Is there any way to make a sink connected to a garborator drain faster? In the kitchen there are two sinks side by side which share a common drain. One sink has a garborator. It drains ridiculously slowly. The other sink drains faster but I've been told it doesn't actually because it has more space underneath for the water to go so it only appears to drain faster, or something like that. The garborator is basically never used. Is there anything I can do to speed of the the draining of the sink(s)? I'm not sure if it's relevant but I think the gorborator is broken or doesn't work well.

I would just remove the garborator if it is unused.  Over time, it will become clogged since it's internal holes are smaller than that of a normal drain.  You could try cleaning it out by throwing some lemons in it and running it for a while.

Your real problem may be a clogged drain though.  In the good drain, fill the sink completely and let it drain.  If it becomes slow at any point, you need to have the drain cleaned.

Both compartments of you sink will drain through the garburator. If you do not use the garburator periodically, the drain time will get longer over time as the larger solid waste chunks will accumulate within the garburator restricting the flow. Running the garburator periodically will remove this restriction. (This can become a big issue if you have a dishwasher connected as if the drain flow rate gets lower then the dishwasher's pumped flow, water can backup the sink and overflow to the counter/floor).

If the garburator does not turn on when you flick the switch, check that the breaker is ok. Then check if the garburator has become stuck (there should be a way of manually rotating the blade from the bottom of the devise, check you manual). If the gargurator is truly broken and you plan to never use it, you can replace it with a standard P-trap.


Quick fix for a toilet that flushes water past the waste material? I've recently moved into a rented property with a dual-flush toilet. When flushing the new water seems to be sent directly under any paper/waste that's in the bowl, causing it to "roll" over the top and not evacuate down the pipe. This happens whether one or both of the buttons are pressed/held to flush, and it's starting to get a little embarrassing when we have guests round.

Since it's a rented property there isn't an option to replace anything, but I wondered if there were any quick fixes I could apply?

EDIT

A littie further information; the toilet seems reasonably new, there doesn't seem to be any blockages around the rim and and we've cleaned everything. The pressure is good; the water reaches right round to the front of the bowl where it creates a good jet, but it's this jet that seems to run directly under the waster causing it to roll.

More edits

I doubt it's a problem with the water pressure - the jet is powerful, maybe a little too powerful, which could be why it's flushing directly under the waste rather than over it, pushing it down. We've cleaned it thoroughly, though it wasn't necessary as there were no deposits or blockages. I've a feeling that it may simply be a design fault of the bowl. :(

Are you sure you understand how the toilet works?
Commercial toilets actually fire a jet of water down the drain to get syphon started while the bowl continues to fill from the water entering the top. I believe this is the design you are describing and it is supposed to do this.


How can I keep from breaking my water hammer arrestor My dishwasher is a serious piece of equipment.
It makes water hammers like crazy.
So I put one of these things inline to the supply:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quiet-Pipes-Washing-Machine-Water-Hammer-Arrester-38600/100069256

Everything goes quiet for 2-3 days (2-3 runs of the dishwasher) and then it starts again.
I assume it's breaking.
I've got through 3 of these things, different brands (sioux chief also fails), they keep breaking.

Is there a more meaty version of this device or a different way to solve the problem?

Seeing some pictures of the plumbing overall could jog additional suggestions from others, but there are a number of things you can do to eliminate the hammer. Using the product you are buying is one of those things. I would NOT expect that it is breaking, but the fact that you state its good for a few days then no longer works and you replace it then it happens again a few days later gives me a few thoughts first off of what you should check.

Make sure there aren't any leaks, and that all connections are tight. Also make sure all plumbing is properly secured. This includes the hose/tubing for the dishwasher itself. In fact, ensure the arrestor you are installing is also secured and not moving around. Leaving these this laying on the floor coiled up allowing it to move around is just going to strengthen the water hammer. Also, the pipes involved should be properly secured with mounts. Once you have secured all plumbing properly, AND ensured the arrestor is installed properly and oriented properly-securely, there are additional things you can do.

Does your property have a water column tube going vertical anywhere? You may not even see it, but it may exist. If it does not, you can create one easily. Quick google shows what I'm talking about:
https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/plumbing-repair/stop-banging-water-pipes/view-all/

Now, you may have one of these already. Turn off main water as it enters the home, and open the farthest, highest faucet in the home, then open the lowest/closest. Let the water drain from the plumbing. You can partially drain the hotwater tank to get the hot side of things done. You are just getting air back into any vertical columns put there by your plumber. If none exist, you can add them yourself, e.g., see the link above.

With that out of the way, you might actually choose to reduce your water pressure. Mind you, we all love water pressure, MORE IS BETTER right? Not always. In your case, you might want to lower it. More can be bad, and can shorten valve life for a number of applications, but 60 is alright. Try lowering it to 55, or 50. Generally keep it above 40, 45,.... and obviously to your liking in your home. But with two bathrooms, and reasonable length runs, you dont really need 60. Trial and error, give it a shot. Obviously dont increase it.

Lastly, and you can try this as a cheat method for what I just described, install a valve or partially close a valve upstream that feeds the dishwasher specifically. Again, this is trial and error, but limiting the flow just a tiny bit can have an impact.

Also, I mentioned the size of pipes because if you have some mineral buildup on any valves or pipe fittings, or pipes reduce in size and then go larger again, this can aggravate a water hammer issue if your diswasher solenoid is on-off on-off rapidly, because the water will move "abruptly". So it could be handy to ensure good flow too *(i.e., dont over restrict it somewhere)... this is less likely the issue.

If you question the quality of the mechanical arrestor you've purchased *(repeatedly), try a different one on for size and see. But sincerely, I'd work more on securing the pipes, and install a man made arrestor like pictured above.

Get a 10 foot, 1/4" supply line and adapters to make it work. Dishwashers fill will a float usually, so the goal is to restrict the flow so that it doesn't hammer so bad, because I can't explain why it's doing it other than it doesn't like your 60 pounds (I'm used to 40).

Model number? What's the max incoming pressure....?


Why is my timer tripping the breaker on my pool filters power cable? I just bought a pop-up pool for my kids, got it up, running, and all the chemical levels correct.... now i just have one problem: When the timer I bought to regulate when the filter runs turns off, it also trips the breaker/GFCI (not really sure what its called, but there is a red reset and a yellow test button) on the end of the pool filter power cable. Why is this happening?

Switching GFCIs line-side tends to make them a bit cross

Plug-type GFCI devices revert to the "tripped" state when unpowered, unlike receptacle-type designs, which mechanically latch in both "tripped" and "untripped" states.  This was done to allow them to protect against an open neutral, which'd otherwise defeat the GFCI protection and make it impossible for it to trip.

However, this makes them incompatible with being switched on the line side, as you see here.  The solution is to move the GFCI protection to a location upstream of the timer -- GFCI breakers are ideal here, but a receptacle or deadfront GFCI can be used upstream of wherever the switch or timer is.  Once you've done this, you'll have to remove the GFCI plug from the end of the plug-in pool's cord and replace it with a regular plug, with a big note on it saying "FOR USE IN GFCI PROTECTED OUTLETS ONLY".

Either that, or you can remove the plug and wire it into a timer that's then wired in series with another length of appropriate cordage that is terminated in the existing GFCI plug, effectively moving the existing GFCI upstream of the timer...

I had the same issue, even though I'm a general contractor it still took a pause to figure out. If you can picture the issue as a "ground sandwich" then it would make more sense. The timer acts as a ground once chosen to not operate or provide electricity, as such the pump tail end circuit trips on this ground. I solved this issue by replacing the GFCI tail end of my pump cord with a standard male connector. This should not be done if the actual outlet of which the timer is plugged is not GFCI.

That being said, the existing tail end GFCI plug to my pump simply unscrewed, not drastic cuts necessary. The white and black (neutral/hot) end of wiring plugged right into a male adapter I picked up at Home Depot. I wrapped the ground (green) wire in electrical tape and tucked it into the new assembly. Plugged it in, tested several times and KABOOM! it made sense.


Will joint compound / drywall mud clog my drain? If I wash my tools (knives and mud pan) in my laundry tub/sink after use, will the drywall mud clog my drain pipes?

I think it would depend on the amount of compound you're putting down the drain, what size drain, how much water is used to flush the tools, and probably a few other factors I haven't thought of. Though typically it's not a problem, as long as you're not pouring a whole tray of mud down the drain.

Scoop out any left over mud from your tray/hawk, and throw it away. Then rinse all the tools thoroughly.

NOTE: If you're using premixed compound, never put unused mud back in the bucket.  Once the mud is out of the bucket, either use it, or toss it.

Just don't do it.  Use another taping knife or similar object (scraper) over a trash can to scrape your tools when the residue mud is dry or even just semi dry. It is not necessary to wash them.


Calculating subpanel breaker size I'm building out a shop (within the same building as the main panel) and I'm considering adding a sub panel to make running circuits easier, and to make any future expansion easier.
I'm unsure how to calculate the load for the sub's breaker in the main panel.
I've got the following in mind (120V except where specified):

40A shop heater (240V, 7500W)
20A circuit for outlets
20A circuit for outlets (2nd)
20A "outside" circuit for outdoor outlet and eventual extension to outbuildings
20A circuit for dust collection
20A "large tool" circuit (240V, ~16A max)

Those wouldn't all be at capacity all the time, but I could certainly envision the heater, dust collection, large tool, and an outlet all generating significant load (~100A).
Do I size the breaker and the subpanel feed for what I think I would need (100A) or for the maximum possible capacity (140A+)?  Or is there a accepted formula or scaling factor I should use?
Thanks!
(This is in Washington state in the US in case that's relevant for code compliance).

