What's the easiest way to remove tile flooring off a cement foundation? We're wondering if removing the tile   that's on our concrete foundation is too hard for us to do ourselves.
Question: Is there a way to do it that makes it a little easier and faster?
We want to remove all tile and do engineered wood or vinyl tile planks throughout.
Quotes to take the tile and grout beneath it up are extremely expensive. Just wondering if there's a method or tool, some way to keep it from being so labor intensive and taking so long.

I use a air chisel wide blade for a large area. I can pop thinset mounted tiles off with little time and almost no effort.
a pole chipper is almost as fast but a lot of work, (mastic glued tiles are harder and usually the tiles break more often.
once the tiles are all picked up and discarded I clean up the thinset.
I actually find my belt sander is best for this.
Thinset is quite soft and an 80 grit aluminum oxide belt takes the bulk of the material off quickly. I use a pillow case on the discharge of my belt sander and this helps to control the dust (this is the messy part, I recently helped a friend do a 34x16 room I had all the tiles popped in about an hour, I started grinding with the belt sander while the tiles were being removed by my friend.
First pass was just over 2 hours and 5 belts., I had planned to acid etch the entire floor with muriatic acid and water but my friend was happy with the results just sanding (muriatic acid helps to break up the remaining thinset and would have made is smoother close to the original finish of the slab).
The total time including mopping up was just over 4 hours and to be honest the hard part was scooping all the tile and grout up but my friend did that. Our total time under 8 man hours and that included a few beer breaks. For me the hard part is being on the ground after 18 knee surgeries including both of them being replaced, so if a great grampa can do it it’s not that bad with the right tools.
I could have done it with a pole scraper/chipper but then it would have been hard work and probably taken longer and a few more beers.
He now has a nice click lock wood floor that is much warmer feeling than the porcelain tile that was down there.

In all the floors that i have prepped i have found that there is no "easier and faster" way to do it. There is difficult and very difficult and very very - - - -
The tiles may or may not  pop off relatively easy, there are floor scrapers you can buy and floor scraping machines you can rent.  The hard part is usually the thinset or mastic that is the adhesive, it is tough to get it off of concrete. You need to get all of that off for a smooth base to install your new flooring. A floor scraper may get some or most of it off, or you may have to use an angle grinder and an abrasive disc, Very dusty and messy.
You can give it try and if you feel it is beyond what you can/want to do then hire someone.


How do I move a slab of concrete? I want to build a fence in my backyard by my garbage stand is sitting on a concrete slab and that slab is in the way of where I want to put the fence so I want to move it over a few feet.

The slab of concrete is 5' by 5'8'' by 6''.
I popped those dimensions in an online concrete calculator and it says it weighs over 800kg.

I don't think it is a good idea to try to chain it to my car and drag it.

Would it be possible to move something that size with a lever of some sort? Or should I bite the bullet and just destroy the slab?

I don't agree with any of the comments.  It is impractical to move it.  First unless you use big equipment the chances of it breaking are solid.  But lets look past moving it and say that is "easy".  Where are you moving it to?  The bottom is probably all over the place meaning that unless where you are moving it to has very similar ground characteristics then this thing will probably not sit the way you want it to.

Added Note:  When we are breaking up big slabs like this we often break up concrete.  Move the concrete out of the way.  Dig down another 10-12 inches (I know it is hard work but doesn't take long).  Then put concrete back or at least most of it with about 4-6 inches of dirt over it.  You will be left with some dirt left over and maybe a little concrete.  You will spend time digging but not time hauling concrete.  Also the extra dirt is usually easy to dispose somewhere in the yard.

Considering the enormous amount of brawn involved in demolition + transport + disposal and then the formwork + transport + mixing of 800kg of cement, moving the slab is far less work, far quicker, and far cheaper.  Regardless of the labor and expense of demolition approach, the manufacture of cement carries a very large carbon footprint. R&R would be a -1 for the environment.

The underside is likely very rough. If you are willing to risk breaking the slab, it could be pried up, rails slipped underneath, then slid over. 3" pipe or some such could be used for rails. If you want to move it over N feet, the rails could be as short as 3+N. Pry up one side at a time, using something between the lever and slab to distribute the pressure.  Lifting one side with a single 1:10 lever is: 0.5 * 800kg * 0.1 = 40kg = 90lbs ... that's completely doable by one person for anyone weighing more than 90lbs.

Alternatively, an off-center tripod could be built over the slab, and a come-along used to hoist the slab.

Alternatively, if it is to be moved it over N feet, then rails that are about N+1 feet long would suffice.  This method combines the previous two.  Pry up the slab and place the rails under the slab aligned with the far edge. Build an A-frame and stand it a foot away from the near edge.  Run a strap around the slab at the near edge, attach a 30ft rope to the strap and route the rope over the A frame.  Lean the A-frame towards the slab, then heave on the loose end of the rope while standing 20-25ft away.  With enormous leverage, this will cause 1) the A-frame to become perpendicular, 2) lift the near edge of slab, and 3) pull the slab towards its new position by, say, 6", the far edge of the slab sliding along the 3" pipe rails.  Reposition the A-frame and repeat.

Note: created this answer out of my several comments, added the 2nd alternative, then deleted the redundancies.


Floor outlet protruding under a rug I have an in floor outlet (under a rug) and I don't want the plug sticking up under the rug. Can I cut off the plug of an extension cord and directly wire it in with the wires of the outlet? Thanks in advance for your reply

No, you can't.

An extension cord is designed for temporary use. Many of us (myself included) will use an extension cord on a "semi-permanent" basis.

But it is quite different to have an exposed extension cord and a hidden extension cord. An extension cord is not designed - or rated & tested - for use in a hidden location. Use in that matter raises the very real possibility of damage to the cord from repeated walking on the carpet going unnoticed until it is too late (e.g., fire). Wires are also rated based on temperature, and a cord that is rated for a particular temperature based on being in open air may not be safe when used under a carpet, where it may heat up quite a bit more - also increasing fire risk.

The proper way to use a floor outlet is to have a cutout in the carpet around the outlet, and ideally a cover on the outlet when it is not in use to avoid dirt (or even worse, spilled drinks) getting into the outlet. I see that type of outlet in hotels & conference rooms and it is a little ugly but functional and safe.

If you are not going to use the floor outlet at all, covering it with a movable rug is OK. But you should never cover an outlet or junction box of any type (e.g., including if you removed the outlet, capped the wires and put on a blank plate) with any permanent flooring like wall-to-wall carpet. All electrical connections (with very few exceptions) need to be easily accessible.

Edit: I just realized that the entire thing is flammable. The only reason I'm not deleting it is it might inspire a good idea.

One thing you could do is raise the rug using a platform made out of wood — a few 1x4s should be enough — with space cut out of it for the extension cord to take pressure off of it, then use a flat plug extension cord:

Rough sketch of what that would look like:


What are the consequences of allowing paint to freeze? Insulating and heating my garage sounds like a pain. What are the consequences of simply allowing water-based latex paint to freeze in the winter? Is it ruined forever or does it just need tons of extra mixing in the spring?

I have an idea for you. Instead of insulating and heating the entire garage to save a few gallons of paint, perhaps you could build a small insulated paint locker. Build a box or cabinet large enough to store all your paints. Insulate the inside with some 2 inch rigid foam or R-11 blanket insulation and put some foam weather stripping around the insulated door or cover to make it fairly air tight.  You could then install a low wattage light bulb as a source of heat. Honeywell makes an inexpensive plug=in/plug outlet feed thermostat that would work fantastic in this application.  I use one for running three 40 watt clamp-on light fixtures in the engine compartment of my boat.  The thermostat can be set to turn on the lights when the temp lowers to 35 to 40F and turn off at 40 to 50F. You set it to keep the locker above freezing. I wish I was good at drawing pics with the puter, but a good design would be to mount your lights and thermostat at the very bottom of the locker with a venting or wire shelf just above, so the heat rises in the locker and the bulbs are protected from getting bumped by paint cans. I'm sure you could build the whole project for under $100. The bonus is that something like this would be very cheap to run all winter.

I never use latex paint because it freezes and is no good after that, so I use an oil based paint inside and out. It only takes a few minutes longer to dry when u use a fan.


Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle wires on Furnace Pressure Switch makes it work -- should I replace Switch? My Furnace (a Rheem Criterion II Gas Furnace - model RGLH-07EAMGR) has had a problem for a while that we've just been living with but I can finally afford to do something about it.

What happens is that it will run fine for a while (hours, days, even weeks -- pretty random), and then it will stop running.  I go out and check and the 'OK' LED is flashing 3 times and then off, 3 times and then off.  The troubleshooting guide says this means "The limit switch is open".

What I have figured out is that if I wiggle the wires that attach to the pressure switch  just a little bit (picture below), then put the covers back on, the furnace will turn on again and run normally for a while.  Then, at some random time in the future, it will shut off and be back on the 'OK' LED flashing.

Based on my research, it sounds like Pressure Switches are usually an indicator of a problem rather than being the problem itself.  But since wiggling that wire seems to reset things, I wonder if in this case it is the Pressure Switch?  Or is it possibly actually the Limit Switch that needs replacing (I've never actually tried wiggling those wires)?  What's the best way to troubleshoot this?

I will probably end up calling in a pro to take care of this, but I mostly want to understand so I can make sure I'm not getting ripped off..

It could be the connection or the sensor.

If those connectors move a lot when you wiggle them, they may just be loose, and vibrations from the furnace affecting them.  So the first thing I would try is pulling the connectors off and squeezing them a little bit with a pair of pliers, so they dig in a little tighter when you put them back on.  That costs nothing, so its worth a try.

I have seen the same problem with my York furnace. I squeezed in the connectors and now it is working OK.


