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20-Amp Duplex Receptacle - Typical Applications: Where kitchen appliances such as
dishwashers and garbage disposals must be on separate circuits. You can plug them in to
the same receptacle if each half of the receptacle is wired to its own circuit. Break off
the tabs that connect the top and bottom terminals to create a split receptacle.
Comment: All 20-amp
receptacles have a horizontal slot off one of the vertical slots. Make sure the receptacle
you buy matches the appliance plug.
20-Amp Single Receptacle - Typical Applications: When one appliance, such as a garbage
disposal, requires its own dedicated circuit.
240-Volt Circuit -
Combining two 120-volt circuits provides 240-volt power for
heavy-duty appliances such as electric ranges, dryers and air conditioners. The two hot
wires in the circuit must connect to separate sides of the service panel or subpanel. The
neutral current alternates 60 times per second between the hot wires.
30-Amp Receptacle - Purpose: Brings current to a single large appliance.
Typical Applications:
Electric dryers.
Comments: Must match
amperage and voltage rating of the appliance, wiring and circuit breaker. Make sure it
matches plug configuration on appliance. Sold as a surface mounted receptacle or to fit in
a four-square box with a plaster ring.
4-In-1 Screwdriver - Purpose: Driving most sizes of slotted and Phillips-head screws.
Comments: 4-in-1 drivers
save you lots of time spent looking for the right screwdriver-you always have the
most-often used tips inside the handle.
50-Amp Receptacle - Purpose: Brings current to a single large appliance.
Typical Applications:
Electric ranges, kilns.
Comments: Must match
amperage and voltage rating of the appliance, wiring and circuit breaker. Make sure it
matches plug configuration on appliance. Sold as a surface-mounted receptacle or to fit in
a four-square box with a plaster ring.
A-B-C Fire Extinguisher -
Fire extinguishers are coded for fire type. The green symbol A
means an extinguisher will douse paper, wood, cloth, trash, rubber, and many plastics
fires. The red symbol B means it will extinguish flammable liquid fires, including kitchen
grease, oil, gasoline, paints, and solvents. The blue symbol C means it will put out
dry-chemical fires, including electrical fires. An A-B-C extinguisher puts out all of
these types of fires.
A-Lamps -
Technical term for standard incandescent bulbs.
ABS Pipe - Purpose: Drain and vent lines
Comments:
Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) black plastic pipe is used for vents and drains
where permitted by local code. Many codes still require cast iron for all or part of your
DWV system.
Accent Lighting -
Accent lighting provides architectural flavor and sometimes
does the job of ambient lighting as well. Use it to spotlight art, wash a wall, dramatize
a fireplace or otherwise showcase your home's best features. Let your imagination be your
guide to how much accent lighting is enough. Dimmer switches let you dial the mood up and
down.
Adapters - Purpose: To connect one type of pipe to another
Examples, top to bottom:
An ABS slip to thread adapter joins ABS pipe to a galvanized-steel elbow. It's cemented to
the pipe with ABS solvent and screwed into the elbow with Teflon tape or pipe-joint
compound to make the seal.
A PVC slip/thread adapter permits you join plastic to metal pipe or to attach a threaded
plastic fitting.
A copper slip adapter, here screwed to threaded brass pipe.
A dielectric union, joins a galvanized-steel nipple to copper pipe-a typical connection
near a water heater.
Adjustable Pliers - Other Names: Channel Locks, Tongue-and- Groove Pliers, Pump
Pliers.
Purpose: Gripping,
bending, tightening, crimping.
When to Use: Handles a
vast variety of gripping, pinching and turning tasks. You may wish to have a pair of these
grafted to one hand; they're that useful.
What to Look For: A
10-inch length is the handiest. Quality pliers have sharper teeth that grip better than
cheaper models. Larger models handle drain fittings.
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Adjustable Wire Stripper - Purpose: Stripping insulation from house wires.
What to Look For:
Spring-loaded handles open automatically after each squeeze. Adjustable stop nut lets you
set the opening for an individual wire diameter.
Adjustable Wrench - Other Names: Crescent Wrench
Purpose: Turning nuts,
bolts and plumbing fittings.
Comments: An adjustable
wrench is a household must. The reason: flexibility. You can set its jaws to the size of
the nut you need to turn. As a result, the adjustable wrench is a little more awkward to
use than a single-purpose wrench. Yet the fact that you don't usually know what size nut
you are dealing with will keep this wrench near the top of your toolbox. Always position
the wrench so that force is absorbed by the fixed, not the adjustable, jaw.
What to Look For: A good
all-purpose size is a 10-inch wrench. It can span up to 1 1/8 inches. For larger plumbing
fittings, you can substitute adjustable pliers , though they will leave teeth marks on
fittings.
Aerator -
A screen assembly on the end of a faucet that mixes air with
the water to reduce splashes and soften the flow. It also fools a user into accepting less
water flow. Aerators are supposed to unscrew by hand. If you can't, use pliers with cloth
or rubber padding to protect the finish on the aerator.
Aligning Posts -
Use mason's line and stakes to establish line for
posts. Set the two end posts first, staking them from two directions to hold them
vertical. Check two adjacent sides with a bubble level. Stretch and tension a mason's line
between them, flush with the outside face. Use this as a guide for setting other posts in
line. Make sure the other posts are flush to the line, but don't bow it.
Alkaline -
The opposite of acid; having a pH greater than 7.
Allen Wrenches - Other Names: Hex Keys, Allen Keys
Purpose: Turning Allen
screws, bolts with recessed, hexagonal openings.
Comments: These are basic
tools you'll use on everything from bathtubs to bicycles. They're inexpensive, so get a
set with about a dozen sizes.
