Do I need a vent fan in an interior laundry room? I am renovating a few rooms including an existing laundry room. It currently has one exterior window and another openable window onto an existing mudroom (which also has exterior windows).

After the renovation, the laundry will lose the exterior window as an existing bathroom is extended. The interior window into the mudroom will survive.

Does the Uniform Building Code require that a room with no exterior windows have an exhaust vent fan? Does the existence of the interior openable window into a room with exterior windows have a bearing on that? (I do realize that local regulations may vary from the Uniform Code, but my jurisdiction generally follows those regs.)

[I know there is a related question here, but I have no air conditioning and I am wondering about the additional interior window.]

No, this is not a code requirement for laundry rooms in dwelling units (at least in the 2012 IBC).

In fact, most dryers are essentially acting as exhaust fans when they run because they take air from the room and exhaust it outside.

Exhaust fans in laundry rooms are usually required when there is no exterior window in the room and the dryer to be used heats with gas power. Why? To exhaust the carbon monoxide (CO).

CO in large amounts is hazardous to humans and can cause asphyxiation/death.


3-way switch loop wired with two 14-2 and one 14-3 I'm replacing a single 2-way ceiling light with recessed lighting, and discovered what I think is a switch loop when I pulled the ceiling light out. The confusing part (to me) is that the ceiling light had two 14-2 romex going to it, and one 14-3. All the diagrams I've looked up online show that there should be two 14-3s. What's going on?

You have the power supply coming in from the ceiling (i.e. right side 14-2) and being sent down to the switch or switches (i.e. left side 14-2). What's then sent back to the light or ceiling box is coming through the 14-3 and would be or indicates there was a either ceiling fan here previously (using the wrong type of electrical box) or that it was wired for one (ceiling fan box would've or should've replaced the standard box).

In a ceiling fan setup, the 14-3's black would be powering the fan and the red would power the ceiling fan's light (based on picture below). I'm hesitant to include a picture, since I couldn't find your exact setup and add to the confusion. But, the picture below is similar to your situation, however they skipped the 2nd 14-2 and just used the white to feed power to the switches...I agree much more with your setup.

I would expect there to be a capped black at the switch box and would like to see that 1 black disconnected and capped also in the ceiling box, if not being used. Though, that 3rd black could be going off to power something else with the switch box also being used as a junction box. Sorry, I can't be definitive without more pictures.

Ok so what you have is a 3 way switch (2 switches on different walls can operate this fixture).

The below picture shows the wiring for a 3 way light using 2  2 wire romex and one 3 wire romex


Why does a GFCI breaker trip when another breaker is accessed? I just bought a new house, and on the first day there realized a breaker was tripping. It is one of only two GFCI breakers in the box. It's 20 amp with a bedroom/bathroom on it. I tested every outlet on that circuit to make sure they were wired correctly, and they were. I reset the breaker and thought it was fixed.

Long story short, as it kept tripping and I kept investigating, I realized that it trips whenever something is plugged in to a circuit controlled by another breaker (one with my back porch, family room, and bar top outlets on it). Within the breaker box they are on top of each other: the GFCI that trips is above the regular breaker that seems to be causing the tripping. Only the GFCI trips, not the regular circuit breaker.

What would you all suggest?

From the description, it sounds like the neutral may be shared between the two circuits, which you can't do with a GFCI. The GFCI is looking for an imbalance of current on the hot and neutral lines, so if the neutral is shared with another circuit, there will be some current returning on the neutral that did not go out on the hot.

If you can trace the circuit and find the connection between the neutrals on the two circuits, and isolate them, that would be the easiest and cheapest fix. If the neutral is shared via a multiwire branch circuit from the breaker and can't be split, you can change the gfci breaker to a standard breaker and install a gfci outlet after the neutral splits for the two branches. And I'm also seeing two pole gfci breakers which would allow you to replace the two breakers with one that provides gfci coverage to both circuits and should handle the shared neutral, which may be a good fall back option if you can't locate the shared neutral.

Your neutral wire is shared between both circuits. Just pigtail the two hots and hook it up to your GFCI breaker. That's the easiest fix.


How important is circuit breaker breaking capacity? All else being equal circuit breakers can have different "breaking capacity" - it's the maximum current which the breaker can disconnect and it's typically several thousand amperes. The idea is that after that the electric arc can start inside the breaker and it will continue conducting current even with contacts moved apart.

Now how important is the actual value? Suppose I'm shopping for a 20 amperes breaker for my apartment. The retailer offers models with breaking capacities of 1,3 kiloamperes, 3,5 kiloamperes and 5 kiloamperes and higher breaking capacity comes for higher price. Do I always choose the highest breaking capacity? How do I make my choice?

I am not a physicist, but i don't think the larger more expensive breaker is going to make much difference in your residential situation.  If you draw 1,300 amps, not only will the breaker arc over, but your wiring will be arcing, burning , not to mention your main breaker and service entry cable from the utility, which is probably only 4/0 alu rated at 200 amps with a max out of 400amps. Keep in mind that excessive current will heat up conductors and cause them to melt ,burn etc, thus allowing shorting between conductors. It is voltage that supplies the potential to arc. All wire and devices for residential use are rated for 600VAC min, unless the insulation is compromised. At 1,300 amps, every wire and devise will become a fuse! Call 911

You are looking at the wrong suppliers! Anything rated at kiloamps is meant for a power station not your home! Are you sure he is not quoting you milliamps?

Home breakers come in ratings around 1,2,5,10, 20 and 60 Amperes. In the UK the main breaker is usually a 60 amp one and feeds a couple of circuits with lower rating breakers ( lights, wall plugs, oven, etc ). A circuit breaker is intended to protect the wiring not the device at the end of it.

If you want to protect someone touching the wiring then you need to look at RCD ( Residual Current Devices ) or Earth Leakage devices. Typically these are rated at 20 milliamps or less ( the amount of current required to give you a fatal shock ) These devices detect an imballanced discharge between phases or to earth and trip out the main current.


Is it bad to leave batteries in my cordless tools? I have a set of Dewalt cordless tools with both 18V NiCad and 20V LiIon batteries (I also have an adapter that lets me use the 20V batteries in the 18V tools). The tools are only a few years old, and the drill and impact driver both have LED lights to illuminate your work area. The LED lights when depressing the trigger slightly.

I used both the drill and impact driver one day and then left them overnight. Both tools are 18V; I used an 18V NiCad in one and the 20V LiIon (with adapter) in the other. I went to use them again the next day, but both batteries were dead. The direction / safety switch on both was set to "off" and the tools were not used, so I was surprised to find the batteries depleted. Aside from the inconvenience, is this bad for the battery or the tool? Does this indicate a problem with either?

The tools and batteries are normally stored / charged in my garage, so they've been exposed to some colder temperatures (nighttime lows of 40F typically, though some nights as low as 25F) recently, which can affect battery charging. Days have typically been relatively warm (at least 60F).

Most drills (all the ones I know about) have a physical switch that connects to a relay that actually completes the circuit that will get the drill to spin (like in this circuit). So unless there is a display or something that requires constant power (like if those LEDS had their own switch) the batteries should hold their charge as long they are chemically able to do so. The NiCad battery may have issues maintaining its charge compared to the LiIon battery but you should not be able to tell the difference after one day. Even though neither of them should be dead after one day.

The LiIon battery may have been close to dead without you noticing since they tend to put out a constant voltage even while at low power levels; however, the NiCad should have showed some signs of being low.

Regarding the weather, NiCad should be able to tolerate the cold fairly well. LiIon on the other hadn can have damage to the cells from really cold temperatures but i've left tools out overnight in freezing weather (0F-10F) many times and once they warmed up a bit they worked fine (ignoring the fact I probably lowered amount of recharge cycles they had left).

All that being said I also think its really unlikely that both batteries/ drills (or any combination of the 4) have issues... So other than the fact you angered the pixies living in your tools by leaving them out in the cold, I would guess the long term storage in a place with large temperature changes shortened the capacity of your batteries.

PS The reason LiIon batteries are stored at roughly 40% capacity is that part of the trade off of being able to have a bunch of small charge cycles going up and down a lot (like cell phones) is the fact they don't do too well at the extremes (0% & 100%) because one way chemical changes are more likely to happen (lowering their capacity and cycle life).

No, the tools themselves are unaffected by rechargeable lithium or nickel cadmium battery packs.  Alkaline batteries can carrode/leak over time, but I have never seen a this happen with any type of NiCd/Li battery pack.

HOWEVER.... there is (supposedly) a reason why most battery packs are sent half-charged.  Supposedly the batteries themselves do better in long term storage at half capacity.  I have yet to actually witness any useful validation of this urban legend.... I think it's just an excuse for manufacturers to only charge them halfway.  I am sure there is some valid argument supporting their positions based on the internal chemistry, but in the real world it doesn't seem to make any difference.


Suggestions on how to fill gaps at all of my windows My boyfriend and I live in a ground floor apartment with windows that leak cold air horribly! So far we’ve tried to add several different kinds of weather stripping to help but  I don’t think it’s done much. (I can’t find the best way to explain so that it’s not super confusing because I don’t know anything about windows or their specific parts.)
The top can slide down to be opened or, the bottom can slide up to open. There are drafts of cold air coming in at the ‘side tracks of the windows where the window slides up and down. This is how every window is and some of them have very small foam blocks in the channels (I’m assuming to stop the drafts) but honestly they don’t do anything.
I’m posting photos - the ‘side track’ part that I’m talking about it circled. (Please ignore the dirt) When you close the window, you can feel A LOT of cold air right here.
Is this normal??
Anyone know of any fixes?
I'm looking for a solution that fills or covers the gap as opposed to using a film over the entire window. Please let me know if you have any ideas for this as well as any ideas for a better way of explaining this lol !

Most of these types of windows rely on weather seals that look like brushes and they do ok when new but compress and leak after a few years.
Without replacing those brushes on the sashes you have 2 choices.
Either use the weather seal rope caulk which can be removed without damaging the window or use the heat shrink plastic window covers.