Legal requirements for generator installation? I would like to have a standby generator installed for my house. Based on my own assessment of our electrical needs, along with my desire to have a slower-running generator to reduce noise, and my desire to get an adequate generator at the best price, I've made a preliminary choice of the Generac 22kW (RG022). This is the smallest propane-fueled generator in the Generac line that runs at 1800 RPM.

We have been working with a local dealer, who sells both Generac and Kohler products. My initial conclusions have been stymied by some assertions that the dealer has made, but which they have refused to provide documentation for:

They claim that "code" requires that either we install a generator capable of supplying the entire 400 amps that the home's panel could be configured for (the current service is, if I recall correctly, 320A and this is more a by-product of having the service split into two panels, because we have a detached garage with bonus room above, so there is one panel for each building), or we can instead hire an electrician to install a power monitor for a month and then size the generator based on the results of that monitoring.
They claim that, in spite of the statements by the manufacturer (e.g. "Can Be Installed Just 18" From a Structure - Capability to be installed 18 inches away from a structure, ideal for areas with tight lot lines.  Generac’s is the only manufacturer of standby generators to have 18” offset on most of its residential lineup."), we will be required "by code" to locate the generator a minimum of five feet from the building.

I keep putting "code" in quotes because that is literally the only information this dealer has provided to me, even after I ask for a more precise explanation, i.e. for them to provide me with an actual reference to the actual code that imposes these requirements. All they ever say is "that's what code requires".

My question is: are these actual legal requirements for the generator installation? If so, where are these legal requirements documented, and by whom are they imposed?

I guess a follow-up question would be: if these are in fact not legal requirements, what are the ramifications of just selecting and siting the generator according to my own preferences and expectations, instead of following the "requirements" as stated by the dealer?

For example, suppose I've miscalculated at some point, or maybe additional equipment is installed later on — what would happen if more load was put on the generator than its rated to provide? Would there simply be a sag in the voltage on the service from the generator? Or would it actually damage the generator and/or the electrical system in some way?

The house is in Washington State, which I presume affects to at least some degree what codes are applicable.

They claim that "code" requires that either we install a generator capable of supplying the entire 400 amps that the home's panel could be configured for (the current service is, if I recall correctly, 320A and this is more a by-product of having the service split into two panels, because we have a detached garage with bonus room above, so there is one panel for each building), or we can instead hire an electrician to install a power monitor for a month and then size the generator based on the results of that monitoring.

No
Sounds like an effort to "upsell". You can have as small or large a generator as you want. Quite often a generator will be sized for critical loads (e.g., refrigerator, air handler for furnace) + a couple of convenience circuits. Or "everything but the air conditioning and the electric dryer". Or anything in between. Or "everything".
It is entirely up to you. Just understand that if you put in a generator that can't handle "everything" and then try to use it for "everything", you will run into trouble. Which might take the form of "generator turns itself off because it is overloaded" - and then you have nothing running at all.

They claim that, in spite of the statements by the manufacturer (e.g. "Can Be Installed Just 18" From a Structure - Capability to be installed 18 inches away from a structure, ideal for areas with tight lot lines. Generac's is the only manufacturer of standby generators to have 18" offset on most of its residential lineup."), we will be required "by code" to locate the generator a minimum of five feet from the building.

Maybe
There may be some truth to that. A state, county or local building code may place additional requirements that override the manufacturer's minimum requirements. Or they may be citing old requirements that have been superseded by Generac's 18" capability and they just don't know it. Or they may be just making it up - e.g., perhaps to try and sell you on a separate pad for the generator instead of being able to use concrete already in place next to your house.

You are looking in the wrong part of the code for the location. Article 445 is about Generators, you will find the location answer in 445.10 for the location.
For the load it depends on if you are using a manual transfer switch or an automatic transfer switch. Generally a 22KW Generac Generator operates with the use of an automatic transfer switch, due to the size and design.  If you refer to your quoted text of 702.4 you will find that it states :

(2) Automatic Transfer Equipment. Where automatic transfer equipment is used, an optional standby system shall comply with (2)(a) or (2)(b).
(a) Full Load. The standby source shall be capable of supplying the full load that is transferred by the automatic transfer equipment.
(b) Load Management. Where a system is employed that will automatically manage the connected load, the standby source shall have a capacity sufficient to supply the maximum load that will be connected by the load management system.

The size of your load is 320 AMPS, however, the standard sizes of breakers (Table 240.6) 320 AMPS is not listed. Also, Gernerac suggests to use their equipment and they make transfer switches rated at 100, 200, and 400 AMPS.
Also, it sounds like you're not an electrician.  Many electricians have many codes memorized and don't bother to remember what article it is, blame them for not remembering the number I guess.  Generally I wouldn't get my code book out to go over what needs to be done with a customer.  And even if you THINK you might be right, the inspector has the final say, and if he always says it has to be 5 feet away, guess what?  You can put it 5 feet away or you can never use your nice fancy generator that sits there and does nothing.
You sound like a problem customer, I would let someone else do that work.


How do I increase the water pressure in my shower in spite of water-saving hardware? I recently rented a new apartment that has water-saving hardware in the bathroom. My bath pressure is decent, but my shower water pressure is barely a trickle. How do I increase the water pressure and flow, i.e. the force and amount of water?

If Jeff's suggestions don't fix the problem, it could simply be that the water-saving showerhead doesn't allow the pressure / flow rate you want. This was the case in all of the apartments I lived in; I went to Home Depot and bought a decent new showerhead for $30, and moved it with me from apartment to apartment. Each time I moved out I simply put the original one back on.

They aren't difficult to replace; all you need is:

A pair of pliers large enough to grasp the collar (tongue-and-groove pliers work best)
A rag to wrap around the collar, to prevent damage from the pliers
A small amount of Teflon pipe thread tape

Take the old one off and clean the threads of any old sealant or Teflon tape. Apply 2-3 wraps of new Teflon tape in a clockwise direction - direction of wrap is important so that when you thread on the shower head, you're going in the same direction as the wrap and not unraveling it as you tighten. Thread on the new showerhead until snug and check for leaks.

The so-called water saving shower heads (which are not just a nuisance but really water wasting devices since you need to shower three times as long) that I have encountered in my life were very primitive, and simple to fix.

The secret to the hardware's working is nothing but a removable little piece of plastic with a small hole, accessible under the screw where the collar meets the hose. You might need pliers, but I've done it with a towel and bare hands in virtually every hotel I stayed during the last years.
Screw off head, throw plastic piece into trashcan, screw on head again, get naked, enjoy.

Needless to say that if the landlord ever asks you, you should deny any knowledge or having done anything. The shower head has always been like this to your knowledge, never any different.


What could cause taps for both hot and cold water to suddenly stop working? There are two taps in one of the bathrooms of our house. A few days ago, one of them "went out": after giving a noise as if very suddenly closed, the water stopped flowing, only a little trickling remaining for both hot and cold when opened.

Today, the other tap (that was working unaffected so far) reproduced the phenomenon, with an even smaller amount of remaining trickling. Neither of them work now.

Does anyone have any ideas for the cause of this?

The pipes are not likely to be blocked. The problem will most probalby be in the tap. Most taps usually have a aerator before the exit and that could be blocked up from dirt.

To clean the tap there is a tool to remove the aerator but it is not necessary. You can use pliers or a the correct size key.

There is also a helpful video here

And this is what the part looks like when its a bit clogged.

With the clog that you mentioned it must be pretty bad- So when you remove the aerator you will most likely see allot of dirt follow it. Open the taps for a minute to get it out of the system.

This dirt usaully comes from the main water supply so installing a filter for your main supply for the house if a good option to stop this nuisance. There also options to improve the drinking qualities. Ask you local plumber depot for advice.

DIY TIPS

To avoid damaging the aerator body it is a good idea to wrap it with some cloth and gently try to unscrew it. It could be a bit stuck but wiggle it back and forth and should let go easily.
Many aerators  go into several pieces. The can help in cleaning them. Try to remember the order.
The aerator is not mandatory. It helps make the water come out silky and uniform which helps to prevent splashing. You can use the tap without it if it clogs up frequently.

You have a clogged aerator. Remove it, clean it with a toothbrush and replace it.


How to remove old vinyl tiles? I have a layer of old, crumbly and very sticky vinyl tiles that I need to remove to bring the old tile back (see picture). What is the best way of removing these?

Bonus question: How do I get the adhesive off the floor underneath?

Use an iron! It is cheaper and less damaging to your lungs. Let the iron sit on the tile for about 30 seconds and it will pop right off, then move on to the next one. I renovate homes and have done it numerous times. I have well over 14000 sqft under my belt.

Too many scare notes on asbestos.  Asbestos is only dangerous with repeated exposure.  If you remove tiles whole and properly ventilate to the exterior (use a wet vac that I put a hose to and run out the house) it will be fine.  Just don't sand it and wear a respirator.

dry ice works too.  it essentially freezes the tile and it pops right off.


Is my 2 prong outlet grounded? I have a bunch of 2 prong outlets in my house. I am using a multimeter to see if they are grounded (1 in the hot slot and 1 on the screw). Almost all have read either zero (not grounded) or 120 (grounded). However, there are two outlets that read 50-60 volts when testing. Are these grounded or not grounded? Maybe they are grounded and the wiring on the box needs to be fixed?

Thanks

Your house is grounded but doesn’t have an equipment ground. How a 2 wire system works (120v) is one side is actually grounded and the other is at 120v. A 240v receptacle has 2 each 120v legs that are 180 out of phase but single phase or split phase is the proper name for residential us power. So your maximum voltage to ground is 120v , leg to leg is 240. The common leg is grounded at the transformer that supplies your home and is called the neutral. If your receptacles that show a voltage are switched it is normal to measure a “phantom” voltage of 40 to 120v phantom voltage is induced into a wire that is not powered by running parallel to a live wire this is how transformers work. If you plug a load like a light into the receptacle the voltage will normally drop to zero.
Phantom voltages can be found in just about any home.
To have an equipment ground or a 3 prong outlet that is functional you can add a ground wire to that circuit this is a recent code change. The other way that you can add 3 prong receptacles is to add GFCI protection and label them GFCI protected no equipment ground.
So your system has a grounded conductor by code the white or gray colored one but no grounding conductor the bare or green one. Hope this helps.

