Can a standard 15A receptacle outlet handle a 15A draw on each outlet simultaneously?

No can do. You can't have a 30 Amp breaker feeding 15 Amp outlets. You can run a 14/3 NM and have a MWBC with two hot legs,different legs, a neutral and a double pole 15 Amp breaker. You can pull 15 amps on each plug because being on two different legs the outlet only sees 15 amps at a time. using the same leg would put 30 amps on the outlet and that would way overload it. Naturally, this circuit will be grounded. 12/3 NB and a 20 Amp breaker would be better


Is 20 feet too long to run bathroom fan duct for 100cfm fan?

This will completely depend on the number of elbows, the size of the room being ventilated, and the power of the fan.
In general for a bathroom, you'll be looking to have an Air Change per Hour (ACH) of 8. To accomplish this, you'll have to select a fan based on the size of the bathroom, and the equivalent duct length.
Bath room size
The first thing you'll have to figure, is the size of the bathroom.  For this, simply multiply Length (ft.) * Width (ft.)* Height (ft.). This will give you the size of the room in cubic feet.
Example:
Given a room that is 10 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 8 feet tall.
Volume = Length * Width * Height
Volume = 10 ft. * 8 ft. * 8ft.
Volume = 10 * 64
Volume = 640 cu. ft.
Equivalent Duct Length
To calculate the equivalent duct length, you'll have to consider not only the length of the duct. You'll also have to know the duct construction, and number of elbows. The basic rules that apply to both 3" and 4" duct, are as follows.

Measure the length of straight duct.
If the duct is flexible aluminium, multiply the length by 1.25.
OR If the duct is flexible insulated, multiply by 1.5.
For each elbow, add 15 feet.
For each terminal (wall cap, roof jack), add 30 feet.

Example:
Given this duct:

There is 10' of straight smooth walled duct. Plus 2 elbows, and one terminal at the end.
EDL = 10' + (2 * 15') + (1 * 30')
EDL = 10' + 30' + 30'
EDL = 10' + 60'
EDL = 70'
Determine the proper sized fan
Once you've got all the information, it's time to select an appropriately sized fan.  To do this, you can use a chart like this

Using this chart, you'll find that for a 640 cu. ft. bathroom and 70 ft. of duct (equivalent length), you'll need a 110 cfm fan to achive the recommended 8 air changes per hour.


ComfortMaker GUH075 series high-efficiency (93%) furnace isn't making heat

A dirty air filter will cause that fault... not enough air flow through the heat exchanger resulting in "open high limit".
 (Embarrassed to say , I let that happen last winter).


What kind of connector do I need to connect our outside tap

The normal pipe fitting at a bib is 3/4” inch here in the U.S.
So you would want a female but that looks like a hose fitting that requires a o ring or washer to seal. The outside one would use “poly” hose that slips into the opening and locks in place but I can’t even give a guess on the size from the photo. This is a bit of a hack setup although it may work I would want proper plumbing here especially going through a wall.


My hot water boiler failed **On** - what would cause that?

Despite scouring the Internet, I didn't find the solution - the gas man came today and after describing the symptoms to him he identified it immediately:

Faulty zone valve contact switch

Basically, the sequence is as follows:

Timer turns on - sends current to thermostat
Temperature is too low - thermostat relay sends current to zone valve
Zone valve turns fully on - contact switch triggers to instruct boiler to fire up
Timer turns off or temperature reaches threshold - current no longer passed to zone valve
Zone valve turns off - But faulty return spring kept switch on instructing boiler to remain on

It turns out that these zone valves have a plastic casing, rather than a metal one, so the return spring hooks around a small plastic spur... which just snapped off.

The fix: popping in a small screw to hook the spring round

Callout charge: £90


Should a metal inline junction box on an extension cord be grounded?

If the box is metal, it should be connected to the ground conductor in the cord.

Imagine this scenario: the hot wire comes loose inside this box, and makes contact with the box itself (which is not connected to ground). You go to turn on the switch and touch the box while standing on the ground. Because the box is energized by the hot wire, and you're a path to ground, you get a shock (or worse).

The safety ground wire is designed to reduce this risk by ensuring any conductive surfaces are firmly bonded to ground. In the scenario above, if the box were grounded, a short would happen as soon as the hot wire contacted the box. This would flip your circuit breaker, so you'd know something was wrong. Way better than having the box sitting there energized -- an invisible danger just waiting for someone to touch it!

So: ground the box and ensure the ground conductor continues on past the switch. And make sure you're using a properly grounded outlet to feed this cord.


Which water heater types do you recommend?

When most people think of a water heating system, they think of a tank (40-75 gal. on average) with a heating source.  However, a robust water heating system probably shouldn't be so simple.  How you want to configure things depends on what your exact situation is, and what features you want maximized.  Some examples:

2 tank, parallel
This kind of setup gives you the storage capacity of both tanks (say, 2 x 40gal = 80gal).  But it also costs twice as much to keep running.  I can't imagine why you would do this over the next idea, but I'm sure someone has a reason.

2 tank, serial
This gives you a lot of versatility in water availability and cost.  In low demand situations, turn the first tank down or off.  Storing the water will let it come up to room temperature, usually reducing the heating requirements in the second tank.  Set tank 2 for your desired temperature.  When demand increases (say, relatives visit for a week) turn the first tank up to boost the inflow temperature.  Ultimately, both tanks at the desired output temperature will give you slightly more hot water than the capacity of both tanks combined; due to heating as water flows.

Tankless
As mentioned by others, a simple tankless heater has hidden drawbacks in demand-based activation and flow restrictions.  However, the do not heat any water unless on, so their standby energy cost is nil.  Installation can be tricky: they require costly ventilation and exhaust systems which can make them not cost-effective over their projected lifespan.  And they are difficult to tie into hot water recycling systems, if you're looking for instant-hot water at the tap.

Tank + Tankless
You're getting into the area of boilers, and options for combining things do very different things.  A pre-warm tank can improve the flow rate of a tankless heater, by reducing the required temperature rise.  A post-heat tank can alleviate the demand-based problems, but adds the cost of continual heating and complexity in cycling cooling water from the tank.

Other
As I mentioned there are thousands of potential ways to combine systems.  Gas is cheaper than electric.  Tankless doesn't have standby costs.  Tanks smooth out warm water flow.  You have to determine your situation, and what works best.

Suggestion
It may be against the TOS to talk brands, if so someone remove this or let me know.  Since we're building a house this summer I've been looking into this problem, and our contractor pointed out the Eternal brand of tankless water heaters.  They have a 2 gallon internal tank that they keep warm, which supposedly fixes the problems of demand-based activation and still costs very little for standby heat.  They integrate well with recirculation systems, and can even be combined in multi-unit setups if demand exceeds one unit.  I've not yet played with it (still building) but the concept looks great on paper.  Oh, and they have less expensive exhaust requirements as well.


Is it ok to crimp Romex to create a longer run

There are lots of devices besides wire nuts you can use to splice Romex in a junction box, but generally splices outside of a box are prohibited.  The Spliceline push in connectors, insulated crimp connectors, any of them - has to be in a box.

There is a device made for Romex repair that is used to splice Romex outside of a box, but it's in a gray area, it's listing is for use in manufactured homes.  So it's OK for use in mobile homes, modular homes, etc., but not for built in place homes.  Some disagree with that, and use these devices in any kind of building.


What could cause water to come up from the bottom (upwards) through the tundish?

Amazing it's been a month since I visited this, but I've now had four plumbers, an electrician, a drainage service company, and a previous owner of the home in to figure this out.

Fortunately, the answer lay in phoning the previous owner who was very helpful.

The outflow pipe is blocked (still) meaning that the excess water which is pumped out from the boiler, and perhaps the cylinder, can't escape to the drain. The drain is somewhere under some bricks that look as if they're cemented in, however some are loose and beneath them is a drain. Yes, you heard right, a drain under some paving.

The answer is to find this drain, which I'll find in the next couple of days, and unblock it by calling a drainage service out to use special tools to clear the pipe work. Basically when the boiler is on, the outflow pipe fills up and up until it comes back up the pipe and into the tundish overflow, leaking out all over the floor.

When in doubt, find out where your overflow goes. When you have no idea where it is, phone the previous owner.

Now I'm stuck with many plumbers bills.


Where can I find plans for building a chicken coop?

Back Yard Chickens has lots of different designs, with instructions on how to build them.

While you're there, you can even get some recipes for cooking your chickens (if you ever get tired of taking care of them, or get really hard up for cash).


Can I replace tungsten-halogen lamps with an LED version?

These types of lights range in voltage from 6V to 120V depending on the fixture.
The voltage & wattage should be stamped on the glass.
These lamps usually create a large amount of heat if you install them with fingers the oil from your skin will severely reduce the bulb life.
If they come in a plastic wrapper cut the end off and install the bulb only touching the plastic, if they come loose use a tissue or paper towel to hold the bulb and install it.
This may extend your bulb life. Also if they can be put on a dimmer just slightly dropping the voltage can double the life for the 120V models.
here is an LED replacement for 120V


Well you have 1 circuit in and one out (or a ring) to connect the light connect both browns to the reds, both blues to the neutrals and the green yellow to the earth. This should get you hooked up correctly.


The drawing looks good to me except that I would let the washer drain into the laundry tub since I do not believe the washer drain can pump it's water up-hill. Also, if that drain box is open on top,  the pump may over power the rest of the drain piping and spill over flooding the basement.


Is there something like a power switch that I can control from a computer?

There is a whole world of home automation products that are designed to be computer controlled. Search for "Smart Switch" and you will be overwhelmed with choices and dismayed at the confusing array of options.

Some can be controlled directly over WiFi, others require a "hub" which your computer talks to that then relays the command to the switch.

Buying guides are strictly off-limits here at SE, and a tutorial on HA is way beyond my capabilities and what would fit into an answer box. However, just a little bit of searching will also help you find the various pieces of software available to control the switches and, in many cases, the APIs to allow you to write your own code to do so if that's what's necessary for your use case.


