In general, circuit breakers provide protection from overloads and short circuits.  Their primary purpose is to protect the wiring - overloaded wiring will overheat, break down insulation, and eventually start a fire.

They are designed to trip immediately on short circuit, when you have line to line or line to neutral contact.  With a short circuit, you have extremely high current.

They are not designed to trip immediately on overload at their nominal protection rating;  in other words, your 60 amp breaker won't trip immediately under a 61 amp load.  There is a "trip curve" for the breaker, which describes how long it takes to trip on overload - longer / slower for a slight overload, shorter / faster for a more dramatic overload.

When accidental contact causes current to flow through your body, your body's resistance is high enough that the current is usually quite small;  it only takes tiny currents to cause injury or death.  This won't trip a regular breaker - it isn't a short circuit or an overload.  Regular circuit breakers are not designed to trip for safety.

Note that faults that travel through ground are also usually through high enough ground resistance that small currents flow, not enough to trip a breaker.  When an equipment grounding system is in place, it will provide a low resistance path for many faults, allowing enough current to flow to quickly trip the breaker and "clear the fault."

GFCI / GFI / RCD circuit breakers have another means of tripping.  A GFCI device monitors for the current on each of the two or three wires to see if there's any current going out on one wire that isn't returning on the others, which means there must be current flowing through ground, which could be a person receiving a shock.  There are different types of GFCI, but common US class A GFCI trips at only 4-6 milliamps of current, low enough to prevent injury.  Other types have higher trip levels.

Note that a GFCI only protects against accidental contact that causes a ground fault;  under some circumstances you can still receive a shock from a GFCI.  For example, if you are wearing rubber soled shoes on a dry wooden floor and are making no ground contact, and you grabbed a bare neutral with one hand then a bare line conductor with the other, there would likely be no current flowing through the ground, and the GFCI would not trip.


You're in the clear, as described

For 310.15(B)(3)(a), this boils down to a very simple rule for circuits 15-30 amps:  No more than four.*   So you're G2G for any of your plans.   You could even run all 4 of these in conduit (as individual wires please...**)

Also look to see if the instructions allow 2 cooktops on a 30A circuit.

However... plan for the future

You have the walls open and easy access.  Now is the time for provision for the future.  And this is expensive, high-end stuff, so I don't want to hear about chintzing out :)  Do it right, now.

Between ranges and ovens, ONE of your cables needs to be ready for 50A w/ neutral -- so a 6/3 cable.  And another of your cables needs be 30A-ready -- so a 10/3 or 10/2 cable; I recommend 10/3 because it makes you more stupid-proof.

Why? Because that makes you ready for a future installation of more pedestrian fare: either a 50A range+oven, or separate range and oven of 30A each.

You really don't want to be 10 years down the road, modernizing to a different setup, and discover the only thing in the walls is a bunch of #14.

Different deal in conduit.  With conduit it is very easy to change wires, so just go ahead and pull #14.  You can easily swap it out for different wires later. 1/2" conduit should suffice. (since you can use #8 for 50A).

* Why?  First, in split-phase (not 3-phase), all circuits have exactly 2 conductors that matter to the 310.15(B)(3)(a). Four circuits means 8 conductors means a 30% derate.  This derate is off the 90C column for NM-B and UF-B and most other wires.  Separate to that, NEC 240.4(B) already has statutory limits on #14-#10 wires, and those limits amount to 30%-ish derate. off the 90C numbers.

** And the way you color-code four 240V circuit in conduit is circuit 1: Black x2.... circuit 2: brown x2...  Circuit 3: red x2... Circuit 4: blue x2.  Or whatever. It's perfectly fine for both hots to be the same color.


How can I hold a nut underneath a deck with no clearance while screwing a bolt into it?

Remove a board or two or use screws or lags.


How to drill and remove inside from precious stone through small hole?

Define "tiny".

Normally a grinder is used to hollow out a hard rock. Knowing what kind of rock it is may be relevant. For example, if it is subject to fracturing, you definitely want to use a grinder and take special measures.

To hollow out a sphere manually the typical equipment would be a flexible shaft grinder with a right angle attachment. It will be a long process. Professionals can use specialized milling machines to do something like this, but such equipment costs a lot (like $100,000 or more).

You might be able to hire a machinist to do the work. Where I live they would charge maybe $300-$500 to do something like this.

Update based on OP comment: if the hole is 5mm they are almost certainly using a CNC mill to do it with a straight shank hemispheric diamond burr. Programming the mill to do an inverse spherical turn like this requires expertise. If the outside of the sphere is irregular you will need a 6-axis mill, very expensive.

The drawing below shows the basic strategy using a straight shank with a burr. Obviously a complex setup or CNC is required to control the cutter to make a perfectly spherical interior cavity.


How to find the right thermostat for my gas fireplace?

The information you supplied in your question seems contradictory. A millivolt thermostat is specifically different then a 24vt thermostat.

I would suggest you look for and confirm the existence of the referenced "low voltage transformer" and confirm whether or not it is part of the thermostat circuit loop (and confirm its voltage). If it is there then the 24vt thermostat is what you need.

Alternatively a "Thermopile" as referenced is a very low voltage electricity generator heated by the pilot. If that is the power source for the gas control valve and thermostat then you need a millivolt thermostat.


Half of electrical circuits remain out after exterior neutral failure

If 1/2 work probably L1 or L2 leg on the supply side or main bkr has failed this will cause every other bkr on the left and every other on the right to not have power. I replaced a 200a main a few years back that had this problem although I like square d this was the first time I have seen this and 1 more from Eaton since then. The power from the feeder needs to be checked prior to the main and after. Sounds like you have an Electrician doing some of the work but some states in the U.S. Have very lax rules and not much training. If one of the legs have failed that may account for 1/2 of things not working. Do you have 220? Like for a dryer or electric range? If not your power to the new panel is probably the issue.


How can I troubleshoot a ceiling fan light kit Issue?

It could be one of a few things, like the prong in the lamp socket, or where the wires are riveted to the socket, or the factory crimp/wire nuts not having all the wires securely attached. Any place there is a wire connection could affect it.

DIY box stores should have a school house light kit for under $10.00.


Guessing from experience, they are probably to outdoor lights that you don't use, to a switched outlet that was converted to be on always, or to a fan/light combo that is no longer wired to separate switches.

The outdoor lighting, check for any lighting fixtures that you can't turn on, make sure you have a good bulb and start turning on switches.

The outlet option can be checked by removed the wall plate and checking for any extra wires (can typically be done without removing the outlet from the box, just use a flash light) evidence of an extra wire does not guarantee its use but absence of one means it's not that. The outlet option is typically the lowest chance if you have an overhead/ceiling light. If it is still wired in, you can go with the typical circuit breaker to outlet locator method and plug in a radio or other device to an outlet, that way you don't have to be in the same room area to detect power, just make sure powering on/plugging in actually makes noise, most digital models require you to push a button.

The fan/light scenario is most common in a bedroom where there are multiple switches in the same box, always possible in bathroom for previous vent/light combo. This would require actually checking above the fan which most of the time means removing the fan at least from ball joint.

An generally, finding out which circuit the switch is wired to may help located what it is to, although there is a chance it can confuse the situation even more.


How do you correctly pull the steel wire and crimp so it's tight enough for turnbuckle?

Without photographs or sketches, this is going to be more of a general answer than a precise solution. Focusing on the loose end, you have the cable passing through the sleeve, around the eyebolt and back through the sleeve, with the aforementioned seven inches extending.

I would use a simple ground wire clamp attached to the loose end, to add an extension of the same cable. This extension reaches to a location of some stability, a tree, a stake, the next post in line. The extension is reusable, not wasted.

Place a lever at the base of the stable post and attach the extension as low to the lever pivot as possible and as low as practical. Too low means insufficient travel, too high means insufficient force.

As the lever is pulled away from the loose end eyebolt, it will tension the extension cable and the original cable. Tie off the top of the lever to maintain tension (or use an assistant) while securing the sleeve with the tool.


Armored cable without a ground connected to a metal box is not a proper ground. The Romex downstream would have it's ground connected to a lug or screw to the metal box but it still wouldn't be properly grounded because of the armored cable. Voltage testers would show a ground but it wouldn't be a proper ground.


Retrofit a ceiling light with RGB LED tape/lights?

The Tospo is a cheap Chinese ballast.  To find ballasts, start with what bulbs will fit in the fixture (all the better if you have a bulb already).  Then search for ballasts meant to drive that bulb (which also fit in your fixture). I think I see several on 1000bulbs.com in the $20 range.

LED strips really, really do not like to bend on the flat side.  They will bend only in the direction they go onto the reel.  However they do make LED strips which emit light out the edge ("side emitting"), these can be curled up in a spiral.

LED strips generally come in 12V or 24V.  You might call it a "transformer" but most of them are digital switching power supplies.  Very likely you can find one that will fit in the site of the old ballast.

They also do make LED strips that are 120V.  This works by putting 30-40 LEDs in series with dropping resistors.  This greatly reduces the number of allowable cut points.  Getting this and also side-emitting may be a difficult combination to find. Of greater concern: you no longer fall under the "low voltage" rules.  Everything you do is subject to the full weight of the National Electrical Code or your local equivalent. The law requires every part be listed (UL, CSA etc.) and installed properly. Break the law and fire insurance won't pay, and it's downhill from there. This is no place to buy Chinese junk.


Do I need to replace the junction box when changing LED downlight

No, that's very unlikely to work, even if you do manage to find another one with the same connector.
The box you're looking at is not just a junction box, it's also the power supply for the LEDs - and it's specific to the type and number of LEDs in the fixture.


Can I put a 60 amp breaker in my sub panel that also runs ona 60 amp breaker from main panel

Depends on your feeder cable
The cable from the main panel to the subpanel is feeder.
The cable from the subpanel to the EVSE is a branch circuit.
A cable can't be both a feeder and a branch circuit. That is to say, the 60A feeder can't simply be tapped and also sent to the EVSE.   It needs to go to the subpanel, and then through a 60A branch circuit breaker.
Here's the thing.  There's no such thing as a 60A feeder. Does not exist.   Either

your wiring is 55A (#6 copper NM-B or UF-B or other #6 copper rated 60C temperature) and since 55A breakers don't exist, you round up to 60A breaker.  Or
your wiring is 65A (#6Cu or #4Al of a more advanced insulation type) and you downbreakered to 60A for some reason.

