Coast 3-way -- does this conform with Code? For those who aren't familiar, the California or Coast 3-way switching arrangement  is a method of wiring a three-way switch circuit that is used when both a switched and an unswitched hot are desired at both ends of the circuit, as seen in this image (taken from the Wikipedia page on three-way switches):

However, it requires two travelers, a hot, a neutral, and an EGC all in the same cable -- and 12/4 or 14/4 NM is a recent invention, as I understand it.  Has 14/4 been around for longer than I think, or were Coast three-ways installed with 14/3 and a separate (or no) neutral running with the travelers?  If the latter is true, wouldn't they violate 300.3(B) (and a few other Code sections) due to the wayward neutral conductor?

Perhaps I could be wrong on this but when I worked as an electrician in California many years ago, the coast 3 way switching was developed for the following reason. Many homes and offices were wired using steel flex (aluminum came later). Most cities in California at that time had their own electrical code, governed to some degree by the state code and NEC. There were some rules that did not allow you to pull four wires (Conductors) in a 1/2" flex conduit unless one was a switch leg.

By using a coast 3 way the conductors were as follows: one point wire (Common) one switch leg, one Hot and one neutral, with no travelers. Plus of course if you needed a hot plus a switch leg and a neutral at each end, you would have them available. On a standard 3 way switching you would have two travelers (In the UK these are called Strapping wires).

Having a line, switched line, and neutral at each end of a  particular switched set of lumenaires is effective when an installer has separated the perm fixed lighting on it's own branch circuit when visibility/safety are criteria in the design due to the possibility of breakers tripping open as a consequence of several variable factors such as required GFCI devices, 80% rated small appliances, etc.  I find the incurred cost of 30-40 addn. ft. of 12 or 14/2 nm-b respectively is well worth it compared to the time and labor of installing additional circuits to provide lighting redundancy in the prev mentioned examples.  The capability to go from one room to next is also of importance when replacing or installing fixed lumenaires in bedrooms that are already closed-in such as a finished attic(1.5 story).   As 4 borrowing another circuits neutral, by rule probably not allowed. Depending on the size of the lighting load, could be trouble, but with light emitting diodes these days, 40 to 60 additional volt amperes on a "barrowed neutral" isn't gonna burn the place down.....


HVAC blower fan won't stop FINAL UPDATE: I have found the culprit - the Nest thermostat itself. First, I disconnected the t'stat at the control panel and found out that the fan would no longer start upon powering the system. Then I replaced Nest with the old 'dumb' t'stat (from 4 years ago), and everything works fine now. Now I will try to figure out what happened to Nest: failure, software update, etc., but that's another topic.

So I had this problem with my HVAC during winter when out of blue (after working fine for many years) the blower (fan) wouldn't stop, even after the temperature reached the target and the burners shut off. The burners would start and stop per thermostat instructions, it's just that the blower motor wouldn't stop to run. The only way to stop the motor was to power off the entire HVAC system. Mere switching the mode to OFF in thermostat wouldn't stop it.

I kind of half-solved the issue then by disconnecting the G wire from my thermostat (Nest 1st Gen, see picture below). As a result, the heating mode worked fine and controlled the blower as it was supposed to. I couldn't manually control the blower from my thermostat, but it wasn't a problem for me, so I never got to the bottom of this.

Now, it's time to use A/C, and this half-solution backfired. When I now set Nest to cool, the outside fan/compressor starts working, but the blower motor in the basement doesn't start. If I connect the G wire back in Nest, the blower does start immediately after powering HVAC without any command (similar situation as in winter), the cool air blows fine, but again the blower wouldn't stop after the desired low temp is reached. The difference now is that the cooling mode doesn't seem to be able to control the blower correctly (or at all) as the heating mode does.

I have visually inspected the system, cleaned wire ends and tightened the screws.

Any ideas what exactly could be wrong and how to fix it? I can provide more info on the system if necessary. Thank you!

UPDATE 06/06/2019: Got back to this after travel. Since running a new t'stat wire didn't look very practical in my set up, first I decided to inspect the wiring and found a lot of splicing. I added a picture of a big splicing hub that could explain the color mismatch for wires: HVAC's Green wire becomes Yellow on t'stat, Red becomes Black. White is White (although a bit yellowish due to age). But I am confused about where the Blue wire at t'stat comes from. I can see the Blue wire from HVAC going towards the outdoor compressor, but how it ends up in t'stat I don't know. Unfortunately, I am not able to follow the cables to t'stat for the whole length due to basement ceiling.

Still looking for any ideas on why my fan suddenly started blowing without stopping and how to solve this. Thank you!

Is there a splice in your T'stat wiring? Your color scheme is not matching up. Also you've landed a wire in your t'stat on your "Y" terminal but it is not landed on your power source and the "C" is landed on you power source and is not mounted on you T'stat.

I would suggest you run a completely new thermostat wire and reconnect matching color and code.

Go to this link, this is how Airwave technology of Nest works. Even if it attains the desired cool temperature. The blower still runs causing that noise (though the compressor turns off by itself). I was also so much concerned about the fan not turning off or the HVAC not turning off until I read this article..

https://www.onehoursmarthome.com/blog/nest-airwave

Thanks
Hari


Difficult to start a four stroke mower when cold - how to diagnose the problem I have a mower with a Tecumseh LV148AE / LV195EA engine that will run pretty well once it warms-up, but getting it started when cold is quite a challenge.

The way I have been able to get it started is to keep pulling on it about 20 times.  At that point, I might get it to fire once or twice.  Another 10 pulls and it'll fire again maybe five or eight times.  Finally, it'll start running.

Stopping the mower for a few minutes to empty the grass, it'll start up with one or two swift pulls.  Even if it's been off for an hour, it will startup after a few swift pulls.  But if it sits since the last time the grass was mowed, it needs that huge number of pulls to get running.

My theory is that it's not getting good compression any more.  I've ruled out fuel and spark as a problems since it runs pretty much flawlessly once it's warmed-up.

My plan is to do a bit of diagnostics the next time I need to run the mower.  I'll start by doing the 10 pulls, and I expect no firing.  Then I'll remove the spark plug, put some oil in the cylinder, and replace the spark plug.  If it immediately starts, then I'm going to presume that's because the abundant amount of oil is causing a better seal between the piston rings and the cylinder wall, giving me better compression.

Is the above diagnostic idea a valid one?

EDIT:
Squirting oil in the cylinder did not make much difference.  My next attempt is a new plug.  The existing plug looks good and is properly gapped, but I'll try the plug next (simple things first).

Another idea is if the muffler is causing too much back-pressure, so if the plug doesn't help, I'll take the muffler off for another quick test.

EDIT: Additions based on comments

The mower has a bulb to press, and I've used it as directed.
I have tried starting fluid, but it doesn't have much impact, which is why I was thinking it wasn't a fuel issue.
I can get an entire new carburetor, delivered, for $10, which I will try after I replace the plug.
Smoke is not a symptom, so that aligns with the oil in cylinder test not having improvement.
When I say "cold" I mean North Carolina spring cold, as in 50F.  The winter might have gotten down to 20F, though.
There is no manually operable choke mechanism.
I do not see a fuel filter in the parts diagram.

Last EDIT:

Replaced the carburetor (see my answer, below)

I had an identical problem as yours with my Toro 4-cycle mower. Eventually, the mower wouldn't start at all, which I tracked down to a dead ignition module (ignitor). After I replaced it, it's been easily starting for about 4 or 5 years now. The ignitor looks like this:

This may or may not be your problem, but if you've eliminated everything else...I used a piece of card stock to set the gap between the ignitor and the rotor.

I would definitely try replacing the plug, as that might fix the whole issue.


what could cause my gfci to randomly trip? I'm in the process of finishing my basement, and am almost done with the electrical rough-in. The whole thing is open studs at this time, so any sort of reconfiguration is easily possible.

I have a 20amp AFCI circuit breaker supplying the bathroom's GFCI receptacle, all with 12 gauge wires. This receptacle then supplies power to the light and fan via a double gang box.

Intermittently and randomly, the GFCI trips itself, but only when either the fan or light switches are toggled. It can go several dozen toggles with no issue, and then suddenly trip. This can happen either with the fan or light switch; I haven't had any luck identifying exactly why this happens.

The GFCI outlet is around 7 years old (came with the house; I repurposed it in the bathroom). Load and line are set correctly, and the switches are also wired correctly.

Is there anything I need to specifically look for, to help identify why this happens, and to avoid it in the future?

I suspect the electronic circuitry of the AFCI is drawing some quite small current from hot to ground, which looks like a ground fault to the GFCI. This current is probably not enough to trip the GFCI normally, but when switching an additional load on the protected side of the GFCI, there could be some transient currents from hot to ground that take the GFCI over the trip threshold sometimes Remember, the GFCI is supposed to trip with as little as 5mA of ground fault current.

Try connecting the light and fan to the line (unprotected) side of the GFCI. I don't think code requires the fan and light to be protected by the GFCI in any case, just the receptacle.


Electric stove wiring Help!

I had the bright idea of changing my electric stove top, it looked simple enough.

I have 220V coming from my wall with one green, one bare, one hot black and one black wire.

From my stove-top I have one green, one bare, one red, two black and one white wire.

I connected the two greens & the bare wire together.
I connected the two black wires together.
I connected the one black hot to the red hot wire.

But now I don't know what to do with the white wire coming from my stove.

The stove works great. The problem is that I have a white wire that I don't know what to connect it to. I may be wrong but I think this is a common wire and not a hot wire. To what set of wires do I connect it?

Well, you say you have "one hot black and one black wire" from the wall? What does this mean?

If all you have from the wall is two hots and a ground you CANNOT use this circuit for this cooktop. This is a straight 240V circuit with no neutral.

According to your description your cooktop requires a 4-wire 120/240V circuit.

You did fine.   Don't need white.
Does the stove temp match the thermometer you got at BB&B to put inside?


Attic door panel chain pulled off If the attic door panel has a locking machanism and the pull chain has been pulled off, is there anyway to get the door open without damaging or replacing the door?

