Combatting moisture in crawl space after venting window is sprayed with insulation? I had a crawl space (top left) in my house which had a 12"x6" venting window. There is a room above the crawl space, so I decided to spray the walls of the space with closed-cell foam insulation which also closed off the venting window. The room above the crawl space is now warm in the winter so I'm happy with the insulation.

However, in the summer months, the crawl space (and, as a result, the entire basement) has a big moisture and mold problem. To alleviate the issue, I cut a small hole in the insulation where the venting window used to be and put a small 12V fan in which I leave on at all times. This helped the moisture problem a great deal - I would say that about 75% of the smell is gone.

My question is: what is the best approach to solving the problem completely? A larger fan? Spraying the floor of the crawl space? Something else?

Many thanks in advance!

The fan is the right idea, but it should probably be a stronger 120v unit. Look at bathroom fans and how they're rated for square footage. Some can be mounted in-wall and may fit your opening well.

I suspect your original approach was incorrect.  the only thing that should have been insulated was the crawl-space ceiling under the room you wanted to insulate. The walls of the crawl space should have been left alone - including, of course, the vent.

Contrary to what one might think, a crawl space is best kept fully ventilated, just as is the case in some houses which are built a couple feet off the ground. This does not lead to massive heat loss due to the "magic" of convective air flow.  Yes, insulate under the floor of the house, but nowhere else.

So, if you can, rip out the insulation and start again.


Resetting fence posts in very wet conditions This winter the Minnesota frost heaved up 5 fence posts in my yard.

I've pulled out the 5 posts, and have found basically puddles of water and very very wet mud.  I shop-vac'd out the standing water, and have let the holes air out on nice days.  When it has rained I've tarped a 8x10ft area to try and get the water down hill.  This is what I have been doing for the past week.

Some of the holes are still filled with 3-4inches of water, others are very wet but not filled.  The holes right now are around 2ft deep, and I need to dig them to 4.5ft or so.

Should I just dig the holes with standing water?  Some of the holes are so wet I'm afraid a deeper hole would just collapse.  Or how can I dry them out?

Are you in the Twin Cities? We have lots of clay here. Clay never really dries out ;)

Looking at the concrete, notice how it's flared at the top, this is a nice 'handle' for the frost to grab on to and push up. Ideally, your flare would be the complete opposite...wide at the base of the hole, narrow at the top.

If it's really heavy clay, you may want to forgo concrete completely and instead use compacted crushed rock.

If you stick with concrete, be sure to dig deeper than you need to and put gravel at the bottom of the hole for drainage before putting in the post and concerete. Also be sure to get at least a good 2' of the post into the ground.

I live in a trailor park and they forbid concrete in the ground.
Hmmmm…what to do….. I didn't like those metal stake 4 x 4 holders…too weak…So I got creative and bought sections of 8 inch PVC pipe, had themcut to 30", bought cap for one end…glued on the cap…dug the fence post hole, bought Henry's roofing tar to coat the 4 x 4 pressure threated posts (actually 3.5 x 3.5)..up 3 feet from bottom. Let this cure for a coule of days…then I tossed in some sand in the bottom of the fence post holes, just enough to cushion the capped end, put in the PVC 30" section cap end down, then I tossed a bit of sand in the pvc, put the fence post in, tarred end down…so that at leat a 3 inches of pvc were above grade. Then I leveled the post with a fence post level, filled in sand of fine gravel around it to an inch below the lip it to hold it in place and tarred the top shut…it will take a few days to cure the tar.
The PVC pipe and cap were inexpensive…you don't need top grade…glue inexpensive and compared to the cost of a sac and a half of concrete…pretty much the same cost and no moisture wicking/leaking fronm concrete into post below grade…the idea is to keep it dry….minimal moisture if any…and not use concrete since I couldn't due to the trailor park rules. One gallon of Heenrys roofing tar did 6 posts and sealed six pvc 8" sections.


What should I do about water filling the excavation for a house's foundation? I live in Duluth, Minnesota. As stated, I am putting a new foundation on my house. When the contractor was excavating, they hit water. They are constantly pumping this water out. I now have 2 new walls already done, and am working on the third.

I am concerned about the amount of water. I do have a sump pump. My contractor told me my drain tiles were not working at all and this water has been there for a long time, but this water keeps filling up. I have had the inspector there of course when the footings were poured, and he seems like he is OK with this.

I am concerned. Is this OK?

It all depends on what type of foundation it is, i.e. cement pad, basement, crawl space?

Was there water present when the footers were being poured?
Is there a crawl space or basement?
How deep are the footers?

tl;dr: If the inspector is happy and calls it normal, stop worrying.

There is always going to be some ground water, and any of that above the bottom of your excavation will tend to flow into the excavation since that's its easiest route. That doesn't mean there's going to be enough pressure behind it to bother the foundation once you have it completed, especially if the foundation winds up wrapped to further discourage water infiltration.

Some moisture will always get through; that's part of why basements tend to be damp and why so many of us have dehumidifiers in our basements. But as long as that's only a small amount, evaporating immediately, that should be the only issue.


electric water heater wiring Main panel has one 100 double breaker and two 60 amp double breakers.  There are extra slots for more breakers. Can I install a 30 am double breaker in on of the extra slots to wire up a 30 amp electric water heater with 10 gauge wire?
Thank you.

You can.  But your total electrical may now be too much.  It depends on your service capacity.


Can I use self leveler over existing floor First the floor is a mess. Is a closed in back porch that had glued down linoleum on it. Is un even. Most of linoleum was scraped up and then a garage floor paint was applied on top of that. Now the paint is peeling and chipping in spots because of moisture coming up from concrete that was never sealed because it was a back porch originally. Can I use a self leveling concrete over this mess and start fresh or do I have to have all of this grinded out?

Use Plani patch 1mix 2 liquid looks like milk try to get loose paint off first


how to carry 20ft lumbers to home I need to carry one 20 ft lumber from HomeDepot to my home. I don't have a truck but have a minivan (Odyssey). The minivan does not have a roof rack though. A friend of mine suggested that I could open the window of the front passenger seat and place the lumber diagonally, making it stick out the window. But, I am not sure about the method and haven't found anybody other than my friend who suggested this method. The HomeDepot is very close to my home (about 5 minutes local driving).

If anybody has an experience of carrying long lumbers with a minivan, can you please share the tip?

Thanks,

EDIT: I attached the photo below. The first two beams are connected to the roof structure to support it. They are 18-feet 2x4. The third beam (shown in the bottom right corner of the picture) does not provide any support even though it looks so.

Do NOT stick a board out your window!

The board will be angled outward, making your overall vehicle significantly wider than usual. Worse, you will not be able to judge how far it sticks out. Misjudge and someone gets killed.

Why not simply put it on your roof and tie it down to the front and back bumpers (or better, the tow points under the bumpers). Any extension past the rear bumper must be highlighted with a red warning flag attached to the rear end.

Also consider renting a truck from the big box store which charges a flat rate for a few hours.

Lay the board flat on ground. Center mini van,now pull over board , adjust it to have all length in rear. Secure with ratchet straps to bumpers. Just a idea.


Electrical engineering background, can I do electrical work on my house OK Folks, some introduction. I wasn't born in the US, I come from the underdeveloped world, where due to lack of resources it was usual to have a pair of bare wires acting as a light switch (seriously!) and there was no such thing as formal codes, NM-B wires, GFCI outlets and so forth. However, I studied electrical engineering early in my career (now I'm a software engineer), I am pretty familiar with US electrical codes (although not so involved in deep details, don't have time to read the full NEC book...).

The question is:

Can I do electrical work in my own house? I'm planning to install some lights in the attic, and I know for sure that I am not going to cause a fire hazard. I know how to install junction and switch boxes, run NM-B wiring, ground everything properly, following hot/neutral color codes, secure wires with staples, and so forth. I plan to run power out from an existing outlet in the existing circuit that powers that outlet and the typical attic light bulb. I plan to add 3 or 4 more lights and a new switch.

Am I supposed to ask for an electrical permit? If so, let's say that I don't ask for a permit and do the work? What problems could this imply if anyway, nobody knows what's inside my attic?

Just trying to save some bucks, since I feel pretty hesitant to hire an electrician and spend 100+ bucks for doing something so trivial to me. I would feel like an idiot, throwing away money, when I have seen poor electrical work done by supposedly "licensed contractors". Any ideas?

Contact your local building department, and ask them if this would require a permit, and if you can do the work yourself. That's the only way to know for sure, as different areas have different rules.

You'll likely have to pay a small fee for the permit, and have the work inspected at different stages of the job (or maybe only once it's done).  Most areas let homeowners do the work, as long as it's inspected.

If you do unpermitted work in your home, and something does happen. Your insurance claim could be denied, and/or you could be held personally liable for injuries and damages to others and their property.

I wouldn't call the building department.   I'd call your neighbor.  Find out what the locals do.

You can do what you want in your own house.  Something as simple as a couple lights and a switch should be done before you've finished reading this post.


Found hole with water under house Today, while in the crawl space under the house, I found a large hole that has water in it. Now I'm trying to figure out what to do about it.

I had noticed a depressed area under the house in the past, possibly starting four or five years ago. Since I rarely go under the house, I didn't pay much attention to it; but, over the last year I'd noticed it was larger.

Today, I thought I would fill it in with some old concrete block pieces. That's when I realized how big a hole it is. It's about 4' wide.  And, it about 3' deep.

I hooked up a light and took a picture (below) and discovered that there are spiral steel/iron rings in the hole.  The rings appear to be three or four feet in diameter. The water is cloudy, but there's no smell. And, there is no perceptible movement of the water. The photo doesn't show the water; but, it's maybe 3' deep.

I think this must have been a drainage pipe built before our subdivision was constructed in the 1980's.

Anyway, it's clear that about 3 cubic feet of soil has washed away so far.  So, I have to do something.

