Does the range have 120/240 volt hookup instructions?  They might be inside the access port where the pigtail ("cord") is wired into the range.  The hookup instructions are the authority.

However, lacking any instructions, this is likely to work:

Connect the hot (red) to the U.S. red, the "neutral" (black) to the U.S. black wire.  That provides 240 volts to the heating coils.  Connect the ground to the green.  Leave the U.S. white wire unconnected to anything in the range.

The range does not use 120 volts for anything (timer, appliance outlet), so the white wire is not connected.

There is a slight danger that the appliance manufacturer has somehow assumed that ground and "neutral" are at the same voltage.  (They should not have, but there could be an assumption that ground to neutral is not more than a few volts different.)  If so, connecting the range might blow an internal fuse or the house's panel circuit breaker.  For this reason, do not plug the range into the outlet with the breaker on.  Instead, after plugging it in, turn the range on at the breaker.

I tried to find a user manual, but Fagor's website is trying to be "smart" and routes my U.S.-based IP to something they think would be suitable.  Alas, it persistently picks a Spanish language enterprise-wide "under construction" stub site.

http://www.fagoramerica.com/my_fagor/user_manuals still might be useful.  Have a look with the specific model number.


What you describe is a "clogged toilet".  Plain and simple.

You say "snake", but have you specifically tried a "closet auger" that's made for toilets?

They are normally 3ft, but if you look, you can find a 6ft model that has an extendible snake.  The snake part of these is much thicker than a standard drain snake and the long, bent handle starts it on the right path.


Using a left hand threaded eye screw on one end of a cable and a right handed screw eye on the other end is an OK theoretical solution. However in practice it is nearly impractical because to avoid twisting the cable you have to tighten one may be a quarter turn and then run to the other end and turn it the opposite direction quarter turn.

If you want to avoid turn buckles then you best realistic solution is to just use a regular screw eye to secure the cable on one end. Then use a threaded eye bolt on the other end that has a long threaded end that passes completely through the post. Afix the cable to the eye and then simply tighten using a using a regular nut and washer in the threaded end of the eye bolt. This way you can get a consistent look of the cable terminations but have proper provision for re-tightening the cable at a later date.


Will ovens emit carbon monoxide when off at high altitude if not properly adjusted?

High altitude conversion kits for gas stoves are an actual thing you can buy. The kit decreases the amount of natural gas sent to the burners, because of the decreased quantity of oxygen available at altitude. Here's an installation manual that mentions that not installing the kit where needed can result in incomplete combustion. This will result in CO output.

Now, the news video isn't playing correctly for me, but it sounds like they were saying levels were around 22 PPM. Normally, this is not yet at the level to cause symptoms, which starts around 70 PPM, though it's obviously still worth tracking down the source. However, the high altitude plays a role here as well. This document states specifically that "at high elevations the onset of symptoms occurs at much lower concentrations of CO than expected". Is 22 PPM life-threatening at that altitude? Probably not, (lethal range starts around 400 PPM at normal elevation) but I wouldn't want to stick around to find out.

In the end, if you have gas appliances, make sure you have a CO detector, and make sure it works.

TLDR: They are talking about a real phenomenon, but I doubt this is a life-or-death issue.


For installing a new exterior light on a brick wall, can I connect the wires in a junction box mounted on the opposite side of the wall?

So long as all the connections are inside the junction box you should be fine to do that.


If you're going to use a hand saw, you need a mitre box really. It's way too hard to cut square by hand, because if you start at even a bit of an angle, the saw is going to want to follow that cut.

If you have a mitre saw that is big enough, that's definitely the easiest.
A table saw may work in a pinch, if you use the sliding guide rail.
Make a couple marks using a measuring tape, then draw a line between them. Using a square is probably easy, or using a chalk line or piece of string can work too. You should then be able to use a jigsaw to follow the line and make a pretty even cut.


Slow down on the hole size, unless using a conduit nipple the inspector will usually call more than 2 cables through a hole bundling (where 2 or more cables are run without spacing) so a massive hole for 8-10 ea 12 or 14 gauge cables just won’t work.
Next more than 3 current carrying conductors will require derating.
Drilling a series of 3/8 -3/4 holes is a better idea for most diy. inspectors don’t allow the proper derating of NM wire and it is easier just to limit the number of cables.
I have won the arguments in the past and even used bushings through a beam to prove the point (a nipple under 24” you don’t have to derate and you can run more)
As for running the wires there are 1 or 2 cable staples 2 cable are longer. Next there are wire stacking “staples” actually a nail that has spaced clips to run the wires along the studs. The cables need to be 1-1/4” back from the face of the studs and above the ceiling joist 1-1/4”


How can I tell if there is a trap in my floor drain?

The presence of an air admittance valve (AAV) implies a trap (since otherwise there's not a lot of point for a vent), but is then also the most likely thing to have failed such that things stink.
It can be replaced, and probably should be.


Arc Fault Breaker trips when 2 specific lights are turned on

Arc Fault breakers detect -- wait for it -- arc faults.  A connection is arcing.  The #1 reason for that is use of backstab connections, but hold on - you're using #12 wire, and backstabs are not made to work with #12 wire.  Well, if someone insisted, that might do it.

Regardless, 99% of wiring problems are at terminations, so that is the place to look.


When to use holes instead of side terminals to wire an outlet

Shirlock has a great answer; I just wanted to point out something. There are two major different designs for back-wiring, "push-in" and "side-clamp".

Push-in wiring, sometimes branded "QuickWire", uses holes in the plastic casing, underneath which are sharp spring-loaded cleats that catch and hold the wire when you put it in. To remove them, you take a jeweler's screwdriver or a small pick or probe and push into a square tab nearby, which pushes the cleat away allowing you to withdraw the wire. Personally, I hate these things with a passion and prefer to side-wire. They only work with one gauge of wire (either 12 or 14AWG depending on the type of switch or outlet; do YOU know which one was used in every single J-box in your home?), and getting the wire back out without destroying the wire or the switch is a crap shoot. The push-release mechanism is as likely to crumple and lock the wire in as to release it, IME.

Side-clamp wiring, sometimes branded "EZ-Wire", uses a plate between the side-wiring screw and the switch body. You loosen the screw, separate the plate from the switch body (easiest to let gravity do the work; turn it plate-down and shake), insert the wire stripped to the proper length, then tighten down the side screw. It works a lot like side-wiring, except you don't have to curl the wire around the screw. They're pretty easy to use and are VERY secure, and so I like these a lot better than the push-in wiring setups. The only possible problem is, with a lot of exposed metal on the side of the switch body, you have to be certain you don't short out the switch to the bare metal ground wire, or the next switch or outlet over (very easy with the wider 20A switches and GFCI outlets). I did that a few times while repairing the electrical in my new home; the switch or plug worked fine hanging loose, but when I closed it up it stopped working. The fail-safe is to give the switch body a wrap of electrical tape, giving it an insulating layer between the switch and anything else in the box (and the box itself; most are plastic but I found a couple conductive switch/outlet J-boxes in my home).


Grout and/or thinset flushed in septic system

I would call a plumber that has a snake with a camera to inspect the drains to see if the thinset or anything else has plugged or partially restricted the drains. A partial restriction can result in debris plugging that line from time to time and certain types of tissue getting caught by a rough surface. It would be better to fix the problem now than having issues at a later date.  my 2 cents


How to work around not enough slots available in breaker panel

It looks like your old Westinghouse panel will accept breakers from Eaton or Cutler-Hammer (but check at place of purchase).  If so, this tandem breaker can serve two circuits but use only one slot in the panel.

This is different from a double pole breaker which takes two slots like you would need for a 240 volt appliance:

To use the tandem, pull out a pair of single pole/non-tandem breakers (and discard), connect the two circuit wires to the tandem and insert.  Voila!  You have freed up an extra slot.


Thermostatic Control of Simple Apartment Heater

NOT an electric heater - a hot-water heater with an electric fan, connected to a central source of hot water (which might be under control of a thermostat not local to the Fan Coil Unit.) It is not inherently hazardous to leave such a unit turned on 24 hours a day.

Would be a fairly simple/inexpensive "robotics" project to have a temperature sensor and a servo or stepper motor that connected to the dial, which would not require any "landlord irritating" attempts to modify the internals of the heat unit. Landlords are not generally thrilled with tenants who modify things the landlord owns, so don't go there.


Low-voltage cabling through ceiling? Up to code?

For low voltage (CCTV, Cat6, coax, audio, etc.) you can use a boxless bracket like this.

Your local Code could be anything so you should check that out with your municipality and state authorities.

Good luck!


The solenoid will require a certain voltage range from the thermocouple in order to operate.  If the thermocouple fails to produce that voltage range, then yes it could be considered partially "broken".  You can probably find the expected output in the service manual and test it with a multi-meter in order to rule this in or out.

It could also be an issue with the position of the thermocouple, a problem with the valve, low pressure or some sort of safety mechanism.  Does your water heater provide any indicator lights to help you diagnose what is going on?


Your question sort of conflates two different issues.  One is sagging and the other is the strength required to support the gate and hold the hardware.  The latch should never really be supporting weight.  It's rating reflects the load at which it could be damaged if things do sag, but long before it's damaged, you'll find yourself lifting the gate by hand to be able to work the latch, or the latch fasteners could break out of the wood.

Gate's sag if they lack a solid frame.  Just a piece of diagonal framing to supplement two horizontal boards won't prevent sagging.  You can add a diagonal tensioner that you can tighten, but you will need to periodically tighten it more, and those tend to eventually warp the gate.  The way to do it right is to start with a frame that can't sag.  This video describes one way to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wiw22GRgX0.  There are also heavy-duty metal framing kits and braces to which you can attach a simple wooden frame to hold the gate material.

Once you have a gate that won't sag, you can attach it with hinges on one side and a latch on the other.  You normally attach to fence posts, so you're attaching to sturdy framing on both sides (fence post and gate frame).

