How can I deal with a low spot in a fiberglass shower pan? The slope of the shower base is not quite right. Water will drain correctly at the front of the shower, but the water at the back does not flow towards the front. Likely because the floor is not really straight. There might be a very slight bump in the middle that causes the water at the back to stay trapped.
I have no appetite for breaking everything and replacing everything.
Is there a solution for this problem? Maybe a type of silicon or something that could recreate more of a slope at the end?

autobody filler might work out you can put a real thin layer of it then sculpt it with a sander then finish it off with enamel paint, assuming this is a fiberglass pan.  Make sure you don't create a slippery surface though.  Another way would be to remove the glass wall and completely resculpt this with filler than put down tile mastic and tile it with traditional grout including a new higher lip.  Then reinstall the glass frame.  I agree with you I would not start a project to tear out the pan.


Extending concrete Slab I have a 10 x 10 slab (4 inches thick) that is already in my back yard in the corner. I bought a kit to build a 10 x 10 shed on it, and then realized that would put it right up to my fence. So my thought is to essentially extend the size of the slab to a 11 x 11. This should give me enough space around it.

Since I have not really tried to attach new concrete to existing concrete before, what is the best method for this. Two of the four walls of the shed will be resting on the new portion of concrete I pour, so I want to make sure they do not pull apart over time.

Any suggestions?

Your best bet for a good finish relies on doing three things:

Making sure that the foundation for the extension is well compacted and onto good material
Cut back and scable the joint with the existing 10x10 slab so that there is a good bond when the new concrete is cast.
Drill and fix dowel bars into the existing slab across the joint with the extension.

The number and type of bars will vary depending on the load from the new shed but you should be fine with something like 8mm (3/8") bars at 200mm (8") centres.

You should probably note that this will give you a full structural connection and so may be too much for your particular problem unless you want to be absolutely sure that the slab and the extension don't separate.

Expose the existing iron rods and weld them with new extension part. It will surely not show cracks.


Why would one breaker trip more than another under the same load? I have three circuits in my shop, each dedicated to powering 2 duplex 110V receptacles. The circuits originate from a 100A subpanel inside the shop.

Two of the circuits are 15A, and one is 20A. Everything is wired with 12/2 MC cable with ground, and metal boxes. Each circuit is about the same length. Each circuit has a GFCI receptacle first, with a regular duplex receptacle downstream. the 15A circuits have 15A rated receptacles, the 20A circuit has 20A rated receptacles.

Funny thing is - the 20A circuit will sometimes trip using tools that might draw only 8 or 9 amps max, while I hardly ever trip the 15A circuits with the same tools, or even when using a tool that will draw 15A max (briefly, like a table saw).

What could cause this? I have a multimeter - Can it help me infer something here?

Get another 20A breaker and replace one of the 15A breakers with it.  There is a special exception in Code which allows 20A breakers to be used on  circuits where

all the wiring is 12AWG Cu or larger
There is more than one 15A socket.  That's easy; most come with two.

A 20A circuit can't feed only this.

  One of these is fine.

FYI, there's also a UL rule that 15A receptacles must be good for 20A passthru. That applies to most GFCIs too.

Now with two 20A breakers in the panel, you can experiment more and get back to us.

Also make sure the breakers actually are the same make/model as the panel -- the simple way here is to make sure your panel brand equals your breaker brand.  Wrong brands/types will seem to snap in, but don't properly mate and will arc and burn up the buses.

This isn't scamming you, we're not name-brand-obsessed, if you want to use a GM/Delco brand brake pad made for an F150 on your F150, have at.  That's just not very common with breakers.

Buy a new 20A breaker.  Swap it in.  If the problem goes away, it's the breaker.  Take the bad one back, explain that it is defective, tell them when you bought it, and that you would expect breakers to last longer than that. and that you have already bought the replacement.  If it doesn't go away swap again, and take the new one back.

Verify the load part 1.  Use a clip around amp meter and see if there is a load on the circuit when you aren't doing anything.

Verify the load part 2.  Make a short (1 foot) extension cord with separate wires so that you can use your clip around amp meter.  See how much your device draws on startup.

My suspicion is that you have a fast trip breaker, and that the start up current of one of your devices is enough to set it off.  Check the part number on the breaker then look up the specs. Edit:  I'm informed that such don't exist in the North American Market.  So the breaker is either defective, or something else is wrong.

If you do have a fast trip breaker, then you can attempt to return it as 'wrong item for task'  Depending on store policy they may or may not accept the exchange.


Is my circuit breaker box grounded? If not, can it be? I recently bought a house that was built in 1960.  During the inspection, I was told that the majority of outlets weren't grounded.  However, it appears a few are such as in the bathroom. How do I determine if my circuit breaker box is grounded?  I had an electrician come out and he said it wasn't.  Then he proceeded to tell me that he couldn't ground my fuse box and each of my outlets would need to be rewired.  Somebody else told me that this doesn't sound right.  I have read a lot on the internet and not sure what to do next?

It's unlikely that your service panel ("circuit breaker / fuse box") is not grounded.  That could lead to all sorts of weird problems, not to mention that it would be tantamount to malpractice for an inspector and an electrician to walk away from an electric service in that condition.  Furthermore you said that some outlets are grounded.  If they passed inspection then you have grounded service.

(Technical clarification: usually the ground and neutral buses are connected in the main panel, and the service is grounded upstream.  By code such a connection can only be made in the main panel.  In this case the main panel is still "grounded" even though one might pedantically argue that the ground connection is not at the main panel.)

It sounds like you've gotten confused, so here's the simple situation: Most of the outlets inside your house are ungrounded.  They're the ones with only two holes, that can't accept a three-prong plug without an adaptor.  That's it, and it's very common in construction of that vintage or older.

The only way to provide grounded outlets is to run new wires from the service panel and replace the receptacles.  It's usually quite a pain/expense to do that, and apparently it's not required by your local ordinances.  (NB: See @wallyk's comment: You may have 3-conductor wiring to outlet boxes, in which case switching to grounded receptacles is a relatively easy project you can do yourself with the power off.)

One tip: If you do opt to pull new wires so you can ground outlets use 12-gauge wire, not 14-gauge.  That way you can support 20-amp circuits, which I have found comes in handy quite often, and the marginal cost shouldn't be that significant.

In many cases in older houses the outlet box is not grounded due to code at the time. If grounded the ground was usually metal mesh around the wire screwed to the box and the neutral bar. The ground then was usually a wire that was then ran from the neutral bar to a pipe near by and clamped to it. The simple way to find out is to use a volt meter and put the red lead in the hot side of the outlet or touch it to the black wire. The other lead touch it to the metal box. If you get a reading of around 110 to 120 volts it's grounded. At which point grounding an outlet is a matter of adding a ground wire from the box to the outlet. If it is not grounded the next cheaper alternative to running new wire is to put a GFI outlet in. This basically gives the outlet its own built in breaker.


How do I wire a two tube ballast to a single tube fixture? I am replacing a ballast for a single tube. The new ballast I purchased is designed for two tubes but states that it is also compatible with a single (more powerful) tube corresponding exactly to what I need.

They apparently forgot to draw the wiring diagram for the single tube setup though. The only diagram I have is for two tubes and seems to be typical:

             Power Switch    +--------------------------+
 Line 1 (H) o----/ ----------|Black    Dual Tube     Red|-----------+
 Line 2 (N) o----------------|White      Rapid       Red|--------+  |
                       +-----|Yellow     Start      Blue|-----+  |  |
                       |  +--|Yellow    Ballast     Blue|--+  |  |  |
                       |  |  +-------------+------------+  |  |  |  |
                       |  |                |               |  |  |  |
                       |  |       Grounded | Reflector     |  |  |  |
                       |  |      ----------+----------     |  |  |  |
                       |  |    .----------------------.    |  |  |  |
                       |  +----|-     Fluorescent    -|----+  |  |  |
                       |  |    | )      Tube 1      ( |       |  |  |
                       +-------|-       bipin        -|-------+  |  |
                       |  |    '----------------------'          |  |
                       |  |    .----------------------.          |  |
                       |  +----|-     Fluorescent    -|----------+  |
                       |       | )      Tube 2      ( |             |
                       +-------|-       bipin        -|-------------+
                               '----------------------'

How do I convert this to a single tube?

EDIT I'm doing this from memory and don't have a ballast to look at so I checked a manufacturer bulletin.  I was wrong in the beginning so I edited it out.

I had the same scenario, and purchased the exact same type of ballast and asked the Home Depot some questions and he said it will work but, again I was sent to the same diagram.  I found on "electrical 101" that if you leave the two yellow wires alone/capped off, then, hook up the two blue wires to one end of the tube and the two red wires to the other.  Don't forget the white w/white and black w/black.  This will work for the single tube light!


How To Stop A Leak In A Refrigerator Water Line Our original refrigerator had an ice maker.  They installed a white plastic type of water line going from under our kitchen sink, through our kitchen cabinets and behind the refrigerator.

We had to get another refrigerator a year or two ago.  It has no ice maker or water in the door.

When they took out the old fridge and put in the new one, they capped some thing off from under our kitchen sink and then behind the new fridge they put a cuppling or something like that to cap off the end of the water line behind the fridge and it just lays on the floor.

Recently we noticed water behind the fridge.  The plastic water line has a hole or crack in it.  It is leaking out water.

What do we need to do??

There a countless ways that the fridge line could have been installed. A photo of under the sink would greatly help, in particular showing the connection to the water supply.

Can you see where the fridge line connects to the water supply? Is it connected to the same supply that feeds the sink? If so, even with the isolation valves shut under the sink, there will still be pressure in the fridge line. If you open the sink's faucet, you can confirm that water is off, additionally this will relieve the pressure in the fridge's line.

Sometimes a small valve is installed on the fridge line under the sink. It could have been bumped open.

