I am at a loss as to what "some kind of "platform", sort-of like the one pictured below " is supposed to do or how it would be used.

I would Use a french cleat and some stand offs on the bottom of equal thickness of the cleat so the mirror hangs parallel to the wall. ( Or adjust the thickness of the standoff to achieve any angle you like )

Another option is to use two D-rings on the back of the mirror with a cable and one or two solid (in structure or toggle anchors) hangers on the wall.  This system is common for heavy mirrors and photographs .

Or another option would be to use Keyhole mounting brackets

The advantage of the D-rings and cable is that you can adjust the mirror to hang straight after it is mounted, but with the cleat and keyhole care must be taken to mount the mirror LEVEL. The D-ring is a more  adjustable system, and the cleat and keyhole are more solid mounts, because the mirror cannot move around—even if bumped slightly—after it is installed.


How easy is it to fit a garage door opener?

If you're not comfortable with running electricity in a safe manner, then yes, you should have an electrician install an outlet in the ceiling near where you intend to install the opener.  You can run a split off the line that feeds the lights, but you do need to run the opener on an always-on circuit, so you have to know what you're doing there.

As for the installation itself, as long as you're reasonably handy, know how to find proper structural supports (ie: the framing), the installation should not be very difficult.  Obviously the install will vary based on the model but generally you'll install a mounting brace of some kind, which needs to be VERY securely attached to the structure of your garage (not just the drywall - but INTO the joists/studs).  The rest should be pretty simple as long as you read the directions carefully and plan it all out before you actually start.


Thermostat wiring on a non programical white and rogers

In the case of a switch leg on a multi wire branch circuit the white should be connected to the red and the white reidentified as a hot wire at both ends. Yes I have seen it and wired them this way in the past.


How to fix this dent/crack/chip at the edge of the door of laminated wardrobe?

This will be difficult to hide because it's directly in front. Also getting an exact match on the paint may be hard too.
The repair should start by sanding the rough edges around the damage. Start with a 120 grit sandpaper and than change to 180 grit. Sand only the lip of the original finish. Start with light pressure until your sure the finish will not continue peeling off.
Once the edge is smooth it can be filled. There's many products for the patching. The most likely to endure for a long while is auto body filler (Bondo). Apply the filler and over fill slightly.
It should be ready in a few minutes. Wear a breathing mask for the next step. Using the 180 grit paper sand the filler in a circular motion, checking often that the repair is flush with the original finish. Use your fingers to check.
Wipe any dust off the surface. Apply a similar type paint and color. You will have to bring a chip from the dresser to the paint store so they can match the color.


Tape or corner bead where Hardi meets Drywall?

I had a similar situation where the backer board extended a few inches past my planned tiling edge in my shower. After I had finished with the tile, I taped the joint and applied joint compound over the backer board and it seems great. It's been three years and there is no cracking or any problem with it. That's not exactly an answer but I hope it helps you decide.


I figured it out on my own.  The lower part of the handle unscrews (the bell shaped part).  It was on pretty tight and hard to grip so I had to use an oil filter wrench.  And I had to use pliers to grip underneath to prevent the entire thing from spinning.


Is there a standard wiring scheme for AC/heater thermostats?

The standard colors can be found at various sites on the web.  Here is the important part from that site (I did the best I could to cleanup the formatting since I don't think we have support for tables here):

Older systems and base signals on newer ones
Code    Color   Signal  Description
C       Black   24 Vac  Common  From one side of the 24Vac transformer (Think of this as 24Vac neutral
R/V     Red     24 Vac  Power to be switched    From other side of the 24Vac transformer (Think of this as 24Vac L1)
Rh/4    Red     24 Vac  Heat call switch power  Same as R, but dedicated to the Heat call switch
Rc      Red     24 Vac  Cooling call switch power   Same as R, but dedicated to the cooling call switch
G       Green   Fan     Fan switch on thermostat - is connected to R when Fan /Auto switch is in the fan position
W       White   Heating call    Is connected to R or Rh when themostat calls for heat. (Might be jumpered to Y on a heat pump. On others might be second stage heating
Y       Yellow  Cooling call    Is connected to R or Rc when themostat calls for cooling. Also Cooling or 1st stage heating on a heat pump. Most often connected to G when Fan switch is set to auto.

New signals - for heat pumps and staged systems
Code    Color   Signal          Description
Y2      Blue/Or 2nd Cooling
W2      Varies  2nd Heating     First stage Auxiliary heating on a heat Pump
E       Varies  Emg heat        Disable the heat pump and turn on first stage Aux heating
O       Varies  Reversing valve Energize to cool (Changes from heat to cool on heat pumps)
B       Varies                  Sometimes common side of transformer. Needed on some electronic thermostats or if you have indicator lamps OR   Reversing valve (energize to heat) above. York and Trane sometimes use (B) as common.   Might be heating changeover or on older stuff common of transformer.
X       Varies                  Might be common but sometimes emergency heat relay
X2      Varies                  Second stage heating or indicator lights on some thermostats    Might be emergency heat relay
T       Varies                  Outdoor anticipator reset   Used on GE/Trane/American Standard and some Carrier Products.
L       Varies  Service Light


Unexpected voltage with wall switch off but only when nearby light switched on

This is called phantom voltage. When a cable is powering a device a field is generated, this field then induces a voltage on any wires in close proximity to the live wire. There is no problem here, this is related to how transformers work. I have seen phantom voltages close to the line voltage where there is a long run of multiple cables in parallel. The higher impedance the meter, the higher the voltage will be displayed. Their are low-Z or impedance meters that load the circuit enough to dampen the phantom voltages. But low-Z meters are not as sensitive for accurate measurements of electronic circuits so they are somewhat uncommon. I would not worry.


Toilet supply line leaking at toilet connection

I'm hoping that somebody sees this - I just ran into the same problem as the OP and spent some time researching & investigating the issue.

The problem is that the gasket that comes on the valve is actually still inside of the toilet tank inlet - it's just lodged/displaced & difficult to see. If you shove your fingernail in there you'll feel the rubber gasket.

Simply remove it (without using any harsh tools that may nick/damage the rubber), put it back on the valve, screw it back in and test again. I just did this and the spraying/leaking problem is gone.

Hoping to get a few more years out of these pieces of junk before I eventually replace them all.


On interior wood, painters use alcohol-based shellac to pre-seal knots before they prime.

Shellac blocks both oils and water for a good stain-proof seal, while also promoting adhesion between coats.


How to wire Dining room to code: in an open concept kitchen, with one outlet, and stairs

Since this is a remodel of both rooms, it will require both rooms (or at least the scope of the remodel) come up to current code.

The kitchen, dining and living rooms can share a lighting circuit.

The two kitchen countertop receptacle circuits can't serve anything else.  Your cook will thank you if you use more than 2 circuits (to be more precise, you'll never hear about kitchen countertop nuisance trips).  Since you are adding these circuits, every point along the backside of the counter must be within 2' of a countertop receptacle.

Similarly, every point along a dining room wall and a kitchen non-work-area wall must be within 6' of a wall receptacle -- in whatever area your AHJ declares is part of the renovation.  AHJ=permit issuing authority/Code inspector.

A person at the bottom of the steps or the top of the step must have a way to turn on the stairway safety lighting from each end.  This is only an Code issue if the lighting has a switch.  In the LED age when a 40W equivalent light bulb costs $6/year to run and will run 25 years, having safety lighting on 24x7 or day/night sensor activated makes some sense, and then you don't need switches at all.  Code is not particular as to what stairway safety lighting looks like, but your inspector might be.


Throw a nipple in there, just don't make it too long

What I'd do to fix this, considering you can't chop the tailpiece down without removing the dishwasher inlet, would be to insert a DWV-PVC pipe nipple of some sort between the outlet bend and the P-trap itself.  This should be fine as long as you don't exceed the 24" distance limit prescribed in IPC 1002.1 (inapplicable exceptions omitted, erratum applied):

  Each plumbing fixture shall be separately trapped by a liquid-seal trap, except as otherwise permitted by this code.  The vertical distance from the fixture outlet to the trap weir shall not exceed 24 inches (610 mm), and the horizontal distance shall not exceed 30 inches (762mm) measured from the centerline of the fixture outlet to the centerline of the inlet of the trap.  The height of a clothes washer standpipe above a trap shall conform to Section 802.3.3.  A fixture shall not be double trapped.


Is it okay to face nail the drip edge to the fascia?

TBH, it would probably be pretty difficult to lift the edge of the shingles enough to actually be able to nail the drip edge down from above. The shingles should be nailed pretty close to the fascia to prevent them from lifting in the wind, so (IMHO) you're doing pretty good that they were able to slip the drip edge under there to begin with.
Personally, though, I agree with your concern and would probably put a little smear of clear or white silicone over each of those nails to ensure water doesn't get through. Whether it's strictly necessary to do so, I couldn't say, but that's what I'd do.


Put them in the grill and get them HOT!  Then use a wire brush and scrub the scale and rust off. After that I usually coat them with olive oil but any cooking oil will work.


Conduit is always a good idea, in my opinion. Network/communications cable is something that has a much shorter lifecycle than a house. It's feasible, just requires application of money. If it's planned in from the design phase, that reduces the cost considerably .vs. retrofitting.

A house is not an office building, in most cases, so a single panel with every cable run to it is probably a more efficient layout than "patch panel per floor", as @Tyson commented.

Don't forget network to the middle of ceilings - the best place to put wireless access points, which work best when attached to wires.

As an aside, either use Cat5e or get Cat6A - Cat6 without the A is a cable that's only able to run 10 gigabit for short distances - at 1 gigabit, 5e is all you need.


Does a leaking cell destroy the other cells in the same battery?

You're fine replacing just the bad cell. Clean everything & even sand or file any of the device's contacts that look discolored. If you have another device where the LR44's can go now or in the future write "spare" on them & replace all 3 cells. On the flip side, write the date on just the replacement cell so you don't toss that when the other 2 give out.


How do I get into this kind of faucet to fix a drip?