Cedar is very soft.  When it weathers, it gets even softer.  On the hinge side, you should be fastening to structural pieces.  If you are adding a cedar board to match appearance, fasten through the cedar into something substantial (fence post or gate frame).  Cedar isn't really the best choice for the gate frame; you're better off attaching cedar "appearance" boards to a frame made of something more substantial.  But if the frame is cedar, I agree with Lee Sam, bolt through it.

The latch is a different story. If you build the gate right and mount it right with adequate hinges, there should never be any real stress on the latch.  The gate side of the latch is normally mounted to the gate framing (or through appearance boards and into the framing).  The other side of the latch normally attaches to a fence post (or through an appearance board and into the fence post).

If you are thinking about a cedar board the thickness of a typical picket, the stress on the latch isn't the issue.  Cedar pickets really degrade when they weather.  In a number of years, there may not be enough solid wood left to hold that end of the latch.  Bolting through a picket would be better, but you should really fasten into something more solid for permanence.

Ideally, the fence should end on each side of the opening at a fence post, and the gate should be sized to fill the gap between those posts.  There shouldn't be a need to fasten things to thin boards.  If you are retrofitting a gate to a fence that does extend past the fence posts, use a solution that doesn't require doing structural things with thin, decorative boards.  There are many options, for example:

Trim existing boards that extend beyond the posts so you are starting with a clean opening.  You may even be able to attach the trimmed piece to the gate to minimize the appearance of a change in pattern.
Remove boards that extend past the fence post, and attach them to the gate frame (the frame being sized for the opening between the posts).  You'll see part of the fence post when the gate is open, but won't be able to see a change in the pattern when the gate is closed.
Secure another structural board to the fence post behind the extended decorative board.  Fasten through the decorative board into the structural one.


Did you try Scotch blue masking tape for delicate surfaces? I couldn't find it on the Home Depot web site (better than it used to be but still is bad) but you can read all about it and get it from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/ScotchBlue-Painters-Delicate-Surface-70-Inch/dp/B000BPPIL0?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ffsb-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000BPPIL0


Trane air handler twe036c140a0 create “c” wire

Based on this diagram of the control page 4 https://ww2-secure.justanswer.com/uploads/Wvfan79/2012-07-13_122319_twe036-sf-1d.pdf the "c" source is the blue wire leaving the transformer, which becomes terminal 6 at the low voltage terminal block.

If that diagram doesn't reflect your model or current control board then you would need to identify the two 24v leads from the transformer, one should attach to a fuse, the other should be the C source.


I find it helps to go very slowly if you want to reduce chipping.  Even with a brand new blade there will be some small chips when cutting the ceramic tiles, but when you lay them the cut edge will not be exposed because you'll lay your cuts against the inside edge/wall of whatever you are tiling, and your grout will hide it anyway.


Is this old basement floor concrete, grout, or something else?

For sure it is a cementious material utilizing portland cement as binding agent. Anything more specific is speculative. If the uneven, raised surface in the background is covered with similar material, this is almost certainly "shotcrete" or "gunite". Pneumatically placed concrete, cement, or mortar. Based on the sandy surface, it was probably a dry mix placement, where dry material and water come out of the gun separately and are essentially "mixed" on impact with the supporting surface. Proper mixing of this method is largely dependent on the applicator's skill.

The other method is wet mix, where pre-mixed material is shot out of the gun. The quality of wet mix placement is more predictable. When done properly over rebar to proper thickness, shotcrete is just as strong as poured in place concrete. Therefore, the technique is still used, often to install tunnel liners and similar roadway works.

P.S. I actually lol'd at you floor of water comment :)


The best work I know of on the topic was written by Tage Frid (see http://amazon.com).
The approximate rule-of-thumb, iirc, is to use a dowel no more than 3/8 the thickness of the wood to be joined (and not less than 1/4 the thickness).
Expansion
For example, if you are joining 5/4 boards (finished thickness 1"), the dowels should be between 1/4" and 3/8" in diameter.
Likewise, if joining finished thickness 3/4" boards, use between 3/16" and 9/32" diameter dowels.
This presumes, of course, you're joining the boards on the narrow dimension (e.g. making a door frame).


A cheap solution is to increase airflow around the toilet. Place a small fan where it's directed toward the tank. By increasing the rate of evaporation less dew will form.

There are insulated tanks available which have foam linings. You may be able to find one compatible with your stool.

The converse of a tank insulated on the interior would be to wrap the tank with something that would insulate, such as a fabric. You could fit a towel or cloth around the tank and fasten it at the rear.

Otherwise, if your plumbing is accessible, you could tee a hot water line into your cold water toilet supply and, by way of a valve, deliver a small amount of hot water to the toilet, raising the temperature. You'd just have to get it above the dew point, which is rarely over 75F.


What to do with cinder block holes made for electrical boxes?

There should be a steel plate over that notched stud /joist to prevent the wire from being damaged when sheet rock is installed as it is less than 1-1/4" from the nailing surface. The single gang box can be moved forward on the stud to make it a flush mount. The 4x4 box is easier, a 1/2" single device mud ring can be put on the face of the 4x4 box that should bring it out to the Sheetrock surface. You may need to keep the 4x4 box depending on the numbers of wires in the box (box fill) other than the nail plate and the boxes at the wrong depth I don't see obvious problems. An electrical inspector should have caught the boxes being two far back prior to the "cover" inspection. You might want to verify the work was permitted and inspected and may have legal rights if the work was not disclosed.


what is my risk of asbestos exposure due to a previous drywall work?

if it was an interior wall, there would likely be no insulation. Even if it was insulated for some odd reason, most wool-type insulation (the kind you'd expect to find in walls) does not contain asbestos. The main form of asbestos tainted insulation in most single family homes is probably vermiculite, and you would generally not find any large amounts of that in wall voids (it was used as loose fill attic insulation; I have a bunch in the ceiling over my head). It was banned in 1990, and to my knowledge was rarely if ever used during new construction, so the odds of finding it in a house that was built in 1987 are slim to none.
As far as the joint compound goes, if the house was constructed in 1987 then it is almost certainly not a type that contained asbestos. I think that stuff was discontinued in the 1970's.
Even in the very unlikely event that there was actually asbestos present, the level of exposure you would have had from some light drywall work is extremely small. The risk of illness is proportional to the level and duration of the exposure, so your risk is very low even in the worst case scenario. If you are looking for things to worry about, I'd probably rank rabid raccoons and murder hornets higher on the list. And as you mentioned, there's not a thing you can do about it now anyways, so you might as well just enjoy life for whatever time you do have left.


Is it normal for frost to accumulate on nails in my attic?

I'm late to the game, but this is obviously frost due to condensation. Leaks would appear as icicles. I've witnessed this phenomenon personally in very cold climates, and it's often just the result of seasonal changes that leave moist air in place from warmer days.

You may have a ventilation deficiency, but there's no evidence of roof leaks here, at least what's visible in the photos. Of course, you could have a leak elsewhere that contributes water vapor.


Kerosene is a solvent and, like vinyl, also a hydrocarbon. Their molecular structure causes them to bind together, and if left untreated the kerosene will soften and possibly dissolve the vinyl.

You can use a solution of water and mild soap such as dish detergent to break the bond and soak up the kerosene. Do not flood the floor with the solution. Use small amounts on a sponge or mop - wipe, rinse in a separate container and repeat. Be careful not to scrub the floor as it may scratch easily in its softened state. Evaporate any remaining kerosene by blowing a fan across the spot where it spilled.


At what height should support handrails be mounted in a home?

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) spec is 33"-36" off the floor for horizontal grab bars. And given 5'-2", I'd lean to the lower end of that scale.

Suggest you get one inside and outside the bath at whatever end is used most.

ADA.GOV has a lot of good information. (And overkill, like 42" bars at toilets, but I digress.)


How do I make a dog-leg corners in aluminium framing for fly-screens?

If your windows are timber
Normally they have blocks next to the window winder on both sides.
(The same hight of the winder)
That way your screen sits on the blocks above the winder an your screen is rectangular.
So all you would have to do is make up some blocks to go next to your winder.


It is completely impossible to determine if the maxipad is still in the house plumbing or not with the information given or without a first hand evaluation of the sewer system.

The only ways to be really sure are one of these:

Run a cleanout snake down the sewer to check if it can snag the pad and pull it back out.
Run a remote inspection camera down the sewer to visually inspect the pipes to make sure the pad is still not present.

What choices do you have?

Either do one of the above steps or just wait, keeping your fingers crossed, and hope for the best whilst being prepared for the possible nasty mess.


Can I run two sets of 10/3 30amp wire to feed one panel?

That's a violation two ways.
First, you can't parallel.  Paralleling requires special equipment rated for paralleling on the supply end - this is for a bunch of reasons.   It is also not allowed below a fairly large wire size.  It's also uneconomical below an even larger wire size, and as a result, nobody makes paralleling equipment except for really huge wire.   NEC 310.10.
Second, you can only have one supply feed to a building.  NEC 225.30.
Bonus violation: Can't use NM cable outdoors, not even in conduit.  (especially not in smallish conduit!)
Anyway, it sounds like this is about economics.
Here's a fact nobody knows: 10/3 UF and 2-2-2-4 MH feeder are about the same price, even though one is 30A and the other is 90A.
Use 2-2-2-4 MH feeder.  Save the valuable 10/3 for something that actually needs 10/3, like ... .... a dryer, or range/oven separates, or shrug TWO travel trailers?  Sell it on Craigslist?
60A breakers are 1/3 the price of 90A breakers, so go ahead and breaker it at 60A if you want to pinch pennies there.  If you ever develop the need for 90A, you can change the breaker to that, then. Use the cost savings on a nicer subpanel, because "number of breaker spaces" is one place never to scrimp!  A 24-space is not excessive, and nice thing, the combo packs come with a bunch of breakers!
You'll need a subpanel anyway, since you can't put #2 wire directly on a receptacle, and a subpanel is the cheapest possible way to get 4 lugs to adapt #2 down to smaller wires.
MH feeder is aluminum, but that's perfectly fine for large feeders like that.  (which is funny because you never expected to use a large feeder, eh? :)


How can I make a wooden floor flat, without using self leveling product?