The 3 dots on the left side are the lock, and the hole to the right of those 3 dots is where the pull chain was.

Is there anyway to get the door open without damaging or replacing the door?

Yes, drill out the heads of the three carriage bolts and then replace them after you re-attach a new chain.

Good luck!


Carrier Central Air Conditioner Model 38CKC042-340 with 35/5 instead of 40/5 I have this unit
Carrier Central Air Conditioner Model 38CKC042-340

I was looking at http://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For-Parts/a41b370d1182307/Model-38CKC042340-Carrier-Central-Air-Conditioner-Parts and it says i need "Capacitor Dual 40 + 5 mfd 440 volt Round"

My existing Capacitor was 35/5 so i replaced with another TRCFD355 35/5 MFD Round Dual Motor Run Capacitor

Questions
1. Is there any issue with running 35/5 instead of 40/5 as suggested by Repair clinic

Should be fine if you replaced a factory part with a part of the same size and configuration.


What is the concept behind drywall studs? I'm a DIY noob who has recently moved to a new apartment.
After building my Ikea furniture, I want to begin with something more challenging, I want to install wall shelves with brackets. I've followed multiple DIY tutorials and have bought the tools that I need, all of them refer to finding studs in the drywall and drilling in to them.
Drywall is a new concept to me, I come from a country with concrete walls. I haven't quite understood what studs are, can anyone help explain what they are and what their purpose is?
As far as I've been able to make out the stud is a metallic sheet where the drywall is screwed in, so I should be looking to find an existing a nail in the stud and then screw the bracket with an anchor above/below it. The other thing that I was wondering about was if both the brackets should be drilled into studs or is just one side enough and what happens if the length of the shelf is such that the other side doesn't align with a stud.

There is a ton of information and history out there.

Studs are strong pieces that are the internal structure of your walls.  They are covered by some type of material (the "skin") that is what you see when you look at a wall.  If you imagine your wall without any type of skin material, there are probably two studs at the left and right edges and definitely two framing members  (similar material as studs, but the term studs explicitly refers to the vertical members) going horizontally at the floor and ceiling forming a rectangle.  This rectangle has many vertical studs inside of it, usually space at 16" or 24".

A term you'll see sometimes is 16" O.C. which means On Center; it just means the center-line between two studs is 16" apart and there is about 15.25" of air in between them.

Your studs are covered on both sides by something.  These days it is typically drywall (sheetrock) which is cheaper and easier to install than most alternatives.  Your surface could also be plaster, paneling, tile, etc.

You need to use a stud finder to locate where your studs are because you need to attach heavy objects to studs.  Drywall can only support very little weight.  To use a stud finder:

Put masking tape horizontally on your wall.
Place the stud finder against the wall, holding it vertical.
Press and hold the button.

Hold it still for the first half second so it can calibrate itself.

Move the stud finder horizontally across the wall and mark on the tape where the signal is strong.

If the signal acts weird, make sure you slide the stud finder sideways at the same height.

Take a tape measure and try to find a pattern between your marks that is 16" or 24" apart.
Now you can measure multiples of 16" or 24" and know where other studs are.

You need to determine if your stud are wood or steel because the type of fasteners (screws) you use depend on it.

There are other methods of determining this, but here's one:  Figure out where your fasteners are going to go and drill a small pilot hole (smaller than the size of the fastener).  If you get about a 1/2" deep and hear a terrible screeching noise followed by your drill bit sliding and having no resistance, you have steel studs.  If you get 1" in and you start to see saw dust coming out of your pilot hole and your drill still feels like it's biting at something, you have wood studs.

If you have wood studs, you can use general construction screws (NOT drywall screws).  If they are steel, you probably have to use toggle bolts.  Toggle bolts are a pain to use, so you can try using self-tapping machine screws with a fine thread first.  Make sure your fasteners are long enough.

There are many other types of walls out there so if things don't seem right, maybe they're not typical stud walls.

I think the general concept is to hold the drywall in a verticsl position and thus provide a wall type room partition


Removing detergent smell from clay/earthen pot I used detergent to clean a newly bought clay pot. Kept water in it for around 5 hours, To my surprise I am now drinking perfume :(.

How do I now remove this strong detergent smell. I tried coating it's internal surface with lemon juice over night. Washed it 10times. But no avail. Is there a way I can get rid of the smell?

Put it in the oven? Low setting for an hour or so might work.

First of all it was a good decision that you opt for clay pot for drinking water.

It is always advisable to not to use any detergent, soap or any chemical for washing clay pot. Since you have already use detergent so you have three options:

Use the pot for growing plants and buy a new fresh clay pot
Or you can try this:

Collect some fresh rice washed water everyday and pour it into the pot
Keep it for 1 day and rinse it gently next morning,
Repeat this process for total 15 days

Or you can also use warm water + baking soda:

Pour it in pot and keep it for 1 day
Next day rinse and wash the pot repeat this process again for 15 days.

After 15 days, if it's good to go then start using it otherwise use this pot for planting and gardening.


I lost power to half my house Last night, my kids woke me to tell me that power was out to half my house. This has happened a couple times in the past and we found that all of the neutral wires were loose in the electrical panel. I expected to find this again but everything was tight.

Several months back, I had problems in my kitchen (2 circuits). I locked the breaker out and eventually dropped the lead from the breaker.

I changed all of my breakers, including the main, this morning because these were the original ones in the house from 1984. Prior to changing breakers, I checked the voltage on all breakers, including the breaker that I dropped the lead to (it was off, by the way) and on this one breaker that was off I had 220 volts across it.

My question is this, would that breaker cause all of my issues or is it something more? I know this is an odd question. I'm trying to make it through the holidays and then I'm going to hire an electrician to rewire my house.

If you replaced your breakers on an older home and did not upgrade the wiring leading to each outlet as well as the outlet...you have issues.  These breakers are designed for ground wires and older homes have a grounded box only. And in many cases an older home has copper wiring where as newer breakers are designed for aluminum.  So a few checks need to happen...no aluminum to copper outlets.  No copper outlets to aluminum wiring,  And no aluminum wiring to copper breakers...and visa versa.  Copper and aluminum will cause trips and fires if used together.  And a breaker designed for continuous ground placed in a home with no continuous ground will also trip and kill you and your family.  Hire a qualified electrician as you are putting your family in serious jeopardy!  Cities have regulations on electricity because homeowners are NOT QUALIFIED!


Adapter for NTC boiler probe I just bought a replacement NTC probe for my boiler (bought with specific part number) but once the item arrived I noticed the connector wasn't matching. I think this is due to past maintenance when the original probe was probably replaced by a 'compatible' one along with the wire.

Now I want to replace that probe because my boiler does not modulate any more on DHW but it does on space heating. So the first suspected is that (faulty) probe.

Said that, this is a photo of boiler's connector and with new probe on the side. I'm asking if someone could tell me what connector (or adaptor) should I get to install it.

All manufacturers that I know of have a service line.

Your best bet is to contact the original manufactures service line and see what they have to say about it. You may have to purchase a new harness along with your element.


NEC 2016 AFCI question I am currently dealing with a little confusion regarding arc fault protection and how it would be enforced by 2016 NEC code. I'm not a licensed electrician, I'm doing an apprenticeship and the guy overseeing my work is unavailable right now, was hoping for some advice.  I ran a branch circuit to a shared switch box consisting of 2 - 3 way switches powering independent lighting circuits. I used a 14/3 cable not being aware he was enforcing this code. (I haven't seen it enforced much around here in my experience). I was am now being told that you can not share a common neural and still arc fault protect them. I think I may have found a way if I were to use a 2- pole 15 amp breaker they would only need one neutral, correct? Is this violating any other NEC codes in the process by them having a common trip? Also I am finding GE has discontinued 2 pole afci breakers. I would have to order online to match the load center but does anyone have any idea as to why they stopped making them? Were they having trouble with the functionality? Any advice you guys may have would be a big help. Thanks

GE (THQL) AFCIs don't come in two pole any longer -- because they don't need to

Your apparent lack of ability to find two pole THQL AFCIs is actually due to a manufacturing revision to the single pole units.  Mod 3 single pole THQL AFCI breakers can be handle-tied for multiple pole applications, as they do not use a CT-based trip for arc-to-ground detection.  (You still need to wire the load neutral to one of the AFCIs, but either one will do -- you don't need to connect it to both.)

See this GE handout for details.

Unfortunately most AHJ's these days require some form of fault protection... whether it be GFCI,  AFCI, CAFCI, or the newer DFCI.   DFCI's have class A GFCI protection ( 5mA trip) unlike their former cousins CAFCIs which are more of an equipment GFCI (30mA trip) with Arc fault protection too.

Maybe you can use a discontinued double pole AFCI.  Good question on why they discontinued some of the AFCIs. Probably not enough demand and not required by Code.

By the way, the guy overseeing your work should technically be your Boss, legally he cannot sub you out as a independent contractor since you're not liscesned.


Self-locking caster wheels? I'm planning to build a step stool on casters than can be easily moved around the room. In the past I've seen store-bought step stools where the wheels automatically lock when weight is applied. I don't know if there's a specific name for this type of wheel, but I haven't been able to find them anywhere online.
(I need to build the step stool rather than buy one already made, because it needs to have handrails for the user to hold onto.)

It appears that the product description you seek is called a compression brake caster. The specifications I've found using those terms in a search indicate the mechanism within causes the brake to activate when weight is applied. I recall a library step stool from my early days in which the entire caster was enclosed in a tubular leg. The mount for the caster was on a spring, which was compressed when weight was applied, causing the load to be held on the cylindrical leg. This does not appear to be the method for compression brake casters.
I would offer links, but there are far too many and would represent product recommendation, considering how many different choices are available.

The wheels could have a toothed gear built into it and be spring loaded. As the load is applied the wheel & gear move and a tooth engages with the gear so the wheel cannot rotate.


Dust proofing unfinished basement concrete floor My basement is unfinished and has a French drain. The bare cement floor is dusty and it tracks footprints all over my hardwood floors. I want to stop the dust from forming.

