Using a 24 volt ac relay with a 16 volt ac doorbell circuit I have recently purchased a doorbell camera for the front door. It has the ability to ring my current doorbell but I use an intercom system with an electronic chime module. After watching many you tube videos and doing research I have determined that I must use a relay between the doorbell button and the chime module. The intercom system uses two (2) 16 volt AC transformers that are hidden behind the intercom which I would like to use to power the doorbell circuit and relay. However there are no 16 volt AC relays, only 12 V or 24 V. I could purchase a 24 Volt AC transformer, but there is no way to hide it inside the intercom master station and so it would look unsightly, and I prefer not to go that route.
Can I use the 16 V power supply with a 24 V relay, which would be 75% of the relay's rated voltage? This would not be a constantly energized relay, but only a momentary contact closure to trip the relay and complete the circuit to ring my intercom's doorbell chime. I feel this would work, but I'm checking with those who should know if there might be any problems or unforeseen consequences?

Use a multi-voltage relay
The good news is that you're not stuck with single-voltage relay coils; a RIBU1C's low-voltage coil is rated for anywhere from 10-30VAC, for instance.  That, a plastic "handy box" with ½" KOs on it, and some wirenuts and cableclamps, will get you what you need.

It might work. You could check relay specifications to see what tolerance is given for the coil voltage. If it appears to work, you could still have excessive arcing and burning contact burning that could shorten the useful life. I would be inclined to try a 24V DC relay with a rectifier.


Muffling a fire alarm speaker? First off, this may or may not be legal, but seeing as this is in my own place of residence and it's bothering me a lot, I figured I'd ask.

I live in an apartment complex near my college. I have 2 smoke detectors in the living room/kitchen area and 1 in each of the 3 bedrooms.

In addition, there is a Simplex TrueAlert horn/strobe device on the living room wall. It is one of the loudest alarms I have ever heard, and it is completely unnecessary considering the smoke detectors are plenty loud on their own.

I have bad anxiety when it comes to anticipation of loud, unexpected noises and it's at the point where I'm not completely relaxed when I'm sitting in my own apartment living room anymore, because it could go off literally any time and the noise is god awful.

here's a picture of the alarm on the wall for reference:

Anyways I was wondering if there's anything I can put over the speaker grille to muffle the noise a little bit. My living room is pretty small so the noise has nowhere to go and is awfully loud.

No.    Your safety is worth more than you feeling anxiety.  You have smoke alarms for your apartment but this one looks like it is hooked up to the building.  Meaning if there were a fire somewhere else in the building you would be notified via this alarm.

You may think that this alarm is extremely loud if you are standing next to it but what if you are in the shower with a radio on?  In college I had a similar alarm and showered right through a drill and had no idea.  Also these alarms should go off maybe a couple of times a year so your anxiety should be only messed with for a few minutes a year at most.

If this doesn't convince you, then maybe saying that tampering with fire alarms is illegal and could be grounds to have you evicted.

You could try squirting a little GREAT STUFF in there.

Because its illegal to do this, you'll have to make sure its not noticed by the super.  Maybe paint the great stuff red afterward?


Does the gas water heater in my laundry room require a dedicated vent? I have been told recently by a potential buyer of my home that due to the gas hot water heater in my utility room,  with electric washer and dryer, that I need separate venting to bring it up to code. The room has two outside windows, and the door opens into my dining room. I live in Texas.

My own contractor who remodeled this old home 3 years ago mentioned nothing of this.  What type of venting is he speaking of?

He's talking about a combustion air intake. Fuel burning appliances are not allowed to draw combustion air from habitable rooms. So it's possible that a combustion air intake may be required.

Check with your local building department, to determine if one is required in your situation.

If the dryer vent and the heater exhaust through the same duct, that's definitely a problem.   Though hopefully that's not what you're talking about.

The dryer and the water heater don't share a duct to the outside do they? If so that's definitely not right.

The gas dryer can vent straight out an outer wall. The pipe coming out of the top of the water heater is a flue.  It should attach to a chimney that goes up to the roof in order draft properly.


Why do some lamps have different power ratings for different kinds of bulbs? I had a lamp that broke recently after getting smashed against a wall by accident (there are now numerous exposed conductors, making it unsafe to use), so I went to the store to get a new one. I intend to use the same very nice LED bulb in the new lamp. I have measured the lamp's power consumption with the LED bulb as 15W before it broke, using a kill-a-watt meter. I was expecting to see a single power rating on each lamp, measured in watts. I was also expecting that that rating would be around 60W to handle old inefficient bulbs, hence making (nearly) every lamp usable with my LED bulb. Unfortunately, this is not what I saw. Most of the lamps had a separate rating for an LED an incandescent bulb, with < 10W for the former and around 60W for the latter. Some also had ratings with a similar < 10W wange for self-ballasted compact fluorescent bulbs instead of LED ratings.

What is the reason for these different ratings depending on how the electricity is used? Surely, if the lamp can deliver 60W to an incandescent it can deliver much less to an LED without problem? Can I use my 15W LED bulb in a lamp that is rated for an 8W led or a 60W incandescent?

EDIT: I think that this question is on topic as, although I am not a professional electrical engineer myself, this is important knowledge for anyone looking to design a lamp or other light fixture.

Different bulbs dissipate heat differently

The reason why you see different power ratings for incandescent vs. self-ballasted (LED, CFL) lamps for a given fixture is because the different kinds of lamps dissipate heat differently.  Incandescent bulbs give out large quantities of heat, but most of it is dissipated from the bulb as infrared radiation -- this escapes the fixture as long as it is not blocked/absorbed by parts of the fixture.

However, while self-ballasted lamps generate far less total heat than incandescents, most of that heat is generated in the lamp base area and must be conducted out.  This leads to "heat trapping" in some fixtures that are not able to conduct heat away from the lamp socket area well, and limits the ability of the fixture to handle higher power LED/CFL bulbs.

The answer is to find fixtures that aren't so stringently limited -- I, personally, would be inclined to integral LED fixtures in this day and age vs. Edison-base designs to begin with, as using Edison bases for LEDs inflicts many compromises on the both fixture and bulb designers, vs. the design freedom and performance capacity possible with fixtures designed around LED technology.

Some LED bulbs don't draw power continously but only at the peak of the voltage. This is because of the smoothing cap behind the rectifier. So the current distribution isn't sine as for incandescent bulbs but alternating spikes to plus and minus.

This makes such LED bulbs drawing higher peak currents for the same electrical power rating (which is the area covered by the product of voltage and current.) Those peak currents may overload the wires and fuses inside a lamp fixture with thin wiring.

Use "filament LED bulbs", they don't feature a smoothing cap and don't have this problem. The downside is a heavy stroboscope effect.


How should I connect to a short ground wire in a metal box? I live in a 50's era house that has breakers and a ground wire in every metal box of the house. The problem is they only used 2 prong outlets. They cut the ground wire short and wrapped it around the wire clamp screw inside the box to ground it. It's too short to connect directly to the outlet, or even get a wire nut on. I was told it would be ok to attach a separate piece of ground wire to the box, on the same or another wire clamp screw, and attach that to the ground on the outlet. Is this effective, safe, desirable, etc.?

The simple answer is get "self grounding" duplex outlets.  The typical design has a little spring plate meant to connect your grounded metal box to the outlet yoke, and thus to the third prong.  Just install, test the ground with an inexpensive outlet tester, and feel lucky that the builder left you in such good shape:

If you are in the United States: surprisingly these are legal even in new construction.  Beyond that, they're perfect for your retrofit.  See the National Electric Code (NEC) section 250.146(b). Note that your ground wires may 16 guage rather than 14 or 12. That was OK at the time, and you're not required to change it now.

You should check on local building codes.  But in general the rule is that having only the hot and return is not a significant problem in dry areas.
However, in any wet areas such as Kitchen, Bath or outside a ground should be run to those outlets.  If the house doesn't have a ground, It is a good idea to drive an 8 foot copper or copper clad rod into the ground to achieve a solid ground. There are some clever ways to drive them using water pressure through a piece of pipe.  If you look online you will see how it is done.


How to determine how many gallons of oil your oval tank holds? I'm not sure if my tank holds 250, 275, or 300 gallons.  Is there a way to determine the size?

The tank is oval shape and 60" X 40" X 27".

Your tank is in fact not oval, but stadium in profile. (Yes, that's where the sports facilities got their name.)

In the case of a tank measuring 60" × 40" × 27", your volume is (nominally) that of a box measuring 60 × (40-27) × 27 plus a cylinder of diameter 27 (radius 13.5) and length 60.

60 × 13 × 27 = 21,060 cubic inches (91.17 gallons)

π × 13.52 × 60 = 34,353 cubic inches (148.71 gallons)

Add those together and you get 239.88 gallons. 240 gallons is a reasonably common size for a residential oil tank.

40 x 27 x 60 inches is 64800 cubic inches total tank volume including the tank walls.

There are 231 cubic inches in a gallon.

64800/231 = 280 gallons

Since these dimensions are OUTSIDE tank dimensions, you need to account for the wall thickness.   Looks like 275 gallons based on approximate interior volume and filled to the brim.  That's the math of it.


Multiwire branch circuit means of disconnect I am planning on running a multiwire branch circuit to my detached garage as described here. I have one question though on the means of disconnect for a multiwire branch circuit. Do I need a special type of disconnect because it is a multiwire branch circuit? Would something like this Eaton 60A Outdoor Air Conditioner Disconnect be adequate?

The "means of disconnect" requirement for multi-wire branch circuits (NEC 210.4b) simply requires that there be a means of disconnect, and it disconnect all legs at once.  Usually, that is simply the 2-pole (240v) circuit breaker in the panel, and that is fine; that completes the requirement.

Unrelated to the MWBC is a separate requirement that power entering an outbuilding.  It must have a disconnecting means of some kind (NEC 225.31) near where the power enters, inside or out (225.32). That's where you use a disconnect switch like the above.  There is no need to disconnect the neutral.