Should I phone the local county storm drainage folks and ask them to check it out? Or, is this a problem I'll need to hire a contractor for? If so, what type of contractor?

Will appreciate advice from someone with knowledge of this type of problem.

Update 4/24/14: Received sump pump today and used it to pump out a lot of water: my guess is about 90 gallons. And, not done yet. Further, while running the water hose for the pump over to a vent another hole appeared. It's smaller, but right next to a pier. And, shining a light down in this hole, similar spiral metal coils with water below were visible. The spirals rings are on line with those in the first hole, about 15 feet away.

What I'm planning on doing is: keep pumping the water out of the first hole; move pump to second hole and repeat; dig outside the crawlspace and try to locate the water tunnel  and pump it dry there too. After all water is removed, wait a few weeks to see if water returns, and from which direction. Finally, after stopping the source of the water, fill the complete tunnel with dirt.  But, if anyone has any better ideas I'm flexible.

Wow! What a surprise. I don't think it's related to any county storm drainage system. Wouldn't hurt to contact them though. My best guess is someone acquired some spiral reinforcing somewhere and used it to construct a dry sump for some purpose. It was then forgotten until the cover collapsed and you noticed something amiss. The water probably means you have a shallow water table.

If my assumptions are correct, you just need to fill it in. If there is no nearby foundation structure, you just need some manual labor to haul in fill material. If it is near a foundation, at least some of the fill may need to be compacted. Depending on access, this can be difficult. You could probably hire any general contractor willing to take on the job.

If you have a sump it is probably there for a reason - if you fill it in, then the water that is in it will instead be all over the floor of your currently dry basement. Get someone who knows about basement drainage to take a look.
It's very common in Canada to have a sump in the basement, usually with a pump, hooked up to the storm drain.
Google basement sump.


Can I vent my dryer into the crawl space without creating mold and moisture problems? We have a crawl space with a combination of sandy and clay soil in it.  The crawl space is about 3' deep.  To eliminate a long dryer vent run, I'd like to vent the dryer directly into the crawl space.  We have vents built into the foundation that I open each spring and close in the fall.  Will this help dissipate the moisture enough to prevent mold?

Vented air from the dryer is full of moisture since it contains water from the clothing being dried. Do not vent it into your crawlspace or basement since you will definitely have moisture problems. After you vent it outside, run the dryer and put your hand over the vent and you will see what I mean.

I have a large basement and use the dryer only once or twice a week . I really can't see a moisture problem with venting inside . People hang up wet clothes inside don't they ?

The only problem I can see is if you use that stinky stuff , Bounce.


What type of wall sheathing is on my house? My house sheathing is not a plywood - but some dark brown material.

Click for larger view

Does anyone know what that is?

P.S. here's more higher quality images:
pic1
pic2
pic3

It was made by Celotex as well as some other companies. It comes under the nickname Buffalo board and Beaver board depending on where you're at. I don't know that it's manufactured anymore, however I viewed the link from the previous answer and it appears it could be the same thing.

If your house is older then it is probably the original buffalo board material. If it is newer it could very well be the exact same thing that is sold at Home Depot mentioned in the link that was provided in the first answer.

Looks like Masonite® to me. The product was "slick" on one side ("finished") and "fuzzy" on the other.
Commonly used as "pegboard".


Should gaps be left between sheets of drywall for any reason? My cousin says I should leave 1/4" space between all edges of drywall so that mud can be pressed into it. Everything I've read online say to butt them tight. When is leaving a gap a good idea?

It really doesn't matter, I would run them tight, it uses less mud. If a gap occurs, don't sweat it. It is better to run drywall tight into the corners, it makes taping easier than having a gap. I have never seen a drywall crew intentionally set gaps.

According to The Do’s and Dont’s Of Drywalling. One of the biggest mistakes is not leaving a 1/8 in gap in your joints .


anatomy of Kohler handheld showerhead - flow restrictor I have a Kohler Flipside handheld showerhead (K-17493), rated at 2.5 gallons per minute. But the actual flow from the showerhead is under 2 gallons per minute. The problem seems to lie with the showerhead itself: when I remove the showerhead and hose from the shower wall and turn on the water, the flow is much stronger.

I've checked for debris, and it doesn't seem to be a problem. (The showerhead is new.)

I would like to remove or adjust the flow restrictor in the showerhead to permit a stronger flow. But the instructions that I've seen online that apply to other showerheads don't seem to apply to this one -- or, at the least, I can't see how those instructions apply to this showerhead.

Here is a picture of the inside of the showerhead:

Many online instructions suggest that an O-ring be removed. In this case, is the O-ring the yellow disc? It is protected by the metal ring above it; is there any danger to breaking that metal ring so that I can remove the yellow disc?

I have a Kohler shower head.  Different model but the flow restrictor assembly is likely the same.  There's actually a series of parts behind the steel retention ring in your photo.  The yellow that you see is the top of a cartridge that contains a spring-loaded nylon stopper (white part in the photo) as well as an orange plastic flow restriction disc.  Remove the retention ring, remove the yellow cartridge.  In mine, there was also a purple part behind the yellow cartridge which is also removable.  Once you've taken all the bits out, you should be able to re-connect the hose and try the pressure again.

In my mixing valve, I also discovered two 'service valves' which control water flow into the mixing valve.  I found that in my case, the plumber who installed them had them turned to 1/2 and not full.  So my shower head and my rain shower both had very low flow.  I turned the service valves to full open which gave me the flow I expected from my rain shower head.  I then had to put all the flow restriction parts (yellow cartridge) back into my hand shower because the pressure was uncomfortably high.

Hope this helps!

Honestly... take a 1/8th drill bit and drill through. If that's not enough then go to 1/4"


How to properly bond metal junction box with 6 AWG conductors What is the appropriate way to bond a metal junction box containing a receptacle wired with 6 AWG wire? It seems that most metal junction boxes have a 10-32 tapped hole to accept a ground screw but almost all of the pre-built pigtails that I've seen that attach to this screw are 12 AWG. Using some sort of ginormous wire nut to connect 2-6 and 1-12 AWG wires doesn't seem like the right move.

Is there some sort of ground lug that attaches to the 10-32 hold and then accepts the two 6 gauge wires? How is this normally done?

First off, why is the ground #6? Seems big unless the circuit is over 60A.

Personally, as Tester commented, I'd use a double lug screwed to the box via a machine thread screw, that is if you can find one small enough. The one Tester linked is quite large for the application. Smaller ones might be hard to find though.
This one is the smallest I could find:
http://www.cesco.com/b2c/product/Burndy-K2A25U-Two-Conductor-Terminal-Lug/159535

Another alternative is to splice the two grounds to a third tail and connect that to a single small lug screwed to the box.
http://www.cesco.com/b2c/product/Blackburn-Elastimold-L70-Type-L-Slot-Screw/3978

the receptacle has steel tabs on it which bond to the box when you fasten it. this should qualify as bonding. I am not a licensed electrician though so you might talk to one.


How can 12 V halogen downlights be much more efficient than 220 V ones? The house I bought has halogen downlights pretty much everywhere, and they are all 12 V. I was wondering why bother with stepping down to 12 V but didn't think much about it.

When looking at downlights in some shop the other day (thinking about replacing them with LEDs) I noticed that for halogen 12 V ones are much more efficient than 220 V ones - for 50 W specs were 350 lm for 220 V and 680 lm for 12V. How can there be such a difference for the same technology but different voltages?

You can check specs for the same manufacturer (Osram) and the 2 voltages here and here

This gets into efficacy/usefulness verses efficiency and the important fact that less voltage is far more stabler.

If you look closely:

12V 50W energy consumption = 53 kWh/1000h
240V 50W energy consumption = 50 kWh/1000h

Thus the 240V 50W is 3kWh/1000h more efficient in energy consumption.

However the 240V 50W has half the life span of the 12V

12V 50W number of switching cycles= 50000
240V 50W number of switching cycles  = 25000

Thus the efficiency you would gain is nullified due to the decreased lifespan.

Next compare the luminous intensity

12V 50W luminous intensity = 1450
240V 50W luminous intensity  = 900

By far the 12V has a much greater efficacy to efficiency ratio.

Now to explain why

Voltage is the rate/speed/pressure of electrical phenomenon.

On average 12 volts is plenty fast to illuminate a 50 Watt incandescent or halogen.

Increasing the voltage beyond this point as you can see does little help as the efficacy "usefulness" of the bulb to achieve desired illumination in relation to the efficient use of energy it requires is most satisfactory at 12 Volts.

As an experiment, take a 9 volt battery and touch the two prongs to a 20 watt halogen MR16 or MR11.  The voltage required to reach the desired efficacy is very little, and less voltage/pressure is a good thing.


Constant backed-up water from dishwasher drain I have read up on existing questions on this issue, and I understand it is a fairly common issue.

Unlike some other people, my kitchen sink hasn't been clogged, and the garbage disposal works fine. But there is always water at the bottom of my Frigidaire dishwasher (model FFBD2411NS), as high up as going up 1 inch over the bottom.

I called in a maintenance technician from the dishwasher warranty contract company, and he checks the dishwasher's drain hose and tells me the dishwasher works alright, and it's my kitchen sewage that's clogged. I remember seeing him unplug the dishwasher hose and water flow out of it from the dishwasher, which according to him shows that the dishwasher should drain properly.

Despite I don't see any clog, I tried some clog remover liquid. I also called in a plumber and had the kitchen drainage checked, but was told my kitchen sink wasn't clogged.

Now water still backs up, giving out a strong repellent odor, and we can't use the dishwasher as a dishwasher because of this. We have been using it as dish racks.

As @manassehkatz suggested, I am putting up a picture showing the drain hose path. There doesn't seem to be a high loop. Should I create one by elevating the hose?

