How can I use a second transformer to power my zone controller?

The first thing you'll need to do, is determine where to locate the new transformer.  You'll need a mains power source, preferably the same source as the rest of the HVAC system.  The transformer can either be located near the zone control panel, near the air handler, or if there's space inside the air handler control panel.

Once you've figured out where to put it, you'll need to select a transformer.  To power the controller, you'll need a transformer that outputs 40 to 60 volt-amperes at 24 volts AC on the secondary side. To power the transformer, you'll have to determine the voltage of the mains supply. Then you'll select a transformer that has a primary input matching the mains voltage, which will likely be either 120 or 240 volts AC.

Before beginning work, make sure the power to the system is off.

After the transformer is properly mounted in an enclosure, and the primary side wiring is connected. The next step will be to connect the secondary side of the transformer, to the zone control board.  You'll want to install a length of thermostat cable between the transformer, and the zone control board. Connect the red wire from the thermostat cable to one of the secondary terminals, and the white wire to the other.

It might be a good idea to install a fuse in line with the red wire, as to prevent overloading the transformer.  You can use a 3 ampere glass fuse, though 3 ampere automotive style fuses have become common in the industry.

At the zone control board, you'll start by removing the jumper between the R terminal on the 24VAC TFORMER terminal block and the R terminal on the SYSTEM terminal block. Then you'll move the white wire that's connected to the C terminal on the 24VAC TFORMER terminal block, to the C terminal on the SYSTEM terminal block.

This will leave the 24VAC TFORMER terminal block empty. Now simply connect the wires from the new transformer, to the 24VAC TFORMER terminal block on the zone controller. The red wire goes to the R terminal, and the white wire to the C terminal.


What is the name of the retracting part of a dog lead?

Another example of a mechanism that you may be able to access or modify to your usage idea is contained in a tape measure. There a coiled flat spring steel material is simply anchored to central hub on one end and the other to the tape measure rule itself. These coil springs are setup to work almost the same as the flat coil spring on the inside of a retractable dog leash. In both cases the coil spring is able to provide return pull when the tape rule or leash is pulled out even as much as 25 feet or more.
The coil springs are actually a material that on its own really wants to extend out flat. When coiled inside a confined circular space it strives to straighten which in effect makes it try to expand to the greatest diameter allowed. When the tape rule or leash is extended the coil of this flat spring steel material becomes wound tighter and tighter to the center hub creating more pull and resulting in a smaller diameter to the coil.
The springs like discussed elsewhere here in shades and on garage doors are a different type of spring that is called a torsion spring. These are formed in a tubular manner and when under tension will desire to turn and return to their relaxed position.


This may sound a bit weird but I have used colored modeling clay to tighten up the ceramic rings that were loose. The heat from the fixture sets the clay and it wont come out. So If it doesn't look right take it apart and wipe it down before the clay has time to dry. Also make sure your lamps are not a higher wattage than the fixture is rated for. Last can you hear a buzzing in that 1 lamp? I have had a few over the years that the element in the lamp must not have been supported correctly and they made an audible buzz. This could be a source of vibration but it is rare (changing the lamp would solve the problem if it was buzzing).


Can I use a wood screen door to replace a sliding screen door on a french door

It can be done if you make/find a screen door the right size.

You would have to get a screen door track (top an bottom) and wheels to match that you groove into the bottom of door.

There are all different set ups depends on the brand you get.

EDIT:.

You will have to measure it and order a door to size.

Or get one a little bigger and plane/cut to size. Then fit your hinges.


Conduit in place should be fine for the inspection.

The forces involved in pulling make doing so without the conduit buried (so it stays put) rather difficult, and in any case it's quite common (and it you have not, I suggest you go get some) to put empty conduits in a trench for future use (i.e. a small conduit for network/phone/communications.)

I have to assume that something makes it worth the extra run up to and down from the attic rather than simply entering the building on the level of the main panel.

I would NOT leave the wires exposed in the attic. I'm dubious that it's acceptable, as they are not cable, designed for exposed use, but in any case I would not do it. I've seen way too many chewed cables in attic spaces. Completing the run in conduit should not be terribly difficult, and gives the wires protection.


How to move utility sink and extend trap / drain pipe under it?

You would do well to incorporate an elbow or elbows, if possible into the part of the drain line that is behind the white PVC pipe, the metal pipe. The trouble with that would be is that old of pipe is easily damaged (broken) at the joints where the threaded sections are.

The reason I suggest this as the place to tie in the new extension is that by the time, I feel, if you simply replace the drain it will be so far away from the wall it will be a number of inches away from the wall it is against now. To remedy that, it would take so may elbows to get it back to the wall, I am afraid the drain would not drain readily or perhaps clog easily. So back at the reason why I mentioned taking it back and tying it into the farther in from the joint where it is tied in now. The place I refer to is at the wye, there is a small straight pipe there, perhaps there is a smooth part (no threads) to it to use a neoprene coupler there.


How to remove this broken latch and handles?

It is definitely the privacy lock that's holding it in place, there's a metal rod that connects the outside, flat head part to the inside knob. If you don't want to re-use the fixture then just saw through it using a hacksaw, dremel or angle grinder (be careful to protect the door from the sparks. If you do want to keep the fixture then you've got to get the screw out using penetrating fluid and a lot of elbow grease. I'd try getting a screwdriver in there and then pounding on it with a hammer to loosen it up and make my own flat head groove, however by the time you're done you may damage it so much you need to replace it anyway.


Can I Remove a Brick Chimney and Replace With Something Else?

If I was doing this I would remove it down to the basement put in new flooring and start out with a free standing stove. My current home has a river rock hearth & chimney in the center of the house. No fire brick lining the chimney, It will come out to the ground level within the next year. You could use an insert and run pipe through the roof. Make sure to get a permit for the new unit and have it inspected. I know in my state fireplaces installed without permits are not covered by home owners insurance if a fire occurs. This includes inserts as some sales folks don't know the code and provide single wall flex pipe for inserts and this is not legal in Oregon even inside an existing chimney.


How often should I spray a fresh concrete slab for it to cure properly?

Cover fresh concrete with some foil to prevent the water from evaporating.
After one day you can start to spray. The duration depends on the quality of the concrete. It could be from one to seven days.

The most important part is to keep the concrete wet so there is enough water for the hardening process.


how close together can screws be before weakening a joint

Western Woods Products Association and West Coast Lumbermen’s Association have produced tables and charts based on “stress” for wood fasteners in shear and withdrawal in various species of wood.

The values are based on the diameter of the fastener and if it is in “stress” parallel to grain or perpendicular to grain.

So, for wood to wood connections (the spacing is closer for metal side plates) it is:

For PARALLEL to grain loading: 1) center to center along the grain is 4 Times it’s diameter, 2) row spacing is 3 Times across the grain (parallel), 3) edge distance is 1.5 Times , and 4) end distance (in tension) is 7 Times diameter and when in compression it can be 4 Times diameter...and when installed with less, it’s certain to split the wood.

For PERPENDICULAR to grain: 1) center to center across grain is 5 Times diameter for fasteners with a slenderness ratio of 2 and 6 Times diameter for fasteners with a slenderness ratios between 2 and 5, 2) row spacing is 4 Times diameter, and 3) edge distance is 4 Times for stressed side and is unimportant for opposite side.

There’s a formula for calculating STAGGERED spacing (and they can be closer together when staggered) but it’s too hard to calculate, so just know that they can be closer if staggered.

So, to answer your question, yes it does matter and there’s a way to determine the value if you’re Einstein.


Is it a bad idea to drill a hole through this door frame to pass wires?

Not a bad idea what so ever. However, let me clarify on the posted answer... A hole saw can be used to cut clean perfect holes, but are limited in cut depth. You'll most likely need to use the hole saw on both sides of the jamb.

A hole hog, as another commenter mentioned, is also known as an auger bit. It has a pointed threaded tip that will pull the bit thru whatever material you're trying to drill thru until the tip can't pull anymore. From there you'll need a little extra force to get the bit to finish it's cut.

Both are feasible tools for what you're looking to do.


Whatr size aerator pump is needed for a 500 gallon aerobic system?

Option 1 - check with the local health department or wherever septic plans are filed locally and see what your system was designed to have - the system design should be on file there from when it was permitted/approved.

Option 2 - hire a septic design engineer.

Option 1 should be free. Option 2 costs money. Pulling a number out of the hat on the internet is not a good option.


Is it necessary to replace a furnace when replacing the air conditioner?

Bob, the coil unit (evaporator) in your air handling section is the only part that needs to be changed. With new units this may mean a new sheet metal frame to house the new evaporator coil but I find many furnaces out last at least 1-2 AC units.

Don't let them talk you into cleaning and reusing the coil or line set if it is a R12/R22 refrigerant type as it's almost impossible to get all the old oil out and then your new unit will have a much shorter life.


Single pole breaker in Transfer Switch trips on transfer to GEN position every time but only on Master Bedroom circuit, 5 others OK

You can't put GFCI, AFCI or MWBC circuits on transfer switches.

I'm referring to the flimsy 6, 8 or 10 circuit switches that let you flip each circuit to utility or gen individually.

And you have both GFCI and MWBC.

So, yeah, not gonna happen.

That panel should have never been recommended to you. Unfortunately generator salesmen recommend that type because 50 years ago the things are designed to be an easy bolt-up to "any panel" precisely so that salesmen don't need to know anything about your panel.  However, technology has passed it up.  The concept is obsolete (and a bit dangerous) by modern standards.  The breakers aren't even very good.

You need an interlocked subpanel, where you switch the whole subpanel from utility to gen, and the branch circuit breakers live in that subpanel. Those will work all day with AFCI, GFCI and MWBC.

MWBC = Multi-Wire Branch Circuit, shared neutral. Requires common throw.
GFCI = Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor, looking for current differences between hot and neutral, which could shock people.
AFCI = Arc Fault Circuit Interruptor, looking for the "sound" of arcing, which starts fires.