60 volts is half of 120. It is almost certainly a "phantom" or "stray" voltage that results from harmless electromagnetic coupling from both hot and neutral (or ground), and it indicates that the metal you tested is not wired to anything.

The bad news is that your other test results could be the same situation, depending on the particular coupling at each box — if you read 120 volts between hot and box metal, you don't know whether the box is grounded or just happens to be coupled mostly to a neutral wire. A regular voltmeter, with a single test, cannot tell you whether there is a wire connection or just a weak coupling.

If you have a voltage tester of the sort that is not powered by batteries but has a lamp in it powered by the line, that can help, because it tests whether it is possible to draw power from the circuit, which can confirm a connection. Another tool is a multimeter with a "Low-Z" setting, which basically puts a resistor across the probes (thus drawing some current, if possible) and measures the voltage, giving you the same kind of answer as the lamp would but with an actual voltage reading instead of just glowing-or-not.

However, these tools will read zero for both "both probes on the same voltage" and "not connected". In order to confirm that something is connected, you need to make two tests, comparing the metal you're testing to two different other conductors (e.g. hot and neutral), and observe that one of the readings is zero and the other is 120 V.

There are better tests for integrity of ground, but they require more specialized equipment and safety considerations.


How can I fix a screen door that sticks? I have a sliding screen door that leads out to a porch/deck.  The door continually sticks and is just doesn't slide open cleanly.  Otherwise the screen and everything is fine.  Is there something I can do to fix this or do I need to replace the entire screen door?

Have you tried lubricating it? Seems worth a shot for the price before replacing the whole door.

Take your screen to a glass company. They usually have or can get replacement rollers.


How do I repair this stair rail hole and screw back in? As you can see the screw on the right side is hanging in the air right now . What should I use to fill the hole and screw them back in? Thanks!

These work best if the screws are driven into a wall stud vs. a hollow-wall anchor.  It's not clear what you have going on here, but if it's an anchor, or just a screw driven into drywall, then you should relocate to a spot where you can hit the stud.
Patch the hole with some spackle and if needed, you might need some backer as this looks to be a fairly large hole.


Turning regular door switch outlet into an outlet with USB I have a regular outlet too white to black to red and a ground which is controlled by the light switch. I should say half of the outlet is controlled by the light switch. I want to replace it with an outlet that includes USB plugs.  But I do not want to USB plugs controlled by the light switch. Do they make outlets that can be installed  with half of the outlet still being controlled by the light switch to be able to turn off lamps and such but still have the USB ports ready at all times?

I've never seen 120V+USB which were splittable in the way you want.  (And we're not a shopping-aid site, so helping you find one isn't really our thing here).

The answer is, this is a drywall job: replace the single box with a 2-gang box... keep the existing receptacle and put the USB receptacle right next to it.

You will need to pigtail at least the hot wire, as you won't have enough screws to land supply, hot to the switch, hot to the USB receptacle, and hot to the downline.  Don't use both screws and backstabs (actually using backstabs generally is asking for trouble).

I for one think USB receptacles are a waste of time since they're expensive and become obsolete quickly, because it takes time for them to grind through the UL listing process.   e.g. very few can charge a tablet at full power while also charging anything else, and two tablets is out of the question. Many are built around an obsolete TI controller chip which provides a 10W and a 5W USB port and you must pay attention to which is which (why????) Genuine Apple iPad charging blocks are about $8 on eBay, I just do that.

k I know this may sound silly but here is how to split wire most outlets like your talking about. on the hot side of the outlet, you just break the tab that is between the screws and then hook up the hot to the one you want on all the time and the other one is for the switched one. this is without even looking at the outlet itself so make sure you get one that the tab can be broken or cut.


Can the last few boards of hardwood near a wall be glued if there is not alot of space for nailing So you get near the wall and cannot use the floor nailer or brad nailer to get a nail in through the tongue at an angle.  I have seen advice to glue a board like this down vs trying to drill a guide hole and hand nail.  For the glue types, some just fill the groove and attach the next board, some do this and glue to the floor.  It doesn't seem to make sense to have a board glued to the subfloor (wood) when the rest are nailed (to allow it to move/expand).  Did a quick check of other answers and it seems that nailing is the way to go, though it is more work.  Make sense?

Thanks!

we just do the last few runs with 2in brad nails.  you can easily fill and hide the heads with lacquer sticks.  we put woodglue under every square foot of hardwood flooring we lay.  its not even a point of debate.  the wood will expand and contract with glue or without it.  its just a question of how soon you want the floor to squeak and cup.  wood glue prevents that almost entirely.

Glue definitely! But a mechanical fastener is needed, since glue's no good once its grip breaks & it will. Nails are okay, but they're the sole reason for squeaks. Go with Finish or Trim Screws instead of nails for a far superior job. And yes, I mean for the whole floor. Screws nail nails, Nails will screw you.


What is the cheapest way to stiffen a tube/pipe? I have some steel tubes (18 mm OD) which I wish to use as horizontal members in a storage rack (a bit like shelves). However, the tube flex and bend quite a bit when I put heavier boxes on them. The tubes flex about 40 mm over a 1000 mm span. Ideally I would like the flex to be <5 mm.

Is there any cheap(~$0) & readily available material I can put into the tubes which would stiffen them significantly.

I was thinking about filling them with concrete, but that seems a bit messy and I don't have cement/sand to hand. Would concrete work?

You could truss the tubes as shown in the picture below. The center block helps to support the tube when the truss member is placed in tension.

The truss could be constructed from heavy wire or threaded steel rod. The concept here would be similar to the scheme used on the wider steps of a wooden step ladder.

I would have suggested the possibility to place the truss wire / rod inside the tube but I suspect that the 18mm diameter of the tube is too small to let the center support in such scheme be large enough to make a significant impact.

Fill it with concrete - here's a scientific paper about doing that: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/amse/2018/9065378/
They were getting less than 1mm flex from 4000kg on their 1.2meter span. (see table: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/amse/2018/9065378/fig7/ )
Concrete is not compressible, and since it's inside a steel tube, the only way that combination can flex is for the concrete to crack and for all the steel on the sides and bottom to stretch as well - and since I'm assuming you're probably not putting 4 tons on the middle of that shelf, that's never going to happen.


Can a new water heater cause a Aquatherm heating system to fail? I am quite unfamiliar with central heating systems, let alone those that use hot water as the heat source, so please forgive my clumsy attempt to ask this question.

I have a First Co Aquatherm "Combo Heater" that is connected to my tank-type gas water heater.  As I understand it, hot water is piped in from the water heater to the Aquatherm where it passes through some sort of heat exchanger, producing hot air and cool water.

My water heater recently failed and I had it replaced.  The guys doing the install did not check the heating system after they installed the tank; the tech only told me that I might experience some air in our faucets the first time we used the heating system.

The last time I used the heating system (prior to the water heater replacement) everything was working fine - granted this was a few month back in spring.  With the new water heater, we get hot water from the tap, but our heating system blows only ambient air.  I suspect an issue with the water heater install, but my vendor has washed his hands of it and told me that it's probably a problem with something in my heating system.

I've traced the lines from the water heater up through the ceiling to the Aquatherm in the attic, and from what I can tell they have the connections right.  I don't have a way to check that the hot water conduit to the Aquatherm is actually full.  My understanding is that the cold water supply provides the pressure for the hot water outlet; this was sufficient before the tank install, so I would assume it's the same now.

Are there any other mechanisms by which a new water heater can cause a heating system like mine to fail?  Or should I just shell out for maintenance on my heating system?

You should have four lines hooked to the heater one coming in from the water supply one that goes out to the faucets there should be two other hookups one that sends the hot water to the heating system and one that returns it if you take the heater hose that returns to the heater and disconnect it first shut off the water to the heater and sometimes they'll put stops on the return line and the main line to heater line that you can open and close. If they have these shut offs on them shut the water off to both lines also turn off the cold water supply that fills the heater then disconnect the hose that Returns the water to the heater is a good idea to open the t&p which is the pressure release valve before you disconnect the hose then open the line that goes to your heater and open the water that fills the heater itself put a bucket under the line that I told you to disconnect open the valve to the water heater slowly until water comes out without any air in it this will usually release any air that's in the system once the air is out turn the line back off hook the hose back to the heater and then try and see if your heater works make sure you reopen the line that returns from the heater you do not need to open that line to drain the heater and get the air out just leave it closed if there are no valves to shut them off then just turn out the main line to the water heater open the t&p valve usually has a metal lift on it that lifts up to release the pressure then you can disconnect the hose that comes back from the heater and then open the valve from the heater and that will do the same thing to release the air


Just bought old house, only some plugs are grounded please help me! I am a first time home buyer and i just bought an older home. I have been researching  the web for an answer about grounding. On my first and second floor i have very few grounded plugs, my home inspector tested the 3 prong outlets and they are in fact NOT grounded. Two are, one in the kitchen and one in one of the two bedrooms.  On the second floor none were grounded.  It has a finished basement  and all the plugs down there are grounded. The breaker box in the basement is newer, 2001. I am having trouble finding an electrician  to come in with me and look into it further right now as I have not moved in yet. Am I screwed? Is it a good sign that at least some on the first floor are grounded? Is it a big deal that the second floor is not grounded at all? Also, are these GFIC outlets I keep reading about a good alternative? I would only want maybe 4 installed throughout the 1st and 2nd floor. As I do not think I want to rewire the house right now. I am concerned with protecting high end appliances and family.
Thoughts  please?
Thank you.

