Why don't whole house fans vent to the outside? I've been researching fans and the ones I've found all seem to vent to the attic. Why is that? Why can't they vent directly to the outside? It seems more efficient that way. Otherwise you have to have anothe fan to vent the air in the attic.

There are three reasons why whole house fans generally vent into attics. First, whole house fans are designed to pull air from the highest point in the living space of a house, which is generally where the warmest air collects. This removed air is replaced by cool air entering windows in the first floor, flushing the warm air out of the house. The highest point is generally the ceiling of the top floor, so the obvious route for the air is at least into the attic. However, whole house fans are designed to handle large amounts of air, so it's better to vent the fan into the attic rather than directly out an enormous vent in the roof or gables.

Second, the attic is often the low-rent district of the house, which makes it a good location for the fan mechanism itself.

The third reason was raised in another answer: cooling the attic will reduce the heat load on the main house. However, a properly insulated house (at least in non-tropical climes) will have enough insulation between the top floor ceiling and the attic itself that it won't matter much what the attic temperature is; the heat won't have much of an effect on the floors below. Still, there is some benefit to having a cooler attic.

Add all this together, and you find the majority of whole-house fans will vent into the attic, with the attic in turn vented to the outside by any of a wide variety of (generally passive) methods.

Depending on your climate, venting a bathroom or other house fan to the attic is a very bad idea. If you live in a cold climate (outside temp lower than room temp), the colder attic will cause condensation of the warm moist home air or even freezing of the water vapour in the attic, potentially leading to mould or rot of the wood, or ice in the attic insulation. These are all undesirable.

Vent any house fan directly to the outside. This is usually done with a flex duct run from the fan outlet, through the wall or ceiling to a vent cover on an outside wall (not through the roof, unless you install a fan roof vent specifically designed for this purpose).

The attic should be properly vented on it's own with soffit vents on the bottoms and ridge or roof vents near the top, and not rely on house fans to motivate air flow in the attic.


Hanging an over-the-range microwave without top cabinet I have an over-the-range microwave with wall bracket but no cabinets above.  It is safe to hang it solely by the wall bracket or is the top cabinet to bolt it to a requirement?

If it matters, this is the microwave in question

I have hung a few of this type of microwave, not this particular brand or model, all required the bolts through the upper cabinet. Understandably so, that is a lot of weight hanging off of a thin stamped metal plate.

cut into soffit drywall drill thru board install bolts into microwave top per instructions then refinish soffit.  GUY (CARPENTER)


wall outlet dead, no power to outlet My daughter was using a rug shampooer. She said that all of a sudden the shampooers power went out.  She finnished the job with a different outlet. Then while vacuuming, using a different outlet, the same thing happened. Here is what i have done so far. I have tested the two outlets, neither has current. I have reset the curcuit breakers, by firmly turning them off then on. My home was built in the 50s and I dont have any of those wall outlets with the built in breakers. Both of these outlets are in the same room but on different walls. Just found that two more outlets are out in th same room

Sounds like you have a bad connection that finally burned in half from the high current draw of the shampooer and almost burned in half in another spot but was finished by the vacuum.

You need to trace the circuit(s) back to the nearest working receptacle and check the wiring from that point on to your non-working ones. Take apart your junction boxes and device boxes and check all connections for mechanical tightness and electrical continuity. Don't forget to shut off the breakers controlling these circuits before tearing into it.

Good luck!

As Barry commented, it sounds like you have a GFCI outlet somewhere that you may be overlooking.  Don't forget to check any exterior outlets.
If this is the case, keep in mind that there are two ways to wire a GFCI outlet.  One way only protects the outlet itself, and the other way protects the outlet AND any others that are down line from it.


Why is it safe to use 15 A receptacles on a 20 A circuit? OK, the one answer I got was way off target, and another commenter couldn't figure out what I was asking, so I'm restating the question...

Are 15A 3-prong grounded outlets actually rated to 20A, allowing them to be used on 20A circuits? And if so, why, when the outlet can never be asked to supply more than 15A by anything that would be plugged into it?

More info:

This question had a comment that 15A outlets were actually rated to 20A. However, by design, there is nothing that will plug into a 15A outlet that will draw more than 15A. An appliance that draws more than 15 amps would have a "T-blade" plug that wouldn't go into a standard 15A outlet.

In addition, outlets are always wired in parallel, meaning that a 15A outlet would never have to transmit the amperage draw of a "downstream" outlet; you never "daisy-chain" outlets by connecting hot to neutral, for a number of reasons.

So, there is AFAIK no situation in which a 15A receptacle would ever have to handle more than 15A, even if installed on a 12AWG, 20A-breaker circuit.

If all the above is true, why would a 15A receptacle even have to be rated to 20A?

A 15A outlet is rated for 15A, with a 20A pass through. That is to say that the 20A circuit is in continuance throughout the circuit, however the receptacle itself (the contacts) are rated for 15A continuosly. Any single appliance with a 15A plug will not normally draw more than 80% of 15A, or 12A. The total circuit draw (multiple appliances - same circuit) can be 20A before the breaker trips.

A 20A breaker used with 12awg wire can feed multiple 15A outlets, one example is the kitchen. The reasoning is so that today's demanding appliances, which draw more current, can be used with a 20A breaker without the worry of nuisance tripping. If more than a total of 20A were to be drawn from the circuit, the breaker will trip.

It should be noted that any circuit that is intended to be 20A must use a 20A recepticle.

If the appliance were using 15A, it will be safe with the 20A breaker ( @ 80% = 16A). If it were to short, it will trip the 20A breaker just as it would a 15A breaker. A 15A receptacle can take 20A for a short time with no problem. The receptacle is overrated, otherwise it would blow up upon a short. A short circuit in actuality can be hundreds of amps in a very short duration. The breaker and receptacle are rated as "Time overcurrent" meaning it can take a lot of current for extremely short durations, and will trip on lesser currents that occur for a longer time.

An example one can relate to (refer to chart): Joe plugs in two electric heaters in his family room. Everything works fine until 20-100 seconds later the breaker trips! Joe overloaded his 20A circuit, by drawing 40A! The breaker will allow this overload for a short time. If the overload were bigger, say 60A the breaker would trip faster from 10-35 seconds. If the trip was due to a direct short, the breaker will trip Immediately. Breakers actually have a "Load characteristic curve" that you can tell when it will trip in time vs current.

If you've never had an outlet melt then you might believe you can use a 15A receptacle on a 20A line. I on the other hand believe if the line is rated at 20A the receptacles should be too.
That said, 20A duplex receptacles provide 20A to the fixture, that is, to one or both plugs. If you plug two 12A devices in to the outlet and use them both (i.e. shop vac and router) you WILL blow the breaker.
All the technical babble about never and can't and shouldn't by-passes the real world.
Bottom line - use 15A on 14ga and 20A devises on 12ga line. The exception is 15a light switch feeding off a 20A outlet but expect problems with lights going out.


alternative roof vents Local building code requires a roof vent that is less than ten feet away from an operating skylight to extend a minimum of three feet above the skylight.  Is there an alternative venting system, other than a straight pipe, that can be installed instead that doesn't extend as much?

Which means if you install a vent pipe 10 feet or more away from the skylight then you can have a shorter vent pipe extension above roofline. I assume this is about a vent pipe from the kitchen outlet. As long as you do a proper and sound job that doesn't cause some silly damage, who's going to know if you only have a one foot vent pipe extension? I installed an additional downpipe in response to a poorly executed re-plumbing of my house (before i bought it.) I've joined the new downpipe to the only available connection the kitchen outlet, so now the rain downpipe acts as a vent pipe. I haven't had any problems.
If this is about vent pipe from water closet instead, then you probably want a long vent pipe extension to avoid the aromas.


Door Bell transformer box My door bell transformer is on an outside wall in my ceiling. I want to know if I can put the whole thing with the wire behind the drywall?  Concerned about it over heating.

That bell transformer mounts on a mains power electrical box. The electrical code requires that all electrical boxes remain accessible and not be enclosed. This means that you will also not be able to cover over the box + transformer behind drywall.

You may have the option to move the bell transformer to a completely different location and re-run the low voltage wires to the doorbell. Then you could just insulate the wire ends in the box and cover this existing electrical box with blank cover which you then paint to a color to match the wall there by the ceiling. The result would be much less of an eyesore than the transformer hanging there with it's exposed wires.

You can buy a deep box 4 x 4that fits into the wall has a cover and then use a chase nipple to attach for the electrical.


Are toilets supposed to be caulked to the floor? I've heard that in some cases toilets are supposed to be caulked to the floor. I replaced both toilets in the condo I moved into last week, and one was calked to the floor, and one was not. One difference was that toilet where caulk was present is on a relatively uneven tile floor, and the one where caulk was not present was on a flat linoleum floor. The instructions the toilet came with made no mention of this.

This is a very controversial topic. Some plumbers swear that you must seal the toilet to the floor, while others swear that you should not seal the toilet to the floor.  Some guys never do it, some guys always do it, and some guys only do it depending on the flooring used. It also appears that some toilet manufacturers mention it in the installation instructions, and some do not.

I've heard it mentioned that "it's code" to seal the toilet to the floor, but I've never heard anybody cite the actual code that says it. I'm not well versed in plumbing code, but a quick look didn't reveal any obvious code sections. Though plumbing code (and most other codes), does require you to follow the manufacturer's installation instructions. So if the installation instructions say to do it, then you should do it (if you want a code compliant install).

In my opinion, it's a double edged sword. On the one hand, sealing the toilet can keep water and grime from going under the toilet. At the same time, it also keeps water from coming out from under the toilet.  If you develop a leak, the water will be trapped under the toilet. This could allow the leak to do much more damage, before you notice you have a leak.

If you flush the toilet and get wet feet, you're going to call a plumber to check the toilet. If after years of flushing the toilet you notice a strange smell, and maybe a water stain on a ceiling somewhere. You're going to start ripping things apart searching for the source of the leak.

To try and alleviate this negative side effect, some plumbers leave a gap in the caulk near the back of the toilet.  While this may let water from a leak out, it also allows water in. Which defeats the purpose of sealing the toilet to the floor in the first place.