Does a ceiling fan have to have a wall switch

In your case you are fine. The switched receptacle covers NEC Article 210.70(1). If you feel you would still want a switch at the entrance you can always install a wireless control device.

Reference: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Universal-Wall-Mount-Ceiling-Fan-Control-99111/203690000

Good luck


2004 conventional water heater in garage

The rust you are seeing is to the outer casing.  There is a tank inside that.  Check to see if there is any moisture where the rust is, this would indicate a tank leak, which is non-repairable.  If it is dry, leave it be until it starts to leak.


Setting your AC to a higher temperature will at the very least use no more electricity than setting it to a lower temperature. In most cases, it will use less electricity, and how much less depends on how much higher you set it.

In your situation with the inside temp at 80, if the outside temp is 77 and you set the AC to 77, it will run to cool the house from 80 to 77. At that point, it may or may not run, depending on how fast the inside of your house warms up. Temperature, insulation, wind, and other factors determine how quickly your house loses its conditioned air, and therefore how often the AC needs to run to maintain the set point.

If you instead set the AC to 80, it will only run if the inside temp gets above 80. With an outside temperature of 77, that really can't happen (yes, there can be some heat released from the roof and other structure, but that heat will be there regardless of what you set the AC to).

Note that none of this takes into consideration your comfort. 77 and humid may be much less comfortable than 80 and dry.


How to heat proof aluminium windows, prevent heat from entering?

There is not a lot you can do here, to be honest, short of replacing the windows with ones better suited for your climate. Painting or covering the exterior with something of any color other than brilliant white may make things worse since shiny aluminum is reflective and is already rejecting some of the heat, and such coatings may not last.

Planting some shade trees or installing awnings to block the sun may be easier, cheaper, more effective alternatives.


Can I use 12 awg ground copper for 14 awg electrical box wirings?

Should be fine. If it's just pigtails in the box it won't even affect your fill, IIRC. If you are running 12Ga ground wire (not just in-box pigtails) you do have to allow for it in box volume calculations, but it would rarely cause a problem since the equipment grounding conductor is only counted once for box fill.


What to do with the wires when removing baseboard heaters

The code is more concerned with wires you can access and remove. A good example would be a drop ceiling grid.

In your case if you do not have that ability then yes just snipping off the wires will suffice.  As an extra precaution stager the cut ends and tape off the ends with electrical tape.

Then remove them completely from the panel as to prevent any unforeseen reconnects.  If you are uncomfortable with working in your panel this way I would suggest hiring a licensed electrician.


Curious "open ground" when using testers in series

The way those cheap 3-lamp testers work, they can't possibly be interacting with one another.  If they are acting that way, then either they are pieces of junk (Made in China?) or they have exposed a wiring problem.

There is also no benefit whatsoever to using two such testers at the same time.  Test one outlet... Then test another.

Keep in mind 3-light testers are just "idiot lights" only slightly more useful than the Magic 8-Ball, and fail to detect a wide variety of faults.   You've seen neon testers with two test probes; think of a 3-light tester as three of those.

hot-to-neutral (yellow, the one that is on for "open ground")
hot-to-ground (yellow, the one that is on for "open neutral")
neutral-to-ground (red)


Should I have cavity wall insulation installed?

You should always be careful with contractors who seem to be out to make a quick buck. And you should certainly raise your questions with them when you meet them, and make sure you get an answer you are comfortable with. If you are dealing with a government- or utility-subsidized energy efficiency program, you may still have a choice of contractors. And the subsidy program may itself provide some inspection services which can help to keep the contractors in line.

We considered and performed similar energy efficiency upgrades in our home, a 120-year-old wood frame house near Boston. We received bids from two companies, both using the statewide utility subsidy program. The bids included blown cellulose cavity insulation and air sealing. The bids were similarly priced. We ended up going with the company that seemed easier to deal with and more competent in assembling the bid. They in turn used a subcontractor to do the work, and they did good work (probably because they knew to expect a strict inspection afterwards).

The blown cellulose was installed in wall cavities and attic floor. No vapor barrier was added, as this would require tearing out the walls.

The insulation made a noticeable difference in comfort and heating costs the next winter. I agree with you there is some risk of additional damage if moisture gets into the walls; there isn't a nice empty cavity behind the wall to help any leaked water evaporate. This likely means you have to keep a closer eye on your roof and walls, check your attic yearly, and ensure you don't have even a small leak. However, blown-in cellulose insulation is widely used and recommended, so the risk is (probably) small.


How can I vent a portable air conditioner when there's no window?

Do you have a budget in mind for adding the ac? You can use a water-cooled unit, but plan to spend $1500 and up. These units can be hooked up to a water supply (sink, garden hose, etc.) and drained back to a sink, outside, or wherever is available.

The heat from the air is transferred to the water - much like a geothermal ac or heat pump works. We use these a lot in restaurant food storage rooms and for portable ac's at public events.

The so-called vent-less ac units work by dripping cool water over a screen in front of a fan. The humidity becomes unbearable and people will feel very uncomfortable quickly. Avoid these systems entirely.


Some times tightening the screw helps un stick it.I don't mean turning it a full quarter tighten but use some force. If you hear it click/budge a bit- Spray WD-40 on it then untighten it, spray WD-40(only a short spray-don't drown it), repeat over and over and the distance will get larger and larger and eventually you will be able to unscrew with ease.

By the way- Do not use a flat screwdriver. Get a spanner that fits snug on that bolt - you will get it loose very quick with that.
To avoid this problem in the future- spend a few bux more and get stainless steel bolts/screws. Galvanized are OK- but some cheap ones rust anyway after a year or two.


Power to light then out to outlet and switch wiring question

Sure you could use the hot, neutral and ground from the 2nd light or the first to power your switched receptacle and pull the wire to wherever you want the receptacle.


If you want detailed evaluation and estimate, get a contactor in and (probably) pay for that analysis. In this situation you want them to tell you what the worst case is likely to be, so you can decide if you are still interested and for use as a negotiation tool if you are. ("It's going to cost at least $XXXX to fix this, possibly $XXXXX. Unless you knock that much off the price, the deal is off.")

Personally, this sounds like more trouble than I would invest further in, and I'd cite the termite report and walk away now, unless the price more than makes up for this.

Be careful what you commit yourself to.
I'm reminded of a neighbor's house which they bought as a fixer-upper, only to discover that it was off the foundation and had a cracked main beam. Nobody was willing to touch either for fear that the other would let go. In the end their least expensive option was to demolish and build from scratch.


Is it normal to see moisture inside my solar panels?

It isn't normal in the sense that it's normal operating procedure. It can be normal in the sense that it does happen as it is hard to keep moisture out over the long term.

That is the answer to your specific question and I wonder if you more want to know if you should or need to do something about it or can stop worrying about it.

You do need to do something about it. My understanding is that moisture degrades performance, can cause electrical issues or corrosion, and can shorten the overall lifespan of the panel. Moving forward, I suggest contacting either your installer or the manufacturer to discuss the situation and what to do about it, and who pays for it. Also I suggest reviewing your installation contract about warranty and service.


How can I trace water pipes and the water flow under the ground?

Here is what I would do to locate that plastic pipe under ground - I would disconnect it at your garage box, I would then insert a copper, aluminum wire of sufficient gauge to be able to feed into the pipe with out it curling up on you or you could run Electricians steel 'Fish Tape' .

At this point use a metal detector - you can buy them for about $100 - $200 U.S.

Now using the metal detector you can plot where that Plastic Pipe is located ..Very easily..

Booyah!!..


Tub Faucet Handle goes back too far when turned off

You need to have a plumber's wrench/plyer to hold the nut below the sink, and a helper to hold/adjust the handle into the correct position.


Would it be a bad idea to use two air filters?

In my area most duct systems are too restrictive as it is. Adding an extra filter would make them more so unless the other filter was removed and the new one was less restrictive. Problems could include AC icing and furnace overheating. As always you can try it and see.


Is my water meter or prv causing whine, and how do I fix it?

Normally PRV valves take a few seconds to get to the position that is needed to keep the pressure at the set point, I would suggest this is the source of the wine or squeal the water meter if you listen has a little shuttle that goes back and forth the more water that is used the faster it goes back and forth. A PRV has a diaphragm that is spring loaded that controls the actual valve, in some cases the wine or squeal is caused because how far the valve is opened and the fast water flowing through the chambers cause the wine, in other cases at the low flow side a similar thing can happen at a very low flow as far as noise. In the case of low flow it is the valve trying to close and open very slightly this is not normally as loud but the PRV is much more likely to be the cause.


Is it better to run one large load or multiple small loads to extend life of bearing?

Bearings tend to wear out as a result of repeated cyclical loads.  As a rule of thumb, based on fatigue failure of metals:

The damage done by a single cycle of a load is proportional to the load raised to the power of 3 or 3.3.  When the total of the damage done reaches some threshold, the part will fail.  The threshold cannot quite be predicted in advance.  For example:

If a bearing can handle 1,000,000 cycles of a 5 pound-force load, it can handle
100,000 cycles of a 10 pound-force load, or
50,000 cycles of a 10 pound-force load plus 500,000 cycles of a 5 pound-force load, or
10,000 cycles of a 20 pound-force load, or
1,000 cycles of an 40 pound-force load, or
250,000 cycles of a 5 pound-force load, 25,000 cycles of a 10 pound-force load, 2,500 cycles of a 20 pound-force load, and 250 cycles of a 40 pound-force load.

Each time the bearing turns while subject to an eccentric load counts as a "cycle".  Thus, washing one load of clothes can cause hundreds of cycles of damage to the bearings.

The Timken Engineering Manual has more details.


Electrical Outlets not working after pressure-washing the house

The problem may still be at the outdoor outlet

It's not unusual for the breaker to fail to trip.  It detects excessive current only (or GFCI or AFCI if equipped), it is not a detector-all.