Alligatoring -
An advanced stage of cracking when many cracks extend to bare
wood. Alligatoring results from any of the following problems:
The finish is not compatible with
the primer.
Incompatibility of paint layers;
for example, a hard oil coating over a soft latex.
Improper preparation: painting
over gloss paint without sanding or chemical deglossing; inadequate cleaning before
painting.
Solution: Remove all paint, apply an oil-base primer, then repaint.
Alternating Current (AC)/Direct
Current (DC) -
Alternating current reverses
direction at a rate of 60 cycles per second. Direct current moves in one direction only.
In your home, DC is usually used in low-power devices, like electronic equipment.
Electricity in cars and batteries is DC.
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Ambient Lighting -
Ambient lighting provides basic brightness. It usually
consists of a ceiling or wall fixture, often supplemented by a portable lamp or two.
For living and sleeping areas, estimate 1 watt per square foot for flush
or hanging incandescent fixtures, 1.5 watts per square foot for recessed incandescent
lights, and .375 watts for fluorescent lighting. Kitchens, baths and laundries require 4
watts per square foot for incandescent bulbs, or 1.5 watts for fluorescent tubes.
Amperage -
Amperage measures the amount of current flowing through a wire
at any moment. Amperage is based on the number of electrons that pass a certain point each
second. Most household circuits can carry 15 or 20 amps. Amps x volts = watts.
Anchor Cement -
A packaged mortar designed to hold bolts or metal
reinforcing bar in existing masonry. Quick-setting types are the most convenient.
Angle Stop - Other Names: Angle Valve
Purpose: To connect
in-wall supply lines to exposed flexible supply lines.
Comments: You'll find
these beneath sinks, lavatories, toilets and other fixtures. Use the valves to shut off
the water before you work on faucets or the fixture itself. Add escutcheon plates to
create a finished appearance.
What to Look For: Angle
stops are made with either female thread to go on threaded pipe or a compression fitting
to slip over copper. Each valve's outlet is designed to work with different sizes and
types of supply tubing. Be sure the valve you buy matches the tubing you intend to use.
Anti-Short Bushing -
A red, plastic insulator you slip under the sheathing of
armored cable before connecting it to a box. The bushing keeps the sheathing's sharp edges
from nicking the wires inside.
Asphalt Shingles -
The most common type of shingle in the U.S., often called
three-tab or composition shingles. Asphalt is impregnated onto a fiberglass or organic mat
backing, then coated with protective layer of mineral granules.
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber
Line -
ADSL is a new technology that permits
high rates of data transfer over standard telephone lines.
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B
Ballast - A transformer that steps up the voltage in a fluorescent lamp
Ballasts -
Fluorescent lights require built-in ballasts, a type of
transformer, to step up the voltage of standard household current.
Ballcock -
Valve that refills a toilet tank and controls the tank's water
level. Most ballcocks in newer toilets don't have float arms. Instead they have an
adjustable, plastic float cup that controls water depth.
Basin Wrench - Purpose: Reaching into tight places to tighten or loosen the
mounting nuts and supply tubes for faucets and drains.
Comments: Often this is
the only way to work behind a sink. Some basin wrenches have adjustable length handles to
reach greater distances. Plumbing supply houses occasionally rent these by the day. You'll
need a larger basin wrench for drain fittings.
Batter - The inward slope of the wall from the bottom to the top.
Batter Board -
A long right triangle of wood with its hypotenuse cut at the
desired pitch for the stone wall. Used to check the pitch while building.
Batter Gauge -
A right triangle made of wood that you make to use with a
level to maintain the correct inward slope of a wall. For mortarless walls, the batter
should be 2 inches for every foot of rise.
Battery-Operated Detectors -
Because they don't require house current, you can put
battery-operated smoke detectors anywhere. Battery-powered detectors are inexpensive and
easy to install. They work even during a power outage, but they provide no protection if a
battery goes dead.
Beam -
A horizontal timber that supports the floor joists in a house.
May be a single board, several larger boards nailed together, or a steel I-beam.
Bearing Walls -
Walls that are primary supports for floors or ceilings above.
Bee Bar -
A thin, flat bar with a wide, tapered end used to remove trim
with little or no damage. Called a "bee bar" because bee keepers use them to
open wooden hives. Heavier pry bars work better on larger boards or for jobs where you
don't intend to reuse the trim.
Benderboard -
Long, thin, flexible wood strips--usually redwood--that are
used to form curved edgings.
Bi-Metal Blade -
These sell for about twice the price of standard blades, but
last up to 10 times longer. Hard, long-wearing teeth, mounted to a softer blade body,
produce a blade that seldom shatters. The blade's malleable body can bend without
shattering-and you can bend it straight again with pliers.
Black-Iron Pipe - Other Names: Black I.P.S. (iron pipe size).
Purpose: Used for gas and
heating-oil lines only.
Comments: Never use black
pipe for water lines; it's not protected against water corrosion.
The Pros Say: Never reuse
pipe from a gas line--even if it's galvanized--in a water line. Old gas pipe imparts the
gas odor and taste to the water.
Blank Cover - This cover bolts to the corners of a four-square box. Another
version is sold for 4 11/16-inch square boxes.
Bolt Cutter - To cut a 6 by 6 inch reinforcing mesh for concrete slabs, bolt
cutters are the best choice. Hand snips just won't cut it. You can saw through each joint
with a hacksaw, but that gets old fast. Three-foot long bolt cutters can also cut 1/2-inch
rebar.
Bond Stones -
Larger rocks used periodically to help hold the wall together.