Do exterior duplex electrical receptacles have to be on multiwire branch circuits?

A dual circuit (where you have one hot conductor on one outlet and another hot conductor on a second outlet and they share a neutral) may not be 'required' anywhere.  This kind of circuit is called a 'multi wire branch circuit', if you're having trouble finding the right verbage to find out it's required in your locality.

It probably should be a GFCI outlet at any rate.  It may or may not be code where you are, but it's just a good idea.


Will insulating pipes shorten the time it takes for hot water to reach the faucet?

Insulating water pipes reduces the speed that they lose their temperature with the ambient air. This can reduce the risk of the pipes freezing in an outdoor location. For the indoors, it keeps the pipes warmer for longer, which may help for frequent tasks that don't require hot water, like hand washing.

But once the pipes have cooled off it doesn't increase the speed that water takes to travel from the hot water heater to your fixtures. If you need to reduce that time, you may want to consider adding a hot water recirculating pump that ensures the water is always hot at your fixture.


Quick fix for a toilet that flushes water past the waste material?

Are you sure you understand how the toilet works?
Commercial toilets actually fire a jet of water down the drain to get syphon started while the bowl continues to fill from the water entering the top. I believe this is the design you are describing and it is supposed to do this.


Here's a picture of a pool pump that I've worked on:

See the gray valve right before the pump/basket on the left?  That's a three-way valve.  It can be turned a couple of different directions in order to adjust the flow of the water.  If you turn it one way, it will pull entirely from the drain, and if you turn it the other way, it will pull entirely from the skimmers.  In that picture, it's positioned halfway in between -- 50% drain, 50% skimmers.

If you want to pull from the drain only, you're going to have to move the three-way valve that's positioned in front of your pump.  If you have a spa, it will have two three-way valves.  You'll have to figure out how it works by messing with them.  If the pump starts making bad noises, it's either pulling in air or you've turned the valve in such a way that it blocks the pump's inlet, which is something that you don't want to do.  If it happens, turn the valve 90 degrees in either direction to open up the pipe going to the pump.


Trash can 'repositories' in Luxembourg/Central Europe

Via a Luxembourg regular visitor on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Luxembourg/comments/50cxwq/can_a_luxembourg_resident_answer_this/d73vb3y

  These receptacles are build right next to the entrance-way, need little space and as they are built into the ground you can easily hide the ugly trashbin with hedges and bushes around them.

This simply seems to be an aesthetic feature to make the bin less obvious. No purpose for automated pickup or weather or anything else.


Is laminate flooring easier to install if compared to other flooring materials?

It depends on the tools you're using/have, and your skill level with said tools.

I've installed both "click-lock" laminate, and nail down hardwood flooring. Both took about the same amount of time, and used fairly similar installation techniques.  The major difference, was that the hardwood "required" a compressor and flooring nailer/stapler.

Linoleum and other sheet products are fairly easy to install, and don't really require any special tools.

Carpet is also not that difficult, as long as you have the tools and knowledge required to stretch it.

Obviously complex room shapes complicate the installation of each product.


Creating my own coffered ceilings, whats the best material to use for the frame?

I would think MDF would hold up fine in a dry climate controlled space. The length of the pieces and method of attachment to the ceiling will affect long-term tendency to sag.

I would try to keep the frame lengths relatively short and employ a robust attachment method (nails into joists along with construction adhesive?)


How can I mount a speaker on the ceiling?

Shelf is dead easy. Your basic shelf with a lip on the front edge so the speaker does not slide off, as beautiful as you like or as ugly as you don't is really up to you. Perhaps some felt to protect the speaker.

4 threaded rods or chains, 8 hooks (if using chains) 16 nuts and 8 washers if using threaded rod. Best option with threaded rod is to place a board in the attic above the framing and run the rods through the ceiling and through it (now you'll tell me you don't have an attic...) but lag screws with a machine screw threaded part are available, and can be screwed into the framing and have a barrel nut added to join to threaded rod.

The angle is achieved by making the back chains or rods shorter than the front ones. If you are willing to screw into the speaker, put 3-4 hooks on it and hang it with chains directly. Hooks for chains should go into framing.


How can I vent my bathroom through a ground floor vertical-slider privacy window?

You can easily run an exhaust fan through a window opening. Look at all the window mounted air conditioners. Same concept without the cooling capability. The main constraints are cost and appearance. As you can imagine, the more handsome the installation, the more it will cost. You basically will want to use a small square duct fan, similar to a very small box fan or very large computer fan. You should consider at least a short duct so you can incorporate a backdraft damper to minimize infiltration when the fan is not in use. You may also want a louvered grille for appearance or privacy reasons. Depending on how this is accomplished, the exterior decorative bars may need to be reworked slightly.

It sounds like this window is in or above the shower itself. In such a case, all electrical work will need to be approved for wet locations (I believe if above 72" from floor, only damp location measures are required, but please verify this). The simplest installation would be to open the window, run the duct through the opening and close off the remaining opening with an insulated panel of some sort. The sliding panes will need to be fixed in place somehow for security. Fan wiring can be run in surface mounted EMT tubing.

A better solution is to remove the wood window, which is not the best material for wet locations. Install the fan/duct and some minimal infill framing in the rough opening. Any wood in contact with masonry should be pressure treated. Install a new PVC window in the new, smaller opening, with obscure glass. A cleaner look will be achieved if you can hide the fan wiring behind finished surfaces. Depending on existing conditions, this can be somewhat simple or quite expensive.

A glass brick solution is also possible. Depending on the size of your opening and the brick module size, it may be an excellent or poor solution. Ideally, you may need no infill panel at all, the duct may fit nicely in one corner. Or so much infill is needed that the glass brick solution is just too visually insubstantial to be worth doing at all.


You need a "Laundry Tub Strainer". They are available at any good plumbing shop (notice I did not say "Big Box Home Improvement store") or online at what I think is the largest online retailer on earth (starts with A, ends with N, Z in the middle).

This one fits a 2" hole, the upper flange diameter is 2 3/4":

Specs are here:
laundry tub strainer assembly


is this guy talking about the performance of green glue for soundproofing?

He's talking about "sound transmission class", often described as "STC". This is apparent from context, if you're familiar with sound reduction materials, but it's even made explicit earlier in the video. The host describes a variety of materials which are used to improve the sound blocking characteristics, and he uses the full name in those other sections.

That said, it would not be entirely accurate to say that the green glue caulking itself has an STC of 5. Nor is that what the host is really saying. The STC really applies to the entire barrier, after all the parts are assembled. So the caulk itself doesn't have a particular STC itself, but when used to join the two sheets of drywall, increases the STC of the assembled barrier by about 5 STC points, as compared to just doubling up the drywall.

See also a related measurement, "noise reduction coefficient". Useful references include:
http://www.acoustiguard.com/blog/414-stc-nrc-and-iic-what-s-the-difference.html
https://www.soundassured.com/blogs/blog/what-is-noise-reduction-coefficient-nrc
https://www.soundproofidea.com/difference-between-nrc-vs-stc.html


How do I make carbon dioxide for a mosquito trap?

Vinegar and baking soda will produce carbon dioxide very quickly; the reaction will be over in a matter of minutes. And dry ice requires special handling and going back and forth to the store many times to procure fresh ice.

A better way to continuously produce 1 to 3 humans' worth of carbon dioxide over a period of about 3 to 4 days is via (yeast) fermentation.

You will need a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. Drill a hole in the lid of the bucket and connect a length of hose long enough to reach from the bucket lid to an area adjacent to the zapper; most standard garden hoses are 5/8-inch in diameter; you will want the hole to be slightly smaller than the hose so that the hose fits snugly in the hole. Don't put the business end of hose too close to the zapper, because foam from the fermentation process might travel up and spill out of the hose (onto the zapper!). You will want to set the bucket on a piece of wood or insulation to prevent the ground from cooling it. It may be helpful to paint the outside of the bucket black to help it absorb heat from the sun.
You will need 750 grams (1.65 lbs) of sugar and a pack of active yeast. Mix the sugar with 1 gallon of hot tap water. When the water has cooled to around body temperature (feels neither warm nor cool on your forearm) add the yeast and close the lid.


A sloppy job, but you're overthinking it.
Having been cut, no current is flowing through the backstab, so no heating, no arcing, no problem other than if you handle the outlet while the circuit breaker is on and fail to respect the short stubby live wires poking out the back. Since it's generally inadvisable to play with receptacles out of their box with the circuit breaker on, not usually a problem.


Is 1/2" plywood standard and appropriate for a roof replacement?

I spent 4 years representing a roofing company in NC.  Occasionally I have seen 3/8" plywood on a roof.  It is certainly not preferred by professionals interested in quality.  Mixing thicknesses is not preferred either, but if you use the proper underlayments and decent shingles, particularly archatectural, you aren't likely to notice.  Half inch on a roof is usually OK and very common, at least around here.  Obviously 3/4" is better.  If you can afford to replace all the plywood, it certainly wouldn't be a bad thing.


Water dripping out of small pvc pipe in soffit of house

I'd suspect it's a secondary drain. It's possible that the main drain was simply overwhelmed, and the condensate level backed up to the point of the secondary drain.  If it was really humid, a large volume of water could have been removed from the air.  If the main drain is slow, it could have simply not been able to keep up.

Without inspecting the system, it's impossible to say for sure what's going on. If you can follow the pipe back to the air handler, you could confirm that it's the secondary drain. You may also be able to determine if the main line is clogged, and possibly fix it.

If you go poking around, you could post some photos here, and somebody might be able to offer more help.

From the looks of the pipe, it doesn't look like it would cause any water damage.  But I can't see if it's dripping on anything important.


Switching bulbs? PAR20 halogen to PAR20 LED, is this a problem?

Yes, you definitely should if you are able to line up an LED light and dimmer that play well together.  Incandescent is like neon: There is no earthly reason to invest in it for anything, unless you are doing something really specialty and cool.