I would point out that if you're doing a sub-panel, simply use a panel that has a "main" breaker and that's your shut-off switch. It's legit to have a 30A run to a sub-panel and have a 200A main breaker in the sub-panel.  The big breaker just serves as an obvious shutoff switch (and GFCI if it does that).

As long as the breaker feeding the circuit is a double pole you should be fine because both will disconnect the ungrounded conductors simultaneously, in the case of a fault both will be opened. NEC 2014 210.4.B


After a minute running, dryer trips main breaker outside the house, but no internal breakers I recently solved (sort of?) an issue regarding my washer & dryer not getting power.  I consider that issue solved, but now I have a new one, possibly what caused the problem before.  Now that I have power to my washer & dryer, I did a small test load.  Washer did fine, but the dryer tripped the main breaker outside (100A), but none inside.  This didn't even happen when I started the dryer, but after 1-3 minutes (closer to 1 I think) it would trip.  I have tested that 4 times now and when I have the dryer off, nothing trips - but a couple minutes after starting the dryer, the whole house goes down.

The breaker panel shows no tripped breakers (all firmly on the ON side - I have turned them all off/on just in case as well).  The inside main breaker is fine too.  The outside breaker however is clearly tripped.  I clear it and turn it back on and everything is fine.  Both inside and outside are 100A.  Dryer is a 2-pole 30A breaker, which I just replaced today after noticing this new problem.

Previous post I had on my initial issue is here.  There are lots of pictures of my breaker and some other backstory on this problem.

Edit: Damn.  The outside breaker just tripped with the dryer breaker off.

Things I have on/plugged in/on: TV, router/modem, swamp cooler, fridge, water cooler/purifier, water heater, a few lights and a few things plugged in (biggest is my laptop here).

It is in the upper 90s here... could that be affecting something?

7:10pm (15 mins ago) happened again.  Did some deduction... When it tripped then, W&D breakers were off.  I left everything on the inside on and went to try and reset the outside, but it didn't reset.  Went back inside and picked the breakers with only numeric labels (1,2,3,4) and turned those off, and then the outside breaker would finally reset.  So by my logic, its one of these four.  Next time I'm going to turn these off one at a time when trying to reset the breaker, hopefully that will narrow it down more.

It seems to me, after reading all the stuff in your first question and on here that the problem is inside your cloths dryer. There is a good chance that some part of the heater coil is becoming shorted out and causing huge amounts of current to flow when the coil becomes hot.

The probable reason that it is the main breaker that trips is due to that breaker being the most sensitive to the sudden current surge short that occurs in the dryer. It may be an indication that that main breaker needs replacement but before even going down that road it is time to unplug the dryer and do a through investigation of its innards, particularly its heater unit and the wiring thereof.

Sounds like it's tripping out on total load of the house, not specifically from the dryer. The fact that the problem started after replacing the dryer is coincidental. The dryer contributed to the problem, but really it is the total of current demand that is the problem. Since you only have 100 amp service, you are probably in need of a serious upgrade to 150 amp service.  The reason it's the outside breaker is that no two breakers trip at exactly the same point. In your case the outside breaker is tripping a little ahead of the inside breaker. High ambient temp outside also contributes to the outside breaker going first since the problem started in July with temps in the upper 90's.  I bet when the temps are cooler- into Sept. as I right this reply, that the problem goes away. That doesn't mean the issue is solved. You are probably running close to 100 amp total load at least some of the time.

Forget trying to find the culprit inside your house panel. You need a service upgrade to 150 amps. Hope this helps.


Using brass to chrome plated I had to use a brass threaded street 90 male and female  on chrome plated male nipple on commercial facet. It's trying to seep with Teflon tape any suggestions

Disassemble the fitting and try RTV silicone from an auto parts store. Allow the joint to set up overnight if possible. Brass fittings are hard to seal, and do not tighten too much. Brass is soft and will stretch. If you have tightened to where almost no thread is showing on the connection, you may have to  replace the fittings. No teflon or pipe dope, just RTV silicone.


How to add more light and outlets in garage I would like to be able to add a fluorescent light fixture (T8's) and outlet to my indoor garage. I plan on running 1/2 inch conduit with 12 gauge romex wires. I have an existing 60 Watt light fixture circuit (tied into a light switch) I want to use the power from. However, I need a little help with the wiring. I went ahead and made up a rough draft drawing of my plan to wire this.
EDIT
Or... there is an existing outlet I can also use power from as well. If this would be easier?
*Edit#2
Disregard my ground wires question. The only question I have is if this wire diagram that I have drawn is up to code and is safe to wire it like this?

Your drawing looks fine, as it is. However, the "up to code" section is tricky and more involved:

Your current existing wiring had to be up to code as it was at the time the house was built, and we assume it was. However, if you alter the circuit (add outlets, lights, etc.), the whole circuit has to be up to code as it is now. So all receptacles have to be GFCI protected, a certain minimum height from the floor, etc., etc.

Without knowing more about your current wiring, and without knowing your local bylaws, it's impossible to tell if this change you're planning will be up to code or not.

There are also other things to consider, like maximum fill for a electrical box (if you're adding more wires to your light switch box, you might be in violation of the electrical code because of that).


make plumber's putty soft I have some amount of putty which has dried, it isn't old though. Is it possible to make it soft as clay again? Normally how long can a putty last when open?

I’ve had mine for about 2 1/2 years and still seems playable. The manufacturer of my “wood filler” makes a “Thinner” which they claim “Restores solvent based wood fillers to their original consistency.”

BTW, where I live there’s an ‘ol finish carpenter that we all admire how close his filler in the nail holes match the stain of the wood. A few years ago I stuck around on a job and watched him work. After he cut the trim boards, he saved the sawdust and mixed it in the wood putty. Clever.  Now, I think, there is putty that can be stained to match wood.


How to keep two water tanks have maintain the same water level? My home has two water tanks (side by side), one used by the owner and one used by us. Unfortunately for us, the owner has a good supply of water and we don't. I have asked him to connect the two tanks at the bottom through a pipe so that we too would get enough water, but he doesn't want to as he thinks its too much work.
Now, I am looking for a way to connect the two tanks somehow, so that the water level in them is the same at all times. I know that I can use a pipe to suck out water and put it in my tank to level the tanks temporarily. However, this doesn't work in the long run. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Edit:
These two tanks are on the top of a three storied building.

Note: this answer is for pressurized plumbing of two hot water tanks. Rereading the question I'm pretty sure it's an incorrect assumption so I'm only leaving it here in case it helps someone with this problem.

The typical way to do this is to run the two tanks in serial instead of parallel. You would connect the output of one tank to the input of the other. I've seen this with a solar and electric tank combination. The solar tank was there to preheat the water, and the electric was the second tank that would run on cloudy days. Connecting the two tanks is quite complicated if you need the ability to bypass either tank. Here's a quick ascii art of what I've seen:

         +----X------+--- Hot
         |           |
Cold --+------X----+ |
       | |         | O
       O +----O----+ |
       | |         | |
       C H         C H
       WH1         WH2

The X are closed valves, O are open valves, C is cold input to a WH, H is hot output from a WH. The valve setup that is shown here is for the cold input for the home to go to WH1, back out the hot, into WH2, and back out the hot to the hot line for the house.

You could simplify this if you don't need the ability to isolate one of the water heaters:

Cold --+             +--- Hot
       |             |
       O +---------+ |
       | |         | |
       C H         C H
       WH1         WH2

The nice thing about having the water heaters setup in serial is that you can completely turn one off and still have hot water available to the entire home, just in lesser quantity. And in times of high demand, having both heaters running can get the water back to the high temperature twice as fast.

To maintain same level in both the tanks you could connect the tanks from bottom. This will mean that an equal level will always be maintained in both the tanks.


Do speaker wires need to be protected at exposed end-points? Ah the joys of new home ownership.

In preparing to prime/paint our family room ceilings, we took down some old (really old) speakers the previous owner had set up.  We're not planning to use them so we cut off the two-wire connection going to them.  As near as I can tell, the speaker wires aren't connected to anything else on the other end. I've looked all over the house and haven't seen any audio system whatsoever.

I'm paranoid though -- On the off-chance that they are connected to something else, do I need to do anything to them after this? Wrap the ends in electrical tape? Put wire nuts on them?

I realize the obvious solution would be to remove the wire's completely but I'm reluctant to do this yet as there is blown-in insulation in the attic and removing the wire and/or tracing them completely could be messy.

As for the speaker holes themselves, we're planning to keep them for now as we're considering using them later for recessed lighting.

Thoughts? Advice?

-M

Speaker wire is low voltage. Yes, a meter would tell if they were actually hot, but it surely would say no here anyway. If you are truly paranoid, then feel free to put wire nuts on them, or even easier is electrical tape. It can't hurt.

In fact, I have some speaker wire hanging around myself, left by the previous owners of the house. It comes out of a corner near our staircase. Since I have absolute knowledge that it dues nothing, I've just left it there. One day when we redo the carpet in our house, it will get torn out.

If you're really concerned - i.e. is it possible that animals, children, etc might touch or otherwise be in danger should there could be something still hooked up to the lines, the best thing to do would be to short them out - i.e. strip a bit of insulation from each end, and twist them all together.

You'll find out pretty soon if there's any current in the wire - they'll heat up, or a fuse will blow.  But you'll be making sure that the wires are safe.


Integrating hard-wired smoke detectors with fire sprinkler waterflow sensing If you are in a house with interconnected smoke detectors (hardwired or hardwired/battery combo), can you interconnect them with the waterflow switch for a home fire sprinkler system, or do you need to upgrade to a full fire alarm control panel at this point?

(It seems that since most (all?) hardwired smoke detectors use 9V on their interconnect line (as per this and this) relative to the neutral to activate the interconnect circuit, one could make a very simple interconnect setup using a 9V battery, a 9V wall-wart adapter, and a couple of garden-variety Schottky diode rectifiers to provide a 9V supply to the waterflow switch; but would such a contraption violate the fire alarm or fire sprinkler codes?)

I can't speak to the regulatory side of this, other than to say I'd be very surprised if a custom-built circuit like you're describing would pass an inspection just for the fact that it's a non-UL/CSA approved device on a life safety circuit. Being in a private residence at least will relax the requirements compared to a commercial or multi-tenant building, but connecting non-listed circuits and devices is tough in any case.