You will probably need to turn off the breaker and take a closer look at the outside receptacle.  It needs to be inspected due to its role in the circuit.   If it is a GFCI receptacle, it is very easy to hook up LINE and LOAD incorrectly, causing it and everything downline to go dead.  (hook up LINE only; make sure the GFCI works fully; then hook up LOAD if you want that particular feature).

Is the outdoor outlet a GFCI?

From your description, this outside receptacle feeds the bathroom.  It's quite possible it is a GFCI receptacle, since GFCI protection is now required for outside receptacles, and a GFCI receptacle is one way to do that.  That would be important because GFCI receptacles can protect downline loads (which you say your bathroom is).  Bathroom receptacles need GFCI more than any other location, so it's quite possible this outdoor GFCI is set up to protect your bathroom sockets. It could be as simple as resetting this outdoor GFCI, which may have been tripped by the power wash.

However, having your bathroom GFCI device outdoors is inconvenient at best. If this is a GFCI, you might want to attach the onward wires to the LINE terminals, not use LOAD at all, and get another GFCI receptacle to protect the bathroom.


Video / audio ground on ungrounded equipment

Relax. There really isn't a problem here.

Don't confuse signal ground with safety ground. For these signals, what matters is shared signal ground, and with RCA cables that's provided by the cable shielding. In fact there are good reasons for NOT having signal ground tied to safety ground.

Safety ground is generally not needed in nonportable electronic equipment for the same reason it isn't needed in small electrical appliances outside the bath or shower: they're generally safe by design unless you do something foolish like pouring water into them or running them with the box open. Hence, a two-wire plug is fine.

Similarly, "backward" connection is pretty much irrelevant. The AC is going to a transformer, and the tranformer's output runs the rest of the device. Transformers don't care which way the plug is flipped. the only difference that makes is whether turning off the switch leaves the transformer hot or not, and unless you have the box open that makes zero difference.

Everything is designed correctly. Your mother-in-law is safe.


What framing is needed for swinging closet doors?

You usually start with the current opening (if finished)  and pick a standard door size, add in for gaps (3 gaps: Left hinge, right hinge and center).

Typical gap sizes would be 1/8 on either side and 3/16 in the middle

If the opening is currently drywall, the corner beads would be removed and a wooden jamb is installed left, top and bottom.  Casing molding is installed over the jamb to cover the gap between the jamb and the original opening.

Roller catches at the top center are nice, because there is not a usual single door strike plate

You have a choice of door handles (which will need wider stiles) or cabinet pulls,


How much extra decking to order to allow for offcuts

Ordinarily, I'd get 10% extra for a job like you describe. Given the custom setup, I'd seriously consider 15%, and maybe maybe if it wasn't outrageously cost-prohibitive, going for 20%. Splits, knots, and if you live in my world, mis-cuts happen. It would break my heart to have to go back for one more stick...

Plus, if you get way too much, then you'll have the fun of figuring out a project on which to use the scrap. Bench seating? Table? Quadcopter? (Okay, maybe not the last...)


First advise is not to use any "sealer" on window frames. Paint won't normally adhere well to wood sealers.  If possible, I like oil based exterior primer, even two coats so your frames are well covered.  The you can use any good latex exterior trim paint.  Remember, prep is very important, and you cannot use oil based primer over any latex, so if you have latex, you must use latex primer or BIN's Bullseye pigmented shellac.


"hot/ground reversed" is troubling. If there is no GFCI protecting that outlet it would mean that any grounded appliance plugged into it becomes hot and will shock you if you brushed against it.

I would gander you need to trace the wires and make sure some joker didn't cross connect the hot and ground wires. On every outlet on the branch double check each wire coming in and going out whether it is hot neutral or ground. Then if that doesn't reveal the evil-doer then do continuity checks on the wires to make sure the wire that's black stays black while it travels through the wall.


Can I repair this crack in my sprinkler backflow preventer?

It's a fairly standard quarter turn ball valve, for permanent repair, take the union loose, remove the valve and replace with like.

No patch you can apply will properly seal against expansion propagating through the patch material or breaking the patch material off eventually. Any moisture underneath the patch allowed to freeze will spall it off of the casting. Water pressure under the material tends to work it off akin to how the pressure in a blister separates the skin layers.

About the only thing I would recommend for patching is MarineTex which is a super duty industrial Marine Epoxy made for use on water containing castings in damp environments. You will have to sand the area to remove casting skin, extending the area beside and well beyond the crack, clean the surface thoroughly with MEK or Acetone and then mix up and apply the MarineTex per directions.


Rewiring a boiler’s c wire for a smart thermostat

As it turns out, C is staring you in the face
As it turns out, the transformer is sitting right in the middle of your photos, and by matching the wiring diagrams from your boiler's installation manual to the wiring in your photo, we can determine that the C terminal on your transformer is the one with the white, black, and striped wires connected to it.  So, you can attach the spare blue wire from your brown thermostat cable to the C terminal on your transformer and use that as your C wire.


You have a short in your wiring

Somewhere in the wiring for your HVAC system, Rc has shorted to Y.  Find the short and fix it (using electrical tape to insulate the shorted wires will work for now given that it's a low voltage system), and the problem should go away.


In this plumbing code illustration, what are the meanings of "SH" "WC" "BT" "LAV", etc?

Shamefully stolen from ArchToolbox's webpage of Plumbing and Fire Protection Abbreviations.
This is a link to that page.

... found by using google to search for these 6 terms: wc sh lav bt plumbing acronyms.
This is a link to that google search.

AP    Access Panel                    HW    Hot Water
BT    Bath Tub                        HWR   Hot Water Return
BWV   Back Water Valve                HWS   Hot Water Supply
CFH   Cubic Feet per Hour             ID    Inside Diameter
CFM   Cubic Feet per Minute           INV   Invert
CI    Cast Iron                       IW    Indirect Waste
CLDI  Cement Lined Ductile Iron       MECH  Mechanical
CO    Cleanout                        MSB   Mop Service Basin
CONC  Concrete                        NC    Normally Closed
CP    Chrome Plated                   NO    Normally Open
CTE   Connect to Existing             OD    Outside Diameter
CW    Cold Water                      OED   Open End Drain
CWR   Cold Water Return               PIV   Post Indicator Valve
CWS   Cold Water Supply               PLBG  Plumbing
DCVA  Double Check Valve Assembly     PSI   Pounds per Square Inch
DF    Drinking Fountain               RPBP  Reduced Pressure Backflow Preventer
DIA   Diameter                        SA    Shock Absorber
EL    Elevation                       SH    Shower
ELEV  Elevation                       SHWR  Shower
EWC   Electrical Water Cooler         SK    Sink
FCO   Floor Cleanout                  SS    Soil Stack, Stainless Steel
FEC   Fire Extinguisher Cabinet       TLT   Toilet
FHV   Fire Hose Valve                 TS    Tamper Switch
FLR   Floor                           TW    Tempered Water
FP    Fire Protection                 TYP   Typical
FS    Flow Switch                     U     Urinal
FT    Foot or Feet                    V     Vent
FV    Flush Valve                     VB    Vacuum Breaker
GALV  Galvanized                      VS    Vent Stack
GI    Grease Interceptor              VTR   Vent Through Roof
GPF   Gallons per Flush               W     Waste
GPM   Gallons per Minute              WC    Water Closet (Toilet)
HC    Handicapped                     WS    Waste Stack


How do I split a 60-amp subpanel into 3 20-amp circuits?

6 AWG copper wire (x4) for a run less than 75ft., 4 AWG copper wire (x4) for runs less than 150ft.

You can pull individual conductors through conduit, or use underground feeder cable (Type UF).  Individual conductors will have to be rated for wet locations, so you'd likely use THWN.

Since it's a secondary panel, you'll need to run a grounding conductor.  If you're pulling conductors through conduit, you'll want a white grounded (neutral), green or bare grounding, and two colored ungrounded (hot) conductors (black and red are common for hot conductors).

You'll use individual branch circuit breakers in the panel, to divide into smaller (15-20 ampere) branch circuits.

You'll also have to isolate the neutral bar in the panel, so that it's not bonded to ground. Which likely means removing a jumper between the grounding and neutral bars.


What are these light marks on my new (unfinished) oak counter tops?

Quarter sawn oak has those rays. They aren't a defect nor will they go away.

This figure was prized by early Craftsman builders.


Horizontal blocking behind cement board necessary on edges(wonderlite specifically)

If the framing is 16" on center or closer where the 2 long edges meet on the larger wall, I have never added any blocking. If the centers are 24", that is a bit of a stretch and needs to be blocked. I am presuming the narrow end walls are not an issue, since the sheet will go in vertically, and the seam will be above any reason to need blocking.


I would not weaken your legs by drilling huge two inch holes in them. Instead you could consider the leg attachment scheme as shown below. A heavy duty lag/stud bolt is screwed into the table leg. The upper inside corner of the 4x4 leg can be cut at a 45 degree angle as shown below to make it easier to drill the lag bolt into the leg.

The skirt boards that go between the legs are notched and an angled cross member is glued and screwed into the inside face of the skirt boards. The angle cut on the inner corner of the leg can also allow the cross member to get closer to the leg and be a shorter piece. A shorter cross piece will have less chance to flex. When a hex nut and washer are installed onto the threaded end of the stud an extremely strong leg attachment is created. Obviously the width of the skirt boards (top to bottom dimension) can be increased to as much as possible to increase stability of the leg attachment. In fact if the skirt board is wide enough it is possible to even use two lag bolts into the leg for even more strength.


If I only want to pressurise central heating not hot water should I get a regular boiler or system boiler

I was in the boiler business for 40 ears and am having a hard time understanding your question. Here in the USA we almost always, install pressurized hot water heating systems. I do not understand the terms you are using, "system boiler' or "regular boiler". You also said that your system is a regular open-vented system. We had systems we call open or vented long before I started in the profession; (the expansion tank was an open and vented tank, mounted at the high point of the system with a drain line that ran to the basement). Sometimes, it is hard to explain what we each see when different countries explain things differently. No offense intended.


How do I tell if a light switch is live?

Head down to the local hardware store, and pick up a non-contact voltage tester (any brand will do).