Bonding Strip -
A thin strip of metal inside armored cable. The strip is meant
to back up the primary ground in this system, which is the cable's metal sheathing.
Bottom Plate -
The horizontal member at the bottom of wall framing. Usually a
2-by-4 or a 2-by-6.
Box Adapters -
These solve a host of installation problems. Some help you
mount lights. Others can add a little more capacity to a box when you need it, or they can
allow you to alter a box opening from square to round so you can mount a light. If you add
tile, paneling or a new layer of drywall to an existing wall, use a plaster ring to bring
the surface of the box out to meet the new surface.
Boxes -
Almost all splices and wiring devices must be enclosed
in a wiring box. But which one? The choices are dizzying. Metal or plastic? What size?
Which kind do you need for the wiring system you're using? If you're still in doubt after
browsing this section, consult your building inspector for the final answer.
Boxes are rated by cubic-inch volume. Each wire, technically termed a
conductor, requires a certain volume, and each box can hold only so many conductors. For
example, a typical single gang box of 18 cubic inches allows nine 14-gauge, eight 12-gauge
or seven 10-gauge wires. All grounds and each device in a box count as one wire. The
volume and maximum number of wires allowed is stamped in the back of plastic boxes.
Capacities for metal boxes are listed in Table 370-6(a) of the National Electrical Code.
Branch Circuit - Wiring that runs from a service panel or subpanel to a group
of outlets is termed a branch circuit. A sudden power surge could fry a computer,
microwave oven, television set or other electronic appliance. A fuse or circuit breaker
protects each branch circuit in your home.
Brick Chisel -
A wide-bladed chisel that you strike with a hand sledge to cut
bricks.
Brick Ties -
Metal straps added between courses of masonry. They extend
outward from one wall into an adjoining wall of brick or veneer to tie two together.
Broom Finish -
A fine-bristled push broom is drawn on the surface of damp
concrete to leave a subtly ridged surface.
Builder's Felt -
Commonly called tarpaper, it's most frequently used between
courses of wood singles.
Building Paper -
Asphalt-impregnated paper. Used as waterproofing between wall
sheathing and siding.
Built-up Roofing -
Built-up roofs, also known as tar-and-gravel roofs, have a
layer of gravel applied to the top surface to protect the roofing material from physical
damage and degradation from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Be sure the gravel is spread out
evenly. You may have to sweep the gravel back up the slope every few years.
Large holes or damaged areas should be repaired by a professional roofer
with hot tar.
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C
Cable Ripper - Purpose: Slicing insulation on non-metallic cable.
When to Use: After cable
is installed in boxes, slide the tool over the cable and push it to the back of the box.
Squeeze it and a small blade slits the cable sheath. Pull while still squeezing. This
opens the sheath without harming the wire insulation.
Comments: You won't need
this tool if you carefully strip off enough cable sheathing with a knife before inserting
the cable in the box.
Cable Staples - Purpose: Securing cables to framing.
Typical Applications: For
non-metallic (NM) cable, use one staple per cable every 41/2 feet and within 12 inches of
any box.
Caution: DO NOT drive staples so
deeply that they cut NM's plastic sheathing.
Comments: Use plastic-lined
staples, lower right, to avoid this problem. DO NOT stack cables inside a staple,
and use only one cable per staple. A cable stacking clip, upper right, holds
several cables along the center of a stud.
Cables -
Cable is the best choice for interior wiring. It's easy to
work with and usually less costly than conduit. Each cable type is part of a system,
including boxes and connectors. Be sure that the parts you use are compatible with your
cable.
Cables are rated by the gauge of the wire and the number of wires in the
cable. For example, 12-3 indicates the cable has three 12-gauge wires (not including the
ground wire).
Do not use cable inside conduit.
Cam - An eccentrically curved part designed to exert force
when rotated against another.
Cantilevered Decks -
hillside decks whose top surface extends beyond the structural
support.
Cap Unit -
A solid piece measuring 8 by 16 by 4 inches.
Caps and Plugs - Purpose: To seal pipes and fittings
Comments: Caps go over the
end of a pipe. Plugs go into it.
Common types, left to right:
Galvanized-steel cap and plug, left; ABS plastic plug, center-top;
Plastic cap, center right, and black-iron cap, right; copper slip caps,
not shown.
Cartridge Fuse - Cartridge fuses handle higher amperages than plug fuses. Typically,
they serve as main power shutoffs and in subpanels for 240-volt appliances such as
electric dryers and air conditioners. Cartridge fuses are wrapped in paper, like shotgun
shells, and have ferrule, top, or knife-blade, bottom, contacts on each end.
Ferrule-contact fuses protect circuits up to 60 amps. They are sometimes
used on the back of a pullout-block main disconnect.
Knife-blade contact fuses protect circuits rated at 60 amps or more.
Cast-Iron Pipe - Purpose: Drain and vent lines.
Comments: Most older DWV
systems are made of cast-iron pipes-now increasingly supplanted by ABS and PVC. Pipes were
originally joined with molten lead, but most plumbers now join them with no-hub couplers.
Catalytic Converters -
The catalytic converter, located in the top of the stove or in
the flue pipe adjacent to the stove, needs to be gently brushed off or vacuumed two or
three times during the heating season to remove fly ash. How often you do this depends on
how much you use the stove, the stove's design, and the ash and moisture content of the
wood.
Every few years, depending on these same variables, clean the converter
by boiling it in distilled water and vinegar. Carefully follow the instructions in your
owner's manual.
After extended use, the catalytic converter will have to be replaced.
Catch Basin -
A drain for a low or wet spot, with pipe exiting the side and
a pit at the bottom to collect sediment.
