The Home Improvement Thread

[Machiavelli]

Originally Posted by photon

Anyone have any experience with a good closet system and/or guy for a walk-in closet? Something like California Closets but maybe not that expensive. Probably don't want to do it myself either.

Not personally, but a friend has a Martha Stewart closet system and it looks fantastic.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Any suggestions for shower doors/sliding doors?

I have a short shower (68.5inch tall) that I've put into a basement and don't really want custom glass... but the stuff available at Lowes/HD/etc is pretty ugly/plain.

Any ideas other than getting a custom door? Where can I find a decent plumbing supplier who might sell to the public?

Cascade Glass on Macleod Trail, north of Chinook Shopping Center

Plumbateria on Brandon St SE, a bit east of Macleod Trail

[Drury18]

Perhaps loosely related to home improvement, but not worthy of a new topic:

I need to purchase a new thermostat, my 2nd in 4 years, and looking for recommendations of a moderately priced one. The last one I purchased was a Noma brand and after 3 years, it is now registering temperatures all over the place (in the span of 5 minutes and changing the batteries it read between 17-21 degrees and bounced all over the place with no apparent reasoning) and not calling for heat when it drops below the programmed setting (e.g. I have it set at 18, the house is at 17 and the indicator shows that the heat has been called for, but the furnace doesn't turn on. Or it turns on about 20 minutes after the initial indication of calling for heat).

I can confirm it's NOT an issue with the furnace as it does turn on and work fine and only 5 years old.

Any recommendations?

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Drury18

Perhaps loosely related to home improvement, but not worthy of a new topic:

I need to purchase a new thermostat, my 2nd in 4 years, and looking for recommendations of a moderately priced one. The last one I purchased was a Noma brand and after 3 years, it is now registering temperatures all over the place (in the span of 5 minutes and changing the batteries it read between 17-21 degrees and bounced all over the place with no apparent reasoning) and not calling for heat when it drops below the programmed setting (e.g. I have it set at 18, the house is at 17 and the indicator shows that the heat has been called for, but the furnace doesn't turn on. Or it turns on about 20 minutes after the initial indication of calling for heat).

I can confirm it's NOT an issue with the furnace as it does turn on and work fine and only 5 years old.

Any recommendations?

Nest 2nd Gen?

[REDVAN]

Anyone know where to get some cat6, phone, and coax in bulk? I need about 100ft of each

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Anyone know where to get some cat6, phone, and coax in bulk? I need about 100ft of each

Best prices will be online at Monoprice or similar websites.

[V]

Hey, if I want to get internet in my garage, should I just install a phone line from my switchboard to my garage? The garage is about 60m from my house, so it doesn't look like I have a decent wireless option. I'm digging in a gas line this spring, so I thought I could drop in a phone line too.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by V

Hey, if I want to get internet in my garage, should I just install a phone line from my switchboard to my garage? The garage is about 60m from my house, so it doesn't look like I have a decent wireless option. I'm digging in a gas line this spring, so I thought I could drop in a phone line too.

Put a conduit in, then you can run whatever you want whenever you want.

[TomLeeMC]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Anyone know where to get some cat6, phone, and coax in bulk? I need about 100ft of each

If you know an electrical company or electrician they may have a box kicking around that they can sell you or even better give you. If you send me a PM I can see what I can do for you. I'm not located in Calgary but we have a shop there. Also a box is typically 1000ft.

[Fuzz]

I get most of my cables from here:
http://www.cablesonsale.ca/index.php/

They import the Monoprice stuff in bulk. The prices are higher than direct from Monoprice, but you save on shipping and duties, so I've found it's cheaper this way.

[Fuzz]

Any electricians here? I've got some experience running wire, putting in breakers and receptacles, but I've got a few questions about fixing a horrendous mess in the kitchen and want it to be up to code. I should be able to have access to run new wiring.

What I've got is 2 outlets withing 1m of the sink, one on either side. They are on the same breaker. If possible I'd like to split them up and have as much power as possible, weather this is 20amp or split receptacle. Also on this circuit(I think) are a couple counter lights, the dishwasher and sink disposal. So, short of running a separate circuit for every item listed, what is the best way to sort this out? What require GCFI's?

Oh, I've also got another plug a few metres away from the sink that is on a circuit with the furnace and a few other things that will be separated, I was just wondering if that outlet also needs to be a GCFI, or if it is far enough from the sink to be OK? Yes, I'm in an old house that has issues....working on them!

[MG153]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Any electricians here? I've got some experience running wire, putting in breakers and receptacles, but I've got a few questions about fixing a horrendous mess in the kitchen and want it to be up to code. I should be able to have access to run new wiring.

What I've got is 2 outlets withing 1m of the sink, one on either side. They are on the same breaker. If possible I'd like to split them up and have as much power as possible, weather this is 20amp or split receptacle. Also on this circuit(I think) are a couple counter lights, the dishwasher and sink disposal. So, short of running a separate circuit for every item listed, what is the best way to sort this out? What require GCFI's?

Oh, I've also got another plug a few metres away from the sink that is on a circuit with the furnace and a few other things that will be separated, I was just wondering if that outlet also needs to be a GCFI, or if it is far enough from the sink to be OK? Yes, I'm in an old house that has issues....working
on them!

Basic rule of thumb is if you can reach the sink and the plug at the same time with outstretched arms, they should be GFCI protected. by the sounds of it the 2 by your sink would be, and the third one should be fine without. If you have the capability to pull fresh wires i would recommend 2 20A GFCI plugs in the kitchen on separate 20A breakers. Maximum power and little to no chance of nuisance tripping breakers. Depending how the under cabinet lights are wired i would probably just leave them. chances are they are tapped off one of the counter plugs to send power to the switch. if that is the case just keep it that way.