Carefully remove the cover plate from the switch, and move the tester near each wire (you won't have to touch the wires, just get near them).  If you hear a beep and/or the light turns on, the circuit is hot.

If the circuit is dead
If the circuit is not hot, you still will not be able to cover the box completely. You'll either have to remove the box and all wires leading to it, or cover the box using a blank cover plate.

If you decide to use a blank plate, you can wallpaper the plate itself (while not attached to the wall). This will help it blend into the wall, and all but disappear.
If the circuit is live
If the circuit is still hot, you'll have to trace the circuit back to the point of origin and disconnect it.  In most cases a light will not be the only thing on a circuit, so it probably will not be as easy as removing a single circuit breaker. You'll likely want to contact an Electrician to disconnect the wires, and remove the circuit in this situation.


How do I drill through a metal screw in my cabinet doors?

I wouldn't recommend the glue on idea.  I would relocate the knobs slightly.


If the faucets throughout the rest of the home are fine, then just unscrew the cap at the end of the faucet. Within it is an aerator - basically a metal and plastic filter that also slows the water down. You've probably gotten a bit of something from within the pipes stuck in it. Typically they just pop open and can be cleaned out with a toothpick or such, but you can also soak it in vinegar for an hour to eat away the junk from within it.

Once it's clean, screw it back in and you should be fine. (If this was the cause)


What kind of tub spout connector is this?

I don’t know the brand but a plumber is not needed you could do it with a 45$ torch if you don’t have one.
I would pull the o ring and heat the end with a torch using players to hold the outer brass (yellow metal), make Sure to put some wet towels down as you slip the fitting off you don’t want the hot solder to damage the tub.  I like mapp Gas torches over propane they get hotter and make removal of sweated parts easier. Mapp has is the yellow bottle, my torch can use both types some built for propane can’t handle the higher heat of mapp gas. Then a new spigot for copper pipe could be installed.


Fire rated cap for recessed lighting can

After much wrangling, the inspector provided a suggestion that worked.

He indicated that the below fire hats can be folded and inserted through the 6 inch hole.

http://www.tenmatusa.com/insulation-protection-covers/ff130e-recessed-light-draft-stop-cover/

Then get the can in place and we are all set.

I now have approval and final inspection done


I like the "tilecoach" you tube method.  Foam backerboard (hydroban, keri board, wedi).
In your case where you already have the concrete board up, I'd use kerdi membrane or a different fleece membrane.
I don't trust the roll on water proofing.  You are relying on proper film thickness.  Fleece membrane is just so much more durable and fool proof.
For the kerdi system you'd use unmodified thinset and kerdi band on seams - no silicone.


Vapor and moisture barrier for "above ground" basement

You can put a vapor/moisture barrier up over rigid foam.  A lot of new construction in the far north has this as a default.  The idea is that you frame right outside of that.  In that framing you are allotting a cavity to which moisture can move and evaporate.

Now if you are putting rockwool or other types of insulation in your framing then no you do not use a moisture barrier.  This would in essence trap water which will condensate on the plastic and promote mold growth on drywall.  I am not that smart this is just doing a lot of basements and reading the Building Science reports that are out there for the past 5-6 years.


The paint can be saved. Carefully remove all the skin because it will show up on the painted surfaces if you don't. Stir the paint and you're good to go.


14ft Ceiling beam sagging 5/8" - what to do?

Without destructive removal of finishes, it is impossible to know if it is a problem because the deflection of 0.625" (5/8") on a span of 14'-0" is less than the maximum allowable deflection (length/240) that has been typical in most US building codes for many years.

The reality is that describing construction as 'meeting the code' sets the bar at the worst building the law will allow. As a practical matter, this means that floors in residences often 'bounce' and that deflection becomes visible as spans increase. However, so long as the construction meets code minimums, it does not mean that the building is unsafe.

I am:

not saying the building is safe.
not saying the building is unsafe.

The proper way to determine the safety is to have a Professional Engineer investigate actual conditions on the site. This is really beyond the skill of a home inspector - their job is to say "the beam is sagging".


What's the best way to keep humidity down in crawl space?

An alternate method avoiding high electricity bills and the necessary water drain for the dehumidifier: Installing a fan of an old PC at the Luv side, connected to a small power supply from an old phone or similar and a timer. If the fan runs only in the night, it pushes in statistically colder and dryer air. In 1 or 2 weeks the space will be much dryer.


Are replacement kitchen sprayers fairly interchangeable?

For the most part hardware stores will carry universal side sprayers, that can be used to replace broken sprayers from nearly all manufacturers.  You might come across a proprietary side sprayer from time to time, but chances are a universal replacement will work.  You may not find a sprayer that matches the look and design of the broken sprayer exactly, but a replacement should attach and function without problems.

Keep in mind, this only applies to side sprays.

If you break the pull down sprayer, you'll likely have to get a replacement from the manufacturer.


I’d consider plastic furring strips. Contact a company that makes plastic planks, (i.e.: for park benches, etc.) You can cut and shape the planks to any size, it’s rot-proof, and is not susceptible to expansion and contraction.


Cleaning up very old oak and other hardwood roof beams

You have a pile of wood that needs to be turned back into lumber.

As they are to be structural, the beams should be resawn until there are no "rough bits" left. Digging the rot out of a beam makes that beam no thicker than its narrowest point; a weak link. The whole beam should be resawn to its narrowest dimension where there's rot. Effectively, that's how thick it is anyway.

Whatever tools you use should say nail embedded wood, or just use metal cutting blades. Sanding nail embedded wood just takes a lot of paper and patience. A quick once over with a standard grinding wheel might save you a lot of paper. Pull or set as many nails as possible.

What you're asking for, which I do not suggest, is probably (diamond) granite grinding wheels. They're liable to catch on a nail and make for a really bad day.

I would suggest trying a grinding bit for drills, a grindstone bit that will turn your drill into a gigantic Dremel tool. Again, make sure that what you're left with is acceptable structurally, at its narrowest point.

If you want to preserve that old look and not re-saw them, consider sand blasting them. IMO, re-sawing or blasting is the only way to really see what you're dealing with (without wasting a lot of time and paper), especially if they're as bad as you say they are.

An expensive option is to have them professionally planed. I say professionally (expensive) because you would ruin yours, and they will charge you for a blade replacement on theirs, regardless of its condition afterwards.


If you have two colored leads and one green then it does not matter which place the red goes and which place the black goes.  They are interchangeable. The green or 'bare' wire is not interchangeable with either of the colored leads. The Green must be the ground and it goes between the container of the disconnect to the body of the condenser.  No place else. The colored leads well interchangeably go between the two pole fuse block or the two pole breaker in the disconnect and land on the two pole contactor in the condenser.


Drought-Resistant Lawn/Turf Recommendation For Area Above Septic

Sorry, I can't help you with the type of grass. But I do have some suggestions that will work with any type.

Don't just leave it dirt. Improve the dirt. Add compost to the soil. If necessary, have the compost roto-tilled in.

Organic matter helps the soil to retain moisture. Periodically aerate the soil (yearly is a good idea if you can do so. A pull-behind aerator is not that expensive if you have a small tractor, and well worth the expense.) After each aeration, add more compost on the surface. Grass with a deep, robust root system can survive a period of no water for longer than otherwise.

You may also find it a good idea to check your soil for problems. Is it heavy clay? Sand? Are there problem trees in the area, like walnut? Is the soil too acidic?


Repair asphalt driveway damaged by transmission fluid leak

With a diamond blade on a gasoline powered saw you could remove a neat square out of the pavement, and then fill with fresh concrete and/or asphalt. Such saws can usually be rented.


Is it a hazard to use spray foam around baseboard heater pipe?

Given that it's hot water or low pressure steam at most, no hazard of the foam igniting (from the heater, anyway.)

Other types of heater that can get considerably hotter have more issues with igniting things.


I am going out on a limb here, but I think I understand what it means.

A cubic foot of concrete weighs 145 lbs. Therefore its deadload is the same, as part of a component of a building that an engineer needs to consider how strong a particular part may need to be to hold up over time.
In this case, for concrete, the unit of measure is cubic feet. If the material was 2X framing, then the unit of measure for the deadload would be by the foot for each dimension of lumber, 2X4, or 2X6 or 2X8 and so forth. With plywood, the unit of measure would be square feet. It would also be adjusted for the various thickness of each plywood thickness available.
So in a nutshell, each building component or part has its own unit of measure, therefore, its own unit of dead weight.


Hairline cracking in section of painted interior wall

That's exactly what happens when painting over remnant wallpaper paste. Or, if a white glue was used on a wall repair.

The only remedy is to scrape the offensive stuff off, wipe several times with a wet sponge...until no longer slippery and re-prime/paint.

A skin-thin application of Spackle/plasterboard compound can restore the scraped areas to paint elevation beautifully before re-priming/painting.


What type of paint can be used over oil-based primer?

If we're talking about a "modern" oil-base like Kilz or Cover Stain, I'd say you're on the right track. Oil-based primer offers the best adhesion for your paint.

  My kitchen gets very steamy a lot.

My bet is you have a flat latex paint on the walls. I would repaint with a semi-gloss enamel (can be latex). The semi-gloss will resist the moisture better than flat paint.


With Daisy chained outlets not working it is usually the first non working outlet or the last working outlet on that circuit that has the bad connection. This problem is usually caused by the back stab terminals failing or a broken wire. The circuit needs to be identified and turned off for safety. Remove the working outlet from the box on this one you are looking for a loose, broken wire that feeds the other outlets. With back stabs sometimes pulling the outlet will temporally re connect the bad connection if this happens the outlet needs to be replaced. If the last working outlet is not the problem go to the first non working outlet looking for the same issue but on the feed to the outlet. if a wire pulls out of the stab that outlet really needs to be replaced, If the wire is broken strip the wire and repair the connection. This method has solved almost all the failed outlets similar to yours I have been called for.