Note the manufacturer and google this repair giving the model and manufacturer; you should find information on this repair. Go to the home store and look for a repair kit for this manufacturer. Note that you must turn off the hot and cold supply to this faucet before you release the ring which holds the inner parts in place.

For example I Googled: youtube repair of single handle kitchen faucet and got this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huxSQljCrIc


Abutting brick or paver stones to foundation

The only real concern here is that you don't want hardscaping sloping towards your existing foundation to the point where it's now directing water towards your footings.

So as long as you have proper slope, no real concern.

If the patio is large enough, however, you likely do want to leave a slight gap between your pavers and the foundation to account for expansion during hot days. They make a product specifically for this for filling expansion gaps in slabs. It's just a thin (1/4" at most) foam strip that you place between the foundation and pavers as a filler.


Yeah, when I first started using chainsaws, I was naïve to the idea of "sharpening a chain". The very fact that you were able to get 9 hours out of it tells me you were like me.  My first chain, the chain cut subtly worse and worse and worse and worse, and I didn't realize it, because like the frog in the cookpot... until I couldn't stand it anymore.

First I paid the local lawnmower shop to sharpen them.  Then I discovered my local Stihl dealer would swap me for a new chain for $10. After about 3, he sold me some chain files.  Then I found a $6 flat file holder that makes filing much easier.  Files are a consumable, and I don't even try to adjust chain height: when the height is low I just go back to the Stihl dealer and get a new chain.

Now, I can't stand how badly my chain cuts after even an hour. I typically give it a quickie sharpen everytime I add chain lube, and it cuts like a lightsaber again.


How to add a C wire to an old Lennox system

In the photo that shows the insides of the furnace. On the left side of the photo there's a yellow and a red wire connected together. That should be where you want to connect the C wire.

you can confirm this by tracing the wires.  From the thermostat cable, the red wire should connect with the blue and orange wire.  While the blue wire connects to a white wire, with a blue twist-on wire connector. There's another blue twist-on wire connector where two red wires connect. One of the red wires is grouped with the white wire (in the same cable), those go to the A/C.  The other red wire should run over and connect to the yellow wire, using a yellow twist-on connector.

If all this is true (it's difficult to trace the red wires through the photo), then the yellow wire from the thermostat cable (new C wire) should connect with the red and yellow wires.


No, because you are talking about a 30A load, and that is way, way, way too much current for common switches.  By the time you pay for the exotic switches you would need, you would just be better off wiring a subpanel.

It might be possible to wire that legally, but I rather doubt that's what happened.  It sounds like an ugly hack job that's just waiting to electrocute someone.  I wouldn't touch any of it with a 10-foot pole, especially if you are a tenant in somebody else's house.

You simply need to train your laundry people that they cannot run the dryer 30 minutes after anyone uses hot water. That shouldn't be in the way of washing clothes; hot water is only used at the beginning of the cycle, and the water heater should have caught up by the time the cycle ends and it's time to go in the dryer.

Stacking loads (drying one while the next one is in the wash) is not allowed unless they select "Cold" water.


Check if metal junction box is "charged" from bad wiring

I am addressing your question first. You can't use a voltmeter to check the box by putting one of your probes to one side of the box and one on the other side. You need to kill all power to the electrical circuits in the box and using you continuity tester to "ring out" which hot wire is going to ground at the box.

That being said, replacing the metal box with a plastic does not fix the problem of a shorting circuit. It simply removes point of grounding which allows the short to trip your overcurrent device (the breaker). This means anyone who comes into contact with the box and is grounded will be subject to electrical shock or a burn hazard. So the box is actually telling you that you have a problem with a circuit inside the box and it needs to be repaired ASAP.

So your wiring is in need of repair and you should address that problem immediately. As @SDsolar has said if you are not skilled enough to make the testing and repair. You need to get a professional to do it immediately.


Unthreaded holes for AC fan motor mounting screws?

Today I visited the parts store that I bought this from and they insisted that this was normal.  He suggested that I use a power drill to drive the bolts into the case  (no tapping of holes involved).

I followed his instructions and it attached easily and solidly. I suspect that the screws are a stronger metal than the holes in the case and the increased friction from displacing the softer case metal prevents the screws from loosening over time.  This must be their solution in place of using loc-tite or lock washers.


I have outdoor lights powered by an in-wall timer. Can I add a dimmer to work with both lights and in-wall timer?

How hard it would be top install will depend on the exact wiring but I don't see why you couldn't wire in a dumb (non-smart) dimmer after the switch on the switched hot wire to the outdoor lights.
This depends on the wiring in the switch box but if the switched side of the timer goes to two wires, one to the indoor light and one to the outside lights, it should be doable. However, if there is only one wire going to all of the lights, you will have to pull new wiring.
Make sure to use a dumb dimmer, just a slide or rotary control, and make sure it's rated for LED loads. You'll need to make room for the dimmer, either combine other switches or add another box or something. Disconnect the wire from the load side of the timer that goes to the outside lights, leaving the indoor lights connected. In its place, connect the line side of the dimmer. Connect the load side of the dimmer to the wiring going to the outdoor lights.
Note: I have no idea if wiring a dimmer after the timer is allowed by code but I don't see any reason it would cause a safety issue.


Outdoor lighting: use 12V transformer or 220 V mains? And use RCD or not?

Your design is dangerous because you don't have safe light fixtures. Outdoor light fixtures, especially at 220V, need to safely insulate all electrical conductors. In an environment full of moisture and active, moving animals, you need fixtures that are secure and sealed. If you can't buy these, maybe you can make some, but don't expect regular indoor fixtures to be safe.

Let's think about how this system gets dangerous. Some of the wiring gets exposed, and a person or animal gets between the hot and neutral legs, completing the circuit. This could happen with two adjacent puddles of water, maybe one touching a hot and the other a neutral. Or a puddle and a rake that's pierced some of your above-ground cabling.

Your "ground" wire doesn't help. Bonding neutral to ground is good because it means that a loose hot wire that touches some exposed metal (or other good conductor bonded to ground) will blow the fuse quickly. You're not in an environment with lots of good conductors; even wet dirt may not conduct well enough to blow the fuse. If you had for example a metal walkway and a nearby metal pipe, you should definitely bond those so they can't be separately energized. But if you're just talking about an electrical system out in a field, bonding the field to neutral doesn't buy you much.

An RCD (residual current device) or GFI (ground fault interruptor) may not help much either, because again you're not likely to leak current to ground. However, these might be a little more sensitive than your fuse so they could help a bit.

The safe approach here is to use proper light fixtures designed for outdoor use in wet areas. These can be low-voltage or high. Low voltage is safer, because even if the fixtures or wiring fails the available energy is not enough to kill you. But a 220V setup that includes sufficient protection for your junctions and the light bulbs would also be relatively safe.

If you stick with your design, at least realize that your ground does not make it any safer. Protect your fixtures and junctions from moisture and from access by people and livestock.


Oil or latex for Grade 5 metal parts, in use case not requiring hard wear

I would use an oil based primer (perhaps one advertising rust inhibition), after cleaning the parts.  The medium steel will suffer more from humidity swings than temperature swings.

Once primed, the zero VOC latex will be fine.


Bad floating vinyl plank installation.How to fix half inch strip

You have learned the hard way to get references, and phone them.  You could probably take them to small claims court and win, but it would likely be more trouble than it's worth.  Short of that you can try:

Put your complaint in writing, with photographs.  Go see him, and say that you want this made right, at no additional charge.  Vinyl flooring locks easily enough that he should be able to relay the floor fairly quickly.
If you don't get satisfaction that way, put a complaint in with the BBB.

Note:  There are dinks out there who, when called out on a bad job, will make sure that there are going to be further problems with the job later.

I am not a lawyer.  The advice above is worth what you paid for it. Maybe less.

Normal practice at a doorway is to put down a transition strip.  This is a piece of moulding with a cross section of a short very wide T for equal heights transition, or a ramp down one side for floors of different heights.   The transition overlaps the floating floor and allows it to move.

Plank flooring is easy enough to do, and from your question you know something about it, you may find it easier to buy one more box, take up the floor and redo it yourself.


Connecting 120/240 receptacles on the same circuit breaker

This works, as long as your breaker is common trip (most are)

The mixing of 120 and 240V loads/receptacles on the same multi-wire branch circuit is permitted, provided the breaker is common trip (so that a fault on one leg can't be backfed by the other leg of the circuit via the 240V load(s)).  From an electrical standpoint, this is no different from a range or dryer circuit, and the resulting imbalance is not an issue from a safety standpoint.

This is permitted (in the US at least) by NEC 240.4(C) Exception 2:

  (C) Line-to-Neutral Loads. Multiwire branch circuits shall
  supply only line-to-neutral loads.

  Exception No. 1: A multiwire branch circuit that supplies only one
  utilization equipment.

  Exception No. 2: Where all ungrounded conductors of the multiwire
  branch circuit are opened simultaneously by the branch-circuit overcurrent device.


Why can I feel my seven pound cat walking across floor of my home?

There are five reasons I can think of: 1) vibration due to over stressed structural floor system, 2) continuous span structural floor materials, 3) high water table, 4) underlying soil conditions eroding away creating voids that the foundation rests on, and 5) footing poured on water in forms at time of construction.

1) The Building Code specifies "minimum" loading requirements. In order to save money, designers and builders will push the limits on these values causing the floor to feel springy. Good design will increase those minimums so that the floor feels "stiff". It makes the building "feel" like its high quality. However, this will be evident immediately at the completion of construction, not several years later.

2) New floor joists material (TJ-I's, engineered joists, etc.) are now used and they can be made up to 70-80' long. This allows a builder to install floor joists in multi - span configurations. (In olden times, a floor joists was a 2x8 or 2x10 and came in 16'-18' lengths and usually stopped under walls. ) Now continuous floor joists allows the structural calculations to include the weight in adjoining spans to "off-set" the required deflection so the live load is actually decreased, which allows for more deflection and vibration. However, again, this will be evident immediately at the completion of construction, not several years later.