Did you consider a simple spray foam? It can be applied only in certain areas (where there are empty silos that window doors don't touch). If there is a closed plastic/metal space, you could fill it with foam. It would isolate better.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/GREAT-STUFF-16-oz-Gaps-and-Cracks-Insulating-Foam-Sealant-with-Quick-Stop-Straw-99053937/206977048?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-206310586-_-206977048-_-N&
I have the same type of windows and they're just horrible, poorly designed and made! It makes me angry that such a poor product can be released and used. It's a horrible heat/cold loss. In most part of Europe, solid PVC type of windows are a gold standard. You can barely feel anything even in during harsh winter.
If you're ever planning to buy/replace windows, I would look for this type of window only.
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fveka-system.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F10%2FVEKA-SOFTLINE-AD58-3d-800px.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fveka-system.com%2Fproject-item%2Fsoftline-ad58%2F&tbnid=Zh_bQLNN-9D0wM&vet=12ahUKEwj8tYj6oOLuAhVCCN8KHZHfBfMQMygFegUIARC9AQ..i&docid=_KV6nmtwcv6etM&w=800&h=800&q=pvc%20windows%20veko&ved=2ahUKEwj8tYj6oOLuAhVCCN8KHZHfBfMQMygFegUIARC9AQ
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F236x%2F5d%2F5b%2F3a%2F5d5b3aed43dbc50c9bb183bd9ac8f948--casement-windows-windows-and-doors.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fin.pinterest.com%2Fghsindia%2Fveka-doors-product%2F&tbnid=8njfuzzyxQbVNM&vet=12ahUKEwj8tYj6oOLuAhVCCN8KHZHfBfMQMygXegUIARDpAQ..i&docid=X1FbK2nwH89zRM&w=223&h=226&q=pvc%20windows%20veko&ved=2ahUKEwj8tYj6oOLuAhVCCN8KHZHfBfMQMygXegUIARDpAQ


How to remove glued down carpet pad? Going to tear up the carpet/pad and put in hardwood.  Carpet comes up easy.  The pad however has been glued down and it isn't your normal pad.  It's the same thickness (give or take) but more like moderately dense foam.  Trying to pull it up just results in ripping off a little bit, leaving some of it glued to the floor.  I've done a little bit of it with various chisel/spatulas and it's a nightmare process.

Doing it the way I have been would take weeks and right now I'm seriously tempted to just tear up the sub floor and replace it too.

The DIYer in me thinks there must be some sort of solvent I can pour over the whole floor or some sort of hard-wire-brush-on-a-floor-sander attachment that can just tear it off.

Wondering if anyone has any suggestions?  There has to be something...

UPDATE: I ended up buying a Spyder Scraper for my sawsall on the off chance it would work and it worked amazingly well. Like shearing a sheep easy.  Kept the sawsall angle low to the floor and it removed the padding quick and easy. Occasionally I'd hit a nail or edge and ruin a blade, but only went through 3. Totally worth it. Removed 4-500 sq ft in about 30 minutes.

https://smile.amazon.com/Spyder-Scraping-Attachment-Reciprocating-Multi-Pack/dp/B002GP7GBI

I've worked in the floor covering business for several years and here is a good quick way to remove glued carpet padding: after slicing the padding in half length-wise with a utility knife pull up as much as possible. Padding usually is made into 5 foot rolls. Halving it makes it slightly easier to pull up. The installer will normally apply the glue from a gallon can directly to the concrete floor in a continuos serpentine manner so that when the pad is rolled onto the glue it makes contact to just shy of its outer-most edges. I've found a 4"-6" floor scraper helps alot ,too. Also to remove any of the stubborn residual pieces 'kick/ scrape' them with your shoe bottom. It quickly pulls up any remaining pieces. This shoe kicking action also works for padding that is stapled to wooden floors.

I just finished a job where we had to remove 5000sq ft of glued down foam pad. We used a turbo floor scraper. It rents for 250 per day.


Is there a low cost way of reducing humidity? I'm currently living in a very humid room and so am looking for a cheap way of getting rid of some of that humidity, without having to purchase an expensive dehumidifier. Are there any plants, objects, salts or whatever materials that can help achieving a more comfortable, less humid environment?

I think the comment about finding the source is very important - there is a reason it is humid, and unless this is solved, you will never solve the problem only band-aid it, which will cost more in the long run going against the "low-cost" part of this question.

The definition of low cost varies person-to-person.  Under $100 is low cost to me, but maybe not to you.  In any event, your best bet is a dehumidifier.  A quick search on Amazon found some small used ones for under $50.  You don't mention how large the area is so it's difficult to say if this will suffice, however it will most likely pull more water out faster than any plant or of silica packets will (I imagine you'd need thousands of these for even a small room).

You will likely require a humidifer that can be hooked up to a drain so you don't have to constantly empty it manually (hidden opportunity cost), which probably means a larger more expensive unit (still only a couple hundred dollars).

Of course you also need to consider electrical costs in this - at some point, it will be cheaper to properly solve the problem then to run the dehumidifier indefinitely.

Just open the windows!  Most of the year the air outside will be less humid than the air inside.


Choosing the correct LVL beam size I have a single story ranch and am doing a reno by myself as a long-term project.
Originally, the home was a small cabin and later it was expanded with addition.

The wall that I need to remove supports roof trusses which were originally part of the original cabin's roof. Left and right walls sit on the concrete perimeter foundation wall.

The span is 19ft and I am thinking about using 3x12" LVLs for this purpose (http://www.menards.com/main/storeitem.html?iid=1444438525506). I would love if someone could help me to determine if this is sufficient and I am interested in math, not in advice to hire an engineer.

Nope, a 2 ply 1-3/4" x 11-7/8" LVL can't span that long with this much roof on it. With a 19' span (and completely guessing on the roof span and live loading for your area) you're looking at at least a 2 ply 24" LVL or a steel beam that would be impossible to install at this point.

The best solution to open this up is to run a 3 ply 11-7/8" LVL full length but with an intermediate support in the middle making two 9.5' spans with 1 beam. The intermediate bearing post will have 18,000+ pounds on it, so you'll need a PSL or steel column.

You'll also need a new column the same size directly below it in the basement. Your existing strip footing won't be able to handle a point load that large, so you'll probably need to pour a new pad with a bunch of rebar there, and that size changes based on your soil type and conditions.

So like the other answer said, get a contractor or an engineer to help you. I'm making educated guesses on everything based on one photo and knowing you want a 19' clear span, so take that for what it's worth.

Here is what you do take 2_ 3 1/2 inch lvl beams and anchor them together and use 6x6 posts for a jack post and a king post and you'll be fine.


Where can I find handle-operated flushbolts for French doors? I am going to be building a set of custom interior French doors and would like one of them to latch into the door frame, while the other door is a normal door latch. However, I want the latching mechanism for the door frame to be operated by a door handle, rather than with those small levers at the top and bottom typically found on the door.

The reason for wanting one door to latch into the frame is simply so that the set of doors will remain closed if there is a cross breeze occurring between the rooms (which would want to push the doors open a bit).

Does anyone know a source for this kind of hardware, or at least what the proper term for this hardware is so I can search for it?

As far as I know, what you're looking for doesn't exist as a flush bolt.  If you think about it, you'd need to do quite a bit of woodworking on the door in order to install a mechanism that actuates rods at the top and bottom of a door via a handle in the center.  This type of arrangement DOES exist in surface bolts, where the rods connect to the door externally -- think commercial door hardware.

However, there may be a different way to accomplish what you're trying to do: Automatic flush bolts.  These are actuated not by a handle, but by lever that is pushed on by the other door when it's closed against it.  Then, you could use a dummy handle on the door with the flush bolts, and that door will swing freely when the other door is open.

This page describes how they work

They are called surface bolts if I'm understanding you correctly. I don't recall seeing any handle actuated, but I have seen tumbler actuated.

Edit:
I was misunderstanding what you are looking for, you're right, flushbolts are indeed the name I have always heard. I don't recall seeing any handle actuated though.


Getting R38 in roof with 2x8 rafters I was planning to use foil faced 2" polyiso plus an air gap, plus 5 1/2 rock wool, to get 13+3+23, or r39.

But this is all between the rafters below the roof deck, and the polyiso is impermeable.  If any water gets into the roof assembly it will have no way to dry out.  I was willing to say there won't be any water, until a severe thunderstorm last night.  The house is 100 years old, and the wall above this roof is cedar lap siding, and when I checked after the storm there was dampness at the ledger in one spot.

So I'm reluctant to stick the impermeable foam under the roof deck.  But with permeable foam, 2" foam + 5 1/2 rock wool is 10+23=33.

How should I get code required r38?

(There is some kind of insulation board on top of the roof, which is a new modified bitumen roof.  But those boards were only 3/4" thick and I don't know what they were.  I hired some guys to do the roof, and there were done communication problems.)

For Future Viewers:

No-one's forcing you get to R-anything, yet & it's coming people, but it's great that you want to. I'd call the Roofer back & get the leak fixed first. Whether you can get to the leak & don't fix it or cover it & never see the leak doesn't stop the leak or building rot.

However, you must (& I mean must) have joists below those rafters & they can even be built-up. Your idea is right, it's just not in the right location. Unless, your overall plans are to finish the attic.

If that's the case, then you don't need anything more than R-19 for that new segregated room's roof if you already have an R-38 done on the floor for the rest of the home's cap. Sure, more is better but not at the cost of Roof, Gable &/or Ridge Vents.

The roof's R-19 for a finished attic there would be best as just Polyiso boards with as much air space as you can give the roof to breathe. Literally board from the eave's venting all the way up to the Gables or Ridge to actually make a dedicated & drastically reduced venting highway for improved everything.


What could cause my bathroom exhaust fan to stop working? I've got a Vent fan with heater in the bathroom, and recently the vent fan stopped working while the heater worked fine. Thinking this might be just a bad switch issues, I took the cover plate off the switch and found that the switch itself was working. When in on position there was no voltage reading across the terminals, and when off I got standard 120 reading from the common hot to the heater terminal. From the common hot to the vent fan terminal, I was getting a fluctuating reading from like 60 to 80 volts (and yes my meter was in the AC mode)

the heater has its own fan which still works.