The difference is that in one case, you have 55A feeder. In the other case you have 65A feeder.  You cannot provision more load on the panel than the feeder can provide which may mean 55A.
With EVSEs, you must provision 125% of the actual ampacity.  So a 48A EVSE needs 60A provisioned to it (which is not the same as a 60A breaker).   You cannot provision 60A from a 55A feeder.
Room for everything else
We can take for granted that the welder and EVSE won't be in use at the same time; #1 they need to be in the same physical space, and #2 the supply breaker will say "no way Jose".
However, we need to leave room for the two 20A circuits, and that's an imbroglio.  Code does not say "just add up all the breaker trips".
First, the NEC 2014 requirement for a 20A circuit isn't a factor, because the purpose of that requirement is to power an EVSE and you are already providing that via separate means.  So that's off the table.
(and even if you had a second EV, Tesla's Wall Connectors know how to share, and Tesla uses the same protocol as the standard J1772 connector, so it will still work with a third party EV using an adapter).
The only other guidance NEC gives us for domiciles is a square-foot calculation of 3 VA per square foot (or 1 amp per 40 square feet) in NEC 220.12. 220.14(J) tells us not to worry about it for domiciles, since it's folded into the above 220.12 calculation... it says "No additional load calculations shall be required for such outlets".  But that's intended as a catch-all for service to the entire domicile, it was never imagined for a garage subpanel.
The last guidance we have is for non-domiciles at 220.14(H) and (I)...  where 180 VA (1.5A) per receptacle is allocated.  A common duplex recep counts as 1.  A long surface conduit power strip counts as 1.  You need to do this for each of the 2 circuits, but since they are on opposite poles, you only need to count the larger.  Not a perfect solution, but Code does not cover this well.
By my math, 3 receptacles = 4.5A + the 60A provisioned to the EVSE = 64.5A.
That's OK on a 65A feeder. Though you might want to address the under-breakering of that feeder e.g. by fitting a 70A breaker.
If it's a 55A feeder, you'll need to set the DIP switches inside the EVSE to advertise itself as a 40A unit (understand how EVSE ampacity works).  That way, the EVSE derates 125% to 50A.  That + e.g. 4.5A for the receps = 54.5 amps and you're in limits.


Replacing three way switches with insteon

This particular situation will involve rewiring the old dead end 3-way.

The white tied to the blacks needs to be rewired as a neutral.  Currently it is wired as a common (hot).  Then one of the travellers needs to be rewired as a permanent hot.  This will allow your dead end Insteon to be powered up.

The black and red that where tied together is the switch leg.  It ties to the red on the Insteon. The rest should fall into place.

Don't forget to turn off the breaker(s).


This is a common question we get when people want to install electronic components from electronics supply houses into their home wiring.  They point to the UL listing on an Ohmite resistor, and they say "It's listed, see?"

The answer is that certification of a component, is not at all the same as certification of the entire piece of equipment.  Leviton will place that same Ohmite resistor inside an appropriate cage and sell it as equipment for home wiring.

And so it is with your toy and cord.  The tag on the cord only applies to the cord as a component.  The entire toy has a separate rating which is more restrictive.

That said, the life-safety issues of using the toy outdoors are largely prevented if you are plugged into a circuit that is GFCI protected.  The protection can either come from a GFCI+receptacle device, or from another piece of GFCI equipment on the circuit between there and the service panel, such as a GFCI breaker, GFCI receptacle indoors, or GFCI stand-alone "deadfront".


How to fill large window gap for temporary air conditioner?

I think the simplest thing would be to buy a sheet of foam insulation from the home store.  It comes in large sheets so you'll probably have to cut into pieces to get it home, but its easy to work with.

It ticks all your boxes:

Cuts with a razor knife or hand saw
Very lightweight
It literally is insulation
Water proof foam
Well, a determined cat could scratch it up or eat a hole in it, but they would have to really hate the foam. It's pretty durable.

The downside:  One style is pink.  The other style is usually yellow, but has a white printed side and a shiny foil side.  They can both be painted with exterior house paint (just buy a color sample size of paint), but the paint might not be super durable on that surface.

For installation, duct tape will work well, and duct tape comes in a variety of colors.  If you don't want duct tape to leave residue on your window, you can put down a layer of blue masking tape to protect the surface and then duct tape to that.


How do I repair a flaking finish on my wood windows?

I can't quite tell from the pictures, but I suspect that you're describing the varnish (urethane) that's used to protect the windows. It does degrade over time from UV exposure, and will need to be re-applied (after sanding). This also applies to wooden outdoor furniture, which is where I've seen similar "flaking."

HOWEVER, the wood in your bottom picture shows a suspicious discoloration that looks like water damage, and this may mean a far bigger problem (it might also be what's broken the bond between wood and varnish). It could be as simple as water that is pooling on the window sill and finding a way into the wood (weather-related expansion can open cracks in the joints). Or it could indicate that water is being wicked into the wood from the foundation, or even via the sill.

If there is water damage and you can't easily determine the cause, I'd suggest calling a local contractor to take a closer look.


Is it possible to modify my new europrofile cylinder lock to work in my traditional night latch?

Return (or give away) the euro lock. Take the latch to a locksmith for re-keying. Trying to mate the two is extremely unlikely to work.


How can I repair a ceiling fan that hums, but doesn't turn?

I just wanted to post what worked for me. There are some common issues that can easily be fixed if you hear a hum but it does not spin.

The switch used to reverse the fan direction (not found on all fans, typically found on the side of the fan when present) is between the two settings. Move the switch to either of the two settings.

The bearing has seized. If you open the fan up, take the motor apart, there is a bearing that spins the fan. Spray that with some WD40 and it will fix the issue (this fixed it for me).

The fuse is gone. There will be a small fuse that needs replacing, this happens when the power gets too high for the fan.

The wires have become loose. Check to make sure that the soldering is secure at the ends of the wires to where they connect to the coils.

The motor is covered in dirt and dust. Take the motor apart and vacuum out all of the debris.

Hope this helps someone.


10' PVC Schedule 40 vs ABS sun sail support post. Life expectancy, wind and UV damage

I would never even consider using 1.5" or 2" PVC or ABS piping of any schedule as a structural member; expecially for the application that you describe. These materials can flex and given some aging or overextended stress could fail dramatically.

Sure you may be able to make 5" or 6" diameter thick walled piping work in this application but the cost of that type of product should easily guide you back to some type of steel tubing whether that be square, round or rectangular cross section.


Why am I seeing stagnant water inside the shower drainage pipe hole?

Yes it's normal and what you want. It's called a P-trap and the water sitting in there seals out the sewer gasses.

My ASCII P-trap:

                  \ /
                  | |
   __________     | |
   _________ \    / /
            \*\__/*/
             \****/
              ----

The asterisks would be the water that forms the stopper.

In an empty home or in drains that are infrequently used (such as a basement) you these traps can eventually dry out from evaporation and let sewer gasses seep in.

In your case, if you aren't going to use the shower for months on end, I suppose you could add a drop of bleach to the drain. If the shower is used semi-regularly, there should be no issues at all.


Troubleshooting well pump low pressure shutoff

I'd start with the easy basics - check the pre-charge pressure in the storage tank .vs. the set pressure on the well pump controller. I'm making the "generally good unless your well setup is very old-fashioned" assumption that you have a bladder or membrane type of tank.

Before checking it, observe the pressure gauge as you run water, and note at what pressure the pump starts running (cuts-in) and stops running (cuts-out.)

Turn off the pump and drain the system. Check the air pressure in the tank - it should be about 2-3 PSI less than the pressure where the pump starts. If it's not, adjust it, so that it is.

If the precharge is too close to the cut-in-pressure, you can run out of water before the pump starts building pressure, and that would cause a low-pressure cut-out, as the pressure will rapidly plummet once the tank is empty.


No, probably not. The reason there are two lines is in case one gets clogged up, the second one will be used as a backup.

The reason for the backup line is if the unit is in the house, you absolutely don't want a clog in one drain line to cause water to drip out of the unit and get all over your house.  Since it is in the garage though, it probably just doesn't matter much if you get water on the garage floor.  Which is probably why the installer didn't bother installing a backup line (which it sounds like just drained onto the floor anyways)


In what circumstances would an AC produce no condensate but still cool the air?

Condensate is a byproduct of air conditioning, which is created when moisture in the air condenses on the cold evaporator coils. There are two situations where an air conditioner would not generate condensate.

If there's no moisture in the air, then there's nothing to condense out of the air.

If the coils are not cold enough (below the dew point), the moisture will not condense out of the air.

Also note, that if the coils are too cold. The condensate will freeze, so it will not drain out until the coil defrosts.

Another note. If the drain does not have a trap,  it's possible that condensate will not drain until the fan shuts off.


How to determine which kind of plastic anchor to use on which kind of wall?

The larger ones (on the right) are for drywall as the outer layer. The smaller ones are for inserting into a ceramic tile layer bonded to either drywall or cement board (or tile on cement board on drywall).


Trying to understand why a light would be wired this way?

So, the box in the ceiling has two pair coming into it.  Two black white pair.   One comes from the power source.  Think of that one as Line and Neutral.  The other one runs to the light switch wherever that is.  (  If you open the switch, you should find a black and white on the two screws.  )

Therefore, the two black wires are connected and beep your meter because the breaker is still on.   Keep them intact.   AND the white coming from the switch is connected to the black on the fan.  It SHOULD have a bit of black E tape to mark it as a 'switched hot'.  The white neutral is connected to the white wire on the fan.

How'my doin' so far?

The new fixture should be wired just like the old fixture.   Put the black where the black was, and the white where the white was.

Double check the box is secure enough to the house to hold the weight of the new fixture.