Good you're asking now.  So much has changed in the last few years. (Really, no joke).

Why do we want grounds?

Grounding was a frantic attempt to solve several problems from human-made electricity.  At the time the only protective devices were overcurrent protection, in the form of fuses or breakers.

Wired "ground" is pegged to neutral and earth in one place. Neutral is the return for human-made electricity.  Earth is the return for natural electricity.

Arcing across loose connections or damaged wire causing house fires.  The hope was it would arc to ground instead, giving a very high-current path which trips the overcurrent device.
People being shocked by wayward current trying to return to source via water pipes or the earth.  Providing a very high-conductance path back to source should divert almost all fault current, and again hopefully trip the overcurrent device.

It helped with natural electricity too, which wanted to get back to its source which is earth.  External tower antennas were already grounded, but some lightning energy would make it down the signal wire to the radio or TV. It was discovered grounding those would help stop fires by giving lightning a good path back to its natural source.  The same applied when they found new electronics were vulnerable to shuffle-feet-on-carpet static electricity, now called ESD.

What changed

For shock hazards, GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor) aka RCD (Residual Current Device) became established over the last 30 years. This trips on differential currents.  In theory, all the current going down the hot should return on the neutral - currents should be equal.  If not, current is traveling a third path in what's called a ground fault. That could be through a human.  A

GFCI can only detect a fault in its zone of protection, which is all the premises wiring downstream of the GFCI.  Europe protects the whole house with one RCD, but uses a weak 30ma threshold - which will still allow you to be stunnned and then fall or drown. That's why America uses the 8ma threshold, one circuit at a time because 8ma is too sensitive for a whole house.

For fires from arcing faults, AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interruptor) have become affordable this decade.  They contain a small control computer which does acoustical analysis of the power line, listening for the telltale sounds of *arcing - if you've ever hooked up speakers while the stereo is on, you know the sounds.  Its zone of protection is all downstream wires and a little bit upstream (it can hear arcing nearby).

Electrical fires are the #5 cause of house fires and the #3 cause of fatal house fires.

GFCI and AFCI breakers (and even GFCI+AFCI Combos) can be had for any modern panel - not Pushmatics (handle those by adding a modern subpanel), FPE or Zinsco (both of which are dangerous and should be immediately replaced!)

Third and also important, in the 2014 NEC (effective 2015-16), they greatly liberalized the rules for retrofitting grounds.  Now you can run just a ground wire to almost anywhere that needs a ground.  Ground paths can be combined for all circuits out of a panel, as long as each point gets a thick enough ground path. Install the 10AWG backbone first to major appliances, then all the 12AWG grounds to the nearest 10AWG place, then 14s to the nearest 10 or 12.  What's new is they made it easy.

You cannot use building steel or water pipes or the grounding electrode system  for the grounding path, the destination is the ground bar in the panel.

 Problem                    Weak solution          Strong solution

 Human shock             Ground or 30ma GFCI          8ma GFCI
 Fires from arcing       Ground or 30ma GFCI            AFCI
 Lightning                        -                    Ground
 ESD                              -                    Ground

To protect your family

You can now see that burning all your money pulling new cables is the wrong thing to do, a waste of funds needed elsewhere.

AFCI+GFCI are the place to start.

It would be a waste of money to spend $40 on an AFCI breaker and then $20 on each of its six receptacles for GFCI+receptacle combo devices.  As discussed, GFCI's and AFCI's cast a "zone of protection" to all devices downstream on that circuit, including the wiring.  A $50 combo/dual-mode GFCI+AFCI breaker will protect all outlets on that circuit, including hardwired outlets. The outlets need to be marked "GFCI protected" and if applicable "No equipment ground". If you don't like the ugly stickers that come with GFCI devices, you may use your own marking methods, I like white P-touch labels on white covers.

GFCI "receptacle" combo devices are almost always installed wastefully, even by pros - wasting money and forfeiting protection that is available.  Don't use them unless you really bone up on how the "downstream protection" works, that is the essence of the devices.

Now if you have equipment that you want to protect from static electricity, you can retrofit grounds to that location.  Retrofitting grounds and fitting AFCI and/or GFCI are orthogonal and can be done independently without impacting each other.

The dryer and range

These should be on your "ground it" list because Code specifically allows a very ugly method of connecting dryers and ranges without a ground using the toxic NEMA 10 plugs: bootlegging ground from the neutral wire.  That's all grand until the neutral wire develops a flaw: when you turn on the dryer or open the oven door, it electrifies the chassis at 120V.  The correct fix is the modern NEMA 14 type plugs, and jumpering the dryer/range to separate neutral and ground.    A GFCI breaker will be an effective substitute, but expensive.


Excessive spa bath foam when cleaning We've recently renovated this bathroom, and since our Spa Bath hasn't been used in quite some time we decided to give it a clean out. We used this liquid cleaner and followed the instructions precisely.

Our bath doesn't allow us to shut the air off completely however we do turn it to minimum, along with the pump intensity.

So I turned the bath on, went downstairs to make some food. I was gone for ~2-5 minutes however that was time enough, I came back up and before I entered the room I saw my room had been taken over by bubbles.  They were cascading over the edge of the bath and were now stacking up on the floor! In this time they had already become knee deep, coming up to the same height of the toilet. They were not easy to neutralize, in the end we had to pick them up and move them away.

I read that this cleaner can cause some foaming, however i do honestly believe this is excessive. (Attached is an image of the second run which I left on for 10 seconds after cleaning the mess up)

How can I prevent this massive amount of froth from occurring and is there any good method for neutralizing it fast when it does?

Use powdered dishwasher soap its all it really is from the store.


How should I connect my humidifier to HUM terminals? Had my system replaced last summer. When they hooked up the humidifier, they just went to the transformer output for power. Now anytime humidity is below the set point, the water runs even if the system is off. Doing some research I found out this unit has HUM terminals. How do I connect my humidifier to the s9v2 HUM terminals? I put a multi-meter across the terminals to see if its 120v or 24v but just get 0v. This was measured during a call for heat and with no call. Am I measuring correctly? Or is it from one terminal to somewhere else?

Model number S9V2B060U3PSAAA

Thanks, Scot

The HUM terminal on most furnaces is a 120VAC terminal. If you want to use the HUM terminal to control the humidifier, you're going to have to use a step down transformer, to drop that down to 24VAC.

To measure the voltage on the HUM terminal:

Set your volt meter to measure AC volts.
Place one probe on one HUM terminal.
Place the other probe on the other HUM terminal.

When the furnace is running in heat mode, you should measure ~120 volts about 1 second after the blower motor starts.

  "HUM relay closes on any heating call (HP/Gas)
  approximately 1 second after the blower motor
  starts"

- From manufacturer's literature

According to the manufacturer, the HUM terminal is rated for 1 ampere at 120 volts.

You may be able to simply connect the wire from the humidifier to the W terminal in the furnace, instead of directly to the transformer.  That way, the humidifier will only get power when the thermostat is calling for heat. However, without knowing more details about your system, it's impossible to say for sure if that will work.  Please provide the make and model of the humidifier, and a wiring diagram/photos, if you want a more accurate answer.

Your HUM terminal is probably 24v DC. Check your schematics to confirm. You could then test  for current when the furnace is providing heat.

If your HUM terminal is rated for enough current to power your humidifier (unless you have an unusual setup, they probably are) and if your humidifier uses 24v DC. You can probably skip using the transformer and wire your humidifier direct to the HUM and common terminals. This worked for me on my furnace. Your mileage may vary. Don’t make any changes unless you confirmed all the details and are confident in your changes.


Is it legal for a home/condo owner to do any electric work in Chicago? As of June 18th, 2018, the City of Chicago Department of Buildings poses the following in their FAQ.

  Q: Can owners do their own electrical work?

  A: No. Due to the potential for electric shock or fire hazard, only Electrical Contractors licensed by the City of Chicago can perform electrical installations.

The question Can owners do their own electrical work? seems unambiguous, but referring to an installation in the answer muddies the waters for me as that term is not defined on the site, and makes me think there may be a certain threshold of project difficulty that owners can or cannot legally take on.

If that's the case, where's the line? I can't install anything on my own? Not a replacement light fixture? Not a light switch? A thermostat? The website seems rather vague and I've found no other official documentation.

I've reached out to the Department of Buildings several times, and have received no response to my question.

I find it all the more confusing because major companies like Home Depot make it seem like these projects are very simple and gear their online materials towards average home owners, not professionals. They don't mention (in the materials I've read) even considering to consult a professional electrician. Perhaps some could argue that's implied, but I would disagree based on how they phrase things.

  Hanging a ceiling fan is a project just about anyone can complete.

  ...

  Easily replace your light fixture with a new one thanks to this informative video from The Home Depot.

I doubt many people would even consider an electrician when buying/installing something like a Nest thermostat, which has a detailed video explaning how to install the device on your own. Yet, it involves some electrical wiring, and it seems a DIY install could very well be restricted by local law.

  In most homes, installing a Nest thermostat is an easy DIY project that takes 20-30 min. Follow the detailed steps in this article or watch the installation video to learn how to install your thermostat.

Even if I have done the research and feel confident that I could do it, I'd rather be safe than sorry. Electricity can certainly be very dangerous, so I can understand if municipalties put restrictions on that sort of work. It's just a bit confusing to figure out what, if any, electrical work I can do.

I realize it's unreasonable to expect an authoritative answer, but was hoping for locals and/or professionals in the industry who might have insight into this and can weigh in

If I recall, Chicago requires conduit wiring methods.

Thing about conduit is, about 3/4 of the actual work is planning conduit design, planning fill (in both aspects), cubic-inching the junction boxes, fitting the conduit and boxes, working out run lengths, and getting pull strings into the conduit. None of that is actually wiring, now is it?