Self leveling underlayment is the way to go and maybe there is a way to accomplish that, I have used caulk to create a "dam" to keep it from going places I did not want it to go or touch.

But to answer your question, use bundles of what is known as "undercoursing shingles" they are in essence wood shims that are 16" long, 3/8" at the thick end and about a 1/16" at the thin end and vary in widths in the bundle. If you floor has a consistent drop of 3/8" on each side of a high spot, lay the shingles close together, and so the thin ends are close to the high spot, and the thick ends are at the walls. Hold them in place with staples on the thin ends, if you can get a narrow gauge stapler and compressor would be handy for this. Laminate flooring will not span over any distance, that is why to set them close together. If the thin ends of the shims are 4" apart, the thick ends will be very near or at the walls. The thin ends, with the highest part of the floor between them, should more or less create a straight line between the ends of the shims and the high spot. A little sanding to flatten out here and there would most likely be needed too. I have used this technique under hardwood flooring, a different animal than what you are working with, but with care, you may be able to pull it off.


You are correct in addressing this, but the ring terminal isn't the right tool for the job
You are indeed correct that 14AWG is well outside the listed/labeled range of the lugs on a 50A Siemens QP breaker -- they're rated for 8AWG through 4AWG wire only.  However, nobody's tested them with ring tongue terminals either, so your ring terminal solution is off base.  What I'd do instead is use a short length of 8AWG stranded THHN and an appropriate wirenut as a transition pigtail to adapt the 14AWG leads on the CHSPT2ULTRA to a wire size your breakers are rated to accept.  (If you insist on doing this using crimped connections, you can use a suitable closed-end crimp splice instead of the wirenut, as doing the transition with a butt/in-line splice requires a special reducing splice connector, the Panduit ESV8-ESV14-Q, that isn't a hardware store item.)


Which color temperature for front door exterior lights?

This is a real personal choice.

IMHO
The daylight bulbs give a harsher whiter light similar to a mercury vapor lamp. This gives things more of a stark steril look.

The cool whites are less harsh.

The warm whites will be the closest match to a standard incandescent. So, if you have some incandescents still installed on the outside of your house the warm white would match better.

Or you could buy all three, take them home and try them out and then return the other two you don't like.

Good luck with your project!


AC Handler Keeps Leaking After Multiple Repairs (Geothermal unit)

Questions

Q: What would I call the line marked D when googling. Water intake line?

A: "Intake" kind of works (we all understand it), but other helpful internet-search terms may include supply, PCV, and radiator.

Q: I feel the problem is due to new pressure in the system since the leak keeps moving, how do I diagnose if it is the pressure and what is causing the pressure?

A: A water pressure guage is how you determine water pressure and I think it will probably be useful (to know, at least generally, the pressure you have). I think that you will want to install a pressure reducing valve and possibly a water hammer arrester as well.

Also looking for any other advise or tips to figuring this thing out.

The problem might be vibrations. If vibrations are present, use a braided connector (for pressure above 25 psi) or you could use a rubber (radiator) hose connection (generally for pressure under 25 psi). Also, secure the pipes with straps wherever possible.

High water pressure can also cause leaks. If this is primarily a pressure problem, then a pressure reducing valve, and/or possibly a water hammer arrestor should help. You may want to install more than one pressure gauge (before and after) the radiator.


deck railings: alternatives to 4x4 posts?

Typical wood deck railings are 4x4 posts, 2x4 rails, 2x2 balusters and a 2x6 railing cap on top.  Wood railing is chunky but it needs to be to prevent people falling through it in the event of a accident.  It is not just leaning that is the concern but 1 or 2 200+ lb people failing into the weakest spot (middle of the rail) that it needs to handle.  But when it is done right, stained a nice color, sealed and has quality work, it does look very nice.  You can upgrade the look by having post caps or switching out the wood balusters for metal ones for not much more.

If you want thinner posts you need to switch materials, like metal, but that will probably double your costs.  With metal posts, come metal rails which then require metal balusters.  All this metal requires a metal worker to fabricate offsite and then bring to site for assembly and install.


Honeywell T6 PRO Z-Wave Thermostat (model th6320zw2003) exhibits very erratic behavior after battery replacement

1   Press and hold the menu button

until the Advanced menu opens.

2   Go to "Advanced Reset" using left and right arrows.

3   Press on "Factory"

4   Press on the tick icon to confirm the reset.

This reset tutorial might be helpful


I am suspicious your fix will not work unless you fix this (arrow).

Your handle is meant to have a top and bottom pin.  Those transmit the pull forces equally to the top and bottom of the door.  Your top pin is gone and the plastic there has cracked.

If you have the handle with only the bottom pin it will pull asymmetrically and pull the top forward.  It will not stay.  If you substitute some sort of top pin (a bolt with a nut would probably work) the problem is that the plastic of the frame is cracked and the bolt will pull loose or worsen the crack with use of the handle.

Fixing cracked structural plastic is not easy.  You cannot just glue it together because the forces on that area will (again) crack thru the joint.  You would need to reinforce it with some overlay.  Before I embarked on that I might see if there were a dead washing machine of the same make at the washing machine junkyard, and take the whole door off of that.  You might be able to fix the cracked plastic with a layer of epoxy over fiberglass mesh to reinforce over the crack but you need to make sure that the fix does not bulk it up such that it cannot clear other things in its path when you close it.


Is krypton gas more energy-efficient that low-e argon?

As someone who bought new windows a couple years ago and researched it to death, almost anything a window salesmen tells you will be a marketing gimmick.

The fact of the matter is that when it comes to heat transfer resistance with windows, you reach the point of diminishing returns rather quickly.

Triple pane windows will give you a slight advantage in energy efficiency however they tend to be heavier and far more expensive.  The extra weight can often cause them to wear out the casing or unseat over time however.  Now consider comparing these to dual pane windows with a low E coating and you will only see a slight drop in resistance from the window itself.

Both Krypton and Argon are noble gases and both achieve the same effect, they insulate between 2 or more panes of glass by slowing down the transfer of heat.  Krypton is typically used in triple pane where Argon is typically used in double pane and this has to do with the maximum heat transfer resistance for each gas at different widths between panes of glass.

Krypton does in fact do slightly better but usually at an enormous upfront cost that in my opinion would be hard to get ROI on over the years as compared to dual pane low E Argon windows.  Over time with the expansion and contraction of the casing and general exposure to the elements, microscopic stress fractures will start forming around the case slowly allowing all that expensive Krypton or Argon gas to escape, essentially making the windows lose heat transfer resistance over time.  Investing in a window with a better quality case design will do more to improve the overall energy efficiency of your windows than any investing in triple pane Krypton.

A good quality case design that is well insulated and uses high quality weather resistant vinyl will do more to increase the lifespan of the windows and maintain the energy efficiency of the windows by being more resistant to leaks and fractures that will result in the slow seepage of the noble gases.

It can be hard to seperate the gimmicks from the truth when it comes to window shopping, so thoroughly understanding the difference is important.  Figure out what your monthly heating bill is and use that as a basis for making a good decision.  If you are living in the Yukon and you have long frigid winters then perhaps spending the extra money for the triple pane krypton windows is worth it.


It should be a simple task to add a shutoff valve to the existing line. You probably have 1/4" copper tubing or polyethylene tubing. There are shutoff valves available for either type and they don't require soldering. Cut your existing line where you'd like the valve and take the piece to your home store or a plumbing supply store to get the proper valve. Remember to shut off the line in the basement before doing any disassembly.


Can you attach more than one wire in a given hole on a bus in an electrical panel?

The issue isn’t about mixing ground and neutral on a single bus in the main panel. That is allowed although it’s preferred to have separate neutral and ground busses, both bonded to the chassis and grounded.

The issue is that most panel busses aren’t rated to have more than one wire per termination point. Some are but most aren’t. The issue, other than just the question of certification, is that they may just not be designed to hold two wires securely or to keep a tight connection over time.

If you can post a photo of your panel, or at least give the brand and model, someone here should be able to give you a specific answer.


Air filter recommendations to filter dust mites

Stand-alone filters are basically marketed in two capabilities -- big stuff or small stuff.  Big stuff is visible dust (specs you can see floating in the air when sunlight hits it).   Those filters are aimed at people who want to reduce how often they need to clean what collects on surfaces.  Small stuff (many allergens) is mostly too small to be very visible when it's airborne.  Filters aimed at allergy sufferers are designed to remove the small stuff.

BTW, dust mite allergy is mainly to their waste, which is a lot smaller than the mites.  Your idea of reducing their food source with an air filter won't really do that.  Their food source is your discarded skin cells that fall on the floor, furniture, and other surfaces.  The skin cells don't stay airborne, and if they did, that would keep them out of the reach of the mites, anyway.

The mite poop is actually sitting safely out of the way on surfaces until you disturb it by kicking up floor dust, sitting on upholstered furniture, or dusting or vacuuming hard surfaces.  You can make a huge difference by regularly vacuuming the floor and seating surfaces with a HEPA vacuum (a one-time cost and some are not all that expensive), and using an electrostatic microfiber cleaning tool (like Swiffer) to dust hard surfaces.  That will cut way down on what gets airborne in the first place.

The stand-alone units are generally sized to clean the air in a single room.  They don't move enough air, or move it in a useful pattern, to circulate the air of multiple rooms connected through doorways.  A huge open floor plan that is a much bigger space than the unit is designed for will also limit its usefulness.

The general principle for allergy relief is to use the filter where you spend you time; the bedroom at night is usually the first priority.  If you spend much of the day in a particular room, move the filter there during the day.  If you're between a lot of rooms during the day, just pick one and let it work on the air in general.

The filters designed for allergy suffers are mostly one of four designs.