Only time will tell. You could bring in a consultant for a more informed opinion, but it will be still be just an opinion. If there is no other source of ground water and the run-off was adequately managed, it will eventually dry out. It's possible to drill a small, shallow monitor well to determine if there's a shallow water table problem. If there's any water at all, by monitoring over a period of time, it can be determined if it's accumulation slowly draining off or something more permanent that needs to be addressed.


Hardwood, especially nailed to subfloor (especially a thinner subfloor) is probably the noisiest type of flooring you can have for sound reverberations to a basement.

Also you have a construction in your basement that is causing two echo zones, the drop ceiling and the unfinished parts.

Going from easiest/least expensive to hardest/most expensive you can...

Staple bats in between joists - even in unfinished.
After stapling in bats buy some longer batted sound rated insulation to sit on top of ceiling tiles.   Never blown in on ceiling tiles.   Just absolute mess.
Make sure unfinished has carpeting/rugs in most places.
Finish your ceiling (drywall).
Put carpet pad and carpet over existing hardwood.
Put down an extra 1/2" of subfloor, concrete board, and tile everything.   Note that this isn't as costly as it seems until you factor in having to redo all trim and doors in the first floor.
Put down an extra 1/2" of subfloor and put in floating hardwood with a good pad.

The tile plus insulation/drywall the ceiling is going to be the most quiet by far.   My basement is pretty quiet except for the jumping or loud drops with floating hardwood plust insulated/finished ceiling.   If I went with a softer hardwood like cork it might be quieter but with hardwood you are not dispersing the "jumping sound" as good as tile.


When installing two layers of subfloor, is it okay to secure both layers to joists?

That's the usual approach. Almost no one puts down double-thick subfloor in residential applications (for cost and handling reasons), and both layers need to be fastened to joists. Only thin underlayment can be fastened just to the subfloor.
I'm not sure what your question about tile means. Subfloor can and should be fastened to joists regardless.
You can probably use a sparser fastener schedule on the first layer, then go whole-hog on the top layer. That would require adequate penetration into the joists, of course.


How do I remove hard deposits from my glass shower door?

Try using straight vinegar, right from a spray bottle.  It may work better if it's heated first.  Then try wiping with a used dryer sheet.

If that doesn't work, then you'll probably have to resort to something like CLR, at least for the initial cleaning.


What Wire Size & Type for Lennox Split-System AC?

Their specification of 12 AWG wire would be fine if the run was a lot shorter, and if you never foresaw upgrading to a bigger unit.

It squeaks under the 16A limit for continuous loads on a 20A circuit.

As such, I would use 10 AWG copper wire, as it is the industry standard for runs to an outside compressor unit (i.e. A bigger unit), and it will assure your electricity dollar goes to run the compressor rather than heating up 12 AWG wire.

I would then use a 20A circuit breaker.   A 30A would be allowed on 10 AWG wire, however the instructions prohibit this and seem to advise a 20A or at maximum a 25A breaker.   Listing, labeling and instructions must be followed; the electrical code requires this.


How do you properly clean hardwood floors?

If you use cleaners like Mop & Glo or Orange Glo on your floors than
  yes you will get a cloudy white film build up. The reason being is
  that these products have oils in them, that when used over and over
  again will build up and take away the shine.  Answer

  Yes it can be too much of a build-up or simply the type of product you
  are using. Go a hardwood dealership and ask them what you can do about
  this as there are special products for cleaning hardwood floors.

Source


Analog multimeter won't calibrate to zero

I assume, since it has a zero-ohms adjustment at all, that this is an analog multimeter (one with a physical moving needle). In which case, you should try replacing the internal batteries. They are used only in resistance mode (so everything else will work), and if they are weak they will not be able to produce enough current to move the needle to full scale, which is what you are seeing.

Many meters do not have separate battery compartment doors. If you do not see one, try removing the entire back cover (if there are obvious screws with which to do so). You may also find fuses, which would need to be replaced if the current mode of the meter is not working.

The above advice is for the zero ohms point which is at the far-right end of the scale. The left-end zero in other modes — where the needle rests when no connection is made — should be adjusted using the screw or knob on the face of the meter at the pivot point of the needle. This is a mechanical adjustment of the return spring. If turning it has no effect, then the meter may be damaged, or the linkage between the adjustment screw and internal parts may have become disconnected in which case careful disassembly and reassembly may fix it.


Should I actively circulate air into conditioned attic?

Here’s an interesting article on this subject by Joe Lstiburek of Building Sciences.  In short, he says there has to be air circulation between the house and the attic in order to remove moisture from the attic.  In older installations, leaky ducting in the attic provided enough circulation.  In newer installations, ducting is often so well sealed that moisture is not removed from the attic and can lead to problems.

His recommended solution is to provide HVAC inlets and outlets in the attic which provide about 50 sfm per 1000 square feet, which is about 1/3 to 1/2 air changes per hour.  However, there is a conflict with current building codes because spray foam is combustible and the codes do not allow vents in an attic with exposed foam insulation.  His recommendation is to change the building code to allow this practice, as long as a smoke detector is installed in the return air duct.  His article says 2018 is the earliest that change could be made - I don’t know where it stands.

I think the conclusion is that if your ducting is a little bit leaky you’ll be fine, but if it’s really well sealed it gets very complicated.


Need help with new kitchen sink plumbing

You'll want to mount your disposal so the outlet of the disposal can mate up with the pipe that's connected to the wall. It looks like it's currently positioned pretty close if you mount the disposal on the right. If you want it on the left then you'll probably need to shorten the pipe going into the wall and swing the trap around 180 degrees. The outlet of the disposal should point down and it will fit into the opening on the pipe that points up. The horizontal inlet that's on the pipe that's connected to the wall will conect to the pipe laying on the ground, the other end of that pipe will connect to the sink strainer.


Should there be insulation inside a light fixture?

This is a good question - seeing some insulation in your light fixture can be a bit of a shock.
Think about it, though. Those incandescent bulbs are inside a glass globe. One of the best features of an incandescent bulb is its ability to turn electricity into heat. What's that heat going to do when it's trapped inside the globe - it's going to melt the wiring or catch the ceiling on fire.
The silver reflective foil reflects heat and light away from the ceiling material and the insulation helps keep whatever heat doesn't get reflected from moving through and melting your wire's insulation which could result in a short and the whole house getting really hot and a visit from the fire department.
TL:DR; Yes, that insulation should be there - it's for your safety.


What are the substitutes for kitchen wall tiles above a kitchen counter?

You mean as a backsplash?

Just about any material can be used:  ceramic, glass, vinyl, ABS, wood, aluminum, steel, contact paper, etc.  See this gallery for many ideas.

While most of them are ceramic tile, which is the current fashion, look carefully and you'll see vinyls which look metallic.  Here is Home Depot's version of that.  We are considering that for behind the range.


Gas pipe is usually ductile iron pipe, not galvanized, because the galvanizing can flake off and clog gas fittings. So not being protected with the zinc coating, it rusts. It will likely take decades to become rusted through enough to become a problem however and as mentioned, a simple wire brush cleaning and new paint will prolong its life greatly.


Efficiently heating an unfinished basement room

Yes, assuming your furnace is adequately sized to also heat this additional space, it should be fairly easy to add ductwork that serves it. Controlling it as an independent zone may be more complicated: because it's a small room, if it's calling for heat when the rest of your home is not, your system might be significantly overpowered for that zone. That would mean too much heat and too much airflow trying to go to a smaller space. There are solutions for this (multi-stage furnaces, bypass dampers, etc.) but they add cost and complexity.

To judge the capacity, calculate the heat load for your home and for this potential added room. Ideally, you can work out the details of how much airflow you'll need to this room and what size ducting would deliver that. You will get more airflow here because you're so close to the blower.

If the system is powerful enough, you can add supply and return ventilation to serve this room to an existing zone. You can use a manual damper on the supply vent to shut off this area if you're not planning to use it for a while. The downside here is that if the room is cold and you want it warmed up, you'll have to warm up the rest of your house too.

Other options to consider:

Electric heating. Expensive to operate, but cheap to install, heats up fast, and provides great room-level control. Electric baseboard is the standard option but you can also do an electric heater with a blower or even under-floor electric heat.
Electric heat/cool systems. If you're likely to want cooling in this room in summers, mini-split systems are available that can heat (air source heat pump) and cool. That might not be a great option for you because air source heat pumps don't work well in very cold outdoor temperatures.
No built-in heating. You can heat a small room fairly effectively with a plug-in electric heater when you need it. You'll likely get a lot of residual heat from the furnace nearby. Maybe once the room is insulated you will be content with a $20 plug-in heater and a warm sweater?
Single-room heaters using other fuels. You can get wall-mounted gas heaters, maybe even kerosene or wood pellets. You can get a wood stove.

Lots of options. The key question may be how you use it. If you're using it frequently, adding the room to an existing heating zone is probably best. If you're using it rarely, electric baseboard is a solid overall option.


230V Single phase connection for 2 HP Table saw to the breakers in the panel

With most panels 2 breakers side by side (not end to end) will provide 230V.
You should buy a breaker with a single handle 2 pole or get handle ties for 2 separate breakers.
You will also need the ground as you had mentioned. If a 20 amp motor you will need the wiring to be 12awg.
If 30A it will need to be 10awg. If you do use separate breakers with a handle tie make sure they are of the same amperage and style.
I just looked up 2 hp 230v motor it should draw 12A so it could be run off a 15A breaker with 14awg wire. but 20A would be better because on start up it may trip the 15A breaker.


Why is my Sterling three handle shower tub faucet leaking?

Remove the seats, put pipe joint compound or Teflon tape on the threads, and reinstall.  If it still leaks check threads inside the rough-in-valve (housing in wall) that the seat screws into.  If those threads are bad you have 2 options: You can use 5-minute epoxy on the threads or you can replace the faucet.


What is the typical kVA in a one bedroom flat?

2 KVA per home (2000 watts) is what the power plant uses when they're bragging about how many homes their plant powers. They're talking average use.