You just need an electrician who will work with you and not have a Rumplestiltskin fit because he didn't get to do the whole job.

No, you can’t replace a light, switch, fan, etc....nothing. If a wire ends up loose and overheats, it could start a fire.

If your insurance company finds out and you have a fire, you would not be covered.

However, your thermostat is low voltage. Building Codes may have an exception for that...

When you get your Electrical Permit, ask. (You are getting an Electrical Permit, right?)


400 Amp service to 2-200-Amp Sub-panels I used to be an electrician many years ago (trained by the USCG, worked commercial/residential at EOE). Is been about 13 years since I wired up a service panel. I am building a new home and need a little guidance on purchasing and wiring the correct service panel.

The home will be a little over 4300 square feet in size. With 2 furnaces and possibly 2 A/C's as well. I am planning on a 400-amp service feeding 2-200 amp sub-panels in the house. I would like to have some distribution on the outside of the home in order to feed future landscape lighting in the backyard as well as a small sub-panel for a shop.

Would a metered panel that has two 200-amp breakers in it and distribution work to feed the inside sub-panels as well? (e.g. HP816P400BS ). I am assuming that the factory installed 200-amp breaker is servicing the included distribution bus and therefore is not good for supplying one of the two 200-amp panels inside the basement.

Would it be better to just install a metered 400-amp panel that has only 2-200amp disconnects in it and then run a sub-panel from the interior 200-amp panels back to the outside of the home to allow for easier future electrical needs outside the home? (e.g. HP40SH )

The basement will be 95% finished upon completion of construction so future proofing future electrical needs on the outside of the home is very important.

I am also looking at having a Generac backup generator with a transfer switch installed to the main service panel.

Any guidance and advice would be greatly appreciated?

I have installed meter bases with limited service panels in the past, my last home I did what you want but you have to find the correct panel that can handle multiple 200 amp breakers. As far as the backup generator is it going to run the entire system or just one of the 200 amp subs? By setting up for one sub the cost will be much less as the transfer switches get really spendy for a 400 amp model.


How can I combine constant and switched power circuits to power a security light I've searched round the forum and web, and found others asking similar, but slightly different questions.

I have a security light currently wired to a constant circuit so that it trips whenever there is motion.  Which is a good thing.

However, I also want the light to turn on and stay on, when I turn on two other light in the front of the house that are on a switch.

I know that these lights generally have a flicker over-ride that would work, if I were to hook them up to the same switched circuit the other lights are on.

But how can I also wire the light to a constant source as well?

Please excuse me if I am lacking the correct terminology.

Thanks in advance.

You might be able to accomplish this by replacing the existing front light switch with a three way (SPDT) switch and running a new 3-wire plus ground cable from that switch to the back lights.

It's basically a three way switch with a two way switch in series on one leg, where the motion detector is the two way switch.

This would only work if the motion detector in the back is OK with this type of connection.  You'd have to consult with the manufacturer of the motion detector about that.  It's never come up for me so I have no idea if that runs afoul of the listing of those devices.

At the back light, splice the black on the light, the red from the new cable, and the red from the motion detector.  Splice the black from the new cable to the black from the motion detector.  Splice all three whites.  Ground wires as usual.

In the switch box, connect the black going to the front lights and the red from the new cable to the "up" position traveler terminal on the SPDT switch with a red pigtail.  Connect the "down" position traveler terminal on the SPDT switch to the black wire from the new cable.  Connect the common terminal on the SPDT switch to the black wire feeding the switch box.  Splice all three whites.  Ground wires as usual.

When the three way switch is on, there will be 120V on the motion detector's red wire and 0V on the black.  That is not how it is usually wired, and may not be OK for the device, that's why I mention checking with the manufacturer above.

EDIT:

I gave this some more thought because I think it's an interesting problem / exercise.  I thought of another alternative that may or may not be worth the trouble.

If you can't find a motion detector that's manufacturer approved / listed for parallel wiring, you could sidestep that by using a DPDT switch rather than a SPDT switch.  The second pole would be to disconnect the motion detector from the light and the parallel power when the front lights are turned on.  You'd have to run an additional 14/2 or 12/2 from the front switch to the light.  You probably see where I'm going with this but I'd have to make a sketch to explain it any better.

That may be more trouble that you'd want to bother with.  Complicated is never good.  You may have to install a bigger switch box up front and / or a bigger box / second box in the back.


Do under cabinet electrical outlets meet code and be passed by NEC in new construction? I would like to have the quartz back splash be clear of outlets and have them in a strip at the back under side of my kitchen cabinets.  The electrician currently is telling me that these strips will not meet code guidelines.  why do they sell them if they are not safe?

They are a royal PIA to install. This may be why he is discouraging you, even though he is not being truthful.

They are fine as long as they are not higher than 20" above the counter tops, and are GFI protected.

Interesting discussion, I am a Professional Engineer in South Florida, and also a private provider for building code inspections and plans examining in the electrical trade. Putting some clarification on the issue we need to make reference to NEC 210.52 (C)(5) Receptacle Outlet Location, basically as the rule the receptacle outlets shall be located ON or ABOVE, but not more that  20 in above the countertop. 20 in rule is based on the standard dimension measured from the coutertop to the bottom of the cabinets located above the countertop. The exception to this rule permits to be mounted not more than 12 in below the coutertop but not more than 6 in beyond its support base. Also in the exception just limited to island and peninsular countertops where no backplashers, dividers, etc, and there are no means to mount a receptacle within 20 in above the countertop, such as an overhead cabinet.
On other words this provision allows be installed on the bottom of the upper cabinets to be used as the required countertop receptacle outlets, but just limited to island and peninsular countertops, and only multioutlet assemblies. See NEC Handbook explanation following 210.52 (C)(5).
Let's discuss.


Should galvanized steel pipe be used as a tub spout? I have a 90 degree fitting coming down from my shower valve.  Also have a screw on tub spout trim.  Right now there is a 6" galvanized pipe that connects the 90 to the tub spout trim.  Is the galvanized steel the best practice for this (or even code)?  If galvanized steel is bad let me know how to fix it before I grout and caulk that area.

I remove galvanized pipe whenever possible.  A brass nipple will be a much longer term connection, due to much lower reactivity to water caused corrosion.

However, if the plumbing elsewhere is galvanized, it may only be a symbolic gesture.

galvanized will work fine for a long, long time.  Yes, in time (40-60 years) you may get enough corrosion to affect water flow, but by that time, you or someone else will have changed out the trim 3-4 times.


How can I reattach a kitchen cabinet door hinge with plastic dowels? I was hoping that maybe someone could give me some recommendations what to do with my kitchen cupboard door. It came off after a washing machine next to it started "walking" during the spinning cycle and as it was so intense and there was no room for it to move, it broke the door. It is a heavy 5KG door and is fixed using these plastic dovels (see pics).

Anything I can do to repair this?

I think a similar question has been answered before but I can't find it at the moment.

Open that hinge and unscrew the metal screws that are now holding the plastic plugs to the hinge.
Use 2-part epoxy to attach the plastic plugs into the craters in the cupboard side. Take care to get them located in exactly right position and flush with the surface. If necessary make a jig using scrap wood. Use clamps or a jig to hold everything in position until set.
Level the feet on the washing machine (one or more will have a hexagonal nut you turn to raise or lower that foot)
Ensure you always load the machine so that it doesn't get out of balance. Some machines have that sort of problem with part loads. Check the manual.
Accept that despite all the above, the material and fixing method are too weak for the stress you are applying
Add two additional hinges to the two that currently support the door. You can buy those hinges and you can also buy installation kits that include the appropriate sized forstner bits and jigs to align and locate the holes properly.

Fill holes with bondo, redrill holes and reattach hinge.


Chest freezer failed to freeze after plugging it back in I unplugged my GE chest freezer for 3 months, When i plugged it back in the compressor runs but the freezer wont get cold.

The freezer sat in the same spot for 3 months and wouldn't get cold after it was plugged back up.
The area that the compressor is in is clean and looks like new.

I never had a problem with it until i unplugged it.

With newer refrigerants (since Freon was banned), the seals on the moving parts in the compressor will sometimes dry out and leak if left off for long periods of time. It MIGHT work to recharge it and see if the seals swell up and seal again, but if the seals cracked, it will not, then you have wasted the money for the recharge. Most technicians will simply tell you that it isn't worth doing from a risk/reward standpoint.

Worked when unplugged is all very well, but does not have any impact on what it does (n't do) NOW.

It's dead NOW, recycle it (or waste quite probably more than it's worth trying to get it repaired. Your call.)


3 way dimmer on 4 way circuit I have a 4 way circuit with 6 total switches light switches. One is a dimmer switch. The other 5 switches only work properly when the dimmer switch is on. If the dimmer switch is off the other toggle switches do nothing. Can't turn light on or off.

Also the toggle switches must all be in the on position in order to be able to turn the light on from the dimmer switch. What I mean by this is that if the lights are turned off using one of the toggle switches, and then I try to turn the light on from the dimmer switch, I will need to elk over to one of the toggle switches to turn the light back on.

Hope you can help!  I realize that if the dimmer is dimmed, the toggle switches will turn the lights on dimmed, but it would be nice to be able to use all the switches for on/off.

Looking at the Installation Instructions, if you bought the 3-way version then you either miswired it, or tried to install it in place of one of the 4-way switches previously in the circuit.  The 3-way dimmer must be at one end or the other of the circuit.  (if you bought a single pole aka 2-way, then it'll never work).

This little pic shows the layout.  The solid red bars are for one position of each 4-way; the dashed bars are for the other. So long as this particular 3-way dimmer is in one of the 3-way locations, it always passes the "dimmed" voltage to its live leg.

From the symptoms you describe, it sounds like the switches are all wired in series, since all switches (including the dimmer) need to be on for the light to be on.