If you're installing a toilet in a bathroom where kids are going to be bathing (splashing), it might be worth it to seal the toilet. If you're installing a toilet in a water closet, where there's not likely to be water near the base of the toilet, then maybe it's not worth it. Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions, and use your own judgment.

After doing a bit more research, it does appear that codes require the toilet to be sealed.

  International Plumbing Code 2012

  Chapter 4 Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings

  Section 405 Installation of Fixtures

  405.5 Water-tight joints. Joints formed where fixtures come in contact with walls or floors shall be sealed.

  Uniform Plumbing Code 2009

  Chapter 4 Plumbing Fixtures and Fixture Fittings

  Section 407 Installation

  407.2 Joints. Where a fixture comes in contact with the wall or floor, the joint between the fixture and the wall or floor shall be made water-tight.

NOTE: This section may have been moved to 402.2 in 2012 UPC. I did not have access to a copy of the 2012 version to verify.

Caulking around the commode stops stinky contaminated water from going under the commode when it overflows in a mixture of poop & pee,vomit, or other nasty. Caulk stops contamination and stink from building up under the commode, after a commode overflows.


Why is hot-ground reading a different voltage from neutral-ground? I recently replaced a 20a simplex receptacle with a new 20a simplex Decora receptacle.  I checked everything at the new 20a receptacle with a multimeter and here are the results:

Power on

Hot to neutral = 126.8
Hot to ground = 128.9
Ground to neutral = 4.764

Power off

Hot to neutral = 12.28
Hot to ground = 11.08
Ground to neutral = 5.535

Is this a phantom voltage or is this indicative as a loose neutral?

Other things:

receptacle is self grounding (brass clip on the "tongue," so I removed the insulators from the screws
receptacle is in a wiremold surface mount box
there is 14awg THNN running behind the 20a receptacle in raceway to an ungrounded receptacle
the ungrounded receptacle is on a circuit with four other receptacles and two ceiling fixtures (one pendant, one DC ceiling fan)
the aforementioned circuit (before the raceway connection) lacks a ground wire but I assume is grounded through conduit because I have verified conduit running behind the plaster with my own eyes (also every other outlet I've checked has an equal reading hot-ground and hot-neutral)

With both of the circuits off, the 20a receptacle reads:

Hot to neutral = 4.623
Hot to ground = 4.536
Ground to neutral = 0.107

The ungrounded outlet reads: 0.034

It's strange how these forums meant for getting answers to Qs so rarely just. get. a. direct. answer.
your question:
"Is this a phantom voltage or is this indicative as a loose neutral?"
Answer: Most likely just a "phantom" voltage.
More info: There's a lot that could account for those few volts. Most consumer grade meters have some level of error, not much, but enough to contribute to reading a few volts. Most branch circuits deriving from a building power system in a condo complex will have a higher degree of "noise" for lack of [not really lack of, Just no point in getting technical or trying to "flex" as many do on these sites] a better word, moreso say than a single family home. Also branch circuits of long distance from their source of power have what is called voltage drop and this can develop a small usually harmless voltage between the neutral and ground.
TLDR: I would not worry about the readings you're getting at all.


Basement subfloor, how exactly should I do it? I am finishing a basement with my father and want to put in a subfloor. I know if there was ever enough water I would probably have to replace the floor anyways but want to give myself a couple inches more so to protect the expensive electronics I will have down there. There is also a sewer access port and two ground rods that stick ~ 2 inches above the concrete floor.

We were originally planning to lay down pressure treated 2x4's the tall way getting us over the two obstructions and build a plywood floor on top of it. After that we were going to build two small access panels in the floor should we ever need to get to them.

An uncle who is a carpenter stopped by this weekend and said if it was his basement he would not even bother building a subfloor. He said the basement was bone dry and it would be a waste. Even if we did get water it would be trapped in between the 2x4's with no way to get it out. The obstructions are in a corner so we would just box them in somehow going that direction.

This now puts me back to planning. I can't see a disadvantage to building a subfloor other than money and height though the ceiling down there is 8ft so height is not an issue.

What is the best way to build the basement subfloor?
I have seen other methods such as Dri-Core or Delta-FL also suggested. Ideally I would like to create channels so I could somewhat push water out should I ever have an issue. From concrete to carpet please advise me exactly what I need to do in-between.

I have tried several methods and the best one I have used it foam board on the bottom and 3/4 inch plywood over.  I would never lay down wood on the floor.  Not only will it rot but it will retain moisture.

I suggest some reading at buildingscience.com.  For example, this one might be helpful:  http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/bareports/ba-0309-renovating-your-basment/view?topic=resources/more-topics/homeowner_resources


Replacing Load bearing wall in basement So we are fully gutted in our duplex and we realized that the middle wall of the building (load bearing) is set on railroad ties that apparently lay on dirt. We noticed this when trying to assess why the floors were slanted toward the middle of the building. I would like to remove that wall, remove the railroad ties, pour a footer and then replace wall with either posts or a new wall. I want to explain my plan and see if anyone spots any problems with it.
We are planning to build temporary walls on both sides of basement between 36 and 40” away from middle wall. These walls will be 2x6 studs 16 o.c with a 2x8 or 2x10 bottom plate to help disperse weight (floor is dirt) we will then remove the middle wall and footer ties, dig down approx 18” and pour a new solid footer 18” deep 18” wide by the length of the house (42’)
Is there any justice to pouring a footing under our temp walls?
My only concern is while digging for the new footer we start to underpin the temp walls, that is why we are going 36” off the wall to hopefully avoid that.
The home is balloon framed with a stick built gable roof that sits on the outside walls so I believe there is no roof load on the middle wall, only floor loads.

Ambitious project with lots of issues: 1) loads on walls, 2) temporary supports, 3) size of new bearing wall, 4) connections, 5) soil conditions, 6) size of footing,

1) I’d verify that the roof does not sit on the wall. If it does, it makes things more complicated, but not impossible. Is this a single story house? Is it located in (a.) high wind area, (b.) seismic area, or (c.) high snow load area,???

2) I like your plan of having two temporary walls...is this due to joists lapping on the bearing wall? Keeping each temporary wall about 3’ from the bearing wall is reasonable. Remember, the transfer of load into the soil is at a 45 degree angle. That is to say, the transfer of loads from the temporary wall should not impact the soil (and edges of you 18” wide trench) 3’ away. (We’ll talk about the width of your footing later.)

3) If the new bearing wall will only be 8’ or 9’ high, then 2x4 studs at 16” oc are acceptable. Will it sit on the subfloor or is that balloon framed also?

4) How the new bearing wall is framed will determine how it’s connected to the footing and ceiling (above).

5) The type of soil will determine the size of the footing, required reinforcing (rebar), likelihood of sluffing, etc.

6) I like the continuous footing idea, but it may need to be wider. (Going from a timber width to 18” seems reasonable, but if we knew more about the type of soil and total load, we could determine if it’s wide enough to support all the loads.

So, to answer your question, no, I don’t see any major problem, but if you could answer the above questions, we could help more.

Btw, a few pictures of the attic, etc. would help.


What are the issues with using sour smelling paint? My husband touched up the paint in our bedroom.  The smell was rancid, like sour milk.  I cannot believe he used the paint that went bad.  I have a horrible headache and watery eyes, an obvious allergic reaction to the mold smell.  When the paint finally dries will it all be OK?  Or are there lasting issues now with him using the sour bad paint?

The foul smell is from the volatile organic compounds in the paint decaying. Could very well have mold spores living in it. Whatever you are smelling its going straight into your lungs because smells are particular. If it was me I would get rid of it like it was a plague.
My suggestion is get a heavy duty respirator with the proper filters and a boat load of lacquer thinner. Scrub the walls down with the thinner using towels to get as much of that bad paint off as possible. Then apply two coats of Behr Primer & Sealer to the walls. Finally finish by applying a good brand of paint. Lacquer thinner is hard core so:

cover everything; it will take just about any finish off.
have all your fans running in that room with all the windows open and the door closed.
remove all pets from the home prior to and for several days after the lacquer operation has been completed.
let the walls thoroughly dry out with fans running before attempting to paint.

Your first step should be to open the windows and direct a fan to exhaust the rooms air. Next I would seal the paint can tightly and label it as NG or expired. See if it stamped with an expiration date or if the label warns that when applied it may be "malodorous".   And finally, if you feel that you have purchased a low- quality product let the store know exactly why you are returning the paint. If there are other people that had a similar experience the purveyor probably wants to know for the publics and his benefit. Also, an e-mail to complain to the manufacturer may seem futile, but you should feel it is your civic duty. This sometimes elicits a response from the manufacturer for a refund or some other monetary offer. This happened to myself. It was Dulux. Something to do with new European laws now. They gave my money back.  Lastly, you should be wary of using this particular brand of paint seeing how your body is re-acting and its' sensitivity to it. Don't use it; your house may retain the noxious odor for days until it is completely dried. Also be concerned about your health and your families. Warning: Some types/brands of latex paint can be extremely hazardous to pregnant women. Women with child should not be subjected to these paint fumes as it may cause them to go into pre-mature labor. Check with your OBGYN for further information.


How to get squirrels out of inaccessible attic before plugging their entry hole? I have a low pitch roof that has an attic between it and the ceiling which is low enough to be useless for storage and access.  I have had a problem with squirrels entering for a while and I finally found the hole they are using to enter.  I would like to plug the hole but would not like to leave any squirrels inside to either try to dig another way out or go crazy while waiting for inevitable and slow, awful death.

Is there any way to lure them out before I plug the hole?  They can be heard moving in the ceiling sometimes but an absence of the noise does not guarantee they are not inside.

To supplement the other answers that recommend a one-way pest exit door based on the comments that the current hole size and location will not accommodate such a door: You can always patch the current hole, create a new one for the door (preferably in an inconspicuous location if possible), and then either remove and patch up the new hole after you are sure all pests are gone or leave it in place should pests find a new entryway in the future.

Play loud bassy, music. Generally the pop crap, that the teeny boppers listen to. You laugh but It works.