Feeder sizing isn't so simple
The minimum rules for service and feeder capacity planning are found in NEC Article 220; while they don't account completely for your usecase, we can use a modified version of those procedures here.  We start with the 550sf you gave, and multiply it by 3 to get the lighting and general receptacle load as-if this was part of its parent dwelling unit, giving us 1650VA (volt-amps, similar to watts).  We then multiply this by the .35 demand factor for dwelling unit general loads over 3000VA before adding 3000VA to account for the heavy tools circuit and 7500W/VA for the heater as per NEC 220.51.  Note that while the demand factor and the heater are both computed as per NEC Article 220 rules, the 3000VA for the tools circuit is an allowance (similar to a pair of Small Appliance Branch Circuits) for the heavy tools circuit due to the unavailability of details about the actual loads found there.
This gives us 11078VA, to which we add the dust collector load.  Since we are dealing with a UL listed appliance here, we start with the 20A nameplate amp rating instead of using the tables to look it up, although it doesn't matter in this case anyway since Table 430.248 gives us 20A for the full load current of a 2HP, 115VAC motor.  From there, we multiply by 1.25, per NEC 430.24 and 220.50, to get us 25A, which when multiplied by 115VAC gives us 2875VA, for a total load of 13953VA.  We then divide this by 240V, giving us a 58A minimum for our feeder ampacity.
While it's possible to wire this using 6AWG THHNs in a conduit or a 6-6-6-6 copper SER cable, that gives us 65A, leaving us little margin for an outbuilding. In NM, we'd have to use 4/3, giving us a 70A feeder instead, but neither NM nor copper SER are cost-effective ways to wire the circuit, at $3.5 to >$4/ft vs the $2.5/ft of materials that using 6AWG THHNs with a 10AWG ground in 3/4" ENT achieves.  Nonetheless, we can do better than that by going to aluminum.  A 1-1-1-3 aluminum SER cable goes for a mere $1.67/ft or so, and gives us 100A to the shop panel; we can upgrade this to a 1/0-1/0-1/0-2 SER cable to give us a 120A feeder (using a 125A breaker) for just under $2/ft.  If that's still too much cost, we can go with a 4-4-4-6 aluminum SER cable for just under $1/ft, but that puts us back at that 65A figure (with a 70A feeder breaker) from the 6AWG THHNs in conduit or 6-6-6-6 copper SER cable mentioned above.
GO BIG OR GO HOME
Now that we've decided on the size of our feeder, we need to figure out what size subpanel to put in, and this is where folks tend to get penny-wise and pound-foolish.  You see, ripping out a panel to replace it with a larger one is a big pain in the rear end, and far costlier than what you'd save by using a smaller panel.
Since this is in the same structure, we don't need to worry about a main cutoff (main breaker), nor a second set of ground rods, but we do need a set of separate grounding bars fitted to the panel to land equipment grounding conductors on.  Many main lug panels come with these factory fitted, but if yours doesn't, you'll need to buy the correct bars and add them yourself.  In either case, you'll want a large panel: a 24-space or 30-space, 125A panel is not at all out of place here, and if you feel like splurging, you can upgrade to a 40-space or 42-space, 200A panel for not that much more.  Just make sure that your panel's bonding screw or strap gets pulled out when you install it!
Sidebar: that dust collector may need a bigger breaker
There's one other issue with your setup, and that's your choice of a 20A breaker for the dust collector.  You see, motors draw a significant inrush current on startup; for a 2HP, 115VAC, single phase motor, the breaker will have to handle up to 144A for a short period of time.  So, there's a decent chance that your 20A breaker will trip on overload when you start the dust collector.
Fortunately, the NEC authors are familiar with this issue, and provide an "out" in 430.52(C), which permits you to size inverse-time (read: regular) breakers protecting a single motor load at up to 250% of the full-load current, or up to 45A for a 20A motor load, provided that the motor has its own overload protection.  You probably won't have to go up that high, but having a 25A single-pole breaker for your choice of subpanel handy in case the dust collector won't start on a 20A breaker would be wise (it's the largest value permitted for a 20A motor if the motor doesn't have a built-in overload protector).

First of all, you want a 240V sub-panel and run 2 hots instead of 1 (plus neutral and ground). This way, you can split the load between legs and get away with smaller gauge wire.
If you don't already have it, get a 20A/240V shop heater instead of 40A/120V. The wiring will be cheaper. In fact, put the tools and dust collector on 240 volts if you can. The motors will run cooler and last longer.
Based on your estimate, go for a minimum of 60 amp/240 volt panel. Both legs share the 20 amp heater. Hot 1 gets the dust collector and one set of outlets. Hot 2 gets the large tool, the other set of outlets and and outdoor outlets.
I'd actually suggest at least 100 amps to give you some growing room.
Updated due to the OP clarifying that the amperages quoted for the heater and large tool are at 240 volts while the other circuits are 120 volts.
So my minimum suggested layout would be heater and large tool across both legs (60 amps total), dust collector on hot 1 and all 120 volt outlets on hot 2 (total of 20 amps). Therefore 80 amps would be minimum feed to the subpanel to allow all of the heater, large tool and dust collector to run and still have 20 amps left for lights and other 120 volt loads.
If it were me, I’d bump it to at least 120 amps to give you future capacity.
As @georgeanderson noted in his answer, go big on the panel. You can use a 200 amp panel and feed it from a 100  amp breaker and rate the wires for 100 amps.
I'll let a pro comment on if you need size up for the official load calculation, though I don't imagine there would be any need since I’m already sizing based on the major circuits all on at once.


Electric water heater power switch Q1: Should there be a(n emergency) power switch next to an electric water heater?

Q2: If A1 is no, is it okay to have one anyway?

Q3: If A2 is yes, what kind of power switch should I use? I don't think I can use a regular light switch because this cable is 10/2 AWG and both the black and the white are hot. I need something that has two charges in and two loads out.

Q1: Should there be an (emergency) power switch next to an electric water heater?

Doesn't have to be, but we always have a disconnect switch by water heaters for any commercial building.

  Q2: If A1 is no, is it okay to have one anyway?

Yes, it's fine as long as it's wired right and such.

  Q3: If A2 is yes, what kind of power switch should I use? I don't think I can use a regular light switch because this cable is 10/2 AWG and both the black and the white are hot.

Seems you've already discovered it, but yes they do make double pole switches. Typically a disconnect is used (as answered prior) and they're not any more complicated, but are safer. It's just a big switch.

As per [this link][1], I need a double pole power switch

[1]: http://waterheatertimer.org/Install30As2.html this link


Natural ant/insect repellent Please suggest some natural ant/insect repellent that I can use to get rid of the ants/ticks/insects.
I started using clorox but I would prefer something natural.

Thank you so much

I understand what you mean.  I had used RAID before, but it is a neurotoxin made  in a lab.  Not natural.  It also gave me bad headaches.  Besides, I didn't care to kill them; I just wanted them out of my space.

My mother uses natural spearmint - she scrubs the floors with it.

It confuses them so they go elsewhere because they can't smell the trails.

Myself, I just use Glade Apple Cinnamon air freshener.  At the first sight of ants I spray it where they are coming out so they can't follow the trails.  (I'm disabled so can't scrub floors)

It is available at the 99 cent stores, and is very effective on ants, even outside.

It is like a magic eraser of their trails so they turn back.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the prime example of the best-selling lab-made kill spray:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT'S INSIDE RAID? WATCH OUT, KITTY!  (from Wired Magazine)

Excerpt:

  Unscented Raid smells like a kerosene spill in a nerve gas factory. Lemon Scent Raid smells like a kerosene spill in a nerve gas factory with a hint of lemon.

Pyrethrin and Pyrethroids

These poisons cause the ion channels in nerve cells to remain open too long, which makes neurons fire repeatedly, resulting in paralysis and death. Pretty vicious given where they come from: Pyrethrin is obtained from flowers of the asteraceae family (including daisies and chrysanthemums); pyrethroids are just synthetic pyrethrin. While both are especially toxic to insects (alas, even bees) they are supposed to be among the least deadly pesticides to mammals. Still, keep Raid away from kitty: Cats' livers can't process pyrethrin fast enough to keep from, you know, dying.

Piperonyl Butoxide or N-Octyl Bicycloheptene Dicarboximide

Not poisons on their own, these so-called pesticide synergists block the enzyme that breaks down pyrethrin in insects. Basically, bugs don't have a chance.

Isoparaffinic Hydrocarbon Solvent

The patent recommends Exxsol D60, a proprietary goo concocted by ExxonMobil Chemical and described as an "aliphatic hydrocarbon"—a hydrocarbon without aromatic ring molecules. Here it serves as an oily poison delivery system that coats the insect's exoskeleton, helping to get the toxins into the pest's pores.

Fragrance

Unscented Raid smells like a kerosene spill in a nerve gas factory. Lemon Scent Raid smells like a kerosene spill in a nerve gas factory with a hint of lemon.

Sorbitan Monooleate

Older spray pesticides were up to 80 percent hydrocarbons, toxins that aren't the greatest chemicals to be spraying around your house. Raid's current formula cuts the amount of hydrocarbons in half, replacing it with water. Surfactants like sorbitan monooleate help the H2O and hydrocarbons stay mixed properly.

Sodium Nitrite or Sodium Benzoate

These substances (particularly sodium nitrite) can be toxic in high doses, but the amounts present here are only enough to prevent the metal can from corroding.

Pyrethrin and Pyrethroids

Keep Raid away from kitty: Cats' livers can't process pyrethrin fast enough to keep from, you know, dying.

Raid uses a mix of propylene, butanes, and butylenes as propellant.

These are flammable and can cause breathing difficulties; you might want to stub out that Marlboro Light before spraying indoors.


What is the name of this metal bar with holes at the ends? I need to find a metal part that looks a bit like this:

     hole for bolt                strong metal
      |                            |
   ___|____________________________v_______
  /   v                                    \
 (   (_)                              (_)   ) <--round end
  \________________________________________/

This looks like a common part from a Meccano set, but with just two holes at either end for bolts. Two of these can go around a 2x4, then bolts run through the holes.

    /__\                             /__\<--end of bolt
 ____________________________________________<--the part
     __                               __
     __                               __
     __                               __
     __                               __ <---bolt
     __                               __
     __                               __
     __                               __
 ____________________________________________<--the part
    [==]                             [==]<---nut

I am searching for a name so that I can find these to buy. Is there a common application where these appear? Are they commonly used by a particular contractor for a particular type of job? What is the name of this kind of part?

(so far, other answers don't show something I'd use on a 2x4, hence this answer)

  Two of these can go around a 2x4, then bolts run through the holes ... Is there a common application where these appear?

"Straight Timber Connector" - for non-structural connections such as landscaping.

