Installing a light designed to be hard wired as a corded light- what happens to the ground? I have a pendant light (single bulb) that used to be hard-wired in my previous house. I would like to install it in a closet as a plug in light (with an in-line switch). The fixture has a ground wire running up the chain and the plug wire has only the two wires. What do I do with the ground wire from the light? Can I just remove it and attach the cord?

The best solution is to use a plug and cord with ground and only plug it into a grounded socket.

Or you can use a GFCI protected plug, that will disconnect the power if a ground fault is detected.

Failing to do either of them is dangerous.

Yes, you can remove it and do without. However, I wouldn't completely cut off the ground so that you could still use it in the future if ever able.

Also, do know that you are bypassing the safety on this light. If a wire ever shorts out onto the light and someone touches it, they will get a zap.

Just remove it, you'll be fine.


How should I wire for two side-by-side refrigerators? I’m installing a stand up fridge and stand up freezer, side by side (ie, there are two separate units). These will be in a new location so I’m adding the electrical wiring. I was going to use a 12/3 wire with a split receptacle and 20 amp breaker. Both units would be plugged into the same receptacle. Alternatively I could run two 12/2 wires and have two outlets.
I see the code in my area (Ontario, Canada) is that I can use a 14/2, 15 amp dedicated circuit (with the option of using 12/2, 20 amp). But I’m not able to find a situation where you have a Fridge and Freezer.
Specific question: is 12/3 20 amp split receptacle to plug in a freezer and fridge (side by side) meeting code?
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

Ever seen a refrigerator plug?
They have a 90 degree molding on them so they are flush with the wall.  The bend is generally downward (not sideways) to the plug pins.  Plugged into the upper socket, they will block the lower socket.
So 2 fridges on 1 recep is Right Out. You'll need two receptacles.
We had a question a couple months ago from someone who did not realize this until the refrigerators arrived, drywall/paint was done. They had the good sense not to use extension cords, but it was a serious vexation... "extend with Wiremold surface conduit" was our best answer.
Separate circuits if possible
You are contemplating a Multi-Wire Branch Circuit or MWBC.  That requires a 2-pole breaker, or two 1-pole breakers with a handle-tie (which are hard to find, easier and cheaper to use a 2-pole breaker).   So clearly, you have 2 breaker spaces available for this.
The problem is, this creates a situation where one fridge's problem can take out the other fully functioning fridge.  Ask your partner how much food spoilage that would be.  A lot.
We don't like AFCI or GFCI on refrigerators because of the chance of a nuisance trip causing food spoilage.  The problem with MWBC is if one leg trips, most likely, so will the other leg due to the handle-tie.  (2-pole breakers have a feature called "common trip" which guarantees this). And if you put both fridges on the same simple circuit, same problem again.
So my advice is 2 dedicated circuits, 1 per fridge.  The most costly thing is establishing a wire-able route between panel and outlet... once you've done that, 2 cables vs 1 is no trouble at all.  Throw two 12/2's in there, done.  The second most costly thing is spaces in the panel, but you have those.  Throw the two 12/2's on separate breakers, and you're all set.
"Oh I know! I just won't handle-tie a MWBC going into a single junction box. What could possibly go wrong???" The answer is a maintainer getting nailed because they did not realize the neutral was a live wire.  Happens all the time.

Avoid MWBC if possible. They introduce too many issues later on just to save a bi. Particularly for GCFI/ACFI breakers in the panel.
American code usually requires dedicated circuits for each non-portable appliances such as refrigerators, built-in microwaves, washers and dryers.


Can you change the color of caulk when staining grout in a bathroom? I recently had my bathroom renovated, including floor and shower tiles. I love the tile color, but the grout I chose dried a few shades lighter than I expected. I did some research and found that grout can be stained a different color (I.e. grout refresh by Lowe’s). I was planning to add a sealer anyways, so it didn’t seem like a big deal. However, it’s not just grout in all areas. They added caulk in the corners of the shower (the caulk is the same color as the grout).

If I do choose to stain it, or even add a sealer, will that work in the areas that caulk was applied? Do I need to re-caulk, or will the sealer/stainer work on caulk too? Thanks for any advice!!

EDIT: Here's what I used:

Grout: Polyblend "polymer-fortified" non-sanded grout

Caulk: Polyblend "siliconized" non-sanded ceramic tile caulk

Your concern that the grout and caulk might take the stain differently is well-founded. Since the materials are so cheap relative to the effort of re-caulking (or, heaven forbid, re-grouting), you should pick up new grout, caulk and stain, and do a test on a piece of plywood. Make sure the grout and caulk have completely dried, or the results won't be comparable to doing it in your actual bathroom.

If this test works, and you get the same color on the grout and caulk, then you're still left with the uncertainty of how to apply the stain without it discoloring the adjacent tile and fixtures. So, think carefully about how you'd apply it, and do another small test in an inconspicuous part of your bathroom.

I have been installing floors for over 25 years and to change the color of grout is a pain anyway you do it. You could try staining it but in my opinion that is not the best choice. The sure resolution would be to sand or grind the joints deep enough that when you re-grout there is sufficient bonding and total cover up of the exiting color. When you start trying to mix chemicals of stains with the chemicals in the grout there is a possibility of discolor. Hope this helps.


Repair garage door chain My Genie garage door chain is broken. (There is a related issue at issue).

See the images.

Also

What I want is to connect two sections together via a rivet. But I don't know if the theory right?

Yes what you are looking for is a "Master Link" - they are available from places like Grainger, ACE hardware, Home Depot, Bicycle Shops, even amazon.

I looked at your pic - enlarged it - and noticed you had a Genie Pro - I did a search for the following.
The prices though might break your candy machine money..so you will need to skip the soda and snickers bar for a day.
Somewhere under $4.00  ..

Genie Pro Chain Master Link

Moving Up Garage Door Company.

Garage Door Supply Company

Garage door chains look just like bicycle chain. So I would expect that you could use connection links and splice blocks that look like those used for bicycles.


central air and high efficiency furnace When the central air is running, cold air blows outside through the intake and exhaust pipes from the HE furnace. Is this normal? Can I block/seal off these pipes for the summer and uncover them before  we use the furnace for heat in the fall. Or is there something wrong with the system?


What is causing my gas water heater to squeal? I have a gas water heater. Starting yesterday, when the flame is on, the unit makes a squealing noise of moderate volume. The noise stops immediately when the flame turns off. This means it is not caused by water pressure in the tank, which would take at least a moment to stop after the flame switched off. What causes this sound?

My guess is that something in the gas supply line of the heater is whistling (a vibration is being induced from the flow of gas). This could indicate a blockage or deformation of one or more of the gas jets. It's unlikely to be any problem with the exhaust flue or with the water in the tank, as you say.

The other thing it might be, depending on the tank's proximity to your gas meter, is that the gas reg on the meter (which steps down pressure from the gas main to a level suitable for your home's appliances) is starting to fail, and the heater, being closest to the gas reg, is picking up a vibration through the gas line that is induced by the failing reg. This is less likely especially if no other appliance makes the slightest noise, and the reg itself isn't making any noise when gas is flowing.

As far as fixing it, this is something I'd leave to a pro, but that's just because I know enough about gas to know I can seriously screw it up. The fix would likely be to replace any obviously crushed or deteriorated gas pipes and fittings in the HWH installation, and possibly disassemble the line back to the wall to make sure there aren't any nicks or dents in the pipe ends from where the installer dropped and damaged one, then installed it anyway.

The problem isn't with the gas line, it's with the water flow out of the water heater, the demand for hot water is greater than the tank can put out, you'll need to install a 6-10 gallon electric water tank directly out of the tankless water heater, this way you won't deplete the hot water. Totally it will cost about 600-1,000 to stop the squeal. I know, it's what I had to do. But yes, have a drip tube on your water heater, a must. Also, use a 3/4" gas feed to the heater.


Doors are sticky and noisy when opened? For some reason, the doors in our house make a very loud "unsticking" sound when you open them.

It's almost as if the paint isn't cured, since the sound seems to come from the contact area around the frame, where the door touches the doorframe -- but this house has not been painted in 5 years.

This loud "unsticking" door opening noise doesn't seem like a big problem, and I suppose it isn't, but since I'm a night owl, so when I open doors it tends to wake my wife up. And that's not good for ye olde marital harmony.

What can I do to make the doors in our home open more quietly without this sticking sound?

Should I somehow lubricate the frame (I'm worried that it'll collect dust or other particles and look bad)? Maybe use sandpaper to rough the paint up so it's less likely to stick?

By what you're describing, I assume you have paint on the outer edges of the door and the inside of the door frame. Paint doesn't make a good lubricant. And the door may not have been fitted to have the clearance for a coat of paint, or three coats if its an older house. And then when its humid and the door expands a bit, the paint rubs catches against the paint on the other surface.

If that is true, you could sand down or strip the offending parts until they clear each other without touching (and possibly repaint with a single coat if you need to). I'd expect sanding only to "rough it up" to increase the friction, not make it better.

Mine was doing the same thing. I heard that putting a little Vaseline on the door stops it, so I tried it and guess what: no sticking sound. It does tend to wear off in time, but I just reapply it and no noise.


How do I clean up paint on cement? The painter used a sprayer to paint and it got on the cement floor around our house. What is the best way to remove the paint

You’ll see from the pictures that some of it is little droplets over large areas and some of it is concentrated paint in small areas.

The actual best way may be to hold your final payment to your painter until he cleans it up!

I'm not trying to be a wise guy. If you paid someone to do this it shouldn't be left like that.


How can I maintain the water level in a toilet bowl during extended periods of disuse? I've got a toilet in an area that isn't used very often.  How can I add a slow leak to the tank or otherwise arrange to keep the water in the bowl from drying up?  I'm looking for an option that requires little to no maintenance on my part, and doesn't require any special action by someone who uses the toilet as a toilet (so, eliminating evaporation by floating a layer of oil on top isn't an option).