As always, the big-box stores are an endless fount of bad advice.


Is it OK to run NM-B cable from outlet behind TV to surge protector?

Why you shouldn't use NM cable
NM-B cable (Romex®) is not designed to be used as a flexible cord, and must be properly secured and supported.  It's also not rated for use where it may be exposed to physical damage.
Flexible cords have thicker jackets, which are designed to hold up to a bit more abuse.  They also contain stranded wires, which hold up to movement much better than solid core wire.
If you were to use NM-B cable in this way, there's a few potential problems.
Abuse
The exposed bit of cable could be damaged, exposing the conductors. This could be a shock, and/or arc-fault hazard.
Movement
Repeated movement of the cable, could cause damage to the core of the wires. This damage could lead to increased resistance, which could be a fire hazard. Ultimately the movement could lead to the conductors breaking, which could pose an arc-fault hazard.

Alternative solutions
Instead you could go with a product like this Recessed Pro Power Kit w/Straight Blade Inlet.  The inlet at the bottom of the wall, gives you a place to connect a power cord.  The lower inlet is then connected to the upper outlet, using proper cable (e.g  nonmetallic sheathed cable NM-B).

This is a much better, safer, and cleaner installation.
You'll also find that surge suppressor receptacles are available, though may not offer the same level of protection as a standalone device.

Products shown are for demonstration purposes only, I do not recommend or endorse these specific product.


I've seen this style rod with pleated curtains. There are dozens of tall metal hooks that slip into pockets in the top of the curtain, then the hook sticks out of the curtain and goes through one of those holes.

There should be cords on one side or the other that will allow you to open and close the curtains, similar to the pull cords for the blinds.

Apparently, they make hooks for this type of curtain rod that have pins that can go through a "regular" curtain to adapt it to this type of rod. This happens to be the first thing I found in a search that looked correct, so there's no particular endorsement of the vendor or the product, but it's an idea of what you're looking for in a hook. This means that you can buy pretty much any curtain and use these hooks.

This appears to be the more "traditional" type hook that I was thinking of. You can use these if you find a curtain that is designed for these.

Sorry, I don't know the exact "name" for this kind of curtain.

Thanks to mattman944, I now know these are called "pinch pleat" curtains, and they hang on a "traverse rod". It's called a "traverse rod", I'd imagine, because when you pull the cord the curtains traverse across the rod. ;)


What type of fitting connection is this?

It appears to be a 1/2" threaded stop plug with an Allen wrench shaped hole in it . It also looks like the plumbing fitting itself may be 3/4" itself , with a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer in it.

The fitting, the way you hold it in the picture does give us a shot of the other side of it... Would need to see that too.


What is drawback of smaller diameter recessed lights?

There really isn't any downside that I'm aware of.

Bulbs are a concern, although that applies to any type of light: are they readily available? Can you get them from your local big box store, or do you have to resort to a speciality lighting store, though special order, or from some obscure site on the internet?

Regardless of light size, providing the appropriate number of lights, in the appropriate positions, and with the appropriate bulb beam angle (using flood vs spot) is important. I actually discussed that in depth on my answer here: Is there a good rule of thumb for how many lights you need in a room?


Retrofitting drip edges with a wooden spacer?

You definitely do not want water running down the fascia board. The drip edge is suppose to run the water away from the fascia - wind can kick some water back onto the fascia but most water should be diverted away with the drip edge.
If the drip edge is installed correctly (over edge by about 0.5", under felt on the eaves and over felt on the rakes), you could try to get a thin piece of material between the drip edge and fascia to provide the spacing needed (you want about a fingers width). If you do that, be careful that the material you use does not wick water up behind the fascia (so make sure that the spacer isn't too close to the bottom of the drip edge).


What are the specs for the Aprilaire 600 humidity sensor?

The idea that the sensor was based on capacitance is true, but the idea to "design a circuit modification" will not work, because the output of the sensor is digital.
The sensor is from Sensirion and is known as a SHT11:

The SHT1x digital humidity sensor ... As with every other Sensirion sensor type from the SHTxx humidity sensor family, they are fully calibrated and provide a digital output.
The SHT1x humidity sensor series (including SHT10, SHT11, and SHT15) is Sensirion’s family of surface-mountable relative humidity sensors. The humidity sensors integrate sensor elements plus signal processing on a tiny footprint and provide a fully calibrated digital output. A unique capacitive sensor element is used for measuring relative humidity, while temperature is measured by a band-gap sensor. Its CMOSens® technology guarantees excellent reliability and long-term stability. The humidity sensors are seamlessly coupled to a 14-bit-analog-to-digital converter and a serial interface circuit. This results in superior signal quality, a fast response time, and insensitivity to external disturbances (EMC).

It appears that although the chip is calibrated during manufacturing, there is no possibility of changing the sensor's calibration because it's done in one time programmable memory.

The calibration coefficients are programmed into an OTP memory on the chip. These coefficients are used to internally calibrate the signals from the sensors. The two-wire serial interface and internal voltage regulation allows for easy and fast system integration.

There are published projects that use sensors like this one, and it would probably be possible to connect an additional processor, such as an Arduino, then send a serial signal to the humidity controller that followed the protocol of the chip, but really was coming from a program which altered the digital message.  This seems like an awful lot of effort, though.
I suspect that the specs listed above are enough, I haven't covered the serial protocol, but generally, the specifications for the sensor is two wire digital serial communication.
Reference: Sensirion SHT1X Reference Page


Half my power out, but firing up an appliance turns it back on

Call the power company back. You lost a pole.

Here's how your house normally works.

Here's what happens when a hot wire breaks.

That's simple enough, right?  Half the 120V loads croak.  And all the 240V loads... right?  But wait.  What if  they are both on?  Say that water heater cycles on.

This.  This is why the electrician and the power company read near-120V on both legs, declared victory and went home.  At the time they checked it, the water heater or other 240V load happened to be cycled on.   What they neglected to check was the voltage across the 2 hot legs, which should have read 240V but would have read perhaps 7 volts.

I bet they actually read 122 and 115V, and told you the difference was normal.

Next time they come out, switch all 240V and MWBC breakers off to stop that goofy flow pattern you see in the third diagram. Then, they'll be able to see the problem.

But the dead loads aren't all on the same side of my panel!

Because you're presuming left and right are the two poles. That's only true on a Pushmatic panel.  Here's how most panels are actually laid out, and now see if that matches the location of your dead breakers.

This will fry your well pump!

If you look at the diagram carefully, you can see that the water heater is in series with the loads on the dead pole.  And, there's only 120V for both of them.  It all depends on how much load the water heater is drawing versus the other loads, but if the loading is modest, the voltage will be near 120V.  If you have 13A of 120V load, then it will be 60V to the water heater and 60V to the 120V loads.

The water heater is perfectly fine with that, because it's a simple resistive load that will work on any voltage below spec.  It is able to slowly re-heat the water in the tank even on 1/4 voltage (1/16 wattage), and eventually it shuts off.  That's how well-insulated water heaters are.

The well pump, on the other hand, will be one unhappy puppy.  Motors do not like this kind of massive undervoltage treatment, and it will burn out that motor PDQ.  Given where most people put their well motors (at the bottom of the well), you really don't want that.


How to run an extension cord through a tight space

There are many reasons to not use extension cord or plug strips for certain applications. But setting those aside and assuming you understand the ins and outs of proper extension cord applications....there is a sane way to deal with the situation of the "tight spot".

Assuming you purchase a reasonably decent extension cord such as:

Do not cut and try to splice back together the cord itself. Instead cut off the end of the cord right at the plug...

Now feed the cord through the "tight spot". Then provide a new end for the cable by attaching an appropriate replacement plug assembly.


How to fasten boards flush to the face of square posts

You have a few options available to you, based on the material which you find.

Provided that I understand how you want to assemble the structure you can do the following.

Shop done Cutouts - mortice and tenon type joints
Depending on the design of the structure, I would go with this route, Just get a wood shop to saw/router various cut-outs for you, then its just an assemble job. effectively these will just ensure that there is less play. - i would use glued joints with a screw or dowel for extra strength (screw is still my preference here)
Three anchor structures
If you are really worried about strength then just add a third support in the middle of the strucuture - you can mix it up by having a threaded bar in the middle with bolts on each side of the posts.
Base Plates - are so simple, but effective, they improve balance and the nice thing, there are no exposed screws (since its top and bottom) once again if you are worried you can do a central dowel or threaded bar.

(see pics below)


1902 house. Really cold winters. Insulation question

The only issue I can see is that the rock wool is not sturdy which wouldn't give you anything to anchor your new siding too without building some sort of frame to fasten your siding to.

Now, what we (my parents and I) did on a 1903 farmhouse in Saskatchewan was to use that "rigid insulation" and fastened it to the stucco (concrete if you will). We then covered it vinyl siding, but I don't see any issue with going with cedar siding. This has held up just fine for about 8 years now.


What is the fan current rating make sure it doesn't trip the main circuit, use neon tester to identify the switched live feed for the light. Disconnect the supply at the circuit breaker then use the switched life and the neutral to connect to the fan, earth the unit. May be worth having a run on timer on the fan so that steam is removed after the light has been turned off.


Do individual light fittings require a method of isolating them, other than at the distribution board [UK]

No precise regulation for a light switch

Except in the case of electric discharge lighting, there is no precise regulation that says you must place a switch, mechanical or otherwise, in or near a light, but in practice it would be unusual not to, and safer, more convenient, and more appropriate to the purpose of the device if you can operate a mechanical switch for that circuit or part thereof, rather than a circuit breaker.

Regulatory definitions and requirements

From BS7671:2008 incorporating Amendment No 1: 2011 (Requirements for Electrical Installations, IET Wiring Regulations, Seventeenth Edition)

  Isolation. A function intended to cut off for reasons of safety the supply from all, or a discrete section, of the installation by separating the installation or section from every source of electrical energy.