Smaller versions are usually called mending plates in my part of the world.

For structural applications involving vertical shear loads - like splicing joists - in buildings, you'd typically use something very different to that illustrated above. E.g. a "splice plate" or "nail plate".

As Isherwood noted, there are likely to be a variety of names for these types of connector.


How can I set these nails flush in my beadboard paneling? The person who installed beadboard around our kitchen island didn’t countersink the nails.  I bought a nail set from Home Depot and have been trying for the past hour to get the nail at least flush with the beadboard.   It doesn’t seem to be budging.  I quickly tried doing it with some other nails that need it and nothing’s happening.  This is the nail set and hammer I’m using? I’ve also included a photo of what the finished nails look like and another photo of what my nail looks like after going at it for some time. Any thoughts or advice would be great, thank you!!!

Unless I've got the scale completely wrong, those aren't finish nails. These are finish nails, since they have tiny heads. A finish head nail is used when there is no force on the head, such as trim and other decorative pieces.

What you look to have are common head nails. These are used when the force on the nail head is significant and avoids pulling the nail through the wood.

You can still countersink these, but not with the nail punch you have, which is designed to completely cover the nail head so it won't slip off. You'll need a ballpeen hammer to get that done. You use the rounded end to pound in the nail. This is done either by using it like a regular hammer and risk missing the nail, or you put the hammer on the nail and use another hammer to hit it.

And no, hitting a hammer with another hammer isn't going to make either explode. This was busted by the Mythbusters years ago. You can break chips off the hammer, if it's old and already showing signs of stress, but it's not going to explode.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_(2006_season)#Hammer_vs._Hammer

The big flat head works like snowshoes on snow.

Drill out the nails, use a drill that is slightly larger than the nail shaft.

Drill in middle of the nail head.  You could drill a tiny pilot hole first.

The head should fall off, then punch the rest of the nail in a bit more.

Use some proper nails to hold the board, fill all holes and apply paint


Dealing with incline from back door to fence We have plans for a new house build - see my attached crude mockup where the front of the house is on the left and the backyard is the green shaded area.

The land has up to 1.8m incline from front to back (these are the elevation values):

99.8m SW corner (top-left)
100.2m SE corner (bottom-left)
101.3m NW corner (top-right)
101.6m NE corner (bottom-right)

The slab has an elevation of 100.6m.
This means there is a 1 metre uphill incline from the back door to the NE corner of the yard (over a distance of 4.9 metres), with a slightly smaller incline of 700mm from the back door to the NW corner.
The builder's original proposal was to build a 1 metre deep footpath around the property, and then a retaining wall with 2 steps up into the backyard.  We didn't like this as it would mean the flat portion of the yard would be approximately 4 metres from the retaining wall to the fence.
What we are proposing is to excavate the land around the back/side of the property to lower it to slab height, and then build a retaining wall at the fence line.  This will give us the full flat backyard, without any awkward steps or retaining walls in the middle.
Based on these measurements and figures, does our option sound feasible?  Our main concerns are:

Cost of excavation
Whether retaining wall will be effective enough (neighbours houses will be 1 metre higher than ours)
Whether we will become vulnerable to flooding in heavy rain (note we're not in a flood prone area)

I guess we just want some reassurance that what we're proposing is a fairly "normal" thing to do, and we won't run into any major complications after the build.

I assume this is going to be a slab on grade house.
I assume the plan is for rain drains which feed into a perimeter drain which goes out to the city storm drain.
A 1m tall retaining wall is nothing.  A nice flat backyard is good.
Unless your lot is down slope from many other lots and there is a natural tendency for water to run into your yard and your neighbors don't have good drainage I like your general plan.  Even if there was a drainage issue, as long as your house is protected with perimeter drains, you could cheaply add more drainage and hook into your perimeter drain.  Leave a 1' wide area over your perimeter drain in the backyard to serve as drain rock and easy drainage should the backyard get more water than is desired.
Cost to excavate 1m should be pretty minimal ( assumes that isn't 1m of bedrock and there aren't truck sized bolders in that 1m ).
The biggest expense is likely to be the larger retaining wall and the extra coordination with the neighbors depending on how you site the wall and how you site the fence with relation to the wall.

I have to post this as an answer, because SE doesn't support pictures in comments. So here goes.  I deleted a previous comment bc it no longer applies. On the first pic you can see the tall stem wall from the outside, it's about 5' tall, tarred and then delta dimple mat applied, drain rock next to the stem wall to a foundation drain, backfilling as the drain rock was  brought in.  Been here 15 years now and have never had a drop of water come into the shop thru that wall. Like I said before, keeps it cool in the summer being partly Earth sheltered and somewhat warmer in the winter.  I like my shop at about 58-60 degrees and mother Earth does a pretty good job of that. I may not be comprehending your issue correctly so this could all be worthless, at anyrate, here are the pics:


Is sheetrock/drywall required under woodpanelling? I live in an old house, built in 1940's. I have a wall between two bedrooms that bowed out terribly. It is not a supporting wall. I am pulling this wall out, reframing it, and installing 3/4" tongue-and-grove beetle-kill panelling. Is sheetrock/drywall required under the wood?

If I am not mistaken I believe there are 2 things that are going to play a role in this when dealing with older homes from the 50s on back.

Meeting fire codes and
Will meeting fire codes endanger the integrity of the dwelling based on load bearing capacities.

For instance, many homes back then had rooms with wall to wall knotty pine, plaster in place of drywall, load bearing walls made of all bricks with 2 fireplaces to match. Not to mention, was the roof sheeted or were slats used.

That type of weight starts adding up real fast.

I think a private or city engineer and then/or a city inspector can tell you what the answers are.

Might want to see if you can access the prints of the home if you do not already possess them. It may save you some $$$.

If you get bored or find this interesting here is a link to a live load and dead load calculator. You will quickly see that weight plays a huge factor that is often overlooked when you're talking numbers like 40 lbs per sq ft and a fish tank is in one corner.

http://www.awc.org/codes-standards/calculators-software/spancalc


When tiling a floor must I start in the middle of the room? I am tiling a small bathroom ~45sq ft. The book I am referencing suggested starting the tile in the center of the room to prevent laying any tiny fractions of tile near one side of the room. I'm working with 12x24" tiles and it looks like I might be better suited with starting the tiles at the door threshold. Is the start at the middle idea just a guideline that I can go ahead and break?

The two things (starting in the middle and avoiding slivers) are NOT related.

You can start in the middle and end up with idiotic cuts on both edges - or you can start in the corner and not do that...

What you SHOULD do is measure enough that you know where to put the SENSIBLE cuts on the edges, regardless if you are starting at a wall, corner, or the middle of the floor. When starting in a corner or at a wall, your very first tile might well be a cut tile. By planning, you know what cuts you are making and can place the whole and cut tiles as you like. In your case, the first two-and-a bit tiles at the door should probably be cut so that there's not a large gap at the threshold (or you need to get the door molding cut so they can slide under it.) Depending how the (invisible) far wall (opposite the door) comes out, you might want to take enough off the "door" tiles that the wall parallel to the door does not have what looks to be a 1-1/2" slice running along it.

The main argument I've seen for starting in the middle is to avoid following an irregular wall - but you can do the same thing by striking a chalk-line where the first grout line from the wall would be, and pre-cutting all the tiles for that wall if it's irregular (or if they will be half or 1/3 tiles so the far wall isn't slivers - which you'll know because you measure it.)

Based on your pictures, I'd choose the "not centered" approach, since the visible far wall is decidedly not slivers that way, but that's purely an opinion call, not "right" or "wrong."

LOL, that is funny. Might want to burn that book because any tile setter that wrote that is either a complete amateur or an idiot.

There are two basic problems with tile geometry: the room is not square, and the dimensions of the room are not evenly divisible by the dimensions of the tile. Solving these two problems is not trivial, even for experienced tile setters and for an amateur it is very difficult.

I would strongly suggest getting tile setting software. This software will let you experiment with different layouts and help you determine the best configuration for your space.

In general, what you want is for everything to be balanced, which means that the angles and cutoffs are the same on all sides. For example, if the tile makes a 5-degree angle with the wall on the left, then it should make a 5-degree angle with the wall on right. Having a 3-degree angle on one side and an 8-degree angle on the other is bad. Likewise, the cutoffs should be balanced. If you have a 5-inch cutoff on one side, then you should have a 5-inch cutoff on the other. Having no cutoff on one side, and a 10-inch cutoff on the other is bad because it is not balanced.


Sink P-Trap doesn't line up with Drain pipe How can I get my sink drain lined up properly. The drain coming out of the wall is welded together and it doesn't have the connector that catches the threaded side of the p-trap. It's' also about an inch short from the p-trap. Thanks for the help guys.

OK as a temp fix you could:

cut the existing metal tube, leave at least a couple inches from the blobbed up old connection.
clean the outside of the tube as well as you can, I would probably use steel wool.
use an 1 1/2" slip-joint coupler:

connect the new trap with the arm it came with, into the coupler.

I don't see why you can't loosen the nut on the pvc pipe and turn it to line up under the pipe?  I've done it on two occasions.


How do I wire a ceiling fan? I recently purchased a ceiling fan - Harbor Breeze Tilghman WITHOUT a light - to replace a ceiling fan WITH a light.  The wires coming from the (old)ceiling are red, black, white, green, and copper. The green wire is coming from the ceiling mounting bracket. I do know the light worked on the previous fan before replacement, but the fan motor had long burned out.  On the new fan, the wires are white, blue, and black; with the green ground wire from the downrod.
The old fan connected to one switch, which turned on both the fan and light, then we could use the pull chains to turn either/or off as desired.
I have tried multiple wiring combinations and still the fan does not work.  What wiring combinations do you suggest - aside from the obvious white-white, black-black, and green to green, I'm not sure if I need to connect  the red (from the ceiling) or the blue (from the fan - since we don't have a light on this fan) to anything or to simply leave the alone and wrapped in electrical tape.  Any suggestions??

Absolutely do not leave the wires alone wrapped in electrical tape. Electrical tape does not have enough longevity to safely protect the exposed leads and can create a hazard in the future.

The blue wire exists to support the future addition of a light. The polite thing to do for your future self or future owner of your home would be to connect the blue and red wires. However, it is not necessary; if you do not want to, you can cap both leads with wire nuts.