Rather than using a custom circuit, there are interconnect relays on the market that are designed for doing precisely this type of thing. For example, Kidde has a SM120X module that is designed to interface to external strobes/sirens/etc, as well as accept activation input for the interconnect circuit (using pull stations and rate-of-rise heat detectors as examples).

You should be able to use one of these and hook up your flow sensor in place of the pull station in the diagram above.

To me, it seems there is a low risk of impact:

This device is UL-listed
It's a manufacturer device, designed to interconnect with the manufacturer's own products
In this case, the signal between sprinkler and fire alarm is really a secondary system: if there is smoke, whether the sprinklers have activated or not, a detector should be activated and signal the other alarms anyway. In other words, if this device/connection fails in anyway, it is not critical to safety.

The main rule you have to worry about is the rule about combining low voltage and high voltage wires in the same raceway (pipe).

Even though the signal wire is 9volt, is has to be treated as if it had 120v on it. Whatever contraption you make has to isolate that voltage from outside it.

So simply connecting a 9v wall-wart to it is no good - if there was 120v on the line from elsewhere you would back feed the wall-wart and cause a hazardous condition.

You could maybe put the wall wart inside a closed electrical box. But how will you connect to it from the waterflow switch?

An optoisolator may be your best choice here.

Be sure prevent backfeeding the wall-wart - you don't want to pump voltage out of it (if it's a simple transformer). Any diodes, etc, must be rated for 120v.


How can I find a stud from the exterior to mount service mast? I'm changing the location of the electrical service mast on my house.  Is there an easy way(s) or a trick of the trade to find a stud from the exterior of the house so my lag bolts that will hold the mast brackets will hit framing and not just rough siding?

Right now, my house is sided with vinyl over 1" of styrofoam, cedar clapboard and 1x6 board siding.

I have access to the interior side of the wall, too, but I'm having difficulty translating the stud location to the exterior.

Plan A

Find an interior:exterior reference point... a window, electrical penetration, etc. on the wall in question.
Using a studfinder, or by examining baseboard nails and outlet locations, find a stud from the interior. You can often knock with your knuckles and determine to which side of an outlet the stud lies.
Measure from the stud to your reference point. If it's a window, measure to clear glass.
Outside, measure back from the same point.

Plan B

Gently release the bottom edge of one row of siding from its retention rib near the intended mount location.
Begin drilling small holes behind the loose siding at 1" intervals, just deep enough to reach framing.
Once you hit a stud, drill 1/2" left and right to find the rough center.
Take a measurement from a fixed point, such as the siding corner or a window.
Flex the siding back onto the retention rib.

No "exploratory holes" through your siding or wounds in your drywall are needed whatsoever here.

If you can locate a stud on the inside wall you can drill from the inside of the house to the outside of the house on either side of the stud. You'll have two holes on the outside and the stud will be right between them. Hopefully the bracket for the mast will hide the two holes. Now of course you'll need to patch the inside of the wall and paint it but at least you won't have a number of holes in your siding if you guess wrong.


Circuit Breakers: Do they degrade over time and start tripping? Sorry for the newbie question but I have a circuit breaker (Hager Series MP-E – Magnetic Switch Bipolar 30 A Curve) in my house that absolutely never tripped. This is the main CB in my house.  Usage patterns of electric appliances has not changed and this thing started tripping for no obvious reason. Also when it trips it remains in the "on" position, you have to manually set it to "off" and then back to on again.

My question is, if I replace it will it change anything or I need to look somewhere else for the cause?

Thank you!

Don't assume it is the breaker...

I had a tripping fault that was intermittent, spent a huge amount of time looking for it...

Eventually it became so frequent that I disconnected room by room every single appliance and eventually found the culprit - a washing machine that was failing when under load and hot...

So, it may not be the breaker - it could just be doing its job and keeping you safe from faulty equipment... You need to investigate.

There is clearly a malfunction in this breaker, and for safety sake, you should change it.

Breakers are an electromechanical device, and therefore there is the chance of itwearing over time. We can only speculate the cause of the fault, so I wouldn't worry too much, and change the breaker. If the fault is elsewhere, you will have improved the situation anyway, as there is a clear fault in the old breaker, and you will be able to move to the next step of finding the fault in the wiring or equipment, if there is one.

For the less google prone, here is what OPs breaker looks like (according the part number given)


When machining a hole, what is the order of operations? I need to drill a threaded, countersunk hole in a piece of material. After drilling, should I use the tap, or the countersink bit first? Does it make a difference? Does it depend on the material?

I would countersink and then tap for two reasons.

The first is the countersink bit could damage the first thread and make installing the bolt a problem.

The second is there is less metal to tap and therefore easier and less wear on the tap.

Happy Day!

You countersink first, then drill, then tap.

If you countersink after drilling the hole, the finish on the countersink dome will not be as good.

I would recommend drawing a circle indicating how wide the countersink diameter should be so when you make it you know when to stop.


What is the best way to build up attic framing? I need to build up my attic framing for three reasons, but first, I can think of two ways in which to do this.

The Methods

Method 1

Put new framing on top of the original framing along the existing joists.

I would be stacking the new joists directly on top of the old joists. In theory, this should make them similar to 2x8s (I know this isn't quite true, and I have the beam theory to prove it).

Method 2

Put new framing on top of the original framing against the existing joists.

I would be stacking the new joists across the tops of the old joists. In theory, I've made a lattice structure of sorts.

The Uses

Insulation

I am going to lay 2x4 fiberglass insulation in the original joist bays, but that only gets me ~R-13, and the guideline for my region is >R-30. Blown-in is not an option I am considering, by the way. I've heard that laying rolls/batts perpendicular to each other when stacking them is the appropriate method, so method 2 seems to make sense for this application.

Flooring

Right now, when I need to do work in my attic I need to tiptoe along the tops of the joists. There is no flooring of any kind. I want to fix that situation by laying down some OSB (in some places, at least). I don't think the method I use will affect this, but there is one double-wide joist bay (there's a wall under it but no joist) so I need to add some perpendicular reinforcement there anyway, so method 2 seems to make sense again.

Reinforcement

I am adding some cabinets that need to hang from the ceiling as sit quite far from any walls. I expect the cabinets and contents to weigh ~400lbs, and I don't doubt the existing joists could take the load (they have a 160" span), but I'd rather reinforce the framing. I had considered sistering joists where the cabinets would be mounted (method 0, not shown), but I think methods 1 and 2 effectively supersede sistering. Method 1 will increase the effective joist stiffness and strength while method 2 will distribute the load across multiple joists. I'm not sure which is better in this case.

Method 1 and Method 2 do NOT strengthen the existing joist. They merely add “dead weight”.


What is this black stuff that appeared on my drain after cleaning with a bleach-based cleaner and how do I clean it? Recently, I had problems with a pinkish/orange-colored bacteria (Serratia marcescens) in my bathroom. The bacteria would show up in my shower and sink, specifically near or around the drains. To counter the bacteria, I bought some mold and mildew remover which contains bleach.

This seems to have soundly defeated the bacteria, but has unexpectedly led to a new problem. Unfortunately, some form of black mold has appeared around my shower drain.

Now there is black stuff around my shower drain.

I thought this would be a good challenge for the mold and mildew remover. After spraying and letting it sit, when I tried to wipe away the mold, it left black streaks across the shower floor which were very hard to clean off.

I wanted to make sure this black stuff (whatever it is) was gone for good, so I sprayed an excessive amount of the mold and mildew remover and let it sit without wiping away. To my surprise, the black stuff came back stronger than ever (the picture above).

I think it is unlikely that I have found some sort of super mold that feeds off of bleach, which leads me to believe that letting a bleach-based cleaner sit on my drain has somehow caused it to corrode.

If it is corrosion, how should I go about cleaning it and treating my drain so it doesn't happen in the future? If it is something else, what are my options for taking care of it?

This may not be mold but the chrome plating having pin holes and the cleaners / moisture eating the base metals have created a new problem. I would try to dry the area and use a quality fingernail polish to seal them. If this works it may last for quite a while but with plated fixtures once moisture gets under the plateing it is hard to stop the damage.

I had the same exact problem after I pour bleach in my tub.  The solution I used was hydrogen peroxide.  Try that before you replace drain.  It was a lifesaver.  I could not believe the black stuff and erosion just disappeared.


How can I override a motion detector light? I am going to be installing one or two motion detector lights to cover my backyard. I would like the ability to "override" the motion detector. What I mean by this is that I would like to be able to flip a switch that turns and keeps the lights turned on regardless of if there is motion or not. When the light switch gets turned off I would like the operation of the motion detector to return to normal.

I first thought about just "jumping" the motion detector with the switch, but I am concerned if the motion detector would be able to handle live power on both sides of its relay when the relay is turned off.

So my questions are, is it safe to do this "jumping" method? If not are there any methods to do this or any common practices for this type of feature?

Most motion detectors have a built-in override:

Normally the switch is kept on all the time. The motion detector monitors ambient light (daylight) and then activates when it's dark enough, and motion is detected.
If you turn the switch off and on within a second or so, the light will stay on, and this overrides motion detection.
To go back to normal operation, turn the switch off and wait ~10 seconds, then turn back on.
I believe most will also go back to normal operations after some hours, or after the sun comes up again

It is possible that you'll damage the electronics by overriding the detector.

The safe way to do this would be to use a relay.

yes you can over ride the motion with a 3 way sw to work manual or go back in motion. you need a 14/3 and 14/2 going to motion flood hot going to direct motion and red on 14/3 going to light black going to red on motion all naturals together red on common screw of 3 way and hot on same side other screw of common and black of 3 way on other screw


Voltages of floated outputs of an isolated transformer First of all, I wish all of you good strength and patience to overcome this bad situation with coronovirus

I am electrical engineer in the electricity company in Cyprus. I confess that I have no experience and knowledge in this matter.

I look forward to your kindness in answering my questions below:

Why do I measure voltages of the output terminals (secondary of isolating tranformer to earth ground? there is no connection to the earth...!! there is something missing....!! I did't understand...!!