You'll need to determine how it is connected before you can fix it.

Cut the line before it leaves the cabinet and then cap it.


Is there a name for a duplex outlet that takes eight wires, plus ground? In my home (built around 1970), I found a bizarre outlet when replacing the dated old ones. The front is your standard duplex, but on the back there are holes for 8 wires (4 hot, 4 neutral) plus the ground. Into the box, there are 4 pairs. Is there a name for this type of outlet, so I can try to find a replacement? I don't want to try to jam them all together in a standard outlet and create a hazard!

The original outlet says max 15 amps, 125v. Please see pictures below.

EDIT: Replaced front pic with sharper image, added pics of hot and neutral sides.

Leviton has a useful web page for device lookup here. Using that, you can find the replacement receptacle is a Leviton 5252. Most shopping sites (like amazon) don't show the back, but a Google image search with that model number does show several pictures of the back.

I would just use the side terminals and treat it like a standard duplex outlet. No need to worry about all those backstab holes.


How to get rid of a permanent old people smell? I'm living in a new place. On the second floor there is somebody who smells really bad, when I'm walking up the stairs its like a nursing home x 10 on that floor. I'm on the 4th and when I keep the windows open its fine but after having them closed for around a day or so, the smell creeps up here.

Keeping a window open every day isn't really practical since it goes down to -30C around here in the winter so what do you guys suggest to avoid the smell? I saw a commercial for an automatic air freshener for bathrooms in the tv once, are those any good?

This situation calls for a conversation with your property manager. Airflow is probably the only solution, and it may be necessary to ask the downstairs resident to keep an exhaust fan on for a larger part of each day.

You might also investigate ionization filters, though they have their own issues. Ozone can be problematic for some.

Most likely is that someone spilled something on that floor's floor & never cleaned it up or out. Complain to the Landlord & have them thoroughly clean all of the common areas.


What to do when snow blocks house door? My house's door open outwards and overnight the snow has accumulated outside (to half the door height) and prevented the door from being opened.

What to do in this situation if we want to open the door and go outside?

Go out a door that's not blocked and walk to the blocked one to clear the snow.

If all your doors are blocked go out a window and do the same.

If it's a screen door, remove the screen and reach through the opening to move the snow.  You can use a broom or even a pot or baking pan if your don't have a shovel within reach.

Unhinge the door from hinges. In case of emergency break door with axe.


How to attach beadboard to plaster walls without blowing out nails? I am replacing old beadboard on our plaster walls. Around the windows there seems to be cement under the plaster. No matter if I use a nail gun, panel screws, nothing will penetrate the cement. The nails bend and blowout and the screws just won't penetrate. What are the best options to attach the beadboard to the plaster along the windows? I am not having this issue other places.

Nail guns into concrete need big power behind them, I almost said "powder" and that's the truth.  Concrete rated nail guns use a black powder charge. They are literally nail bullets.

Random screws made for wood aren't going to go into concrete either.  That expectation is completely unrealistic. There are screws specifically made for concrete, but they require pre-drilling.  There are drills specifically made for concrete.

The fact that the concrete is cracked will present a problem for drills. (Tunnel boring machines making railway tunnels have the same problem.)  The BANGnailer probably won't mind so much.


How to fix bottom of door frame (light puppy chewing) So I live in a rented apartment and some things did not go as planned and ended up with a puppy before moving instead of after. Anyways I just noticed he has been chewing on the frame inside my bedroom and I'm just wondering how to fix this so I can obtain as much of my deposit as possible

Spray it with a very light water solution of cayenne pepper after perfectly sculpting & restoring the frame to new condition with wood putty & sanding &  priming & painting accordingly. Get the pup more or some chew toys & approved rawhide bones to address the teething issues...one's that hold treats will make the pup forget about the door frame.


Oil- or water-based polyurethane to refinish stair banister? I didn't know that water-based polyurethane was available as an alternative to oil-based until I saw it today at the store. I am refinishing a vintage stair banister and some surrounding trim. I wonder if I can expect equal (or better) outcomes if I use that or should go with the good old that has proven in the past in similar applications.

I've been prejudiced toward oil based polys for years, but having used water based polys on some projects that weren't all the important, I've been impressed.   Water based is much less toxic, easier to clean up, more environmentally friendly and actually does a pretty good job. Seems to dry quicker and more solidly than oil based.  It also seems to sand easily between coats.  Being water based, it does tend to raise the grain on the first coat, but that's easily sanded down with fine sandpaper.  I won't be using oil based poly anymore.

If I have a choice I will always choose the water-based sealer over the oil-based one. Years ago when water-based polyurethane entered the market it may have not preformed as well compared to it's counterpart.
I've found it can't be differentiated from oil once it has cured. The sheen's are exactly the same.
There is less toxic VOC's from water-based sealer.
Water-based sealers dry quicker thereby allowing more coats in less time.
There easier to apply because their less viscous. They "level" better so brush strokes are less noticeable.
Lastly, they clean-up with soap and water. There's no need to wash your hands with petroleum-based cleaner.


Water Hammer from Upstairs Toilet After my upstairs toilet is flushed and the bowl fully refills, it sounds like a water hammer.

Here's a video of the noise. At 4 seconds, when the bowl has refilled, you hear the noise:

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaqWCjywjUo"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaqWCjywjUo[/url]

Please note I've been in this house for years, no work was recently done to this toilet or any plumbing in my home recently, and have never had this issue before with this or any toilet.

What can be done to correct this? Someone mentioned to me to buy a water hammer arrestor.

Thank you for the help!

That's not water hammer, or it's very little at best. That sounds more like the fact that your fill valve is getting a little old and is banging shut harder than it used to. I would just leave it, but if it bugs you, replace the fill valve. There are newer ones on the market now called "quiet" or even "silent" fill valves. They are a little more money, but you seem like the kind of person that would want that.

http://www.mechanicalcaveman.com/best-toilet-fill-valve-review-flush-system-kit-replacement/

Thank you for the help, everyone. I checked my water pressure and it was fine. I then purchased and installed a new fill valve, and the noise completely stopped!


How to cover the metal showing in recessed lighting? I have just installed new recessed lighting in my basement with exposed ceiling. That was the easy part. I happen to have a lot of traditional styled LED light-bulbs that I'd like to put in them. My problem is using these light bulbs, you can see bare metal when standing underneath them. Is there a good product or technique to cover the metal and make it look more finished?

You could cover the bare metal with paint. If you paint it the same color as the baffle (white), it should be less noticeable.


Slight plumbing leak in 1930s threaded pipes I have a 1930s-era house with generally galvanized plumbing.  The water-in line is a straight vertical pipe, except for this section which is perpendicular (and copper).  The loop part is marked "Ford", the water comes up, to the right, circles around, then continues up.  This looks like some sort of old-style expansion joint to me.

As you can see in that image, and this closer one, the right hand threading is leaking just a little, roughly a cup of water over 3 days.

Adding to the complications is that a few feet below this loop is the main water shut off for the house: an old gate valve that no longer fully shuts off the water, though it does shrink it to a manageable trickle.
I'd like to eliminate the leak before the basement is mildewed, but can't stop the water flow easily.  Ideally, is there a way to install a new ball valve in place of this center pipe part so I can both deal with the leak, and have a reliable way to turn off the water?  If not, is there a reliable way to replace that center pipe that won't leak?
(This sounds like a job for some sort of PEX, so I should admit that I've never used it, and have always been slightly distrusting of it.)

Your only real DIY option is to wrap it in Flex Tape. The stuff works and should be good for at least a decade.
Other than that, you'd have to hire a Plumber to turn off the water at the street for a new valve to go in. That's how it was for me, but call your utility and see it they'll do it and wait for you to put in a new valve.
Anyway, the Plumber won't just turn off your water and wait around to turn it back on, they'll demand the whole job...typically.
Just so you know, the Ford will need to be removed and an expansion tank will be added to your water heater assembly...if there isn't one already.
FYI, start saving up now for full replacement of that galvanized out to the street, minimum...it's got maybe 10-years left.
And, NEVER, do PEX. It's plastic and therefore garbage.(period) The inventor admits that chlorinated water was his obstacle and the only way to defeat it was to leach sacrificial toxins to combat it.
See mrpexsystems, it's a hoot of failure. And, NO PEX has been around for 40-years! That's ALL a LIE and is completely confessed that PEX didn't EVER go beyond experiment until 2003.
PEX is only "good" for 25-years and then NEEDS full replacement. Stick with sweated copper for everything and only use a real Plumber that can sweat a joint. I'm just saying.


How do I find the proper wires for service drop? I have 125 amp service, and bought two #1 AWG black-colored wires for the electrician to use in his replacement. I couldn't find a white wire that size, or bare copper. Neither at Lowes nor Home Depot.

In my search, I found somewhere that said you don't necessarily have to buy the same size conductor for the neutral wire. That the neutral wire has to be at least 70% the size of the hot wire.

Is this true? And if it is, what size in AWG would this be? And does the wire have to be insulated?

My state follows NEC.

Determining the size of the grounded (neutral) conductor isn't as easy as saying, hey let's take off 70% of the load and look that up on a chart.

I imagine the 70% that was spoken about refers to the allowable reduction of certain circuits named in NEC 220.61 (B)(1) which deals with cooking units and dryers. Those circuits, when the maximum unbalanced load is determined in accordance with 220.55 and 220.54 respectively, can be reduced by 70%.

But that doesn't equate to a total reduction of 70% because we're only speaking of a few of the circuits in the dwelling. Also, that doesn't include the 100% of circuits you can leave out do to the fact they are not supplied a grounded conductor and therefore, perhaps not obviously, do not contribute to the ampacity of the neutral anyway.

All in all, yes, you could have a total reduction of 70%, but I'd make the electrician prove it. For one, I wouldn't put the burden/responsibility on the homeowner to get my feeder cables - maybe a 250' spool of 14/2 romex but, at least by my experience, they'll screw that up too. So, I question that decision; I won't go as far as to call him names for it though.