Note that it is also legitimate to connect the black on the fan to the red from the ceiling, and the blue on the fan to the black from the ceiling. Assuming you have two switches, that will swap which switch controls the fan and which switch controls the light.

If the existing black-black connection doesn't work, you can try the black-red. If that does work, it would suggest that the switch for the fan has failed, although it could also indicate other wiring problems.

Green to copper and green
Red and black to blue and black
White to white


How to tighten a circular saw without a spindle / arbor lock? I have an older Black & Decker Sawcat #987. It does not appear to have any way of locking the spindle that I can find.

How are you supposed to tighten down the blade bolt if you can't hold the spindle from turning? It gets semi-tight and then the spindle just turns. The blade is still free to rotate at this point. I don't think there is enough friction to run the motor to snug it up that way.

I am aware of methods to loosen the bolt without a lock (hold the blade with block of wood, sharply applied torque, etc.) but these don't seem to apply when tightening.

(I feel like I may be missing something obvious because this seems like a ridiculous problem!)

Thanks

I have used a screwdriver.

UNPLUG THE SAW.

finger tighten the bolt as far as you can, set the screwdriver across the fence and slide it into the teeth so that  blade tooth is up against the shaft of the screwdriver and can not turn. This is usually enough to get the arbor bolt to snug up enough so that it pinches the arbor onto the blade. Perhaps a vise grip would work as well to grab the blade.

Screw driver trick works. The blade will tighten itself once there's a load on it


New GFCI to replace one that was in the subpanel of a hot tub I have a dedicated 50 amp 240 v circuit to a hot tub.  Had it over 15 yrs no problems.  Recently the GFCI that was in the sub panel would buzz and then trip or sometimes work just fine after resetting.  The GFCI was an old one that had the 240 v wires running through a hole in the back...these are not used anymore.  I bought a new one that goes into the main panel that feeds the sub panel.  It has a center white ground wire that goes to the main ground.  The circuit going to the hot tub has red, black, and white.  In the main panel the white wire is connected to the main ground bus.  When I connect the white from the new GFCI it trips the breaker.  Is that because I need to take the white wire from the hot tub and connect it directly to the center lug in the new GFCI circuit breaker instead of the bus and then the pigtail from the GFCI to the ground bus?  To me that makes sense and would stop the tripping.  Please advise as these new GFCI are a bit different than 20 years ago.

Yes, you need to connect the white from the hot tub panel to the gfci breaker, and the pigtail from the breaker to the neutral bus.

Thanks...After thinking about it I moved the white ground to the center lug of the breaker and then the pigtail to the ground bus.  I just had to think how it works and it has to sense activity on the ground and to do that it has to pass through the back end of the breaker where the GFCI sensors are located.  It was a light bulb goes on moment.
Thanks


What could happen if I use 2 cycle fuel in a 4 cycle engine? First off, this is NOT to be confused with the following question:

What could happen if I used 4 cycle fuel in a 2 cycle engine?

2 cycle oil is used for my weed eater. There is no way I could use a whole gallon in a year.

Sometimes I run out of gasoline for my 4 cycle lawn mower, and that 2 cycle mix fuel is sitting there getting really old.

If I run that in the lawn mower, am I simply going to create extra pollution or could the 2 cycle fuel cause any damage to the 4 cycle engine?

It will smoke badly and may indeed foul the plug(s). It will be less of a problem if you only use a SMALL amount of mix fuel in each tank, so the oil is more diluted.

IMHO, IME, if you use THAT little fuel in your weed whacker, you probably should sell it and buy an electric one, either corded or rechargeable.

If you don't want to do that, then you should invest in some good liquid measures that you will NOT use for anything else, and mix only a pint or quart of mixed fuel at one time - or purchase "canned pre-mix" fuel which typically comes in sealed metal quart cans - available in many places.

Edit WRT comments: I would personally choose an inexpensive graduated cylinder (or two) for the mixing - far less likely to be repurposed to food use by someone that does not know better than a tablespoon - also very easy to get a direct ratio in small quantity. But...2 Tbs in an ounce, 16 per cup, 32 per pint, 128 per half-gallon. So a pint of 32:1 mix is easy, but all my stuff is 50:1 mix. 256 tablespoons per gallon at 50:1 works back to one Tbs per 0.195 gallon (on a modern digital pump readout.) 40:1 is 0.156 and 32:1 is 0.125

There is no difference between "2-cycle" and "4-cycle" fuel except that 2-cycle engines use the fuel as a lubricant, so oil has to be mixed in with the fuel (gasoline). 4-cycle engines are usually made to closer tolerances so having oil mixed with the fuel can gum them up and cause overheating.

As long as you only add oil to the 2-cycle machine's fuel, then you are fine.

Update, reading your question more closely I see you want to use the fuel mixed with oil. The answer is that it is not that great for a four cylinder engine, but it is doable.


How can I repair a puncture in a hollow-core wooden door? Someone punched my wooden door. Now it has a giant dent in it.

The dent is similar to this one. Fortunately, it's a bit less severe than this. How can I "pop" the dent back out?

You can't.  Wood doesn't "pop back out".  The wood is actually broken.

If you just want to repair it structurally, then filling in with something like a suitable epoxy and sanding would work.

Getting it to look like the undamaged original will be impossible or very difficult at best.  This is due to the grain, and no replacement piece of wood having the same matching grain pattern.

The best try would be to very carefully get the pieces of the wood back into their original positions.  Then open the cracked areas again a little, carefully insert some wood glue, back to original position, and somehow clamp or hold in that position until the glue dries.  Then you still have to sand the result to make it smooth, and hope the few inevitable interruptions in the grain won't be too noticeable.

A Mirror glued over the top may see this whole problem behind you


How do I connect a 4-wire oven to a 3-wire outlet? I have a new whirlpool dbl oven with a 4 wire wiring harness-white, black, red and green. My old single oven compartments junction box (house was built in '79), has 3 wires-black, white, and copper ground. 50amp, 240v circuit. How do I correctly connect these?

You'd have to look at the old receptacle to be sure.  If it's a NEMA 10-50, then the following is true: it is being fed by common 6/2 grounded cable.

NEMA 10 is an obsolete and somewhat dangerous receptacle family, used in the old days for ranges and dryers.  It provides hot, hot and neutral - 240V hot-to-hot, and 120V hot-to-neutral.  It does not provide ground.

Often, this was installed using the common "/2" cable. There's no choice to color; it's always black, white and bare.  In this usage, the white is not a neutral; it's the other hot.  The bare wire is the neutral. Really.

Today, a white wire used as a "hot" must be marked with tape.  Back in the old days, that was not required if the usage was obvious.

I would make the argument that the old circuit is "grandfathered", which it is.  If the 10-50 receptacle broke, you could change it without breaking the grandfathering; in fact the stores sell 10-50R's for only that purpose. I would argue the same is true for changing it to a modern 4-prong NEMA 14-50.  I would then use the NEC 2014 rules which allow retrofitting a true ground. Can't promise you the inspector would agree.

It appears that you might be trying to add a 240V appliance to a 120V supply.  A 240V supply will contain Red, White and Black wires typically.  The Red and Black are the 120V and the -120V lines, with white being common and bare copper being ground.  The green on the appliance will match to the bare copper for Ground.  This 3 way wire would have to be connected to a 2 pole circuit breaker, with red on one pole and black on the other.

Unfortunately, I do not think this appliance will work here, it appears you have only 120V supplied.


How should I repair this splintered wood. The splinter is on the back of the lid on a wooden box/chest. Thanks! How should I repair this splintered wood. The splinter is on the back of the lid on a wooden box/chest. Thanks!!!

It looks like it will press right back into place, so it really comes down to what type of glue to use, and how to clamp. Here's what I would do:

Choose a glue: Any normal PVA ("wood glue") should be fine. Superglue might be quicker, but it can be fussy, so practice with it on another piece of wood if you go that route, so you know what to expect.
Plan/rehearse clamping: Is masking tape enough to hold the crack shut? How about a couple of bar clamps or a ratchet strap? Experiment to see what works before you apply any glue. If you need to apply some packing tape to a clamp or strap to keep the glue from sticking to it, do that now too. Keep the clamps handy.
Prepare the surfaces (optional).

If you rub a candle (paraffin) on the finished surfaces of the wood near the crack, excess glue will be easier to clean up, and you may avoid damaging the finish.
Some woods can be hard to glue because of oils on the surface, esp. tropical woods like mahogany. If in doubt, carefully wipe/floss the inside of the crack with some acetone or deglosser on a cotton rag. Whatever you do, don't splinter the wood--you want it to match perfectly when clamped.

Glue and clamp: Spread glue inside the crack without splintering the wood. You can "floss" it in there with some paper or cloth--or just get it to drip in. Don't worry too much about the excess. If it's super glue you'll have to work fast. Clamp it up--since you rehearsed it will be quick and without surprises. You did rehearse, right? Since the outside of the board looks like it's finished, you can wipe up excess with a damp rag.
Cleanup: wait until the glue is semi-cured, dry but not completely hard. Probably 30-60 minutes for PVA depending on humidity & temperature. Chip off the excess with a chisel, knife, fingernail, or whatever--just be careful not to damage the finish. Technically you could take the clamps off at this point, but it's better to leave them on for 8-24 hours just to be safe.

It is not much more work nor much more expensive to purchase a new door w/door knob hole and the hinge reliefs routed.  If your measurements are accurate and precise, and the fabrication of the new door is true to the demensions of the existing door, maybe $45 for the cheapest hollow door to $175 for a solid wood one, and all hinges are prwciarly set so that their planes intersect in one common line that is parallel to the door frame and to the door when it is shut and when it is open. It is definately easier said than done, but unless you have a table saw, a wood router, and a miter saw, for the angle cuts of the trim, i think replacing the door would lend itself to a more esthetic and a more safe and a more secure home, for not much more money nor more work.


Can a vent be started from a wye? Is it ok to start a vent on a 45 from a wye like on this drawing?

I need to clear the edge of the sink (actually a giant double compartment sink) before I can go up and start horizontal once I clear the flood rim + 6".

A couple points, some of which include what others have said.