3) A high water table will allow any vibration to transfer throughout the house. I live in a high water table area (swamp) in the U.S. and extra heavy trucks driving by our building will cause a vibration on the second floor of our building. If the tide is "out" and it's summer, we don't feel it so much. It's winter where you are and I'm sure the water table is high right now. Is it? However, I doubt if your cat could create such a phenomenon, unless Items 1) and/or 2) are occurring.

4) This is bad. Are there pockets of limestone in you neighborhood? You could contact your local Building Official to see if this is even possible. If it is occurring, you might be noticing some early "signs". If a void is created under a footing, then it could settle causing the wood floor joists to span an extra long distance. The "span" of floor joists is the most critical determination for deflection (vibration).

5) During construction, it could have rained in the footings and the contractor left water in the bottom of the footings when they poured the concrete...and didn't remove the mud so the footing did not set on undisturbed soil. This muddy mess set up when it dried out, but has turned back to mush due to a high water or leaky downspout, etc.  Again, if a footing settles an inch or less, then the floor joists would need to span to the next support.

Note: Most of this does not make sense if your foundation system is a "slab on grade" system or if you have a basement, because you'd see cracks in your basement walls long before you noticed your cat causing the floor joists to vibrate. Are there doors binding and not closing? Are windows stuck that you can't open? Are there cracks in the plaster above the windows or doors? (Look close, because sometimes it's just a "hairline" crack.)


Which thinset to connect USG Durock® Brand Cement Board with EdgeGuard?

The cement board instructions are for a wet area.   Since there is no need to waterproof behind a toilet you should not be worrying about this.
I would buy cement board tape and stick it across cover both boards.   As you trowel the mortar for your tiles feel free to push as much into the mesh that it can hold.   That is your install.
If you try to set your seams first and you let them dry inevitably you will have a ridge.   That ridge can cause a lot of depth issues when applying mortar to the wall and tile (backbuttering).   I advise not cover your seams in non-wet areas and apply the mortar in one go.


Are there different tiers (good/better/best) of door hardware?

Yes, there are tiers of lock product.

They are called Grades.  They are denoted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), most famous for defining standard thread sizes, and computer languages such as COBOL and C.

However, in my experience, there are tiers within tiers.

For instance Home Depot will sell you a $60 Kwikset Class II deadbolt with a smile.  I've paid $200 for a Medeco Class II lockset.  These products are not equivalent.  That Medeco has an unbelievably solid feel to it. It's tough.  Honestly I'm surprised there's a tier above that.

(mind you this Medeco accepts "figure 8" exchangeable cores; since we're all up into Primus type "cannot duplicate" keys, and we need that feature.)

One difference is the Kwikset is sold by Home Depot, whereas I got the Medeco at a "Security Solutions" shop.  I'm evading the word "locksmith" because most people think of a locksmith as someone you call in a panic, who shows up in a van, and $150 of the total bill is just for rolling the van. No no, I'm talking about a "trade" retail store (in an industrial park, with a counter you talk to a clerk who gets what you want from the back room). When you walk up, you get locksmith services at perfectly sane prices, including custom keying and all that bench work. This describes a small minority of locksmiths.

The simple fact is, Home Depot will never sell the $200 Medeco, because it won't move.  Random consumers are hypnotized by Home Depot's own low prices, but also by nifty trinkets like the Nest, Ring etc.  The only way they'd pay $200 for a lock-set is if you could unlock it with your phone.


Can vent plumbing be behind a double wye?

Around here the answer would be no. Our plumbing inspectors won't pass drain installations where a connection to a common drain line comes before the vent. The one exception would be the toilet, which can be wet vented to another fixture.  The problem is that the air admittance valve is too small to vent the toilet, and the height of the toilet trap is above the height of the shower drain.

Keep in mind that local mileage on this stuff varies wildly, so I'd run it by your local inspector. Also, don't know if this is just a mistake in the diagram, but the wye connection to the cast iron pipe is upside down.


Floating tiled shower wall and a Schluter type edge

Your mortar probably won't be 1/4" once you press in the tile. If you're careful it'll be not much thicker than the flange on the edge molding, so you generally purchase an edge with a depth matching your tile's thickness.


Why isn't the switch working to turn off my ceiling lamp after I replaced a fan w/light?

If everything else is hooked up correctly, then you have a bad switch.  This is easy to diagnose if you have a meter that measures continuity.  Most digital multimeters have this option.  Kill the power to this circuit at the panel before testing for this or performing any work on this circuit. The connection between the two screws of the switch will be open in the "off" position, and will be closed in the "on" positions.  If the meter reads "closed" in either position then you have a bad switch.  If you don't have a multimeter, just put a new switch in and see if that fixes it.
The other possibility is incorrect wiring.  If you replaced a fan/light combo then you probably had 3-wire going from the switch box to the device box (black, red, and white wires).  When you wire the new light fixture, select one wire and cap it on both ends so you won't use it by accident (I usually cap off the red one, we usually use black in residential applications for the hot wire).  This will only leave you with a black and white going to the lamp.  After that, it's a simple act of wiring the black to one screw of the switch and putting your whites under a wire-nut in the switch box.  The black from the panel goes on the other screw.  Don't forget to bond your grounds to the boxes if they're metal.


How can I calculate the neutral load in a single phase circuit with disparate bus loads?

In typical split phase service, the neutral carries the imbalance of the current between the two legs, so the neutral load would be

(7000-4000)W

or 3000W.


lights do not go on but i can verify that power is delivered from the switch to the light

Since you have power you must not have a return path or neutral that is making contact. In these cases a real volt meter is helpful, but checking the neutral at the panel and any connection points you may visually spot the damage, as I did today on a circuit that was not working. I pulled the device out and the neutral wire had burned off. If you can trace the cable from the panel, make sure if it goes through any outlets you check them; also, it could be any place on the run from the panel to the light that is causing the problem.


How can I frame a ceiling tray in my dining room?

Since you are going to be mudding and taping sheetrock anyway, you could cut into the ceiling and add some supporting 2x4's between the ceiling josts to attach your new trey framing too.


Benefits of gfci and Afci redundancy in circuit

Nuisance tripping or false tripping is a real thing in both devices for different reasons. nuisance tripping of GFCI’s is well documented and there are also issues with AFCI’s where they can’t tell it’s a dimmer or speed control and trip.
The reason you don’t see studies on redundant devices is because they affect each other and some devices self test will trip other devices and getting them all reset can be impossible.
I once was called to a home the owner tried to do exactly what you mention after hours of trying to rewire and get them to reset he called me. I told him he could have each receptacle as a line fed and not use the load but still may have some false tripping and finding the tripped receptacle would be easier but there would be no redundancy.
At that point with each point protected individually protected there would be more chance of failure because Electronic devices (both AFCI & GFCI) do fail.
So in his case he went back to 1 per circuit.
This is the reason you won’t find studies on redundant devices and although I have not read the mfg instructions lately they used to identify this in there documentation that came with the device.


Turning on AC either resets thermostat or blows fuse

First I would make sure all the wires are hooked up correctly. Look at the thermostat, what color is hooked to R, Y, C, G,W and whatever else you have. Then go to the furnace and make sure those same wires are hooked up the same at the furnace. There is a cable going to the condensing unit outside from the furnace. One wire should be hooked to Y and the other to C on the furnace. The other end should be hooked to the contractor outside.  Also make sure none of these wires are grounding out. Make sure the new contractor is 24 volts at the coil. They make them with 120 and 240 volt coils. You say the contractor is white? The only white ones I have seen are special purpose. Usually they are brown or black. I would be interested in seeing a picture with the label. My guess is something got wired back up wrong with all the fiddling.


It's capacitive coupling between the wires between the two switches,
this allows a small amount of electric current to make a side-run around the open switch contacts.  This small current is enough to cause some CFLs to flash periodically and some LED fixtures to glow dimly. and to trigger non-contact voltage detectors.
It can be cured by adding a lighting capacitor in parallel with the light fixture, providing a path to neutral sufficient to pass most of the ghost current rendering to voltage at the outlet to low to activate the lamp.


Repair cracks in concrete block wall that's no longer moving

Before you patch it, I would recommend making sure it isn't moving any more. One common method is to epoxy a small piece of glass across the crack; if the crack is moving, it will break the glass.


Should I leave faced fiberglass in my basement energy walls or replace it with rigid foam?

You'll get a lot of opinions on this subject, and there are several lengthy discussions to be found on SE, but the bottom line is that each case needs to be handled individually.

In my area, it's common to have framed energy walls with unfaced fiberglass batts (not faced like you have). Sometimes moisture is an issue, so it's commonly advised to forego a moisture barrier inside the insulation so that the wall can breath and dry out. You don't tend to get the type of condensation that you would in a main-floor wall, which is exposed to the outside air. Poly sheeting is often installed over the insulation in unfinished basements to protect and contain the insulation, and it may or may not be removed when the walls are finished.

In your case, if it hasn't been a problem to date, it probably won't be in the future.


How should I handle old wallpaper over top of lead paint?

Definitely read up on the EPA 'renovation repair and painting' rule.

Option #3, the 1/4" drywall, is likely to produce the best and cleanest results, at the cost of loss of room space and alteration in the look of all your trim.  You'll have to extend all outlets also.  Of course that sounds suspiciously like what happened last time. Eventually your room will be solid wall covering with no center.

Option #4 sounds attractive if that texture on the wallpaper will really hold the joint compound.  I'd run a test with and without the primer/sealer.  Remember worst case here it cracks later and you redo it all with #3.


I have white terrazzo floor.  It is very hard to clean.  I tried straight bleach on it on a corner, and believe it or not it helped alot.  I never tried on brick, but maybe you can try in a hidden spot, and see how it works.  I just put the bleach on straight, and aired out the room.  I did it like 3 separate times.  Got great results though.

On my walls in my house, I use degreaser in a spray pump bottle.  If the area was dirty I sprayed with degreaser, and it seemed to clean all areas of my house pretty well.  Again, never tried on brick, but could try on a hidden spot, and see if it helps.