I have tried to find this dust proofer at Home Depot but no luck. They don't carry it. Neither does Lowes.

http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/industrial-brands/concrete-saver/water-based-floor-coatings/5500-system-acrylic-dustproofer-floor-sealer

They suggested I use a water proof sealer. This seems strange because my floors don't seem wet or moist. Doing some research, some sites suggest a concrete sealer like this one from Behr.

http://m.behr.com/h5/mobile/en_US/product_details?page_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.behr.com%2Fconsumer%2Fproducts%2Ffloor-coatings-sealers-and-prep%2Fbehr-premium-wet-look-sealer-985

I'm a new home owner and this all new and confusing to me. Do I need to wet proof? A sealer? Or do I need to special order a dust proofer?

I plan to sweep, shop vac, and soap and water wash prior to application. Anything else I need to do?

I would recommend using ordinary concrete floor paint, NON-glossy, water-based. One common brand of that is the same brand as a "waterproofer" but the paint and the waterproofer are very different products (the waterproofer is a very thick glop that covers a very small area per gallon.)

Non-glossy means it's not slippery without having to add anything to make it non-slip. Waterbased means it's also not horribly stinky and it's easy to clean your brushes/rollers. It's also easy to recoat if the surface is ever stained or damaged.

Both of the products you have linked will leave you with a gray concrete color (since they are clear) and a surface that is slippery.

My personal preference is white, since it makes the area MUCH brighter by reflecting light. Gray and "terra-cotta red" seem to be more common choices for floors, but I find the white floor very nice (mind, I don't freak out about trying to keep it perfect.)

If you are "soap and water washing" before paint, rinse, rinse some more, and rinse again - then dry throughly before painting. Soap residue is not good for paint.

You need to clean and etch the floor, or profile if there are any glues or residue stuck to the floor. Then seal with a clear or colored water based polyurethane sealer . The home Depot lowes stuff is ok but really does not last. Use a high quality sealer such as SureCrete Products.  Best thing is to get a contractor involved if you want it to last. I do this for a living.


Is there a better method for affixing UPVC floor trim to skirting, other than the adhesive tape provided? Can anyone recommend a better method of affixing UPVC (e.g. Homelux) floor trims to skirting other than the adhesive tape provided?

Can you mechanically affix them or is it just down to adhesives?

I don't like liquid nails as it dries out to no bond in 10-years or less & prefer Lock-Tite "caulks". But yes, you can nail that stuff. You'll need to pre-drill it (or it will split & explode) for the shank & for the nail head, since you're drilling & filling anyway you may prefer to screw it like I do.

If you mean plastic roll wallbase:

Use Liquid Nails or go with real trim.

With the "adhesive tape provided" ? Don't you mean 'the provided adhesive' ? If it comes with a roll of tape it's not the good stuff (if you want to call it that...) If it is the good stuff, with about an eighth inch of goo on its entire backside, what you did wrong was improper surface prep (scarify the surface and then clean it with alcohol). I've never put this stuff in but when it's done correctly, it does NOT come off without destroying the wallboard.

Try not to buy old stock and don't install it when it's cold.


T-Nuts for Granite/Plywood table? I have a 30"x50"x3/4" granite slab that I would like to use for a table. I'm thinking of putting 5/8" plywood underneath (20"x40"?) and before mounting the granite on top, inserting a few T-Nuts for this type of legs: https://www.homedepot.ca/product/live-edge-timber-co--38-inch-high-x-19-inch-wide-steel-furniture-legs-pair-of-2/1001215038

Are t-nuts my best option, or is there some thing else I should consider?
Is 5/8 plywood thick enough?
Anything to consider when cutting the plywood size, aside from wide enough for the legs, not wider than granite?

I have a 36" X 68" kitchen island top of 3/4 granite . It simply rests on the frame work of the island, basically 3/4 plywood on edge with cabinets and drawers like typical kitchen cabinets. There are some cross members of 2" wide 3/4 plywood. The granite is loose and can be moved. I was going to do something more sturdy but have not gotten to it in 25 years. I have stood on it a few times , I keep my feet over the 3/4 on edge plywood. A good finish carpenter made the island so it is very flat. So cabinet type birch plywood should be enough.


What type of plywood to use for a general purpose workbench? I would like to build a workbench for my garage. Having minimal experience, I would like to try this: https://www.familyhandyman.com/workshop/workbench/how-to-build-a-workbench-super-simple-50-bench/view-all

The project calls for using 0.5in 4x8ft plywood. I know nothing about lumber and its properties. I see some options in Home Depot:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Pine-Plywood-Common-23-32-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-0-688-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-799397/202677224
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Sande-Plywood-Common-1-2-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-0-472-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-454532/100017950
http://www.homedepot.com/p/PureBond-3-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Maple-Plywood-263012/100548908
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Columbia-Forest-Products-3-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-PureBond-Red-Oak-Plywood-FSC-Certified-332733/202887464

Can you suggest which one of these would be ideal for this? I don't plan to do anything special (no woodworking, metal work, etc). Just small house projects and/or general purpose usage. I would like to stain the workbench later on. I live in the Northern California region so temperatures range from 40-110F. Thanks.

Option 1 or 2. The plans themselves call for 1/2" plywood, and it's a general purpose workbench with good supports underneath, so 3/4" is overkill. Option 2 is a bit nicer of those 2, but again, it's a workbench, so you don't need super fancy. If you do plan on staining, pine does not generally take stain very well, so in that case you'd want option 2.

A fifth option, if you have any kind of hardwood dealer near you (search google for "hardwood" and ignore any flooring stores), is to get 1/2" Baltic birch plywood. This is the staple for shop furniture in many shops, given its nice look and low price tag; it also takes stain and other finishes nicely. It may cost more than the pine ply you linked (but may not!), but should cost less than the other 1/2" ply you linked.

2 or 3. 1 is pretty poor stuff, 4 is unnecessarily fancy. 2 is probably sufficient for the use, but 3 is quite a bit nicer without too much additional cost.


Heat pump not working after rain A couple weeks ago, I had a Goodman 3 ton heat pump split system put in. At 5pm hours today, I was outside near the heat pump and noticed that it was functioning properly. At about 6pm, there was a rain storm that came through and there was a downpour for about 15 minutes before it cleared up. At about 9pm, I noticed that the A/C was not blowing out cold air. I went outside and saw that the heat pump was not turning on at all and it was completely silent.

I checked the circuit breaker and found that it did not trip and I also saw that the plug near the heat pump appeared to be in place too. I looked at the bottom of the heat pump and saw that there were some drops of water around the whole bottom of the heat pump but the compressor was not under water by any means. I also took off the service panel of the heat pump and saw that all of the connections appeared to be in order and there were no loose wires.

I was wondering what could be causing the outdoor heat pump to not turn on at all.

The model number for my heat pump and air handler is GSZ160361 and ASPT37C14.

I have a 3-ton heat pump and it keeps tripping the outside “disconnect” (that electrical connection outside near the unit) too.  It looks like it’s not tripped, but when I flip it off and then back on, the unit then comes on.

Some disconnects have a “breaker” that you remove from the base unit mounted on the wall. If yours is like that, just pull it out and then reinstall.

Its a strong possibility your capacitor failed. verify you have power leaving the contactor
once the thermostat has call the unit. You will need a voltage meter. If you have voltage ,test the wires on capacitors for power. if you have power. Turn off  circuit breaker and replace capacitor. Goodman are known to blow capacitor which is a cheap fix. inspect your capacitor to see if it has a small pimple. in most cases that's an indicator the capacitor has failed.


How do I close this hole in the HVAC vent? What's the best way to close up this hole in the venting leaving the hvac?

Would foil tape be sufficient? Right now it bleeds out hot air into the basement in the winter, and cold air in the summer.

Click for full size image

If you're talking about the seam (circled in red). Then yes, foil tape is appropriate.

However, if you're talking about sealing around the pipe (circled in orange). You'll want to use Duct Seal, or an equivalent product.

Foil tape will work just fine.  This is how I've got mine closed off.


Is it acceptable to install a pool tile mosaic without any thinset or mortar? Is it acceptable practice to install pool tile mosaic without any thinset or mortar securing the mosaic tiles to the pool surface??  My pool contractor did this with a large turtle mosaic and now the tiles are falling out.

He tells me it is common practice to just secure tile mosaics with just the grout and plaster surrounding it - and no thinset/adhesive between the tiles and pool surface.  I heard from someone that ANSI A118.5.2.4 discusses specific installation of ceramic tile mosaics in wet environments (pools, spas, showers), but I have not been able to find the exact text of the standard. Searches keep landing on product info. Can anyone copy-post or lead me to the relevant text?

Likely the pool will have to be drained and the entire 3' by 4' mosaic torn out and replaced (or leave a turtle shaped patch...?)  That sounds like it could be expensive. IF the contractor was not following acceptable standards of tile installation, he needs to step up and fix this.  Right now, he does not sound like he is ready to do that.

Can anyone provide insight as how to handle this.  Any links to resources (such as ANSI, or local standards) would be fantastic. We live in California, Santa Clare County.
Thanks, Kevin

A Google search for "ansi A108.5.2.4" (no quotes) finds a PDF as the first hit  containing:

Take a look here . I know it is not your county but it may close.


GFCI Problem with Three-Way Switch WAS Two Switches Neutrals Only, Switched Hots Not Used I replaced an old two-prong receptable with a three-prong GFCI (no ground) yesterday. It won't reset. I found out that "downstream" there is a light on the next level down that is controlled by two switches, one at the top of the stairs, one at the bottom.  The original receptable is fine (resets, green) as long as that light is not turned on. As soon as it is turned on, the new GFCI receptacle trips.

Now for the weird part. I open the light and it has two cables coming in, each with a black, white and pink wire. I assume (not a great idea) these are one cable each from the two switches, and that based on the color they are hot(black), neutral(white) and switched hot (pink). I would have assumed the light fixture's bulb holders would be wired with the switched hots (combined together) as hot (to the bulb holders' black wires) and the white neutrals should be combined and attached to the white of the bulb holders, but they're not.  Instead the neutrals (really I should say "white", 'cause who knows what they are) from one cable is fed to the hot of the light holders, and the neutral of the other cable is attached as neutral.