Are Record and Stanley brand smoothing plane blades interchangeable?

They should be interchangeable.

You can buy a VERITAS PM-V11 BLADE FOR STANLEY & RECORD PLANES 2" which suggests the Stanley and Record designs are both very close to the original Leonard Bailey design.

Hock tools say *"Our 3/32" thick blades ... will fit 99.9% of Stanley and Record style planes with no modifications other than a simple frog adjustment."

For a different sized plane Paul Sellers wrote

  Any 2 3/8″ iron, cap iron and lever cap will fit the No6. Stanley and Record will be interchangeable. It may end up costing you more than buying a complete No6 plane in the end though.

(my emphasis).


My guess is that your outlets were wired as split outlets; the top receptacle was switched with the wall switch, and the bottom was always hot. By default, outlets have the top and bottom receptacles connected together, so when you hooked them up, you made the upper outlet (and the light) always on.

The fix is simple; remove the outlet, and on the hot (black) side, you will find a bit of metal that connects the upper screw to the lower screw. Break that off with some pliers, and things will be okay. You will need to do this on all of the outlets that are wired this way.


Is it OK to caulk around an outdoor electrical panel or meter base?

Do you have siding installed behind the electrical panel?
If there is siding behind the panel, then do not caulk it to the siding.

If there is no siding behind the panel, then you can caulk the outside perimeter of the panel. If you have vinyl or steel siding, then you should trim it with J-channel and caulk the J-channel to the electrical panel. If you have any other kind of siding, then you caulk the top and sides but usually not the bottom of the panel to make sure you don't trap any water behind it.


How can I add a fireplace to an existing non-fireplace chimney?

I realize this post is "old" however I wanted to post the answers as the information is always relevant to future question askers! :)

I sold venting pipe professionally for 4 years, and have experience designing a variety of systems.

Just a few notes:
 1. Always check your clearances to combustible materials. Zero-clearance fireplaces are only zero clearance to certain materials, like masonry, etc. Make sure you take care when addressing this.

Different stoves have different pipe diameters. If you're still debating which model to get, you could save yourself some money by going with 6" diameter versus 8", as the larger it is the more expensive.
Old masonry chimneys are dangerous and should be inspected, even if using a liner.

Onto the parts! Since you are going to be dealing with a freestanding stove as well as a chimney liner, you're likely going to need an adapter as you enter the masonry.

When you come off of your stove with the flue pipe, you would want double-walled black stovepipe. This has a twist-lock connection that will go on your stoves outlet, either top or rear vented. It is more expensive than single-walled pipe, has less clearance requirement of 8 inches versus (18-inch clearance of single-wall) but has longer life, and isn't burning hot to the touch.

Your question about bending the pipe: Definitely do not ever physically bend a pipe to create a curve, etc. Rather, use an angled piece, then a straight, and then another angled piece to complete the connection. This stove-pipe comes with "elbows" at various angles. 45/90 degree are the most common, so you should have no issue angling the pipe to penetrate the masonry at 90 degrees.

The easiest way to complete your system would be to adapt the standard stove-pipe to a masonry liner.
For a normal chimney-pipe to masonry-liner system, you will need a few pieces that aren't "standard" on most installations.

Masonry Thimble: This item installs into the 6-8" diameter hole you drill in your masonry chimney. It allows a length of straight pipe to pass through your masonry wall, into the chimney, and connect to the flexible stainless chimney liner.
Stove-pipe to Liner Adapter: This piece physically adapts the rigid interior stove pipe to flexible liner.

You asked if the chimney can be a fire-hazard even with a liner;
The short answer is yes. The reason being that if there is not enough clearance from the edge of the chimney interior to the outside edge of the chimney liner pipe; heat can be transferred to the brick, which can then catch wood aflame. If you have proper clearance, no fires should occur from the liner/masonry portion.

The only other fire-hazard that should exist is the chimney-cap itself. Make sure that the termination (last pieces) are done correctly. Is there a masonry chimney penetrating above the roofline a good bit? If so, you have it easy and can purchase a Turbo cap with a "spark arrestor" screen.. The cap spins as the heat exhausts out, cooling it, and the screen catches any flaming embers or sparks that might still exist from the burning wood.

Regarding your "Chimneys on exterior cause poor air flow" Statement: From my experience that is mostly false. Only in situations where there are EXTREME weather conditions does this ever occur. The reason this is never a problem with correct installations is that the Class A pipe required for exterior installations is either double wall or triple wall insulated. There are numerous layers of insulation that keep the flue gasses piping hot (ha) until they exit the chimney cap. Please keep in mind when designing a chimney system you want to achieve this: Most air flow. Least bends. Shortest run.

Numerous elbows/Angles cause the exhaust to cool. A rule of thumb is no more than 3 90 degree turns total from stove to cap.

I hope this helps!


Flat is an option.

I'm not altogether clear on what scheme you think you were following, or what you think it was doing for you, but it sounds suspiciously like something someone dreamed up and presented as fact, with a dubious or non-existant basis in reality. A slope does not "create tension." A load does that.

Buildings on post foundations are made with level floors all the time. If the posts are set properly, the buildings don't "move and crack" either. If your posts are heaving, they were not set properly...


Can a natural stone wall be made waterproof without defacing it?

Where is the water damage relative to the exterior ground level? I note in the outside picture that there is significant slope to the ground - if the ground on the uphill and slope-side sides is not shaped to move water away from and around the house, it would be likely that there would be water damage on the lower parts of the walls from water flowing over the ground into the house - that would be corrected by reshaping the ground, not anything on the above-ground wall.

You could certainly try a clear-spray-on waterproofing material on the stones - but that won't solve ground drainage issues, if those are the problem. Digging out the soil around the house and applying waterproofing to the below-ground wall and placing a drainage pipe in the bottom of the trench before refilling will address those more throughly if reshaping the ground does not completely solve the problem.


TSP last.

If you use TSP first you'll be wasting your time cleaning paint that you're just going to scrape off anyway, and the old primer/paint/wood beneath what you scrape off will remain uncleaned. If you use TSP first, that also means the chips and dust from your scraping and sanding won't be washed off. So TSP should always be your last step.


Will a french drain help the runoff ditch in front of my house?

It sounds like the grading of your ditch and/or yard degraded (pun not intended) or was never perfectly graded.

even a a berm of a few inches is enough to trap water in a puddle and saturate the soil. Especially clay.

Some time with a shovel and a laser level to grade the yard and ditch better would be more effective.

If you lack a laser level or the eye to find the high spots, you can instead mark where the puddles end and dig there to lower the soil to provide a runoff path for the water. Repeat until you have no more standing puddles after rain. Put the excess soil into the puddle itself. (pull up the grass sods first as needed)


Electrical wiring, meaning of the term "hots"

While it's not a perfect analogy, think of this in terms of a kitchen sink (yes, I am throwing a kitchen sink at the question).

The faucet - It's hooked to a pipe that brings water in so you can use it
The drain - A pipe hooked to something that takes water away.

You then interface with the water within the sink.

In your circuit (because electricity requires one to work), you have the same basic thing.

Hot wire - Typically black, this carries current in from your power company. This is your "faucet"
Neutral wire - Carries electricity away to some sort of electrical sink (in most cases, the ground on the main service box). This is your "drain"
Ground - Think of this as a wet/dry vacuum for when your kids play in the kitchen sink and spill water everywhere. Ground soaks up everything that should have gone down the drain but didn't. Since you dump your wet/dry vac down the drain when you're done, it all goes to the same place eventually.

Why do we call it "hot"? Because it burns (sometimes literally) if you touch it while it's energized. It also might lead to dancing, colorful metaphors and other bad things


How can I drill through small thin hardened steel wrenches?

With a sharp drill, oil and patience, or with carbide. But Why make a hole?


You will need mortar to resecure the rock.  Here is a good guide as to what product to select.  Check the second item under mortar.

https://www.lowes.com/projects/build-and-remodel/masonry-and-cement-products-buying-guide/project

As you predicted, you will need to remove most of the d mortar from both the wall and the backside of the stone.  Use a small cold chisel and a hammer.  This is required for a good bond and so that the stone is at the same level as the others.

Mix a small batch, make sure it's not too wet and smear it on the backside of the stone and on the wall.  Apply the stone and hammer it with a rubber mallet until it is level with the others.  Clean up any mortar that has leaked out.

Now the hard part, you will need to secure the stone until it dries.  Probably the easiest would be a small piece of wood wedged under the stone to hold it up and use painters tape to hold it against the wall.


How do I tighten a loose kitchen faucet?

The tool you need to get behind the sink to tighten the retainer nut is called a basin wrench.  You can buy them anywhere for $8 to $40.  They swivel to fit and have extended handle so you can turn it from below the sink level.  Yes, you have to do it by sense of feel, or position a mirror to help you see the nut. Google sink wrench or basin wrench and you will see dozens of them.

Plumb Pak PP840-7 11 Inch Basin Wrench
$8 online


How can I mark the damage on wood floors that are to be resurfaced?

I would just put down some green/blue painters tape around the spots.  This tape has low-adhesion so it is less likely to remove any finish.  Just make sure the builder removes the tape before refinishing.


How do you identify settling cracks versus structural cracks (new build )

Several things are occurring here: 1) cracks through the blocks not just mortar joints, 2) vertical and diagonal cracks

1) In construction, block walls are designed with mortar joints to be weaker than concrete blocks. That way, when the building settles (and all buildings settle) the wall will zig zag crack down the wall in the mortar joint, NOT through a block. Replacing a block is much harder that repointing the mortar.

Your mason has screwed up and caused a big problem that can only be fixed by replacing the cracked blocks.

2) Generally, vertical cracks are caused by the foundation settling in one location and a diagonal crack is caused by the foundation settling along many feet (big area).

They are both “structural” cracks, it’s just that one is a bigger deal than another. A small crack (like yours) is called a “hair-line” crack and is minor. Often the building is constructed so fast that the foundation does not have a chance to settle before the final finishes have been installed. I think this is what happened to you.