I have an isolated transformer 2kVA 800V/230V. I am measuring as below:

between two terminals (not directly on the transformer output but on a MCB, 1m distance): 232V
between one terminal and earth: 175V
between the other terminal and earth: 49V

note: the primary of this transformer 800V/230V is the two Phases output (secondary) of a three phase transformer 22kV(Delta)/800V(Star).(the neutral - site of 800V - is grounded).

other question: If I have a small generator 230V without connection to earth will i measure voltage between the outputs terminals and earth ground? if yes ... why..???

I need your help to undertand this measurments.

I will appreciate it

Thanks in advance

Best regards from Cyprus
Kyriacos

That there is no galvanic connection to earth does not mean there is no capacitative connection to earth. E.g. the transformer windings build a capacitance if the core is earthed. Wires could run close to grounded parts etc. This capacitative source impedance should be rather big, i.e. if a device of 20 or more Watt is connected to a phase and Earth, the voltage must drop.


Mounting TV on a weird wall that has some material between the drywall and stud So I have a strange wall construction in part of my house. I'm mounting an articulating mount, up to 55", in a stud.

I took out a cable outlet and box to see the construction because I wasn't finding any studs.

Starting from the room it's 1/2" drywall, 3/8" drywall, 1" foam, 2.25" actual length stud, then gap, then I think furring, then masonry exterior.

I'm thinking some 4.25" lag bolts into the stud will hold, but it's so bizarre I wanted to double check.

Trying to mount an articulating arm that is designed to mount to a single stud will not stand up mounted to that type of wall construction. Even with long lag bolts there is just too much chance that mount will move around and cut into the drywall, become loose and make a mess of things.

What you should be doing is to mount a panel of good quality 3/4" plywood that is large enough to span across at least two studs with three preferred. Make the height of this panel at least three times greater than the arm's mounting bracket. Use multiple large screws to mount the plywood into place into each stud. Now you can mount the articulating arm to the plywood surface and be assured of a secure attachment that will stay tight and firm against the wall.

You can sand and paint the plywood to match the wall color and it will hardly be noticable behind the TV. If you use flat head screws to mount the plywood they can be countersunk and then spackled over to make a nice flat surface.

Mounting between 2 studs is a good idea. Use a piece of thick plywood or MDF. It needs to be at least as wide as the mounting bracket (obviously), and wider would be better.


Performance lighting system? What would a Performance Lighting system for a stage include?
Please be as details as possible and if you can include the elements into basic lighting and modern stage lighting.

Best book for stage lighting is written by Richard Pilbrow.

https://books.google.com/books?id=WSCVPwAACAAJ&dq=inauthor:%22Richard+Pilbrow%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjT75bgrdrYAhUlmeAKHZAaCjEQ6AEIKTAA


Which material should I use for a whiteboard that would erase easily? I saw some DIY tutorials recommending to use tileboard to make a cheap whiteboard.

I had a piece lying around, and tried some dry-erase markers on it.
Turns out they don't erase well at all when dry, and I had to use a window cleaning spray to get it off completely.

Do you know of another cheap material that would allow to more easily clean those dry-erase markers off ?

Edit : I intend to make it large, so the lighter, the better !

There is also white board paint, that you can use on a variety of surfaces.  Here is one example.  You can use this directly on walls, or on a board if you need portability.  There is also blackboard paint for use with chalk.

IdeaPaint really is the best whiteboard paint. If you're looking to make your own whiteboards then check out eBay for IdeaPaint. Normally very expensive, you can find it on eBay fairly cheaply. Sometimes as low as $1 per square foot.


Can I upgrade existing T12 fluorescent fixtures to T8 just by replacing the ballast and bulbs? I was going to replace the fluorescent T12 fixtures around my house with T8 fixtures, but I noticed that the T8 bulbs seem to fit just fine into the T12 fixtures.  It seems like I could save myself a few bucks and maybe some hassle if I just replace the ballasts instead of replacing the entire fixtures.  Plus, I could make sure to buy higher-efficiency or higher-quality ballasts instead of just using whatever mystery ballasts come with the fluorescent fixtures at the home improvement store.  Is there anything wrong with this plan?

Replace ballast and lamps, and for extra savings, on a four tube per bay fixture, get a 3-lamp ballast and run only three tubes.

The extra efficiency of the smaller tube plus high-frequency electronic ballast means that three T-8 tubes can put out nearly the same light as four T-12 tubes.

The ballast tends to be a lot smaller, and weigh much less than the t-12 ballasts.

Wiring varies -- your ballast will have a wiring diagram.  But to give you an idea, here is an example of wiring for an instant-start electronic ballast (which are easier to wire, but tend to fail bulbs faster); and a rapid-start or programmed-start electronic ballast (which often matches the old magnetic ballasts):

For the smaller 18AWG solid-core wires in ballasts, don't use the common yellow/red wire nuts.  Use blue wire-nuts, or for instance, push-in wiring connectors such as Gardner Bender PushGard, others are available... make sure the size is correct for 18 AWG wire.

You can reduce number of bulbs, since T8s are brighter.  A complete building rewire from four T12 to three T8 tubes per fixture eliminated 38 tubes and at 32W each, was a savings of 1216 Watts in power reduction if you only count tube elimination and not also ballast efficiency over mangetic (est. 10-15w per ballast replaced). PLUS, NO FLICKER! For someone with fast vision, not seeing 60Hz flicker in the peripheral vision was almost worth more than the power savings.

yes you can change from T12 to T8, Just change the light, and you are done.


Truth about high quality HDMI cables My home theater setup specifically warrants a 25 feet HDMI cable. I have a Sony Bravia 55" LED TV 3D + 240Hz refresh rate, alongside a XBox One, Comcast digital cable and Blu Ray player. I went to BestBuy and they were trying to sell me an 8 meters (26.2 feet) AudioQuest HDMI cable that costs $299 and an 8 meters AudioQuest optical audio cable for $99. Their justification was that the quality deteriorates as the length of the HDMI cable increases and the AudioQuest cables have silver that provides excellent conductivity of audio and video signals. But when I took a look online (Amazon), I saw a rather large selection of HDMI cables that were significantly cheaper (under $25) and pretty good reviews. Technical specs-wise, they did not seem all that different or inferior to the AudioQuest cables. So I am very confused. Is there any particular criteria that I should use to form my decision? I want the best bang for the buck and at the same time, I want cables that provide the necessary quality and are reasonably future-proof, although the latter expectation is not crucial.

Save your money and buy the cheap cables. They're the same. The "premium cable" game is nothing more than a big scam.

Finding the Right Cable -HDMI®

  The High Speed HDMI cable is designed and tested to handle video resolutions of 1080p and beyond, including advanced display technologies such as 4K, 3D, and Deep Color. If you are using any of these technologies, or if you are connecting your 1080p display to a 1080p content source, such as a Blu-ray Disc player, this is the recommended cable.

"HDMI is a horrible computer interface". -My IT guy


Two flanges underneath toilet? Little outside my wheel house here. I took up a toilet in a new (to me) property to re-seat it with a new wax ring, and found two flanges underneath, with a lot of corrosion looks like

The white flange actually came off with the toilet. There were the typical 2 bolts holding the toilet to the floor, but I didn't see anything else - looks like the bolts were bolting the toilet to the white flange. This is a lower level of a split level home, so on concrete slab.

What do I do here? It doesn't seem like using a new wax ring and attaching it to the white flange would be sufficient - do I need to find some other bolts?

What it looks like is that you have a Ceramic Floor.

You need to use two flanges - the reason for this setup is that the pipe flange does not sit high enough for the toilet to properly seat against - the tile height is a problem its a bit too high. So the common procedure is to install a spacer or extender flange. Typically you will have a Caulking to Form a Gasket between the two lower flanges. Clink my link below to get the details.

Here is the options and a more detailed layout of what and why and how to resolve the issue.

How to remove a metal flange toilet gasket and replace it - some ideas for repair are included.

the second flange is not a flange it is a spacer so there is no problem


How can I paint kitchen cabinet hinges? We have old, ugly kitchen cabinet hinges.  I've read conflicting opinions online as to whether spray painting them is a good idea.  How would you do it if you were going to go for it?

Just to stop the ugliness, I would just get a can of Rust-Oleum gloss enamel (black, white, whatever), then remove the hinges from the cabinets.

Clean them thoroughly, and if there's any existing lacquer or hardcoat, try roughing them up with a bit of steel wool. If you can completely disassemble each hinge, that would be ideal; otherwise, work a small amount of silicone lube or grease into the action, to help keep the paint out of the hinge itself (keep the outer surfaces clean, though).

Then, simply give them a couple good coats of the enamel spray; each coat should cover well, but don't go too thick or you'll get runs, drips, etc, as well as having paint over the tops of the moving parts (which will then crack the first time you move the hinge). Let dry, flip and repeat. When both sides are done, reassemble and reinstall the hinges. The enamel should cure into a nice hard shell that should last you until you can spend the money to replace the hardware, or redo the whole kitchen.

No matter how light you coat or what paint you use, it does not work.  Hinges pull off spray paint.


How can I get my gas fire pit to have a larger flame or better disperse heat? I currently have a gas (run from our house gas line) fire pit in my backyard.  It is approximately 18" off the ground and the fire ring (relatively new) is 36" in diameter, filled with gravel at the bottom and lava rock on the top.  (We are not able to lower the pit).

During the fall, we are able to sit around it and feel quite warm.  However, in colder temperatures, we have noticed that the heat does not get dispersed horizontally very well, because the heat is obviously straight going up.  So, as one might expect, it gets a bit colder and people are less inclined to sit out in front.

Overall, we are hoping to get more heat to the people sitting around the fire.

Any suggestions on how we might get better heat?  Would any of these help?

Artificial Gas Logs?
Use a different type of rock?
Get a bigger flame somehow?  (Bigger pipe?)
Use a different fire ring?  Different size?
Any type of device we can use to circulate the heat?

Thanks very much!