Seriously I think this could use some technology. The idea would be to fix up an auto-flush mechanism that would simply flush the toilet once a week or so. If this was done the user flush mechanism could simply be an electronic push button to trigger the weekly flush now.

If this was done with a small microcontroller board (i.e. Arduino for example) connected up to a mechanism that would "flip the flapper" there could be some interesting things done.

When manually tripped via the switch restart the weekly auto flush timer.
Using the manual trip method during the day would sync the next auto flush a weeks time also during the day so that it does not flush when when you are sleeping at night.
Manual flush is just a simple push button.
Microcontroller can log the number of flushes per month and provide data on the amount if water used.
You can add a moisture sensor on the floor next to the toilet to have the microcontroller alert for possible leaking.

Pour a layer of mineral oil in the bowl between uses. The oil will float to the surface and prevent evaporation of the water.

This will also work with drains if you have any that dry our during periods of disuse.


Problem with GU10 LED bulbs tripping out power I have had some re-plastering and re-decorating work done in my kitchen. I had a new light fixture installed which takes 6 GU10 type bulbs. When the light fixture was first installed I placed 6 LED bulbs into it. The bulbs are Aurora branded and consume 7W of power each.

When I switch on the light it trips out the power on the Residual Current Detector (RCD) in my house.  We assumed the problem was with the old wiring - perhaps it got damaged when the work was being done.  So we ran a new wire to the fixture from a new light switch.

The power still tripped out. Next we assumed the light fitting itself was faulty, so we returned it and got another.

Still the power trips out.

Then I thought it might be the LED bulbs, so I swapped them out for the 6 Halogen bulbs that came for free with the fixture - it works perfectly!

So the problem seems to be with the LEDs, but how can LED bulbs cause electrical problems?  I paid £10 per bulb so wouldn't expect them to behave this way.

The LEDs do not light up (ie conduct) for a brief time after switch on. During that time there is current in the Live wire but not in the Neutral. The rcd reacts to this imbalance  (residual current)  by breaking the circuit.
Neither the rcd nor the LED lighting system is faulty.

The LED bulbs emit electricity from only one side, unlike fl which are two sided. Your LED bulbs are shorting out. you have to remove the ballast in your fixture (or just cut the wires) and to replace the sockets in your fixture (from shunted to non-shunted). suggest you find an electrician experienced with LED or look on youtube for how to install linear led tubes


Can I expect any problems (sagging?) if I build my fence with 6'x8' panels like this? the horizontal boards will be 1x6x8
the posts will be 4x4x6

I am not sure if I should install the top boards or not

Update: The top board is not a concern. Sagging for the horizontal boards is my concern. Do I need the middle vertical 2x4 ?

Update: here is the final result. No cap board I will only cap the post. The picture shows the middle vertical reinforcement uncut yet and so are the posts.
That reinformcement is needed not for sagging but to prevent the boards to bend in the horizontal direction

I have seen one cedar fence installation in a very shady yard in Dallas where the cap board has kept the top fence rail from drying out. This is a 1st rate cedar fence in which the top rail is rotting from staying wet. The cap board is very attractive, but if this is the result it should be rethought.

As shown in the update the top boards are not needed but the vertical reinforcement in the middle is needed
The post masters are steel set in concrete (see my other posts around here about this design)
The only issue I have is that the boards dried up and I ended up with spaces between them. Not very big but they are there. I wish I had the idea to let them dry up first or I wish I had the money to make this out of cedar


I have this light and I don't know how to open it I would like to replace the bulb and I don't know how to do it. I tried pulling the clips on the side out, but they don't budge. Then I tried to unscrew the clips off (hence the third picture), but the screwdriver has to be used at an angle and won't unscrew. Any advice is appreciated.

I have the same one...the definitive answer is as Grant says.  One of the clips pulls out enough to remove glass!  No screws or screwdrivers needed.

Taking a close look at the screw that holds the bracket in place seems to show that you will not get that out with a conventional screwdriver.

This looks to me as if it is a hex headed machine screw. As such, removal will require another type of tool like a 6-point socket or a nut driver as shown below:

Some sockets are available that have a flexible joint that permits their use in areas where straight in access to the fastener is not possible:

Be aware that sockets and nut drivers come in a variety of sizes and so it would be essential to obtain and use the proper tool.

Note: This fixture looks like it would be totally possible to remove the glass dome / dish from the light simply by removing just one of the brackets. You should check more closely at all three brackets. It is possible that one bracket is held in place with a different type of screw that is easier to remove with either thumb power or a standard screw driver.


IP Rating for Recessed Shower Lighting I've heard the terms "damp" and "wet" used in referring to lighting fixture ratings, but the fixture I am looking at has a specific IP rating. Is there an IP rating equivalent to the "damp" and "wet" ratings? The fixture I am looking at is a recessed, GU10 fixture with an IP44 rating.

Also, I do understand the IP rating system. For a fixture I intend to place in a rain shower, I should only need an IPX2 rating since condensation would be the method on ingress.

NEC 410.10.D The last sentence states marked for wet locations were subject to shower spray. I believe this is interpreted as any area inside the rim of the shower to be a wet location. I know IP54 = NEMA13 provides protection from water spray. None of the NEMA to IP cross references I have have a 4 for the first digit so I am not sure on IP44.

I'd go with led and buy best IP/wet rated you can find, if in doubt silicone connections to reduce chances of arc, corrosion issues


What size wire and conduit do I need to run to a subpanel in a garage? I have a 100 amp sub in garage fed by a 50 amp from main house panel. What size wire guage is needed and what size conduit? can it be PVC? I'm in Sonoma county Ca.

If you plan on replacing the 50 Amp breaker with a 100 Amp...

The minimum sized conductor is #3 THHN copper which includes the 2 hot legs and one neutral.
The minimum sized grounding conductor is #8 THHN insulated copper.
The minimum sized grounding electrode conductor (for ground rod) is #8 bare copper.
The minimum size conduit would be 1 1/2" using PVC schedule 80.

If you plan on keeping the 50 Amp breaker...

The minimum sized conductor is #8 THHN copper which includes the 2 hot legs and one neutral.
The minimum sized grounding conductor is #10 THHN insulated copper.
The minimum sized grounding electrode conductor (for ground rod) is #8 bare copper.
The minimum size conduit would be 1" using PVC schedule 80.

Notes

The above figures are based on a detached garage @ 100' or less distanced from the garage to the houses main panel. An additional ground rod is required for detached garages.  If the garage is not detached then an additional ground rod is not required.
If detached, the subpanel would require its own main breaker and the grounds and neutrals would need to be separated. Otherwise a main lug subpanel is fine but still need to separate the grounds from the neutrals.
The above examples are based off the National Electrical Code 2014.  Your jurisdiction may have other requirements.

References

Table 310.15(B)(16) Allowable Ampacities of Insulated Conductors.
Table 250.122 Minimum Sized Equipment Grounding Conductor.
Table 250.102 (C)(1) Main Bonding Jumper
Table C9 Conduit fill.

Craig, I did some search on the internet and found this info. It is best to check in the state you are living in and see what their electrical code states as it sometime varies from state to states.

Standard for 50amp is 6 gauge for copper. Use #4 for 100 amp. it cost around $200 extra for the #4 vs #6 for about a 40' run. #4 is much thicker wire to run


Are two circuits allowed to have a common neutral? Don't know if the title makes sense so I'll explain what I'm doing. I'm trying to wire two adjacent fridges that each require a dedicated 15A circuit. I'm just wondering instead of running two wires if I can run a single 14/3 wire with the black wire powering one fridge, the red wire powering the other but both using white wire as neutral. My instinct says it's not up to code but I thought if ask. Thanks!

It is perfectly fine and within code. The only stipulations are that you must splice the neutral, you cannot use the screws on one device to carry the neutral to the other, and that you must use a two-pole or handle-tied breaker.

The common will be carrying the current for both fridges, and, therefore, will not provide the same current carrying capability as that expected for the gauge of the wire. This is done in ceiling fans which also have lights on separate wall controls, but they don;t draw as much current as fridges. Make sure you use a gauge of wire that can carry the total current of the two fridges on the common; probably 10 gauge in your case.  All that said, if the fridges are on opposite sides of a 220 box, you might get away with it, as explained above.


Can I remove an interior wall which supports a post under the roof ridge? I want to remove a wall that breaks up the flow in our living room and dining room.  The wall is perpendicular to floor and ceiling joists.

The wall is about 3 feet from a support beam in the floor.

In the attic, the wall has a 2x4 that is attached to the ridge board in the roof.  This is the only board supporting the ridge board in attic.

Can I remove the wall and 2x4 in the attic or do I need to brace the 2x4 in the attic?
Why is there only one 2x4 off the wall?
Was this a support for installing the roof or is this really a supporting member to the roof?

It is highly highly likely that not only is that wall load bearing but it is a crucial loading bearing wall in the house.

Without a lot more pictures and plans I can give you a best guess:

Do not remove the 2x4 in the attic.  I doubt there is much load (there shouldn't be) on it but I bet it was added to strengthen the horizontal forces.
It looks like the two kitchen walls next to the living room are fulfilling the load across the house.  The gap looks like what a decent size doorway would be.  Also the fact that one is a few feet in just looks like a design element.  I would think that those few feet are still within the base for holding the load across the path of the "red" beam.
Which means most likely an architect will suggest running a header across bottom wall all the way across the house - on the same plane not the current plane a few feet away.  This is a considerable distance (from the looks of it) so it will be a big big piece of wood or an i-beam.
You can certainly hide the whole header, but this install will cost you a lot more in either work or money or both.  Or you can integrate part with existing wall and maybe have a post on the outside wall side.  Throw a faux wood cap over the ibeam and the install might be just 2-3k.

Just understand there is a very very small chance you could just knock the wall down.  There is a great chance that if you did you would see issues almost immediately as there is nothing close to this wall and it hold the perpendicular run on it.   This is something that you will have to have an architect look at.  Even if you DIY you will need plans for permits signed off by someone the city inspector trusts.  You knock down this wall and put up a header... don't plan on selling your house without an inspector noticing it and don't plan on your insurance company helping if there are problems.