Reg. 530.3:

  Equipment shall be selected and installed to provide for the safety and proper functioning for the intended use of the installation. Equipment installed shall be appropriate to the external influences foreseen.

Reg. 537.5.2.3:

  Off-load isolators (disconnectors), fuses and links shall not be used for functional switching.

Table 53.4 - Guidance on the selection of protective, isolation and switching devices:

This table shows that a circuit-breaker or RCD may be used for both isolation and functional switching.

Reg. 537.5.1.1:

  A functional switching device hall be provided for each part of a circuit which may require to be controlled independently of other parts of the installation.

Reg. 537.5.1.3:

  In general, all current-using equipment requiring control shall be controlled by an appropriate functional switching device.

  A single functional switching device may control two or more items of equipment intended to operate simultaneously.

Reg. 537.5.2.2:

  Functional switching devices may control the current without necessarily opening the corresponding poles.

  NOTE 1: Semiconductor switching devices are examples of devices cable of interrupting the current in the circuit but not opening the corresponding poles.

Conclusion

Smart light bulbs, remotely controlled, are only switched after the fixed wiring and after a DC transformer. Therefore they fall outside the scope of functional switching within the meaning of the regulations.

In practice, what this means is that the light fitting would still be live when you remove a bulb, unless switched or isolated within the fixed wiring. Normally, this would be achieved by means of a light switch, but the regulations provide that a circuit breaker (not a fuse) can be used for this purpose.

Smart switches, inserted into the fixed wiring but electronically controlled, fall within the scope of the note to reg. 537.5.2.2 in that they do functionally switch the light fitting(s) such that in the off state, the lamp socket would not be live for the removal and replacement of a light bulb.

Smart bulb controllers that look like mechanical or electronic light switches but are not connected to the fixed wiring, are increasingly common, and aesthetically and functionally speaking it is not necessary to install a mechanical or even an electronic light switch beside such a controller. In the long-term however, should you wish to replace smart bulbs with non-smart bulbs, even on a temporary basis, it would be inconvenient at best to have to switch them off at the consumer unit.

My recommendation based on the above, where smart bulb controllers are installed, would be to install them over or beside a blanked switch box containing a link (with screw terminal blocks, for example) in which a switch could be installed. Alternatively, if non-routine switching within the room is desired, but accidental local switching-off is to be prevented, install the controller beside a secret key switch such as those in MK's Grid Plus range:


Using a second thermostat to balance temperatures thru fan-only control

In theory this should be easy -- have the second thermostat connect the R and G wires when it calls for cooling, and the fan will run.

Here's one reason it might NOT work, and it's subtle/non-intuitive so I thought it was worth mentioning:  Some thermostats short the Y (cooling) and G (fan) wires together whenever they're in cooling mode.  They do this so that they can use one relay to turn on both fan and A/C during a call for cooling.  (Relays are relatively expensive components.)  This shorting happens whenever the thermostat is in "cool" mode, whether it's actually calling for cooling or not.  (Although if you set such a thermostat's Fan switch to "ON" instead of "AUTO", the short is removed so as to run the fan only.)

Where there's only one thermostat in the system, this shorting behavior does no harm.  But if a second thermostat is added and it calls for "fan", the power will go through the short in the first thermostat and turn on the A/C as well.  I have this exact arrangement in the house I just bought, and I cannot run the fan independently from either thermostat -- it will always run the A/C as well.  If I unwire either thermostat (or set it to "heat" mode), I can then run the fan without the A/C.

So you might try shorting R (or Rc) and G with your existing setup to make sure that the A/C does not come on as well.

Source: personal observation confirmed by isolated testing on Robertshaw 9600 programmable thermostat


Yes, your black-black strategy in the old junction box sounds right to me.

However, I am concerned about grounds. You need to find out if this junction box is grounded.  As you have established, the left cable is only a switch loop, and therefore it must be totally separate from the other switches in that box.  The other switches must be supported by other cable(s), and maybe one of these has a ground wire back to the main panel.   It is also possible the junction box is independently grounded.   If not, then either

retrofit a ground back to some grounded point of at least the same conductor diameter as these (don't extend a ground from a 15A circuit to ground a 20A circuit).  Or
don't connect ground wires from the lamps inside the switch box. Insulate them (don't cut them off).  The problem is if a ground fault occurs up in a light, current will have nowhere to go on ground, so it will sit there energized at 120V.  We don't want to electrify the cover plate screws on the switch!

—

You  will never be able to bury the old junction box in drywall. You can finish the drywall up to the box and install a blank junction box cover plate, but that cover plate must forever be accessible without tools.

Also do not shorten the now-supply cable any more e.g. by snipping off old wire nuts instead of un-twisting.  You don't have any length to spare.


Seal a 1in drilled hole in concrete block

I'd use duct seal. I don't think mice like chewing it much, and at four feet up it's fairly safe anyway. Keep it in your pocket until you're ready to apply it.

You could also use pure silicone or urethane caulk if the masonry is dry. Both are solvent-based and should still work fine in the cold.


One hand in the sink and one hand on the stove, I feel a tingle. How dangerous and how to fix? (Not my home)

The house is not a potential death trap at every water fixture. The house is a potential death trap at the stove.

Improving the grounding of the pipes is worse than useless. The only thing to do to keep your friend alive is to immediately stop using the stove and unplug it until it can be made safe to use, or replaced altogether.

A qualified electrician or appliance repairman may be able to repair it or properly ground it, but the labor cost may exceed that of a new stove.


How do I replace a porch light that’s mounted to a surface-mounted junction box?

Provided there is only 1 cable in that box, I recommend replacing it with a pancake box like this...     https://www.homedepot.ca/product/iberville-ceiling-pan-1-2-in-deep-ko/1000106180
Once the new fixture is mounted and working,  apply caulking to make it weather resistant.


Very odd gas furnace installation in apartment... How do I change the filter?

Can't tell for sure, but it appears that the return air intake is on the "back" of the furnace.

You'll have to measure the opening, and then buy a return air grill that can accommodate a filter.

You may have to install a bit of ducting, or seal the grill to the furnace using some foil tape or mastic. You'll want the return air to all be pulled through the filter, so you want the grill sealed to the furnace cabinet.

Once it's installed, you'll just have to pop open the grill to replace the filter.


How to mount an odd mirror from Crate and Barrel

don't do any of the above.  make a French cleat rail and mount it that way.  if you don't know what that is, google.  if you don't have the capacity or know how to do it, just ask your local carpenter to do it.  its cheap, fast and super secure


The spindles provide virtually no side-to-side strength; they're all to carry vertical loads. So, improving their attachment won't help at all.

You have two choices:

Install a stronger rail that won't flex as much. This could be a thicker rail, or perhaps an additional strengthening piece added to the bottom.
As @bib suggested, support the rail in the center with a second newel post, well-anchored at the base.

Of course, it's been this way since it was built, and sounds like it's a safety hazard. Talk to the builder?


This doesn't look like foundation damage. This is a settling of the pathway around your house. Good news is that it doesn't look like serious problem, at least from what I can see from the picture. This issue should be fixed because it will only get worse, and then rain water will go under you foundation and that could be a problem. You should demolish pathway preferably all of it, if not than at least parts that have sunk. Then, pour some gravel and compact it. Over this layer you can pour concrete, of course use reinforcement meshes, so the new pathway wouldn't crack. Also, I like to divide these paths every 2-3 meters with a piece of wood or even better with Styrofoam which I take out after concrete has hardened. These way pathways can "breath”. I forgot to mention that it should be under slope so that water would go from the house.


What to do to prevent/get-rid of snakes?

The best advice I can give is to do some research on the type of snake it is.  Is it native? Is it venomous?  What does it eat?  Where does it like to live?  And then you get rid of the types of things it likes to live around.  Most snakes that live around people are harmless and pose no risk to health or property.  Usually they are doing quite a bit of good by eating garden pests like bugs and slugs.

That said, getting a cat is usually a good way to keep small animals away, unfortunately, they keep the native birds away too.


Ramset nails not flush with basement frame wall

If this is a base plate on the floor for a wall, you're fine as is and it pretty much happens to everyone. The nail is embedded in concrete, the floor keeps the base plate from moving lower, the nail's job is to keep it from moving side to side, and the wall you build on top of it is what will keep it from lifting up the small distance you see there. I wouldn't attempt to force it lower since you risk bending or breaking the nail, or fracturing the concrete that you have a solid bond to now.

As for why this happens, not all concrete is the same strength, especially if it's had a long time to fully cure. A charge that might work on one floor can easily come up short on another. I've also seen a firm grip on the tool and solid hand with the hammer (for the hammer style ramsets) can make a big difference.


Is it OK to attach only the junction box ground wire, or is it necessary to also attach ground wire from lamp fixture?

Is it necessary to attach both grounding wires, or is it OK to attach only the junction box grounding wire to the grounding screw?

All the grounds must be connected together somehow. You can use a pigtail if necessary.


Loose connections can produce heat and cause this problem. The fix is to disconnect and reconnect properly. Spring-loaded "stab connections" are particularly likely to suffer this problem; screw terminals (or shove-in terminals that are clamped by tightening a screw) are more reliable. If in doubt, outlets are cheap and you might want to simply replace this one.


Will condensation form and be an issue on an aluminium duct venting water heater exhaust?

Combustion of hydrocarbons always produces water vapor. Air provides O2 oxygen and other stuff which combines with the CH chains to make CO2, H2O, and whatever else. When the heater operates there will always be water vapor present in the exhaust duct; whether or not it condenses to liquid depends on many factors. A significant factor is the efficiency of the heater: the more efficient the heater is at putting combustion heat into the domestic water the less heat remains in the exhaust gas. Exhaust gas heat warms the walls of the exhaust duct. If there's enough heat in the exhaust to warm the duct above the dew point of the exhaust then there will be very little condensation in the duct. But if the duct is cold, and/or the heater has high efficiency, it can get a fair trickle of condensate.
Where condensation is a concern there are two approaches. One is to run the duct horizontally with slope toward the outdoors. Any condensate in the pipe runs to the outdoors and drips out the end. The other approach is to slope the duct toward the indoors and provide a condensate drain. This is the approach used when the duct goes vertical as yours does.
I don't read a word of Dutch but I looked through the installation manual anyway for the water heater you linked. This text and illustration from page 54 mention cleaning a siphon and a condensate trap. It looks to me as if this heater is designed to receive condensate drain-back, and therefore you should assemble the exhaust duct with the expectation that it'll need to carry condensate back to the heater.