Does this make sense? I just bought the house, and the light and switches worked until I installed the GFCI, and the GFCI I just installed doesn't work either.

I would have thought that the pink switched hots should be combined and attached to the hot (black of the bulb holders)  Of course, if it were that simply, why was it not that way already?

Edit:

Edit2:
When I took the switches out of the boxes so that I could take pictures, not disconnecting anything, the upstream GFCI would not reset, even with the switches open. When I put them back again, it would.

Again, it all worked before I changed the two prong outlet upstream with the GFCI.  That is the only change I made.

When I looked in the 2nd switch box a second time I noticed there were some bare wires, maybe grounds I had not seen before.

Is it possible all this is about a ground or a neutral?  If so, how do I track it down?

Edit 3: Addl pics as requested

Edit 4:
Add pics of the "unrelated" switch, per request. See below.

Bottomline, if I can't figure this out shortly, I'm in trouble with the wife, so I bought another standard, non-GFCI receptable so shortly I'm going to install it. I don't have a ground, but the box is metal and the cable is armored, so I think the receptacle is grounded. I gather I can test by seeing (carefully!) that I get 120V AC across the hot and the box? And if I don't, it's not grounded?

Edit5: Adding pics of the missing junction box!! Great catch.

From your description it sounds like you have the intelligence to understand this stuff, but are simply lacking certain nuggets of information.  You'll want to read up a lot on "switch loops" and particularly "3-way switches".  It will all make sense pretty quickly, then.

Oh, and one more thing that's a bit harder to uncover:  In America, wire colors do not have firm meanings.  Green always means ground.  White or gray always mean neutral, unless marked or in switch loops and messengers - the goal being to build the necessary circuits with readily available multi-wire cable even though it's the wrong color.  "Hot" lines are everything else - including marked whites and (implied) switch-loop whites, and there is no official standard of how to designate certain types of hot. (however in commercial facilities, consistency is required.)

Call a licensed electrician. How GFCI's work...

https://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/118853/099.pdf


Angle grinder 4 1/2" diamond blade with 7/8 in. with 5/8 in. insert included -what is the insert for? I have a 4 1/2" angle grinder and I bought this blade because I need to cut some concrete bricks for my patio.
With the blade I received a small disk that fits in the hole of the diamond disk and it seems to be some sort of adapter so that the blade can match the size of the arbor.
When I tried to attach the blade that seemed to be the only way to attach it (by using this small disk) but when it did not really work, the blade did not seem to attach firmly to the arbor even after I tightened the screw that was supposed to press both the blade and the adapter (the piece with three small wholes in the picture)
I am talking about the yellow disk labeled "Adapter" below. (I represented this based on what I remember about it, I don't have the tool in front of me)

What am I doing wrong?
Edit: I have checked and indeed if you flip the nut then the nut presses on the disk. If the nut is not flipped the nut pressed on the adapter. The nut in this last mentioned position is used when you have a recessed blade that you use angled for grinding.
The adapter is needed to center the blade on the arbor BUT it has not role in in the tightening mechanism that keeps the blade in place. That it the role of the nut if it is flipped

Depending on the thickness of the blade, you flip the locking nut over. Also, it may or may not need the adapter for different disks.

The only reason those rings exist is to provide one with a means of operating the tool using a blade with a bigger accepting hole diameter than the thinner, less girthy in circumference acceptor shaft If the tool you plan to operate the blade inside, preventing centrifugal forces from borking the rotational integrity of the blade and causing it to spin like shut and be, like really dangerous.  You can also use the rings to separate two like blades that operate in tandem on the same acceptor shaft provided that the hole and shafts are of congruent diameter, and the diameter of the ring Bridging the two wheels exceeds that of both the hole and shaft.


Range vent hood pipe What type of pipe is best for venting my stove hood? Does flexy hose work or should it be hard pipe only?

According to IRC, the duct must be made from galvanized steel, stainless steel or copper. It must have a smooth interior, and be air tight. Which means you're not going to want to use a flexible product for this application, especially that flexible plastic crap. Instead, you'll want to use rigid duct like this.

And you'll want to make sure you seal all seams with mastic or tape, that's designed for the purpose.
If you're not sure what building code is used in your area, the safest bet is to simply follow the installation instructions provided by the manufacturer of the range hood.

International Residential Code 2012
Chapter 15 Exhaust Systems
Section M1503 Range Hoods
M1503.1 General. Range hoods shall discharge to the outdoors through a single-wall duct. The duct serving the hood shall have a smooth interior surface, shall be air tight, shall be equipped with a back-draft damper, and shall be independent of all other exhaust systems. Ducts serving range hoods shall not terminate in an attic or crawl space or areas inside the building.
M1503.2 Duct material. Single-wall ducts serving range hoods shall be constructed of galvanized steel, stainless steel or copper.

Hard pipe is recommended because it will work much better and is unlikely to be crushed or compromised.


How can I deep clean grout in my kitchen? I've tried homemade recipes with baking soda and lemon juice. I've also tried store bought cleaner/repair stuff. So far, it's still dingy.

Anyone know of a powerful (and somewhat safe) product that can get the grout back to what it use to be so I can reseal it?

Mild Sulfamic acid (I've bought it at Home Depot years ago) and wear gloves.


Octagonal Electrical Box Wire Capacity The wiring for a bathroom light and a receptacle are in a 3.5 x 1-1/2 in. octagon electrical box. Is this the correct size for this number of wires? There are 3 blacks, 3 whites, 1 red, and 3 grounds. It's a 15 amp circuit. I'm not sure whether the gauge is 14 or 12. The wires in the bushing on the side of the box are Romex. The other wire is 50 yrs old. The house is in the USA.  I've read some fill charts on-line, but I don't understand them as there are various increases/decreases in the conductor count for certain situations.

Correction: The box is 3.5 in., not 4 in.

A random check of a manufacturer shows 3-1/2 x 1-1/2 octagon boxes are 11.8 cubic inches. It may also be stamped on your box.    You need:

1 wire unit for all the grounds
4 wire units for your hots
3 wire units for your neutrals
1 wire unit for the internal clamp
2 wire units if a receptacle is inset into that box.  If the item is surface mount, 0 wire units.

Total 8 wire units.  A wire unit takes 2.0 cubic inches for 14AWG and 2.25 cubic inches for 12 AWG.   So that's 18 or 20.25 cubic inches.    Your box has 11.8?

You have a few options.

Add a box extension, a 1-1/2" extension would solve your space problem. Nobody cares which holes the wires come in, I never use knockouts in extensions because then it's hard to remove.
Put a second nearby box to offload some of the wires.
Convert to a 4" square box (21 cu. in.) with a mud ring (? cu. in.)giving a face similar to a 3-1/2" octagon box.  This may also help you address your depth problem mentioned in the other post.  It's ridiculously easy to change boxes since all your wires are flexible and terminate in the box.  (by "ridiculously" I'm contrasting it with thru wires which must be pulled, steel conduit, substituting a wider box so you have to cut the conduit, and doing it 21 feet in the air in a boom lift!)

That many conductors is fine - you have no issues with that. Your load ratings on that box are important. You are reworking it - so it will need to be in code.

EDIT 5-15-2016 Something else that might be helpful a box fill calculator

PDF Link for a nice short quick reference.

The following paragraphs of text Were taken from here >

  Outlet Boxes

  The 2008 revision of the NEC significantly changed 314.27. Significant changes often bring numerous errors. The 2011 revision corrects an error in the previous NEC by requiring that boxes installed in a wall for luminaire support must be marked on the interior of the box to indicate the weight ratings of the box. The 2011 revision also: breaks up the requirements into a list format, for easier reading; incorporates the provisions for lampholders into the title of the rule; and revises the luminaire box ratings for clarity and ease of reading.
  Ceiling Fan Boxes

  Outlet boxes used as the sole support of a ceiling-suspended (paddle) fan must be listed and marked as suitable for this purpose. If the maximum weight isn’t marked on the box, it is allowed to support a fan up to 35 lb. If the box is marked with a weight, it can support a fan up to that weight, but not more than 70 lb. Ceiling paddle fans more than 70 lb must be supported independently of the outlet box [314.27(C)].

  Occasionally, an electrician may install an extra unused switched conductor in a luminaire outlet box installed in the ceiling. While this may seem like a nice feature — because it allows for a future ceiling fan — it’s a Code violation when the ceiling fan is finally installed, unless the box is listed to support a ceiling fan. This change was accepted after initial reluctance, because the NEC isn’t in the habit of dealing with future violations, no matter how likely they might be.

  The result of this change in 314.27(C) is that such an installation must incorporate a box that’s suitable for ceiling fan support, despite the fact that a ceiling fan is not installed. Considering the effort required to install the separate, independently switched conductor, this change does not add much of a burden to the electrical community. However, it does add an enforceable requirement for AHJs who did not have one before.

  Where spare, separately switched, ungrounded conductors are provided to a ceiling-mounted outlet box in a location acceptable for a ceiling-suspended (paddle) fan in a dwelling unit, the outlet box must be listed for the support of a ceiling-suspended (paddle) fan [314.27(C)] (click here to see Fig. 1).


Why do bathroom sinks have overflow holes whereas kitchen sinks and tubs do not? My understanding is that the purpose of the overflow holes is twofold--

To allow water to flow down you drain faster.
To prevent overflow if the sink is filling faster than it's draining.

If #1 was true, wouldn't you also see the overflow holes on kitchen sinks?

If #2 was true, wouldn't you also see the overflow holes on bathroom tubs?

So--why do I never see overflow holes on tubs or kitchen sinks?

Edit: To clarify, my familiarity is primarily with sinks/tubs in the United States.

I suspect this is simply because kitchen sinks are rarely operated by two-year-olds, and hence do not need training wheels.

It all about profit.  It cost more to make a sink with an overflow drain.  I am glad to hear that they are on all sinks in Europe.