We had a similar issue.  The solution is to stack up larger chunks of lava rock into something that is vaguely pyramid shaped.  As you note, the heat rises and if you have a large stack of rock over the flames, the rock will redirect this convective heat through the rock and heat up the rock itself.  Once the stack of rock is heated (ours gets quite glowing red in the middle), it radiates the heat out to the sides (where people are sitting) quite effectively... much better than the flat layer of rock in the bottom of the fire pit.  Since most of the heat is in the middle of the ring, that is where you want your stack tallest since it will extract more useful heat that way.

The only thing you need to be careful of is the stack of rock tumbling down.  Fortunately, lava rock is quite porous and there is a lot of friction between two pieces.  You can easily stack the rock in an interlocking manner and test it but pulling or pushing to ensure that the stack is stable, and that red hot rock won't come tumbling out on you while the fire is going.  With heating and cooling, the rock will shift over time so it is best to inspect the stack periodically to make sure it stays stable.

Note, I'm talking about large size lava rock, not the stuff I see in your fire pit.  Something like what you see here:

Yes there is a way to get more fire and heat from a fire pit. Drill the valve out and the burner holes. I would do these in small increments because you don't need much more and dont want to drill it out too much and have a huge flame.


How do I scribe a curved sink? How can I scribe this very curved sink? I want to fill the gap. Bought the cabinet as you see it. I can remove the small 3/4' thick rectangular piece (it is pocket screwed in). The ultimate goal it to close that gap to maker t look like the sink is built in to the cabinet.

I want it to look like this:

Start by making a template.

Using a dry-erase marker, draw a line on the sink where it will meet the new cabinet cutout. You can hold a ruler flat against the rectangular piece shown in the photo to guide the marker.

Temporarily remove the currently installed rectangle and replace it with a rectangle of material from which the template will be cut.

Cut a short length of scrap material (e.g. paint stirrer) to bridge the widest part of the gap, plus a quarter inch or so. Keeping this bridge strictly horizontal and flat against the rectangle, trace the marker line on the sink with one end. The other end will describe a path on the rectangle; mark this path with your carpenter's pencil.

The line on the sink is to help you keep the end of the bridge in the plane of the rectangle surface, especially where the gap is widest.

After cutting the template along the pencil line, match it against the line on the sink and trim it for a tight fit.

I would first start by not doing this and acquiring a more appropriate sink, as it'll probably be a real nuisance if it needs any maintenance.

However, the next steps for what you want would be:

Take a photo of your sink from the front with a ruler nearby
Use a an image-editing tool to size up a mask for the edge
Print out your image, cut the line, and see how it fits (it may take more than one sheet of paper)
Make any needed adjustments, and use it as a template for a few more (the other side is a mirror, mistakes, etc.)
Paste your template onto a test piece or if you're brave the cabinet part you intend to use
Cut with a scroll saw, following the line


How can I secure / fasten a half installed floating engineered hardwood floor? I've got my floor "half" installed already.  No glue, or nailing, purely floating.  We've got a foam underlayment and are using spacers.  I'm noticing some trouble with the boards coming loose, gaps appearing between some of the boards.  I'm wondering if the first row needs to be secured to the sub-floor (plywood over 6" planks) somehow.  I'm really hoping that I don't have to pull up that first row, as that "row" is a bit not row-like, we have a great-room: living, dining and kitchen.

What can I do to tighten this up, without compromising the "breathing" of the floor, so as to avoid buckling etc?

I've seen this opening of seams and it regularly happens with a "snap together"-type floor. Unless the manufacturer states the flooring can be secured it would be wise not to chance any repercussions that may occur. The working mechanics for a floating floor system is to allow the planks to expand and contract freely (that's the reason for the 3/8 inch spacing along the wall). If  no allowance is made for movement the boards will move in the plane of least resistance, usually upwards. I found that it's easiest to close the gap by kicking the board tight with a rubber soled sneaker. Nice looking floor BTW.

make them tight together in average temperature for your room, measure the gap against the wall and fill in with an elastomer- silicone is enough ( but not acrylic), PU sealer or cork might be to hard,  buy silicone sq strips for the wooden flooring. wood will shrink and expand, if you lay the floor in the right temperature- silicone will deflect when wood expanding and then spring back when shrinking- shrinkage may not be even noticed. if the underlay is too soft and too spongy, or the subfloor uneven, planks will also move excessively causing joints to split. Not important- the floor looks old, dark and creepy, like from an old granny house, why would you bother with something like that anyway? When I am struggling with something I want this to look nice modern and as new forever....


Repairing crack in interior block wall I have begun making cosmetic repairs to the interior of my home which was built in the 50s. I've got brick veneer on the outside, cinder block inside and then a layer of either chicken wire plaster or just plaster applied directly to the block. After removing the top layer of plaster of a cracked area under a window sill corner, I discovered a settlement crack about an inch wide. The home is no longer settling so I know the crack isn't enlarging. My uncle who is a contractor instructed me to fill the gap with hydraulic cement, dry, apply a few layers of durabond and then top with a coat of mud to finish up the top layer.

Would this be an adequate repair to make sure it's done "right" and not just a quick patch job? Not trying to screw over the next owners.

UPDATE: just needs finishing sanding and primer/paint

I disagree with your uncle on the hydraulic cement part. Hydraulic cement when used properly has the viscosity more like water and is used to flow into cracks and crevices and harden which makes it hard to do on the side of a wall as it will just run down the block. In addition it is very hard when dried so eventually other cracks will appear on both sides of the crack you tried to fix in the future, because the block is weaker than the hydraulic cement.

The best approach is to place a backer rod which is like a mini pool noodle in the crack and then use elastomeric concrete crack filler, its like chaulking for concrete. The benefits are that it will bind to the concrete and if there is any movement in the future it will not crack and yes there will be movement however minor.
After you seal the joint then follow Uncles advice.


Extension Cords needed, can't find I have moved into an older home. All of the outlets are two prong only. Is there an extension cord that will plug into the wall with a 2 prong, but has 3 prongs in the extension part? If not, how am I going to make things work in this old place, lol?? Thank you for any help!

You can legally change the outlet, as long as it is “GFCI Protected” and marked “No Equipment Ground".  You'll get the safety benefits of a third wire ground, though not all the surge protection benefits of your power strip.  The GFCI units do use some 'vampire' power, about 1 Watt, 24/7.

Section 406.3(D)(3) of the 2008 National Electric Code covers this situation.

Consider also a whole house surge protector, and if you have K&T wiring, an AFCI on the K&T.  That said, if any of this sounds unfamiliar, hire a home inspector to check out everything and provide advice as to priorties.

No, they no longer make those because they are dangerous.  What you really need to do is call in an electrician to update your wiring so that it's safe.


Slow drain after tub-to-shower conversion I recently hired a plumber for a tub-to-shower conversion into a first floor (slab) master bathroom.  I had already removed tub and demo'd the walls, so the scope of work involved:

Extending existing copper lines up into exposed wall for shower valve/head
Add 2" PVC drain/p-trap in center of shower (including slab work and new concrete), coupling to existing 1.5" drain inside slab (using Fernco coupling)

Number 1 was pretty straight forward.  Number 2 was also straight forward, although I wasn't sure about the Fernco to adapt the 2" PVC to the existing 1.5", but he assured me this was standard practice:

I was happy with how everything turned out initially, and after tiling we started to use the shower.  But we noticed something strange: for the first minute or two, the water would not drain fast, and would start to puddle (~1"), but then all of a sudden all the water would drain and it would stay that way for the duration of the shower (ie, no puddling at all near the drain).  It has been about 4 months and now the 'puddling phase' lasts more like 4-5 minutes and gets deeper, but then, like magic, it all suddenly drains.  We used the bathtub as a shower for years and never had any drain issues.

Other things to mention:

There was no roof vent for the bathtub, but it did have the standard stopper assembly so this could have acted like a vent?
The original drain in the slab is about 48" from main sewer line (toilet), which has a 4" roof vent.

My main questions are:

Why does it drain slow at first, then suddenly drain normally?
Did the plumber use proper technique, ie, the Fernco?
Is this a vent (lack of) issue? (If so, I'm screwed)

Thanks for reading.

UPDATE (01/25/18): I have contacted the plumber who did the work.  I told him about the "double trap" theory, which totally makes sense to me.  However, he is not yet convinced as he says he "has done hundreds of tub-to-bath conversions and never had any issues if there was a tub trap in the slab."  He thinks it is some type of obstruction in the line, and will come out and run the line to try and push out whatever might be in there.  My engineering/physics mind makes me less optimistic than he is, but I hold out hope since it is, by far, the easiest solution.  Fingers crossed, and I will update soon.

Another UPDATE: The plumber finally came out (he was battling flu).  He contended that there should be no problem with having a new trap as part of the shower drain which feeds into the slab where there is (presumably) another trap...as long as there is a down-stream vent, which there is.  However, I was really skeptical since what Josh said below made sense from a physics point-of-view.  His thought was that there was simply some blockage somewhere; which again didn't make sense since the water drains well after running for a few minutes.  He proceeded to use his auger to try and clear out the blockage.  Well, we were all very surprised when he pulled out a 4" piece of 1/2" copper all wrapped up in a big hair-mess.  WTF?  It must have fallen in the drain when he did the original work, and the only explanation to why it drains well after a few minutes is that it somehow "floats to the top" or whatever and gets out of the way.  Not sure we'll ever really know why, but now the system drains well, no problems at all.  I don't really care since I won't have to redo things to fix it. :)  Just thought I'd post in case anyone comes across this and wonders about this same type of problem.

If you didn't take out a trap it is likely in the ground, and the shown section added a second trap, having two traps in line is the problem, it is called double trapping.

The air in between the two traps is stuck and requires some pressure to clear and start the water flowing, provided by your build up of water in the shower.  This region between the traps is also more likely to accumulate material and clog, which is likely why it is getting worse.

It can be fixed by venting between the traps, or removing one of them, but since they are both in concrete it is not an easy fix.  Short term you could try and snake the drain or use other methods to try and clear debris to improve drainage, but it is going to be a problem.