The simplest is something you could actually make yourself.  It's basically a fan in a box that holds a high-end, "allergy-rated" pleated furnace filter.  The fan circulates the room air through the filter.  When the filter gets dirty, you replace it.  These have a cheap initial cost but replacement of the filters every few months can get expensive.  They won't be as effective as a HEPA filter, but are likely to be a big improvement over nothing.  They will capture particles of all sizes.
The HEPA filters have a washable prefilter to catch the big stuff and keep it from clogging the HEPA media.  Some of the HEPA filters have media that can be cleaned a few times.  These units are very effective, but not cheap to buy and you will need to replace the HEPA media every so often, which can be expensive.
Tabletop electronic air cleaners use metal plates charged with a high voltage to attract and hold particles as a fan pulls air past them.  They're good but not quite as effective as a HEPA filter for the smallest particles.  There's nothing to replace unless they have a prefilter to catch big stuff. Those are typically washable, and inexpensive to eventually replace.

The metal plates do require regular cleaning.  Big particles being captured will produce a little zapping sound (probably the reason for the prefilter).  They can produce tiny amounts of ozone, but generally not enough to be noticeable.
Certain ionic air cleaners clean room air without leaving molecular-sized crud electrostatically bonded to all nearby surfaces.  These are similar in principle to electronic air cleaners and move the air either with a fan or the wind created by generating ions that are attracted to metal plates.  Sharper Image is a big seller of this type.  They are absurdly over-priced.

They move much less air than the other types of cleaners, moving it relatively slowly through the collection system.  They are very effective for the smallest particles (odor removal), but they don't do much with the bulk of the dust volume, which is made up of bigger stuff.  Don't waste your money.


Why do they put an A/C vent in the utility room?

There are plenty of reason why, not sure exactly why your is though.
Here a few reasons:

Humidity. Circulating air, especially climate control air, will help eliminate differences in humidity that can lead toward mildew, mold, bugs issues, etc.
Selling point. In most regions that I've observed, any climate controlled area can count toward square feet/meters so the house can be advertised at a slightly higher number than is actual livable space.
Climate control balancing. The best thermal boundary is one that is not needed and you do not want a hot/cold spot near the utility room. If the vent is setup correctly for that size room and you are not maxing out your air handler already it is typically more efficient to have a vent open in all interior rooms/spaces. Rooms/spaces with any outside walls depend on the insulation they have but are typically not beneficial, in a properly insulated basement I'm considering any space interior.


What is causing this stain on my driveway?

BMitch is right on his comment.   This probably wasn't "dirt" but was some oil, rust, other chemicals...  When you paint over them you dry them out and the result is a chemical reaction with the paint/stain because you are drying the material out - it cannot access air - and it will try to escape through the stains you see.

I know this because I paint my laundry floor every 3-4 years and I sweep it well but really don't feel like giving it a good cleaning.  My fix is to just put more paint over it - which works sometimes on the first coat and sometimes 2-3 coats later.  Is the paint bonded as good as it could be?  No.  But it is a floor.   If you don't want to see these you have to do some serious cleaning before painting floors/driveways.


Can I fix hardened bumps under inside corner tape without removing the tape and starting over?

You don't have to tear out the tape, just sand or scrape through the high spots and skim it. The only problem with doing that is if you have a substantial length missing at the actual joint, say over an inch.


When a working switch ceases to be able to turn a light off, it is almost always a bad switch.

Turn the power off at the circuit breaker.
Remove the switch cover.
Take a picture of how the wires connect to the switch
Remove the old switch
Replace with the same type of switch, matching wires
Put cover back on
Turn power back on

This assumes that only one switch controls the light. As noted in the comment by @topshot, if there are other switches in the circuit, such as a 3-way or 4-way setup, one of the other switches could be the problem.

That said, the comment by @AndrewMorton is good advice. Most of us became comfortable working with electricity by observing and asking questions (in person) of someone who knew a lot more than us. If you can get a friend to assist who knows even a bit about electricity, it would be a good idea. And never take on any risky task when no one else is around to call for the ambulance.


Woodford Faucet is probably the place to go for the parts breakdown if I can read the handle right. They produce a kit specifically for repair. You'll have to look for better identification, but here's the Model 17 kit (round handle) which probably addresses all the issues.

American MFG that's been around like forever and has always been good about repair kits. You'll recognize their key'd faucets if you've used campsites.

EPDM Packing that's under the Nut


Filler to fill gap between frame and wood in the balcony

The piece under the slider sill appears to be face nailed facia.  You try removing this piece of wood, maybe they did water proof properly and only this piece of facia is rotting.  If it is only the facia rotting then you could replace it and then to seal the gap, depending on the size, use a piece of foam backer rod and some exterior grade paintable caulking.  The backer rod allows the caulking to properly expand and contract.

I'd pull the bottom piece and replace it with PVC facia.  Home depot carries it but you could probably find others.  After replaced use backer rod to fill the gap and caulking to seal it.

For caulking I'd probably go for something like:

GE M90026-30 Paintable Silicone Supreme Window & Door Sealant Caulk

For backrod size, you generally want something slightly bigger than the gap.  Sometimes if the gap varies over the width you'd start with a larger diameter until it couldn't fit and then move to a smaller one.


Do vertical cracks in old plaster wall along studs indicate a structural problem

The pocket door that is dragging the floor is the best indicator perhaps of what is going on. If it is original to the house means one thing, if it is a newer install as in not original means something different.

If painting the wall covers the crack you are asking about, tells me they are very small and there is most likely no concern. Old houses move, Plaster walls don't like to move and when they do, you will get settlement cracks, which it sounds like what you have here. The again if the pocket door is an add on or part of a remodel, that will affect the wall. Still no concern. The door that is dragging the can be from a few possibilities. The header supporting the track failed. I don't think so, your wall you asked about would have worse cracks. The track may have become detached from the header and the door dropped. (poor workmanship)

It may be good to post another question with pictures about the pocket door. That appears to me to be more of an issue than the cracks in the wall.


Does the gas water heater in my laundry room require a dedicated vent?

He's talking about a combustion air intake. Fuel burning appliances are not allowed to draw combustion air from habitable rooms. So it's possible that a combustion air intake may be required.

Check with your local building department, to determine if one is required in your situation.

If the dryer vent and the heater exhaust through the same duct, that's definitely a problem.   Though hopefully that's not what you're talking about.


I used to live in a house with a dining room that had no outside windows (Also in the UK).  Similarly to yours it had a kitchen extension behind it (SW-facing.  It had a big window between the two, and a partially glazed door which we replaced with a fully glazed on (lots of little panes). At the front we had a slight advantage over you - the dining room was semi-open-plan to the living room (it had a half height wall).  There was an RSJ as the original wall had been taken down.

The dining room was very dark when we moved in.  Just replacing the dark wallpaper with pale paint in the dining room itself and the lounge made a huge difference.  Improvements we made to the kitchen helped too.

In your case, I'd look at:

Removing walls that have been added (e.g. probably those between bedrooms and their en-suites)
Adding internal windows between the living spaces.  In fact it might be a matter of restoring original windows in the S (right) wall between the DR and lounge 2, as that was the original external wall, though L2 might have been converted from  garage to a bedroom given the size and location.  Depending on how much light comes into L2 these will make a big difference (while L2's windows face S, they're neither front nor back windows so could well be shaded by next door.
Adding internal windows/glazed doors (maybe double doors) between the dining room and hallway. I wouldn't knock the wall down even if it's not structural:  A front door and stairs in the living/dining room can be perceived as belonging to a cheap house, can be draughty, and with your open-plan layout into the kitchen could lead to cooking smells  in the bedrooms.

These ideas would be a little cheaper than yours while still opening the house out into something that feels more like a single home.

On thing to watch with HMOs is that extensions may have been built or garages converted on the cheap with little insulation in the right place, so before you get too far you should check.


I ran out of propane and now the water heater pilot light will not stay lit

I have had similar problems in the past when running out, what I found is I had to hold the pilot for several minutes to get the lines full of propane again. I found it easiest to light the stove top or try until it would burn then I went to the furnace and water heater it still took a few minutes as the pilot is a very small draw but once the lines had properly purged I had no problems after that, it was like some air was in the lines would light burn funny and go out, once I got a solid flame the problem was solved.


Install one dimmer switch which is one of two regular switches

I learned that I have a 3-way switch.  Wired it according to instructions and left the 'regular' switch alone. It works great.


Wall outlet only works when AFI breaker is OFF?

Mystery solved. We had a bit of a Car Allergic to Vanilla Ice Cream problem. Turns out the bedroom outlet is on the same switch as the basement lights. Whenever I went down to the basement and flipped a breaker, I left the basement lights on when I came back upstairs, since I was planning on going back down to flip the breaker back. So, because the basement lights were on, the outlet in the room was powered when I got back upstairs. Not the most intelligent wiring decision in the world, but not rampantly dangerous either.


Can I attach a television mount using custom drilled holes?

The vast majority of TV mounts have multiple slots across their face to provide a range of choices for mounting bolts. Decent ones are fairly cheap and I would recommend getting one that gives you some choices on positioning support.

If you must use the one you have, drilling two holes in a solid area of the mount should not compromise the unit. You should definitely put two lag bolts in studs on the top and two on the bottom.

Mounts are designed to allow the TV to be positioned anywhere along the track, even fully to one side. the force of the TV on the mount is mostly shear force, pulling straight down. Counteracting this force is the shear strength of the bolts and the stud materials.

The effective force on the bolts and studs is based on where the weight load is in relationship to the bolts and studs. If the weight were exactly centered between the bolts and studs, the effective weight would be divided between each stud and vertical pair of bolts and be halved (43 lbs on each). If the weight were totally on one end and there were a middle set of bolts and a set of bolts on the opposite end, the weight on the middle set could be  increased to the full load of the TV (86 lbs downward) and the pressure on the bolts at the opposite end of the mount would be the load of the TV, but upwards.