If you did indeed have an actual 125 amp service or feeder rating you would need a #2 cu. or 1/0 al. or al. cu. (copper-clad aluminum) feeder according to TABLE 310.15(B)(7). Now, if you actually had a 70% allowable reduction you'd have...

125 * 0.70 = 87.5 A

...and according to TABLE 310.15(B)(16) you would need a #3 cu. or #2 al. or al. cu. cable.

Note that even this answer makes assumptions. You speak of a 125 amp service which doesn't equate to the actual minimum ampacity required, only the next largest standard breaker size. This leads to the fact that you may have an actual load less than 125 A. Taking 70% of the breaker size, if larger, would result in a larger reduction than is actually allowed.

The maximum current for 1 AWG used in power transmission is 211 amps.(source)  70% of that is 147.7 amps.

2 AWG is rated at 94 amps, and 3 AWG is rated at 75 amps.

So there is no smaller wire rated at 70% or larger.  You'll have to use 1 AWG (or larger) for all wires.

You could try an electrical supply house for other colors of 1 AWG, but I've found they only sell big spools (250+ feet) of such wire.

Try contacting a commercial electrician.  They often carry those big spools around and might be willing to sell you a few feet of it.  Of course they'll also want to charge you a $75 delivery fee and a $95 installation fee, but you should be able to avoid the first by going to them to pick it up, and the latter by firmly insisting that you don't want them to do it.  Standard counter is they'll tell you it is illegal/dangerous/immoral for you to do it yourself.  Stand your ground.


Is this decorative trim or exterior bracing? Shown below is an example of my exterior above my garage. I was wanting to look into painting/stucco/new siding work and wondered if what "bracing" you see as the same color of the house was purely decorative or if it applied to the structure of the house.  To be more specific, these are the boards that run horizontal and vertical which are not white.

Some of the inside panels below/between these 1x6 boards may need to be replaced around the house and I wanted to assess replacement options/methods.

The style of finish with several narrow vertical boards placed on broader surfaces is called board and batten.  The battens are used to hides seams of the broader sections, and in more primitive construction, to fill cracks, block air, and improve insulation.

The battens are not meant to be structural, but when nailed, screwed, or glued into place, add some minor additional rigidity to the structure. The horizontal and angled strips are also primarily decorative, but fill roles similar to the battens.

Ok thanks @JPhi1618.
It looks like trim to hide the seams. I haven't heard of 1x being used as a structural but have used this kind of trim to cover seams / gaps in the siding.


How do I protect myself from bad contracting jobs? I've came cross couple recent bad jobs 1 2 and am dealing with a bad electrical job myself.

Before putting down money and letting the people leave, what resources are available to a consumer to protect themselves (before the fact and after the fact)?

Comfort level, commonsense and walk away is about all you've got on your side. Yes, services like Home Advisor and Angies List do have some pull, but if the contractor's gone bad then those services can't reason with them.

First off, don't give any down-money and cancel everything with that contractor. Short jobs of a week or 2, by good contractors, will only require payment or start of payments upon completion.

Longer projects of a month or more, with a good contractor, won't require money until demolition is done and a discovery of any obstacles is discussed and planned with the "estimate" being converted to an "Invoice" with an updated Contract...if needed.

Then, the written Contract will spell-out the agreed payment schedule with goals achieved by the contractor before another payment is made or the establishment of a payment plan or financing. A payment schedule should start with no more than 25% and a payment plan should be no more than 10%.

Once the money is fair and square, then you need to possibly force constant communication and take an active interest in the project. Ask how things are going, ask to be shown any problems and ask about sub-contractors or materials that were to have shown up.

If things change and the project is falling behind, communication ceases, work turns sloppy or daily clean-up stops. Then, stop everything and calmly discuss your concerns before the whole crew (if any). Yes, you may have to take off from work to address the changes you're noticing.

If you're met with attitude from someone you thought you had a good relationship with and nothing's getting re-planned nor resolved, then fire them and provide a partial next payment. You must always be prepared to have another contractor take over regardless of project delay.

This is your money and your home or business and he, she or they better shape up back to how it all started or it's time for them to ship out, period. Building Inspectors, the BBB, Lawyers and the contractor's Insurance Company won't and don't act or do any good until there's gross rubber-stamp negligence.

It's always a gamble and the pressures of any work can get to anyone. But, a professional will re-group, slow down and re-trace or apologize and thank you for picking up what they dropped and get things right back on track. You act professional and they'll act professional.

Don't get paranoid and do realize the stage or phase of the project before jumping to the worst your mind can imagine. Observe, take pictures and notes and give it a day or 3 to correct itself. The contractor and crew want to hear your interest in their process and your praise of their work, but whining and complaining will kill their morale.

Hi I disagree that the homeowner should tell the contractor how the work should be done.It is the contractor's responsibility to know how the job is to be done.The average homeowner would not know how a job is to be done; if a homeowner says don't install rebar in a concrete wall or that movement joints are not necessary for tile should the contractor do it just because the house is theirs? Some homeowners stay home and insist on supervising the contractor. I strongly dislike that. The homeowner can only say how they want the job to look when it is done but they have no say in how that result is reached. Frank


How can I get warm water from my garden hose? I'm trying to rig something up so I can get cold, warmish, or downright hot water in my garden hose, depending on need. I'm looking for some kind of fitting to mix cold and hot supply lines, and for the resulting mixed water to connect back to the spigot. I have PEX lines if that matters.

I've looked at using 2 valves, one on each supply line, and a T fitting. I could vary the opening of each valve to get to the desired temperature. But somehow I don't feel like this is the right way. I think opening valves halfway damages them? Also I feel that hot water could get back into the cold line that way?

Then I found this thing called a thermostatic valve. I think I can vary from getting 100% cold to 100% hot and everything in between? Or is there a safety setting which stops me from getting 100% cold or hot?

You might want to consider installing a utility/laundry faucet, in place of the spigot.  This will allow you to connect both hot and cold supply lines, and will have a built in mixing valve to allow you to vary the temperature of the water. They also tend to have the proper threads on the spout, to allow the attachment of a garden hose.

You'll have to find a way to support the faucet, as you don't want it just hanging by the supply lines. I've seen them with all different types of attachment methods, including holes to allow them to be screwed to the wall/washtub.  You'll also want to make sure you have a shutoff valve on each supply within the conditioned space of the house. It's also a good idea to have a way to drain the lines once they're shut off, if you live in an area with harsh winters.

The only other problem, is that garden hoses are not designed to be used with warm/hot water. So you may experience problems from additional contaminants in the water, to accelerated deterioration of the hose.

I just did this......I laid my 2 garden hoses out in the sun............In about 30 minutes I will take a combat shower.

I will get awesome more than enough hot water to wash, and when the hot water runs out, I will get real cold water from the well to rinse, and it will close all the pours on my skin.

Simplicity is the answer.


I am building a off grid house in Ghana and would like to use an American 200 amp breaker box and plugs I am building a off grid house in Ghana and would like to use an American 200 amp breaker box and plugs. Are the solar inverters different? or can I wire it to work?

Two Systems of Electricity
Throughout the world, there are basically two different systems of electricity that (almost) every country uses one of.  Both are safe, and neither is particularly better than the other, but they are different, and not directly compatible.

120/240V 60Hz

This system is used primarily in North America, and is often referred to as US style power or split-phase power.  120V is used for small things, and heavy loads use 240V.

230V 50Hz

This system is used in most of the rest of the world besides North America.  It's sometimes referred to as European style power, as that is where it originated.  Note that while it's 230V nominal, some locations actually use 220V or 240V, which is within acceptable tolerance of 230V.
Since this system is used so widely, the availability of equipment is actually huge -- if you don't like the style of something local, there's probably another country with the same power system that has what you want.  So, for example, while you might not like some of the options local to Ghana, you can always import from the UK, Australia, Germany, China, France, etc., and they will all be compatible with your local power system.
Build to Local Standards
As I understand it, you're planning to build an off-grid house in a location where the local regulations are lax enough to allow for either system to legally be used.  Since most of the devices you're hoping to power are expecting 120/240V 60Hz power, you're thinking of building that type of system, even though 230V 50Hz is the official standard of the country.  I would strongly advise against this, for many reasons:

All electronics and electrical building materials used in this house must be imported from North America.  While this might not seem like much extra work when you're building the place, it will be a big pain every time something breaks and needs to be replaced.  This is especially true if the dead item is the inverter, since you'll be without power until you can source a new one.
Local electricians will not be familiar with, or qualified to work on, a 120V system.  As such, you will have to DIY almost all electrical work, and will have trouble getting good help.  An electrician trained only in a 230V system could easily make dangerous mistakes on a 120/240V system.
When you eventually sell the place (which will happen someday, as houses almost always outlive their owners), the next person will not be able to plug in their electronics, and will not know how to work on the system.  As such, they will almost certainly want to rip it all out and replace it with the standard system used in the country -- and they'll deduct the price of doing that from the price they're willing to pay for the place.
When guests come over, they will not be able to plug in their cell phone chargers or other electronics.
Local regulations may change.  While at the moment, the government in question isn't strictly enforcing that all buildings in the country use the country's official power standard, can you guarantee this will still be true in 30 years?  It's not impossible that the government would make you change it later, at your own expense.

As such, I highly recommend you build a 230V 50Hz system as the primary power system for this house.  In order to use the devices you like, I recommend you evaluate them on a case-by-case basis, and replace them with a 230V version if there's a good one available, or get a converter for only that device.
Powering Electronics from the Other System
It's very often possible to power devices that were designed for one system on the other one, but how easy that is depends on the device in question.  Broadly, there are three categories:

Universal Input Devices

These devices don't care which system they're supplied from, and will happily work on either.  Usually all you need to do is change the cord, or use a passive plug adapter.  They can be identified by their label, which will say something like 100-250V, 50-60Hz.
Most modern DC electronics these days are designed to be universal input.  This includes most computers, cell phone chargers, TVs, etc.  Check your labels; you might be surprised to find how many devices you can use with no conversion.