A dishwasher drain requires an air gap in order to function properly. This prevents water that has drained out - and also water coming from the sink/disposal - from coming back into the dishwasher. There are two ways to install an air gap. The traditional way is the drain hose goes up to an air gap device installed in the corner of the sink and another hose goes down to the disposal. Many dishwashers include a long hose and are designed so that the hose can be attached to the underside of the counter as a "high loop". This effectively provides an air gap as the water is pumped out and goes over the top of the loop but can't come backwards to the dishwasher unless the drain/disposal was blocked and water filled up in the sink to the same level as the top of the loop. No special equipment is needed - just a wire or clip to hold the middle of the hose up high. More details and picture at Draining problems in dishwasher. Is this drain setup ok?

The installation instructions for your particular dishwasher FFBD2411NS Installation Manual show the correct installation of the drain hose, but unfortunately don't explain WHY it should be installed that way, so I can see how it could easily be innocently installed incorrectly.

Get a 25' snake that attaches to your drill from Walmart. They are about $20 or so. Clean out your J trap and snake where the pipe goes into your wall. Get on the roof and snake the vent. If that doesn't work then get a new dishwasher or see if the sewer company will come jet out the waste pipe at the curb and that might help.


What is causing extremely high water usage? Our condo's (12 units, 2 buildings) water usage went from $300 to $3000 in a few months. We don't have separate water shutoffs to test each unit. Nobody's reporting any visible leaks. Any idea how to proceed? We are going to go bankrupt at this rate.

You could install flow meters on each unit and bill them separately.

Turn off the main valve and see if the meter is still turning.  If it is...you have a leak underground.


Correct sockets to be used with 277v light bulbs I am a project that requires 277v lighting. I have found medium based light bulbs that are rated to work on a 277v circuit but the not a medium base socket that is rated for usage above 250v. I have contacted bulb manufacturers and no one seems to know the answer. That brings me to believe that it would be fine to use these 277v light bulbs in a 250v socket. Am I right or what am I missing?

According to the National Electrical Code, the voltage limit on lighting in a dwelling unit (including motels, dormitories, etc) is 120 volts. You are not allowed to use higher voltages for these occupancies.

The only lighting that normally uses 277 volts is flourescent or HID lighting in a commercial or industrial occupancy. The HID lamps in these locations use mogul bases not medium.

The medium based bulbs you are talking about are probably for use in Europe not the US.

You would most likely breach standards by using the sockets and open yourself to be liable in the case of a fault but you would not be remotely likely to increase the chance of an electrical fault caused by the added 27V.


Tiling Sequence: Ceiling, Walls, Floor - Where to Start? So, I'm ready to tile ceiling, wall, and floor of same bathroom. What's the optimal sequence?
Ceiling first, walls first, floor first, or it depends?

I agree with Ahmad G Badr & I hope this is a shower alcove. Sorry, I hate tile most anywhere. You want to minimize the view of corner seams or grout lines since they crack first & are usually where cut tiles (sharp instead of pillowed or rounded edges) are placed.

Side walls should butt over the back wall & floor & ceiling should butt over all walls. This is also hugely beneficial if the shower pan ever needs to be replaced. The floor should always be done last to eliminate the possibility of damage.

wall - ceiling - floor then joint retouch


What kind of gloves should I wear during electrical work? What kind of gloves should I wear during electrical work?

I need to know which glove material is most suitable for this kind of work, as I wish to purchase the proper gloves.

Depends on the voltage you're working with.

If you're working in a residential setting, simply turn off the power and wear any type of glove you find comfortable (including none).

If working in an industrial setting, where turning the power off is not an option. You'll have to choose a glove system based on the voltage you'll be working with.  A glove system should always consist of an appropriate insulating glove, and a protective leather glove. A glove liner is an optional part of the system, and can be worn depending on how dainty your hands are.

ASTM D120-14a divides gloves into the following classes:

Class 00 - Good for up to 500 volts.
Class 0 - Up to 1,000 volts.
Class 1 - Up to 7,500 volts.
Class 2 - Up to 17,000 volts.
Class 3 - Up to 26,500 volts.
Class 4 - Up to 36,000 volts.

WARNING: Always properly test your gloves before each use. Visual inspection and air testing is the most common method. If you're using these gloves, you've hopefully been trained how to care for and test them. If not, you probably shouldn't be doing anything that requires you to use them.

You only need one glove to keep from having a fatal shock to your heart from one hand to the other unless you are standing in water on concrete or ground with conductive shoes.  Any glove that protects against contact would help, but an cloth lined rubber glove could save you. However, if you ask this question, you are probably not qualified to do electrical work.


Can water siphon backwards through the main pressure regulator? Can water siphon backwards through the house pressure regulator? My house is above the main water line in the street. If the main line pressure goes to zero, will the house water siphon backwards through the pressure regulator and down into the main line?

If you have a backflow preventer, aka a check valve, installed in the system, then the water will not siphon back. This could be installed near the pressure regulator or main shutoff inside your home. It's also possible for the municipality to install one near the meter.

A standard pressure reducing valve closes when the water pressure inside reaches a threshold. Once the inside pressure drops slightly, the valve opens, at which point a backflow is possible.

Sure it will, though not as fast as it would going in the intended direction.


Boiler losing pressure overnight so, i have an ideal logic combi boiler which although working seemingly well , the pressure drops to almost 0 when not use, mainly overnight. I do not need to re-pressurise the system as when i turn on the heating it raises to around 1.3 on its own and around 1 or just below if calling for hot water.

All radiators are full and all but one are fine apart from a cooler spot to the bottom of a bedroom one, no visible leaks.

we have two small boxes in a upstairs cupboard,with little levers on that slide from one side to the other joined to a pipe that disappears behind the void.

The box/pipe that we believe to operate the upstairs heating makes a disturbing rattling sound for upto a minute when coming on,  it scared me a bit so had a BG call out under our plan and he was very dismissive saying dont worry about anything in there its just airlock, fiddled with the nearest (bathroom) radiator and left.

this has been the case for upto 6 months now, the rattling does eventually stop on its own accord or if i set the thermostat to 2/3 degrees lower upstairs the rattle doesnt occur.

Apologise if i seem to have gone way off track here, but is it worth me getting them back for a second opinion, could my boiler be an accident/expense waiting to happen or is it a case of all heating and water is working fine so dont worry about it?

thank you in advance

Low Pressure

It is normal for the boiler pressure to rise when the internal water is hot and fall when it cools. However a pressure close to 0 is a concern.

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/home-services/boilers-and-heating/guides/boiler-pressure.html

Topping up the boiler is fairly easy. There are many online guides and videos showing you how. Check your boiler's manual to find the correct filling pressure. This should be measured when the boiler and radiators are cold.

If you keep having to top up the boiler to maintain the cold pressure, then it is likely you have a leak or water is being lost through the pressure relief. Repeated topping up will dilute your corrosion inhibitor and it will become less effective.

Bleeding air off either manually or through an auto vent can also reduce the pressure. This is common after a major refill, but will reduce over time.

If the cold pressure is correct and the hot pressure is too high then the expansion vessel might be faulty.

A faulty pressure gauge could also give incorrect readings.

Rattling Boxes

Without a photo, I don't know for sure what these boxes are, but they might be zone control valves that switch your downstairs/upstairs radiator circuits on/off.

Normally they are pretty quiet. Perhaps you have some air bubbles trapped in the circulating flow. These can cause noises when passing through tight spots like a pump or a valve. This might sound like a light fizzing or a kind of tapping noise.

If you are concerned then get a second opinion from another professional.

You have air trapped in your piping system. It may not be a problem right now, but usually water heating systems are less effective when air is trapped and you may lose heating power or even damage the system.

Most radiators come with a valve to release air that you have to open long enough until water drips out. Start with the radiators in the upper floors. Once the trapped air is gone, make sure there are no leaks anywhere that could allow air back in. If you have a leak and can't find it by yourself you may have to hire a professional.

Here is a video showing how to do use the radiator air valve:  youtube


What is the best way to shorten legs on a table and chairs? A few years ago we bought a "bar height" kitchen table and chairs.  It seemed like a good idea at the time but we hate it now.  It's terrible to have to sit with your feet not touching the floor for long periods.

So my question is what is the best way to cut off the exact same length on all the legs on the table and chairs so nothing wobbles (too much)?  The chairs have curved legs in the back so by the time they reach the floor they're angling a bit.

I don't mind renting a tool if the accuracy would be worth it.

Put the table/chair on a very flat and very horizontal surface. Ensure and double check with a levelgauge.
shim the table/chair so that the top surface of the table/chair is level using the level gauge
Take a pencil and tape it on a small block that is about the height you want the legs to shorten. Ensure that the block has parallel bottom and top planes.
With the pencil on the block, scribe the legs of the table/chair and make marks all around.
Cut precisely and carefully with a proper saw. Which is probably the hard part. If you start on a corner of a (square) table leg, make sure you cut on the cutting line on two faces.

in short:

Watch this video by Chris Schwarz: level the feet of a chair or sawbench

We just cut our counter-top down to 30" height.  Since the legs were almost straight, we did a trial cut by just measured down 2" on each leg.  We mounted the legs on to the table and then stood it up.  There was no wobble!

We then removed the legs again, I cut 4 inches more off, remounted the legs, and the table still has no wobble.

Again---the legs were straight.  However, I did the cutting on a miter saw.  ALSO---I made sure I cut the same precision cut on each leg, not just take out the line.  Rather, I looked very closely when I was lining up the blade.

Certainly, if the legs had angled down from the table, then the degree of angle would have to have been calculated.

Hope this helps.


Should I put a dimmer switch on a ceiling fan? I have a ceiling fan on our bedroom's vaulted ceiling. Since we don't want 7' pull-cords, the speed is stuck at full-tilt, which is no good. The fan has separate switches on the wall for lights and fan on/off, though, so I tried putting a dimmer switch on the fan. Can that do any damage to the fan's motor, or is there anything else I'm not thinking of that could be a problem? I've noticed the fan makes a little bit of a groaning noise when I have the rheostat down, but since I've never heard the fan at slow speeds, maybe that's normal.