What really happens is you have high extremes of power use.  The family chef has the oven, 3 burners, a George Foreman and the toaster all working at once (and a crockpot for sauces), the water heater is constantly recovering from dishwashing, and all that heat in the house has forced the AC to 100% duty cycle.  Once dinner is called, all those loads will poof disappear.

You have to size the system for peak use.

OK, so you think "fudge factor", but this is like a fudge-factor of fifty.  No, you gotta sharp-pencil engineer this out.  Or just put in really good service and not worry about it.

Maybe you're thinking about it upside down

You're asking "how little service can I provision".  How about asking "how much can I get for sane cost".

Adding electric capacity is dirt cheap.  Spend an extra $500/unit on the parts to do it right, and it'll last 40 years, and that's chump change for something that'll last 40 years.  It's a loser's game to pinch pennies on service, only be forced to upgrade later. Especially if, once permitted and occupied, the city requires a licensed electrician to do the work.  As a homeowner subdividing yourself, you can DIY that stuff for pennies on the dollar.

Ample service also saves money on appliances.  Electric on-demand water heaters are half the price of gas, and don't require a vent. My landlord put in a $1200 gas one because he had no choice.  Ditto dryers - tenant-grade electric washer-dryers are commodity.

Better service also means better tenants. Tenants who are constantly fighting tripped circuit breakers are going to believe your electric is hokey and you're a slumlord, and are not going to stay. At extremes, "Can a circuit be added for my electric car" is a wonderful question because it means a wealthy tenant who'll be staying awhile.  You want to giggle with glee going "Oh yeah! We can do that!"

If the conversation with the electric company goes something like "Well we could bring out 400A service, but it'll cost ya (more than you wanna pay rght now)", then make everything else ready for it, so they can just cut it in without additional work.

If the game is make max money as a landlord, squinting at price tags at Home Depot is barking up the wrong tree.

Commons service

Keep in mind Code will certainly require you to have a separate meter for commons-area loads.  This could be impressive, like an electric dryer or shared on-demand water heat; or it could be trivial, like five LED lights.

I have to say, in the latter case, I would consider going off-grid solar for a few LED premises lights.  It's far cheaper than the cost of a monthly meter fee.


How is this plan for repairing load bearing rotting posts with epoxy (pics included)

The plan will make the 4x4s look good. However, you did say they are LOAD BEARING, an epoxy is great for holding things together or protecting things, but terrible at withstanding stress from a load. The posts function is to transfer the weight above it to the ground, so filling in the rotted parts of the wood with epoxy is just hiding the problem. Most epoxy adhesives rely on the stress being directed against thier cohesion to the material. When the stress is in a direction that is contrary to that the epoxy fails. If you wanted to glue two pieces together to double the load bearing capacity it would work great for that, but it can't take the load and replace the structural member yet. Maybe in the near future they will come up with something that can. Sorry to tell you this, but you are going to have to replace the 4x4 posts, or you run the risk of them tipping, or collapsing so that the structure comes down. It aslo would be a good time to bring them up to code. The good news is you can treat them so they are rot resistant for far longer now, and it is far cheaper than having the carport fall on your transportation.


How should I finish a shower stall at an outside corner?

Simple solution - overlap the shower flange where you can, and fill the gaps with Durabond.

Complex solution - rip that little strip of drywall off, overlap with a larger piece, that wraps around the top of the shower.

In both cases, you'll want to put "corner bead", on the corner pictured, that goes from floor to ceiling.


Is moving a desk upstairs/downstairs for comfort twice a year a sign of poor insulation?

I have seen what in my opinion are crappy jobs on multi floor systems. No single system at the same static level year round will ever heat / cool properly. I install adjustable dampers in the trunk lines both supply and output for the air handler. In the summer the upper floors are wide open and the lower floors closed down ~20% this pushes more cold air up where it is warmer. In the winter I reverse for the lower floors to be open and the upper floors throttled back. This uses a limited amount of natural convection or heat rising cool falling because of the density.

It may be possible to add trunk dampers this is the best and easiest way to adjust for summer winter temp changes , even a very well insulated home should have dampers in my opinion not only in the rooms and each room to be balanced but on the trunk lines to the different levels so the house comfort is similar on all levels.


How can I increase water pressure after installing dual-head shower?

You would need to increase the pipe size from the water supply (hot and cold) to the shower in question.

A potential alternate solution/issue may be that some (most?) of the "gate" or "diverter" valves are not really giving full flow to either device when "set in the middle" - they are designed to go one way or the other, not both. A different one might offer less restriction in that mode; or something cobbled up from a Tee and two full-flow shutoff valves.


I was hoping 1) to get some advice on the "gloss" or "sheen" issue (I don't even know what that means),

As well as the colour, the appearance of a painted wall is affected by how smooth and reflective the paint surface is.

Paints come in matt, silk, gloss and other degrees of shinyness. You probably want a matt finish as that is what a high proportion of British homes use on their walls. Note that people usually use gloss finish on woodwork.

You should expect to find matt emulsion on your walls, gloss paint is usually oil-based and intended for woodwork, not for painting on plastered masonry walls.

  2) again, how do people figure out which shade of white without having somebody physically there?

By taking a sample to the store and asking them to match it. Stores often have a machine for mixing paints to an exact match. This can be needed because paint colours are fashion items and may become discontinued. Also, painted colours can change over time due to exposure to sunlight and other influences. Unfortunately, taking a chunk of your wall to a store is impractical. You may be able to scrape off a sample if the paint, or a layer underneath, hasn't fully adhered. A chip roughly one inch square will be enough.

or

By buying test pots until you find an acceptable match.


How can I speed up the removal of stubborn tile?

With these types of tiles you do not want them to break as they are harder to demo when they are in bits and shards.  If you try to use a scraper (even power) what inevitably ends up happening is the top of the tile comes off, leaving the much harder to remove bottom on.  Also this method severely damages the subfloor, sometimes to the point that you will have to put a new subfloor in.

What you simply want is a mallet or a hammer.  Let me be really clear since I have demo'ed at least 50 of these bathrooms now and I think I have it down to a science.

Start in a corner.
Hammer the edge tiles flat.  When I say hammer, imagine that you are playing drums in marching band, not hammering a nail.  You want some force but not enough to break the tiles (they are usually hard to break when striking straight down).  Bring hammer up 8-12 inches with each strike, hitting a small area repetitively.
The first couple of rows might take 20-30 taps for a small group of tiles.  This method does not "remove the tile", it removes the thinset bond to the subfloor.  The tiles will just disengage from the floor.
Don't just tap right at the edges.  If I have an edge then I am tapping in a 6-10" perimeter in the area.
Clean-up is easy since most of your tiles are in one piece.  I can usually get a decent size floor demo'ed and cleaned in 2 hours this way.

Note: One of my contractors does this via air compressor and flat air hammer bit.  After I showed him the method he went and got a flat bit that I think was made for pounding out auto bodies.  You have to be careful with this because the force sometimes is too much or too repetitive and it will crack tile.  I personally don't think it is faster but you could argue it is less labor intensive - he spends more time cleaning up.  The hardest part about this type of demo is on your knees (I would pick hammer/knee pads over compressor/hammer bit).


I want to wire in a single gang light switch for a lamp

There should be no connection other than live/hot/line to the switch. Therefore, the neutral and earth are connected directly to the fitting. The incoming live connects to com, the outgoing L1 connects to the fitting. L2 indicates that this is a two way switch. Connecting anything else to the switch will cause a dead short. The fitting is switched on the live only.


What temperatures can a heat gun raise a material up to?

YES a common "garage" type heat gun will heat up the material enough to reshape it. In fact, I know from experience that many household heat guns will heat up plastic enough to melt it, so be very careful.

You say the dent is "large" but with no detail. I would say you could, with a helper, probably un-dent a fairly large area by pusing/shaping while simultaneously heating. But I am sure there are limits so it would depend on your "large".

P.S.-There is no such thing as a "standard heat gun"; they come in all sorts of wattage/heat level configurations.


When installing a stone fireplace, do I install the wood mantle first?

To mount this mantle you will need to drill into the stone face!

The outline of the mantles' position should be taped to keep track of its placement. You will need to scribe the profile of the stone to the wood mantle. More on this if needed.

As long as the scribe marks are back cut severely, in essence, hollowing out (making it concave) the back edge where the mantle meets the stone, it should fit pretty well, save a little extra taken out here and there. You could use a small diameter disk sander on a drill with a VERY coarse grit paper on it. Self stick or screw on should work.

After you get it scribed where you want it to fit, find 2 or 3 suitable places to drill and epoxy steel pins into the stone face. Choose smaller stone to drill near, they will be better encapsulated in the mortar than larger stone so they have less of a tendency to fall out when drilled. 1/2" holes, 2 to 3" deep with 3/8" pins straight in with epoxy should do there. Please do dust out the drilled holes, the dust will not let the epoxy bond. Let it cure. Concrete epoxies only take about 15-45 minutes to get hard.

On the wood mantle, drill 3/4" holes, you can fill with the same epoxy, even if it is for concrete, the wood won't mind. Concrete epoxies offer two mixing tips, this will come in handy for the setting of the mantle.Here is an example


Can teflon tape be used on a threaded joint behind a wall?

I would examine why the pipe was corroded. Was it a galvanic failure caused by joining copper/brass to galvanized steel?

Remove the fitting entirely and inspect/clean the threading. If the threading is damaged then replace the valve... In fact, you could replace the valves anyway if they're old and you've got the wall off. Many modern valves have replaceable cartridges that can be swapped when they wear out rather than having to replace the entire valve.

But onto your actual question: Teflon tape will be fine if used properly (wrapped in the right direction, not torn, etc). You may consider using high-density tape.
For in-wall pipes I like to use pipe dope instead. Depending on the nature of the joint (and especially if it's between plastic and metal or two dissimilar but non-reactive! metals) you can use both:
Tape first, then put dope on top of the tape. For fittings, both plastic and brass can change shape easily....the threading/tightening can change the shape so the tape fills voids in the threads and the dope seals it.