It may be unsafe to run the heater without a working fan.

Drop ALL the power to the room and remove the guts from the assembly. Usually the fan will have a short cord with a plug. Power it up and try to get it to spin (don't get shocked or bitten).

If it is fail you might be able to get a replacement from the manufacturer. IME this is hit or miss; sometimes I end up buying a completely new (same) fan and swap the guts so I don't have to install much. Manufacturers may not sell you replacement parts but they sure will sell you the whole thing...

Don't throw anything away. You may need the squirrel cage off the old fan motor if you can find its equivalent.

Verify the outlet in the housing is working properly.

"... the switch it self was working because when in on position there was no voltage reading across the terminals"; In ON there should be current across the switch;

"... when off i got standard 120 reading from the common hot to the heater terminal"; you should not get current in OFF.

You cannot measure AC current "from the common hot to the heater terminal" across a switch, you need to bridge from a hot (or switched hot) to a neutral conductor.

I think you may be testing incorrectly, a switch just "makes" or "breaks" the connection of the hot lead. To measure AC voltage you need to contact a neutral conductor with one of your tester leads.


How do I convert a service panel to a junction box? I'd like to convert my existing 100-A panelboard to a junction box (a new 200-A panelboard is being installed about 15' from the existing panel).  My naive question: are there any particular rules to follow for making the specific junctions within the new panel?  Do I simply use wire nuts to join each individual circuit together, and put a cover on the front like one would do for a simple junction box (like, say, extending a branch circuit)?

I guess my thought was: converting a panelboard to a junction box must make for a bowl-of-spaghetti-looking panel, no?

Can I use the existing panelboard cover as my junction box cover (with the now blank circuit breaker knockouts filled in)?

I'm located in Seattle, USA.

Assuming it's not prohibited by your local codes and the existing panel is not violating any current codes like overfill, working space clearance, there's nothing code-wise that says "No this is prohibited".

However, a better solution if possible, since you have to run new wires anyway, is to install a 12x12 or larger junction box in the attic and crawl space and be done with it.

Now it would be wise to consult you Building and Planning Department first as most of the time the Power Co. will not reinstate power unless the work is permitted.  Also, not sure about your local jurisdiction but around here they make us install hard-wired smoke alarms in every bedroom and in every hall near a bedroom if a panel is upgraded.

You do not say where you are located so I can not answer to your specific question directly. Except to say I have never seen this done in the USA and with good reason. I do believe it is against code to do it - but I am not a NFPA Electrical Code expert - and particular states might vary.

I am assuming you want to change out the panel with a newer panel and simply run wires from new panel to old panel and wire nut inside (maintaining your existing wiring). BAD IDEA. I would recommend that you NOT do it.

Change the panel out in place - remove your old panel and install the new one.
Putting the new one 15 feet form the existing - why? can be all kinds of reasons - but if you do not need to do this - Don't - all of your wiring drops to the existing panel area and will be much easier installing the new panel.

EDIT 4/17/2017
As others have pointed out using the panel is permissible : However it is only permissible under certain conditions (and one not listed here is that the panel be screwed shut or locked shut:

From the NFPA
[I think the 2011 code states this in 312.8] but I could be wrong on that.

Sec. 373-8 states you shall not use enclosures for overcurrent devices as junction boxes or raceways—unless you provide adequate space. Conductors inside a panelboard shall not fill the wiring space at any cross section to more than 40%, and splices and taps shall not fill the wiring space at any cross section to more than 75%.

Just to be clear as I do not know who in the future will read this i.e newbie  DIY'er : Enclosures for Overcurrent devices ; an Overcurrent device is a FUSE or a Circuit Breaker.
Enclosures in the above sentence would mean something such as a service panel that has circuit breakers in it, often referred to as a Breaker Panel, Breaker Enclosure etc..


At what height should CO detectors be installed? I've got a Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector (BRK CO250B, instruction sheet PDF) that I am looking to install in our house.  All of the bedrooms are on the top level of our quad-level house, and I'm planning on installing it in the hallway.

The directions say that it can be either ceiling or wall mounted.  I've looked around online, and I've seen various recommendations for what the ideal height is for the detector.

Some say ceiling mounted is best, because CO is lighter than air.  (Combination smoke/CO detectors all get mounted here.)
Some say that a few feet below ceiling height is best, because a pocket of warm air may prevent the CO from getting all the way up to the level of the detector.
Some say that "bed height," or 2-3 feet off the floor is best, because that is where you are when you are sleeping.

What is the best height for CO detectors?  Are there current recommended heights or best practices to use when installing these things?

Carbon monoxide detectors should be installed according to the instructions that accompanied the unit.
From Nest Protect's website:

There’s a myth that all carbon monoxide alarms should be installed lower on the wall because carbon monoxide is heavier than air. In fact, carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air and diffuses evenly throughout the room.
According to the carbon monoxide guidelines of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 720, 2005 edition), all carbon monoxide alarms “shall be centrally located outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms,” and each alarm “shall be located on the wall, ceiling or other location as specified in the installation instructions that accompany the unit.”
Standalone carbon monoxide alarms are often placed low on the wall, but it’s not because they’re more effective at that height. It’s usually because they need to be plugged into an outlet near the floor or have a digital readout that can be easily read.

Every single "expert"internet answer to this question, lists a different installation height, often with conflicting information about the reasons for it. If you followed all the instructions, you'd need 40 detectors, strung out all over a wall, at different heights. I intend to call my nearest big city fire department, and ask for the fire safety information officer. I trust none of the "expert" answers I see on the internet.


What type of light bulb connector is this? Hi there I have just bought this hanging lamp whose bulb connector type I cannot identify, I got it in Italy and the only thing I am sure is that the light bulb must be some kind of tube shape for it needs to go through a decorative casing that's no longer and no thicker than an index finger. I have included photos:

It looks like a G9 base for a halogen lamp.

It looks like a Dulux type fluorescent base.


Why did this AC with a shared condenser stop working? We've got 3 indoor air-con units that are connected to 1 outdoor condenser unit. Only my unit blows air in room temperature (not cold), the rest of the indoor units blow cold air. My indoor unit blows a lot of air and is not blocked. I tried touching the coils but it's not cold.

It's been working before and it just suddenly stopped cooling the air it blows.

There are two LED lights turned on in front of my indoor unit which means cooling mechanism is on (AC is in the right mode). When it reaches its desired temperature (coldness) it stops cooling and only 1 LED light is turned on. But in my case, two LED lights are always turned on when it stopped cooling the air.

What could be the cause of problem?

EDIT:

Indoor unit: Mitsubishi MS-A10VD
Outdoor unit: Mitsubishi MUX-3D23VD

Here's the condenser unit showing the

Actualy 2 units are not working. As you can see in the pipes, 2 pipes to the working unit were moist and the rest were dry. I tried an experiment just to make sure that the two non-working units are eletrically connected to the condenser. I turned off all AC units and the condenser's fan stopped. I turned on one of the two non working units while the working unit is turned off, the condenser turned on. Which means the two non AC units are electrically connected to the condenser.

Click for full size image

Disconnect C2 and measure the capacitance for 25uF. If the reading is out, replace the capacitor.


Why is non-metallic cable (NM) cheaper than THHN? I'm looking at the cost of wire.  A 500' spool of THHN costs roughly $75.  I will need three of these to run hot/neutral/ground to outlets, etc.  Three spools will cost $225.  On the other hand, I can buy two 250' coils of cable and do the same work, but for only $125.  Isn't cable just THHN wrapped into an outer sheath?
I'd much rather run THHN through my conduit than use cable (I understand cable cannot be used in conduit...well, it's cross-sectional area is too high to make it feasible), but the cost has me stumped.
Is there some technicality or spec that makes THHN superior to what comes in cable?

All of these other answers primarily address the complexity of creating the wire, but cost really is due to a host of market forces such as base manufacturing cost (influenced by complexity of design and local labor wages), supply chain cost/availabilty, distribution costs, and economies of scale (how much of each wire type people buy and from where).
Don’t believe me? I encountered a situation at a big box store where a bare copper wire was more expensive than same gauge THHN wire: Is there a reason to prefer bare wire for Grounding Electrode Conductor?
THHN obviously requires far more processing than a bare copper conductor, so explain that one to me as something other than market forces.

THHN ( Thermoplastic High Heat-resistant) isn't a brand name, it's a rating given by it's fire code. And indicates how long it takes to break down under load.
Where as Romex has a "protective" cover designed for pulling through a house.
THHN is more for applications where a more strict fire code requirement exists or is warranted.
As far as your cost problem goes, I'd recommend calling your local codes office to explain the situation and ask them what's best.
As for safety, electricity doesn't give second chances, better to be overly safe and expensive than cheap and dead.


How much power should I run to my workshop? I have a work shop currently powered with a 20 amp breaker coming from my main panel. I want to dedicate that to a small hot water heater, and run more power for other appliances. I was thinking of running more power from my house's subpanel. I’d like to also power a small heat/ac window unit, microwave, plus some receptacles and lights. Would one more 20 amp circuit be enough, or should I run two 20 amp circuits?

power a small heat/ac window unit [ How much current will that use ?  I am thinking at least 20 AMPS ]
A microwave - fixed (like over range or in wall) it must have a dedicated circuit - moveable countertop models 20 Amp
Receptacles 20 Amp
lights 15 AMP

Will one more 20 amp be enough ? No - you will need at least 3 more depending .

Do you have a sub panel that feeds your shop or in the shop ?
Do you only have a 20 Amp run from the main to the shop sub panel ?
What CB Amperage is in the main panel feeding the shop sub panel ?

If you have 20Amp CB in your main panel feeding the Sub panel in your shop - you will need to upgrade the sub panel feed CB upgraded, Wiring from Main to Sub panel upgraded, Sub Panel might also need to be upgraded.