Yes you can, but only after hiring a structural engineer to design a structure to hold the load.

Your pictures seem to indicate a design flaw that may need to be corrected.


Ceilling light wont switch off after a new installation I have bought a new ceiling light to replace an old-fashioned one.

I have 3 grey cables hanging from the ceiling: 3 red wires connected together and 3 green wires connected together and 3 black but only 2 are joined together the single black not marked with any insulation.

What I did at first is joined all the black together and connected them to the neutral of the ceiling light and the red to the live and the green to the earth but that caused the breaker to break.

I then rewired it without the single black wire and the light came on but it won't turn off by the light switch. The only way to turn it off is by the main breaker. I have replaced the light switch thinking it might have been faulty but that didn't solve the problem.

How should the light fixture be wired?

The single black wire should be connected with the L on the light fixture, and the 2 black are the neutral. What about the 3 red wires, where should they be connecting?

Old UK wiring

Old UK wiring was as shown below

A comes from the fuse-box/consumer-unit (possibly via other junction-boxes/roses for other ceiling lights). B goes to the next ceiling light. C goes to the light switch for this lamp.

However most electricians will not have cable type C with two red wires and will have used regular cable with a black and a red wire and will put red tape around the end of the black wire to indicate it is "switched live" and not neutral (as it's black colour would suggest).

From what I've read, sometimes they would connect C's black wire to position 3 (the other red live wires) and then C's red wire would be the switched-live return from the switch. Connecting the black to the reds would make it obvious to an electrician and that might be why no wire had red-tape on it's end.

Checking

If someone has removed the red tape, you can:

turn off the lighting circuit at the fuse-box/consumer-unit,
check there's no voltage present with a voltage tester (preferable non-contact type) and
separate all the wires,
use a continuity tester to see which red & black pair are connected/disconnected by the switch

A typical Non-Contact Voltage detector (NCV) and a typical mains tester

Finding which wires go to a switch using a multimeter (at least CatII 600V rated) on an isolated circuit (off at fusebox and tested for no 240V AC).

Your wiring (Guesswork)

Looking at your photo, I think the top of the screw-block connections from left to right are probably:

Live (3,4,5 in the diagram in this answer)
Earth (9)
Neutral (6,7)
Switched Live (2)

In which case your lamp should be connected at the bottom of the two right-most positions.

You shouldn't have to touch the light switch at all. If you go to the first junction box, reveal all of the copper ends ensuring that they are not touching.  carefully shut the breaker, and use a multimeter to find your "hot" lead.  This hot lead should be connected to the white lead that leads to your light switch, and the black lead that is connected to your light switch is now your new "hot" lead.  Reconnect that to the rest of your black leads and you will fix the problem.  If you are having trouble finding which black and white wires go to your light switch, just turn your light switch to "on" and find out which two black and white wires have continuity (assuming you disconnected all wires)


Is it OK to use motor oil as bar oil in a chainsaw? Someone told me that you can use motor oil in your chainsaw instead of bar oil. Is this a good idea? Will it cause problems over time?

It might be OK for a bit but I probably wouldn't do it. You could look up your owner's manual to see if they say anything. If you must use the chainsaw and have nothing else on hand, surely motor oil is better than nothing. I think bar oil is stickier than regular motor oil to prevent splattering as much.

FWIW I like to buy the "biodegradable" chain oil, since it invariably ends up all over the place.

30wt motor oil is fine thats what bar oil is and i been using it for years on my husky


Why are my dimmer switches malfunctioning? I have two dimmer switches that have started malfunctioning.  They are in the same box with two other standard switches.  Each controls a set of three small flood lights.   There is no other way to control these floods except with the dimmer switch.   They were working fine last week.   Now, when I slide the dimmer, it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.   I know it isn't a circuit breaker problem since the other switches are on it as well and they work.   These were installed about 6 years ago.   I will need to call an electrician to fix this but would like to have an idea, if possible, of what the problem could be.

Sounds like a simple case of a bad switch.

Note: a squirt of WD-40 into the right place in the sliding mechanism can help, or even fix the problem at least temporarily by lubricating the internal sliding electrical contacts.  But getting the location right requires experience, and if you have to bring out an electrician anyway, they'll prefer to replace.

Do this with the power off by the way.  And it's far better to take it apart and lubricate, compared to the squirt and hope method.

Consider upgrading to a dimmer model with a remote control, CFL compatibility, or other features.

Your dimmer was probably damaged by excessive heat and maybe more load than it is rated for. Solution:replace bad dimmer with one that is rated at or above the amount of watts you are controlling with it if one dimmer is a 3 way you may be able to put that one on the other end and a regular 3 way switch at that box. Otherwise you may be able to change your lamps to dimmable led s that will reduce the load and also the heat. But still replace the dimmer they are not repairable.


Do smart or programmable thermostats actually save money? I am looking at replacing all the thermostats in my house.  I have hot water baseboard heat and forced air A/C. Each room's baseboard heat is controlled by a thermostat in that room.
I tend to prefer simple mechanical interfaces to digital "smart" systems.
My family does not have a "normal" living schedule. I am often up until 3-5am. My partner can wake up anytime from 5am to 9am.
I have heard that the benefits of smart temperature systems (which adjust the temperature settings based on the time of day and can be pre-programmed) are over-stated, and that classic single-temperature controls (like this or this) are actually fine from an economical point of view.
Is there significant savings associated with those smart systems, or can I use the more simple thermostats without costing myself in monthly bills?

I only worked in the commercial/industrial field of steam and hot water boilers so take what I say lightly. Here is what the heating engineers told us; if you can set back the thermostat or reduce the buildings temperature for 8 hours or more then there is a cost savings and if you can't it is probably not worth anything. One of the main problems with temperature reduction was that when the room temperature was brought back up to the comfort level, the furniture, desks and everything in the room was still at a reduced temperature. If you were to use the furniture or items in the room, the room still felt cold.
I have a friend that is a lot younger than I am and he changes temperature many times a day. When I go into his home I always take a sweater, In my house I set the temperature to one setting for the winter and one for the summer. We have like houses and heating systems and our heating bills are about the same. My house is always more comfortable than his.  My 2 cents.

The only way to save money on heating bills is to run the heater less.
If you can figure out a way to do this manually and can stick to it, you can then find a thermostat ("smart" or otherwise) that will allow you to automate that pattern.
Hoping a "smart" thermostat will magically find a way to save you heater run-time will lead to disappointment.  The biggest challenge isn't the technical one of turning off the heat.  The biggest challenge is convincing the occupants to keep the heat off... and that's a political/social challenge, not a technical one.


Vacuum Cleaner Trips Breaker I have a brand new vacuum (dyson) that trips my breaker. Never happened before this except once when I ran 2 other vacuums at the same time

There are several common problems with high performance vacuums and circuit breakers. First a vacuum may be drawing close to the maximum amperage on a circuit but with most circuits there may be a few other items that push the total current being used over the trip limit (very common on 15 amp circuits and even happens on 20 amp circuits). The second cause that I have seen in the last few years is AFCI or arc fault breakers, they can not tell in many cases the difference between a dangerous arc that could start a fire and a motor's brushes arcing so they trip. The last case is GFCI breakers, I usually see these trip on start or stop with motor loads because of how they start using capacitors to create a phase shift that can create a small amount of leakage in the ground path causing a trip.
Of course it could be a real fault in your new vacuum but in my experiance this is rare but should not be ignored. Try a different outlet that is on a different circuit breaker, if it works there great if not see the 3 possible problems above or call Dyson since 2 circuits having trouble may point to a problem with the vacuum.

The appliances has a bad motor/short or electrical problem, have the appliances be checked by a appliances tech. Be safe.


What foam is best for sealing radiator pipes in floor to prevent mice from getting in? Is there a specific foam recommended for radiator pipes coming up through the floor?

No foam product will stop them, they will just chew through it. Some of them will eventually kill the mouse, but there's always another one, and another one, and another one to pick up the task and eventually finish it.

Aluminum or steel flashing is the only tried and true method. I've tried steel wool, it didn't stop them. They didn't chew THROUGH it, but they grabbed onto it and pulled it out.

Broken glass plus clear caulk in a bowl.  Mix and fill gaps with a putty knife


How do I properly ground my subpanel that only has one neutral/ground bar? I am adding a sub panel in an unattached building. My sub panel has the  connection for the 2 hot wires coming from the source panel (a 40 amp double breaker) In addition it has one neutral/ground bar which has a green screw head for the ground and a row of places to connect neutrals. I am seeing advice on sites like yours to not connect the ground wire on the same bar as the neutral. So with only one bar I am not sure what to do with my ground wires. Do I need to install a second ground bar? I have the ground wire coming from the house that is well grounded through the house 200 amp service as well as a buried ground rods outside of the outbuilding. Do I use both and if so do I connect them both to the same ground bar?

The neutral and ground MUST NOT be bonded at a sub-panel.  They should only be bonded at the main service panel.  If you bond them anywhere other than the main service, the neutral return current now has multiple paths, including though your ground wire.

You should be able to buy a second bar for the sub-panel if it really is meant to be used as a sub-panel.  The neutral bar will need to be isolated (it should have plastic insulator separating it from the case).  The ground bar should be bonded to the case.

The ground wire from the house must be connected to the sub-panel ground.  Since it is a detached building the ground rods are also required by code and should be tied to the sub-panel ground.  The ground to the service is the most important because it will provide the low resistance path back to the service in case of a fault.

Changes to the Electrical Code now REQUIRE all unattached buildings with sub panels, to have the Neutral Bar Grounded with #6 wire to the panel box then to a grounding rod in the earth. (Rule 10-208)

You CANNOT use the ground included in say #10/3 wire as your sub panel ground anymore.

You are to treat the sub panel just as a service that is coming in from the meter, the only conductors that should be entering your sub panel now are your 2 Hot Feeds, and your Neutral. (no ground from the main panel.)