They are very much needed on all sinks.  And, this nonsense about it being unsanitary to have one in kitchen sink is just not true.


Generator tripping GFCI breakers in main panel I recently had some electrical work done on my home to bring it up to code - there was no GFCI protection in the kitchen or bathroom when we bought the house, so our electrician fitted GFCI breakers at the panel. He did not use the GFCI outlets because he explained that our existing outlet boxes were too small to fit the extra size of a GFCI.

When I plugged in my generator to my transfer switch though, and flipped the main breakers in the transfer switch from LINE TO GEN, the GFCI breakers in my main service panel immediately tripped.

I have read that this may have something to do with the fact that most portable generators come with the ground + neutral bonded to the frame. Apparently, this makes the generator a SDS (separately derived system) compliant with OSHA for use on job sites. I can confirm that my generator is like this. It says so right on the power panel.

However, when connecting to the house, I have heard that the ground + neutral are actually already bonded together in the panel, so you should "float" (disconnect) the neutral wire at the generator. However, I have also heard this increases shock risk on the generator side.

I am not positive that this is why the GFCI breaker in my main panel is tripping, but it's a hunch. It could just be that the breaker doesn't like the power signal coming from the generator.

Regardless, I'd still like to have power to my kitchen from the gen.

Any suggestions as to why this could be happening?

That's to be expected.  The neutral from the circuit is going through the GFCI breaker, but the hot is coming from the generator.  The GFCI sees this as an imbalance, since there's no current flowing through the hot side of the breaker.

Here's what your setup likely looks like (if it was drawn really quickly in MSPaint).

If you follow the current through from the generator, you'll see that it returns through the GFCI breaker.

However, since the current is not flowing through the "hot" side of the breaker.  The breaker sees an imbalance, and trips.

The cutaway in this image shows the internal circuitry of the GFCI breaker, and depicts the current flowing only on the neutral wire.

WARNING:
If the generator or transfer switch does not provide GFCI protection, the kitchen will not have GFCI protection when on generator power.

What you need is Reliance Controls X Series panel!
From their website...
"The X Series is perfect for use with generators having GFCI protected outlets, bonded neutral generators and installations requiring a separately-derived system."
Yes, it's a sub panel and you will need to shift critical loads you wish to use with your generator, but it'll be done right!
Here is a link to a tech sheet for that series specifically stating their panel addresses the GFCI / Bonded Neutral Generator issue.
http://www.reliancecontrols.com/Documents/XRC%20Tech%20Spec%20108A.pdf
Here is a link to an installation manual specifically discussing the install & test procedures, (gives you insight as to what the panel is doing for you, why it has to been a certain way, and what the job entails).
https://www.wincogen.com/wp-content/uploads/PD/Supplier/XRK-Manual.pdf
You will need to call Reliance Controls as they have made changes to their product, (website doesn't have all the new products listed, "at least as of 9 Aug 2020 it hasn't been updated yet"). Let them tell you the exact panel you need so you don't waste your time ordering the wrong stuff ~
Don't give up the protection your generator is giving you, your home, and expensive appliances. Additionally, some generators like Honda's EB5000i & EB7000i pro series generator can't be electrically modified to bypass the protections. Don't let your electrician talk you into what "he can do to make it work"! Sure, there's always ways to bypass safety and maybe still meet code, but why do that when this panel isn't that expensive.
Mine was $300 for Honda's EB5000i generator. Years of thinking about this issue and finally finding the solution!
Good Luck, and NO I DON'T work for them... LOL ~


How do I stop a creek from eroding my steep embankment? Behind my house there is a very steep bank/slope that leads down to a decent-sized, slow moving creek about 10 - 12 ft wide. Unfortunately it meanders right behind my property at the base of this steep embankment:

When we bought our house almost ten years ago, it had not meandered nearly as much and we had significantly more embankment/real estate than we do now. Over the last decade the creek has cut deeper and deeper into the embankment and we now have lost about 8 - 10 feet of property at the top of the slope due to erosion of the embankment. We are now about to lose our fence which runs along the top of the embankment and I think this is finally the year that I need to do something to stop the erosion of loss of real estate (and our fence).

One thought I had was to see if I could (as impossible as it sounds) redirect the creek to flow straight rather than to meander. This would prevent the creek from cutting into the embankment any further. But it wouldn't stop erosion from rain which is now just as much a problem as the creek.

To fix the erosion issue, I'm wondering if there is any material I could apply/spray/whatever to the entire embankment? I know on the side of highways I often see rocky cliffs with some kind of retaining netting that helps "pack" in the rocks and loose debris from falling onto the road.

At this stage I'm just looking to review my options so I can weigh them and only then drill down into their logistics so I can figure out which way we're going to go.

So, options-wise, what are some solutions out there that could help with both problems (that is: preventing the creek from meandering any further, and erosion of the embankment due to the creek and rainfall)?

This is often a complex legal situation due to regulations that affect (in many parts of the world) what you can do in or near a body or stream of water even if the land next to it or around it belongs to you; not to mention the fact that you are fighting with a force that has literally shaped the planet, and it's inexorable and quite capable of undoing many things you try to do to stop it, if, in fact, it is even legal for you to try to do those things. If the stream also is a property BOUNDARY, the legal implications of trying to move it get even more complex.

The "wire mesh" you describe is most probably gabions, which are empty wire cages which are stacked and filled (pretty much by hand, which has taken a novice contractor or two by surprise, to their cost) with rocks. Another common technique is "rip rap" which are simply large rocks layed over the face.

Your only legal option in many places would be to think about moving your fence back before it's undermined. Trying to get plant material established on the eroding slope is another approach, but many jurisdictions are less fond of people planting highly invasive species often selected in the past for that purpose, so you may need to stick with native/local species. Or, you may be able to perform some work after having hearings/meetings with the Authority Having Jurisdition over such activities in your area (conservation commission, department of environmental protection, etc.)

Forget concrete, steel, sandbags, rocks, lawyers and consultants.  TREES have roots that hold the soil bank together.  Willow would definitely work, but maybe take over downstream. Sterile grasses for short term.


Stacking two 6x6 posts for two story deck We are having our two story deck fixed. The deck is built on the downward sloping side of a hill and the footings were failing. The footings were replaced with much larger tube-formed footings.

When the contractor installed the new posts, he actually cut off the old posts (approximately 20'-22' lengths) at the halfway point and put new posts (vertically of course) under the old/existing posts. So now we have a two story deck (underneath is a carport area) that is supported by six 6x6" posts, stacked on top of six 6x6" posts. This just looks wrong and dangerous.

Is it acceptable to stack posts on top of one another to create a total height of 20'+ for the purposes of deck construction and support? If so, how should the posts be secured to one another?

You’re right, vertical splices in posts need special attention, especially 1) when the posts are 20-22’ long, 2) when they support decks or spaces where people can gather, 3) where cars can impose “extra” load on old existing footings, and 4) lateral displacement depending on seismic activity or seasonal ground movement, 5) how square the two cuts are made at the splice.

1) When posts are 20-22’ long they tend to buckle when over loaded. This is called the “slenderness ratio” and depends on the species and grade of wood. (AND because it’s outdoors I suspect it’s pressure treated.) A typical 20’ 6x6 of spruce-Pine-fir (SPF) can support about 8,000 lbs. depending on its grade. (I’m assuming a middle grade of No. 1 and better, but not a “Select” or a “Dense Select”.) Likewise, a 22’ 6x6 of the same species and grade will support about 7,000 lbs. I’m also assuming the posts are braced in BOTH directions at the 20’ or 22’ splice. If not, it’s a hinge a a bigger problem develops because it becomes a 30’ post...or whatever the existing post adds onto its length.

2) When a post supports decks and other “living” spaces we take extra precautions. Depending on the size of your deck, you could easily overload the post at your next birthday party when the gang starts singing Happy Birthday and jumping up and down. We use 100 lbs. per square foot to calculate the load, but the Code allows 40 PSF. The Code allows an increase in stress (strength) for impact loads, which your party would qualify for, but there’s a reduction for pressure treated posts too.

3) We also worry about adding additional loads to existing footings that have “always been just fine”. You now have a carport and the weight of that car on the soil can make the existing footing settle or tip (lean).

4) If you live in a seismically active area there are special considerations that must be met. I doubt you do, because you say there are independent footings. If you lived in S. California or another active area you wouldn’t have independent footings. (If I’m wrong, I’d get that looked at immediately.) Remember, the post needs to be braced in both directions.

5) Finally, to answer your original question: “can posts be stacked and how should they be connected “. Yes, they can be connected and they should have an adequate connection. The Code does not stipulate how they’re connected, but says it needs to be adequate. If the two ends are not cut perfectly “square” and there is jumping on the post, it could “slide” past the other post, especially if it’s a little wet. (When I cut a 6x6 with my skillsaw I have to turn it a couple of times to cut all the way through. It’s never a perfect cut. Did you have skilled workmen you trust?)

That “sliding” load can be calculated if we know the load on the post. Short of that I would not trust wood 2x6 side blocks nailed into the 6x6’s for a connection. (Someone said blocks on two sides would be ok. I think not because the nailing could be in withdrawal. That’s bad. At a minimum I’d use blocks on 4 sides.)

Without knowing your exact circumstances, I’d prefer a steel connection with braces in both directions at the splice points. You could use something like Simpson ECCLQ. It’s not perfect, but it allows braces in both directions.

https://www.mudsupply.com/Simpson-ECCLRQ666SDS-p/909200801.htm?gclid=CjwKCAjwssD0BRBIEiwA-JP5rIXNWlhsWWIz4wEdUUQ_3SGkclQJnV6f7cRuEyGWCSqWmELi9uIOnRoCRVMQAvD_BwE

Remember, you just created a HINGE. You need to brace it so it doesn’t move.