The installation section on exhaust is number 4.8. It describes arrangements using room air or outdoor air for combustion, duct sizing according to length, and I saw something in there about condensate too.


Most problems I have found with outside lights like this are at the pole itself.
Where to look, where the wires come up or are spliced or the fixture itself.
In the case of trying to do a continuity test here don’t waste your time a tester or ohm meter is low voltage and will not find the fault in most cases.
Remove the lamp and if it has a motion sensor remove that. Turn the circuit on and see if it trips the breaker if not put a new fixture / motion sensor in, if it still trips I dig up the lamp pole, at the bottom or in the pole is the next most common place.
If the breaker is tripping with the pole disconnected the only other way is a tracer to find where the wire was cut or insulation damaged.
2800 sounds a bit high but trenching and going under sidewalks (finished basement?) all takes time to get a new feed to the pole so I would be checking that out trying to isolate the short before having it replaced because in my experience it is usually at the pole. Or damaged by digging but that can be repaired for a couple hundred bu a electrician or 50$ DIY if the cut is identified.


How can I remove dark stains from laminate flooring?

For anyone wondering, the vinyl floor was installed incorrectly and those stains are pieces of the old vinyl underneath saturated in the wrong kind of glue/epoxy . We got our floors replaced, and they look great. Thanks for all your help!


Lightbulbs burn out 3 seconds after turning on the light

One likely reason is that the light bulbs came from a defective batch. You could try moving a known working bulb from a different location to the suspicious location to verify.

Another reason is that there could be an over-voltage. If possible, use a volt meter to measure the voltage. The voltage should be somewhere between 105 and 125 V (in the united states). If it's out of this range, then there is an equipment fault somewhere. Some reasons would include bad wiring (open neutral) or faulty transformers. It's likely that an electrician would need to be hired (or perhaps power company involvement) to repair the electrical system in this case.


You have two issues.

The first is the dripping when the shower is off. Most likely your gaskets are worn and need to be replaced, though it could be another issue in the valves such as worn valve seats. These gaskets are rubber parts inside your hot and cold water valves (and possibly in your diverter valve) that prevent water flowing through. There are valve replacement kits available at hardware stores for many common brands. The process is a little different for different faucets though, so ideally you would identify the brand you've got and look for guidance on that specific brand.

Next the dripping when the shower is on. A few things this could be:

Dripping from where the shower head attaches to the shower arm. This is a sign of poor connection of the shower head, and can often be fixed by tightening. Only hand-tighten here because most shower heads are plastic and can break, and because you don't want to strip the threads on that shower arm. If that doesn't help, check that the shower head isn't already cracked, and check the gasket in the shower head that seals it to the arm.
Dripping from the face of the shower head when it's on. This is normal, as @isherwood commented. If it's severe then maybe some of the shower head's outlets have mineral blockages. Clean/soak with vinegar or CLR to unblock.
Dripping from the tub faucet after you've diverted water to the shower. Some dripping is probably normal depending on your shower fixture, most say a pencil-width stream is OK. If it's much more than that, or has gotten significantly worse over time, then the issue is likely worn gaskets in your diverter valve.

For more specific guidance, please identify your fixture brand and specific issue(s). Good luck!


In your shoes, I'd do this:

Trench out along the concrete strip to give yourself access to the soil under the raised portions of the strip. Make the trench 6-8" below the bottom of the concrete and wide enough to work in.
Determine whether there's remaining root under the concrete. If so, dig and chop it out completely.
Using a water hose, begin "drilling" under the high spots in the slab, allowing the water to wash soil out into the trench. Do this every foot or so. Rather than completely removing the soil in any large areas, remove it from several small areas. This will result in more predictable settling.
With a heavy object padded with towels or plywood, tamp the concrete down as you flush soil out from underneath.

Some notes:

Be sure to get the hose all the way to the far side of the concrete strip to accomplish a uniform descent and prevent tilting.

Stop when the slab is about 1/2" above the adjacent concrete. Chances are the slab will settle further as the soil fills the holes back in over time. Do occasional tamping over the next day or two and see where it stabilizes. Remove more soil if necessary, down to 1/8" or so above the adjacent slab.


Using a off-the-shelf pressure gauge to measure water pressure

The "Use No Oil" is a warning placed on the gauge that may have application in a pressurized gas setup. The most common example being on an oxygen / acetylene gas welding rig. Any of the fittings including the manifold, meters, pressure regulators and connection hoses in such application are always used with clean non-oiled threaded fittings. The reason is that high pressure compressed gas (oxygen) can explode in the presence of oil and any possible spark that may occur when assembling the components of the welding outfit onto the compressed gas bottles.


Looking to replace light switches - 2x blue, 2x black wires

Your current circuit is 240V split phase, which means both wires are hot and there is no neutral.  Therefore, to switch it on and off, both hot wires need to be disconnected together.  Your switch is only capable of switching one of them.

Simplified image of your current wiring, with colors re-marked for consistency:

I can think of two possible solutions:

Option 1: Separate Switch and Dimmer

Use another dimmer, in addition to your current switch.  Your switch is really two devices in one -- a switch to cut power to the lights, and a signaling device to tell the lights how much to dim.  However, there's no reason these two devices need to be combined.  You can keep using your current two-pole switch for the on/off function, and get a dimmer that only has the 0-10V dimming function (Example) -- it will only have the purple and grey wires. You don't need to put it next to the current switch, though you will probably want to for convenience's sake.

Option 2: Re-wire Circuit for 120V

Since your new lights use much less power than your old ones did, you don't need the extra power that a 240V circuit provides anymore.  One of the current hots can be replaced with a neutral wire, and then the combination switch/dimmer you bought will be compatible.  However, since NEC doesn't allow re-labeling wires at this size, you would need to pull out one of the current hot wires and replace it with white or grey wire.  At the breaker panel, the remaining hot will land on one side of the breaker (or replace it with a single-pole breaker), and the new wire will land on the neutral bus.  Then, at the switch location, simply wire-nut the neutral wires together.

Diagram of wiring re-configured for 120V:

Separately from all of this, you'll need to run dimming control wires to each fixture.  Check the labeling on the fixture to see whether you can run the wires in the same conduit as the power (Class 1 wiring) or if you need to use a separate wiring method (Class 2).


Can stainless steel or galvinized screws be used indoors on non-pressure treated wood?

Stainless steel is more brittle than the steel commonly used for screws. In some cases I have twisted off long ss screws. This may be a critical deficiency in some applications.

I use stainless steel exclusively for installing grab bars in showers. These are ss screws which come with the bars. In dry situations I use whatever I have except never drywall screws.

I once tried to use long ss screws to secure an owl box to the trunk of an oak tree and I twisted off the screws. I then used deck screws with no problem.

BoltDepot

  Stainless steel is an alloy of low carbon steel and chromium for
  enhanced corrosion characteristics. Stainless steel is highly
  corrosion resistant for the price. Because the anti-corrosive
  properties are inherent to the metal, it will not lose this resistance
  if scratched during installation or use.

  It is a common misconception that stainless steel is stronger than
  regular steel. In fact, due to their low carbon content, many
  stainless steel alloys cannot be hardened through heat treatment.
  Therefore, when compared to regular steel, the stainless alloys used
  in bolts are slightly stronger than an un-hardened (grade 2) steel but
  significantly weaker than hardened steel fasteners. Unless great care
  is taken, stainless fasteners are susceptible to seizing up during
  installation, a phenomenon known as galling.

  Most stainless steel fasteners are much less magnetic than regular
  steel fasteners though some grades will be slightly magnetic.


How do I buy raw filters that are the same kind as used in dryers?

My dryer its just a metal screen.  Wire mesh also would be a name to ask for.


Can I use latex exterior paint over oil based primer?

Primers (of either base) can be top coated with either latex or oil.  Double check your primer label.

What doesn't work is an oil based topcoat (brittle film) over a latex topcoat (softer, flexible film).

An oil based primer is a good undercoat for exterior (or baths), due to its greater degree of waterproofing.


How can I extend this waste drain for new bathroom sink?

Caveat: I see now that your steel hub is very small, which is probably why things are set up as they are. My solution may not work. You may need to open the wall and enlarge the hub or replace a section of pipe with PVC and a sanitary tee.

My guess is that you have a threaded pipe hub there, into which the plastic trap component has simply been inserted. If that's the case:

Clean up the threads and extend with a threaded pipe nipple of the appropriate size, using thread compound as a sealant

Add a female PVC adapter for 1-1/2" pipe

Install a pipe stub and a slip-joint adapter

Insert the outlet of your trap assembly into that fitting and snug up the compression nut


Direct vent boiler exhaust exiting close to brick chimney

Why not buy the correct amount and type of vent pipe and extend the discharge pipe out and to the right in front of the chimney and away from the sensor and the intake pipe. Check with the manufacturer to make sure that you do not exceed the maximum amount of pipe and fittings.


What is causing this air-conditioning unit to cool on cold days?

Nice chart.  This looks like abnormally frequent triggering of the defrost cycle.  Typically this will occur if the unit is severely low on charge or when the outdoor thermostatic expansion valve (TEV) has failed and is restricting flow of refrigerant through the outdoor coil so severely that the coil freezes in an abnormally short period of time, triggering frequent defrost cycles.  You would have a similar problem if your outdoor coil was exceptionally dirty, but I assume you would have noticed that.

