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Hello. I’m buying a 2nd home in northern Minnesota that will be used only occasionally throughout the year. The current owner had issues in the past with water from the high efficiency furnace freezing between the house and the septic tank. His solution was to run the drain to a 100 gallon...

Hello. I was wondering if it is acceptable to install this type of light in a drop ceiling? https://www.torchstar.us/torchstar-13-5w-6-inch-ultra-thin-led-recessed-light-with-j-box-3000k-dimmable-slim-panel-wafer-downlight-950lm-etl-energy-star-5-years-warranty-white.html

Hello. I’d like to add a couple more outlets to a bedroom. The existing outlets are wired with old BX cable from the 1930s and test ok for ground. The outlets were grounded to the metal boxes. 1) Am I correct that the bx cable armor should not have been used as a ground with this type...

Hello. Replacing a light fixture and I'm wondering if it makes sense for there to be no neutral wire. There was a short piece of white wire that just kind of fell out, but I can't find a bare wire where it would have been attached. Any ideas what might be going on? You can't see it in the...

Going from a double sink to a single and need to reconfigure a few things. I need to reach the trap. The drain will be a couple inches to the left of where the trap entrance is in these photos. Should I just drop a 90 out of the drain and run the pipe the dishwasher drain is connected to...

Hello! I’m looking at adding remodel 4 inch recessed lighting to my kitchen and I’m a bit lost with all the choices that are now available. I’m considering LED. Any reason not to? Should I go with halogen housing and use LED bulbs or would it be best to use LED housing if I want to go the...

Hello! We have radiant heat with a gas boiler. We also have a wood burning fireplace and have noticed that when we use it, the utility room where our boiler is located will start to smell like smoke. The boiler is in the basement. The fireplace is above it on the main floor. I suspect we might...

My frost proof faucet is leaking from the handle when turned on. I took off the packing nut and tried to find a replacement packing washer, but couldn't find a match. I tried packing it with teflon packing string, but it still leaks. Any suggestions? I don't have an easy way to replace the...

I have a 1931 home with radiant heat. The 2nd story tends to be a few degrees cooler than the 1st story and I'm wondering if there is anything I can do about it. I started reading about making sure the radiators are balanced, but as far as I can tell, my radiators don't have a lockshield valve...

I'm in the middle of a basement remodel. Right now I have radiant heat running to cast iron radiators (closed water system, not steam). In the basement I had to build a soffit around the main supply runs for the radiant heat system. These are large pipes and they hang down quite a bit from...

I need to install a 3-way switch for a stairway. I want to avoid tearing out the wall. Right now there is a switch at the top of the stairs that operates a light at the bottom, but that's it. I'd like to replace that switch with a 3-way switch and add a 3-way switch at the bottom. I should...

This pipe looks like it was cut off at one time and plugged with something. I'm not sure where it goes or whether it's a radiator pipe or an old water pipe. It doesn't appear to go anywhere on the first floor of my house. (This is in the basement). The only thing remotely close to it is a...

I'm debating whether I should remove a plaster and lathe ceiling in the basement or try to drywall over it. It's in decent shape, but I want to put in several recessed lights. Fishing the wires may prove difficult and I'll have to knock several holes in it anyway. What's your vote and why...

I was going to get rid of a radiator, but now I'm considering just moving it. What kind of pipe should be used for this?

I want to remove a radiator and cap the pipes. The pipes have been painted. 1) What's the best way to removed the paint without damaging the threads? 2) Should I use teflon tape or pipe dope or nothing on the caps?

I need to relocate a three way switch. Here is a picture of the existing box I plan to tie into. 1) Can I use a plastic box for the switch? 2) Can I use NM 14/3 cable for this? 3) If I use the NM 14/3 cable, what do I do with the ground? Do I ground the wire at the existing metal...

When adding new circuits, what should be done in the panel prior to a rough-in inspection?

I would like to run a new bathroom on one 20 amp circuit. The shortest route for cables would follow this order. Panel to GFCI outlet (12/2) GFCI outlet to 1st wall sconce (12/2) 1st wall sconce to 2nd wall sconce (12/2) 2nd wall sconce to vent fan/light combo (12/2) vent fan/light combo...

Are these legal under NEC?

I'm planning to use some doors for my remodel project that are not pre-hung. (They were in my storage space and match the rest of the doors in the house). What would be the proper size rough opening for the framing? I assume I need enough space for the door jambs and some room for shimming...