How to find a motion sensing light switch that turns lights on AND off when motion is detected? Location: USA.

The light switch to our laundry room is in the hallway outside the door. I replaced the standard light switch with a motion sensing switch (Leviton ODS10-ID). When we enter the room, the lights turn on automatically and stay on for about 10 minutes. The problem is, when we leave the room, the sensor is triggered again and the lights stay on for another 10 minutes while no one is in the room.

I have researched various types of motion sensing light switch products from all the major manufacturer's websites and can't find anything that will simply turn lights on when motion is detected and then turn off when motion is detected again. I'm okay with getting the lights turned off on me if someone happens to walk by the room while I'm in there.

It seems like a common need, so perhaps I am in need of guidance on the correct terminology to use. This is not a request for a product recommendation, rather a request for help on researching products or re-wiring needs to include an additional sensor that could potentially address this waste of electricity while continuing to have the convenience of a motion sensing light switch.

Put the sensor in the space you are trying to light, and suddenly this "common need" becomes "not a need at all" which is why you can't find them, since that's how it's done, when done conventionally.

Either move the switch into the room or get a remote sensor switch and put the sensor in the room.

Maybe you could use two sensors.  One in the hallway (A) and one inside the room (B).  You could set it up so activating sensor A then sensor B as you are walking into the room would turn the lights on and activating sensor B then sensor A as you walk out of the room would turn the lights back off.  I haven't tried this but it is a thought.


How to prevent trash bins from falling by placing apart or side-by-side, on a windy day? How can you secure trash-bins at the end of a sloped driveway, on a windy day?  Is side-by-side placement recommended to stabilize bins or should they remain apart as generally advised by sanitation company?  Thanks!

In my area the problem with the sloped driveway is solved by simply placing the bins along the curbing to the side of the driveway. The roadway surface is typically sloped down a small amount toward the curb and this helps to keep the wheels of the bin squarely against the curb. This in my experience offers more support for the bin in high wind conditions by trying to place them directly adjacent with each other.

The negative factor with placing bins directly together is that the trash company driver will often bypass pickup at your location if you do this. And you can expect to get the bright orange warning sheet taped to your bin if you persist in doing this.

You don't have a choice

With full cans, the hinge MUST be away from the street.  That is the only way the garbage truck can pick up the trash, because that is how their hydraulics work.  If you insist on freestyling this, then the driver must get out of the truck to reposition your cans correctly.   If you make a habit of that, you would be cheesing off the driver, which might explain some undesired movement of the cans.

With empty cans, they don't have as much weight and will be vulnerable to being caught by the wind.

They should not be left on a sloped driveway.   That's just asking them to topple and leave a mess. Even if you put trashin bags inside the bin, once toppled, animals will tear apart the bags.


Installing outlet receptacle in unfinished basement furnace/water heater room Recently bought a house with a furnace/water heater utility room in the basement surrounded by a bedroom and playroom space. We just had a water filtration system put in this room that requires a plug. I thought it was really odd that there was no outlet receptacle in this room. My plan is to piggyback off the bedroom receptacle, but I want to make sure that there's nothing in the code about not putting receptacles X distance from water heater or furnace. I'm tracking that it's unfinished basement so the first outlet of the double duplex needs to be GFCI. Am I missing anything? Thanks!

Nothing special needed here except the GFCI since this room is not finished. Finished rooms in a basement depending on how long back may not have AFCI or GFCI protection but adding a receptacle in an unfinished basement room would require a GFCI even if no water present.  The outlet can be directly adjacent to the equipment no spacing is required no covers or anything else is required by the national electric code.

If there’s any chance of moisture in the room use weatherproof receptacle boxes and UF-B plastic sheathed cable - more abrasion resistance too, so good in a utility room. You can get moisture resistant clamps for the cable that screw directly into the box.

Alternatively you could use EMT and draw separate wires and ground. Again I’d see if there are moisture resistant fittings and boxes available if the room tends to have any moisture.

Check code requirement for distances of outlets - from any permanent fixtures that dispense water, like faucets. Water heaters do have drain fittings, and piping on top.

If the filtration system has a hookup box, you can use a sheathed hookup, typically epoxy coated flexible with (2 or 3 wires & ground) larger gauge wires, such as #10. These are usually used for outdoor appliances like a/c compressors, but I think they’re a good choice for many utility appliances, and in some cases are required. They can be purchased at supply houses and possibly at bigbox stores.

Another requirement may be a remote switch or way to remove power from the appliance(s) such as a wire you can unplug or if it’s hardwired, it should be attached to a box with a builtin cutoff switch. This allows the appliance to be de-energized locally for service.


Should I use cement board or green board behind the walls of a neo angle shower? I purchased a neo angle shower and I am installing it on the second floor of my house.  I have the pan down and I am ready to drywall.  which is safer to use, cement board or green board behind the shower panels?

I would always use cement board in the shower area.  I would extend the cement board to where you shower unit will cover.  You can go past that point just plaster with a nice joint compound, like durabond to join to the rest of the plaster board for a permanent bond. I typically do not use green board unless you expect the wall can get wet, like a basement.  My bathroom is upstairs and my house would wash away before those walls got wet, therefore regular board is fine.

In my upstairs bathroom that has a full 6 ft. whirlpool tub and shower I used cement board throughout the tub area for the long term durability before tiling. It has held up excellently. For the basement powder room, I am just putting in a stand up shower. This will not get as much use so I used green board on all of the interior walls of the bathroom and the tile in the shower area will be installed over the green board. This shower will be used less often and I did make sure to install a good fan to evacuate the moisture. If this shower was going to see regular use I would have installed the cement board in the shower area.
My biggest concern is the interior of the green board. Although the paper covering is treated for moisture resistance as well as mold resistance, if your calking or other sealing products fail and water does find it's way into the center of the drywall, the drywall will wick up the moisture and swell. This swelling will further upset your tiles exasperating the problem. I don't think I need mention that this wicked up water is going to cause other issues that you will have to deal with as well. Which ever way you go I would make sure that your final calking is good and inspect it regularly.
Chances are you will be sitting close by anyway from time to time, so having a quick look around is not a big deal.
Good luck.


How could our sliding mirror doors have cracked so easily? I purchased and installed a set of sliding mirror doors 2 weeks ago. In the space of two weeks all four of the doors have developed cracks in them. A couple of them are at least a foot long.

I have not been abusing them excessively. The one crack I was aware of causing was when I did open a door a little bit too hard and it caused it to knock into the adjacent door. Surely the doors should be built to withstand a little bit of a knock.

I can think of two possibilities - either I have installed thew in such an incorrect way that means they are incredibly fragile, or the doors are of very poor build quality. I did follow the instructions to the letter.

Before ranting at the manufacturer - is it possible that I have just missed something obvious when installing that could have caused them to crack so easily?

Edit

I forgot to add a conclusion. I contacted the manufacturers and they said they had never seen their doors crack so easily before. Without any argument they replaced the doors straight away. The replacements are still going strong without a crack > 6 months later.

The main problem is that the energy that is stored when you open and close the doors are delivered direct to the mirror and the frames, cracking the glass or the wood. Check to see if your installation was done properly. Also, if you don't want to go through problems with the manufacturer, you can try to do some wood work and reforce the frames. Try not to hit the sliding dors when opending and closing them.

Hope it helps!

The problem is that the frames of those things are not rigid enough. Basically for the door not to crack, one of two things has to be true: either the frame has to be built stronger than the iron gate of Dr. Evil's volcano lair, or the track has to be perfectly level and rigid. In your case, probably neither one of those things is true. You probably have some cheapo plywood subfloor that undulates like Miley Cyrus. Short of cutting out a 4" strip of the subfloor and replacing it with half-inch plate of hot rolled steel, you are unlikely to get a proper surface for installing quasi-crystalline doors.


Paint/plaster texture question My walls and ceiling are skip trowl lath and plaster and (many layers) painted, I’m doing some cutting and patching and using DAP Patching Plaster.  It goes on great but after I sand and paint it the texture looks too smooth compared to the old plaster/paint, how can I get it to look the same?  It looks like it’s a paint texture issue, I’m painting with small rollers and acrylic paint.

Lower center is desired texture, left and upper left around the square hole is too smooth

There are a ton of ways to texture wall surfaces (too many to list here), all require some expertise acquired through trial and error and a perfect match is nearly impossible.

Originally, when a craftsman plastered your wall, he likely used a wet float technique that allows the sandy aggregate in the plaster to rise to the surface. That is not a process you can easily duplicate when patching.

Your best bet would be to experiment (on a separate practice surface) with various combinations of soupy plaster or texture paint using thick nap rollers, stippling rollers, stucco floats, etc. Or hire a reputable plasterer or decorator to redo the whole wall when your repairs are complete. Yours is a common problem with no easy solution.


What is the name of a "headless" bolt Wasn't sure whether to post this on ELU or here, but thought I would have better luck here.  Anyway Merriam Webster defines a Stud Bolt as

  a bolt with threads on both ends designed to be screwed permanently
  into a fixed part at one end and to receive a nut on the other.

Is the first part of the definition - screwed permanently into a fixed part -   always true for a stud bolt?  If so, what do you call the threaded rod that fully penetrates two parts and is attached with a nut on both ends like you would see for piping flanges?

According to Hardhat Engineer, the correct term to use is stud bolt.  While a stud bolt frequently (most often?) is used where one end is screwed permanently into a fixed part, like the dictionary says (think of the stud bolts for a cylinder head), it can also apparently refer to a bolt with a nut on each end as shown below

I agree that this looks like threaded rod, but I do not think that threaded rod is necessarily designed for the stress encountered in a bolting application.

Search for "hillman group 44948 hanger bolts" to see if this is the item you are looking for. Then go to Lowes or Home Depot to purchase.


Why does the washing machine cause water hammer in the pipes in my bathroom? We recently replaced the valve in our bathtub/shower as hot water would not go to the shower faucet.  Now every time the washing machine fills (located downstairs other side of house), the pipes bang very loudly in the bathroom where the valve was fixed.  Does this mean the valve is faulty or needs to be replaced again?