I’d monitor it by drawing a line across the crack every 4’ or so, number the lines, and measure and photo each crack. I’d keep a journal for 1 year checking at regular intervals, say on the 1st of each month. If it continues to get bigger, you have a problem.

Likewise, if any cracks develop, note and monitor it too. If crack gets to be more than 3/16”, you have s problem. Let your contractor know what you’re going to do and send him notes and pics each month. Let him know you expect the cracked blocks replaced at the end of 1 year, plus and walls with cracks larger than 3/16”. (Check your warranty and make sure you send certified letter before the warranty ends.  Maybe this will be a 10 month monitoring process instead of 1 year.)


Can I just glue the "fin" thing back onto my dryer?

Find the maintenance manual for your drier. (It may be online from the manufacturer, or there are services which will sell you a download for a few dollars). Unplug the drier, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for opening it up. You'll probably find yourself looking at the drum, with plenty of space to drive screws back in. (You may or may not find the lost screws in the bottom of the machine).

If you don't have sufficient space, follow the instructions for dismounting the drum. Re-affix the fin, then follow the instructions for reinstalling the drum.

Follow the instructions for closing the patient. Plug it back in and make sure it still runs. If not, take it apart again and figure out what you did wrong.


How do I run a dock circuit and what size breaker will be needed?

30 amp breaker. Full load current on the motor is about 10 amps, plus a couple more amps for the other stuff gives you a voltage drop of 2%, less than the allowed 3%, so you're OK. You can run 220 as 2 branch circuits with a shared neutral. It's not really 220 because you can't power 220v equipment, but the voltage between the hot legs of each circuit is indeed 220v. You don't need breakers at the dock for this configuration, but you will need 3 conductors plus ground and a handle tied tandem breaker at the house panel.

Every thing will run fine on one circuit, so there is no advantage except you get 2 circuits. The voltage to ground is the same either way, so there is no added efficiency for the extra voltage.


What is the easiest way to measure an irregular floor space?

If they'll accept a full-size model, use the technique for making a template for cutting vinyl flooring to the right size and shape (taken from another answer of mine):

  ... I use a roll of craft paper and sticky tape to make a template of the room. Start in the center of the room, lightly stick a strip to the ground, and cut it at the edges of the room. You get a cleaner edge by going a little past the edge, then folding the cut edge back and sticking it down with the tape. Keep sticking more strips to the template until you cover the entire room.

If they want a smaller-scale model, use a T-bevel or angle finder to measure the angles in the corners and careful measurement to get the lengths of the walls.

Pick one wall as the baseline, scale it down appropriately and make a line of that length on a piece of paper. Write down the original measurement too.
Measure the angle at one end of the end of the wall, and transfer it to the paper at the appropriate end of the line from step 1. Write the angle you measured next to the line.
Measure the length of the next wall, scale it down and draw it at the measured angle from the end of the first line.
Repeat until you've gone all the way around the room.

To verify your accuracy, measure the diagonals going across the room and compare to your scale model.


Using extra plywood as stringer for window boards?

If those stringers are unsupported by an underlying structure such as a substantial mullion, it would allow unacceptable flexion at the joint under high wind conditions IMO. Even with a solid wood stringer you might have trouble over that long horizontal span.

Might I suggest that you use your idea but with the plywood in a vertical orientation? I know this would double the number of sheets required to 4 (5 to join with plywood "stringers"), but it would be much stronger this way. Also, the smaller pieces would be much easier to handle and install, and easier to store when there is no hurricane threat. 5 sheets is still way cheaper than a new window that size, you could use the leftover for other smaller windows.


I ran your loads through a calculator and it spit out a main panel load of 66 amps.  That tells me you are probably alright.  But I am concerned you are not talking about heat pump emergency heat.  Heat pumps do not work in very cold temperatures, that's where emergency heat comes in. I note this building doesn't have any gas.

So while I think it'll work at 100A, I'd feel more comfortable seeing 150A because I worry that there are things you've left out.   So that's where I am with feeder.

As far as your subpanel size, there are 2 things we're concerned with.

Number of spaces in the panel

The usual mistake is to consider only panel ampacity and get a panel that is much too small (in spaces).  Remember, you have an all-electric house, which means a lot of 240V (2-pole, double-sized) breakers. You need the same number of electric appliances as a bigger house, they just have smaller numbers on the breaker.  So even a 30-space panel would be scary-small.  I would aim for 40-space.

There's a scam out there called "Circuits" - such as a panel that is 20-space/40-circuit. That relies on breakers that are now illegal - panel makers shouldn't be making these claims anymore, but they are.  By "Illegal" I mean a 40-"circuit" panel relies on very few of them being AFCI/GFCI or common-trip -- and in fact, most of them must be!

Ampacity of the panel

The amp rating of the subpanel itself is flexible.  It only needs to be greater or equal to the supply breaker. So if your supply breaker is 100A, then you can use a 100A, 125, 150, 200 or 225A subpanel.

Because it is an outbuilding not connected by a breezeway, your house will need its own main disconnect switch.  The easiest/cheapest way to get that is select a panel with a main breaker.  Again, any size will do >= the feed breaker size.

If you think "I'll get them the same size so the nearby breaker will trip first", unfortunately it does not work that way. It's a coin-flip  which one will trip first, unless it is raining and you are dressed for bed, then it will be the far one obviously.


Ok,

There was a super-simple solution - there was a cap on the underside that you just pry off with a knife, as per a similar set of instructions here


This sounds normal:
"/3" cables have 4 wires - black, red, white, bare ground. So the color (except bare ground = green = ground etc.) is almost meaningless. Where in a normal setup, black = hot and white = neutral, with 3-ways you have a common wire (hot or switched-hot, depending on configuration) and two travelers. Since the travelers are "the same", they normally get the two non-white colors: black and red. And that is what you have. From the top:

Power comes in to the upstairs switch box on black, as usual. That is connected to the white wire (common = hot in this case) going down to the downstairs switch.
The white goes down to the downstairs switch and black and red travelers come back from the downstairs switch to the upstairs switch, all in one cable (and they must be all together, can't use a black/white cable + an extra separate wire).
The downstairs switch has white = common (black screw) and black/red = travelers (brass screws)
The upstairs switch gets black/red = travelers (brass screws) and black = switched hot (black screw). Note that the white that is "with" the travelers does not touch this switch.

One piece you didn't mention that is very important: There should be a white wire together with the black switched hot wire. That white wire is a neutral and should be connected to all other whites in the box except for the white that heads to the downstairs switch. If that is correct, then this is a standard setup.
The catch with replacing with smart switches is that most (not all) expect to have hot & neutral available in the same place. You have that possible but not as currently configured. The upstairs switch has travelers and switched hot and has neutral available.  The downstairs switch has travelers and hot but it does not have neutral available.
The solution is to rearrange things a bit. Instead of the downstairs switch being "1" and the upstairs "2", make the upstairs "1" and the downstairs "2".

Disconnect the black wire going to the light from the black screw of the upstairs switch.
Disconnect the white wire from the incoming black hot wire and connect it instead to the black wire going to the light. That white wire becomes switched hot instead of hot.
Connect the incoming black hot wire (you'll need to add a pigtail) to the black screw on the upstairs switch.

Now the upstairs switch is connected to hot + travelers, and neutral is in the same box. That should allow for a "standard" replacement with a smart switch.


What could cause low hot water pressure in the shower only?

I would first check the valve's anti-scalding setting.  You have to take off trim and this is usually a setting on the valve outer stem.  Make sure this is set to as hot as possible.  This could have slipped.  Next I would check the filters inside your valve cartridge.  There is usually a filter for cold and another for hot.  The hot filter could be clogged and need cleaning (very seldom do these need replacing except the rings).

Lastly you might need a new cartridge or to have yours rebuilt.  If you know the model this might actually be easier than all of the other troubleshooting but often isn't needed.   The cartridges can cost as little as $10 and up to a couple hundred.


What could have caused an electrical shock from a concrete patio?

Cement is not a good conductor so a live electrical charge from the cement is a near impossibility.  But that doesn't rule out a static charge.  If the humidity was right and enough friction from the wood to break some electrons free just might generate a static charge.  But I have never heard of cement getting a static charge before but then again, I'm not moving wood a lot on a cement pad.


How should I get this paint off my stucco?

That looks like a good justification for a phone call to the local sandblaster. Stucco's too abrasive to be depainted with metal tools.


How do I figure out my door latch and strike plate alignment

Put something on the latch that will make a mark - wet ink, paint, possibly even chalk, crayon or graphite from a pencil. Close the door and look at the mark, or if feeling like that will be too messy, tape paper over the strike area and then close the door with the prepared latch.

If you have old, now uncommon, typing materials, "carbon paper" could be laid on top of the paper on the jamb/latch and that would allow the latch to make a mark without having anything directly applied to it. But the stuff is so rare now I don't assume you can easily get it.

In the vast majority of cases the strike needs to move down, unless something like tightening the hinge screws will bring the door back up. Doors tend to sag under the influence of gravity. But if the house itself has shifted, some other direction may be required.


Running 240v power to detached garage for electric vehicle

First, using any sort of NM cable outside is right out of the question.  Cannot do it; it's not wet-rated.  If you want to direct-bury cable, use UF or other types; however you want to run in conduit.  Running cable in conduit isn't even crazy, for reasons let's leave to another Q/A. So let's armwave that you will be using individual wires.  Fortunately those are almost all dual-rated dry/wet (THHN/THWN-2, the W being Wet).

Conduit

For this reason, it's important that the conduit is either a) continuous from the panel to the destination; or b) stops at a large junction box to make a splice from THWN-2 to cable.

When laying conduit, keep your bends to an absolute minimum between access points; use conduit bodies at corners to give easy access. You see a conduit body in your picture, but you can't use that one because service wires are in it.

If you are willing to trade "being able to trench with a garden trowel" for "murderous price per foot", consider Rigid or IMC conduit, which only needs 6" of cover over top of it (12" cover for vehicle pathways).  But figure like $4/foot for the stuff, and a trip or two to the hardware store to have pipe threaded.  Upside: it's a viable ground path, so one less wire.