Things that care about voltage, but not frequency.

Things like light bulbs and toasters do need the voltage to be correct, but they do not care at all about frequency.  As such, they can be powered with a transformer of appropriate size (a 240->120V step down transformer in your case).  Again, check the label -- it'll either say 50/60 Hz or it won't mention frequency at all.

Things that care about frequency.

These will almost all be electric motors (or things that have them inside, such as AC compressors, and your washer and dryer).  Most low-cost AC electric motors are synchronous with the grid frequency, and will run 20% faster on 60Hz than on 50Hz -- which will likely burn them out.  Frequency isn't nearly so easy to change as voltage, so for these categories of appliances, I recommend replacing them with a local version wherever possible.  If you absolutely must use one of these, then you need a frequency converter, which will be expensive.  On these, the label will specify voltage and frequency exactly.
Note that some motors are not synchronous to the AC frequency.  In that case, they'll be in one of the two above categories.  In particular, newer HVAC units are often coming with 'inverter' compressors, which cost more but allow for better efficiency, and are usually universal input.

I can't speak for any laws in Ghana but to make this work, you would need a power source (e. g. solar plus batteries and inverter) producing 120 V AC or 120/240 V AC split/phase, all preferably 60 Hz. No non-North American system will produce this. If your appliances can tolerate 50 Hz, you could get a European 240 system and feed the panel though a large transformer (assuming you can find one rated for 50 Hz).
Also, to run a 200 amp panel, you'll need a very large power source and inverter. For 200 amps 240 volts, you're talking about 48 KW! If you have a 5 KW inverter, you're talking about 42 amps at 120 volts. In that case, I'd just get a small main-leg panel and don't even bother with a main breaker. Just keep in mind that you're not going to me able to run many American appliances on 5000 watts.
I'm assuming that you would never attach this to an electrical grid. That would never work!


Converting dryer from 3 to 4 prong cord but it doesn't have a grounding screw / wire I'm trying to convert a recently purchased dryer from a three prong cord to a four prong cord to match my outlet. However, it doesn't have a green screw for the ground line. Where do I connect the green cord?

I'd try the screw above N for ground

It looks like the hex-slot screw going into the top center of the metal plate above the terminal block is your ground screw, so I'd land the cord ground there.  It doesn't need to be connected to a wire within the dryer, either: the cord ground simply needs to ground the dryer's chassis/frame to provide protection from electric shock.

Ground to n .. L1 l2 both 120v nuetral= ground


Is there any considerable advantage to a forced air-to-air heat exchanger over just cleverly positioned positive pressure forced air intake? This is from a typical North Western European housing perspective where most (older) buildings will not have forced air/AC/heat pumps etc. for various reasons, and most houses are only heated using gas powered central heating with water based radiators for transport. This means if you want fresh air in winter, you're opening a window and wasting energy in the air that was heated.
I understand the workings of forced air-to-air heat exchangers and how they can warm or cool fresh air coming in and how that could improve the energy loss situation. My question is, is it that much better than just forcing fresh air in to mingle with the stale air and having the over-pressure leak out, perhaps at the opposite end of a room or low to the ground where it is colder?
Of course I understand that you will lose some efficiency over a heat exchanger, as you will be leaking a mix of air containing also a lot of stale energy out that has not properly transferred energy. But is it that much worse considering the added complexity of a heat exchanger? Any other downsides/advantages I should be aware of?

This is a simple question requiring a complex answer...!
What you are asking is the cost-benefit tradeoff of installing a heat exchanger. How much will you save on heating costs, vs what does it cost to purchase and operate the exchanger. And you wish to compare that to forced air ventilation.
Factors to consider:

Required or desired ventilation rate, usu. depends on occupancy and your tolerance to flatulence
Number of heating degree days, from local climatological data
Heat exchanger efficiency, e.g. 60-80%, or 0% for ventilation without exchanger
Electricity consumed by exchanger, including its fan and defroster
Cost of heating, based on your local price of electrical or hydrocarbon energy
Purchase cost for the heat exchanger sized appropriately for your dwelling

This linked article shows a pay-back time of 5-years, but of course, it all depends on your parameters. The data in these calculations use imperial units, but it's a good example. You'll find similar calculations elsewhere, and I wouldn't be surprised if your local energy supplier has some detailed data, considering the cost of energy and your climate (Belgium? Netherlands?)
https://home-energy.extension.org/cost-effectiveness-of-installing-heat-exchangers/
Personally I have found that in mild climates (North West Europe, Western Canada / North Western USA) the heat loss due to cracked-open windows or natural ventilation pales in comparison to the house's heat lost through building envelope cracks & radiation losses. The heat exchanger makes much more sense in areas with long winters down to -10C ... -20C.
One reason is the obvious temperature of the taken-in air, but the other is the local building code for insulation. Milder climate regions often have looser insulation requirements, and so the total energy loss is less impacted by ventilation.

In my son's new build, he did a lot of research on HRV bc his is a hyper energy efficient new home.   He selected Lunos modules (made in Germany, I believe). The American source is linked below.  They are pretty pricey!   I know this borders on a product recommendation, but just wanted to share what he found.  I installed them.
They have 3 speeds and 2 modes of operation. In HRV mode, they cycle every 70 seconds between pulling in air and removing it.  They accomplish the HRV via a heat absorbing matrix that the air goes thru.   They are paired so one is pulling air in and the other is removing it, so as to avoid a pressure differential in the house.  Then after 70 seconds they reverse rolls to recapture the heat from the HRV medium.
Best placement per pair are as far away as possible.  They are super quiet.  They are powered by low voltage cable (T-stat cable) from the control box which consists of a transformer and a mode selector. I think they draw about 5-7 watts each!
He and his wife & kids have been in the house for a few months now, his electric bill is very very low (did a mini-split system) and he really likes how it turned out.
https://foursevenfive.com/lunos-e/


All 120v outlets and lights are not working in a detatched garage I have a separate garage that was built in 2001. It has a 100 amp sub panel that is fed from the main panel in the garage of my house. The panels are about 50' apart and the wire is in conduit. The sub was bonded between the ground and neutral bars but I have separated them and there is also a separate ground rod for it. There are only 3 wires between the two panels and not a 4th grounding wire.

I have a low voltage PLT license that I use for the trade I am in and have done quite a bit of high voltage wiring in houses that I have lived in.

A couple of weeks ago I was going to use a craftsman skill saw to cut a board and when I tried to start it, the saw didn't start just hummed like the brushes were bad. The strangest part is that the light on the garage door opener flashed on and off when I attempted to start the saw. Now all 7 120v circuits in my garage don't work. I have a 220v compressor that does work but none of the 120v circuits do including ceiling lights.

I have a digital multi meter and have checked voltage at the main breakers. It is consistent at 120v at both breakers. As I have investigated the situation I have found that 3 of the circuits when energized will cause the voltage to drop from 120v to 110v and the other leg goes up to 130v. Even after I have disconnected the wiring on those circuits I cannot get power to the other outlets or lights. With the power off, I have also checked with an ohm meter between the neutral and hot wire at the breakers and it shows open on all circuits. When I have the light switches on and plug in my irrigation controller the transformer hums loudly and the lights do seem to go on.

What am I missing? Where do I check next?

All of your symptoms sound like a faulty Neutral connection.  Faulty neutral causes L1 to affect L2, and has no affect on 220 equipment just like you described.

Fix that quick.  A faulty neutral can damage your equipment, and because you installed a second ground, it can harm YOU as well.  Check that the neutral wire is firmly connected, and using Noalox:

ALL aluminum connections for that matter should be protected from corrosion and thermal expansion with Noalox.

You are lucky that you have a conduit!  You have an EASY way to remove the entire length of the neutral conductor to inspect it for damage.  You should also take advantage of that conduit to pull a ground conductor through it and use that to ground your sub panel VIA your main panel.  Do not use a second ground rod at the sub.  It is not worth the risk in your case.

Sounds like a short or ground fault somewhere.

Since there is no ground wire connecting the sub to the main, any sort of fault will NOT trip a breaker. I'd suggest being cautious, but try testing voltage between your ground bar and neutral. If there is a voltage difference here, something isn't right.

You might try reconnecting the ground bar to the neutral. Right now it's completely useless and will not project anything. The reason you disconnect ground and neutral at a sub is so that there aren't two paths back to the main (on the ground wire and neutral) - this would put them in parallel and cause overvoltage to run on the ground and the neutral. Since you only have a single wire, I believe tying them back together will provide safety, but you truly need a ground wire ran back to the main.

I'm not sure that this is the issue, but currently you are unprotected and could get zapped yourself.


How do I remove stickers and residue from a wooden door? When I was a kid I put a ton of stickers all over my wooden door. In addition, I also taped on posters and pictures.

I tried removing the stickers and with some of them having been there for more than ten years they leave behind some paper backing and some sticky white residue. The tape also seems to leave behind some residue.

So basically, I am wondering, what is the best way to remove all of the stickers and tape from my wooden door so that my door can look as best as it possibly can? In addition, are there things I can do to my door after residue removal to make it look better?

Thank you very much in advance for your time.

For this sort of residue, I highly recommend GooGone.

Mineral spirits, and Naptha will work, but the fumes they give off are much worse.  You should also do a test area first, in case the chemicals you're using causes problems with the original surface (removes it too, stains it, etc.)

You might be able to speed things up with a hair dryer (not a heat gun, it'll heat things too much), and a soft plastic scraper (something too hard will do more damage than it helps).  For the really stubborn stuff, GooGone + a plastic scrub pad (regular duty, not one of the heavy duty ones).