Pipes normally bang because they are banging against something.  Try securing them.

Your problem made me curious, so I did a little research and found something that I hope will help you out: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-quiet-noisy-water-pipes.html.  Good luck.


What lamps available in the UK are compatible with BS 546 plugs? We have lots of spare BS546 plug sockets in our rented house (we are located it London, UK). In the bedroom, these are linked to the lighting circuit but we only have one lamp so the room is very dark. The plug on the lamp is type BS 546 5A 240v.

What type of lamps can we buy / what should we check for when buying a lamp? The one lamp we do have says "Input 230-240v 50Hz with max 40W bulb".

Can we just buy a lamp and fit a BS546 plug without blowing ourselves up?

Power (Watts) = Potential (Volts) x Current (Amps).
At 230 Volts a 40 Watt bulb uses 40/230 = 0.2 Amps. So a 5 Amp circuit will have no problem supplying this lamp.

Your choices are

Change the plugs on your lamps.
Use an adapter.

Changing the plugs is not difficult and should be within the competence of many people. If not you can probably find an electrician who will do this for minimal cost.

From a well known trade/retail store

Note that BS546 plugs are mostly not fused. I believe they should only be used on BS546 radial circuits that are individually protected at the fusebox ("consumer unit")

A few fused variants are available:

from an online retailer

If you can find a source, you can buy an adapter

 From Museaum of plugs and sockets

BS546 was the old 5A 2&3 pin system  universally used in Britain, before the 13A flat pin BS1363.

Your sockets should not be wired to the lighting circuit. If they are, then get them wired from a separate fusebox/distribution board, fused at 5A, or 15A if you have the 15A version. Better still, rewire for a 30A ring with BS1363 sockets.

Do not use any UK plugs or adapters, these are for Europe, not for GB. Make sure all accessories are BS marked.


Why does my microwave keep throwing the circuit breaker? I have a circuit that powers several things in my house:

Kitchen microwave
Basement lights
Basement sockets
Sump pump

Recently, this circuit has been thrown with alarming frequency when I use the microwave. No other combination of uses has thrown it. It seems especially likely to throw if the microwave is used after a big rain (when the sump pump is active).

This is not something I encountered in the first 2 years of owning the house, however it has happened a couple dozen times in the last six months.

Any ideas on what it could be and how to fix it? Will it cause permanent damage to not fix? If it's relevant, I plan to sell the house in about a year.

This sounds like pure luck that you haven't had problems before. Niall has the ratings right: My microwave says 1100W power output, and 1500W max power use (which is 13A), and a 1/3HP sump pump is 9.5A (or 10A for a 1/2 HP pump), with a peak around 15A when it first starts up. If this is a 20A circuit, you're likely over the limit, and if it's a 15, you're definitely over.

After rain is very easy to explain: your sump pump is coming on more often. The starting surge of sump pump is around 5A, and the microwave probably has a surge of at least 2A when it starts up.

Basement lights are easy to figure out, just add up the wattage of the bulbs (and current in Amps = # Watts / 115V). Likewise for anything plugged into the basement outlets.

Since the sump pump turns on and off at random times depending on the water level, it's likely that any time it tries to start while you have the microwave going it's tripping the breaker. When the microwave is on a lower power setting, it may not cause the same problem.

If possible, your best bet is to run a new circuit for the microwave: by the sounds of it, it's been retrofitted, and someone just picked the nearest circuit. I would try to find where it was added (assuming unfinished basement or at least access to the ceiling or other relevant areas), and add a junction box and a new line back to the panel, and give it its own 20A circuit.

Next best is to run a new circuit for the sump pump. You'll still have the issue with anything plugged into the basement outlets, but at least that's more controllable.

I have that problem with my microwaves throwing the breaker all the time so maybe I do need to replace the breaker but what I do that works, I plug my microwave into my stove outlet.  I have had three microwaves over the years and all of them would throw the breaker.  I've also thought I could put a higher powered breaker into the fuse box.


Why might my ceiling fan have been disconnected? Hi. We have been in our house for a couple of years and the ceiling fan in our conservatory has never woked. All the plugs worked fine.

Today, I took the fan down and found there was no power getting to the fan. I then check the spur coming off the house plug sockets and could see one set of connections that were fine but another which had seemly been cut at at the entry point. Lookin at the photo, it isnt a clean cut so i wonder if it had snapped.

Can anyone think why this might have disconnected? My underatanding is that these fans aren’t too electric hungry.

If not, does anyone have any tips how to reconnect with the wire being so close to the wall?

Thanks
Ian

Lookin at the photo, it isnt a clean cut so i wonder if it had snapped.

Not a chance. Cables don't snap easily. And they don't cut easily either, which is why the cut isn't clean.

  Can anyone think why this might have disconnected?

My best guess (and it's only a guess) is that the fan was installed by a DIYer, without getting Part P sign-off by an electrician, and in advance of selling the house the DIYer/vendor disconnected it (with extreme prejudice) as they didn't want any liability for it.

(The buyers of my last house may have come across a few similar things...)

  If not, does anyone have any tips how to reconnect with the wire being so close to the wall?

It may be possible to connect to the existing short wires with crimping. Might be worth talking to your local electrician for this.

Or you may be able to use this short wire to draw-through a new longer cable (although I'd guess the friction would probably be too high, and you'd risk stripping the new cable on corners.... On second thoughts: please don't try this idea).

Or you may have to bash a hole in the wall further back along the cable, in order to joint the cable somewhere where there's enough slack in the cable.

Perhaps this was a permanent way to get others in the house to not turn the fan on.


Door not flush to door stop at the top but is at the bottom I have recently replaced an interior door and the door now bows away from the door stop at the top (latch side) about a 1/4 inch but is about flush at the bottom . I am at a loss for how to correct this. The hinges are mounted the same at the top and bottom and there is no significant gap issue in the door spacing from the frame. Any advice would be appreciated.

Added a photo of the corner in question. Hopefully it will help in describing what I am seeing. The hinge side is close to flush with the door stop, as is the bottom of the latch side.

Was it a pre-hung door? If one side of the frame is cut longer than the other (or if your floor isn't level and the frame rests on the ground) that could be pushing the frame out of shape.


Can I warm up a swimming pool by submerging black-painted milk jugs in it? I know they make solar covers for pools, but I that is a bit of a pain to put on and take off all the time and my cover (from a well known manufacturer) from last year was easy to rip and became brittle and fell apart in a few thousand pieces at the end of the summer.

I was thinking about taking milk jugs, pouring a bit of black paint in them to coat the inside, letting them dry, and then submerging them in the pool. This sounds like it would be more effort than the solar cover, but I don't think I would need to remove them every time. Also, they could double as weights to keep the normal cover on when it storms.

Are there any DIY solutions that work well to really warm up a pool?

I live in Ohio, USA if that matters/helps.

I'm not clear on how some milk jugs are going to heat the pool. Most of the light will have scattered before it reaches the submerged jugs. Plus the surface area is going to be minuscule compared to the pool area, unless you have thousands of jugs.

Finally, I thought one of the main benefits to a pool cover was to reduce evaporative heat loss. Underwater jugs won't help you at all.

Throw black trash bags on the surface of your pool.


what is the easiest way too clean adhesive residue from glass? Stickers have left residue on some windows and old glass jars. I have typically used acetone to clean the residue but is there a better / easier way?

Orange oil (limonene) based cleaners dissolve sticker residue as well or better than acetone. Put some on, let it sit a bit, scrub a little with nylon,and wash off. There are zillions of different brands of the stuff.

Magic sponge and elbow grease has worked wonders on set-on sealant overspray on house windows.


New Central Air Install: choosing single-stage vs dual-stage condensers Specifically:  would a 2-stage 3-ton condenser be more efficient than a 1-stage 2-ton condenser?  Let's assume the same SEER rating for both.
What about reliability? - I heard that 2-stage are a lot more complicated, does it mean more maintenance?
Finally, is it worth the extra investment if we live in the NorthEast and will be using central air 2 months a year?
Please advise.

2 stage equipment is for comfort, not economy. You probably won't make that extra cost back if used 2 months a year and your house leaks AT ALL. (high SEER units are useless in an improperly insulated house) Reliability is doubled in that half the system can be broke and it will still work. Heating in your area is more important I would think, spend that money on an ECM (variable speed) furnace with a modulating gas valve. If they are the same SEER then there is no operating cost difference (right guys?). A 3 ton will just run less often and cost more to do so than a 2 ton. If you want to save money, thermal scan your house and fix those issues. Unless your rich and a green freak, I see no benefit to dual stage systems less than ~10 tons. The second stage is for those months that your first stage can't handle. In your situation it sounds like it would either always run both or never need the second.

ECM's pay for themselves in about 3 years, MGV's 10 or so depending on usage. 18 SEER will never pay for it self unless your house has an astronomical R value.

Quote from HVAC TALK

  2 Stage is for COMFORT.

  Some people may save some money, from the longer run in first stage because they won't feel that sudden coolness from the short on time that a single stage has at the mild and mid range winter temps.
  Meaning they don't set the stat as high as they did with their old unit.(comparing 2 stage 90% to single stage 90%) So it looks like the low fire is saving them a lot of money by being more efficient, when its really because they have their stat set lower.

  Same with 2 stage A/C. They may set their stat 1 or 2 degrees higher. So they save because they are more comfortable at a higher temp. Which of course, maintaining a higher temp, uses less electric.

  Most 2 stage units going in are replacing older lower efficiency single stage units. Moving up from a 80% to a 90%, or 9 SEER to a 15 SEER, so they see the overall savings. And rave about 2 stage savings.
  Contractors then repeat how much a 2 stage system saved that person.

  So its just repeating observations made, without a control, to check it to.

  In your case, (not to take money from a contractor, but), I'd just set the lock out lower, and see how it does this winter.

  Keep the money you were going to spend on a new system in the bank, and let it make some interest.