For PVC conduit, you need ot use Schedule 80 and you must have 18" of cover over top of it, so trench to 20".

Wires

I'm going to list the wires by price per 100ft, since your distance is about that.  I'm getting these prices from wiresandcablesyourway.com.  All or THWN-2 or XHHW.

 1 x #8 bare copper ground $37
 3 x #6 copper conductor   $57 x 3, 60A max  OR...
 3 x #4 aluminum conductor $26 x 3, 60A max  OR...
 3 x #2 aluminum conductor $35 x 3, 80A max  OR...
 3 x #1 aluminum conductor $52 x 3, 100A max.
 2 x #10 copper conductor, $30 x 2, 20A

Aside from aluminum being less than half the price, one reason to use it is that puts your wire size larger than #6.  On #6 or smaller wires, you must use an actually-white wire for neutral, which can make buying wires more expensive.  #4 and up, you can mark it with tape.  Grab a 5-pack of red/white/green/blue/yellow electrical tape for $4.

The 20A/120V circuit is a real problem. Because of the distance, you need to upsize the wires to #10 or you'll have alarming voltage drop.  Now let's do the math on this.  The two conductors are $60.  You won't need it if you get a subpanel.  A perfectly respectable 16 space subpanel can be had for $70.  That's a no-brainer if you ask me.

With #6 feeder, you can comfortably use 1" conduit.
With #4 feeder you can only use 1" conduit if you omit the 20A circit, and it'll be a hard pull.
With #1 feeder you can only use 1-1/4" conduit if you omit the 20A circuit, and it'll be a hard pull.

The ground wire, presumably #8 copper, can be shared between the feeder and the 20A circuit.

The subpanel

Here we are huge proponents of huge subpanels.  When buying the panel, the cost of extra spaces is super cheap.  After you've fit it, and regret getting too small a panel, it's super hard and expensive.  Better to skip a pizza and get a bigger panel: 16 space, even 24 space.   You'll thank us later.

"Circuits" are not "spaces".  A panel that claims "16 circuits" means an 8-space panel using duplex/"double-stuff" breakers.  That's deceptive advertising because most circuits these days needs AFCI/GFCI breakers, and those are not available in double-stuff.

Other stuff e.g.  Your diagram

The weird cable with male ends on both ends is probably a "suicide cord" for running a generator. Or should I say a "murder cord" because his plan was to plug one end into a generator and the other end into the garage feed, to backfeed the garage then backfeed the house. And maybe he turns off his main breaker first and doesn't kill a lineman.  (Because when a 120V generator backfeeds a 120/240-9600V poletop transformer, the voltage on the backside of the transformer is, guess what! 9600 volts.  That's how transformers work.)

Even worse, it sounds like rather than running a 120/240V /3 cable, he was using two separate cables to backfeed each leg separately.  What a hokey-dokey rig.  This is what fools like that do.  Just remove the plug ends at one end so nobody can plug it in.

On the remaining buried cables, you might dig 'em up for a closer look.  If they are NM, tear 'em out - they are ruined.  NM is not wet-rated. If they are UF, see how deep they're buried.  If it's <24" it's too shallow, tear it out.  Otherwise you can disconnect it, pull it through the building, slip a Sched. 80 PVC conduit over it and rebury it (at the bottom, an elbow of course), and then provide physical protection up to a proper Code building entrance.  And then put them back in service.  Free wire :)


Integrate water circulation pump with Alexa to guarantee shut off in 10 minutes

I have a return water circulation pump installed on my hot water lines and I use a timer to turn the pump on during the day and off at night. The pump I used is the smallest B&G pump I could buy. It is a  model NBF-8S/LW--103257LF that uses only 39 watts of power. Very little electricity is used by the pimp and very little extra nat gas is consumed when the pump is running. I had a short wire with a plug installed on the pump and I plug it into a cheap manual timer that I set to come on at 6am and shut off at 10pm. I plug the timer into a receptacle and plug the pump into the timer. This has worked for me for 20+ years. By the way you only need a very small pump, that is stainless steel or bronze since iron pumps get ruined by domestic water. As far as using Alexa, that is okay if you can remember to ask it each time. However you can't beat the cheap timer price.


Will this arrangement of bricks be a good base for a concrete floor for a garden shed?

I’m no expert but it looks like you’ve made a good job for your shed base and will be more than substantial for a 6x4 shed. When you talk about ‘cement’ you mean concrete? So that’s cement with aggregate in for strength. If the wooden surround is level from side to side, once filled you’ll be able to strickle across to produce a smooth and level surface (or sloping fractionally for drainage?).
Regardless of the underling surface the shed should go onto a slight wooden frame (use tanilised wood) to raise it slightly to avoid the base of the shed from rotting. Once your concrete base is finished and the surrounding ground levelled (or whatever you intend doing with it), see how the water drains and this will determine the height the shed needs to be raised. Usually this is only 2-3cm. Good Luck!


What does "Range" Mean in Electrical Circuits?

A "Range" is a freestanding combination oven/cooktop device.


Depending on where you live, yes, moving the return air duct can affect the efficiency.

If you “heat” mostly each year, then the efficiency of the unit is increased if the return air grille is located at a high point in house. This allows the unit to return the “warmest” air to the unit, it reheats that air and then redistributes it throughout the house.

If you move the return air to a lower position, cooler air will be returned to the unit and therefore need to be heated more before redistributing it throughout the house.

Likewise, if you cool your house more each year, the location of the return air can increase its efficiency by relocating it to a new location.

BTW, one reason the SUPPLY ducts are run directly to the attic is because they can be “run” to each room easily in the attic.

Back when we all had radiators and baseboard heat, we liked them to be installed low so the heat radiated and rose up (often drying out condensation on single pane windows). Now, we can “push” air so vents don’t need to be “low”. In fact, having a dresser on a vent opening will greatly reduce its effectiveness.


I'd only replace all of the siding if ANY of the following is true:

At least 30 percent of the boards are visibly and significantly damaged. If you only have a few boards showing signs of rot, it's not a big deal.
There is evidence that the damage was caused by an insect infestation. That would mean that the damage results not from simple, unavoidable weathering, but by a more serious issue.
There is water penetration and resulting damage behind the siding (either inside the walls, or -- worse -- into the interior of your home). If the damage is limited to the siding itself, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Absent any of these conditions, I wouldn't be too worried. Unless you are diligent about keeping it painted, all wood siding will rot a bit eventually, especially near the ground where it gets wet (and it doesn't take much paint loss to allow moisture into the boards and cause the damage you are seeing). Unless the problem has progressed to the point that it has become severe (affecting a large portion of boards, allowing water inside the building envelope or inviting insect infestation), then fixing it should be as simple as replacing any individual boards that are badly damaged, then putting a new coat of paint on the siding.

Contractors, Realtors and many home inspectors will likely encourage you to replace all of the siding, because they are incentivized in different ways to do so. (Contractors want to do the job; Realtors will be able to sell your house more quickly and easily if you do a full replacement, even if the cost of repairs won't be recouped in the sale; home inspectors are incentivized to find "problems" that their clients -- the home buyers -- use to negotiate a price reduction.) I'd resist their recommendations unless you have good reason to believe that full replacement is warranted. If they disagree, ask them to show you a house with wood siding that was built at least twenty years ago and does not have a bit of rot here and there.


You can call AY McDonald at 800-292-2737, or visit their web site, or reference the instructions for that fitting, or see the pictures below.

But really, the outfit that sold you the fitting has some responsibility to help you in this regard, no? Call Shamrock Supply and make them earn their vig.


How to loosen glass bulb cover from metal base?

Try squirting some sort of grease such as WD-40, or even more natural and thicker oils like olive oil into the part where the glass cage touches the inside metal.

Make sure to hold the fixture downward in the way that you pictured and try to minimize getting grease on the part of the glass which you grab.

Apply a damp cloth to the glass cage and fan the area to cool and thus take some of the pressure off of the thread in the metal. Switch between the damp cloth and setting it out in the sun to compress and decompress the glass, all the while attempting to turn it back and forth.

Hope this helps!


Moist sandy gravel between frost-proof monolithic slab and insulation. Is it going to freeze and expand?

Quoting from "Common Questions and Answers about Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations" on page 29 of the Federal HUD guide on constructing frost proof shallow foundations dated June, 1994:

  Question No. 1:  How does insulation stop frost heave from occurring?

  Frost heave can only occur when all of the following three conditions
  are preset:

  1) the soil is frost susceptible (large silt fraction),

  2) sufficient moisture is available (soil is above approximately 80
  percent saturation), and

  3) sub-freezing temperatures are penetrating
  the soil.  Removing one of these factors will negate the possibility
  of fromst damage.

  Insulation as required in this design guide will
  prevent underlying soil from freezing (an inch of polystyrene
  insulation, R4.5, has an equivalent R-Value of about 4 feet of soil on
  average).  The use of insulation is particularly effective on a
  building foundation for several reasons.  First, heat loss is
  minimized while storing and directing heat into the foundation soil --
  not out through the vertical face of the foundation wall.  Second,
  horizontal insulation projecting outward will shed moisture away from
  the foundation further minimizing the risk of frost damage.  Finally,
  because of the insulation, the frost line will rise as it approaches
  the foundation.

  Since frost heave forces act perpendicular to the
  frost line, heave forces, if present, will act in a horizontal
  direction and not upwards.

So you are OK as long as your non-susceptible fill does not contain much silt.


This configuration worked for me:

Red (from thermostat) goes to the black wire that was going to the red wire on the old thermostat
Black (from thermostat) goes to the 2 black wires that were going to the black wire on old thermostat
Blue (from thermostat) goes to all three white wires


What should I do with a powered switch that seemingly does nothing?

Divide and conquer.
You turned off the main breaker and the switch went dead. So you know it is going through that panel.

Leave the main breaker on and turn off everything else.

If it is still on at this point, then you have something really strange going on - time for a professional. But assuming that does turn power to the switch off:

Turn on the breakers one at a time until the switch comes back on.