Any serious lag bolts 1/4" or more, and stud should have no problem handling that shear force.

If you were to have the middle bolts further away from the TV than the center of the mount, you start to get leverage forces that could multiply the strain on the bolts and studs that might compromise their ability to hold the TV in a stable position. The likely weak points would eventually be the threaded holes in the studs rather than the bolts. You could also see a pulling of the TV and its mount out of horizontal.

In sum, so long as you do not compromise the integrity of the mount and have the mount holes separated by at least half the width of the mount, you will probably be fine.

BUT, once again, I would urge the selection of a mount with a wider range of mounting choices to benefit from its full width for support.

SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: The vast majority of TV mounts in general are only intended to span two studs. Additionally, if you are willing to add a bit of depth, you could attach the mount to a 1x6 board (or a strip of 3/4" plywood) using nuts, bolts and fender washers through the existing holes, and then mount the board or strip to two or even three studs with lag bolts.

SUPPLEMENT:

The Original Poster has now added information that this is a full motion mount. Because of the outward hinge aspect, these mounts almost always have one vertical pivot line in which all of the weight is concentrated. This makes the entire unit prone to horizontal twist forces and lateral tension forces (outward), not just shear forces. This also makes it more important to spread out the load, either with a new mount that has more mounting hole choices or using a bracing board that is then mounted to the studs. It also calls for deeply embedded lag bolts (at least 2" in the stud).

There are some full motion mounts that can accommodate 70 inch sets, have multiple horizontal slots and even allow some horizontal adjustment. But they are much pricier than basic mounts.

 Links and images are for illustration only and are not endorsements of goods sources.


If the outdoor fan comes on and the compressor does not, you need a "hard start kit"
this is either a potential relay and start capacitor as in my diagram or a PTC thermistor solid state start assist device that piggy backs onto the run capacitor.
This is assuming your compressor is cold to the touch and has not been starting.
If your compressor has been starting and is off due to the thermal overload being open
Then it is due to  the capacitor being bad or refrigerant being low or the compressor is mechanically tight or electrically shorted to itself internally, this is not something a homeowner will usually be able to do unless walked through it step by step.


Soda blaster add-on kits are available for "conventional" hobby level sand blasters. They have a smaller orifice and a valve with which to adjust the airflow and media flow. Soda blasters are also quite prone to clogging from the slightest bit of moisture or oil in the line. It behooves one to have a quality water/oil separator in the line prior to the soda/sand tank. They are frequently mounted on the frame or handles of the soda/sand tank.

Soda blasters will not damage more fragile substrates such as fiberglass but will remove paint from such surfaces. Sand blasters can abrade metal surfaces which can be desirable, but in the case of thin wall (aircraft) tubing, such abrasion reduces strength. The appropriate media for such materials is usually bead or nut. Bead and walnut media is more expensive, but the value of not damaging expensive aircraft structures is a good balance reference.

You will likely get the smallest amount of damage to wood by using a properly configured soda blaster add-on kit.


AC Condensate Line Location - Outside vs Inside

Draining into sinks is not ideal. You have the plumbing in an inconvenient location and it tends to accumulate mildew. Outside is probably better.

One approach to dealing with the insect thing is a bell outlet with screening. Simply increase the size of the pipe dramatically at the outlet and install insect screening however is convenient.


Where is the blade/spindle lock on an old Skilsaw 5250 7 1/4" circular saw?

It likely does not have a spindle lock.  I have a similar saw and there isn't one.  I use a heavy rag or glove to block the blade while adjusting the bolt.


Those are indenter type EMT fittings, they were popular in the 1960s.  There was a special crimp tool that crimped that dimple into the fitting and pipe.  They aren't commonly used but are still in the catalogs.

They are difficult to impossible to take off unless you can drill out all four dimples.


Do we need a gable vent, and in either case, how to vent bathroom fan outside (can it be via the gable)?

Gable venting is not a good idea for your attic. Gable vents work well when there are adequately sized vents on opposite sides of the attic, so air can flow across the whole interior space. This design is impossible in your attic because you only have a gable opening at one end.

Ridge/soffit venting is a good solution for your attic (and more popular than gable venting in new construction for good reasons). The ridge vent allows warm air to rise out of the attic, and the soffit vents supply replacement air from the outdoors. These vents are likely visible from outdoors, but they can be subtle; often there's simply a perforated panel installed in the soffit rather than distinct vents.

Adding a gable vent to your system would make it worse. Replacement air could come in through the gable vent instead of the soffits, and airflow would suffer in the parts of your attic further away from the gable.

From your description of the roof decking, you probably don't have a severe ventilation problem. Signs of that would include mold formation and rot in the roof decking, but your roof decking sounds fine. If you do need to improve ventilation, check your soffit venting. Are there vents serving each rafter bay? Is the path from vent to attic unobstructed? Sometimes vents are blocked by over-eager insulation installers; depending on the situation, you might be able to address the issue by installing plastic/foam baffles designed to ensure a path for air, or simply by cutting away or moving insulation. Improvements to ventilation can definitely help with ice dams, but it's hard to suggest particular improvements for your situation without locations & pictures. In particular, as you mention having a vaulted ceiling, I'd suspect your ice dams have more to do with that roof and its connection to the vented roof. If your ice dam issues are sporadic, consider getting a roof rake and clearing snow buildup in the risk areas; and when you get your roof replaced ensure these areas are thoroughly covered with ice & water membrane under the shingles.

For the bathroom vent, either approach is fine as long as it's within the manufacturer's spec for what your fan can handle.


Is it safe to leave live wires in a fan assembly?

No, this is not safe. Those wires should be disconnect where they originate, at the overhead lights. If a new fan is to be installed, the proper electrical box should be installed as these wires seem to come right through the drywall ceiling. With the power off, fold each wire over and tape with electrical tape until you can disconnect them from the light fixture.


In this day and age? Use smart switches and either smart outlets or modules that the lamp plugs into.

But for God's sake, don't omit the permanently installed light - that should still be switched by a switch.  (It can be a second switch).  "Switched outlets instead of an installed lights" is not a style. They want you to think that, but it's just to save a couple bucks at the expense of safety.

Because real world, it's confusing whether you turn that plug-in light at the lamp or at the switch, and people do the wrong thing a lot, leaving them stumbling in the dark.  It's much worse for guests and First Responders.  I've seen several EMT interventions where they were flummoxed by light switches that did nothing. Disgraceful in the LED age.


Painting Tape Application - One Foot Sections

I'd argue it's not worth taping in the first place. Learn to 'cut in' with a brush and you'll save yourself all sorts of headaches in the future.

As for the advice, I have a hunch they don't mean literally tear off 1' sections of tapes, but apply it as-you-go foot by foot. Meaning, expose a foot of tape, rub it down good, expose more tape, rub that section down, repeat.


Your neutral and ground bars must be separated, UNLESS this panel is the main service entrance panel, meaning this is where the line comes in from the utility meter and the neutral is bonded to the grounding electrode conductor (the wire going to the ground rod). In that case, the grounds and neutrals can be mixed on the same bar.

The problem I see is that if you have run out of spaces for both the grounds and neutrals in that panel, there are likely other problems with your system because you should not be able to run out of spaces unless something was done wrong. For example you may have wires doubled up on breakers where they should not have been. Many breakers are NOT rated for more than one wire per lug, those that are tend to come in panels with larger ground and neutral bars. If not that, then someone has installed too many "twin" (1/2 space) breakers to increase the number of circuits beyond what the panel was designed for.


How to handle the Stainless Steel cable?

Good wire cutters. I have also used a chisel and anvil. Then you need the correct size of crimp or swage fitting. Depending on the size , there are also regular cable clamps. Carbon steel or stainless steel are similar high strength so that makes no difference to the cutting.  I have assumed a small size like 1/8 in.


The taller blade is neutral.

Ground should be bonded to neutral at the main panel so a measurement from hot to ground should be near 120V... and a measurement from neutral to ground should be near 0v.

I agree a hot-ground reading of nil indicates no proper ground.  To find that, you have to go chase the wires.  Follow the wires back to the panel, find the last place ground is good,  and open up that box and each subsequent box and see what is amiss.   It super helps to know what normal looks like, so hit the books.

As for detecting a ground fault in the tool, try plugging it into a properly grounded** GFCI receptacle, get an insulated wire with bared ends, attach one end to a solid ground, and  the other against metal parts of the saw.

Sometimes you can clear a tool ground fault by cleaning it well, or by disassembling it and cleaning it.

You really do want GFCI protection in garage and workshop space, though.  If you don't have a ground, you may be better off getting a GFCI than a ground.   GFCIs do not require ground.  Learn how to use the LOAD terminals on a GFCI and you will only need one per circuit.

** GFCIs do not require ground, and grounding a GFCI is nice but it doesn't massively improve its safety.  In this case I want you to use a grounded GFCI as a diagnostic aid, because it will help detect ground faults in a grounded tool.


What's causing the smell in my basement?

It turns out it's nothing to do with the water heater. The sump pump's backup battery, which is pretty close to the water heater, exploded inside its container. That's what caused the smell.


Half Hot Outlet Tripping when Light is connected

You said that the tab on the hot side is broken and from that, I assume the tab on the neutral side is not broken. The problem is that the same neutral is being used for both the switched circuit and the load side of the GFCI.
A GFCI works by comparing the current through the hot and neutral wires. If the current is unequal, it assumes that current is escaping through the ground and trips. In your case, current from the switched circuit is returning through the GFCI. Since this current did not originate from the GFCI, it trips.
Because there isn’t a separate neutral that bypasses the GFCI, you cannot make this configuration work. Your choices are to either (1) abandon the switch and make the outlet always-hot or (2) put GFCI outlets where you want protection and not use the load sides; instead, use pigtail wires so that you can connect each outlet’s line side to the circuit. The half-hot outlet cannot have GFCI protection in this case.
The other option is to use a GFCI breaker to feed everything and restore the GFCI outlet to a normal outlet.