As for making it look better -- you might want to just strip the whole thing down and refinish it if it's particularly bad.

Use alcohol wipes and then paint the door


Furnace turns off power to the thermostat When my natural gas furnace is running for a while and it gets too hot, the limit switch turns off the burner.  When it does this, the power also gets cut to my thermostat. This causes the thermostat to run on the backup battery.  Is this normal, or is there a problem with the wiring?

The thermostat has been replaced more than once. Recently when the power got cut to it, it registered the house temperature at 1 degree. This caused the furnace to heat continuously until I reset the whole system.  This is dangerous.

I Had a tech in, and he says it is normal for the power to be cut, and he again wants me to replace the thermostat.  Why would it be normal for the furnace to cut power to the thermostat?

The furnace is a International Comfort Pro NTC6100GFA1, and the thermostat is White Rogers (Emerson) 1F85-0477.

Limits are only designed to open when there's a problem, so the first step here is to find out what the problem is and fix it.

The most common cause for a high limit to continually trip, is a dirty or improperly installed return air filter. Make sure you change the filter regularly, and that you're using one with a similar density to the one recommended by the manufacturer's documentation.

Restricted return and supply ducts can also reduce air flow through the system, which can lead to the furnace overheating. Make sure all return air vents are clean an unobstructed by furniture and other obstructions.  Also make sure that all supply registers are open, and unobstructed.

Check the blower compartment for dust/dirt/debris.  It's not common for the blower to get dirty, but it does happen from time to time. This is especially common, when a furnace is run without a filter, or with an improperly fitted filter.

A dirty blocked up evaporator coil, could also cause restrictions. If the unit has an evaporator coil fitted, you'll want to inspect it to insure it's not dirty.

If there's still trouble, you can check the blower motor and capacitor. Though this is only recommended if you have the proper tools and knowledge to do it. Otherwise you'll want to get an HVAC technician to handle it.

Unless you've recently changed the blower, there's not likely any problem with the way it's installed.

With all that being said.  Some furnaces are actually designed to remove power from the thermostat, in the case that a limit opens.  Obviously this design predates fancy WiFi thermostats, which require constant power to operate.  Back in the olden days, when a thermostat simply acted as a temperature switch, interrupting the signal to the thermostat was an effective solution.

Based on the schematic, it looks like the unit is controlled by the integrated furnace control module (IFC). It looks like the IFC has a separate limit circuit that it monitors, so I'm not sure that it would cut power to the thermostat if there was a problem.  In any case, the thermostat should not be damaged by losing power. I suspect there's more to this, and I haven't been able to find any service bulletins that describe this behavior.

I'd likely start by contacting the manufacturer directly. If that doesn't provide any clues, I'd contact a different local HVAC company to come have a look.  If there's an installers sticker on the unit (or you know who installed it), and the installation company is different than the company you've been dealing with. I'd contact the company that installed the unit, as they should be quite familiar with the equipment.

Unfortunately it's difficult to troubleshoot these types of problems through the internet, especially when I'm not familiar with the equipment.

Ok first and formost the limit should not be tripping so finding why the fan is not keeping the temperature of the furnace constant while the burner is running is number one priority. So make sure the fan is turning in the proper direction. If it's a belt drive fan, chances are the motor was replaced but is turning in the wrong direction. If this is not it then it could be the fan blades are clogged up and needs cleaning with a pressure washer. The other option is either the air filter is completely clogged or the return grille or grilles have been covered during reno of some sort but it's obvious air is not moving over the heat exchanger. Now to your question, this must be an older furnace with a combination fan/limit control either in the plenum or inside the furnace. When the high limit is reached it shuts off the burner only supposedly but by the sounds of it, it has been wired wrong and is shutting off the control transformer as well. You need a compitent service man to go over the furnace wiring and get it done right. Sorry for the long winded answer. Find out why not enough air is going over the heat exchanger. One more thing, with the furnce constantly doing this you need to make sure no cracks in the heat exchanger has occurred and dumping all kinds of deadly CO2 into your house. Please have this furnace completely checked out!! Pictures of the fan limit would be helpful as well for referance as well as the fan setup.


Can I connect ground to neutral in a 3 wire outlet? I have a 3 wire outlet with the entrances for hot, neutral and ground. But I know that the ground entrance is not really grounded, so in effect useless. Now, since the neutral is grounded, could I connect the ground entrance with the neutral therefore "grounding" the ground? What would be the problem with that?

Bridging the neutral and ground at the outlet is against code. This is called a Bootleg ground. You have a few different options to bring this up to code (corresponding to the NEC electrical code):

Replace the outlet with a GFCI outlet, and leave the outlet's ground unconnected. This is minimally dangerous, the risk is if you get your body somewhere in between the hot and neutral.... but it'll protect you if current tries to flow between the outlet, and devices on another outlet (or the ground).
Add an additional ground wire. The wire must be of the proper gauge, and go to a "grounding electrode", or your main circuit panel. There are a few other details that you'd need to follow. See NEC 250.130(C) for details.
Rerun the wiring for the outlet with three-conductor cable/conduit.
Replace the outlet with a 2-prong outlet.

Keep in mind that the ground and neutral should be connected together at your house's service entrance, and nowhere else.

The "ground" connector is often connected to the chassis of electric equipment, for example the metal case of your oven, lamp, etc.... One danger is that the neutral is not really at the same potential as the ground. The neutral wiring from your device has some non-zero resistance. The electric current flowing through your device also flows through the neutral wire. The current flowing through your neutral causes the voltage of the neutral to increase (based on Ohm's law, voltage = current * resistance), which can cause your neutral to be a few volts above ground. So, if you have a properly grounded device, next to a device connected to your bootlegged ground, you can shock yourself by touching the two cases since they will be at different potentials.

A second problem with connecting the ground to the neutral happens if your neutral wire breaks between the outlet and your service entrance. If the neutral breaks, then plugged in devices will cause the neutral to approach the "hot" voltage. Given a ground to neutral connection, this will cause the chassis of your device to be at the "hot" voltage, which is very dangerous.

There is no such thing as neutral in electricity. That would mean not being used. the neutral and ground are both ground paths. The issue is that the ground wire is usually used to dissipate static.  while it should work and cause no problems I would not want to trust it with a pc or power tool. Both wires run to the exact same bars on a breaker box so in theory itll be ok but now you'd be trying to get rid of static down a line trying to deal with power from the supply side.


Can I use a vapor barrier paint instead of polyethylene sheets to encapsulate my crawlspace? I was looking into "encapsulating" my crawlspace by some manner or other.  From what I can tell the way to do this involves (primary) some thick poly (.15  or more) along the the soil and up the walls.  The poly is then sealed to the walls.

Currently my crawlspace is vented.

Whilst I was doing my research I stumbled upon a  vapor barrier paint.  Would this paint be a suitable substitute for a poly barrier?  Or should I not even worry about that and just use a poly barrier?

--Update
My crawlspace floor is dirt and is almost entirely below grade.

Check out information on basement and crawl space strategies on the buildingscience.com website.  Also, check your local codes.  Some jurisdictions still require methods that are not scientifically correct, and some have requirements related to storm surge and flooding.  If you dig a little, some have work-arounds for both scenarios that are more energy efficient.


Reduce high humidity in attic My attic has high humidity. I put a combo temp-humidity monitor and it was in the high 70s. It’s 30 degrees outside. I’ve read about what could cause the high humidity and two key things came up:

Poor insulation between the attic and living space so heat and humidity rises into the attic. Key things that may cause leaks are recessed lights and AC register vents.
Something leaking humidity into the attic such as a bathroom fan vent pipe used during showers.

I have all of those things: AC vents in the attic, recessed lights, vent pipes form all of my bathrooms. The vent pipes seem to come together in the attic and go into a single pipe out the top of the roof.

The reason this matter to me is I’ve noticed a lot of rusty nails from my shingles and when the temps are below freezing they cause icicles to form due to the high moisture. When the sun heats my roof in the day those rusty icicles become drips of nasty rust on my boxes in the attic.

A few questions:

During my home inspections years ago I was told my ridge vent wasn’t wide enough. What is the proper width for a ridge vent?
How can I determine why is causing the high humidity? Is this something I call a weatherization company to investigate? Or a general contractor?

Yes, 70% RH is too high for a 36 degree attic. And your advice is on the money: stop humidity from entering, and remove humidity from the space.
First, add vapor barrier caps to the lights, seal the hatch opening, and use duct seal or tape on all the ducting.
Second step, get some air changes happening. You could install an attic exhaust fan towards one end of the space, and put an intake grille at the opposite end.  The fan can exit air through a soffit vent, a gable vent, or a roof jack. Wire the fan with a line-voltage dehumidistat mounted in the attic not too close to the hatch.


What is this vertical metal pipe in my backyard? old well? septic? Purchased this house last week and the previous owners also did not know what it was. The pipe is heavy duty and set in concrete. There's water about halfway up the length of the pipe, but I haven't tested the depth.

UPDATE: it was definitely an early generation giant satellite dish. Not only did we find 2 buried coax cables running towards the house when we removed it, I've since spotted several other such remnant poles in backyards across town.

Since the pole is so thick and there's only one of them, it could have been the base of a satellite dish - like one of the old 8' dishes (big, not sure of exact measurements).

The height is about right for that, and it's kinda short for a clothesline.

It filling with water is just from the rain.  I've never seen anything plumbing or well related that looks like that.

Perhaps used for grounding ?
It must work specially when in touch with water or wet earth.


How to differentiate neutral or ground bar? This is the main panel, the green neutral bonding screw is there. How to differentiate the neutral and ground bars? In this case, does it matter which one I use as ground or neutral for the interlock kit installation?