Check the fine print
To find out if the dimmer can work with the fan, you'll have to inspect the dimmer.  For this, you'll have to remove the cover plate and possibly pull the switch out of the box (in which case, make sure you shut off the power at the breaker). If you see the text "For Incandescent Only"; or something similar, you should not use this dimmer with a motor load.

Using a standard dimmer with a ceiling fan can damage the motor, and/or cause the dimmer and/or motor to overheat and cause a fire.
There are a few better options available to you.
Install a fan control switch
There are many different fan control switches available; with a wide range of styles and functions, you should have no problem finding just what you want. A simple control like this 3 speed fan control, will run you about 20 bucks, and installs using the existing wiring.

Install a remote control
If you're up for a bit more wiring, there are universal remote control kits available.  You'll have to wire the receiver into the fan housing, so it's a bit more complicated than installing the wall control. But once the receiver is installed, you can place the wireless remote anywhere you like. There are a ton of these things available, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding one you like.  You can even get a cool touch screen control, if that's what suits your fancy.

Install a new fan
If installing a new fan is an option, you could simply select one that comes with a remote control.

Most bathroom ceiling vent fans are shaded pole motors and will not draw current anything like an AC three phase motor.
Maybe search shaded pole motors and dimmer switches.


amps per leg on 220V? IF the nomenclature plate on a piece of 220VAC equipment says 10.0 Amps, does that mean that the load is 10 amps per leg, or 10 amps total, therefore 5 per leg?

If you put a current meter one leg, it reads 10A; if you put it on the other leg, it also reads 10A. But that does NOT mean there is "20A" in the circuit. The current in the two wires is not additive. Current flows from one point to another through the CIRCUIT, and the circuit consists of those two wires.

It means 10 Amps in parallel.

That is both legs pull 10 Amps, but because they're in parallel they never exceed 10 Amps.  The meter would read both legs when measuring kW

Edit: I made a drawing to help visualize. (using 20A load instead of 10A)


How do I remove a brass pipe that has been jammed into a larger iron pipe? I was replacing the sink this afternoon when I noticed that the p-trap would not reach the drain pipe.  No biggie, right?  I'll just buy some extensions from the local big box and be on my way.

I attempt to take off the drain pipe so I can fit an extension on and what I can see appears to be someone who took a 1.25" pipe, shoved it into the 1.5" hole (with the threads "holding it in") and then tightening everything up.

Now, I'm trying to unscrew this mess (literally) and I can't get the pipe out of the 1.5" drain.  I'm wondering if I should try to heat up the system with an acetylene torch to try to make everything a bit more pliable or if I've got no other choice than to get a plumber to come and rerun the drain in the back of the wall.

The input of this community would be most appreciated.

Here are some photos:

I'd slip a cheater bar into the drain and see if you can pop it loose by turning it clockwise (so you don't unscrew the tail-piece).  If you can get it to turn without twisting it you should be able to get it to pull out. If you can't and it starts to twist the pipe without breaking it loose, cut it off with a hacksaw close to the tail-piece leaving enough of outside to grab with a pair of vise-grips.  Then take a hacksaw blade and carefully cut through the pipe from the inside.  You should then be able to use a vise-grip or pliers roll it in to a smaller diameter and pull out the last bit.

open the wall, remove the old pipes, install a thermostat.


How to get a new tumbler pattern to re-key existing locks? I suspect I don't know what terminology is correct which is why I can't find any information on this via google.
Say I have standard door locks (Schlage or Kwikset) that are fairly new and I have deadbolts and doorknobs that are all set to the same pattern (so one key will open two doors).
Now, say I need to get a new master key or key pattern or tumbler pattern or whatever it's called because my key was stolen or a copy was made and now I don't trust that my locks are secure.
My problem might be that I don't have another factory-cut master key (or pattern) that I can use to have the locks re-keyed to and to cut blank keys to.
How would I go about getting a new key that I could get the locks all re-keyed to? Do I have to buy a new lock-set to install or use to re-key the existing locks?
If anyone thinks they could improve the vocabulary in this post, that'd be awesome, because I don't know what words I'm looking for, even after looking through lockwiki.
Summary

The key I have is compromised
The locks I have, I'd like to keep
I don't have a new key to re-key the locks to

How do I get a new key that doesn't match any of the existing locks? And can I then re-key the locks to that key?

You can have a locksmith rekey the locks, or you could even do it yourself with a rekey kit. To do this the cylinder will be removed, and the pins within it either replaced with different ones, or in theory they could just be swapped around. After this, the old key will no longer open the lock. You will need a new key. This must either come as part of the rekey kit, or one could be cut based on the new pin arrangement in the cylinder.

Do it yourself rekey kits are available for some lock brands online.

Schlage has a rekeying manual online that you can read and decide if it is a task you want to tackle or to leave to a locksmith. I would expect a locksmith to do it fairly inexpensively if you're able to bring the lock sets into the shop.

Probably too late but you likely need something like this - set of 4 randomly cut keys.

https://www.e-musa.com/Sku/803674?cid=SHOP_MUSA_ALL_C&CATARGETID=120267650000051347&cadevice=c&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiLDMBRDFARIsACNmiX88XUSgm5zaU1eZqK6_fpZ0PYQM3rXFyv_TB4MOYzNRX5m8x-0lW80aAssBEALw_wcB


Would it be Code legal to have an all-240V house in the United States? My goal is to have a house where all loads are powered by 240V, that is fully livable in all the normal ways.  And this question concerns the hard, in-house, built-in wiring; we will armwave the availability of plug-in appliances.
Under NEC 2014/17, will it be possible to a) serve all built-in (ordinarily hardwired) loads with 240V supply?
I am willing to switch appliances (e.g. to all hard-wired lamps, and to all socketless, light emitting or discharge lights). There won't be a conventional forced-air furnace; it'll be mini-splits, baseboard emergency heat, and electricityless Empire heaters.
Let us presume I have either found US-legal 240V plug-in appliances, or decided to do without them.

Code calls out a number of 120V circuits and receptacles that specifically must exist: kitchen counter receps within 2' of any point on a countertop, wall outlets within 6' of any point along a wall, laundry room, bathroom, outdoor etc. I'm willing to physically install them as well and just leave them de-energized. With 240V circuits right next to them.  120/240V multi-wire branch circuits will not be used.

Such a fun question deserves an equally fun answer.
Sure you can!  And there's a neat trick that will help with all those troublesome NEC 2014/17 rules: simply make sure to build this house in a country where the NEC does not apply!
Most of the world uses 230V as their standard supply voltage, which is pretty close, but if that's not quite enough for you, there are 19 countries that use exactly 240V by default, and would make an ideal location to build a 240V-only house.

Brunei
Cook Islands
Cyprus
Falkland Islands
Fiji
Gibraltar
Isle of Man
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Libya
Nauru
Oman
Papua New Guinea
Qatar
St Lucia
Seychelles
Tonga
Uganda

(source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity_by_country)

Pointless exercise. The "armwave" of the existence of all possible loads being available in 240V is not insignificant. Most major appliances are already 240V, so you are only referring to things like lighting, small appliances, entertainment, personal items, PCs etc. Yes, you could buy them from overseas in 230V versions, but you would then have to change the plugs to match legal 240V plugs available here or buy adapters and why on earth would you want to go through that hassle? There is NO ADVANTAGE to using 240V for small loads.


How do you calculate the horizontal force created by a load hanging from hinges with a hinged bend (as in a hangar door)? I am trying to calculate the horizontal force created by a raised hangar door, but for the purpose of this question, we can consider the horizontal force of a 2x4 stud that is connected as shown in the illustration below.
The 2x4 is cut in half and connected with a hinge at the top and a hinge at the middle, and then is supported vertically with a cable (which in the door will pull the door up and down). Not pictured is a track which the 2x4 or door will be connected to that keeps the "bottom" of the door in alignment with the opening.
What I am trying to determine is the method to find the lateral force that is created, or in other words, how much force will the door put on the track when it is open?
I have intentionally not included weights or lengths or angles because I'm looking for a general solution.

Assume: The two halves of the door are of equal length and weight. (L and W)
Let Theta be the angle between vertical, and the upper portion, measured from the opening. Thus, when the door is closed, theta is 0, and when open all the way (impossible in real life) theta is 90
Constraint:  The door will form an isosceles triangle at all times when closing. (two equal length sides)
The X component of the length will be L sin( theta).
H will be 2L cos(Theta)
Let R be the reaction of interest.

Take the sum of the torques about P (hinge pin at top)  The forces P and T disappear as the moment arm is zero.
Sum Torque = 0 -> (L/2 sin(theta) * 2 W)(clockwise+) - R 2L cos(theta)(counterclockwise, -ve)
            = LW sin(theta) - 2RL cos(theta)
            = W sin(theta) - 2R cos(theta)
            2R cos(theta) = W sin(theta)
            R = W tan(theta)/2

Consider the results -  if the door is closed, theta is zero and tan(theta) is zero.
If the door is fully open, tan(90) -> infinity and the universe ends.
If the door is open 89 degrees, then the force at R is 57/2 W.
At 85 degrees, it's 11/2 W.
So you'll need to restrict the door opening with a stop in the track somewhere to keep things within reason.   The greatest forces will occur at the top of the track.

First, simplify the problem by assuming:

The door is at a 90° angle (perfectly horizontal). This creates the maximum load.
The center of mass is also 90° out from the top hinge (in reality it will be a little lower).
The center of mass is halfway between the two hinges. (1/4 the length of the fully extended door)

We know that torque = force * distance. We can use weight instead of force because the only force is gravity acting upon the mass--a.k.a. weight. Distance is the distance to the center of mass, which is half of the total distance. And torque in this situation manifests as a force pushing horizontally.
If you choose pounds (weight), feet (length), and foot-pounds (torque force) as your units, everything works out nicely.
So with that, we can find the answer easily with this:

horizontal torque = weight * distance

This gives us the horizontal torque, a.k.a. how much the wheel bearing pushes on the track.