It Depends

As you noted and is generally obvious, they do need to be connected together in a manner that they stay aligned and together to work as a single unit. This can be accomplished by nailing on 2x block to at least two sides or using a manufactured metal connector product
Tall skinny posts that are not braced will fail by buckling where the middle of the post will move to the side suddenly and without warning, this is very dangerous of course, especially for a deck with the potential of having lots of people on it. To resist this sideways movement, tall posts are braced at the middle point (1 brace), and maybe even the 1/3 points (2 braces) or 1/4 points (4 braces) in both directions usually using 2x material. The ability to resistance to this sideways movement between supports requires continuous materials between the supports, that is, no connections. Therefore, the joint of your posts must also be braced even if it does not fall at the normal 1/2 etc points.

Edited to add this note:

Note that there is no requirement that the connect brace be an additional and completely separate and different brace than the others. For design the post height would be the greatest of the distances between supports. What this means is that the brace is not required to be at the 1/2, 1/3 etc locations, this is just done for efficiency in materials and because it usually looks the best. If your post to post connection is not at one of these locations then it might be possible to place one brace there if the longest unbraced segment of post is still under the maximum. The aesthetics that results from the brace location is not a structural issue and you'll want to consider it based on other criteria. Note I can't tell you the maximum post height here now for many reasons, sorry


Can I apply joint compound over drywall primed with PVA? I hung drywall ceiling in my basement. I got impatient/lazy and decided to "finish" the project already by painting it with Kilz PVA Drywall Primer, even if the mudding & taping is not perfect yet.

I would say some taped joints need one more layer of mud & light sanding to be completely hidden (especially the outside corners with the CGC Perfect 90 tape (If I used normal folded paper tape, It would've shown less).

I haven't painted it with Latex. The primer is white and flat, which I think looks OK for now.

Should I decide to "fix" it, can I mud over the PVA primer?

You can absolutely mud over cured primer. (Or cured finish paint, for that matter.)

Use all purpose mud (not a setting compound) and scuff the primer gently with 120 grit.

Polyvinyl acetate dissolves in water and the mud is water based too.  There is a possibility of the mud detaching and falling off.  (Happens all the time) I would recommend sealing in the primer with a waterproof latex with texture.  The texture will help the mud adhere better.


Can I use heat gun to remove wall paint? I have a section of wall in the kitchen near the window where several layers of paint are peeling off. It is an interior wall, most likely plaster over brick.
Using a paint/wall scraper will be hard work and will require a lot of effort to peel so many layers.
Using a chemical stripper will give off fumes.
Can I use a heat gun on my kitchen wall, or is it only for food?

If you have paint peeling/flaking off the wall, it might be a better option to scraping off loose paint and put on a skim coat of plaster/joint compound.  I've used a heat gun to remove large areas of paint and its not fun.  If you're determined to do it, be wary of holding the heat gun in one spot too long.  Try and warm up 1 foot diameter area and then use as wide a putty knife as you can to scrape while heating up the wall in front of the knife edge.
You should be aware that if the paint has lead in it, a heat gun can vaporize it, which is as dangerous as any citrus strippers might be.
I would also take some time to figure out why its flaking in that area under the window.  Is it from a leak around the window?  Maybe the frame outside is not sealed or the caulk has dried up and cracked.  It would be annoying to fix the wall, paint it and then have it reoccur a few months later.

Citrus based paint strippers work very well, and they smell like citrus.
When stripping paint, sometimes it is required to  do it in stages, apply stripper, scrape and repeat (maybe several times).
On paint that is very difficult to remove sometimes using a heat gun will help soften the paint so it can be removed. Sometimes you need to employ both methods to achieve effective results.
I would use the citrus stripper and see how it goes.

Can I use a heat gun on my kitchen wall?

If, as you guess, the wall is plaster over brick then a heat gun used carefully will not damage the wall. If it is drywall (Sheetrock) then you need to be very careful. Drywall is gypsum sandwiched between two layers of paper so once you have removed most of the paint you could scorch the paper if not careful.


What is this type of sink drain/plug called? We recently moved into a condo, and the sinks have screw-in drain cover. We are trying to find a replacement drain cover that is able to close, but I can't figure out what the type of drain is called to see if this exists!
The drain itself has a plus-shaped brace that sits about an inch in, with a threaded hole in the middle. It looks a lot like a bathtub drain, but the threading of the hole is slightly different.
The cover is a wide metal disc with a short bar coming from the bottom which is partially threaded. I feel like this is the type of drain + cover in a lot of hotels.

EDIT: 7/8
I thought it might be a 'pop up click' or 'click clack' drain (as two answers suggested), and ordered a pop up stopper and bolt, but the length of the bolt is way longer than our drains (even in 'compressed' position).
The length of the stem on our drain cover is ~33mm, with ~13mm thread, while the 'pop up' we got has a 66mm bolt, with much larger thread. See image below for comparison.

I have always heard those type are called pop up drain plugs , it looks like yours is missing the rubber seal. If when you press it it drops down and press again it pops up you probably only need to find the rubber seal.

Search popup click drain plug.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=popup+click++drain+plug&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images


Best way to move/extend wall-mounted outlets when finishing basement? We're getting ready to finish our basement. The basement is already wired for electricity with wall-mounted metal outlet boxes.

However, the existing boxes will be way too shallow once the insulation and framing are put in. The existing box is 1.5" deep. We're planning to put in 2" XPS, and I'm told the chalk line for the top and bottom plates should be 4" in front of the insulation. So that would put the front edge of the framing 6" from the foundation wall. The guy at the hardware store suggested I use box extensions to bring the box out further. But the extensions are 1.5" so I would need to use three of them to bring the box out to 6". That seems a little awkward to me, and I have to do this with 8 outlets.

Are extensions the best way? Or can I instead remove the existing box and replace it with one that will mount to the frame stud? Should I use metal or plastic? Would I need to extend the conduit to reach the new box? Or should I just bite the bullet and call an electrician?

In any case I will also need to extend the wires, as there is not enough slack.

This is so easy, you'll laugh.

unfish the cable out of the last segment of conduit
pull the conduit off the wall
use a conduit bender to put a slight S- curve in the conduit,  so it's out from the wall 4.5" more than it was.
put the conduit back on the wall
fish the cable back in. It will still reach! It is still the same length as the conduit.

Now, the junction box is 4.5" proud of the wall, and 1" or so higher up the wall.   Build your wall, make sure to include a hard point to mount the junction box.

You are converting from exposed wiring to "in wall".making for a few options.key is where the wires are in the ceiling.
Estimate where your finished outlets&switches are going to be, international code is a good guide, then convert your metal conduit to pvc(gray, just like white drain pipe)within
ceiling ,then puzzle out reaching your boxes with "extra"
wire. Conduit is only necessary because exposed wire cannot be used in conduit &conduit wire cannot be exposed even within a wall. I think ,since you are not experienced
you may be able to get away with plastic boxes, though each inspector has their own pet peeves.


How can I reattach a ceramic towel bar end bracket to a ceramic tile wall? the hanging frame on the wall of bath room was broken. If I want to fix myself, what are the tools/materials I should buy and what are the procedures?

As shown in the first figure, looks I need to use some materials that can attach the support to the wall. As shown in the second figure, the support on the left was good while the right one was broken, which need to be fixed. Any suggestions are highly appreciated.

It appears to me that the towel bar may have been originally attached using tile grout. It should have been installed with tile mortar, and could have been grouted after the mortar was set. Mortar creates a much stronger bond.

Considering that you probably don't have mortar on hand, I'd swing by your local tile store and ask what they have in a small squeeze tube that would work. Otherwise, construction adhesive, pure silicone, or other household adhesives rated for moist areas would do as well.

You'll then want to caulk or grout around the base to help keep water out and create a finished appearance.

Remove the bracket that is left if you dont have the other one.
Go to an hardware store look for an simmilar if not the same bracket, prefibly an set of two that contains the rod
Remove the old brackets and holders and install the new one
Post pictures if you are not sure how to below


Solar Charge Controller and grounding the battery I am just getting my feet wet, so I have one 100 watt panel and a 12v marine battery.  I plan on running a small water pump to circulate water in a black hose to see if I can heat some water.
The manual talks about grounding.  Do I really need to ground this simple system of 1 panel, one battery and a charge controller?
Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100/50
3.2 Grounding
● Battery grounding: the charger can be installed in a positive or
negative grounded system.
Note: apply a single ground connection (preferably close to the
battery) to prevent malfunctioning of the system.
● Chassis grounding: A separate earth path for the chassis
ground is permitted because it is isolated from the positive and
negative terminal.
● The USA National Electrical Code (NEC) requires the use of an
external ground fault protection device (GFPD). These MPPT
chargers do not have internal ground fault protection. The system
electrical negative
should be bonded through a GFPD to earth ground at one (and
only one) location.
● The charger must not be connected with grounded PV arrays
(one ground connection only)
Thank you for you help.

Only if you want your installation to be code compliant and to minimize the risk of fire and electric shock. What are the odds that you'll "forget" to install the ground later when you expand the system to 10 or 20 panels, and add another 20 or 30 batteries? What if there is a fire? There will be an investigation, and if the insurance company can prove that the installation wasn't to code, they may not pay your claim. If, of course, you're alive to collect on it.

Good habits start early and last a lifetime.
Bad habits start early and last a lifetime. They also tend to shorten your lifetime.


F.A.U. and W.A. abbreviations on circuit breaker? I think FAU means Forced Air Unit, but a different one says AC.  Why would there be both?

There are also two separate ones that say W.A.  What is that?

From top to bottom they say:

A.C. (two connected; each with number 40);
DISH & DISP (two connected; each with number 20);
WASH (20);
F.A.U. (20);
W.A. (20);
MAIN (two connected; each with number 100);
W.A. (20);
PLUGS & LIGHTS (one label for next last 5, separate, labeled '15');
and two more, connected with no label each with number 50

If you have a outside compressor this requires a separate circuit than the air handler or forced air unit.  Wa to me would be water if you have a well. The double 50 is most often for an electric range.