This is wired as a main panel (not a sub-panel), so they are effectively the same.  Best practice is to wire grounds and neutrals separated in case this panel ever needs to become a sub-panel, but what you've got here now is a typical main panel where the neutrals and grounds are intermixed.

"No, the neutral and ground should never be wired together. This is wrong, and potentially dangerous. When you plug in something in the outlet, the neutral will be live, as it closes the circuit. ... However, if there is something wrong and the neutral is disconnected, it will make the appliance dangerous."


How to power 12V LEDs from a 12V AC power supply I have a 12V power supply that I am using to power some lights in my garden. I want to also power (in parallel) a set of 12V LED lights which (of course) require a 12V DC supply. Is there a simple method of AC->DC conversion that I can use? I am pretty handy at electonics so I could make a simple converter given the correct guidance.

Not to get all techy on you, but to do what you want to do with a 12 vac power supply, you will need a bridge rectifier. Besides converting to 12vdc, you need to fill the 60 hz reverse polarity portion of the AC wave. This requires a voltage divider, then reassemble the two rectified polarity sections into one same, continuous polarity voltage source.  Keep in mind, if the AC source is sine wave AC, not switched AC, the DC result will only be apx 70% of the AC peak to peak voltage, or 17 vdc.  Think the geeks at electronics exchange may have a simple circuit  they could share with you. Realistically, since the Led lights probably have such a small amp draw, you probably could pick up a 24VDC power supply for cheap money online or maybe even your local Radio Shack, and save your self a lot of hassle.

It is required an 12VAC to 12VDC converter, Not a simply bridge circuit, because the 12VAC will become about 17VDC after bridge circuit at no load condition, that will damage your lighting, but at full load condition, the voltage will be draw to a very low level that will not able to light up the LED,
So it is required an high efficiency PWM regulation circuit, such as an DC-DC converter design, but with AC input, you can look at here, there are a 84W 12VAC to 12VDC adapter:
http://www.enersystec.com/sdp/1045530/4/pd-5076639/12433566-2210481/12VAC_to_12VDC_Converter_Power_Supply_Adapter.html


Can you waterproof Luxury Vinyl Tile floors without grout? My questions are on the use of Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) flooring - my preference is to use the LVT without grout. However, I'm skeptical on how well the LVT will hold up to moisture without the grout and cleaning will be an issue.  Am I right about the need for waterproofing or would the flooring work well any way?  Is there a way to waterproof the joints on LVT without grouting? If water gets between the floor tiles as you step out of the shower will it cause even bigger problems?

In some areas, you can get away without having grout, but the tiles will be more susceptible to damage because grout (or something) adds strength to the floor (and keeps the tiles in place). You may have seen or heard about how some people make really tight fittings with beveled tile, and they don't use grout. This is more for areas that are onramental or where contact with water is unlikely.

In the bathroom, I think it's safe to say that you need something between the tiles especially because there will be water (on the floor). Another purpose for grout is to protect the underlayment from water... water damage could be summarized as swelling which can cause lifting/ungluing of tiles and warping and loosening of the wood and rotten/weakened wood or just plain mold and mildew. And yes, cleaning will be an issue without grout or something between the tiles.

There are alternatives to cement grout; you should search online for grout alternatives. Epoxy and caulk come to mind. If you don't put something in there, something else (dirt) will eventually fill in the gaps.

Edit- (based on the comment "my ex-husband already laid the tiles without spacing for grout")I don't like to promote products, but I'm not aware of any other silane vinyl sealers, so try a product called Infuze. Here's the technical data sheet. Like I said, it's a silane product that I think will work for this. It's kind of messy and smelly and dries quickly (so work as quickly); it will definitely seal vinyl seams. I think it chemically bonds to vinyl to create vinyl silane. It dries clear and doesn't discolor.

Perhaps I don't understand your meaning. Click, one type of vinyl flooring, doesn't use grout. It is waterproof.


Outdoor electrical outlet exposed to the rain Besides tripping a circuit breaker, is there any risk created by a 120V electrical outlet getting wet from the rain?

The outlet was installed on an outdoor patio by the builder, so it was intended to be outside.  It is a little under 10 years old.

The outlet does have a flap cover on it, but if you plug anything into the outlet, the flap is somewhat useless.

Yes, there is a risk. Even a properly installed and protected electrical system can fail to protect you, either because of unforeseen situations or component failure.

There are two types of flaps.

One is watertight only when not in use and closed. This is probably what you have. This type of outlet is only meant to be used temporarily when exposure to weather is not a problem. For example, plugging in a leaf blower. This type of outlet should not be used for holiday decorations.

The other type is watertight even when you have something plugged in to it, provided you close the cover.

Fortunately, changing from one to the other is pretty easy: just take the cover off and put the other one on, making sure to follow the directions to maintain watertightness.

Fresh water is nowhere near as conductive as many people believe (salt water is). I used to have a plug for an outdoor sump pump that was frequently completely submerged. Pump ran fine, no one got electrocuted (including the cat), breaker never tripped.

So, unless you plan to use the plug (meaning: insert and remove cords) during a major storm i wouldn't worry about it.


How do I rehang a wooden door with worn screw holes? I have a wood door in one of my rooms where the top screws no longer hold the hinge to the wall because the screw holes have worn loose.  I have tried slightly larger screws and filling with wood toothpicks, which usually lasts about a year.

I would like a permanent fix.

A few suggestions:

Are you using a wood glue such as Elmer's to hold the toothpicks in place?  The top hinge on my front door used to pull loose; I repaired it with toothpicks and wood glue (pretty much filling the screw hole) and haven't had any problems in several years.
How long were the original screws, and what did you replace them with?  When I installed a new interior door a few months ago, I replaced the 1/2" screws that came with the door with 2 1/2" or 3" (I forget which) screws of the same thickness.  Assuming normal framing, you have two 2x4s, possibly some shims and the jamb itself, so there's plenty of wood there for a long screw to grip onto.
Take the hinge plate off the jamb (support the door so it doesn't pull the other hinges out of the jamb) and drill out the screw holes that are giving you problems; the hole should be as deep as the existing screw.  Glue a dowel of the same thickness as your drill bit into the hole.  Before you replace the hinge screw, drill a pilot hole to ensure that the screw goes in straight.

Move the hinge over and drill new holes in the new place.

Go to your interior or exterior door
Get your screws and tool box
Remove the screws from the door and door jamb and chisel out the wood where you would like to drill pilot holes.
Drill the holes then drill in the 3 inch screws and then it's fixed


What to do with a new duplex outlet when the tester says Hot & Ground are Reversed? I switched out a regular outlet with a LeGrand Radiant Duplex Outlet, connecting all of the wires (2 White, 2 Black and 1 Green) exactly as the previous outlet was wired and according to the instructions. It blew and the breaker is on but the outlets and lights connected won't work. I can't find the GFCI anywhere as the house is 28 years old and the wiring is a mess. If the breaker is on, could the GFCI trip the outlets?

I bought a Commercial Electric Outlet Tester Model: MS112H and each time I tested the out, it stated Hot/Grd. Reverse... What does that mean?!? I can't imagine the Ground Wire being connected to anything other than the Ground Input, especially the Hot Input! How I wire it differently?

Thanks for reading and helping...

Here's what's actually going on inside those 3-light testers.

You see there is a neon light between each of the prongs.  The red is between neutral and ground for instance.  The problem is, neon lights are not voltmeters.  They will light for a wide variety of voltages, and won't tell you which voltage except very subtly by brightness.
When they wrote the descriptions for the device, they were forced to come up with something for every light combination. They were optimised for the kind of mistakes seen in new construction... and so they're misleading and wrong when troubleshooting old work.  They're so horrible I call them "Magic 8-ball tester".  The testers are much improved by tearing the sticker completely off, and learning to interpret the raw data the lights are providing.
For instnace, a broken neutral with a load on the circuit turned on. Neutral is pulled up to 120V, so the outer lights light.  Interpretation: "Hot Ground Reverse" (unlikely). We've had novices waste hours trying to chase that nonexistent fault.
The ground-neutral tangle is a clue
If the green/ground wire is connected to neutral in any way, That Is Bad.  That is often done by incompetent hacks to try to work around a problem, typically one they created.
I suspect that somewhere upstream, the neutral wire is broken.  The previous hack decided to bootleg neutral from the ground wire, which is why he crossed them.
Generally, wiring problems are at terminations, and every one of those should be accessible.  However every once in awhile you have a problem with the wires proper, e.g. someone drives a nail through a misplaced piece of Romex.

The 3 light plug in tester that shows things reversed can not tell the difference between neutral and ground. What the tester is telling you is you have the hot, black reversed with the neutral, white wire. This is the most common DIY wiring fault I have found. Normaly the black wire goes to the brass colored screw and the white wire goes to the silver screw on outlets.


When would one use an impact driver versus a regular drill? Or vice-versa.  As best as I can tell, the impact driver is very good for most any type of screw going through wood.  When would you use a drill (with screw bit) instead?

Drills and impact drivers are similar in that they're both rotating power tools and they have some overlap in usage, but they work differently and have different strengths.

Drills apply a constant torque and tend to have good control across a range of speeds and clutch settings. They're good for work that requires care or precision, like drilling a hole or driving a a smaller screw.

Impact drivers provide much higher torque but in rapid bursts–very much like a hammer provides bursts of linear force. This makes them good for heavy-duty jobs like driving long lag bolts (you can even take the lug nuts off your car wheels with most impact drivers), but the banging action makes them a little bit difficult to control. They're also not good for driving into something very soft–between the hammer strikes there's no torque applied and the bit can actually rotate backwards. You can see this by holding the chuck with your hands while the driver is on; you'll feel the pulsing of the strikes but chuck won't actually rotate. Finally, some impact drivers don't have a clutch, which means you need to be very careful if you're driving something that could be over-tightened or broken by the high torque.