Help me prepare kitchen plumbing New kitchen counters are coming in soon and I need to prepare the sink plumbing. I think I can do a half-decent sweating job and I have the right tools. Plan is to un-sweat the existing tees and to put on Sharkbite caps until the new counter is in. Then sweat on new tees with new quarter turn valves, extension pipes for the hot and cold and the valves for those.
Is this a solid plan?
Also, I cannot quite make out what comes after the tee on hot. Is this a 1/2” threaded adapter that is sweated on the tee?
And finally, in which order would you do this? Should I make the top assemblies first and sweat them on supply popes as a last step?

Your valves appear to be a compression connection not   threaded  on to a threaded adapter. No need to un-sweat, you have plenty of pipe to work with, just cut below the tee.
Once your cabinet is put in over your stubs You will be able to build it any way you like. A water hammer leg at the top of each line is a good idea. You can choose any type valves you want, compression, threaded or soldered.
I prefer to have one valve for each supply line, as opposed to two lines off of one valve, so if the dishwasher goes on the blink you do not have to turn off water to the sink while waiting for it to be repaired. (same for fridge etc.)

Plumbers prefer to use PEX today in new house construction.  Read up on it on some YouTube videos, and then visit your Home Depot plumbing isle.  They carry it.  BTW, the transition between brass and PEX is made with shark bite fittings, so you might like the change.  The total cost for tools and supplies may be $100 to $150, but you will be a PEX expert and never look back.


How can I fix a wall mounted towel hanger A towel hanger fastened with a drywall fastener has been ripped out of the wall.
How can I repair the hole and reattach the towel hanger?

If you are flexible about the location that the towel bar is mounted then there is a relatively easy path to getting this repaired. There are two main steps involved with this. If you really want to keep the towel hanger in the same location then there is another way you could repair it in place but it involves more work. It's not really hard to do but takes longer to patch it up.

Remounting the towel hanger

Find and loosen the screw or hex head set screw that allows the mounting bracket part of the towel hanger to be removed from the decorative outer shell.
Remove the old molly bolt screw from the bracket and discard the old fastener.
Locate a stud in the wall where you can accept having the towel bar mounted. (A stud finder tool can be handy for this but you can also use a magnet to find screws or nails that hold the drywall to the studs knowing that there is a stud behind the screw).
Mount the bracket at the new location over the stud. Use screws long enough to penetrate the drywall and about 1" into the stud. This would likely be a screw of length 1.5. to 1.75". Some brackets take 1 screw and some 2 or three. Note that it will be best to predrill pilot holes for the screws. They will go in easier and prevent splitting the stud.
Remount the towel bar itself onto the bracket and tighten the screw / hex set screw that secures the towel bar to the bracket.

Patching the old hole

The hole can be easily patched using one of the popular small patch repair kits that you can purchase at the big box store. These have a stickon plastic or metal grid or web piece that has adhesive on the back. Peel off the backer and paste it onto the wall surface centered over the old hole.
Follow directions with the kit to apply successive layers of drywall mud over the patch and feather it out for about 6 - 8 inches on each side of the repair site. Depending on how nice you can apply each coat of the drywall compound it may or may not be necessary to sand between coats. After the feathered out coats are dry you can sand the surface smooth.
Since the present wall is textured you will want to apply some texture in the patch area. There are available spray cans if texture material that you can purchase at the big box store. These will sputter out a coating of material similar to drywall mud to leave a texture on the wall area. When using these spray cans it is advisable to practice first on some scrap plywood, cardboard or similar material to get the hang of applying the texture material.
After the texture has dried then prime the rework area with a good quality wall primer paint.
Finally you can repaint the patch area with paint to match the rest of the wall area. If the wall area where the patch is located is relatively small you may want to consider repainting that whole surface from corner to corner and top to bottom. The repainting will be much less noticeable that way.

Repairing in existing location

You would start by marking and then cutting out the damaged drywall area in a rectangular area about 2.5" x 4". Use an inexpensive hand drywall hole cutter saw for this.
Acquire a piece of pine 1x3 that is about 8 to 9 inches long. (That size of board will be just narrower than the width of the hole you have cut out). Attach a drywall screw partway into the center of one flat face of this piece of board and then tie a long string to that drywall screw.
Fit the wood piece into the hole in the wall. Lower it in so that the whole thing goes in the wall behind the hole with the length of the board inline with the long dimension of your hole. Use the string to pull the board up against the inside face of the wall and then you can use the drywall screw as a handle to hold the board in place.
Install some drywall screws through the existing drywall about 1/2 inch from the hole and into the 1x3 pine board. I would use two screws side by side above and below the hole. Use a hand screw driver to install the screws because easy does it. When the screws approach the almost in state finish off with them just dimpling the surface of the drywall and not tearing through the paper. (Too easy to mess this up with a power driver in this case).
When the board is installed you can remove the string and the handle screw.
After this you need a small piece of drywall that will just fit in the hole and back up against the wood board behind it. If you do not have some drywall pieces laying around they sell smallish 2 foot by 2 foot pieces at big box stores.
Screw the small piece of drywall in place using two drywall screws. Stay away from putting screws in the center are.
Patch over this hole. You can do this with a medium sized stick on drywall patch repair kit and follow the steps I mentioned above including the texture and painting.
Once the hole is all patched up you can remount the towel bar bracket as described before with regular type screws. The screws will go into center area of that 1x3 board instead of over a stud. This repair will secure the towel bracket for all but the very most aggressive treatment of the towel hanger.

Good Luck.

I would suggest calling a carpenter. Most of the potential solutions involve rebuilding the wall which will require a skilled tradesman or someone with significant handyman capability. There is no easy 30-minute solution  that will work well and you could do by yourself.


Avoid S-Trap Sink Plumbing Any suggestions how I avoid an S-Trap when installing my bathroom sink when the drain rough-in is installed coming up through the floor (foundation)? See image below - sink hookup is on the right.

Since you framed the wall behind the in-concrete drain rough-in, you will use an S-trap from the bowl to the drain on the floor. Had you really wanted to use a P-trap, you would have framed the wall directly over the rough-in, used a P-trap into the wall, then an elbow down to the rough-in in the floor.
If you really want to use a P-trap then you'll need to move your wall. Since that does seem quite rather impractical (and probably makes the toilet rough-in unusably close to the wall), just stick with the S-trap. Functionally, an S- & P-trap work the same. I'm not aware of any additional clogging issues with an S-trap over a P (I have all S in my house and have very minimal clogging issues, especially since the long-haired daughter moved out on her own), so there's nothing to worry about there.
Dropping Placing a vanity over the pipe in the floor really isn't that difficult in comparison to pushing it up against the wall. You have to measure carefully in each case to get the hole cut (in the floor or the back, as appropriate) in the proper place, but you just make the hole a bit oversized and it's not difficult in either case. There's no requirement that the pipe be perfectly centered for either installation method.

You're in luck. I just handled this myself. Swapped an old leaking s-trap for all solvent joints and a standard 1-½” trap with a compression fitting that slides onto the tail of the sink drain. I was forced to re-do everything from my cast iron up to the vanity and I needed to install a mini vent, hence why I kept it all at 1-½”. I’ll see if I can grab a picture for you. Since your wall is opened up though, I would really look into seeing if you can plumb it in the wall and stub it out like normal. Lifting a vanity and setting it down onto your plumbing is a PITA.


Compatibility of aluminum fittings with brass rough-in valve I am wanting to add a permanent electronic temperature sensor to a brass rough-in shower valve.  For this particular rough-in valve, I can thread a thermowell into the outlet that is normally used for the tub spout, since no tub spout is used.

I can easily turn and thread an aluminum thermowell with my lathe, but I want to ensure that the aluminum and brass will be compatible (i.e. no corrosion) in this application.  I have not been able to find any data on using these two metals together in a potable water application.

The reason is I'm trying to avoid having to purchase the more expensive brass stock, and utilize my existing aluminum bar stock instead :)

Thanks!

It will corrode quickly. The Aluminum will break down.I recommend that you put a non-metallic barrier between the two. If you want to do it on the cheap, and If you have some Never-Seez or even some PTFE tape laying around, do it. Check it in a few months, replace the barrier, check again later.

Galvanic Corrosion happens because of the different in electrical potential. The amount of difference (and the environment) that determines how fast one metal will corrode.

Aluminum has an anodic index -.9
Brass has an anodic index of about -.4

A difference of .25 is acceptable, in harsh environments (heat, salt water) the max is .15.

http://www.fastenal.com/content/feds/pdf/Article%20-%20Corrosion.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion

Go for it. The only thing that doesn't work well with aluminum is steel like black pipe etc. Aluminum and brass are compatible.


Chimenea/Outdoor Fireplace Crack Repair Mortar-type I was trying to repair a cracked chiminea ( outdoor fireplace). I have "Quikkrete" quick-setting cement. I was wondering if this would be okay to use to patch and seal the cracks and hold against high temperatures when I have fires. Could someone please offer any advice on what type of pottery/clay sealing bondage product that is fire resistant, if I should not use this stuff and what maybe I should be using?? I'm not that knowledgeable with this kind of DIY home fix.

No, Portland cement products do not tolerate much heat. Hardware type stores should have some products for use on flue pipes .

Of course mortar is heat resistant.

All the properties, cement, lime, sand, etc, are naturally heat resistant. However, mixing and applying the mortar can be enhanced by following a few extra steps. See link:

https://www.hunker.com/13401202/how-to-make-fireproof-mortar


Dishwasher - 3/8 inch 90° elbow leaks. How do I tighten it without overtighting it and it is pointing down? I've installed a new dishwasher, but the 3/8 inch 90° elbow leaks.
How do I tighten it without overtightening it and it is pointing down?
I put two wraps of teflon tape and hand tightened it, and tightened with a wrench about 3/4 turn.
Thanks for any advice or tips.

Try tightening the elbow more. You don't usually have to worry about over tightening brass on brass, You can torque them pretty good. If the fitting doesn't point down, so be it, it needs to be tight.