Now the confusing part, Rule 10-208 (b) states that you can ground any metal non current carrying components (outlet boxes) through a separate conductor back to the main panel if the building does not house livestock. However, since you must now have a bonded neutral in sub panels, this is more of a pain to attempt since you have a separate grounding circut right there already.


Securing slate decoration to a door I have a decorative piece of slate that I'd like to stick on my front door with a piece of chalk for neighbors to leave a note when I'm not around.

I'd rather not cause a lot of damage to the door, so ideally it would stick on with 3M pull tab adhesives.

My door is a 'santa fe' with grooves that run vertically, about half an inch deep.

Here's a closeup of the grooves.

The slate weigh's about three lbs, and measures 7" tall x 13" wide x 1/4" thick.

I tried this before with JUST pull tabs, and it held..... until I shut the door and it fell and shattered.

I think the problem is that the surface of slate is too irregular and slippery to work with the 3M command adhesive.

One thought I had was using an epoxy on the back to attach a smooth metal plate with eyelets for a wire to the back, then the tiniest nails I could find, put in to the door in the grooves at an angle. Maybe add rubber feet to the back of the metal plate to decrease bounce and swing when the door moves.

Or perhaps some corrugated plastic would be nice because it's lighter, and I could push the nail heads into it.

I'm in the Midwest.  Environmentally, my climate does freeze in the winter.  We usually hit 0 deg F a few times.  In the summer it gets up to 100 deg F.  The porch is covered, but there are storms half a dozen times a year where rain and high wind will soak the full height of the door.  The door is only 4 foot above ground level, but I have to consider the effect of wind blowing the thing around.

I am fine with modifying/altering the decoration in permanent ways.
I would like to minimize any permanent alterations to the door if they
would require any repair work to return the door to original
condition.
I want to be very sure that the decoration will not fall off unintentionally.

What's the best way I could attach this slate to my door with minimal damage?

Some Tips On How To Hang Almost Anything.

Suspend your slate  from the top of the door frame and avoid making unsightly holes. Cut a 3-inch-wide satin or grosgrain ribbon long enough, when doubled, to hang slate at the desired height.  Join ends, and fold them over 1/2 inch.

Sight Line

Hang it using invisible mono filament or fishing line instead of ribbon -- 5- to 10-pound test line should suffice, depending on the  weight. Tie or wrap the line around a flat-head nail on top of the door before hammering the nail down.Use a couple of flat-head tacks or a nail to attach the ribbon ends to the door top.

Up and Over

As the name suggests, an over-the-door  hanger simply hooks in place over the door. The hanger may not bring the decoration low enough, however, on a very tall door. If a long, sturdy hanger designed for large decorations doesn't bring it to eye level, use wide ribbon as an extension. Alternatively, make your own custom-sized over-the-door hanger using sheet metal, if you're metal-work savvy. File and sand the edges smooth, so they're hand and door safe. Use metal crimps to form the basic square folds for over the door, and the hook-like folds to hold the decoration.

How to Hang Heavy Items Without a Stud

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SSJaO3gVPE

USING A DISC HANGER

Disc hangers are my go to for many items.  They were originally designed for plates, but I have been attaching them to assortment of things for years – most specifically my trays in my dining room.

They can be used on plates, trays, wood, any quirky item – you just need a clean smooth surface.  There are different sizes for different weights.

Start with a clean surface, then wet the back of the disc, wait about a minute (instructions are on the back).  Apply to your item, paying attention to where the hook is going to be – make sure it is not sticking out the top.  Here is the hard part – you really do need to wait over night for it to dry, or at least several hours(not my strong suit) for it to have a good hold.  Then, just use the same principals as hanging a framed picture and you are done.  The best part, if you change your mind and no longer want to hang it on the wall – you simply wet it again to remove it.

The disc hangers can be found at craft stores.

HEAVY HITTER – FRENCH CLEATS

When I have something heavy to hang – my go to is always a pair of French cleats.  These can be found big box hardware stores where you find picture hanging hardware

Each set has two pieces – one for the wall, one for the item – follow the diagrams on the package!  I used these to hang my daughter’s headboard, heavier artwork – and in this case – the tray being used as shelf.  I wanted to be able to put whatever I wanted in and on top of the tray – and not have to worry about weight and stability – especially since there is a glass table below it.

The cleats can be a bit pricey – but I think worth the investment of the peace of mind of not worrying about your item falling to the ground.

Step 1 – Start on the wall and find at least one stud that lines up with where you want your item to be.  If you can find two – that is even better.  The stud almost never ends up centered on the item.  If it did, you could use one and call it a day.  But to make sure it is balanced – I use two making sure at least one screw is in a stud.  For this shelf, I hit two studs, but not centered on the item.  Do some math.  Figure out placement so that you maximize the studs and then distribute the two out over the width of the item.

Step 2: Since the cleat is wider than the stud – you will need to use wall anchors for the second screw.  Drill pilot holes for the screw and wall anchor, insert your anchor and use a drill to attach the screws.  There is a level included in the cleat that guides you to keep it level (the wall anchors are usually included with the cleat).  There is also a level in the part that goes on the wall to ensure that you hang each one straight.

Step 3: Use a level between the two cleats to make sure that they are level with each other.  Repeat step 2 for the second cleat.

Step 4: Measure the distance between your cleats on the wall, and work in replica to attach the other half to your item with the included screws (drill a pilot hole first so you do not split the wood).

Step 5: Hang your item on the cleats.  The best part is you have some flexibility of moving the item left to right without compromising the ability to hold too much.

3M COMMAND ADHESIVE, HOOKS AND PICTURE HANGERS

There are a ton of3M Command products out there not that not only allow you hang things without putting a whole in the wall, but provide solutions for items that are challenging to hang.  This is one of my favorite and most sought out solutions.

In this case, I used single, two sided ones to attach a wood paddle to my wall in the kitchen.  But there are ones that you attach to the wall and to the item – and then they attach with Velcro.  The Velcro also allows you to re position things slightly as well.  I have used this on trays, small canvases and small frames.  They are definitely suited for lighter items.

RIBBON

Sometimes, it can just be simple.   I threaded a ribbon in the same color, for camouflage and hang it on a nail – done!

HOOKS

Sometimes the hanging method can actually be part of the display.  In these there cases I had heavy items that needed something substantial.  I decided to embrace that and use a vintage decorative hook to hang them.   I spaced things so that they one screw is in a stud.  For keys, I use wall anchors to screw into.

PICTURE WIRE

Sometimes, something that is not a picture frame, can be treated like one. When want to screw anything larger than an eye hole screw into it – one because it might  come through, two because  it could split the wood and three because you wont  be able to change your mind and take it out later if you choose to.

3M Command would not be strong enough if it is a heavy  item.

For this case, You should add the eye hole screws and run picture wire between.  Using the same principals of step 1.
NAILS

Sometimes it is as easy as a simple nail.  Position, the item – tap in a nail, hang it – done!

This is my own idea ,but I was thinking you could use a glue gun and on the back of your slate attach a few hanging loops,the more you put on the back of the slate the more it will distribute the weight and then you could glue a hook on your front door and attach it that way..The glue used in a glue gun is very strong and it is easily removed.I have never tried this but it might work for you.


If i use one ground wire for two outlets, will my equipment get damaged? If i use one ground wire for two outlets, will my equipment get damaged?

Here is what I want to do:

If my air conditioner sends voltage through the ground wire shared with the outlet powering my computer, would my computer short out and or get damaged?

Generally, adding a ground wire is always better for electronic equipment.  It helps surge suppressors do their job by providing a ground reference.   It provides real chassis grounding which among other things gives a solid route for  static electricity to go to ground instead of getting inside equipment.  It also provides a fault path if any hot wires short to ground, which assures you get a breaker trip.  And it makes sure equipment chassis is not energized so it electrocutes someone. I'm glad you're doing it - it will help.

That said, grounds will not cause cheap electronics with poor components  to suddenly become quality.  Grounds will not themselves "clean up" dirty, noisy AC power, although they will help surge suppressors do that.  Dirty power is often caused by your own equipment - for instance the air conditioner in your drawing.  You may want to protect the PC from the air conditioner.

Grounds also don't fix potential overloads, and you might have one here.  Fancy PC's aren't necessarily power hogs (the Mac Pro is only 2.5 amps) but "850 watt" PC power supplies are popular and they can draw 10 amps full bore (the difference being inefficiency).  A typical window air conditioner is 5-8 amps.  Loads which are continuous should only run at 80% of circuit capacity, that's 12A on a 15A breaker and 16A on a 20A breaker.  I would encourage you to investigate further to make sure those loads (and the other loads on that circuit) aren't too much.   To measure a device's actual current draw, gadgets like the Kill-A-Watt do nicely.

I think your concern is justified.  It is not uncommon to see a AC window unit dedicated with its own receptacle.  This is because of substantial startup current to get the thing a juggin'...

Always consult the manufacturer of the appliance in question.  Generally they will tell you if it's okay or not to share with another small appliance.

For general non-critcal computing with a small footprint you're probably ok with a small window unit.  But if you add a laser printer on the same circuit....forget about it!!


Who is the right type of person to create construction drawings for a home I've already designed? As the ultimate DIY project, I want to owner-build a home. I've already "designed" the house, meaning I have a 1/2" scale floor plan, roofing ridge line, and elevations for all interior and exterior wall treatments. These are all done in CAD. I know exactly what it will look like inside and out.

In order to build it though, I need building plans, maybe stamped by an architect. The person who makes the plans would need to be qualified to make structural engineering decisions and calculations, like joist spacing, wall framing diagrams, and foundation calculations which I am not qualified to do.

So far, I've found four types of people, none of which will do what I want:

Architects want to design the house themselves, and seem offended that I would come to them with specifics about exactly how the house should look and be laid out.
"Residential Designers" seem to be draftsmen that also want to do the design elements themselves. I'm also not sure about their qualifications for engineering calculations.
Design and build firms want to do the design themselves and build the house too!
Most engineers only seem interested in commercial projects, and it seems like over kill to hire an engineer ($$$) to draft building drawings for a small residence.