Besides the higher torque, impact drivers have another huge advantage in that you don't have to hold them tightly to provide the torque. The momentum of the rotating striker inside is what provides the rotation force, so even when you're driving something very tough it's quite easy to hold the tool. Drills on the other hand provide a constant torque and require the user to provide the reaction and prevent the tool from spinning.

If you have to pick a single all-purpose tool for general DIY use, a drill is much easier to control and is useful in a wider range of situations.

Are you talking about a hammer drill? I have found that indispensable since first getting one to sink shields in to my cement floors and walls to construct custom shelving. It makes quick work of all heavy drilling.


wire is dark, not bright If I strip an insulated wire, and the wire under the insulation is dark, not bright, and it's this way not just at the end but in the middle too, should I discard that wire for use? Has it been damaged from too high resistance?

It can oxidize, but if you can test it for connectivity it should be fine.


How do I repair a small chip in a laminate floor? I had a company come in and clean my carpets recently, and while they were in the house they managed to chip a part of my laminate flooring.

I went down to the local home improvement megamart, and they suggested a putty designed for this purpose, but they didn't have a putty that was close to the color of the floor.  Most of the putty colors were very light compared to the color of the wood.

They've also got some "pens" that I believe are for hiding damage to stained wood, and some of these are considerably darker.  However, the chip is deep enough that it would be pretty noticeable if I just colored over it.

What should I do to repair the floor in such a way that it's the least noticeable afterwards?  Bear in mind that I'm somewhat of a novice, so detailed advice would be appreciated.

That looks like the chip is in the transition piece and not the floor boards.  For the best results, just replace the entire piece. It doesn't look like it matches exactly anyways, so just try to find something very close.  If you know where the floors came from you might get really lucky and end up with the identical part.

It is either glued in place, friction fitted to a track or nailed (this can't determined from the pic).  Either way, you need to carefuly pry it up, being careful not to damage the floor.  Install the new one as-instructed or buy some construction adhesive and glue it back down and put a few phone books on it until it dries.  Make sure to wipe up any excess glue with a damp rag before it dries.  It was likely cut to fit so you will need to cut the new piece.  If you don't have a saw to do this, take a measurement (measure twice, cut once!) with to where you are buying it and see if they will cut it for you.

The other methods you mentioned are suitable alternatives. If the color is matched well, it won't be very noticeable when standing. Crawling, maybe.

Go to a home improvement or flooring store and get a transition board Pry the damaged board out and use as a template for fit and color. Cut to size and glue in.


How can I prevent an outside lock from freezing? I store a bunch of the "outside stuff" in the shed for the winter.  Mainly things that I only use when the weather is warmer.  It pretty much remains locked up for the winter.  Occasionally though, I have to run out there to get something in mid winter, and the lock is always frozen shut.  I can get in by warming the lock up, heating the key, or using that spray deicer stuff.  But is there any way to prevent this?  Are there locks that would not allow this to happen?

The lock is one that is built into the handle, where the handle is vertical with the key in the center.  When unlocked, it twists to a horizontal position.  It is not a separate lock.

The problem here of course is that snow/freezing rain gets into the lock and freezes.  With a house, this isn't normally a problem for a few reasons.  First, you use it often enough that it doesn't get that bad, and second the inside of the house is warm, which prevents water from freezing inside the lock (unless it gets really, really cold I suppose).

You might want to look for a lock that has a metal shield over the area where you insert the key to prevent water from getting inside.  Similar to what you have on a car door lock (and for the same reason).  Personally, I've never seen any home locks like that, but that's not to say they don't exist.

A simpler option, and the one I would suggest, would be to put a plastic baggie over the doorknob and secure it with a rubberband.  Then just take the baggie off when you need to unlock it and put it back on after you are done.  It's a bit inconvenient, but if you hardly ever use the shed in the winter anyways, it should keep the water out and is probably the most practical option.

Fill up a cup with hot tap water and dunk the lock into it for a few seconds. That's how I've always managed to open it with ease :)


Built-in shelves brackets I'm planning built-in shelves with a design similar to the pictures belwo.  Building the shelves is straightforward to me but I'm not sure how to do the installation and/or what kinds of "invisible" brackets could be used to secure it to the wall/floor.  Any thoughts on the best approach to achieve a similar look to the photos?

That's an odd set, really.
The ends have to be "floating" to hold any weight, at which point the usual approach is to dispense with the uprights and make the shelves fully "floating."
There are a few ways of floating shelves, all simple in concept but finicky in practice. One is long rods set into the studs (deeper than is safe if you don't know what's in the studs so you can miss wires and pipes) with matching holes in the back of the shelves. Conceptually simple, but if anything is the least bit at the wrong angle, very difficult in practice as the rods and holes won't line up and the shelves won't slide on.
Another approach uses a bracket that screws to the wall surface, and a shelf that's essentially a hollow box that slips over the bracket to hide it.

Make sure there is a wood piece at the divider panel to receive the L bracket and nailing/screwing at locations shown in the sketch below.
Also, suggest having a panel at the end, the cantilever seemly too long. Instead of a full-width board, you may consider a stud to make it looks better.


New fixture won't turn on I'm trying to replace my living room ceiling light fixture. The new fixture only has black and white wires (no ground). The ceiling has red, black, white, and ground wires. When I took the old fixture down I noticed that the black wire was connected to the red wire from the ceiling and the black ceiling wire was capped off so I did the same to the new fixture but the light will not turn on. Help!!

PS. I've also tried connecting black to black and no luck either. I connected white to white and left the ground wire alone since my new light does not have a ground wire.

Generally speaking, you must connect ceiling live cable (CL) to fixture live (FL) and ceiling neutral (CN) to fixture neutral (FN). As comments state, your fixture may not have a ground cable (strictly speaking), but some kind of screw, most probably with proper designation indented on it or with a proper sticker. If that's so, your ground cable from ceiling (CG) will match fixture attachment for ground (FG).
That said we have:
CL > FL
CN > FN
CG > FG

Note 1.: There is a possibility that your fixture may not have proper attachment or cable for grounding. It may happen with old fixtures or these not exactly matching codes. Not preferred to fix. If you omit the grounding step, the fixture will probably work, but it's not recommended.
Note 2.: Screws on fixtures may have designations like N (for neutral) or L (for live). That may help you with doing proper matching and fixing.

It sounds like power is fed through the ceiling... here's a look at the wiring that you should have:

If you hooked it up correctly, then either the lamp, fuse, or switch is faulty.


Why won't my circular saw blade tighten on the spindle? The blade on my Craftsman circular saw will not tighten down and consequently slips on the spindle.  I've tried packing the bolt with a washer and it didn't help.  Can't find anything online so this may not be a typical problem. Could it be as simple as replacing the spring washer?  Any feedback would be appreciated.

Make a shim out of thin cardboard and place it between the inner blade washer and the blade. The blades they're making these days are thinner than the older blades and some of the older saws have to be shimmed in order to prevent blade slippage.

maybe way to old but inner washer might be upside down


Should I have all the aluminum wiring removed from my home or just the damaged portion? My home has aluminum wiring, which was wired approximately 20 years ago. A single line of wiring  connecting bathroom geyser caught fire and got burnt. I am planning to rewire my house again.
Should I be getting my entire home rewired with copper wiring or only the part which got burnt? Apart from high cost of copper wiring what other advantage I would be getting?

This doesn't sound like a technical question.  You didn't maintain the AL wiring properly... it had a problem... should you replace it?   The real question is do you trust yourself to maintain it going forward?
Same exact thing probably would've happened with copper.
I do systems rollouts within enterprises, where you get employees to switch to a new business system. People don't like change. New systems don't fit old ways.  It was much worse in the 60s-70s when the first automation was happening and many failed, for many reasons. In most cases using Sperry vs Burroughs vs IBM made no difference - employees were uncooperative, management didn't listen, etc. If a company bought IBM, then  management presumed the computer was OK and confronted their internal problems. But if they bought Burroughs, they'd take the easy out of blaming Burroughs.  So if you were responsible for picking vendor, you picked IBM.
That's called a "Halo Effect".
Same with copper wiring.  The same exact problem happens in 2 different junction boxes.  If it's copper wire, "it was a mistorqued screw".  But if it's aluminum, "OMG it's the aluminum wire" and that's as far as people's brains go.
So that's most likely what happened there, if it was copper, it still would've failed owing to faulty workmanship, and it wouldn't even occur to you to rewire your whole house because if it lol.  And by the way, the wire didn't burn up, the wire termination (end) did.
In reality, it's copper lugs.  They do not play well with aluminum wire.  Aluminum lugs work well with both, which is why they are widely used: Tear apart an Alumiconn; it's made of aluminum. Ditto a Mac Block, ground bar, and many panel lugs.
But aluminum wire is not better than copper; you can still screw it up in all the usual ways.  We just have to add "failing to use Al-rated terminations" to the mix.
My Rx for aluminum wire
First, you fit arc-fault protection (usually at the circuit breaker). That will catch many/most of the kinds of failure we worry about with Al wire.
Then, you visit every connection point and make sure it has terminations rated for Al wire.  That means (in the US) CO-ALR receps, Alumiconns, MAC Blocks connectors etc.  (and I dislike purple wire nuts because it's not that simple; you do need to physically separate Al and Cu wires, and there are lots of pix of melted and charred purple wire nuts.) And in cases where you must attach to equipment not available with CO-ALR termination, you pigtail to copper for the last 6 inches.

If you can afford it you should rewire the entire home.   Without knowing the exact circumstances that caused your recent fire, it might be safe to assume it could happen again.   Aluminum wiring in itself isn’t bad.   It is the junction between it and the wiring devices that are the issue.   Most older devices were made for copper only, and the junction of dissimilar metals cause issues.  Aluminum conductors are only used now for large feeders in commercial and industrial applications.   Residential wiring must all be copper for new construction.   Consult with a licensed electrician in your area for further advice.


