How much concrete for a fence post? We're going to build up a 4' fence around our property sometime in here in the spring or summer with 4x4 posts.

I've seen that you should bury 1/3 to 1/2 of the above ground post height; so this would make our hole 1.5-2' deep with gravel below. I've also seen that the diameter of the hole for a 4x4 post should be 12".. which would make the radius 6". After going through the math for the hole ( pi x r^2 x h ) it comes out that the hole will have a volume of 1.57 cu ft, but the post itself will take up 0.17 cu ft, so the volume to be filled with concrete will become 1.4 cu ft per post. Right?

The question I have now is that a 50lb bag of fast-setting Quickrete apparently fills 0.375 cu ft after setting. This would mean that we'd need almost 4 bags per post (3.75) - this is also the number that comes up from Quickrete's online calculator. I'm not against this exactly, except that I've seen people saying they've used half a bag per post or a bag a post. How accurate is this and how much should we need? At that rate, we're almost looking at 100+ bags. The 80lb bags fill about 0.6 cu ft and are about a dollar cheaper, is there anything against going with it?

What type of concrete do I need to use, and how much?

Wow! I normally use post hole diggers (6" diameter?) 3 feet deep and ½ a bag of redi-mix per post. I did a free standing section of 6 foot privacy fencing this last summer and we just had a storm of >50mph winds and it is still standing and solid.

So, some of it depends on the quality of your soil but 4 bags per post would be major overbuilding in my opinion.

If you had access to an 8" auger and a full bag per post would still be overbuilding but if you are OCD then that would probably satisfy your worries.

Good luck!

Concrete is typically used when you don’t want someone attempting to steal or otherwise rip out your posts.

For a 4’ fence, wholly unnecessary except for those reasons.


How can I replace an old dial thermostat on an oil furnace with Hydrostat 3250 Plus? I recently bought a home with an oil fired Biasi furnace that has a Hydrostat 3250-Plus attached. It uses an old analog round dial thermostat, and I'd like to replace it with a new digital (wifi) thermostat. The old thermostat only has two wires running to it (T and T), but the new one I bought requires a C wire. I went down to the furnace to see if there was an available terminal only to discover the Hydrostat. The directions for the hydrostat show the two 'T' connections, but not a 'C'. It has a C1 and C2, but the manual says these are for a circulator. I'm not great when it comes to wiring diagrams, and I'm at wits end trying to figure out where to go from here. I've included links to the manuals I've been able to find. If I can't connect the Honeywell wifi thermostat, any ideas for other options?

I believe its page 23 on the first one, as we have the Riello option.

B10 SERIES BOILER manual

Hydrostat 3250 manual

It looks like you're out of luck. It appears that the transformer is inside the hydrostat, and it doesn't expose a C terminal. You could contact the manufacturer, and ask them if there's a workaround. Based on the documentation, there's no obvious way to connect a WiFi thermostat to the system.

You can have a look at this forum below, which talks about using an external transformer plus a PAM-1 relay from a HydroStat 3150, which must be similar to your 3250.
http://www.thermostatforums.com/showthread.php?791-newbie-with-nest-gen-2


Can I replace a 15 ampere circuit breaker with a 20 ampere breaker? When I plug-in a conventional heating pad or a hair dryer into any bedroom duplex, the lights dim; and/or trips the circuit breaker. The home is of new construction-- placed in service 31 Dec 2013. My question is: Can I safely replace the existing 15 AMP Breaker with that of a 20 AMP? . . . the service cable is of 14 Gauge Copper Conductor.

No!

The only safe way to increase the circuit's capacity is by replacing the wire with one of adequate gauge.  For 20 amps, 12 AWG copper is adequate for up to about 100 feet.

If you simply replace the breaker, the wire can overheat and ignite the building from inside the walls.

To resolve the dimming issue, check that the outlet is in good condition and that the wires are securely fastened and not showing any signs of overheating:  blackening or loss of the copper shininess.  Also, check the end of the wire inside the service panel, both neutral and "hot" (black) wire.  If those are okay, set the appliances to a lower wattage setting or replace them with lower wattage models.

perhaps you can but please let the competent person to do it.firstly the wire must be in good order and do not use too many apliances with higher wattage at the same time.The best is to buy you a new mcb with the same rating to replace the old one,generally this will solve most of similar iissue.


What kind of jacks are used for lifting of framing in various situations? I have two vertical house jacks from the local tool library, which I've used to support framing during extensive dry rot and termite repair:

I'm into a section where the house jacks won't work.  I need to support, and then slightly jack up, a load bearing double stud to the left of a window.  The entire bottom plate is unusable for bearing due to termites, and access is needed to the double stud to complete the work.

Notes: The window corner bears no load (it's empty). All the cripple wall is mostly new with vintage lumber. And yes, that's electrical behind the kitchen cabinets which were built into the framing.  A Realtor(tm) arranged for that lovely work.

What kind of jacking techniques are used in situations like this?

Could you support it up the same way you support a porch?

You'd want to get past that sidewalk, the base has to be absolutely secure where it sets.

Just remove rotten wood put in proper bottom plate and cut studs to what they should be and angle and whack it straight. May need sludge hammer. You can put your jack on bottom plate with short 2x4 to top plate too.


What is a reasonable air-conditioning schedule to prevent humidity issues? In North Florida (Jacksonville), is there an effective temperature cooling profile to ensure to avoid issues associated with excessive humidity?   Assume that I can tolerate any level of heat.   Damp-rid is deployed in closets and under sinks.

If I am out of town for a month, I would like to be able to apply a rule of thumb so that the Florida humidity does not create problems, and at the same time I would like to avoid wasting energy.

The current cooling schedule includes:

If you have experience programming thermostats to manage humidity, please state this in your response: lessons learned are appreciated.  Thank you

This question has received a lot of answers and comments, but I suspect not from people familiar with Florida who have encountered the underlying issue.  It is a frequent one in Florida because:

There are a lot of snowbirds, and Floridians who travel a lot, so houses frequently are unoccupied for long periods.
Florida is extremely hot and humid.

The biggest issue is mold, which thrives in high humidity.  The problem here isn't humidity near 100%; the issue isn't the dew point or condensation.  Mold becomes a problem way before that.  The EPA recommends keeping humidity below 60% (ideally, below 50%), to prevent mold growth.

The OP is in the Jacksonville area, where the yearly average outside air humidity is at or above this threshold throughout the day (low point of 58%, day average of 76%, high point of 89%).  House insulation acts like a thermal delay, so when a house is unoccupied for an extended period, it goes through cycles when it is cooler inside and the RH spikes.  In an unoccupied house with normal air infiltration, the inside humidity will be extremely mold-friendly.

Since RH is a function of temperature and the humidity of the outside air, it is imprecise and expensive to try to handle this by arbitrarily cycling the AC based on temperature or time.  To reliably control mold, you might need to run the AC more than required.  Also, you need a reliable way of knowing what humidity level results from your normal AC temperature setting.  If it normally keeps the house close to 60% RH and you arbitrarily bump the temperature higher while you're gone, it could result in a mold-friendly environment.

The standard solution is to install a humidistat (not very expensive and a one-time cost), which cycles on the AC only as needed to keep the humidity in a range where mold doesn't grow.

Note that, as d.george writes, this is likely to be much more regular than an occasional burst of AC.  It will be removing moisture from the air, but everything in the house will be storing moisture and contributing to the equilibrium.  How much it runs based on humidity compared to how much it normally runs will depend on the humidity level resulting from your normal AC setting, and the outside temperature and humidity while you're gone.  If your normal AC setting keeps the humidity in the 50% to 60% range, the system will run about the same amount via the humidistat.  If the normal AC setting keeps the house at a low humidity, it will run a lot less via the humidistat.

Another, or auxiliary, solution is to use a dehumidifier (probably several for a whole house), as d.george suggests.  You will need a way to get rid of the collected water so it can run for an extended period unattended.  These cycle based entirely on humidity.

What is a reasonable air-conditioning schedule to prevent humidity issues?

Off.

Humidity is not a problem as long as the outside, hot and humid air does not encounter something cooler, like inside of an AC'd home or car. If you're leaving the town, just turn the AC off. The inside of your house will warm up to the outside temperatures, so there will be no problems with humidity condensing.

If you want to have relative humidity lower than 100%, you have to heat the home up a bit. Sun will do that for free once you turn the AC off.


What size aluminum ser do I need for 100 amp sub panel 10 feet away from 200 amp main? What size aluminum ser do I need to feed 100 amp subpanel? Ten feet from main panel.

Why SER?

With surface mounted panels in what presumably is an unfinished space, there is 0 reason to run an exposed SER cable here.  Instead, I would run a conduit between the two panels (2" EMT will handle anything you want to do here), and then simply run 3 XHHW-2 conductors (hot, hot, neutral) in the conduit between the two panels, using the conduit as a grounding path.

As to inner conductor sizing...

I would use 1AWG Al wires here; spending the extra for copper is a waste, and you can't get away with 2AWG for this because you'd exceed the 75°C termination limit that is normal for breakers and loadcenters if you did.  This limitation is a consequence of NEC 110.14(C)(1), by the way.

TORQUE ALL LUGS TO SPEC

One essential thing with this job, no matter who does it, is that all lugs will need to be tightened to the torque specified on the corresponding labels using an inch-pound torque-wrench; this is required by 2017 NEC 110.14(D), and is a good idea anyway, lest your electrical system go the way of Greg Biffle's infamous lugnuts.

Why aluminum?
4 copper or #2 aluminum per NEC Table 310-15(b)(6). Note that sub-panels must have the neutrals and grounds completely separated, with the neutral bus isolated from (not bonded to) the steel enclosure. If you have any questions about this please let us know.


How do I wire a hard-wired wall switch and a remote for my ceiling fan/light? I have installed a ceiling fan/light in my living room where only a light fixture used to be.  The room is large and with a high ceiling so getting up to change the fan setting and dimming the light is a pain.  And a pull chain is not an option or a feature of the fan.  I currently have a remote and receiver in the canopy.  This is great, except for walking into the room when it is dark as I knock everything over searching for the remote.