Can a vent be started from a wye?  YES
Can you do what you were proposing? NO

As others have said, you have an S-trap there, which violates "the vent connection to a fixture drain [shall not] be below the weir of the trap" (IPC code) - the point at which air is introduced from the vent needs to be above the weir, or highest point of the seal. In your diagram, the point of air introduction is where the 45 degree part of the wye hits the drop.

You could fix this by, in effect, reversing your two connections. Instead of a wye and the 90 degree bend, use a sanitary tee to the trap and the connect the vent to the top via a 45 above to go out through your space.

As you note, the vent then needs to extend at least 6" above the sink flood rim before going horizontally.

Absolutely! Most any fitting is perfectly acceptable and legal, just don't use any reducers, caps or traps in the venting.

Though, check with your local Codes, Building, Zoning, Permit or Inspection Department (whatever they're called around you). That 6-inches above the Flood Rim may need to be 36-inches and if there's a toilet on the line a 2" vent pipe may be required. Same goes for bird screening or goose-necking of the exterior pipe termination.


What's the proper way to flash an inside roofing corner, with self-stick membrane? What's the proper detail to apply membrane or tar paper to an inside roofing corner, where a sloped roof meets a higher wall at a corner? Of course a metal flashing goes on top of of the membrane, and the wall's WRB must lap into the metal flashing.  But here I'm asking about how to lay out the details of the bottom-most redundant water shedding layer.

Tar Paper or Membrane underneath, I've never found a single drop make it through metal flashing...that was replaced or re-faced with every new roof. If we're not talking about the slope being parallel with the wall & the slope is perpendicular throwing water at the wall, then definitely membrane as far & wide as you can under very tall & wide metal flashing.


What is the recommended way to destroy mold? Back in the day I've heard that bleach is a good way to kill mold. The other day a home inspector suggested that Dawn dish soap actually works much better than bleach. I've heard from another home inspector to use the store-bought mold killer.

Does anyone know what really works and what doesn't for a DIYer?

Bleach, when used carefully, may be effective at killing surface mold. However, when I started to research how to get invisible to the eye mold and it's related odor out of some unfinished wood, over and over I kept finding assertions that bleach is inadequate for eliminating mold issues for the following reason:

  Mold's hypae (root structures) actually grow into wood and drywall like roots. The hyphae are not killed by bleach because bleach's ion structure prevents chlorine from penetrating into porous materials such as drywall and wood. It stays on the outside surface, whereas mold has protected enzyme roots growing inside the porous construction materials. When you spray porous surface molds with bleach, the water part of the solution soaks into the wood while the bleach chemical sits atop the surface, gasses off, and thus only partially kills the surface layer of mold while the water penetration of the building materials foster further mildew and mold growth. [This quotation appears on many websites almost word for word, but no site I looked at gave any credit to the original source of this information]

How do you get those hyphae out of the wood or other material? You need a surfactants.

  Surfactants serve the purpose of significantly lowering the surface tension of water to allow a cleaning solution to penetrate porous surfaces -KleanPros

What's an example of a Surfactant? Dishwashing soap.

This is why some mold cleaning guides will suggest adding dishwashing soap into your bleach/water mixture, or say to skip the bleach entirely, and just use the surfactant cleaning properties to dislodge the mold and remove it from the surface without actually "killing" it.

A mold expert who came to do mold testing at our home claimed that, depending on the species of mold being eradicated, that bleach was the "worst thing you could do" in fixing a mold problem, because it may cause a release of highly toxic mycotoxin particles. Neither the EPA or OSHA recommend bleach for mold removal under "most" circumstances.

The EPA also points out that:

  Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold, it must also be removed.

Which goes back to that surfactant thing. If you're talking about a non-porous surface, sure, bleach may work well, so long as you use it properly (ventilate, don't mix with ammonia, etc), but if there's any possibly porous or crevice-filled surfaces, either the dish soap or a epa-registered mold-killing product would be a reasonable choice.

If you have a serious mold problem in your home, get a professional to treat it.  No home remedy is going to help in that case.

TSP has essentially been taken off of the market. It was used often to prep for painting in the past. There are TSP substitutes, but this stuff is dangerous.

My allergist recommended cleaning with white vinegar solution to remove/control mold in the home on a regular basis in the bathroom, refrigerator, etc.

Borax is still readily available.  You can find it in the grocery in the laundry detergent aisle. As for it causing inhalation injuries, don't snort it.  Sheesh, everything is dangerous if not used properly/according to directions.  I use borax with every load of laundry I do. It is a great, inexpensive laundry booster and cleaning agent.

Someone was asking/hoping they could get their hands on some "sodium chloride."  Look in your kitchen cabinet.... it's table salt.


What type of corbels are needed to support a granite counter top? I am having a new granite counter top installed and the counter installer has said that I need to install new corbels on the knee-wall to support the weight of the granite counter top.  The current and the new counter top extend about 12 inches beyond the knee-wall and the current brackets that are there right now (see picture below) will not hold the weight of the granite.

I agree with the installer that new brackets need to be installed but I am having difficulty finding corbels that would work.  I have tried both Lowes and Home Depot and depending on who I talk to either they have no idea what a corbel is (I didn't either up until now) or they point me to decorative corbels which are not made to support weight, let alone the weight of a granite counter top.

Any ideas what type and where I could find corbels that would be strong enough to support a granite counter?

Well Jeff, the term corbel is new to me also. I always thought corbel was a champagne. But as far as supporting the granite:

I think those corbels are quite ugly and rather than replace them with more ugly corbels, I'd be inclined to build a support structure around the top of the knee wall and trim it out.  If you were to add a perimeter of 2×4's dressed out with 3/4" pine on that wall, you would increase the load bearing area from about 4 1/2" (3 1/2" stud plus 2 × 1/2" drywall sides) to 9 inches. 9 inches should be plenty to support the new 12" top. Add a little decorative molding to hide any exposed 2×4 on the bottom and a little Scotia or 1/4 round along the top under the counter and you got a nice finished look.

There are many hidden countertop support brackets on the market. Lowes just starting carrying them. I used http://www.counterbalanceshop.com for my kitchen. These would be less visibly then some of the other options.


What is the difference between an impact driver and an impact wrench? Obviously impact drivers and impact wrenches are designed for different purposes, but since they both work on the same principle is there some overlap? Is a small cordless impact wrench just a slightly scaled-up version of a cordless impact driver, with a 1/4" square drive instead of a 1/4" hex drive, or are there further differences? Could I buy adaptors to use one occasionally in place of the other, and if so what would be the disadvantages? I can guess a few downsides: the wrench would be heavy and large when used as a driver so not convenient at arms length or in tight spaces; the driver would be underpowered for really heavy-duty wrenching; the wrench might need some care to avoid twisting the heads right off your screws. Is there more to it than that?

Most driver bit sets come with a 1/4" square drive adapter (my small Milwaukee set also came with a 3/8" drive as well, though I don't know if that's common).  With that one bit, your driver is instantly almost exactly the same as a 1/4" impact wrench.  You'd have to look at torque specs to see if the models you're considering are comparable, but I bet they are.  Those little impact drivers have come a long way -- battery life is great and the torque is hard to believe.

I'd only consider a square drive impact wrench for heavier automotive (or other mechanical) use, and only in a larger size like 1/2" so it can provide some real help in removing tough fasteners.

The impact drivers deliver a downward force as well as rotational , so better suited for screw heads like phillips to reduce/ eliminate cam out.


What amp breaker for 20 Amp electrical oven and 40 Amp electrical range on same circuit What amp breaker should I use for a 20 Amp electrical oven and a 40 Amp range?
Currently, I have a 6 gauge wire and a 50 Amp breaker, and my current electrical cooktop and electrical oven are both hooked up to this.
I want to replace my current cooktop and oven with a 40 amp electric cooktop (induction-type) and a 20 amp electric oven.
Do I need to update my 50 Amp breaker to be a 60 Amp breaker because the total of the two new appliances is 60 amps?  Would the resulting system (6 gauge wire and 60 Amp fuse) be safe for the combined cooktop and oven and within California code?
If helpful, the model and electrical specifications for the two appliances are listed below.
Frigidaire Professional 30'' Induction Cooktop

Amps @ 240 Volts: 35.0 / 35.1
Connected Load (kW Rating) @ 240V: 8.4 / 7.3
Minimum Circuit Required (Amps): 40A
Power Supply Connection Location: Right Rear
Voltage Rating: 240V / 208V, 60Hz

Frigidaire Professional 30'' Single Electric Wall Oven

Amps @ 240 Volts: 20.8 / 18.3
Connected Load (kW Rating) @ 240V: 5.0 / 3.8
Minimum Circuit Required (Amps): 20A
Power Supply Connection Location: Left Rear Bottom
Voltage Rating: 240V / 208V, 60Hz

Column C

First off you'll notice the text "Column C to be used in all cases except as otherwise permitted in Note 3.)", in the title of table 220.55. This makes it simple. You have 2 appliances, so follow that over in the table, and you'll see 11 in Column C.  So there you go, you can just use 11 kW. Done.

11,000 W / 240 V = 45.8333 A

So you'll need a 50 ampere breaker, and wire sized appropriately for the load.

Note 3

Note 3 says:

  Over 1 3⁄4 kW through 8 3⁄4 kW. In lieu of the method provided in Column C, it shall be permissible to add the nameplate ratings of all household
  cooking appliances rated more than 1 3⁄4 kW but not more than 8 3⁄4 kW and multiply the sum by the demand factors specified in Column A or
  Column B for the given number of appliances. Where the rating of cooking appliances falls under both Column A and Column B, the demand
  factors for each column shall be applied to the appliances for that column, and the results added together.

Perfect, so instead of just using the value from column C you can do math. Let's step through it.

  ...it shall be permissible to add the nameplate ratings of all household
  cooking appliances rated more than 1 3⁄4 kW but not more than 8 3⁄4 kW...

8.4 kW + 5.0 kW = 13.4 kW

  ...and multiply the sum by the demand factors specified in Column A or
  Column B for the given number of appliances...

Let's check the table again... You have 2 appliances, both between 3 1/2 and 8 3/4 kW. So You'll look at column B, and find 65%.