At a length of 1 foot to the center of mass (i.e. a 4 foot tall door that folds up in half to become 2 foot long, putting the center of mass 1 foot out), the horizontal torque is equal to the weight of the door in pounds.
At a length of 2 feet, the horizontal torque is double the weight.
At 3 feet, it's triple the weight.
And so on.

I find this strategy very intuitive. I used this torque calculator.


Drilled through one of the biggest walls in my house and hit some sort of black plastic (likely PVC). Did I just drill through a water pipe? I was trying to secure some bookshelves to the wall, and after using a stud finder to confirm it was drywall (and not a stud), I drilled into the drywall. I met some resistance, so, like an idiot, I switched to a wood screw and just drilled into what was there. I removed the screw and noticed that some black plastic was stuck in the threads of the screw; meaning I had likely screwed into a pipe.

The spot I drilled through is right in the center of a very large wall, so I didn't think it would be likely that the builders would place a pipe there. However, the house is 2 stories and there is a bathroom above the wall I drilled through.

There's no water spilling out yet so perhaps it is a drainage pipe?

All that said, am I screwed? What should I do to confirm that I did or did not hit a pipe? What's the best way to go about fixing this?

You likely hit the DWV (drain waste vent) stack.  This is the drain plumbing for the bathroom and is commonly black ABS plastic.

This pipe is typically empty except when waste is moving though it.  Depending on the size of hole, you may find small water spots that gradually get larger or notice a sewer gas odor in that room or nearby rooms.

It is not too hard to apply a patch material to the puncture to fix, but you'd need to cut a good size hole in the drywall to access it.  The other option would be to enlarge the hole enough to get the tip of a caulking gun in to fill the hole and then patch the drywall.

If you can get your hands on some blueprints you see from there, also but this is not so accurate method you can try to figure it out where do pipes go by looking them in the basement, other floors, sewerage vertical pipes location etc.
Now when it comes to what you have drilled through there are several options. I don't think that it is water or sewerage pipe because if it would have been water you would find out really soon and sewerage is (most likely) too thick to go through drywall, although it is possible. I’m guessing that you will find that out according to smell or you can try to flush some water and look for leakage or listen for the water sound. There are few more options: maybe you have drilled hose for electrical wires (they can be black, and they are PVC) in this case it’s a good thing you didn't get shocked :) .Also one more possibility is that you have drilled through vapor barrier (again it is usually black and looks like PVC).Those are my ideas :)


AFCI breakers/protection and refrigerators - a bad idea? The 2014 NEC requires AFCI protection for refrigerators. I've read that one shouldn't use GFCI protection for a refrigerator, but I know that AFCI breakers do include ground-fault protection (at a 30mA threshold, as opposed the 6mA threshold for GFCI breakers or AFCI/GFCI dual breakers).

Are nuisance trips a problem when using an AFCI breaker on an individual branch circuit for a refrigerator?

And if so, I'd be curious - are the nuisance trips typically due to false-positive ground faults (difference between line and neutral current - as a GFCI breaker would detect), or false-positive arc faults (series arcing or line-to-neutral arcing)? I believe most of the AFCI circuit breakers on the market will distinguish between those two, in order to help diagnose the wiring problem.

Some good info about GFCI and refrigerators here: Why is GFCI tripping on refrigerator circuit?

The question presumes something I do not believe.

I don't believe all AFCIs also do GFCI at 30ma level.

This answer here is a very well-informed and interesting exposition on how many AFCIs were given a "weak" GFCI function to detect arc faults to ground.  But this was less than ideal - not least it requires you make a whole line of 2-pole AFCIs; in most of those applications, handle-tying two 1-pole AFCI would suffice if the AFCI didn't need to do that GFCI-ish thing.

This lesser protection was typically 30ma.   Remember, 30ma protection is inadequate for kitchens, garages, basements or anywhere else NEC requires GFCIs.

Some people believe AFCIs are required everywhere GFCIs are not.  The NEC does not say that.  If your local inspector says so, you need to have the discussion with them.  You can fight city hall, but it's cheaper to just replace that problematic fridge.

Refrigerators are not the use-case for AFCI or GFCI

GFCI is to protect people from shocks, typically from lightly insulated plastic gadgets getting broken or wet, or the user having contact with an energized part of a 2-prong tool.  This is absolutely irrelevant to an immovable box with a steel chassis, all the 120VAC gear inaccessible at the bottom rear, and a fully plastic inner lining.  It would be nigh impossible for a consumer to contact anything 120V if they were trying.

AFCI is to prevent fires from wiring faults either in house wiring or in plastic, flammable devices.  Being entirely contained inside an all-steel box, it's nigh impossible for a wiring fault inside the fridge to start a fire without also pulling enough current to trip the breaker.  Yes, the cord, receptacle or in-wall wiring could have a problem; but consider the same logic that is applied to the NEMA 10 receptacle: this is fixed equipment with a typically inaccessible receptacle, which is rarely unplugged or moved.

Sometimes, a ground fault trip is a ground fault

I do see a lot of forum posts like

  My old fridge never tripped the GFCI before.  Now suddenly it's tripping the GFCI a lot.  Why do fridges need GFCI protection anyway? Can I remove the GFCI protection?"

Sometimes, a GFCI trip is exactly what it says on the tin --  "working as intended" genuine trip caused by faulty machinery.  Often cleared by a good cleaning, but sometimes, you just need a new fridge.  Insulation failure is one way machines fail.

Building and electrical codes are developed by a group of individuals who sit around a table and push their ideas based mostly on the needs of developers and the material suppliers. These individuals are not always the brightest crayons in the box and go along with the flow. Codes often change based on economic needs and vary from state to state and country to country. Use common sense.


Does this flange seem like it needs replacing? We just purchased a house that's about 30 years old. On the first floor a water mark developed on the ceiling, so I've been debugging the upstairs plumbing. My kids' bathroom toilet had some moisture around the base, but I have a seven year old son with imperfect aim so it's hard to know where the source is.

I took up the toilet intending to replace the wax seal. I was hoping the flange would be either obviously ok or obviously in need of replacement; instead I can't tell. As you can see from the picture, a blue coating is clearly chipped and deteriorating. But that doesn't seem crucial to me, and the part under has no visible signs of deterioration.

Am I ok not replacing the flange?

EDIT: I should also say that the bolt on the side where the blue is most deteriorated wiggles quite a bit. Is that a sign that the flange is cracked?

It's impossible to answer a question like this, even if the plumber is right there. Water can seep through very tiny cracks so there is no way to know without doing very expensive tests, tests that would be more expensive than just replacing the item.

Usually a plumber will just replace something if there is any question whatsoever.


Is it stupid to replace redwood siding with Hardi board or LP SmartSide? Our house was built in 1922, and due to some ongoing exterior water damage due (I think) to poor gutters and some ice dam damage after this past horrible Minnesota winter, we have been getting some estimates for various repairs.

Our plan at first was to get new gutters installed and have the fascia boards replaced if necessary. Things escalated quickly to getting the attic properly vented and better insulated to resolve the ice dam issue. Then, exterior wall insulation along with the necessary repair work for the siding where holes would be needed to blow in the insulation. Then, it was mentioned that with the condition of some of our siding that we may want to consider new siding all together (Hardi board or LP Smartside).

When we first bought the house about 7 years ago we had it painted, and I remember the painter saying "never replace this siding, it's redwood and people will try to talk you into replacing it - don't listen to them". Admittedly, some of the siding is in pretty rough shape with some splits in places, uneven spots from over-eager sanding, and so many layers of old cracking paint that the idea of replacing it with an easier to maintain option appeals to me. However, what that painter said to me is stuck in my mind, so I thought I would come here to ask what people think.

So, was that painter just trying to secure future work from me by telling me to keep that redwood no matter what, or is there something more to his words?

I'm with your painter. It's like throwing out a pair of Allen Edmunds because there's a hole in the sole and replacing them with a pair of Timberlands.

Find out what it would cost to repair/replace the split boards. It'll probably be cheaper than redoing all the siding in a new/cheaper material. In addition you might lose some value in your home by removing the redwood siding.

Have the insulation contractors blow the insullation from the inside. Much easier to repair drywall and you don't have to worry about poor repairs causing water infiltration.

Maybe find a better contractor all together. Some people just do what they know and they may not be familiar with other materials and methods and they wind up talking you into paying more in time and meterials to do things their way.

I was just talking to someone the other day about their garage door. They used to have a very nice wooden garage door but when they got an automatic garage door opener installed they were talked into replacing the door with a poorly insulated metal one. Something about the opener not being able to handle the weight of the door. This was for a single car garage so that shouldn't have been the case. Anyway point is... This was many years ago and they still regret the decision.

Get rid of the existing siding which is clearly at end of life. Blow in your insulation while it's off then replace with Hardiboard which is a great product and looks like wood (make sure you paint it). It will last a lot longer than than redwood.


Why do I have voltage on a plumbing ground strap, and is it dangerous? We have been having problems with the lights in our basement for awhile now (few weeks), sometimes they will work, other times they just won't turn on.

Today I noticed a thin metal piece in the basement closet and I accidentally broke it off. I am pretty sure it was already breaking/loose because it snapped very easily. It was leading to the water pipe (where the main shutoff is) and just ends there with a metal loop and screw holding it in place. Or at least it was.

Immediately after it started to spark, because it swung and made contact with the piece it broke off of. The lights also started flickering. I managed to get it to stop sparking. But when I went upstairs to get a flashlight, the lights upstairs started flickering and the heat/ac unit had no power. Few mins later the bulbs started going out. I use fluorescents.

I'm freaking out a little bit now, turned off the power to the whole house. I originally was going to try to re-secure the metal tube but its not seeming like that will be enough. I'm hoping to call an electrician in the morning, how dangerous is this problem? Can I try to switch on just the heat and fridge? Plus who knows if I can get someone here tomorrow...