Cells -
The hollow spaces in concrete blocks.
Certified Arborist -
A trained specialist, often employed by a tree service, who
can advise you on the health and hazards of your trees.
Chalk Line -
A reel of thin cord enclosed in a housing with powdered chalk.
You pull the cord over the line you want to mark, then snap it against the surface to
deposit chalk there.
Chipper -
A gas-powered machine that chops branches and tree limbs into
wood chips.
Circuit -
A network of wiring that circulates electricity through your
home.
Circuit Breaker -
Circuit breakers are automatic shut-off switches designed to
stop the current if the wires in a circuit begin to overheat.
Clay -
Sticky, heavy soil made of small particles. Clay holds water
but excludes air, which is needed by plant roots.
Cleanout -
A drain fitting, usually a wye or a tee, with a removable plug
to permit inspection and access for an auger or snake.
Closet Auger - Purpose: Clearing obstructions from toilet traps to the mouth of
the waste pipe.
Comments: The closet auger
has a large head sized for toilet traps. The rubber sleeve at the end of the long handle
protects the toilet from marring. Because the closet auger is just long enough to clean to
the mouth of the waste pipe, you'll need to work through a cleanout with a snake or power
auger to clear obstructions farther down the line.
Closet Bend -
A specialized, 90-degree fitting that connects a toilet to the
DWV system. Sized to fit within the joist space, it doesn't have a trap, since that's
already incorporated in the toilet. A slotted closet flange, or floor flange, holds the
bend to the subfloor .
Closet Bolt -
Bolt whose head is fitted to a closet flange and that
protrudes up through a toilet base. A nut is tightened around it on the toilet base. Two
bolts serve one toilet.
Closet Flange -
Fitting screwed to the flooring under a toilet. The flange
holds the toilet down to the floor and secures the closet bend from below.
Coaxial Cable -
You can run your own cable from room to room. You'll probably
do a neater job than the average cable TV installer if you fish it through your walls or
install it before new walls are covered with drywall. Install a crimp-on connector that
threads onto the back of each jack.
Coaxial Crimper -
These inexpensive pliers squeeze the ferrule shut on coaxial
fittings. More costly professional models include specialized strippers for coax.
Coaxial Splitter -
To branch coaxial cable, you'll need one of these threaded
blocks. Mount them on any convenient surface in an attic or basement, but don't bury them
inside a wall.
Coaxial/Phone Wall Jack -
Combine these two jacks in one location to organize your
communication wires. The plates mount to single-gang boxes or to a low-voltage plate
mounting bracket Attach two pairs of phone wire to the back of the phone jack, and twist
on a coaxial cable for your TV.
Cold-water Inlet with Valve -
This pipe branches off your house supply to bring cold water
to your water heater. Use the shut-off valve on this line to isolate the heater for
maintenance or replacement. You can also use the valve to shut off all hot-water supplies
while you work on one or more.
Combination Cover -
These come in many switch and receptacle configurations, up to
one receptacle with five switches.
Combination Stripper - Purpose: What doesn't this tool do? It cuts non-metallic cable
and wire, bends wire to wrap on terminals, strips wire and squeezes with pliers tips.
Common Terminal - Each three-way switch has
one common terminal that's colored and/or labeled for identification. You connect the
incoming hot wire to this terminal on one switch. Then connect the outgoing hot wire from
the other three-way switch to the light.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL)
- There are two ways to cram lots of
fluorescent tubing into a tighter package. The circular fluorescent and the compact
fluorescent both screw into a standard light base. Each has its own electronic ballast to
boost household voltage. The ballast lasts about four times longer than the tubes, so look
for models like these in which you can replace the tubes.
Composting -
Letting garden and kitchen waste decay into an odorless brown
soil amendment. Buy composting containers or build your own from wood or chicken wire.
Compression Fitting -
Rain-tight fittings used with EMT conduit outdoors, above
ground. Tighten couplings and connectors with a pair of wrenches to compress the split
ring in the fitting.
Concave - Rounded inwards, grooved.
Concrete Cap -
A top layer of concrete that adds a finished, decorative look
to a pilaster. It also covers the center core of mortar.
Concrete Grout -
A mixture of 3/8-inch pea gravel, sand, cement and water that
you pour into the cells of concrete-block walls to reinforce them. Buy it in bags or
ready-mixed from a concrete supplier.
Condensation -
When warm air from the interior meets colder (exterior) air,
the water vapor turns back to liquid. Attics, walls and crawl spaces below floors are
common sites for condensation.
Conductor -
Technical term for anything capable of carrying electricity.
Wires are conductors. So are terminals and the prongs of a plug.
Conduit -
Metal or plastic tubing used to protect wires.
Conduit Bender - Other Names: Hickey.
Purpose: Hand-bending
thinwall conduit (EMT).
Conduit Body - Other Names: Condulet
Purpose: Used to change
direction in a conduit run. Access covers allow you an opening at intermediate points in a
run to make pulling wire easier.
Construction Adhesive -
Thick-bodied adhesive, suited to a wide range of repair and
construction tasks. Packaged in convenient cartridges for caulking guns.
Continuity Tester - Purpose: Confirming a completed circuit. This tester has a
battery so it can test wires even with the main power shut off.
When to Use: For
identifying wires and diagnosing open circuits.
Control Joint - A groove scored by a jointer
in wet concrete to control cracking caused by contraction and expansion. The regular lines
in a sidewalk are control joints.
Convection -
Air naturally circulated by differences in temperature.
Colder, denser air falls and displaces the lighter, warm air.
Convex - Rounded outwards, smooth.