So if I already have a complete "design" for the house (layout and artistically speaking) but need that design turned into structurally sound and code compliant construction drawings with the proper legal approvals, who is the right type of person or firm to do this work?

Some of the things you mention don't require anything specific. Wall and foundation diagrams are boilerplate. The truss company will design the roof system to fit your design. Joist specs are fairly straight forward, and a salesperson at your local lumberyard may have the expertise you need.

As has been mentioned, if you find the right company they'll be happy to work from what you've drawn. They may insist on re-drawing it, but there should be very little demand to change your design substantially. Keep looking for a smaller local outfit with a good reputation.

I bought Chief Architect's Home Designer and did it myself. I tried Punch but didn't like it.

It won't be as professional as a set of purchased prints but most residential contractors are used to working with minimal prints.

I was able to buy the poured walls, sub-floor package, and trusses with this software. From there all that is left is the finishing up.

Good luck!


Can a toilet vent be upstream? I am relocating the bathroom door and the toilet vent is right in the middle of the new opening. I want to put the vent in the wall behind the toilet which will be upstream of the toilet. Will this work? The vent is currently about 6 feet in front of the toilet. The shower drain will be connected into the 3" toilet pipe about 3 feet downstream of the toilet.

The image below is what I'm hoping to do, with two different ways to handle the vent connection.

You are within 6' so it would be allowed in my state.

No on the first proposal.  toilets need a wye and 1/8 or a long sweep closet 90.  Solids need help being directed.  the second is fine.  Vent to not be horizontal.  Vertical or 45*


Why is the water pressure so high from my overhead water tank? We have recently rented a house and it has normal taps fitte, and a normal
overhead water tank, but the water pressure is very high. The water comes out
with so much pressure, that if I am trying to rinse anything it makes
water spray everywhere. What could be the reason?

Its a normal plastic 500 lt overhead tank, and it doesn't have a cap to close its top.  It is not sealed and pressurized. There are no pressure regulators, and there is no water heater in the system. It's just a fill and use kind of tank.

For water flow, a 1.5 in. pipe is fitted to its bottom. There is a check valve, and its turned full open. The tank is fitted on the 2nd floor (25ft above ground level). We fill the tank with bore \ well water with the help of an electric pump. When we open any tap, water pressure is very high.

What could be the reason?

You may need an aerator.  If it needs replacing, then the water may spatter a lot.  The aerator is the piece that screws into the end of the spigot.  It limits the flow of water to between 1.5 and 2.5 gallons per minute and entrains air into the water stream to prevent splashing.  From what you describe, it may even be missing.  You can pick one up at any hardware store.

put ball valve in the discharge line and keep it open slightly. you will get desirable speed and discharge.


removing glue from felt pads on chair legs I am trying to remove old glue from chair felt pads.  I have tried GooGone, sanding and paint thinner.  Does anyone have a remedy for this problem?

If the glue is still tacky at all (or ever was), Laquer Thinner or "Goof Off" may be a good solvent.  If the glue is a hard type glue such as Elmer's or a Wood glue, your best bet is to try to chip off as much as possible with a sharp pocket knife. Then a block sander or electric sander may work OK for the rest.  Or if you have access to a flat bastard file ($4.99 or so at Sears Hardware or Home Depot, Lowe's, etc..), then you can really put some muscle into it.

I've always use nail varnish remover and a old rag.


Can I tile over Linoleum felt paper on a concrete slab? I have a contractor coming in to tile my home.  My floor is a post tension concrete slab, home is only 4 yrs old.  The contractor said they could just tile right over the linoleum, but after reading about the risks online, I decided to rip it up and they said they would just tile right over whatever material is left.  I can easily rip up the top layer of the linoleum, but the felt/paper layer adheres to the concrete 100%.  Should I be spending time/money/energy on getting all the felt paper up as well?  or is the contractor right that there will not be any issue?

It is not uncommon to apply a coat of embossing compound over a firmly bonded vinyl floor, then tile right over it. It certainly is not my favorite method, but as long as the existing vinyl is well adhered and not curling at sides etc. the tile should stay down well.

Since you have already removed most of the vinyl, I would not worry too much about some left behind backer. Get as much off as you can, and don't leave any loose paper. If any of the leftovers will soften easily with water, soak them a bit and remove it. Other than that, if it is stuck good, go ahead and tile over it.

I don't think the felt is hurting anything since it is common to apply thinset to a common material in showers (Kerdi).  Basically you would be worried that the felt will keep the thinset from binding to the concrete.  Well it won't even without the felt.  It will fit snug either way but there is no binding.


GFCI outlet doesn't work after reconnecting I reconnected my GFCI outlet but now it doesn't output electricity even though the current coming in tests positive (with a pen like current testing device). I also pressed the reset button, to no avail.

What are some reasons GFCI outlets won't output current to a plug even though proper current comes in? The other (non GFCI) outlets on the same circuit work fine.

Actually, it was the reset button, which needed to be pressed after flipping the breaker switch on.

I'm unsure why you disconnected it to begin with but first I would make sure you reconnected it properly and it's not connected to a similar type of breaker as well in the panel.

Depending on the location of it and what was being used for, these outlets do go bad and in the end need to be replaced. If you recheck all the wiring connections and they are done correctly, then replacing the recepticle is your only option. When testing any such circutry, you should be using a voltmeter. Your penlight tester might be showing power but it may be at a reduced voltage, telling you it needs replacement.


Should I install a vapor barrier on the bottom of my garage ceiling? I have a house that has a garage below the main floor. The house is built into a hill, and so the entry way, the basement, and the garage are all on the same level, and the entry way has a stair case that leads to the main floor which is above everything.

The house is very old (~1890s) and leaks hot air worse than a politician. It's so bad that when it's ~19F outside, the furnace can't keep up, even though the furnace is properly sized and in good repair.

Among the many things I want to do to this house to deal with the poor insulation and air leaks, I'd like to put an air barrier on the bottom of the garage ceiling to prevent air infiltrating through the garage into the first floor, which I have good evidence is significant.

The structure of the main floor/garage ceiling, from top to bottom:

Rugs
Hardwood floor
Floor joists (about 6 inches of room)
Lath and plaster (1 inches total)
2 inches XPS rigid foam, loosely attached via furring strips screwed to floor joists.

I was considering attaching plastic sheeting to the bottom of the rigid foam over the entire ceiling to seal it as much as possible.

I also am curious about injecting blown-in insulation in the joist space, but I don't want to worry about that until I create a worthy air seal.

One major concern I have is that this is a violation of proper vapor barrier/air barrier design - that I could get condensation on either side of the air barrier and cause mold.

So, is this a bad idea?

I should note the house is in Rochester, New York, so very cold. The house is not air-conditioned; only upstairs bedrooms are via through-window ACs.

Yep, the 120 year old houses do make life more interesting (and expensive and/or colder.)

Use an air barrier that is NOT a vapor barrier. More commonly known as housewrap. Vapor moves through, but bulk air movement is reduced.

For insulating inside the floor joists, either blown-in cellulose (which supposedly has very little issue with vapor, due to having very little air movement through it) or a sprayed foam product. Getting good fill blind (without blowing out the ceiling, in the case of the spray foam) is tricky.

I presume you don't want to rip out the ceiling for better access - but you really need to think hard about getting some drywall below the XPS (or XPS and added air barrier), or you have (and have now) a major fire hazard - plastic materials exposed in a garage that's below occupied space. The plaster ceiling above it may not burn through for a good long time, but the smoke from it will do you in even if the structure is unaffected by by a fire.

This may be way late but keep it simple. You have lath and plaster, remove the foam, recycle it, cut a nice attic access hatch, blow in the insulation. The ground paper should fill all you can. Seal access hatch with the foam. Next mud any cracks on lath n plaster. Last but not least, paint it with a concrete wall paint made to keep out wetness, like a leak control it is plastic base and will also act as your vapor barrier and give a good look. Get a good co2 and smoke alarm for area above, use the foam you have left over on the wall adjoining to home, and recover with drywall.


Voltage detected on ceiling light no matter the switch is on or off I just moved into a new apartment and I would like to install simple ceiling light. As shown in the picture, there are two wires outside the ceiling, a blue one and a red one.

The light switch button is on the wall. When I install light in other rooms, if I switch off by pressing the power button on the wall, the electricity tester does not beep at all. Only when I switch on the power, the electricity tester makes an audible beep. But for the wires in this room, no matter the light switch is on or not, the my test makes a beep all the time, as shown in the picture.

Now I have the following questions:

What could be the potential problems? Some wires are connected improperly?
When I install a bulb to the light fixture (the black thing in the picture), the bulb doesn't light up? Why? As I said, there is always voltage detected, but why doesn't the bulb light up? I've checked the bulb is in good condition.

Switched Neutral
It could be a symptom of a "switched neutral", where the switch interrupts the grounded (neutral) conductor instead of the ungrounded (hot) conductor.  In this case the bulb would turn on and off with the switch, but the socket would always show as hot.
To test:

WARNING: This procedure requires working on energized circuits. If you don't feel comfortable, or lack the knowledge or tools to do so, please contact a local licensed Electrician.

Use a voltmeter/multimeter to measure AC line voltage.
Take a measurement between the contact at the bottom of the socket, and a known good ground (possibly grounding conductors in the box).
Take a measurement between the threaded contact within the socket, and a known good ground.
Flip the switch, and repeat steps 2 and 3.

With the switch OFF, both measurements should be 0 VAC. If you're measuring line voltage at the socket when the switch is off, it's likely you have a switched neutral situation.
With the switch ON, the measurement from step 2 should be line voltage. If you get 0 volts in step 2, and line voltage in step 3. That means the socket leads are reversed.
Phantom Voltage
It could be the meter is picking up phantom (induced) voltage. This type of voltage could be picked up by a non-contact voltage tested, or a high impedance voltmeter (common for digital multimeters). The voltage could be induced by other electrical lines, which are in close proximity to the switched conductor.
To test:

WARNING: This procedure requires working on energized circuits. If you don't feel comfortable, or lack the knowledge or tools to do so, please contact a local licensed Electrician.