The house is about 30yrs old, with both copper and aluminum wiring.

Update:
thanks for all the answers, thankfully was able to get electrician here the next morning, my fiance was mad that there was stuff in that closet. Neither one of us knew that wire was for electricity. He fixed it, it was a grounding wire, apparently also there was corrosion on the outside of the house next to the meter.

So not safe to put anything near the grounding wire now that it's fixed? I wasn't home to ask the electrical myself. If not, I'm surprised there are shelves in the closet..?? It's about 4x2 feet, small shelves about 1x2 on each side, with the pipe and grounding wire in the middle. Alive and well, no fires phew. Furnace transponder blew though, which supposedly will be expensive to fix, circuit didn't blow :(

You're lucky you haven't been hurt!

It sounds from your description like the ground wire came off the pipe clamp

If I was you I would definitely not touch that again.  Under normal circumstances that wire should not carry any current.  If you are seeing sparks, the ground wire is energized and carrying current.

If it does, it may indicate an extremely dangerous condition.  It can shock you (possibly seriously injuring or killing you), start a fire, and damage electrical devices in the house.  The shock hazard isn't just with the loose wire, it may be there with incidental contact with the pipes, sinks, etc. in the house.  It's not really safe to be in the house.

If it is what it sounds like to me, you pulled the ground wire loose from its lug on the ground clamp - it shouldn't come loose easily, so maybe the wire was damaged, or the screw was not tight.  In any case you didn't cause this problem by pulling that wire loose;  disconnecting that wire revealed the problem.

If you have problems on multiple circuits in your house, it's especially concerning, you may have a problem with your electrical service (lost neutral or other problem).  The problem may also involve your neighbors.

It's good that the main power is off, but that doesn't necessarily make everything safe in the house.  I'd call the electric company immediately and consider it an emergency.  Call an electrician too, as soon as possible.

edit:  The original poster followed up that an electrician came and fixed the issue.  With that resolved, incidental contact with the ground wire where it's exposed in the closet isn't dangerous.  Disconnecting the ground wire from the pipe shouldn't be dangerous, but it can't be assumed to be safe, because there may be an undiscovered issue waiting to bite you.

Update: most comments here seem to come from people that have never seen an old meter. This does not change the factual correctness of the answer.

To make it clear, if you try the below, you could die. You are also committing a crime

Just adding to the existing answers: replacing the neutral with the ground is a common (albeit possibly fatal) way to steal electricity. Old electricity meters are designed as a motor which slowly turns as current goes through. When neutral goes straight to ground instead of back to the grid, the motor does not turn.

However, most modern (and even not so modern now) meters have automatic protections which disconnect electricity if this happens. This is to prevent both electricity stealing but also the very dangerous accidental coupling of neutral to ground.

If there is no obvious fault that caused this, it might be that previous occupants had some original ideas on how to minimize bills. And you might have to pay for it, should your electricity company blame you for it.

Update: as requested, added a reference. The page does not make it clear that you might need a separate grounding wire that does not go through the meter.    http://www.uniquestuff.net/reduce-electricity-bill-with-earth-grounding.html


Will my wooden bridge withstand the weight of my small truck? I am building a bridge across a small stream. I have 3 hemlock planks that are 24 feet long, and are 6 inches by 4 inches in dimension. The hemlock planks are positioned so that the 6 inch sides are vertical, and the 4 inch sides are horizontal.
The 3 hemlock beams are resting on the sides of the river bank. There are no supports in the middle for the planks. The beams overlap the banks of the stream by about 4 feet on either side, so there is 16 feet of unsupported beam crossing the stream.
I am putting 2x6 planking on top of the hemlock beams to complete the top-side of the bridge.
I want to calculate if I can drive my 1.5 ton ATV across the bridge. Will the hemlock beams support its weight, or will they crack when my ATV gets into the middle of the bridge?

From conventional Hemlock Span tables it seems your 4x6s are only good for about 10' span at 40LBS live load.  Your load is much higher when the trucks out in the middle of the bridge.

I think this is what you've got:

Can you get 2x12s? or better, get an engineer to run the numbers.  You will need to calculate the actual load and deflection and not just rely on flooring span tables since your load is very specific and not distributed over the entire span.

This simple trick greatly increases strength your construction can take: Put smaller planks on top such that they rest close to edges. Longer you have second set - better.


What's the best way to adjust a leaning gate post? I recently built a large double wood gate using 6x6x8 posts.  Each post was set with concrete in a 26" hole.   After some settling, one of the posts is now leaning about 1/4 inch toward the middle.  This is causing the gate to not open/close easily.  What is the best way to adjust the leaning post?  Or do I need to redo the post setting entirely?

My first thought is a guy wire from the top corner of the post, with a turnbuckle in the middle to tension it up and pull out that lean in the post. It seems that if you don't do something like this, the only alternative IS to reset the posts, which is a lot of work.
Hope this helps.

This is what a turnbuckle looks like:

I happen to have the same problem.  Used turnbuckle and cable.  Actually anchored it to the base of some large arbor vitae adjacent to the 90 degree fence/gate.  Works so far turn buckle adjusts making it.plumb. used spacer as not to kill the arbor vitae .  My only other solution was to drive a metal post deep into the soil just adjacent and attach cable to it.  Couldn't  cement the it because property on other side was not mine and deep cocert already poured prevented it.  Used 1/2 cement anchors with metal  post base.  All in all not a fun project but enjoyed the challenge.  Adjust a gates made preventing sag nice.


How to best reconfigure this plumbing for cabinet replacement My wife and I are fixing up our current house so we can put it on the market.  We are replacing all the kitchen cabinets and the plumbing under the sink is right out of a Dr. Seuss book:

So, there are two 1/2 supply lines coming out of the floor.  The first tees go back in to the floor to supply a wet bar in the adjacent room.  I believe that the drain lines both take a left turn inside the wall and tie in with a larger pipe that goes through the slab and under the house.  The upper drain was for the dishwasher, the lower for a double sink with garbage disposal.

What is the most efficient plan that will undo this mess and allow easy installation of the new cabinet.  One thought I had was to simply cut the 1/2" and 3/8" lines as high above the slab as possible and then install shutoffs on the 1/2" lines. Or would it be better to simply cap them, install the cabinet and then do all the supply plumbing after?

For the drains, would it be best to abandon the separate dishwasher drain and just run it into the garbage disposal?  If we go with a single basin sink, and  the wye is practically inside the wall would it be better to cut it off add a straight coupling and a straight stub piece?  I will most likely need to remove/replace the drywall around the drains so I will have access to the drain piping in the wall.

If that was my house, I would end up jackhammering up all of the copper supply lines coming out of the slab, or capping them off and abandoning them. Copper supply lines can develop pinholes over time if directly exposed to concrete and create a leak inside of the slab. Leaks like this are not always discovered quickly, and the repairs can be costly. There could actually be a leak now without even knowing about it. Sometimes the only way to tell is that the water bill suddenly becomes much higher than usual. Depending on your locale, direct bury of copper supply lines is also against code.

It appears that all of this work was not originally done by a licensed plumber. A licensed plumber would not have split off the supply from the main sink for the bar sink. They also would not be allowed to install saddle valves. There appears to be 4 in total. I am not sure what they are going to. I am guessing one is for the refrigerator, or a reverse osmosis system, but I am not sure. The drain is also running uphill which would cause the sink to become clogged on a regular basis. There is evidence of a leak there because the wall is stained and has mold on it.

The first thing to do is to shut the water off to that entire area. Find where the supply originally goes into the slab, and then shut the water off there. If no shutoff exists, then you will need to install one. Cut the pipe off and either cap it, or break open the slab where the pipe is and remove it.

Since you have a slab, I would recommend running the new supply lines above the ceiling and down the wall. Since the supply is going to be on an outside wall, I recommend using PEX instead of copper due to the freeze risk. Instead of branching off of those supplies, I recommend running separate supplies for the bar sink, fridge, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc.

The next step would be to address the drain. Remove the drywall immediately surrounding the drain. You want to expose the stack in the wall and make sure that it is vented. The drain for the dishwasher is not in line with the sink drain, so I am not sure what is going on inside of the wall. Assuming that it is all one drain, cut the stack right above the bottom wye, and above the upper wye and remove the piece. Install a new wye and use a piece of pipe and a coupler to reconnect the vent to the stack. When doing this, you want to check the height of the inlet to make sure that it is in the correct position for the rest of the plumbing. You don't want it so high that there will be water in the bottom of your sink, and you wouldn't want it so low that you could not install the trap without it hitting the bottom of the cabinet. Once that is in place, then you can install the trap adapter to the wye. The adapter has a compression fitting and allows you to completely unhook the trap for cleaning. You would not want to glue it in like it is now.

You can run the drain directly into the garbage disposal. In order to prevent the sink from backing up into the dishwasher, you can attach the middle of the line directly under your countertop. This is often called a high loop. The water from the sink will partially go down the line, but stop before it siphons into the dishwasher.

The rest of the plumbing would be done after the cabinets and sink has been installed. Before the rest of the plumbing is installed, you will want to block off the drain with a test plug, or a rag. If you use a rag, be careful to not allow it to fall down the drain. It would be nearly impossible to retrieve it.

It looks like the "wet bar" was an add-on and the plumber just did whatever hack thing was most convenient for him at the time.

In all probability you might want to just leave it, because doing it right will be expensive.

If you want to make everything good and correct, you should add a drain for the dishwasher and connect the "wet bar" to the water lines in the proper way (from lines coming from the basement, or where the water source is), not from the kitchen. Then remove the branch lines here and just have a single hot and cold line to the kitchen sink and dishwasher as normal.


What's the reason to sand after priming? I'm painting my kitchen after some hired help put up drywall and skim coated. They sanded the wall, I cleaned up and wiped the walls clean of dust.

My contractor said that I should prime, sand with 100 grit before I paint.

What is the reason and benefit of sanding after priming?