Open hot just means that the wire that should be hot is not connected to the power supply. The neutral and ground are possibly still connected. This is a common way to switch receptacles by adding an extra (red) wire that goes through a switch.

You should check continuity between the outgoing (switched hot) wire at the switch and the red wire (going to the top receptacle) at the receptacle. If there isn't continuity then there is a break in the cable or it's not a switched outlet setup.

If that is the case and you want to be able to use the top outlets again you can connect the top and bottom hot sides of the receptacle and cap off the supposedly switched hot. You can then remove the switch and cap of the wires that go into it.

If there is continuity then you should be able to replace the switch and the receptacles will work again.


Are Soap Suds Normal After the Dishwasher is done?

If you use a rinse or "anti-spotting" agent ("Jet Dry®" is one brand name of such products) this is almost certainly the residue of that. Put a drop of in in a bottle of water and shake to observe the effect.
Personal opinion - I don't fill that spot in my dishwasher and see no ill effects from not using it.
Actual dishwasher detergent makes almost no bubbles - as anyone who has screwed up and put hand dishwashing liquid into the dishwasher will understand better than any who have not (don't do it for the experience, though - just imagine opening the dishwasher door to a wall of foam...)


Adding a new electrical outlet to lighting circuit

Am I allowed to add new sockets onto lighting circuit nowadays?

Yes.

  Do I need to worry about lighting per square foot?

Other than for your own personal preference since it's your own home, not really.

  Overloading the lights - well I only use LED lights, but someone in the future might stick something else in, right? What do I tell the inspector? I currently count at least 17 lights (14 of those recessed) on this branch (15A 110V), and like I said earlier, there are some sockets on this as well. I use all LEDs, but someone in the future might stick 100W incandescent bulbs in, overloading the branch. What does this mean for me.

The load is done as is installed. If you put this outlet in and later someone wanted to run a 5000W heater on it, that's still on them to ensure that they can, not the original designer. Since all of your lights are LED, you should very well be okay. It all depends on the wattage of the fixtures on the circuit and the overall load.


Two black, two white, two ground, one red wire in bathroom receptacle: huh?

This is a multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC) that has been wrecked by idiots, and made rather dangerous by their bungling.

North American houses use split-phase power.  A normal MWBC takes advantage of this to bring two full circuits' worth of power on only 3 wires. Two hots share a neutral: the hots must be on opposite poles (240V between them) so the neutral only carries differential current, and can't be overloaded.

The neutral being pigtailed is a normal safety requirement of MWBCs.  That's so you are able to remove a device (receptacle) without interrupting the neutral for the other half-circuit.  That is still required, but it's a bit obsolete because now, both breakers must have a  common shut-off.

Yes, this circuit is powered by two breakers.  They should have been next to each other.  Modern code requires they have common maintenance shutoff to avoid the problem you had finding the right breakers, so either a handle-tie or a 2-pole breaker.   It's possible someone changed the panel and put both of them on a double-stuff breaker - that's a common blunder, and very dangerous on a MWBC.

The black supply wire is one half-circuit, the red supply wire is the other.  The receptacle must have its tab broken off, because red and black are supposed to be 240V apart!  Why isn't it?  I don't know what happened.  I suspect either

somebody moved the breakers so both sides are on the same pole (0V apart) and then someone changed the receptacle, and forgot to break off the tab. (Probably didn't even realize tabs exist).
somebody replaced the receptacle, didn't break off the tab, and got a big BLAM as they shorted the entire service. Chasing that problem, they moved the breakers  around.

Either way, all the current from both breakers is being returned on the same neutral wire.  The currents are not canceling each other out - they are stacking, with the 20A rated wire carrying as much as 40A. Neutrals do not have fuses. Nothing protects them except care not to do this!

What was originally intended

The original idea was to provide dual 20A circuits in the bathroom so you could run a heater and a hair dryer at the same time.  They served them on the split receptacle.  One pole, the black, also went off to serve other bathroom loads e.g. the light or fan.

This is a very deluxe setup, because it means not worrying about overloads. I highly recommend it for every bathroom or kitchen receptacle if you can afford the 2-pole GFCI breakers.

15A receptacles are allowed on 20A circuits **if there are two or more sockets*.   If no tabs are broken, a duplex receptacle has 2 sockets. On the original setup here, a 20A receptacle would be mandatory because each half-circuit had only 1 socket.

How to fix it: Quick and dirty.

Cost: $18

Cap off the red wire, and never use it again.

Somewhere in your panel will now be a breaker that does nothing.  Next time someone has the panel open, eliminate that.

Get a GFCI+receptacle combo device, or "GFCI".  Attach its LINE terminals to the black and white pigtail.  As always, leave the warning tape on the LOAD terminals.  They are not extra general purpose terminals, they are for wizards only.

How to fix it: As the original architect intended

Cost: $93+++

Swap the current 15A receptacle for a 20A receptacle (required to meet Code as discussed). Break off the hot-side tab.

Plug a radio and a vacuum cleaner into them.  Flip breakers until the radio OR vacuum cleaner are silenced, then keep flipping to find the other.  Mark those breakers, on the breaker not the cover.  You'll be taking the cover off and playing with live busbars.

Pull the red and black off those breakers and sanity-check to make sure they go to the same cable.  Also find the accompanying neutral and pull it off the neutral bar.

Now, figure out how to rearrange space in the panel to give you two full spaces. Be careful: this house may be full of MWBCs, others may be wrong too, fix them and don't break any.  This is the problem with this approach: you may keep stumbling across more problems.

The two spaces need to be adjacent.  They need to be full spaces, you cannot use double-stuffs here because GFCIs are not made in double-stuff.

Now buy a 2-pole GFCI+breaker combo device, or even better a dual-mode GFCI, combo AFCI and 2-pole breaker.  Expect to pay $90.   On this super-breaker, land the two hots and neutral from this circuit.  Take the breaker's pigtail and put it on the neutral bar.

Now you have full dual 20A capacity  in the bathroom, and will never trip a breaker (except for GFCI/AFCI of course).


A quick search for "replacement plug" on Amazon gives me a few hits like this:

Leviton 101-P 2 Wire Plug, Light Duty, Polarized, Brown
Coleman Cable 05984 Replacement


Is it acceptable to decrease the HP rating of a blank-face GFCI?

Are you sure that it's no powering more than those two recepticles?

Yes, you can downgrade it from 1.5 to 1.  You SHOULD however, make sure the new GFCI you want to install is rated for 20 Amps.

As for why they chose a dead front, most likely it was used for a spa at some point and local code forbid use for anything else.

It could also have been that the owner intended to reserve its capacity for some other high current device.

Some deadfronts have multiple load terminals which could possibly be a reason.  (To avoid wire nuts).

Or perhaps it's a 240v GFCI.  Nobody generally has use for 240v 20A outlets.


How can I connect a sub-panel to an unused 60A breaker in another panel?

Make this a 120V only subpanel

Since the original circuit was 240V-only (hot, hot, ground), you're short the neutral wire needed for having both 120 and 240V at the old furnace's location.  Since you only need 120V here, though, what you can do is install a 120V-only subpanel; however, that limits you to 50A as 120V-only (by design) subpanels don't come in larger sizes, and trying to use a larger subpanel gets confusing, what with the potential for skipped slots and all.

You'll need a GE THQL1150 breaker (to replace the THQL2160 that's in there right now), a TQLFP1 filler plate to fill the hole left by the other pole, a Square-D QO24L50TTS panel for your subpanel, a suitable NM clamp for the cable coming in, and appropriate QO single pole or QOT double-stuff branch breakers in 15 and 20A, as well as a torque screwdriver or torque wrench that goes up to 50 inch pounds or so as all lugs must be torqued to their manufacturer specification (110.14(D) in the 2017 NEC).  Replace the THQL2160 with the THQL1150 (with the main off) -- the black wire that landed on the THQL2160 lands on the THQL1150's lug, the white wire that landed on the THQL2160 gets moved over to land on the neutral bar (torque it to spec too!) as it will be a neutral now, not the other hot leg, and the bare wire stays put as it will continue to be a ground.  Snap the TQLFP1 into the hole in the deadfront left where the other half of the THQL2160 was.

Once this is done, leave the new branch breaker off, button the main panel up, and turn the main breaker back on.  You can then mount and install the QO24L50TTS in an appropriate spot; once it's mounted and the cable fed in through a KO and secured, you then can terminate the black wire from the cable to the main lug, the white wire from the cable to a lug on the neutral bar on the far right, and the bare wire from the cable to a lug on the ground bar on the far left.  Make sure to torque the connections to spec; there will be no bonding strap or bonding screw to pull, as the QO24L50TTS is not suitable for use as service equipment to begin with.

Then, you can install the appropriate OQ or QOT single pole breakers (QO115/120 or QOT1515/1520/2020 depending on the mix of 15 and 20A circuits you need, you can get 4 circuits max using double-stuffs in this panel) and wire up your 15 and 20A circuits to the subpanel.  Note that if you want ground-fault or arc-fault protection here, it will probably be easiest to use a short conduit nipple over to a box with a deadfront GFCI, AFCI, or DFCI in it instead of crimping your circuit count with a GFCI, AFCI, or DFCI breaker.


When you turn that style of Moen control, it mixes hot water with cold to adjust the temperature; but first you need to pull out to get the water to flow...


Where do you put multiple washers when you have a bolt and a threaded hole?

Slip the lock washer on the bolt, then slip the large washer on the bolt, then screw the bolt into place.

The lock washer "bites" into the bolt head and into the large washer so that the two become connected.
The large washer has a lot of friction against the bed post, so the bolt does not turn and back out.


Do I need to use a bonding agent between scratch and base coat plaster on the ceiling?

I usually use an add mix in my stucco, thinset and mortar. Add mix increases the bond, reduces cracking and seals better. Other than this I have not used any bonding additives on stucco between coats.