If the switches are not so-called "3-way" switches (you can tell because 3-way switches have 3 terminal screws), then there is no way you can wire them up to do what you want. The good news is that is indeed possible to do what you want, and that the switches required to do the job are standard (but not "garden-variety") products, and they'll be more expensive.

If you want to have 3 switches all be able to turn a light on/off independently, you need to buy 2x 3-way switches and 1x 4-way switch. If you want to have 4 switches all be able to turn a light on/off independently, you need to buy 2x 3-way switches and 2x 4-way switches. If you want to have 5 switches all be able to turn a light on/off independently, you need to buy 2x 3-way switches and 3x 4-way switches. I'm sure you can detect the trend here…

In the case of 3 switches, you would wire them as shown here: http://www.buildmyowncabin.com/electrical/how-to-wire-4-way-switch.html
As you add more switches, you effectively extend the switch chain by duplicating the 4-way switches like the middle switch in the diagram. The dimmer would be wired in series at the very end of the chain of switches.

It's a complicated switch wiring job. Good luck!


Gas hot water tank quit working and leaked I came home from work today to find that the hot water wasn't working. I opened the area to my gas hot water tank and there's a large pool of water on the ground. I checked the pilot light and it appears to have gone out.

I removed the pipe attached to the temperature and pressure release valve and tested the temperature and pressure release valve. Some copper colored water came out but soon ran clear. The water coming from the tank is not hot and I do not smell gas. There is what appears to be buildup around the temperature and pressure release valve. The tank is currently not leaking. Could this have quickly leaked water and caused the pilot light to also go out somehow?

Any ideas to what could have happened and how to go about fixing it? Thanks

These are all signs that the tank has corroded through. Looks like you should be in the market for a new hot water tank.

One thing's for sure:

Turn off the gas to the heater.

The pipe may still be connected, and you're not smelling anything, but that pipe is still pumping gas into the heater. That's a MAJOR safety hazard, and if I were you, I'd get an electric heater, unless you have no other choice but to get a gas heater.


Low output well and high electric bill We have been trying to figure out why electric bill so high. We have two well pumps, one is 400' deep.  Neither one has good output, between 3/4 and 1.3 gallons per minute respectively.  Does having a low output well create a situation where it runs constantly?  I have several holding tanks (5500 gallons total).  If that is the problem, can I do something with the holding tanks to reduce the amount of time or how often the well pumps turn on?  The deep one is 1 hp at 400' depth and puts out 1.3 gpm approx and the water has to travel several hundred feet uphill.  The other one is 3/4 hp and 100' deep and puts out 3/4 gpm and has short distance to travel.  Any ideas or suggestions?   We have solar but bills still very high.  Was thinking of a solar well pump but may be too expensive?

Wow you need more help than we can provide IMO.
First you need your well log to see what the wells should be capable of.
With the lift you have I have normally had much larger pumps but your well log should show what the flow rate is after 3 hours of draw down and
what the water level is at static.
Then you may need a cycle timer to work in series with your pressure switch and the big pump.
With it pumping “dry” for long periods with that lift it will wear the pump heads out.  Cycling will allow the well to recover cool things and cycle and draw down again. you may find that is much more efficient.
How old is the deep pump? Consider it may be worn out. 400’ lift followed by several hundred more ? The pumping chart I looked at topped out at 500’
I did set up a deep well with a large tank at the well head then another pump in that tank to another all interlocked so no tanks over flowed, this allowed the use of much smaller pumps and provided improved performance.
If your 1-1/2 hp is pumping it will be drawing up to 10 amps all the time at a 3/4 gpm flow if you could let the pump rest for 30 minutes then pump for 10 you can see your flow rate should increase for those 10 minutes up to 6 gpm at the pump I looked at and your energy usage will be cut drastically.
10 amps x 240 volts = 2400w  that’s 2.4 kWh every hour x 24 hours per day 57kwh per day , x 30 or 1700 kWh per month rounded down what do you pay for power? Even 10 cents is 170$ per month just for that 1 pump so a cycle timer could pay off in a week or 2.

I wanted to post this as a comment, but can't include pictures on comments.
First of all, like others have said, why are you focusing on the pumps? There could be other high users of power, what type of heat  do you have? How much do your bills vary by month?
To sort this out, you might want to get a power monitoring device like shown below.  You clip the little CT over the wires (individual wires, not cables), and it just starts monitoring.  You'll probably have to pull a panel cover, so if you're not comfortable working in a live panel, this may not be the right answer for you. As always, be careful when working in a live panel.
Next comment about Ed Beal mentioning "dry pumping"...he's of course right that's very bad for pumps and a waste of electricity, but there are devices that connect to the pumps wiring that can detect "dry pumping" and shut off the pump.  How they do this is because pumps use less power when dry pumping they detect the lower current flow and cut off the pump. Most of them can be programmed to wait various times before turning the pump on again.
Pretty complicated stuff and like d.George said, you may need a "well guy" or other pros to help with this.


How do I remove a stubborn element from a water heater? I need to pull and replace the elements in my water heater.  The problem is, I can't get the old ones out.   My Channellock pliers can get a grip, but slips off pretty easily.  Is there something better for removing these?

Using channellocks/pliers can fail because as you apply torque, the grip expands, causing it to slip. Adjustable wrenches do not have this problem, but still might fail due to torque being applied only to two points on the bolt head. You should be using a socket, which applies the torque evenly to all six sides of the bolt head. Hardware stores sell "cheap" thin-walled sockets made for water heater elements, which will likely work well for you.

Do a Google image search for "water heater element wrench" to get an idea for what these look like. I can't find a free image of one to insert here....

Another option would be to use a high quality socket and a long "breaker-bar", but this would be more expensive. The socket size is generally 1 1/2 inches.

If you continue to have trouble, try adding a little bit of penetrating oil (and then waiting maybe half an hour), or heat that area of the water heater with a torch in order to use thermal expansion to your advantage.

The cheap stuff doesn't work, so don't waste your time and money to buy them. Get a breaker bar with a good deep well socket and let her rip. Be sure to kill the juice first!


Are there any concerns with building recessed cabinets into a house/garage partition wall? I have a mudroom in which I would like to add additional “reach into” storage above the to be installed bench. The reach into space would be provided by going back through the existing wall, in between the existing studs.
This wall is load bearing, and is into the garage. I would not disturb the load bearing studs.

There is no apparent plumbing and only one existing electrical like that I can easily move to the side.

I would be in effect creating 4-5 “bays” of about 14” width that would correspond to each persons area for the mudroom above the bench. This would be for gloves hats shoes etc.

The found space would be achieved by adding a wall on the backside in the garage about 18” past the existing wall. This wall would be framed up appropriately, have vapor barrier, use fire rated drywall, and be sealed/insulated.
So essentially I’m just creating a cavity for reach in space, so to speak, and adding a wall in the garage.

So, any unforeseen issues or considerations? Again the existing wall would not have the studs disturbed and the vapor barrier and insulation/fire code would be handled on the installed wall.

With no plumbing or electrical this would be an easy way to make cubbies. I have done similar at an entry way for shoos and backpacks so they were not scattered around, mine went into the back of a deep linen closet so we did not even notice it.
I did add a fish eye light in the ceiling pointing to them to brighten them up the person that purchased the house had 4 kids and loved the cubbies idea.

Bad idea. Pass-thru cubbies is a waste.

So you’re going to have your kids slide their hats, gloves, coats, etc. into the cubbies then walk around and sit on the bench to take off their shoes? Or, are you installing the bench on the garage side and expect them to walk into the unheated garage , sit on the bench and put their shoes on?

It doesn’t work that way. Just build a mud room with bench, cubbies, etc. My aunt and uncle had a pass-thru cubby on their farm. They finally just enclosed the space and made a mud room.

Also, how are you going to control the smell from the garage into the house?

Oh, btw, that opening between the garage and interior requires a fire rated door too, with a fire rated frame. (Make sure it’s set “in-line” with the gypsum board so the fire resistance is consistent.)


How much volume is lost after compacting 3/4" crushed stone? I'm putting in a stepping stone path.  The stones will be on top of 4" of packed, 3/4"- (three quarter minus) stone - which packs to a nice, solid base.

My question is, if I know that the volume of the stone in the path is going to be (for example) one cubic yard (3'x3'x3'), what amount of stone should I order?

In other words, if I ordered one cubic yard, spread it out, and tamped it down, how close would the resulting volume be to one cubic yard?  Is it close enough to not worry?  Or would it compact down to only be 75% of the cubic yard?

Edited to add:
For the sake of this question, assume that I've already added a buffer in my order for voids I've not accounted for, that I've already adjusted for loss while wheel-barrowing the stone to the area I'm going to put it, that I've accounted for deviations in how much the gravel company delivers, and that I've already accounted for extra slough off the shoulder of the base layer.

The question is NOT about "how to build a path?" or "it's just a path, why do you care?" - the question is simply, how much volume is lost when compacting 3/4"-?  It's obviously non-zero because it actually does compact (as opposed to river rock which does not compact).

When something calls for x" of compacted y, you typically calculate the amount of y prior to compacting.

So if something calls for a 4" compacted base, order enough to cover your area with 4". Then compact.

(Actually, order to cover 4", but the only lay down half, compact that, then lay down the other half, then compact that.)

In other words, you don't typically order the stone to allow for compaction. You order the stone based on the volume needed prior to compaction.

UPDATE:

If you're just asking about the rate of compaction 3/4 minus has, the answer is...actually, that's a tough one. There seems to be a lot of opinion, but no specific engineering spec that I can find. General googling seems to imply you'd be in the 20% loss due to compaction range, but I can't find any hard data to back that up.

Keep in mind that there's also issues of your soil base compacting as well.

So based on that limited info, I'd suggest ordering 20% over. Keep in mind that this may be a trial-and-error process that may not be worth the headache. If you can't get 20% compaction, then you're left with extra crushed stone that may or may not be easy to get rid of.