How to fix asphalt cracked in large chunks?

How can I fill in the cracks and keep it together?

I wouldn't do that.

I would search for a local supplier of asphalt patch

Random example:


Can I have GFCI receptacles on the same circuit as normal receptacles?

Yes it is accepted and code.  The GFCI will only protect what is downstream though.

Also as picture shows you must connect duplex to load for it to be protected.  The load will be labeled on the receptacle.


Can I use two ladders to create a makeshift scaffold?

Instead of a horizontal ladder, I'd use scaffold extension plank.  These are designed to work with an extension ladder or with ladder jacks.  Some have clips for ladder rung attachment, I've used a pair of c-clamps (just on the extension plank, to prevent it sliding)
.
OSHA spec on plankings, contains span ratings for wooden planks

Little Giant 8 -13 ft telescoping plank


Replacing old for New Honeywell thermostat

RH & RC are jumpered at the factory because most systems have only one transformer whether that is heating or cooling or both. If this is the case with your system, leave the jumper in place.  If you have a heating system combined with a cooling system and if both of those systems have their own transformer or if you have any two different system controlled by one thermostat and they have separate transformers then and only then do you pull the jumper.


Are spindles strong enough on a balcony to keep a toddler safe?

Spindles (also called balusters) on a staircase are supposed to be properly spaced, structured and attached to prevent a toddler (or anyone else) from falling under the railing.

Typical spacing is 4" on centers, too narrow to fit even a small head between, but check your local code. Obviously children could insert a limb and get hurt, but collapse is unlikely.

Standard balusters are usually made from hardwood, but even softwood versions should be sufficiently strong to handle the side pressure load of a leaning or falling person on the stairs. Any load is likely to be spread over several balusters.

Balusters are attached on the bottom either by being inset into holes in the tread or toenailed to the tread.  They are also toenailed into the handrail. This is generally sufficient to handle most strains including the pressure of a forty pound child (and probably a 140+ pound adult). Again any load is likely to be spread over several balusters.

If your handrail and balusters are substandard or improperly installed, you should repair the stairs.

If you just want to block the gaps to minimize limb insertion, any thin, smooth coverage will do. Pre-drill and screw into the balusters.

You also may want to think about not letting toddlers use the stairs without supervision.


The most important thing you need to do is prepare the surface properly, which means removing all existing coatings and/or foreign material from the concrete surface then etching it with acid. if you are comfortable undertaking this yourself, there is a lot of online information and tutorials. Follow the preparation instructions for the coating you choose to the letter.

After thorough prep you would use epoxy concrete paint. It is a specialty coating requiring special application techniques. There are concrete paints available that are designed to look like marble when applied properly. Use your Google-Fu, check this link: marble floor coating kits, then go to a reputable paint store to gather even more information.


Power outlet inside a kitchen island. How do I protect the back?

You need to mount an electrical box to the wall of the cabinet and put the outlet inside it.

If you can't easily do the work inside the cabinet, you can use a thin surface mount box on the outside.  The box screws to the cabinet wall, and you drill a hole through the cabinet wall behind the box to feed the wire into the box.  A standard wall plate goes over the outlets.

Here are a couples of examples from Home Depot:

Non-metallic example: (this one happens to come complete with outlet and coverplate)

Metal example:

As DrMoishe Pippik points out, a kitchen outlet needs to be GFCI protected.  If the wire was pre-run, it should come from a GFCI source, perhaps one of the protected kitchen outlets.  You could check this by temporarily connecting a load, like a light, or a voltmeter, and tripping the kitchen GFCI outlets with the test button.  There are also inexpensive outlet testers that have a built-in GFCI test button.  If the line is protected somewhere else, the button will trip it (and then you can search for its location, like in the garage or basement).  If the wire is not protected, use a GFCI outlet on the cabinet.


What wire do I run to feed 120v driveway lights a total length of 500' from the switch?

Plug your scenario into a voltage drop calculator.

If the entire 60W (0.5A at 120V) load is at the end of the run (which it isn't, but makes the calculation simple - your actual results will be better), 14 AWG copper wire fed by 120V has only 1% voltage drop. If you go up to 300W (2.5A at 120V) the drop would be 5.26%, which is still fine.

You could run 12 AWG copper instead if you want the future flexibility to run a much larger lighting load, or to do something like adding receptacles at the posts. The price difference should be relatively small compared to your full project budget.


Widen a hole in an existing knife block?

There is only one possible way of doing it that I can think of without cutting the block apart on a table saw and re-gluing it. You would need a power tool called a "reciprocating saw", aka a "Sawzall" with a long wood cutting blade, long enough to get to the end of the block.

You would have to clamp the block into a woodworkers vise or clamp it down to a table, then using the longest blade you can get, run it in the slots multiple times to make them longer. The blade will likely be thinner than the slot, hence multiple passes, trying to exert pressure to one side, then the other to chew out a wider kerf. Don't expect it to look nice though, the edges will look chewed out.
Sawzalls are around $250 on line. You might find a cheaper one that will cost less, but likely only last for this one project. Tool rental yards offer them though, if you have one near you. You will have to buy the blade if you rent the saw though. The blade will cost you around $15, so this had better be important to you, compared to just buying a new block.


mixing a little dish soap and water into your compound

It has been a while since is did it but it did have an impact on the air bubbles.

How much soap ? Very little, much less than you think.

I have done the soap, maybe a half tablespoon for a gallon or two of mud, but i do not use any water.

I remember adding too much the first time and it was a little thin/loose, hard to work with.

I used generic dish soap.

You can always add more but you can not take it out. ( I have cut this board twice and it is still too short )


Install tiles on top of laminate floor in kitchen

The existing vinyl flooring and existing underlayment should be removed. All types of ceramic tile, stone tiles, porcelain tiles, etc. need to be installed on a different type of underlayment. Removing the existing underlayment will give you a chance to install the new tile floor level with your wood floor. If not exactly the same level, there are off-set wood covers that can adjust for various heights.


"Let some pressure escape" would be happening every time you open a tap downstream of your pressure limiting device (regulator), if there is one on the system. That pressure reading (which is quite high, by the way) means one of the following:

your pressure limiting device (regulator) has failed and your mains pressure is currently quite high
the pressure gauge has failed
your pressure limiting device (regulator) has failed and there was a period of time that your mains pressure was high, but downstream pressure has not yet been relieved.


Reducing humidity with a fan: top or bottom?

Dry air is more dense than humid air, so your thinking about humid air accumulating near the ceiling makes sense. Because it's a basement, however, I'm going to assume humidity is coming through the floor or walls. Tackling the source of the humidity by letting drier air circulate along the floor and walls will probably be most effective at drying the space.

Your best bet may be to mount the fan as an intake on the bottom grate, so less humid air blows onto the floor and quickly disperses rising moisture. It would also help to open up some air space along the floor. You could achieve this by storing your items on a raised shelf or pallet. Providing this extra space for air circulation might even be enough to keep your storage room sufficiently dry without forced ventilation.


Sink pivot rod stuck, seems to be screwed in?

I wouldn't waste a lot more time with it. You can pick up an entire pop-up assembly kit for less than $30. You can have it repaired in about an hour and have all new parts.


When is the best time of year to install a fence?

Depends on where you live. The best results are when the ground is dry. Frozen ground, spring mud season etc are bad times as you cannot set the posts soundly and you may see some settling later on.  Summer and early fall are great times to build a fence. See my earlier "beer" comment.


How can I run cable through perpendicular studs?

I may understand your situation. I assume it looks like this (in plan view):

 _____
|_____|
   *
   *
   * <-- planned cable
   *
 __*__
|_____|
  | |
**|*|******** <-- existing cable
  |_|

If that's accurate, simply drill a hole at a diagonal, like so, from whichever side gets you the most clearance:

 _____
|_//__|
  | |
  | |
  |_|

This hole can penetrate the other stud somewhat to keep more centered, and should be safely above or below any nearby cable, both to prevent damage and to allow smooth bends between holes. The hole should be centered on the stud depth on the unobstructed face.

If the cable ends up less than 1-1/4" from the face of any stud (from the perspective of the finished wall surface), add a protective steel plate to the stud edge.

Note that attempting to bend cable in a multi-direction hole through lumber is likely to stress the conductors. All bends should be smooth and of an adequate radius to prevent tearing of the copper wire and insulating jacket. It's also an exercise in frustration.


How do I insulate a whole-house fan during the winter?

Skip the expanding foam and buy pre-made foam panels from your local HI store. Layer them up for more insulation and cut them to size with a knife or saw (I just use a drywall saw). You can enclose them in a wood box on top if you'd like, but they're rigid enough that they'll stay where you leave them without building an enclosure (unless you turn the fan on).

Just saw your edit about the motor. You can build up the foam panels into a tent. But if you can get a cover designed for a whole house fan, that may be your best option.


What to fill the cut in quartz counter top with?

This looks to be a bad install.   The gap seem too large and that is with the epoxy filling it.  When a good installer deals with seams there is a process where they will clamp each side (suction cups or other methods) to push the pieces together.  They will add the epoxy in before sandwiching and then scrape off and level the pieces.  For different types of countertops they might leave this like this for a day.

I see a wide epoxy seam, which means they did use epoxy but they didn't jam the pieces together.  So what happened is epoxy was put in (all the way through I am not sure about), then they fit the two pieces, pushed them together, then the epoxy pushed them apart... very little but enough for it to crack later.

The next issue is that these pieces should have been secured under the slabs to the cabinets in multiple places as close to the seam as possible and as close to the seam as possible.  I don't buy that this is normal, because I have seen it done right and have moved two pieces that were seamed together in my house to install new lower cabinets (the seam never broke).

What should you do now?  Call the installers.  If this isn't an option you need to buy a knife grade epoxy kit.  You can match your color or go clear.  If you have trouble finding these please let me know and I can look online.  (Probably won't be at big boxes)  Also if you are just going to lay some epoxy on here it can look nice but probably won't be permanent but is literally a 10 minute job.