RV heating and cooling using multiple sources of fuel

Don't make perfect the enemy of the good, or the project never finishes.
Space dimensions do not decide HVAC requirements. Insulation value x surface area does x air leakage.
So it's all about the insulation.  Walls with 6" of aerogel and good door/window sealing will be a completely different energy picture than J random converted step van with #16 aluminum on 3/8" plywood and a 1/4" crack under the door.
Where you lost me, however, was "multiple fuel firebox".  Firebox????   It sounds like  you want to rocket off into space and design your own stove from scratch that will take everyfuel.  Forget it, that's a Manhattan Project to do with any level of safety or sophistication.  I assume you want a heater that you can refuel without getting your pajamas wet, yet that will also not kill you from carbon monoxide?  Generally you have 2 options:

Build a hillbilly nightmare that will burn the place down or gas you
Buy a quality, efficient product off the shelf that Just Works and you can run it while you sleep so you don't have to sleep in long johns and spend the first hour of the morning trying to restore heat while your hands go numb.

Since I gather you don't want three totally separate furnaces in that compact space, you better select one that's a safety and functionality winner and stick with it.  There's not going to be any shortage of propane or diesel anytime soon.
I gather you'll probably want to cook.  Think about that as part of the heat source decision, pretty dumb to need 2 different fuels for the two tasks.
When you're RVing, you don't need air conditioning.  If you really want it, cover the roof with solar panels and you'll have plenty of power to run a compressor based A/C system.  You'll want a sensibly sized battery pack anyway, because if you're too fancy to live without A/C I'm sure you're too fancy to live without electric conveniences.  Running an off-grid electrical system, sizing panels, batteries, loads etc. is a topic all its own.
Solar plays well with A/C because the only reason you need air conditioning in the first place is solar gain.  Thus the need and the power supply arrive in same proportion.
I seriously doubt an ammonia based absorption refrigerator would even be capable of scaling up to air conditioning size.


If your switch has the labels still on it, specifically H1, H2, L1, L2 and P, then you can use this:

Source: https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/21420/operation-of-infinite-switch


Connecting band/rim joist to floor joists on a cantilevered deck

As Tester101 mentioned, in this application there is close to no load on the rim joist, since your actual joists are supported by the beam. Nailing through the rim joist into the end of the other joists will be fine. I've built plenty of decks like this.

Here's a study that was done on end nailing, and the relevant recommendations:

  Recommendations

  Nails driven into the end grain of wood do resist both static
  and impact loads. However, additional research is required
  in several areas. Of the 4,723 data points on the relationship
  of specific gravity to nail withdrawal strength, only 294 data
  points were from tests of nails with a diameter larger than
  2.52 mm (0.099 in.). Therefore, research is needed on endgrain
  withdrawal capacity of nails with a diameter greater
  than 4.1 mm (0.163 mm) so that Equation (5) can be further
  developed.

  Furthermore, none of the studies evaluated repetitive loading
  of nails from the end grain since joints in service typically
  do not experience strictly static or impact loading. Repetitive
  loading may cause end-grain withdrawal capacity to significantly
  decrease over time.

  There is conflicting data on how threaded nails perform in
  comparison with smooth shank nails when withdrawn from
  the end grain. Three studies showed an increase in nail
  withdrawal capacity whereas one study showed a decrease.
  Since the use of threaded fasteners in construction is increasing,
  more research is needed to determine the effects of
  surface characteristics on end-grain withdrawal.

  Finally, more research is needed to determine the long-term
  withdrawal strength of nails driven into end and side grain.
  The data in this report suggest that over time end-grain and
  side-grain withdrawal capacity may become equivalent.
  Very few test replicates measuring the effect of time delay
  on withdrawal strength were conducted, and more tests need
  to be run to clarify these limited observations.

If you still feel like you need more support, yes, you can find something like this:

at most hardware stores. If you're working with pressure treated lumber remember you will need galvanized plates and connectors.


The recommended rough opening for a 36" x 80" door, is 38 1/2" x 82". So you're basically looking at something like this.

Basically, you'll have to fill the purple area with framing. Which means you might have to either use thin planks on the sides, or cut into the walls to install framing.

The rough opening (blue) around the jamb (brown) will be left open, and shims will be used to make sure the jamb is perfectly level and plumb. This area will be covered by the casing, once the door is trimmed out.

Finally the door (green) will be fitted within the jamb.

The 1 3/4" you're seeing as "assembled" dimensions, includes the door, the small gap between the door and the jamb (3/16"), and the jamb itself (11/16"). This is typical of prehung doors.


Best way to cover stair using concrete retaining wall block

I think they're nice looking stairs... I would suppose that it's not going to sit perfectly still without a stout concrete base, or without some kind of retaining system (like rail road ties or long blocks or something) but I think crushed rock is probably a suitable alternative, too.

After a couple years, you will probably need to add something to fill it in. Then I might opt for a more ornamental gravel.

Alternatively, you could go for the natural look if you fill it in with soil and grass seed; as grass and stuff begins to grow it will also help it settle and hold it's place.

Since you have angled blocks/pavers... yo could try the (fancy) round stair look.


Do I need to replace skirting in these places?

Nope -- cross that task off your list!

Seriously, skirting boards (aka baseboard or baseboards to feed the search engine) are cosmetic. If you can't see them, you don't need them. They'll get in the way when you're trying to push the dishwasher back that last little bit.

(Some people think they keep creatures out... the simple fact is that if you have creatures and they want into your space, they'll find a way.)


Trying to wire a new light fixture in the bathroom - what is going on with these wires?

I did not follow your question completely so I will explain how it should work (per code) A switch leg is where the power is supplied in the attic and then the hot black feed from the attic normally would go down on the white and come back on the black/ red after the switches. All work is done with the breaker off.

you have a fan and a light so at the switches you take the white to both switches (they should be marked as hot black or other color not green) then your red goes back from 1 switch and the black from the other switch.

At the attic tie the light and fan tie the neutrals (white) to the cable from the panel your supply white or neutral.
the fan hot to the red (or black)
The light hot to the black (or red)

The hot black from the panel to the white going to the switch (on the 14-3) this is always hot so it is harder to get confused but the white wire should be marked as a hot like the switches.

This would be the proper way to wire a switch leg to 2 devices through 2 switches.


Remove it unless you can verify that that plastic covering is vapor-permeable. Vapor barriers have no place in basement walls. Terrible idea. Those exterior walls should be insulated with rigid foam boards air sealed to the floor and rim joist. Then you can cover the boards up with drywall or an insulated stud wall.


It would be helpful if you could add a picture of your desk to your question. The commenters are correct. A work table with 2x4 legs is probably not fancy, and doesn't need a fancy job to raise it. If it were my project, I would either replace the legs with longer ones, or add a 5-1/2" stub under the leg while scabbing a full length 2x4 leg to the inside of the original leg. Use 2-1/2 inch screws and horizontally screw the new leg into both the old leg and the stub. You can optionally toe screw from the original leg into the stub - just like a pocket hole, but less of a process.


Treehouse ladder - 12ft and corrosion resistant from pressure treated wood?

For ground contact, besides the corrosion problem, there are general strength and stability issues potentially lurking.

Solutions include creating a concrete base, such as (from here):

Or pouring your own concrete base and incorporating post standoffs such as (from here)

Another issue is for whom is the ladder intended?  If it is teenagers, then your layout is probably adequate for all but the least athletic.  Otherwise, the ladder should extend above the deck for hand holds.


How to repair a bulged exterior door threshold?

Step 1: Properly size the support lumber
What we see there looks like more than just swelling to me. It seems like someone jammed a full-thickness two-by in there out of haste. Swelling was just the final straw that caused rubbing.
You'll need to remove it. Use a reciprocating saw (Sawzall) to cut any fasteners running through it, then pry it out.
Then flex the threshold back into shape. Support the ends when you do--you don't want to tear it from the jamb sides.
Use a dry piece of lumber to fill the void. Cut it to the correct size (thickness and length), and use construction glue or silicone caulk to set it in place. If there's room you could toenail a few screws from the front.
Step 2: Flash the area properly
None of that wood should be visible. Fit a piece of aluminum stock or other water-repellent material under the threshold and down the face of the wall. Tuck it back under the bottom board if possible, and caulk that seam, or leave a short flange protruding outward from the wall and caulk under it. Caulk between the threshold and the flashing and along the side casing as well.
_________________________
_________________________|<-- threshold
                      --*--
                         ||
            top board    ||<-- flashing
            _____________||
                         ||
                         ||
          bottom board   ||
_________________________||___
                            *<-- caulk beads (here and above)


Would replacing my boiler's control board resolve intermittent issues after a water leak?

I'm wondering if this is a temperature-related problem, where the trouble (wherever it is) happens when the boiler is hot, and fixes itself when the boiler cools.

The next time this fails, you might try hitting the PCB with some cooling spray and see if the problem immediately goes away. If it does, then the PCB is the problem, and replace that sucker.


What's the right size of gravel for fence posts?

It does not really matter or make much difference, so whichever is less expensive or more convenient.
The main thing (regardless of size) is to compact it well. Put in 50mm, tamp (or ram) with a flat-ended rod or stick. Put in another 50mm and repeat. Most people get tempted to put in much more at a time, and the compaction suffers as a direct result, making the post less stable.


We were all young once. You need a Torx screwdriver of the appropriate size https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx

Actually due to the pin in the middle it is more technically security Torx. Harbour Freight will get you out of trouble cheaply.


AC: Powering a 25 amp appliance from 2x20 amp breakers

You so not want to do this. If you have a true 25A load then install the proper 30A or 40A single breaker and the proper wiring for that amperage (10AWG for 30A breaker or 8AWG for 40A breaker) in a single circuit to a listed receptacle rated for that current rating.

