisture. <S> That moisture needs a way to escape from the wall. <S> (Even the best installed poly sheeting will allow vapor into the wall around outlets, joints in sheeting, top and bottom plates, etc. ) <A> I suggest stuff Roxul in where you can. <S> I would even open up the wall above the shower - a good 16" would be enough. <S> You can feed insulation to the floor given there <S> isn't any cross bracing. <S> I have written on here for tub installs that one of the main components of a good fiberglass shower install is to pack the cavities with insulation. <S> I actually install it until it pushes the tub out and then taper off. <S> This is for a tub install NOT on an exterior wall. <S> With cheaper fiberglass you can easily tell if there is no insulation in the walls because it becomes wavy. <S> You will get a hollow echo without insulation. <S> Yes stuff <S> the walls like a thanksgiving turkey. <S> (and no vapor barrier - too late at this point to do it right)
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Given on an exterior wall the fact that you should have insulation for weather/wind the fiberglass also needs to be supported. With a vapor barrier, vapor will enter the wall but not be able to escape. The other big factor is sound. If this water is trapped in the wall, it could create dryrot or mold. Most people don’t understand that “vapor” moves both ways through a wall.
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