You might not have to replace the door opener circuit. Genie, for instance, sells a conversion kit that sits inline with your wall panel. The unit has its own radio receiver and works with any Genie compatible remote (which are easy to find). I've used these on some off-brand openers where the remotes died and replacements were impossible to find. They work great.


How to splice the wires once the outlet has been removed, and it's not the last item in the circuit

It sounds like the load side of the GFCI receptacle in your kitchen was feeding your bathroom.  Assuming the colors were "normal" on the GFCI receptacle - a black and a white to the line side, another black and white on the load side - if this wasn't a bathroom, you might just splice the blacks with a wire nut, splice the whites with another wire nut, and re-energize.

However, if you did that, you'd no longer have GFCI protection in your bathroom, which is a code requirement and an important safety measure.  You'd need to also replace your bathroom receptacles with GFCI receptacles to satisfy the code requirement.

If you have more than one receptacle in the bathroom, you may be able to make the connections so that one new GFCI receptacle in the bathroom protects the other receptacles and / or the other power in the bathroom.

Again make sure at a minimum your bathroom receptacles are protected by GFCI, it's not just a code requirement it's important for safety.


Do I need to redo this deck or it would be OK to clean it and repaint it?

Yes, your deck is a bit tired. I don't think anybody can tell you whether to re-do or re-hab without seeing it, but these are the sorts of things I think about on a job like this:

Safety: are any boards going to break any time soon? Are they excessively rotted? Can they support an adult bouncing on them? Do you walk around in bare feet, and are slivers a concern? (I see bits that might catch.) Are the stair treads (and whatever holds them to the stringer/carriage) solid? It looks like one has been replaced already. Are the nails popping up in a way that's going to trip/injure people? If so, those could be pulled and replaced with screws.

Aesthetics: do you care about cracks, or is that okay from a wabi-sabi perspective?

Doing a thorough re-decking is almost as hard as building a deck from nothing, so don't sign up for this task without being ready for work.

On the other hand, a good pressure washing and coat of stain is relatively easy and might yield just the result you want.

Dunno. But good luck deciding.


How to protect wire from excessive heat?

You will have to rewire the circuit with a cable rated at 90°C -- type CL2 cables not further marked are only good up to 60°C, as per note 15 to the tables in the UL Wire/Cable app guide.

As to wire gauge -- 18AWG 90°C wire is rated for an ampacity of 14A by the NEC (table 310.15(B)(16)), and the maximum derate factor required for the OP's operating conditions (max 82°C) is .29 from table 310.15(B)(2)(a) -- this means you can only push 4.06A through the cable without exceeding the insulation temperature ratings or upsizing it.  14AWG should be more than ample, even at such a harsh derate -- 14AWG 90&degC; wire can handle a whopping 25A, and since you are derating, you don't have to worry about the terminations being limited to 75°C.  A 14AWG 90°C cable (even with the extra derate being imposed by the limitation to 60°C ampacities in the table by the use of NM or UF) can handle that same 4A with ease, and a 12AWG wire gets you 5.8A


How can I fix this fountain and prevent it from happening again?

Tie it down.

Here is your fountain.  You can tie it down across the white base which I assume is attached to the plastic fountain bowl and statue.  You could use a nylon or poly rope of some color you thought was unobstrusive.
You could tie the rope to stakes and then hammer the stakes all the way into the ground then put the mulch back on top.  That would make sure rope is tight.  I show 2 ropes but you could use 4.


How should I touch up my exterior door's paint after changing hardware?

You could buy a sprayer for about $100 or less; I think a painter will charge you at least that much to spray it.

A sprayer such as this one or a wagner type airless sprayer should work Wagners are generally good for one or two uses unless you get a pro unit - ~$290.00 . I have had a couple of the Wagners , managed to get one to last through 4 rooms.

Here is how you can spray it.

Remove the door by removing the Hinge Pins.
Remove your hardware from the door.
Stand your door in a way that you can spray it while holding the
sprayer  horizontally - keeping the nozzle about 12 to 18 inches from
the surface of the door.

Hold the spray nozzle straight towards the door and walk along the door and spray (start from the top and work your way down - in case you create a run - you can fix it (wipe it) and continue) - remember keep the nozzle straight - no flexing of the wrist.

Start spraying before you reach the door and finish spraying when you have passed the door.

Continue this process until the door is completely painted.

Let the door dry.

Reinstall the door hardware and the door. You might need a helper as putting the hinge pins back in and holding the door may be difficult - putting shims under the door to hold it up and in place while installing the pins-  will make it easier to do it alone.

The best ambient temperature fro spray painting like this is around 70 degrees, if it is 90 degrees - move your nozzle a little closer to the door - 12 inches instead of 18 as the paint will tend to dry faster, if it is colder the issue is that of adhesion, your paint may not stick so well.


Do I need ductwork for a through-wall exhaust fan?

Other than the electrical issues I would not be worried about duct work two much you are pulling the heat out of the fridge so that should if anything pull air through if you are concerned a 2x 4 or 2x6 wedged in the cavity would stop almost all the air flow. I have used listed window fans for air movement through living spaces but never a fan not in an enclosure that is plugged in.


Is it safe to use a polyurethane faux beam to hide an asbestos insulated (and wet-wrapped encapsulated) heating pipe?

By "wet wrapped" can we assume you mean that the asbestos insulation was wrapped with a rubberized gauze and sealant system that keeps the asbestos in place and encapsulated? If so, the faux beam is fine for cosmetics, it's that wet wrap that is going to protect you from exposure. It's actually a good idea to cover that to help prevent the wet wrap from being physically damaged and exposing the asbestos layer underneath.


Why won't either toilet in my mobile home flush?

Well I am leaving this as an answer because of limited information.if you live in a park contact the superintendent. If on your own property your pipes or tank can be plugged. More information is needed. And you may need to have your tank pumped. I have helped a firend that had a park and with floods one of the tanks floated several inches and broke the pipes the filled with mud and several homes had the exact problems you have more info is needed.


Is wood strength affected after weathering wood?

I've used the steel wool + vinegar method before*. It's essentially a stain so really only affects the surface layer. It shouldn't have any meaningful affect on the strength of the piece of wood. Splitting and warping is related to moisture and drying so wouldn't really be affecting by weathering stain.

After you weather it, note that most any additional finishes will change the color. With pine (and actual drift wood) I've found both water and oil based polys will give it a slightly darker, slightly yellow tint (varnish will typically add color as well). So definitely use test pieces before committing.

Rule-of-thumb is that water-based finishes will add less color than oil-based finishes. That said, if the goal is to 'age' the wood, perhaps no finish at all is suitable. Let it age even more in use. :)

PS (*) one trick is to pre-'stain' the wood with black tea. This puts more organic material into the surface of the wood for the oil and vinegar mix to react to.


ecobee3 Installation - Thermostat Y Terminal (yellow) Wire Connects to C Terminal Board

It looks like there's an unused blue wire in the cable. Just hook that up at both ends to the C terminals, and make sure you connect them together at the splice.

You might have to use a twist-on wire connector and a bit of scrap wire, to extend the cut off blue wire to reach the terminals.


Why are the lights and fans in my home flickering and varying in speed?

Boy, that installer just loved his multi-wire branch circuits.  That's fine; I think they're awesome and my CH panels are full of them too.  However, there are rules you must follow in any MWBC installation.

The #1 thing you must watch closely is neutrals.   On a normal circuit, a neutral problem just shuts off the circuit.  But on a MWBC, it creates a "lost neutral" situation where the two half-circuit voltages are higher and lower than 120V,  but add up to 240V. The high side can fry equipment and start fires, and the voltage will teeter-totter depending on the load on each leg.  So as, say, a freezer starts up, it will wibble-wobble the voltage on the other leg (and its own leg).

I would normally blame backstab connections.  However, one of the rules of MWBCs is that neutrals must be pigtailed anywhere both hot legs are present.  You can't use a piece of equipment as the neutral path (as one normally does with receptacles in plain circuits).  So no backstabs should be involved.

Now, if the whole house is doing this, it may have nothing to do with the MWBCs, it may be the same problem - a lost neutral - at the whole-house level.  If so, this is an emergency -- call the power company and report an outage because most likely, the problem is at the pole or service drop, and that's their bailiwick and they'll fix it for free.   You can also check this by measuring voltage between the main breaker lugs and neutral.  If it is lopsided and gets more lopsided when you turn loads on, that's it!

Now another rule I see your installer did not follow is that whatever means of maintenance shutoff is used, it must shut off both legs of the MWBC.  Here, you use breakers, so the breakers need handle ties between them ($3, but hard to find) or change the 2 breakers to a 2-pole breaker.  That is to protect workers,  but it has a side effect: it makes sure both legs are on opposite poles.  In fact, for each of the cables, follow the red and black back to the breakers to make sure they are on opposite poles (occupying the same 2 spaces that a 2-pole breaker would use).

If both wires were on the same pole, current from both sub-circuits would stack on the neutral wire, overloading it.


The threads appear to be slightly damaged due to cross-threading or impact during transport or installation. This doesn't warrant a valve replacement, however.

Use a triangular file or other tool to trace the threads and remove any material that prohibits proper alignment of the hose threads. As a last resort, simply cut off the first few threads with a hack saw or rotary tool.

The rubber washer in the end of the hose makes the seal, so the condition of the threads isn't critical as long as it allows you to tighten the hose. There's no doubt in my mind that the threads shown in the photo are up to the task.


How can I safely get rid of the odor caused by EasyOff oven cleaner?

I think you're going to have to burn off any residue. This is going to take a very hot temp for several hours. If your oven has a self clean then try using that, otherwise I'd set it to max temp for 2-3hrs and then give it several more hours to cool off before you open it and wipe away any remaining residue.


How to combine in phase 120VAC 15A 60 Hz feeds on a pair of outdoor GFCI outlets?