Use a low impedance volt/multimeter to measure the voltage across the socket.

If there's phantom voltage, the low impedance meter will not pick it up.

If the socket is controlled by 3 way switches this can happen when a home owner wires in the switches and gets the hot and neutral reversed. (2 switches) to have power but no return. If that is the case one of the switches is wired wrong.
 The second possibility the neutral line is open so you have power to the fixture but no return path. this is where I would look sense you said you checked the bulb.
A third idea did you check the bulb in the fixture it is possible the center contact is not connecting to the bulb. The last thing if the switch is illuminated it could be the power for the neon lamp in the switch causing the tester to light and the switch is bad


How can I insulate my basement on a budget? I have a home built in 1925, a "Chicago Bungalow" style, in Louisville, KY.

I have roughed in the basement, trying to take advantage of every square inch. I am planning on using it for short-term guests and also for a family room/reading area with loks of bookcases.

How much do I have to insulate the exterior basement walls? I'm leaving the ceiling open and painting it, so that isn't an issue. My family is fine with cooler temperatures and when we have guests, I could put a small space heater in the room where they'll be staying. Honestly, insulation is more expensive than I thought it would be and this thing is holding up my project. I want to do the right thing but am unsure of what that would be, within my budget.

The basement is approx. 900 sq. ft. (25' x 35'). There are 4 windows, 2' x 2.5' each. Since it is a "Chicago Bungalow" style, about 2.5 feet is above ground. The ceiling is the hardwood floor, with no subfloor and not finished, nor going to be finished (there is just too much duct work to consider working around it all). The budget is about $500 for insulation.

You are in the same climate zone as me.  Your walls do not have to be insulated from top to bottom according to building science reports (please read their definition of basement which is totally below grade).   They only suggest floor to ceiling insulation in our region given spray foam or rigid foam - in "typical" home basements.

What I have been doing the past 6-7 years with great results - including my own house - is only insulating about 1 foot below grade, using BS advice.  I use rock wool.  I stuff any joist areas until they meet wall level.  A decent size house costs about $250.  The results can be felt right away.  My crews ask that this not be done until right before the drywall is put up because the basement instantly retains a ton of heat.

This is the exact reason why it is not necessary in our region to go floor to ceiling.  By over insulating you are not allowing for any cool air to come in during the warmer 6-8 months out of the year.  I for sure have noticed an increase in AC usage while a decrease in furnace usage in my own home.

Also by leaving your bottom half exposed you are creating a high volume area for air flow.  Meaning any moisture that gets in - and there is always some - will evaporate quickly.

So we simply stagger our scrap 2x4s about 1 foot below grade (sometimes this is just the top 1-2 feet of framing), stuff rock wool against wall and then above our framing into the joists all the way to the outer wall.  This is super cheap and super effective and all inspectors in our area were more than pleased with this.  Again this is not for cold climates but will work in the Midwest.

The short answer is "probably not".

"Best and cheapest" are contradictory terms.

The idea of insulating a basement seems a little silly at first because it already has insulation: 15 feet of dirt. That provides way, way more insulation than 6" of fiberglass. If the basement is fully underground, "insulation" would be pointless (unless you have some unusual condition, like a glacial underground stream running in direct contact with your wall or something like that).

Nevertheless insulation does make sense if part of the basement is above ground, especially if it has windows. Any kind of window in a basement, that's where your heat loss is going to occur. The heat loss through a window will be hundreds of times greater than through, say, an 8" concrete wall.

So, if you are looking to economize, the best practice is to just focus on the windows and doors , that's really the only area where you can have major heat transfer. Remember, its all about the RATE of heat transfer per unit area. So if you have 400 square feet of wall transfering heat at 1 Joule per hour, its meaningless compared to 10 square feet of windows and  transfering heat at 500 Joules per hour.

The easiest thing to do is brick up the windows, 12" thick, with some insulation inbetween, but then, of course, you have no windows. One alternative is just to grout plexiglass or glass over the opening (make sure it is airtight). The more panes you add, the more insulation you get.

Cellar doors, like storm doors, are harder to insulate. The cheapo option is to get a couple bales of fiberglass insulation and just duct tape to the outside of the door (this assumes you have a outer bulkhead door). You can't use the door in the winter obviously if you do this. When spring rolls around you throw out the insulation. Repeat every year. You can add weatherstripping to a door, but in my experience it does not do too much.

If you really want to start insulating walls, you can, but truth to be told, it will not do that much if the wall is below ground level. All your heat loss goes through windows and doors, anything that has a short pathway to the outside air (or water).

Brief Note about Water

Water, by the way, is bad. It will transfer heat INSANELY faster than air, so if you have an underground cold stream in contact with your basement wall, it will wick heat INSANELY fast. You can tell because if you touch the wall it will be freezing cold compared to other parts of the wall. An IR temperature detector will do the same thing. If you have this situation, you definitely want to use heavy insulation on that part of the wall or floor, because it will just suck heat out of the house. This is a rare case though, most people don't have cold streams.


Does UF wire allow direct burial or require conduit? I'm working with 6-3 UF-B wire in a wet location (under a deck). Does this wire need to be in conduit or buried? In other words, can the wire be exposed to the elements as is under the deck?

If there is no requirement for running in conduit, what are the advantages of doing so?

Edit #1 - The underside of the deck cannot be accessed without unscrewing deck boards.

Thanks.

Since the deck itself protects the wire from physical damage and sunlight, you will have no problem running the UF exposed under the deck.  Attach it to the side of a joist in the same way you'd do an indoor run of NM in an unfinished space, and treat it as 60 deg C wire for ampacity purposes.

UF is designed and approved for direct burial. For direct burial, the required depth is 24" or less depending on AHJ or if it's under pavement, you'll have to read the Table 300.5 in the NEC to get the exact details. Your deck is not considered a building in the NEC so it will need to be buried. It also must not be exposed to sunlight unless the wire you use is specifically rated for it.

I can't remember if UF is compliant for being run in conduit, I don't think it is, but even if it is, it would be miserable pulling that through. Instead, if you use conduit, you should use THWN since the interior of the conduit is considered a wet location, and you must also use waterproof compliant splices if any are inside the conduit.

If you don't want to dig a 24" deep trench, you need to use conduit, and it needs to be protected either by still being 18" or more below grade, or use other means of protection from physical damage.


Replace fire bricks in fireplace I have a masonry fireplace where about 8 fire bricks have fallen off of the back wall of the firebox. The fireplace was built in the late 1960's, then mostly unused for decades. I was told that the last time it was used was around 2005. The room was un-climate controlled for long periods and could have had lots of moisture exposure, but is in Texas so unlikely to have experienced freeze spalling.
The bricks do not appear to be keyed in any way, just mortared in with mortar that failed.
Can I remove all of the loose fire brick, then reinstall them with a proper refractory mortar, or is there something different that should be done? Do I mortar the fire brick only to fire brick, or also to the regular brick wall behind it?

If the firebox looks like that the inside of the chimney probably looks worse.  This is not a DIY job you need to have a pro run a chimney inspection camera down the chimney or your risking a chimney fire.  If you are feeling that lucky then buy a lottery ticket and your winnings will pay for the chimney guy. ;-)


OK to use short length of plumbing pipe as electrical conduit? I need to connect a steel junction box on the inside of a building with an outdoor rated disconnect/switch on the outside of the building.  The disconnect will be used to power a piece of outdoor equipment and be connected with appropriate cordage to the disconnect.
The wall is 8.5" thick solid concrete.  I was planning on drilling a 1" hole through the concrete and connecting the inside box into the back of the outside disconnect using a piece of 3/4" galvanized rigid conduit.  I don't, however, have the tools to cut and thread the conduit to length so that the threads can be tightened with conduit locknuts.  I asked an electrician if he could do this for me, and he told me to just get a piece of black iron or galvanized plumbing pipe (which I can get pre-threaded in 10-in lengths) and use that instead.  Since we are only running THWN wire through this short length of pipe he thought the risk of snagging on the inside of the rough piece of pipe would be minimal.  Is this sound advice or should I find another electrician that can cut me a piece of rigid conduit?  I thought about using other types of conduit, but I don't see how I could run directly into the back of the disconnect and have room for a conduit connector or clamp unless I make a significantly bigger hole in the concrete.  Any advice would be appreciated.
I am also curious as to what standard practice is for caulking sealing outdoor boxes like this when connecting directly through the wall into the back of the box.

You can use rigid as the ground it is done absolutely all the time. However both black iron and water pipe are code violations (how would anyone know?) The water pipe has a seam that is not smooth and the black iron is not galvanized. Rigid conduit uses the same dies as regular pipe if they have a machine there is no difference.
The big deal is the center needs to be chamfered, some don’t do this on water and gas.
you can connect the boxes and use the pipe as your ground. from the pipe size why not pull the ground in the pipe the nuts are cheaper than a short run of copper.

You can drill a 1" hole then pound in a 1" black iron or galvanized or PVC, then slip your 3/4 steel electrical conduit through that.  As the other poster said in the comments you don't thread electrical steel conduit (at least not the thin stuff)


Rebar required for 24 ft tall 4x4 square steel tube 1/4 inch thickness, 4ft deep in a concrete base, horizontal load of up to 1,000 lbs at the top I am installing a 24 ft 4x4 square quarter inch thick steel tube 4 ft into the ground with a concrete base of 28 inch diameter and just over 48 inches deep, so 20 ft of the post is above the ground. This post will be have heavy horizontal loads pulling it from the top of the post. I`m curious if the concrete base is deep enough and if reinforcement is required to keep the concrete from failing.

Thank you,

Whether your concrete base will survive is irrelevant, because your beam will fail.