Did the plumber use the correct device fernco coupler, Yes fernco couplers are very common for pipe repairs and modifications. Why is the drain running slow , the tub drained fine, I think you guessed this one correctly that the drain did have a vent because of the tub, now the syphon needs to get started then it drains even 1 inch higher would make a big difference and tubs are usually set slightly higher than shower pans.but if double trapped it makes sence to me that it has a tougher time getting started each 90 creates resistance to flow and the trapped air in between is the problem unroll the syphon starts.


How can I locate a mysterious leak in a 3 story rental unit? I have a 3 story rental unit with 4 apartments. The apartment on the middle floor reported that the closet wall was wet. When I checked it the wall had mold and a moist/wet feel to it. The ceiling and other walls seemed to be dry. This is an outside wall so I thought there was some type of leak behind the wall. I pulled the sheetrock to to find that there were no pipes. The outside of the house is cinder block and I discovered that the sheetock was screwed to furring strips, no insulation.

I checked the outside, no obvious cracks in the paint or holes in the wall. The nearby old window was a bit wet but there didn't seem to be any moisture on the wall under the window or to the side wall. I thought perhaps the water was somehow penetrating the block so I used drylock to seal the wall, 2 coats, added some foam insulation and sheetrocked with greenboard.

The tenant just called, 5 weeks later to say the closet was very wet and moldy. Apparently they do not use the closet very often. Above the closet are stairs heading up to the 3rd floor. There did not seem to be any moisture on the stairs when I checked.

So how do I find the source of this moisture? Especially when I don't live there myself so I can check it daily. Any advice or ideas are greatly appreciated.

you can run a dye trace on the building.  you just buy a uv trace kit and you add the different colour dyes to the suspect areas.  then wait a couple of days and check the area with the uv light.  whatever colour shows up is from the site with the leak.  you may have to repeat a few times to get it to show up.

as an aside, if its a flat roof, check the adjacent areas on the roof really closely.  its often the case that you will get a hairline crack in a sill or dam and its the cause of the problem.


How to wire a condensate pump safety switch? So, just got back from vacation to find much of my basement covered with a decent amount of water. Discovered my condensate pump stopped working (worn float) and overflowed for probably most of the week.

The pump has a safety overflow cut-off switch but it was never set up and so I finally did that (or tried at least) once I replaced the float and cleaned up the mess. Problem is the shut off does not appear to function. The pump is a Diversitech CP-22 with three terminals (com, run and alarm). I separated 2 yellow wires connecting the t-stat and outdoor unit and connected the t-stat wire to the provided lead wire to the com terminal at the pump and then connected the second lead wire from the run terminal at the pump to the yellow wire from the outdoor unit. Turned everything back on and all appears to work fine except the cut-off feature. T-stat calls for cool, condenser kicks on outside and house cools normally to set temp. The pump functions fine when full but when I tried to test the overflow feature by manually filling it with water faster than it could pump it out, the pump just overflowed and never shut the system off although the red alarm LED was lit up.

What did I do wrong here or could this be a faulty switch? The pump is at least 6 years old.

The correct wiring scheme for shutting down the AC completely is to break the 24v red wire (low voltage) coming from the t-stat bundle and then wire it in to the (COM) terminal of the pump. Then attach the second lead to the (RUN) terminal at the pump to the second red wire going to the control board/transformer.  The (ALARM) terminal of the pump is intended to attach an audible alarm device that would be tied into the red low voltage t-stat wire. The previous wiring scheme will also work but only shuts down the outside unit's compressor, however the fan will continue to run.

I would agree with the 1st comment on running the yellow wire to Con and Alarm.


Light fixture buzzing sound Today I replaced our dining room's old 70s chandelier. When I opened it up I noticed pretty quick the rubber shielding on the lamps cords had been melting a bit towards the tips as it got all over my hands while taking down the old fixture. I just discounted it at age since it wasn't overly significant and the fixture had been up for years before we moved in a few months ago.

So I installed a brand new updated fixture and also replaced the existing single pole dimmer switch with the same model single pole dimmer I've installed elsewhere in the house.

Here's my problem:
When I turn it on to full brightness, it works fine but there's a subtle buzzing noise coming from the switch and the fixture by the bulb(s)

When you dim it down it flickers.

Now, I've probably literally changed out a hundred fixtures over the years. The only thing different about the way I installed it was the new single pole dimmer had a ground wire I just hooked to the bare ground wire that was already there. Whereas the old switch didn't have one.

I'm pretty positive all the connections are fine and I used new screw caps on the twisted pairs.

I'm no electrician but it's not rocket science, however I could use some education from someone a bit more experienced than myself troubleshooting this weird behavior. If I have to pull it all back down and investigate a hint at what to look for in particular would be awesome.

EDIT ADDITION: Replaced it with a Leviton Cat. No. 6672-L "Universal" that's even has on the box advertising it for the bulbs in use. It still buzzes at the switch, the dimming is a little cleaner to a point before it flickers again. I can pull down the fixture and double check everything but I'm pretty sure it's not the culprit.

Any advice?

Cheers

the 3 bulbs are 60W equivalent ecosmart compact fluorescent's

This may be your problem. Many CF (compact fluorescent) bulbs are NOT designed to be dimmed.

Try changing out your bulbs with "Dimmable" CFs.

It is NOT the ground. This is not audio equipment, so let's rule that out.
What kind of lamps (bulbs) are they? You say there are only three so we can also rule out an overloaded dimmer.
Also, you say it is the same dimmer you've used before. What brand and model number is it?


dripping sound inside wall I'll try to get everything in here, yet be concise.

This is a 3-story building, plus basement/underground parking.  I'm on the 2nd floor, studio.  Same layout above and below.  Exterior wall to balcony; all others interior.  Kitchen and bath share a wall (and also run along interior wall for hallway).  The drip sound is from the wall between the kitchen and bathroom.

Kitchen sink is on an island "wall" not attached to the "problem" wall.  Bathroom sink and toilet are on the wall opposite the "problem" wall.  I was thinking there wasn't any plumbing in the "problem" wall, but my mom pointed out the sprinkler system.  And, duh, the shower faucet is on that wall (drain is in middle of tub, though).

The drip is extremely intermittent.  It seems to occur at any time of the day (or night), and does not appear to be related to water running or having been run recently.  It SEEMS to be coming from/hitting somewhere near the ceiling.  Also, several feet to the side of the shower faucet.  When I hear it start, I've listened to see if anyone is running water (even going upstairs to listen) and there is never water running.

I've talked to the guy upstairs and he also hears it.  I haven't yet asked him if he can pinpoint "where"--as in, does he hear it towards his floor or not? (to 'correspond' with my sense that it is near my ceiling)  I haven't talked to the guy on the first floor.  If he doesn't hear it, then....well, it helps isolate the problem, I guess.  Oh--I've listened in the hallway downstairs and not heard it.  But I also listened in the hallway on the 3rd floor and did NOT hear it; but when I asked the guy, he did hear it inside his apartment.

The building is about a year old.  The drip/sound occurs during the summer and now (so, when hot or cold outside).  I've seen no evidence of water damage on either side of the wall.  I first heard it....about 5 months ago.  I wasn't here before that (I am first tenant in this unit).  If it's been doing it since construction, I'm not sure if that would be enough time for damage to show on the "living" sides of the walls?  I would think so, but....

Obviously, with sprinklers in the wall, there are pipes.  But I can't think why those pipes would have water moving through them 2 or more times a day.  Wouldn't water just sit in those pipes until needed, if ever needed?

The sound -- like big drops.  Nearly always the exact same speed, although I think a couple times it was quicker.  It lasts anywhere from a minute or two, to 15 minutes or more.  I'm up all night--it often happens in the middle of the night.  No one else is up and running water, and I would not have run the shower for...hours.

I'd like to figure out WHAT this is, because I really do not want them coming in here to tear out the wall to try to diagnose it.  There is no maintenance person on-site, so I can't just get him/her when it decides to drip.

Any thoughts??

If it occurs during summer, and days when you run your air conditioner, its likely they fed the condensation drain pan to the house drain. Try turning off your AC for a whole day and see if you ever hear it.

Its also possible that its someone else's AC unit that is drained to your drain, or in a multi-unit building, the common drain that happens to run through your wall.

posting an "answer" so i can address all 3.

it can't be the air conditioner, because it's still happening.  and because it happened in the summer too, i crossed out "hot water moving thru cold pipes."  that's why i noted that it's been happening over at least 5 months.

the sanity check is funny!  i know when it started and my folks were here, i immediately asked my mom if she heard it too.  she and dad both heard it; and the guy upstairs hears it.
but 'sanity check' for "is it actually dripping?"--i've read about the pipes contracting/expanding and then rubbing, or via movement, making a "dripping sound."

i wish it could be that, but i really don't think so.  for one thing, i paid more attention after posting my question.  there are more times when the 'dripping' starts out quite fast, then slows to its "regular" rhythm, then i was thinking there were.
the difference in speed also makes me question the idea of water pooling somewhere until there is X amount, and then dripping for a bit.

as far as leaking from the roof--thought of that too.  but it's been continuous, even over the summer when we went for weeks without rain.

this is driving me crazy.


How do I remove stuck (melted?) foam from under carpet on hardwood floor? We just bought a house with lovely bright pink carpeting over hardwood floors, and tore it all up.  The foam underneath was multi-colored, and the black spots appear to have melted to the floor.

It's hard to see in the pictures, but those are actual little lumps of sticky foam (melted? it's 90°F here).

So, what's the easiest way to remove these from the floor without ruining it?  I've read online suggestions of hardwood floor cleaner, Goo-Gone, soapy water, and even dry ice.

Probably you are hoping to spray some Miracle Vanishing Formula™, instantly wipe, and be good as new.  Maybe it is possible to do that, or use a putty knife carefully.

In the end, you will probably have added scratches, and there are probably defects and worn portions screaming for refinishing.  So why not skip to the (seemingly) inevitable conclusion: maybe now is a great time to refinish the whole floor.

Rent a floor sander, either a drum sander, floor stripper, or square buff sander and take off the foam, varnish, and thin layer of the wood.