Ceiling light fixture has no ground wire, and wires are of same color I got a ceiling fixture which has no ground wire and has the same color wires for live and neutral.
It didn't have a proper mounting bracket, so I got one from a store it has a ground screw in it.
Is there any way I can install it?
The light fixture looks so good that I don't want to return it.
Suggestions really appreciated.
Thanks in advance

It is normal not to have a ground wire if it is a legacy armored cable, which is hard to tell from inside the electrical box. If so is the case, the armoring (metal cladding around the usually cloth insulated wires) acts as grounding.
My house is old and has some of this legacy wiring. I believe one of the wires was originally insulated in black (hot), the other white (neutral), but since it's been 100 years, the dirt has made them both very dark.
To install a fixture on such a box, just put a grounding bolt (or clip) somewhere in the box and pigtail the fixture's ground wire to it and it shouldn't matter which of the hot/neutral wires from the fixture you connect to which of the feeding ones.

If the fixture diesn't have a ground wire, then it could be cheap rubbish.  But it could also be a double insulated fitting that doesn't need a ground wire anyway.
If it's double insulated, then it also makes no difference which is the live and which is the neutral.


Suggestions on finishing a concrete vault I have a newer home that the builder put a concrete vault in.  It is basically the porch that was dug out fully to make a room under it with a steel security door.  The concrete porch is the ceiling.  There are vents into the room so I can keep circulation in it.  I would like to finish it off without taking up much space so I can use it as secure storage.  I don't need much insulation, just enough to help keep the temperature somewhat steady as I would like to store some art and guns in there.  My plan is to prep the outside walls and ceiling by painting them with DryLoc and then finishing them.

One thought is to do 2x2 walls with foam insulation glued to the concrete and then putting either sheet rock or some kind of paneling over it.

Another thought was some kind of Foam backed OSB and securing it directly to the concrete with the foam against the concrete.

I am pretty much at a loss for what to do on the ceiling.

I am not overly concerned about electrical as I will only need one or two outlets at the most and I could do them as surface mounts.

Any suggestions or ideas?

A hundred years ago, that would be called a 'root cellar', and considered a great place to keep your potato crop or smoked meats.  The temperature will be relatively constant down there because of the ground contact.  Insulating will actually reduce that thermal buffering effect given the vents.

Your problem for guns and art is humidity.  I'd start by measuring the humidity to see where you stand.  A USB hygrometer is an inexpensive tool for plotting humidity over time, and you'll want that even if you go all modern and try to seal the room.

To answer the how should I finish the room question:
I don't see insulation as a major necessity here.  The room is surrounded by the ground and there is no better insulation than that.  You could insulate the ceiling if you so choose.  If you are fine with the concrete walls I would use a multi-poxy.  I use this stuff on basement and garage floors.  It is very very durable.
The nasty part of this is...well all of it really.
Step 1:  Clean it.  I use muratic acid, scrub with a push broom, then rinse.  You'll want ventilation and a mask.
Step 2:  Mix and paint.  Again, ventilation and a mask.  But now you're done.  I usually apply at least two coats on floors, but generally three.  You should be able to get away with two on the walls.
It can be tinted to color, it goes on easy and again, its (given proper preparation) never going anywhere.


Using a Radiator Space Heater to Support HVAC system I'm looking for ways to heat my home up more efficiently. I live in a 1200 sqft home that sits on the first floor and partially in the ground. So, it gets pretty cold. I was thinking of getting a radiator space heater and placing it at the intake vent of my hvac to support heating. Anyone think this might be a bad idea or ineffective?

My current HVAC is an electric heat pump.

Will using an electric space heater improve the efficiency of a heat pump?

No. When the temperature drops below the operational range of the heat pump, resistive heaters are used to provide heat. This would be the same as a space heater. However when the heat pump is running the heat pump is far more efficient at heating than a space heater. Depending on the model, some heat pumps can operate into the low teens, and a few models into single digits, but the efficiency will be the same when on electric heat (called auxiliary or emergency heat). The one difference is you can chose to heat only one room instead of the whole house with a space heater and that could save $.

Using a electric space heater will just raise your bill.
A unvented propane heater would be a better choice for providing cheap suplemental heat.
A little 18,000 btu unvented Reddy heater from Home Depot will put out more heat than 3 electric space heaters and propane is cheaper
than electricity and puts humidity into the air
so you no longer need a humidifier in the winter.


Re-wiring a bathroom So I have a bathroom that I am going to remove the old wiring, add a new breaker and pull new wire to from the breaker panel the bathroom. I want to install an exhaust fan and a vanity light on the same switch with a new duplex outlet next to the switch. The outlet should have power independent of the switch. Wires will run through the attic down to the vanity and down to the Outlet and switch. Would some one help me with a drawing of how the wires should run.

Thanks,

The easiest thing to do, would be to wire it up like this.

Grounding conductors excluded for simplicity. Make sure the grounding conductors are connected properly.

Install a 20 ampere breaker in the panel.
Run 12/2 with ground from the panel to the switch box.
Run 12/2 with ground from the switch box to the fan, and the light.
Connect the black ungrounded conductor to the two switches and GFCI receptacle, using pigtails.
Connect the white grounded conductor to the GFCI receptacle, and whites from the cables running to the fan and light.
Connect the black from the fan cable to one switch.
Connect the black from the light cable to the other switch.
Connect all grounding conductors.

12/2 romx from panel 2 switch box, then 12/2 to light (black as switch leg) & out to fan.


Diagonal brace left in the basement by builder. Can I remove it? Replace it? I have a diagonal brace running across an interior wall in the basement, and it even goes partially into the floor concrete. Is this meant to be permanent, or was it supposed to be removed during construction?

I want to finish the basement and put drywall there, but this obviously gets in the way. What are my options for dealing with it?

(Click images for larger views.)

Nail locations. 3 nails into the beam at the top, 2 elsewhere:

Yes, you can remove the brace because:

The wall is non-load bearing (not carrying a load)
The diagonal brace is not secured in a manner to transfer any load at the top or bottom
The diagonal brace is not secured to top plate
The diagonal brace is not secured significantly to vertical stud...the picture cuts off a portion of the brace that crosses the stud so I’d verify that
The diagonal brace is singular

It is/was a temporary brace, it is safe to remove it.
10-10-2020 EDIT
During the fabrication of the wall, or before the floor system was added overhead the brace was added to stabilize that small wall section, perhaps before the beam was added. The beam in the picture, typically goes from foundation wall to foundation wall, although there can be many exceptions. Still, this hold true... the floor system is now in, that in itself is a huge brace with al the plywood set to the joists that are tied to the beam. Even if the beam that is over the wall in question was not tied into either wall, the floor alone would not allow the beam to move, and therefore the wall in question to rack.
If there is a concern for this non-bearing wall to move or shift or whatever.... and it is a non bearing wall because of the beam over it and a steel post beside the wall to support the beam..., albeit short, the diagonal of the stair carriage WILL hold the center of the studs sable if the carpenter who set the stairs did his job and fastened them to the framing the way he should. The landing does the rest.
As a mention, the concrete floor has a leveling layer of concrete over it. Not only the end of the diagonal in in the floor, the plate it is nailed to is in the floor as well, by about 3/4".


How long does it take to make money back on a new air conditioner? I have a townhouse built in 1975 with an air conditioner on the roof. I have no idea how old it is but I can imagine it is on it's last legs. What's more, this last month's energy bill was one of our highest so I'm looking to see how much I'd save a month if it were replaced? I know ACs can be expensive but they have improved so much in their efficiency I figure at some point it'll be worth replacing the old one.

How long would I have to own the townhouse before I start to make money on a new AC?

Are there any other tips/tricks to maximize efficient usage of the old one in the meantime?

It'll depend on the SEER of the current model vs. the one you're changing to, how much you run your A/C, and the total cost of the installation.

When was the last time the current unit was inspected?  It's possible that it might have lost pressure, which will affect its efficiency, but you typically notice that the system's not able to keep up with its cooling.  Of course, depending on the coolant used, it might not be that easy to get a recharge, as the regulations on freon have changed over the years.

(note -- my knowledge of A/C recharging is based on dealing with cars, I've never done a whole house, as I have window rattlers, not a centralized system)

What I'd personally do is try to identify the model & SEER of the current unit, so you at least have an idea of how much of an improvement you'd get.  I'd also contact your local utility company, as most either have a program to check for leaks & insulation problems, or can tell you what companies in your area can provide the service.

Sealing drafts is likely going to give you the quickest ROI as it's a DIY type thing, and it's going to be useful if you change out the unit or not.

in summary don't install a new AC unit to "save money".  install a new AC unit to replace a unit that stopped working, and you WANT a cool home.  That is, run a unit until it won't run anymore, just like cars, AC units are a net LOSS of money.  But they are a GAIN in... comfort!  When you do have to replace a failed unit, buy a cheap one, and fix it over and over again unit it stops working.  Only way to "save" money is to not have AC, no thanks, I'll pay that price.  of course as you can tell I don't give a damned about my fossil fuel footprint, just $ in my wallet and no sweat on my head.  Of course politics will dictate whether or not it is economical to choose an efficient unit, though taxes and penalties.  Remember "smart meters" are for that exact purpose, specific, personalized taxation.  At that point, I might just say screw it, I'll sweat it out!


How should I air-seal this gap by the floor along an exterior wall? There's a gap between some of my floorboards and the baseboard:

The gap isn't just cosmetic. I used a wooden skewer to probe the hole and was able to insert it around 6 inches in:

This is an exterior wall, so I believe that means this gap is open to the stud cavity of our exterior walls. This is a 125-year-old balloon-framed house, so even though we have blown-in cellulose insulation in the walls I'd like to better seal it to reduce air leakage.

This need is compounded because I'm planning to install baseboard hot water radiators along this wall. That will require me to remove the wooden baseboard, which will presumably make the gap even bigger. I'd like to install something to seal it better before I attach the baseboard radiators.

Expanding foam would do a fantastic job especially if you are already removing the baseboard anyway it should be no problem to fit the straw back there.

Is this house raised on wood joists or on a concrete slab?

I am guessing wood joists and your issue is bigger than what you think. I believe you have some settling in your foundation and or issues with joists.

You might need to jack some points up or replace some supports.