Just redo the ptfe and put more layers - most common error is people skimp on the tape as they think it is expensive, also make it have more layers towards the middle.
PTFE is not Pull Tight (it’s) F... Expensive.


220V/50hz with 10amp 3 wire See Additional Added Info:
I have an electric motor that I want to plug in at my house (USA).  The device is 220V, 50hz and 600watt.  The power cord (no plug) is 3 wires, and rated as 10amp.

If I connect a dryer plug to this cord, will I be able to plug it in to my dryer receptacle?  Should I worry that the cord is only rated at 10amp?

Additional Info:
Power cord actually came with it unexpectedly (opened the box tonight) and it's plug is exactly the same as a typical 110V 3 prong grounded plug.
Is this even possibly going to work?  I thought 220V required 2 hot, 1 neutral, optional ground?  In this configuration, I assume the normal ground plug is actually neutral and the two parallel plugs are both hot?  Is it a big deal if I don't ground the device?  Do they even make 220V capable receptacles approved for this purpose in this configuration?  Seems like a nightmare to have a 220V unit hanging around with the same plug/receptacle as a 110V device!!!  Accident waiting to happen?!

This is actually a oil-less piston air pump (not a motor), in case it matters.

A 50hz motor will spin approximately 20% faster and draw approximately 20% more than the rated power. Increasing frequency can cause over heating and if the motor is pushing a substantial load the core is not large enough to prevent a cascade failure before you see the magic smoke being released. Many motors are dual rated and can handle the difference but if it is a true 50Hz 220V motor you will be connecting to 60Hz 240V so keep an eye on the tempature. I just thought you should also listen to see if it can change from the start/run to the run winding if it has a centrifugal starter.

At 220V, 600 watts is drawing 2.7 amps of current.  That's nowhere near the load limit of that cord or dryer plug.  Should be Kool and the Gang, if it's wired correctly.

You might have a problem with the frequency, though.  US electrical power is distributed at 60hz, not 50.  I don't think anything awful would happen, but keep a fire extinguisher nearby.


Hooking up my compressor to my dryer outlet I need to plug in my compressor, which has a NEMA L6-30P plug.

I currently have a NEMA 10-30R Receptacle
How do I do this? It looks like the ground from my dryer plug is grounded in the box. I do have a rod that runs into the ground outside my house. Can I run a separate plug off my dryer plug and attach it right next to the dryer plug for my compressor? They both won't be running at the same time.
Edited in from comments on an answer:

The dryer plug is in a metal box that runs through a foot of metal conduit up to the electrical box that runs to a 30 amp breaker.

Given the proximity of the 10-30R receptacle to the panel, and the presence of conduit connecting the two, you could upgrade the 10-30R to a 14-30R and likewise swap out the power cord on the dryer. That's something like US$25 in parts. This is an upgrade that is just good sense to implement.
If you upgrade to a 14-30R then you could easily make or buy an adapter from the 14-30P to L6-30R. It would deal with the ground-vs-neutral situation correctly.
There's also another option. Since the panel is just right there, get a bit of conduit and a box and install a new L6-30R receptacle. I believe code allows multiple 30A receptacles to be fed from a 30A breaker. If the panel has no room for a new breaker and you don't want to replace existing breakers with a quad breaker solution, you could choose to feed both receptacles from the one existing breaker. The terminal on your breaker might be designed for landing two conductors, but if not, attach a pigtail of wire to the breaker and use a wire nut to join the pigtail with the leads going to the two receptacles (times two: this same arrangement for both poles of the breaker).
The two-receptacles-one-breaker arrangement could be accomplished by putting the junction in the box with the dryer outlet but it might violate box fill rules and definitely would be crowded and hard to work with. It'll be much easier to run the conductors from a new receptacle directly into the breaker box and make the junction there.

Simple answer is yes if they are both 240v.


Water heater anode rod replacement, teflon tape or no? For replacing an anode rod in a residential water heater, there seems to be some conflicting opinions regarding using teflon tape to prevent leaks. The rod manufacturer's instructions say to use it. Some people say to not use it as it prevents making a good electrical contact between the metals. Others say use it, the teflon tape will be cut by the bolt threads thus you will get an electrical contact.

What should I do? For the people not using teflon tape, how are you preventing water leaks?

I just replaced my anode.  I wrapped three layers of teflon tape and torqued it to 66ft-lb which seemed adequately tight.  Online torque tables specified max 78ft-lb for 3/4 NPT.  Resistance between anode hex head and outlet was 0.6ohm.  This is essentially zero resistance. The lead to lead resistance alone is 0.2ohm.

I replaced both of the anode rods in my 11 year old 50 gallon Bock water heater in January 2016. Bock recommends pipe dope not Teflon tape so the rods can be sacrificial instead of the tank.

After conferring with Bock, I used an impact wrench to remove the rods along with two wrenches and a band saw to cut the original 36" magnesium rods. The inside threads had been stripped by the service technician while trying to muscle them out. Original rods are cemented so an impact wrench is safer (I have a 700 ft-lb Milwaukee Fuel). I then used two wrenches to hold the rods in place while cutting them in half for removal so the bottom half does not fall into the tank.

I also removed any rust and painted the bottom with Rustoleum high-heat paint over rusty metal primer. I had to replace the linked anode rods because of only 18" of clearance.

Jan 2018, I just had a clean out and my 1989 Peerless with 2008 Beckett and my 2004 Bock with 1989 Bock/Wayne head are just fine. The hardest part was finding the hex head socket and the tapered tapper to restore the threads. There have been no leaks with the pipe dope.


How can I square up slots cut with a circular saw? I used a drop-saw to create these slots:

Due to the circular blade, it's obviously left a bit of the wood in place, more easily seen here:

My question is how can I clean up these slots? I've considered filing, of course, and I'd be happy to buy a file that fits if that's the best option. But there's a lot of wood there and I think filing would take a long time.

I also thought of chiseling. Again, I don't have a chisel that fits, but am happy to purchase. However, I can't see how it would actually work. Sure, I could chisel the sides of the slot, but then how would I actually knock the bit of wood out? I'd need a tiny chisel to fit the slot - 5mm or less.

Are there other options?

Use a hand saw on either side to take the sides all the way down to full depth, then a chisel to remove what's left between the two saw cuts.

There are small circular saws which could used to remove high spots on the sides of the slots. One of these could also remove more material.

But before buying one of those, I would try coarse sandpaper wrapped around a piece of wood that just fits into the slot. Either that or a rasp (the name for a wood file).


How can we fix bouncy floors? Our floors are somewhat bouncy, especially in big rooms with long joists.  I think that the main cause is that they used 2x8 joists on 15-20' spans.

We are going to replace/install hardwood in several areas.  Given that we'll have access to the subfloor, what can be done to make the floors less bouncy?

Note: looks like it's different from the situation described in What are these spongy/soft spots on my hardwood floor?, since the floor moves as a whole and not just in some places and there are no hollow spots there.

It might be worth checking out the subfloor if you can get access to it in case that is what is not holding up to weight instead of the joists.

Otherwise, I know in your comment you stated that you don't have the joists exposed, unfortunately, I don't know of a way to resolve the issue without exposing them as anything you tried to do at the floor level would just be adding weight.

If you don't feel your joists are up to snuff, you can reinforce them by laminating them.

You would get additional boards of appropriate size to fit snugly next to the joists, then use an adhesive and screw the boards to the joists.

Make sure you are getting the additional wood over your load bearing walls, otherwise again you are just adding weight to the situation.

Remember though, even if you are going to make it a DIY project, structural work is a big deal and you should at least consult a contractor/architect and make sure you get proper permits and inspections.

You can save yourself the money on the labor, but don't skimp on the planning.

Sistering the joists will have little effect on reducing flexation.  A 2x8 for example has a modulus of elasticity of 12,300,000 flb in-2
Two 2x8 will have the same modulus of elasticity.
The easiest and better solution is to use metal strapping and run it diagonally nailed to each joist and bent around the edge and nailed.
This practice will transfer the downward flexation into a radial flexation which in a floor system is much greater.


Why isn't the water on my second story getting as hot as I'd like? I purchased a new whirlpool water heater about 2 months ago. I have a
two story house, their seems to be a good hot water to the first floor faucets
but it seems like it takes a long time for the hot water to get to the second
floor, then it doesn't get hot enough. What could be my problem?

The change in water heaters should not have affected any of the physics of how the hot water travels through your home. Water will take just as long to travel through the pipes to the second floor as before, and it will lose a similar amount of heat along the way.

My guess is that your new water heater is set to a lower temperature than your old one. Water heater manufacturers and plumbers are more sensitive to scalding danger now than they used to be. The current recommendations are generally not to exceed 125*F.

You probably have a preference for how "hot" you want the water coming out of your faucet to be for washing your hands, maybe it's around 120*F. You mix hot and cold water at the faucet to reach this temperature.

I'm sure you've experienced that when you turn on the shower or the faucet to "hot," the water starts cool and at some point it starts gradually warming up, until it reaches some maximum temperature (this maximum temperature likely varies around the house--the facuets furthest from the heater will have a lower maximum temperature than those close to the heater, as some heat is lost from the pipes along the way).

It can take quite a while from when the water first starts warming until it reaches full temperature--you not only have to get water from the water heater to the faucet, but you must heat up all the pipes along the way before you reach steady state. This can take minutes. The hot water is often much hotter when you're done washing a sink load of dishes than when you started.

If your old water heater had been set to a higher temperature, say 140*F, the water will reach your desired temperature of 120*F a bit quicker than your new water heater, if your new water heater is set to 125*F.  With your new water heater, you need to get almost all the way to the setpoint of 125*F before you reach your desired temperature of 120*F. This takes some time.

Therefore, you might try adjusting the setpoint of your new water heater, but be aware that the risk of scalding is serious, especially with young children or the elderly. See The Burn Foundation for more information.

If you still aren't satisfied with how long it takes to get hot water at the faucet, you'll need the plumbing reworked. A PEX system with local manifold (closer to the point of use) and a recirculating pump works great.