To positively diagnose this, a technician would connect a manifold to the service ports when the unit is heating, and verify that the subcooling of the refrigerant returning from the interior coil is at least 8 C to confirm the unit is not too low on charge.  If the charge is adequate, then check the saturated suction temperature (SST) and also the superheat of the vapor in the suction line returning to the compressor.  If the SST is much less than 6 C below ambient and the superheat in the line is much more than 11 C, then the outdoor TEV has likely failed in a closed position or become plugged.  Depending on the unit this may be a fairly major repair.  In a 29+ year old system it may not be worth it versus replacing the unit.

EDIT:  Some defrost control boards have a manual setting that forces a defrost cycle at a programmed interval.  If you have one of these control boards, you should verify that it has not been set to force a defrost cycle every 30 minutes.  Also, someone should confirm that the "freeze-stat" that signals the defrost board when the outdoor coil needs defrosting has not become disconnected or damaged.  You can eliminate these by looking at the outdoor coil after the system has been heating for 15 minutes.  If it is covered with frost and really does need defrosting in that short a time, then this problem is not merely a control malfunction and is more likely a refrigerant charge / TEV problem.


How to repair/waterproof Arch Top Windows

That looks like it's the seal between the two panes of glass in a thermal pane window.  If that's the case, then the main concern would be getting moisture in between the panes that would cloud the glass.
There is no repair for a seal like that that I know of.  A glass shop may be able to make you a new thermal pane insert that fits into the frame.  Or try to contact the window manufacturer.
Note that my daughter has had windows like that in her house for almost 10 years now.  They have not clouded up and there is no evidence of moisture between the pans of glass.  And no indication of any other sort of leaks.


How do I design the circuit for baseboard heaters?

Sizing conductors and breakers
Almost all wire you can buy will be rated at 600 volts, so you won't have to worry about voltage when sizing wires.  What really matters is current.  Your wires will be sized to carry enough current for the load, and your breaker will be sized based on the wire used.
When installing electrical devices, it's always a good idea to check the manufacturers installation instructions (PDF).  In this case, it has this to say...

As the table shows, you can connect up to 24 amperes worth of heaters to a single circuit.  However, if you do this, you'll have to use 10 AWG conductors and a 30 amp breaker. If you only want to use 14 AWg, you can only put 12 amperes worth of heaters on a circuit.
Number of conductors
Since these are 240 volt heaters, you'll only need two conductors (plus a grounding conductor). If you're going to use nonmetallic sheathed cable (Type NM), you'll need AWG/2 with ground, not AWG/3 with ground cable.


How can I unscrew my outdoor hose that is fused to the spigot?

Connectors left in place for long periods can get fairly well glued together by corrosion or mineral deposits. A pipe wrench should do the job. FYI pipe wrenches have angled jaws, to loosen you want the jaw facing left when you use it, that way it wedges on rather than slipping off. If you want to avoid marring the fitting try a bit of rubber between the wrench and the fitting. Most folks have a rubber washing up glove that will work.


Electrical Outlet not working - Open Neutral

Your testing is indicating that somewhere in that circuit the neutral for the one receptacle not working has become disconnected at a junction which is not in either location or the receptacles in your bathroom come from two different circuits.

To find it, you are going to need another method of testing. I would suggest a voltmeter.

First test your receptacle not working to verify that you have 120V between the hot and the ground. Then turn off the circuit to the receptacle that is working. Test to see if both receptacles are reading "0" to the ground. This will verify the receptacles are on the same circuit.

Now you have to find where both of these neutrals are connected together and that is where you will find the problem. Since you have turned the circuit off, verify all of the devices and lights connected to that circuit. Begin by opening the devices and lights closest to the receptacle not working and work your way back to the panel.

The bad news is that the loose neutral may not be in one of these boxes. It may be in a junction box in either the attic or underfloor in a crawl space. The worst situation is that it may be in a junction box that was covered up and is now in a wall or ceiling and not exposed. This is why there is a code rule that all junction boxes must be exposed since they need to be accessible to perform maintenance on the conductor splices.

Let's just hope the electrician working on you dwelling was following the rules.

Good luck and stay safe. Remember you are testing areas where certain conductors are hot and make sure they are all deenergized before performing any repairs. If you have multiple circuits sharing boxes (e.g., receptacles wired through the same junction box as lights that are on a different circuit) then you may have live wires where you don't expect them. A non-contact tester can be useful as an extra safety measure.

P.S., since you are working on bathroom receptacles you might want to install GFCI protection on them before buttoning everything up. Unless they are already protected at an upstream receptacle or at the panel.


Can I clean a second story dryer vent that goes out the roof from the inside?

My experience using those brushes is that it's difficult to tell if you're pushing on a lint blockage, a turn in the pipe, or your knocking the cap off the end of the pipe. So if at all possible, you should have the end open and/or connected to a vacuum. You don't want this tool ramming into the motor in your dryer, nor do you want it knocking the damper off the outside of your house. In your case, that's going to require someone on the roof.

You can get close, keeping track of how many segments of the cleaning tool you used to get to the roof in a previous cleaning, and then stop a few feet early. But as Michael says, the cap itself should be cleaned since lots of lint will build up there.


Do I have to GFCI protect a range plug if it's within 6 feet of a sink?

No in any case.

Electric range circuits and receptacles do not require GFI protection, and if this is a regular receptacle for a gas range it is behind the range and not serving the counter, so again ,no GFI required.


Scraping paint globs off textured drywall

There are solvents that will remove dried latex paint. I don't like recommending them as they are smelly and volatile but I do not think anything else will work for you. If you try to scrape them off or spackle over them you will just make a bunch of extra work.

Use a light touch with a rag to smear and blend down the globs and be prepared to apply additional coat(s) in those areas.


Do you really need a pipe out for potential harmful gas for pump?

Not in an otherwise properly plumbed system, but you should consider adding a stand pipe to help protect yourself from an overflow during a system failure.

As long as there's a check valve on the discharge pipe that would mean there's no chance for sewer gas, just moldy bucket smell after a while, possibly. With a sink also tapped into it you might want to pipe it to your stack, but with just a washing machine and all the soap going through it, it should be fine.

They're talking about an air admittance valve, which you don't need necessarily but you could add one if the bucket starts to smell. Here's a picture showing a piece of pipe open to the air, doing absolutely nothing as far as odor mitigation, which is fine because the system has a check valve and probably doesn't see much kitchen waste or the like.

That additional length of vent pipe would however allow you to fill the sink without flooding the floor in the event of a pump failure, before you realized it had. It also additionally increases the holding capacity of the pump to the size of the sink. So if you have a similar setup and you do install an AAV, you might as well put a length of pipe on it too. Also, should the check valve ever fail, having it elbowed into the sink would help prevent more catastrophes, and unless it at least has a stand pipe you won't get that extra holding capacity.

(source)


Sounds like you tore off some of the paper on the face of the drywall. This is cosmetic damage and if it wasn't over a seam it doesn't need tape. Scrape the glue (go ahead and damage the wall a little), apply spackle, sand it, (repeat?), paint.

Anywhere with crumpled up paper sticking-out (will not sand flat) needs to be bashed in (using the corner on the butt of a small trowel) and filled; circles with a wet sponge never worked for me. Which is the trick for dealing with the fuzzies where the paper has delaminated and you're looking at a brown spot. Attempt to sponge these types of areas and then apply a skim coat of plaster or it will show in the finish paint. Use a damp sponge, DO NOT saturate the wall, or the entire section may bubble.

An 8-12" trowel makes doing large patches much easier, try not to leave too much at the edges where it meets the old work (this is the most important area to bevel sand). While sanding it, you should begin to feel a nice feather once the old paint starts showing through in spots.

This is kind you want, not a flat trowel with an in-line handle. Those require a bit more experience to use and you still need one of these. If you do buy both, a good tip is to bend the flat trowel a tiny bit, making it ever so slightly concave. This facilitates a nice build-up along the center and gives you an already good taper at the edges.


How do you descale a dishwasher heating element?

Might want to check out this thread.  Seems like they have a few different ideas:

CLR (which you already tried)
Run vinegar through the dishwasher.
Use a different detergent (can vouch for cascade complete here - it's awesome)
Use a special filter/water softener.


ive been told i have low results of asbestos in my ceiling

Some ceiling tiles contain asbestos; some don't.  If you want to be sure then you can have it tested.  If the tests come back negative, then you can stop worrying!  If you don't want to do a test, then I would do something about it right away, just in case.

Asbestos can cause problems when inhaled, but not when touched.  If you've had pieces falling off of the ceiling, you may have fibers floating in the air.

The particles are small and light enough that they never really settle as dust.  HEPA-rated filters will remove asbestos from the air, but only if they are attached to a matching HEPA vacuum.  If you put an after-market HEPA filter on your shop vac there are any number of ways for the asbestos to get around the filter.

Keep in mind that asbestos is a politically hot topic.  Some people believe that a single fiber will lead to inevitable cancer. Others believe that you have to breath fibers for years and then maybe something bad will happen later in life. The truth must be somewhere in between: Asbestos is a naturally occuring mineral, and is always present (in low levels) in the environment.

Either way, asbestos is a controlled "hazardous substance".  If you get a positive result on an asbestos test then what I'm about to suggest may not be allowed (especially step 3). You can Google "asbestos remediation" for a lot of information.

I assume you don't want to buy a new vac.  Then there are three things that I'd do:

Stop adding possible asbestos to the air. You need to repair (or stabilize) the damage in the ceiling. This can be difficult to do without releasing more asbestos :)  One common way is to cover the asbestos-containing material with sprayed-on paint.  But this isn't appropriate if there is already damage.
Be wary while cleaning up the fallen material. You can mix a small amount of dish soap into water and spray it onto the material. This traps the fibers so they don't get released while you scoop up the material. Keep it wet when cleaning it up and then tie the garbage bag closed.  If the material is known to contain asbestos then it is generally illegal to throw it into your residential garbage container.
Ventilate the room. Get a lot of air flowing through the room through an outside window.  Don't blow the air into the rest of your house. Any fibers will quickly disperse in the atmosphere.  Again, this isn't generally allowed if the tests have come back positive.