13.4 kW * 65% = 8.71 kW

8710 W / 240 V = 36.2916 A

So using this method you can use a 40 ampere breaker, and appropriately sized wire. However, keep in mind that if you change the equipment, you'll have to do the calculation again. So while you can use this value, you may have to upgrade the circuit later if you change equipment.

Note 4

I'm not exactly sure how note 4 comes into play, but I think it can be used if this is the only equipment on the branch circuit. Just for fun, let's run through that one too.

  Branch-Circuit Load. It shall be permissible to calculate the branch-circuit load for one range in accordance with Table 220.55. The branch-circuit
  load for one wall-mounted oven or one counter-mounted cooking unit shall be the nameplate rating of the appliance. The branch-circuit load
  for a counter-mounted cooking unit and not more than two wall-mounted ovens, all supplied from a single branch circuit and located in the same
  room, shall be calculated by adding the nameplate rating of the individual appliances and treating this total as equivalent to one range.

You're only concerned with the second half of this note, since you have one counter-mounted cooking unit, and one wall-mounted oven, all supplied by a single branch-circuit, and located in the same room. So you can add the nameplate values, and treat it as a single range.

8.4 kW + 5.0 kW = 13.4 kW

So you can treat the units as a single 13.4 kW range. Check the column C again, this time for a single range. You'll find a value of 8 kW. But wait... The column header says "(Not over 12 kW Rating)". Your range is 13.4 kW. That's bigger than 12 kW. Now you'll have to check note 1

  Over 12 kW through 27 kW ranges all of same rating. For ranges individually rated more than 12 kW but not more than 27 kW, the maximum
  demand in Column C shall be increased 5 percent for each additional kilowatt of rating or major fraction thereof by which the rating of individual
  ranges exceeds 12 kW.

That's easy enough.

13.4 kW - 8 kW = 5.4 kW

Since .4 is not a "major fraction", you can just use 5 kW. So you'll have to add 5% 5 times.

5% * 5 = 0.25
8000 W * 0.25 = 2000 W
8000 W + 2000 W = 10,000 W

That means you'll have to use 10 kW as your demand.

10,000 W / 240 V = 41.666 A

Which means you can use a 50 ampere breaker, and appropriately size wire.

Cooktop 8.4 kw
Oven 5.0 kw
Table 220.55 column B note 3

8.4 kw× .65=5.46 kw

5.0 kw× .65=3.25 kw

5.46 kw+3.25 kw=8.71 kw
210.19 (A)(3)
For ranges 8.75 kw and over the minimum branch circuit is 40 amp. Your 50 amp circuit should be fine.


Hue Compatible Wall Switch? I have a bunch of Hue bulbs throughout the house.  Most are controlled via your standard wall switch.   This is, of course, sub-optimal;  with the wall switch off, the Hue lamp can't be remotely controlled.

I'm looking for switch that is, effectively, a power pass through with a signaling mechanism for controlling the Hue.  That would be ideal but, I suspect, runs afoul of electrical code.

Question:  Is there some device that could replace the existing wall switches while still leaving the Hue powered while also providing signaling to turn the Hue off?

So, the next best solution appears to be using something like the Lutron Caseta switches.   They can be configured to replace the 3 way switches and are Apple HomeKit compatible.

Is there a Caseta switch that is either just on/off or can the Caseta dimmers be configured to not dim?

There are options available.  Maybe they are so new, you just didn't know about them:

Hue Dimmer Switch

Hue Tap Switch

Figured it out.   Buried on the Lutron Caseta website is the full product inventory and they do have a simple switch:

http://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocumentLibrary/0301799_WEB.pdf

The only problem with this is that a command to Siri to "turn all lights off" will likely both dim the Hue simultaneously with telling the Caseta to turn off.  There'll be some inconsistency to the behavior.

Looks like PD-5WS-DV is a better solution, actually.


What are the advantages and disadvantage of using "pushfit"  pipe fittings? There are many makes of pushfit pipe fittings that make it a lot easer to join pipes, incluing copper pipes, e,g:

John Guest Speedfit
Cuprofit®- copper push fit
Hepworth-HEP20

(please expand the list if you know of any others)

How do I decide if I should use them rather than soldered copper fittings?
If I use to use a pushfit system, how do I choose the one to use?

I've been a bit cynical of these but tried push-fit on my last project -- works a treat.

Pros: it's really really fast and easy, you're more likely to get it right first time, and you can use PEX tubing which is lovely and flexible, so brilliant for doing e.g. taps for a basin on a stud partition.

Cons: expensive. Much more expensive. And you'd not want to use them on exposed pipework.

I found them hard to put in securely when limited pipe is exposed, and difficult to remove. Compression ring fittings are an alternative.


Why do I have less than line voltage at a switch box? at the breaker I have 120 volts but I only measure 20 volts between either the black or the white and ground at the switch itself. Between the black and the white I have zero voltage.
Any idea what the problem might be ... the switch controls a ceiling fan.

You appear to have a bad connection in the ground wire somewhere.

With a standard switch loop, the Code requires the white wire in a 2 wire cable to be connected to the hot feed and be permanently re-identified as an ungrounded conductor. Most electricians just use some black electrical tape to re-identify the hot feed to the switch. Personally I like blue in this case as it is not used in a normal residential install so it stands out.

So, with the switch closed (on) you should not get any voltage between the white wire and the black. You should then get 120 volts from either the black or white wires to the ground wire. With the switch open (off) you should read 120 volts between these wires and 120 volts from the white to the ground wire.

You should re-identify the white wire as any color but white or green. Then look for a bad connection on the ground wire.

Good luck and stay safe!

Look for somewhere the neutral (white wire) and the hot (black wire) may be stripped and touching each other, or crushed together (like in a staple that is driven too tight or a connector going into a box that is clamped too tight and marring the cable sheathing).

Getting light voltage from the neutral is your prime suspect in a marred wired situation. The fact that the neutral & hot both are showing the same voltage, I suspect they are touching each other.

Should have kicked the breaker, but sometimes, rarely, things are so perfectly wrong that breakers may not work like they should.


Can heat pumps condensation line be run in wall? We're adding an addition (garage with master suite) and we currently have a couple of drain lines installed on that side of the house but they need to be moved to install the addition. Typically, they don't want to install these on the front of the house becausethe drain lines coming down are ugly but I was thinking that since we're having the entire house sided at the same time it might be possible to install the drain lines in the wall instead to avoid the ugly lines on the outside of the house? Is this an alternative solution I'm not seeing?

Yes you can run them in the wall. Most mini splits installed today have the drains and the high and low pressure refrigerant lines run on the exterior of the home so this is very normal and has been industry standard for decades to run the condensate out an exterior wall or into a drain.
I would want to make sure the run was straight and you have the ability to clean it incase green gunkies grow in the line and creates plugs.

These shouldn't have been done outside the wall to start with. They can run in the wall just like everything else does.


Where should I connect the C wire in my furnace, trying to upgrade my thremostat? I am upgrading my thermostat to a Honeywell Wifi one, and would like to add a common wire. My current furnace controller has 3 blue wires at the 24 v end of the transformer. Which of these (blue) should I use to connect my blue C wire?

Circuit diagram  below:

You can connect the C wire to any of the blue wires highlighted below, as they are all connected.

Looking at the diagram I have to ask why you need to add a common if your replacing an existing t-stat.

If theres no feature you need to add or problem you need to fix, you should continue to use the same configuration.

Otherwise use the chassis ground. There should be a blue wire bolted to the frame. Its normal to use the chassis as a ground/neutral as it will keep the chassis neutral preventing a "Hot Skin" condition.


How do I go from a 3-way switch controlling my basement lights to multiple 3-way switches? Currently my basement has multiple lights that are connected to a 3-way switch that can be operated from upstairs or in the basement.

I’m renovating my basement and will break it up into 3 different sections with an open floor plan.

I’d like to have 3-way switches controlling each section of the basement individually

I’m new to this and no I cannot afford an electrician right now

Any advice will be appreciated

What you're really looking for is zone control.

You still want the ability to turn all the basement lights on/off from the 3-way switches.  In fact, the ability to do so is a Code requirement, since the stairwell lights must be on a 3-way.  However, you want the ability to extinguish lights in areas you don't need.

So what you can do is add an additional block of switches on the "switched side" of the 3-way circuit.  That is, the side after the 3-way travelers.   In other words, don't overthink it.

The simplest way to do this, by the way, is to install lamps with pull chains.  But we can do it with real switches.

Let's start with a simple view of what a 3-way circuit is.  (And by the way, I strongly recommend you get colored tape and actually mark your wires these colors - because things will get really complicated if you do not!!)

Don't overthink it: don't mess with the yellows here. As things are, the "red" is on or off according to 3-way command. It branches out to your multiple, various lights including the stairwell light.    So we're going to have the "red" serve as the power input to another bank of normal (1-way) switches. They will input red "switched-hot" and output "switched, switched hot" to those lights you want separate control of.

Now, you can control the bunch with the 3-ways, and select which of the bunch turn on at the supplemental switches.

The stairwell light proper, since by law it must be under direct control of the 3-ways, will still get its power off the red, and will not be under a subsidiary switch.

Is this conservation necessary?

The better thing to do might actually be say sayonara to incandescent lights, and convert to LED.  Then you won't need to worry about the electric bill.

Of course, it's best to just re-wire everything. But, I presume you don't care where the circuit's initially powered and want to come off that basement switch.

Well then, you're in luck. You'll need to branch off of one of the existing and will be remaining 3-ways' Travelers to power the other lights and their switches. The Travelers are always on, the switches are what switches.

This will minimize your fishing and new hole making. You'll have some cutting and pulling of the old wire into the new switch locations (if you're SUPER LUCKY). I don't suspect you are, so expect to be thwarted by staples holding the old wire tight and having to do some new wiring.


What could be causing my GFCI outlet to trip? I have a GFCI outlet in my garage that keeps shutting off. I have unplugged all utilities from it and it still trips off. I replaced it with another GFCI outlet. When I hooked up that new outlet it has a green light on it indicating that it is hooked up but the outlet and the circuit it is on no longer has power. I put the old one back on and it worked for a couple of months then as I added Christmas lights to the circuit it started tripping off again. I again took off all the lights and appliances to it and it still trips off.
Any suggestions on how to correct this issue?