Should I agree to have more insulation added to my attic? I have a 6 year old home with about 12 inches (R-30) of blown-in insulation in the attic. Recently door-to-door sales representatives for an insulation company offered a free inspection and quote to add additional insulation. The pitch was that the R-value at the time of construction was sufficient, but that codes have been revised and more insulation is better.

I was provided with options for adding 8 or 12 more inches to attain R-49 or R-60 respectively.

Sure, insulation materials improve with technology, but should I agree to have additional insulation put in? Will adding more somehow pay for itself? Is there such a thing as too much?

I live in a desert climate with temperatures ranging from -20°C (-5°F) in winter to 32°C (90°F) in summer.

Good question.  First off, there is no "code" requirement that would mandate adding insulation to a 6 year old house. The current standard in new construction is to try to achieve a R-42 in attic spaces. Adding more insulation to your R30 is not a bad idea, however I have a few questions for you. What kind of insulation do you currently have installed there now? What are the dimensions of the space and style of house and source of heat and A/C.

Adding more insulation is almost always a good long term investment, but before I would trust a sales pitch from a door to door vendor, I would investigate alternate routes. If a DIY project, costs to simply add a layer of R 13 or R19/23 fiber glass blanket over my existing insulation.(assuming it is also F/G blanket style). I would also seek quotes from a couple of reputable energy conservation/insulation contractors in your area. A good contractor will ask you the same questions I have, and ask about your energy costs now, then calculate the potential energy reductions in hard numbers or percentages and expected pay back period. Some energy audits are offered at a reasonable fee or even free and address several aspects of comprehensive energy savings in the home. It can be amazing what a little caulking, joist/wrap box insulation, weather stripping, hot water conservation methods and increased attic insulation can make in your total energy picture. Does your state require a professional license or certification for this kind of work? Be cautious and seek a trusted professional opinion.

R-value is not a good metric of real world insulatitive capabilities as it fails to account for air flow, heat emission, and moisture.

With respect to airflow and moisture, this why a wind-breaker can keep you warmer on a windy or rainy day than a sweater can, or why a thermos will keep our soup warmer than 6" of cellulose fill (especially if you were use a solid lid vs a lid made out of cellulose fill)

This means a thin layer of spray-foam insulation could actually do more for you than a thick layer of batt.

If you have batt or blow insulation that's in good condition, it is likely that the best thing you can do increase your energy efficiency is to seal airflow!!


Help to remove handles from leaky bathroom faucet I have a leaky bathroom faucet. There are no screws on the sides of the handle or escutcheon. I cannot figure out how to pry off the top without causing some damage. Maybe someone can look at the picture I've attached and make a suggestion on how best I can fix this thing?

Usually with that type you pry off the cap on the top and find a screw underneath which holds the handle to the stem of the valve. Probably you pry off the entire cap but it could be only the white center.

yep the screw is under the cap. If you look closely around the edge of the cap, there should be a slot for a small flat head screwdriver to fit into to pry it off.


Why is Green Glue used so much in the USA, but hardly used at all in the UK? I have been looking at designed for sound proofed walls, it seems that Green Glue is part of a lot of USA design, but does not seem to be used much in the UK.

Is there a reason for this?

Probably because it is made by the evil French frogs across the channel.

In all seriousness, though, Green Glue is widely available in the UK (Green Glue.co.uk)


Is it OK to have a 20 Amp receptacle on a circuit with 12 AWG wiring and a 15 Amp breaker? I have a hypothetical question:

If you have a 15 Amp breaker connected to a 20 Amp T type outlet with (20 Amp) 12 AWG wire, is it within code, below code, or above code, where code means the National Electrical Code.

This is due to a discussion I had with a colleague that insists it is not within code due to the 20 Amp T outlet. I view it as the outlet may be 20 Amp and any appliance you plug into it that draws more than the 15 Amp breaker will support will trip the breaker long before any overheating or electrical damage will occur.

Now I will agree that having a 15 Amp breaker and using 14 AWG wire with a 20 Amp T type outlet could potentially overheat the wiring, as the draw could be just over the 15 Amp breaker which they tend to trip around 16 Amps.

The answer to this question can be found in article 210 of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Section 210.3 of this article, tells us that the circuit rating shall be determined by the overcurrent device rating.

NEC 2011
210.3 Rating. Branch circuits recognized by this article shall be rated in accordance with the maximum permitted ampere rating or
setting of the overcurrent device. The rating for other than
individual branch circuits shall be 15, 20, 30, 40, and 50 amperes.
Where conductors of higher ampacity are used for any reason, the
ampere rating or setting of the specified overcurrent device shall
determine the circuit rating.

So if you have a 15A breaker, the circuit rating is 15 Amps. Section 210.21(B)(3), tells us to refer to table 210.21(B)(3) to determine the receptacle rating for circuits supplying two or more receptacles.

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 larger than 50 amperes, the receptacle rating shall not be less
than the branch-circuit rating.

This tells us that if we have a 15A circuit breaker protecting a circuit with two or more receptacles, each receptacle on the circuit must be rated not over 15 amperes. It's also good to remember, that the NEC does not view a duplex receptacle as a single receptacle according to the definition of a receptacle.

Receptacle. A receptacle is a contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug. A single receptacle
is a single contact device with no other contact device on the same
yoke. A multiple receptacle is two or more contact devices on the same
yoke.

So if you're installing even a single duplex receptacle on the circuit, you'll need to follow 210.21(B)(3) and use a 15A receptacle.

The 20 amp receptacle poses no risk on a 15 amp run..... Capacity is determined by amperage at the breaker .... So if you draw 16 amps the fuse will trip either way.. Circuit protection is then not compromised......


how much damage does window condensation cause We recently replaced about 2/3 of our windows with reasonable Anderson ones (vinyl covered wood). We're in Chicago, and I try to keep the humidity around 40-45% during the winter for comfort. I generally get very little / no condensation on the new windows, and a touch on the old ones. With temps dipping into the -20s F this week in Chicago, I'm wondering if I should drop the humidity level in the house to not have the windows freezing over. The new windows are definitely picking up a pretty significant amount of condensation, and I'm concerned about damage.

Question: will a day or two of heavier condensation cause any permanent damage?

The critical point here is that your interior humidity level should be based on the outside temperature. At zero Fahrenheit you should be down around 25% inside, or maybe lower.

That said, it's difficult to eliminate all window condensation while surviving as a human. Weather can change abruptly, and it's difficult to get your house to keep up.

When things get very wet I'll go around and wipe up the liquid water each morning before it starts puddling. Wood damage occurs fairly easily. A bit of fog isn't a big deal.

Where I live, condensation on windows is a direct reason for replacing the windows. It means that the Q-rating (heat transfer) through the window is way over the minimum limit. There should not be condensation on windows that form droplets - maybe if you are  cooking something, exiting a sauna or whatever - they can fog over, but they should clear up again.

I suggest contacting the contractor and ask what the Q rating of the windows is supposed to be.


GFCI breaker tripping to pool pump I have an in ground swimming pool.  There is an outdoor sub panel with a 20amp GFCI breaker is connected to the pump.  Today we had a bad rain storm...water coming down cats and dogs in every direction.

After the storm, I noticed my pool pump wasn't working.  The breaker had tripped.  I tried to turn it on, and it went off immediately.

So, I swapped out the breaker and the same thing happened....so it's not the breaker.  Tomorrow, I am going to disconnect and wirenut the wires from the pump (disconnect the pump).  If the breaker doesn't trip after that I will conclude there is a short in the wires running through the conduit...right?

Because it will be a pain to pull the wires and replace....which I am ok to run (temporarily, just to make sure it will work) the wires directly from the panel to the pump without putting them in the conduit right away.  When I say "not right away" I mean long enough to make sure the breaker doesn't trip.  If it doesn't trip then I would pull all the old wires and snake the new ones through.

I figured I would run this concept by the people here and get some feedback on this plan.

Thanks

So here is the end of the story.   After a week of hot dry weather the breaker didn't trip anymore.  On Friday morning I tired to turn it on and it stayed on.  So wherever the moisture was......was gone.  At this point not sure of this is a temporary fix or log term.  I put some electrical tape around a few of the areas that should already be water tight.  I guess I will find out if temp or perm fix next time we have a bad rain storm.  Cancelled the warrantee repair because I am sure they will fix something this is t broken when they arrive.  Thanks for all the help and advice.

Was the replacement breaker also a GFI breaker? Sometimes if those GFI DEVICES even smell moisture they will trip. Change to a regular breaker without the GFI and go from there.


Furnace failing intermittently, is it a faulty furnace pressure switch? Furnace info
Type: York Stellar Plus (HE down-flow condensing)
Model number: P2UDD12N09501C
Problem
My furnace is intermittently failing, i.e. it stops producing heat. When it fails, the induction blower motor is running, but nothing else is happening. Turning the heat off (either via my Nest thermostat or via power breaker) and back on resolves the problem in that the induction motor will start running again and the furnace will start producing heat again as well. There don't appear to be any discernible factors that determine how long it will take for the problem to recur. It will recur anywhere from several days to only a few hours.
Question
The pressure switch is obviously reverting to an open state at some point, thus disabling the heat. I've confirmed there is no obstruction of the air intake. My question is how do I determine if the pressure switch is faulty or if there are other conditions that are causing the pressure switch to open? It seems any such conditions automatically correct themselves when power is reset, leading me to believe it's just a faulty switch.
Update
I cleaned the flame sensor as suggested, however, the problem persists. (If anything it's now occurring more frequently.)
After further investigation I found there is an LED indicator on the control board (Honeywell S8910U) that I hadn't previously seen (it's behind a panel that needs to be in place during operation), and when the problem occurs the LED flashes on and off (one flash), indicating the control module is in ignition lockout mode.
I don't know what is causing this, and I'm not really any closer to knowing if this is a faulty pressure switch, a bad flame sensor, or something else. Any suggestions for how to isolate the problem so I can replace the appropriate part?

Nest is well known to cause short cycling.
Go back to your old thermostat.