Cool White (CW) -
A standard
Cool White lamp approximates natural light, but imparts a ghoulish cast to skin tones,
which makes it anything but a cool choice for home lighting. A Cool White tube has a color
temperature of 4,100 degrees and renders colors poorly.
Cool White Deluxe (CWX) -
Though cooler in color temperature than WW or WWX lamps, Cool White
Deluxe tubes have a CRI close to that for incandescents. CWX lamps simulate natural
daylight.
Copper Pipe - Purpose: To carry water to fixtures and appliances. Used less
often for DWV systems.
Comment: The premium
material for domestic water lines, soldered copper is easier to install and modify than
galvanized steel.
Corner Block - A concrete block with one flush, smooth end.
Couplings -
Fittings used to join lengths of conduit.
Covenants -
Restrictions on how you can use or modify your property,
intended to preserve the character of the community.
Cowbell Wrench - Purpose: Installing and removing valve stems set below a
surface.
When to Use: The best way
to remove a shower valve stem set in a tiled wall.
Cracking - Cracks in the paint film occur when one or more of the paint
layers loses its elasticity and no longer expands and contracts with the substrate.
Cracking also results from finish-to-primer incompatibility.
Solution: Scrape off the loose paint, sand, prime and repaint. For severe cases, remove
all paint to the bare wood, apply an oil-base primer, then repaint.
Crimping Pliers - Purpose: Crimping connecting hardware.
When to Use: Making up
grounding crimp connectors and spade terminals.
Cripple Walls -
In a wood-frame house, the section of wall under the house
between the concrete foundation and the floor joists. Also called crawl space walls.
Crosscutting -
Cutting across the wood grain; to crosscut a board is to cut
across its width.
Crown Molding -
A decorative trim that runs along the top of the wall, against
the ceiling.
Curing -
A chemical reaction in cement-based materials. The longer
these materials stay damp, the stronger they get. Curing is not the same as drying, which
implies evaporation.
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D
Damp Proofing - Tar-like coatings brushed or sprayed on the exterior of a
foundation wall.
Deciduous -
A plant that loses its leaves in winter.
Decorator Receptacle - Other Names: Decora Receptacle.
Typical Applications: An
alternative to standard receptacles, the decorator style offers many more colors and a
cleaner look.
Costs: Up to 10 times as much as standard receptacles.
Decorator Switch - Other Names: Decora Switch.
Purpose: An alternative to
standard switches, the decorator style offers many more colors and a cleaner look. This
style is also easier to use. You can turn them on and off with your elbow as you walk by
with bags of groceries.
Comments: Usually used in
conjunction with decorator receptacles.
Cost: About 10 times more than a standard single-pole device.
Decorator/GFCI Cover -
These come in more than the standard three colors because they
fit all decorator style receptacles and switches, as well as GFCI receptacles.
Dedicated Circuit -
Any circuit that has only one receptacle or appliance
connected to it. These are typically required for large, continuous loads. Appliances such
as electric clothes dryers, ranges, kilns, central air conditioners and any others that
require 240-volt power must have their own circuits. Some 120-volt appliances, such as
heaters and air conditioners, may require a dedicated circuit as well.
Deep Shade -
No direct or filtered sun.
Device Boxes - Other Names: Remodel Box, Cut-In Box.
Purpose: Mounting switches
and receptacles with non-metallic cable or armored cable.
Typical Applications: When
adding switches or receptacles in existing walls.
Device-Mounting Cover - Other Names: Raised Cover.
Purpose: Acts as both a
cover and an adapter to hold two devices in a four-square box.
Also Available: Mounting
covers are made for either two switches, two receptacles or, as seen here, a switch and
receptacle. You can also get a version for a GFCI receptacle.
Diagonal Cutters - Other Names: Dikes.
Purpose: Pulling cable
staples; cutting nails, cable and wire.
When to Use: Roughing in
non-metallic or armored cable; making up boxes.
What to Look For: Jaws and
cutting blades should meet evenly. Hold them up to light. A diagonal chink of light coming
though indicates poor quality.
Also Available: Offset
diagonal pliers provide better leverage for staple pulling.
Dielectric Union - Purpose: Prevents galvanic corrosion between copper and steel
pipes.
When to Use: Any time you
join new copper pipes to old galvanized steel pipe. Often used to connect to water
heaters.
Substitution: Your local
building department may also permit a flexible copper supply tubing or even a simple brass
nipple to serve as a dielectric union.
Digital/Analog -
Analog signals move in continuous waves that fluctuate
according to intensity. Digital signals move in pulses that are either on or off --1 or
0-called binary. Present-day telephone systems carry analog signals from your home to the
phone company. The company then converts the signals to digital, transmits them over fiber
optic lines, and converts them back to analog signals that go to the number you are
calling.
Digital enables simultaneous transmission of audio, video and text with
outstanding accuracy and reliability. Consider, for example, the differences in sound
fidelity between an analog LP record and the music from a digital compact disc.
Dimmer Switch - Purpose: Controls the intensity of a light from bright to dim.
Typical Applications:
Bedroom, dining room, living room-anywhere you want to control lighting to match activity
or mood.
What to Look For: Round
knobs, toggle switches or slide controls do not, by themselves, determine the quality of a
dimmer. Less expensive devices tend to hum when in use; some may cause radio interference.
Fluorescent fixtures require a different kind of dimmer and three wires from the
switch to the light.
Dobies -
Small concrete blocks with embedded tie wire, used to support
rebar or metal mesh in concrete work.
Door Stop -
Wooden strip, nailed to the door jamb, that the door closes
against.
Double Glazing -
Two panes of glass with a sealed air space between. Also
called insulated glass.