What I would like to do is have a wall switch that will turn the fan and light on and off separately, AND have the remote in the room that also has full control to turn the light and fan on and off, but I don't think that is possible.  If I'm wrong please let me know.

So my second desire, which I hope is possible, is to have the light controlled (on/off/dim) by a hard-wired wall switch and the remote, and the fan wired hot and controlled by the remote.  The fan is a Hunter 3-speed.

About the installation:

The current wiring is with 12/2 romex (with ground).
I have access to the entire circuit, fan junction box, and wall switch from the ceiling/attic above.
The fan, remote, and canopy receiver are all Hunter.
I've attached pictures of the switch hardware that I'm working with (alternative suggestions welcomed).

Thanks Fellas,
Evan

Simplest answer is probably to get a second remote and velcro it to the wall, unless the controller is designed to also support a physical switch via a switch loop or the "toggle off and on again rapidly" signalling mechanism. Docs for the controller should answer that question; if they don't tell you how to also use a wall switch you probably can't -- or at least can't use it as anything but a master power switch.

I had two light sockets in my fixture. What I did was to separate them, one light hard wired to the wall switch and the other light hooked up through the remote control.  Now I have the ability to turn on light from either or both.


Can I use the area above my garage for storage? The ceiling joists in my garage are 2x8 spaced 24" o.c., and span 21'.  The roof load appears to be carried by the walls, so the joists seem to only be in place to hold the drywall.

I'd like to use the space for light storage (holiday decorations, etc), but I'm not sure if the joists are up for the task. Obviously I'd want to add some decking; so items don't fall through the drywall, but that also adds to the weight the joists will have to carry.

Will I be able to do what I want, or will I have to upgrade the joists?

Since it's a garage (where cars have to park), I can't add mid span support without a huge undertaking.

The joists are almost certainly taking some tension load (keeping the walls from spreading) from the roof, at least, unless it's very strangely built.

As is, given a quick look at load calculators and those inputs, probably not. even reducing live and dead loads to 20PSF (minimum live load for a "storage attic" and a pretty low storage load) and allowing lots of deflection, it's too much for a 2x8.

Your best/most cost-effective approach would probably be to convert rafters and joists into a truss system by adding web elements between the rafters and joists. You'll need a structural engineer, but it's the least added material. My trusses spanning 24 feet are all 2x4 material, so it should not take much to make a 2x8 lower chord carry a reasonable load without support from below. So you'll spend some money on engineering and save a good deal in getting it done, while having some peace of mind.

I personally think it should not be a problem as long as you stay within your premise. It is not as if you are building something on public grounds which require approval, but the area above your garage is still within your private compound. I have utilized mine too in order to create extra storage for all those junk that I could possibly squeeze in. Space is essential for every home and you should take advantage of every single area you can see.


Can you put a whole house fan in an attic if you live in it? We live in the top two floors of an old brownstone in NYC.  It gets CRAZY hot on our top floor, which is really the attic of the house, but where we have our three bedrooms and one bath.  It's also poorly insulated.  The front two rooms have dormer windows and the back bedroom and bathroom have only skylights.  There is also one window on one side of the house (the wall on the other side is against neighboring building's wall).

We are very low on cash or I would install a mini-split system.  Researching whole house fans, they seem like a great option for us, but I can't figure out how we could do this if we live in our attic.  Also our stairwells from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th floors are pretty open.

The ground floor and 2nd floor of the building have separate studio apartments; we have our door on the 2nd floor landing, so the landing is also part of our living space.

I hope someone has an idea, I can't find anything about this on the web!

I love whole house fans , have now installed them in 4 houses and 2 garages. As noted they can only reduce temperature to the outside temperature. But that works well with a night temperature below 70F and a day temp above 80F , running an hour or so in the morning. Ideally you need to install it in a gable for your situation. You may want an insulating foam panel to put over the louvers when the fan is not on as louvers leak air. I recommend a belt drive as the direct drive turn the fan faster making significantly more noise. As noted , windows need to be opened to let air in,; window adjustment also lets you focus the cooling.

Where I live, we don't have/use "whole house fans", but I keep hearing about them. To me they don't make sense.

If the exhaust fans are installed in the attic, they'll just draw air in through the soffit vents, gable attic vents, etc. and not vent the house because the house will have more resistance to air infiltration than the attic vents.

Likewise, if the exhaust fan is installed in the house, then it would need relief grilles in the house (or just open the windows) to allow air into the house. This, of course, would not affect the attic at all.

Exhausting air out of the house means bringing in "make-up" air from the outside. So, the "best" temperature you could hope for is the ambient outdoor temperature. So, if it's hot outside and you want to exhaust hot indoor air, the best you could do is match the indoor temperature to the outdoor temperature. Right?

Hmmm...What am I missing?

(There is a type of "air conditioning " that brings in  fresh subterranean cool air, but that requires underground air ducts...and that's not the principle of the whole house fan.)

I know that just having air blow across your skin (even warm air) will cool you off. So why not just sit in front of a fan?


How do I correctly join this sink fitting to the wall pipe? I was unclogging a blocked drain and putting everything back together and I'm unsure how this piece is supposed to work

Here it is just loosely resting where it came from. It seemed to be held onto the pipe by some cohesive force before (though now I'm doubting myself about that), but I'm not sure how. I thought I may have lost a washer or something but I double checked the floor and couldn't see anything.

Here's the rest of the plumbing without that piece

And here's how I left it for now

While the metallic piece is screwed on as before, I'm pretty certain it's not accomplishing anything (besides maybe aesthetically). Something presumably needs to exert a force towards the wall to get a tight seal there. It expectedly leaks slightly. If I apply pressure towards the wall then it doesn't.

The sink was leaking before this, but I thought that was only from the black rubber washer. It's possible that my landlord never did it properly and that it always leaked from here too, but I tend to think I'm missing something.

How can I fix it?

Agree with others. In UK known as a compression fitting. You're missing the black rubber o ring.

After fitting everything tight and solid put some plumber putty around connection before putting nut on and tightening should take car of drip


Which windows work with which automated window openers? I need to replace all the windows in a house. In planning to do so, I'd like to preserve the option of eventually (not necessarily simultaneous with the new window installation) installing some kind of automated window opener like this one so that when home-automation technology is more fully mature, I can add some kind of window opening/shutting device that would communicate wirelessly with a home automation server and allow me to do things like open all the windows in the house from a remote location via my Android phone or tablet.

But it's clear to me that not all windows work with all window openers.

So does anyone know a good resource with a comprehensive list of automated/electric window openers and which windows they function properly with? Or perhaps a list of windows and which automated/electric window openers they work with?

Why would you want to do this? Home automation technology is a terrible idea IMHO. The stuff is expensive, there are no standards to make things work together, and it will all break in a few years and have to be replaced. Having been in many houses with this kind of equipment in them, I cannot honestly say any of them really added value to the house, made their owners' lives any easier, or saved anyone any time at all. Do you really have so many windows that you actually open and close frequently enough that walking around your house to do it yourself is a hassle?


ground wire to panel box I have two wires from the power supply to my main panel and no ground electrode wire; how do I connect the ground wire from the main panel to the ground rod? The circuits? the receptacles? Also, how do I wire the panel box? now this what I did, I connected the neutral to the bus bar then connected the ground wire to its bus bar and linked a wire from the neutral bus to the ground bus. I took a wire from the bus bar of ground to the ground rod. what is your advice to these connections.

If you don't have one, you need a grounding terminal.

Wiring a panel is not difficult, but definitely check your local code to make sure that panel wiring isn't required to be done by a licensed electrician.

All of your other questions can be answered with simple Google searches. You should really do research on your own before asking very broad questions.


How do I add a switch/closet light to the existing end line light switch? I have a wall switch to control a bedroom ceiling fixture at the end of its run (2-wire power source). I would like to install an additional switch/closet light connected to the end of the run. I understand that I need 3-way switches and 3-wire cable and that the ceiling fixture needs to be energized for the closet light to function but I am unsure of the wiring configuration for such a setup.

If the wall switch only has 2 wires, it is called a switch loop. The closet light and switch cannot be extended from the current switch. The closet switch and light need a neutral, and that seems to end at the lighting fixture.

If you can run a two wire cable from the fixture to the closet switch and then to the closet fixture, the setup is simple:

Connect the neutral in the new cable to the neutral in the old fixture box. Connect the hot in the new cable to the hot in the fixture box. This is also connected to the hot going to the old switch loop.

In the new switch box, connect the neutral to the neutral in a new cable going to the new closet fixture. Connect the hot to one side of the switch. Connect the hot going to the new closet fixture to the other side of the switch.

Based on what you've provided, I made this diagram to go along with what all you will need for the new installation and how to accomplish it. This is the only working solution without first running a new neutral from the existing light down to the existing switch. You will have to pull power from the light, not from the switch. Also, as you had mentioned, this switch will only work when the bedroom light is on. However, you will not need a 3-way switch (that wouldn't help anything) and you won't need 3-wire cabling.

The red blobs are wire nuts. Black is hot, gray is neutral, and green is the ground.

As you can see, you'll need two runs of 2 wire cable. The size of the wire should match whatever amperage the current breaker is rated at for this circuit; 12/2 for a 20A breaker, 14/2 for a 15A breaker. Then you'll also need your new lighting fixture and a single pole switch.

One last mention, as it might not be the easiest solution, but would probably work the best, is to run a new 3 wire cable from the existing light down to the switch, and pigtail the neutral so that you now have the neutral in the switch box. Once this is done, you'll be able to add your new switch and light tied in to the existing switch. In this case, it'll also work independently of the bedroom light.


Finding nails and staples all over yard after roof replacement I just had the roof of my house replaced.
The roofers had tarps spread around the house and swept the yard after the work with what looked like a magnet after they finished but I'm finding a lot of nails and staples in our yard and driveway now.
Is this normal, or did I have a sloppy roofer?
.