This will take a while, so you can also try:

Turn HALF the breakers on and see if the switch comes back on.

If it does, then turn half off and see if it is on or off. Lather, rinse, repeat. If you have 32 breakers, the first test gets you to 16, the second to 8, the third to 4, the fourth to 2, and on the fifth test you have your answer.
As far as what the switch does, is there any chance you have some outside lights that don't work properly? Also look for any receptacles or covered junction boxes (which might previously have had a light on the switch) outside.
Update: Now that you have determined the switch controls a receptacle, there is an easy way to find the breaker if you don't have a helper (i.e., if you have to run between breaker panel and switch/receptacle to test):

Plug a radio into the switched receptacle.
Turn on the radio loud enough to hear it from the breaker panel. Might be best to do this during the daytime :-)
Turn off breakers one at a time until the music stops.

For anyone wondering why "turn off one at a time until the music stops" instead of "turn on one at a time until the music starts", this gets to the "old vs. new equipment" issue. An older radio has a simple power switch. Turn it on and unplug it and plug it back in and it is guaranteed to be "on". Many newer radios (like TVs, computers, etc.) have a power switch that does not really turn everything off. A small circuit stays on to power a clock, status lights, etc. For normal usage that's just fine. But the default behavior (sometimes configurable, sometimes not) for these devices is typically "on external power restore go to 'off' state", which wouldn't be very helpful here.


The only thing wrong with it is you are supposed to have staples within 6 inches of the wires coming out of the box. An inspector might catch it but I personally wouldn’t worry about it. You could put a flat 2X4 (14.5” long) between the boxes to nail the wires to if you wanted.


How to install 3-speed switch for ceiling fan

It's even worse than the above answers.  There is no general standard for fan designs.  Different fans do speed regulation different ways, and you must choose a remote speed control method which is compatible.  This is a "consult with the factory" sort of situation; often cheaper fans are simply not made for that.


Are there electrical outlet plates or devices that can be put inside the electric box to measure power usage?

Yes, If you Google "Smart outlets" and similar phrases you will find outlet replacement products that can be used to monitor the power usage of individual outlets.

  With the {proprietary product name}, controlling and monitoring the power usage in your home has never been easier.

  The {other product name} is the first intelligent plug boasting Air technology.
  - Powerful and switchable
  - Integrated temperature sensor
  - In-built energy and power consumption monitor

I'm not mentioning specific product names here because this isn't an advertising forum and because the actual products available depend on where you are and what year you are reading this.

CNet seem to have reviewed some - only a few do energy monitoring, most are smartphone controlled switches.


Strings not required. Trees=yes. Loops=no.
Some people get really hung up on the idea that circuits must be in a linear string.  That's not true at all.
You can have as many "Tee" branches as you please.  The circuit can look like a grand old oak tree if that's what your wiring needs.  What you can't do is loop back.
OK:
 A---B---C       H----I
     |           |
     D---E---F---G----J---K
     |                |
     M---N---O        L

you can do that all day.

NOT OK:
 A---B---C-------H
     |           |
     D---E---F---G

Certain smart switches are the only way to do it straight with /3.
You need certain very specific smart switches which have wireless networking.
In that case, you wire every single connection with /3+ground cable.

Black = always-hot
Red = switched-hot
White = neutral.

The master smart switch takes from all three.  The remote smart switches take from always-hot and neutral.  The lamps take from switched-hot and neutral.
You need always-hot and neutral at all these switch locations.
If you wire with traditional 3/4-way switches, you will need neutral at all locations, not just one as is normally required.  That is because the room area is too complex and the lights are too spread out. The neutral rule exists for a variety of devices, but one of them is motion sensors.  The rule on 3-ways says that if both/all the 3/4-way switches all have line-of-sight to the whole room, then only one of them needs neutral (because the motion sensor could just be there).  However, in your case, the room is too large and complex for that to work, for instance S1 and S2 cannot see the area around L8 and L9.  You would need multiple motion sensors for full coverage, and so you need neutrals at those locations. Looks like "all of them" to me.
Best bet for traditional 3-ways
As you can tell, I'm not a fan of traditional 3-ways in this instance.  If you are hellbound to do it on your route, you will need smurf tube or other conduit, because you will need ground, always-hot, switched-hot, neutral and 2 travelers in a number of places.  And they don't make /5 cable.
However if you are flexible on routes, you can go
 supply -> S1 -> S2 -> S3 -> all the lights

Yes, that involves a fair bit of circuity. (running all over the place; the word only distantly relates to "circuit").
The most efficient "traditional 3-way" method would probably be a conduit "backbone" from S3-S2-S1, and then and then simply "tee" off /2 Romex to the various lights as convenient.  You could throw any wires you need into the conduits, even after the drywall is up.  Conduit is nice that way.


How to run cable down wall near where the slope of the roof meets the ceiling?

Honestly, a foot and a half is pretty decent working space, as miserable wiring goes. Nice dry attic .vs. grotty wet crawlspace, too. Lay out some boards if I need a floor that's not there, crawl over there and be done with it - would be my approach in that case.

The general idea of drilling a hole and running a flexible rod through it works, so long as the hole will clear both the cable/rod, and the means used (generally electrical tape) to connect the cable to the rod (making the rod/cable fatter than they are "plain"). You want a good long section of tape run the long way, not a little ring at the end. If there is a connector on the cable, it's several times more difficult and you need a bigger hole. Either use two people or very short pulls (and trips to the other end to check) to be sure that the cable is not getting kinked as you pull it when you can't see the other end of the pull. If you get hanging/hinged splinters at the end of the hole, they can impede pulling in the direction opposite the direction you drilled, so use a sharp drill bit and not too much pressure. The point where the junction of rod to cable is entering the hole is the tricky part, and finesse will win over brute force 11 times out of 12.


What device can remotely close a water main?

So let's build your system.  For a remote water valve, try

https://www.fortrezz.com/water-valves/

Once you have that working, you'll need a Z-Wave controller.  I've had good luck with the SmartThings hub:

http://www.smartthings.com

And then you can just pair them and it will show up as a device you can control via the Smart Things web app.

Unfortunately it will require some pipe work.  To do it in a way that pushes the current valve back and forth would require some kind of finicky hardware, in my opinion.  I also don't have any sort of HomeKit idea on it, but this seems to be a fairly basic Z-Wave appliance so it should be fairly easy.  It also runs on 12V, it does say you can hook it up to a car battery, but I'm assuming you could jury-rig some sort of 8-cell AA-system to get it up to 12 volts.


Gas clothes dryer is venting into the crawl space

I don't like the "OMG" abbreviation and seldom  use it, but in this case OMG! It would have been bad enough to vent an electric dryer into a crawl (lint, moisture, fire danger), but to vent a gas dryer into a crawl is unconscionable. Gas dryers vent carbon monoxide. It interferes with your body's ability to transport oxygen.  If that seeps into the house it could create a myriad of problems, not the least of which is killing the occupants.

Get that thing vented properly, regardless of the cost. Risking your lives on this failed setup isn't worth it. And clean out the lint, it's a fire hazard.


Cesspool vs Septic system, what's the difference?

A septic tank has a leach field , a cesspool or the one my grandfather had was a tank that drained into the soil. Garbage disposals and high soap / cleaners flushed or in the wash water are things that plug up both systems, if the bacteria can't digest the waste or is killed off from high concentrations of chemicals etc both will fill and fail. My grandfather's was always a place you did not want to be when the wind was going the wrong way, never have that problem with a septic tank. But modern ones may discharge differently, I know cesspools are not allowed in that area unless you have 20 acre lot or larger.


The small sparks are normal with carbon brushed motors. When new as the brushes seat on the armature there may be more small sparks than normal. One way to help the brushes seat is to run the motor for a few minutes without a load, Those will help the armature and brushes to polish and seat together. There will always be small sparks as the armature rotates this is normal for brush based motors.


How to connect a 3 wire cable to a 2 wire outlet?

Yes, just cap off the wires you do not need.  Those are for future expansiom, you'll thank him later if you ever do something that needs it.


Is it okay to leave circuit on when a bad GFI has tripped?

You can leave the circuit on. The bad GFI just won't provide downstream power is all. There's no hazard there.
The GFI is bad and needs replacing. If you're OK turning the whole circuit off, you can use a screwdriver to replace this easily. The main thing you want to do is take note of which wires are on the LINE side (as in do this before you disconnect the old GFI). Mark them with tape and then disconnect the LINE side, and then the LOAD. When you hook the new GFI up, connect the LOAD and LINE just like they were in the old one. It's important you not mix them up. Beyond that, it's literally just unscrewing and screwing.


Where would the best place to drill a hole to put an electrical panal to the inside of a 20' sea container?

If it is supported in a manner that makes it accessible, through the floor.

Least chance of leaks.
Depending on your particular container's construction details, only
part that might be wood (if you miss the cross members) rather than
steel, so easier to drill.


Pine is a difficult wood to stain under the best of situations. Pine has areas of different density, color, and resin (pitch) content. Using a product like Minwax prestain helps a bit. Follow the timing instructions carefully when using a pre-treatment.  Little tips: i like to apply a liberal coat of oil based stain with a sponge brush.  Let it set a few minutes, then rub it in and evenly distribute with a lint free rag. As one rag becomes saturated with stain, I use a second drier rag to finish the rub in.  The wetter rag is great for distributing the color. You don't want any really wet stain remaining on your wood after the rub in.  Once you get to the urethane, sand lightly between each coat with 220 grit paper to remove any dust bumps. Remove all sanding dust with a slightly damp cloth, let it dry and apply next coat.  Again, I prefer a good grade sponge brush, but a good grade regular brush for oil/urethane works good for appling the urethane. Remember, thin coats, and sand between each coat.


How to remove the cap/plate/cover off this tap

See if a careful knife or razor blade might pop it off, the spring clamps could be pretty strong. If that fails to widen the gap, then it's a screw-on cap. You'll need to treat it like a faucet aerator that you don't want to scratch, by wrapping the cap with cloth, leather, rubber, plastic or even liberal tape & take big (long) pliers to it. It should be normal threads, loosen to the right.