Usually, it is best to remove floor edge molding to get all the way to the walls, but if the molding is expensive or hard to remove, it is not unreasonable to do a best effort with the edge sander (above right) or an orbital with a shield.

Then add floor finish, sand, buff, and refinish again.  It is a lot of work and has to be spread out over at least three days with no use of the room, but it can really revive an iffy room and make it one you can be proud of.

I suggest, first use the Vacuum Cleaner. It helps to remove maximum foam from the floor. After that use scraper to pop those off and again second-time use Vacuum Cleaner. I hope it will help you. Thanks


Dryer vent hose not staying connected to the dryer vent even with clamp I cannot get the hose to stay on the metal vent coming out of the dryer.  I have tightened the clamp til I am almost bending the pipe but the venting material slides right off?
Help and thank you!

Just attach it with some small sheet metal screws.


How do I use a multimeter to check for power? I need to check that power going from my light switch, to a light fixture on the same wall, as well as a light fixture on the opposite wall. How do I use a multimeter to do that?

WARNING

  If you're not comfortable working on live wiring, please contact a local licensed electrician. Working on live wiring can be dangerous, and could lead to property damage/loss, personal injury, and/or death.

To test voltage, you'll want to set the meter to the "Volts AC" setting. On the meter it will likely look like a capital "V" followed by a "~".

Typically there will be more than one setting within the range, so you'll want to choose the setting that is higher than what you expect to get. For example. In the US a lighting circuit is typically 120 volts, so you would choose the "200" setting typically found on most meters.

Check the documentation for the meter you're using, to determine where each probe should be plugged in. Typically the black probe goes in "COM", while the red goes in "VΩmA", "VΩ", or "V".

Carefully touch one probe to a known good ground, and the other to the "hot" conductor. (When I say "ground", I don't mean dirt. I'm talking about electrical ground). Next with the one probe still touching ground, touch the other probe to the "neutral" conductor.  (When I say touch the conductor, I mean touch an exposed part of the conductor with the tip of the probe. Touching the probe to the insulation on the wire, isn't going to do anything). Finally, touch one probe to the "hot" conductor, and the other to the "neutral".

When you measure between ground or "neutral" and "hot", you should measure line voltage (about 120 volts). When you measure between ground and "neutral", you should measure 0 volts.

if you don't know how to use a multimeter, you don't understand even rudimentary circuits.

you should not be messing with anything electrical.  call an electrician.

not trying to be rude, but the magic wall pixies in electrical doodads can in fact kill you.  nobody wants that.


What kind of metal is safe for DIY BBQ repair? The flame deflectors in the propane BBQ are rusted to bits. They sit an inch or two above the flames. For making new ones, I know to not use any galvanized or painted sheet metal.  What kind of sheet metal would not be a potential health issue?

Best would be a cast iron/steel piece, it would last forever and do exactly same as next item.

Second best would be mild carbon steel, what we call black steel where I come from. It rusts like no tomorrow but it is cheap, sturdy and no surprises.

Stainless is a waste of money, heat over time will both make it brittle and leach mystery compounds like chromium into nearby surfaces.

Galvanized is ridiculous, as propane heat will melt the zinc and it will make a puddle.

Best performance is heat resistant high alloy steel with large portions of nickel, molybdenum and others. What we call "kettle steel" in my neck of the woods. But that is hard to work into shape, difficult to weld, heavy as bricks and thus expensive.

Stainless steel would be best; places like Home Depot have an assortment of aftermarket grill parts. Non-magnetic stainless would be better, but magnetic stainless is good ( as in modern auto exhaust systems). Aluminum will disappear fairly fast. Galvanized and painted steel are no health risk.


Can I plug a multi-outlet adapter into a GFCI outlet? I have a GFCI outlet in my kitchen where I would like to plug in more than two things.  I was thinking I could just add a multi-outlet adapter to one of the outlets, or maybe a short 1->3 plug extension cord for my purposes.  I'm assuming this is probably frowned upon, but would it be functional?

Specifically right now in the GFCI outlet we have a bottle warmer plugged in; I would like to add to it a small fish take filter, LED light, and a fish tank heater.

You can absolutely plug in an extension cord to the GFCI outlet, and as long as the GFCI outlet was wired correctly, the GFCI protection extends to all the devices plugged into it.

However, I would advise you to stay away from this kind of multi outlet adapter, since it might cover the GFCI buttons making it harder to test and reset:

Here's an adapter that will work for you:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-GFCI-5-Outlet-Adapter-30339037/203741442


Removing Carpet Glue I installed outdoor carpet on my porch.  The glue bled through in spots.  What can I use to remove the spots from the carpet?

Roberts 8000 concentrated stripper is suggested by mfg for glue removal. The roberts adhesive you used is a solvent free adhesive so best to use what they recommend. This a concentrated latex adhesive remover so you will want to probably apply it to a cloth and work the spots to remove the stains. Non VOC and enviromentaly according to the documentation.


What to try next when pipe joints leak with both thread sealant and with teflon tape? I am plumbing a couple fixtures (a water heater and a shower) with pex and a few threaded fittings (at the heater and shower fixtures only). At first I used teflon tape (3-5 turns in direction of thread), but all the threaded joints were leaking. So I removed all the tape and replaced it with some T2 thread sealant I had laying around. Again, all the joints leaked and some worse than before.

I've also played with different levels of tightness to no luck. Am I missing an essential step in my joins?

What other solutions exist to seal threaded iron pipe or brass joins?

Never put pipe dope on the threads of the female fitting. It will allow pipe dope which is not water soluble to clog aerators and put contaminants into the water. If the threads on both male and female fittings are threaded correctly and with sharp dies the threads should hand fit up to 2-1/2 threads.Pipe dope and tape can be applied in excess. 4 wraps of tape on the male threads with a quality Teflon tape is sufficient, wrapped over itself clockwise looking from the narrow end of the threads. Or paste pipe dope should be applied to the first 4-5 threads of the male threads and not gooped on. No pipe dope whether tape or paste should get inside of pipe. Not a good thing. Tighten the joint until it is snug, not until it can not be tightened any further. It is a feel or touch thing you will aquire with practice. Turn on pressure whether liquid or gas and test for leaks. If there is a leak and you didn't tighten the joint so tight you hurt yourself you can tighten it little more to stop the leak. If you tightened it so tight there is no more tightening you must untighten the joint completely and start over. PITA. Have been doing this for 48 years and has never failed if threads are good quality threads. Problem today 50% of threads are crap. Remember the fit up. If to loose or to tight get rid of bad fitting.

Are you using inserts into the end of the PEX pipe before putting on the compression fittings? I presume that's what you mean by 'threaded' - they have an olive between the two parts?


What is the difference between Square D and QP single pole circuit breakers, and can they be mixed? I just noticed that all of the branches from my upstairs service box are run off of 15 or 20-amp type QP circuit breakers, except for one 15-amp line that is for the hard-wired smoke alarms- it uses a Square D type breaker.  What is the difference between these two, and can they safely be mixed in a breaker box?

Some research says that a QP circuit breaker is the 1" or 2" wide breakers that protect a 110V or 220V circuit respectively, and is made by Siemens.  Square D is another manufacturer of circuit breakers and service panels.

Ideally, you would want to have all your circuit breakers be manufactured by the same company that makes your service panel; the manufacturer will -- one hopes -- certify that their breakers will work correctly in their panels.  Some manufacturers produce breakers with the same mechanical fit as others, in which case it would be up to that manufacturer to say if their breakers will work in a panel made by the other.

I'm assuming that the Square D breaker actually fits in the service panel, so to determine if it's OK, you'd have to do some research to see if Square D certifies their products to work with the panel, or if the panel's manufacturer does the same.

(Side note: per NEC2008, smoke detector circuits have to be protected with an AFCI if there's a detector in a bedroom.  This might explain why that circuit is different.)

wow, some of these "electricians" spend way to much time on their soap box. the fact is, no your not supposed to mix and match breakers. BUT yes it is fine, its all BS by the manufactures to sell more of their own breakers. If the breaker fits, its fine. Ive been doing this a long time, forget about it, your fine.

By the way, who in the world gets this concerned about a random breaker in their panel, relax guy, I am sure your contractor knew what he was doing.


how to route cable in wall This is probably the most amateurish question here :)

I always lived in brick houses where i had conduits to pass cables thru. life was easy.

Now i'm on a rented wood panel(?) house. And i want to pass a network cable from the top floor to the bottom floor, on a wall that is shared with the neighbor.

I am hopping that simply opening up the outlet panels and pushing in the cable with some weight from the top floor i will be able to get it on the outlet in the bottom as it is almost liner... but i'm sure i won't be that lucky.

what am i bound to find in the way? i am almost sure there will be something on the second floor height blocking my way...  and any way to overcome obstacles that do not involve cutting holes in the wall?

edit: found this question but i don't think this applies as i don't have a crawl space...

It's going to depend on the type of framing used. Balloon and platform framing are the two common methods.

Platform
If you're dealing with platform framing, you're going to have to drill through quite a bit to go between floors.  First you'll hit the bottom plate of the upper wall, followed by the decking (subfloor). Next you'll hit a double top plate, which once you're through you'll be in the lower wall.  Since it's a common wall, you'll also likely have to deal with blocking and insulation.
Balloon
If it's a balloon framed structure, you're lucky. You'll likely only encounter blocking, bracing, and insulation. However, these elements are a bit less predictable, so you'll have to take things as they come.
Fireblocking & Draftstopping
Any time you create a passageway for fire or gases to pass between floors, you'll have to provide adequate fireblocking and/or draftstopping. This could be as minimal as some fire resistant spray foam, but you'll have to check with your local government to determine what's required.

Well, anything is possible, we really don’t have any info how does the house look like (technically speaking).I am working with one prefabricated house at the moment so I can tell you how does it look like in my case: back in a factory they make the whole panel with everything ready inside including plastic pipes through which later on thy place cables. So keeping that in mind, maybe, just MAYBE you can find some socket, remove it and use those plastic tubes as a high way for you cable (I’m sure there is enough space for it), but even I don’t like this idea. Second one is to drill a small hole in the corner of a room, where it is not too visible and push the cable near some column or something like that where no one will spot it.There are some ways for you to go through the panels, put I think they are too expensive and complex for a small thing like getting a cable to a bottom floor.