75% sounds like the upper end, I don't really know. I will suggest using sand, 1/4" minus or fines, shown as the 1" of sand in the picture. The 3/4s is for drainage, 1/4 or sand is so you can set them properly allowing for deviation of materials. Delivery is expensive, buy a little extra. Or build back up what you've lost by adding the sand topping. Sand you can be pretty sure about.


Replacing receptacles I have a 40A 240V circuit which currently is wired to a 240V 50A receptacle. I would like to run 2 240V, 20A appliances on this circuit.. Is there anything that prevents me from Wiring up 2 20A 240V receptacles to this circuit?

Yes, the Code prevents you from doing this. On the surface you'd think you can pigtail the #8 wire to #12 (because #8 won't fit in 20 Amp outlets) and connect the #12 to 20 Amp outlets. But the 40 Amp breaker has to be changed out to a 20 AMP breaker because the breaker can't exceed the rating of the wire/outlets attached to it so you'd be limited to using one appliance at a time.The wire might have to be pigtailed into the breaker if it doesn't fit. If these are kitchen appliances on counter tops then the outlets would need to be GFCI protected. If the existing wiring is in conduit, you might think about running two 20 Amp circuits.

NEC 210.21(B)(3) Receptacle Ratings. Where connected to a branch circuit supplying two or more receptacles or outlets, receptacle ratings shall conform to the values listed in Table 210.21(B)(3), or where rated higher than 50 amperes, the receptacle rating shall not less than the branch circuit rating.

(Then there are exceptions for welders and lighting.)

If you are talking about household cooking appliances you could hard wire them.

210.19(A)(3)Household Ranges and Cooking Appliances. Branch circuit conductors supplying household ranges, wall-mounted ovens, or counter-mounted cooking units,and other household cooking appliances shall have an ampacity not less than the rating of the branch circuit and not less than the maximum load to be served. For ranges of 8¾kW or more, the minimum branch circuit ampere rating shall be 40 ampere.

210.19(A)(3)Exception No. 1: Conductors tapped from a 50-ampere
branch circuit supplying electric ranges, wall-mounted electric ovens, and counter-mounted electric cooking units shall have an ampacity of not less than 20 amperes and shall be sufficient for the load to be served. These tap conductors include any conductors that are a part of the leads supplied with the appliance that are smaller than the branch-circuit conductors. The taps shall not be longer than necessary for servicing the appliance.


How can I add a service disconnect between main panel breaker and load side I am working on a small shop and installed a 30amp plugin type breaker to the main breaker panel.
Now the shop has load of a 230v ac Single phase motor, some lights and outlets.
I wanted to add a disconnect to the 30 amp breaker and my tools (motors,c-outlet,lights) in the shop specifically because the main service panel is a but far for me to got back and forth in case and just for me to work on things without going to the service panel. Can I put a fuse box and just wire up a single fuse to the line side , no fuse on neutral (we have 2 lines, live and neutral wire.) And make the fuse box as a service disconnect.
Knife switch isn't my go, no good for sparks, corrosion as well.
Btw I do have ground, directly into the chassis of the motor.

The electricians will be along shortly. My recommendation would be a "non-fused safety switch" that can be bought at any electrical store, Lowes, Home Depot, or most any hardware type store, as long as you are feeding the power from a circuit breaker from the main panel. You may be better off by running a heavy wire from the main panel breaker and adding a small circuit breaker panel in the shop area that can be further broken down into individual 120/240 volt circuits.  You wrote that (we have 2 lines, live and neutral wire) which needs to be better explained since you don't get 240 volts from 1 wire + a neutral. The electricians will explain your needs better than I can.


Scotchlok connectors Just bought a log home built in 1980. Doing some remodeling /updating. Almost all the junction boxes have 3M Scotchlok in them. Sometimes they are referred to as "vampire connectors."

Are these connectors up to code? I'm thinking of taking them all out and using the standard twist wire connectors.

The connectors are sized properly. For example, the kitchen outlets are on a 20 amp circuit with 12 gauge wire. The Scotchlok connector model used is 562. Looking on the connector it says "10-12 GA". Looking online I found the product sheet and it is UL 486C compliant as well (not sure that meets the NEC code for wiring a home).

I'm used to seeing these used in car audio stuff... Not in the home. And they usually end up having problems... Like not making a good connection, or failing altogether.

Thoughts?

I checked the spec on the Scotchlok 562 tap connectors. They are UL listed for solid and stranded wire and rated at 600 volts.  I have seen them used in manufactured housing before, but rarely.  Here is the link to the manufacturers specifications for this product.  http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/EMDCI/Home/Products/ProductCatalog/~/3M-Scotchlok-Electrical-IDC-562-BOX-Double-Run-or-Tap-Flame-Retardant-Yellow-12-AWG-solid-stranded-10-AWG-stranded-100-per-carton-1000-per-case?N=5430181+4294891913&rt=rud

No,  these are NOT to code for household electrical use. Don't use these. You're only allowed to use twist on wire nuts or a "push on"  wire nut (I forget the proper name of them,  but they are considerably more expensive compared to traditional wire nuts)


Can I safely use (2) 40 W fluorescent tubes in a 70 W fixture? I have a 70 W 2 bulb fluorescent light fixture which I want to put a couple of 40 W bulbs into. I know it's generally a bad idea to exceed the wattage rating of a light fixture, but there are 2 things that make me think it may be OK in this case

1) I asked an ex-electrician at my local home improvement store told me that 35 and 40 watt tubes are interchangeable and not to worry (he said the 35 is just an energy saving 40, and the manufacturer put 70 instead of 80 to make the product sound more energy efficient)

2) People on the internet have vaguely suggested that any tube of a certain pin type (in this case T12) is designed to be safely used in a fixture that fits said pin type

Can I use the 40W tubes in the fixture without shortening their life or the life of the ballast?

EDIT: I see a lot of you are suggesting LEDs. As much as I love LEDs, they're not practical for this particular application

First, the internet is wrong, bulbs will fit that won't work.  Especially with T12 sockets which are the same for T12, T8 and several wirings of LED conversion.  Some LED conversion wiring is violently incompatible with real fluorescent tubes or even other LEDs.

For instance a T12 on a T8 ballast will be very dim and flicker.

Now the way you find out what works is:

Pop the cover off the ballast compartment.
Look at the sticker and Read the list of tube sizes permitted.  Most likely either F40T12 or F32T8 will be at the front of the list.
Also get the ballast model number and search the web for the ballast's data sheet. It will have some additional lamp sizes and combos.
Buy a compatible tube.

It's not an issue (heat increase is neglible), just check that the tubes are compatible with your fixture.


How to find out why electric usage has more than doubled? Our home is 2700sqft 1 story. We have a swimming pool with a variable speed pump which barely runs and is on the lowest setting.  I also have a 40x60 workshop that has 100 amps coming off the house. I am only in the shop once or twice a week for probably no more than an hour each. We have radiant barrier in the attic. This month since it's been cooler we have barely used the electric heat and only turned the AC on maybe 3 times.   Our Kwh usage for the past year has been 5400kwhs up to 7898kwhs.   Our neighbor has almost the same size house and shop but he works in his shop daily for 6-10 hours each day. He doesn't use over 2000kwh per month.   My wife just told me about our $700 and up to $1300 electric bills.  This is ridiculous.  Thanks in advance for any info.

What is your heat source?  I had a rental house that had a heat pump that failed and the renters complained about a sudden spike in electrical billings.  BC the heat pump failed, the house was being heated with backup electrical resistance elements.
The most common cause of a spike in electrical usage is space heating.   Also, if you have a leaking hot water faucet (or other leak in a hot water pipe) it could cause the water heater to run much more than normal (assuming an electric water heater).

Any electric motor if turn on, off, on off, it's usually costlier than let it run.
And you don't know how much the amperage or power you are using daily.
Please check with an ampere meter or power meter, it's better you installed it permanently, so you can check how much power in your daily needs.
For checking what is causing you to pay so much, try turning off all appliances from breaker or plug (lamp too) and put one by one to check how many amps or power that one appliance is drawing. This is the easiest way without any tools except a power meter or amperage meter :) or you can buy
This one Cheap Socket Meter
if you get the culprits like one appliance is oddly drawing so much current go check it out or get in service.


Why does the maximum deck overhang sometimes decrease with joist spacing? The deck construction guide for my area contains this table:

Look at the "Allowable Overhang" columns. It's odd that a wider joint spacing (24") permits a longer overhang.

For example, look at the row for 2x12 fir joists. At 12" O.C. spacing, overhang can be 4'4". At 24" spacing, this decreases to 3'3".

Now look at 2x8 fir joists. At 12" spacing, overhang can be 1'8". Increasing the spacing to 24" increases the allowable overhang to 2'2"!

This doesn't make sense: I'd think closer joist spacing means more load bearing capacity, allowing for longer overhangs. Even more confusing is there's no consistency between joist sizes. What gives?

Looks like data entry error to me. The values were reversed for several rows at some point.

Considering that they spelled 'fir' as 'fire' in one case, one can assume that accuracy was not a high priority here. That's not a flush beam, either, nor is '2x8' a 'length'.

It’s probably because you are adding weight to the overhang by spacing the joists closer together. I would seriously doubt there are data entry errors on this American wood council doc that is constantly updated


Should I use a GFCI or AFCI circuit breaker with knob and tube wiring? My American house was built in 1942, and much of the wiring is still knob-and-tube wiring (2-wire, no ground). Over the years new modern wiring has been added to the house, but we still have some KnT wiring for the ceiling lights, and a few branch circuits, etc. We are planning to replace the KnT wiring when we have the budget to do so. I have replaced many of the receptacles on the KnT circuits with GFCI receptacles to provide added protection, which is recommended.