Unfortunately it is not uncommon for workers to be less than careful or less than thorough in clean up. (nor could i say it is common)
Is it "normal" ?  There is no way to answer that question.
If they were "trying" to do a clean up then it would seem that  there is a company policy in place to do it but maybe it was not executed properly.
Magnet sweeper

You can rent a magnetic sweeper from an equipment rental yard.  I hope the roofers take care of it for you, but if they don't, rent the right tool for the job; don't spend a ton of time MacGuyvering something.


How to Get PEX to Seal I'm in the process of moving my laundry area. For the plumbing we decided to use PEX. Unfortunately I have been unable to properly seal the PEX tubing to the fittings on the final fixtures- they continue to leak with a slow drip. What do I need to do to get these to seal.

We tried two different crimpers, thinking that maybe the first one was out of adjustment, but that didn't fix anything. We removed the first set of rings (using a dremel) and crimped on a new set, but the drip continued. We wrapped the hot water fitting with some silicone tape, but the water keeps seeping through.

Maybe I should replace the brass fittings on the faucets. Other than that I'm out of ideas. What should I try next

You need to evaluate where the leak is really coming from. Use some paper towels to thoroughly to dry the whole fitting area. Then watch to see where water first appears. I suspect that you may find the leak coming from here:

..as opposed to the PEX joint. It appears that you did not use a Teflon sealing tape on the pipe threads.

PEX inherently leak at the two pinch points, because their is no contact in this area. Just put worm-hose-clamps on them. Use pipe compound too.


How can I stop my lights dimming when my Air Conditioning turns on? I have no noticeable problems with my house's electricity, but when my Air Conditioner kicks in (and here in Central Texas, it kicks in year round) my lights dim for a second or so and then run normally. It doesn't seem to have any bad effects, except that it's annoying and makes me worry that something might be wearing out from the load. How can I change things so that my lights stay even when the A/C turns on?

First I would check the electrical connections to the compressor and the breaker in the panel, see that they are tight and not corroded. Next I would measure the starting current of the compressor with a clamp on ammeter. I had a problem like this on a friends AC, only his problem was tripping the breaker at times. His compressor is about 10 years old, and is harder to start now. When I measured the starting current it measured 175 Amps! Which on this compressor is the locked rotor current! We replaced the starting capacitor and added a "Hard start kit". Now the starting current is a respectable 50 Amps.

Some tech info:
The induction type motors used in these compressors have an extra motor winding. This is called a "start" winding and is used with the "start capacitor" it is there only to get the motor to initially turn and a mechanical switch disengages it at a low speed. What happens over time is that the motor load is increased due to wear, and the start capacitance becomes weaker. So why not just build a compressor with a large start up capacitance to begin with? Some higher end units do just that, but most don't to save $$$. Contrary to popular belief, the start capacitor size does not "Give a bigger jolt" to the motor, but delays the 60 cycle feed to the second winding fooling the motor to think it is driven by a poly phase feed. The larger the capacitor value, the bigger the delay - hence the lower the starting current. Without a start winding, the motor will sit there humming until it trips the breaker. Three phase motors (poly phase) do not have start windings because they have three windings.

Check that the main power line lugs in your breaker box are tight. Some homes have aluminum wires from the power pole which expand when they get hot therefore they need to be tightened/checked every year or so. Had this issue on my first home. Freebee!!!


Current state of the art foundation waterproofing I'm getting ready to dig up my yard and expose my foundation to waterproof it. What is the current state of the art for foundation waterproofing? I don't mean the stuff in a bucket that is typically spread on with a brush, but a true waterproofing system I know will work. I am also going to put in a drain tile below the footer. What have you done or had done to your house? What systems require a contractor? (hot tar?)

Second question: When I go to back fill, do I put gravel right up against the foundation, up to near the surface? How much gravel?

Current state of the art is a dimpled drainage mat applied against the foundation and lapped over the footing, with a drainage pipe at the bottom to carry off water. The pipes can drain to daylight if there's enough slope on your lot, to a sump pit, or to the sewer/waste plumbing if that's legal in your location. The whole thing looks like this:

Waterproofing is not important, your house is not supposed to be a boat. What you want is drainage. If drainage is good your whole foundation can be a sieve and it will still be dry as a bone. I have a foundation made out of rocks with 2-inch gaps and cracks in them everywhere and the basement is completely dry. Why? Because it is on a berm and the whole plot has good drainage.

Conversely, you can buy all the most expensive "sealants" and every other expensive piece of mumbo jumbo Dow Chemical wants to sell you, and your foundation will leak like crazy if there is bad drainage.

Forget waterproofing. Invest your money in drainage.


How to put main breaker in Square D Hom612L100 breaker panel? This panel (Square D Hom612L100) has 4 slots.  Is it possible to make one of them serve as the main breaker?

You can do this, but it burns up two panel spaces in the process

While the HOM612L100 is a Main Lug Only panel and thus cannot accept a QOM main frame breaker, it can be fitted with a main breaker.  How?  By backfeeding the panel's busses via a two-pole Homeline branch breaker that is held down with a HOM1RK hold-down kit, as required by NEC 408.36.  As a result, the incoming hot wires go onto the lugs of this held-down breaker, and the main lugs can be left unused, or used as feed-through lugs in case expansion is called for.

Note that this requires the main breaker to be a regular (or triplex/quadruplex) Homeline branch breaker, not a GFCI or AFCI (they cannot be backfed as it would damage their electronics), and also costs two panel spaces in what is already a tiny panel; depending on your application, moving up to say a 12-space panel that accepts a main frame breaker may be a better solution as a result.

If it's the same as what I'm seeing on Home Depot's website, I'm going to say no.

A main would serve to cut power to the hot busses in the panel. As I can't actually see what the inner parts of the panel look like, I'm inclined to say that it's probably just an always-on sort of thing. If you want a main for it, get a service disconnect to go between that panel and the utility feed.


GPO Has No Power but All Breakers Are On Have a weird one. I have three power points at opposite ends of the house that are on the same breaker. Randomly tonight power went out to them. All breakers are turned on and all other outlets work fine; the only issue is those three outlets. Why would they not work when all switches are on?

There may be more than just the three outlets and one has the Ground Fault Interrupt tripped.


Electrical wires identical I’m trying to replace a plug on a washer cord. I’m having a hard time identifying neutral and positive even using the 6 items in the electric code 400.22 that is suppose to distinguish the two.

In answer to the questions asked:

The wires are separated in the cord, however the only one with insulated covering is the ground wire in the middle, on the pic I left a little of the green there so you could see it.

There is know distinguishing differences in the two wires.

I will take an post a better picture ASAP.

This is for a Kenmore Elite Automatic Washer, Top Loading.  The model is 110.24942301.

Thanks everyone.  Hopefully this posts this time

Wow they think those cords are made of gold at 46/47 bucks , here is a utube link on replacing the cord. I hope it works because I am having trouble with high speed today it started but I lost my connection.
https://youtu.be/Qn678UVUd5Q
Got it to run, pull the plastic end caps on the control panel, unscrew the screw at the bottom each end and flip up the control panel you can see the green ground white neutral and black wires on the Molex plug trace them back on the cord black to gold or black screw on the new plug, white to the silver and green to ground. That should do it.

generally on a three wire stet up, the left and right wire are your HOT wires, The middle Ground acts as a neutral wire. on a 4 wire set up, you will have a designated neutral wire and a designated ground. A three wire set up is a little different. you will only have one wire (middle wire) acting as a ground as well as a neutral. there will be a "body" ground (green) screw that must be in place. This is usually installed by the factory. Sometimes they get removed by accident.. This factory ground wire is a safety device.


A/C unit cycles on and off during cooling phase My outside compressor / condenser is cycling on and off, even though the thermostat is calling for A/C.

The blower in the house still runs, and the thermostat is working properly.
(I opened up the unit to see if the thermostat solenoid is working and it checks out okay)

The filters have recently been replaced and I cleaned the condenser coils in early spring.

It appears to be overheating causing it to cycle off, then when it cools down it goes back on.

Could it be the run capacitor?

Could well be it is overheating and shutting down.  Have you had the Freon checked lately?  You can put a food thermometer in an vent opening; if the temperature at the vent is over 65 degrees Fahrenheit it is probably low on Freon, and the A/C unit is trying to run 100% of the time to try to cool down.
This happened to me, and the repairman said that was the cause for my situation.  Worked like a charm after the recharge.

Considering it's cycling on and off I wouldn't think it's the freon. I would look at the high pressure cut-off first. You might be building too much pressure and causing it to shut down.


Can I disassemble and re-nail a 2x4 wall with the same lumber? I just built a 10' load-bearing wall section and realized I made a mistake. I knocked it apart and would like to re-do it, but I'm worried that end-nailing into the studs (where I can't be sure I'm avoiding existing nail holes) goes against code. But I can't find anything that says that's the case.

Can I re-build it using the same lumber?

As long as the studs were end-nailed (not toenailed), they will be fine for re-use. If you are remotely concerned and time isn't really an issue, cut 3/4" off the ends and put in an extra plate. (The extra plate might help with raising the wall, too.)

All the experts here are 100% wrong!  LOL  That hole makes no difference on code in any State in the USA.  However for most code you are going to be required to fill the holes.  You do not need an expensive medium.  Great stuff for moisture and rodents passes all code in most cases.  If commercial, you will need a fire code foam.  So do what you need to do and fill the holes with great stuff from home depot. I recommend buying the contractor sprayer and the contractor refillable tanks as they get a lot of coverage and are reusable and controllable on the amount used...And the guy above about the toenail has no clue on structural inspections.


Should I install a vapour barrier if I'm using rigid foam insulation? I'm re-insulating a room in my house from the inside.  I've read that polyisocyanurate (polyiso) rigid foam insulation is the best R-value, so I plan on using that.

Details:
The house was built in 1955 in Camrose, Alberta, Canada. And the previous wall was insulated with fibreglass batting with a type of tar paper as a barrier.  On top of that  (on the interior) was 2 sheets of plaster - pretty impermeable to air flow I'm guessing.