GFCI outlets break.  They don't last very long.     I recommend replace it with a regular outlet and put a GFCI breaker in the panel.   They are way more user friendly and cheaper.


How can I install a cable jack without a box? I recently had our drywall replaced due to flooding. Our coax cables are now just hanging out of the new wall and I need to install cable jacks.

Is there a way I can mount the coax wall plates to the drywall without an electric box in the wall? I'd rather not cut the drywall if I don't have to. I don't seem to remember the cable company ever doing that either. I've found a few articles mentioning television jack mounting brackets but the local home stores don't seem to have those.

Any tips?!

You could use something like this:

Cut a hole in the sheetrock according to the template, and when you tighten the screws, the tabs tighten against the back of the sheetrock to hold in place.  You then pull the cable through and use a plate like this:

I ended up just getting some plastic anchors that I put in the drywall and then mounted the wall plate directly to those. That seemed like an easier, less messy solution. I know it won't be as strong, but at the end of the day this is only for a cable jack and nothing will be pulling on it.

Thanks so much for the great advice everyone!


What are some tips/tricks to garage door lubrication? Are there any gotchas to garage door lubrication?

I have found the Prime Flo product on Home Depot's website.

Can I lubricate the large spring at the top of the garage door? What about the garage rails? What about the rail from the garage opener that makes it all work?

The rail from the garage door should be lubricated with White Lithium Grease, whether it's a chain or a screw type. Run a bead of grease along the top of it, then run the garage door up and down a few times.

The wheels, track and spring should be lubricated with your favorite lubricant oil -- not WD-40, which is a cleaner and penetrant, not a lube -- but an actual lubricant. I think I usually use silicone liquid wrench.

If the garage door still does not operate, check the alignment of your tracks to make sure they aren't binding. The spring might need to be re-tensioned, which is NOT (in my opinion) a DIY project.

Don't lubricate the roller tracks.  Only lubricate the moving parts and the top of the rail.


Ideas to finish the edge of my wall with decorative stone I have installed decorative stone in some of my walls, I really like how the look like, though the pictures don't make justice, but I'm not really happy with the edges since I don't have a wall that covers the sides. The sides look like the stones have just been cut or put in there like a 3D wallpaper.

One of the walls, the most noticeable that is on the entrance of the condo has just a closet on the side, picture attached for more context.

I'd install some wooden trim / decorative moulding and paint it to match nearby woodwork.

Make the left vertical edge of the decorative-stone even by cutting where needed (e.g. middle row of upper photo).
tack/glue appropriate sized stripwood behind front edge of moulding as shim.
Attach the shimmed moulding using adhesive (as presumably used for the decorative-stone)
Paint

(I'd also grout all those stepped joints)

Another option is to continue the decorative-stone a short way around the corner - some manufacturers of these types of panels allow for this. (random example)

I don't particularly like resolving things like this with YAM (Yet Another Molding). It tends to make a nice, subdued edge more pronounced and conspicuous. You have a very nice line there now that fits well with the stone style. The perfectly straight line of wood trim doesn't fit well, to my mind.

I'd mix up some flat gray paint that coordinates well with your stone color and simply paint the edges. If you find the right color, they'll probably almost disappear. You could also use a slightly lighter or darker color and sponge on a bit of texture to make it match even better.


reuse hot tub wiring for an EVSE? I need to install a 240V 40A circuit into my garage.  The end goal is to plug in a level 2 EVSE. (maybe it can be a 50A circuit? not sure).

I have an existing 50A GFCI breaker hooked up to 6 gauge 3 wire aluminum (labeled as 6 AL on the romex).  The aluminum romex extends from the breaker through my basement outside underneath the deck. There is no conduit, just the romex stapled underneath the deck.  The original intent of this circuit was to power a hottub (that no longer exists). The date on the romex is 1994.

My idea is to res-use as much of this setup as possible but extend it into my attached garage.  The circuit would need to be extended from the deck to my garage and then through the siding above the foundation.

1) Can you run romex outside your house and then back in?  I would think you would want conduit on the outside.  I am not sure this setup is code at this point.
2) Should I be worried about aluminum wiring and the heat stress issues?

This is fine for 40A, as long as your EV charger does not require a neutral connection

A 6AWG aluminum wire is rated for 40A on 60°C terminations and 50A on 75°C (really 60°C/75°C) terminations.  Your SE style U cable supplies two of these conductors, one for each hot, plus an uninsulated concentric sheath under the jacket that is in all likelihood the equipment grounding conductor (as your average hot tub has no use for a neutral), as permitted by NEC 338.10(B)(2):

  (2) Use of Uninsulated Conductor. Type SE service-entrance
  cable shall be permitted for use where the insulated conductors
  are used for circuit wiring and the uninsulated conductor is
  used only for equipment grounding purposes.

Given that SE cable is fine for indoor and outdoor usage as per NEC 338.10(B)(4):

  (4) Installation Methods for Branch Circuits and Feeders.

  (a) Interior Installations. In addition to the provisions of
  this article, Type SE service-entrance cable used for interior
  wiring shall comply with the installation requirements of Part II
  of Article 334, excluding 334.80.

  For Type SE cable with ungrounded conductor sizes 10 AWG
  and smaller, where installed in thermal insulation, the ampacity
  shall be in accordance with 60°C (140°F) conductor temperature rating. The maximum conductor temperature rating shall
  be permitted to be used for ampacity adjustment and correction purposes, if the final derated ampacity does not exceed
  that for a 60°C (140°F) rated conductor.

  Informational Note No. 1: See 310.15(A)(3) for temperature
  limitation of conductors.

  Informational Note No. 2: For the installation of main power
  feeder conductors in dwelling units refer to 310.15(B)(7).

  (b) Exterior Installations. In addition to the provisions of
  this article, service-entrance cable used for feeders or branch
  circuits, where installed as exterior wiring, shall be installed in
  accordance with Part I of Article 225. The cable shall be
  supported in accordance with 334.30. Type USE cable installed
  as underground feeder and branch circuit cable shall comply
  with Part II of Article 340.

, your plan to reuse this for a 32A continuous/40A maximum EVSE seems sound provided the EVSE does not require a neutral (which this cable does not provide), and there is nothing in Code I can find that prohibits an outside branch circuit or feeder from re-entering the structure it originates in.  Of course, you will need to use a 40A breaker for this (unless your EVSE has 75°C rated terminations, which will let you keep the existing 50A breaker and run the cable at 50A instead of 40A).

You can't use #6 aluminum on 50A no matter what scenario ... I'm terrified here that you're not grasping the basic concepts of electricity and you need to hire a professional that is licensed and insured to do this work properly.

You absolutely positively 100% cannot "extend this to the garage" because it's a detached structure and this requires the entire wiring setup to be changed to meet codes. You must install a sub panel in the detached garage and you can't simply re-use the "romex" hot tub wiring for this.


How to make Ariston Hotpoint FMG 863 SK washing machine to use more water Due to EU and US regulations, latest models of washing machines are really eco-friendly and use much less water thant their previous models. The problem is, this has to be countered by increasing the time to run the programs in order to keep the washing results good. Regular 60 C degree cotton program can take anything from three hours up to four. Often these models have also 1 hour fast wash, but the results are far from good if your clothes are even slightly more dirtier than your regular one day worn shirt. Some times it would just be really convinient to load the machine half full of water, run the fast program and still get good washing results.

There is a video on YouTube on how to hack Samsung Front Loader to use more water: https://youtu.be/2gYXdfg9TFg

Can I apply this information to hack my Ariston Hotpoint or are there any general tips some one can provide to make latest models of washing mascines to use more water?

I doubt that there is a way to do this, unless it is clearly written in the manual. Additional water in my Candy washing machine is used only for additional rinsing cycles and not for washing, therefore it even prolongs the time of washing, which is opposite of what I (and you, it seems) want.

I posted the similar question - whether there is a washing machine on the market that would allow me to low-level program it (e.g. to determine the amount of water as well). Apparently there isn't, but the feature is available in commercial washing machines, for example:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Front-load-fully-programmable-industrial-50kg_60387387819.html

Note the specs, it says: USB port microprocessor enables to reprogram freely&easily by PC.

Perhaps your service/repair guy has this kind of access to your machine, but I highly doubt it, since it would probably make the energy certification invalid. The best is calling the authorized service shop and ask them.

For Future Viewers:

You'd have to go to YouTube for an example & then an Appliance Repairer. There is indeed a cheat on many of them that's just turning a screw on the inlet valve governor. That's just one of several reasons why I won't buy a front loader & why many people go back to much quicker, cleaner & better top loaders.


What could be eating or removing the insulation in my garage door? We have noticed that there are piles of the tiny particles of the insulation from one of our garage doors on each side of our door. At first we swept it up and didn't think anything of it. The next day there were piles again! It just keeps happening. Any idea what might be inside of the door eating the insulation or just moving around inside of it to have it pile up on the floor? So strange.

Carpenter ants, they did the same in my insulated (Styrofoam) garage door. They attacked one door but not the second. I stopped them with Sevin dust but it needed a couple months. I just sprinkled it on the floor where the door touched ( because it is "flea powder" it is very low risk to pets.)

Carpenter Ants are making it a new home.


What's the best strategy to reduce moisture in this garage? First of all, I know this garage will never be dry. It's a standalone, one car garage built into the side of the hill that my house sits on. It abuts the neighbor's yard, and they have landscaping and flowers they frequently water. My neighbor even says the garage gets more water in it when they water a lot.
Garage http://plk.webimages.s3.amazonaws.com/garage1.JPG

The garage has a rubber roof with two gutters that do not effectively drain water. The aluminum edging is not sealed to the rubber, so I'm guessing most water goes straight down instead of into the gutter. There is brush cover on all 3 sides of the garage.
Gutter closeup http://plk.webimages.s3.amazonaws.com/garage4.JPG

Inside is a concrete floor with some cracks. The walls are unsealed cinder block. Even though it has been dry, you can see how much moisture is here. Should I try and seal the walls with DRYLOK?
Inside garage http://plk.webimages.s3.amazonaws.com/garage2.JPG

My ultimate goal in drying this out is to build a small climbing wall in the garage. It will be 2x4 frame with plywood. I don't mind if it's humid, but I'd prefer that it not smell strongly of mildew. I don't want the wood to rot from moisture.