Home security alarm system in the uk Can anyone suggest the best home security alarm? Most famous one is ADT in the uk which is monitored alarm system. Is it non-monitored alarm system much secure than monitored one?
Can some one please suggest me for the best alarm system for the home security.

My home is like end terraced which has front door, back door and back garden. I am really interested to put security alarm system in the outer part of the home like doors and windows.
Thank you

The best alarm system you can have is three large well-trained guard dogs. I can say that, since I've done security electronics in some of the more secure places in this world, and for a while I had every-day conversations with professional burglars.


How to find "doorskin"? Regarding this question: What exactly is doorskin?

Mine is not a duplicate because the one above does not fully answer my question, exactly how can I find this product or something similar?

I'm trying to make templates for countertops and all online references mention using strips of doorskin.  They even go so far to say that it can be found at any hardware store or home center.  I live near Chicago and cannot locate anything called "doorskin" at Ace, Home Depot, Lowes, or Menards.  They also do not sell any plywood thinner than ¼".  Nor ⅛" luan, nor single-ply plywood, or anything else like that.  One answer mentions Lowes, but I cannot find anything called "doorskin" at Lowes online or in their stores.

I found 5 mm thick hardboard in 4x8 sheets at Home Depot, but that is far too hard/dense and way too thick.  The whole point of doorskin for countertop templates is that it's cheap and thin; cheap enough to throw away when done and thin enough to cut with heavy scissors or utility knife.

If the experts are correct and this product can be obtained from a chain home center, then why is this not listed online as a SKU on any of their websites?

I'm looking for help with how I can find "doorskin", or a suggestion for a reasonably priced substitute (not cardboard since it would be too flimsy for accuracy).

EDIT:  Not necessarily looking for shopping advice, but advice that will help me locate this product.

What else might this be called?  So far, keywords such as "doorskin" or "⅛ luan" have yielded nothing productive.  (Google search results for "doorskin" are cluttered with car doors!)  Does a brand name come to mind for this?
What kind of material could be used in place of this to make a suitable counter-top template?

EDIT:

This will do.  Cheap and in stock locally at Menards.

¼" x 4' x 8' Sanded Utility Plywood
(Actual Size .185" x 48" x 95-7/8")
Menards® SKU: 1252006

⅛" would have been even better, but it's special order.

I'm surprised that you can't find 1/8" plywood (luan), but have you asked about Thermo-ply? It's a thick waxed cardboard, supposedly for sheathing (ha!) but suitable for your application.

Ramboard (somewhat thick cardboard, sold on the roll) would be suitable if you used entire sheets (as opposed to strips). The factory edge on this is handy for straight lines.

Also possible (but a pain to cut into strips) would be countertop laminate material... a good lumberyard would probably have some old/kicked around product for cheap. (But then, if you had a good lumberyard, you'd already have some 1/8 luan...)

I searched lowes an found Luan in 4x8 sheets available at many Chicago stores.

Plus you can always have them order it.


Ground wire light switch to outlet I am trying to install a Leviton IPS02-1LW  (Amazon link) motion sensing light switch. However, my current light switch does not have a ground. Can I run a ground wire from a nearby outlet, or could that cause issues?

The NEC allows connecting to a ground from another circuit if that circuit originates in the same panel.
If they do originate in different panels or a subpanel the Code also allows connecting to any point on the grounding electrode system, the grounding electrode conductor, the ground bar in the panel where the circuit originates, or the grounded conductor in the service enclosure. (NEC 250.130, free clunky access the NEC at https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=70 )

"Special" switches, including motion sensors, dimmers, smart switches, timers, etc. often need power even when the lights (or other controlled items) are off. There are 4 ways they can get this power:

Battery

This is simplest - no issue of "what wires are available" - but generally least desirable because of the need to periodically replace batteries.

Neutral

This is easy in new construction, because code now generally requires either a neutral in each switch box or an easy way (i.e., wires in conduit) to add a new neutral. With a neutral available, the special device can get mains power just like anything else.
In some old installations, neutral will be available. But in some cases, particularly with switch loops, there is no neutral available. You can't just "add a neutral" if the existing wires are in a cable - you have to replace the cable.

Leakage

Some devices will get their power by leaking a little bit through the circuit in the "off" position. This works great with incandescent bulbs. With fluorescent bulbs it often doesn't work at all. With LEDs, because they need so little power, they will often either glow dimly (if they are dimmable) or blink (if they are not dimmable) in the "off" position, which is generally not desirable.

Ground

The advantage of ground is that it should be everywhere. However, this can cause problems with GFCI protection. Lighting circuits generally don't need to be GFCI protected, but often they are either because "everything has GFCI" or a circuit is shared between lighting and receptacles that need GFCI (e.g., in a bathroom). GFCI detects the difference between hot & neutral. If some of your power goes from hot to ground, that can trip the GFCI, even though in this case it is legitimate and not an actual safety problem.
The second problem with ground is, as you have found, that it is not always available. However, ground should be available - you just have to know where to look. If you don't see an actual green or bare ground wire, you might have:

A metal box connected to armored cable or conduit. In this case, you can get a grounding screw with a pigtail and screw that into the metal box to provide a ground wire for your switch.
A ground wire that wasn't technically needed before and snipped off. Shouldn't happen, but sometimes it does. If you have cable, take a look at the end where the black & white wires come out and see if there is a ground wire in there too. If there is, and if you have enough excess cable, strip some of the outer sheath to get to the ground wire.
Conduit, where you can add a ground wire (again, it should have been there all along, and if it is metal conduit then that conduit itself should be a ground).

If all else fails, yes you can run a ground wire to another ground elsewhere. It does need to match the circuit - i.e., if this is a 15A circuit then anything 14 AWG or larger will do, but if it is a 20A circuit then the ground should be at least 12 AWG and the ground you're connecting to should be on a 20A or larger circuit.


Why would an air conditioning unit specify a maximum breaker size? A ductless mini split unit I am interested in specifies a maximum breaker size of 15 amps. Why would this be the case?
The unit is going to be installed on the opposite side of the house from where the breaker is, so for a 220v system that runs at about 5 amps, a 70 foot run of electrical wire calls for 8 gauge wire.
I was going to throw a 20 amp circuit breaker for this run until I came across the spec sheet for the unit. I found a similar post where the top answer states that you can always use bigger wire which only reassures me that 8 gauge wire is fine in a 15 amp breaker, but I can't seem to find why the AC unit would call for no bigger than a 15 amp breaker.
In other words, why would a device on a circuit be sensitive to the potential max amperage of its circuit

The unit won't be protected properly by a larger breaker
While hermetic compressors and fan motors are protected against overload by internal means, or by their drive electronics if you have an inverter-based system, the wiring of the unit still needs to be protected in case it shorts out internally.  As a result of this and the fact that air conditioners universally are complex, multimotor loads, UL has taken pity on installers and inspectors and requires the manufacturer to do the breaker sizing math for us.  (Otherwise, you'd have to dig into Articles 430 and 440 of the NEC and size the breaker yourself, which is a bit fiddly for a multimotor load.)
So, simply use the 15A breaker the manufacturer calls for and call it a day, although I doubt you need 8AWG wire for a unit that draws less than 10A at 240VAC.  In fact, for that run, 14AWG is perfectly fine.  (The chart you found is probably for low-voltage DC circuits, where voltage drop is a far greater limiting factor than at 240V.)  However, there is some merit to future-proofing an air conditioner circuit, and to that end, I'd run ½" ENT as that'll get you up to 50A with THHN wire and the assumption that your panel supports 75°C terminations, then pull the 3 14AWG wires needed through it.

Probably you got 1 hp aircon,at Nec table it is 8 amps. Multiplied by 1.75  equals 14 amps so ,15 At CB make sense. For wire 8 x 1.25 equals 10 amps only so #12 wire can be used.


Must I use both cables running to my bathroom fan? I have two cables running to exhaust fan hook up, each cable with one white and one black. Do I need both black and both white from the cables with the one black and one white from the new exhaust fan?  Then what do I do with the green ground wire?

Chances are one cable is the source, and the other is a switch loop. You'd need to safely test to be sure, though. If that's the case, here's what it should look like:

If you don't have a grounding conductor (bare wire) in your cable, ignore the ground wire in your fan kit. There's not much you can do about it without running new wire. It's probably a low-risk issue anyway.

Sorry your question slipped through the cracks. I hope you got it resolved.

Does you old exhaust fan have a light also?  Why do you have two sets of wiring for one exhaust fan?  You could turn on the exhaust fan switch on the wall and check the voltage of the two sets of wires.  Which ever set of wires has 110-120 volts, then use that set of wires to tie into the new exhaust fan.  Wire nut and tape the other set of wires.


What are the recommended settings for a dual-zone air conditioning unit? What are the recommended settings for an air conditioning unit that is dual-zone? Meaning, if I have a house that is two stories I know that in Florida they recommend you keep it at 78 F in the summer and 69 in the winter, but the top half of the house will always get hotter (and colder in the winter). So what are the recommended settings for a house in a configuration like this that achieve the best of comfort and energy savings?

A simple solution is just to set the thermostats up with an allowance between them to compensate for the thermal convection. This allowance is usually around two degrees, depending on ceiling heights on each floor.

For example, if your preferred temperature in the Summer is 74°F, set the downstairs thermostat to 73°F, and the upstairs to 75°F, in effect bracketing your desired set point. The same two degree difference will usually be sufficient in the Winter as well. Just remember to always have the higher temperature on the higher floor.

For three story homes, a one degree difference between each floor may be sufficient, depending on how high the ceilings of each floor are. Just as with the two story home, the highest temperature always goes on the highest floor, no matter what the season.

I believe the Energy Department has calculated the mean temperature in a conditioned space that feels comfortable is: 78 degrees in summer
And 69 degrees winter. This is also the ideal setting so as to use the least amount of fuel.