Question:
Do I still install vapour barrier?  I'm almost certain I should, but I've heard it could cause moisture trapping problems when using a faced insulation like polyiso.

Edit: I should mention that I'm planning on putting this insulation between the studs, not completely over the studs from the outside.  I'm not taking down the outside siding, I'm doing this all from the inside.

Edit Please note the posting time of this thread.  I asked this question in summer of 2012.  While I appreciate the enthusiasm, the question has been answered, so please refrain from answering again.

Rigid foam insulation is usually a qualified vapor barrier. However, an installation between the studs can pose a challenge. To complete the vapor barrier you would want to foam-seal or tape all the sides where the rigid meets timber, because these gaps will facilitate vapor flow.

Any rigid foam board below grade must have 6-mil poly slip sheet covering the entire exterior surface as it is not qualified to be considered self-draining insulation.  The only exterior below grade insulation that I have found to be self draining is the mineral fiberglass insulation.  Please do your homework because if I am coming to do your inspection and the below grade foam insulation doesn't have a slip sheet, then you'll be mad at me because you'll be digging up the back fill.
I am a certified and licensed LBO for the state of MN.


non-continuity in an 20 amp cartridge fuse for AC condenser unit It's almost summer. I just 'fixed' my AC by replacing one of the two time-delay 20 amp cartridge fuses in the box next to my condenser.  The circuit breaker had not popped.  The other fuse had continuity.  No external signs of failure on the one did fail.

The AC has now run fine for 4 hours with the thermostat set at 55deg, is it a good bet that fuse simply aged out?  Or should I investigate further?

You don't mention the size of the breaker for the condenser circuit.  If the fuses are 20A and the breaker is 30A you'd obviously expect the fuses to blow first in an overload condition.

If the fuses are 20A and the breaker is also 20A you'd still expect the fuses to blow before the breaker in an overload condition; generally fuses blow faster than breakers of the same rating in an overload.

If the fuse is correct for the equipment and there was an overload that blew the fuse, it's possible your condenser is on the way out but it's also possible it was a one time glitch.

Years ago a lot of condensers required fused disconnects but you don't see it in recent years.  Maybe your condenser is old, or maybe there are fuses there from an older unit that's been replace - if that's the case they may not be necessary at all (the breaker may be adequate without the supplemental fusing in the disconnect) or they may not be sized correctly, just left there from the old equipment.

I'd have replaced both fuses (you now have one new one and one old one) and if it blows again, have the condenser serviced / checked.  I would not keep feeding it fuses indefinitely.

(Fuses may seem old fashioned but fuses are still very reliable protection.
 When they're old, maybe fuses may get a little faster to blow, but breakers can get a little slower, or may get a lot slower, or may not blow at all.  Old fuses may cause a nuisance but old breakers can be dangerous.)

Fuses generally last a long time, though they can fail over time according to @ThreePhaseEel. They are basically "sized just right" pieces of metal. I am pretty sure many of the fuses in my house are the originals from 60 years ago. If anything, circuit breakers are more likely to fail over time as they are more complex (in the case of GFCI or AFCI, much more complex) devices.

I would be shocked (and be lucky that you were NOT shocked!) if there were external signs of damage to the fuse. Fuses normally fail totally on the inside. If they fail on the outside - scorch marks, cracking, etc. then that is a sign of a huge overload, which is not a good thing.

If the fuses are closer to the condenser than the circuit breaker (i.e., current flows from the meter through the circuit breaker to the fuses to the AC) then I would not be concerned at all. If it is the other way around (meter to fuses to circuit breaker (that didn't flip) to AC) then I would definitely get things checked out. Normally the protection closer to the device is designed to fail first and to fail more directly. For example, a circuit might have a 20 Amp fuse (or circuit breaker) and that circuit, together with several other circuits, may be protected by a 60 Amp fuse (or circuit breaker) - the idea being that each circuit has its safe limits, designed to protect both the circuit wiring and the attached equipment (like your AC) but that the circuits combined together have another much higher limit (perhaps based on service wire capacity).

Bottom line: If a fuse blows (or circuit breaker flips) just once then it is typically no big deal - perhaps an overload due to motor startup problems. But if it blows a second time then you really need to figure it out (in this case, probably getting professional service of the condenser).


Raised Concrete patio construction I'm concerned about the way my raised concrete patio is being constructed and thought I'd do a sanity check here.  14x16 raised screened in porch.  Footers, concrete block and brick foundation with the concrete patio floor to be poured on top of the concrete block.  The foundation sits about 30" above the top of the footers.  The contractor filled the cavity with loose dirt from the footer excavation then topped with 3" of gravel.  How concerned should I be that no compaction was done?  They haven't poured the floor yet but does the fact that it sits on top of the concrete block lessen the need to have a compacted fill as the floor when cured, would be suspended when settling of fill occurs.

The fill is not intended to support the new concrete slab indefinitely. It’s merely fill for the initial concrete pour. The fill will settle overtime, regardless of how well it’s compacted.

Therefore, the slab becomes a “structural slab” and the reinforcing steel MUST be placed exactly correct, or it will fail. That is to say, it won’t just crack, but it will crack so severely it will fail.

We all know the reinforcing needs to be on the tension side (bottom) of the slab, but the slab could have “reverse bending” at the edges and the rebar will need to be on the top of the slab. (Occasionally the slab will be designed with the rebar in the center, in order to eliminate the need to transfer the rebar to the opposite side .)

How thick is the slab and how much rebar is called for in each direction?


How to install 230V Light with Light-activated-resistor? I am trying to set up light-activated-resistors that activate a light during dark hours. I have bought a ready Chinese thing that apparently contain a driver to change from AC to proper DC output for the light but I I don´t know for sure. The fact that the cords connected to the Chinese white light-activation thing are so thin hints me that connecting them directly to the 230V sockets is not probably the best idea. I have hacked an old radio power cord (on the picture) but I am afraid to plug it to the device before proper understanding of the system. The house where I am experimenting has no earthed sockets so I don´t know how to try out this kind of devices, not wanting to fire up the house.
So how can I install the device? What kind of precautions should I have? Where and how I should try the device? If I can understand right, it requires AC in.

PCBs

Instructios in Chinese

This leaflet just contains some general information concerning the product. The only thing relevant to installation is in point 5 (labeled 五).

Basically, the user is told to connect what are literally labeled as the "fire wire" and "null wire" (火线 and 零线) -which I interpret as respectively the red and the black wires- to an AC supply of 180 to 250V, 50 to 60Hz frequency, where the device should happily consume less than 60W of power.

This agrees quite well with what is on the bottom of the box.

This device does not need an earth connection, since the enclosure is plastic. Earthing is used when the container is metal, and the user could receive a shock if a live wire was touching the interior.

In addition, please note the timing seems to be able to be graduated, from 50 +/- 20 seconds.

It appears you the red and black wire simply hook up to the corresponding hot legs of a 220v circuit. The schematic from your last image does not require translation.

Its "good" to use caution, but your not going to tear the space time continuum. Plug it in to a  switched source that you can turn off fast and dont worry about it :D


installing electrical boxes for out door light fixtures want to install light fixtures on each side of my garage door if I use weather proof boxes should any type of light fixture fit over them?

If you are wanting to install a wall sconce, you need to install one that is rated for outdoor use.

Note: The shape box you need to use will be dependent on what fixtures you would like to install. Some fixtures need round boxes while others require a rectangular box. My examples show round boxes, but this is not the only choice.

Aside from being constructed for outdoor (ab)use, outdoor rated fixtures typically include a foam/rubber gasket, a specially designed fixture base, or some other means for ensuring water resistance. Additionally, in many cases, you should use silicone caulk around any possible points of water incursion (if possible).

Some fixture bases come with extra holes for mounting flood lights. These extra holes should be plugged and then caulked around the seams.
Note the fixtures are installed in the side holes, and the hole in the middle that has been plugged.

It is also good practice to use wire nuts that contain silicone sealant, known as weatherproof wire nuts among other names, or to wrap normal wire nuts in electrical tape. This provides an extra layer of moisture defense for your electrical connections.

Many RAB outdoor LED fixtures can benefit by filling the gooseneck, esp if upside down, (Manf. requirement in that case.) Most problem free installs use a round box, recessed, with the gaskets or other suitable method to shed water and limit air infiltration.


Solution for A/C Condensate Drain Line that doesn't require emptying a bucket of water every day? I have a split A/C system in a room that runs on low 24 hours a day during Summer that unfortunately cannot be connected to any drain or pipe and which therefore requires a bucket outside to be used to collect the condensate from the condensate drain line in the exterior unit that sits on my balcony in my apartment building.

This is quite frustrating as the bucket has to be emptied every single day (once a day), so I'm looking for a better solution.

The bucket is already quite large and gets quite heavy at the end of the day when it's full, so maybe something that makes the water evaporate faster than normal so that I don't have to empty the water so often?

Does such a solution exist or am I condemned to a lifetime of emptying the bucket every night during Summer?

** 14 May 2015 EDIT **

I have not yet been able to solve this issue.

Without going into details, connecting the condensation drain line to any drain of any kind, drain line, drainage hole, ground, pumps, pipes, etc. is NOT an option, so I need an outside-the-box solution.

The A/C Condensate Drain Line seems to empty about 3 Gallons / 12 L per 24 hour period.

Potential solutions:

Humidifier

Are there outdoor-friendly humidifiers that could get rid of 3 Gallons/ 12 L per day?  The tank would not have to hold that much as the drain line would just drip the water constantly into the tank.
CONSIDERATIONS: Would I need to use more than 1 humidifier and serialize them?  Can a humidifier handle being on for 24 hours a day for 4 months straight?  Can a humidifier handle the elements (e.g. could rain affect the circuitry or create any electrical issues)?