Double Switch - Other Names: Stack Switch.
Purpose: Fits two switches
into one single gang box, or one device slot in a large box.
Typical Applications:
Adding a second switch to a single gang box.
Double-Hung Windows -
Windows with two operable sashes that slide in vertical
channels.
Drain Rock -
Clean rock, in graded sizes, that remains uncompacted so that
water can pass through.
Drain Valve -
This valve lets you drain your tank to perform routine
maintenance such as clearing sediment from the tank or replacing the T & P relief
valve. Connect a garden hose to the valve to carry away the drain water.
The Pros Say: Many water heater manufacturers now use cheap
plastic drain valves. And many plumbers promptly throw them away and replace them with
good, solid, brass hose bibbs you can get at any hardware store.
Drainage Behind a Retaining Wall
-
To move water from behind a retaining wall,
lay perforated drain pipe along the back of it. Line a trench behind the wall with
soil-filter fabric, lay pipe along cloth, and backfill with drain rock to within 6-12
inches of the top. Wrap the ends of the cloth over the top of the rock layer and fill the
remainder of the trench with gravel or soil.
Drainageways -
The areas where runoff converges from different slopes.
Draining the Expansion Tank -
1. Turn the system off and let it cool.
2. Close the valve to the expansion tank to isolate it from the rest of
the system.
3. Place a bucket underneath the drain valve or attach a hose to it that
terminates in a bucket or drain.
4. Open the valve on the bottom of the expansion tank and let it drain.
(You may need to open a small vacuum breaker plug on the tank to get it to drain
properly.)
5. Once the tank is drained, simply reverse the process to fill it.
Check your owner's manual for more specific instructions.
Dripline -
An imaginary line extending from the tree's outermost branches
to the ground.
Drought Tolerant -
Needs watering monthly (or less often) until established, then
little extra watering. In arid regions, no extra watering at all.
Dry Creek Bed -
A rock-lined artificial creek bed for channeling excess
rainwater.
Dry Well -
A gravel-filled vertical pipe or hole where excess water
collects and percolates slowly into the ground.
Drying Time -
(paint)
Slow: Dries to the touch in over two hours. Can be
recoated the next day.
Moderate: Dries to touch within two hours.
Can be recoated the same day.
Fast: Dries to touch within an hour. Can be
recoated within four hours.
Drywall -
Drywall, the most common kind of interior wallcovering, is also
called wallboard, gypsum board, Sheetrock (a brand name), and rock. It comes in various
thicknesses and in lengths from 8 feet to 12 feet, but the most common size is
4-by-8-by-1/2-inch thick panels. In addition to standard panels, you can buy
fire-resistant and moisture-resistant drywall. The moisture-resistant panels have green
paper.
Drywall Saw - Purpose: Making cutouts in drywall.
When to Use: Cutting
openings for old work boxes. Do not substitute a saw intended for wood-it will dull
rapidly.
Drywall Tape -
Two-inch-wide paper tape that covers drywall seams and plaster
cracks. It is not coated with adhesive as the word "tape" seems to imply.
Instead it is embedded in joint compound. Most paper tape is perforated to improve its
bonding strength and pre-creased to make it easy to fold for inside corners.
Self-adhering, fiberglass mesh tape doesn't provide joint strength equal
to paper tape. Still, many do-it-yourselfers prefer fiberglass mesh simply for its
convenience. You can roll it on without embedding the tape in joint compound.
Drywell -
An underground drywell collects water until it can percolate
into the soil. The "well" is an excavated hole lined with filter fabric and
filled with small stones or gravel. The size of the well depends on the volume of water
it's expected to handle and the porosity of the surrounding soil.
Duplex Receptacle -
Electricians prefer the term receptacle for devices that
supply power to plug-in lamps and appliances. They are so called because they receive the
plug.
The pairs of terminals on each side are bonded by a small metal tab.
This allows you to splice two wires on each side to wire a downstream cable into the
circuit without a wire connector. You can also break this tab off, by twisting it with
pliers, to form a split receptacle.
DWV System -
The system of drain-, waste- and vent-lines that carries away
liquid and solid wastes and protects your home from sewer odors and bacteria.
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E
Easement - A portion of your property another party may use for utilities,
maintenance of nearby roads, or access to nearby property.
Eaves -
The portion of the roof that extends beyond a wall.
Edger -
A trowel with a rounded, or radiused, edge.
Edging Tool -
A steel hand tool that rounds edges of concrete with 1/2-inch
radius.
Elbows - Other Names: Ell, L
Use these 90-degree and 45-degree
couplings to carry plumbing lines around corners and bends. Combine them to create other
angles: two 45- or 90-degree elbows make a zig-zag offset.
Electrical Tape - Purpose: Repairing wire and cable insulation.
Comments: DO NOT use
electrical tape to cover spliced wires. Tape may only be used to repair minor abrasion and
nicks. You can wind black tape around a white wire to identify it as a hot, black wire in
some switch loops. Use electrical tape to secure cables to a fish tape when you pull wires
through finished walls.
Electrician's Pliers - Other Names: Lineman's Pliers
Purpose: Cutting wire,
twisting wires together.
When to Use: Removing metal
box knockouts.
What to Look For: Jaws and
cutting blades should meet evenly. Hold them up to light. A diagonal chink of light coming
though indicates poor quality. An 8- or 10-inch length is most useful.
End Grain -
The end of a piece of wood or lumber that reveals the wood
fibers in cross section.
Epoxy Bolt -
Bolts designed to be held in place with epoxy, rather than
with mechanical means such as expansion.
Ergonomics -
The science of designing with human factors in
mind.
