Q. I had my bathrooms remodeled about 1 1/2 years ago. The contractor installed GFCI outlets in both bathrooms. The outlet in the guest bath is the main source while one of the outlets in the master bath is connected serially from the guest BR. A second outlet was added to the master bath so now it has 2 outlets where previously, there was only one but I believe that is powered by a different line. Just last week, I had plugged in a laptop to the outlet in the guest BR and walked away for a sec. I heard a pop and checked to see if everything was alright and the laptop seemed to be fine and the light switch was still working. Later that day, I tried turning on the lights in the BR and they wouldn't come on. I also noticed that the hallway lights wouldn't turn on either. One of the outlets in my master BR was also out too. I went to the main circuit breaker box and saw that one of the breakers had tripped so I tried resetting it. But it would not reset. I called in a maintenance person to check to see what was wrong and he assumed it was something plugged in that was causing it to trip so we unplugged everything that was attached to this line and still nothing worked. He also tried replacing one of the switches believing that was causing the breaker to trip but that didn't work either. At this point, he recommended I get an electrician to check to see what was causing the outage. I called an experienced contractor who works alot in my building and he checked it out. He said it was because I had GFCI outlets in both bathrooms which was causing the circuit breaker to trip. He said I only needed one GFCI outlet in the guest BR because that was the main outlet. (I'm assuming the one GFCI outlet in the master BR that still has power is running on another line...not connected serially to the line that's having problems.) He said the other other outlet in the master BR should be a normal outlet. My question was, why would it work for 1 1/2 years and just now cause a problem? I'm a little handy and would like to try and fix the problem myself but does the suggestion of the 2nd contractor make any sense? Should I replace the first GFCI outlet and the other one with a normal one just to make sure it's not one of them that's causing the circuit to trip?.

A. It depends upon how the wiring was done. The wires might go to the first GFCI box but not go through the device or it might be wired through the device. In either event it is unlikely that a bad GFCI will trip the main panel circuit breaker without some other problem. As handy as you are I would suggest you have an electrician come in to do the work as you might not recognize something that was done that might immediately be recognizable to an electrician. As is true with many trades, the knowledge required for troubleshooting a problem is more than is required for an initial installation. You have to not only know what is right but what can go wrong and be able to find it. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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Q. My first contractor flaked out and never gave me an estimate after I spent hours explaining to the plumber and electrician what I wanted done. Now I am trying to get the plumber and electrician's estimates and have them lined up to work on a specific date. "Professional courtesy" because the bid was under the flakey contractor has impeded the process. I want to save the "surcharge" my contractor would charge and just hire the plumber and electrician by myself. Why is this so hard? What is the secret code to get this done??!! I want to save myself the money, especially since the bids are already done and they know what I want/need done!

A. Yes of course you can! But if they are the general contractors sub contractors they might not feel right about doing it without the contractor. If this is the case, go through your local phone book or a home improvement book (they usually have them for free in the super markets) and find a LICENSED and INSURED plumber and electrician.

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Q. I Bought a building that has 3 phase service. What I would like to do is have a 200 amp single phase Breaker on on each Floor (there are 4 Floors total) These can be sub panels or otherwise. My question is how do hook up a Main Distribution panel to tap into the 3 phase panel and maintain a balanced load. I know this is a dangerous undertaking. I am very experienced in single phase applications But my 3 phase experiance so far has been limited so far to installation of 3 phase motors. In theory I somewhat understand what needs to be done, but I need someone to give me a step by step process to complete this. ** again I understand the risks involved so please do not answer telling me to Hire an Electrician...I am ONE. Just dont know too much about this aspect and Doing it by oneself is the best way to learn** Thx If necessary compensation can be arranged.

A. I am sorry, and mean no offense, as you have stated that you don't want to hear this, BUT... It would be foolish, and possibly hazardous, for anyone to try to explain this to you here. You "say" you "are one," but you also say you don't know about this, and that's the same as not being one where this project is concerned. You need to sacrifice a little pride and money, and hire a LICENSED MASTER Electrician to go to your job-site and literally POINT to, identify each of the phase legs, and explain which are to be used for your intended project. You don't have to hire him to do the work, only to advise and educate you. How about one of the guys you work with who does this work, he probably would do it for a few beers and laughs. There is a universal convention for which phase to use for what you want to do, and someone who knows what he/she is doing needs to precisely identify which phase line is which. The reason for this is that whoever originally wired the 3-phase may NOT have followed the convention, and misuse could result in problems. Better safe than sorry.