Is it possible, yes. Is it practical (.vs. just buying the right size posts), not really. Should it be below ground - no.
To really do it right you want a router bit or shaper cutter that will put tapered "fingers" on the end of the joint which interlock for maximum glued surface - which, unsurprisingly, is exactly what you'll see in the end joints of engineered lumber - but if making a 4x4 from engineered lumber, there would be 2 offset 2x4's that were end jointed, so that the end joints were not all at the same point on the resulting timber.
You can, of course, do it to a lower standard. It may work well enough, or it may fail.
Another option would be to:
Set steel posts and bolt the wood to them. Either cut them off or just let the posts stick 2 feet above the main fence (bolt them to the steel posts above ground level - don't half-bury them.) Depending on the purpose of the fence those extra 2 feet can be useful, i.e to string trellis wire for plants or monfilimaent to annoy deer above your solid fence.


Why is my (white) painted plaster going brown on the borders of the underlying plasterboard?

I had this exact situation when flashing around a chimney leaked and I had some water spots on the ceiling by the fireplace.  The stains from the water can still come through even after the drywall is dry, so you need to apply a sealer and repaint.  I used Kilz; you should be able to find a similar product if that's not available where you live.


A more typical way to strengthen a miter joint is to use either splines or biscuits.  Splines can be oriented in one of two ways.  It's probably easier to show pictures than to explain in words:

a) Spline running the entire miter.  With this method you can also make the grooves stopped so the spline would not be visible at the edges.  If you are working with MDF you can cut the spline so the grain is running the length of the spline, as opposed to the way it is shown in the example.

b) Reinforcing with biscuits.  This is similar to (a) except that it requires that you have the biscuit joiner to cut the pockets for the manufactured biscuits.  This is definitely the easiest and fastest of these three options.

c) Multiple splines cut through the miter.  The third method can be made into a decorative element if the splines are made from a contrasting color of wood.


Is silver bearing lead-free solder sufficient/safe enough for water heater plumbing?

Silver Bearing Lead-Free is fine to use. Make sure you clean all fittings and use flux. If installing a new tank, make sure to solder the brass tank connectors to 12" pieces of copper first. Then tighten the tank connectors onto the inlet and outlet using teflon tape. Failing  to do this may cause the dip tube inside of the tank to melt.


Overboarding thickness - how much smaller will my room be?

10 mm "truss" + 13 mm plasterboard (taking the high end) = 23 mm
23 mm x 2 (both sides) = 46 mm
10000 mm wide corridor - 46 mm = 964 mm

Your estimate of 950mm of remaining space seems reasonable.
Other than checking your math, I'm not sure what else we can tell you or what your real question is.


The real question is not "Is it OK?"  The real question is "Should this be fixed?" Or perhaps "Will this fall down?"  Or maybe even "Should this have been done differently?"  Any answer you get will answer one of those questions.  "Is it OK?" is really asking "Is this something I can live with?" which is a question you have to ask yourself.

Will this fall over?  Probably not.  But I don't think anyone will give you a guarantee on that.

Should this be fixed? It depends on how the load is sitting on the roof.  Is it being supported by a load-bearing wall or is this in the middle of the roof and the roof itself is holding the load?  I'm guessing it's on an exterior wall.  So it's probably fairly stable.  I imagine that it should be replaced at some point.  That's really the only way to attack this problem: full replacement.

Should this have been done differently? Yes.  You don't fix a chimney by sealing it inside another chimney.  That would be like replacing your siding by building another wall.  It doesn't solve the root issue.

In the end, it sounds like you have a bad chimney and you will probably want to replace it at some point in the future.  Really, you should have someone come out and take a look.  It's definitely not a DIY project.

However, since you're renting, does it really matter?


Can I tap into an exterior light in order to power a security camera?

Chances are good that there is only one cable coming into that light, and it is switched by the interior switch.  If this is the case, as I suspect, you cannot draw power for your cam without the light being on. you will need to find a continuously powered set of wires or run a new set to your cam.


Two Circuits on a Single 12/3 - Shared Neutral

TLDR: Square D makes a 2-pole CAFCI (# QO220CAFIC) that will do what you want.  However, this panel needs a lot more attention, as it has more "bomb" circuits like this one, and it's full, and addressing that will intersect with this issue.

It's called a Multi-wire Branch Circuit.  There's nothing wrong with them. You're just a) unfamiliar with them, and b) they were installed in a manner that is now a Code violation.  Precisely because of what you observed.
Note that an MWBC is one circuit.  It is not 2 circuits with a shared neutral.  It is one circuit.
MWBCs must have handle-tied breakers
These are required so that people doing maintenance on the circuit shut off both halves of the circuit, so they don't get nailed by unexpected neutral current from the other half.  (Or exactly what happened to you).
MWBCs MUST be on opposite phases - 240V between legs
This is mandatory or the neutral wire will be overloaded.
This is AC power, but it's constructive to think of it as DC.  If neutral is 0V, then think of one leg as +120V.  The other leg needs to be -120V.  If one leg has 14A and the other leg has 15A, then 14A of current simply bypasses neutral, and neutral flow is only 1A.
However if both legs were +120V, and you had 14A and 15A currents, neutral would bear 29A which is way over its safety rating.  Neutrals don't have breakers, so the only defense is wiring the MWBC correctly.
Of course it's AC, so it switches to the exact opposite 120 times a second, but the general principle bears.  Opposite legs makes neutral safe.
Now look at those "double-stuff" breakers in your panel's upper right.  Those fit in 1 space, which attaches to 1 pole (leg).  That means you have the same leg on both half-breakers.  That sounds like a TERRIBLE thing to put an MWBC on, doesn't it?  Yet, thisis a very common blunder.
How about a 2-pole breaker instead of "handle-ties"?
After all, they're a lot easier to find.   (they look like a "double wide" breaker, which on your QO type has a single handle; everyone else's has double handles.) You betcha. They're a great choice for those reasons.
However, they are more than just handle-tied. Inside the breaker is a "common trip" mechanism which provides a guarantee that if one side trips, so does the other.  Handle ties don't guarantee it.
Here's an interesting fact about MWBCs: They can power both 120V and 240V loads at the same time!  However, if they do, they must have a common trip breaker i.e. 240V breaker.  So you could fit, say a NEMA 6-15 recep for some European appliance.  They even make combo 5-15/6-15 receps for both in one receptacle.
So now that you've bitten the fruit from the tree of knowledge...
You need to go through this entire panel and identify every MWBC.  Look for cables coming in that have both black and red wires.  Identify and follow its pigtailed wires.  Make sure every MWBC

Opposite-phased (240V between the hot legs) at the very least
On a handle-tied or 2-pole breaker.  (2-pole breakers are $18 because you have the expensive but excellent Square D "QO" type; handle-ties will be cheaper).
MWBCs and tandem breakers (like in upper right) are very tricky and dangerous. You may have to confront this issue.

If you need to double-stuff some of your MWBCs for lack of panel space, then call around to real electrical supply houses and find out who is a Square D dealer. Talk to them about your options. There is a type of breaker that is both double-stuff and 2-pole called a "Quadplex", those work with MWBCs, but they are hard to get.  They can also advise you on the possibility of handle-tying the inner switches on 2 adjacent tandems.
Your panel is very full - time to start thinking subpanel
This panel is absolutely full.  You have no breathing space, even correcting MWBC handle-ties could be a challenge.  It might seem like you've only just begun double-stuffing this panel, but they're only allowed in the top 5 rows.  8 of those 10 spaces are already double-stuffed (that thing in row 5 left is an "old school" tandem designed to be installed 2 abreast with handle-ties on one or both; pity you only have the one.)
So you are maxed out.
The problem is you have too few spaces for as much main breaker as you have.   This is very common; houses these days really need 50-ish spaces.  The builder thought "Oh, this is a 30-space/40-circuit panel, it'll be FINE!" but you know that is not so.
Swapping the whole panel for a 60-space would be mad; that's very expensive and very disruptive.  If there is space to the left, you can simply install a subpanel there.   Note how things to the right are connected with short nipples of PVC conduit.  Do the same thing but with steel conduit, so it carries ground to the sub.  And have 1 big pipe (for the feeder wires) and 2 more little ones (they are so very useful, it's sad when people omit them).
Fortunately your panels are all surface mounted, so they're easier to work with.
If you want to put the subpanel somewhere else in the house so you can shorten some cable runs, that's fine too.
As far as brand, QO is of course excellent.  If you're thinking future generator, several panels will do.  However, here's an interesting tidbit: GE has an AFCI breaker that does not require a neutral wire.  It's specifically marketed to work on MWBCs.
Oh yeah... that AFCI
On MWBCs, AFCI is harder because it depends on the existence of 2-pole AFCI breakers from the manufacturer.  (QO physically can't take competitor breakers*, but other 1" panels shouldn't because even though they seem to fit, they aren't physically compatible at the bus stab.)
They make a 2-pole GFCI for your panel, QO220CAFIC, but it's a bit hard to find.
Fortunately it's not mandatory since this is old work.  (For new work, don't use MWBC unless...)
There's also that GE breaker. Can't put it in anything but a GE panel, but you're due for a subpanel, so that's a thought.
Other than that, your AFCI option is to fit an AFCI receptacle at the first recep location in the chain.  That will not provide protection for the cable run from panel to first recep!

* Difference in the shape of the bus stabs makes it bad to put brand X breaker in brand Y panel.  However, UL has a certification program for companies making breakers specifically for competitor panels. The only ones I'm aware of are Eaton "CHQ" and Siemens "QD" for QO panels, and Eaton CL for certain 1" wide breaker panels.


I have painted my share of cabinets - at least 20 kitchens.