Escutcheon Plate -
These decorative plates hide the rough opening where a pipe
enters a finished wall. When the pipe end is accessible, as it is when you're installing
fixtures, one-piece friction plates work best. When you can't get to the end of a pipe,
use a split-flange plate. Its two halves come apart so you can slip them around the pipe.
Evapotranspiration - occurs when plants transpire water through pores in
their leaves. The water draws heat as it evaporates, cooling the air.
Excessive Chalking -
A fine film of paint powder constantly forms on the surface of
many paints. It happens on purpose. The reason: it makes your paint job somewhat
self-cleaning. Chalking becomes a problem when it stains siding or unpainted brick or
stone below. Excessive chalking is caused by several factors:
Over-thinned paint.
Paint with inadequate binders or
too much pigment.
Improperly prepared surfaces.
An improper primer that absorbs
the paint's binder.
Solution: Scrub the surface with a brush and water, hose off, and allow to dry
thoroughly. Then apply primer and repaint.
Expansion Joint -
A divider made of wood, felt or other material. It allows
movement where a concrete slab abuts a house or another concrete slab.
Extension Rings - Purpose: Adds volume to existing boxes.
Typical Applications: Used
when adding wires or devices to an existing box; extending a box to allow easier
connection to new conduit or cable.
Exterior Conduit Systems -
All conduit systems are rated by internal diameter (ID). These
are common sizes for residential circuits: 1/2-, 3/4- and 1-inch ID conduit. Check with
your local building department to get the right size conduit for the number and gauge of
wires you intend to run. Each system requires its own type of fitting.
Exterior Cover Plates -
Never use an interior cover outdoors. All boxes and covers for
wet locations require a waterproof gasket to make a seal. Exterior boxes are made of
aluminum with threaded holes.
External Cable Clamps -
Fittings that provide strain relief for non-metallic or
armored cable. Many metal boxes come with internal clamps.
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F
Faucet-Handle Puller - Purpose: Removing balky faucet handles without marring during
repairs.
Comments: First, remove
the mounting screw from the faucet handle. Then, place the jaws of the tool under the
faucet handle and turn the tool's central screw until it bears against the valve stem. The
steady, even pressure pulls the handle off neatly.
Feeder Circuit -
Cable that brings power from a main service panel to a subpanel that
serves two or more branch circuits.
Ferrous Metals -
Metals containing iron.
Ferrule -
A sleeve crimped over a coaxial fitting to secure the
connection.
Finish Nails -
Narrow gauge nails with tiny heads that you can set below the
surface of wood trim.
Fish -
Electricians refer to the process of pulling wires through
finished walls as fishing. A fish tape is a coiled, springy wire used to "angle"
for a path from attic or basement to the box cutout.
Fish Tape - Purpose: Feeding cable through finished walls and wires through
conduit.
What to Look For: Fish
tapes tend to bind. If you rent one, make sure you can pull the tape out and get it back
in before you leave the yard.
Fitting Rails -
To make a rail fit tightly, don't measure. Instead, hold it in
place and mark where it meets the post. Use a combination square to draw the line, then
cut the rail.
When setting bottom and middle rails, clamp a block of scrap wood to one
post to support one end of the rail while you toenail or screw the other end to its post.
It's like an extra set of hands.
Flagstones -
Hard stones that have been split into thin pieces for paving.
Flapper -
Flexible rubber stopper that closes the flush valve in a
toilet. Often used as a replacement for a stopper ball.
Flashings -
Sheet-metal or rubber material used to seal breaks, bends and
creases in roofs. Areas where flashing is used include pipe openings, skylights and the
area around chimneys.
Flexible Metal Conduit - Other Names: Flex, Greenfield.
Purpose: Exposed indoor
wiring.
Typical Applications: For
bends when running thinwall or rigid conduit.
Costs: More expensive than EMT,
but far easier to work with.
Comments: Flex is ugly
compared to neatly-bent EMT. Any run 6 feet or longer, or over 20 amps, needs a separate
ground wire inside.
Flexible Plastic Conduit (ENT) - Other Names: Smurf tubing, electrical non-metallic tubing.
Purpose: Burying wires in
concrete, communication wiring.
Typical Applications:
Usually wherever non-metallic cable can be used. Check with local building department.
Also used as wiring in concrete slabs for free-standing kitchen islands, and floor-mounted
receptacles in living rooms.
What to Look For: Uses
snap-in fittings.
Flexible Tubing - Purpose: Fast, easy connections between pipes and fixtures.
Basic types include:
Copper water line, left, the best way to connect cold- and hot-water pipes to a
water heater. The flexible link helps connections withstand earthquakes. It also acts as a
dielectric union between dissimilar metals.
Flexible gas hose, middle, creates a flexible link in the gas supply to a water
heater, dryer or range. Never reuse a gas hose if it's kinked.
Flexible risers, right, A do-it-yourselfer's dream, stainless-steel-jacketed supply
hoses make it simple to hook up sinks, lavatories, toilets and other fixtures.
Comment: When you're
shopping for any kind of flexible supply, be sure to get the right ends to the tubing. In
many cases, special adapters make it easy to connect differing sizes and materials. If
possible, take the old line to the store with you.
Float -
A flat trowel used to finish concrete. Floats may be wood,
rubber or magnesium.
Float Arm -
The flexible rod that connects the float ball and flush valve
in a toilet tank. Bend it to adjust the level of water in the tank.
Float Ball -
A copper or plastic ball at the end of the float arm. As water
rises in the tank, the ball floats up and shuts off the ballcock.