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Q. Last year I was about to do this install for my stereo, I bought all the stuff I need and then right when I was about to install it all, I took a reading of my power wire and it seemed to damn high already from what was coming from it. ( I can't remember the voltage because it was a year ago) I showed my uncle that's a mechanic ( not an electrician) and he said that "I wouldn't do it because it's already hi and it might fry lots of things" I know that the voltage was above 12.6 for sure! maybe 14 something? and that's before I even installed any extra gauge wire. so I just changed my mind and never installed it...I still have everything and I'm wanting to try this again and actually doit but I really don't want to ruin my car or fry all my audio equipment, should I hire a professional shop to do this so then they are liable for any damage? also - I have a kinetic 1400 battery under my hood powering my car. and my stereo is jl audio amp and sub. I don't want to buy a HO alt yet. thanks

A.

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Q. What do contractors charge per square foot to remodel part of an unfinshed existing basement to a bedroom? I am looking into converting part of my unfinsihed basement to a bedroom around 12ft x 12ft. There will be no Addition to the house, but there will be remodelling to already existing space putting up some walls to make a bedroom. Ballpark figure thanks.

A. Even a Ball Park figure would be difficult to produce for with out a visit. But lets say, the electrician could be about $1,000.00 total. X 15.15 divided by 144.

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Q. Do they charge as much as materials cost? More? Less? I want to refinish my basement. No plumbing. Just new walls. carpet, lighting, moulding, doors and windows. I figured all materials would be around $5-7k. What would he charge?

A. Depends on how much work there is to do and where in the US you live...you will have to get an electrician and permits for that. I would say it would cost twice as much as the materials. It really just depends on where you live and who you can find. Your best bet is to not look on yahoo answers and to call local contractors and they will give you free estimates.

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Q. I received a bid today for a partial basement remodel from an acquaintance of mine that I'm pretty confident I can trust. He quoted me $6,500 to complete 625 square feet. This includes dry wall, the ceilings, outlets, canned lighting, carpet, 3 doors and paint. Is this a pretty good price? Also, I have a home equity line of credit with 3.75% interest. I think I should use this because it's tax deductable. I can't pay cash and don't want to use a credit card. Well, I could pay half cash and half line of credit but I don't want to break myself paying for this all up front. Is the HELOC a good idea? Thanks. wow. Thanks for the detialed advice. Um, yes he is putting 2 x 4 studs in and blowing insulation in. The painting will be contracted out to a painter, the electrical to an electrician and the carpet to a local company. It sounds like the guy is in charge of the job but contracting most of it out. It also includes stipled ceiling, switch installation on dimmers and base/casing (whatever that is).

A. I think you need to get three or four estimates..all need to be written and describing exactly what is included. Write out what you want done to your space, so each contractor can bid accordingly. I have to tell you, I do not like working with friends (unless it is just for an afternoon having dinner or beer as pay). Do not make a decision until you have all the estimates. As for paying..that is a personal decision you need to make on your own or with your financial advisor from the bank. A word of advice..wiring should be done by a licensed electrician and do not cheap out on the recessed lighting.

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Q. We are looking to remodel a 3/4 bathroom in a 2nd vacation residence. It is the only bathroom in the place. We might want to sell in 1-2 years. We are looking to completely gut everything and 1) install stand-up shower, 2) install new toilet and have it relocated to a different spot, 3) replace vanity/sink and have it moved slightly, 4) re-cover walls with either greenboard/drywall or another resistant surface 4) install new vinyl flooring, 5) update any electrical connections. The bathroom is only 6' 10" x 6' 6". An independent contractor quoted us $3,500 for a full-turnkey remodel (including material/labor/plumbing/electrical/waste removal. This figure is using lowest-cost materials from Lowes. We asked for pure labor and got $1500 - $1800 (so this assumes we buy the materials ourselves). We thought this was pretty high - we're not looking to do tiles or granite - just the basics. Anyone have an idea what this sort of remodel should cost?? Thank you all for the speedy (and encouraging) replies!! I had a bit of sticker shock initially, so I'm glad to hear that this quote is not out of the ballpark. The contractor actually just built us a deck, so we've worked with him before. This will be the first interior job though. Right now we're thinking of going with a water-resistant wall-board (Aqua Tile?) instead of doing drywall or tiles. This stuff doesn't look bad and is $12 for a 4' x 8' sheet. The standup shower is pre-molded, but this stuff would go everywhere else. This contractor built us a small deck before, so it's not our first job with him. But, he has to bring a plumber and electrician on board for this. Thanks again for your feedback!

A. I don't think the price is out of line, especially the labor only. Is he connecting to existing plumbing? If you buy the materials, I think you can get better fixtures included in a price of $1,700.00 Ask a few other contractors for estimates. 8/26

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