How can I frame this area of my basement wall around my water main?

If you header is a 2x4, just run it in the joist bay for that wall.


Yes, this is fine. However, you still want to mount the fan as high as possible to maximize the effectiveness of extracting the warm, moist air. To make installation easier, get a unit rated for wall installation and run the vent straight down to the basement. Also, minimize the number of bends/elbows; ideally only one will be needed.


Your kitchen has a three-phase supply.
Your hob can run on a single-phase to neutral (1N AC 32 A) or on two phases of a three-phase supply (2N AC 16 A).

Note that the current is split into two 16 A circuits for the three-phase supply. This is the one you want.

Figure 1. Probable internal wiring. R1 and R2 each represent one or more hobs.


So the solution that worked for us is this: We superglued a coat hook to the drain stopper, let it cure for a good 24 hour, and then pulled. I guess something got stuck and was keeping it down because it seems to work just fine now.


Electrical for built-ins and fireplace insert

1) you could use wiremold. They make 90º inside corners. I don't like it but if you have use it then it works. Better off to chop a new box in the wall exactly where you want it.

2) There are several ways to put power wiring behind the planks. EMT, ENT, wiremold...there are others less often used. You will need an extension box on the left power box to run out of.

3) The bricks around should just be a facade but why make it hard on yourself? Just bring the TV mount area out far enough to have the media box behind it.

4) Putting power in the back of the firebox will probably be a major pain. I believe that is firebrick surrounded by other brick. You may need to get a bricklayer in on this. Or at least you should study the construction of fireplaces.

I see other problems here, though. The National Electrical Code requires that no point along the floor line be more than 6' from a receptacle. If you cover the receptacles on left and right will there be other receptacles on the wall line close enough to satisfy that requirement? If not you will have to add them. Also, you can't cover junction boxes they have to be accessible inside the cabinets.


I think your reasoning is good - it's pretty easy to pick out a the sound of a fan hitting against something. I recommend RepairClinic.com. They have a great site for appliance parts, and lots of info and schematics for what parts are available and how to replace them. You already have the manufacturer and model number, so you are ready to go.
Hope this helps.


Reverse the order of operations - drill the counterbore (it's not a countersink, as described) first, then drill the through hole starting from the point of the Forstner in the center of the counterbore. If you don't have a piloted counterbore (ie, a 20mm bit with a 10mm guide pin) this order of operations will make a much better counterbore than small hole first.

Have scrap wood under the step when drilling, so you drill through into the wood, not into air. You might even want to clamp the step and the scrap wood together.


Stuck plastic tile to basement concrete floor

I had the same situation in my basement. I tried a scraper blade attachment with a reciprocating saw with poor results, it was hard to control and get under the tiles.

The only thing that worked for us was a floor scraper that had a long handle. It makes it easier than being on your knees with a hand scraper. Like this one 7" Floor Scraper


The plumber installed the heater with the inlet and outlet pipes switched. Swapping the inlet and outlet fixed the problem.


When I've done this in the past, I've put in fiberglass between the floor joists, and then covered it with sheets of extruded polystyrene insulation board (XPS) to add a bit more R value and keep it in place.  If you're worried about critters chewing around, you can do the same thing with thin plywood or fiberglass reinforced plastic panels.


Which cement or mortar will give best result when creating low water diversion barriers?

Hydraulic cement sticks to wet fine, but you may need to abrade the surface to get to clean concrete, as it won't like a greasy, dirty or otherwise befouled surface.

However, what I would actually do (and have actually done) to direct water on a concrete floor is to use a diamond saw to cut a small channel into the surface - much neater and tidier - also easier to walk or roll over. And much less wet area.


LED Light in Ceiling Fan only works with a non-LED next to it

LED bulbs work by using a power supply board (called a "driver) that converts your AC line to low voltage DC. The driver board takes very little power at first, then it excites the LED to make it glow and pulls a little more current. If your fixture uses solid state relays (SSRs) as the dimmer inside, those often require a minimum amount of current flow in order to function. If the LED driver current consumption is at or below that threshold, the SSR dimmer in the fixture fires, but will not stay on because there is not enough current flowing so it turns off again. When you add an incandescent bulb, you add enough current so that the SSR functions. This is what JPhi1618 meant when saying that the dimmer in the fan may not be compatible.


Why don't downstream outlets work after replacing a GFCI outlet?

First, identify LINE and LOAD on the device

It sounds like you got nailed by the positioning issue. There is no central authority who makes terminal positions exactly the same on every device.  If you want an eye-opener on that, just try a 3-way switch, which are different even within the same brand/model!   So position cannot be relied on; you must examine labeling and screw colors.

On a receptacle screw colors will designate hot vs neutral.  (Silver=neutral=white).   Labeling and the warning sticker will designate LINE vs LOAD.

You are also trying to throw all the wires on at once and go Voilà.  Even I don't do that.  Here's what I do.

Also, no "back stab" connections.  This is where you jab a wire in a hole and the hole grabs it and holds it.   There's a different type called a "screw-to-clamp" where the hole is directly behind the screw and you must tighten the screw to clamp it; those are fine but tighten very firmly, preferably use the mandatory torque screwdriver to spec.

If you are in the habit of cutting wire ends off, stop - length is too precious and we will be setting wires several times potentially.

This will require a fair bit of capping off wires and testing, and many trips back and forth to the breaker to shut the circuit off while changing wires.  We certainly don't work "live".

Hook up LINE, part 1

First, you identify the supply cable (hot and neutral) and hook that up to LINE.  Test that by hooking it to LINE and capping off everything else, then temporarily mounting it so you can push TEST and RESET without getting nailed by current.   Plug a load into the socket, a lamp will do.

Power up the breaker.  Then confirm that the lamp lights, and the TEST and RESET buttons work appropriately.    If not, that cable was not supply, try another.

LINE, part 2

Now, look for any other cables you want on LINE (that is, that you don't want to provide GFCI protection to).  Go ahead and hook those to LINE also.  If your GFCI only has 2 screws and any number of backstabs, then use pigtails.

It goes without saying that you are attaching white to silver screws, and black to brass screws.  Also, the LOAD terminals are unused at this point.

Now, power up the circuit and conform that the lamp, TEST and RESET still work, and that you're powering up the right (to be unprotected) outlets.

Feel free to put a GFCI tester in them; they shouldn't trip.  (If they trip a GFCI somewhere else, then this entire part of the circuit is already on that GFCI, and this GFCI here is totally redundant.  Get rid of it.)

LOAD

What remains is branch(es) you want GFCI protected. Hook up one cable to the LOAD terminals. (If you have multiple cables to protect, wait. Just one for now.)

Do the testing dance again.  And also, go to the to-be-protected outlets and try a GFCI tester there.

If the outlet is grounded, the GFCI tester should trip.
If the outlet is not grounded, the GFCI tester should not trip.

If the test fails, you have a ground fault in the downline of the cable you just added.  It might be a plugged in appliance, or it might be in the wiring itself, such as a neutral screw grounding out, or a crossed neutral or hot with another circuit. It is unlikely to be the wire itself.  Work that problem until it is solved and the GFCI tests clean.

Then if you have any other cables to add to LOAD, unhook the LOAD cable now attached and add the next, and test it standalone.   Once they all test out, you can either attach 2 via Screw-to-clamp (if equipped) or pigtail.


How does cold water pressure get used by a hot water heater to produce hot water pressure?

The "overflow pipe" in the diagram is not an overflow pipe.

The water heater is fitted with a relief valve which remains closed against the usual water pressure in your plumbing, but which will pop open if either the pressure or the temperature in the heater tank gets dangerously high. Overpressure will occur if the cold water inlet is somehow blocked, all faucets are closed, and the tank heats up. Overtemperature will occur if the thermostat fails and the heater (element or flame) remains constantly on.

The opening of this safety valve is such a rare event that ordinances and good practice don't even require that it be connected to a drain.

The "overflow pipe" in the diagram is merely a guide to prevent hot water from spraying everywhere if the safety valve ever does open.


That blog certainly should have taken down; terrible, dangerous work. First, obviously, providing grounded NEMA 5-15 receptacles when the plug is 1-15. (a water-protected GFCI would eliminate the electrocution hazard at least.)  Also the cord is too light, and there's not proper strain relief.

How circuit protection works

Imagine you plug two 1500W (12.5 amp) heaters into a 20A circuit.  That's 25A and the wires will slowly overheat.  The circuit breaker, internally, will also slowly overheat.  After 5-15 minutes, the breaker will trip.  This will happen before the wires get dangerously hot -- assuming they are the correct 12 AWG wires!

Trick is, there's an idiom within the Electrical Code that a 15 amp receptacle can be on either a 15A or 20A circuit breaker.  You aim to put a NEMA 5-15 plug on the furniture.  That means it could be plugged into a 20A circuit.  You aim to provide multiple NEMA 5-15 receptacles.  So the user (you can't count on this being you) - could plug two 1500W heaters, as above.   Or he could plug in two 1200W (10A) loads and the breaker would not trip -- and your cordage needs to handle that!

That means your cordage will need to be 12 AWG, as well as any internal wiring within the furniture.  You can use stapled Romex, or THHN running within plastic or metal conduit.  The conduit would be more professional IMO.

Correct cordage

The blog example doesn't have a cordage problem, but just for reference, here's what you can't do: use Romex or loose wires.  You need special multi-conductor cable called cordage which is sold at electrical supply houses, with or without a NEMA 5-15 connector cast into the end.  As he did, you can lop an extension cord (presuming it is listed to be cordage; one would expect!)

Cordage doesn't seem special when half your appliances have cords.  But it really is special.

Strain relief

Strain relief is another thing you take for granted because every appliance has it.  But it's very important to prevent chafing or cutting damage from the cord being pulled on.