How can I repair the damaged coating in my bathtub? The cat peed in our tub and I poured pure white vinegar in the tub to deodorize. I left about an inch of it in the tub for a couple of days. After I drained it I noticed that the glaze was gone where the vinegar touched the tub!

How do I repair this? I don’t want to install a new tub.

There are DIY coating kits available and there are companies that will come and do it. I'd personally go with the professional job unless cost is a limiting factor. You'll likely get a tougher and better looking result.

I highly doubt that plain household vinegar would damage a ceramic or enamel coating of a bathtub. So there are two other possibilities:

The tub was already refinished with a poorly chosen material, maybe even just painted, in which case getting a good quality tub refinishing kit is probably the best choice.
There was a thick film of old soap scum on the tub that you THOUGHT was the normal surface and the vinegar has actually removed THAT, taking it down to the REAL finish, in which case the approach would be to use vinegar on the REST of the tub and make it all look the same.


What is this box connected to my electric water heater? My water heater was broken and I traced it back to a problem with the power. I was only getting 50 volts for a 240v unit. I found this box connected between the 240v line from the fusebox and the water heater and I'd like to know what it's for. The 240v line is coming in just fine but breaks down to 50v when it comes out of the box and into the water heater. I can bypass the box completely but I feel like it's there for a reason.

I can't find anything written on the box or components that would help identify its purpose.

Mike - that looks like a power saver box installed by your utility company.

The utility can regulate the HW Heater on and off. Thus saving you energy as the theory goes (that's the theory).

My theory is if I want it low , I will set it there and not raise it high - thus I save energy and have hot water when and how I like it, not luke warm water.

I had one on the out side of my house and it was also connected to the phone lines that book was used in the 70tes. Probably about the time your house was built. I took it out and every thing still works fine and that small box workers great for little junk you have on your bench.


Are push in connectors up to code? Just came across a neat product at the local hardware store, but I wonder if they are up to code and safe to use.  They are a wire nut that allows you to simply push the wires in, instead of twisting on a traditional wire nut.

They cost slightly more, and you have to keep a wider variety of connectors on hand since they vary by the number of wires that can be connected.

they accept 12-22 AWG solid and 12-22 AWG stranded wire, and are rated at 600 VAC.  They come in a variety of sizes from 2 - 8 'ports', so they should be up to any job.

Has anybody ever used these, and are they code compliant in the United States?  Is there any danger of the wires slipping out over time?

electricalbasics.com

Found some standards information:
(Ideal Industries IN-SURE(TM) PUSH-IN CONNECTORS)

  UL 486C, UL 467 GROUNDING CSA
  C22.2 #188 IEC 998-2-2 CE
  CERTIFIED RoHS COMPLIANT UL
  94V-2 FLAME RATING US PATENT
  7,507,106 US & FOREIGN PATENTS
  PENDING

UPDATE:

I finally got my hands on some of these things, and I'll tell you what. If you can pull the wires out through normal means once they're locked in, you deserve some type of prize.  I did find a way to pull the wires out, but I doubt they'll ever see enough movement while in use to allow the wires to slip out.  If you spin the wires back and forth while you pull, they will eventually work their way out (this is the official way to remove wires according to an IDEAL spokesperson).  Doing this chews the wire up pretty bad, leaving a bunch of nicks along the length of the wire.

They say not to reuse them, and I can see why. Removing the wire can leave fairly deep gouges in the wire. If you ever have to remove them, you'll likely have to trim the wire back and restrip it. However, Even after torturing them (including taking them apart), they still held the wire when it was reinserted.

So as long as your wiring is not subjected to constant twisting and pulling, you should have no problems with wires pulling out of these things.

UPDATE:

I think I finally found the relevant section in the code that would apply to these devices.

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Article 110 - Requirements for Electrical Installations

  I. General

  110.14 Electrical Connections.

  (B) Splices. Conductors shall be spliced or joined with splicing devices identiﬁed for the use or by brazing, welding,
  or soldering with a fusible metal or alloy. Soldered splices shall
  ﬁrst be spliced or joined so as to be mechanically and electrically
  secure without solder and then be soldered. All splices and joints
  and the free ends of conductors shall be covered with an insulation
  equivalent to that of the conductors or with an identified insulating device.

  Wire connectors or splicing means
  installed on conductors for direct burial shall be listed for such
  use.

I would say these devices fit both criteria. They are identified for the use, and they provide insulation equivalent to the conductors.

I will not speak to the code issue as other already have. But, I did use them when building my new home a few years ago and, for me, they passed inspection.

While the package does say they can be used for stranded wire, I did not find that they worked that easily with stranded wire (I was using some computer controlled switches with pigtails instead of screws). But, they did work. I just had to twist the strands fairly tight first.

As far as coming loose? Not the ones I was using. If memory serves me correctly, I think there is a little hole that you can push the spring up with to release the wire because it is so tight.

The instructions for the push in connectors I have seen disallow their use with aluminum wire. This makes sense because push in (stab in connections) have always been against code for aluminum wire.

I have done rework in a house where the make up was done using these type of connectors. It seems to make for a neat installation. I did not see any failures. This house is about 15 years old. I would like to know if anyone has seen problems with feed through loads using them.


What is the best way to fill finishing nail holes on door and floor trim? There have been a couple of similar questions but none for my exact usage or that provides a good answer.  I consider myself average to weak on finishing wood work so would like to hear some good input.

Let's assume that the floor or door trim is either poplar or pine (wood I usually use).  And let's also assume that it will be painted white.

I usually use a wood putty to fill the finishing nail/staple hole.  However I run across two minor issues.

the wood putty dries smaller leaving an indention.  Sometimes this is not noticeable for months
even when being careful and wiping the surround area, there seems to be some noticeable putty remnants near the filled holes

So just looking for any tips/secrets in getting a perfect finish on white wood.

Update:  Over the next couple of days I will go wood putty (using ecnerwal's advice) vs. spackle to see what turns out the best.  Any other fillers to try?

Less wiping.

More time before sanding.

Unless you go to something extreme like epoxy putty, it all shrinks. If you leave the filler proud of (sticking above) the hole, let it cure fully, and then sand it down, it should work. In extreme cases you may need to refill and let that cure, but that's adding more time to the program which is probably not good for you. If you scrape it flat to the hole, it will shrink below the hole. Without adding any overall time to your program, I'd save sanding for the next day just before painting, at least. Excess putty near the hole will come off with a sanding block (and if you don't use a block, that can also promote divots) - since you specified that you are painting over, filler beyond the hole should make no appearance difference if it's allowed to cure and sanded flat.

If the building is not fully heated when applying the filler, or is heated but is dumping a huge amount of water from fresh drywall work (or unvented construction heaters), that may affect the curing time of the filler product negatively.

I have personally had better luck with "modern" "lightweight" filler compounds than with "wood putty containing actual wood fibers" (which, inherently, shrink quite a bit, because they are wet wood fibers...) - the fact that the nailholes are glaring white .vs. the wood surface does not matter if you are painting over them. Given that you are (I gather) in a production/professional capacity, probably best to run some experiments with different fillers and schedules and see what works best for you.

I use the spackle as well. put it on with your finger for the holes along the baseboard, use a putty knife for the outside corners if needed, let dry and then sand. The previous posters method sounds good as well but if you have a lot of baseboard to do that will definitely add some time to the project.


Should water heater thermostats be set to the same temperature? Should the top and bottom water heater thermostats be set to the same temperature?

I did a quick google search and saw all kinds of differing opinions.  for instance, this guy seems like he knows what he's doing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCDvHIcPreo&t=2m09s

and he said the top thermostat should be set to a higher temperature than the low one, but other places I've read said they should be at the same temperature.

my water heater's old, if that makes a difference.  I didn't see a date, but the energy sticker had some reference to 1994.  sorry I don't have more info; the thing's wedged back in a tight closet and hard to get to.

Setting the top element slightly higher helps the elements to be used evenly.  If you set them to the same temperature, the bottom element will be the first one on every time, and frequently the only one used to maintain the temperature.  If you set the top element too much higher, then it will be used most of the time, and the bottom element acts more as a pre-heater.

Having them used evenly will spread out the minimum time to replacement.  But I wouldn't go through too big of an effort to change the settings on an old water heater.  Whenever your elements do go, or whenever you decide to change the temperature, that would be the time to make this adjustment.

I am a plumber and water hook up is on the top of the heater but the water that comes out through a dip tube that goes all the way to the bottom of the heater so the water you get to the faucet comes from the bottom of the tank not the top.


Small Floating Cabinet on Drywall? I want to install this square floating cabinet on my walls, but it's small, so I will only be able to hit one stud with it. If I add a wall anchor to the other side, will it be strong enough? Or will the cabinet will just fall?? What should I do then?
Thanks, I tried looking for an answer but I can't find it anywhere.

Hang a piece of 1/2" to 3/4" birch plywood (depending on how strong you need it to be), the same dimensions as the cabinet, on the wall, securing it with counter sunk #10 or larger screws, at the stud, and countersunk toggles at the corners.

Hang your cabinet from the plywood, and stain/paint the plywood to match.

If you don't want to see the plywood grain, you can cut it a little narrow, and glue hardwood edge banding to it, and then stain/paint to match.


Is 12 gauge electrical cable ever wrapped in a white sheath? I am trying to add a new outlet by branching off an existing one (for my mounted tv).

The cable that goes into the box contains one white cable and one black cable that has an extra red wire (as part of this box is on a switch).

I am comparing the new 14 gauge wiring with the existing wiring I have in the box and it seems smaller (somewhat). The housing on the wiring is white which is why I was under the impression that it was 14 gauge.

In this picture below the wire, i am holding is the new wire I just purchased. Where the solo white wire is the existing electrical outlet wire.

Am I just being paranoid / is it just the wire housing that makes it seem bigger?

Yep. White was standard for #14 through #8 or even #6 until a few years back, when color codes came into fashion. Read the stamp or printing on the sheath to be sure.

I made this mistake recently, assumed my home was wired with 14 gg based on the sheath color, also assumed breakers were 15 amp (it's just what I'd seen in my previous home)... Went to work with it, and saw the same thing, read the sheath and it is 12gg, breakers, yup, 20 amperes. Now I have an extra 25' of 14 gauge, and had to buy more 12 gg.