Otherwise, I might try the shoulder sleeve below the stem...that looks removable. Not that I've seen it before, but the cap could be screwed from the inside as that stem looks quite thick.


How to fasten one end of a rope to multiple points so as to distribute load equally?

You can use a concept from rock climbing here.  There are methods of attaching to multiple anchors that are meant to distribute the load to three anchors, such as a cordalette:

You can search and find instructions for how to tie a cordalette, which might be all you need.

There are other methods that are meant to have some slip so that the load is evenly distributed between the multiple anchor points.  Here is an example:

You'll find lots of examples for this if you search for "climbing equalizing anchors" or something like that.


Any two-prong plug on any two-prong plug cable?

First, I really don't advocate splicing new plugs onto old wires unless you really know what you're doing. Many of these devices likely have UL listings, which help ensure their safety in a residential context, but which also depend on the system as a whole, unmodified.

If the device says 110-240VAC and 50/60Hz, then you can simply use a plug converter, no need to splice.


How Can I Attach a Box to an inside wall that will the hide internet router without damaging the wall?

You should have mounting holes in the back of the router.  Simply just attach something like a command strip to the wall and hang the router.  We use these for the exact purpose in our personal offices at work.


How do I fix bathroom fan which is not working?

Without actually being there, and not being able to see the wiring at each of the devices, it's difficult to be sure what's going on. But here's my best guess, based on past experience.

To make it easier, I've numbered the ungrounded (hot) conductors in the photo from left to right.

You've already established goes to a light.
Supplies power to the switches.
Likely goes to the fan.
Also goes to the fan, but since the fan doesn't have a light built in, it's likely capped off at the fan.
Probably feeds some other device, maybe a receptacle.

Why 3 and 5 are controlled by the same switch, I have no idea. Again, I can't see the room, so I have no idea what equipment you have.
If 1 and 4 are both for lights, it makes sense that a singe switch controls them.
One other thing to check, is to make sure the terminals of those switches are rated to accept more than one conductor. There should be a label on the switch that tells you what type, and how many conductors can connect.


Is it a concern that 120v cables hang down from the ceiling in my crawl space?

You can run NM cable (the official term for Romex, which is a brand name) in a crawl space either ALONG the SIDES of the floor joists, or THROUGH them (i.e. fed through drilled holes). But you cannot just staple it TO the bottom of the joists. Since that may not be an option here, the next choice is to nail small "runner" boards to the bottoms of the joists, then staple the cable to those. The cable must be protected from being grabbed or pulled. But if those cables are now too short to do that and you need to replace them anyway, I would opt to drill and pull.


How to wire a Hunter Remote Ceiling Fan (Exeter) and utilize both wall switches

That should be fine. The receiver shouldn't care or be hurt if the light kit isn't connected to it (it's the exact same situation, electrically, as not installing light bulbs or having the bulbs burned out).
Be sure to cover the light wire from the receiver securely - put one of the supplied wire nuts on it tightly, then secure with electrical tape so it doesn't fall off.
If it's not clear from the instructions which wire on the fan is for the motor and which is for the light, you could try powering each (one at a time) and the white with a cord and plug before you hang the fan. Do it before you install the blades and you won't have to worry about hitting anything if you happen to find the fan wire first.


Gas range burner won't ignite in the morning

Often the spark from the electric igniter is redirected and cannot ignite the burner gas. This could happen if there is any moisture on or near the electrode. Do you wipe down the stove in the evening, leaving it damp? Do you boil water on that burner in the evening, potentially causing dripping condensation that could be getting the area wet?

Another common cause is the gas port in the burner assembly. There is (usually) a small "pilot" port near the electrode that directs a small amount of gas to the electrode area, for easy (non-explosive) ignition. Ensure the port is free of corrosion and debris. This scenario does not seem to align with your "morning only" intermittent issue, however.


I'd have to guess that you may have installed it incorrectly, or failed to figure out what "correctly" is for your particular grinder/blade combination. I cut a lot of tile with a dry diamond blade on a grinder, and I do recall that the setup for the thin diamond blade was different than for a standard thick grinder blade, though I can't recall how it was different without the thing in front of me.


Cutting carbon-steel sheet with a sliding grinder

A right angle disk grinder with an abrasive disk will work for the task you describe. Expect to see the abrasive disk slowly reduce in diameter at first, then more quickly as it gets smaller. This is an aspect of the abrasive material sacrificing itself to move steel.
To prevent destruction of the disk, it is important for it to remain in the plane of the cut. You can purchase a tool into which your right angle grinder will clamp, providing this restraint, or you can build your own from a number of plans and instructions on the internet. I used search terms, "DIY right angle grinder cutting jig" and found too many to list.
There are variations using wood as the construction material as well as metal strap and sheet and plate. Your DIY choice obviously would be based on your skill set, tools and materials available to you. The purchase options vary in cost, yet another parameter to consider.

The image above is from a randomly selected YouTube thumbnail. Videos of different construction options are plentiful.


What is causing my light bulbs to burn out so quickly?

Both the voltage and temperature could be culprits here - many bulbs are sensitive to overvoltage.

If you are going with LED bulbs, you usually have a wider acceptable voltage range, but you should be able to get the max-voltage info before you buy.

Additionally, LED's have very low heat output, so will be just fine in the enclosures.

So I'd say the problem will be solved by getting LED bulbs (just check that max-voltage on the spec first) - these will last so much longer.

Alternatively, If you are handy with electrics, have a look at the power supply circuit and see if you can reduce the voltage. Are all the bulbs in series? If so, adding a power resistor will drop the voltage (at the expense of some heat generated across the resistor). If the bulbs are in parallel, you'd need to see if there is a voltage control on the power supply itself.


Can I add a service panel in the shed near a generator which powers a cabin?

It's interesting, the divergence in design philosophies.  On one hand, an all-gas cabin (I live in one) has very minimal electrical needs (we have 30A/120V, and what's amazing is I didn't even know that for 15 years, it just never came up until the lost-neutral incident).
So you have this off-grid home that will never have utility power, yet there's a 4/0 service line (not feeder; no ground) suitable for 225A mains service.  And no thought toward power at the shed (short of doubling back with another 12/3 UF cable or something).
It's a misfit for the property... like the contractor didn't know what to do, so just did the standard thing for a utility home.  The lack of a ground wire is especially eccentric; you have between $500 and $2000 of wire there; overlooking a $40 ground wire seems silly. Since you say it is conduit (is it all the way or just the stub-ups?) you can just add a #4 ground wire of the same metal, and at least solve that.
I would not remain loyal to any of that, since it is so confused.  I would re-think the entire thing from the ground up.
A low-key low-dollar DC system
Given the dollar I see already having been put into this, this may a little lowbrow for you: I mention it because from your stated needs, it would suffice.
Given your modest needs, a low voltage 12/24 VDC battery system may suffice.  You run an inverter only for loads which are impossible to run on 12/24 DC.  For instance lighting is readily available 12/24V.  If you look at TVs, DVRs, internet routers etc., many of those have a wall-wart that actually makes 12 volts DC - you can simply bypass the wall-wart and feed them 12V direct.  All power conversions are "vampire loads" even when they are in "standby", so avoiding an unnecessary power conversion is always a good idea.   However, a refrigerator is a must-have 120V load -- the people who have been doing off-grid for 40 years have determined that it's more cost-effective to upsize the system a bit, eat the conversion losses, and use any modern, common Energy Star fridge - the appliances are so efficient that $3000 bespoke 12/24V fridges can't beat 'em.
Your well pump obviously needs higher voltage AC power due to the long distances both to the wellhead and down the well.  (most well pumps are at the bottom). But that inverter only needs to run when you call for water.
You don't need to use cheapie lead-acid batteries that wear out after 5 years, a lithium pack with good on-board energy management is good for 15-20 years.  And for 40 year life, they still make traditional Edison Nickel-Iron batteries (which were for EVs; those were popular in the 1900 era when gas engines were really not ready for prime-time).
In this case, the 4/0 might come into play to bring low voltage solar/wind power from an array or windmill, and/or you could store the batteries at the shed instead of the house.
A midrange system
However, a much more comfortable fit would be one of the midrange off-grid systems  - not the Tesla PowerWall but vaguely similar options, possibly assembled from various quality subsystems (Morningstar, Schneider etc).  In that case you use a quality inverter that does run 24x7 and is able to support all 120V loads... and just go ahead and upsize the system to support that (smaller because quality) vampire load and conversion losses.
For topping up the large battery pack, you can use a generator, but total life-cycle ownership costs will be better on a solar array, windmill or run-of-creek micro-hydro.
If you run the generator, it can be quite small, since it only needs to meet average demand; the battery covers surge demand.  Also, you get to run the generator at a time of your choosing, and it runs near full power for the least time possible, which is optimum for both fuel efficiency and wear/tear. The engine isn't running max RPM no load on the off chance that you open a water faucet.

Speaking of that, if you've got the hills for it, think about a tank-up-high to passively pressurize your water system.  Then, you only need the pump to top up the tank, and you can do that at a time of your choosing (e.g. when batteries are full and the solar/wind system is in "dump" mode).

In this scenario, the 4/0 would serve little use, except (if you add a ground) to give you the flexibility to put the gen/battery/inverter system anywhere you please. (but I recommend all in the same place).
By the way... if the cable was direct burial and you needed a ground, just saying, Rigid conduit is an allowable ground path and it only requires 6" cover (12" under vehicle pathways). The shell alone covers the ground, leaving you an empty conduit to fit what you please. It's expensive as all getout, but you can trench it with a garden trowel lol.