Here are some of the problems that you have with what you propose:

There is never any guarantee that both parallel breakers will split the current equally.
If one breaker goes open on a current overload the other breaker and circuit is left trying to source your 25A load through wiring that is rated for 20A or less. This can cause overheating. One would hope that in this case the second breaker would open but with just a 5A overload on a 20A breaker it may not trip right away.
In the case that you are on a split phase AC mains power system (such as used in the USA where 120VAC per phase is available) you could mistakenly try to parallel up two 20A breakers that were on opposite phases. Doing so would result in a direct short across the 240VAC and could cause lots of sparks to fly.

So....again do not do the kludge that you are proposing and install the proper single breaker/wiring/receptacle to support your 25A load in a safe and reliable way.


Can I install porcelain tile without grout joints on a fireplace?

This is more or less a matter of opinion, but many floors of many types have been installed over the years without grout. If you don't want grout, don't use grout.

Regarding your point #1, grout isn't structural in the sense that it prevents movement. Your mortar and a sound substructure do that. It's not a valid concern.

I don't know what you're saying in point 2. You can't grout tiles that are tight together, even if it's non-sanded. You need at least a minimal void to accept the material and ensure a good bond.


The "point" (as is so often the case with plumbing code) is not causing a situation where the drainage from the sink with the longer arm to the trap causes the trap to siphon dry and let sewer gas into the house.
Since the drain-holes are 30" apart, that's allowable. If they are more, it's not. Welcome to code compliance.
If "more storage" is your watchword, you could run two traps towards the rear of the cabinet and put the crossing pipe to the drain closer to the back wall of the cabinet, freeing up all the space between the drains currently blocked by the crossing pipe.
Slope is 1/4" per foot, as usual for "smallish" drain pipes. IPC states that as minimum slope for 2-1/2" or smaller pipe size. UPC is probably similar. Tape a 1/8" block to one end of your 6" level and look for level to check that.


What is the right way to join aluminum house wiring to aluminum fixture wiring?

I guarantee it's not aluminum wire on the fixtures.  I see fixtures with multistrand tinned wire all the time.

Install AFCI breakers in your panel.  These detect arcing from bad connections, which is the crux of the problem with aluminum.  Killing yourself to replace every Al-Cu splice in the house doesn't make much sense when you can just detect the root problem.

Then you can use any listed method, such as the generally-regarded-as-poor purple wirenuts, or the excellent Alumiconns.


Best way to convert all lights on one switch, to one switch per room

I was about to say yes but if someone turned that switch off it would turn all the rooms lights off so if these are living spaces / finished  rooms it would not be to code.
If you made that location hot all the time  then broke all the rooms you could do that and it may not take much wiring depending on how your wires are run.


Is it okay to use a ball joint coupler to stop a hose bib leak?

Short term it is better then having a dripping valve.  In the picture the valve is a common type that is easy to repair with a new washer and packing.  Bib washer video


After installing a mobile AC, I do have hot air intake from the front door

Those mobile A/Cs draw air from inside the room, cool it, and return most of it back into the room. Some air is used to cool the unit and is exhausted, in your case up your 'chimney'. This causes a small negative pressure, which will draw air from adjacent, unsealed areas (in your case, your front door).

There are dual-hose mobile A/Cs that use external air to cool the compressor, but that doesn't really help solve your current problem.

I would say that it's just to be expected; the price to pay for a cheap, mobile A/C.


Latent heat is 80 kcal per Kg in all cases, and ends with a pipe frozen solid.

Total heat is 85 kcal per kg in all cases. Now, if the water is actually flowing, you have some other factors that you haven't told us about, (lenght, wind, etc.) as well as not telling us if the water is flowing or not. In general, uninsulated water pipes below freezing are not a great idea unless there is constant flow of warm water, and you don't mind losing the heat.


I do have a lot of ice and snow on the roof should I install an ice melting cables

No. Best case scenario you just waste the money that it would take to install them, worst case scenario you create a problem that didn't exist before.

Ice dams are typically created by sharp surface temperature gradients on roofs, usually caused by inadequate insulation in the attic.  Heated air escapes through the attic and warms the roof deck, melting the bottom of the snow accumulated there.  The water runs down the surface of the roof until it gets to an area that isn't being heated from below (typically the eaves), where it freezes again and creates a dam.

If you don't have an ice damming issue and start melting snow off of the eaves, the surface temperature gradient will be at the top of the ice melting cable.  Gravity will be on your side in this case, but there is still a risk that you'll get ice forming above the ice melting cable.

Finally, having snow accumulate on the roof is only a problem if there is too much weight. Outside of that, you want to have snow on your roof because it provides some additional insulating value and an excellent wind barrier. As an interesting side note, you can see this incorporated into traditional building designs in different parts of the world.  Areas with heavy snow falls tended to have steeper roofs, but they get less steep as the snow fall drops off largely in order to balance the amount of snow that stays on the roof.


Ceiling light fixture held up only by the pressure of two screws?

Yes, this is very normal thing. The end of the thumb screw engages a lip on the glass cover or globe. It is more common that there are three such screws. Here is a side view cross section to show approximately what it looks like.

To remove the globe or glass cover you simply use the thumb head to back out the screws till the lip on the glass part can drop down.

Note that on some fixtures there may even be only one thumb screw with one or two fixed pins or ledges on the metal fixture on the far side. This type you back out the thumb screw and then have to tip down the globe till it disengages from the fixed points on the other side.


I have also been advised to include some lights on the smoke & fire detector circuit, in order to give you some indication if the smoke & fire has gone offline.  I believe Ed Beal's comment about 760.41.b refers to dedicated fire alarm panels, and that residential detectors are considered receptacles.

I found this https://www.electriciantalk.com/f5/smoke-detector-circuit-72368/ which addresses the question.

Of course it's always best to check with your local building department for the final say.


remediate corroded fins on AC, if it possible - how?

A non acid foaming coil cleaner is your best option at this point. Once the fins are gone the coils will still exchange some heat but not be very efficient. R22 is getting very expensive ( around $100 per pound) . Since the coils are damaged cleaning all 3 sides will help the system Cool possibly for a few more years. I would not try to add epoxy or other adhesives to the coil. Cleaning with a foaming cleaner and low pressure water (no pressure washers) just a garden hose may stop the corrosion and improve the condenser coil's heat exchange.


Efficiency of a heat pump water heater during the winter

You are right that a unitary HPWH is a parasite heating load in the winter...
When most people think of a heat pump water heater, they think of the unitary heat pump water heaters that were mandated as a replacement for large electric tanks (bigger than a 55gal drum) by the NAECA 3 standards, released in 2015.  These have all the heat pump machinery atop the tank, and as a result, draw heat from their surroundings to heat the water in the tank.  This means that they are as Harper said: nice for the utility since they don't have to ship as much electricity to you, but not so nice for you in that you are still paying for 100% of the heat that goes into your water.
However, unitary systems aren't the only game in HPWHville
While unitary heat pump water heaters are the most common type out there in the US, they are not the only type of system on the market.  The Japanese, in particular, developed a very different approach to using a heat pump for water heating, generically called a split system heat pump water heater, and often called an "EcoCute" as a trade-nickname of sorts.
These systems consist of two parts: an interior water tank and an exterior heat pump unit, the latter similar in form-factor to the outdoor units used in mini-split heat pump systems.  Water in these systems comes into the tank, then is circulated from the tank out to the heat pump unit, which heats the water and sends it back indoors to the storage tank.  Hot water can then be drawn from the tank as if it were any ordinary storage water heater, although some split systems use a mixing valve at the heater to maximize efficiency by way of storing water at higher temperatures than it is actually used at.
While more difficult to install than a unitary HPWH (due to the need for outdoor plumbing and accompanying freeze-prevention measures), these do not have the "parasite load" problem in the winter months, and can provide plenty of output in just about all weather conditions short of Arctic winters (the Sanden units are rated for operation down to an ambient temperature of -20°F) without the need for an electric backup heating element.  They also draw less current than the current generation heat pump water heaters under all operating conditions (15A@240VAC for the Sanden units I have researched vs the 30A@240VAC circuit required by most current hybrid/unitary heat pump water heaters), making them more amenable to running off of a backup generator or even off-grid without losing significant capacity, or putting an unreasonable load on the genset or inverter.
Note that while the Sanden units aren't the only split-system heat-pump water heaters out there, most of the other units (the Daikin Altherma comes to mind, although there are others as well) are designed for space heating or combination domestic hot water & space heating loads, and have poor support for being used purely for domestic hot water.
If that's not possible...
In situations where a true split-system HPWH (Sanden EcoCute, Daikin Altherma, etc) isn't feasible, some unitary HPWHs (most notably the Rheem/Ruud units) support duct kits that allow outside air to be pulled in to "feed" the hot water heater.  This can improve efficiency in moderate climates, but is subject to limits as the heat pumps in unitary HPWHs are not built for low ambient operation (with ambient low limits in the 30°F to 40°F range).  It's also possible to put the unitary HPWH in an unconditioned space, but those spaces are becoming scarcer due to trends in modern construction and it also can increase the standby losses the tank is up against in colder climates, so one must evaluate the tradeoffs of this approach carefully.


probable water damage to exterior outlet when power-washing house

If it is tripping a circuit breaker you have a lot of water in the box.

If it is a surface mounted bell box, then it can hold a lot of water for a long time.

You should turn the breaker off and remove the cover to drain it. Maybe blow it out with a compressor and allow it to dry out before replacing the cover.

Good luck and be safe!


Is it worth spending extra to get a nicer circular saw?

I wouldn't worry so much about blades flying out, even when using a cheap harbor freight saw. What is more likely to happen is the motor will burn out quicker than a quality tool. I've bought many harbor freight tools for "time to time" use. I've got a drill press that's lasted quite a long while ... granted I only use it a few times a year so I got my money's worth.

I think you'd be fine with the cheap saw as long as you're not going to use it all that often. The blade won't come flying out but the motor will probably burn out and fail long before the DeWalt motor would.


That's a window sash lock. It's designed to prevent someone from defeating the lock from the outside, or prevent a small child from opening it from the inside and falling out. Operates as any normal window sash latch would, only you have the option to lock it with a key as well.

Personally, I consider it a death trap. If locked, there's a fire, and that's your only escape route, you've made a dangerous situation.