See: https://www.amesweb.info/StructuralAnalysisBeams/Stresses_Steel_Hollow_Structural_Sections.aspx

Input:
Output:

Notice the highlighted field of the output.  That's the stress you'll be putting on the connection with the ground, (assuming it's rigid).   The yield strength of steel (where it stops bending back when unloaded) is 36,300 psi,   You'd be overloading this beam 1.5 times.  It will fail.

Consult an engineer to design something for your purposes.

EDIT:  I've done a recalc with a cantilevered beam calculator in response to the comments below.  The result is essentially identical, and any difference between the two calculations is likely rounding. Simply put, two different calculators, with two different sets of input, give the same result:

I = 8.82813 in^4, and the 2 inches is the distance from the edge to the center.

There are two things to note in the results:

A stress of > 36000 psi, the yield strength of steel, and
A deflection at the end of almost 18 inches, which throws the geometry completely out of whack, and accelerates failure.

Further EDIT:
The Plastic Modulus for this section is 5.28 in^4
Multiply that by the yield strength gives a Plastic moment of 190,000 in.lbf, which is ~16000 ft.lbf, which is LESS than the moment at the support of 20000 ft.lbf.

TLDR: You're loading the entire structure into the plastic region, turning it into a plastic hinge.  This WILL fail.

I’d use #3 rebar because it can be bent by hand...no special bending tools or equipment is required using #3 rebar.

I’d install 4 - #3 rebar vertically and 1 - #3 rebar tie at 8” on center horizontally to keep your concrete base from cracking and failing.

Also, remember to keep all rebar a minimum of 2” from the edge of your form and 3” from the bottom. (Your steel post should also be a minimum of 3” from the bottom.) Use wire ties to keep the rebar in the correct position.

Another person has indicated that your 4x4 will fail. This is not true.

The section modulas for a 1000 lb. load at the top of a 20’ cantilever pole is:

S = M / Fb

The moment for a cantilever is: P L
which is 1000# x 20’ = 20,000 #feet or 240,000 inch lbs.

S = M / Fb therefore is 240,000/36,000K or 0.0066

A 4x4 with 1/4” wall thickness is 4.0 which is more than adequate. (I didn’t check for shear, because bending will govern.)


cracked shower tile/underlayment I had three cracked floor tiles in the shower and just removed them thinking I'd just simply replace and grout.  However, after removing I noticed a lot of moisture and as you can see from the picture, there is a crack underneath exactly where the tiles were cracked.  The shower hasn't been used for two days and if I dry this area it becomes saturated again within minutes, with water seeping up through this crack.  Do I need to keep going down further?  I don't believe the liner is torn as I have no leaks below.  The home is 7 yrs old.

If the liner is good you don't need to go down more, though if you replace with the same size tile it may crack in the same place if there's a (evidently) structural issue there.

I'd be inclined to fill the hole with an "accent stripe" of 1" tile so the crack (when it re-cracks, as seems likely) can follow a grout line rather than crack the face of a tile.

You have discovered the fundamental principle of building things: stuff must be flat and level.

The problem is that the subfloor is not flat. You need to jack up the subfloor and add a truss so that it is perfectly flat. There are a lot of hacks out there who think the solution to the problem is shimming, which is a mistake.


What is the purpose of these removable "collars" on ceramic light fixtures This fixture happens to be plastic, but all my ceiling juntion box mounted 600w rated light fixtures have a removable collar. I don't see the point in this extra part. Is there some sort of shade I can install? I assume if you had a heavy bulb that you'd just use an E39 size socket instead of the E26 socket.

It looks like the metal screw socket would be touchable without the plastic ring in place. When the bulb is lit, I believe that would be hot (energized).

Since they may use the same base for different size screw fittings, the ring is possibly designed to protect from shock hazard but being a separate component allows the base to accommodate various sized sockets.

The specific scenario I can think of when this would be important is when screwing in a new bulb to replace a dead one. The circuit could unknowingly be on (since the bulb is dead), and you could get a shock when the bulb made the circuit.


Why is my plumber suggesting that I replace the poly water supply line to my house? All the houses in my subdivision were built in 1985, and they all have poly main water lines to the house. My line is spraying water right at the fitting that connects to my water meter.
The plumber tells me the fitting for this type of poly pipe is no longer made nor available, and said everyone with this poly usually just replaces the whole line, (for $4500). He recommends Wirsbo Propex. In other words, he says that he can't just cut off the leaking section of line because he has no fittings to reconnect it to the meter. (I'm not sure I can believe all this, as naturally he'd rather do the $4500 repair.)
There are plenty of YouTube poly videos showing how quick and easy DIY it is to add connectors to this line. Some are simply metal inserts that are barbed on one side (inserted into the poly after heating it) and threaded screws on the other, then you screw an adaptor on to connect to any type of line you want, copper, PVC, pex, etc. Thing is, I can't find any of these fittings online, but maybe I just haven't searched enough. I could repair this myself if I could find these fittings.
It also just occurred to me that this poly line is really large, diameter wise, much larger than the 3/4" pipes used in the house. Instead of digging up the whole yard, I'm wondering if I can't snake a smaller diameter (1/2") PEX line through the poly, from the meter to the house. It's a fairly straight shot from what I can tell. It has the added bonus of acting like an insulator/protective covering.
Any thoughts or comments?

I have a feeling that we're actually talking about polybutylene, which is obsolete and could account for the confusion. I think most of us assumed you're talking about polyethylene, which is commonly used today.
Your home was built during the window in which polybutylene pipe was used for runs from the street to the meter. It was discontinued due to lack of durability:

While scientific evidence is scarce, it is believed that oxidants in the public water supplies, such as chlorine, react with the polybutylene piping and acetal fittings causing them to scale and flake and become brittle.

This would also explain your plumber's suggestion, which seems reasonable in that case. Due to slightly different wall thickness, commonly available fittings cannot be used. Any plumber who cares to stand behind his/her work may also be reluctant to work on PB, since it's more likely to result in a callback. You might point out that SharkBite offers transition fittings, which can be identified by their gray plastic sleeves. So a solution may be at hand.
"Black poly" isn't really a thing, officially. It's a layperson's term for an unknown plastic or a tradesperson's nickname for polyethylene that happens to be black. Color is irrelevant with these materials, though.

Sounds like your plumber is might be a crook/scam artist.
Black polyethlyene pipe (also known as well pipe) for cold water distribution is still very standard and available as are the fittings for it. The folks who make blue polyethlyene well pipe make some dubious claims that it's "better" but I can't say I find them at all convincing, and the price differential is large. The black stuff is listed by NSF as suitable for potable water. So's the blue stuff. They use the same fittings anyway. The rest is marketing BS.
Digging up the whole line to replace it is ludicrous - black polyethlyene is not like the gray butyl they used inside houses for a while that "just fails" and you really should replace the whole set - I've personally worked on black polyethlyene well pipe from 1964 or so, and aside from the misery of getting connectors out of it without just sawing the pipe off (didn't want to lose the length that would take) it was just fine 50 odd years on.
It would be advisable to evaluate why the pipe at your water meter broke (is it exposed to damage? Frost movement or freezing?) but there is no reason at all to replace black polyethlyene with pex, wholesale, particularly if it means digging up the line.
Picture is from Aqua Science, one of many online vendors that have them. A hardware store near you probably also has the correct fittings. I have purchased stuff from Aqua Science but have no other relationship with them.


Light switch tripping hoping to get your feedback on what could be going wrong here. Hope you can understand my diagram. When switch 2 is flipper on it trips the breaker. In the light 2 jbox there is no light installed yet but I connected the wires together in anticipation and this is when I found the issue. There are also grounds and they are all connected to the light plate and not touching any other wires. Any ideas what could be going haywire?

Derrick

Here's the problem.  The cable between light 2 and S2 is what's called a switch loop.  Switch loops don't have neutral.  They have always-hot and switched-hot. These are the two wires you connect to a switch.

If you want to wire by colors, switched hot is usually red.  You're seeing white because the store doesn't sell Romex in black-red.  The installer was forced to use stock black-white.  There's an exception to the rule allowing white wires to be used for hots in this case (however, it also says you must remark the wires by wrapping them with electrical tape or other method). So get some red electrical tape and mark both ends of the white wire as red.

You never attach neutral to a plain switch, this would result in a short when the switch is turned on.

The white wire in a switch loop is not neutral.

Switches get always-hot and switched-hot... and not neutral.

Lamps get switched-hot and neutral. They can't use always-hot because then you wouldn't be able to switch it.    You would never splice switched-hot and neutral together, as it would be a short when the switch is turned on.

This drawing shows the problem.  Joining switched-hot to neutral up in the light box is causing the short when the light is turned on.

How do you tell if a white wire is in-use as a switched-hot? By following the wires and seeing if it

has black/colored tape (now required)
is one of only 2 conductors in a switch loop (therefore it must)
is landed on a non-smartswitch
is  spliced into a group of hots
goes directly to a lamp but there's another wire known to be neutral
lights up a voltage detector when the switch is on.  This can be a problem if the switch is broken.   To make this last one easier, best practice is to use the white as the always-hot, and the black for the switched-hot.

It sounds like your connecting the wires together has caused a short. Why did you connect the two wires together?


Maytag Model- La612 Series 04 fills up on it's on and then starts running by it's self My friend has an old Maytag washer and the other night it filled up on its in and just turned on and started running scaring her half to death. I am thinking the water inlet valve, but I can't understand why the washer is running on its on if it is switched off. Any ideas??

If its running (agitating, changing gears, etc) its not the water valve, its the master control switch.  Its getting a ghost signal to begin the wash process, or its just faulty.  I would suspect the latter.


Can I plug a generator into a dryer outlet I have an electric dryer with a 30 amp circuit running to it. If I had a male-male plug to run from a portable generator to this outlet, would it be safe to run essential appliances (water pump, refridgerator, sump pump, etc) during a power outage as long as I tuned off the main breaker and the total draw was less than 30 amps?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!
This is NEVER an option.