Plan of attack and open questions:

I have considered digging a trench around the perimeter and installing a simple drain tile system. Is this worthwhile? How deep should I go?
DRYLOK the walls?
Obviously, fix the gutter system and roof.

Anything else I should do?

The proper way to fix it is to dig- all the way down to 6" below the bottom of the foundation- then install drain tile & gravel. Coat the outside of the walls with tar, then install plastic protector sheets so it doesn't get damaged by the backfill. Condensation could still be an issue- perhaps installing closed-cell foam around the outside (say, 2-4" thick) would insulate the walls enough to avoid it?

You shouldn't use DRYLOK; it won't fix the problem anyway. Water will just fill up the cinder blocks until it finds an opening.

The roof is definitely an issue as well. I'd rip that rubber off, pull off the flashing & gutters, re-do all of the eaves (since water has to be running right under the flashing and soaking the wood frame), then reinstall flashing & gutters, and shingle the roof (since I don't know how to install a rubber roof correctly).

sue your neighbor, forcing him to install drainage so your property isn't affected. it's illegal for your neighbor to be draining onto your property.


When wiring outlets should I use pigtails or both sets of outlet screws? I'm replacing the outlets in our house and pulled out one that had two black and two white cables. My first thought was that it was two circuits, one of them being switched, but then realized the tab between the two circuits wasn't broken.

I hadn't seen this before, but I guess it makes sense. I suppose it's an alternative to pig tailing the wires in the box. Is there an argument to choose one method over the other? Or are they both perfectly valid option?

I rarely see pigtails to join the outlet line/load connections in any of the renovation work I've done. I think it's just easier for the electrician to wire both parts of the outlet, rather than getting a small piece of wire, twist, affix nut, and attach to the outlet. It also takes up less space in the j-box.

Of course the line/load are pigtailed in other j-boxes (e.g. lighting fixtures and switches) since they don't have two screw terminals. And you would pigtail the lines before a GFCI if the next device shouldn't be protected by that GFCI outlet, but otherwise you would always use the line/load terminals in a GFCI.

Having been a certified electrician in california for 10 years, the first thing they teach you in a union apprenticeship is that pigtails save you on future call backs.  The reasoning is this, most receptacles are only rated for 15AMP, and wirenuts are rated for at least 20 on yellows, or greys and probably 30 on reds.  So your passthrough is the same as the wire itself.  Receptacles are a weak point, meaning that they get torqued, and slammed and pulled.  You don't want that to be your splice point.  You want your splice on wirenuts, many times receptacles have razor blade stab in's which work well in a time pinch, but not when you are relying on them to carry 20 AMPs to the next 5 receptacles.  If you do use receptacle screws, Don't use the stab in holes at least.


How to plug in a Philips Low Pressure Sodium Bulb using a Ballast I bought these 3 things on Amazon:
•   Leviton 8806 Bayonet Base, Keyless, HID, Glazed Porcelain Lampholder
•   Fulham WH2-120-C Workhorse Adaptable Ballast
•   Philips 327817 35-watt T15 SOX35 Low Pressure Sodium HID Light Bulb

I don’t know a ton about electricity or LPS bulbs but I need to safely plug this in to a regular 110V wall outlet. I’m not sure what the job of the ballast is, but I’m guessing I have to wire it into a power cable that will then plug into the wall. Am I right?

And do the 2 white cables from the Lampholder connect to the Black & White cable on the ballast?

Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!

This is a bunch of random junk.

Stop buying things this way.  You can't just throw random electronic bits together and have them work.  But don't feel bad, this happens a lot. We get a steady stream of people buying random dimmers and smart switches and wanting to configure them 3-way to control some cheap LEDs they got off the bottom shelf of Walmart, or other equally random things.

School up

You just need to get some magazines, good "how I built it" sites on the Internet, or whatever, and read up on how others are doing what you are trying to do.   By the way, low pressure sodium is the best for some applications.

Buy used

From time to time, low-pressure sodium fixtures come up on the used market: Craigslist, eBay, etc.  See what you can find. Good chance though if you are trying to do home herb farming, the best lamps may be in high demand, especially now that many states have made one particular herb legal.

This ballast will run a 18W SOX bulb fantastic and would more than likely run the 35w fine also. A compact fluorescent ballast with correct wattage rating can safely run these low wattage low pressure sodium bulbs great.


Does the NEC allow a 14ga branch on a 12ga circuit? Is it within the NEC to wire ceiling light fixtures with 14ga NM from a switch wired with 12ga NM, where the power originates at the switch and the ceiling fixture is a branch?

The breaker protecting the circuit is 20 amp.

Is it within the NEC to wire ceiling light fixtures with 14ga NM from
  a switch wired with 12ga NM, where the power originates at the switch
  and the ceiling fixture is a branch?

  The breaker protecting the circuit is 20 amp.

Absolutely not. If the branch circuit is 20A then ALL the wiring on the circuit must be at least #12cu.

Yes, there are convoluted tap rules but they would not apply in this installation and IMO are not even worth mentioning.

I had an interesting experience when I built my previous house back in 1996.  There was a very large voltage drop in the master bedroom, which I noticed when vacuuming one day.  I looked up the NEC code, and there was only a "recommendation" that the voltage drop be no more than 5% to the end of a circuit. I was getting closer to 15%.  Turns out the apprentice had wired the house up and down the walls, instead of through the studs; about tripling the wire run needed.  I finally settled with the owner of the electrical company to run 12 gauge as far as he could up that circuit, which did help quite a bit, and was the only optimal solution since the house was already completed.


Basement waterproofing with thermal break I need help figuring out best solution to fix my basement moisture/mold issue...

As far as I can tell, water is entering at bottom seam of poured concrete wall and basement floor. I considered external waterproofing, but I was quoted $32K (105ft of external wall) and I cannot afford that.

I am thinking of getting Basement Systems' Waterguard perimeter french drain installed with thermaldry vapor barrier on the walls that channels any water from the concrete wall into waterguard (thermal dry is a bubble wrap type material with bubbles facing wall and an aluminum coating on the interior side. Essentially the bubbles let water make its way to the bottom where it leaks into french drain. Aluminum coating is supposed to reflect most of radiant heat back into the basement and provide some insulating value).

It would be installed like this:

I have few questions/concerns:

1) There are vertical expansion cuts in poured concrete walls. These tend to leak after rains. How can I waterproof these cuts that are ~1/4" wide and run top to bottom on wall? I used epoxy to fix cracks in walls before, but I would need massive amounts of the stuff to fill up the voids. Is there something else I could use?

2) Instead of thermaldry, I was going to use spray on closed cell insulation on the walls, but I am concerned with continued water seepage through cracks (I had several cracks over the years) & expansion cuts. What would happen if I had closed cell insulation sprayed on concrete walls with these leaks? Would water push insulation off the walls? Would it leak through?

3) Is it a good idea to have a vapor barrier against concrete walls? This bubble stuff has some insulating value but I am worried, humidity will still condense on the inside surface of vapor barrier. Is there an insulated vapor barrier available that would provide a thermal break while channeling any water from concrete wall to french drain?

4) I would like to avoid spraying foam insulation on thermaldry as it would probably void warranty. Can you think of a way I could install rigid XPS over thermaldry with no air gaps (and without voiding warranty)? I asked installer this question and waiting on answer.

5) There's an 1/8" wide crack in floor (maybe 10' long) - how should I have it fixed?

6) I was thinking of rebuilding finished walls as: corning seal gasket, pressure treated 2x4" plate, 2x4" studs 24" on center. Not sure about what insulation I should use (I guess depends on if I can get XPS installed over bubble wrap) and 1/2" drywall on outside.

I am probably over complicating things, but I would like to have a solution that channels water from walls while also having a good thermal break to avoid condensation. Any and all advice is appreciated!!!

As a home inspector, I always recommend to seal water intrusion from the exterior whenever and wherever possible. Since you mentioned a poured concrete foundation, I would recommend hiring a professional crack repair company.They can inject a flexible polymer substance into the length of the cracks that should seal them in most cases as long as the foundation is not still moving (and the crack is expanding).

Based on your comments, I would be more concerned that the foundation was not poured properly and/or does not have steel reinforcements in the concrete, and may cause more problems in the future. Until you get the cracking repaired and sealed I would not suggest putting up a finished basement, because then you would get what the previous commenter said would be mold.

For the crack in the floor, that is typical for a floating floor and can be fixed with some concrete polymer caulk. No big deal.

But then, this thread is three years old, so you may be long past this issue.

To prevent basement mold you should minimize moisture. Must hire a professional mold service to remove mold growing in the basement, especially if the mold growth is large.


Voltage between shower faucet and drain Is it normal to have voltage between shower faucet and drain?
I measured 2 volts between shower faucet and drain when water heater is off, and 11-12 volts when it is on?

No, this is not normal and dangerous. I suggest that you hire an electrician or least favorable option (ground is like crazy science to regular person and there are a lot of gotcha ya), do your own research. It looks like there is insufficient grounding and your heater or some other appliance has a ground fault. All of the electrical circuits and appliances must be grounded and all metallic piping must be bonded.

Damaged skin reduces your body’s natural resistance so you felt the shock.
This low voltage can be generated in many ways and at that low of a voltage is not dangerous.
the National electric code article 411 low voltage lighting: think swimming pools hot tubs where this lighting is normally used allows 15 volts ac where wet contact is likely.
I regularly bond the hot water pipe to the cold water pipe if metallic many jurisdictions require this as the NEC if likely to become energized it shall be bonded to the grounding electrode system.
Another possibility is an imbalanced electrical system. A heavy imbalance can cause a voltage to be present on the neutral & grounding system that a well balanced system will not have.
No one likes getting shocked so taking steps to eliminate the cause (other than broken skin) like making sure the water piping is grounded both hot and cold. Getting the home balanced L1 to L2 I have seen 50 amp imbalances cause much higher neutral voltages and once the system was balanced no voltage on the grounded or grounding conductors (moving breakers to even out loading for each leg.)
The good thing is this is not considered hazardous but I would be at least adding additional grounding to eliminate it.