Why your furnace doesn't have a dedicated circuit is beyond me. Its kinda ridiculous to share with it as they are usually in close proximity to the panel and is now code to have its own. Dishwasher and Garbage disposal are should have their own circuit as well. believe it or not the disposal uses quite a bit of juice, probably more then the dishwasher

feel free to PM me if you have other questions

[Fuzz]

Awesome, thanks! That pretty much covers it. Just to clarify, the dishwasher should be on a single circuit and the garbage disposal on it's own separate one, correct? Or can I keep the lights and garbage disposal on the same one(I think they currently are). The lights are just 2 short florescent and 3 30w halogens.

One question about the outlets by the sink, I had read they should be on the same circuit, but I don't understand that, and think it only applied to if you didn't have a GCFI?

The reason the furnace ended up on the same as some of these is because it is about 25 feet from the panel, and some genius ran it through a junction box that splits to the upstairs outlets. It also has the 2 basement lights on it, so when the kitchen outlet overloads and trips the breaker, I get to trip in the dark looking for the panel! Fun stuff!

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Awesome, thanks! That pretty much covers it. Just to clarify, the dishwasher should be on a single circuit and the garbage disposal on it's own separate one, correct? Or can I keep the lights and garbage disposal on the same one(I think they currently are). The lights are just 2 short florescent and 3 30w halogens.

One question about the outlets by the sink, I had read they should be on the same circuit, but I don't understand that, and think it only applied to if you didn't have a GCFI?

The reason the furnace ended up on the same as some of these is because it is about 25 feet from the panel, and some genius ran it through a junction box that splits to the upstairs outlets. It also has the 2 basement lights on it, so when the kitchen outlet overloads and trips the breaker, I get to trip in the dark looking for the panel! Fun stuff!

You're allowed 2 outlets per circuit on a kitchen counter. Nothing else on them. They also have to be 20A breakers and T slot plugs. Garborator and lights together should be OK. Dishwasher needs it's own circuit. The counter plugs should be gfci if they're within reach of the sink, gfci has nothing to do with number of outlets per circuit.

Here's a t slot gfci picture:

Spoiler!

[You Need a Thneed]

If you put the GFCI plug first in line from the panel, and every other plug on the circuit wired to the back of the GFCI, every kitchen plug can be protected.

In my kitchen (redone last year) I have two GFCIs, and each has another regular plug wired into the back so that they are also protected.

My old kitchen had 2 split circuit 15 amp breakers for kitchen plugs, but one of the plugs didn't work when I broke the tab off when I changed the colour of the receptacle (before I tackled the whole reno), so something was wired wrong. The OTR Microwave was on the same circuit as the lights, and all of the living room plugs. When we moved in, one receptacle was buried behind the appliance garage - likely for 20 years. There was a circuit for a dishwasher, but no dishwasher (we added one a week after moving in). There was one circuit that had two plugs that served the breakfast table area (We pretty much used this area as a giant walk in pantry).

I removed one of the split circuit 15A breakers, and replaced it with two new 20A breakers to serve the new countertop circuits - I ran new 12/2 wire from the panel to the new plugs. That left me with one 15A Split circuit breakers in the panel, and I'm using one pole to feed the OTR, and the other pole is simply not used. The other 15A circuit that was in the breakfast area now has one plug on the counter (moved it up) and one plug that remained exactly where it was. I originally had eliminated the one that I moved up to counter height (and simply junctioned it in the back of one of the plugs for the 20A counter plugs), but at the Roughin inspection, the inspector said I couldn't do that (My electrician friends confirmed that there is NOT actually an issue with this). The wiring that led to the old OTR, I rerouted to create a plug for the controller for the above cabinet lighting (which makes sense, since it's on the same circuit as the rest of the lighting.

The stove moved, but I managed to not even need to buy new wire, as I just pulled the wire out from the old location, and wired it in the the new location, and cut off the extra wire. I moved the fridge plug one stud space over, as I rotated the fridge 90 degrees, and I didn't want the plug up by the front of the fridge.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

You're allowed 2 outlets per circuit on a kitchen counter. Nothing else on them. They also have to be 20A breakers and T slot plugs. Garborator and lights together should be OK. Dishwasher needs it's own circuit. The counter plugs should be gfci if they're within reach of the sink, gfci has nothing to do with number of outlets per circuit.

Here's a t slot gfci picture:

Spoiler!

The code still allows 15A split circuit counter plugs. They don't have to be 20A.

If it makes sense to leave the wiring that's already there, you don't need to change it. If wiring new, 20A plugs option would be cheaper.

[Fuzz]

The wiring that is already there is only a single 14/2,so to split I'd need to run 14/3 anyway as I need more power so may as well go with the GCFI 12/2 20A route. Other than the lights, I think I need to rewire most of it. Which is going to result in scraped knuckles and cursing! Way she goes with an old home.

[PaperBagger'14]

Yeah you can do the 15A split, however generally 20A is done in new builds. I didn't mention it as its a simpler process to do the T slots. If you're rewiring, you mine as well go with T slots. Just remember, don't stick your fingers where you wouldn't stick your willy and your hands will be fine!

[Fuzz]

LOL

Ya, will be shutting off the breakers before starting and powering down the panel when I put new breakers in. Not my first rodeo!

Been zerted a couple times, no fun!

[PaperBagger'14]

Feel free to post here or send me a PM with any questions you have, my background is a journeyman electrician and im about to finish my electrical engineering this semester.