Offers piece of mind to some people though.


You may want to clean it in case it got dirty during handling and delivery.  You may also want to touch-up any spots where the primer has rubbed off.
But generally it's not necessary to re-prime pre-primed trim.


Are all toilet bolts installed from under the floor?

A typical toilet has a flange that's bolted to the floor and stays there.

Bolts are then turn upside down, with the head down, and the toilet sits on these. The threaded end faces up and the nut goes onto it.

So, a typical toilet install is closet bolts that have threads facing up. No need to go under the floor, be it a 3rd floor bathroom, a 1st floor bathroom or a basement bathroom.


How to fix acidic smell from fridge/freezer?

The tray under your refrigerator is there to catch condensation is it goes through its normal operating cycles.

The water might building up and overflowing or other there is direct condensation in the other areas. The color and smell is from the typical things that grow in stagnant water (mold, etc) and can be cleaned up with the same normal cleaners. It probably got a foothold in the tray, and if the tray is not overflowing, then also got to the other wet locations easily from the tray colony.

This is then a typical household cleaning issue that you can approach as normal.

Things you can do to improve the situation: some water in the tray is normal so it's not an option to not have water there but we can make it unfriendly to the little buggies: put a few drops of chlorine bleach in the tray once in a while to keep it non-life supporting. Since there is an issue outside the tray, this indicates that your house might have a lot of moisture. If so, a (portable) dehumidifier can bring down the humidity to something more reasonable


Wiring confusion with 3-way switches that control 2 lights

I figured it out, once I had both switches out of the box and pulled out all the bundled wires it was easy enough to figure out where everything was going and what was going on based on what was working, there was a hot circuit coming in, circuits going out to each light, and the 3-way circuit going between the switches, so it was easy enough to identify the lines running to each light and put them in parallel. Cheers.


Is there a quick way to clean up walnuts from a yard?

You need a Roller Nut Harvester!

Amazon also has the Nut Wizard, which has an infinitely better name, but it's $50 vs. $18.01 for the Roller Nut Harvester.  Plus you can still tell your friends it's called the Nut Wizard and they'll never know.


Can two light fixture switches share a neutral?

If they are all on the same circuit, yes.

If not, no.

If one circuit breaker turns off all three lights, then they are on the same circuit and you should be good to go.


Is it OK in the UK for mains sockets to be mounted upside-down?

The answer is that there is no specific regulation within BS7671 which is the British Standard for wiring regulations that specifies the orientation of the sockets. The reg that governs socket positions is 553.01.06. It states

  A socket-outlet on a wall or similar structure shall be mounted at a
  height above the floor or any working surface to minimize the risk of
  mechanical damage to the socket outlet or to an associated plug and its
  flexible cord which might be caused during insertion, use or
  withdrawal of the plug.

It could be argued that fitting a socket upside down will cause the cord to double back on itself. However, Since it is mechanically clamped inside the plug its hardly a valid reason. The one item that could make it non compliant is dependent on its rated testing. If the electrical/fire testing for certification prior to been sold of the device for operation was never done in that orientation the thermal/electrical/fault ratings might not be relevant. There maybe a case to be made on its IP rating due to its reversed position but again its a very thin argument. These are all speculative ideas as pointed out the regs do not forbid it.

The reality is that it is acceptable but not good practise.


it's difficult to determine without a scale reference, but if I found this sort of thing in my yard, my first inclination would be to tap on it to determine that it's a solid rod and the suspect cap is a clamp used to attach grounding cables. The shape of the top of the rod/pipe appears to be the result of hammering the rod into the earth. In the USA, one can expect an 8 foot (>2 meter) long rod to meet specifications of many areas of the country.


Can it be appropriate to orient a 2x4 "wide side out"?

The reason why 2x4s are faced thin side out is:

The other way would mean you would use a 2x2 base which would be too wobbly, even for non-loadbearing walls.
The wide side is more prone to warping issues.
Can you imagine trying to get plumbing/electric/whatever through the wall if it were framed like this.
It is fine to have a board facing like this (given normally faced framing throughout) and is actually a must for an outside corner.

To your point exactly, what your are suggesting is much better than the alternative even given that you would have longer bolts.  The wide side will be much more stable against the concrete and will allow a tighter bond.


How can I get all the water to go down the drain in this sink?

Hard to tell from that picture, but you may be able to shim the cabinets to make the sink and countertop more level.

If not, you can (if the sink bottom is not too thin) grind it (diamond will take on anything, but silicon carbide is a lot cheaper, so try that first) to fix the slope - but it looks like you'll also have to remove and reseat the drain - the strainer appears to sit up from the sink bottom, where it should sit down into it for proper drainage.


Rust repair and coverage on High temperature fixture

First, that looks like a common Cadet heater that costs about $50, so don't sink $200 worth of labor-of-love treating it.

Second, it's high-temp, but not that high-temp - it's designed to have a relatively huge heating element with low heat per inch, so you won't burn yourself on it if you touch it. These things are in homes with children after all.

So ordinary rattle-can spray paint should work fine, you don't need to use grill or stove or brake caliper paint.  (in case you want a bright red heater lol).  An alternate option if you have a Maker Space available to you with a big powdercoat curing oven is, powder coat.  That is how it was painted from the factory.  Since part of powdercoating is curing it in a 475F oven, obviously the coating doesn't have a problem with heat.

If you really, really want to brush and roller it, you can't use a "latex" paint because the heat will damage it.  You need to use an alkyd paint.  The messy ones involving thinner and NOT being able to clean brushes in the sink. (This is exactly what is in "rattle can" spray paint, but obviously that doesn't bother you there because you don't thin it or use brushes).  They now make waterborne alkyds which are supposedly best of both worlds, but I doubt their durability.  We shall see.


How do I get rid of these bees/wasps in my sunroom?

That is a very small nest. Since the sunroom is indoors, I would not recommend using wasp spray, especially if the label on the can recommends against indoor use.

1) They'll be back if you do not plug their entry way into your sunroom.

2) Insecticide spray is not necessary.  Just knock the nest down with a broom handle or similar, then leave the sunroom, closing the door behind you.  The few that might be in the nest will calm down and may exit the sunroom to the outdoors.  If not, they can killed with a flyswatter or kitchen towel.


What does "architectural" really mean when used to describe building products?

It does not have a consistent meaning, but in the context of building materials/products is usually intended to suggest a higher level of quality or prestige. I think this comes from the suggestion that this particular material might be specified by an architect, who wants a quality project and doesn't care much about price. In contrast, builder-grade products are low-quality, low-price, generally acceptable items available at low cost for builders who want to limit expenses.

In some areas a more specific meaning has evolved - the shingles you point out are an example, where architectural shingles are a class with a typical design (in contrast to cheaper 3-tab shingles).


How do I connect router-modem to existing central panel?

Do I unplug the CATV Link and hook it up to the router/modem?

Going by the installation guide for the distribution panel, the jacks labeled "CATV Link" and "SATV/CCTV" are passthrough ports that go to the back of the panel, meant to be used for satellite. I can't tell from your photos where, if anywhere, they go in your system. The input to the 8-way splitter that feeds the TVs is also on the back of the panel.

The recommended thing to do is to disconnect the cable going to the splitter input, and connect it to a two-way splitter (perhaps you already got one with your modem, and perhaps it says that one side is for the modem and one side is for TV — if so, use it, and follow the instructions). Using short cables, run one output of the splitter back to the distribution panel input and the other to the modem. Possibly you already have such a splitter and one or both of the passthrough ports are connected to its outputs? If so, then you could connect the modem to one of them without re-wiring anything, but I can't say.

If that's not possible (for instance, not enough space or available cable length), you can try connecting the modem to one of the other outputs of the splitter (unplug one of the cables going to a room, connect a short from the panel to the modem, optionally add a splitter to restore service to that room), but the modem may not appreciate being downstream of an 8-way split.

Then there's wiring for Ethernet. I can see that the cables running to the Telephone Distribution Module are Cat5 or similar; are they terminated in RJ-45 (wide, 8-contact), not RJ-11 (narrower, 4-contact) jacks in the rooms? If so, then yes, you should be able to pull them and plug them into the cable modem, and the patch panel wouldn't come into play.

But if there are cables going into the back of the patch panel running to each room — perhaps the rooms have separate "telephone" and "data" ports? — then you're better off getting 6" or 1' Cat5e patch cables, and connecting the LAN ports of the modem to each port of the patch panel, and lighting up the data ports that way. That seems more standard than using "telephone" ports, but I guess who has landlines these days anyway?

Finally, a note about WiFi. Is your cable modem/router also a WiFi access point? If so, you might not get the best signal with it closed up in the wiring closet. If it works there, great. But if it doesn't, then there's another way you can go:

Buy an inexpensive Ethernet switch with as many ports as the number of rooms you want internet in.
Place the cablemodem in a room with coax and ethernet ports, where it will also be in a good place for WiFi reception.
Hook up the coax splitter as before, except instead of running one of the outputs to the cablemodem inside the wiring closet, disconnect the coax for the room with the cablemodem from the 8-way splitter, and connect it directly to the two-way splitter. Or if you had the modem connected to one of the outputs of the 8-way splitter anyway, then just leave the coax the way it was when you got here.
Connect the cable modem to the cable jack in the room where it is, and connect one of its LAN ports to the Ethernet jack in that room (you can use  any other LAN ports on the modem for more devices in that room).
Put the Ethernet switch in the wiring cabinet, and connect the cables for all of the rooms that you want Ethernet in to the switch. If the switch has a special "uplink" port (it probably doesn't), connect the room with the cablemodem to that port. Otherwise, just connect it to any port of the switch.

Last, but not least — you seem to have really nice structured wiring in the house, but your panels don't have any labels on them. As you hook things up and you discover which ports and cables go to which rooms, write them on sticky labels and stick them in the slots provided on the side of the panel. It will be good for your sanity later on.