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?178756-2-stage-furnace-not-more-efficient-than-1-stage/page2

This guy "Beenthere" seams to really know his stuff.

I think a deeper look at 2-stage can reveal a LOT of 'it depends' on if it's really worth doing vs  1-stage. Remember they are doing to same work, low stage is just taking longer to do it! The variables are so complicated it's really impossible to know if you are going to get better results with 2-stage vs single stage. Partly because estimating your load and it's seasonal variance and selecting exactly the right sized unit is a bit of a crap shoot.
If your 2-stage system happens to be a bit oversized, it may run in low so much that it would be similar to a smaller single stage unit. (and the opposite scenario). It's all so complicated and difficult just assuming 2-stage is better is a bit of an assumption. And I've found no easy way to temporarily force a 2-stage to run always on high if that's the response I want. So I will probably have it installed to permanently only run on high anyway. (I selected a 2-stage unit for warranty reasons) Because I prefer the comfort response with it on high. People say the longer cycle times of low-stage can extend the compressor life, maybe. But remember that longer cycles does mean more time spent above target temp on cool, for example..so it can be a comfort issue. And efficiency can be no better, or possibly even worse under some conditions. It depends. There are so many considerations can't list them all here.


How do I change a light bulb I can't grip? We have two bulbs in our house that need replacing. They appear to be PAR38 bulbs.

The bulbs are both in recessed sockets. There is not enough space between the bulb and the well to get fingers around. The bulbs are in too firmly to budge with what little torque we can exert from the face. Obviously, we don't want to try anything that would break them.

A Google search for "bulb changer" yields some promising results, but I figured I'd ask some humans to be sure.

Take a piece of duct tape and wrap it in the shape of an "O", with the sticky side of the tape on the outside.  Stick the loop of tape to the face of the light bulb such that it is secure. Put your hand (four fingers) inside the loop and twist counterclockwise to loosen the bulb.

Credit: https://youtu.be/NNGyhRu7c0I?t=2m

Cut a potato in half and stick one end into the broken bulb and twist. Seriously works.


Are power outlets for window A/C units likely to support 220V? The windows in my apartment have single power outlets next to them like the one pictured below, presumably for use with window A/C units. Are these likely to be 220V outlets, suitable for use with larger units like this one? One point of evidence against is that I have used these outlets successfully with smaller window units (which I do not know to have voltage transformers) in the past.

If these are not 220V outlets, what is specially about them that requires them to be different from standard, two plug outlets?

That is a 120v outlet.

220v outlets use different shaped slots - both horizontal instead of vertical. Like this:

The plugs and outlets are made to be incompatible with 120v ones because plugging a device into the wrong voltage outlet could cause serious damage or fire.

IF that is a dedicated circuit for the AC it can be rewired as 240v quite easily by replacing the breaker and wiring it differently at both ends, using the existing wire in the wall.  It will still be limited to whatever amperage the existing run supports - probably 15 or 20 amps depending on the wire gauge.

If other things are on the same circuit you would need to run new wire from the electrical panel.

Assuming you rent the apartment (not a condo that you own) you would usually need the landlord's permission to get it changed.

However, if you want you can still convert the power coming out from a 120v outlet to 220v by using an external device called power converter.
It is a bit of a bulky box but hey, in some cases , if you really need 220v can be a solution.


What wireless temperature monitoring systems should I look into? I'd like to monitor and log temperature on few locations in my home. Wireless monitoring with normal consumer batteries etc would be preferable for the sensors. I have an Mac OSX server running at my home where I could log the temperatures and browse the data. I live in Finland, so something that's too specific for the US will not work.

Do you have any good suggestions or experiences on what wireless temperature sensors and system to use? I'd prefer something cheap but not too DIY as this thing is just a novelty for me.

One option is using Arduino based microcontroller. I recommend JeeNode for integrated wireless.

For basic one "server" plus one remote sensor you need two JeeNodes, USB adapter, temperature sensor and battery, all for around 55 €. You need to know how to solder electronic components and program in C. Each additional sensor would cost about 20 €.

Here is example project for temperature sensor using Arduino (will work on JeeNode as well). You have to add wireless code as well, starting with this skeleton.

So, not so cheap and certainly pretty advanced DIY. ;-)

There is a "How to" to develop your own low-cost temperature monitoring at the blogspot -
http://lowcostsystem.blogspot.com


Traditional Recessed Lights or the New "clip" LED Panels? I'm finishing my basement (exposed ceiling, will be putting in roxul safensound) and I have a dilemma. Home Depot just released these new 4" puck/panel lights with integrated LED driver. I'm considering using them as they throw out decent light and are dimmable and IC rated. I threw one up last night for testing and think it's alright.

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.illume-ultraslim-4-inches-recessed-round-led-panel-light.1000826915.html

Should I go with these or traditional can (halo) type installation? They are so new that I couldn't find many reviews online regarding these. I did find that the integrated driver junction box had very little space to work in, especially connecting lights in series. How would I rough wire my basement if I was using these and pass inspection?

thanks so much.

Eric

update: As per request, I'm attaching the photos I took when I was at HD.

full disclosure here.  you may be looking at a product that is similar looking but fundamentally different than what i think it is.

what you are looking at is a bulkhead light for furniture only.  meant to be used inside a cabinet box or some other structure that is classed in the NBC as "furniture".  even though many places sell these, you cannot legally use these for potlighting where they are submerged into a drywall ceiling, even I have seen these installed so many times in the wrong way.  its disturbing.  you cannot just cut a hole and clip these into the hole.  I have worked on multiple different residences where these have caught fire outright or been smouldering when they were turned off finally.

1)  there is no way to connect to the unit in a way that makes the connection compliant with the OEC.  the connections have to be in a metal enclosure, and these don't come with it. I have seen every type of disturbingly mis-thought arrangement with these things.

2)  the fire code requires that any penetration into the rooms fire barrier (the drywall ceiling) must be in an appropriately fire rated enclosure.  since these have a power supply board either onboard or in a little separate module (with a molex connector usually), that part also has to be installed in an approved enclosure.

3)  even if you want to do all your connections in an approved rework pot or some other device, they are a weird diameter that doesn't match any pots that I have ever seen.

4)  ESA will not pass these in any installation I have ever seen, and I have had inspectors tell me that ESA is still working on getting the legislative clout to have them banned outright, so that they can't be sold at all in Canada without the aforementioned warnings.  just remember that you can run electrical cable through a drain line, but its not legal.  caveat emptor.

do yourself a favour and get led refit assemblies from cree or greenlite.  I buy them by the skid from greenlite for about $15 ea.  they are not that much more if you buy just a case of them.  they have a 5 year warranty, honoured by a Canadian company, and they are bombproof, commercial grade lights.

http://www.greenlite.ca/en/lights/1895-led-10w-dimmable-retrofit-kit-4-.html

The currently accepted answer from 'personal privacy advocate' is mostly wrong.

These are not "bulkhead light for furniture only" and the electrical connections are enclosed within a metal box, it's just not in the picture the OP posted.


Can I plug corded light fixtures in outlets in ceiling per code? I  have build a new pole shed. I installed 20 amp switch with 12/2 wire from the switch to 20 amp outlets in the ceiling to power plug in LED lights. I can plug up to 8 LED lights on a 15 amp circuit (according to the packaging). My question: will plugin light fixtures with corded plugs meet code?

Corded lights are legal to be plugged into outlets. Although your LED lights are wired for a 15 amp circuit the lamp draws much less, the directions state 8 fixtures for a 15 amp circuit, I would guess the 8 lamps draw a total of 1200w or less,  but in any case the NEC allows manufacturer instructions to override code in some cases as long as the product is listed. NEC 400.8 provides the locations that can't be used but if the outlet is visible (not concealed) it is legal .

It is easier to seek forgiveness than to seek permission! Codes vary with location. The important thing here is you are on the right track with wiring the outlets with #12 wire but does it include a ground wire? I never can keep that straight! If'n you have a white, black and a bare wire in your 12-2 then you are good. If'n you are gonna put up 8 lights or less you are good. Both have a comfortable safety factor. Should satisfy any reasonable code. Best you read the code yourself since many "code experts" are like General Aviation mechanics fresh out of A&P school: full of themselves!


How can I use a 12VDC bilge pump with an Intermatic timer for pond circulation? I have built a small rock water feature using a 12V bilge pump as the circulator. I purchased an Intermatic 12V light timer/transformer to power the pump.

There are two connection terminals on the timer which I assumed connected to the two wires on the pump.

When I connected the pump to the timer the pump ran rough and would not pump.

I checked the pump on my car battery and it ran great, fast and smoothly. I connected one wire to the + terminal, and the other to - terminal.

So my question is how should I correctly connect to the timer terminals?

A couple things could be going on, as @bib and @BMitch allude:

Your transformer could be putting out AC 12V instead of DC 12V. (Sometimes these are labeled VAC and VDC, respectively.)
Your transformer may not be able to supply enough current to power the pump. The pump and transformer should both have their current listed (in the case of the transformer it will be a max current). If the pump is trying to draw more than the transformer can supply, both will be unhappy.
Your pump could be sensitive to polarity and you've got the two wires crossed. I think most DC motors should work forwards and backwards, but of course the pump will only function properly one direction.
If the transformer is cheap it may be putting out "noisy" DC power which the pump isn't liking. A car battery puts out pure DC power but the transformer needs to rectify and filter your household AC power, and some transformers are better than others.

I struggled with this same issue. Finally converted an old computer server power cord to run my bilge pump. It works great. You can get plans to convert this on the internet.  Only took two solders.


What type of fitting connection is this? This fitting for a pressure washer seems to be straight-threaded. The OD of the threaded portion is 16.18mm according to my caliper. Thread pitch is approximately 1.5mm. I need to convert this to NPT.

I first thought of ORB, but it doesn't appear to be the right type. Based on prior history with this vendor, there's a chance its a German DIN fitting. But I don't know enough about those to make a good ID.

