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Bruno said:
” Putting in a proper ground rod would eliminate the problem IF that’s what is really going on there.”
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But that is the entire PROBLEM.
YOU DON’T KNOW NOR DOES ANYONE KNOW FOR SURE WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!
And having a novice run around blind trying to change things to his electrical system that may or may not work or even be related to the cause of his problem is not the answer….and will potentially just waste his time and money running with bad ideas.
Jasper had the very best and most sensible approach so far.
And only an professional electrician on site can properly diagnose and correct this problem.
It ‘ends’ when you have a professional electrician properly diagnose the problem….
Go back and read the post from ‘Jasper’.
His explains in the best detail all the possibilities that can be causing your symptoms.
Otherwise it is not possible for anyone to help you here…or on any internet forum.
You need a professional to come to your home and actually see and test your system to dtermine what is causing this very dangerous condition.
Looks like you may have some efflorescence developing in the stucco.
Efflorescence occurs when water penetrates masonry, dissolves minerals in the masonry, then deposits the dissolved minerals as salts as the water dries.
If you are getting water in the stucco, it is possible you used the wrong type latex paint, or did not cover the stucco well enough to keep all water out.
John is correct.
One should have at minimum 150 square feet of roof vents for every 1000 square (not 100 square feet) of attic floor space….
Thanks for noticing and pointing out the error.
“I’m going to go ahead with the 8 ft grounding recommendation and suck up the cost.”
EXTREMELY bad decision…since you haven’t determined yet what is causing your sink and plumbing system to be energized.
It may have NOTHING to do with your grounding electrodes or lack thereof.
The only “cost” you need to be “sucking up” right now is the cost to pay a professional electrican to come out and properly find out what’s wrong….
Then let him fix it.
Seems like an awful lot of work just to make lights work off a timer for those rare occaisions one might be away.
Nothing wrong with that approach, but it is certainly not how I would go about doing it.
Maybe others have a better idea.
1. How do you know for sure your attic is ‘properly vented’?
You should have at least 150 square feet of attic roof vents for every 100 square feet of attic floor space. The amount of soffit or eave vent insulation should also equal the amount of roof vent in square feet. Can you be sure this is the case?
You would need to know the exact size of the channel cut in the roof sheathing for the ridge vent; also know the ridge vent manufacturer; and know the exact length of the cut channel in the ridge vent to make that determination.
2. How do you know you have enough Insulation?
We would need to know in what area you live but R-30 is about the minimal amount of ceiling insulation one should have for any location in the US…warm or cold. Not enough ceiling insulation could make your upstairs hot.
3. Do your air conditioning vents run in your attic? Even more important than the ceiling insulation R-value, what is the R-value of the supply vents for the AC if run in your attic?
The minimum R-value of the duct insulation should be R-8 or higher. If the vents aren’t insulated well enough, most of your cooling can be lost to the heated attic before it ever reaches your living space below.4. Air Infliltration. Are all penetrations between your attic and living space below sealed to prevent air infiltration? All holes for ducts, pipes, chases, chimneys, vents, recessed lights, recessed fans and so on should be sealed to prevent air flow between the attic and rooms below.
Only after reviewing all these things can you really determine what the problem may be and how to go about correcting it.
Let us know.
Call your fire department.
Sani-Flush has been removed from the market and is now considered a hazardous material.
They can properly dispose of the stuff and air out your house.
It is safe and can be done.
But you can accomplish the same thing (perhaps easier) by using a plug-in timer on a lamp receptacle.
“I don’t know anything about plumbing or electrical, but it just seems that surely somewhere there’s a wire touching a pipe… right?”
Not necessarily.
It could be that a metal appliance like a washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator or similar has become energized and is making metal waters lines conduct the fault.
This one is not anything to mess with.
You need to keep calling electricians until the you find one with the competance and patience to find the fault condition and correct it.
The Hardibacker instructions say to keep fasteners 2″ from the 4 corners of each sheet, not 2″ from where 2 sheets meet and form an inside or outside 90 degree angle.
If you put a fastener too close to each of the 4 corners of a sheet, you will crack off entire corner.
That’s what these instructions are trying to prevent:
http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/pdf/backer-install-us.pdf
THERE’S A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
-Lyrics by homebild
-Copyright 2010There’s a hole in the bottom of the sea
There’s a hole in the bottom of the sea
There’s a hole
There’s a hole
There’s a hole in the bottom of the seaTake the CEO who likes to crow
Of his billions in dough
Into the flow of the oil
In the hole in the bottom of the SeaLet his lobbyists know
They are the foe
Of the regular Joe
They tried to blow
With the oil from the flow in the hole in the bottom of the sea.There’s a hole
There’s a hole
There’s a hole in the bottom of the sea.When you vote say NO!
To the Congressman shmoe
Who won’t try to slow
The flow of the dough
To his pockets you know
With the oil from the flow in the hole in the bottom of the seaThe Arctic Refuge floe
Is no place to go
To damage roe of the fish below
Just for oil to flow from a hole in the bottom of the sea.There’s a hole
There’s a hole
There’s a hole in the bottom of the sea.Here are some possibilities:
-There is a hairline crack in the china that is allowing water to slowly drain from the bowl trap and and into the drain. This slight loss of water could happen unnoticeably under normal use, but could become apparant when the trap is not regulalry refilled.
-High wind events can sometimes create a vaccum through the roof vent that can drain or partially drain traps. If this happened and this toilet is the closet to the vent, it could explain the lower water level.
-Someone poured a bucket of water into this water closet causing the trap weir to be lower than normal.
-Blocked or partially blocked main vent as someone else mentioned, but typically when this occurs, smaller traps (like sinks, bathtubs and showers) get drained first and provide enough venting so that nearby water closets do not siphon.
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Suggestion:
Flush this closet then avoid using it for a week or two. Leave the lid down to discount evaporation. Then note the water level. If it continues to drop, you have a problem.
And I’d be looking for a hairline crack in the bowl if it reoccurs.