Downspout repair (with the 6 inch section)

You can crimp your own ends with a crimping pliers available at most home stores in the heating duct work section or hand tools section. They are simple to use and not expensive to purchase. When using these for splicing you will lose 1 1/2" - 3" of overall length though so keep that in mind when deciding whether to replace the whole downspout or repairing it.


What type of screws should I use in framing an area for a drywall patch?

It sounds like you need a screw primer.

Strength is of very little importance here. There will be no serious loads on these screws. So anything that goes through the 2x4 into the existing framing. Since 2x4 stock is only 1.5 inches thick, you need a screw at least 1/2 inch longer than that. A really long screw is a detriment here, since it takes longer to drive, more friction, etc. So is a thick screw. I'd buy 2 or 2.5 inch screws for this. Since you will be drilling at an angle through the wood, 2.5 is probably better. Again, you don't need the holding power of a 3 inch long screw here.

Wire size is important. This defines the thickness of the screw. You will see numbers like #6, #8, and #10. Bigger numbers mean a thicker, stronger screw, that will displace more wood fibers. So thick screws take more effort to drive, but they are stronger. Requiring more effort to drive means it wears out your arm and the battery in your driver more quickly. Typically, you will be able to buy screws in a length of at least 2 inches as #8 screws. Even a #6 screw would be entirely adequate here.

Next, I'd go with square drive (Robertson drive.) A square drive screw is nice, in that you can stick it on the end of the bit, and it will stay there without you needing to hold onto the screw. It is better when you are working in tight places. Square drive screws are far less likely to strip out the head (cam out) than are Phillips drive screws. Believe me, once you use square drive, you won't go back.

There is no need to pre-drill holes for these screws. Pine 2x4 stock is soft as screws go. If I was putting a 2 1/2 inch screw through that much dry white oak or rock maple, a pilot hole would be necessary, even mandatory. Not here.

How will you drive these screws? A manual screw driver will work to drive a couple of screws. But I'll quickly grab a battery powered drill or even a powered screw driver for a job like this. 12 volts is nice, but 14.4 or 18 volts is better, but heavier. Remember, smaller batteries mean occasional recharges and battery swaps, but a lighter tool.

Finally, there are many stainless screws you will find on the market. Stainless steel is great for some applications, for example exterior decking, driven into pressure treated wood. But stainless is relatively soft. I can tear off the head of a stainless deck screw if I over-torque it. Just get a basic steel screw, made for general construction application.


Technique to level a patio for concrete and tiling

I use a hose level.  To make one obtain at least six feet (2 m) of 5/8 inch clear flexible tubing which has an outside diameter of 3/4 inch which is exactly the inner diameter of a standard garden hose.  Cut into two lengths of 2–3 feet and slide the tubing inside each end of the hose 4–6 inches.  It should form a good enough seal without any additional fuss.  (If it doesn't, a wrap or two of Teflon, duct, or electrical tape should be enough.)

Lay out the hose assembly on the patio with each end held vertically with a stake into the ground (or chair, etc.) so it will hold water.  (I find it convenient to use one inch brads through the tubing into the stake, but tape or string would work too.)  Fill it full so the water level is about half way into the clear ends.  Now you can easily determine the same level with extreme precision—perhaps 1/32 inch/0.8 mm at distances apart of 50+ ft depending on the length of the hose.  Such accuracy is challenging (at best) with string and a carpenter's level.

To use it, place one end at a reference level and the other at a point in question.  Raise or lower either end to cause the water height to increase or decrease, respectively, as doing so decreases or increases—respectively—the volume of the hose level.  Once the reference end water level exactly matches the target height, mark the other end where the water is.  Be sure to be consistent about using the top edge of the water or the bottom of the meniscus.  It is entirely possible the hose has weeped a little water or it has relaxed or tightened due to temperature, sunlight, external moisture evaporation, etc. so recheck the reference end and re-level both ends if necessary and re-mark.

Arrange reference markers (such as more stakes) firmly into the ground at the corners and maybe some points along the sides of the patio and chose a reference height.  It doesn't need to be at patio level.  In fact, it is better to have it 12–24 inches above the patio level.  Mark all the stakes at the reference level using the hose level.

From the reference marks all around, you can measure down to the actual height of the concrete pad or the cement forms.  Do whatever slope calculation you desire, like 2.5 inches per 120 inches (a standard recommendation corresponding to 1/4 inch per foot) by measuring the distance from the house to the stake and applying the slope.

For example, if the marker stakes along one side are at 5', 10', and 15' from the house, the slope for each would be

  5': (60 inches) is  2.5 / 120 * 60 = 1.25 inch drop
  10': (120 inches) is  2.5 / 120 * 120 = 2.5 inch drop
  15': (180 inches) is  2.5 / 120 * 180 = 3.75 inch drop

If the reference mark is 17.5 inches above the ground, then the final target marks should be at

  5': 1.25" lower than 17.5" or 18.75 inches below the reference mark
  10': 2.5" should be 2.5+17.5" or 20 inches below ref mark
  15': 3.75" should be 2.5+17.5" or 21.25 inches below ref mark


Short conduit run from attic to exterior panel. What is the correct way to run cable?

If you can't get the cable down the wall cavity, then use a junction box to transition to THHN in conduit and go down the wall that way from there

Normally, this run would be inside the wall cavity and then enter the panel from the back -- even if it's somewhat harder to run that way, it has the advantage that you don't have to mess with conduit.  If that's not possible, though, the alternative would be to run the NM into a box in the attic, where you transition to THHN in conduit (1/2" EMT or PVC suffices for this) and then run a short length of conduit out the wall into a LB conduit body, then conduit down the wall to a point alongside the panel, where it uses a LL or LR (depends which side of the panel you're on; if you can't be sure when you're buying it, simply pick up an Arlington AnyBODY or equivalent configurable conduit body instead of the LL or LR) body to transition into a nipple into the side of the box -- do not enter the panel from the top! (NEMA 3R boxes require a hub fitting to enter from the top, and generally only have knockouts for a single hub atop the box.)


How can I hang a ceiling fan on a cathedral ceiling without wiring or an electrial box?

After writing this long answer, here's a YouTube video.

I'm not a professional, but I had to do a ton of research for a similar situation at my home, and here's some information that I hope will be helpful.

First, it would be easier to break your question into parts, for clarity.  I may be misunderstanding your question though.

Q1: I don't have electrical in my ceiling, how can I get power there?
Answers:

First there may actually be wiring up there, an electrician (or you) could figure it out by trying to get access to attic or space around the perimeter of the cathedral ceiling.  In our house, from the attic we see Romex cable entering the cathedral ceiling in between the rafters.  So I would do some research there first, or ask a Pro too (they would know where to look faster).

If there is no power there already, it should be possible to add it to an existing circuit from a nearby wall.  An electrician would cut a hole in the ceiling and then cut a hole in the wall and use a fishtape to bring the wiring up to the ceiling.  I'm not a pro, so there's a lot of detail here that is missing, but trying to give you a general idea (there are a ton of resources online to find out how to do that).

Worst case scenario you could surface mount the wires like another person mentioned, but unless it is a rustic house or you have a very limited budget, I wouldn't go with that (unless you are ok with it as a short term solution).  I would think an electrician / GC could get wiring to this location for $300-400 and might install the fan for that price as well.

Q2: how do I attach the fan to the ceiling?
Ceiling fans need considerable support.  If the center of the room or the location where you want to mount it doesn't have a joist/rafter that you can mount the fan to, you will need to get one of these mounting brackets:

Westinghouse-15-5-cu-in-Retrofit-Ceiling-Fan-Saf-T-Brace (search that on google)

I used something like this (not sure the brand), and it works well (it is very stable/solid), but it definitely involves cutting into the ceiling, however all the work can be done from the one carefully cut hole it needs anyway. Also, depending on how your ceiling is designed, there may be no clearance space (ours has insulation between the exposed ceiling and the roof deck).

If you have a joist/rafter that you can attach the fan to, then you can get an normal mounting bracket (your fan might come with one already).

This is my first answer on this site, hope there's some helpful info!

My references:
familyhandyman.com/electrical/how-to-install-ceiling-fans

They have a good video on installing the fan brace too, but stack exchange won't let me post 2 links


Running electric cables in basement shop

You should have no problem using Schedule 80 PVC conduit.  It's easy to work with, and you can get pre-formed 90's for any corners (so you won't need a pipe bender).

You might be able to get away with Schedule 40, but since it will be exposed (and in a work area where it could get smashed with a wayward piece of lumber) I would go with Schedule 80.

Just make sure you do a better job than the previous "electrician", and use proper PVC conduit straps to attach the conduit to the wall / ceiling.

KeithS brings up a fair point.  Make sure the first receptacle on the line is a GFCI receptacle, then feed the rest of the receptacles from the load side of the GFCI.


How to repair scratches by utility knife on wooden dinner table?

Depending on how deep the scratch is.
Before more typing, why not just place a table cloth over the scratch since it is what you said?
To "fix" finishing on wood furniture requires techniques, and costs on materials.
Is it worth the fixing? looked like it's all the way across edges.


Which cylinder door lock shield design is most secure?

Effectively there should be no difference.  They only vary for aesthetic purposes.  Someone trying to access the door via cutting the cylinder would have to work very hard indeed regardless of which model you pick.

What's much more important is that you ensure that the rest of the door is as secure as the lock mechanism itself.


I had an embedded electric floor heater in my basement on concrete.  The builder put it in to "take the edge off" and then put laminate flooring over the subfloor with the heating.  What I think might be relevant to your situation was that the heat felt quite different than it did in the washroom where they used tile.  It still made the room warmer overall but it took much longer to warm up and the floor itself never felt as warm as the tile did.

I think what you'll find is that the heat will transfer up into your washroom, but it won't be as warm/efficient as it would be if it were embedded in your tile.  If the heat doesn't transfer well, what might happen is the thermostat you have to install might never reach temperature to shut off.  In which case you'd just have to turn it on and off when you needed it and maybe plan a bit ahead, which is what we ultimately did with ours in our kids room at night(bedrooms were in the lower level).