It appears to be a 1/2" threaded stop plug with an Allen wrench shaped hole in it . It also looks like the plumbing fitting itself may be 3/4" itself , with a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer in it.

The fitting, the way you hold it in the picture does give us a shot of the other side of it... Would need to see that too.


How do I fix this missing soffit? After this past harsh winter I noticed this spot on our house where it looks like some soffit panels had fallen out.  Honestly, I'm not sure what was in the space prior; I never found any panels on the ground if it'd blown down.  And there's no lip really, just a nail as if maybe whomever set it up originally just nailed a piece onto the roof frame or something?

I'm looking for suggestions on what I should fix this with.  Do I get a soffit panel and nail it over the spot?  Just get some plywood and nail it there? Should I be putting something inside the empty space first before sealing it up?  Ultimately I just want to seal it up to keep any potential critters and pests out, plus it was probably leading to some of the drafts over the winter!

Here are some pics:

As mentioned by other comments and posts, the soffit needs to remain vented. For what it is worth, that one piece won't matter if it is perforated or not, (the whole soffit is open on the inside, that is a good thing) but use perforated soffit anyway so it matches. This material is available at any big box store.

The picture have captions in them that should explain what I seen needing to be done. What I have illustrated is the simplest way to proved a repair that will last without taking the fascia and soffit down. The only detail I left out was how to fasten the soffit panel in. Once the block is in that I drew in, add a piece of "F" track that will hold the soffit piece at the wall, or it can be screwed directly to the block. The outside egde can be screwed in too but the added fascia "extension lip" to replace the one that was torn off, is made to hold that end of the soffit in place.

Just a few suggestions to help you solve your problem: I would most likely get a soffit panel and do my best to nail it over the spot. You could possibly get a good piece of plywood and just nail it there also. I would probably put something inside the empty space first before I went ahead and sealed it up. Potentially, you will want to close this space up to keep birds and other rodents out of there. Not to mention I'm sure you had some cold air seeping through in the winter!


Power wires too short, what to do? When I see a short wire, what can I do? There are close to ceiling junction boxes on top of the outlets where the wires come from, should I pull the short wire back into them and splice them with new long wires to extend them? Like with a twister on or wago connector?

Or should I try to rewire and replace the entire length of the wire coming from the apartments breaker? I'm tempted to try this because in one of the junction boxes I see black oily grime like char on the shielding of same wires, which leads me to think are somepoint something exploded in there.

I would use a push-in connectors like https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p29476
Just add extension wires.

Don’t let short electrical wires cramp your DIY project. Splice in
  extra wire in a few seconds using easy push-in connectors.

  Electricians should leave at least six inches of wire in wall boxes,
  which will provide enough length to install a new switch or outlet.
  When they don’t, it makes stripping wires and getting solid
  connections a difficult task.

  Wire nuts are effective for connecting wires, but sometimes the wire
  is to short to get a proper connection. Using the push-in connectors,
  you simply push the bare end of a wire into the connector and a spring
  clip will hold it in place. Insert the bare end of your jumper wire
  and you’ve got an instant connection.

  Watch the video at the link below for a basic demonstration of how to
  lengthen your wires.

From: Lengthen Electrical wires that are too short

I have a degree in Associates in Scienece in Electrical Engineering Technology from St petersburg College. Dec 1998
Also did Some Electrical worl under a Licensed Electrical Contractor
 I would recomend a 20 Amp Residential Grade Self Grounding Tamper Resistant Duplex Outlet, White
Leviton
20 Amp Residential Grade Self Grounding Tamper Resistant Duplex Outlet, White
Home Depot Self grounding outlet


Looking for or adding a ground to an existing NEMA 10-30 socket I have an unused older 3-wire dryer socket (NEMA 10-30R) in my garage, I would like to upgrade this to a NEMA 14-30 socket with an separate ground. I'll be using this for an EVSE unit for electrical vehicle charging.

The previous owner did some newer wiring around the box containing this socket and I suspect he might have either run a ground to the location or installed a ground wire to a water pipe or something.

I have two related questions:

If I shut off the breaker and take off the socket, what am I looking
for that will indicate a ground wire? Would it just be an unused
fourth wire in the box?
If I find only a 3-wire run to this box, is there a safe DIY way to
add a ground myself without running back to the breaker panel?
There's a very new furnace/air-handler and water heater very close,
would either of those have a ground wire I could tie into or should
it be something else?

A ground wire in a NM run for a dryer is indeed an unused fourth wire in the box, and it will be bare.  If your garage dryer socket was instead run using AC (BX, in other words) or metal conduit, then the box itself is grounded, and should be pigtailed to to ground the receptacle.  (In the rare case the circuit was run with MC, there will be a green ground wire in the box.)

If you're comfortable using a multimeter, you can turn the circuit off at the panel and measure the resistance to the neutral wire -- the ground will only have a few ohms to the neutral as they are connected at the service entrance.

Adding a ground to a three-wire, 120/240VAC circuit is best handled by running a separate ground wire back to an allowable grounding point as per NEC 250.130(C), using single conductor bare armored ground cable.  In the 2014 NEC, point 4 does allow you to tap the nearest EGC of a suitable size originating from the same enclosure as the recipient branch circuit; but, since a 30A circuit needs a 10AWG copper EGC, you can't use a 15 or 20A circuit's EGC as the donor.

Also, if your appliance can do it, you can install a neutral bonding jumper and change it over to a NEMA 10-30 plug on a 3 wire cord. (Just about all dryers can do this.)

A proper grounding wire would be a bare wire coming out of the same cable that has the 2 hot wires and the neutral.  For example 10/3 w/g (with ground), e.g. 3 insulated wires and one bare copper wire, all coming from the same cable.
Define "safe".   If "safe" means is there some way to jury-rig a ground wire to some nearby device that is itself properly grounded such that a short-circuit will definitely trip your breaker...maybe.  If "safe" means that if something goes wrong while you're not around and your house burns down and your home insurance inspector sees that wiring and will still cover the damages...no.  Do it the right way...if your existing cable doesn't have a ground, replace it with one that does.


Can I cut or cover a sewer cleanout pipe in front of my house? I have a PVC pipe sticking up in front of my house, in a flower-bed area. It's 20 inches high and 5 inches in diameter. As I understand, it is a sewer clean-out pipe.

It's rather unsightly and I've been wondering whether I can cover it or cut it to a shorter length.

Obviously I don't want to prohibit access, but I've been thinking a hollow-bottomed bird bath might be ideal to put over it.

What should I do with this thing?

You will need PVC cement and primer, and a female pipe adapter (available at your local or big-box hardware store; measure your existing plug -- it looks like 4" in the photo).    Dig out around the pipe to get enough room to saw it off near ground level (any sharp hand saw will work).   De-burr the edge with a piece of course sandpaper or a file, and follow the instructions on the cement and primer to glue the adapter on.   Give it some time to set, replace the plug and backfill.   As @Scott mentions, measure where it is so that years from now when you need it, you will be able to find it.    If the sewer line runs through your basment, mark the location on or near where the pipe exists the house.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/NDS-6-in-Plastic-Round-Box-with-Overlapping-ICV-Cover-107BC/100377386
Use this. You can buy it at home depot!


Deck the halls with bubble wrap? In order to insulate a room, would it make sense to apply a layer of bubble wrap to my walls/ceiling? What about some other material like mylar or foylon? What major factors would affect the answer to this question? In particular, would the amount of sunlight coming into the room have a significant effect?
If yes, how much benefit would I get from <100% coverage, e.g. from missing some uneven spots on the wall or missing the ceiling?
(Context: I am already taking a number of steps to insulate my windows. I am also a renter of a second floor unit with somewhat irregular construction, which I take to mean that it is a hassle for me to modify the exterior or the inside of the wall and I cannot assume that "best practices" were followed in the construction process.)

I would select non-flammable insulating materials such as rock-wool, or fiberglass (fully puffed up; mashing it badly hurts its performance).  To use these, you will need some sort of framing to hold it up.  It can't just be taped to a wall.
It's not out of the question to frame a room inside a rental house; I've seen it done. However this is the wrong year to be buying lumber and building supplies: COVID shut down the logging and milling earlier this year, meanwhile everyone stuck at home has gone on a remodeling binge, meanwhile new-home construction remains a very strong market.
However, you really need to work the normal insulation priority list: sealing of doors and windows first, window treatments second, then walls pretty much last.

Styrofoam sheets are a common insulator.  You can use it directly against concrete and other surfaces where moisture intrusion is likely.  It's very common on garage doors and in basements.
If you really want to know about bubble wrap as an insulator, you can check for the R-value of foil-faced bubble wrap insulating products.  I don't think it's very good compared to other types of available thermal insulation; probably why it's not common.


Avoiding Satin Paint Streaks with Roller I have a wall that is 8 feet tall and about 20 feet wide with a strip of chair rail that runs the length of the wall. I used Sherwin Williams satin white paint. I gave the wall a light sanding with fine sand paper before I painted. I cut in the top, bottom, and the chair rail with a brush. Then rolled on the paint with a Purdy roller. The wall is now full of streaks (even after a second coat). I used the "W" technique (always worked fine for flat paint). I plan to repaint it again with the same paint and hopefully do better. I am reading to roll top to bottom from some sources while others say the "W" technique. What is the best way to avoid streaking with satin paint?

By streaking in satin paint I assume you mean flashing. Flashing is when you can see differences in sheen at certain light angles that looks like you just went over some areas with wet paint and other parts look dryer.  It's more noticeable with higher sheen paints and oblique lighting like you might find from a nearby window on an adjacent wall. Does that sound like what you mean by streaks?

Flashing was something I always had a problem with. One of the things that leads to flashing is I believe an uneven coat. When I keep the roller consistently loaded I don't get flashing.

The W technique never worked for me and I don't think I've seen a professional painter roll on paint that way. What I've always seen them do is roll up and down the wall just the width of the roller. Then reloading and doing the next strip.