If you're in the US, what you're doing is dangerous, a code violation, and will not work.  If your equipment requires a 30 ampere circuit, you should install a proper 30 ampere circuit.

The National Electrical Code only allows circuit breakers to be connected in parallel, where they are factory assembled in parallel. Simply connecting two breakers in your panel in parallel, is a code violation.  There's also a section about not being allowed to connect conductors in parallel, unless the conductors are 1/0 AWG or larger.

National Electrical Code 2017
Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection
Article 240 Overcurrent Protection
240.8 Fuses or Circuit Breakers in Parallel. Fuses and circuit breakers shall be permitted to be connected in parallel where they are factory assembled in parallel and listed as a unit. Individual fuses, circuit breakers, or combinations thereof shall not be connected in parallel.
Chapter 3 Wiring Methods and Materials
Article 310 Conductors for General Wiring
310.10 Uses Permitted.
(H) Conductors in Parallel.
(1) General. Aluminum, copper-clad aluminum, or copper conductors, for each phase, polarity, neutral, or grounded circuit shall be permitted to be connected in parallel (electrically joined at both ends) only in sizes 1/0 AWG and larger where installed in accordance with 310.10(H)(2) through (H)(6).


Take a look at a typical bathtub overflow drain:

That's basically what you'd need. The specific parts depend on your other components, but they're all fairly standard.

Whether there's any point to doing this is completely subjective.


You can, and should wait until the overnight temperature is above 40. Working with any masonry products in low temperatures brings a bunch of complications you don't need.

If you don't mind a slight color mismatch, like the existing repair above the chipped area you can fix it yourself. If you want an invisible repair you may want to consult a mason.

In the spring start by removing any loose material. The canonical instruction is to use a chisel, but common sense will suffice in your case. Tap around the chipped part and be sure you aren't putting the patch over anything that's going to flake off on its own. Following up with a wire brush to remove any dust and grime would be ideal.

For minor repairs your best bet is a vinyl patch compound, which combines cement and polymers. The best advice is to follow the instructions on the tub, since they come in different brands and materials. Pay particular attention to the maximum thickness, because they're designed for thin coats.

To fix it without a fancy kit you need to come to grips with the fact that Portland cement will not bond to itself. The easiest way around that is using a bonding agent which adheres to the old work and provides a surface for the new work to adhere to. You'd need a bottle of bonding agent and a bad of either parging mix or mortar.

The exact steps depend on the bonding agent and how you use it. (They can be either painted on or mixed in.) The general plan of attack is:

Moisten the old work with a sponge or spray bottle. Concrete absorbs water and will weaken new work by sucking the moisture from it before it cures. beware of direct sunlight for similar reasons.
Apply the bonding agent to the old work. (A chip brush from the paint store works well.) You may need to move this step around depending on how long the bonding agents instructions say to let it stand for.
Mix the mortar using about a third of the water you expect. You really want it to be thick and smooth like peanut butter and it's much simpler to add water while you're mixing than to add more dry mortar. Unless, you know, you want to have an extra 30 lbs of the stuff to get rid of later.
Let the mix sit for about 15 minutes (or whatever the instructions on the bag suggest for prehydrating), again time it with the bonding agent. This will make it a bit easier to work with.
Trowel it on. You do want to compress things so push it, push it real good.
Make it look nice. After things have firmed up a bit you can sharpen the corners, fix the texture, write your name, etc.
Admire your handiwork! Come back every couple of hours and spritz lightly with water. Just damp, no visible drops! Keeping things moist will help prevent cracking while it cures.


Removed an outlet attached to a lighting circuit, now the room sockets have lost power

A receptacle with a single cable running to it will have no effect on the rest of the circuit (unless you short the white to black and trip the breaker).
I would suggest you wiggled the wires going to the switches (they look to be back stabbed). Backstabbed wiring is by far the largest failure cause in modern wiring.
If you search you may find answers on this site that tell you to check the devices and when you turn the power back on and it works the stab started working because of the wire wiggle. Since this in new use the screw terminals not backstabs or this will end up being a common issue until the stab / wire is burned off from arcing and you find the root cause.


As gbulmer pointed out, the plug is wired incorrectly.
That plug is damaged, I would replace it.
Trim back any damaged wire (with burnt insulation) and make sure the earth wire has the most slack (so it is disconnected last if the cable is pulled out of the plug).
A typical electric hob ring can need 1.7 kW. Two of those would overload a 13A circuit.
I would check the rating of the electric range. High current appliances of that sort are normally connected directly to a dedicated 20A or 32A circuit using a switched wiring box, not plugged into a normal ring-main using a normal 13A plug. If the 13A fuse is overheating or blowing it suggests the range is overloading the socket. I would consult an electrician.

In my home, I have a 32A circuit that feeds the separate electric oven and electric hob (4 rings) - each is connected through a switch as shown above (one labelled "hob", the other "oven"). Your "range" probably needs a dedicated circuit and isolating switch.


3 way switch conversion to single pole to separately control an additional light fixture

Assuming that you have
 supply - 14/2 -- 3-way switch -- 14/3 --- 3 way switch --- 14/2 light fixture

yeah, you can do that.
you have something like this:

convert it to this:


Can I use a switch loop to power a ceiling fan?

No.  You do not have the required conductors at the box. It sounds like you simply have a switch loop, where one conductor is ungrounded (hot), and the other is an ungrounded switched conductor.  To power a ceiling fan, you'll also need a grounded (neutral) conductor.

If you could pull an additional conductor (or cable) from the power source of the receptacles, you would be able to do what you want.  However, as it currently stands, you're short a conductor.


How do I prevent water from leaking into my basement?

Call Mike Holmes.  But seriously, he had a great show in which he has a very similar problem - we are talking 8 foot by 3' trenches around entire basement, waterproof cladding, rock, dirt barrier cloth and back fill.

In a nut shell - your attempt to get the water away from those exterior walls is a step in the right direction.  Unfortunately, there may be so much water in the surrounding soil that the water content in the soil with put too much hydrostatic pressure upon the basement walls - leaky leaky.

Is this a finished basement - flooring, drywall etc?  Worked on one basement in which a trench was put in the floor and drained to a sump pump.  A waterproof floor was elevated over the concrete and the rooms finished - It was fine 10 years later.  That said, I would not do that now as a general contractor - only the trench, seal, drain and back fill method.


keeping the system clean is the number one thing a home owner can do. Things that will quickly kill your condenser coil are build up of grass trimmings, dust in the fins these hold moisture and rot out the aluminum fins, a simple rinse with a garden hose will flush the dust out and any salt if in a coastal area. The #1 killer of condenser coils I have seen is Dog pee, urin can destroy a coil in a very short time. Never use acid based cleaners, in fact home owners should not need strong cleaners if regularly hosed off. (Don't ever use a pressure washer this will fold the fins over and can ruin a coil). I flush my system monthly in the summer my daughter now lives in my last house and that unit is 18 years old and the coils look great. Any treatment you add to the coil may damage the factory coating if coated or possibly collect dust faster. Really a simple rinse is enough if regularly done to extend the life of the unit.


Why does a laundry drain need to be installed at a minimum height of 30"?

The water in the wash tub will drain out if the drain in the wall is lower than the water level in the washing machine. Simple physics, water seeks its own level. The drain located at the recommended height will allow the water to remain and allow the pump to remove the water at the end of the cycle.


How do I flatten my uneven concrete floor?

You are looking for leveling compound for concrete.  That link is to one of many of Home Depot's choices for a fast setting mix which can be up to one inch thick.  The reviews say the instructions should be carefully followed; many rave about the results.  I imagine if you mucked up the application, it could be difficult to correct.  (I have only done leveling compound on top of a wood subfloor:  that was pretty easy to get right.)


How should I reinforce this slide from my deck?

I would build a simple landing for the slide exit, either behind or in front of the exit face. The platform should be staked into the ground at multiple points to prevent shifting. By securing the slide exit most movement will be eliminated.
The problem with your mid-point post strategy is that it's difficult to make such a post laterally rigid. Ground is soft (even with a concrete base), and posts flex as well. You might end up with a rather unpleasant twitch rather than a gentle jiggle by eliminating just part of the movement. A better strategy would be to triangulate to the deck rim using rigid poles, but I just don't think it's necessary.


How much water should I expect to be left in a dishwasher?

I had exactly the same issue with my dishwasher.  Standing water at the bottom after the wash cycle almost every time, yet the dishwasher appeared to be draining correctly.

Nevertheless, the first thing to verify is that the dishwasher is indeed draining properly.  Start a cycle to partially fill the washer, then manually engage the drain cycle.  Does the water drain quickly and completely?   If you're so inclined, you can (carefully) leave the door open while the dishwasher is draining and hold down the door lock mechanism with a small screw driver so that you can watch the process.  Another option is to disconnect the drain from your disposal and place the end into a bucket to observe how the water is draining.  It's also a good opportunity to clean out any sludge that may have formed in drain hose.

If the draining appears to be functioning normally (as it was in my case) the next step is to verify the filter, food chopper blade and mesh grate that is in front of the sump pump/pump inlet housing is not clogged - this is slightly more involved, but still fairly easy to do.  Here's a video to give you the general idea of the process:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRDbTgBOtIE.  This is not for your model specifically, but it should be fairly close.

In my case, the mesh grate was almost 100% clogged with debris and hard water deposits, and the food chopper blade had a piece of string wrapped around it that kept it from spinning freely (no idea how that got there).  After soaking the grate in a vinegar solution, cleaning the it with a toothpick and unwrapping the string from the blade, I haven't had any more issues with water remaining in the dishwasher.

This may not fix your problem, but it's fairly easy to do yourself and may just save you a service call.  Good luck.


You should use mineral spirits or mythle-hydride to dilute oil based paints. I don't really think that diluting the primer is the best solution though. It would be best to lay it on thick with a heavily padded roller and then back roll it out. Primers job is to seal and adhere. Thinning it will only prevent it from doing its job.