Shutting off broiler pilot completely I have a 1972 Kenmore,  the broiler is at the top of the inside of stove.  Can I completely shut off the pilot light to the broiler?  It has a screw that adjusts they flame.

You can just blow out the pilot light and once it cools down (a few minutes at worst), the pilot light assembly will shut off the gas. A pilot light for a stove has a safety device called a thermocouple that is tied to a valve as a safety precaution against accidentally losing the pilot flame.

Relighting it will not be simple however. When you want to re-light it, you have to hold a reset button down while applying a flame to that device long enough to get it to open the valve again. That is not something for the faint of heart and is not something you want to do every time you want to use the oven...

Here's a video of the typical procedure (yours may vary slightly) if you want to assess your desire to go down this road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glX70JM-aFY


Dismantling an old piano I'm trying to dismantle an old piano, and I would like to do it without damaging the individual parts or pieces of timber (for sentimental reasons - may use it in other projects).

I've screwed out and removed all I can but I've gotten to the point where I want to remove the keyboard section from the main frame. There were two screws on each side apparently holding this on, but even after unscrewing these it remains stuck fast. I assume there is some kind of glued joints or dowels somehow keeping it together.

Is there a handy way of removing this while minimising the damage to the timber? I've managed to hammer a sharp knife in between, but that will only go down an inch or so, is very narrow, and won't do any good in prying them apart (it'll bend then break quite easily), but it shows something could go in there if it was as thin but stronger and broader.

Is there a tool or something, maybe similar to a chisel but a lot thinner that is used for prying joints apart while minimising the damage to the actual timber?

The parts of the surrounding frame itself is just as stuck together so I'm assuming something similar is going on there, but the main thing is this keyboard section so I can then put all the parts away...

What you want here is a coping saw. The main advantage is that you get a hacksaw that has a smaller, more maneuverable blade. It should let you make smaller cuts, like you want.

I put mine in the barn and it almost fell apart. Saved the legs and stuff i wanted. Nature did its thing. Couple of taps glue let go.


How to determine if a 20 amp breaker can be upgraded to 30 amp I recently purchased my first home and the breaker the electric clothes dryer is connected to is 20 amp.  I was told it should be 30 amp by a home inspector but foolishly did not have the seller correct it.  If I run the dryer on its highest heat setting it will trip the breaker so I would like to swap out the 20 for a 30.  How can I tell if the wiring and such is adequate for 30 amps?

Location: North-eastern U.S.

It depends upon two things:

The gauge (thickness) of the wire; and
The length of the wire.

For 30 amp, a typical household installation requires 10 gauge:

To measure it you'll need to use a wire gauge measurement tool on an uninsulated piece of the wire:

You can get these on Amazon

Why not just run the dryer for a few months and see if the 20 amp breaker trips?  If not, then 20 amps will do fine.  It's possible that your dryer doesn't pull more than 20 amps.

20 amps times 220 volts means a maximum of 4400 watts.  If you look at the back of your dryer it may indicate the wattage it consumes.

If the line isn't buried behind a wall, it probably would be easy just to replace your existing line with 10 ga copper conduit.  I suspect it's a straight shot from outlet to panel with no junctions.  It should take a pro less than 30 minutes.


Can I substitute a 100 amp circuit breaker in a 90 amp spot? My heat pump 90 amp circuit breaker keeps tripping. Heating guy said it is the circuit breaker and it need to be replaced. It is hot to the touch.  My local store only has the 100 amp circuit breaker. Can this be substituted? Or do I need to special order the 90 amp.

Depends on the label on the Heat pump, the wire size and type, and the stab rating on the panel cover.

Breakers do wear out, it would still be a benefit to replace with the original size it if was the correct size to start with.

It is rare that anybody installs a smaller than maximum allowed breaker at the time of installation, but the information you need can be found on the nameplate of the Heat Pump, it should look something like this:

The line that says "max fuse amps or hacr type circuit breaker" is the line that tell you the maximum breaker allowed. This breaker can be at the electrical panel or at the disconnect at the unit. If the breaker at the panel is sized to the maximum listed then the wire only has to meet the rating of "minimum circuit ampacity". But if the over current protection at the unit provides the maximum allowed breaker or fuse, and the breaker in the panel is larger then the wire has to be treated as a "feeder" must be matched to the breaker in the panel.

You can see in the label shown that the breaker is allowed to be 50A, but the wire has to only be sized for 29A. But if you feed it from a 60A breaker in the panel and a 50A breaker or fuse at the unit then you would need to up the wire between the breakers to 60A wire. The amperage rating of the wire is based on insulation and conductor type from a chart in the NEC (with additional restrictions on wire #10 and smaller) and the temperature rating of the terminals where the wire is attached.

Then there can be an issue with the breaker in the electrical panel. Many panels have a restriction on the label that limit the total amperage of breakers installed head-to-head. If increasing the breaker size exceeds this number then you can't do it.

If the wire is not sized to carry 100A, then you cannot use a 100A circuit breaker.


Cracked heat exchanger, gas furnace, a scam? Had gas furnace serviced (routine yearly) and was told the heat exchanger was cracked and might pose a CO problem.  System shut off and tagged. Told I needed to replace exchanger or get new furnace.  Got second opinion next day and they found no CO and said previous check (other company) couldn't diagnose cracked heat exchanger so easily (said it takes a variety of tests to diagnose).  They couldn't find anything obviously wrong with furnace, checked CO levels 4 times over approx. an hour, all normal.  Should I get a third opinion??  Think first company was pulling a scam?  Furnace is 16 years old, but want company I can trust....ugh
Liking second company.  Any opinions?  Thanks!

You can buy a CO detector at Walmart for $20 bucks and you will know for sure.
EVERY home with a gas appliance should ALWAYS have a CO detector


How to strip sheath off outdoor cable? I am looking for a way to remove the protective sheath from a length of multicore mains electrical cable. It's rated for outdoor use and is VERY strong. Without butchering my fingers; trying to fine cut it with a utility knife and without cutting into the hot wire insulation (and exposing the bare copper) in the process. I've already made 4 such errors and inflicted 2 knife cuts.

I've usually had good luck with a decent quality wire stripper with NM sheathing cutters.  After you clamp down on the cable you just have to pull a lot harder than on NM to break the last bits of sheathing that go around the ground.  I have something similar to this:

Image from Home Depot, does not constitute a recommendation for the vendor, the manufacturer, or the model pictured.

AUTOMATIC WIRE STRIPPER/CUTTER/CRIMPER
PART NO. K4001

FEATURES:
• Ratcheting Handle With Built-In Guillotine-Style Wire-Cutter.
• Strong, Firm, Adjustable, Multi-Point Vice-Grip Jaws.
• Linear Wire Stripping Motion. (Won't snap Cables).
• Strips 24-10 Awg (0.2-6.0 mm^2) Insulated Wire.
• Crimp 22-10 Awg (0.5-6.0 mm^2) Insulated Terminals.
• Crimp 22-10 Awg (0.5-6.0 mm^2) Non-Insulated Terminals.
• Crimp 07-08 mm Ignition Terminals.


Should old knob and tube wiring be replaced? I have been doing some electrical work in my house and I noticed it has old knob and tube wiring that is still hot, should this be replaced as found or is it fine to just leave it?  It seems really old and brittle, so I'm a little concerned.

Generally, it is a good idea to replace it, especially if you can easily access it. One thing you don't want to do, is replace part of a circuit. Then the next guy might see the new romex and make some assumptions about the rest of the wiring. The other time you really really should replace it is if it runs through insulation, especially blown-in cellulose. That is a serious fire hazard. Knob and tube was designed to use open space as an insulator.

Yes K&T is ancient wiring and in some locations it is pretty safe.
I have even seen some of it on MASH 4077 where wires are run in pairs
and held by cleats.

As mentioned elsewhere, there are NO grounds and it could be possible
since there is no color code like "black for HOT or UNGROUNDED CONDUCTORS"
"WHITE FOR GROUNDED" to put in a new circuit and share a neutral and
this could be "VERY BAD" as the neutral could be overloaded and start
a fire. If the Neutral is 12ga wire (which is good for a 20 amp circuit)
that is fine, BUT if you share said neutral with another circuit because the neutral for the new circuit got broke or is not accessible than the 1st neutral
could be carrying a lot more current. The fuse for the new circuit will not
"blow" if its ampacity is not reached but it will if the return is through a 'loaded
neutral from another circuit.

The best way to tell is to get a rubber lightbulb socket
with 20 or 30 foot ends with crocodile ends. Put one end on water pipe or known ground and touch the other end to the wires; if the lamp lights, the wire is a "HOT" wire,
then the wire running along side by a few inches would most likely be a ground
but you could take lamp test wire and put to a "known "hot wire and using other
lamp wire touch to ground then spray paint the wire with the ground connection white.


Can I use a 3-way switch as a single-pole switch? Can I connect a 3 way switch to be used as a single pole?  I accidentally purchased a couple of them and only need to control one light each.

Yes it can work.  3-way switches are spdt (single pole double throw) with 3 screw terminals, and regular switches are spst (single pole single throw) with 2 screw terminals.

Just pick the correct two contacts and you are good to go.  .

If there are two on one side and just one on the other, then connect to the one that is alone on one side, and either of the other two on the other side.

A multimeter is the quick way to figure out which terminals to use.  Just set it for ohms and you will be able to tell what happens as you toggle the switch.

Yep! 3-way switches can work just fine as a single-pole. You'll just have a couple of poles open.


2 separate lights on two separate switches on one line - issue I have an issue where the far left 12/2 coming from the circuit has been used to power a dimmer switch to a light
Carry power from light to another light
The second light is controlled by another switch at the end of the run.
Issue - if 1st switch is off, the 2nd light will work from its switch. If 1st switch is on, the 2nd light wont work at all from its switch
Based on the diagram is there anyway to fix this issue without current wiring setup?

To have two switches/dimmer controlling two lights independently with the wiring we know you have:

The notation should be clear using your method, but if not, ask away.