Float Cup -
The black plastic cup on a Fluidmaster fill valve that rises
with toilet tank water. When it reaches a preset level, the valve closes.
Floodlights -
When you want strong lighting around your home, these most
basic of outdoor fixtures are the least expensive to buy. You'll need a weatherproof
wiring box and a cover with 1/2-inch threaded holes to accept the lamp bases. ALWAYS use
bulbs rated for outdoor exposure unless you mount the fixture under a roof.
Fluorescent Fixtures
- Check your prejudices about fluorescent lighting at the
showroom door and take another look. Today, you'll find lots of new recessed cans and wall
sconces specifically designed for small, compact fluorescent lamps. Tube fixtures nowadays
don't all look like industrial artifacts, either. Tubes as small as 5/8 inch in diameter
allow you to tuck fluorescents behind trim or under a cabinet.
Fluorescent Tubes -
When you shop for fluorescent tubes, you'll need to know the
tube's diameter and its length. Note, too, whether your fixture uses single- or bi-pin
tubes. Diameter is listed in 1/8ths of an inch after the letter T. Thus a T5 tube equals
5/8ths-inch. The most common size is a T12 at 11/2- inches. Wattage is limited by tube
length. Tubes range from 9 inches to 8 feet in some industrial fixtures.
Flush Arm -
A horizontal rod connected at one end to the flush handle of a
toilet tank and at the other to a chain lifting the flush valve ball or flapper. Also
called a trip lever. The flush arm is held in place with a reverse threaded nut to the
toilet handle.
Flush Valve -
An opening and stopper-either a ball or a flapper-at the
center of the bottom of a toilet tank. The valve opens to flush and closes to re-fill the
tank.
Flushing the System -
To flush a hot water heating system, follow these steps:
1. Turn the system off and close the water feed valve to the boiler. Let
the system cool.
2. Connect a hose to the drain valve that's located on the bottom of the
boiler, and run the hose to an indoor or outdoor drain.
3. Open the air vent on the highest radiator to break the vacuum.
4. Now open the drain on the boiler and let the entire system drain.
5. Once the system drains, close the radiator valve, open the feed
valve, and flush water through the boiler until the water runs clean.
6. Close the drain valve on the boiler and let the system refill.
7. Start the boiler (even if it's summer) to purge air out of the
system.
Consult your owner's manual for more specific instructions before you
start. If you feel uncomfortable attempting this maintenance, let your service contractor
do it the first time while you watch and take notes. Depending on how old and dirty the
system is, you may want the contractor to "power flush" it using special
chemicals.
Flux -
Etching paste used to clean and prepare metal for solder. Use
a brush, not your fingers, to spread it.
Footing -
A foundation under a wall, pilaster or stairway that's wider
than the structure it supports. It distributes the load over a broader area.
Footings -
Concrete supports for wooden posts, designed to distribute the
load to, and isolate the wood from, the soil below.
Forced Air Systems -
This widely used system distributes heated air through round-
or rectangular-shaped ducts. An electric fan pushes air from the central heating unit, to
the ducts, and out through the grill-covered supply registers in your rooms. Dampers
inside the ducts control the amount of warm air that flows to each room. Ambient air
returns to the central unit through large air registers near the blower.
Form -
The wood framework that molds and supports wet concrete.
Form Release -
A chemical you paint on wood forms to prevent concrete from
sticking to them.
Four-in-One Fittings Brush - Purpose: Removing dirt and oxidation from copper and brass
fittings and the ends of copper pipes before you solder them.
Comments: This tool's male
brushes clean up the inside of fittings, while the female brushes clean the outside of
pipes. The four-in-one works with 1/2- and 3/4-inch pipe, the most common
residential-plumbing sizes.
Substitution: 120-grit
sandpaper will also do the job, but the brush is faster and more efficient.
Four-in-One Screwdriver - Purpose: Driving most sizes of slotted and Phillips-head screws.
Comments: 4-in-1 drivers
save you lots of time spent looking for the right screwdriver-you always have the most
often used tips inside the handle.
Four-Square Box - Purpose: Mounting junctions and devices for interior wiring with
cable or conduit.
Typical Applications:
Four-square boxes are the most flexible box because you can adapt them to a single gang,
double gang or lighting outlet with the appropriate plaster rings. Four-square boxes offer
more room than most two-gang device boxes.
Also Available:
4-11/16" square boxes and matching adapter rings offer a bit more internal volume
than the standard four-square box. Plastic versions are common.
Four-Way Switch - Purpose: Controls the same lights from three or more locations.
One or more four-ways are placed between a pair of three-ways.
Typical Applications:
Large rooms with multiple entrances/exits.
Comments: The terminals on
a four-way switch are ether paired top/bottom or side/side. In the Circuit Simulator, they
are paired side/side. Look in the sample diagrams for Lights with 3 or More Switches.
Framing Square - Also
called a carpenter's square or steel square. A large square used for carpentry layout.
Some include rafter cutting tables. To cut stairs, a pair of small clamp-on stair gauges
can be added.
French Drain -
A drain filled with gravel that leads surface water away from
your house, out of a catch basin or from poorly drained parts of your yard. Its
destination is usually the street or a dry well.
Frost Line -
An imaginary line that represents the average depth at which
soil is likely to freeze year after year.
Fur Out -
In construction lingo, furring means adding
material between two parts to match up surfaces. Typical furring materials include extra
washers on bolts and strips of plywood nailed to a stud.
Fuse -
By design, a fuse is the weakest link in any circuit. When a
circuit overheats, a strip of metal inside the fuse melts down and shuts off the flow of
current.
Fuse Puller -
Plastic pliers used to remove and install cartridge fuses.
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