Plant/Grass garden

My balcony has 37sqft / 3.4 m2 of area to play with but only 1 hour of direct sunlight (although plenty of indirect sunlight) per day, could I create a garden of plants/grass to absorb the water?
CONSIDERATIONS:  How much garden would I need?  Which plants could meet this criteria?  Could the balcony handle the weight of soil + plants + water?

NEW: Drip Tray + Humidifier Wick

What about something like this plus several of these, could that evaporate 3 Gallons / 12L per day?
CONSIDERATION: Would they get clogged from dirty city air? How many wicks would I need to evaporate all that water?

Any other outside-the-box solutions?

Would any of the solutions listed above work?  If so, what specific details would I need to make it work?  Are there any other solutions?

CLIMATE:

On the hottest Summer months, the average relative humidity is about 72%, with about 9 mean daily sunshine hours, 1-2 inches of monthly rain, and daily mean temperatures of about 76 F / 24 C (with average highs of 84 F / 29 C). Remember, however, that the balcony only receives about 1 hour of direct sunlight, although plenty of hours of indirect sunlight.

As you can see, it gets VERY dirty due to this being in the inner city next to a large avenue where a lot of cars run through creating a lot of direct air pollution, so any solutions that may clog need to take this into account. This is another reason I want to avoid having to open the balcony doors to empty it every night. In case it helps, the model of the outdoor unit is Mitsubishi MXZ-18TV.

While you can't have it drip off the balcony, you can turn it into a fine mist and blow it off. Even a fine sprayer would work fine, but you'll need a float switch to auto-activate it, and a pump.  On the plus side, this will air condition your balcony as well.

Home Depot has a  bucket-top misting fan that looks like it would solve your problem. You would need to hook it up to a battery or adapter.

I see from your profile that you have previously asked questions about various configurations of ductless mini-split heat pumps, and that you have (or had) a Daikin model. Is this a unit you bought and installed yourself? If so, it seems that you have already violated the "no modifications" rule and presumably you could do it again to make a modification involving a flexible drain pipe or condensate pump, either of which could redirect the flow to a less objectionable location.

If, on the other hand, the A/C unit is owned and was installed by the apartment, it's eminently reasonable to ask them to come up with a solution. They can't set it up in a certain manner and then tell you that their install own results in an impermissible condition. That's just ridiculous.


What cleaners are there in the market to use for Air duct duct cleaning? My air ducts need to be cleaned:

My house is near to the mountains so I' am unable to get a duct cleaning company to come to my house. Can any body suggest me some cleaners used for air duct cleaning? Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks in advance.

There are a lot of options for air duct cleaning companies in the US market.
here are the things you should check before closing with air duct cleaning company:

if they have a license
if they have insurance
check online reviews


Outdoor spotlight stuck on without a switch My Grandma has an outdoor spotlight that hasn't worked for quite some time. I realised there wasn't actually a bulb in it so I ordered a new one, switched off the mains, fitted it, put the power back on, and it works, the light comes on! There's only one problem - it won't switch off again!

Here is a picture of the outdoor spotlight:

There is also this light indoors above the front door:

Years ago, I remember that when the outdoor spotlight was triggered by someone approaching the door, the bulb indoors would light up as well. However, both bulbs are just permanently shining and I can't figure out why. My Gran has since forgotten why the bulbs were removed from the outdoor and indoor lights, or how they've gotten like this.

An initial Google of how to fix the problem mainly returns results saying to switch the spotlight on and off again rapidly to reset the sensor. However, I can't actually find a switch for it, and I believe it is wired directly into the mains. I did find this cover in the upstairs bedroom shown in the first photo which is directly behind the spotlight and I'm 99% sure this is the wiring for it but it's just that, wiring, and not an on/off switch.

Any help in remedying this would be much appreciated!

I believe the key words here are "years ago" and "motion sensor".  Motion sensors don't generally live that long.  It may be time for a new fixture, or if modular, a new motion sensor.

Hi that light should have been fitted with a fused spur with switch and 100per cent pir has failed due to weather conditions you can then fit a light switch in hall way
Allways turning your light power off


How to fill large 1" gap between preform laminate countertop and wall We are trying to save money and replaced an old laminate countertop with a newer preform laminate countertop, where the backsplash is part of the laminate countertop. The countertop is an "L" shape, so we have the pre-cut miter ends that join together in the corner. The problem is that the walls seem to have a serious bow to them and where the countertop pieces join in the corner, there is about a 1 inch gap between the backsplash and the wall.  The counters are flush up against the wall at the furthest ends from the corner.  Is there any way to fill in this gap?

!countertop with 1 inch gap in corner

If the walls aren't square, I bet the cabinets aren't square as well.  And nothing says your counter top has to be square as well.  The best way to hide out of square rooms is to try and match the existing angles.  In this case you will need to make the miter cut a little bit off 45, probably 44.  A small angle change can make a huge difference when getting to get things to fit.  And even then a slight difference in the overhang on the cabinets will not be as noticeable as any means trying to fix the gap between the counter and wall.

A 1x2 will also suffice. Cut paint, polish, or whatever. You can also set in a little deeper and finishe off with corner molding.


Should I install drywall or plywood above a drop ceiling to increase the insulation value? I am currently insulating a new room in my house. I am planning to put up a drop ceiling. I have  insulated between my roof trusses. Do I need anything else between my drop ceiling and attic space other than insulation. I thought of putting either drywall or plywood but not sure if I need it or not.

If your in a cold weather area a layer of poly creates a vapor barrier, otherwise Drywall and plywood have no insulation value. Notes for the insulation between roof trusses:

4" cavity space: R-13 or R-15 batts,
6" cavity space: R-19 or R-21 batts,
if it's a wide open attic, use an R-30 or R-38 batt.


Safe way to close gaps around copper pipes? I have baseboard heaters in my main living space.  I can't see for sure without taking the covers off (which I haven't done yet) but it appears 2 copper pips come up from the basement (through the hard wood floor) to power them and the holes cut seem to be WAY too big around the pipes (fingers could absolutely fit in the spaces).  To prevent rodents from coming up from the basement and to just have a tighter living area altogether, I'd like to close these gaps safely.  I know there is foam out there and steel wool is also an option, but are those really safe for use around what I assume would be hot pipes?  I also read about something called an escutcheon ring but for some reason, I'm seeing those as being $10+ piece and I'd likely have to 10-15 of them (maybe I was looking at the wrong thing).  Any suggestions would be great!  Thanks.

A metal escutcheon ring might be sufficient for your purpose. I would fill the hole with steel wool to stop the mice, then cover with silicone to prevent a draft. The steel wool might be unnecessary, as I don't think mice will gnaw though silicone. However, if the hole is large, the steel wool would make it easier to fill it with silicone without having it fall into the basement.

Don't use spray foam such as Great Stuff around heat sources: it will melt and produce toxic fumes.

BTW, the reason the holes are so big is probably because there used to be three-inch pipes there. Such pipes were used for steam systems and for pump-less hot-water systems where the water was circulated by gravity (convection).

Just discovered GE insulating foam you can buy at Ferguson’s white and red can ... call manufacturer to see if ok for your particular use. Mice just eat through great stuff...it takes awhile but they will.


Stair thread different color from old runner carpet I removed my old stair runner and now the outside looks different from inside.

You can see that from the blue arrow:

It is hard to see with a few steps but if you look 10 steps up, it's very obvious in the afternoon (dark).

What is the best way to address this? Should I sand and stain them again?

Thanks.

What you're actually seeing is the polyurethane that's been exposed has ambered ( turned yellowish ). Sadly, that's a byproduct of using oil based polyurethane. Now that the center is exposed it will eventually amber as well.

If it really bothers you, you could try sanding the treads just enough to remove the existing finish. Just be careful not to sand thru the stain. Then clean the treads, with a rag lightly dampened with water or paint thinner, to remove any dust left behind. Finally recoat with fresh polyurethane. I'd recommend at least 3 coats with a light sanding in-between each coat to remove any bumps or bubbles and to give the next coat something to grab and stick to.

I see the bleached area you speak of.

You could try sand with a high grit sandpaper 400+ to see if that works but if this fails I would try a stain remover before sanding if you wish to refinish. Your hardware shop should have information on the correct stain remover to use.

This might help guide you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9dfsaheKVI


Small bedroom recessed lighting My 10x10 bedroom has one funky light fixture in the center. Can I get away with replacing it with one recessed light?

I wonder if one is enough to light up the whole room with it being recessed and all. You might wanna consider doing more than one.


All outlets on one 15-amp circuit, need AC unit The central AC in our apartment is not working effectively in the summer; we are running the AC continuously for 14 hours a day to keep the temperature below 80 degrees. As you can imagine, our electric bill has become a huge problem.

(Edit: Please note the maintenance staff are incompetent and management doesn't care about our problem at all -"getting the central AC fixed" is not an option, if it's even fixable)

I bought a used portable AC unit (around 11,000 BTU, rated at 12 amps) and plugged it into an arbitrary outlet near a window, because I was always able to do so with a similar AC at my parent's house. The portable unit worked great for a couple of minutes and then tripped the circuit breaker, which also shut off my computer.

After a lot of testing I have determined that all of the outlets in the two bedrooms and in the living room run off a single 15-amp circuit (which was 'helpfully' labeled "lighting" in the circuit box). This rules out every outlet that is within reach of a window. There are two circuits labeled "plugs" in the circuit breaker, but AFAICT they aren't connected to anything (unless they're for the outlets in the kitchen).

Obviously because it's an apartment I can't do anything with the wiring, and I can't use an extension cord on an 11,000 BTU AC... Am I screwed here? Is this typical for an apartment with central AC?

The full set of circuits is (as they are labeled):

Central AC: 2x30A
Central Heat: 2x30A
Bathrooms: 2x15A
Plugs: 2x20A
Lights: 1x15A (again, this actually covers outlet in 3 rooms, there is no overhead lighting)
Garbage Disposal: 15A (nowhere near a window)
Dishwasher: 15A (nowhere near a window)
Electic Range: 2 x 40A (oven/stove)

We resolved the problem with the portable AC by purchasing a heavy-duty, 15-amp, 12-gauge extension cord and running it from the bathroom to the AC by the window. Since the bathroom is on its own circuit, the AC does not trip the breaker. A big thank you to those who suggested this in the comments.