You can see where the blogger is using a cheapie plastic residential junction box.  Those boxes aren't strong enough to provide proper strain relief, and are not designed for it. (when I say "cheapie" I mean in construction, not in cost.)  A much better choice -- at least, for the first box where the cordage goes in -- is an all-steel stamped box.  It has proper knockouts which can accept quality strain reliefs.

GFCI doesn't hurt

I also agree with Ecnerwal's comment that because of the flat horizontal receptacles, the furniture itself should incorporate GFCI protection.  It's likely to be plugged into a living room which will have, at most, AFCI protection.  AFCI protects against arcs, not electrocutions.

If you have face-up outlets, they should be fed off the LOAD side of a GFCI which is not itself a face-up outlet.  A tripped GFCI still has hot parts inside it, and if the GFCI outlet itself gets soaked wet, its protection is not sufficient.


Building Patio - Pavers against siding solution?

I ended up digging out the stones for about a foot away from siding.

I poured a concrete "curb", making the curb form out of 1x6x8's in front of the siding about 8 inches above the ground and extending 18 inches into the ground.

Then I laid the pavers on top of the crush and run base, with sand on top to make everything level. Looks great. Laying your pavers up against the siding looks bad. Worked great.

Also in the picture above you can't see the new sideing. I just left the old siding on. After I poured the curb and laid the pavers I put some new siding on (right over top of the old) the siding goes right down to an inch above the curb. Perfect.


I've ended up using the flange to hang the pipe, but the correct way as stated in the comments should be to hang it or toe it up. Given the previous plumber didn't prime the pipe before gluing, I trust this will hold way stronger.


How can I stop my Geberit flushing system from hissing?

The flapper might move a little to the side when flushing, so you fix it it manually. Have the same thing with my TOTO 1.4 gpf. Changed the flapper several months ago, the hissing stopped for a while, now started again. I washed the flapper with lemon juice and soap to remove any calcium carbonate that might accumulate - it reduced the frequency of the hissing but didn't solve it completely. I guess it is the flapper/flush opening contact that got lousy. Maybe a thin gasket would do the trick. Tell you when I check.

Good luck!


Can I have a NEMA 14-30 outlet on a 50 amp breaker?

No.  Fit a 30A breaker for a 30A socket.
The 20A/15A exception is an exception based on UL requirements for 15A sockets, and it does not apply to anything else.


Ductile Iron dose rust but at a much slower rate than Cast Iron I only use it when the owner wants the old style piping (Okam and lead) for the seal. I believe it will out last you and any kids if it has a protective coating it will last over 75 years if memory serves but I haven't installed any in years I usually change to ABS and a no hub (also called a fernco coupling). I think the No hub and abs is much easier to install. so those art the 2 methods I use.


Why is there a wave spring washer and a plain washer between these two sealed bearings?

Ball bearings typically have some axial play or backlash

Take a look at the cross section for a ball bearing.

The inner and outer race are rarely manufactured to fully constrain the ball. If you take a bearing and hold the inner race, you'll notice you can move the outer race back and forth slightly. This motion would typically cause extra wear, friction, and vibration.

"Preloading" resolves these issues.

In the image above, the outer race would be pushed to the left while the inner race would be pushed to the right. This causes the ball to only contact each race at one point on the ball's surface. Connecting these two points creates an imaginary line, which is shown at some angle, known as the contact angle, relative to a radial line.

Both of the inner and outer races move together to reduce wear

Typically, you don't want slip between the bearing ID or OD and the mating surface, so the inner races of both bearings move together and the outer races of both bearings move together.

Two bearings help improve shaft alignment

A single bearing, because of the play mentioned earlier, can allow the shaft angle to vary. This is called shaft misalignment. Typically, bearings are spaced further apart, but using two bearings helps constrain the shaft misalignment greatly because the angular tolerance between two subsequent bearings is lower than that of a single bearing.

Putting this all together

The inner washer is used to space the bearing races apart so they don't rub (and wear the seals) while also coupling the motion of the inner races. This appears to be clamped rigidly with an acorn nut above the blades. This, however, doesn't constrain the outer races, which is why a wavy washer is used. Clamping the inner races together compresses the wavy washer, which forces the outer races apart, fully constraining the balls with opposing contact angles.


You're limited by the size of the materials you're using.

2012 International Residential Code (IRC)
SECTION P3105 FIXTURE VENTS
P3105.1 Distance of trap from vent. Each fixture trap shall have a protecting vent located so that the slope and the developed length in the fixture drain from the trap weir to the vent fitting are within the requirements set forth in Table P3105.1.
Exception: The developed length of the fixture drain from the trap weir to the vent fitting for self-siphoning fixtures, such as water closets, shall not be limited.

If you're using a 1 1/2" trap, there must be a vent within 6' of the trap weir.  The overall length of the drain is also limited based on the pipe size (P3105.2).

P3105.2 Fixture drains. The total fall in a fixture drain resulting from pipe slope shall not exceed one pipe diameter, nor shall the vent pipe connection to a fixture drain, except for water closets, be below the weir of the trap.

So if you're using 2" PVC, the drain must be less than 8' long horizontally.
1/4" * 8' = 2"


Water leaking around window when it is NOT raining!

I think you could be having a plumbing issue or leakage around the tub.   Even if you had really poor grouting and things like that I doubt you would be getting enough water to make icicles.  Mold maybe not icicles.   You may have a leaky pipe - that is still in the picture for issues.

My suggestion though is to take that shower window out of the equation of possible issues.   There are two way to do this.

Clean up window below, try to make sure things are as dry as possible.  Then dump water on the window and back edge of tub, see if you notice water coming in.
Get an extra shower curtain.   Wrap the back of your shower with it - I know it is a pain.   But after cleaning window off below and seeing it dry for a week it is pretty apparent that the window above it taking in water (and possibly some of the tile).

My guess would be it is the window.   This is a PITA because it is impossible to seal a window like this forever - it is just poor design.   Having a window in a shower is one thing, this low... begging for issues.

Report back after doing one of the things above and we can troubleshoot further.  Just FYI a leaking window or tile is way easier to deal with than a leaky pipe.   So it isn't as bad as it could be.


How do I avoid squeaking with a hardwood floor?

The underlayment being nailed down was the first mistake.  Nails pull, wood slides against the metal, and it squeaks.  Subflooring (all of it) should be screwed down (and glued, preferably).

The bounce is probably a problem with the span of your floor compared to the thickness of your joists.  Was the floor bouncy before the hardwood install?


What's the 1 inch square knob sticking out of the wall?

It looks like a sewer cleanout plug:

Scrape off the paint around the circle and you should be able to turn it with a wrench. Though sometimes it can be a bit hard to turn, particularly if it has been painted over and untouched for many years...

However, you might never need to remove it. You only need it if it provides a good location for cleaning a blockage in the pipes. But you definitely want to know where it is for when you really need it.


Why does my one-way switch have 4 wires?

What you have there is a single pole switch that has been tapped to continue the permanent hot to another source. Using the screw terminal and the backstab connector avoids the use of a separate pigtail to join the two wires together


Was my exterior door installed backwards

This looks like a pre-hung exterior door assembly from a "big-box", designed to swing inwards as per normal, but installed backwards.

A good carpenter would have assembled jamb, threshold, and weatherstrip properly for the outswing scenario; it would not have come pre-assembled.

BTW, they make screen door sets for outswing doors (they swing inward by necessity) but they can't be found at the "big-box". And if you have room for a screen door to swing inwards you should just install a regular inward swinging door rather than the configuration that you have.


GE Spacemaker XL1400 Microwave - Very loud pop

Electric Arcing inside the microwave where its power is converted to a very high voltage is the most likely culprit. Based on its age, I would recommend replacing it. Microwaves are dirt cheap these days.


Pressure-wash away the moss.
Assess the integrity of the concrete. If it's sound, carry on. If not, abandon the project as there's no "cheapest" way of restoring it.
Acid etch the concrete to make it completely clean for recoating.
Skim any divots with vinyl repair compound to make them flat.
Commission a court finisher to apply the appropriate court coating and paint the lines. Alternatively, roll or spray a suitable court paint yourself.

Disclaimer: I've never restored a tennis court, nor have I perfected the overhand serve. Or even tried. Either thing.


The use of these devices is limited to specific situations, which are described in 334.40(B) of the National Electrical Code.  The 2011 version of the code had this to say.

National Electrical Code 2011
334.40(B) Devices of Insulating Materials. Switch, outlet, and tap devices of insulating material shall be permitted to be used without boxes in exposed cable wiring and for rewiring in existing buildings where the cable is concealed and fished...

Which means the devices could be used in exposed locations, and concealed in existing buildings, but only when fished.  Adding the "fished" requirement, meant that the device would not be fastened in place. This would allow for the extraction of the device, for inspection, maintenance, and repair.
In the 2014 version of the code, things changed a bit.

National Electrical Code 2014
334.40(B) Devices of Insulating Materials. Self-contained switches, self-contained receptacles and nonmetallic-sheathed cable interconnector devices of insulating material that are listed shall be permitted to be used without boxes in exposed cable wiring and for repair wiring in existing buildings where the cable is concealed....

Now the devices can still be used where exposed, but the concealed use has changed.  The device can be concealed, but only when used in existing buildings for "repair wiring". Which means that they should only be used where a cable was damaged, and replacing the cable is not practicable.
This quote from the IAEI Magazine article Enter the Nonmetallic-sheathed Cable Interconnector, sums it up quite well.

One of the major things to remember about this product is that the device is for “repair” purposes only. If an electrician has the accessibility and availability to replace existing wiring with new wiring, there would be no need for a device such as a nonmetallic-sheathed cable interconnector.

These devices are listed in the UL White book as Nonmetallic-Sheathed Cable Interconnectors (QAAV).


You could use a product like this drain line adapter, instead of the saddle. That would allow you to connect both the RO, and dishwasher drain into the disposal.