One thing you didn't specify, and nobody mentioned yet, is the amperage rating of the circuit breaker. This CAN'T be on a 20A breaker because there's 14 gauge wire used in the circuit. Lots of these weekends warrior DIY jobs use 14 gauge wire and leave the original 20A breaker, that's how a house fire starts! Make certain this is protected with a 15A breaker compatible with the manufactures specifications of the panel.


Can I use a 50 Hz device in a 60 Hz power frequency? My mother in law just returned from Europe and brought me an espresso machine. It's rated 220v - 50 Hz (as written in the label), but the power system here is 220v - 60 Hz. Funny thing is that in the manufacturer website it says the model is actually 220v - 50/60 Hz.

Question is: can I use it here? By searching the internet I found some people saying it wouldn't work, others saying it would work but damage the machine eventually, and even others saying that the frequency difference only affects clocks/timers. So I'm kinda confused.

Should I try to use it?

The 60 Hz represents the frequency at which the voltage in the wire oscillates. Heating elements don't care about this, and neither do most electronic components as they turn this alternating current (AC) into constant (DC) direct current anyway.

If this is an all-singing, all-dancing, computer controlled extra-fancy espresso machine then I'd steer clear, though, as there's a remote chance you've one of the few devices where the cycles-per-second makes a difference. If it just uses power to heat an element you should be fine.

Disclaimer: operating the device outside of the region it's designed for will certainly void the warranty, and coffee in excess isn't good for you anyway.

All you need is a step up/step down transformer.  It will convert 110v 60hz to 220v 50hz and vice versa.  I used to get electronics from Japan and had to buy a transformer to make my Famicom work in the US :)  Just FYI - the step up transformer purchased 15+ years ago for that purpose is still being used in my mother's house.

Something like this would work EDIT: actually too small for an espresso machine

Probably more like this


Wiring Bathroom Exhaust Fan With Heater Unfortunately I did not take a picture of how the original fan was wired, but I have 5 wires going to the fan, and the fan appears to have connections for 7, help?

Schematic:

Wires to the unit:

Unit's wires:

3 control switch- light, fan, heat

I'm sure that previous fan had exhaust, heat, and light working independently, but again I did not have the foresight to take a picture of that before removal. My dad says it's not possible, am I crazy?

To wire this properly, you have two options.

Run a 14/4 (or 12/4 if it's a 20 ampere circuit), or 14/2/2 (12/2/2 for 20 amperes) plus ground nonmetallic sheathed cable (Type NM) between the switch and the fan.
Install conduit and run individual conductors between the switch and fan.

There's no way to wire this in a code compliant way, using two 14/2 with ground cables. You'd either violate 300.3(B), by not having all the conductors in the same cable. Or you'd violate 310.10(H)(1), by having paralleled conductors.

Using 14/4 is the easiest, since the wire colors should match up. Simply collect all the white wires from the fan, and connect them to the white wire from the 14/4 cable. Connect the bare ground wire from the cable, to the green wire from the fan. Then just match the colors, black to black, red to red, and blue to blue.

At the switch, connect all the grounds together. Connect the white wire from the 14/4 cable, to the feeder neutral. Connect the black wire to the fan switch, the blue wire to the light switch, and the red wire to the heater switch.

If you're using 14/2/2. Instead of a blue wire, you'll have a white wire with a red stripe. You'll have to mark this wire at both ends with a marker or tape, to reidentify it as a hot conductor. Once that's done, simply substitute it for the blue wire in the description above.

If you install conduit, you can use whatever code compliant color wires you want.

All the whites connect together in this setup, blue goes to light, black goes to fan, red goes to heater.


Do paint fumes affect electronics? I'm planning on painting a home office but I don't want to have to move all my equipment out of the room. If I keep my equipment inside and move it all to the center of the room will the fumes affect my electronics?

Seems very unlikely. Consider that lots of harmful industrial chemicals are used in the production of electronics to begin with.

Usually most people's concerns with VOC's associated with painting have to do with human health, especially the young and old. It's generally best to minimize any contact with these by ensuring lots of ventation and if possible, using a low VOC product. Latex based paints are preferable to oil based paints in this regard.

Yes. Since most electronic circuit boards contain some form f switching or mechanical electrical adjustment, the fumes from paint can cause faulty connection between contact elements. If heat from the electronics is high enough, the heat can cause the chemicals in the air , to be drawn directly to components. I have found this to be a problem for selector type push buttons. You can tell this when you first push on the button if you have to some what break it free.(as if it was stuck in whatever the normal position is)

This can happen from closed but used paint cans from the paint that has been wiped off of the brisk and wet on the side of the cans when stored in areas of electrical operation. This is always been an issue with paint cans being stored in mechanical rooms of commercial blogs..


Electrical Circuits in a Workshop I am doing some renovation in my workshop and am considering doing something kind of unusual.  I find that I am always looking for outlets to plug in tools, lights, etc.  Rather than using power strips, I'm thinking of installing a bunch of outlets instead. On the wall where my workbench will be, I plan to install 8 outlets (one on each stud).  Here's the unusual part: I want to make sure I don't overload the circuit, so I plan to put those 8 outlets on two separate circuits in an alternating pattern (i.e. outlet #1 on circuit 1, outlet #2 circuit 2, outlet #3 circuit 1, outlet 4 circuit 2, etc..).  My shop has exposed studs and 4 existing 20 amp circuits.  I would be adding 4 outlets to two existing circuits.  I am comfortable with this kind of work, but will also have my work inspected according to my local codes.

So my question is, is my plan reasonable or a crazy.  Your input would be really helpful.  I'd rather the internet tell me that I'm an idiot than an inspector.  :-)

Thanks for your time, and please let me know if I can provide any additional information.

A multiwire branch circuit would work well for this.  You'll install a double pole 20 ampere breaker, or two 20 ampere breakers with the handles tied together.  Then you'll pull 12/3 with ground cable from the panel, to the first box. And 12/3 with ground cable between each box.
In the panel
In the panel you'll connect the black conductor to one of the breaker terminals, and the red conductor to the other breaker terminal.  You'll connect the white conductor to the neutral bar, and the bare ground to the grounding bar.
At the first box:

Connect the black wire from the feeder cable to the brass colored screw on the receptacle.
Connect the black wire from the cable leading to the next box, to the other brass terminal.
Connect the red wires together.
Connect the white wires together and include a short bit of scrap wire for a pigtail.
Connect the white pigtail wire to a silver screw terminal on the receptacle.
Connect the grounding wires together and include a short bit of scrap wire for a pigtail.
Connect the grounding pigtail to the green screw on the receptacle.
If it's a metal box, include an additional grounding pigtail, and connect it to the box using a grounding screw or clamp.

At the next box:
Follow the same procedure as above, but connect the red wires to the receptacle instead and let the black wires "pass through".
Continue the pattern.
Now simply continue the pattern, connecting black wires in one box and red in the next.
GFCI protection
Since the receptacles are in a garage, they'll likely have to be GFCI protected. You can accomplish this by using a GFCI breaker, or installing a GFCI receptacle as the first receptacle on each line (two total).
However, using receptacles is a bit more complicated, since the grounded (neutral) conductor cannot be shared with GFCI devices. This answer explains how to wire multiwire branch circuits with two GFCI receptacles.
AFCI protection
Arc-fault protection may also be required, which is commonly provided by installing an AFCI breaker.
Dual protection
If both types of protection are required, you'll likely end up with an AFCI breaker and GFCI receptacles.  Breakers that provide both GFCI and AFCI protection are available, but can be difficult to find and may be expensive.
If you can't find a dual function circuit breaker, and you have to use separate GFCI receptacles on an AFCI protected circuit. You can use a combination of 12/3, and 12/2/2 cables.  12/2/2 cable contains two ungrounded (hot) conductors (black, red), two grounded (neutral) conductors (white, white with red stripe), and an equipment grounding conductor (bare copper).  You'll wire the circuit like this.

Pay close attention to the wiring of the grounded (neutral) conductor at the first GFCI, as to avoid sharing the grounded (neutral) between GFCIs.
In a scenario like this, you could break the tabs on both sides of the receptacles, and feed the top and bottom of the receptacles with separate circuits.  For example, all the bottom plugs could be circuit1, while all the top are circuit2. This would be wired like this.

Protection from physical damage
Since this is in a garage, and you said the stud bays are open. You might be required to protect the cables from physical damage.  This can be accomplished with conduit, running boards, installing drywall, or closely following the structural members.  For example, if you have a nonmetallic cable running from one stud to another. You can:

Run the cable through conduit.
Install a running board between the studs, and route the cable behind it.
Install drywall to cover the entire wall, or just the portion of the wall where the wiring is.
Run the cable up the stud, through the top plate(s), then down the other stud. Making sure the cable closely follows the studs, and is secured properly to the studs.

I'm a fan of using quad boxes on every 3rd stud (every 4 feet). My charging station is one of those long metal mountable power strips.

I don't like having circuits on different legs next to each other.  220v potential is possible. (Like say stacked stereo components.)

I also wire lights on separate circuits so my tool doesn't kill the lights if it pops a breaker.

I prefer to use unprotected circuits (no gfci etc) even in garages for things like door openers and freezers where a circuit interrupt can be inconvenient.


Door knob (lever handle) only engages in one direction The lever handle door knob on my front door can be turned either way, but only engages when turned turned one way. Can I make it work in both directions?

At rest, the bolt is engaged, as desired. When the knob is pulled up, the bolt is retracted as desired. But when the knob is pushed down, nothing happens: the bolt remains engaged.

I'm not sure if it matters, but the mechanism on the outside is a handleset:

Related to Doorknob only turns one way, but mine turns it just doesn't engage.

MOST door knobs I know of engage the latch in either direction. You may have something broken or installed incorrectly on yours, or someone purposely had it made to do this. In fact, it is considered a "safety issue" to not have the latch retract when pushing the lever DOWN, because if you were trying to get out of the house during a fire, you might be crawling on the floor below the smoke and having to push the lever UP to open the door may be difficult. You should fix/replace it immediately.