How hot is too hot above fireplace I recently bought a house with a zero clearance fireplace, and had a metal/glass door installed on the front. I suspect the metal door is touching the tiles on the wall above and transferring a lot of heat. When the fireplace is running, I can't hold my hand for more than a few seconds on the bottom of the tiles above the fireplace. However, if I move my hand a few inches up it's just fine. Is this too hot, or expected?

Edit: Here's a picture of the door I had installed. It's made for zero clearance fireplaces. We always have the doors fully open when the fireplace is on. Also, to clarify, this is a gas unit, not wood burning.

i have never seen a zero clearance unit without a door assembly already attached.  was this unit open hearth design and then you retrofitted it with the door/glass?  or was the door/glass just missing and you replaced it?
is it a gas unit or wood burning?  the gas units can get pretty toasty right at the top above the trim escutcheon, but it could also be you don't have a tight seal on the new door to the old firebox, thus letting some combustion gas out and giving you too much heat, plus a little carbon monoxide for good measure.  if its a wood unit, you don't need to worry too much other than the heat degrading the tile mortar or adhesive.  either way, it should never get above 45 deg c, as that's the limit for temps on combustibles (tile no, but wood behind tile, yes) around a zero clearance unit


Can a dryer receptacle be wired without a neutral? In my apartment, I have a 4 wire 240V receptacle for a dryer where the neutral is not connected, only the 2 hots and ground. Is this configuration permitted for a dryer circuit? An electrician and maintenance person have both said the circuit is fine, but the electrician did point out that there is no box for the receptacle. How can the dryer get the necessary 120V to operate the panel and the other small parts in the dryer?

Here is a highlighted image of a random electric dryer schematic.

Click for larger view
Notice that all the control circuits are 120V components, and that basically only the heater is 240V.  Extending this image further, we can see how the dryer connects to a 120/240V split-phase system using a 3 wire cord.

Click for larger view
Due to the nature of the 120/240V split-phase system, the grounded (neutral) and grounding conductors in a dedicated single appliance circuit are basically the same. The dryer will work just fine whether the N terminal is connected to a grounded (neutral) conductor, or a grounding conductor.  However, connecting a NEMA 14-30R device in this way is nonstandard, and a code violation.

NEMA 14-30R
In the case of a three wire circuit, a NEMA 10-30R device should be installed.

NEMA 10-30R
When the wiring is connected to the proper device, the third wire in the cable becomes a grounded (neutral) conductor, and the code may be satisfied.
If you read point number three of the exception to section 250.140 of the National Electrical Code, you'll find that the neutral must be either insulated, or part of a Type SE cable.  If this is not the case, your installation may still be a code violation.
An uninsulated, normally current carrying conductor running through your walls is typically a bad thing.  Which is why this code exception is only valid, if the conductor is insulated.

tl;dr
Connecting a dryer in this way will work, but is a potentially dangerous code violation (according to the National Electrical Code).
If the receptacle is not of the self-contained variety, and is not in a box. That is defiantly a code violation (NEC 2011 406.5).

Extra Information:
If a proper 4 wire cable existed, the schematic from above would look something like this...

Click for larger view

If I've missed anything, or haven't explained something properly. Feel free to ask additional questions, or point out mistakes in the comments below.

120 plus 120 = 240. Your panel has 120 AC on each side. AC stands for alternating current. A wave, not a line. Opposite sides of your panel have opposite wave signatures allowing the "hot" for one 120 to function as the neutral for the other.


How can I attach Velcro to a fly screen? I bought some screens and some velcro strips (which came already with adhesive) and set up some fly screens. But after some time the screens started to unglue from the velcro, the adhesive was not strong enough or there was not enough surface to it to hold,

I want any suggestion to fix the screen to the velcro, some kind of glue/adhesive. I tried super glue and hot glue but neither worked. I'm almost considering sewing it or putting it in a frame (which was not the original idea)

Here's the screen I have:

What about velcroing through the screen, then sticking another piece on the back, basically making a velcro frame around the screen? This is hard to explain, here's a diagram:

AAAAAAAAAA
LLLLLLLLLL
SSSSSSSSSS
HHHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAA
LLLLLLLLLL

HHHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAA
FFFFFFFFFF

The first 2 rows (AL) are one piece of velcro, loop side, with the adhesive away from the screen (leave the backing on this adhesive).

Next row is the screen (S)

Next 2 rows (HA) are another piece of velcro, hook side, again with adhesive away from the screen (backing removed from this piece).

Next 2 rows (AL) are another piece, loop side, adhesive against the previous piece so they stick back-to-back

Everything above here is on the screen (removable). Everything below is fixed to the wall.

The next 2 rows (HA) are the velcro stuck to the frame, and finally the F is the frame.

Just buy a better glue it may seem simple but it really works


How Should I Store Antique Furniture? I have some fairly large/heavy antique wood furniture (ranging from 30-90 years old) that I need to store in an in-ground unfinished basement, potentially for a few years.  At the moment it's mainly wrapped in moving blankets (and disassembled into manageable pieces, of course).  But I'm unsure of the long-term viability of that with regard to protecting the furniture.

What should I do to store this in such an environment?  Temperature and humidity will range throughout the year (and when the dryer's running), some smoke from the fireplace makes it way down there, and of course there's a potential for insects.  Is there a particular way to wrap it (specific material/method of wrapping) and store it such that it's protected from these potential dangers?

From my personal experience I would suggest finding another place to store it. The big issue is excess humidity that will soften the glue especially on the older pieces. Veneers will start to lift and mold will grow. If you must store it in the basement run a dehumidifier year round, in the winter it most likely won't run often. In the summer it will likely run continuously. Unless you have a wood stove in the basement or live in a very dry area lack of humidity shouldn't be an issue.

I think you may really want to consider putting yoru furniture with a professional self storage company too, not just because of the better quality in care they can provide but also because they are equipped to handle special materials and situations. Climate control might be better with someone who has already the facilities intact rather than having to build everything up on your own unless you really intend to make storage a pretty big scale operation in your home. At the same time, they'll be able to put a guarantee on the value of your items through content insurance too. So just a thought..


Is wrapping Roxul around hot water tank pipe a fire hazard? I have heard Roxul is safe and non-combustible, I need to wrap something around the vertical hot water tank piping leading up to the attic. This pipe can be seen in the basement ceiling and there is space around this pipe I want to use two layers of Roxul material to wrap around.

Could this become a fire hazard somehow by trapping the heat and causing nearby wood to ignite?

No. As you seem to be aware, Roxul is a mineral wool product, and mineral wool is fireproof. You're right that it will "trap the heat" but this is exactly what you want and the result will be less heat transmitted to the surrounding wood, not more. Mineral wool is actually one of the few materials you can safely use for filling these kinds of spaces. Proceed with confidence.

100% you WILL start a fire.  You'll be trapping heat to the point that it dries the wood and creates a "kindling" situation where a fire will start with the slightest bit of heat.


How do I remove the valve stem from a kitchen sink? I have a kitchen sink that is not attached to a counter. I am trying to replace an old one to a new one. It has a two handle lever and for the life of me I can not remove the handles and the valves. They are not the screw on top handles. I've looked on line with no results.Can anyone help me?

Turn off the water supply for the faucet where you are removing the stem. Check underneath the faucet for a shut-off valve. They usually have round or oval knobs. Rotate the knob clockwise until it stops to cut off the water supply.Remove the faucet handle, if present. Use the edge of a flat-bladed screwdriver or knife to pop off the faucet screw cap, which is usually concealed as the "Hot" or "Cold" label. Remove the faucet screw with a Phillips screwdriver and lift the faucet off the tap. Other faucet handles may be held in place with a hex screw on the underside which should be unscrewed with a hex screwdriver. The handle can then be pulled off.


What is this cable popping out of my lawn? There's a black cable cutting diagonally across one side of my front lawn (askew to my house, not going towards it, also not going towards the local electric transformer or my neighbor's house). The roots of a large tree seem to be pushing it out of the ground. I called Miss Utility last month and left a message but they never called back.
What is it, and what should I do about it?

It appears to be COAX cable and it's almost certainly your (or your neighbors) CATV (i.e. Cable TV) line.  These are often placed near trees and they get pushed up as the tree grows.  That one is very exposed.  I'd put in a service call to my provider and request it be buried properly.

My guess is a 1/2 inch drip irrigation hose.


How do I extend shower cover plate without replacing a tile I had my shower tiled and, unfortunately, the job was sub-par.
I am not wondering if this can be somehow fixed via workaround, without replacing my tile. Maybe some sort of cover plate extension?

Thank you

Check with the manufacturer for parts for your model #. They might have a larger cover plate. You could also bring it into a plumbing supply store and see if they have a larger one. You'd be amazed at the parts a good plumbing store has. Last but not least, there is usually a bead of white caulk around cover plates in showers this color. A good bead might just cover that opening if all else fails.

What is the question? It looks like a fat finger of calking could seal this and should have been done,  I usually make sure to have the tile extend at least 1/4” closer to the valve but a cheap job ?  well I have seen this many times, caulking can seal it and prevent problems, but it would be a contract issue in most cases and would be off topic and if you paid them you accepted the work.
Yes you can take to court , but a fat finger caulking job would seal it and If another contractor agrees it is industry standard they will win and you may be responsible for there Court fees.
Without a specific question I would vote to close.
If you ask is it a good job I would say more like a handyman or diy , not a professional that did tile Just saying.


Why does my hot cooktop indicator light stay on after the cooktop is cool? The indicator light now wont turn off My alamna Range electric smoothtop stove, on indicator light I just noticed tonight now stays on after everything has cooled down. Is this safe? Is it okay to just leave it, it still works fine.

To quote from Amana documentation:

  Many smoothtop models have indicator lights that may stay on after the
  burner has been turned off. The light will go off after the burner
  surface has cooled to a safe temperature. This is normal operation.