Ironically, management has decided to replace our central air conditioner after I discovered mold in the unit, and their subsequent inspection also revealed it to have a serious Freon leak.


Can I connect 12 gauge wire to 18 gauge wire for an outdoor light post and plug? I am replacing a front yard light post that has a GFCI outlet attatched.
The old post has 12 gauge wire connected from the house thru the post and outlet to the the light.
The new post is prewired with 18 gauge wire and also includes a GFCI outlet.
Can I connect the old 12 gauge to the new prewired 18 gauge?
there is a 20 amp circuit breaker.
What is ETL?

The fixture is a listed device and manufacturers don’t have the same limitations for the wiring that electrical wiring in your home has. YES you can connect the 12 AWG wire to your light pole fixture. This is exactly the same as almost every light fixtures in your home mfg’s regularly use smaller wires because the load is limited.
 Note they have a maximum wattage listed for the light(s) when used according to the manufacturers instruction it is safe. So yes this is normal for a fixture.

NO don't ever mix AWG Wire gauges they are different for a reason and the main reason is amperage. Sure it will work but it's 100% wrong and the #18 gauge wire becomes a fusable link and potential fire hazard. It would be easier to use the #18 wire to pull #12 wire and make it right.


Dowel joints in plywood I plan on replacing my kitchen cabinets later this summer. The old ones were home made by the previous owner and are oddly sized so I need to make my own out of plywood. Is it possible to put dowel joints in the edge of a piece of plywood, or will a hole that large force the layers apart?

I would use a pocket screw joint.  It is generally considered to be a stronger joint, and you can remove the clamps immediately after driving the screws (as opposed to waiting until the glue sets).

Along with the strength and speed, it also makes the construction process easier.  You don't have to drill 2 separate holes, and then attempt to get the alignment just right.  You drill the pocket hole in one piece, align the joint, and then drive the screws.  Makes for a more accurate assembly.

Many published test on the web shows pocket screws failing at around 125psi ~ 160psi (near the lowest scores).  Top of the pyramid are dowels failing around 450psi ~ 600psi (depending on how many used). If fact the test show that they rarely fail at all and that the wood below the dowels cracks.  Pocket screws tend to be tighter on one edge by their fastening design.
Dowels aren't that good a choice for outdoor furniture in the long run, even when using exterior glues as humidity slowly loosens the joint. This is where exterior wood screws can benefit.


Installing new 125 amp panel in garage I am installing a 125 amp panel in my garage. We have 360 amp service to the meter, split into two, 200 amp on for the house and the other for the garage.

My question is what qauge/type cable do I need from my split panel to the 125 amp panel that is 75 feet away.

Table 310.15(B)(16) from the 2017 NEC provides the information you need:

Assuming a 75 degree temperature rating, you could get away with 1 AWG copper or 2/0 AWG aluminum or copper clad-aluminum.


GFCI outlet on 2-wire ungrounded question I have some 2-wire ungrounded outlets in a room that I want to put a bunch of electronics and computer. I know I can replace this with a GFCI outlet and label with "No equipment ground". What happens to the ground prong with all the stuff that I'm going to plug in aka. all the shields on the equipment, is all of that going to be floating or does that internally (to the GFCI) connect to the neutral wire?
Is this a perfectly acceptable solution in this case or are there some dangers / disadvantages that I should be aware of?
Many thanks for any help!

(NB: I'm not an electrician, just a homeowner who has done some electrical work)
Related: Does a non grounded GFCI meet code?
It is 'perfectly acceptable' in that it is compliant with code (as long as it is properly labeled, as you state). A GFCI if wired correctly should trip if there is a difference between the current coming in and the current going out (between the hot and the neutral, basically).
However, you are right as well that there are dangers/disadvantages to not having a ground wire. The point of ground wires (and requiring them in new construction) is because it is safer both for you and for the equipment you have plugged in.
Without a ground, a lightning strike or other power surge can seriously damage you (if you are touching a plug or outlet when it occurs) or your equipment plugged into any ungrounded receptacle. Ground wires act as an 'escape route' for extra current to travel safely back to the actual ground underneath your home.
Millions of people lived for decades in non-grounded homes and never had issues. But many people have experienced shock or equipment failure due to said lack of ground. It's up to you if the threat of power surge / lightning strike ruining your equipment is an 'acceptable risk' or not.

I will put in a plug for a AFCI/GFCI combo breaker here.  I just replaced a failed GFCI outlet in the kitchen with one of these on the outlet circuit in a QO load panel.  Cost of a 20A breaker with pigtail $52 off the shelf at Lowes.  Cost of a single 20A Eaton outlet GFCI only at Lowes - $18.  The QO breaker went into a panel that already had a Square D GFCI breaker on another circuit that is 13 years old and still going strong.  The failed GFCI was 3 years old.  At that rate by the time the new breaker is 13 years old I will have gone through $72 in replacing garbage-grade GFCI outlets.
It is crystal clear to me that companies like Eaton know they are selling GFCI outlets for replacement use only and most sales are to homeowners.  Commercial contractors are installing either breakers like I did or entire new panels with ALL breakers Combo.  I trust Schneider Electric's Square D brand a lot more than Eaton's made-in-YingTau garbage grade brand that is designed to fail every 3 years so the homeowner has to fork over another $18 for a new outlet.  Plus since that branch circuit feeds the kitchen and for all I know probably feeds other things like the garbage disposer so now all of that carp is protected plus whatever weird nonsense that some dingus plugs into a kitchen counter outlet is protected, and not just protected from falling into a sink full of water.
You do what you want but for me I will never spend another dime on a GFCI outlet ever again.  Any more GFCI outlet failures will get the GFCI outlet replaced with a NORMAL electrical outlet and a combo breaker.  And if I get a "nuisance trip" from some appliance then so be it, into the garbage it will go and be replaced by another appliance.


Can my floor hold 2100 lbs of dead load? I'll admit I don't get how to compute how much my floor can hold, and probably wouldn't trust my own math, even if I came up with the right answer.
I'm looking to purchase a recording booth. I do voice-over work. There's one for sale in my area that the manufacturer says weighs 2015 lbs for the base model. This one has some extras, so lets call it 2100, or maybe even 2150. I weigh 220, so the package would be in the vicinity of 2400, to be safe. The booth has a footprint of 6' x 6'. The home is in the Chicago area, built in 1988.
The room it would be going in is an exterior room, at the first floor back corner of the house. The first floor is over a basement. THe floor joists are 2 x 12s, I believe; I thought a 2x12 was 11 1/4 high/wide. These are either 11" exactly, or some are even closer to 10 7/8", so I'm a little confused about that. I haven't found one that was 11 1/4". Anyway, if I'm measuring correctly, then right under the interior wall perpendicular to the back wall of the house is a laminated joist made of 2 2x12s with a 1/2" steel plate in the middle. The booth would be resting in the room in the interior corner, where one wall is exterior and the other rests over the laminated joist. That laminated joist runs approx 17' where it ties into the I-beam that runs the width of the middle of the house.
Will my floor safely hold the weight of the booth?
To answer a couple of the questions raised:
Why is the booth so heavy? Because isolation requires mass. If you want to keep sound out, the walls have to have mass. This particular model of booth (manufactured by a leader in the industry) has a double-wall design for increased isolation from outside noise. Each 4' x 7.5' section is two slabs of 5/8" MDF with an air gap in the middle. The windows (2) each include four slabs of 1/4" tempered glass. It adds up.
Is there an option for placing the booth in the basement? No, because the only place for it in the basement is just feet from the furnaces, which defeats the purpose.

You need a site visit from a qualified person to determine if your floor system can safely carry the load, but given the span you gave and the information here, the answer is no.
However, you may be able to easily install sufficient intermediate support.
To get a line on feasibility before reaching out to professionals, I'd start by calling the manufacturer and talk with their engineers to see if they have a technical manual detailing bearing requirements. Don't be surprised if it's all about commercial floor systems. While you're at it, get the exact weight.
Next, call the city and discuss with a building inspector.
Given the weight you're guessing, at nearly 70psf uniform load (and an unknown concentrated load), it's not just the depth of the joists you need to consider. You need to evaluate the entire flooring assembly against the concentration of the load.

Assuming the load has full continuous bearing, not on point loads (ie. supported by feet or by a perimeter bar).
Assuming this is piece built.
Taking into consideration comparisons of some common residential construction design loads, a 6" thick concrete foundation wall is typically designed to carry a dead load of 75psf. Garage slabs are typically designed with 50psf uniform live load, 1,500 to 2,000 concentrated load, in mind.

Good luck and have fun!

I popped off a google search on how many pounds per square foot is typical of a human. The answer in the search results (last entry in the linked pdf) provided 2.5 to 3.5 pounds per square inch, which translates to 360 to 504 pounds per square foot.
If one stands on one leg, the figures would be double, which is rather substantial.
Your booth at 2400 pounds over 36 square feet converts to 92 pounds per square foot. This would lead one to believe that the even distribution of the weight over the floor would be less than that of many humans in the same area.


Can you save money with a humidifier and air conditioner combo? I recently discovered how powerful humidifiers can be in terms of generating cold.

What happens if you run a humidifier in a small room that has an air conditioner?

The dehumidifier can produce air up to 12 degrees cooler than the ambient temperature. The air conditioner can take away the swampy humidity.

However, taking away the swampy humidity shouldn't take away the cold the humidifier had produced. Unless the reverse happens when the humidity condenses into water?

Anyway I presented this idea to my dad and he said that removing the excess humidity with the air conditioner would make the whole thing useless as the air conditioner would expand more power to get rid of humidity. What do you guys think?