My father-in-law does cabinetry and explained it to me like this:

When you paint, the paint has to have something to hold on to. So, for instance, if you just slapped latex paint over old lacquer, it likely wouldn't hold very well, if at all. Primer helps by bonding to the old surface and being bondable to the paint.

Sanding cuts holes into the surface. It increases the primed area for the paint to hold on to and improves the bonding. I can speak from experience when I say it really does help.

100 grit is a bit much tho. I would suggest something more like 220 (most sanding blocks come around this grit). 100 would be if I were priming something else. For instance, I had an old bed frame that was just stained and lacquered. I sanded it with 150, primed, sanded 220 and then painted a final coat. It was very nice after I finished.

Primer raises burnt paper from sanding the drywall.  This burnt paper is not detectable to the eye prior to priming, and cannot be removed until after it is primed.  It will feel like there is sand on the wall over and under the seams and next to the butt joints.  Simply "brush" over it lightly with 120 or 150 and it falls off.


Ventless vs nonventless We are remodeling a bathroom. Currently it has an exhaust fan vented through the attic.
We purchased a Broan roomside series surface shield. (No attic access required with ezduct connector, no attic access needed).
Is this as efficient as what we already have?
Should we take this purchase back and stick with an attic vented exhaust?

The Code requires all bathrooms with bathing facilities to provide mechanical ventilation and it shall exhaust directly to the exterior. (See ICC M1506.4)
The capacity shall be 50 cfm intermittently and 20 cfm continuously. (See a ICC Table M1506.3)
Note: I remember the old code allowed an operable window in lieu of a mechanical vent.

As far as I can tell from the instructions I found (HomeDepot), this van still vents to the outside. It seems that what they mean by "No attic access required with ezduct connector" is that when retrofitting/replacing another vent fan, you can connect up the existing ducting without accessing attic. If you were doing a new install, you'd still need to go into the attic to install the duct work.
This is an through-attic-vented fan.


How should I clean under the narrow toilet rim to restore full flush power? I have just moved into a new apartment and I found the toilet does not have a very powerful flush. After thoroughly cleaning the entire toilet – inside and out –, checking the water valve is fully open, and tank water level is correct, I still found the toilet to not flush properly.

I believe I have traced the issue to grime and dirt under the toilet rim that must be clogging the rim jets. I tried a few different household cleaners with a toilet brush as well as pouring vinegar through the overflow tube. I have removed quite a bit of the dirt; however, about 35% of the toilet rim still does not provide water when the toilet is flushed.

As many online guides suggest, I tried to use a mirror to look under the rim of the toilet and a wire to clean out the jet holes. However, the space between the bowl and the rim is quite narrow and I am unable to see any jet holes under the rim even when using a good mirror and flashlight. I do see a lot of dirt however and I cannot seem to get rid of it.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to restore full flushing to the toilet despite the hard to reach area under the rim? Is it possible that this toilet does not have any flush jets?

Someone told me to drain the tank. Then put duck tape over the holes under the rim. Add your cleaner of choice to the tank, (I poured directly into the bowl filler part as I was "flushing"). I used CLR. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Opened up the holes pretty well. Did it again. Flushes like new. I have HORRIBLE water, rust, iron ect. Give it a try. This is not spam, nor do I want to spent hundreds to replace it.

Please follow safety rules: wear full protecive eyeware & long gloves and a source of washing area should you need to dilute your cleaning agent. (It does not cost much & you cannot get a second pair of eyes.)

For this job make sure you can do without using the toilet flushing system for several hours to allow CLR to work well. Make sure the toilet rim jets are well dry before you start to use the gaffa tape. You can still use the toilet by flushing with a bucket of water.

The best way to get CLR liquid into the toilet rim jet area is to block all holes with gaffa tape but leave one large hole vacant. You will need that hole to use it as a filling hole. I rigged up a 2L hydration bladder bag which comes with A tube with a rubber or silicon gromet with a hole slightly smaller than the tube. Fit the tube into the gromet and have it protrude a couple of inches. Insert tube and gromit up into the vacant hole to seal. Now fill the 2L hydration bladder bag with CLR and allow the liquid to flow along the tube filling the toilet jet cavity (you my have to refill the 2L hydration bladder bag again several times hoping to get that cavity fairly full). Leave that fluid in the cavity for several hours. Support the 2L hydration bladder bag to keep the CLR in the toilet rim jets.

After time has elapsed you can get rid of the water drainage in the toilet then remove all tape from the rim jet holes including the gromet with tube allowing the CLR and other debrie to fill the drain hole. Leave if you wish which will also clean the Drain. If the drain is clean then flush the toilet and watch the flushing action which should be good.

The way I have explained is that it will also get rid of black mold in and around the toilet rim jets. CLR is a calcium, lime, and rust cleaner which cleans various items. But still read the instructions for use. CLR or other makes can be purchased in the UK or USA.


What translucent material can I use to cover the bulbs at the top of a medicine cabinet? I am restoring a medicine cabinet that has light bulbs on the top but no covering.  Should I try to cover that area with glass (I'd like something frosted or opaque) or is there some type of plastic or other material that can be used?

You could certainly use frosted glass, though acrylic is easier to work with and lighter weight. You can cut it with a saw, it's effectively "shatterproof," and the edges aren't sharp like glass.

Frosted acrylic sheets are available at many DIY "big box" stores, and online. You may know this acrylic material by the brand name Plexiglas.

Acrylic sheet is also available in a variety of patterns and textures, as shown on one manufacturer's website.

One easy way to go might be to find a replacement diffuser panel for an overhead fluorescent light fixture. and cut it to fit your application.


Bathtub Drain Leak near Concrete After recently moving into a home (built in the mid 90's and apparently went through a remodel at some point), the guest bathroom tub started leaking. I noticed the leak in the room on the opposite side of the wall of the bathtub drain. I cut away the drywall to figure out where the leak was coming from and determined it is coming from two places. Where the drain meets the gasket due to an incorrect / not aligned drain line with the bottom of the tub, but the main leak which is causing slight flooding is from where the T meets the concrete. The water is coming from the bottom of the T, and because it is right up against the concrete I really don't have any pipe to cut away and replace. I'm thinking I need to remove bathtub, break away some concrete, and complete redo the plumbing. Any advice? Picture is attached.

Unfortunately I must agree that the entire assembly should be replaced. You will need a completely new "waste and overflow kit". I have encountered similar situations and was able to repair it without removing the tub. It won't be easy, but if you enlarge the hole in the drywall enough to give you more room, you can probably fix it without removing the tub or additional concrete.

Both leaking areas will cause significant problems if not repaired correctly, and I have to say I have never seen a tub shoe that was sliced and offset in that manner. Good luck.

It may seem unconventional, but given that it looks like it is leaking at the pipe joint down below the top of the concrete, my first suggestion would be to clean everything up and use several packages of JB Weld putty all around the leaking joint.  I personally would then fill the hole in with grout, but that would only be after verifying the leak was stopped and that I had assured myself the repaired joint was built up sufficiently to last in the long term.


Dealing with an outdoor grill with a bad gas line I had my backyard done about 6 years ago. I put in lawn and a large patio of pavers. I also had an island built that has a built-in grill and sink, and storage underneath. The island was built of cinder block, finished with a stone veneer, with a tile counter top. There is a natural gas line and electric power. Concrete was poured into the bottom of the island to make a "floor."

The guys who did this didn't use the correct pipe for the gas line, so it began to leak. I'm lucky I caught before it became a catastrophic event, and needless to say, I shut off the gas and the whole thing has sat unused for a couple of years.

The guy who did the work is long gone, so there is no remedy there. But now I'm thinking about selling the house. I'd rather deal with this in some way than leave it for the next owner, because it's a safety issue and a red flag for potential buyers. Plus, it's not even useful anymore.

I'm curious as to how you would handle this. I've come up with a few options:

Run a new gas line. This seems like the most logical choice, except that the gas line would have to run under much of the patio, which is pavers on top of a base of mortar. But the biggest obstacle is the concrete "floor" in the base of the island. I don't know how I would get through that. A small child could get inside the island, but that's about it.
Knock it down. Pull out the grill and sink. Demo the island and the concrete floor. Cap the electrical line. Fill in the hole with pavers to make it look like it was never there. This would be a lot of work doing the demo and hauling it away, then finding replacement pavers, which might only be available by the pallet.
Convert the grill from natural gas to propane. That would make it fully functional again with a refillable propane tank. This is theoretically possible, because the grill manufacturer makes the same model in natural gas and propane variants. I have a parts list for the model, so I know what parts I need, but I can't seem to figure out where to order the parts or what they cost. It's a Turbo Elite grill which is sold only by Barbeques Galore. I went back to the store and asked about doing a conversion and was told that is a subject they cannot discuss for some reason. Then they did a kind of wink, wink, nudge, nudge thing and slipped me the card of a plumber who could supposedly do the conversion. I actually lost the card, so I never talked to the plumber.

I'm curious if anyone has any other advice, suggestions or comments.

Converting to propane is probably the only viable option. I don't know what the code is in your area but the gas line being in contact with the concrete suggests that it's not to code. Gas lines underground should be in a chase and buried to a set depth. It should never touch the concrete. My code states a minimum of 18" depth, it can't exit the building underground through the foundation and it must be flexible. Plastic gas line is approved for direct burial but uses pre sleeved risers to penetrate the ground. Your gas line is leaking so it should be rendered inoperable by disconnecting it at the valve and capping it. A propane conversion is relatively easy to do. If you can't find the appropriate kit, universal burner kits are available.

I'm not sure if this applies to you. It's aTurbo conversion PDF. If you reference the model number it would be helpful. It's on there somewhere. Sometimes the built in barbecues have information on a tag attached by the regulator.

Another potential option is to repair the pipe. Assuming that the line is "to code" up to the break, the line could be repaired by breaking the concrete around it and continuing the chase higher after a joint in the pipe is made. This would only apply if the "floor" was poured above the original "to code" gas line install and caused the damage.