I think you're being confused by the terms wet and dry. These terms are usually used to describe the condition of wood after it's cut from a tree or pressure treated, not the climate changes of the season. In your case the wood you'll be using will be pressure treated. The P.T. wood you get in home stores has been recently pressure treated and needs to dry out before it will be stable to use. Otherwise, it will warp, twist and split and ruin your project. As Harper indicated, it takes months to dry out. Once they do dry out, you can stain/ seal them and build your project and the climate changes will have little effect on them.
When I built my deck I had 25 - 5/4" x 6" x 14' planks that had just been pressure treated and were very wet. I laid them out in position on my deck joists for 6 months before screwing them down. I flipped them over often. By the time I was ready to screw them down, I needed three additional planks to make up for the shrinkage due to the drying.
One final note. You can buy wood that has been kiln dried so you don't have to dry it yourself. You just have to find a dealer in your area and be prepared for sticker shock because it's expensive.


Leaky 1/2” NPT valve with strange notches. Could they be the issue?

Since this is a German made valve perhaps it was designed for sealing with the hemp fiber and paste sealant system used in Europe.
In this video the technique is to cut notches, perhaps to engage the hemp. The pipe in this video is parallel, not tapered. Is the valve threaded tapered or parallel?
EDIT
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Standard_Pipe
Two types of threads are distinguished:

Parallel (straight) threads:
British Standard Pipe Parallel thread
(BSPP; originally also known as British Standard Pipe Fitting
thread/BSPF and British Standard Pipe Mechanical thread/BSPM), which
have a constant diameter; denoted by the letter G.
Taper threads:
British Standard Pipe Taper thread (BSPT), whose diameter increases or
decreases along the length of the thread; denoted by the letter R.

Your valve has the designation "GD1". Could this be straight threads (non-tapered)? Presumably the hose threads on the output are parallel threads so if the "G" designation does indicate parallel threads, then it may be referring to the hose threads only.


Should a buzzing circuit breaker be replaced for safety?

If you're getting noise, either the breaker is failing or the wiring is getting loose and so can vibrate.  It might be a simple as tightening the connection that holds the wire into the circuit breaker.  If this doesn't fix it then you can try replacing the breaker.

Don't play with your main panel unless you know what you're doing! :)

BTW, the circuit breaker should not trip unless there is too much current going through it. Are you in the USA? If so, your power is 120VAC. The two standard breaker ratings are 15A and 20A, which should handle 1800W and 2400W, respectively.

So unless you have other significant loads on the same circuit I would not expect the breaker to trip.


How do I install a distance power switch?

This seems like a shopping question, and so would be considered off-topic..
That said, a web search for 'extension cord switch' produced a number of off-the-shelf results that look like they will do exactly what you're looking for. Add one or two regular extension cords if necessary for added length.


What protection is needed to access the crawlspace under the house?

Unfortunately I have to work in crawl spaces a lot.  I don a cheap Tyvek jump suit/coveralls with a hood over my regular clothes. You can find them in the paint dept of Lowe's or HD for about $20.  I also wear boots, mechanics gloves and some safety glasses.  There are always some bugs, spiders, and I've met a woodchuck or two. Take a good flashlight and check ahead of you carefully to avoid any unpleasant encounters.  At least we don't have poisonous snakes in Maine!!!!!!   OMG!!!!!       Good Luck.


Replacing an on and off switch with a mechanical timer

Sometimes receptacles and switches are used to join two wires together out of convenience.  What you have is a regular switch with two terminals, but the electrician has used a push terminal and a screw terminal to join two hot (black) wires.  The push terminal and screw terminal next to it are the same electrical connection.

Lets say the top of the switch has a black wire on the screw and one in the push terminal and the bottom of the switch just has one wire in the push terminal...  To hook up the new switch, you're going to pigtail the top two wires to one terminal on the timer.  That means connecting the two black wires and a new short length of black wire with a wire nut and then connecting that short wire to the switch.  The wire currently going to the bottom of your switch will just get connected to the other terminal on the timer.


How to line / fill the ugly gap around my newly hung shed door

Part of the "ugly" aspect of your door is that the gap is not uniform. The bottom hinge gap appears much smaller than the top. Correcting that by adding shims to the bottom or re-positioning either or both hinges to accomplish even spacing on that edge.

One can hope that in so doing, the gaps elsewhere will even out. That alone should improve the appearance, perhaps not requiring gap seals.

If the internal door stop refers to a need to prevent the door from turning inward too far, a wooden strip across the door frame, inside the building, hanging down only far enough to contact the closing door will provide an internal door stop of sorts.


Can’t seem to find the C wire on the furnace in my new home

A "C" wire would have to connect into the circuit as per the the wiring nodes highlighted in the blue color as shown below. A likely place to connect in would be the BLK wire that comes out to the optional COND. UNIT CONTACTOR and to the BLEND AIR CONTROL BOX.


MyInfinity thermostat dropping connection with Carrier server

Had the same issue with the Carrier thermostat shown in the picture.  Exact same symptoms - connected to the home network, but would not stay connected to the Carrier network, could not link to weather forecasts, etc. However, had an older Carrier thermostat upstairs (on the same network) and it was working fine. Noted that the DNS settings on the troublesome thermostat looked odd so compared with the DNS settings on the working thermostat.  They didn't match so I entered the settings from the working thermostat into the troublesome thermostat.  Waited about 15-20 minutes for the new DNS settings to propagate and now it is working fine.  Not sure how it lost the DNS settings in the first place nor why they didn't get reloaded properly.


Water coming out of shower head without using the diverter

I have seen this many times where a flap of PFTE tape is covering some of the pipe creating the problem even a chunk in the diverter itself , most of the spigot and shower nipples I have installed have only been 1/2” pipe so I doubt it is the size of the pipe but an obstruction causing the issue. I might pull the spigot and slip a pice of 1/2” in and turn on and see if you still have the problem , then make sure nothing got stuck in the diverter and no excess tape is covering the ends of the threaded pieces (it could always be a bad diverter if not plugged) that’s why I would test with a clean pipe.


How to repair a drain line broken flush with a slab

The rubber couplings can be considered a temporary repair. As such they should not be partially buried in concrete.

The really correct fix here is to remove existing concrete to the point that a proper connection can be made to the existing piping that can bear up to being a permanent type fix that can be embedded in the replacement concrete.


Hot to ground is 120v but hot to neutral is 90v

Basically the neutral has current trying to return back the the transformer and is dropping voltage due to how a neutral is simply a series circuit.

When the source hot passes thru the light (as a parallel circuit), it continues out the neutral without dropping voltage.

The problem with this circuit is the neutral and hot do not originate in the same junction box and is very confusing not only DIY's but also electricians, not to mention a Code violation.


Just to follow this up - I ended up using 3/8 ply for my backer, then a sheet of azek 3/8, then 1x6 on the left and right vertical, 1x8 o nthe top and bottom which makes a nice box effect.  Then trimmed the inner box with azek scotia.

I'm not accepting this answer, since it is mine.  But everything worked out just fine.


One of those oscillating tools would be perfect for this.

But before cutting it you might want to figure out what it's for, and if you'll need it in the future.  Cutting the pipe should be fairly easy; but if you ever have to, making it longer is more difficult.


The starter is part of the ballast

So it goes with the ballast.

Changing from T12 to T8 is a good thing to do.  You have to change the ballast.

T8 ballasts are almost universally electronic ballasts, do not use starters, and use one of two wiring schemes.

Old-style ballasts that use starters use quite a different wiring scheme.

Your new ballast includes a wiring diagram, either on the label or its instructions/data sheet.  You will need to convert to this new wiring scheme.  It will not involve starters.  So there is no reason to be shopping for starters, unless (amazingly) your T8 ballast requires one, in which case you'll need to use the starter it proscribes.

Choices of ballast type

Since a starter based lamp does use preheats, that means your lampholders will be 2-wire (non-shorting).  That means you can use any modern T8 ballast (which matches your bulbs): instant-start, rapid-start or programmed-start.

Instant-start ballasts don't use the preheaters, and strike the arc with sheer brute force: a big voltage spike. This is hard on the tube, and will necessitate more frequent tube changes. (that's relevant if the tube is difficult to change).
Rapid-start ballasts do the same thing starters do; they use the pre-heater filaments before striking the arc, to ease wear and tear on the tubes.
Programmed-start ballasts preheat intelligently, actively monitoring tube conditions until the ideal arc strike. These are far easiest on the tube; the tubes can even outlast LEDs! However, this patient preheating can annoy; for instance at -20C they can take 4-5 seconds to start.

Keep in mind T8 ballasts won't feel traditional; they won't flicker at 100Hz, won't flash on and off at times, and won't perform horribly in the cold.  Also, the T8 tubes will have good clean >80 CRI light.


Can I answer your second question first? If other windows in the vicinity are trimmed, then you should probably trim these windows. If you do, you want to take styling cues from everything around, but without that information, I'd imagine that something like a simple fireplace surround with 2 extra pilasters would be nice. (Comment back if that description made no sense and I'll mock a picture.)

If you don't trim the windows, I'd put bits of chair rail up with tape and see what you think. If you like them, go for it.


There is so much wrong here it's hard to know where to start and I don't have much time tonight. So here are my initial comments:

Separate your lighting circuits from your outlets, you don't want to be in the dark if a breaker trips.  On that sized house, with LED lighting you could easily run the lighting for entire house on 2 15 amp circuits (probably one, but I'm being cautious), if not LED lighting...why not? It's a game changer.

Your supply to the base board heaters is way over kill, a 1,000 watt heater at 240 will draw just over 4 amps. A 20 amp 240v circuit can supply 3,840 watts including derating for a continuous load (240 x 20 x .8 = 3,840 watts). Lots of your heaters could be combined into fewer circuits.

In some jurisdictions, depending upon which NEC code. Dining areas (dining room, kitchen nooks, etc.) need to be on a separate circuit from other living areas.   I think that's a stupid rule, but it is what it is.

Stay away from MWBCs (what you called 3-wire) for your kitchen and appliances.  They are a total PITA when it comes to GFCI/AFCI protection.  Given current wire pricing, you don't save anything by going with 12/3 vs 2 x 12/2.

Bathrooms require a dedicated 20 amp circuit, but that doesn't mean EACH bathroom has to have it's own circuit, that circuit can be shared by multiple bathrooms, that's up to you. I do prefer for each bathroom to have it's own circuit, but that's not required by code.

I'll think more about this and probably add to this tomorrow.