Recent content by gatorfan

I'm in the same situation, but have been told exactly the opposite. It could just be that my wires are in worse condition than yours, but I was under the impression that K&T wires were undersized vs current wiring, therefore run hotter, and need the air space around them for cooling. I don't...

Assuming you're planning to rent a power auger (which I assume would almost be a requirement due to the required depth of your pier footers in the Chicago climate), you may as well also rent a jackhammer for a 1/2 day. You don't have to remove all of the concrete, just where you need to put...

Yes, it's pretty simple. First turn of the breaker which powers that light. If you don't have it clearly identified in the panel, you're going to have to go by trial and error and test the power (using a multimeter or test light) until you find the right one. Even if your breaker panel is...

Technically you could replace the ballast, but it will probably be more expensive. I'm with kok328: replace the whole fixture. Matt

What size wire does the water heater manual call for (or what current does the name plate specify)? 422.13 says water heaters smaller than 120 gal should be considered continuous load, so if your draw is 25A or more you need to use #8. Your diagram only shows one hot going to the panel, but...

Do you know the source of the leaks? EPDM is a pretty serious roofing material for a residential roof, and if it was installed properly I'd be very surprised if the membrane itself is already leaking. Is it possible that there's a flashing leaking? Or that the membrane was punctured during...

My guess is you have a bad receptacle. To make things more difficult, it's possible that the receptacle works as an outlet but is not providing downstream power. To test, start with the outlets that don't work, pull each out and test both sides at the terminals. Don't forget to check your...

Does the feeder from the main panel have four wires (black/hot, red/hot, white/neutral, green/ground)? If so, it's straightforward: just buy a ground terminal block for your subpanel, kill power, install the block, and move the grounds (and the ground from the feeder) to it. If you don't have...

The purpose of having the fan exposed on the whirlybird is that wind actually spins it to help draw hot air out of the attic (which is replaced with cooler, outside air via the soffits). There appears to be some disagreement about whether the mechanical assist from the whirlybird (or...

I just did some research on this myself, and there are a lot of opinions that mechanical roof ventilation (including whirlybird) is not good as it can depressurize the attic and draw conditioned air from the home. The general recommendation seems to be soffit vents and either ridge vents or...

Seems like replacing this assembly isn't that much harder or more expensive than using one of these couplings, and it is a nice, relatively simple, first project since it's just replacing what's already there. Replacing the assembly would also possibly give the OP the chance to convert that...

Nope, the fittings are permanently glued together. Since the fittings are so close together, you'll need to replace the entire assembly. It may seem like a lot, but it's just a sanitary tee, two street 90s and a regular 90. You'll also need to get a length of pipe, ABS cement, a repair...

Let me make sure I'm clear on my terms and separate the purpose of the wire from the marking of the wire/insulation. I know of no reason why you would switch neutral. Neutral should always be on a white wire (unless > 6 AWG) but a white wire may not always be neutral. You are permitted to...

No, it's definitely not OK. Your ground wire is carrying current. Obviously this means you are using power all the time, but it's also dangerous since the ground path is energized. Since the frame of the light is grounded, you could get a shock if you were in contact with it and something...

Guys, reread his/her question. It's not that the light is completely on when the OP thinks it should be off, nor is it that the switch is lit. The OP says the fluorescent bulb is "half lit" with just the ends lighting up when the switch is off (and, I assume, on regularly when the switch is...