Potentially, but not in the way you suggest. Evaporative coolers (aka swamp coolers) are an efficient way of cooling by adding moisture to the air. If the relative humidity is already high, then the additional moisture will need to be removed, with either an AC system or a dehumidifier, and any benefit will be lost and you will be worse off. If the relative humidity is low, then the additional moisture of the evaporative cooler is not an issue, and might even be desirable. In this case, there would be no need for an AC system or a dehumidifier.

If the relative humidity is moderate, you may be able to use both an evaporative cooler and an AC system. When the relative humidity is slightly low and the temperature is high, turn on the cooler. When the humidity is high and the temperature is high, turn on the AC system. Finding the perfect balance between temperature, humidity, and efficiency is going to be very hard.

I assume, in your post, you meant to say 'humidifier'.

You have a great idea there, but not without a couple small glitches.
First, a standard HVAC system does not actually remove humidity. The perceived dehumidifying is simply the return air duct sucking the humidity from the air, but the humidity rests on the interior walls of your ducting. As you can probably imagine, that can cause issues - rust, calcium buildup, possibly mold, etc, etc
The option to have a dehumidifier installed in the ductwork is a common option in HVAC systems, but in that case, your dad would be right - you're running a humidifier up top, and a dehumidifier underneath. The costs kinda offset.

Old guys are typically always right, especially dads. ;)


Number of devices supported by one outlet How can I calculate how many devices I can plug in one outlet?

I am living in Europe and have 220V outlets.

Do I have to check the devices' volts or watts or something else entirely?

Check Wikipedia's AC power plugs and sockets and identify the connector and current rating (amps or 'A')for your sockets.

Figure 1. French power socket. Source Wikipedia.

The relationship between power, voltage and current is very simple: \$P = VI \$ where P is power (watts or 'W'), V is voltage (volts or 'V') and I is current (amps or 'A).

For example, if your sockets are capable of 10 A then the maximum power you can draw is given by \$ P = VI = 220 \cdot 10 = 2200~W \$.

Short answer: you cannot calculate this.  There are varied local regulations on the subject, and (for instance) in most USA locations a refrigerator's power socket cannot be used to power any second device.   There are code requirements that specify the number of sockets per circuit breaker, that specify maximum current for a particular plug and socket type, and there is SOME guidance from those.

A 10A 220V socket ought to support a 2200W appliance, or a combination of appliances adding up to 2200W, but it is usual for a motor to draw up to three times the nameplate-indicated power when it starts, for a computer to use
less than a quarter the 'rated' power on the label, and there's a subtle difference between 'watts' and 'volt-amps' that is waiting
to trap you.

Your best assurance is to get an energy monitor device (they're inexpensive) and measure energy usage rather than reading energy-use-indicating labels.   Expect to pay $25 (US dollars), and be able to read out volts, amps, volt-amps, watts, and watt-hours (kilowatt-hours).


Do the breaker amp readings sum up to dictate my current panels total / possible amperage? So I know practically nothing about houses having rented for many years, just bought a house and was told by my inspector the panel is only a 70 amp panel and will need to be upgraded before I go to install AC.

I took him at his word, and had one AC consult, mentioning this to the guy he looked at my panel and agreed it needed an upgrade.

He gave a terrible quote ($5500 for a 3 ton goodman AC install without the electrical work, no ducting work necessary), so I got somebody else to give me a quote.

Now here's the problem: Fellow comes over and says I have a 150 amp panel and there's room (which I can see) for a couple more breakers on it, and gives me a considerably better AC quote (3500 for a lennox 3 ton 14 seer, all the same bells and whistles).

So now I'm thinking, considering how terrible the quote was from the first consult, perhaps he was just trying to squeeze even more money out of me? Why did my inspector tell me it was a 70 amp panel?

I look at the panel and there's like 6 or 8 15/20 amp breakers on it as well as a 30 amp double-breaker thingy (not sure if this is 30 per or 30 total) and a 50 amp double-breaker thingy.

I'll get a picture when I get home to post here, but off hand my question is:

Is it accurate to say I definitely have over a 70 amp panel due to the sum of amps on breakers in there right now? Is the sum of those little labels on the breakers make up my panels current amperage?

I look online for 70 amp panel and it's this tiny dinky thing with 3 breakers on it..

Edit:
Here are the pictures, if this is not a 70 amp can anybody identify the amps?

Appearances to me are the diagram on the box does not match the actual panel, as the panel has 20 breaker spots (as I read it) while the diagram shows 14. And yes, I realize it's missing a main breaker, so I included the other two pieces I understand identify the max amp load; the conduit and the meter.

I've labeled your photo, which might help you understand what's going on.

The Panel Rating
The panel is rated to support 125 amperes, when connected to a 120/240 volt 3 wire system. This means that 125 amperes can flow through each of the upper bus bars and each main lug, without anything melting or catching fire.
The Upper Section
The top two double pole breakers are before the "main" disconnect, which means they will always have power when the wires feeding the panel have power. I'm guessing there is a disconnect ahead of this panel, maybe at the meter or as a standalone disconnect. Based on their size, I'm guessing one (50A) is for an electric stove, electric heater, or maybe a subpanel. The other (30A) is likely for a dryer, water heater, subpanel, or some other appliance.
The Lower Section
The next double pole breaker (50A) controls the flow of electricity to the lower section of the panel. Unlike the double pole breakers above, this one should not have any terminals where wires can connect. The lower section is rated for a maximum of 100 amperes, so the breaker protecting it must be 100 amp or less (50A in your case).
Branch Circuit Section
The lower section (highlighted in purple) is where the branch circuit breakers connect, and has a maximum breaker size of 70 amperes.  This means the largest breaker that can be connected in this section, is a 70A breaker.
Upgrade Required?
Since there is only a single available slot (3), it's not likely a central A/C system could be connected without moving things around (at the very least). Upgrading the panel might be your only option, but it would depend on the existence (or lack thereof) of a sub panel, and the existing service provided to the building (and availability of services in the area).
A subpanel may be an option, however, it would require more information than you have provided here.
Depending on the service provided to the building, upgrading the panel may include an upgrade to the service.  Installing a new 125A panel is useless, if you don't also have the service upgraded to support 125 amperes.
To determine if an upgrade is required, contact a local licensed Electrician to do a load calculation on the building.
Breakers Protect Downstream Wiring
Short-circuit and/or overcurrent protection devices (breakers, fuses, etc.), are designed to protect the wiring downstream (after them in the circuit). For example. If your panel did have a main breaker, it would be sized to protect the panel wiring. The breaker would not be sized to protect the wiring feeding the panel or anything before the breaker, only the wiring after the breaker.
Summing Up Breaker Ratings Means Nothing
If you total up the rating of the breakers in the branch circuit sub-section, you'll find that you have 85A on leg A, and 105A on leg B.  Which means... Well, absolutely nothing.  The only limitations here are that there can only be as many breakers as will physically fit, and no one breaker can be larger than 70A.
If more than 15 amperes flow through the breaker in slot 4 , that breaker will trip (open). This protects the wiring connected to that breaker.  If more than 50 amperes flow through any combination of breakers on either leg A or B in the branch circuit sub-section, the sub- section breaker will trip (open).  This protects the wiring between the sub-section breaker, and the branch circuit breakers.
You could theoretically. have breakers totaling 1,000,000A. It still wouldn't matter, as long as you have proper overcurrent protection.

If I've missed anything, or haven't explained something properly. Feel free to ask additional questions, or point out mistakes in the comments below.

This must be a really old box because I see a 50 amp breaker and a 30 amp breaker I d and main breaker on the top and main breaker on the top. This box must be a  from the late from the late sixties. or early seventies but since you're changing the box you'd be better off with a square D. 200 amp box just found this post Taylor I respond to it like a nation is in the bottom. You only have a 50 in a 30 which makes Makes a total of 80 amps


How can I protect my underground sprinkler PVC pipe from tree roots? This is a follow up to a previous problem I had here: PVC Pipe for sprinkler system broken in multiple places

Does anyone have any suggestions how I can install underground PVC pipe and protect it from Tree roots.

A few suggestions I've thought of are these.

Inserting a 3/4-inch PVC pipe inside of a 2 inch PVC pipe for short distance (10-20 feet). if a tree trunk or root pushes into the pipe and breaks the 2 inch PVC, that should give the 3/4 inch pipe that's inside some protection.
Placing small rocks under, and on the sides, and finally above the pipe. To give it another layer of protection.

Anyone have any other suggestions or think my 2 solutions are bad ones? I'm open ears.

PVC pipe is the most common pipe used for sprinklers, but in areas that require a lot of bends, there is also something known as "funny pipe".

Funny pipe example

This flexible pipe is not the same as drip irrigation pipe.  It is thicker and a slightly different material.  Some brands are UV resistant and it can be used above ground in flower beds or in shallow areas where it may get uncovered.

Tree roots may still kink this pipe over time, but the should not break it because it will just bend and flex out of the way.

Copper kills trees.  A copper pipe will not break due to roots as the tree will avoid it


How should I wire up a 3 prong dryer outlet to 120V? I recently received a 220V Level 2 Electric Vehicle car charger as a gift, and it comes with an old 3 prong 220V dryer outlet (NEMA 10-30). I'm currently renting, so I cannot run 220V lines where I'd like to, however the car charger unit says that it can run off of 120-220V.

So, I'd like to wire up a NEMA 10-30R such that I can plug it into a regular house outlet at 120V which would allow me to plug in the car charger. Yes, I realize it will charge slower on 120V than 220V, but I'd like to use it now since I'll be renting for 2 more years or so.

My first thought was to simply connect 120V hot to one of the hot prongs on the NEMA 10-30R, then connect neutral to the other NEMA 10-30R hot, and finally bridge that neutral connection to the normal 10-30R neutral connector.

Am I even remotely onto something here? Someone on Amazon.com's reviews for the car charger said that they did it, however no detail was provided, and Amazon doesn't carry this charger anymore, so I can't go back and ask.

Thanks!

DO NOT wire a 10-30R receptacle to 120V, and a "standard" 120V 15 or 20A receptacle CANNOT be put on a 30A circuit. If this unit is capable of being run on 120V then there will be instructions on how to convert/wire it. There will be a way to replace the plug on the unit with a standard 15 or 20A 120V plug. You may also need to re-wire it internally.