You MUST use some form of transfer switch or interlock, along with the proper male inlet. Also, a male-to-male cord is called a "suicide cord" for a reason.

I have used a generator backing up through an "outlet" that I also use for welding for decades; that breaker is always off until it is needed for one operation or the other. I have marked every breaker that I want to run off the generator and turn off all the others along with the mains breaker. There is no problem, as long as you do that. Of course, I am the only person who is capable of hooking up the generator and running it, so there is no chance of someone else running into a problem. The only time an interlocking transfer switch is absolutely needed is if the generator automatically comes on when the power goes off.


Kitchen setup for US appliances in Europe/India I am relocating to India from US and taking all the appliances along. I understand that a lot of appliances can go toast due to voltage support as India/Europe has 230v range and US appliances work at 110-120v range. For tvs i can get a separate adapter, but how will it work for kitchen where i would need multiple appliances to be plugged in.
Basically, is there a smarter way to support multiple power points at 110v range which might be located at different locations.

Yes, the most common solution is to sell your US appliances and buy new in India.

The difficulties and expense of getting transformers etc and making it impossible for others to connect the wrong things is not worth the time or expense. But your money your choice, I’m basing this on the decisions others have made...

And I do have a 230v to 110v transformer for 2500W that I use for certain things but not kitchen stuff.

Just a tip: "heat only" two 240V phases gadgets like electric, stoves, but not of the induction type could work just plugged phase-neutral instead of phase-phase because resistence does not care about electric frequency (50Hz vs 60Hz). Usually electronics with embedded power supply should support both voltages (check the label) just motor-equipped stuff won't work well because frequency, in that case, is a matter.

So I agree: "big stuff" like dryer, washing machine, dishwasher are better sold in US and re-buyed.

220V Heat-stuff could usually be used without isssues

Electronics: the power label should be checked, very often it can handle both standards (electronics uses DC and adding "multistandard" power supply enable the maker to sell the same product worldwide).

This is a picture of power supply label that could used on 220/100 50/60":


How can I find a sink that will fit where an old sink was? We wish to rid ourselves of an 'American Standard Americast' kitchen sink and go with an over-the-counter sink.  We have a granite counter top that cannot be changed and therein lays an issue as the current opening is "set in stone."  The current sink, 'Americast' model number 7145, has become scarred and ugly in appearance even after being treated with a paint to recover its original look.
The sink has two unequally sized bowls; the left side being the 'deep end' and the right side being the 'shallow end.'  The current opening measures 29.5 inches wide, 18.5 inches on the 'deep side' height, 16 inches on the 'shallow side' height, with rounded corners, and the bend of the granite top centered at 21 inches in the transfer from shallow to deep.  There are four openings for the faucet, water control, soap, and spray attachments that are 2.25 inches back from the shallow-end edge.  Measuring from the left, the openings are at the 10.5, 14.625, 18.875, and 22.875 inch marks.
Question is "where do I find a replacement overmount sink without having to order a customized sink from a manufacturer?

"Farm Sink" solution to your problem is to replace sink with a Farm Sink or get your old sink refinished at a used appliance store


Can i fix or run my 110V pedestal fan on 220V? I have an old table-fan that I bought years ago and was rated for 110V. During the checkout process, it the option of choosing 110V or 220V and I made the mistake of choosing 110V. I haven't been able to use it and it's been collecting dust and I thought I'd get it running so I opened it up.

Inside I found a the motor that was connected to a 300VAC 3uF capacitor and it was also connected to a three-speed selector which to was rated for 300V. All the wires inside the fan are also rated for 300V.

The only thing that doesn't seem to be rated for the 220V is the fuse in the plug. There's a fuse that reads, 110V 5A.

I don't know much about electronics but I've been doing research on this. What I've found is that since it has a capacitor, it isn't a three phase motor.

I'm scared of plugging this into 220V and starting a fire. Is there a way I can check (and run) this table-fan at 220V? I've also read that that motors can be rewired to be run on 220V.

I'm really wondering if they actually do use different motors for the 110V and 220V version or is the motor in both versions the same with the only difference being the fuse and the capacitor.

Don't do it. Plugging the fan into 220V will draw twice the current and result in 4 times the power delivered to the motor, so it will spin like crazy. There is risk of overheating, fire, fan blades dislodging and bearings overheating.

In some cases the motor can be rewired for a different voltage but it takes a fair bit of experience and knowledge to do this correctly. It's also unlikely that a simple fan motor will support this, so it's definitely not worth taking the risk.

I would recommend taking the loss and properly disposing of the fan. Properly disposing includes making sure no one else accidentally plugs it in. So please don't give it away or resell it unless you are absolutely sure that the recipient knows what he/she is doing. I know it's a bit painful, but it's the right thing to do.

If you are taking a loss on the fan anyway then plug it in outside and see what happens. It could be exciting to watch.


In Germany, should Ground and Neutral be connected at the main service panel? It is stated in multiple places (diy.stackexchange, web searches), that "Ground and Neutral should be bonded at the main service panel".

My residence in Germany is supplied with 3-phase power, and has "modern" wiring.  Recently renovated, new wiring with ground conductor, and a subpanel.  The main panel and subpanel are joined by a 5 conductor 10 mm^2 line, i.e. there is an independent ground conductor joining.  The only ground electrode is a metal bar going into the earth next to the service entrance, i.e. at the main panel.  No idea what is buried there, but it looks roughly 20-30 years old.  Galvanization still good above ground.

This is all one structure.  Main panel first floor, subplanel second floor, 20 m joining line.

For my residence,

A) Should Ground be bound to Neutral at the main panel, and only at the main panel?

B) Should the subpanel have a Ground electrode?

Related question, for US residence.

Best explanation I've found, but is not explicit about German Code

Second residence requires a ground electrode, but does my subpanel?

It depends on the supply to that property and its earthing arrangements. It could potentially be TNC, TNC-S, TN-S or TT

If it has an earth spike like you suggested it is probably a TT system. It is important you understand the distinction and I suggest you look up those earthing arrangements mentioned above they are well documented with diagrams.

In TT systems the earth neutral must not be bonded together at any point in the installation. The Live and Neutral alone make their way back to the transformer while the earthing will make its way outside the building separately and onto an earthing spike.

NOTE:
The following paragraph I have block quoted and this paragraph is a disclaimer against it as it would appear subjective and only anecdotal in the experience of this region. As another user pointed out they have experienced the opposite in regard to the TT systems being historic. It does not alter the overall answer for the user who asked the question. However, I feel it adds context to the region so have left it as is.

  "It should be pointed out that TT systems are a historic system and
  the trend is to phase them out as much as possible as the impedance
  path to earth can sometimes be so poor that it affects the ability of
  the system to earth the system correctly."

So no the Neutral and Earth should not be bonded to each other and secondly no your sub panel should not have its own spike it should be connected to the main earthing bar within the property that will then in turn connect to the earthing spike. This is important because you don't want multiple and different impedance paths to ground. With a TNS/TNC system the supplier provides you with the earthing arrangement for you and will guarantee a (ZE) value.

Dirt is a terrible conductor.  That's why we don't make wires out of it.

Why it's called neutral:  Neutral is supposed to be near earth potential - if you are standing barefoot in the rain and touch the neutral wire, not much should happen.  The secondary purpose is to minimize the voltage between other conductors and earth - that's why neutral is "in the middle" rather than at a corner.

The jobs of earthing

Current travels in loops.  Earth wiring has an important job: returning natural electricity to the soil: lightning and ESD. That's why the earthing spike (ground rod) is tied to the earth wiring.

Remember how we aim to hold the neutral wire at earth potential? That doesn't happen by wishing.  There needs to be a bond between neutral and the earthing spike to establish that reference.  It could hypothetically be any kind of bias, but 0V is easy to do with a piece of copper.   This bonding could be any of several places, but obviously, it must be somewhere both neutral and earth wires are present.

And we need to return human-made electricity to source. If artificial electricity has a ground fault, where leakage occurs to the earthing system, we want that leakage to efficiently return back to source.  Source is the supply (hot and neutral) - we're not so worried about neutral-earth faults, so we're mostly worried about hot-earth faults and we'll want to return that current to neutral. If it is a bolted fault (dead short), we will want it to trip the overcurrent device (breaker) so it must carry current.  This requires very low-resistance -- dirt will not suffice.  So it's back to a copper neutral-earth bond.

The grand union

These requirements, together, call for a grand union of the neutral wire, the earthing system, and the earthing spike.  Long experience in North America has shown you want that neutral-earth bond in exactly one place -- and that should also be the place the earthing spike/electrode ties in.

If you don't have that grand union, you will be omitting some of the above-mentioned protections.

SOP in North America is for that grand union to be in the main service point (main panel), and neutral and earth to be rigidly separated in each subpanel.


How can I secure NM cable in a tight spot? I need to secure NM cable in an area where there isn't enough room to swing a hammer. This makes the usual staples impossible to use. How can I secure the cable in this tight space?

You can get an NM cable stapler at a supply house or home center, that is if you can fit it into this area.

Also, we many times use our linemans pliers to pound staples. Sure, it's not the intended use, but in a tight spot many times they work perfectly. Hit with the face where the cutters are.

I avoid a regular hammer whenever I can and use a small air-driven palm nailer for hanging electrical boxes and staples.

My small nailer only needs roughly 4" clearance over the head of the fastener for the tool and your hand, so if you managed to install a box in the void, you ought to be able to hammer the nail-style NM staples without any difficulty.


Need help leveling part of a floor We had an 8 foot square hottub in our bedroom for 10+ years. Because of the weight, the floor has sagged in that section. The tub is gone now and we had carpeted around it, but now there is a big square spot that has a dip in it. I'd say the dip is at least 1/2 inch. (Our bed is over the spot now)  How can we level it out?

The easy way would be to use floor leveling cement. You can built up first with some 1/4 plywood first to get in the ball park.

Without knowing the full extent of damage cause by the hottub I can not suggest a patch job.