What would i do?I think converting is easier, lees mess and a lot of savings instead of tearing things apart.
You can get all the parts at Home Depot or Ace.

Look my friend go to you tube and type how to convert and you will see.
All you need to do is cut the pipe underneath attach the new hose with the end that goes into the tank , always use teflon tape when treading the pipe, there are some new connectors that work with pressure look for those too if you like.
You don't need to change anything else, remember this ok.
If someone is doing it so you don't get overcharge.


Which outlet box should I use for an unfinished basement? I want to install a 15-amp AC receptacle in my basement between the ceiling joists.  The basement's not finished so there's plenty of room to play around.  Should I be installing a "new work" new plastic outlet box or a steel one?

Unless you're using armored (BX, or metal-sheathed) wire, you can use either type box, your preference really. If you use BX, you need to use a metal junction box.

There's a couple different types of boxes. The plastic ones with nails on them, and the metal ones with clips are designed to mount with their face 1/2" farther out than the front, which facilitates having them flush with 1/2" drywall when you finish it.

There's also a type of metal box that's more rounded, with several knock-outs in it (and many types of equivalent plastic boxes) which are not designed for going behind drywall, and look a bit better when you actually do see them (if you care).

Even if it's unfinished, you still need to put a cover plate on. The metal cover plates fit nicely over the rounded metal junction boxes, which makes them much less likely to crack if you hit them accidentally. Regular plastic covers can crack easily because they extend a far ways beyond the edge of the box.

It really comes down to personal preference on metal vs plastic, and then a question of if you will be drywalling, and intend this outlet to be available through the drywall. Also note, it's illegal to cover a junction with drywall: all boxes must be accessible. If you do put drywall up, you either have to remove this box, or have an outlet or blank faceplate on your ceiling.

the best way to do any electrical project in your house safely and efficiently is to hire a licensed professional. if you are uncertain on how to do electrical work, no offense you should not do it. the national electrical code is extremely strict and local inspectors are cracking down on do-it yourselfers. please as a licensed electrician do not attempt if you have not the proper training,
thank you


Is it crazy to put a hole on a fridge? I want to buy a mini fridge, not for food storage, but for storing stuff I don't want to evaporate (gets hot in my room during summers) or preserve.

I'm thinking maybe once in a while I want to make it extensible by putting a hole through it and then attach an insulated PVC pipe going to a cooler in the end.

I'm also playing around with the idea of being able to attach my PC water cooling system to the end of the pipe (though I haven't even set up my PC cooling system). As in the summer, my room gets almost as hot as the inside of my PC. Though I don't know if the fridge can handle that much heat being fed into it.

The fridge will add more heat to your room.

You're much better off getting an air-conditioner, and keeping the fridge outside of the room.

Not as crazy as putting your fridge in a hole. Sounds good to me, I don't see why it wouldn't be worth a shot. Well, except you "might" void the warranty. Don't forget an insulated cap for the pipe.

The PC cooling should work too, but I'd run that on the freezer tray as the fridge part my be struggling a bit to keep the bottom any cooler than the caddy cooler.

I'm kind of thinking if the caddy cooler's wider & can be a stable base while flipped on its side so the lid opens "like" the fridge that you might do better vertically since cold air drops & it would take up less real estate. Hole & pipe in the bottom of the fridge, but the cooler stability or a short table would be key...if you get drunk a lot & have a tendency to bump stuff then it may be a bad thought.


How can I install a steel sink if the mounting rails don't fit through the cutout? I need a stainless steel double bowl kitchen sink (33 × 22, standard size). All the ones I see have these rails under the edge. This is to clamp the sink to the counter.

The hole I have cut is a bit too small so the sinks with rails won't drop in as the rails prevent that. Is there a stainless steel sink that doesn't have the rails underneath but some other way to clamp?

I really can't modify the hole for this project. Am I stuck with acrylic?

I got a Dremel with a cutting wheel and cut one rail off. As I was finishing that one off I discovered I could peel what was left off with a pair of needlenosed plyers. Think opening a can of spam. On the next rail I used the needlenose to pry the rail open and give the Dremel more room to work. I heard a couple of the spot wields pop. Wiggled the rail back and forth somemore and... presto. It popped right off. Time to remove the first rail - 1 hour (had to keep letting the Dremel cool down). Time to remove the next three rails - five minutes. Be sure the sink edge is well supported so you don't bend it if you try this.

I have worked for many years in kitchen counters and sinks. We sometimes came across this problem when customers wanted a new sink but cutting the granite opening larger was impractical or too costly. The rail you talk about, as you say holds the sink clips and were often not even used on granite (especially in the early days when the clips were useless on a hard surface) The easiest way we found around this was to simply cut them off and bond in the sink with silicone. Bonding in this way is still very common. We used to use a 4 1/2" grinder. The metal will "blue" as you cut and you don't want it showing on the surface so use an ultra thin blade and only cut off what you need and don't cut it off tight to the drainer. You can bond the sink in using a bead of silicone around the sink and the imaginative use of clamps, or easier still, weigh it down overnight with some building blocks. Use some paper or cloth under the blocks to stop the sink getting marked. If your sink has a rubber sealing strip stuck to it, cut this off first for a snug fit.


Can you run a junction inside an outlet or recessed light I have been working on finishing my basement and am starting my rough in electrical. I am learning as I go and have gotten most of the basics down.. calc load, box size, stapling, supports etc.

One thing I cant figure out is if you can have a junction within a live outlet or recessed light. Ideally I would like to run a Y from my last recessed light can with one line going right, to a receptecle and one going left, to the end switch. I am guessing this is against NEC code but have been unable to find out for sure, partly because I am unsure of the correct terminology for it.

Can someone point me in the right direction? Is this even called a junction? or is it called something else like a branch?

I am getting a pro to do some of the finish connections but I am doing all of the rough in.

According to the National Electrical Code (NEC), there are only two factors that limit you.
Conductor box fill
If you're working with standard sized boxes, you can use Table 314.16(A) to determine the number of conductors allowed in a box.

If you're using non-standard boxes, you'll have to make the calculations yourself. Basically, it works like this.
Conductor Fill

For each current carrying conductor (ungrounded (hot), or grounded (neutral)) that terminates or is spliced within the box, add 1.
For each conductor that passes through the box without splice or termination, add 1.

Clamp Fill

If there are any internal cable clamps, add 1 (not 1 per, just 1).

Support Fittings Fill

If there are any luminaire studs or hickeys, add 1 (not 1 per, just 1).

Device or Equipment Fill

For each yoke or strap containing one or more devices, add 2.

Equipment Grounding Conductor Fill

If equipment grounding conductors enter the box, add 1 (not 1 per, just 1).

Volume Allowance Calculation
Use this Table 314.16(B) to calculate the total box fill.

Sum up the count from the Conductor Fill section, and multiply by the value from the table.  For example:  If you had 4, 14 AWG conductors, you'd multiply 4 by 2.00.
Sum up the counts from the Clamp Fill, Support Fittings Fill, Device or Equipment Fill, and Equipment Grounding Conductor Fill sections, and multiply by the value from the table of the largest conductor in the box. For example:  If this value was 4, and the largest conductor in the box was 12 AWG. You'd multiply 4 by 2.25.
Add the 2 totals together. For example: Using our values above (4 x 2.00 + 4 x 2.25 = 17), you'd need a box with a volume of 17 in. cubed.

Wire Connector Capacity
If you're using twist-on wire connectors, each connector can connect a specific number and size of conductors (Check manufacture documentation).  This will limit the number of wires connected together.  If you're using push-in wire connectors or terminal blocks, you'll be limited by the number of terminals.

tl;dr
If you want to supply multiple devices downstream; but the devices are in opposite directions, there should be no problem splicing multiple cables together to feed the devices.

Your question is not clear at all.
Yes you can "split" inside a junction box, as long as you keep the connections within the limit allowed by the NEC per box volume.  -Running a "y"- is not a term used by electricians,
but by plumbers. Yes you can "run a Y" in a J box if I know what you may mean


Is it safe to add shelving to truss members in my attic? I have a (I believe it's called) "W" frame loft:

(sorry about the quality of the pictures - maybe I should ask in the photography Stack Exchange how to take such pictures)

There are no floorboards, just ceiling joists, but I had an idea that I could create some additional storage by lashing some lengths of chipboard between the frames (making an upside-down A on the two arms of the W).

My question is: could this affect either the structural integrity or the airflow in the loft; or, generally, are there any reasons this should not be done?  Further, if there are no reasons to not do it, then are there any considerations to bear in mind (for example, it occurred to me that I shouldn't screw anything in place to allow the beams to expand and contract).

EDIT:

Following a request in the comments for more detail, I have (badly) sketched what I'm trying to achieve.  This illustrates the loft / attic space currently:

And this illustrates what I'm contemplating doing:

Trusses are engineered to support loads that are applied in certain ways.  It would often not be practical to make a truss support all of its required loads without it also being able to support some additional load applied in other places, but it's generally unwise to expect trusses to support much additional loading beyond their own weight.  For example, a truss which intended only to hold up a roof above it (and not a ceiling below) might well use a thinner bottom board than would be required to support a ceiling, and one which is intended only to support a ceiling might use a thinner board than one which is designed to support both a ceiling and a storage area.

Adding loads to a truss which are small relative to the weight of the truss itself (e.g. an attic light fixture) should be safe, but adding loads beyond that could be dangerous.  Note that applying a load in the middle of a truss member will create stress on that member proportional to the ratio of its length to its thickness.  If a truss has an 8' long 2x4 board with nothing attached to the middle of it, each pound of loading to the middle may increase the stress on some parts of the board by more than twenty pounds.  It's not hard to design trusses to withstand interior loading, but such trusses would cost more than those that aren't designed for such use.

It should not be a problem to add some floor board.  It can be secured if you like. Just don't cut any of the existing support members.