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  1. Bob in Maine

    Heating oil substitutes

    Is it true that number 2 heating oil and diesel fuel are substantially the same product? If not, does diesel differ in ways that would harm a typical residential oil-fired boiler? I'm just wondering about keeping a small supply of diesel on had for emergencies during the coming winter...
  2. Bob in Maine

    appliance grounds and two-pronged outlets

    This sounds pretty half-assed, but years ago, I remember seeing someone use a two-prong to three-prong adapter with the little metal ground tab wired to a clamp on a nearby radiator. I think this was an attempt to provide protection for computer equipment in an apartment where the wiring was...
  3. Bob in Maine

    appliance grounds and two-pronged outlets

    Interesting, but I'm a little bit confused. Both of these pictures show three wires inside the armor cable. Are these two variations on post-1950s armor cable -- one with a bonding wire and one without? Or is the top picture pre-1950s? The reason I ask is that I'm pretty sure that my...
  4. Bob in Maine

    appliance grounds and two-pronged outlets

    Most of the outlets in my 1920s era house are still wired with the original system of two wires in a flexible metal conduit terminating in a metal box. The outlets have two slots to accept a two-pronged plug. T All circuits run back to a modern breaker in the basement that is about six...
  5. Bob in Maine

    Installing a pedestal sink. Help needed.

    Here are some pics of our pedestal sink. I just replaced the old pvc s-trap and braided supply lines that were inside the moldy old vanity with chrome. As you can see, the stubs through the floor are copper, not pvc like yours. I choose to see the scaley old copper as rustic, instead of...
  6. Bob in Maine

    Insulating basement hot water pipes

    Thanks for the information. Very interesting thoughts.
  7. Bob in Maine

    Installing a pedestal sink. Help needed.

    As I understand it, the water that sits in the low bend of the s-trap acts as a plug, preventing sewer gas from rising up your vent stack and into your bathroom by way of the sink drain pipe. The concern is that this plug of water can be removed by the pressure created by moving water...
  8. Bob in Maine

    Insulating basement hot water pipes

    The frost depth here is 48" inches below grade. The framed floor sits about 2'-6' above grade, so when I stand in the basement, there's about 1'-8" of concrete above grade and another 10" or so of framing above that. The basement floor is about 7'-6" below the framed floor above...
  9. Bob in Maine

    improperly grounded panel?

    Ok, I re-checked the grounding situation, and the only wire that looks like the ground is a a single, bare copper, twisted wire, about 1/4" in diameter that leaves the bottom of the panel and clamps to the water line about 3 ft away. Is this an "Oh my God, I've got to call an electrician...
  10. Bob in Maine

    Installing a pedestal sink. Help needed.

    Pedestal sink Don't be discouraged! I installed a pedestal sink in nearly the same situation as yours several months ago, and I'm very happy with the result. My house was built in the late 1920s and, like yours, it has the supply and drain lines in the floor rather than the wall. I...
  11. Bob in Maine

    Green Roofs

    Green roof If you have a low-sloped roof, you might take a look at one of the modular green roof systems like GreenGrid. http://www.greengridroofs.com/ They basically assemble 2x4 ft shallow planters that can be fastened together to cover a large roof area. The planting material contains...
  12. Bob in Maine

    improperly grounded panel?

    This is probably a pretty basic question, but I'm not proud. My old house built in the 1920s has an updated 200 amp breaker panel. Some circuits are still wired with the original flexible metallic conduit containing two fabric covered wires. Other circuits (kitchen, bathroom, and garage) have...
  13. Bob in Maine

    combining hot water coil with electric hot water heater

    Based on the discussions I've seen here and on other forums, I just re-plumbed my domestic hot water system so the outlet of the hot water coil in my oil-fired boiler connects to the inlet of the electric hot water heater that had been standing unused next to it. The electric hot water heater...
  14. Bob in Maine

    Insulating basement hot water pipes

    A basic question. If I insulate the hot water heating pipes that run from my boiler in the basement to radiators on the floor above, I'll reduce the amount of heat lost from the pipes to the cold basement air. However, by doing this, I'm effectively removing the main heat source from my...
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