Clean everything - I personally use SOS pads because it scratches through oil build up and just knocks things out.  Wipe up excess soap with wet towel.
Sand - a rough grit.  The worse/thicker your old paint the thicker the grit.  You will get advice on stripping the cabinets - don't.  Not unless the paint is "loose" almost everywhere.  And if the paint is "loose" it is usually a moisture problem or really cheap cabinets.  This is a quick sanding too.  A typical 20 year old mid size kitchen would take maybe 1-2 hours to go over.  You are looking to take care of flakes and uneven surfaces.  If there is a lot of flaking sometimes taking a wallpaper remover blade to the cabinets is faster then a quick sand.
Assess the doors and insides.  While sanding you can get a good idea for how the doors could turn out after painting.  There is no magic to fix cheap/rough doors.  Also if doors have ornamental designs or routed lines these are very hard to paint well - almost impossible to hand paint well.  If you need new doors I highly suggest rawdoors.net (no affiliation just a very happy customer with many orders).  You get solid hardwood doors with hinges in lots of different wood flavors and you pick the exact size of doors you want - with older kitchens you can often get a more modern look by upping the door sizes.  On the insides of the cabinets - you don't have to paint or even repaint these.  First if they are the big box cheap laminate looking crap painting them will take forever - they have a clear coat that most primers don't even stick well to.   If it was painted before I wouldn't repaint unless the color is awful or paint is deteriorating.
Buy your primer and paint.  I highly highly suggest using oil based semi-gloss.  You can go latex but I have found that it has a very rubbery look and just doesn't look good on kitchen cabinets.  Your primer is based on your paint choice.
Thin coat of primer on everything you are painting.  I normally would use a small foam roller for all painting with cabinets.  It keeps the finish smoother and less drips.  Spraying is an option too.  There is usually flooring or something in the kitchen I don't want to get paint on and I have had no luck in keeping spray dots from hitting things sometimes 10 feet away.  Unless I can take the cabinet/doors outside or I am doing a complete gut job, I roll not spray.
Fine grit sanding.
Second coat of primer.
Paint.
Second coat of paint.
I paint the door fronts again once they are installed - and hit any blemishes.
Optional - clear coat the outside of the cabinets and doors.

Color...  Almost always a fancy off-white.  I tell the paint store what backsplash and what color the walls will be and they pick out a white that looks like a slight variation of... white.  I have no design ability and I an usually looking to please the general population so the white variations work.

The last kitchen I did I installed a mid sized island (used cheap lowers from Lowes at $120 total), primer/paint $160, all new doors/drawers - about 30 - (including the island cabinets) $750, and new door knobs $40.  So the whole kitchen cabinets looked brand new plus island for a little more than 1k.  This is labor intensive but anyone can do it.


No hot water if hot water recirculator pump is shut off

I received the Caleffi NA51249 1/2" spring-loaded check valve today and installed it this afternoon. Great news! -it fixed the cold water backflow into the hot water recirculating loop whenever pulling hot water. I tested it a few times with the pump shut off and all appears to be working as it should. So, the final fix was replacing the swing type check valve, located between the hot water recirculation pump and the cold water inlet, with a spring-loaded check valve.

I would like to "Thank" all of you for your recommendations and assistance! Greatly appreciated and Thank you for all your help!


Why do we need bonding at the gas water heater?

Because your water heater has dielectric unions, so the hot and cold plumbing are isolated from each other.  Bonding the plumbing, attempts to keep the hot and cold plumbing at the same electrical potential.

If this bond is not in place, it's possible for the hot and cold plumbing to be at different voltage potentials.  Which means if you grab a hot and cold handle, you could complete a circuit.

It also allows the plumbing to act as an effective fault current path. So if wiring faults to the plumbing, a breaker will trip.

A jumper should be installed across any other break in the continuity as well, e.g. water meter, nonmetallic plumbing, etc.


When is it prefrable to use a tape like Wigluv, rather than caulk or low expansion foam?

A thick tape like Wigluv would only be used where a flat surface isn't needed or any such bulge will be concealed.
Caulk would be used for small and shallow cracks or gaps (1/8th inch or less wide) and a flush or completely flat surface is needed.
Foam is for moderate to large gaps (1/4 to 3/4 inch, depending on foam type) and deep or full depth straight through filling.
Of course, all 3 can be used, or any combination of them, that addresses the need for a specific result or longevity.


How can I easily verify that appliance housings are grounded properly?

With a range or dryer in particular, you have to pull it out and look.  Many ranges are groundless, and bootleg the chassis of the machine to the neutral wire.  This is exactly as dangerous as you'd expect, and has a body count - but most cases are mis-reported as incorrect wiring, when in fact the wiring was correct but simply broke.
This bootlegging ground of ranges and dryers is so common because from the 1960s til 1994, it was actually legal lol.
Other than that, disconnect all other loads on the circuit, then disconnect hot and neutral from the source.  Now measure resistance from the apparent ground to a known good ground.  You have to disconnect hot and neutral so you can cross off any "bootlegging ground" as ranges and dryers often do.
While such a "measured ground" is fine and dandy for the 5ma needed to trip a GFCI, it is not acceptable as an honest safety ground that might need to sink 200 amps or more.  For that, nothing less than physical inspection will do.


What are the effects of changing water pipe sizes?

Changing from 3/4 to 1/2 and back will not cause any problems, the point of use heater will have a lower flow rate than the 1/2" pipe is capable of and the higher you need to raise the temp will be the restricting factor. Or to say it differently if you need to raise the temp 40 degrees you may only have 1 gallon per minute flow, shower if you only need to raise the temp 10 degrees you may have 3 or 4 gallons of flow. There should be heating curves with the unit you install. But the pipe size won't be a problem in this case.


What causes "old smell" in a clean but older house?

Normally it's the things you can't see.

Moisture building up behind walls or creeping up through micro-fractures in the foundation will cause mold and mildew to grow fairly quickly.

A fairly cheep way to prevent this is to use a powerful dehumidifier to really dry out offending spaces.

Avoid carpet, as no matter how clean it is, will always harbor bacteria that can cause unpleasant odors.

Old insulation can also be a big source of a constant odor that, while to too offending, is incredibly pervasive.

And finally, mothballs. Some people used to use them as a "catch all" solution to pest problems, and used them so much that the very material of the home absorbed the smell, similar to the way homes that housed prolific tobacco users can smell for years after even with deep cleaning.


Replacing Anode rod, which conductive pipe dope should I use?

I have used a product made by permatex called ultra copper it is RTV for use at high temps. It works well to seal and create a conductive surface The RTV seals and the threads still make contact. Ultra copper in the copper colored tube. It only takes a little to do the job and a well sealed tube stored in a fridge last a very long time.


What could be causing these mold issues in my brick townhouse?

DA01's theory is correct. Outside humidity is migrating through the wall until it contacts material colder than the dew point of the vapor laden air. The vapor at that point condenses into liquid water. Aside from not using A/C, one remedy is to install a vapor barrier between the insulation and the exterior wall cinder block. This has a detrimental effect in the winter because the situation reverses. You need a vapor barrier on the interior side of the insulation. This is feasible, but the problem now is any moisture that gets past the barrier (no barrier is perfect) has no where to go. It is trapped in the insulation.

This of course means removing all insulation and drywall on exterior walls. Thus, I believe the best course of action is to insulate with a material unaffected by moisture and is actually a vapor barrier itself. One such insulation is spray applied polyurethane. The only drawback of this material is that it is quite expensive. It's the ideal material for difficult, varying climatic conditions such as yours.


Oil burner runs for at least one cycle then safety locks out

I wanted to share the additional steps I took to troubleshoot the issue and describe what was ultimately causing the issue. The problem comes down to a weak and short spark.  I was able to test the spark and witness that it was very quick and dim. I replaced the transformer and the protector relay. I likely did not have to replace the protector relay but figured it could not hurt. A retest with the new components showed a strong spark. Now I am back in business and should not have to worry about either of those components for years to come.


What is this gray thing thing on a main water line right after it comes into house?

I can't find one that looks exactly like that, but the two most common items would be

a check valve (one way valve) (might have an arrow molded into it)
a "constant pressure valve" (slight misnomer) - a pressure regulator with a slight, intentional leak - used to keep your pump running a long time at constant pressure (say 50 PSI) while you are using water, and then let it slowly "leak" up to 60 and shutoff, whereupon it will drop down to 40 and turn on, then rise to 50 and stay there until your water use becomes low or none and the cycle repeats.

If you watch the pressure behavior as you use water the second one should become clear, if it applies. Or it could be something I haven't met/thought of. Possibly a (disused) chlorine or other chemical injector given the fitting on the bottom? Or an air injector if you have very antique pressure tanks with no membrane/bladder.


How can I repair a pothole on the edge of an asphalt driveway?

Depends on what's at the edge of your driveway? is it grass? then you might want to brace with a 2x4 against the ground just to keep the edge nice. If you don't want to dig up the ground to put a 2x4 in the ground you could probably get away with a thinner piece of wood.


How to continually monitor in-wall moisture content?

You could contact the following EIMA, US Dept. of Energy, or Oak Ridge National combined these agencies conducted a test starting in 2005 on a building in Hollywood South Carolina and one in Washington State that lasted at least 4 years
to include test in eight climate zones.
I did the installation of the test panels on the South Carolina building.
Test panels included most exterior cladding systems.
Pick up sensors for moisture were placed on the back side of all materials used in the construction of each system
Example Exterior stucco sensor behind finish coat, sensor behind brown coat, sensor behind scratch coat, sensor behind lath, sensor behind vapor barrier and sensor behind sheathing.
Also sensor was placed in wall insulation and the back side of the drywall.
I have missed place my final report from EIMA you should be able to get info from one of the above agencies.


Need help naming / finding drill attachment

That's just the depth gauge that is built into the front handle of most two-hand drills.

Green is an accessory typically supplied with the drill.

Red is an accessory for the pump, Part 300, Drill adapter 11012300
it doesn't appear tp be particularly complex design you could screw a bracket to a block of wood and put a metal rod through the wood and have something near equivalent


Have these cuts for a gas line structurally compromised my studs?

You are allowed to notch a non-load-bearing stud up to 40% of the width. For load bearing and exterior walls they can be notched to 25% of the stud width.

https://engineering.purdue.edu/~jliu/courses/CE479/extras/Notching_&_Boring_Guide_A11.pdf