Can you post the name and model of the charger? More info may be available online.

Is the breaker box in the garage where the car will be charged? Are there at least two unused panels in the breaker box? Is your landlord ok with you installing a new circuit?

If the answer to all these questions is yes then I would simply install a new 220v 30a circuit for the car charger and use an external outlet, metal shielded cable. When your lease is up you can remove it or leave it in there. You'll need 10 gauge "4 wire" which will be labeled 10-3 (yes it's a little confusing). The car charger says it only pulls 16 amps (assuming the input current is the same as the output current) but you still need a 30 amp circuit if your installing a 30 amp receptacle.

Keep in mind that adding new electric service such as this means you need a permit and a code inspection. Here's where you might have a hard time convincing the land lord to let you do this.


Accidentally cut the bottom chord of truss Accidentally cut the bottom chord of truss. It happens on the corner of the stud and not fully cut through as picture showing. If I would like to fix it, which contractor should I contact? And would the repair make it even worse since there may need to use screws?
Great thanks.

No contractor needed. Cut a piece of 1/2" plywood 3-1/2" X 12", drill 10 screw holes in it, slather it with glue and screw it on there. Might be overkill, but should do the job.

WHOA. Oh my lord! I hope nobody was injured.##
Did you hear any snapping/cracking after that cut?
Have you checked measurements of the ceiling to measure lag/deflection.  It may not be safe to remain there.
... and you're right to be worried about the effects of screws on the integrity of the remaining wood grain!!!
For something like that you will need to adhere two steel L-brackets to the chord's surface, and use threaded fasteners to recover the structural tension previously contained by the destroyed wood fiber.

Don't worry, It's not too hard though:

Begin by removing all adjoining ceiling/drywall.
Clear any insulation that may be in the way and clean the surface of the wood.
The brackets should be at least 3/8 inch thick stainless.  The photo above was for general example only.
They should match the width of the beam, and be at least 18 inches long.
Drill several bolt holes in the "L" to accept properly torqued fasteners.
Make sure they're welded, not bent, as you don't want them bending back under tension.  Any reputable local metal shop should be able to whip these right up for you NO PROBLEM.
Make sure the backside is sanded with texture, not smooth, for maximum adhesion.  The shop may be able to impart a pattern with CNC as well for you.
Apply ample construction adhesive to the brackets, line them up and clamp them in place temporarily leaving an inch or two between them for closure of the gap.
To help the adhesive dry, install a dehumidifier in the area, and allow it to run for several days.  You need maximum adhesion for this repair.
Return and install the bolts/washers.
Tighten first by hand, then by crescent wrench until it gives resistance.
Then use an impact driver.  (Pneumatic or electric should be fine) and fasten until you hear the wooden beam crack.  This will take up the slack created by the laceration in your photo.
Then reverse one eighth to one quarter of a turn.

At this point, the ceiling should return to straight and level, and you can finish the job by covering any exposed threads, nuts, bolts, washers with construction adhesive to prevent them from slipping loose in the future.
So you see, not that big of a deal.  Enjoy your repair, and Relax, this is totally fixable!


How many bathrooms can be connected on a 3 inch vertical stack? How many bathrooms can be connected on a 3 inch vertical stack?

Referring to the International Plumbing Code, a bathroom group requires 5 Drainage Fixture Units.
As a horizontal branch 3" is good for 20 DFU's or 4 bathroom groups.
In vertical stacks the number goes up with multiple branches but each single branch is limited to 20 DFU's
Good Luck and check the tables here:
https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IPC2018/chapter-9-vents

There are important criteria to remember when sizing a conventional venting system
composed of individual fixture vents, vent stacks, and stack vents. The minimum size of an
individual vent is one-half the required drain size, whereas the minimum size of the vent
stacks and stack vents is one-half the size of the drain served.


Does one wall socket share power between both ac plugs? In a standard wall outlet (two three-prong sockets) do both sockets share power? Say I plugged a surge protector into one and a surge protector into the other and have 5 devices connected to each surge protector. Would that be the same as if I plugged both surge protectors in to one socket using a splitter?

I'm asking because I'm thinking of getting something like this
but it only plugs into one socket, where I currently have a surge protector plugged into each socket.

Would this be ok or will it overload the outlet?

It depends. Outlets are manufactured so that both sockets are powered from a single source - one hot wire and one neutral wire and a ground wire for safety.

On almost all outlets, those sockets are connected by small tabs of brass that feeds the connections from one socket to the other. If you attach the hot and neutral wires to the screws for one socket, these brass tabs carry that connection to the other socket. It works the same way if you use the press in connections which are holes on the back of some outlets (but many pros and DIYers do not favor using press in connections). The brass tabs on the side carry the power from one socket to the other.

You can change this.  If you break off the brass tab on the hot side, the hot wire you attach to one socket does NOT carry over to the other socket within the outlet. This technique is often used to have an outlet with an always live socket (for clocks, etc,) and a switched outlet (for bedside lamps). The outlet is wired with two separate hot leads, one that is always hot and one that goes through a switch.  They could be on the same or different breakers depending on several factors. The neutral side may or may not be connected depending on several factors that are not critical here.

You can also separate the sockets if you wanted a dedicated socket for a high draw device, such as a heater, and run a separate line from the panel. (This generally would require a separate neutral).

In your example, if the sockets are set up conventionally, that is powered from a single line, there is no difference, except plugging into a socket is a marginally safer approach than multiple splitters.  Be sure that the overall load that is likely to be used at one time does not exceed the capacity of the surge protectors or the circuit breaker on the line.

Get one that includes surge protection, like this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T3QBRI6?psc=1 or this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018T28QNS?psc=1.

In general, try not to overload your domestic circuits.

Also, regardless of whether the sockets are sharing power, a surge protector in one would never protect the other as it is "downstream" (for want of a better word) from both of them.  The purpose of a surge protector is to smooth out irregularities in the supply that could damage sensitive (i.e. computer) equipment.  Any DC adapters you plug in are already doing a good deal of smoothing in their own right.

I could be wrong but you seem to be mixing up the function of a surge protector and the MCB's and/or RCD in your distribution board.


Straightening a bend copper tubing of an air conditioner filled with refrigerant I have a bent copper-tubing of an air conditioner filled with refrigerant that I want to straighten (because I need make some space for mounting a curtain rail). Now, I'm fully aware that it is not recommended to bend/straighten a copper-tubing due to risk of:

Leak
Cooling inefficiency

Since, I really need to mount that rail. I was hoping that someone could see the attached images of the situation, and tell/guide whether

these bends are really severe to cause the risks
If so, what are my options to get this tubing straighten

Will being filled with refrigerant (higher inner pressure) would prevent potential kink?

Images description

Red circles: are the bends that I want to straighten.

Green arrow: shows the desired path of the tubing

Box: that the tubing runs into is a large PVC wire channel to get a cleaner look.

Image: 02

First, is that electrical box secured or just hanging on its wires? if it is just hanging that needs to be addressed as well.

Then, is there any spare length in the copper pipe, assuming it is covered by the tape stuff? I think the pipes will be too short if you tried to put two 90 bends in them with a pipe bender. Also, copper pipe work hardens so the original bending will have made the pipe harder to bend a second time around.

I would consider making new pipes to meet the proper run you want then refill the system.

Here is something you can try; get a "C" clamp and put it on the copper at the center of the bend and see if you can smash the copper ever so slightly to remove some of the kink. Do not squeeze the copper too much, just a little to remove some of the kink. This action will not remove the kink but it may make it less severe.  If that does not work then do as @Solar Mike wrote and redo the copper and refill the system.


What are the differences between hot and cold roof systems? Can someone explain the differences, pros and cons of a hot roof vs a cold roof?

I would like to vault a ceiling in an addition off of our family room, taking the drywall all the way up to the roof rafters.

I do not believe this addition has soffit vents nor ridge vents. Do I already have a hot roof because of this lack of air circulation?

Can rigid foam be used for a hot roof or must it be sprayed?

Cold and hot roofs are an unfortunate terminology that leads to misconceptions. I shouldn't complain, since I'm not sure I have a better idea. Perhaps ventilated or unventilated sheathing? That is the deciding factor.

In cold roofs, the outside air is allowed to freely flow under the roof sheathing. In hot roofs, the insulation is typically installed close to the roof sheathing, but the main characteristic is the space under the sheathing is closed to fresh air flow. Thus, your unventilated roof is indeed a hot roof. You should be aware that according to most building codes, all structural voids not filled with some material should be ventilated.

The main advantage of cold roofs is for cold climates. Snow is much less likely to melt, and if it does melt, ice dams are less likely to form, or at least will be much smaller. With unventilated roofs, heat leaking from the building melts the snow. The water flows down to the eaves, which are much colder, and freezes. This causes a tiny dam which inhibits the water flow, which causes more water to freeze, making a bigger dam. The cycle repeats, and many tons of solid ice can accumulate.

Not only is the weight on an overhang an issue, but the water that hasn't frozen yet just pools. Most sloped roofs are not designed to resist pooling water. It easily backs up under the shingles and other joints and leaks into the building. This is particularly a problem in valleys.

In warm climates, a cold roof is still an advantage, but much less critical. The ventilation prevents any significant temperature differential from building up in the roofing system. The smaller the temperature change, the longer the roof will last. The ventilation will also carry off any moisture that may enter the space, avoiding mold issues. Unventilated roofs must have a good reliable vapor barrier, because any moisture entering the space will have nowhere to go.

The only advantage I can think of for a hot unventilated roof is it allows cheap, easy construction of vaulted ceilings without any special details to ensure the sheathing is being ventilated. These special details often end being a double sheathing system which significantly adds to the cost of a vaulted cold roof system.

You can use foam insulation of any type with either roof system. It's all a matter of correctly detailing the roof system to ensure it is either ventilated or that all voids are closed and filled.

A great source for information on this is the BuildingScience website.