What I do is load the roller, roll off the excess in the pan, start in the middle of the wall, roll up, then down only 3 or 4 times. Reload, roll of excess, overlap the next section a bit. When I'm done rolling the next stripe I will roll back over the previous area slightly to even out any roller marks. Also I stopped trying to squeeze the most I can out of the roller when I'm almost done painting and I'm almost out of paint and too lazy to deal with opening another can. Keeping a consistent level of paint on the roller, not pressing it too hard and just letting the paint do the work has helped a lot.

If you move down the wall and notice you may have missed a spot on an earlier stripe, just leave it. Touch it up after it has dried enough for the next coat.

I also have one of those Wagner power rollers that pumps paint into the roller which makes it easy to keep the roller consistently full of paint. When I use that I've never had flashing issues.

Lately I've started using Benjamin Moore Aura which is really good when it comes to flashing. I wasn't sure if it was just the paint or my technique until a few months ago when I had to do some painting with a non Aura eggshell finish paint and I didn't get any flashing even though I did it fairly rushed using a roller and tray. The other paint is a good paint but I've had trouble with flashing in the past. Especially on ceilings.

When this flashing happens can you go back with a brush and touch up the streaks. We have put on three coats now and it is still streaky.


Is it more work to replace or remove a skylight? We have a 20 year old leaking skylight, and right now I am contemplating either removing or replacing it. Not exactly sure why it is leaking, perhaps the flashing is bad, but it's leaked for a while. One thought was perhaps it had to do with the actual skylight mechanism (this one used to open) So I'm thinking of replacing it with a sealed one or roofing over it. I've read a bit about the latter, and it seams to do it properly it's quite a bit of work, you have to tear out the framing structure, so that air flows to the peak, and make sure it is sealed an insulated like the rest of the structure. On the other hand, replacing the skylight will require re - flashing and perhaps changing the size of the frame a bit.

The real answer is:  Don't do anything until you've identified the root cause.  Find the leak.  FLashing and sealant can be replaced a lot more easily than a whole new unit, not to mention the difference in cost and time.
Similarly, if there's a leak where the glass (and frame) separates from the support frame as you open the skylight, address that specifically.

Never start out by attempting the most expensive solution.

Remove for sure.  You can replace a skylight, throw down flashing around it, caulk it up and basically do a really good install in about 1-2 hours (not accounting demo as this is all over the place with skylights) per light.

If you totally remove it you are going to have to do a lot of patchwork on the roof and a lot of shingle repair.  You might have cut past the hole for your skylight and replace adjacent boards or at least cut them - depends on how skylight was installed.  Also you may need to replace rows of shingles below skylight - it can be a mess and costly.

On leaking - THEY ALL LEAK.  Their seals go bad sitting in the sun.  They require maintenance and possibly replacing every 10-15 years.  There are things that are easy to do to make your seals last longer but that is a different question.  But I would only get rid of my skylights if I was reshingling the whole roof.  As it stands to remove it you are probably reducing the value of your home and costing yourself more money.


How can I power a three phase AC motor with only 2 phases? I have some AC motors with 6 wires each. I only have 2 out of 3 phases available. I will test these motors any way. I know the motors won't work in their best condition and I risk create a short circuit if I don't make the right choice. Suppose the internal wiring is like this

I'm planning to connect 2 and 5 together, phase A to 1 and 3, phase B to 4 and 6. Will it work?

Three phase motors need to be fed with three phase power. It has to do with the internal configuration, each power leg must be fed power 120 degrees apart so the created magnetic field spins the rotor.

If you're thinking about using 240V split phase to power this motor, the effecive phase angle between each leg and neutral is 180 degrees out of phase. Expect the motor to stall if it will even begin to spin weakly, not create the proper back EMF, draw high current and release smoke.

If you need to run this motor off of split phase, you need to run it from 240V single phase and use a phase converter that electrically produces three phase power output. Your motor will then run perfectly. There are two types of phase converter, Motor Generator and Static (electronic).

Differences between Split Phase 240VAC and 3-phase 240VAC

You can use a capacitor to simulate a 3 phase supply but you will have only 75% of the power available. However your motor's windings look more like a stepper motor; for this you need a completely different power supply.


Alarms on Doors that have Access to a Pool I am finishing up renovating my pool and I changed the configuration of the barrier fence I previously had. I now use my house itself as the 4th side to keep the pool deck open (since our kids are grown). The county/state code indicates I must install door alarms on all doors that allow access to the pool (I have 7 due to big sliding doors opening at various points).

While I don't agree with being forced to install these alarms in MY house where no children live, I must do so to pass the inspection. I am a do-it-your-selfer and heavily into home automation. I have my existing home security system, motion and existing door/window open sensors integrated into my home automation system, so I wanted to use this same automation system to meet the pool alarm requirements. I want use a RaspberryPi or ESP8266 Wireless module to handle the override button presses next to each door. Ideally rather than a blaring alarm, I would like a notification sent to my phone or watch. I could setup a blaring alarm just to pass the inspection.

Has anybody had any luck getting their local government/county inspectors to budge on this archaic building code? (By archaic, I mean there are more modern ways to get your attention other than an obnoxious 85dB alarm -- like mobile phone, watch, etc)

I am trying to avoid purchasing seven $50 "official devices" for each door just to pass the inspection. If my DIY system meets the regulations, but is not a UL certified alarm device, will that pass inspection?

The specification I found is listed below:

The relevant parts are from http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/swimming-pools/_documents/cpsc-safety-barriers.pdf

  All doors that allow access to a swimming pool should be equipped with
  an audible alarm that sounds when the door and/or screen are opened.
  Alarms should meet the requirements of UL 2017, General-Purpose
  Signaling Devices and Systems, Section 77, and have the following
  features:

  The alarm sound should last for 30 seconds or more and start within 7 seconds after the door is opened.
  The alarm should be loud: at least 85 dB (decibels), when measured 10 feet away from the alarm mechanism.
  The alarm sound should be distinct from other sounds in the house, such as the telephone, doorbell, and smoke alarm.
  The alarm should have an automatic reset feature to deactivate the alarm temporarily for up to 15 seconds, to allow adults to pass
  through house doors without setting off the alarm. The deactivation
  switch could be a touchpad (keypad), or a manual switch, and should be
  located at least 54 inches above the threshold and out of the reach of
  children.

Not the answer you are looking for, but:
Loud Alarms are What You Really NEED
Assuming that the premise is a sound one, that people need to be warned of unexpected/unauthorized entrance to the pool area, a loud alarm is the right answer, not an electronic notification. A few examples:

It is all too easy to ignore texts/notifications/etc. "If my boss/spouse/buddy texts me one more time about that project/trip/party, I'm gonna scream" followed by ignoring the next 30 minutes of little beeps by just swiping them away to look at "later". Kid wanders out...disaster.

A new cleaning crew comes in the day before your big pool party. One of them asks, "can I bring my 3 year old, I'll keep an eye on her, she's a really quiet kid" and you say "sure". You go out to pick up munchies. The cleaning person starts vacuuming in the living room. The kid wanders through the door (left closed but unlocked because the crew is cleaning "everywhere")...disaster.

You are out at the pool having fun. You hear a honk and go out front to greet the guests. He has the radio on in his car and you decide to listen to the last 2 minutes of the big game, radio blaring, watches/phones ignored (my day off, I'm ignoring texts), kid who was watching TV inside wanders out to the pool to find you...disaster.

You can argue whether any alarm is needed. But once an alarm is needed, an App won't substitute. Not when accident to disaster = 3 minutes or less in the water.
A number of people have pointed out that for a child even 3 minutes can easily cause major damage or even be fatal. I am not suggesting "up to 3 minutes and everything is going to be just fine" - quite the opposite, I am using that as a very short time period to indicate just how little time it takes - and therefore why an alarm on entering the pool area, hopefully a minute before falling in the pool is vitally important.
For those suggesting "put up the stupid alarms and then unplug/remove battery/etc. after the inspector leaves", please don't do that!.

Since you need a few. You could just pick up some window alarms from walmart - window alarms. I don't know how official they are. They are 120 db and the link shows a pack of 4 for less than $20. Then once the inspection is over and everything has settled down, remove them.


Water rising in my second sump pit but not the first We have lived in our home for over 3 years. We have 2 sump pits, each with a pump. The second pit is operated with a battery back up in case of power failures. Recently, we have found that the back up pump is going off every 3 hours or so. The primary operates only sporadically. I know we have water entering the pits normally during periods of no rain due to the water table but I am confused why this would suddenly start happening in the second pit.

Any insights?

water under a foundation is entirely unpredictable.  its governed by rainfall, tmemperature, soil moisture level, slope, etc.  there is absolutely no reason to worry if the pumps are running properly and doing there job, as there is no way to solve the problem (if there is indeed one) without just randomly trying different changes to any of the above.  this is all predicated on the fact that both pumps have been checked and are working fine.  if not, start there.


Will insulating attached garage walls create a moisture problem? I live in Chicago and have 50 yrs old house that has attached garage. I found out that the walls in garage does not have insulation. I am planning to open the drywall, put batt insulation and drywall it back.
My concern is moisture here. The reason I am concerned is that the garage walls are built in such a way that half of it is concrete wall and framing rests on this concrete wall. So if I insulate 'til the framing only will it create moisture issue? Or should it be fine?
The reason I want to insulate is because I have room above the garage which stay colder than other rooms in the house. I have checked the garage ceiling and attic and they both are insulated. The only part in garage which is not insulated are the walls. So I am thinking insulating the walls will keep the garage little warmer and in turn the room above will be little warmer than what it is currently now. And by the way on cold day my garage temp goes to 35-40F.

Chicago - Cold. Vapor barrier to inside. Moisture concern solved.
Half-concrete wall - if you only insulate the frame part, the concrete  part will still be wicked cold. You might want to consider insulating the frame part and then covering the whole wall (concrete part and stud bays) with rigid foam sheets, taped or sealed as the vapor barrier, and then drywall - which would give you some insulation over the concrete part.

I have decided to remove drywall from the wall as well as ceiling. I will use the combination of foam board and batt insulation.