I will add this picture to demonstrate.
Your baseboards are against the wall and lengthwise - they do not sink, your floor boards are sinking. So in your situation what can cause the floor boards to sink (rise and fall)..take a look at example 'A' & 'D'.
 I provided this as an answer because you want to seal it up .. well there are two options: To fix the cause of this gap or to patch around it and hope the cause does not become worse.


How do I connect underground PVC pipe holding wire to rigid conduit? I am planning to add a (GFCI) receptacle on a fence post, which is 45m from the garage (power feed).  I plan to use NMWU 12/2 cable run in a PVC water pipe (or flexible cable protector) and the risers at both ends will be rigid PVC conduit.  I plan to use 12ga to allow for future extension down the laneway (100m or so).  The 45cm-deep trench will be dug with a mini-ex in an area with no vehicle traffic.  I live in southern Ontario.
Question: How is the wire from the ends of the pipe to the conduit to be protected?  (Do I leave it with a small loop or wrap it in something?)
Edit: I found a source of flexible PVC electrical conduit, so I can use it and connect the ends to rigid conduit.  (This sort of obviates my question, though.)

First, apologies for leaving this question for so long and thank you for your comments.
In the end, I used flexible PVC conduit. I could have used rigid conduit, which was less expensive, but decided against it as there were too many elbows to glue (and not all the turns were 90 degrees).  With the flexible conduit, there was only one junction to glue in the middle and the elbows at the end.

usually conduit is used (rigid plastic or metal conduit) not pipe.
Pipe can be used as conduit (if it meets the physical requirements of conduit)  but you'll need to find an appropriate coupling to join your pipe to regulatr electrical fittings.
It may be possible to flare the pipe by heating it until soft and then placing something in the end to stretch it  thus allowing you to join it to some rigid conduit, from there you can use conduit bodies etc, or you may find a pipe that is a good fit in a conduit body, or use a pipe flange to join the pipe to a junction box etc...
Be sure to follow the regulations for burial depth and buried markers.


Should I have cavity wall insulation installed? I have the option to get cavity wall insulation done for free in my home, but i'm not sure if its a good idea or not. I've heard people say it can cause issues with damp, its hard to get out if there's a problem etc.

What would people suggest?

You should always be careful with contractors who seem to be out to make a quick buck. And you should certainly raise your questions with them when you meet them, and make sure you get an answer you are comfortable with. If you are dealing with a government- or utility-subsidized energy efficiency program, you may still have a choice of contractors. And the subsidy program may itself provide some inspection services which can help to keep the contractors in line.

We considered and performed similar energy efficiency upgrades in our home, a 120-year-old wood frame house near Boston. We received bids from two companies, both using the statewide utility subsidy program. The bids included blown cellulose cavity insulation and air sealing. The bids were similarly priced. We ended up going with the company that seemed easier to deal with and more competent in assembling the bid. They in turn used a subcontractor to do the work, and they did good work (probably because they knew to expect a strict inspection afterwards).

The blown cellulose was installed in wall cavities and attic floor. No vapor barrier was added, as this would require tearing out the walls.

The insulation made a noticeable difference in comfort and heating costs the next winter. I agree with you there is some risk of additional damage if moisture gets into the walls; there isn't a nice empty cavity behind the wall to help any leaked water evaporate. This likely means you have to keep a closer eye on your roof and walls, check your attic yearly, and ensure you don't have even a small leak. However, blown-in cellulose insulation is widely used and recommended, so the risk is (probably) small.

Walls have cavities for good reason!
Wind blown rain can hit a wall with the force of a bullet.
The rain is forced through the wall it move up down and sideways and, it you have an open cavity it runs down the inside of the outside wall = leaving the inner wall dry.

If you fill the cavity, the filling gets wet and, it turn makes the inner wall wet.
Water is 4,000 times better at conducting heat than dry air!
This means a wet wall looses you expensive heat at a very high rate.

Having written all that, may I mention that a cavity wall that is ventilated (as some old walls are) is the equivalent of a single brick wall and is in itself cold.

A cavity should only be filled if.... you can be sure the outer wall is watertight...and that you can guarantee that the wall will remain watertight for the life of the building!

A better way is, to fix sheets of closed cell insulation like polystyrene to the room side of the inner wall. If the inner wall is already plastered, you can fix the polystyrene to the wall with drywall adhesive and fix more drywall over the polystyrene as a working surface.


What concerns should I have installing a HVAC unit and ducts in a home that's never had it? We're looking at a house in southern Alabama that has no central heating and air.  I would like to put one in.  The house was built in 1950.

What should I be considering about the installation?

The easy challenge is finding somewhere to install the internal half (blower and coils) of the unit. You need to have space, access to service it, a place to run the lines to the outside unit, and power. Power is typically 220, and will need a dedicated circuit, so you'll need to be able to run another line from the breaker panel and have enough additional capacity on the main breaker. Finally, the largest challenge is running the ducts to each of the rooms. In an older home, the joists will frequently be solid and cannot be cut to pass the ducts, so you are left with using the craw space beneath the home, attic space, or enclose them below the ceiling/along the walls.

One final consideration is that a home built this long ago without an hvac unit will likely have little insulation or weather stripping. This means a lot of the energy used to get your home to the right temperature will go right out the walls. To do this right, you could be looking at a situation with all of your exterior walls are opened up to insulate, windows are replaced to prevent drafts, and lots of interior walls and ceilings are opened up to run the lines.

Depending on the home, and especially the layout, it could be cheaper to buy a similar home that already has an hvac installed.

Why bother, unless you have health issues. With the rising cost of oil it is better to look for alternative sources. If its heating you want then try solar warm air, if its cooling then try adding shades to windows, make sure they can open, losing weight so you dont feel the heat, fans, etc.


How can I fix flickering and continuous-clicking with a UPS on an inverter-supplied circuit? My whole house has been backed up by an inverter for a few months now. My computer is still connected to a UPS so that it gets clean power - I don't trust the inverter alone to provide ultra-stable voltage.

Now whenever the computer is turned on during a power outage (and when the inverter is running), the UPS starts to "flicker" or click like mad. By flickering, what I mean is that it appears to switch several times a second between battery source and AC, making a clicking sound, anywhere between 1 to 4-5Hz, sometimes more, as if the relay is constantly switching several times a second.

Now the inverter handles all the load I try to throw at it otherwise. Having every light and fan on in the house doesn't challenge the inverter. So it's not an issue of the inverter's power capacity.

But when the UPS turns on, and it starts flickering/clicking, it also makes all the lights flicker. So I guessed (this was a pure guess, not an educated one) that perhaps this flicker was the result of a frequency mismatch between AC (as provided by the inverter) and the UPS. Perhaps I was seeing the 'beat' frequency of these two signals.

To test this - I mean if the devices were that fickle - I figured changing the impedance load of the overall circuit might affect the frequency relationship. And it did!

Turning on just the right number of lights/fans would eliminate (what I believe to be) the frequency mismatch and the UPS would keep working fine.

However this solution has proven to be fickle as well - perhaps the inverter is too wild in its frequency deviations and the impedance correction is not enough sometimes.

So here is the final question.

Is there anything I can tweak in the UPS in order to better handle this frequency mismatch?

P.S:

Am I right in the first place? Is this a frequency problem? If not, please explain. I do have a bit of theoretical knowledge of how electrical circuits/transformers etc should work, so please don't hold back in your analysis.
Even if the inverter with its (alleged) frequency fluctuations is the root of the problem, replacing it is not an option (cost). Hence the question.
Once I understand the problem theoretically, I should be able to bully an electrician into getting the necessary done to the UPS.
I'm not a hardware hacker, so unfortunately I don't have a multimeter at home or see myself getting one in the next few days. I might if absolutely needed. So, sorry, I can't help with actual (experimentally measured) facts and figures on the frequency, voltage etc in the short term.
Both the UPS and inverter are supposed to work at 220V/50Hz (India). If the amperage of both matters I can find out and post back. Note: As I have mentioned I don't think it's a case of the UPS somehow overloading the inverter, as I have thrown all other appliances (About 5 fluorescent lights, 4 ceiling fans, 4-5 old-fashioned 60W-ish bulbs) on at the same time, and it has stood quite well.
The UPS brand is not an issue since I've tried multiple (reputed ones such as APC, local brands, etc) and they've all had issues in one form or another. So simply replacing the UPS won't suffice.
Considering (1) and (4) and the absence of facts/figures is there another SE that's a better fit for this? I do need a practical solution eventually though (even if it means a delay if I HAVE to measure the frequency/voltages to be sure), so this still feels like the right place. But I'll leave it to the mods.

What type of inverter is it? If it's a MSW (modified square wave) it's very unlikely that any UPS is going to be happy eating what it provides, since UPSes (even ones that generate MSW themselves) expect a real sine wave (or True Sine Wave - TSW) on the input side.

On the other and more relevant hand, you really don't need any sort of purity to feed most modern computers, many of which (check yours) are happy to take 100-250V at 50-60 Hz, (and don't care about TSW or MSW) since their own power supply is just converting that to DC with a switching converter. Only older linear-type power supplies are all that fussy about voltage and frequency. So viewing the  inverter as a huge UPS is probably a valid approach, and removes a complication. I would suggest a good surge supressor power strip for the computer.

If you really need (for some reason) the cost (initally and in replacing overpriced batteries) and hassle of a separate UPS, or equivalent, consider using an adequately sized "high quality inverter" that runs on batteries all the time, and a battery charger that can handle whatever your whole-house inverter throws at it to maintain charge on that battery all the time - essentially your own "dual-conversion" UPS (most actual Dual-conversion UPSes would have the same complaints about a low-quality inverter input as a normal UPS does.)

The other obvious solution is to plug the UPS directly into the Mains supply, so that the UPS works off its batteries when the Mains go out, and the inverter works from the inverter's batteries (or whatever powers it) separately.

If it is a MSW inverter, the likely reason you can make the UPS happy with other loads is that the other loads (particularly ones with inductance and capacitance) will tend to take the "sharp edges" off the waveform and make it better approximate a sine-wave.

Try using dimmable type LED lights since they seem to handle the harmonics better. My problem was solved by using this type.