I have seen AFCI and GFCI circuit breakers which plug into the service panel, and they are reasonably priced at $30-50 per breaker). Would these AFCI or GFCI circuit breakers provide any protection on old, knob-and-tube wiring?

Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI)
An arc-fault circuit interruption device is designed to detect dangerous arcing within the protected circuit, and open (turn off) the circuit to prevent damage caused by the arcing.  It does this using special circuitry to analyse the electrical characteristics of the circuit, looking for characteristics that match specific pre-programmed values. If the AFCI detects suspicious goings on, it opens the circuit.
AFCI breakers are typically combination devices, meaning they also provide similar overcurrent and short-circuit protection to a standard breaker.
Installing a combination AFCI breaker on a circuit containing knob and tube wiring would be a great idea, and could potentially prevent a fire.
Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)
Ground-fault circuit interruption devices are designed to detect ground-faults, and open (turn off) the circuit when a ground-fault is detected.  They work by using a current transformer (CT) to detect current imbalances between the ungrounded (hot), and grounded (neutral) conductors of a circuit. This blog entry might help you understand how GFCI devices work.
GFCI breakers are typically combination devices, meaning they also provide similar overcurrent and short-circuit protection to a standard breaker.
Installing a GFCI breaker on a circuit containing knob and tube wiring, probably won't provide any benefit. GFCI devices are designed to prevent electrocution, not to protect the wiring.
Combination AFCI GFCI Circuit Breakers
Circuit breakers that provide AFCI, GFCI, overload, and overcurrent protection are becoming more widely available.  If you can find them for your panel (and afford therm), these would be the best option.

You will probably find that installing an AFCI breaker will be very annoying.  Many electricians don't like them because they go off very unreliably.  For example, if you run a vacuum cleaner, or a sump pump, those could trigger the AFCI circuit even if there is no arc fault.  I believe it is code to install AFCI breakers in new electrical work, but many electricians were replace them back with regular breakers after inspection, because of how annoying they are.

If you have already replaced the older outlets with GFCI, that's about all you really need to do.


How to integrate beams and venting with drywall? I have air vents and an I-beam right when you walk into my basement.  My family is tall so I am not looking to box it like I normally would.  I am going to hit everything with white paint.  Problem is on the outer walls how do you "connect" the drywall to the I-beam and vent that run across?

Interesting problem. If you've got metal vent, and a steel I-Beam, those will definitely move at different rates than drywall on wood framing. Sounds like you need something flexible for the transition. What about using self-adhering flexible membrane flashing material as (at least) part of the solution?

I know you can get flex membrane flashing with a white surface, but I don't know if any manufacturers offer a paintable product.

Also, I'm not sure how to make a smooth transition from the membrane to drywall, but it might be possible with some careful mudding.  I haven't actually used membrane for this solution, but I am a big fan of the product for other purposes.  Here's a discussion article that mentions many types.

Let us know what you end up doing?

Extra deep U-channel affixed more or less rigidly to the vent and beam, with the dry wall free floating in the channel.  Don't create a paint-seal between the drywall and the U-channel or it'll look uglier than whatever when it shifts over time, so cut in with at least a coat of primer on the dry wall before assembly.

You will likely need a forklift for this project, likely a big fork lift.


Replacing a Challenger breaker with an after-market breaker I have a Challenger panel board and one of my breakers is no good. When I went to buy a new one they don't carry them anymore. They said they only carry the after-market ones. So I got that one, but it looks different than the original one. Will it fit in even though it's a different looking one?

You can use BRs instead of Cs
If your panel labeling says it takes type C breakers, then there's an easy way out of it: type BR breakers (as depicted below, with the type C labeling highlighted) are legal, safe, and widely-available (at any big-box or hardware store) replacements for type C breakers, as they are cross-listed (as per this letter from UL to Cutler-Hammer, as reproduced at the bottom of this post) and cross-labeled to replace type C breakers.  (A more modern version of this letter is available, linked from an Eaton FAQ.)

For more exotic Challenger breaker types, Eaton cross-reference document TD01201041E provides the gory details.

(PDF version)

It will likely fit & you probably won't have any problems. But, read the panel's door for specifics of a replacement. Some panels are very particular about what materials or brands of breakers go in.

If there's no mention of "only these brands", then whatever fits securely will be fine...they all have to meet the same standards, looks don't mean anything to electricity.


Why is there dirt in my wall (by the tub)? We were trying to put in some laminate flooring, and as I was vacuuming against the base of the drywall I noticed that dirt kept falling from what looked like inside the wall. The drywall seemed a little flimsy here, so I decided to cut a hole and find out what was behind there.

Surprise!

Sketch:

Our house was built in the 70s, and my wife was searching and found people making suggestions about sand and mortar and things of that nature being used to level the tub, but this is nothing of the sort. It's a very fine dirt - the same that we have in our yard. Inside the hole is the drain for for the tub and the copper water pipes. It smells damp - like under a house. Our home is a one story slab home, and this is a metal tub.

I looked for signs of critters (ants, termites, that sort of thing) but it doesn't look like there are any tunnels. It's very loose dirt. I've probably removed about 2-3 liters of dirt.

Why is this dirt here? Should I put it back? Remove it?

The dirt you have removed is probably from around the tubs drain pipe.  When the slab floors are poured all the plumbing has already been installed. When pipes protrude from the floor the contractor builds a walled surround that keeps the concrete away from the pipes. This is due to: 1) it is easier to have space to position a pipes' final connection and 2) depending on the alloy's used the alkalis' in the cement can corrode the pipe. If you enlarge the wall opening and using a flashlight you should see the tubs overflow and drain pipe going straight down into this dirt you excavated. Another possibility is the one you mentioned; it was fill dirt used to level the cast tub. Building codes aren't specific regarding what material to use when leveling a cast tub, as long as it is leveled and stabile. If the soil isn't in contact with any framing members and isn't annoying you leave it. If you feel more comfortable without it inside your walls than open the wall and remove it in 5 gallon buckets. Don't remove any dirt from under and close to the tub bottom. Watch for plumbing if you excavate.

Fascinating!

Total conjecture - but if its in the bathroom walls, then maybe it could provide sound insulation (if there was a lot of it).  Filly the walls with dirt would do that very well and cheaply!

Might also provide thermal insulation - again if filled.  Dry loose dirt isn't great insulator - but it can help.

Finally it might buffer humidity - but who knows why.

Unless I was trying to do something with sound - I'd take it out.

Ohh, it also might be used to dampen noise from pipes (or do something relating to insulating them.)  Are their pipes in the dirt?


Are wall anchors necessary for hanging a small speaker? I'd like two hang a pair of speakers on my wall.  They are 6.8lb each.  It is designed to hang on two screw heads spaced 1.5in apart. (Photo below)
I'm looking for recommendations on hanging.

I have a bunch of 3M command strips.  (Just the strips).  I'm not sure if there's a plate or something I can get for it that would work with the speaker.  This would be ideal as I don't have to put holes in my wall
Can I just put two (drywall) screws directly in the drywall for each?  They would not align to a stud.
Otherwise, do I need to use a drywall anchor of some sort?  I'm not sure about using two right next to each other.  One is probably enough to hold the weight, but then the speaker wouldn't be straight.

I agree with @user263983. Use plastic drywall anchors that go with the size of flathead screw that fits properly into receivers on the backs of the speakers. The heads of the screws must be small enough to fit inside the bottoms of the slots and large enough to be retained in the smaller tops of the slots.
Drill square to the wall so the screws are perpendicular to the wall. Drive the screws in so that the bracket just barely slip fits between the underside of the screw head and the plastic anchor or the wall.
If you don't have a drill or don't want to drill, there are anchors with a sharp end that you force into the drywall and then twist with a screwdriver to pull into the wall. Get the right size, and use two for each speaker. Self drilling drywall anchors

You should have no trouble hanging those speakers with two drywall screws 1.5" apart. When screwing in the screws, angle the points  down slightly and torgue them slowly. Just make sure you're in solid drywall and not a seam.


How do I prepare exterior concrete walls for painting? My house exterior walls are cement - how do I prep it before painting? Here's some photos. I'm thinking maybe a pressure washer but would prefer an easier, less messy alternative if available. I read up on some websites but the info conflicted. But I did read about using KRUD KUTTER KK32 instead of trisodium phosphate??? My goal is to do it right, do it once so it will last as long as possible. I'm thinking of using KRUD KUTTER KK32 to be neighbor friendly (due to over-spray???)

Do I power wash the paint off, then use the KRUD KUTTER KK32 and then paint or can I skip the KRUD KUTTER KK32?
any technique for catching the paint to make cleanup easier?
What paint type is best to use (for a flat finish - white or brown; not sure yet). I've read about using enamel, oil and latex

Please advise

If by cement you mean stucco (which is essentially cement) you need to strip off the layer of paint that is peeling. That's typically done with sandblasting--but not using sand as an aggregate. They typically use a softer material like the husks of nuts.

You then need to paint with a proper stucco paint that will breathe.

It's not a simple job, unfortunately.

The DIY method would be using a lot of elbow grease and manually scraping as much of the flaking paint off that you can with wire brushes.

There are several stuffs you can do to your exterior painting job, as well as help keep the paint look new for longer. See these top 10 ways you can do your paintwork and protect it over time.

Ensure That Exterior Surfaces Are Fully Inspected Before Painting.
Check The Exterior Walls And Surfaces For Signs Of Weather Damage.
Prep The Surface Walls Before Painting With High Quality Tools And Equipment
Apply a High Quality Primer before Applying the Main Coat
Use a Range Of Waterproofing Solutions To Suit Your Property Best
Remove Nails Screws and Other Oxidising Metals from the Surface
Choose a Cooler Time of Day to Paint Your House
Layer, Layer, And Layer Some More!
Inspect Your Paint After Initial Application
Choose A Colour Scheme That Reflects The Character Of Your Home

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